Chapter 12: The Shanxi Faction

After finishing his evening meal, Zhu Yijun recounted the events at the Northern Division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to Empress Dowager Li in great detail, omitting only the conversation he had with Feng Bao.

Both Empress Dowagers were young, and they were somewhat at a loss when facing that group of old monsters in the Outer Court. Why let them worry?

"How did my son think of letting Zhang Hong impersonate Grand Eunuch Feng?" Empress Dowager Li's eyes grew brighter as she listened. Her child seemed to have developed a touch of early wisdom. Without the incident of Wang Zhanglong misidentifying the person, how could Feng Bao have so easily cleared himself of suspicion? It would likely have led to more trouble.

Zhu Yijun blinked his innocent eyes and said as a matter of course, "Grand Eunuch Feng is the Grand Eunuch of the palace. How could a villainous servant see him? Even if it really were Feng Bao's doing, how could Feng Bao possibly show his face personally? Yet that villain Wang Zhanglong insisted it was Grand Eunuch Feng who instigated it. It must be a lie."

"Good, good, good. My son is intelligent, and this mother is comforted. I imagine your late father can also smile in the afterlife." Empress Dowager Li was slightly moved, her eyes moistening. Her husband was gone, and she was not afraid of anything; what she feared most was that the Emperor would have no ambition, no ability, and would be unable to hold onto this foundation.

Now, it was good. After this great disaster, the little Emperor finally showed some changes. Even if they were insignificant, they were enough to comfort Empress Dowager Li.

Zhu Yijun trimmed the lamp and read the *Direct Explanation of the Four Books* under the light for half an hour before rubbing his eyes, intending to rest. Early to bed and early to rise makes one healthy.

Zhang Hong served the Emperor as he washed, wanting to speak but hesitating. He naturally wanted to say something, but it was difficult to open his mouth.

Zhu Yijun handed the towel to Zhang Hong and asked, "If you have something to say, just say it. Why hesitate?"

"Your Majesty, it probably wasn't Gao Gong, was it?" Zhang Hong finally voiced his inner doubt. When Feng Bao asked if His Majesty would send troops to capture Gao Gong, His Majesty said to wait. Waiting through the night, Gao Gong probably wouldn't die.

Zhang Hong thought it wasn't Gao Gong, because Zhang Hong lived in the servants' quarters and knew that those who ended up there didn't have the ability to send someone to the Qianqing Palace.

Chen Hong couldn't do it, and Gao Gong couldn't do it, because they had lost their power.

"Whether it is Gao Gong or not, it doesn't matter," Zhu Yijun said calmly, looking at the dim crescent moon outside the window. "It just depends on how much benefit We can exchange for with this matter tomorrow."

Zhang Hong lowered the bed curtains for the little Emperor, then bowed and withdrew. He retreated all the way to the door before bowing his head and saying, "This subject withdraws."

Ming Dynasty eunuchs had to leave the Qianqing Palace after a certain hour and could not return until the fifth watch. During the Chongzhen years, a eunuch named Chen Derun was demoted out of the palace for entering the Qianqing Palace a quarter of an hour early, on the charge of trespassing in the imperial quarters.

Zhu Yijun looked at the dragon bed carved from sandalwood and earnestly summarized the events of the past day and a half before drifting into a drowsy sleep.

With the waning moon in the sky and the stars filling the heavens, the entire capital had only a few scattered lights. At this time, inside the Quanchu Guild Hall on the south side of the east entrance of the Mule and Horse Market in the Western City, the lights were brilliant.

What was the Quanchu Guild Hall?

It was the private residence of the current Senior Grand Secretary of the Great Ming, Zhang Juzheng.

In front of the gate stood two majestic, lifelike stone lions. Under the palace lanterns in the night, they looked imposing. Although the curfew had passed, two people were still submitting their visiting cards at the gate of the Quanchu Guild Hall.

As for the curfew, that was a rule only commoners needed to follow. The captains of the Five Cities Military Commission would not dare to stop these two.

Not long after, the gatekeeper came out and said quite respectfully, "My master said that a visit is fine, but gifts are unnecessary."

The gatekeeper then signaled for the two to put down the gifts they were carrying before leading them through the main gate.

Zhang Juzheng accepted money, but he didn't accept it from just anyone, nor for just any matter. He could not accept it for the assassination case. If he did, the outspoken officials would submit memorials to impeach him the next day, and the Empress Dowager would question him the day after.

Entering the Quanchu Guild Hall, one was met with a screen wall inscribed with the four characters 'Fragrance from Afar.' Behind the screen wall were covered corridors and arched bridges. After walking a few steps, there was a stone bridge made of white marble with nine bends. At the head of the bridge stood a century-old hackberry tree. On both sides of the stone bridge were small lakes with several weeping willows trailing their branches in the water. When the spring breeze blew, the moonlight, starlight, and lamplight on the lake surface were all scattered, as poetic and picturesque as a painting.

Crossing the nine-bend bridge, one reached the Zi-Wu Well. On the left was a theater stage, on the right was the Wenchang Pavilion, and directly in front was the Chuwan Hall—one unit of area being thirty Chinese acres.

This was only the front hall; the back residence had another thirty-plus *mu*. The Quanchu Guild Hall, covering a total of over seventy *mu*, was about as large as seven football fields.

In the capital, where every inch of land was worth an inch of gold, a private residence of seventy *mu* was truly extravagant.

The gatekeeper announced them again before leading the two guests into the five-room, nine-bay Wenchang Pavilion. This was Zhang Juzheng's study, filled with hardwood furniture, and the antique shelves were covered with various gold, stone, and famous curios. Zhang Juzheng was waiting in front of the study door, and when the guests entered, they exchanged greetings.

"The Quanchu Guild Hall is indeed spacious. Walking around, I almost got lost," said Yang Bo, the Minister of Personnel, looking left and right and offering praise.

Zhang Juzheng said quite steadily, "I am only here because my fellow townsmen have raised me up. No matter how spacious the Quanchu Guild Hall is, it is not as spacious as your Quanjin Guild Hall, Minister Yang. Please, take the seat of honor."

The Quanchu Guild Hall was Zhang Juzheng's private residence, but it was not in his name; it was built by funds raised by scholars from Huguang. Every time there was an imperial examination, Zhang Juzheng would open his private residence to provide lodging for the scholars from Huguang who came to the capital.

Zhang Juzheng was now considered the leader of the Chu Faction, but most of his followers were not from Huguang.

For example, the Junior Grand Secretary Lu Diaoyang was from Guangxi, the Regional Commander of Jiliao Qi Jiguang was from Shandong, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and Grand Coordinator of Jiliao Liang Menglong was from Zhending in Northern Zhili, and the Left Administration Commissioner of Huguang Chen Rui was from Fujian, and so on.

At this time, the Chu Faction still had no regional factionalism.

After Yang Bo and Zhang Juzheng exchanged simple pleasantries about the bright moonlight tonight, Yang Bo said, "Coming here this time is mainly about Wang Zhanglong's case."

The Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate Ge Shouli said quite definitively, "It is fundamentally not Gao Gong's handwriting. The Three Judicial Offices have already proven it a forgery. Even if the Eastern Depot agents clamor, it is still a usurpation of imperial authority. It must be someone framing him!"

"The Senior Grand Secretary knows best: Gao Gong was always upright and firm. If someone was worthy, even an enemy he would promote; if someone was unworthy, even a relative he would dismiss! He offended many people. Now that the tree has fallen and the monkeys have scattered, give me a few days, and I will definitely drag this thief out."

Yang Bo looked at Ge Shouli's indignant appearance, exhaled a turbid breath, and said with a smile, "Censor-in-Chief Ge, why not go and enjoy the scenery in the courtyard first? This Quanchu Guild Hall has always been elegant."

The handwritten note was not important at all; what was important was Zhang Juzheng's attitude.

"I have no mood to enjoy the scenery now." Ge Shouli wanted to say more, but seeing Zhang Juzheng and Yang Bo both pick up their teacups, he could only laugh awkwardly and go to the courtyard to enjoy the scenery.

The adults had things to say, so the child should go play on the side.

Zhang Juzheng put down his teacup, deliberated for a moment, and said, "Minister Yang is a minister of great virtue, and you and I have a bond of friendship across generations. As for the handwritten note provided by Chen Hong, I imagine Minister Yang naturally knows who wrote it. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to my Quanchu Guild Hall."

Yang Bo said quite confidently, "That eunuch Feng Bao might not be able to tell."

Feng Bao was very smart, but still not smart enough. This mix of truth and falsehood, twists and turns—after the Longqing Emperor passed away, the Ming civil officials and the eunuchs led by Feng Bao had already exchanged a few blows. Feng Bao was not worth worrying about.

Zhang Juzheng shook his head and said, "What if he does see it?"

Zhang Juzheng didn't care whether Feng Bao could see it or not. He was refusing—refusing Yang Bo's solicitation to collude, refusing Yang Bo's proposal to follow the old rules, refusing to seize the power of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and refusing to let civil officials usurp imperial authority.

Zhang Juzheng did not intend to follow the old rules of Gao Gong seizing the power of the Directorate of Ceremonial. The Emperor was too young, and imperial prestige was weak; he could not confront the civil officials at all. If the power of the Directorate of Ceremonial were seized again, and the fangs of this fierce dog were knocked out, the Great Ming would cease to be a nation.

Zhang Juzheng was well-versed in the system of the Great Ming; this system was designed from the beginning to be unable to function without the Emperor.

Yang Bo was silent for a long time, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the middle joint of his index finger, and said, "During the two Song Dynasties, factional strife filled the heavens. Whether for the sake of the ancestors' laws or for reform, they fought to the death, and in the end, they handed over half the country to the Jin people before it finally stopped."

Zhang Juzheng smiled and immediately replied, "I understand Minister Yang's meaning. Factional strife is a sign of a nation's demise. It would be better to let the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigate first. If evidence is found, we deal with it; if no evidence is found, we don't. I have no grudge against Gao Gong, so where does this talk of factional strife come from? Let us speak based on facts. What does Minister Yang think?"

Yang Bo shook his head and said, "The Embroidered Uniform Guard is under the command of the Eastern Depot Superintendent. Feng Bao could just instruct the Commander to forge a few pieces of evidence. In a few days, this case will become an ironclad case, and the crime will be pinned on Gao Gong. Yesterday it was Yan Song, the day before it was Xu Jie, today it is Gao Gong, and tomorrow it will be you, Zhang Juzheng."

"Feng Bao is incompetent and let the villain enter the palace; that is a capital offense in itself. Now that he is so arrogant and rampant, we should report to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to have him eradicated."

What did the Shanxi Faction want to do? The Shanxi Faction wanted Feng Bao's life.

They wanted to knock out the weakest link in the iron triangle of Empress Dowager Li, Feng Bao, and Zhang Juzheng.

This political alliance looked unbreakable, and in major matters, they moved in unison, which easily harmed the core interests of the Shanxi Faction.

But Feng Bao appeared in the Wenhua Hall after the assassination attempt to participate in the court discussion. At this time, they should stop and cut their losses. Continuing would be extremely unfavorable to the Shanxi Faction.

Just as Zhang Juzheng was about to speak, Yang Bo reached out and said again, "Bai Gui, I am old. I have guarded the borders for many years and have many old injuries. Recently, my old illnesses have been recurring, and my time is near. If I go, then I go. But our Great Ming is declining day by day. Back then, the founding Emperor led thirteen northern expeditions against the Mongols, and the Chengzu Emperor led five expeditions to the north, making the northern barbarians flee a thousand miles away, not daring to peek. Today, we actually have to seek peace with the northern barbarians."

"Not to mention the big picture, look at the small one. You have seen it too: Ge Shouli is honest and blunt, Wang Chonggu is quick-tempered, Wang Guoguang is self-disciplined, and Zhang Siwei... is two-faced and not a loyal subject. If I go, wouldn't it be wonderful if your Quanchu Guild Hall and my Quanjin Guild Hall were merged into one?"

"At that time, if you want to implement policies, why would you need to rack your brains?"

Yang Bo threw out the conditions for solicitation. After he died, the leadership of the Shanxi Faction could be handed over to Zhang Juzheng. If the Chu and Shanxi factions merged, then at that time, let alone his ambitions, even the matter of Wang Mang would not be impossible.

The palace was just an orphan and a widow. Feng Bao was just a slightly stronger dog. What kind of waves could they stir up?

If they couldn't knock out Feng Bao, they would dig into Zhang Juzheng, turning him into a fellow traveler. Then Feng Bao and Empress Dowager Li would only be able to manage palace affairs.

As for the little Emperor? He was just a ten-year-old boy.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Yang Bo and shook his head, saying, "My heart is not that big. The Quanchu Guild Hall is big enough. I am not a Shanxi man, Minister Yang. You have misplaced your love."

"I have a daughter who has not yet married. She is twenty this year, beautiful, and I would like to give her to Bai Gui. Wouldn't Bai Gui then be my Shanxi son-in-law?" Yang Bo seemed to have anticipated Zhang Juzheng would say this. Yang Bo did not have an unmarried daughter, but he had many family members; he could just pick one and name her as his legitimate daughter.

If he didn't have a daughter, couldn't he create one?

Marriage was a relationship of kin, mainly for the sake of this layer of connection.

Zhang Juzheng also formed factions, but his faction-building had neither obvious regionalism nor marriage ties.

Yang Bo didn't care whether the Senior Grand Secretary was Gao Gong or Zhang Juzheng; as long as they supported the Shanxi Faction, they were a good Senior Grand Secretary. Was Gao Gong not a Henan man? Did he not wear the same pair of pants as Wang Chonggu?

Even with such generous conditions, Zhang Juzheng remained unmoved and said, "Minister Yang, you have strayed from the point. Let us return to Wang Zhanglong's case."

Zhang Juzheng had refused. He had been an official for twenty-six years and knew for certain that if he accepted Yang Bo's conditions, he would only be able to collude with the Shanxi Faction and yield benefits to them.

Ambitions for governance? All empty talk.

This was not the first time Yang Bo had tried to win over Zhang Juzheng. Ever since Gao Gong fell in June of last year, Yang Bo had been trying to win him over.

Yang Bo was sincere, and the conditions he proposed were more generous each time, but Zhang Juzheng was somewhat unappreciative.

Yang Bo looked at the unyielding Zhang Juzheng and said, "I can make concessions on the 'Examination of Merit' law."

Finally, they had reached the core issue. If he wanted to surrender, he had to surrender. Did he think he could settle the matter without putting core interests on the table for exchange?

Zhang Juzheng weighed it slightly and shook his head. "It would still be more appropriate to have the Embroidered Uniform Guard go to Xinzheng tomorrow, bring Gao Gong to the capital, and ask him clearly. Grand Secretary Gao's reputation must not be lightly tarnished."

Pursuing Gao Gong was equivalent to pursuing the Shanxi Faction that Gao Gong had promoted. This bit of benefit was not enough.

Yang Bo stood up, looked at Zhang Juzheng, and sighed. "Bai Gui, I am old. I have guarded the borders for many years and have many old injuries. Recently, my old illnesses have been recurring, and my time is near. If I go, then I go. But our Great Ming is declining day by day. Half of my body is already buried in the earth. If you want, why don't you take over this Quanjin Guild Hall?"

"I will rely on you for the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel, Bai Gui."

Zhang Juzheng was finally moved. He stood up and said, "Let me think about it and give Minister Yang an answer tomorrow."

Yang Bo walked to the door, stood still, and looked at Zhang Juzheng, who was not yet fifty. He said extremely sincerely, "Bai Gui, I am truly ill and old. Just like our Great Ming, which is like the sun setting behind the western hills, half of my body is already buried in the earth. If you want, why don't you take over this Quanjin Guild Hall?"

"See Minister Yang out." Zhang Juzheng did not answer, only seeing the guest out. ===== CHAPTER 13 =====