Chapter 121: 119 Court

The Forbidden City, the Hall of Literary Splendor.

The Chongzhen Emperor summoned the Grand Secretariat, the Six Ministries, and the officials of the Six Offices of Scrutiny to deliberate.

The Ming court had now entered the era of Wen Tiren. The Grand Secretaries were a crowd: Wen Tiren, Qian Shisheng (Donglin Faction), Wu Zongda (Donglin Faction), Wang Yingxiong, Wen Zhenmeng, He Wuzou, Zhang Zhifa (Qi Faction), Lin Han.

There had also been Xu Guangqi, but he had unfortunately passed away from illness a month ago.

Among these Grand Secretaries, everyone is surely familiar with Wen Zhenmeng's great-grandfather — none other than Wen Zhengming, one of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan.

Lin Han was also quite something. Three years ago, he took a bribe and wrote a memorial reporting victory, the gist of which was: "The righteous man Zheng Zhilong has rendered meritorious service in accepting the surrender of Zheng Yiguan."

Zheng Yiguan was a pirate — what does that have to do with me, Zheng Zhilong?

Zheng Zhilong was whitewashed in an instant!

Presently, those summoned to deliberate also included the Six Ministers.

The Minister of Personnel, Li Changgeng, was someone "deemed Donglin." In order to oppose Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren, he had already drawn very close to the Donglin Faction.

The Minister of Revenue, Hou Xun, of the Donglin Faction, was the father of Hou Fangyu, one of the Four Young Masters of the late Ming.

The Minister of Rites, Li Kangxian, was currently cultivating ties with the Donglin Faction to jointly resist Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren.

The Minister of War, Zhang Fengyi, came from the eunuch faction but had not been purged because of his status as a frontier official.

The Minister of Justice, Hu Yingtai, came from the Chu Faction. He had once transported twenty-four cannon into the capital — the earliest Hongyi cannon of the Great Ming. Eleven of them were sent to Liaodong, and at the Battle of Ningyuan they "seemed" to have struck Nurhaci.

The Minister of Works, Zhou Shipu, was very close to the Donglin Faction; his chief political enemy was the eunuch overseeing the Ministry of Works.

The Left Chief Censor, Zhang Yandeng, was a capable official and administrator, accomplished in both civil and military affairs.

The Chongzhen Emperor seemed somewhat weary. He said, "The roving bandits have already entered Sichuan, Henan, and Huguang. How are they to be suppressed?"

No one answered. No one dared to answer!

The Chongzhen Emperor had been on the throne for several years now, and the ministers had figured out his ways. Every one of them now "preserved their own wisdom and safety."

Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren stood there like a bodhisattva, wooden and blank.

Although he privately cultivated a faction, on the surface he was a solitary minister, deeply trusted by the Chongzhen Emperor.

In his youth, this man had also been full of high spirit and vigor. Whether in ability or in methods, he could have been a pillar of the state capable of turning the tide. Moreover, he was incorruptible — though the Donglin Faction hated him to the bone, they dared not accuse Wen Tiren of corruption.

An incorruptible minister of ability and skill, serving as Chief Grand Secretary for several years at the end of the Ming... well, he never did a single piece of proper work.

Under Chongzhen, as long as you did no proper work, you would make no mistakes whatsoever.

If one were to say that Chongzhen was an emperor who passed the buck, then Wen Tiren was a Chief Grand Secretary to whom nothing stuck.

An enlightened sovereign and a worthy minister, complementing each other perfectly!

To what degree did nothing stick to Wen Tiren?

He could have casually put in a few good words, with no impact on himself, and saved some capable ministers who were actually getting things done. Yet he simply would not express an opinion, watching those doers get thrown into prison. His selfishness reached the extreme, utterly devoid of the sense of responsibility befitting a Chief Grand Secretary.

Seeing Chongzhen's gaze turn toward him, Wen Tiren immediately looked at Zhang Fengyi.

The Minister of War, Zhang Fengyi, could only steel himself and answer: "A Governor-General of Five Provinces should be appointed, with overall command of bandit-suppression affairs in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Huguang, and Sichuan."

"Is there a suitable candidate?" Chongzhen asked again.

Wen Tiren said, "Minister Li surely has someone tucked away in his bag who could be equal to the task."

The Minister of Personnel, Li Changgeng, immediately protested, "Your servant does not form factions or play favorites. What 'man in my bag' could there be?"

"Speak," said the Chongzhen Emperor.

Li Changgeng said, "Chen Qiyu, Governor of Yansui, might be able to shoulder this heavy responsibility."

Chongzhen immediately recalled the man — he had even commended him before. During his tenure as Governor of Yansui, Chen Qiyu had executed over 170 bandit chieftains, including Jie Shanhu, Liu Daozhi, Jin Chipeng, Xue Rengui, Yi Tiaolong, Jin Gangzuan, and Fan Shan Yao.

In truth, these were all bandit chieftains who had accepted the court's amnesty and returned to their hometowns to farm.

But the actual problems had not been solved. Although the rebels returned home to farm, they could not bear the crushing taxes and corvée. Having once been bandits, they were naturally unwilling to be oppressed again, and so many committed unlawful acts — some even rose up in rebellion once more.

By suppression or by deception, Chen Qiyu beheaded over 170 bandit chieftains, killed more than a thousand veteran bandits, and sent all the common bandit followers back to till the land.

The Chongzhen Emperor was extremely satisfied with this. He nodded and said, "Promote Chen Qiyu. Promote him to Right Vice Minister of War and concurrently Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief, Governor-General of military affairs for the five provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Huguang, and Sichuan. All armies on every front must obey his command and control. The roving bandits must not be allowed to continue their rampage!"

This appointment nearly wiped out the northwestern roving bandits in one stroke. Only by bribery and feigned surrender did the rebels narrowly escape with their lives.

Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai, Li Zicheng — all of them were trapped by Chen Qiyu in Chexiang Gorge. Had Chen Qiyu been just a little more cold-blooded, a little more decisive and resolute, the history of the late Ming would have been different.

The Chongzhen Emperor suddenly asked again, "For suppressing the bandits across five provinces, will the provisions and pay be sufficient?"

The Minister of Revenue, Hou Xun, replied, "Your Majesty, I fear they will not be quite enough."

"The Ministry of Revenue must raise the funds as quickly as possible," the Chongzhen Emperor said.

Hou Xun bowed with clasped hands. "Your servant will exert every last effort."

The Chongzhen Emperor suddenly remembered: "The Gold Flower Silver from the Southern Metropolitan Region and Zhejiang is still in arrears by several hundred thousand taels. Order them to deliver it to the capital at once!"

Hou Xun said, "Your Majesty, please retain the Gold Flower Silver for suppressing the bandits."

"Denied!" Chongzhen refused flatly.

The Gold Flower Silver was income from official fields, delivered directly into the emperor's private treasury. How could it be used to fight a war?

Hou Xun stepped back and said no more, daring not to remonstrate further.

The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works had all but given up in despair.

The Minister of Revenue in particular — there was already another minister overseeing the granaries and storehouses, and Chongzhen had also installed a eunuch to manage things.

After Hou Xun took charge of the Ministry of Revenue, he could not be bothered to do anything, could not be bothered to manage anything, nor could he manage all that much anyway.

Moreover, Hou Xun was resolutely opposed to additional levies — after all, the money and grain never passed through his hands. From extra taxes and surcharges, Hou Xun would not gain a single copper coin of benefit, yet he would have to bear the infamy of harming the common people. He was not willing to take the blame for the emperor.

The Grand Secretariat and the Six Ministries — none were willing to take charge of affairs.

With the emperor and the Chief Grand Secretary setting the example, the heavy ministers of the cabinet and ministries all turned into buck-passers and blame-shedders.

The scene suddenly turned cold, because no one was speaking.

Under the Chongzhen Emperor's rule, heavy ministers did not even dare to directly attack political enemies. If two or three ministers attacked the same person simultaneously, the emperor would suspect them of forming a faction, and their political futures could basically be declared finished.

"Ahem!"

Chongzhen coughed twice, breaking the awkward silence in the Hall of Literary Splendor.

Wen Tiren immediately spoke: "In Jiangxi there is a rebel called Zhao Yan, rumored to be a xiucai from Jishui. Days ago he seized the prefectural seat of Ji'an; dozens of officials from Ji'an and Luling died for the dynasty. Governor Xie Xuelong of Jiangxi fell in battle while retaking the prefectural seat. The eunuch Zhang Yin, stationed in Ji'an, led his troops in a fierce assault, suffered severe wounds, and recaptured the prefectural seat. The rewards, punishments, and appointments in this matter still require discussion among colleagues."

Chongzhen said expressionlessly, "I am already aware of this matter. All loyal officials who died for the dynasty shall be honored and commended."

Li Kangxian, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, bowed and said, "Governor Xie Xuelong and Prefect Xu Fusheng may be posthumously promoted three ranks, each with one son granted entry into the Imperial Academy as an Imperial Academy student."

"Approved," Chongzhen said.

Zhang Fengyi spoke again: "There are reports of bandits in Pingxiang and Duchang in Jiangxi. I suggest that the Governor of Jiangxi be allotted two thousand guard troops, and be ordered to swiftly quell the civil unrest."

"Granted." Chongzhen actually agreed, allotting the Governor of Jiangxi two thousand guard troops, and then asked, "Who can serve as Governor of Jiangxi?"

Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren kept his mouth shut and said nothing.

Zhang Yandeng, Left Chief Censor, suddenly said, "Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Lu Xiangsheng can serve as Governor of Jiangxi."

Wen Tiren shifted his feet slightly, as if he had stood too long holding his pose and grown tired.

Xue Guoguan, Chief Supervising Secretary of the Office of Scrutiny for Rites, immediately objected: "Lu Doushan has been quite effective at suppressing bandits in Northern Zhili; he is clearly a man who understands military affairs. He can be transferred to serve as Governor of Yunyang, to assist in exterminating the roving bandits who have burst into Huguang!"

Lu Xiangsheng was of the Donglin Faction, and Wen Tiren did not want him to take the post of Governor of Jiangxi.

Chongzhen had a very favorable impression of Lu Xiangsheng and at once nodded: "The scourge of the roving bandits is deeply worrying. Let Lu Xiangsheng go to Yunyang to exterminate the bandits."

Zhang Yandeng could only recommend another candidate: "Shen Youlong, Vice Director of the Court of the Imperial Stud, can serve as Governor of Jiangxi."

Shen Youlong was also capable of suppressing bandits; historically, he died for the dynasty after being defeated while resisting the Qing.

Xue Guoguan, however, said: "Jiangxi is a land flourishing with culture; even the disorderly commoners can be transformed through moral instruction. Li Maofang, Superintendent of Schools for Suzhou and Songjiang, possesses both virtue and ability, is pure in conduct and upright in integrity, and can serve as Governor of Jiangxi."

Zhang Yandeng, unable to contain his fury, said, "Your Majesty, the bandits in Jiangxi have not yet been wiped clean. Even that rebel Zhao has fled into the mountains. We absolutely must have someone who understands military affairs to suppress and pacify them!"

In fact, many high officials knew the true situation in Jiangxi.

Because there were so many Jiangxi officials, any servant of theirs carrying a letter to the capital would quickly spread the news throughout the central court.

But the matter implicated a eunuch, so it was inconvenient to expose it directly.

In the court's power structure, Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren was the big boss, and the Donglin Faction was currently currying favor with the eunuchs to stir up trouble.

Historically, they succeeded. The Donglin Faction used a borrowed knife to kill, setting Cao Huachun and Wen Tiren against each other like dogs. A brush-holding eunuch and a Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat ended up destroying each other, both resigning and returning to their hometowns.

The two sides quarreled over the candidate for Governor of Jiangxi, giving the Chongzhen Emperor a splitting headache, until he had to say, "No more quarreling! Let the matter be decided by court recommendation!"

The court recommendation was held on a chosen day. Shen Youlong naturally received the most votes; Li Maofang received only a scant few.

The outcome, then, was perfectly clear. Chongzhen chose... Li Maofang.

Zhang Yandeng, Left Chief Censor, angrily tendered his resignation.

He was a man who wanted to get things done, but the court's political climate did not allow him to do anything. He might as well resign and go home to retire.

The Emperor refused. Zhang Yandeng had no choice but to continue in office, enduring the torment.

Fortunately, that summer, the Eastern Depot in Nanjing uncovered a letter. One official had asked another official for a favor, hoping the other would help him seek a promotion by approaching Zhang Yandeng.

The letter had not even been sent; Zhang Yandeng knew nothing of it, yet he was implicated because of it.

After three offers to resign and three refusals, Zhang Yandeng finally got to scram.

But Chongzhen knew he was capable, and only permitted Zhang Yandeng to go home to recuperate, to return to court and serve once he recovered — among the Grand Secretaries and Ministers, the officials who dared to shoulder responsibility had now, at last, all left, not a single one remaining.

In the spring of the seventh year of Chongzhen, Li Maofang set out from Suzhou, traveling by boat to Jiangxi to assume the post of Governor.

How to put it?

Wen Tiren had misjudged him; Li Maofang was also not the obedient sort.

Although Li Maofang had once impeached Zhou Yanru (Wen Tiren's political enemy), it was purely out of personal animosity. Although Li Maofang was not of the Donglin Faction, he and Wen Tiren could not piss into the same pot either, and during his tenure as Superintendent of Schools for Suzhou and Songjiang, he had already drawn close to the Donglin Faction.

This old fellow was likewise capable of leading troops to suppress bandits!

It was just that, compared to Xie Xuelong, Li Maofang was slightly weaker in battle, and more adept at graft and taking bribes.

(A new volume begins; organizing my thoughts. Only two updates today.)

(End of chapter)