Chapter 305: Central Hub

By late October, a chill had already settled over the Capital. Outside the majestic Gate of Imperial Supremacy within the Imperial City, the assembled officials of the morning court had just been dismissed. A group of eunuchs were sweeping the Inner Golden Water Bridge, checking the gaps between the bricks for any newly sprouted weeds. Some lazier eunuchs simply tossed the few weeds they had pulled directly into the Inner Golden Water River flowing beneath the bridge.

The lotuses in the river had long since withered, and the remaining leaves were mostly shriveled and curled into tight clumps. The fine weeds drifted slowly along the river channel into the East Annex. On the southern side of the East Annex sat an unremarkable courtyard, but those entering and leaving were no longer eunuchs. This was the Wenyuan Pavilion, the highest institution for civil officials in the Ming Dynasty.

In the early Ming, the Wenyuan Pavilion had been little more than a royal library. But as the cabinet system gradually took shape, the Pavilion became the de facto central hub of dynastic governance, and its architectural scale expanded accordingly.

Xue Guoguan, just dismissed from court, entered the Wenyuan Pavilion. He did not pause in the main hall but walked directly to the left. Everyone he passed along the way saluted him with deference.

Xue Guoguan acknowledged each with a genial expression. When he occasionally recognized a clerk from the Central Drafting Office, he would even exchange brief pleasantries. A moment later, he arrived at the first official residence on the left. After a short wait to be announced, he entered the office of the highest-ranking civil official in the Ming Dynasty.

Wen Tiren's public house was simply furnished. On his desk, apart from stacks of memorials, there was not a single item of value to be seen. The stationery he used was also ordinary, no different from that used by any common official.

Xue Guoguan said respectfully, "Greetings, venerable sir."

Wen Tiren had already risen from behind his desk. The two men dispensed with excessive ceremony, and Wen Tiren directly gestured for Xue Guoguan to sit and speak.

Once the junior attendant who had served tea withdrew, Xue Guoguan said in a low voice, "Zhang Pu's man has arrived in the Capital. The day before yesterday, he sought an audience with Cai Yishen."

Wen Tiren made no sign, waiting for Xue Guoguan to continue.

"The man Zhang Pu sent is called Wu Changshi. He is Zhang Pu's trusted confidant, a Tong Presented Scholar of the seventh year of the Chongzhen reign, but he has never held an official post. His usual business is running errands among the government offices for Zhang Pu."

Wen Tiren said evenly, "Zhang Pu is already a turtle in a jar. What terms could he possibly offer?"

"Since the investigation confirmed Zhou Zhikui's dismissal, Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai have been like startled birds, living in constant fear. The scholars of the Restoration Society have scattered like beasts and birds. Their purpose in sending Wu Changshi to the Capital this time is simply to escape their predicament. Wu Changshi claims that Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai pledge never to enter court as officials again, nor to instigate any further Restoration Society society gatherings, and to dissolve the Restoration Society within two or three years. The implication is that they will never again make trouble for you, sir, and will even voice support for you."

"Nothing but empty words. Even without this pledge, they could never become officials." Wen Tiren said softly, "What other movements has this man made since arriving in the Capital?"

"According to the information I have received, Wu Changshi went to see Dong Xinkui, and also met with two Capital Officials from Jiaxing. Furthermore… it seems he visited Zhuozhou before entering the Capital."

At the mention of Zhuozhou, the impassive Wen Tiren furrowed his brow for the first time. After a brief pause, Xue Guoguan probed, "Should we find someone to memorialize this matter to the throne, and simply uproot the Restoration Society once and for all?"

"The Zhuozhou matter is not suitable for a memorial. What worries me is something else." Wen Tiren's brow remained knitted. After a long moment, he said in a deep voice, "In the Emperor's mind, court affairs must always be balanced. Our single-minded focus has been to topple the Donglin, because the Donglin is deeply entrenched and extremely difficult to deal with. If we want to topple the Donglin, we must leave the Restoration Society in place. If we want to topple the Restoration Society, then for the time being we cannot topple the Donglin. The Restoration Society's foundation at court is shallow; Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai have already lost their nerve. Keeping them is better than keeping the Donglin."

Xue Guoguan assumed a contemplative posture, head lowered. He knew Wen Tiren had not finished, so he did not interject. As expected, Wen Tiren continued, "I do not know whether this Wu Changshi's visit to Zhuozhou was at Zhang Pu's bidding, or if someone else directed him. But this incident has given me a concern: if we spare the Restoration Society, they may not be so easy to handle in the future."

"It should not have been Dong Xinkui who directed him. The Restoration Society matter is known throughout the court; he understands the boundaries. Perhaps Zhang Pu, desperate to escape his predicament, is grasping at any straw and no longer cares about his reputation." Xue Guoguan mused, "Men like Zhang Pu and Wu Changshi are all shameless scoundrels, but they lack the ability to control the court's direction. In my humble opinion, if we must spare one, it is still better to spare the Restoration Society."

Wen Tiren rose and began pacing slowly within the official residence. Xue Guoguan immediately stood up, respectfully awaiting his superior's decision.

Xue Guoguan understood perfectly the difficulties of Wen Tiren's governance. As a Chief Grand Secretary ruling with the image of a Solitary Faction, he lacked the support of a powerful political bloc. His strongest support came from the Emperor, and the Emperor detested Forming Cliques above all. This forced Wen Tiren to be exceedingly cautious even when developing political allies, keeping his own political power within limits the Emperor could accept.

The conflict with the Donglin was determined by the very nature of power. Both sides were waiting for an opportunity. This time, Wen Tiren had planned for a long time, and the situation was relatively favorable. But choosing the optimal moment was a severe test for this Lone Minister. If he missed this chance, laying the groundwork again would take several more years, and in the interim, he might well be brought down by the Donglin.

But Xue Guoguan believed that now was the optimal moment. He did not wish for Wen Tiren to miss it. After a light cough, he spoke: "This time, the Tartar Incursion has been rampant, and the Emperor is enraged. Word from the palace says that as the Tartars were withdrawing, the Emperor once again brought up the old affairs of the Jisi Year, bitterly cursing that Eastern Affairs were all ruined by the hands of the Donglin."

Wen Tiren's eyes narrowed slightly, but he continued his slow pacing.

Xue Guoguan went on, "Zhang Guowei's reply memorial stated that Zhou Zhikui's accusations against Zhang Pu were unfounded. The Emperor has already grown suspicious of Zhang Guowei and issued an edict sternly ordering him not to be perfunctory. If we attack the Donglin now, with Qian Qianyi being his chief examiner, how would Zhang Guowei dare to offer any further protection? With no obstruction from the Jiangnan local authorities, the time is right to seize Qian Qianyi."

"It is already October. Anqing and Puliu should be raided by the bandits any day now. Why not wait until Zhang Guowei suffers a military defeat and attack them both together?"

Xue Guoguan replied without hesitation, "Last year, Zhang Guowei held Jiangpu Liuhe, and even sent troops to assist Lu Xiangsheng in his great victory at Chuzhou. This year, Bandit Chuang has been captured, and the Roving Thieves are in decline. I feel those Roving Thieves may not be able to inflict a military defeat on Zhang Guowei."

Hearing this, Wen Tiren nodded gently. Gao Yingxiang had been captured this year, and overall Roving Bandit activity was far less rampant than the previous year. Had it not been for the Tartar incursion, the situation would have been excellent. Waiting for Zhang Guowei's military defeat at such a time was indeed unlikely.

"The Cabinet is changing frequently. Compared to last year, complications have already arisen. I believe a prolonged delay is inadvisable."

Wen Tiren's footsteps halted. These words seemed to have struck at the heart of his worries. When the planning first began, the Cabinet was completely under his control. But with Wu Zongda and Wang Yingxiong successively leaving their posts, his grip on the Cabinet had begun to weaken. However, the Donglin Grand Secretaries had also been dismissed at the same time. Qian Shisheng and Zhang Zhifa could both be counted as political allies, so the situation was still manageable. But this year, Qian Shisheng had also left.

Xue Guoguan had always believed that Qian Shisheng had deliberately gotten himself dismissed. As a veteran of the companycratic battlefield, he did not believe Qian Shisheng would make such a low-level mistake. No matter how one looked at it, it was intentional, the goal being to avoid the decisive battle between Wen Tiren and the Donglin. His departure had an enormous impact on the Cabinet.

Now, three newcomers—Kong Zhenyun, He Fengsheng, and Huang Shijun—had been added. Xue Guoguan, whom Wen Tiren favored, still lacked the necessary seniority. The situation in the Cabinet was already showing signs of slipping out of control, and it was hard to say what changes might come next.

Wen Tiren turned his head to look at Xue Guoguan. "Has Zhang Hanru's impeachment memorial been prepared?"

"It is ready." Xue Guoguan said in a low voice, "It was inconvenient to bring it into the palace."

Wen Tiren nodded. Carrying such a critical document on one's person was risky; if it were accidentally lost, it could not only ruin all their previous efforts but also become evidence of their own manipulation of power. Xue Guoguan's caution was therefore correct.

"It includes charges of controlling the advancement of officials and poisoning local officials and civilians. I have added a charge of bribery to manipulate local authority in Jiangnan, implicating Zhang Guowei. That way, even if he wishes to offer protection, he will be unable to dispel the Emperor's suspicions."

"You and Cai Yishen must carefully deliberate and revise it again, detail by detail. It must be absolutely flawless."

Xue Guoguan immediately agreed. He knew that Wen Tiren had made his decision. The most critical strike against the Donglin was imminent. Zhang Hanru's impeachment memorial was important, but it was not the most crucial element.

The impeachment memorial was merely an arrowhead. But if delivered to an ordinary government office, it would be nothing but scrap iron. What was needed now was for Xue Guoguan to craft it into a complete arrow and place it in the hands of Wen Tiren, the hunter. That was the most crucial part.

Through what channel would this impeachment memorial be delivered to the Cabinet? Which Grand Secretary would draft the Drafting and Redacting? When would it be chosen for delivery to the Directorate of Ceremonial, so that the most suitable Drafting Clerk could apply the Vermilion Endorsement? How would it be presented before the Emperor? Not a single link in this chain could go wrong; each one reflected Wen Tiren's control over the court administration. Not to mention the subsequent operations—how to use Qian Qianyi to bring down the entire Donglin and eliminate their collective political power. That was an even grander design. Apart from Wen Tiren, no one else could play the role of this hunter.

Having made his decision, Wen Tiren suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit. Xue Guoguan hurriedly brought him tea and gently patted his back.

Attendants outside heard the noise and entered. Wen Tiren waved them away while coughing. After coughing for another moment, he finally calmed down. Xue Guoguan supported him as he slowly made his way back behind his desk.

"Venerable sir, you must take care of your health. Some of these taxing matters can be left to us to handle."

Wen Tiren took a sip of tea, let out a long breath, and leaned back wearily in his chair to rest.

"These are all old ailments, Jiaxiang, do not concern yourself." Wen Tiren added softly, with a tired voice, "Zhang Pu is a petty troublemaker. Let us keep him for now and observe his future conduct. We shall settle matters with Qian Qianyi."

"And Qu Shisi."

Wen Tiren turned his eyes to look at Xue Guoguan. "Qu Shisi is irrelevant to the larger picture. Would including him create unnecessary complications? Is your motive private, Jiaxiang, or public?"

"For me, it is both a public matter and a private one."

Wen Tiren looked at Xue Guoguan for a moment, then suddenly smiled and slowly closed his eyes to rest.

As Xue Guoguan walked out of the official residence, he paused briefly in the main hall. He turned his head to look at the statue of Confucius in the center of the hall. The patriarch of all scholars gazed down kindly upon the main hall of the Wenyuan Pavilion.

Xue Guoguan slowly exhaled and headed out the main gate.