Chapter 151: The Great Ming

The hour of the rabbit (5–7 a. m.).

Beneath the eastern wall of the palace city, north of the Dong'an Gate, stood the infamous Eastern Depot.

In a small chamber to the left of the main hall, an image of Yue Wumu was enshrined, wreathed in incense smoke.

Before the hall stood a vast brick-carved spirit screen, adorned with savage guardian beasts — suanni lions and xiezhi goats — while at its center was carved the tale of "Di Gong Judging the Tiger."

In the ancestral hall west of the main hall, the spirit tablets of every seal-holding eunuch who had headed the Eastern Depot were packed in dense rows; a stone archway before the hall bore the inscription "A Fragrant Name for a Hundred Generations," a phrase the dim light rendered especially sardonic.

At this moment, inside the main hall of the Eastern Depot, one could have heard a pin drop.

The seal-holding eunuch Wang Tiqian, clad in a python robe, sat squarely upon the central armchair.

His face was pale and smooth, well preserved; he looked no older than forty.

A junior eunuch approached with careful steps and presented a cup of hot tea.

Wang Tiqian took it, rinsed his mouth, and spat the tea gently into the spittoon beside his foot.

He lifted his eyelids and swept a glance across the room.

In the center of the hall, twelve Senior Lieutenants of the Eastern Depot — designated by the twelve Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, and so on — were arrayed in a single line, kneeling uniformly on the ground, every head bowed, none daring the slightest movement.

On either side of the hall, the punishment Chiliarchs and Centurions stood with a dozen squad leaders, hands hanging at their sides; before them, long tables were spread with snowy white paper, brushes, and ink.

The junior eunuch at Wang Tiqian's side stepped forward and announced in a shrill voice: "Report the events you recorded yesterday, one by one."

The Senior Lieutenant of the "Zi" squad crawled forward one knee-step and knocked his head to the floor: "Reporting to the Superintendent, this humble officer is responsible for observing the Imperial Academy and the Military College."

"At both places, the students mostly copy and circulate statecraft memorials and the Great Ming Times. Among them, the Imperial Academy students mostly discuss matters of increasing production and opening new lands, while the Military College students mostly speak of punitive expeditions."

He paused, then added,

"Furthermore, after the Imperial Academy student Lu Wanling was beaten, he appealed to the Academy's Zhu Zhijun, but nothing came of it."

The Senior Lieutenant of the "Chou" squad immediately followed: "Reporting to the Superintendent, this humble officer observes the various provincial guild halls in the capital."

"With the spring examination approaching, the scholars entering the capital grow more numerous by the day; at present there are roughly two thousand."

"They come and go frequently, gathering in unending succession, and do not merely congregate by native place. Among them, the scholars from Shaanxi are especially sought after, invited to banquets on all sides without cease."

"Beyond that, a considerable number intend to submit a joint memorial to answer the 'Question of the Age.' The one with the greatest momentum is Zhang Pu of South Zhili, who has already gathered over forty men around him."

Wang Tiqian's closed eyelids stirred faintly, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, but he said nothing.

The Senior Lieutenant of the "Yin" squad pressed his forehead to the floor, not daring to raise his head: "Reporting to the Superintendent, this humble officer is responsible for observing the capital's ennobled houses."

"Of late, the various ennobled houses in the capital have all been gathering frequently. However, their gatherings are mostly held within marquisates or at country estates outside the city; our runners cannot get close enough and have uncovered no intelligence."

Wang Tiqian finally opened his eyes.

His tone was flat:

"Are you asking me to teach you how to do your job?"

The Senior Lieutenant of the Yin squad was so terrified he knocked his head repeatedly: "This humble officer would not dare, would not dare! Grant me ten more days, and this humble officer will surely penetrate the inner circumstances of those mansions!"

Wang Tiqian grunted once and closed his eyes again to rest.

Next, the lieutenants of the Mao, Chen, Si, and other squads stepped forward one by one to report.

"On the civil officials' side, certain Bureau Directors and Bureau Secretaries in the Six Ministries known for their administrative skill have suddenly become much sought after of late, all turning up as honored guests at various banquets."

"Some eighth- and ninth-rank commissioners and vice commissioners are even included among those invited."

"Shuntian Prefecture's investigation of the subofficial clerks is still underway. Some confessions vaguely point toward the capital's ennobled houses and the ward-inspecting Censors. Should we continue digging deeper?" one Senior Lieutenant asked eagerly.

Wang Tiqian waved a hand. "His Majesty said to investigate only the clerks, so investigate only the clerks. Do not meddle in anything else."

That Senior Lieutenant immediately looked crestfallen and crawled back on his knees.

Another Senior Lieutenant stepped forward to report:

"The audit of the commercial taxes at the Nine Gates has been completed. The account books have all been sealed and transferred in their entirety to the hands of Shuntian Prefecture Assistant Prefect Li Shiqi."

"However… a tax clerk at Chongwen Gate could not endure the torture last night… and died."

Wang Tiqian merely grunted once more, and said nothing further.

Yet another lieutenant reported: "Xu Kezheng, the Chief Supervising Secretary of the Bureau of War, has lately and quite suddenly acquired a reputation for being 'incorruptible as clear water.' They say that when office-seekers from the provinces came to the capital and delivered gifts to his residence, they were thrown out, men and gifts alike."

Wang Tiqian opened his eyes again.

That lieutenant continued to elaborate: "This humble officer led men to investigate and discovered that Sir Xu in fact runs a calligraphy-and-painting shop at Zhengyang Gate. Now, those seeking advancement all go directly to the shop to buy calligraphy and paintings. Depending on the dynasty, the price ranges from one hundred taels to five hundred."

A sardonic curl tugged at the corner of Wang Tiqian's mouth. He nodded and closed his eyes once more.

"In the Capital Camps, because the enthronement bounty has still not been distributed, several men stirred up trouble and were all directly seized by the camp officers."

"Additionally, of late, someone in the capital has been posting handbills everywhere, bearing words such as 'The White Tribulation descends, the Great Ming shall perish.' We are currently pursuing the matter."

At this, Wang Tiqian finally opened his eyes, his voice laced with a chill:

"Seditious talk that shakes the foundations of the state, and all you have is 'currently pursuing'? Pass the word down: investigate this with utmost priority! Dig out the source for me without fail!"

"Yes!" The responsible lieutenant shuddered in terror and hurriedly knocked his head.

When all twelve lieutenants had finished their reports, the great hall sank once more into deathly silence.

Wang Tiqian's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his chair — a mannerism he had learned from the new sovereign.

He did not erupt at once, but waited a long while before slowly speaking, his voice betraying neither pleasure nor anger:

"Is that all?"

Two words, yet they made every kneeling man in the hall tremble in unison.

Wang Tiqian's gaze swept over the assembly and finally settled on the lead Senior Lieutenant of the "Zi" squad.

"Han Kuang, Liu Hongxun, Cheng Jiming… these high ministers His Majesty personally appointed for restoration — what movements have they made since entering the capital?"

The Senior Lieutenant hurriedly replied: "Reporting to the Superintendent, since these great lords entered the capital, they have all kept to themselves and rarely gone out. Apart from a few old friends and former disciples calling upon them, there has been little coming and going."

"'Little coming and going'?" Wang Tiqian gave a cold laugh, his voice suddenly rising. "I keep you men in the capital not so you can feed me this kind of drivel!"

"A skilled chess player plays the board, not the single piece. These men are all old foxes who have weathered decades in the treacherous seas of officialdom. Their every move may determine the direction of the court. And all you can tell me is that they haven't moved much?"

His voice brimmed with disappointment and displeasure: "It is not that they have not moved — it is that your men are too few, cannot keep pace, and cannot see clearly!"

"Assign more men to me! Who they meet every day, what they say, what they eat, who comes in and out of their residences — keep it all under watch for me! If a fly buzzes in, I want to know whether it's male or female!"

At these words, a deathly silence instantly fell over the hall.

The Chief Archivist of the "Zi" squad trembled all over, pressed his head even lower, and his voice carried a faint, barely perceptible quaver: "Superintendent… forgive us. This humble officer… this humble officer is incompetent."

He paused for a moment, as if mustering tremendous courage, before continuing in a voice barely above a whisper:

"Superintendent, you see clearly. Now we must monitor officials and commoners across the entire capital, and on top of that, assign extra men to watch those examination candidates entering the capital and the capital's own officials… At present, there are already nearly two thousand candidates in the capital, and by spring next year, there will be over four thousand… Our Eastern Depot, from top to bottom, at full count has barely over a thousand men. We truly cannot stretch ourselves any thinner."

He dared say no more, only pressing his forehead heavily to the floor and remaining prostrate.

A junior eunuch beside Wang Tiqian was about to rebuke him, but Wang Tiqian silenced him with a single glance.

The atmosphere in the great hall froze to its extreme.

Just as everyone thought Wang Tiqian was about to erupt in fury, he suddenly smiled.

He waved his hand and spoke in a tone so gentle it was almost kindly: "All of you, rise. Your toil — I see it all."

"This matter of insufficient manpower — I understand. When I see His Majesty shortly, I will request recognition for your merits and secure some rewards for you."

The smile on his face grew ever warmer. "However, the work must still be done well. All of you are pillars of our Eastern Depot. I trust you. Continue your efforts. Do not disappoint me — and do not disappoint His Majesty."

In that one speech, soft and hard tactics intertwined, grace and authority wielded together.

The twelve Chief Archivists, as if granted a great amnesty, performed yet another ritualized round of kowtows and thanks.

At that moment, the Chiliarch in charge of punishments, standing to the side, bowed and presented a thin ledger, saying respectfully: "Superintendent, all matters discussed just now have been recorded and updated."

"Additionally, regarding today's prices in the capital: due to the autumn grain entering the market, the grain price has dipped slightly by five wen. However, with winter approaching, items such as cotton and charcoal have all risen by one wen."

Wang Tiqian took the ledger and leafed through it carefully.

Only after a long while did he close the ledger and slowly rise.

"I shall enter the palace first."

He adjusted his robes and cap, then swept his gaze one last time over the assembly in the hall.

"If anything major occurs, report it at once."

"Respectful farewell, Superintendent!"

Everyone kowtowed in unison, their mountain-roar of a salute echoing through the great hall.

Wang Tiqian said no more. He turned and strode out of the hall.

A retinue of eunuchs followed closely behind him.

In the small chamber, the portrait of Yue Wumu stood silent in the dimness.

Before the portrait, green smoke from the incense burner rose in curling wisps, spiraling, coiling, and at last, dissipating into the empty air.

The hero's gaze, steadfast as ever, stared into the distance — who could tell whether it watched the fate of this dynasty, or the rise and fall of this mortal world.