Chapter 162: A Bird Flies Home to the Grove (With Thanks to the Alliance Leader

Over the Imperial Zenith Gate plaza, the atmosphere had already grown tense to the breaking point.

Probing the inner palace has always been something one may do but never speak of.

When rulers of past dynasties wished to curb it, they could do no more than issue a few stern calls to tighten palace discipline.

Never has there been one like this new sovereign — barely a month on the throne, and by means unknown he has actually ferreted out nearly a hundred people passing information between the inner and outer courts.

Zhu Youjian's gaze slowly swept across the dukes, marquises, and earls standing in the frontmost ranks, across those high officials robed in vermilion and purple, and he shook his head:

"Why must you guess at Our thoughts?"

"Our aspirations are, in truth, already laid out clearly before you."

Zhu Youjian paced forward, walking right up to them:

"Namely, to resolve the struggle between man and land, and to rescue our Great Ming from its peril."

"And as for Our preferences, you need not guess at them, need not spy upon them — today, We shall tell you plainly and openly as well."

Many officials felt their hearts give a violent lurch.

They recalled the Emperor's earth-shattering "question of the age" in Wenhua Hall.

And those officials fortunate enough to have attended the final Daily Lecture still remembered with perfect clarity this young Son of Heaven's uncanny power to sway men's minds.

What was he going to say today?

Would he emulate the Great Progenitor and rebuke the hundred officials right here in court?

Or would he once again raise up a Wei Zheng and stage yet another tale for the history books?

Just as everyone's thoughts were churning, Zhu Youjian did something that surpassed all expectations.

Without a single word, he simply strode straight forward, passed right by those ennobled lords and first-rank grandees, and headed toward the middle and rear of the ranks.

He could feel those scorching gazes on his back, could imagine the shock and unease within their hearts at this moment.

But he did not care.

By what means, after all, was Wei Zhongxian able to overawe the Great Ming?

Even with the Tianqi Emperor backing him from behind, by what means did he unite the civil officials and crush the various factions?

Ridiculous as it sounds, it was really nothing more than giving power and giving money.

So long as you latched onto him, even if you were of mere juren background, Eunuch Wei could seat you in a ministry's highest post.

And he, Zhu Youjian, held chips far, far greater than Eunuch Wei's!

From this day forward, what determines a man's rise or fall is no longer his family pedigree, no longer his examination cohort, no longer even how many sage books he has read — but what, in the end, you can actually do for this ancient empire riddled with a thousand gaping wounds!

Where was the Emperor going?

Every gaze unconsciously followed that figure.

The civil and military officials in the front ranks, heedless of decorum, twisted their bodies one after another to look back.

More than sixteen hundred capital officials, like a reed marsh swept by the wind — those figures clad in official robes of red, blue, and green turned in unison toward the same direction.

Zhu Youjian walked all the way to the middle of the ranks and at last halted.

He drew a thin sheet of paper from his sleeve, studied it by the somber light of the overcast sky, then tilted his head slightly to get his bearings.

Then he stepped forward and walked straight up to an official in his early thirties wearing a blue official robe.

Across the entire Imperial Zenith Gate plaza, a profound silence reigned; only the fierce north wind remained.

"Bureau Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue — Liu Kongjing, is it?"

That blue-robed official first froze; then an immense, wild joy surged onto his face, turning his whole countenance crimson with excitement.

He had no time to think further; his knees went weak and he began to prostrate himself.

"Answering Your Majesty! It is this subject — this subject is Liu Kongjing!"

"Rise."

But Zhu Youjian stepped forward and personally caught him by the arm, preventing him from kneeling.

He looked into Liu Kongjing's eyes, a smile of appreciation on his face.

"That memorial of yours, 'A Critical Examination of Sea Transport,' was well written."

"We, along with the ministers of the Secretariat and the Commission, have all studied it repeatedly. It truly cuts to the heart of the matter."

Liu Kongjing's body trembled faintly from sheer emotion.

He felt a surge of hot blood rush from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head; his lips quivered, yet he could not form a single complete phrase of gratitude.

"This subject... this subject merely... merely fretted over the affairs of state, unable to eat in peace, unable to sleep in peace, and so... and so wished to offer a sliver of feeble strength for the Great Ming, for Your Majesty..."

"Haha — 'In times of turmoil, the loyal minister is known.'"

Zhu Youjian laughed heartily and clapped him on the arm.

"But are you afraid? The New Policies are unlike anything that has come before."

"Once you join in, We shall be watching you, the Depot and the Guard shall be watching you, the Three Judicial Offices shall be watching you — every official under heaven shall be watching you!"

"The slightest misstep, and it is utter ruin beyond redemption."

Liu Kongjing jerked his head up, fire blazing in his eyes.

"For Your Majesty, for the New Policies — this subject would die ten thousand deaths without flinching!"

"Good!" Zhu Youjian nodded emphatically. "Then follow at Our back!"

With that, he turned and continued walking deeper into the ranks.

Liu Kongjing straightened his chest and followed step for step, feeling that at this moment, even if he were to die at once, he would do so willingly.

The Emperor was personally "appointing his commanders"!

This news swiftly sent ripples spreading through the civil officials' phalanx; by way of stifled exclamations and whispered exchanges, it raced outward at lightning speed.

Holding that sheet of paper, Zhu Youjian again got his bearings, cut diagonally across several files, and stopped once more.

This time, Zhu Youjian halted among the files of the Secretariat Drafters.

— Pale face, large eyes, a short beard — this should be him.

He looked toward a young official in a green robe, barely past twenty, and asked:

"Are you Jiang Sirui?"

The expression on that young official's face, in that single instant, became extraordinarily vivid.

First wild joy and disbelief, then bewilderment, and finally, in just a flash, everything collapsed into an indescribable loss and embarrassment.

The colleagues beside him were already casting glances his way — some envious, some jealous.

But his face flushed crimson. He cupped his hands and was about to step forward to explain.

"Your Majesty, this subject is here!"

An urgent voice rang out from the third position to his left.

Zhu Youjian turned his head at the sound and only then realized he had mistaken the man.

He let out a hearty laugh, not the least bit bothered, and shifted his steps that way.

The real Jiang Sirui had already prostrated himself on the ground, overcome with emotion.

"It is Our eyes that were dull — We knew the writing, but not the man."

Zhu Youjian helped him up and clapped him warmly on the shoulder.

"That memorial of yours, 'A Discourse on the Governance of Officials Under Heaven,' was excellently written. That line — 'Doing work without substance, and refusing to do substantive work' — truly struck straight into Our heart."

He paused, his gaze burning as he looked at this young man.

"Are you willing, together with Us, to cleanse the realm anew? To remake the Great Ming?"

Jiang Sirui had long since understood everything. So overcome he could barely contain himself, he moved to prostrate once more — but Zhu Youjian firmly held his arm.

He could only muster all his strength to master his trembling, bow deeply, and say: "This humble subject — how could he dare refuse such a command!"

Zhu Youjian's steps did not stop.

Like a seasoned hunter moving at ease through his own hunting ground, he called out name after name with precision.

"Chen Xiance!"

"Xia Shiheng!"

"Gong Tingxian!"

Every time he pronounced a name, a burst of irrepressible exclamations erupted from the crowd.

Some were wild with joy at being chosen; some shared the honor because a friend was chosen; but far more, because they themselves had not been chosen, sank into immense disappointment and regret.

Those officials who had submitted "statecraft essays" in the past few days all craned their necks in hope, silently reciting their own names, wishing the next lucky one would be themselves.

And those still on the fence, or who had never taken it seriously, or who had even begun writing but failed to submit in time — now, every one of them was wringing their hands, sighing in despair, beating their chests and stamping their feet, wishing they could bash their heads on the ground.

"Had I only known! Had I only known!" A Censor could not even restrain himself; he punched his own thigh under his breath, his face filled with utter regret.

Wang Cheng'en, who had been standing in attendance beside the screen, was watching, transfixed — when he suddenly felt a chill at the back of his neck.

He looked up instinctively.

The snowflakes had been mere specks at first, but in just a few short moments they grew larger and larger, denser and denser.

Very soon, the white marble balustrades and the vast plaza floor were all stained with a thin layer of white.

Yet of the more than sixteen hundred officials before the Gate of Imperial Supremacy, not a single one paid any mind to this long-gathering snowstorm.

Everyone within the ranks was wholly focused, watching the figure of the Emperor.

The nobles and high ministers in the very front row had also all turned around, watching the ever-lengthening "stream" trailing behind the Emperor.

No words passed among the crowd; there was not even an exchange of glances.

Huang Liji watched all this in silence, and in his heart a certain urge to withdraw could not help but stir once more.

The wrath of the Son of Heaven is thunder and lightning; the love of the Son of Heaven is also oil poured onto a raging fire.

Of these young men ignited today by imperial favor, how many will not be burned to ashes in this towering blaze?

He slowly withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes once more, as if none of it had anything to do with him.

Let us watch a while longer...

If he were to beg leave to return to his bones, His Majesty surely would not treat him the way he treated Zhang Changgong.

At last, Zhu Youjian had found the final person on his list.

He turned and walked back toward the imperial throne.

Passing the ranks of Shuntian Prefecture, he smiled faintly and looked at the four men at their head.

"Minister Xue, Minister Li, Minister Wang, Minister Zhang — you four, come along as well."

Xue Guoguan and the other three cupped their hands in unison, their voices resonant.

"Your subjects — how could we dare refuse such a command!"

Leading this contingent he had personally selected, Zhu Youjian traversed the long court ranks and at last returned to the foot of the vermilion steps, before the assembled officials.

Only then did he look again at the nobles and high ministers in the front row. As if just recalling something, he tapped his forehead and laughed:

"Just now... where was I?"

Gao Shiming had been standing in attendance all along. Now he bowed slightly and respectfully reminded him: "In reply to Your Majesty, you had just said that your likes and dislikes need not be fathomed or spied upon by your ministers..."

"Oh, yes, yes."

Zhu Youjian nodded in sudden recollection. He looked again at the assembled officials, his gaze sweeping one by one across the faces of the front-row nobles, Grand Secretaries, and the heads of the Six Ministries and Nine Courts.

"Well then, is it not obvious now?"

He stretched out a hand and pointed at the new-policy contingent he had selected:

"All who can lay bare the ills of the age, who can do real work for the state, who can join Us in launching the new policies — these are whom We cherish!"

He paused briefly, giving the crowd a moment to breathe and reflect.

Then, one word at a time, his voice rang like metal striking stone.

"Those who shield the ills of the age, those who erode the foundations of the state, those who hold office and eat idle while dragging down the new policies — these are what I abhor!"

"The calamity of the realm lies not in difficulty, but in inaction. A thousand sit and discourse upon the Way; one rises and walks it. Among the myriad talents of the empire, that one alone is whom I seek!"

"My likes and dislikes, my rules — they are laid out plainly before you!"

"Gentlemen, no longer need you traffic with the inner servants, no longer need you probe the sovereign's intent!"

"Go ask yourselves. Go ask the common people of this realm. What, in truth, must be done to save our Great Ming!"

With that, he swept his dragon sleeves fiercely, turned, and ascended the steps to reseat himself upon the imperial throne.

The moment he sat down, the entire Gate of Supreme Polarity plaza fell utterly silent.

"Gao Shiming, proclaim the edict!"

Gao Shiming nodded, took a scroll of yellow-silk imperial edict from an attendant eunuch who had long been waiting at the side, stepped forward, and unfurled it.

He cleared his throat and began to read aloud in a ringing voice.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

"I consider that the state has enjoyed peace for over a hundred years. Households and population have multiplied, yet fields have not expanded, and levies have not increased. The struggle between man and land grows more acute by the day, and the foundations of the state already show signs of peril. The ancients said, 'Only when granaries are full do people know propriety; only when food and clothing are sufficient do they know honor and disgrace.' With the people's livelihood in such straits, how can we speak of rites? This is truly a moment of critical danger, of survival or ruin. I rise before dawn and eat after dark, pondering this even in my sleep. Only by reforming the ancestral institutions and implementing new policies can we turn back the raging tide before it breaks and shore up the great edifice before it collapses."

"I hereby establish the Secretariat, to broadly recruit men of ambition from across the realm. All who submit writings on statecraft shall have them reviewed by this office, to discern what is practicable and to register their talents. I appoint Ni Yuanlu, Qi Xinxiao, Zhang Zhiji, Sun Chuanting... and the twenty-seven men selected today, including Liu Kongjing and Jiang Sirui, to serve in the Secretariat as consultants."

"I further establish the New Policies Committee, with Grand Secretariat and ministry grandees concurrently serving to direct all affairs. I appoint Huang Liji, Li Guopu, Cheng Jiming, Yang Jingchen, Xue Guoguan... and six others as the first committee members, to determine the great plans."

"The above rosters are not fixed. The wise adapt to the times; the knowing tailor measures to events. Any subject or commoner of the realm who possesses the will to set things right and the talent to save the age may submit writings on statecraft. The Secretariat shall conduct the preliminary review; I and the Committee shall reexamine them. Those whose talent warrants great employment may directly enter the Secretariat and assist in confidential affairs; those capable of handling matters may enter the New Policies Committee and take sole charge of a task. I set no restrictions by rank or background — I raise men solely by ability."

"In former times, the Song minister Wang Anshi carried out reforms. His intent is praiseworthy, and his conduct can serve as a mirror. The path of the new policies must proceed from the easy to the difficult, from the near to the far — it cannot be accomplished in a single leap. We must emulate the way of self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and world pacification set forth in the Great Learning, to pursue gradual advance."

"Therefore, at the outset of the new policies, the capital and Northern Zhili shall be the focus. Only thereafter may they be extended to the whole realm."

"From the first day of the tenth month of the seventh year of Tianqi to the first day of the first month of the first year of Yongchang, all who submit writings on statecraft must take the capital and Northern Zhili as their focus. Those addressing other regions shall not be accepted."

"All memorials submitted must seek truth from facts, speak with substance, and strike at the ills of the age. Sitting and discoursing upon the Way brings no benefit to the state — this I do not accept."

The snow fell heavier and heavier, but everyone listened intently to this edict of new policies.

Among them were ennobled kin and imperial affines, grand secretaries and ministry heads and high officials, the spirited ranks of the new-policies faction, and old hands still watching from the sidelines.

There were frustrated petty officials of the capital, banner-captains and soldiers with rust-spotted armor, and the young eunuchs of the Inner Palace School standing quietly beside the screens.

Word by word they listened, until at last they heard the closing of this edict.

"... Now at this moment of renewed mandate, I rejoice in a new beginning. May all you hundred offices be of one virtue with me. Proclaim this to the realm, that all may hear and know."

"Thus decreed."

The moment Gao Shiming's voice fell, the distinctive, drawn-out intoning cry of the Court of State Ceremonial officers resounded across the entire Gate of Supreme Polarity plaza.

"Perform the rites —!"

Three cracks of the ceremonial whip, like a dragon's cry, like a tiger's roar.

Across the plaza, over a thousand officials — whatever taste was in their hearts — now prostrated themselves upon the ground in unison, their movements perfectly aligned.

"Long live His Majesty! Long live! Long, long live —!"

The voice, like a roaring sea and crashing mountains, broke through the wind and snow and soared straight into the clouds.

Zhu Youjian stood upon the vermilion stairway, looking down at the plaza blanketed in white snow and surging crowds below.

His first card had been played.

This card was an open stratagem, an opportunity, and also a test set squarely before every man.

The winds and clouds of the realm would rise from this.

Among this court of civil and military officials, among the scholars of the empire — who would be his friends, and who his enemies?

Who would become the foundation stones of the new policies, and who would become the dust of the age?

Could the two words "fame" and "profit" truly bulldoze this little capital and Northern Zhili?

Zhu Youjian's gaze was deep as an abyss, as if he already saw the glint of blades to come, the towering waves destined to break.

He lingered not a moment longer. With a fierce sweep of his dragon sleeves, he turned and departed.

That figure of brilliant yellow, resolute and unwavering, vanished into the depths of the wind and snow.

Only when the regalia that signified the Son of Heaven's majesty had receded entirely into the distance and the somber toll of the bell rang out did the hundred officials dare to rise. Guided by the inner attendants, they withdrew slowly like an ebbing tide.

Those newly favored men who had been named were in high spirits, gathering in small groups, loudly discussing their future ambitions.

Yet those who had not been chosen were also stirred, each seeking out acquaintances to deliberate something.

The ennobled kin walked at the very front. No one spoke; the atmosphere was oppressively grim.

The Gate of Supreme Polarity plaza, so crowded a moment before, soon emptied out.

The snow grew heavier.

Goose-feather flakes fell softly and steadily, soon burying the chaotic footprints on the ground, the odd objects people had left behind, every last trace — all silently covered over.

Truly, it was as if the birds had eaten their fill and flown into the woods, leaving a vast expanse of white earth, utterly clean.

Volume One · Day Nine: Bound with the Hide of a Yellow Ox · End