Chapter 178: A Worthy Opponent, A Fine Match

As Zhu Youjian's words fell, the faint ripples that had stirred the hall moments before over the matter of the noble houses instantly stilled.

Every gaze in the room turned toward that lean, composed official.

Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Huo Weihua.

A sycophant who had presented "immortal dew" to the late emperor.

A man who, in recent days, under a storm of impeachment memorials, had become a figure despised like a rat scurrying across the street.

Huo Weihua rose to his feet and first bowed deeply toward the Emperor upon the throne.

"Your subject, Vice Minister of the Ministry of War Huo Weihua, memorializes on four matters."

At these words, Zhu Youjian's eyebrows could not help but rise.

The overt assignment he had given the Ministry of War was only the single matter of Capital Camp reorganization — where had four matters come from?

Huo Weihua seemed to have long anticipated the Emperor's surprise; he paused, then continued in that unhurried, steady tone of his:

"The first matter is the reorganization of the Capital Camps."

"Since the eighteenth day of the ninth month, when this subject submitted the 'Memorial Petitioning the Reorganization of the Capital Camps,' thanks to the full assistance of Wang Tiqian, the Eunuch Commissioner of the Eastern Depot, this statecraft document has been repeatedly revised, undergoing six iterations to date before its final draft was settled."

"It covers all matters within — corruption, dereliction of duty, drills, troop strength, armaments, and the evaluation of officers — omitting nothing, encompassing everything."

"This subject dares to say that this draft memorial is the most exhaustive and most thorough document in all the dynasty's previous efforts to purge the Capital Camps."

The moment his voice fell, a stir of unrest rippled through the ranks of the noble houses.

The Duke of Ying, Zhang Weixian, and the Duke of Ding, Xu Yunzhen, remained relatively composed, but behind them, the Marquis of Baoding, Liang Shixun, had already turned somewhat pale.

Glance after glance — some sympathetic, some pitying, some gloating — fell upon Liang Shixun as if they carried tangible weight.

— Even though Liang Shixun had only commanded the Capital Camps for a little over a year, it was foreseeable that much of the responsibility for those past administrative failures would be pinned on him.

The marquis felt as if he were sitting on a bed of needles, fine beads of sweat already seeping from his temples.

Zhu Youjian gave a light cough, drawing everyone's attention back to himself.

"Where individuals are implicated, there is no need for anxiety. We have said it time and again: all past deeds are cast aside; We look only to the present."

His gaze swept across the assembled nobles.

"You lords are pillars of the state, bound to its fortunes. Having held command of the Capital Camps for many years, you must know its ills and advantages like the back of your hand."

"Go and write this reorganization memorial with due care. When the time comes, cross-reference and verify it against the Ministry of War's document, and you will surely produce a flawless plan. Only then can We settle on the final personnel for the Capital Camps."

"We trust that, so long as you apply yourselves, what you produce will be no worse than the Ministry of War's statecraft document."

— But what if they did not apply themselves?

What if what they wrote, compared to the Ministry of War's exhaustive document, was riddled with errors and omissions, a perfunctory effort?

Having spoken to this point, the Emperor's meaning could not have been plainer.

Even the fledgling young men of the Secretariat had grasped His Majesty's unspoken implication; Liang Shixun was so ill at ease he could barely keep his seat, nearly rising to his feet.

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, signaling Huo Weihua to continue.

Huo Weihua cupped his hands once more, his voice as steady as before.

"The second matter is the settling of accounts for the Nine Border Garrisons' troop pay quotas."

"Laws long in place breed abuses; affairs long settled shift in character. The troop pay quotas of the Nine Border Garrisons, increased or decreased over the years according to circumstance, have long since lost their original form. The pay scales of the various garrisons, even disregarding false reporting and fraudulent claims, are rife with inconsistencies in their rolls."

He drew from his sleeve a routine memorial prepared in advance and read aloud in a clear voice:

"From the first year of Wanli to the seventh year of Tianqi, the capital-transport pay for the various borders has been increased in some years, in others; once every year or two, or once every three to five. There are garrisons that have undergone five or six successive increases, their sums exceeding the original quota several times over. There are also those where decreases and increases alternated, yet the decreases never matched the increases."

"What is more, there are cases where a soldier's monthly grain ration is a mere five dou, yet his salt-and-vegetable silver has been extravagantly inflated to as much as three taels!"

"How can one be so frugal in the staple of grain, yet so prodigal in salt and vegetables as this! There must be areas here that can be investigated and purged."

"Yet officials and officers throughout the realm delight in increases and abhor decreases. Soldiers fallen in battle and troops who desert are all concealed and left unreported, while temporary bonus awards harden into fixed regulations, thus forming entrenched abuses."

"With abuses entrenched over many days, how vast is the room for manipulation by those above and below!"

"Therefore, this subject petitions that, in coordination with the Ministry of Revenue, we audit the troop strength and pay quotas of the entire realm, clarify the sources, and re-establish the ledgers. In this way, without disturbing the Nine Border troops, the approach appears moderate; by auditing the troop rosters, it still serves as preparation."

Zhu Youjian breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

Good — it was not some wild, crackpot scheme.

Starting with the account books to clean up the fixed quotas — this was a method that seemed gentle on the surface, yet could strike straight at the heart of the problem.

It would raise no great waves, yet could lay a solid foundation for major actions in the future.

"Approved."

Zhu Youjian said crisply.

After a moment's thought, he turned to look at Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Revenue.

"Minister Guo, the matter of the Nine Borders civilian-transport silver that you raised earlier — incorporate it into this undertaking as well."

"You are to work together with Minister Huo and settle the accounts of this dynasty's Nine Borders troop pay once and for all!"

"Ascertain precisely what the increases and decreases have been over the years, what the final fixed quotas are, and of these sums, how much requires capital transport and how much requires civilian transport."

"As for the accounting personnel you mentioned previously — now that the account books have entered the capital, go to Yang Jingchen, the Minister of Personnel, and examine and select persons skilled in mathematics and calculation."

"We give you a definite word: there is no upper limit on the number of personnel required! You may well recruit hands in advance for the new policies in Northern Zhili."

Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Revenue, who had remained silent all this while, finally let out a long breath of relief.

This day's assembly, which had run from afternoon nearly to dusk, had at last come around to his Ministry of Revenue.

He hurriedly rose to his feet and bowed to the ground: "This subject obeys the edict!"

Huo Weihua waited quietly until Guo Yunhou was seated again before continuing, and his voice at last carried a trace of fervor, barely perceptible.

"The third matter is the selection and transfer of Platoon Officers to the capital."

"Your Majesty established the Valiant Guard Camp, summoning fierce generals from the Nine Borders, assessing their merit and demerit by monthly examination, and selecting officers and generals beginning from the rank of Platoon Officer."

"This subject was at first dull-witted and failed to grasp Your Majesty's sagely intent, thinking only: how can a headless snake be trained into an army of flying bears?"

"Yet today, hearing Your Majesty's discourse on 'white crows and black crows,' this subject has only now awakened as if from a dream, suddenly seeing the light!"

"The soldiers of the Valiant Guard Camp are none other than the White Crow army."

At these words, many ministers in the hall showed expressions of astonishment.

Minister Huo, isn't this flattery of yours... a little too obvious?

You clearly just revised your memorial on the spot based on what His Majesty just said, didn't you?

Yet Huo Weihua seemed utterly oblivious, continuing in a ringing voice:

"This subject petitions that the selection of Platoon Officers from the Nine Borders for examination in the capital be established as a regular practice!"

"This matter shall be assigned to the Bureau of Military Appointments. Every three months, from each garrison, two elite Platoon Officers shall be drawn, along with a number of File Leaders."

"They shall enter the Valiant Guard Camp for rotational training. Once they have fully become His Majesty's 'White Crows,' they shall be rotated back to the various garrisons of the Nine Borders."

"Thus gradually influenced and transformed, why worry that the black crows of the realm will not become white crows!"

The corner of Zhu Youjian's mouth, which had been tightly drawn, finally could not help but curve upward into an almost imperceptible arc.

This Huo Weihua was rather interesting.

This flattery was truly extraordinary.

Zhu Youjian coughed once, suppressed his smile, and said flatly: "Granted."

A surge of wild joy rose in Huo Weihua's heart, but his face grew even more composed. He knew the real drama was only now about to begin.

"Fourth: the matter of auditing military pay and rooting out corruption in the various garrisons!"

"His Majesty's words on self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and bringing peace to all under heaven are profoundly sound."

"The investigation of corruption cannot be launched everywhere at once. One must choose a single place to begin, and then pursue it with full force."

"This subject believes that among the Nine Borders, Ji-Liao is that vital seven-inch spot!"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a stern, murderous edge.

"This subject petitions that imperial inspector teams be dispatched to four locations — Liaodong, the Ji Garrison, Denglai, and Dongjiang — to audit military payrolls!"

"To prevent officials from shielding one another and engaging in fraudulent collusion, this subject petitions that each team's personnel be selected by a method of mixing."

"Each team shall include one official from the Ministry of War, one from the Hanlin Academy, one from the Secretariat, and one official recalled and recommended from the capital."

"If His Majesty permits, this subject would also request one eunuch from the inner palace, one officer of the Eastern Depot, and a squad of Embroidered Uniform Guard horsemen to accompany each team!"

"Thus, seven types of personnel, blended into a single team — their native places, scholarly lineages, factions, and backgrounds all different — shall supervise one another and check one another, ensuring the absolute elimination of official cover-ups, bribe-taking, and such malpractices!"

"Once investigations yield reports, cross-referenced with the aforementioned Ministry of Revenue audit ledgers, then the troop strengths, pay and provisions, and military conditions of the Nine Borders will become utterly clear and true, tolerating no further concealment — everything will be as visible as the lines on one's palm!"

"This is also the meaning of what His Majesty said: know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles!"

"Of the above four matters, aside from the reorganization of the Capital Camps, the other three will also, in accordance with the requirements of the statecraft memoranda, be submitted in detailed memorials today for His Majesty's imperial perusal!"

As Huo Weihua's voice fell, the entire great hall sank into deathly silence.

Every minister stared at him as if he were some kind of monster.

Stunned.

Everyone was utterly stunned.

Four matters!

And each one more ruthless than the last, each one grander in scale!

How was this Minister Huo even more zealous than the "vanguard" of the New Policies, the Minister of Personnel Yang Jingchen?

Moreover, any clear-eyed person could tell at a glance that these latter three matters were absolutely a fusion of practical work and flattery, preparation and improvisation blended together.

They comprehensively balanced achievement and the imperial favor — truly a masterpiece!

Minister Huo...

Has he no sense of dignity at all!

Even Yang Jingchen himself could not help but turn his head and re-examine this colleague who had once presented the "Spirit Dew," as if he were meeting him for the first time today.

Huo Weihua ignored every gaze around him. He merely stood with head lowered, silent, drawing all his sharpness back into that gaunt frame.

No one could see that his hands, hidden within his sleeves, were trembling slightly. Nor could anyone see the irrepressible self-satisfaction in his heart.

Four matters?

In the eyes of one who truly wishes to accomplish things, how could there be only four matters to pursue!

The Ministry of War oversees all military affairs under heaven — the things that can be done here are as vast as the ocean!

This month, he had driven every Bureau Secretary and Bureau Director in the Ministry of War like spinning tops. Beyond these four urgent tasks, there were still more than a dozen items — military procurement, armories, merit evaluations, courier station reorganization, the cleanup of the armor factory and gunpowder factory — all already on his list.

He had drawn up a long list based on the Ministry of War's various offices, regretting only that there were too few hands and too little time. That was why he had raced against the clock to first assemble these four items as his "pledge of allegiance" upon joining the New Policies!

Though his oral report had taken only a few brief words, the statecraft memoranda behind each matter were — every stroke a welt, every slap a handful of blood!

No, that was Master Zhu's phrasing.

What His Majesty likes to say is, "Every lash leaves a welt, every slap draws a handful of blood!"

Huo Weihua silently corrected this small error in his mind. When he raised his eyes again, his heart was filled with contempt for those colleagues in the hall who were still watching, still weighing options, still protecting their own hides.

A pack of fools!

Whatever the Emperor wants, I give him! Is that not the most basic principle of being an official?

What's more, what this young Emperor wants is to become a sage ruler who restores the dynasty!

What tremendous fortune — that the patriotic aspirations of his youth could be so perfectly united with his own career and power!

He, Huo Weihua, simply, utterly, could not fathom in the slightest what those ministers who still hesitated, watched, and postured were thinking.

These people are truly stu—

"When the state is in turmoil, one longs for Jiangling..."

A long, drawn-out sigh came from the throne, cutting off Huo Weihua's train of thought.

Zhu Youjian had been silent for a long time, and finally spoke.

He could not help but straighten his posture, and for the first time, looked so seriously at this "sycophant" whom he had once utterly despised in his heart.

This was originally something he only meant to use to rap the knuckles of the Capital Camps' noble officers; once that was done, he had planned to swap in Li Banghua's "replacement."

"Minister Huo," Zhu Youjian's voice carried a gravity he himself did not notice, "today, you have truly made me see you with new eyes."

Truly, with new eyes.

If the earlier matters — the Capital Camps, the nine-border defense registers, the Platoon Officer selection and transfer — could still be explained as him coveting advancement by currying favor and divining the imperial will,

then this final matter, the dispatch of seven columns of personnel to audit the border garrisons' pay and provisions through a system of mutual checks, this breadth of design, this line of thought, was almost identical to his own when he sent men to Shaanxi!

To so swiftly perceive his distrust of the bureaucracy, and to so completely set aside his own standing to accommodate his working methods — how rare was that?

Even Sun Chengzong had written in recent days urging him to be cautious in using the Depots and the Guard!

Compared to such flexibility and insight, those flattering remarks that left no trace were all reduced to trivialities.

Yes, truly just trivialities.

Huo Weihua pressed his lips tightly together, forcibly suppressing the surging emotion in his chest, and merely bowed deeply.

"The words Your Majesty spoke upon ascending the throne still ring clearly in my ears."

"Your Majesty once said, 'The faults of a gentleman are like the eclipses of the sun and moon.' How honored I am, to actually receive Your Majesty's appraisal of 'gentleman.'"

"This subject is a jinshi of the guichou cohort, the forty-first year of Wanli. After attaining the degree, I successively served as County Magistrate, Supervising Secretary, and ministry secretary among other posts."

"Yet within those years there were times when I slacked in governance, times when the miasma of eunuch influence prevailed…"

At this point, Huo Weihua's voice actually caught with a sob, and a glint of moisture rose in his eyes.

He abruptly lifted his official robes, rose from his seat and prostrated himself, his forehead striking heavily against the cold gold brick.

"For momentary power, this subject actually stooped to climbing and clinging, and became a partisan and a bribe-taker! This is the shame of my entire life!"

"A month ago, this subject took all the illicit silver amassed over the years, excluding only my personal salary, totaling six thousand four hundred and thirty-seven taels, and donated it entirely to road-building in the capital!"

"However, the bulk of this subject's ill-gotten gains had long since been used to purchase land in my native village. I have already dispatched a messenger with a letter, ordering my family to sell off all that land, convert it to silver, and within days it shall be escorted to the capital and surrendered in full to the state!"

Huo Weihua raised his head, and two streaks of hot tears were already upon his face.

He bowed again and spoke through his weeping:

"What Your Majesty said, that when the state is in turmoil one longs for a Jiangling, is indeed so! Yet when the state is in turmoil, does one not also long for the restorations of Han Xuan and Guangwu!"

"How fortunate I am, to have encountered a sage sovereign! To actually receive from Your Majesty the promise of 'all past deeds cast aside,' the grace of the torn tassel, granting me this chance to repent!"

"This subject is willing to emulate Yurang, who swallowed charcoal and lacquered his body — not to repay the grace of recognition, but truly to repay Your Majesty for granting me the virtue of a new life! These words today, let Heaven and Earth and the spirits bear witness!"

"This subject, having today entered the new governance, has already cleansed his heart and reformed his ways! I dare not embezzle a single cent more, and with one heart seek only to revive the dynasty!"

"If in the future this subject should forget this resolve and repeat past errors, then even if a mere child came at me with a sword, I would willingly stretch forth my neck to be slain, to answer to Your Majesty!"

With that, Huo Weihua prostrated himself upon the ground and remained kneeling long without rising.

What… the hell!

Zhu Youjian, the Ming Dynasty's Oscar-winning lead actor, had, for the first time in his life, been utterly crushed in a scene by a supporting player!

He instinctively swept his gaze over the assembly, only to see the civil and military officials in the hall all wearing expressions of complex, unreadable emotion.

There was shock, there was astonishment, there was contempt — but more than any of these, there was envy, there was jealousy!

Several of them even had reddening eyes, as if they felt it deeply themselves.

Wait, what??

What are you all crying for!

Zhu Youjian's face remained impassive, but inwardly he quickly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

His mind raced, yet for a moment he could think of no clever retort.

But he knew that at this moment, he absolutely could not let the scene go cold.

Zhu Youjian abruptly rose to his feet, rounded the imperial desk, strode quickly to where Huo Weihua knelt, and personally raised him up with both hands.

"Minister Huo, these words of yours — every character written in blood, every sentence from the depths of your heart."

"I am no unfeeling plant or senseless stone; how could I remain unmoved?"

Zhu Youjian's voice was steady and forceful. As he slowed his speech, he furiously racked his brains, and just before his words ended, a flash of inspiration struck.

He gripped Huo Weihua's arm tightly and met his eyes.

"As for the sage sovereign Minister Huo speaks of, I truly dare not accept such a title."

"Since my ascension, the new governance has yet to show its merit, the barbarian threat still lurks at our elbow, and the common people of the realm suffer all the more under harsh taxes, levies, and the oppression of petty officials."

"What have I done, and where could I be deemed worthy of the word 'sage'?"

He shifted his tone, and a light shone from his eyes.

"But — it is precisely this that makes it good!"

"Minister Huo today may not yet be a worthy minister, but he has resolved to become worthy."

"I, at present, may not yet be a sage sovereign, but I have resolved to become a sage."

"Sage and worthy! Sage and worthy! For us, sovereign and minister, to thus advance hand in hand, journeying with a shared purpose — how is this not a fine tale to be passed down through the ages!"

Huo Weihua raised his head, his lips trembling, wanting to say something more.

But Zhu Youjian dared not let him speak further, fearing that this scene, in which he had only just barely seized back the initiative, would collapse entirely.

He abruptly swept his hand, released Huo Weihua, and stepped back two paces.

"Shiiing—"

A clear, resonant dragon's cry rang throughout the great hall.

Zhu Youjian had actually drawn the Sword of the Son of Heaven from his waist!

Cold light flared in all directions; the sword's aura was stark and chilling.

The assembled ministers at once composed their faces and rose to their feet in unison.

Everyone sensed that yet another fine tale worthy of the history books was about to be born.

Zhu Youjian held the treasured sword, flicked it with a finger, and then addressed Huo Weihua:

"Minister Huo just said that if he ever forgot this day's resolve, I could take his head. If a subject dares to keep such a pledge, how can a sovereign begrudge his own!"

He drew a deep breath, turned around, and with every ounce of strength in his body, brought the sword in his hand slashing fiercely down onto the imperial desk beside him!

To ensure the blow succeeded, he aimed only at a tiny corner piece at the very edge of the desk.

Fortunately, ever since his transmigration, he had practiced diligently every day and had finally built up some strength; the straw dummies he had hacked through numbered no less than eighty if not a hundred.

Crack!

A sharp, brittle sound.

That solid huanghuali imperial desk — he had actually cleaved a fist-sized chunk from its corner with a single sword stroke. It dropped to the floor with a dull thud.

Zhu Youjian turned back around, sword in hand, and swept his gaze over everyone present, his eyes like lightning.

"The pledge between sovereign and subject — let the mountains and rivers bear witness, let the sun and moon be the proof!"

"If one day Minister Huo forgets this day's resolve and reverts to a corrupt wretch, I shall use this very sword to strike off his head myself!"

He paused, and his voice suddenly rose.

"And if I, one day, should ever forget this day's resolve to revive the realm, and sink into pleasure and neglect the governance of the court — then what would my own head be worth sparing!"

Huo Weihua stood wide-eyed and tongue-tied, stunned into momentary silence by the scene.

Yet after only a brief silence, he had already gathered his thoughts. He opened his mouth, gave a slight salute with clasped hands, and was about to speak again.

Huang Liji, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, was the first to react once more. He abruptly swept up his robes and prostrated himself, pressing all five limbs to the ground, and cried out in a loud voice:

"Your Majesty's grand ambition — your subjects wish only to follow in your wake, and would not refuse even ten thousand deaths!"

As if it were a signal.

Inside the great hall, whether ennobled grandees and high ministers, duty officers and military commanders, or attending eunuchs — all, in unison, dropped to their knees.

Voices like a roaring mountain and a crashing sea merged into a single torrent.

"Your Majesty's grand ambition — your subjects wish only to follow in your wake, and would not refuse even ten thousand deaths!"

Zhu Youjian stood where he was, gripping the sword that still hummed faintly, took a slight breath, and at last, let his heart settle.

On this piece of land.

There is no one — absolutely no one — who can out-act me and still upstage me!

No! One!