Chapter 185: The Choice of the Donglin Pure-Stream Faction

Inside the Ministry of Justice Minister's duty room, all was quiet.

Hou Xun held the edict His Majesty had issued to the Ministry of Justice, reading it character by character with extreme care.

His brows now furrowed, now relaxed, his expression utterly absorbed.

Across from him, Minister of Justice Qiao Yunsheng sat upright behind his desk, a cup of hot tea in his hand, the rising white steam blurring his features.

His gaze was fixed blankly on some point in empty space, the teacup suspended in midair; for a long while he had not taken a single sip.

Time flowed slowly by in silence.

After an unknown interval, Hou Xun finally let out a long breath and gently laid the edict upon the desk.

Qiao Yunsheng's eyes at last withdrew from the void.

He turned his head to look at his younger fellow-townsman and asked, his voice slightly hoarse: "Worthy Brother Taizhen, what do you make of it?"

Hearing this, Hou Xun first slowly shook his head, then nodded.

This contradictory gesture puzzled Qiao Yunsheng.

"This edict…" Hou Xun weighed his words, as though for a moment he could find no fitting language to convey the shock in his heart.

He gave up trying to summarize and chose the most direct approach.

He picked up the edict again, his expression turning solemn, and in a deep voice began to recite it aloud.

"The essential thrust of this task is as follows:"

"In the Huangshan case, that the Wu merchant encroached upon the mountain forests is substantiated; that the dynasty previously pursued this case is beyond reproach."

"Yet the methods of mass implication and extreme cruelty employed in this case run directly counter to the purpose of criminal proceedings."

When Hou Xun had read to this point, he paused briefly, glanced at Qiao Yunsheng, and then continued:

"This case appears to have extracted over a hundred thousand taels in a single bout of torture, yet it has done nothing to remedy the encroachment upon state tax revenues."

"As for the other great merchants, what they see is not that the Wu merchant was lawfully punished for encroaching on state taxes, but that he was implicated and destroyed because of factional strife and misrule."

"From this point forward, the great merchants will only cling more fiercely to officials and noble houses, pouring ever more silver into bribes."

"Precisely because they bribe to secure protection, they will be all the more driven to squeeze the state tax revenues to make up the cost."

"From this point forward, the great merchants will also cease to donate eagerly. For the more they donate, the more conspicuous they become, and the more easily calamity may befall them."

"Thus, while this case appears to have yielded over a hundred thousand taels in silver, the hearts and fiscal revenues the dynasty has lost thereby — how can they be measured in mere millions of taels?"

"If one case is like this, and every case is like this, how can the realm not be brought to ruin?"

Hou Xun finished reciting in one breath, his chest rising and falling slightly. He steadied his mind and was about to continue reading.

But Qiao Yunsheng set down his teacup.

He took up where Hou Xun had left off, and in an exceedingly slow and clear tone, recited the edict's final passage from memory.

"Han Feizi said: 'Slaughter and execution are called punishment; celebration and reward are called virtue. Because ministers fear punishment and covet reward, when the ruler personally wields his punishment and virtue, the host of ministers will fear his authority and flock to his benefits.'"

"We hold this saying to be mistaken."

"Punishment is a great evil, yet it also performs a great good. It is truly no instrument of statecraft and stratagem, but in fact a vessel for chastising evil and exalting virtue."

"When the Ministry of Justice handles a case, it must observe its effect upon the good and evil in men's hearts, and not act solely on the basis of legal statutes."

"This is precisely the meaning of 'being enlightened in the Five Punishments, so as to assist the Five Teachings, with the expectation of thereby achieving good governance.'"

"What do you think of this argument?" Qiao Yunsheng asked softly.

Hou Xun was silent for a long time before he let out a heartfelt sigh: "I had originally thought this new sovereign… intended to revive Legalism, to walk the path of Shen Buhai and Han Fei…"

He shook his head, a wry smile on his face.

"Having seen this edict today, perhaps my past conjectures were indeed mistaken."

Hou Xun picked up the edict. "This single phrase, 'enlightened punishment to assist the teachings,' is enough to show that in His Majesty's heart, benevolence and virtue still take precedence."

Qiao Yunsheng, hearing this, did not immediately reply.

He picked up his teacup again, but only rubbed his fingers along its now lukewarm sides, his brows tightly furrowed, sinking into deeper thought.

"What is Lord Hegao thinking?" Hou Xun keenly sensed something amiss.

Qiao Yunsheng raised his head, his gaze heavy as he looked at Hou Xun, and said slowly: "Taizhen, His Majesty's words are very likely not speaking of the Huangshan case alone…"

Hou Xun's heart jolted in alarm. Clever as he was, he instantly grasped Qiao Yunsheng's unspoken meaning.

His expression shifted slightly. "You mean… the Donglin cases?"

Qiao Yunsheng nodded heavily and sighed. "It seems His Majesty is utterly resolved not to reverse those cases this year. He is using the Huangshan case to rap everyone on the knuckles — ourselves included."

"He fears the dynasty will once again sink into the quagmire of factional strife."

The topic was too weighty, and both men fell silent.

After a long while, Qiao Yunsheng waved his hand and deliberately changed the subject. "Enough. Let us speak no more of this. Tell me of your own affairs — what have you decided?"

At the mention of his own prospects, a wry smile appeared on Hou Xun's face. "What is there to decide? With His Majesty having spoken thus, the path of the pure-stream official is cut off."

He rose, walked to the window, and gazed out at the gray, overcast sky.

"In the past I was merely a Censor of the Office of Scrutiny, relying on moral integrity and public opinion."

"As things now stand, either I continue to serve in the Censorate, or I go to Northern Zhili, seek out a prefecture or subprefecture, and do some solid, practical work."

He turned around and looked at Qiao Yunsheng. "Which path does Lord Hegao think is best?"

Qiao Yunsheng pondered for a moment, then lifted his eyes, his expression unprecedentedly grave.

"Do not continue on the path of the disciplinary official."

"This old man has a faint premonition," Qiao Yunsheng lowered his voice, "that the path of the disciplinary official is about to undergo a great reform. Since His Majesty has said the pure-stream path is cut off, those are by no means empty words."

"'Prime ministers must rise from the provinces; generals must emerge from the ranks.' From now on, local experience will likely be an iron law of promotion. This old man believes it would be safer for you to go to Northern Zhili."

Hou Xun nodded silently. "I feel the same."

He sat back down, his expression once again composed, though a trace of melancholy still lingered between his brows.

"Only, I fear that even gaining entry through the Northern Zhili selection and evaluation will not be easy."

"If we go by what was said earlier — selecting fifty capital officials with local experience as candidates — then I seem to fall outside that category as well."

"As for entering the Secretariat, taking the Secretariat candidate route — on the one hand I fear there may not be enough time, and on the other I suspect the Secretariat men may not get a turn anyway."

Qiao Yunsheng shook his head. "With your ability, Taizhen, going to the Secretariat would be a waste of great talent on petty tasks. Better to try the Northern Metropolitan Circuit route as much as possible."

He paused, then added, "After all, as His Majesty said, Secretariat men will eventually be sent out to the localities too. Going later is not as good as going now."

Hou Xun nodded. "I intend to move around the capital first, sound things out, see which prefecture or county in the Northern Metropolitan Circuit has the deepest abuses, then go there in person to investigate — see whether I can get in by way of a statecraft policy paper."

At this point he could not help but sigh, his tone tinged with regret: "A pity, though — this selection examination is limited to the Northern Metropolitan Circuit. If it were Henan, I flatter myself I know it inside out; I could point out with my eyes shut several places where entrenched abuses run deep, and write an essay that cuts straight to the ills of the day."

Qiao Yunsheng stroked his beard and nodded, about to say something more.

Thump! Thump-thump!

A burst of urgent knocking suddenly rang out, cutting off their conversation.

Both men fell silent at once, exchanged a glance, and each saw a flicker of surprise in the other's eyes.

From outside the door, a clerk's voice came through:

"Minister Qiao! Someone from the ministry just came back from the Thousand-Pace Corridor — they say… they say that outside Chengtian Gate, three imperial proclamations were posted at the same time!"

Three imperial proclamations?

Hou Xun could not help looking at Qiao Yunsheng, but saw only bewilderment in his eyes as well.

After a moment's hesitation, Qiao Yunsheng rose to his feet and said with a smile, "Our idle chat is done — Taizhen, why not come with me?"

Hou Xun clapped his hands and laughed. "That was my wish — I hardly dared ask!"