Chapter 216: The Yongchang Emperor Finally Gets a Holiday

Whatever their backgrounds, these candidates were still far too removed from the dynasty's highest center of power.

Even the so-called sons of wealthy families—their fathers likely could not match a single hair on the arm of a ministry Vice Minister.

Meanwhile, the men who truly occupied the innermost circle of power in the Great Ming Empire were stepping one after another across the threshold of Wuying Hall.

They were beginning today's "full alignment meeting."

In Wuying Hall, the imperial throne—its chipped corner freshly lacquered by craftsmen—sat empty, silently proclaiming that its master was not here.

To the left of the throne, a slightly smaller rosewood table had been placed.

This wooden table was a seat reserved especially for the meeting's presiding officer, brought out only when the Emperor was absent.

Were His Majesty to attend, this wooden table would be removed.

The subject of today's meeting: Discussion of the complete plan for the examination and selection of New Policy officials in Northern Zhili.

Rotating presiding officer: Gao Shiming, seal-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Attendees: the Grand Secretariat, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, Shuntian Prefecture, the Hanlin Academy, and the heads of other relevant departments.

Recorder: Ni Yuanlu, head of the civil governance group of the Secretariat, and all group members.

"Ahem." Gao Shiming cleared his throat, picked up the small committee gavel from the table, and rapped it lightly.

A crisp crack rang out, and the hall instantly fell silent.

"Before the meeting begins, this slave will first announce a piece of good news."

On Gao Shiming's habitually stern face, a rare smile now appeared.

He paused, swept his gaze across every minister present, and said slowly: "The joint memorial submitted by the New Policy commissioners and the Secretariat, the Memorial Beseeching His Majesty to Rest One Day Every Ten Days to Preserve the Imperial Health—His Majesty has… agreed to part of it."

At these words, a swell of barely suppressed delight broke out across the hall.

Several ministers advanced in years beamed with joy and let out long sighs of relief.

Since his ascension, this new sovereign had been fairly conventional during the earliest period.

But ever since he implemented the "memorial tiering" system, his work pace had abruptly accelerated, like a fierce tiger throwing off its shackles.

The energy freed from the mass of tedious memorials was not directed in the slightest toward the soft comforts of the rear palace or the extravagance and pleasure of an emperor, but instead, with redoubled intensity, transformed into enormous pressure that came crashing down upon the ministers.

At first, a scattering of memorials had argued that His Majesty ought to restore court audiences, striving to match at least the Tianqi-era standard of four audiences a month.

However—once the Emperor's daily schedule began to be publicly posted as a matter of routine, those voices gradually faded away.

After all, a timetable running from the hour of the rabbit to the hour of the dog truly looked terrifying.

The various ministers had only worked this hard during their bitter years of study by lamplight; after taking office, they really had never gone to such extremes again.

In its place, a new voice began to rise—first isolated murmurs, then a flood of memorials joining in.

Each argument differed in its phrasing, but the core message was one: the Emperor must rest; he must not treat the imperial health so lightly!

Once this tide surged up, it instantly became the absolute political correctness sweeping the entire court. New Policy or old, even local officials close enough to the capital all submitted memorials of remonstrance.

The Yongchang Emperor had fought so long to seize the moral high ground, had guarded so long against a grand coalition of civil officials—and now, inexplicably, it had formed over this matter.

In the end, the Commission and the Secretariat could no longer sit still, because a portion of the criticism had already turned to blaming them for failing to remonstrate with the Emperor.

And so, led by Chief Grand Secretary Huang Liji and jointly endorsed by the key New Policy officials, three memorials were submitted in succession, phrased with the utmost earnestness, forcefully requesting that His Majesty rest one day every ten.

The new sovereign, ordinarily swift and decisive and brooking no argument, behaved entirely out of character on this matter: three times they petitioned, three times he declined, and only when the third memorial was presented did an answer finally come.

"May I venture to ask, Eunuch Gao," Huang Liji said, his face wreathed in smiles, cupping his hands, "what exactly is the arrangement for this partial agreement?"

Gao Shiming's face was also full of smiles.

Publicly or privately, for His Majesty to be able to rest a little was always a tremendous good.

As the Dao De Jing says, a fierce wind does not last the whole morning, a sudden rain does not last the whole day—all endeavors must ultimately be sustained, carried forward slowly and steadily.

That was why, although Gao Shiming had not added his name to the memorials, he had been in favor of them.

Only—His Majesty was still His Majesty after all; his mastery of every kind of tactic was truly flawless.

Gao Shiming nodded toward Huang Liji and spoke: "His Majesty's reply contains two conditions. Both must be agreed to by everyone here before they take effect."

At this, everyone's interest was piqued.

A holiday—either you take it or you don't. How had two rules suddenly sprung out of it?

Gao Shiming looked at them all and pronounced each word distinctly: "The first: the request made by you ministers, to rest one day every ten days, is not granted. Henceforth, there shall be only one rest day, on the sixteenth of each month."

"The sixteenth of this month has already passed, so the rest schedule will begin next month."

At these words, everyone's hearts sank slightly.

One day off in ten had become one day off a month—this… counted as good news?

Before they could dwell on it, Gao Shiming proceeded to the second condition.

"The second: for all you ministers and functionaries who have entered the New Policy system, in view of your heavy labors, you may take one routine rest day every ten days!

"Those not within the New Policy system shall, like Us, rest one day per month."

He paused deliberately, letting everyone in the hall digest this startling news, before adding the remainder.

"His Majesty further stated that if, by next year, the implementation of the New Policy shows genuine progress,

"then officials within the New Policy system shall be changed to one rest day every five days. As for the old officials outside the New Policy, they shall, like His Majesty, be changed to one rest day every ten days."

"When all under Heaven are the white crows of the New Policy, and the struggle over land and people is resolved, then he will join the New Policy men in likewise changing to one rest day every five days."

"His Majesty said that this, like the salaries of the hundred officials, gives priority and preference to those within the New Policy, with the final redemption date set for when all under Heaven is at peace."

By the time these words were finished, whether the heads of the various ministries or the Secretariat members in the back rows—

even the most loyal and public-spirited among them could not stop their faces from breaking into the purest, most heartfelt smiles.

One rest day every ten? One rest day every five!

Was this a revival of the Tang and Song policy of generously sustaining the scholar-official class?

And given this new sovereign's credibility, it truly did not seem like empty boasting!

Yet happy as they were, appearances still had to be maintained.

Huang Liji frowned, stepped forward first, and declared with righteous solemnity: "Eunuch Gao, there is absolutely no such principle! How can a lord toil while his ministers rest at ease on holiday? We beg leave to submit another memorial, requesting His Majesty to rescind his decree!"

"Indeed, well said!"

"Your subjects dare not accept such treatment!"

The others chimed in one after another, and for a moment the hall surged with impassioned fervor.

Gao Shiming, however, only slowly shook his head.

Watching these ministers "perform" with such heartfelt sincerity, he was inwardly amused, yet he spoke with stern gravity: "Gentlemen, there is no need for further debate."

"His Majesty made it very clear to this slave: these are the final terms. There is no room for negotiation."

"Either everyone takes a holiday — with the New Governance people getting more — or no one takes any holiday at all."

Gao Shiming said in a deep voice: "His Majesty has spoken: the method of the New Governance is to gather hearts, concentrate energy, and pursue the path of self-cultivation, family order, state governance, and peace for all under Heaven."

"Yet are those in the old governance all greedy and mediocre? Most are simply unable to join the New Governance because of their positions and timing — how could they lack a sincere, patriotic heart?"

"Therefore, those in the New Governance may rest more, but the sovereign must stand together with those in the old governance. Otherwise, if the New Governance rises while the old governance collapses, what benefit would that bring to the state?"

At these words, the entire great hall fell utterly silent.

The flavor of this was all too familiar.

Again, this art of steering hearts and minds — again, this insight that penetrates the workings of the world.

This young Son of Heaven truly never misses a single chance to stir men's hearts.

The assembled men looked at one another, astonishment and admiration mingling in their eyes. In the end, it was Huang Liji who first bowed low, his hands clasped, sweeping down in the deepest salutation.

"Your subjects — — shall reverently obey the sacred instruction!"

"Reverently obey the sacred instruction!"

The assembled men rose as one, bowed with hands clasped, their voices merging into a mighty torrent that echoed through Wuying Hall.

Gao Shiming nodded with satisfaction, sat back down, and struck the wooden gavel once more.

"Bang!"

"Then the matter of leave is, on the whole, settled thus."

"His Majesty said this matter is relatively minor and not worth convening a dedicated alignment meeting for."

"Going forward, I must trouble Minister Yang of the Ministry of Personnel to consult the other committee members who were absent today, and then compile and submit the formal memorial."

"If there truly is major contention, we can schedule an alignment meeting then — there is no rush."

Yang Jingchen rose, cupped his hands, and said, "No problem. Leave this matter to me."

Gao Shiming nodded, and only then said: "Next is the formal topic of today's alignment meeting: discussion of the complete plan for the selection and examination of New Governance officials in Northern Zhili."

"His Majesty has the following guiding instructions on this matter — —"