Chapter 53: Preparing to Draw Cards!

Chief Grand Secretary Huang Liji promptly stepped out from the ranks and answered respectfully, "In reply to Your Majesty, it has always been the Messenger Office that arranges messengers to escort them to each garrison."

"The Messenger Office…"

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment, then turned his head and instructed Gao Shiming,

"After We return to the palace, bring Us the roster of the Messenger Office's messengers."

"We shall personally decide the personnel for this escort. Have them enter the palace for an audience before departing."

At these words, Huang Liji and Shi Fenglai beside him exchanged an inadvertent glance; a flicker of astonishment passed through both their eyes, but they swiftly averted their gazes.

The Son of Heaven intended to personally intervene in concrete personnel matters.

And he was starting from a place as inconspicuous as the Messenger Office.

Just how far would his intervention go?

Zhu Youjian took in every one of their micro-expressions, but pretended not to notice.

He picked up the paper on the imperial desk listing the day's agenda, glanced at it, and looked up. "The agenda continues. Minister Lai, it is your turn."

Minister of Rites Lai Zongdao steadied himself, rose, and said, "In reply to Your Majesty, on this subject's side, the paper lists four matters in total."

"The first concerns the imperial tomb. The site for the late Emperor's tomb has already been selected — at Danyu on Mount Tianshou west of the capital. All preparations are complete."

Zhu Youjian nodded, signaling him to continue.

"The second concerns honorific titles. This subject's ministry, together with the officials of the Hanlin Academy, has drafted honorific titles, posthumous titles, and a temple name for the late Emperor."

"The posthumous title is: Emperor Who Attained Heaven, Upheld the Dao, Was Sincere in Culture and Martial, Tranquil, Filial, Diligent, and Acute. The temple name: Suzong."

The moment the word "Suzong" was spoken, the atmosphere in the hall grew subtle once more.

Every minister held his breath, stealing glances from the corners of their eyes to observe the reaction of the young emperor on the throne.

Zhu Youjian's brow furrowed, almost imperceptibly.

Suzong? How is it different from what happened in history?

Shouldn't they have first settled on "Xi," and then I changed it to "Xi"?

He rapidly searched through the original host's memories to see if there was any knowledge related to posthumous titles.

There it was… "Firm in virtue and able to accomplish" is called Su.

This is an excellent posthumous title — worlds apart from the original Xi Zong.

He swept a glance over the ministers' tense yet expectant faces, and in a flash, he understood the crux of the matter.

So that's it. The world is not immutable.

The same matter, handled by different people, can yield completely different results.

To the Donglin partisans who hated Wei Zhongxian to the bone, his own imperial brother, the Tianqi Emperor, was of course a fatuous "Xi" emperor.

But to this batch of eunuch-faction remnants before him, when the Tianqi Emperor reigned, they were the "upright" ones who filled the court with righteousness.

In that light, shouldn't that emperor be Suzong?

This temple name was both a pledge of allegiance submitted by these old officials and a test.

They were deeply bound to the late Emperor.

Whether he accepted this temple name, in a sense, also represented whether he would purge them, whether he would accept this batch of old retainers.

Interesting… a game of feudal ritual propriety, is it?

No helping it — I'll play along with you for now.

Having thought this through, a perfectly measured layer of grief instantly surfaced on Zhu Youjian's face.

He spoke in a low voice: "During his reign, Our imperial brother rose early and retired late, to the point of dying young."

"Within his tenure, there were three victories in Liaodong, and the Three Great Halls were completed. The two words 'Suzong' are truly not excessive. Let this title be settled."

At these words, Huang Liji, Shi Fenglai, and the others could not help but secretly let out a long breath of relief, their taut spines relaxing.

Seeing this, Lai Zongdao hastily continued:

"The third concerns the investiture of the Empress. This subject's ministry, together with the Directorate of Astronomy, has already selected an auspicious date — the twenty-seventh day of the ninth month — to hold the grand investiture ceremony for Princess Consort Zhou, establishing her in the central palace."

Zhu Youjian's face betrayed no expression; he merely nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Lai Zongdao cleared his throat and spoke the final matter.

"The fourth concerns posthumous elevation. This subject and others humbly petition Your Majesty to posthumously elevate Your Majesty's birth mother, the late Emperor Guangzong's Virtuous and Tranquil Worthy Consort, bestowing upon her the honorific title: Empress Dowager Filial, Pure, Reverent, Kind, Gentle, Serene, Tranquil, Adjoining Heaven and Nurturing the Sage."

"Together with the Directorate of Astronomy, an auspicious date has been found — the twenty-first day of the ninth month — to make the announcement at the suburban altars, the ancestral temple, and the altars of soil and grain."

His words fell, but for a long moment, no response came from within the hall.

Lai Zongdao's heart lurched. He cautiously raised his head and looked toward the throne.

With a single glance, he froze.

On the throne, the young Son of Heaven — who just moments ago had been decisive, commanding, and unfathomably majestic — was now, at this very moment, already streaming with tears.

Zhu Youjian slowly rose from the throne. Tears streaked his young face, yet he seemed unaware of them.

"We… thinking of Our birth mother, for a moment We could not control Our emotions. We have made a spectacle before you, Our ministers."

The assembled officials, seeing this, were all visibly moved. They rose one after another, left their mats, and cupped their hands. "Your Majesty's pure and supreme filial piety — we your subjects are deeply stirred and awed! We beg Your Majesty to restrain your grief!"

Zhu Youjian raised a hand to wipe his tears, but the tears, like pearls broken from their string, only fell faster and faster, beyond all stopping.

When he spoke again, his voice was thick with choking sobs.

"Today's… today's agenda, it seems only two matters remain — the court recommendation for the three Ministers and the list of officials to be reinstated, is that right?"

"My ministers, simply submit the lists of candidates afterward."

"As for all other matters, proceed according to what was decided today. Today's imperial audience ends here."

With that, he could no longer control his emotions. He flung his robe sleeves aside, turned abruptly, and strode hurriedly into the rear hall, leaving the entire civil and military court with only a grief-stricken and hasty silhouette.

Inside the hall, the assembled officials were, for a time, all somewhat silent.

After a long silence, it was Li Guopu who broke it first. He let out a deep sigh and said with heartfelt admiration, "Your Majesty is truly a man of pure filial devotion!"

Huang Liji and Shi Fenglai exchanged a glance, each catching in the other's eyes a flicker of complex, unreadable emotion.

As if by unspoken agreement, both reached into their sleeves to touch the memorials requesting leave to retire, and felt that perhaps the matter was not quite so urgent after all.

Meanwhile, in the sedan chair returning to Qianqing Palace, he took two deep breaths, and the tears at last began to subside.

By now, he was growing somewhat impatient with this body's muscular reflexes.

It was one thing to use them to put on a performance now and then, but surely he could not have it that in the future, at court or on the battlefield, any random person rushing up and shouting "Lady Liu" would reduce him to a face streaming with tears?

He would have to press forward with the conferral of the honorific title quickly, and see whether completing the ceremony might lessen this lingering affliction.

Otherwise, life would truly become unlivable!

"Gao Shiming, a few matters."

Zhu Youjian closed his eyes, deliberated a moment, then issued a string of commands:

"First, bring me all the personnel files from the Messenger Office."

"Second, fetch the reinstatement roster, and the court-recommendation lists for the Ministers of War, Personnel, and Justice."

"Third, have all substantive civil and military officials of the seventh rank and above throughout the realm compiled into tabulated booklets, and submit them all."

He opened his eyes, turned his head, and looked at Gao Shiming seriously.

"All of these files must include native place, age, and a brief background. Understood?"

Gao Shiming trotted close beside the sedan chair, bowed in acknowledgment, and then promptly barked orders for several junior eunuchs to split up and act.

Zhu Youjian leaned back and closed his eyes again.

Drawing Lu Xiangsheng, that SSR card, today had made it impossible for him to hold back any longer.

He no longer had the patience to wait for those historical talents to slowly reveal themselves.

If it was a grand battlefield roll-call, then a grand battlefield roll-call it would be. If it was moving the machine-gun position forward, then move it forward!

Using men tested and proven by the later histories was surely better than using these vermin in court today, was it not?!

—Come, then, my memory. Let me see where your limits lie!