Chapter 61: Sweep the House Clean Before Inviting the Guests

Gao Shiming thought back briefly and replied:

"To answer Your Majesty, according to the deadlines set in the Collected Statutes of the Great Ming, it takes about a month to reach South Zhili, over two months to Fujian, and around four months to Sichuan and Guizhou."

"For the above times, if sent by three-hundred-li express, they might be shortened by three or four parts in ten; if by six-hundred-li express, perhaps seven or eight parts in ten."

Zhu Youjian listened and fell silent.

So this was the transportation reality of a feudal dynasty.

Everything took months or years as the unit of time; the cost of trial and error was crushingly heavy.

Once you sent someone out, it was really no different from gambling — you could only pray your judgment had been sound.

As for six-hundred-li express?

That was only activated in extreme moments. If you used it every day, the relay runners would probably revolt ahead of schedule.

So even though he had assembled a so-called Great Ming dream team on paper, it was really just futures with deferred delivery.

By the time the recall decrees were issued to the prefectures, and they packed their bags and trekked over mountains and rivers to the capital, for the distant places it might take half a year.

Ah, this Great Ming dynasty — horses were slow, and letters were slow too.

But on second thought, Zhu Youjian realized this wasn't entirely a bad thing.

Whether it was the worthy ministers and famous generals he had selected, or the Donglin literati full of moral pronouncements, they would all more or less look down on him, this seventeen-year-old juvenile Son of Heaven, wouldn't they?

In that case, this fine opportunity let him free his hands to sweep the house clean before inviting the guests.

These remnants of the eunuch faction might have some problems with their moral character.

But on the eve of their mortal political enemies entering the capital, they would still have to prove their worth to him — the supreme Emperor of the Great Ming — concretely and unmistakably, wouldn't they?

Without value, how could We protect you?

Only, before sweeping the house, he had to secure one thing first — his own absolute safety.

Thinking of this, he turned his head and looked at Zhou Yu, sitting quietly to the side, his gaze softening.

"Changqiu, how was your trip to the imperial estates today? Did you have fun?"

Zhou Yu had changed into a slightly more practical palace gown today. Hearing the teasing tone in Zhu Youjian's words, her nose wrinkled with immediate, indignant defiance.

"Your Majesty!"

"This subject consort was clearly going to do serious work…"

She muttered this retort under her breath, and then didn't actually get angry.

Happily, she pulled a small account book from her sleeve, stood up with deliberate formality, and cleared her throat:

"Ahem… reporting to Your Majesty."

"Upon this subject consort's inspection, the former Directorate of Imperial Meals, Qianqing Palace, the Imperial Pharmacy, and other critical locations, along with the original guard contingent from the Prince Xin Residence, had a fixed quota totaling one thousand two hundred and twenty-nine personnel."

"In recent days, after this subject consort verified the roster, we have successively dismissed those among them whose origins were unclear, who were fraudulent substitutes, or who had brothers serving together within the inner court, totaling three hundred and eighteen persons."

Zhu Youjian raised an eyebrow. Fraudulent substitution was practically a traditional custom in the Great Ming — even the imperial palace had fake appointees.

"The remaining nine hundred and eleven persons have all been relocated, per your instructions, to the nearest imperial estates in the capital district."

"Today, this subject consort inspected the imperial estates and has already allocated one hundred mu of farmland to each household, and newly appointed village heads and tithing captains."

"Additionally, the Directorate of Ceremonial will arrange rotating personnel to go daily to inspect and report back."

Zhu Youjian listened attentively, his smile growing broader.

The land grants had been part of his orders, but the village heads, tithing captains, and Directorate of Ceremonial inspections were a complete and welcome surprise.

"Among the former guards from the Prince Xin Residence, there are still one hundred and two who are unmarried. This subject consort thought we could find matchmakers to arrange marriages for them. In this way, those with fixed property will have steadfast hearts, and their loyalty can also be assured."

"As for the land rent on the imperial estates, this subject consort has not yet made adjustments; it is still collected at the standard military farmland grain levy rate of 0.03 taels per mu."

Zhou Yu finished speaking in one breath, pressed the account book to her chest, and looked over with eyes full of expectation.

Zhu Youjian did not stint on his praise: "Good! Good! Good! Clear and well-organized, thorough and thoughtful — my beloved consort is truly Our wise helpmate."

Zhou Yu was utterly delighted, yet forced herself to stay composed, standing in place and feigning solemnity, though her eyes narrowed into crescent moons.

Zhu Youjian paced back and forth, his mood thoroughly buoyant.

A surprise — a genuine surprise.

His original expectation had been nothing more than screening the personnel once and relocating them uniformly to the imperial estates.

As for further security plans, he had plenty, but truly no time to implement or even think them through.

He had never imagined that Changqiu would take care of the village elders, tithing captains, inspections, and marriage arrangements — it was, one could say, far ahead of the schedule he had envisioned.

Later, he could think through the Directorate of Imperial Meals' food purchasing, shift-based supervision, poison-testing procedures, and the like, and then hand them over to Changqiu to optimize.

With such security measures, continuously consolidated and upgraded for a time, they should be able to block the legendary "behind-the-scenes cabal" from buying assassinations!

Yes — despite all his earlier analysis of the Donglin, concluding that no vast, powerful behind-the-scenes cabal existed at all…

And in his heart of hearts, he fundamentally did not believe the legend that Ming dynasty emperors were "prone to dissolving in water."

After all, what kind of person risks the extermination of their entire clan and uses only an uncertain method like "falling into water"?

Arson, assassination, poisoning — which of those wasn't cleaner and more decisive than falling into water?

If you already had the ability to raise death-sworn assassins in this era of the Ming, what harm was there in being a bit more radical and direct?

But! But! But!

As the saying goes, you can't be too careful! Theory is theory, reality is reality! As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood! In short, after all is said and done —

He dared not take the risk…

But now, things were different.

The most core inner-court guards and eunuchs had already reached a relatively safe threshold; he could finally truly free his hands and act!

Zhu Youjian stopped in his tracks, turned his head to look at Gao Shiming, his gaze blazing, without the slightest hesitation remaining.

He spoke rapidly, a string of commands pouring out in a torrent:

"First, compile a list of all substantive military officers from Company Commander and above in Liaodong and the Nine Border Garrisons, as well as all camp duty officers, headquarters staff officers, and front-line military advisors from every detachment. Include their names, ages, and native places — nothing more. Complete this by tomorrow evening."

"Second, purchase one copy of every Capital Gazette, tabloid, and popular periodical sold in the capital — regardless of price or quality — and deliver them all to the palace. Same deadline: by evening."

"Third, beginning tomorrow, We shall proceed to the Valiant Guard Camp every morning at the hour of the Dragon to observe the trials. Any who are absent, slothful, or derelict in duty shall all be dealt with according to military law!"

"Fourth, notify the Inner Palace School that an examination will be held tomorrow at the hour of the Snake, open to all eunuch students currently in training, as well as the attendant lecturers and brush-holders."

Zhu Youjian paused, then slowly delivered the final item:

"Fifth, tomorrow at the hour of the Monkey, the customary assembly of ministers for audience shall convene at Wuying Hall. In addition to the Grand Secretaries and ministry officials who attended today, summon the Nine Chief Ministers in the capital and all the Chief Supervising Secretaries of the Six Offices of Scrutiny to participate as well."

He smiled faintly — a smile of indescribable wickedness.

"Ah, yes — send them a policy question in advance. Have them each compose a written response and submit it before entering the palace tomorrow afternoon."

"As for the topic, let us simply call it…"

"— 'A Solicitation of Proposals for Elevating the Governance of the Capital.'"