Chapter 1659: The Great Ming's Good Teacher

Just like that, he's become an imperial tutor?

An imperial tutor in the Ming dynasty was no small thing. Once you'd served as an imperial tutor, posts in the Grand Secretariat, the ministries, and the provinces were yours for the taking!

The treacherous officials filling the court all cast looks of envy, jealousy, and resentment at Kong Zhenyun — if only they'd known, they'd have been the first to step forward!

"This subject shall never fail His Majesty's great favor!" Kong Zhenyun had picked up an imperial tutorship for nothing, and his heart was practically blooming with joy; even his voice came out with a bit more force.

"Master Kong, please rise." Zhu Youjian smiled as he bade Kong Zhenyun rise, and even politely addressed him as "Master Kong."

Kong Zhenyun rose amid the envious gazes of the assembled officials, and also glanced at the Grand Secretaries standing on the white marble platform outside the Gate of Imperial Supremacy — according to the rules of the Ming morning court, only the Grand Secretaries and the chief eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial were permitted to accompany the Emperor on the white marble platform.

And although Kong Zhenyun was a descendant of Confucius and a second-place jinshi (he was not of the main line, so he held no hereditary office but had come up through the examinations), he had already been well on in years when he passed the examinations — forty-five at the time (the forty-seventh year of Wanli) and fifty-three now — so without a stroke of luck, he could never ascend that white marble platform.

But at this moment Kong Zhenyun certainly had no idea that Zhu Youjian had never intended to let him enter the Grand Secretariat. Because in his previous life, Zhu Youjian had already made Kong Zhenyun a Grand Secretary, and it hadn't seemed to do much good.

This time, Zhu Youjian had to pick a few useful Grand Secretaries — and to become a Grand Secretary, it was best to serve a term as imperial tutor first.

Having made up his mind, Zhu Youjian spoke again: "We also wish to find several more lecturers. Sun Chuanting, a jinshi of the forty-seventh year of Wanli, is a man of great learning, and moreover he did not fear the traitor Wei, resigning his office with righteous indignation — he is a loyal subject of backbone, and may serve as a lecturer. Hong Chengchou, the Shaanxi Grain Administration Vice Commissioner, is also a scholar of broad learning, and may likewise serve as Our lecturer.

There is also a Lu Xiangsheng — did he attend court today?"

Lu Xiangsheng was a Bureau Secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, so of course he had come to court. At this moment he was standing among the assembled officials, and upon hearing the Chongzhen Emperor actually call his name — and seemingly wanting to make him a lecturer! — he was instantly stunned!

How could this be possible?

Lu Xiangsheng was only twenty-seven this year, a jinshi of the second year of Tianqi, and had been an official for only a few years. And now he was to become an imperial tutor?

"He has not come?" Zhu Youjian did not see Lu Xiangsheng step out from the ranks and assumed he was absent, so he said, "No matter if he has not come; he shall still be a lecturer!"

Only then did Lu Xiangsheng recover his wits. He hurriedly stepped out from the ranks, came forward, and dropped to his knees with a thud. "Your Majesty, this subject is of meager talent and shallow learning, and fears he cannot bear the weighty responsibility of a lecturer."

"You, of meager talent and shallow learning?" Zhu Youjian laughed. "No matter — We still want you as a lecturer. Just lecture on some shallow learning, and do not decline again!"

Zhu Youjian did not care in the least whether Lu Xiangsheng had learning or not — if he had none, he could teach him personally! Whoever's teacher it was, that person was responsible for teaching him! But the lectureship he absolutely had to take, because he was Lu Xiangsheng!

Lu Xiangsheng had no choice either, and could only give thanks and accept the decree.

Zhu Youjian thought for a moment, then added: "There is also a Chen Qiyu, who seems to be serving as an official in Nanyang — let him come and be Our lecturer as well!"

And with that, Sun Chuanting, Hong Chengchou, Lu Xiangsheng, and Chen Qiyu — the civil officials who had been the more capable fighters during Chongzhen's previous reign — had all been gathered up to serve as his lecturers. The only one missing was Shi Kefa, who had not yet passed the highest examinations and so could not yet be put to great use.

But he would not have to wait long. Zhu Youjian thought it over — Shi Kefa was a jinshi of the first year of Chongzhen, and when the time came, he would give him the top rank of zhuangyuan!

In this way, Zhu Youjian would have at hand five great commanding ministers — Sun Chuanting, Hong Chengchou, Lu Xiangsheng, Chen Qiyu, and Shi Kefa. How could the Great Ming worry about failing to achieve its restoration?

Of course, this was not yet the time for the five great commanders to exert their strength. The personal army before the tent had not even begun training!

For now, he still had to be conservative, and maintain a stable defensive posture on all fronts.

With that thought, Zhu Youjian said to Huang Liji: "Chief Grand Secretary, there are now only four Grand Secretaries. Two Grand Secretary posts remain vacant — let Wang Zaijin of the Ministry of War and Xu Guangqi of the Ministry of Works fill them!"

Wang Zaijin and Xu Guangqi had not yet arrived in Beijing. Wang Zaijin was a Henan man and should arrive within the next few days. Xu Guangqi was from Shanghai and would not be able to come for several months.

But the Grand Secretary appointments could be settled in advance, lest anyone get ideas.

As for these two appointments, Huang Liji naturally raised no objection. If he had that many objections, Wei Zhongxian would never have let him become Chief Grand Secretary.

Sometimes this "three-decrees minister" had his convenient uses!

The grand court session in the Hall of Imperial Supremacy soon came to an end. Because no one had opposed him, Zhu Youjian was in quite a good mood, and with a few eunuchs in tow, swaggered back to Qianqing Palace. He had just set foot inside Qianqing Palace when a eunuch came to report that Empress Yi'an requested his presence.

Empress Yi'an was no longer living in Kunning Palace, but had moved to Ciqing Palace. Ciqing Palace was the palace where Chongzhen and Tianqi had been born, and Chongzhen had still lived there before he was enfeoffed as Prince of Xin. So the buildings and various facilities were relatively well preserved, and with a little tidying up, it could be inhabited.

Moreover, Ciqing Palace was also the residence of the Ming Crown Prince. At present Zhu Youjian had no son, and he had already said that he would adopt his eldest son (that is, Zhu Cilang) to Empress Yi'an as her son, and would also enfeoff him as Imperial Heir-Nephew.

So arranging Empress Yi'an in Ciqing Palace could also be seen as a declaration that Zhu Youjian would fulfill his promise.

Because of this promise, and because Zhu Youjian had also handed Lady Ke over to Empress Yi'an to deal with, Empress Yi'an had been relatively supportive during the days since Zhu Youjian's enthronement.

But Zhu Youjian's conduct after rooting out the Wei Zhongxian and Lady Ke factions had not much satisfied Empress Yi'an. This sovereign, it seemed, was not much of a "wise ruler"!

So many remnants of the eunuch faction at court had not been driven out.

The upright gentlemen of the Donglin Faction were still suffering injustice, and he had not seen fit to redress their wrongs.

Even the most hardcore eunuch-faction men — the Five Tigers, Five Biao, Ten Dogs, Ten Children, and Forty Grandsons — had not been thrown into the Imperial Prison for harsh interrogation, but were instead placed under house arrest in the Western Garden of the imperial palace. Moreover, Empress Yi'an had heard that Zhu Youjian had released Yang Gao and Li Ruzhen, two treacherous villains who had been sentenced to death, from the Imperial Prison, and had even made them something called "Personal Army Advisers"! Was this not employing treacherous villains?

If Zhu Youjian wanted to train troops, he should not use Yang Gao and Li Ruzhen, but rather Sun Chengzong and Yuan Chonghuan!

So, after much deliberation, this Empress Yi'an intended to kindly and well-meaningly remind Zhu Youjian — his current conduct was poor, and he might turn into a fatuous ruler!

"Sister-in-law, is Ciqing Palace comfortable enough?" After Zhu Youjian had paid his respects to Empress Yi'an, this elder sister-in-law who was "like a mother," he steered the topic toward the residence. "Ciqing Palace is getting a bit old. We intend to build a detached palace at Nanhaizi in a few days, and at that time We shall also have a better residence built for you."

Zhu Youjian did not intend to build a garden at Nanhaizi, but rather a bastion fort! Not only at Nanhaizi, but also one each at the North Garden, the East Garden, and Diaoyutai, to serve as assembly points for the Personal Army and as their garrison when on rotation duty. In addition, once the Boy Scouts arrived in Beijing, they too would be distributed among these four forts.

And Zhu Youjian would shuttle between the Forbidden City and the Nanhaizi fort, spending most of his time living in the Nanhaizi bastion so as to conveniently supervise the training of the Personal Army at close hand.

But Empress Yi'an misunderstood Zhu Youjian's meaning, thinking that this Emperor was about to undertake grand construction in the imperial gardens. This was the way of a fatuous ruler!

"Your Majesty," Empress Zhang said, her delicate brows furrowed, with the air of one about to deliver a lecture, "the realm is now in a time of troubles, and our imperial house ought to economize a little and not be overly extravagant. To begin construction at Nanhaizi at a time like this — is that not inappropriate?"

Zhu Youjian laughed: "Nanhaizi hardly counts as a great work; it will not cost much. As for economizing, We do have an idea, and We shall discuss it with you today, sister-in-law. We intend to release all the younger palace maids from the palace, and at the same time drastically reduce the Palace Guard eunuch troops. If We can cut twenty or thirty thousand people, We can save at least a million in annual expenses — that is a great saving!"

Empress Zhang frowned slightly and said slowly: "Cutting twenty or thirty thousand at once? Is that not a bit much? So many mouths — if you cut them, can they stop eating?"

(End of Chapter)