Chapter 130: Monarch vs. Minister (Second Update)

Wei Zhongxian listened to the words of the crowd around him, and murderous intent rose in his heart as well.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly looked up at the crowd and said coldly, "Fine. This time, this eunuch will give them a lesson they will never forget for the rest of their lives!"

"Good! Your Excellency, just tell us what to do! We'll all follow your lead!" Liu Chao shouted.

Li Yongzhen also stepped forward and declared loudly, "Your Excellency, we absolutely cannot let them off easily this time!"

Wei Zhongxian looked at the memorial, sneered, and said, "Copy down the phrase 'the fate of the nation is coming to an end.' I'll take it to see His Majesty shortly!"

"Good, Your Excellency, why don't we all go together? With more of us, His Majesty will see how we've been wronged!"

"No need." Wei Zhongxian's eyes held a cold glint as he waved his hand. "Grand Secretary Ye is in the Imperial Study at this very moment. It's enough for me to go alone."

The group of eunuchs hesitated—Wei Zhongxian going alone would inevitably seem weak and isolated, and the Emperor's trust in him was already far less than before.

Wei Zhongxian had already calculated everything in his mind. Before long, he took the memorial and headed straight for the Imperial Study at Jingyang Palace.

Zhu Youxiao was at that moment locked in a tug-of-war with Grand Secretary Ye Xianggao of the Grand Secretariat—Zhu Youxiao wanted to increase the privy purse, while Ye Xianggao wanted the Emperor to draw from the privy purse.

Zhu Youxiao's expression did not change, but inwardly he was furious.

Not long ago, Zhu Xu had confiscated the treasuries of the Six Ministries, obtaining over twenty million taels of silver in cash. He had kept five million taels for himself and returned the rest to the Ministry of Revenue, merging it into the national treasury. Why, after two months had passed, could he not only not increase his privy purse, but was instead being asked to pay out from it!?

This was precisely the season when tax silver was coming into the treasury and grain was being shipped north along the canal—the time when the national treasury should be fullest. Zhu Youxiao suppressed his rage and asked, "Grand Secretary, how much is in the national treasury right now?"

Ye Xianggao stood below, speaking with utmost deference: "To answer Your Majesty, having verified it myself, the national treasury currently holds three million taels of pure silver and one hundred thousand dan of grain."

Zhu Youxiao's expression changed. "Why so little? Wasn't there tens of millions of taels before?"

Ye Xianggao raised his head and recited as if counting family treasures: "Your Majesty, in Sichuan, Gansu, Yunnan, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shandong, and along the Nine Borders, warfare has been unceasing. The arrears from before were too great, and with disaster relief, melting losses, and flooding, the Ministry of Revenue can no longer make ends meet."

Zhu Youxiao's chest heaved with anger. Before, when there was no silver, everyone got along fine. Now that there was silver, things had become harder instead—and they wanted him to draw from the privy purse!

And yet all of this was in the hands of these outer officials. He knew nothing of the details—he suspected that, just like last time, most of it had gone into the pockets of these ministers themselves.

The more Zhu Youxiao thought about it, the angrier he grew, yet he still forced himself to endure and asked, "Grand Secretary, then tell me—how much silver is needed to fill the shortfall?"

Ye Xianggao silently calculated for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, to maintain the current situation, at least five million taels will be needed each year."

Zhu Youxiao's face sank. "In other words, taxes still need to be raised?"

As Zhu Youxiao's words fell, Ye Xianggao fell silent. Since the Three Great Campaigns of the Wanli era, the tax burden on the common people had grown heavier day by day, yet the tax silver collected had grown less and less. The people were already living in misery—if taxes were raised further, popular uprisings across the realm would likely flare up one after another, impossible to control.

Ye Xianggao was silent for a long while, then raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, in my view, besides increasing revenue, we can also cut expenditures. Things like the Jiangnan textile bureau and the various mines across the provinces could all be abolished, redirecting the remaining silver to where it is most needed."

"Where it is most needed?" Zhu Youxiao's face was so dark it seemed ready to drip water, and hatred burned deep in his heart.

These ministers spent all day pressuring him this way and that—and what good had come to the Great Ming from any of it? Now these people were not only eyeing his privy purse, but even wanted to forcibly abolish the Jiangnan textile bureau that served the imperial house and the mines that supplied silver to the royal family. Would they next demand that he, the Emperor, sell off his household possessions to fund the national treasury?

Suddenly, a young eunuch outside the door turned around, entered, and reported to Zhu Youxiao: "Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei requests an audience."

Zhu Youxiao's heart was full of rage at that moment. Hearing this, he waved his hand and said, "Let him in!"

Ye Xianggao stood there, his brow furrowing slightly. His fat, aged face showed no change—the very picture of an amiable old man. But in his heart he was deeply disgusted; previously, it had been precisely because of Wei Zhongxian that he had repeatedly tried to resign from office.

"Your Majesty, this servant has come to beg forgiveness."

The moment Wei Zhongxian entered, holding up the memorial in his hand, he dropped to his knees with a thud, his voice laced with fear and grievance.

Zhu Youxiao's expression turned displeased. He glanced at one of his attendants.

The young eunuch hurriedly took the memorial and handed it to Zhu Youxiao.

Zhu Youxiao took it, and seeing that it was a memorial from Supervising Secretary Chen Liangxun, he felt a headache coming on—these people's memorials never brought any good news.

He opened it and looked, and his expression suddenly turned incomparably grim. He hurled the memorial at Ye Xianggao and roared angrily, "Grand Secretary! This is the man you recommended! Look at what he's written!"

Ye Xianggao's heart gave a start, but his face remained still as he picked it up and looked through it. When he saw the phrase "the power-hungry eunuch ruins the nation; the fate of the nation is coming to an end," his eyes flickered slightly, yet he still bowed to Zhu Youxiao and said, "To answer Your Majesty, Minister Chen's words are sincere and strike at the heart of the matter. May I ask why Your Majesty is angry?"

Smack!

Zhu Youxiao slammed the imperial desk violently and roared, "You are the Grand Secretary! Do you not understand what I am angry about? A single eunuch can ruin the nation—am I some kind of unprincipled tyrant? Am I some Ah Dou who only listens to petty men? Is he not merely a palace attendant? Just how much power does he truly have? 'The fate of the nation is coming to an end'—the fate of the nation is coming to an end! Then what use are you ministers for?"

Ye Xianggao endured Zhu Youxiao's fury, remaining neither servile nor overbearing throughout, showing not a trace of fear. Only when Zhu Youxiao had finished did he speak slowly: "Your Majesty, Liangxun is loyal and upright by nature, forthright and outspoken. If he has said anything improper, it was still remonstrance offered for the court, examining the faults of his sovereign. I beg Your Majesty not to be angry, not to punish a man for his words and thereby block the channels of counsel."

Zhu Youxiao's eyes flew wide open at these words, his chest seeming about to explode with rage as he glared at Ye Xianggao: "Is this loyal and upright speech? Is this remonstrance for the nation? This is clearly demonic rhetoric to confuse the masses and coerce my will! Where is the slightest trace of a minister's duty or a gentleman's propriety!"

Ye Xianggao knew that Zhu Youxiao was truly enraged now. After a moment of silence, he said, "Your Majesty, Liangxun was recommended by this old minister. From what I know of him, he is a man of fairness and fearlessness. If there is any fault, it is this old minister's responsibility. I hope Your Majesty will show leniency."

"You—!"

Hearing the Grand Secretary take the blame upon himself like this, Zhu Youxiao was filled with hatred. His teeth ground audibly, his face was livid, and his chest heaved violently as he paced back and forth behind the imperial desk.

Wei Zhongxian knelt on the ground, his expression unruffled, but excitement flickered in his eyes.

Zhu Youxiao had no outlet for his fury—his heart felt ready to burst. After seething for a while, he still forced himself to calm down. He looked at Ye Xianggao with icy eyes and said, "Chen Liangxun spoke insolently and insulted his sovereign. He is fined six months' salary and confined to his home to reflect on his faults!"

Ye Xianggao felt a surge of relief—at least the man had been saved. He bowed and said, "I thank Your Majesty for your leniency. This old minister takes his leave."

The moment Ye Xianggao left, Zhu Youxiao kicked the imperial desk, then cried out in pain from his foot, yet still unsatisfied, he swept everything on the desk crashing to the floor.

Memorials, woodworking tools, and wood shavings scattered all over the ground.

He sat on the dragon throne, raging endlessly at his attendants: "Look at that! Look at that! This is the true Grand Secretary—this is my right hand and left arm! Aside from making things difficult for me, what else can he do!"