Chapter 344: Wen Tiren

"My minister, you are advanced in years! You must take good care of yourself!"

Zhu Youjian studied the old minister before him and sighed.

In the last rays of light before sunset, several prominent age spots on Wen Tiren's face came into Zhu Youjian's view. Looking at this sixty-five-year-old minister who, according to history, should have been dismissed by an imperial edict from the Chongzhen Emperor in June of this year, and then died of depression the following year, Zhu Youjian could not help but feel a surge of emotion.

If one says Wen Tiren loved to hoard power—well, what person holding great power would willingly let it go? And the assessment that he was "deep and cutting as bone" sounded more like the resentment of the defeated against him; conversely, if the other side had managed to bring Wen Tiren down, whose head would that assessment have been placed upon?

"Though your old minister's years are many, my bones are strong and sinews firm—I can still share Your Majesty's burdens!"

Wen Tiren replied with a bow, quite alert.

"This is my first time in the Grand Secretariat's offices. I never imagined that the place where my great Ming's chief ministers handle daily affairs would be so cramped and narrow! This truly surprises me greatly!"

Zhu Youjian felt a mix of amusement and exasperation at Old Wen's quick reaction.

An inadvertent sigh on his part had been interpreted by Wen Tiren as a hint of disdain for his advanced age. No wonder they said Old Wen was skilled at divining the imperial will—but wasn't this a bit too sensitive?

Helpless, Zhu Youjian could only look around and change the subject.

Whether in his previous life or this one, this was truly the first time Zhu Youjian had come to the Grand Secretariat's place of work. Though he had roughly known from materials that the Grand Secretariat's offices were not large, what he had not expected was that it was not merely not large—it was so cramped as to be almost inconceivable.

In his impression, as the seat of the highest administrative body of the great Ming, the offices ought to be spacious and bright, surely?

But the scene before him far exceeded his imagination. This place, envied by all the civil officials and scholars under heaven, was not even as good as a prefecture or county yamen.

In his previous life he had visited the ancient city of Pingyao in Shanxi, where there was a fairly well-preserved county yamen covering fully twenty thousand square meters or more, while the area occupied by the Grand Secretariat's offices before him seemed to be less than a tenth of that.

"Your Majesty's words are mistaken. Your old minister believes that the size and fineness of an office are not what matters—an impartial heart is what matters most! Having been honored by Your Majesty's regard and serving here for eight years, I have found nothing in the least uncomfortable!"

Wen Tiren replied with a stern face and a bow, his tone clearly still expressing displeasure at the Emperor's traveling in plain clothes.

Zhu Youjian awkwardly touched his nose and did not continue the conversation.

Though Old Wen was skilled at flattering his superiors, his words just now had revealed a note of reproach.

He knew that people at every level of this era held certain ideas that were difficult to change, and the Emperor traveling in plain clothes was one form that the vast majority could not accept.

Taking advantage of the fact that Yang Sichang and the others had not yet arrived, he simply clasped his hands behind his back and wandered through a few rooms where lamps were lit. The clerks and copyists inside, who were transcribing and registering documents, all knelt in fearful reverence to welcome the Son of Heaven's arrival—not one dared raise his head to look at the Emperor.

For clerks of such low rank as they were, though the imperial palace was close at hand, given their status they could never in a lifetime hope to see the imperial countenance—this was a regret held by nearly all of them.

But when the Emperor suddenly appeared before their eyes, the tension and fear they felt left them with no mood for rejoicing.

"Minister Wen, the reason I have come now is that military intelligence has arrived from beyond the passes, and it is inconvenient to discuss matters in the palace, hence I have come here. Shortly, the senior officials of the Ministry of War and Minister Chen of the Prefectural Office will come to discuss affairs, and you will naturally participate in the deliberations. For now, go wait in the work chamber!"

Returning to the courtyard, Zhu Youjian explained the reason for his sudden arrival at the Grand Secretariat. Wen Tiren made no comment on this, silently leading the way from a position slightly to the front on one side.

Though the sky had darkened by now, lanterns had already been lit at the doors of every room in the courtyard, so there was no need for anyone to carry a torch to light the way ahead.

"Do the grand secretaries and officials on night duty receive any additional allowance or subsidy? How many days between rotations? Is the daily food and drink satisfactory?"

Under Wen Tiren's guidance, Zhu Youjian walked toward the work chamber where the grand secretaries conducted their daily deliberations, asking as he went.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there is no subsidy. The grand secretaries currently number three, rotating once every three days; the clerks and copyists are more numerous and rotate once every seven days. Since Your Majesty's new policies began last year, the incomes of all personnel in every office and bureau in the capital have increased substantially, and many outdated practices and abuses in the yamens have thereby been greatly improved. The copyists and clerks are full of vigor—they perform night duty willingly even without subsidy. As for food and drink, that is a trivial matter; I have heard no complaints!"

As he spoke, they arrived before the work chamber with a lantern hanging above its door. Wen Tiren stopped and gestured respectfully for the Emperor to enter, and Zhu Youjian stepped in first.

When he had taken his seat in the place where Wen Tiren usually sat, Wen Tiren bowed and then sat in the foremost subordinate seat, Wang Cheng'en stood behind the Emperor, and Luo Yangxing, who had accompanied them to the Sun residence, had not followed them here.

"The Grand Secretariat manages the draft rescripts and replies for all great Ming government affairs, the drafting of imperial edicts and proclamations, the approval or rejection of proposals, and the recommendation of talent—it is truly the foremost body of the outer court. For such a vital organ, all personnel within must be strictly assessed and strictly guard confidentiality, so that not the slightest matter of court business may be known to outsiders! I hope you will all rigorously enforce this throughout the office, to prevent any mishap from arising!"

Zhu Youjian knew that the great Ming court's confidentiality system was far from perfect. Whether high ministers of state or lowly clerks, none took the matter of secrecy seriously. Much of the court's business, great and small, would often spread to everyone's knowledge overnight, and those who leaked the information thought nothing of it—on the contrary, they took pride in being able to know and spread such news.

Since the situation had stabilized last year, Zhu Youjian had specifically convened the court officials to address this, emphatically stressing the importance of confidentiality, enumerating the grave losses various dynasties had suffered due to leaks, and demanding that court officials strictly observe the relevant regulations from the founding of the dynasty and strictly forbid the leaking of confidential court matters to outsiders.

Zhu Youjian knew that with mere verbal demands alone, some would still go their own way and pay no heed. For this reason he had specifically formulated confidentiality measures and stationed Embroidered Uniform Guard officers to sit on duty and patrol at important posts in the various ministries and courts, minimizing as far as possible the occurrence of leaks.

As the sovereign of the nation, Zhu Youjian knew that one could not always be too lenient in all matters—sometimes one had to show one's stance on certain things. Though he was well aware that Wen Tiren had always executed his demands meticulously, a rap on the knuckles was still necessary from time to time, for only thus could the authority of the emperor be demonstrated.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, since Your Majesty issued the relevant edict last year, your minister has strictly supervised within the Secretariat in accordance with your will. To this day, no leak has occurred in the Grand Secretariat. Whether the secretaries of the Secretariat or the clerks and copyists of the two offices, all have strictly observed the relevant regulations—on this point, Your Majesty may rest assured!"

As he spoke, a secretary of the Secretariat, around thirty years of age, carried two cups of hot tea on a wooden tray to the doorway. A young eunuch took them and brought them inside, placing them on the low tables beside Zhu Youjian and Wen Tiren.

"Minister Wen has always handled matters with great steadiness, and I am most satisfied! By the way, if my memory serves me correctly, you have three sons, do you not? Have any of them passed the examinations and taken office?"

Zhu Youjian took a sip of the hot tea before asking.

"In answer to Your Majesty, your minister has three sons and two daughters. To my shame, my three sons have not been diligent in their studies and none has passed the examinations. My eldest son, Yan, holds the title of Chiliarch of the imperial guard bestowed by imperial favor and studies at home; my second son, Kan, is the one who just brought the tea—he entered the Grand Secretariat as a secretary by virtue of his provincial degree; my third son, Ji, currently serves in a lowly capacity at the Court of the Imperial Stud! My two daughters are both married and rarely return home!"

Wen Tiren's answer made Zhu Youjian sigh with admiration.

Though later orthodox histories did not rate Wen Tiren highly, looking now merely at the arrangements for his children—as the nominal first man of the great Ming's outer court, among his three sons only one held a seventh-rank position—this alone was enough to inspire respect.

"Minister Wen is truly an incorruptible minister! You have held high office for many years, yet none of your sons has inherited your mantle—this truly moves me to sighs! I happened to have some thoughts on this matter earlier; when I have leisure, I shall share them with you. Perhaps they may also give you some hope for your descendants!"