Chapter 57: The Sovereign's Will Is Hard to Fathom

When Wen Tiren and the others learned that the official sent by the court had been beheaded by the Crown Prince, they secretly rejoiced. As soon as their informants in the palace reported that the Emperor had awakened, they hurried into the palace to seek an audience.

Only after Empress Zhou had taken her leave and the Chongzhen Emperor was seated did he summon the several men to appear before him.

"Your Majesty, this is terrible! The Crown Prince has not only privately mobilized troops in the capital, but has also murdered the Duke of Cheng without cause!"

No sooner had the several men entered than Zhang Xin, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, rushed in breathlessly to report.

After Zhang Xin finished speaking, Chief Grand Secretary Wen Tiren and the others unhurriedly walked into the Qianqing Palace, and one by one listed the various transgressions of the Crown Prince.

The Chongzhen Emperor's head ached terribly. This season of troubles had already drained his strength and spirit. He had wanted to handle the Crown Prince's matter privately, but now even the Grand Secretariat had been stirred up.

The Chongzhen Emperor, vexed beyond endurance, was just about to issue an edict summoning Zhu Cilang back to the palace for questioning, when the eunuch on duty outside entered and reported that Yang Tinglin, a Hanlin Junior Compiler, sought an audience outside, bearing important military intelligence.

The Chongzhen Emperor's brows knit tightly. Though irritated, he still issued the edict permitting him to appear.

Chongzhen's impression of Yang Tinglin was still fairly good — the man was highly learned, and had lectured on the classics with great depth at several banquets.

After Yang Tinglin entered and completed his ceremonial greetings to the Chongzhen Emperor, the Emperor saw joy spread across his face as he said: "Your Majesty, great news! His Highness the Crown Prince has won a great victory at Shijingshan. Leading his troops out of the city himself, he annihilated three thousand barbarian bandits in total and seized countless spoils. This is the battle report — please, Your Majesty, cast your dragon eyes upon it." Having spoken, he presented the battle report written by Zhu Cilang.

In the battle report, Zhu Cilang explained in detail the course of the engagement, and begged the Chongzhen Emperor's pardon for privately mobilizing the Yongwei Camp from its post. Finally, he also laid out his own analysis and plans, and requested permission to continue fighting.

After reading it through, the Chongzhen Emperor's spirits immediately lifted. All his earlier dejection swept away, joy showed on his face, and he could not help but say: "Five thousand Yongwei Camp soldiers cut down three thousand enemies — the Crown Prince truly commands troops like a god!"

Seeing that the situation was turning unfavorable, Wen Tiren hastily said: "Your Majesty, though the Crown Prince has merit, privately mobilizing troops out of the city and beheading a court official who went to question him — this is no small matter."

The Chongzhen Emperor looked at him coldly and said: "You say the Crown Prince beheaded a court official who went to question him — then who was it that sent someone to interrogate the Crown Prince?"

Hearing the Chongzhen Emperor's tone, Wen Tiren sensed something was wrong, and shot a glance at Zhang Xin, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

Seeing this, Zhang Xin could only steel himself and say: "It was your minister who sent the man."

The Chongzhen Emperor slammed the dragon table with his palm and roared: "What are you, to dare interrogate the Crown Prince? This is my family's private affair — not a matter for your Ministry of Justice!"

Zhang Xin, scolded roundly from head to toe, felt somewhat aggrieved, and so said: "The ancients said, when a prince breaks the law, he shares the same punishment as the common folk. The Crown Prince privately executed a noble of merit — this is a great crime."

The Chongzhen Emperor gave a cold laugh and said: "A great crime? From which dynasty's law code do you dredge that up? The laws of my Great Ming are not so. Yang Tinglin, as a Hanlin Junior Compiler learned in past and present, tell him what the laws of the Great Ming are!"

Yang Tinglin declared in a loud voice: "The Ancestral Instructions of the Imperial Ming, laid down by the Emperor Taizu, state: 'Should any Crown Prince go far away, or depart to places near the capital, if he commits faults great or small, no one shall be sent to convey an edict interrogating him. He shall merely be summoned back to face his sovereign father's admonition in person.

If anyone comes bearing verbal messages, or carrying tally orders, or official court documents to interrogate him, the one who comes must be seized, and the circumstances thoroughly questioned. Defenses shall be prepared in advance, and a trusted confidant shall be dispatched with all speed to the imperial presence, to hear the sovereign's declaration face to face. Once right and wrong are made clear, the messenger shall be sent back to report, and matters shall be dealt with according to the instructions heard. This applies equally to all princes and the sons and grandsons of princes.'"

It must be said, Zhu Yuanzhang was still very fond of his descendants. Worried that imperial princes and grandsons might be harmed by treacherous ministers, he had left these ancestral instructions and played this very move.

After hearing this, Zhang Xin, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, fell to his knees with a thud, his whole body trembling. The ancestral instructions of the Hongwu Emperor Taizu — how would he dare violate them?

Chongzhen looked at him coldly and said: "Issue the edict: Zhang Xin, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, ignorant of the laws, occupying his post without doing his duty, privately summoning an imperial prince for questioning — unforgivable. Let the Embroidered Uniform Guard strip off his black gauze cap, cast him into the Imperial Prison, and never restore him to office!"

Zhang Xin had long since collapsed on the ground like a pile of mud, staring at the golden bricks of the floor with hollow, lifeless eyes, utterly despairing.

Hearing this, Wen Tiren's heart shook violently. He felt he had poked a hornet's nest. Wanting to save Zhang Xin, he hastily said: "Your Majesty, Zhang Xin has indeed erred, but the Crown Prince did after all kill a noble of merit first, losing the measure of the law. The Emperor Taizu once said that of the hereditary nobles, none may be executed except for treason — they may only be handed over to the judicial authorities for impeachment, and it is not permitted to seize and interrogate them on one's own authority."

The Chongzhen Emperor said nothing, merely fixing his gaze on Wen Tiren for a long while. He stared until Wen Tiren felt bewildered and deeply uncomfortable, and could only hang his head low.

After a long pause, the Chongzhen Emperor finally said slowly: "Minister Wen, I had thought you a capable minister who knew everything, but it turns out you are only a half-baked scholar."

Hearing this assessment from the Emperor, Wen Tiren's heart trembled, and he was greatly puzzled, so he said: "What does Your Majesty mean? Your minister does not quite understand."

The Chongzhen Emperor shook his head, looked toward Yang Tinglin, and said: "Minister Yang, tell him!"

Yang Tinglin had known what he would say from the moment Chongzhen called Wen Tiren a half-baked scholar. He declared in a loud voice: "The nobles and imperial relatives whom the Emperor Taizu said may not be seized and interrogated on one's own authority refers to: the household of the Empress, the households of the imperial consorts, the household of the Eastern Palace consort, the households of princess consorts, the households of commandery princess consorts, the households of imperial sons-in-law, the households of ceremonial companions, the household of the Duke of Wei, the household of the Duke of Cao, the household of the Duke of Xin, the household of the Marquis of Xiping, and the household of the Marquis of Wuding — the household of the Duke of Cheng is not among them! All of the above households were personally designated by the Emperor Taizu."

On hearing this, Wen Tiren's mind roared as if struck by thunder. He finally understood why the Emperor had called him a half-baked scholar — he truly knew only the front half and not the back.

At the same time, he hated himself for not having read the Ancestral Instructions of the Imperial Ming through from beginning to end with care. Twice now he had stumbled over this very text.

Only now did Wen Tiren truly experience the feeling that attending upon a sovereign is like attending upon a tiger, and he had gravely underestimated the Chongzhen Emperor's protective nature toward his own cub.

The Chongzhen Emperor continued: "Grand Secretary Wen, as Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, you would do better to mind the great affairs of state. Do not meddle in the matters of the imperial household."

"Yes." Having lost the sovereign's favor, Wen Tiren suddenly seemed to have aged several years. Seeing that the Chongzhen Emperor had not inflicted punishment, he could only bow his head, give thanks for the favor, and withdraw.

After Wen Tiren left, Chongzhen kept Yang Tinglin behind alone to inquire about Zhu Cilang's situation.

Yang Tinglin said: "His Highness the Crown Prince is well. He told your minister that before long he will send the heads of the three thousand barbarian bandits to the Western Market of the capital to be built into a mound of skulls, to display our nation's might and ensure the common people no longer live in terror of the Jianzhou barbarians!"

Hearing this, the Chongzhen Emperor's spirits were roused, and he said: "The Crown Prince's plan is excellent — approved!"

Subsequently, the Chongzhen Emperor issued an edict: the Crown Prince, having privately executed a noble of merit, had his merits and faults cancel each other out. He was temporarily permitted to continue leading troops in battle, but was not allowed to venture beyond a hundred li of the capital.

Yang Tinglin, the Hanlin Junior Compiler, having performed excellently before the imperial presence, was appointed Tutor to the Crown Prince and promoted to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

Yang Tinglin, leaping in one bound from a seventh-rank Hanlin Junior Compiler to a third-rank Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, felt his head spin. After a moment of clarity he immediately accepted the edict and gave thanks, while his heart swelled with a myriad of emotions.

The contents of the Ancestral Instructions of the Imperial Ming were something he had only studied carefully because the Crown Prince had frequently consulted him on them during his daily studies back then — otherwise, how would he have remembered them so precisely?

Strictly speaking, a seventh-rank official being appointed to a third-rank post would invite criticism, but the Chongzhen Emperor handled it very properly — he simultaneously conferred upon Yang Tinglin the title of Tutor to the Crown Prince, making him a minister of the Eastern Palace, with the corresponding rank also being third grade.

After Yang Tinglin left, the Chongzhen Emperor leaned back against the dragon throne, his expression darkening, and thought to himself: "Was I wrong? Had I approved the Crown Prince's request to fight back then, perhaps Elder Imperial Brother's Deling mausoleum would not have suffered this calamity."

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Some readers may wonder why this book consistently uses "Your Majesty" (Your Majesty) throughout rather than addressing the emperor as "huangshang"?

Three common misconceptions in Ming dynasty time-travel fiction:

First, Ming dynasty eunuchs calling themselves "nucai" — in fact, Ming eunuchs called themselves "nu" or "nubi"; it was Qing dynasty eunuchs who called themselves "nucai."

Moreover, "nucai" was considered a "high-class term" in the Qing — ordinary people were not even qualified to use it for themselves. Only Manchu ministers of high rank could call themselves "nucai" before Qing emperors; Han ministers could only call themselves "chen."

Second, treating memorials and court documents as "zouzhe" or "zhezi" — "zouzhe" was a term only used in the Qing dynasty.

Third, addressing the emperor as "huangshang" — "huangshang" was a form of address frequently used in the Manchu Qing. Before the Ming and including the Ming, the usual forms of address were "Your Majesty," "His Majesty," or "wansui." "Wansui" was also a special term that only emerged after the Song dynasty; before that it was not restricted to emperors. In any case, Han Chinese emperors were very rarely addressed as "huangshang."

From this one can see how deeply the costume dramas of today have harmed people — any worthless screenwriter can write a script.