Chapter 268: Ning Wanwo Enters the Capital

"Examiner, what is this?" Xinjian Earl Wang Xiantong was clearly hearing this new term for the first time, and his face showed utter bewilderment. The other nobles and relatives by marriage likewise exchanged blank looks, asking one another.

"Examiner... yes, what is this thing?"

The nobles and relatives by marriage that the Chongzhen Emperor had promoted were, for the most part, men rarely seen in history who had died fighting for the state. They shared one trait in common: they excelled in martial affairs. Whether leading troops abroad or commanding in the capital, they were all capable hands—but their understanding of the written word was not as deep as that of the civil officials.

Although he had never heard of the term, Chief Grand Secretary Wei Zaode immediately grasped its general meaning from the shift in Chongzhen's expression and tone, as well as from the two characters themselves. He was the first to step forward and memorialize:

"Your Majesty is wise and enlightened. I know well that I have little merit to speak of. Once we leave the warm chamber, I shall return at once to my office, complete the self-criticism, and present it for Your Majesty's perusal." Seeing the Chongzhen Emperor's expression ease as he spoke, Wei Zaode suddenly remembered something and hastily added:

"I submit to Your Majesty: I believe this self-criticism is an excellent policy for the dynasty. Your Majesty could order all officials at court to write one as well, and it could even be implemented on a regular basis thereafter."

The Chongzhen Emperor had only acted on a whim and had not thought so far ahead. Hearing Wei Zaode's flattering words, his eyes lit up and he nodded:

"Approved. Let it be done as the Grand Secretary says. From tomorrow onward, all civil and military officials of the Great Ming, both at court and beyond, of the fourth rank and above, must each draft a self-criticism within three days and submit it to the Office of Transmission. Those who fail to submit on time—" The Chongzhen Emperor stopped mid-sentence here, smiled, and looked at Wei Zaode, asking:

"What does the Grand Secretary think?"

At this moment, Wei Zaode knew full well that the Chongzhen Emperor was shifting the blame onto him again. But he had already shouldered no small number of blame in his time and was still alive and well—what was one more?

With that thought, he said directly:

"Your Majesty, at this rate there will surely be no small number of officials who miss the deadline. To prevent this, Your Majesty could order the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate those officials who fail to submit their self-criticisms on time—there is bound to be something amiss with them."

The Chongzhen Emperor laughed heartily, thinking to himself that Wei Zaode was useless at most things but was truly a master at guessing his intentions and currying favor. He said with a smile: "What the Grand Secretary says accords perfectly with my wishes. Let all ministries implement it accordingly!"

"Your ministers obey the decree!"

Two nights later, within the "Changchun Court" in the capital, four officials and one merchant had secretly gathered in the loft on the second floor.

"Pah!" An official in a blue official robe bent down and spat fiercely on the ground, raging: "This damned Zhu Youjian, just how far does he intend to sink into benighted folly before there's an end to it?"

He hadn't written a single character of his self-criticism. He had committed not a single error—he was simply perfect—so what was there to write about?

Jin Zhijun had sat in his study racking his brains, and in half an hour had not written a single word. The more he spoke, the angrier he grew, and the more he thought, the more he felt he was the most perfect minister under heaven.

"Word has it that this time that fatuous ruler never intended for us to write self-criticisms either—it was that man surnamed Wei who proposed it. Not only that, but getting the Depot and Guard involved in this business was also Wei Zaode's poisonous suggestion. He deserves to die!"

Lin Ruzhu, Censor of the Sichuan Circuit, had recently come to the capital to report on his duties and had just happened to catch this self-criticism affair. After making inquiries everywhere, he learned that only those of the fourth rank and above had to write one. Fortunately he was merely a lowly seventh-rank Circuit Censor, and so escaped the ordeal.

Still, Lin Ruzhu remained shaken. He had heard that no small number of bigwigs were tearing their hair out over this self-criticism, and the Jin Zhijun before him was one of them. In truth, it was hardly his fault—in the eyes of all Donglin scholars, their own kind were indeed perfect beings.

After Jin Zhijun finished speaking, he quickly nodded and said: "What Master Jin says is quite right. This Zhu Youjian is indeed fatuous and incompetent. How goes the matter of contacting the Great Qing? With such a great incident in Uriankhai, does the Prince Regent intend to do nothing about it?"

Jin Zhijun took a sip of wine and shook his head: "No word yet. Who knows what trouble has cropped up over in the Liao region—surely they haven't been stymied by that newly established Dongjiang garrison?"

Hearing this, the old man beside them who had been silent all along gave a cold laugh and said in an aged voice: "The Great Qing's iron cavalry is invincible under heaven—how could they be stymied by a paltry Dongjiang garrison? Even entering the passes is but a single thought away for the Prince Regent. Do you know who this person is?"

The speaker held a very high position—he was one of the four current Grand Secretaries. Even Jin Zhijun, a third-rank Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, had to address him respectfully as "Grand Secretary Liu."

Jin Zhijun looked toward the merchant who had been keeping his head down, examined the purple-red silk robe he wore, and said cautiously: "Isn't that Boss Ning, who deals in the cloth trade?"

"Boss Ning?" Lin Ruzhu was already beginning to sense something amiss. As far as he knew, there was not a single merchant surnamed Ning who could command the presence of such bigwigs as these.

Just as Lin Ruzhu and Jin Zhijun were utterly baffled, Song Zhipu, Vice Minister of the Left of the Ministry of Revenue, who sat to the side, could no longer bear to watch and quietly reminded them: "This gentleman is the Grand Secretary of the Hongwen Academy of our Great Qing."

When Song Zhipu finished speaking, the man rose gracefully amid the shocked gazes of the assembled officials, smiled, and cupped his hands in greeting: "I am Ning Wanwo, Grand Secretary of the Hongwen Academy of the Great Qing. A pleasure to meet you all."

"Y-y-you... you are Ning Wanwo!?" Jin Zhijun was badly frightened. Seeing Ning Wanwo was even more shocking to him than seeing Wei Zaode, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat of the Ming.

"Genuine, no counterfeit." Ning Wanwo was not surprised by the astonishment of these southern barbarians, and merely smiled without confirming or denying.

Everyone present knew who Ning Wanwo was. Just last month he had been granted the office of Grand Secretary by the Shunzhi Emperor. Even in the current court, this position was equivalent to a full Grand Secretary—and moreover, there were very few Han ministers in the Great Qing who could claim the title of Grand Secretary at all.

Ning Wanwo's achievements filled Jin Zhijun and the others with envy. Ning Wanwo had already reached such heights while they themselves had not even begun their service to the Great Qing—the gap was simply too vast.

As everyone was struck speechless with astonishment, Ning Wanwo patted his backside and sat down, saying: "I have come this time bearing the Prince Regent's decree, to dispel calamities and ward off misfortune for you gentlemen."

"How will you dispel calamities and ward off misfortune?" Jin Zhijun asked hurriedly.

"Heh heh. I have already heard the news that earlier this year that Zhu Youjian slaughtered several hundred pure-minded Donglin scholars. Even the Prince Regent was deeply grieved—these were all men of talent. Had they come to our Great Qing, where the Emperor is wise and enlightened, how could things have come to such a pass?"

Jin Zhijun nodded repeatedly like an obedient son: "Yes, yes."

Lin Ruzhu gnashed his teeth and said: "With such a fatuous ruler and such a court, what use is there in keeping them? I beg the Grand Secretary to point us toward a clear path—when exactly will the Great Qing enter the passes?"

Hearing this question, Ning Wanwo did not answer directly, but instead said: "The Uriankhai incident came about because our Great Qing was busy with the southern campaign. When the Prince Regent heard of it, he declared at once that Uriankhai has always been territory of our Great Qing, and must never be seized by the southern barbarians."

"In the days before I set out, the Prince Regent had already assembled the Eight Banners army within Shengjing city. By now they should already have set out on campaign and be nearing Shanhai Pass." As Ning Wanwo spoke, he deliberately observed the changes in expression of those present.

Sure enough, even the Ming court's Grand Secretary turned pale with fear upon hearing this, and asked with trembling hands: "Grand Secretary, is the Prince Regent this time planning to enter the passes directly? What of our families, our elders and children, and our lands and property?"

"Hahaha."

Ning Wanwo sneered inwardly, yet laughed heartily on the surface: "Rest assured on all these matters. Once our Great Qing establishes its capital in Beijing, I guarantee you will all be restored to your former offices. Those who render assistance may reach the very pinnacle of ministerial rank. From then on, you shall be like fish in water—and adding a glorious page to your names in the annals of history is not out of the question either."