Chapter 17

The sixth year of Longqing, the third day of the sixth month, early morning.

……

Before dawn, Gao Yi set out from his home, heading toward the Imperial City.

He bought two scallion pancakes by the roadside and began to gnaw on them as he walked.

It wasn't that he didn't have time to make breakfast at home, but today he truly had no appetite or inclination.

Yesterday, someone from the palace came and inexplicably delivered quite a few daily necessities, along with a few taels of silver, leaving him completely bewildered.

Only upon asking did he learn it was a favor the Crown Prince had requested from Empress Li.

The eunuch's exact words were: "The Crown Prince said with virtuous intent, 'The teacher has benefited me greatly; how could I bear to see the teacher in such straits?' The Empress then complied."

It caught him off guard, and he stood there stunned.

Gao Yi is different from Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng; he is a traditional scholar, or rather, he retains the temperament of a rigid scholar-official.

His "letting things slide" is merely dissatisfaction with the status quo, not a rejection of traditional ritual.

On the contrary, it is precisely because the current world cannot satisfy his yearning for traditional ritual that he has become a "good old man" who just muddles through.

The saying goes: "The sovereign views his subjects as straw, and the subjects view the sovereign as a foe."

Just as the founding Emperor viewed scholar-officials as straw, the attitude of the old Zhu family's emperors toward civil officials caused Gao Yi to lose trust in them as well.

Not to mention that the Shizong Emperor he served was selfish and immoderate, frequently blaming his subordinates, and the late Emperor indulged in pleasure and neglected state affairs.

How could they earn his approval?

But the Crown Prince... he actually took note of his family's circumstances and truly treated him as a disciple would a teacher, and as a subject would a sovereign father!

This etiquette of teacher and student, this intent of sovereign and father—in a daze, it stirred up Gao Yi's long-dormant feelings of paternal love and loyalty to the sovereign.

A scholar-official should know: if the sovereign views his subject as his own hands and feet, then the subject views the sovereign as his own heart!

Yet, he still hesitated.

Was this Empress Li using the Crown Prince's name?

Or was he guided by someone?

Even taking a step back, even if the Crown Prince had this intent, would it not be for some other purpose, treating him with the heart of political maneuvering?

But Gao Yi could not help but harbor a faint expectation in his heart.

Entrusted with the regency, the bond of sovereign, father, teacher, and student—what scholar-official would not yearn for such a fine story? With the example of Zhuge Wuhou before him, who would not be moved?

Wild thoughts and complex emotions kept Gao Yi awake almost all night.

Today is the third, and every third, sixth, and ninth day is a day for the Crown Prince to hold court, so there is no daily lecture. This made Gao Yi feel a bit disappointed, but also relieved.

The disappointment is self-evident, and the relief is because he truly does not know what mindset to use to face the Crown Prince now.

Only yesterday did he accept someone's request to arbitrarily change the daily lecture, and he felt truly uneasy in his heart.

Gao Yi's thoughts were constant, and he walked along the street in a daze.

Every ministry and yamen has a roll call; although it is slightly later than the early morning court, it is not much different.

One after another, court officials wearing official robes of different colors gathered toward the Imperial City.

As a Zhang Gelao, Gao Yi was a man of status, so meeting people on the road naturally meant he couldn't avoid greetings and social niceties.

"Zhang Gelao."

"Zhang Gelao Gao."

"Zhang Gelao."

Along the way, people kept bowing to him, until his face felt stiff from smiling, which also stopped his train of thought.

"Zhang Gelao, why not ride in a sedan chair together?" a voice came from behind.

Gao Yi turned his head to see a large, six-bearer sedan chair; inside were an old man and a young man who lifted the curtain to greet him.

He recognized their faces and remembered they seemed to be Zhu Xixiao from the Duke of Cheng's mansion and Jiang Keqian from the Earl of Yutian's family.

Oh... the nobility, then it doesn't matter.

Gao Yi finally didn't have to return the smile; he turned his head away as if he were looking at thin air.

He felt helpless in his heart—who does he think Gao Yi is? Even the nobility are coming to cozy up to him. Do they really think every noble can be a Zhu Xizhong?

He didn't take the matter to heart and walked off to the side on his own.

When he reached the Imperial City, Gao Yi was called out to again.

"Zixiang, why is your complexion not very good?"

Gao Yi turned his face; it was Zhang Juzheng, walking side-by-side with the Minister of Rites, Lu Diaoyang.

Lu Diaoyang bowed: "Zhang Gelao."

Gao Yi dared not be arrogant and hurriedly returned the bow: "Minister Lu, Left Chancellor."

Zhang Juzheng is the Senior Assistant Zhang Gelao; Gao Yi has always addressed him as "Left Chancellor" to his face, meaning Left Prime Minister, to show respect.

After returning the bow, he smiled bitterly: "I'm getting old. Yesterday, the palace sent fresh bamboo shoots, and I was greedy and ate them all. After eating, I felt bloated and uncomfortable, so I slept a bit late."

Lu Diaoyang was amused by him and stroked his beard, laughing: "It's a good thing for the Zhang Gelao to have such an appetite, unlike me, whose teeth are loose; I want to eat but can't."

Gao Yi is humble and easygoing, and he has good relations with all the court officials.

Zhang Juzheng also spoke up: "Zixiang, it's perfect. He Qing and I were just talking about the ritual for the Crown Prince's ascension; come and deliberate on it."

He Qing is Lu Diaoyang's courtesy name.

And the ascension ritual refers to the ceremonies, sacrificial texts, and the selection of personnel for various items used during the enthronement.

The three of them walked together, Zhang Juzheng and Gao Yi in front, Lu Diaoyang consciously falling half a step behind.

Gao Yi asked: "When is the third petition for the Crown Prince to accept the throne scheduled?"

Zhang Juzheng replied: "Yesterday, the two palaces finally approved the memorial, scheduling the second petition for the sixth, and after the Crown Prince accepts, he will ascend the throne on the tenth."

Gao Yi pondered for a moment and said: "The state is not at peace; it is appropriate to ascend the throne before the spirit tablet."

The mourning period of the imperial family often uses days to represent months, or months to represent years.

Zhu Yijun's mourning period is twenty-seven days; from the day the late Emperor passed away to the tenth is only ten-plus days, so naturally, it is an ascension before the spirit tablet.

As Minister of Rites, Lu Diaoyang had the heaviest burden at this time and couldn't help but sigh: "The funeral and ascension rituals are not difficult; it's just that the Ministry of Revenue is pressing the budget hard. It's fortunate that the two palaces are reasonable."

Gao Yi nodded; this is also the benefit of the Cabinet being in power. Women can never overcome the collective resolution of civil officials.

You must know that when the late Emperor was alive, he was always asking the Ministry of Personnel for money to stuff into his own private treasury.

He suddenly thought of one thing and asked: "Has the matter of the imperial mausoleum been decided?"

That is, choosing a geomantically auspicious place to build the tomb.

Zhang Juzheng shook his head: "This matter is being discussed by the Senior Zhang Gelao and the Ministry of Works. We must first find the dragon vein and inspect the mountains; they should still be selecting people."

Lu Diaoyang took up the conversation: "The only things not decided now are the mausoleum and the sacrificial text for the announcement."

"Zhang Gelao Gao, you are a specialist in this; why don't you write this sacrificial text?"

A Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Profundity has the duty of writing sacrificial texts; almost everyone can write a good piece of Daoist sacrificial prose. Moreover, Gao Yi was the Minister of Rites before entering the Cabinet, so he is perfectly suited.

Gao Yi naturally had no objections: "Just don't complain that my scholarship is poor."

Lu Diaoyang flattered him: "I'm only afraid the Zhang Gelao's writing will be so obscure that the Crown Prince will suffer while memorizing it."

Hearing this, Zhang Juzheng and Gao Yi laughed in spite of themselves.

Lu Diaoyang didn't understand why, but he laughed along twice.

"I'll go to the office first to prepare the memorial for the court deliberation; we'll discuss it again at the morning court."

Gao Yi excused himself and went ahead.

Zhang Juzheng and Lu Diaoyang returned the bow and slowed their pace.

After Gao Yi left, Lu Diaoyang slowly said: "Zhang Gelao Gao seems to have been quite favored by the Crown Prince's affection recently."

Everyone had a share of the fresh bamboo shoots rewarded by the palace.

But Gao Yi happened to have an extra reward. This matter naturally could not be hidden from the court officials, and the implication made people feel jealous.

Zhang Juzheng shook his head and sighed helplessly: "It's just bullying an honest man."

Lu Diaoyang looked at him in confusion.

Zhang Juzheng didn't dwell on this, but instead asked about other things: "Has the Senior Zhang Gelao contacted you privately?"

Lu Diaoyang shook his head: "He hasn't even looked for you; why would he look for me?"

Zhang Juzheng is the leader of the Chu Party, but this Chu Party is not divided by region; it has people from all over. It was only because Zhang Juzheng is from Huguang that it was given this name; its regional nature is not as obvious as it would be later.

Just like Lu Diaoyang, although he is from Zhejiang, he is also classified into the Chu Party.

Rather than calling it the Chu Party, it is better to call it the New Party.

As for why they didn't unite around Gao Gong? Isn't Zhang Juzheng just following Gao Gong's lead?

For Gao Gong, he has higher sights; whether it's the Pure Stream, the Chu Party, the Jin Party, or the Zhe Party, it's all the same. Whether it's Yang Bo or Zhang Juzheng, they can be used as long as they listen.

Zhang Juzheng sighed, his voice extremely low: "Before the Senior Zhang Gelao retires, we must use his influence to get the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers to acknowledge the general outline of the Performance Evaluation Law, so that we can do things later."

The Performance Evaluation Law is what later generations commonly call official performance assessment, and it is also the foundation of the New Law.

This kind of matter that cuts into the civil service system has always faced heavy obstacles.

If it cannot be finalized before Gao Gong retires, it will take a lot more time to coordinate all parties after he becomes Senior Zhang Gelao to clean up the situation.

The time left for him to implement the New Law is already running out.

Lu Diaoyang asked curiously: "What are you planning to do?"

Zhang Juzheng waved his hand: "I don't know."

"Let's go, it's time for the morning court."

……

During the regular court today, Zhu Yijun was very silent.

Not only did he not interfere in the court deliberation, he didn't even ask Feng Bao, who was by his side, any questions, which made Feng Bao steal glances at him frequently.

Of course, this wasn't him pretending to be deep; he was truly exhausted!

Work like copying Buddhist and Daoist scriptures is even more torturous than he imagined.

Yesterday, he returned to the Donggong and wrote for two hours; even now, his arms are still a bit sore, and he is completely exhausted, so he has to conserve his energy and speak less.

It's just that this Zhang Juzheng is truly wicked; bullying a child like this—don't let me catch an opportunity.

While Zhu Yijun was resting, he glanced at Gao Yi through the screen.

It's a pity that these old foxes have first-class cultivation of their temperament; one couldn't see a single clue, and he didn't know if yesterday's show of goodwill had touched him at all.

It seems he will have to increase his efforts.

The court deliberation proceeded in an orderly manner.

Such as the situation of spring taxes in various provinces, the court recommendation of provincial administration commissioners, the court trial of criminal cases involving the nobility, and so on.

This was the first time Zhu Yijun had seen a court recommendation and a court trial.

A so-called court recommendation is when a high-ranking official position becomes vacant, and court officials—that is, the Nine Ministers, the Censors, the Libationers, etc. —publicly recommend two or three people and report them to the two palaces for selection.

And a court trial is when there is a major prison case, such as one involving the nobility, which must be decided by the court officials.

As for how to recommend and how to deliberate—it's actually a head-count vote?

Zhu Yijun found it quite novel; it really did feel like a board meeting, with a very strong sense of déjà vu.

Of course, there was a tacit understanding among all parties before the public recommendation, which was also exactly the same.

He watched the performance intently, finding it quite interesting.

After all matters were discussed, he thought the court was about to be dismissed, but he saw Feng Bao take two steps out: "Gentlemen, I have one more matter here."

He looked down at Gao Gong: "For this spring tax, by precedent, 100,000 taels should be deposited into the inner treasury, as was the case when the late Emperor was alive. Yesterday, I also requested an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager, instructing the court officials to deliberate on it. Why did the Senior Zhang Gelao skip over it in today's court deliberation?"

The Great Storehouse is the Ministry of Revenue's treasury, while the inner treasury is the inner court's small treasury; others, like the Court of Imperial Stud, the Court of Imperial Entertainments, and even various provincial governments, also have their own treasuries.

In every yamen, large or small, meals are still eaten from separate pots.

Gao Gong naturally knew about this matter, and he didn't even blink: "I know a little bit about this matter, and I was just about to tell Eunuch Feng."

"Yesterday, the Empress Dowager's edict was issued, and the very next moment, it was sealed and rejected by the Six Ministries' secretaries on the grounds of it being a 'disorderly order, not to be obeyed.' This Cabinet didn't even know the content of the edict."

The Six Ministries' secretaries are in charge of attendance, remonstrance, and auditing the Six Ministries and all departments, equivalent to a Disciplinary Inspection Commission.

Likewise, they have the power to seal and reject edicts; this is part of the ritual system and is perfectly legitimate.

Gao Gong was calm and composed, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Feng Bao was furious and pointed at Gao Gong: "Gao Gong! You... are bold and reckless!"

Gao Gong said coldly: "Eunuch Feng, be careful with your words."

Seeing the ritual official ready to move, Feng Bao's chest heaved violently, and he flicked his sleeves and retreated: "I will report this truthfully!"

Zhu Yijun watched the whole process and frowned incessantly.

This Gao Gong, offending Feng Bao is one thing, but he actually dared to directly have people seal and reject Empress Li's edict—it truly exceeded his expectations.

Even if it was only an Empress's edict, theoretically, it could indeed be disobeyed.

But Empress Li would become the Empress Dowager in a few days; by then, it wouldn't be an Empress's edict, but an Empress Dowager's decree.

Gao Gong, without consultation, directly and unilaterally sealed and rejected it, which can be said to be completely merciless.

Is he not afraid that Empress Li will settle scores with him later?

Don't look at Gao Gong's overwhelming power now; once both sides tear off the mask, if Empress Li directly flips the table and enters the fray, then Gao Gong will have no choice but to retire. This is not the Song Dynasty.

With him looking so fearless, what on earth does he have to rely on?

History is clear, but it cannot be fully known; Zhu Yijun only knows that Gao Gong was eventually expelled by Empress Li.

But the specifics of how they clashed are unknown.

Is Gao Gong just a simple hothead, or does he have some backup plan?

……

On the way back to the Donggong, Zhu Yijun was still thinking about this question.

He didn't even notice when Zhang Hong came to greet him.

Zhang Hong walked behind him for a long stretch before he came to his senses.

"Eunuch Zhang is here; why didn't you call me?"

Zhang Hong lowered his head and eyes: "The master was thinking about things, and this servant dared not disturb him."

Zhu Yijun smiled, very satisfied with his attitude: "Speak, what is it?"

Zhang Hong paused and ordered the palace maids and eunuchs to stay further away.

Only then did he whisper by Zhu Yijun's side: "Just now, a Embroidered Uniform Guard on duty in the Donggong found me privately, saying that Jiang Keqian requests an audience with you. I don't know if I should report it?"

Zhu Yijun was stunned.

He asked in confusion: "Jiang Keqian? I don't listen to music; why does he want to see me?"

He had heard of this person—a musician passed down to later generations, right? Why is he looking for me?

Is Feng Bao trying to play that "playthings ruin one's ambition" trick again?

Zhang Hong choked; the Crown Prince knows Jiang Keqian is compiling a zither score, but doesn't know what his status is—truly strange.

Could it be... that besides him, Zhang Hong, there is someone else pledging loyalty to this Crown Prince?

Thinking this way, Zhang Hong felt it was reasonable; after all, this Crown Prince has been biding his time for so many years, so he surely wouldn't have no power in his hands at all.

Zhang Hong felt even more awed in his heart.

He didn't dare to think too deeply and deliberated before saying: "Master, Jiang Keqian is the direct descendant of the Earl of Yutian's mansion. His grandfather, Jiang Lun, was the younger brother of the Shizong Emperor's Empress Dowager. After his father inherited the title, he committed crimes, and now he has been demoted to the position of Assistant Regional Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"He is currently serving under Zhu Xixiao."

Hearing "Embroidered Uniform Guard" and "under Zhu Xixiao," Zhu Yijun suddenly realized.

This is Zhu Xizhong's reply, picking a fallen noble to lead the vanguard.

But this guy, in his impression, is into music; he thought he was sent by Feng Bao to play and wear down his mind, making a blunder.

It turns out he is of imperial clan descent; no wonder he has the money and leisure to do music.

He pondered for a moment and said: "Let him see me directly; no need to report it."

The so-called "whether to report" means whether to meet privately or openly.

Since he is in charge of guarding the Donggong, it is convenient to meet, so there is no need to bring it into the light.

After all, many things need to be done in secret; there is no need to be seen by others and poke at sensitive points.