Chapter 36

Zhu Yijun always looked three steps ahead.

He had long been considering a suitable candidate for Feng Bao's position as Director of the Eastern Depot.

Zhang Hong was the first he ruled out.

For one, there was no guarantee he could take over smoothly; the resistance would be too great, as there were no shortage of people watching the Emperor, nor those watching Zhang Hong.

Even the Empress Dowager might not agree.

Secondly, even if he could snatch the prize, it would easily invite unnecessary hostility from all sides.

Zhang Hong might not be able to handle Feng Bao's counterattack.

Thirdly, Zhang Hong's own foundation was too weak.

The Eastern Depot was, after all, a military post, and Zhang Hong lacked that background.

Feng Bao had been in charge of the Eastern Depot for six years since the first year of the Longqing reign, and his roots ran deep.

If Zhang Hong took over, it was questionable whether he could truly master the Depot in the short term.

Furthermore, Feng Bao occupied the Directorate of Ceremonial, which was the nominal superior of the Eastern Depot; if he were to remotely command his loyalists within the Depot, it would be hard to say who was truly in charge.

Li Jin, however, was the perfect fit.

Within the inner court, the Imperial Horse Directorate was essentially a military-ranked office; in a narrow sense, it was for raising horses, but in a broad sense, it commanded garrison camps.

As a Drafting Eunuch of the Imperial Horse Directorate, even if Li Jin were transferred, he would bring his own faction with him.

Moreover, as a maternal relative, once his status was elevated, a large number of inner court officials would immediately flock to him—a point Zhang Hong could not match.

Various factors would allow Li Jin to gain actual control of the Eastern Depot as quickly as possible.

Most importantly, Li Jin was a clansman of Empress Dowager Li, and he had shown kindness to their mother and son.

Whether through kinship or gratitude, he naturally passed the test of trust.

This would reduce the Empress Dowager's sense of being coerced by the outer court.

It could also serve as a facade to block unnecessary scrutiny and hidden arrows.

As for how to control Li Jin... hadn't that already begun, quietly and imperceptibly?

He was a man who valued gratitude—otherwise, he wouldn't have opened the back door to send Empress Dowager Li into the Prince Yu's mansion.

And regarding today's events, Li Wei would surely promote his role among the relatives.

Li Jin naturally ought to know whom he should be grateful to for his rise.

Zhu Yijun reviewed the details carefully, satisfied that there were no omissions.

It was another phased step forward.

Coming back to his senses, he heard the voice of Zhu Xizhong.

"Sharing the Emperor's burdens is my duty," Zhu Xizhong said, kneeling by his side.

Zhu Yijun looked over.

This Duke of Chen was truly reliable; he never dropped the ball.

He couldn't help but sigh, "The Duke must take good care of his health and continue to share my burdens."

Zhu Xizhong heard this and replied with a bitter smile, "Lifespan is determined by Heaven; I cannot defy it."

"However, after I am gone, the entire Chen Prefecture will continue to serve Your Majesty."

Zhu Yijun laughed; the man was asking for a promise.

He stepped closer and helped Zhu Xizhong up.

He said in a relaxed tone, "Is the jade pendant I sent with Zhang Hong the other day still with you?"

Zhu Xizhong reached into his robes, preparing to return it.

Zhu Yijun reached out to stop him, smiling, "Keep the jade, Duke."

"Let it serve as a reminder to me: as long as this jade remains unbroken, I shall remember the Chen Prefecture."

The implication was that as long as he lived, he would not fail the Chen Prefecture.

Zhu Xizhong paused, then sighed deeply, "I have served three reigns and enjoyed boundless imperial grace; I am truly fortunate."

Whether he believed it or not, he had to offer his thanks.

He also knew that for the Emperor to make such a promise was the limit. One could hardly ask the sovereign to swear an oath to Heaven.

Zhu Yijun nodded, "My mother has a niece of marriageable age. If the Duke has any promising young men in his family, perhaps they could visit one another."

This was a tangible benefit to go along with the verbal promise.

It was not like the small roles of Zhang Hong or Jiang Keqian.

A Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who was also a Duke—a mere verbal promise was too thin.

Allowing the Chen Prefecture to form a marriage alliance with the Empress Dowager provided a foundation of real, visible benefit.

He had already discussed this with Li Wei, and to say Li Wei was moved would be an understatement—he was ecstatic.

With Li Wei's approval, he could safely make promises to the outside world—after all, this was not an era of free marriage.

The marriages of imperial relatives were mostly alliances with meritorious nobility, such as Empress Dowager Li's sister, who married the Earl of Pingjiang, Chen Wangmo.

The most Zhu Yijun could do was ensure the other party wasn't a scoundrel and that their background wasn't prone to courting disaster.

As for finding someone of exceptional talent or beauty, that was out of the question.

Zhu Xizhong did not expect the new Emperor to be so generous.

Having just performed a service, he received such a reward, and he bowed in thanks, "I..."

Zhu Yijun cut off the unnecessary formalities, "Enough, let's talk business."

Zhu Xizhong fell silent, thinking that after the sweet date, there must be a task.

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhu Xizhong, "Last year, the late Emperor wanted to restore Gu Huan as Grand Coordinator of the Capital Garrison, but he was impeached and forced into retirement. Do you know about this?"

The Capital Garrison was the garrison stationed in the capital, and the Grand Coordinator was its chief.

Last year, the late Emperor had strongly supported Gu Huan to manage the garrison, but the censors impeached him one after another for being old and senile.

The Hai Yushi of the Guangxi Circuit, Wang Zongzai, even claimed that Gu Huan was greedy for power and sowing discord between sovereign and subject, demanding his title be stripped.

Gu Huan was so terrified he feigned senility overnight, only "recovering" once the late Emperor agreed to his retirement.

As for whether he was truly senile?

He only knew that in history, Gu Huan would be restored next year to manage the Left Chief Military Commission—at least in Zhang Juzheng's eyes, Gu Huan was not senile.

Zhu Xizhong naturally knew of this, and he did not hide it.

He spoke plainly, "The Marquis of Zhenyuan, Gu Huan, has served since the twelfth year of Jiajing, holding posts in the Left Chief Military Commission, the Nanjing Central Chief Military Commission, and as Grand Coordinator of Grain Transport. When he was Regional Commander of Liangguang, he even had the merit of beheading enemies."

"Especially in the thirty-third year of Jiajing, after the Gengxu Incident, he was specially ordered to the capital to reorganize the Capital Garrison."

"His military achievements were illustrious, his prestige immense, and he held the rank of one of the Three Solitaries... he was not someone the Ministry of War could control."

The point was already made; one would have to be a fool not to understand.

The Five Chief Military Commissions were essentially the foundation of the Privy Council; the Grain Transport post demonstrated administrative ability; the Liangguang post demonstrated military prowess.

Not to mention that during the Jiajing reign, he had been entrusted with the mandate to reform the Capital Garrison.

Such a figure, distinguished in both civil and military affairs, would have made the Ministry of War look on helplessly had he taken control of the garrison.

Perhaps some people did not want to see that happen, hence the wave of impeachments.

Zhu Yijun listened without revealing why he had asked.

He continued to press, "And what of his successor, the Earl of Zhangwu, Yang Bing?"

His appointment had not caused such a stir.

Zhu Xizhong sighed, "After the Earl of Zhangwu took charge of the Capital Garrison, his first act was to change the reporting process: instead of reporting directly to the Emperor, it had to go through the Ministry of War for deliberation and approval."

A change in procedure was a change in power.

Reporting directly to the Emperor had been replaced by going through the Ministry of War; he had abandoned the transcendent status Gu Huan enjoyed and bowed his head to the Ministry of War.

Since the Yingzong reign, this subservient state of the nobility had become the norm.

He did not mention that the Jiajing Emperor had suspected foul play during the Yingzong reign, which was why he had strongly supported Gu Huan during the Gengxu Incident to bypass the Ministry of War.

Zhu Xizhong could not tell if the Jiajing Emperor had been exceptionally sharp or just naturally paranoid.

Regardless, it was all in the past.

For the nobility, the status the Jiajing Emperor had granted was real.

It was a pity that as soon as he passed, the late Emperor had returned everything to the way it was.

Zhu Yijun frowned, "Has the Earl of Zhangwu always been so cautious?"

Had he taken bribes from the civil officials, or was he simply incompetent?

Zhu Xizhong shook his head, "At the time, the Earl of Zhangwu's heir was accused of crimes by the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice, and was only acquitted after a month."

Zhu Yijun fell silent. A well-executed chain of moves.

This was why he had not yet reached out to the Capital Garrison.

Once military power was involved, the situation became too complex.

The Five Chief Military Commissions had once been like a Privy Council, only to be reformed into subordinates of the Ministry of War.

The Capital Garrison was the focal point of contention, and one could only proceed slowly.

It was only now, with Zhu Xizhong behind him, that he dared to have such thoughts.

Military force was the ultimate leverage to overturn the table.

Since his arrival, his contact with the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and his insistence on stripping Feng Bao of his Eastern Depot post, were all driven by this consideration.

Zhu Yijun looked at Zhu Xizhong, "Duke, as I have ascended the throne in my youth, besides granting a general amnesty, I will also be distributing favors."

"I hear the Marquis of Zhenyuan, Gu Huan, has no biological sons. What do you think if I were to grant a favor to his nephew, Gu Chengguang, by making him a Assistant Regional Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

A nephew in this context meant an adopted son.

Naturally, the legal effect in terms of clan law was the same; the one who held the right of succession to the title was this nephew.

An extra favor now meant that once he inherited the title, he could pass this favor on to his kin.

Zhu Xizhong fell silent for a moment, understanding the Emperor's intent.

He nodded slowly, "I shall immediately inquire into Gu Chengguang's talents and character."

Zhu Yijun sighed with relief, "I trust the Duke's handling of matters."

The inquiry was not about talent or character, but about his loyalty to the throne.

If Gu Chengguang was willing to be like Jiang Keqian and serve by his side, it would mean Gu Huan had agreed to the matter.

It would also mean that Gu Huan was still willing to help this new Emperor contend for the Capital Garrison.

Of course, if he were unwilling, he would have to lie low for a while longer until Qi Jiguang could be brought to the capital.

In any case, the Capital Garrison had to be secured.

Whether it was the promise of maritime trade to Li Wei, the mining tax case in Huguang, or taking down Xu Jie through land reform, none could be acted upon until the Capital Garrison was in his hands.

Zhu Xizhong bowed and took his leave.

Zhu Yijun watched him depart.

He stood at the door for a while before turning to head toward the front hall.

The fifteenth day of the sixth month.

The Emperor bestowed silver and coins upon the Grand Secretaries, the Six Ministries, the Censorate, the Five Commissions, the Ministry of Military Affairs, the Seal Office, and the Drafting Room.

Furthermore, by the decree of the Emperor and the edicts of the two Empresses Dowager, they responded to the seventy-six censors who had impeached Feng Bao, declaring:

"The ancestral laws are perfect and complete, to be observed for ten thousand generations."

"In recent years, officials have failed to examine the constitution, leading to confusion and public anxiety; how can this be governance?"

"To honor the intent of our ancestors and clarify the Examination Law, the inner court must lead by example."

"The Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, concurrently in charge of the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Horse Directorate, Feng Bao, has stated that due to the exigencies of the time, he has held too many concurrent posts, and requests to be relieved of the Eastern Depot."

"The Emperor and the Empresses Dowager have granted this."

"From the day this decree is issued, Feng Bao is stripped of his Eastern Depot post, and Li Jin, Drafting Eunuch of the Imperial Horse Directorate, is transferred to Drafting Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and Director of the Eastern Depot."

"Let all ministries and offices be informed. Respect this."

The decree was issued in the name of the two Empresses Dowager and the Emperor, so its legitimacy was beyond question.

The content was simple and clear: the Eastern Depot was transferred from Feng Bao to Li Jin.

Whether it was due to impeachment or voluntary resignation did not matter, and no one would delve deeper.

To fight without breaking, one must always leave a face-saving exit for others.

Once this decree was issued, the Six Offices showed rare efficiency.

Before long, copies were sent to all ministries and offices, reaching the ears of all officials.

Within the Censorate, the censors were greatly encouraged, as if they had won a major victory.

After all, they had forced the Empress Dowager Regent to retreat.

This was both a credential and a reputation.

But things would not be so simple.

The censors had not been happy for long before they received two subsequent edicts.

One was an edict from Empress Dowager Li, questioning the Office of Transmission as to why the palace had not yet received the memorial from the Senior Grand Secretary regarding his performance in office, asking if it had been lost, and demanding an immediate explanation.

The second was an imperial decree from the Emperor, stating that officials who had not yet submitted their memorials should do so immediately.

Any discerning eye could see that these two edicts were two sentences from the same mouth.

They were aimed, naturally, at the Senior Grand Secretary, Gao Gong, who had yet to request his retirement.

That very day, the Office of Transmission replied to the palace that Senior Grand Secretary Gao Gong's memorial had been accidentally damaged and needed to be recopied, which had caused the delay.

On the same day, the Minister of War, Yang Bing, who had been preparing to respond to the impeachment from the Ministry of Revenue and had no time for court deliberation, found that the Ministry of Revenue had suddenly declared the investigation complete and withdrawn the impeachment, leaving Minister Yang free to attend the court.

As soon as Yang Bing arrived at the court, he received the decree stripping Feng Bao of his post.

Then, moved by the impeachment of Feng Bao based on ancestral law, he publicly asked whether Senior Grand Secretary Gao Gong's concurrent holding of the Ministry of Personnel post was in accordance with ancestral law.

The Minister of Rites, Lu Diaoyang, immediately echoed this.

He also questioned the Hai Yushi-in-Chief, Ge Shouli, asking if ancestral law was applied selectively.

Ge Shouli argued his case.

The Minister of Justice, Liu Ziqiang, accused Yang Bing and Lu Diaoyang of collusion and harboring malicious intent to disrupt the court.

At the same time, the Grand Coordinator of Grain Transport, Wang Guoguang, publicly recited the contents of the decree, citing "honoring the intent of our ancestors and clarifying the Examination Law."

Since the decree had been issued, how could they ignore it? It was time to clarify who was not respecting ancestral law.

The Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Feng Bao, took the opportunity to kick Gao Gong while he was down.

He said that if even the Directorate of Ceremonial could lead by example, why was Gao Gong worse than a eunuch?

After being reprimanded by the Hai Yushi of Ceremonies, he added that Ge Shouli had used the censors to impeach him while ignoring Gao Gong, which was clear proof of factionalism.

The Six Ministries, the Nine Ministers, and the Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial immediately drew battle lines.

In such a situation, the various Vice Ministers, Assistant Censors-in-Chief, and Libationers had no right to speak.

They could only watch, trembling with fear.

Unexpectedly, Gao Gong, who was at the center of the controversy, was slightly stunned at first, but then acted as if nothing had happened, standing at the head of the ranks.

He offered no defense, not even saying a word, as if it had nothing to do with him, acting as a cold, detached spectator.

The Emperor, with his innocent heart, asked directly when questioned after the court.

Gao Gong only said he would submit his memorial for retirement as soon as possible.

He seemed truly disheartened and had decided to retire.

In a single day, the court was in an uproar.

Not only were there no words of defense, but he didn't even say half a sentence, as if everything had nothing to do with him, and he could be a bystander who watched coldly.

The Emperor had a heart of a child, and if he had doubts, he would ask directly.

After the court, he asked the Senior Grand Secretary why he didn't defend himself.

Gao Gong only said that he would submit a memorial to resign as soon as possible.

It seemed that he was truly disheartened and had the intention to resign.

In one day, the public opinion was in an uproar.