Chapter 37: Swift Winds and Strong Grass, Steady Progress

Night fell.

"What exactly is Gao Gong waiting for?" Lu Diaoyang muttered to himself.

This was the puzzle that had troubled him all day.

During the court session, Gao Gong's reaction to Yang Bo's betrayal had been far too indifferent.

Even the impeachment against Gao Gong had been like a punch landing on cotton—Gao Gong had barely put up any resistance at all.

Was it because the two imperial edicts had finally made Gao Gong realize that neither the Empress Dowager nor the Emperor could tolerate him any longer?

Or had he seen Lu Diaoyang's impeachment, realized that Zhang Juzheng was the one behind it, and become disheartened?

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't convince himself; in fact, the more he thought, the less he understood.

Carrying his doubts, Lu Diaoyang walked to his front door.

Because he was lost in thought, he didn't notice that his servants hadn't come out to greet him today, nor did he notice that not a single light was lit inside the house.

He pushed open the side gate of the courtyard and walked in as if in a trance.

It wasn't until he pushed open the room door that he was suddenly startled to find it pitch black inside.

He was just about to react.

Inside the room, two lights suddenly flared to life.

Candles were being held to the left and right of the main seat.

His gaze swept over immediately, and he saw Feng Bao sitting upright in a grand armchair.

Leaning forward, Feng Bao suddenly raised his head and looked at Lu Diaoyang.

Feng Bao's expression was gloomy, his tone aggressive: "Minister Lu, I actually know what Gao Gong is waiting for."

"But since Minister Lu caused me to lose the Eastern Depot, can I still trust you?"

At Gao Gong's residence, the study remained peaceful.

Gao Gong, who was at the center of the controversy, was currently in the study, hunched over his desk, rewriting his memorial requesting dismissal.

There was not a hint of anxiety; it seemed as if he were truly just recopying it because the original had been damaged.

Ge Shouli pushed the door open and entered, happening to see this scene.

He stood to the side, saying nothing, just waiting quietly.

Gao Gong looked up for a moment, then lowered his head to continue writing: "Yuli, I've told you several times, close the door when you come in."

Yuli was Ge Shouli's courtesy name.

The friendship between the two was extraordinary.

In the early years of the Longqing reign, when Ge Shouli served as Minister of Revenue, Xu Jie led a group to besiege Gao Gong; even when Gao Gong had almost no power to fight back, Ge Shouli had supported him without reservation.

After Gao Gong's defeat, Ge Shouli had also submitted a memorial requesting his own dismissal.

And following Xu Jie's retirement and Gao Gong's return to power, the first thing Gao Gong did was to elevate Ge Shouli to the position of Censor-in-Chief.

The two could be said to be die-hard allies who had weathered storms together and entrusted their backs to one another.

Such a major event today seemed to make Ge Shouli feel as if he had returned to several years ago, when Gao Gong was besieged by Xu Jie.

That was why he had disregarded the gossip and visited at night.

The matter was extremely urgent, yet the first sentence spoken upon entering was this.

Ge Shouli looked at Gao Gong, who acted as if nothing had happened, sighed, and turned to close the door.

Only then did he turn back to look at Gao Gong: "The Senior Zhang Gelao truly has a good temperament; it makes me seem like I have poor composure."

Even he couldn't tell whether Gao Gong was truly calm in the face of danger or if he had developed thoughts of retreating.

Gao Gong gave a hum: "It needs to be polished a bit more."

Ge Shouli was even more surprised that he was still in the mood to joke at a time like this.

He asked suspiciously: "Did the Senior Zhang Gelao know Yang Bo was going to betray you?"

He had racked his brains but couldn't understand why Yang Bo would act this way.

Could it be resentment over the promise to let Wang Chonggu enter the Grand Secretariat?

Or was there some other conspiracy with Feng Bao or Lu Diaoyang?

Gao Gong shook his head: "I'm not a tapeworm in his stomach, nor do I control the Eastern Depot or the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so how would I know what he's thinking?"

These words brought Ge Shouli's confusion to its peak.

He simply stopped overthinking and asked directly: "Gao Suqing, stop selling suspense."

Seeing that Ge Shouli was annoyed, Gao Gong finally put down his brush.

He laughed: "Of course I didn't know Yang Bo would pull this stunt, but..."

He reined in his smile and continued: "It's just that I was prepared long ago."

Ge Shouli was puzzled: "Prepared long ago?"

Gao Gong nodded: "Not just Yang Bo; even if you were to suddenly impeach me, I wouldn't be surprised."

Ge Shouli fell silent.

There was nothing wrong with that statement, but it was strange to hear himself used as an example in such a matter.

With this foul temper, it was no wonder he had so few close friends.

Gao Gong naturally didn't have such delicate sensibilities, and he didn't care what Ge Shouli was thinking.

He continued: "Just watch, besides Yang Bo and Lu Diaoyang, there are even more people eyeing me."

Once one reached the rank of Minister of the Six Ministries, one no longer represented just oneself.

Not to mention the Ministry of War, even the Ministry of Rites, which seemed to lack power, had for years held the lifeblood of the academies and the imperial examinations.

It was essentially a synthesis of culture, diplomacy, and education, with an influence in the scholar-official circles that was incomparable.

Not to mention the Jin Party and the New Party behind Lu Diaoyang and Yang Bo.

Whoever came, it was impossible to treat them lightly.

But... to accomplish great things, how could one hope for everyone to be united around oneself?

If even the Emperor couldn't do it, what right did he, Gao Suqing, have to expect it?

Bystanders, traitors, enemies—he had prepared to deal with them all.

Just as he said, even if Ge Shouli betrayed him, he would still remain calm and consistent.

Ge Shouli was startled, failing to grasp the meaning.

He frowned and asked: "Not just Yang Bo? Who else?"

Gao Gong stood up and said: "Only Heaven knows."

Lu Diaoyang looked at Feng Bao quietly and said in a deep voice: "I am a Minister of the Ministry of Rites and a Hanlin Academician, a second-rank official, a high official of the imperial court!"

"Feng Bao, you actually dared to trespass on my residence!"

At this moment, his anger was even greater than his curiosity about the schemes Gao Gong had in mind.

A mere eunuch actually dared to break into his residence!

And with this attitude of taking whatever he wanted—did he really think Lu Diaoyang's temper was made of mud!?

Feng Bao retorted tit-for-tat: "What a fine 'high official of the imperial court'!"

He suddenly smiled, performed a grand bow, and said stiffly: "Then, since my Eastern Depot has been abolished, surely a high official of the imperial court should stand up for me."

Lu Diaoyang didn't dare accept this bow and hurriedly stepped aside to avoid it.

His full-blown anger was instead worn away by Feng Bao's posturing.

He could only maintain a stalemate on the surface: "What 'your' Eastern Depot? That is the Eastern Depot of the Great Ming, the Eastern Depot of His Majesty."

Feng Bao chuckled and rose, pressing closer to Lu Diaoyang: "In any case, it's not the Eastern Depot of you, this 'high official of the imperial court,' right?"

"So, Minister Lu just watched as my position was abolished?"

Feng Bao held onto this matter tightly, and Lu Diaoyang finally couldn't hold his ground.

He softened his tone: "Chief Eunuch Feng, you saw it at the court session yesterday; I was dragged away by the Emperor, and I was just as helpless."

"Did you expect me to throw a tantrum in court?"

Feng Bao's expression was gloomy.

This was also something that had caught him off guard.

He never expected that this matter would change for no reason, and in just one day, the Eastern Depot was gone.

He pressed: "Then what did Minister Lu say in front of Empress Dowager Li?"

If it were in the Cixi Palace, let alone what a few people discussed, he would know even if a fly buzzed a few times.

But, as luck would have it, Zhu Xizhong, as an official of the outer court, found it inconvenient to be received in the sleeping quarters and ran to the Qianqing Palace instead.

That place was full of Embroidered Uniform Guard personnel; if they couldn't keep Zhu Xizhong's secrets, then the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was truly incompetent.

Therefore, until now, he didn't know what had happened yesterday.

Lu Diaoyang glanced at Feng Bao and said calmly: "Yesterday, Empress Dowager Li asked me why the censors were impeaching, and what these 'ancestral laws' were."

"With Zhu Xizhong at her side, I could only answer truthfully."

Answering truthfully meant it was unfavorable to Feng Bao.

Both of them knew this clearly.

Hearing this, Feng Bao waved away the two eunuchs holding the candles, telling them to guard outside the room and not let anyone near.

Only then did he say to Lu Diaoyang: "Then what about Li Jin?"

Lu Diaoyang told the truth: "When I arrived, the father-in-law of the Emperor and the Duke of Cheng were already there."

"Li Jin was also recommended by the Duke of Cheng; whether there was a tacit understanding with the father-in-law, I do not know."

From an outsider's perspective.

Just as there was wind of an impeachment against Feng Bao in the outer court, the father-in-law took Zhu Xizhong to find the Empress Dowager.

And then, as it happened, Zhu Xizhong recommended someone from Empress Dowager Li's maternal clan.

Whether there was a connection, it was truly hard to say.

As for the Emperor suddenly dragging him to see the Empress Dowager, whether it was a whim or part of this tacit understanding, Lu Diaoyang didn't dare to think too deeply.

Seeing Feng Bao's ugly expression, he could only soothe him: "Chief Eunuch Feng, Li Jin is, after all, a relative by marriage; after Gao Gong retires, we can find another excuse to impeach the relatives for interfering in government."

Whether such distant relatives were truly "relatives by marriage" depended entirely on the whim of the court officials.

Whether it conformed to ritual was what he, Lu Diaoyang, said; it didn't represent the attitude of the censors anyway.

Feng Bao heard this, but his mood didn't improve at all.

Instead, he flew into a rage: "Wait for Gao Gong to retire!? I'm afraid I'll die at his hands first!"

Lu Diaoyang's expression changed, sensing the implication in his words.

He hurriedly pressed: "What does this mean? And what was that about Gao Gong waiting for something?"

Feng Bao snorted coldly.

His posturing was just to seize the initiative in this conversation, not really to hold him accountable.

Cooperation was mutually beneficial; he naturally knew which anger to suppress.

Feng Bao took a memorial from his bosom and handed it to Lu Diaoyang: "This is something I copied from the Grand Secretariat hall; Minister Lu might as well read it slowly."

Lu Diaoyang's expression changed: "You actually dared to steal documents from the Grand Secretariat!"

Even if the target was Gao Gong, Lu Diaoyang absolutely could not tolerate this.

If he could sneak into the Grand Secretariat to copy memorials today, he didn't dare imagine what he would dare to do tomorrow.

Feng Bao said nothing.

Lu Diaoyang looked deeply at Feng Bao, thinking that he was indeed Feng Bao; even without the Eastern Depot, his weight could not be underestimated.

He also understood that this was not the time to quibble.

Despite his disgust, he took the memorial.

The characters on the cover were crooked, obviously written in too much of a rush.

Lu Diaoyang hadn't taken it seriously at first, but after flipping through two pages, his face changed wildly.

He gasped in horror: "How dare Gao Gong!?"

Gao Gong chose a seat in the guest chairs on the side and casually adjusted his robes.

He had a certain natural, willful air.

Although his temper was bad, when facing major events, he possessed a certain stillness.

He signaled for Ge Shouli to sit: "Don't worry about who is coming out to oppose me; let's just do our work step by step."

Ge Shouli sat down, but didn't understand the meaning: "But the palace is urging us repeatedly, and with Yang Bo's impeachment, they are forcing you to submit a memorial for retirement; how can we still do work?"

Gao Gong handed over the retirement memorial he had just written: "It's good that you're here."

"This is my memorial requesting dismissal; tomorrow morning, send it to the Office of Transmission."

Ge Shouli stood up with a start.

"Senior Zhang Gelao..."

Gao Gong reached out and pressed him down: "Stay calm."

Ge Shouli's tone was very anxious: "Does the Senior Zhang Gelao truly intend to retire?"

Gao Gong looked into Ge Shouli's eyes and suddenly became very serious: "Yuli, I speak, you remember."

Ge Shouli immediately sat up straight.

Gao Gong spoke slowly: "After I submit the memorial, the Office of Transmission will not send it into the palace immediately; they will drag it out for me for most of the day."

"At tomorrow's court session, you will present another memorial on my behalf."

He took a memorial from his sleeve and signaled to Ge Shouli.

Ge Shouli was puzzled: "The Senior Zhang Gelao isn't going to the court session?"

Listening to this, both memorials were to be presented on his behalf, so what about him?

Gao Gong shook his head: "I have other important matters."

Seeing that he wouldn't explain, Ge Shouli could only nod helplessly and take the memorial Gao Gong handed over.

He saw a few large, sweeping characters on the cover: "Memorial on the Five Urgent Matters of the New Policy."

Ge Shouli didn't know the details and flipped open two pages.

He muttered as he read: "When attending court, all memorials from various offices must follow the old ancestral rules, with the Emperor answering in his own voice, so that it is seen that the government orders come from the Sovereign, and subordinates dare not interfere..."

His expression changed drastically, his heart thundering like lightning!

What did "answering in his own voice" mean!

It meant that when the Grand Secretariat had matters to report, the Emperor would personally answer whether it was acceptable or not.

Originally, the Grand Secretariat submitted to the Directorate of Ceremonial, and then the two palaces and the Emperor would inquire.

Now that he wanted the Emperor to answer in his own voice, what role was left for the Directorate of Ceremonial!?

This was essentially abolishing the Directorate of Ceremonial!

And this memorial was Gao Gong's memorial to seize the power of the Directorate of Ceremonial!

He read a few more items and felt his heart racing.

"If there are any who bypass the drafting process and issue internal decrees directly, allow us ministers to remonstrate clearly before they can be implemented."

Internal decrees were imperial edicts.

If imperial edicts still needed to wait for the Grand Secretariat to remonstrate clearly, what kind of imperial edicts were they!?

This meaning was clearly that imperial edicts not drafted by the Grand Secretariat could not be implemented!

Ge Shouli almost didn't dare to keep reading.

"The original memorials of officials and people, whether they should be acted upon or stopped, there is no reason to leave them in the palace without issuing them... I hope that from now on, all original memorials will be issued."

Original memorials were the memorials themselves; what did "no reason to leave them in the palace without issuing them" mean?

It meant that for all memorials, the Emperor could not keep them in the palace without issuing them.

This was restricting even the Emperor's special privilege of keeping memorials in the palace!

He was terrified in his heart and finally didn't dare to look anymore, slamming it shut: "Senior Zhang Gelao..."

Gao Gong had discussed the matter of seizing ministerial power with him.

But he hadn't expected Gao Gong to go to this extent!

No wonder!

No wonder Gao Gong said he wouldn't be surprised even if he, Ge Shouli, betrayed him.

Just looking at this, he was already trembling, almost wanting to leave first.

Gao Gong shook his head: "Do human efforts, listen to Heaven's will."

Feng Bao said hatefully: "He is not just taking my life."

"He is setting himself against the entire inner court, and even the Emperor and the two Empress Dowagers!"

If one truly followed what this memorial said, let alone the Directorate of Ceremonial, even the two Empress Dowagers could no longer interfere in government, and the Emperor would have to go through the Grand Secretariat for everything; how could they tolerate this?

After Lu Diaoyang finished reading the memorial, his heart remained unsettled for a long time.

Gao Gong...

This was Gao Gong? He was worthy of being Gao Gong!

A single "answering in his own voice" had caused Lu Diaoyang to lose his composure.

If the sovereign and ministers were in harmony, and the Emperor could handle so many government affairs, these words wouldn't be overstepping.

The problem was, how did the Grand Secretariat come to be?

It was because the Emperor couldn't handle so many government affairs that the Grand Secretariat and the Directorate of Ceremonial came into existence.

There could be several Grand Secretaries, but there was only one Emperor.

How could he possibly oversee all the major affairs of the world? Not everyone had the natural talent of the founding Emperor.

When the time came, wouldn't most things still be decided by the Grand Secretariat?

Even more absurd was that the current Emperor was only ten years old!

You want the Emperor to answer in his own voice? How would he answer?

Didn't you say that a ten-year-old Son of Heaven couldn't govern the world? Now you want him to answer in his own voice?

Not to mention restricting the Emperor's imperial edicts and forbidding the Emperor from keeping memorials in the palace.

This was no longer a Grand Secretariat; this was effectively a Prime Minister's office!

How did he dare? The inner court, the two palaces, the Emperor—no one would support him.

To be so fearless, what other trump cards could he possibly have?

Lu Diaoyang looked up at Feng Bao: "Gao Gong dares to submit such a memorial; he must have something to rely on!"

"Chief Eunuch Feng, the situation has changed; hurry and call Zhang Gelao Zhang back!"

Feng Bao glanced sideways at Lu Diaoyang and said irritably: "Do you think I need you to tell me that?"

"Zhang Gelao Zhang has carelessly 'gotten heatstroke' and will return to recuperate in two days."

Lu Diaoyang didn't quibble over Feng Bao's attitude.

He just clutched the memorial, lost in thought.

How had the political situation reached this point? ===== CHAPTER 38 =====