[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-6":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Wanli, the Enlightened Emperor",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2321828,4542,"Chapter 6: Churning Currents","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-6",6,"\u003Cp>“Your Highness, is something amiss?” Feng Bao asked, stepping forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun’s mind raced, but he said nothing for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The screen before him was like a chasm—not merely physical, but also a barrier of ritual, severing him from the court deliberation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that if he spoke to influence state affairs, he would immediately be shut down by ancestral precedents and past precedents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might even receive a memorial from the Censorate tomorrow, urging him to cultivate virtue diligently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao, that old fox, didn’t even regard him as worth noticing; otherwise, he could have used the old man as a mere mouthpiece to relay his words discreetly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so, he could only fully deploy his most potent weapon: \"This Crown Prince is morally deficient and still young.\" He could not freely interject in court deliberations—so he must force Yang Bo to offer him a face-saving exit himself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I do not go to the mountain; let the mountain come to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately looked up at Feng Bao, his voice rising in apparent surprise: “Grand Eunuch, that doesn’t make sense—Xuan and Da are not our dynasty’s frontier garrisons? How can news travel back and forth so swiftly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That voice carried into the hall, and silence fell instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Censor-in-Chief Ge Shouli’s puzzled expression suddenly cleared—he realized belatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minister of War Yang Bo’s face turned pale at once!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any minister who could sense the implications of this matter would never so bluntly pierce this veil of face-saving pretense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why? Because once pierced, must Xuan and Da be held accountable? Must Wang Chonggu be arrested?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For self-preservation, who dares risk tearing open a rift with the central court?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet here, in this hall, was an unexpected variable: a ten-year-old heir could not possibly see through this layer of pretense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Bo could only curse that the man on the dragon throne wasn’t a complete fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dared not let Feng Bao speak a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who knew if Feng Bao’s next sentence might doom the Jin Faction to eternal ruin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately knelt, gritting his teeth and shouting loudly: “Your Highness, Xuan Prefecture is only four hundred li from the capital; with swift horses and urgent dispatches, such speed is ordinary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun sneered inwardly—five days for a round trip, two days for the message, three days for repeated raids along the border? Did they think this was a real-time strategy game?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never mind whether the Tartars had swift horses—this mobilization speed alone could rival the armies of his past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he could not press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forcing Yang Bo to respond was already the limit; going beyond would be counterproductive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few apologetic words, carried through the screen into the hall: “This Crown Prince is virtuously deficient and still young; my sudden words were unwise and have disturbed the court deliberation—truly inappropriate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do not fully understand what Minister Yang said; I shall merely record it for now and ponder it carefully later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Excellencies, please continue your deliberations. Do not concern yourselves with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were earnest and humble, yet sent a chill down Yang Bo’s spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Record it? Ponder it later?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they didn’t sweep this under the rug today, and the new emperor truly remembered it, a massive scandal would erupt later—and Yang Bo would be the first to fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the words were spoken; he could no longer interrupt. He could only plead with his eyes toward Gao Gong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Gong paid no mind to Zhu Yijun’s words; he merely watched Yang Bo coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression grew darker.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Bo’s current behavior proved only one thing: he was truly unaware of the matter; otherwise, he would not be so passive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this meant the situation was even worse than he had imagined!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, he had relied on his prestige to suppress Yang Bo, and through him, the Jin Faction. But today, he saw clearly: Yang Bo, the faction leader, could no longer control Wang Chonggu!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this were merely Yang Bo’s personal greed—bribing for promotion—it would be trivial; after all, Yang Bo remained in the capital, and no matter how he schemed, it was harmless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if Wang Chonggu, a frontier commander, had ambitions, then matters were truly dire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thoughts were entirely on the matter, not the Crown Prince; he absently nodded his chin slightly toward Gao Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Grand Secretariat had already discussed this internally; Gao Yi, having received the signal, sighed inwardly, searching for words to salvage Yang Bo’s position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, in his astonished gaze,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng stepped forward first, bowing deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness! The Book of Documents says: ‘Men seek broad knowledge; only then can they establish affairs.’ Today, Your Highness humbly asks questions, and we are overjoyed—how could we hoard our knowledge like a worn broom and leave Your Highness to ‘ponder it yourself’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alas, the inner court does not involve itself in frontier affairs, and we are burdened by court deliberations, leaving us no time to clarify matters for Your Highness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Therefore, I boldly petition: after each morning court session, Your Highness should summon the Grand Secretaries for private audiences, to ask questions and gain understanding of state affairs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice rang like a bell, his gaze burning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Zhang Juzheng finished his petition, silence fell behind the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Yang Bo, several members of the Jin Faction cast grateful glances his way; the rest watched coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Gao Gong did not so much as glance his way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew his lifelong friend had always been deeply invested in guiding the new emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was surely just another attempt to seize the responsibility of explaining state affairs to the new ruler—he didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For reform and change, he had his own path to follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, a voice came from behind the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grand Secretary Zhang’s words suit me perfectly. After morning court, could the three Grand Secretaries remain a moment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Gong lifted his eyelids slightly and replied: “As Chief Grand Secretary, I am burdened with urgent affairs and have no spare time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng took up the thread: “Your Highness, the Chief Grand Secretary speaks truly. The state has just lost its emperor; all matters rest on the Grand Secretariat—it cannot be overburdened.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another voice came from behind the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let Grand Secretary Zhang remain after court today to answer my questions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng bowed again: “Your Highness, today after court, we must proceed to Sishan Gate to pay respects to the late emperor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could Your Highness summon me tomorrow, after court deliberations and after your daily lecture?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun nodded: “Agreed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yi exhaled quietly beside him—thankfully, he had not been pushed forward to handle this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was no easy task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crown Prince’s conduct today was truly not that of an easily deceived boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was his handling of the eunuchs, his control over Feng Bao, or his sharp eye spotting the flaw in Wang Chonggu’s memorial—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It proved this Crown Prince was sharp in state affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This alone could outweigh his lack of talent in the Four Books and Five Classics; after all, a ruler need not be a scholar of classics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merely from today’s court performance, he already showed the bearing of a sovereign!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But explaining state affairs to a clever man—while slipping in one’s own agenda—was exceedingly difficult, and the risks immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remember: clever men have excellent memories, and the heir will grow up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One misstep could bring lasting poison—for himself, and for the Great Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng’s willingness to take this on was truly admirable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the screen, Zhu Yijun unconsciously tapped his knee with his knuckles, his thoughts racing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His retreat was an advance—he had pressured Yang Bo to win himself the right to speak in court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether Yang Bo, the Jin Faction leader, or Gao Gong, who had recommended him, gave any answer at all—it would crack open a breach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more questions he asked, the more the ministers would grow accustomed to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhang Juzheng had intervened, blocking him—and almost volunteered to be summoned, completely upending his plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he seen through my intentions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was he merely trying to keep me out of court deliberations?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tomorrow’s audience… it seems I cannot avoid this duel with the Great Ming’s foremost minister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday someone commented—I’ll try splitting this chapter into two. Also, today’s work is heavy; the next chapter will come later. Lastly, I beg for tomorrow’s follow-reads—this novel’s survival depends on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1417,"2026-06-20T16:31:33.303Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8baa70ed20ff2405fe5b3adf6e078000d572ca976338064c649748015fa6c1a7","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-7","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-5",375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]