Chapter 86: Drifting with the Tide, Lowering Standards to Seek

Fourteenth day of the fourth month, early morning.

The imperial envoys were ordered to enter the palace to see the Emperor and return the tally.

I don't know the reason, but in

In response to this, the people at the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Observatory were already considering whether they should revise the calendar once again.

Led by Li Jin, Xu Jie walked through the halls and palaces of the Forbidden City, feeling all the more refreshed.

As he looked around along the way, he felt that the defenses within the Imperial City were much more disciplined than before.

If nothing else, back when he still held office in the Forbidden City, the street vendors who used to set up stalls outside the Meridian Gate were nowhere to be seen now.

Xu Jie followed Li Jin all the way to the Wang Xiyuan.

Ever since he began serving in the Wang Xiyuan in the thirty-first year of the Jiajing reign, he had served Emperor Shizong there for fourteen years.

Now, after a lapse of six years, seeing the familiar flowers, trees, pavilions, and palaces of the Wang Xiyuan again, he could not help but feel dazed and lost in thought.

For fourteen years, he had walked this path countless times, and he had also walked his official career from here.

Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, Grand Secretary of the Hall of Martial Valor, Grand Secretary of the Hall of Established Extremes...

Just like that, step by step, step by step, he climbed to the highest peak of power in his life.

Just as he was reminiscing, he was suddenly interrupted.

"Junior Tutor Xu, His Majesty is not at the Chengguang Hall; please come this way." Li Jin stopped Xu Jie, who had wanted to turn toward the Chengguang Hall.

Xu Jie was startled.

He had not only visited Zhang Juzheng yesterday—Xu Jie had no shortage of students and former subordinates.

He had explored the Emperor's speech habits, daily likes and dislikes, and style of conduct from various angles.

Receiving outside officials at the Chengguang Hall was clearly the standard practice; why had the location changed today?

Xu Jie's brain spun rapidly, contemplating the Emperor's intentions.

Li Jin walked in front and explained thoughtfully: "His Majesty was somewhat exhausted yesterday from the Classics Mat, imperial archery, sacrificial rites, and taking Grand Coordinator Gu to inspect the Capital Guard military schools, so he slept in a bit this morning."

Xu Jie realized: "So we are going to the Wan Shougong?"

Li Jin nodded with a smile and said nothing more.

Xu Jie's heart gradually sank.

He was here now in the capacity of an imperial envoy to return the tally.

If the Emperor still intended to use him, he should at least show a courteous attitude.

Yet, he was being summoned to the sleeping quarters for a reason as trivial as wanting to sleep in.

This kind of contemptuous and casual attitude... Xu Jie had a bad premonition.

He looked up at the distant Wan Shougong, then lowered his head, following gloomily behind Li Jin.

If the defenses of the Forbidden City had improved slightly, then the Wang Xiyuan could be described as strictly guarded, especially the stretch of road approaching the Wan Shougong, where there was truly a guard every ten paces and a squad every hundred.

This strictness was best embodied at the entrance of the Wan Shougong...

Xu Jie looked at the Embroidered Uniform Guard in front of him in disbelief; he actually intended to come up and search him!

It was simply a supreme humiliation!

For a civil official, this act was no different from molestation!

Xu Jie absolutely could not accept such a thing; he stared at the Embroidered Uniform Guard and said bitterly: "Are you done searching!? If you're done, move aside!"

Jiang Keqian stepped back two paces, cupped his hands in apology, and continued to stand guard at the entrance of the main hall of the Wan Shougong.

Xu Jie snorted coldly, brushed off his robes, and stepped into the Wan Shougong.

He slowed his pace so that he could adjust his state of mind a bit more.

Yesterday, he had visited many people and had basically figured out the Emperor's character.

It could be summed up in one sentence: as long as he was still useful, he would not end up with the same fate as Xia Yan.

And this, perhaps, was his last chance.

The response that followed was of vital importance to him.

He had to demonstrate his talent to the Emperor, let the Emperor see his insight, and let the Emperor understand his role in the Great Ming Dynasty.

Just like... the first time he met Emperor Shizong.

Thinking of this, Xu Jie could not help but look up and down at this familiar palace, and a strange feeling inevitably surfaced in his heart.

He had inquired about this new Emperor from many sources yesterday, and the more he understood, the stronger the sense of déjà vu became.

This new Emperor was like a carbon copy of his imperial grandfather in his youth!

Especially when Xu Jie stepped into this Wan Shougong, this feeling became even more impossible to shake off.

Both ascended the throne as youths.

Both secretly controlled the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Both defeated the incumbent Chief Minister and supported a new Chief Minister with whom they shared a harmonious relationship.

Both intended to reform the old and establish the new, sweeping away accumulated ills.

Likewise, both lived in seclusion within the Wang Xiyuan.

Even the layout of the Wan Shougong still retained the style of the Jiajing years...

Just as he thought of this.

Clang!

Suddenly, a familiar sound of a bronze chime rang out in the Wan Shougong!

Like ice water poured over his head, it instantly made Xu Jie's whole body go cold!

The sound of the chime echoed in the Wan Shougong, and also echoed in Xu Jie's mind.

He looked at the main hall in astonishment.

It was a bit far, and Xu Jie could only vaguely see a raised platform in the center of the hall, about knee-high, with the pattern of the Taiji Bagua carved on the ground around it—this Taiji Bagua platform was built by order of Emperor Shizong when he was alive.

Shizong often sat cross-legged here, receiving officials from behind light gauze curtains.

Naturally, there were no light gauze curtains at this time; in their place was a screen, and in front of the screen was an imperial desk.

Through the imperial desk and the screen, Xu Jie could only see a figure, half-lying on the Bagua platform, slowly sitting up.

Clang!

The sound of the bronze chime rang out again.

Xu Jie finally saw clearly that it was that figure, holding a mallet in one hand, waving it lightly, and striking the bronze chime, the sound lingering and distant.

He looked as if he had seen a ghost, his eyes fixed, as if he wanted to pierce through the imperial desk and the screen to see the figure behind clearly.

In this instant, Xu Jie felt as if he had returned to the Jiajing years, the first time he stepped into the Wan Shougong!

At that time, he had also stepped into the Wan Shougong to meet the Emperor with such caution.

At that time, there was also a figure with a blurred face sitting on the Bagua platform.

At that time, there was also this crisp and distant sound of the chime.

A scene that seemed to distort time and space almost made Xu Jie unable to distinguish reality from illusion.

He stared fixedly at the Bagua platform, moved his feet with difficulty, and slowly stepped forward.

This year, Xu Jie was exactly seventy, already at the age of the walking stick.

There were too many memories of seventy years, and he had gradually blurred them.

But at this moment, he suddenly felt all his memories surging up.

If walking through the Wang Xiyuan was like looking back step by step from the day he entered the Cabinet to see how he had walked to the position of Chief Minister...

Then at this moment, every time he took a step, he could not help but look back from the age of seventy.

From his failure to maintain his integrity in his later years during the Wanli reign, to his disheartened retirement during the Longqing reign, and then to the turbulent times during the Jiajing reign...

Xu Jie felt that as he stepped forward, with every step, he seemed to become a year younger.

He felt as if his white hair was turning back to black strand by strand, as if his hunched body was slowly becoming straight, as if his old breath was becoming powerful again.

Xu Jie vaguely remembered the scene of him protecting Prince Yu's ascension to the throne, the cheers like a tsunami, and he was still vigorous in his old age.

His slow pace became more and more brisk.

Xu Jie remembered when he held the Cabinet alone, commanding the wind and clouds, and he was in the prime of his life.

He lifted his hem and walked forward quickly.

Xu Jie seemed to see again his back-and-forth with Yan Song, serving Shizong like walking with a tiger, that was the age when he gradually knew the Mandate of Heaven.

In a daze, the hem he lifted gradually turned scarlet.

Looking closely, he seemed to have put on the scarlet robe again... oh, it seemed to be the first time he was summoned to the Wang Xiyuan by Shizong.

Xu Jie's ears seemed to be ringing with "Appoint Junior Tutor and Crown Prince's Junior Tutor, Minister of Rites Xu Jie, to lead the Eastern Pavilion Grand Secretary into the Cabinet to handle affairs!".

Bizarre and colorful images intertwined before his eyes.

Strange and scattered sounds echoed in his ears.

Clang!

The bronze chime rang out again, and Xu Jie looked up abruptly.

He saw the imperial desk and screen before his eyes slowly disappear, turning into light gauze curtains, behind which the figure seemed to be wearing a Daoist robe embroidered with the Thousand Character Classic, looking at him through the curtains.

That version of himself who had not yet been granted a seat, prostrating himself submissively to meet Emperor Shizong.

So, he had walked to the day of the ninth day of the third month of the thirty-first year of Jiajing, the day he first entered the Wan Shougong.

Xu Jie stood in the main hall, the world spinning, dazed and unable to stop.

Relying on his memory, he walked to the original position, lifted his hem, bowed to the end, his throat moving: "Subject Xu Jie, kowtows to Your Majesty."

He seemed to be worshipping the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming, and even more like he was paying tribute to the life he had lived.

The two figures slowly overlapped, and the Wan Shougong was silent for a moment.

After a long time, there was movement.

The figure behind the screen put down the jade mallet he had been playing with on a whim and stood up.

When he stood up, he bumped into the screen, causing it to sway gently, and the wooden plaques hanging on it, carved with names, collided with each other, making a crisp sound.

Amidst the pleasant sound of the wooden plaques colliding, this figure slowly revealed his true form.

Zhu Yijun was dressed in the swallow-cap attire, but without a crown, and walked out slowly from behind the screen with a calm and relaxed manner.

Having just been half-lying and resting, he had tied his long hair behind his head with a wooden hairpin, and at this moment, he naturally let it flow.

He placed his crown on the desk and sat down gracefully behind the imperial desk.

He slowly leaned his head against the back of the chair and closed his eyes again to rest and nourish his spirit.

It was sleepiness, and it was also contempt.

Zhu Yijun's lips moved, his voice sounding like he was half-dreaming and half-awake, murmuring: "Jie, come and serve."

Li Jin, who was on the side and had intended to serve the Emperor in putting on his crown, stopped immediately upon hearing this.

Instead, he picked up the crown and walked to Xu Jie's side.

Xu Jie's body stiffened.

He was a scholar; how could he not hear that the Emperor was insulting him.

If he did not react at this moment, in the future annotations of the Book of Rites, the "food of charity" would likely be extended to include "Jie's service"!

Xu Jie slowly raised his head.

He saw the screen covered with the names of officials.

He saw the memorial on the imperial desk that he had entrusted Zhang Juzheng to present.

He also saw the Emperor leaning behind the imperial desk, resting with disheveled hair.

A brief silence.

Xu Jie's expression did not change; he gently stretched out his hands and picked up the crown.

He straightened up, walked behind the imperial desk, and personally put the crown on the Emperor: "Subject once heard that Your Majesty reached adulthood last February."

"The so-called 'capping ceremony is performed to achieve excellent virtue, to respect and be cautious in demeanor, and to be a model for the people'."

"Today, when I first saw Your Majesty, I truly felt Your Majesty's virtue and demeanor, making it difficult for me to take a step; at this moment, I am even more fortunate to put the crown on my sovereign, and such generous tolerance truly makes me fearful."

"When Your Majesty's fame spreads through history and your name is passed down for ten thousand generations, I might be lucky enough to share a bit of ink because of this matter; the imperial grace is vast, and I am ashamed to receive it."

Xu Jie explained his feelings while putting the crown on the Emperor.

His tone was sincere and earnest, and his emotions flowed naturally, which was truly moving.

After saying this, Zhu Yijun finally opened his eyes.

He looked at this veteran official of three reigns before him, his beard and hair half-white, his features regular, and he had quite a bit of the air of an immortal.

Having been insulted, his expression did not change, and he still looked sincere as if he had received a great honor.

Zhu Yijun could not help but praise him secretly in his heart.

Regardless of anything else, just this demeanor, eloquence, and character were all top-notch choices.

It was no wonder Emperor Shizong liked him.

Zhu Yijun laughed inexplicably, then immediately restrained himself.

He just tilted his head back, leaned against the back of the chair, and asked casually: "Xu Jie, you have been an official for more than forty years, bathed in imperial grace, why do you eat from my bowl and smash my pot?"

Calling him by his name directly, questioning his crimes, without the slightest bit of politeness.

The Emperor's attitude was evident.

Xu Jie's hand movement stiffened, then he meticulously put the Emperor's crown on, and slowly retreated to the front of the imperial desk.

He bowed and pleaded guilty: "Subject does not dare."

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said: "If you only took bribes, I could still tolerate you; the Great Ming Dynasty is not lacking in corrupt officials, but... you are unscrupulous in annexing land, and my desire to kill is hard to suppress!"

Corruption was nothing more than a matter of confiscating property, just consider it saving money for him.

But annexing land was truly ruining the big picture.

Land was the tax base of the central government, just like the great ills of the world that Zhang Juzheng described to him last year; now, the wealthy families hiding fields and population, ruining the central tax base, was the root cause of the Great Ming's decline.

As Chief Minister, Xu Jie taking the lead in this matter was even more unforgivable.

Now that the central government had the intention to clear the land accounts, it had to take a stance, and Xu Jie before him was a very good stance.

Xu Jie's expression did not change, and he knelt and kowtowed: "Your Majesty, please allow me to explain!"

Zhu Yijun looked at him, signaling him to speak.

Xu Jie turned the Emperor's temperament he had learned about in his mind again, took a deep breath, and made a decision.

He raised his head and said earnestly: "Your Majesty, it is not that I annexed land, but that the people voluntarily offered it!"

Seeing the Emperor's ugly expression, he turned a blind eye: "Your Majesty may not know that although our dynasty's regular tax is only one in thirty."

"But in addition to land rent, regular corvée, and miscellaneous corvée, there are various miscellaneous taxes and apportionments from local governments."

"The miscellaneous taxes are varied, such as vehicle foot money, mouth food money, treasury money, basket money, and river god and Buddha money, all kinds."

"Apportionments are even more endless, such as building bridges, paving roads, transportation, and maintenance, which are countless and often cause families to be broken and people to die."

"The people offered it to my name precisely to survive."

Zhu Yijun was furious: "You also know it is local apportionment! As a dignified Chief Minister, can you only go with the flow!?"

What local government could suppress Xu Jie?

It was precisely because the two merged that the central tax base collapsed!

Local governments did not dare to apportion to official households, so they repeatedly targeted poor people, causing the burden on the people to increase sharply.

Seeing this, the people offered it to official households to avoid apportionments and corvée.

The government completed its tasks, the wealthy families annexed land, and the people continued to struggle for survival.

And the central tax base was ruined once again.

Xu Jie shook his head and said seriously: "Your Majesty, this matter has already penetrated the marrow of the Great Ming, and it is not something I can change, so naturally I go with the flow."

Zhu Yijun sat up straight, narrowed his eyes, and watched Xu Jie quietly.

Xu Jie opened his mouth and said: "Your Majesty, our dynasty's annual expenditure of tens of millions of taels often takes up more than half for the inner treasury and military expenses, and the rest can only be used for salaries, disaster relief, and sacrificial rites."

"For the local areas, it is even more out of reach, and the grace is limited."

"Local governments govern themselves, and without silver, they naturally can only carry out miscellaneous corvée and apportionment."

"Paving bridges and roads, repairing government offices and post stations, repairing river embankments and city defenses, and transporting grain and materials, would these things stop because the people are in distress?"

"These apportionments, official households and gentry can be exempted from; if they don't fall on the people, where else can they fall?"

"Your Majesty, the dynasty relies on local governments and gentry to govern the local areas."

"The premise of suppressing annexation is to take over the responsibility of governing counties and townships."

"Now that imperial power does not reach the township, only suppressing annexation without effective local governance, isn't that shaking the foundation of the dynasty?"

"I cannot shake the foundation of the world, so naturally I can only go with the flow."

"After the people offer it, the regular tax is paid by me, the miscellaneous corvée is exempted by my official status, and as for the government's temporary apportionments and the basic operation of the township, they are all coordinated by me, including righteous fields, schools, bridges and roads, transportation, embankments, etc., which greatly reduced the burden on the people."

"Isn't this a good deed for survival?"

(End of chapter)