Chapter 1218: The Eunuch Faction Is the Mistake

Wei Zhongxian was one of the most powerful men under heaven. Except when he smiled and played the gentle attendant before the Tianqi Emperor and Madam Ke, he dealt with everyone else — even the grand secretaries of the Cabinet and the heads of the Six Ministries and Nine Courts — from a position of lofty condescension, wielding authority and favor as he pleased. During his time in the capital, he never let his emotions show on his face. Yet ever since he arrived at this Hejian encampment from the capital, he had grown irascible and unpredictable.

The moment he shouted inside the room, a flurry of running broke out outside. Even if there was nothing they could do, they could not let Eunuch Wei think they were doing nothing.

The clamor outside only made Wei Zhongxian more agitated. Before he could lose his temper, a middle-aged eunuch in a red robe entered. This man, surnamed Shi, was one of Wei Zhongxian's top few trusted confidants after Little Kuang, and had been brought to Hejian to manage miscellaneous affairs.

"Venerable Ancestor, Colonel Song has struck camp with the troops under his command and is marching back to the capital garrison..." Eunuch Shi said with the utmost caution.

Before he could finish, Wei Zhongxian flew into a towering rage. He slammed the table and shot to his feet, jabbing a finger at Eunuch Shi, who was so terrified he dropped straight to his knees. Wei Zhongxian's furious face twisted, yet the outburst never came. In the end, he merely let out a long sigh and sat back down in his chair. After a moment of silence, he said in a muffled voice, "If Little Kuang were here, I would have known this news yesterday. No — if Little Kuang were here, that man Song would never have been able to leave at all."

Eunuch Shi, still kneeling on the floor, felt his expression change, but he pressed on with his report: "Venerable Ancestor, the commanders of the Capital Garrison and the troops from Baoding and Zhending Prefectures have all been secretly colluding in private. Your child here suspects they, too, are thinking of pulling back, so I came to report it!"

"They truly have no regard for law or heaven! I and Minister Zhao came here bearing an imperial decree — this is the Emperor's command! They actually dare disobey? Do they want to be executed and have their clans wiped out? Do they want to rebel?" Wei Zhongxian grew ever more irascible.

Those who served in the palace and held high rank all possessed shrewd and perceptive minds. Eunuch Shi, kneeling on the floor, understood that Wei Zhongxian was venting at this moment and dared not argue or contradict him. He simply knelt there and listened, waiting until Wei Zhongxian's anger had run its course before speaking further.

Wei Zhongxian's rant, however, ceased abruptly. Eunuch Shi looked up in surprise and saw Wei Zhongxian rise to his feet, frowning as he asked, "Why is it so quiet outside?"

Only then did Eunuch Shi notice that the chaotic clamor outside the study had fallen silent, and even the noise from farther away had vanished. At any normal time, Hejian city was filled with shouting men and neighing horses — how could it possibly be this quiet? A possibility suddenly struck Eunuch Shi, and his face drained of all color.

"Someone come!" Wei Zhongxian called out loudly. There was no response from outside. Eunuch Shi, still kneeling, scrambled to his feet at once. Disregarding all decorum, he trembled all over and was about to speak. Before he could act, Wei Zhongxian shot him a vicious glare. At that moment, footsteps sounded in the courtyard — more than one person — heading straight for the study.

The door opened and the cotton curtain was lifted. Eunuch Shi let out a terrified yelp, stumbled two steps backward, and sat down hard on the floor. Wei Zhongxian's eyes narrowed slightly, then he exhaled and slowly sat back down in his seat. Because the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had lifted the curtain was an unfamiliar face. What that signified was all too clear to anyone who frequented the central circles of the capital. Wei Zhongxian, now seated again, smiled. All his earlier impatience had vanished, and he simply said gently, "Little Shi, you didn't get much benefit following me, but now you'll share in the misfortune."

Eunuch Shi was in no state to answer. All that could be heard was a "chattering" sound — his teeth knocking together uncontrollably. He was on the verge of collapsing from sheer terror. Wei Zhongxian, by contrast, had already recovered the bearing of a great eunuch director. He sat there with restrained poise, a trace of detachment in his expression.

The next moment, however, Wei Zhongxian rose from his seat again. He hesitated briefly, then stepped around his desk and cupped his hands in a deep bow, saying, "What brings Grand Secretary Sun here? Should you not be overseeing military affairs in Liaodong?"

The Eunuch Shi, who had been nearly paralyzed with fear, stared blankly at the man who entered. Then he scrambled up from the floor in a rush and bowed with the utmost ceremony, saying, "This humble one greets Grand Secretary Sun."

Throughout the Ming dynasty, from the Zhengtong era to the present Tianqi reign, the trend had been for civil officials to be esteemed and military officers despised, while the eunuchs of the inner court always stood above them all. If one truly made a name for oneself in the inner court, donned a crimson or red robe, and was addressed as Grand Director, one could hold one's head high even before civil ministers. Be you a Grand Secretary or a Minister, you would not be cowed. When Wei Zhongxian was in the capital, even the Chief Grand Secretary had to yield and defer before him. Yet the man who had entered — the one overseeing military affairs in Liaodong and who could be addressed as Grand Secretary — could only be Sun Chengzong, Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion.

The Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion ranked near the bottom among the cabinet members. In the Ming, capital posts were paramount; even a position as exalted as Grand Secretary lost much of its luster once one was assigned outside the capital. But this Sun Chengzong was different from other civil officials. He was the teacher of the Tianqi Emperor. The Wanli Emperor had disliked Taichang and naturally had no affection for his imperial grandson, while the Taichang Emperor had been frail and overly fond of bedchamber pleasures, paying little attention to Tianqi either.

The coldness of familial affection in the imperial house goes without saying. Thus, there had long been talk in the capital that the Tianqi Emperor regarded Madam Ke as a mother, and his teacher Sun Chengzong as a father figure.

Because of this significance, no matter what official post Sun Chengzong held, no one dared slight or underestimate him. Moreover, Sun Chengzong was a man willing and able to accomplish things. Had he remained in the capital, the position of Chief Grand Secretary would have fallen to him before long. But Sun Chengzong had taken the initiative to oversee the war effort in Liaodong — a gesture that earned him the respect of many, and allowed many more to breathe a sigh of relief.

Even someone whose power overshadowed the entire court like Wei Zhongxian was courteous and respectful before Sun Chengzong, even fawning and ingratiating. Because Wei Zhongxian understood in his heart that he was merely a household slave, while the other man was a teacher and, in part, a father.

Having spent long years in the capital's political arena and witnessed countless shifts and stratagems, Wei Zhongxian, after his initial shock at seeing Sun Chengzong appear, had already roughly guessed what was about to happen. He let out a long breath. The irascibility and agitation from moments before had vanished like smoke and scattered clouds. He even felt a measure of relief — but also a far greater sense of loss.

"For Grand Secretary Sun to come here, could it be that you are to escort me back to the capital? With your military duties in Liaodong so pressing, for you to trouble yourself to travel all this way — I am truly ashamed!" Wei Zhongxian said with a smile.

Even as he spoke, Wei Zhongxian noticed that Sun Chengzong had entered empty-handed. The Embroidered Uniform Guard who had lifted the curtain and opened the door had not followed him in, instead remaining outside. This gave Wei Zhongxian a rough idea of where things stood. He gestured with his hand, indicating for Sun Chengzong to sit, then said to the despondent Eunuch Shi, "What are you standing there dumbly for? Go arrange for tea."

Eunuch Shi was stunned at first, then his mouth fell open in sudden realization. He hurriedly trotted out the door to make the arrangements. Sun Chengzong sat down with a smile and shook his head, saying, "Eunuch Wei jests. I have come to Hejian merely to relay a few words of oral message from His Majesty."

Wei Zhongxian rose and knelt. Sun Chengzong stood and said, "His Majesty's oral decree: 'Come back, Great Companion. Without Great Companion here, everything inside and out is in turmoil, and I've lost all will to attend to my duties.'"

After he finished, Sun Chengzong smiled and said, "You may rise, Eunuch Wei. Those were His Majesty's only words."

Wei Zhongxian, still kneeling, did not move for a moment. Sun Chengzong looked at him in surprise, seeing a multitude of emotions flicker across his face. Only when Sun Chengzong prompted him again did Wei Zhongxian brace himself and stand. He should have spoken words of gratitude for the imperial grace, but instead he asked directly, "Has Master Sun come to take over my post?"

Sun Chengzong's smile faded, and he shook his head impassively. Wei Zhongxian immediately grew agitated and said fervently, "Master Sun, Grand Secretary Sun, what arrangements does His Majesty intend to make? Those Xuzhou rebels cannot be ignored! They have already defeated government troops. If they are allowed to continue, they will become a great calamity for the Great Ming, a mortal affliction at the very heart of the empire!"

From the moment he entered the room until now, Sun Chengzong had comported himself with geniality. But upon hearing these words from Wei Zhongxian, he could not help his expression turning stern. He said in a grave voice, "Eunuch Wei has grown muddled. The mortal affliction at the heart of our Great Ming is not the Mongols of the steppe, nor some southwestern tribal chieftain, and certainly not these so-called Xuzhou rebels. It is the Jianzhou Jurchens — they are the life-and-death foe of our Great Ming!"

"Grand Secretary Sun, the Jianzhou Jurchens are nothing but a petty Tartar vassal state. So long as our dynasty deals with them calmly, we will sooner or later gain the upper hand. But these Xuzhou rebels are different from anything in the past. They are already recruiting refugees, promoting agriculture and waterworks, and establishing their own institutions. These Xuzhou rebels are scheming for a great enterprise! If they were merely rustic bumpkins indulging in delusions, that would be one thing, but these Xuzhou bandits are acting with great method and flourishing day by day. Only if we take advantage of the moment while they are still..."

"Eunuch Wei, the Jianzhou Tartars have already seized the greater part of the Liaodong garrison region and can threaten the vital areas of the capital region at any time. Recently, there have even been reports that the Jianzhou Jurchens have built three thousand large carts and are preparing to breach the defenses in the Miyun area and drive straight into the capital region. And what of Xuzhou? Why have the local officials never reported rebellion? Why has no city ever fallen? All we see is some rabble-rousing talk from local strongmen and unscrupulous merchants. What disturbances have we heard from the Xuzhou area in recent years? Is it not precisely because the Liaodong levy and the training levy have driven people too hard, causing refugees to revolt?" Sun Chengzong's tone suddenly turned severe. Wei Zhongxian, who had been gesticulating passionately, was cut off mid-sentence.

Seeing Wei Zhongxian's expression turn dejected, Sun Chengzong softened his tone and said, "Eunuch Wei, the Great Ming is at a critical juncture. Since the rebellion began, in our war with the Jianzhou Jurchens, have we ever won a true, solid, major victory? In recent years, only the remnants on Pi Island have any military achievements to their name. Everywhere else, it has been defeat after defeat. Eunuch Wei, this is already close to wounding the very foundation of the state. This is the true great enemy of the nation. At a juncture like this, to redeploy border troops into the heart of the capital region and start a major war in the critical Southern Metropolitan Area — is this not ignoring all sense of priority!"

Sun Chengzong grew impassioned as he spoke. Wei Zhongxian's expression grew increasingly gloomy. When Sun Chengzong finished, Wei Zhongxian simply said, "Grand Secretary Sun, after I return to the capital, I hope you will not abandon these arrangements of mine halfway. If those Xuzhou bandits are not exterminated, the very foundations of the Great Ming's realm will be unstable!"

"If the inner court officials had not vied for profit with the local gentry, how would the people have been stirred to revolt? If Eunuch Wei's own protégés had not acted so ruthlessly, how would such an incident have arisen? These Xuzhou bandits are nothing but local commoners incited by wicked men. So long as we offer proper amnesty and pacification, and make clear the greater righteousness to them, they will naturally disperse. How could they pose such a threat?" Sun Chengzong said, shaking his head.

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