Chapter 8, please come to our home less often in the future
Wang An said to Wei Chao with irritation, "Your Majesty is well aware that Yang and Wei do not deserve the death penalty, yet so many people have pleaded for them. However, Your Majesty refuses to grant them mercy, and the reason is that you do not wish to be pressured by the members of the Donglin faction
The Emperor wishes to eliminate factional strife, but this matter is not so simple. Back in the days of the Divine Temple (Wanli), he was consistently reluctant to attend court and meet with the ministers due to his profound dissatisfaction with the combative nature of the court's civil officials. However, we are ultimately the Emperor's household servants, and it is not our place to offer counsel. We should observe how Mr. Wang and his associates proceed. If they are willing to lower their flags and cease hostilities, and to interact amicably with the officials of the Qi and Chu factions to assist the sovereign, it would indeed be a fortunate occurrence for the nation.
Wang An pondered for a moment after hearing this, and suddenly realized: "This Fang Congzhe is indeed a minister from the Three Dynasties, or has he accurately grasped the pulse of the Emperor!"
Sun Chengzong found himself in a rather difficult position upon hearing what Zhu Youjiao had said. He was well aware that opening up new sources of revenue was a matter that would offend people, but he did not expect that His Majesty the Emperor would assign him to undertake this task in the future
Xu Guangqi was greatly pleased upon hearing this, and could not help but laugh, quickly responding: "I shall obey the command!"
Zhu Youjiao said, "I will give you a decree shortly; you may take my decree to the Military Department's Selection Division at any time to review the relevant officer's files"
Wait for me to step back, you are the person in charge of the ceremonial office, can't you understand this? You should start using your brain on your own!
After speaking, Wang An asked Wei Chao: "Did Fang Congzhe enter the palace after meeting Xu Guangqi and Sun Chengzong?"
Wang An, after listening, calmly said: "Both of these individuals are masters from the Eastern Palace. Although their relationship with His Majesty is merely one of teacher and student in name, without any substantial connection, our Ming Dynasty values the bond between teachers and students. It is common for a new ruler to promote their own teachers to positions in the imperial lectures and to consider them for future cabinet appointments. This is not surprising. However, it is somewhat strange that these two were promoted after meeting Fang Congzhe. Could it be that His Majesty truly places such importance on Fang Congzhe?"
Due to Sun Chengzong and Xu Guangqi pleading with Fang Congzhe to show mercy, Fang Congzhe went to the palace to see His Majesty that very night, resulting in Yang Gong being dismissed from his position and sent to serve as a courier officer, while you, Wei Gong, were assigned to Guizhou as a county magistrate
The ancestors truly possess remarkable foresight, as the news from the Jinyiwei indicates that Xu and Sun indeed went to Fang Congzhe's residence for this matter
Wei Chao nodded
Because it concerns whether one will die far from home and whether one can recover, Wei Dazhong also stood up excitedly and said: "Mr. Wang is correct, the traitor Fang cannot be allowed to remain in the court, he must be impeached and removed!"
However, upon realizing that his life was saved by Fang Congzhe, Wei Dazhong was at a loss for words and could only ask, "How did Your Majesty come to listen to Fang Congzhe?"
Wang Wenyanyi received the latest news about Yang Lian and Wei Dazhong from Wang An in the inner court, and then informed Zuo Guangdou and Wei Dazhong of this news
Wei Chao respectfully replied to Wang An
Therefore, it cannot be said that Fang is not a cunning and shrewd individual. If he is not expelled from the court, even if Ye Gong (Ye Xianggao) returns to the court in the future, it will be difficult for him to achieve anything. Furthermore, both Lords Yang and Wei have been demoted to Guizhou this time, a place of poor mountains and bad waters. If we do not expel Fang from the court, are we to sit idly by and watch as Lords Yang and Wei die far from home?
Wei Chao nodded: "Fang Congzhe came to intercede for Yang Lian and Wei Dazhong. The decree has been drafted; both individuals have been dismissed from their positions. Yang Lian has been demoted to serve as the courier chief in Guizhou, while Wei Dazhong has been demoted to the position of county magistrate in Qingping, Guizhou. Additionally, Fang Congzhe has been promoted by Your Majesty to the position of Grand Scholar of the Central Extreme Hall, concurrently serving as the Crown Prince's Guardian and has been transferred to the position of Minister of Personnel."
"Yes! My son, remember the words of our ancestors"
Upon your return, you are to promptly prepare a proposal for the development of new revenue sources, to be submitted in the form of a memorial. I will review it thoroughly. The strategies you propose must be well-considered, ensuring that they not only increase the treasury's income but also do not harm the common people, so as to prevent further decline of the state.
Wei Dazhong, who had been anxiously waiting at home for the Jinyiwei to come knocking, let out a sigh of relief, a faint smile of having survived a disaster appearing at the corners of his mouth
It is only because Fang Congzhe, whom the members of the Donglin Society despise, interceded for these two individuals that Your Majesty would grant them clemency from the death penalty. This indicates that Your Majesty does not wish to see the factional strife within the Ming Dynasty escalate, and intends to select capable and worthy ministers through this incident at the beginning of Your reign.
After Wang An spoke, he glanced at Wei Chao and said: "You should come to our house less in the future; it is more important to be careful in serving the Emperor."
Sun Chengzong naturally did not refuse, after all, it was he who raised the issue of the treasury's scarcity
As he spoke, Wei Dazhong turned to Zuo Guangdou and said, "Lord Zuo, when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold. Today, my foolish brother has met such a fate, and in the future, it is hard to guarantee that you will not face the same. I implore you, Lord Zuo, to also make a firm decision and impeach Fang Congzhe."
However, the silent Zuo Guangdou let out a sigh: "The divine will is such, which is indeed unexpected, but fortunately, both Lords Yang and Wei have managed to preserve their lives!"
"Ancestor, the Emperor just learned that Xu Guangqi and Sun Chengzong visited Fang Congzhe, and immediately promoted both of them to the position of lecture officials for the Imperial Academy. Today, he even met with them in the Qianqing Palace, and did not allow me to serve by his side. He also had the Ke family watch outside to prevent others from approaching. What do you think this means, Ancestor?"
The Wei Dynasty inquired about the Dao
Wang Wenyang thus smiled faintly: "Doesn't Lord Wei understand this? His Majesty wishes for us, the Donglin Party, to reconcile with the officials of the Qi Party, Chu Party, and Zhejiang Party. He does not want us to engage in disputes based on party affiliations. However, how can the friends of gentlemen coexist with the friends of petty individuals? If we do not expel the rogues, how can the gentlemen of the Donglin Party hold power, and how can the state achieve stability?"
... ...
Although we have preserved our lives, the Donglin Party has suffered significant losses. If the two gentlemen Yang and Wei are sent away, our Donglin Party will lose two major generals in the court, especially Mr. Yang, who became a regent due to his assistance in the ascension of the late Emperor. His sudden demotion undoubtedly results in a heavy loss for us among the officials who advise in the court.
"Ancestor, what do you mean by this?"
Zuo Guangdou said: "However, to do so is to go against the will of the sage. Mr. Wang is correct; Your Majesty does not wish for the court officials to engage in internal strife, yet we are still adding fuel to the fire and escalating the conflict. In the end, the more we impeach Fang Congzhe, the more secure his position may become."
During the interval when Zhu Youjiao summoned Xu Guangqi and Sun Chengzong, Wei Chao took the opportunity to come to the Si Li Jian and spoke to Wang An.
Fang Congzhe must have long anticipated the Emperor's intentions, which is why he immediately advised His Majesty after meeting Xu and Sun, changing his original stance to speak on behalf of Yang Lian and Wei Dazhong. Otherwise, since Xu and Sun are not his disciples, how could he possibly be so compliant with their words? In my view, it is highly likely that Xu and Sun visited Fang Congzhe to persuade him to advocate for Yang and Wei.
After Zhu Youjiao spoke, he turned to Xu Guangqi and said: "To train soldiers, one must first train the generals. In the early stages, due to insufficient funds, inadequate equipment, and a lack of knowledgeable military personnel, it is not very realistic to train soldiers directly. I propose that we first train the generals in the Southern Garden, cultivating new officers who belong solely to me. Therefore, I ask you to select a group of individuals who can become excellent generals in the future for me, and then concentrate them in the Southern Garden for training. I propose to establish the Ming Military Academy, which will be specifically responsible for cultivating excellent generals for my imperial guard! It is not only about training martial skills but also about developing command abilities and strategic thinking. Thus, we also need a group of instructors. You should recommend a selection of retired generals or those who are idly residing in the interior and still hold their posts to me, so that they can be summoned to the capital to take on teaching positions."
Therefore, Sun Chengzong could only clasp his hands and say: "I shall obey the order!"
... ...
Wang Wenyanyi spoke with great indignation