Chapter 010: The Relationship Between Ruler and Subject
In fact, Taichang was well aware that it was precisely because many of his predecessors who had been emperors liked to act recklessly.
Fortunately, I was well prepared in advance
This is certainly the case, but Fang Congzhe would never admit it
Stop talking about these useless things, do you take me for a fool
In fact, it is quite simple; just slap them in the face. As long as they are left without any dignity, they will have no face to continue in the officialdom. This is more effective than killing them.
A tall and imposing officer in splendid attire stepped forward, ascended the steps, and began to read aloud the confession of Cui Wensheng.
Tai Chang let out a cold snort to himself, and then waved his hand grandly
What can he do
The Chief Minister of the Cabinet, Fang Congzhe, hails from Deqing, Zhejiang, and is the leader of the Zhejiang faction
The issue is that he cannot do this yet, because these civil officials are not afraid of death. Killing Fang Congzhe would be of no use at all, and moreover, killing the Prime Minister without any evidence would undoubtedly cause a tremendous uproar.
The late Emperor Wanli initially did not believe in this superstition and insisted on confronting the civil officials
Zhou Jiamo, the Minister of Personnel, hails from Tianmen in Hubei Province and is a prominent figure of the Chu faction
This guy has such a thick skin
Upon witnessing this, Taichang could not help but secretly sneer
A majestic and solemn sound of music arose, and the dragon carriage subsequently appeared in front of the magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony
Fang Congzhe and Sun Ruyou, along with others, stood there like sculptures, their eyes not blinking even once, as if they had never been mentioned in the confessions and suicide notes
There was no way around it; yesterday, I was so busy cleaning the inner palace that by the time I was free to go outside the palace to capture people, Li Kezhuo had already vanished without a trace
This
Tai Chang could not help but coldly snort: "Where is Li Kezhuo? Is he not your trusted confidant? Would he dare to drug me without your instruction?"
Hmph, this fellow is only daring to speak such nonsense because Li Kezhuo is missing, leaving no witnesses to contradict him
How many of these civil officials are without selfish motives? Each one speaks in a grandiloquent manner, yet behind the scenes, they are no different from forming factions for personal gain, vying for power and profit. Ultimately, the Ming Dynasty perished at the hands of these individuals
Fang Congzhe remained neither humble nor arrogant as he said: "Your Majesty, I truly cannot agree with this statement. There are countless officials in the Ming Dynasty; it is impossible for every one of them to be my confidant. It cannot be that every matter is at my behest, can it? Even Li Kezhuo himself has never claimed that it was my instruction! Furthermore, what Li Kezhuo presented was an elixir, a type of elixir that both Emperor Shizong and Emperor Muzong, as well as the late emperor, have consumed. How can it be said to be poison?"
Tai Chang sneered, "What about Yang Hao? What can be said? In the battle of Ulsan, Yang Hao delayed the opportunity to seize military merit for Li Rumei, and Chen Yindu was on the verge of annihilating the Japanese pirates entrenched in Ulsan. Instead, he ordered the withdrawal of the troops, causing a delay of nearly a month. In the end, when the reinforcements for the Japanese pirates arrived, he abandoned the army and fled for his life, resulting in the loss of over 30,000 elite soldiers of our Ming dynasty. Does he know how to lead troops in battle? The losses of soldiers from our Ming dynasty during the two aid missions to Korea were less than 50,000, and he alone caused the deaths of more than half. Why do you still recommend him as the commander to fight against the Manchus? The losses of soldiers from our Ming dynasty during the two aid missions to Korea were less than 50,000, and he alone caused the deaths of more than half. Why do you still recommend him as the commander to fight against the Manchus?"
Are these fellows pretending to be deaf and mute with me
He pretended to be extremely angry, stood up abruptly and shouted: "In this vast universe, with the bright sun and moon, how dare you so openly deceive the emperor and disregard the heavens? Is there no justice? Is there no law? If you wish to conspire with the harem to harm me, you may try again. Dismissed!"
I shall allow you to compete to your heart's content
For example, Emperor Wuzong of the Zhengde era favored and trusted eunuchs, indulged in entertainment, neglected his duties, which led to the rampant power of corrupt eunuchs, resulting in the death of countless loyal and virtuous officials
Among the civil officials, apart from a few members of the Donglin Party whom he promoted when he ascended the throne, the rest are basically from the Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang factions and their affiliated followers
The usual procedure in the early morning court is to first present reports and then discuss matters. The officials have not yet reported on important issues, so why are we suddenly reading this nonsensical confession
For example, during the reign of Emperor Sejong and the Jiajing period, superstition flourished among the alchemists, corrupt officials were favored, and there was an obsession with the pursuit of immortality, leading to rampant corruption and the suffering of the people
Alas, there is no way around it; Yang Hao is a favored general of Shen Yiguan, the founder of the Zhejiang Party
Sun Ruyou, the Minister of Rites, hails from Yuyao, Zhejiang, and is a prominent figure in the Zhejiang political party
Hehe, nothing more to say, right
Having spoken, he turned directly and walked towards the dragon carriage, leaving Fang Congzhe alone, stunned and kneeling in the middle of the imperial path, as if he had lost his soul
In this day and age, civil officials are not afraid of the emperor; as long as they believe you are unreasonable, they will confront you to the very end
With a loud shout, thousands of officials immediately prostrated themselves in unison on the square in front of the Huangji Hall, collectively chanting: "Long live our Emperor, long live, long live for ten thousand years"
Li Zhi, the Left Chief Censor of the Censorate, hails from Jinyun, Chuzhou, Zhejiang, and is a prominent figure in the Zhejiang political faction
He can only do his utmost to maintain it, otherwise those esteemed elders of the Zhejiang Party will not spare him
No wonder these fellows are so audacious; at this moment, the entire court is under their control. What does it matter to them if they want to change the emperor?
Tai Chang stepped slowly onto the steps, facing the morning light, and took his seat on the dragon throne. The music came to a halt, and with three crackings of the whip, the ceremonial official from the Honglu Temple immediately announced in a loud voice: "Enter the ranks"
Uh, this.
At this moment, Yang Hao has indeed not been dealt with, and he is indeed making every effort to find a way to extricate himself from the situation
During the mid to late Ming Dynasty, the civil officials generally held the belief that the emperor must not act recklessly; otherwise, the Ming Dynasty would face destruction
Why is this happening
What is the result
Thinking of this, Taichang could not help but mockingly say: "Isn't Li Kezhuo your confidant? Just take a look at the entire court, the civil and military officials, the six ministries, the five temples, and the Censorate; how many are not from your Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang factions? Li Kezhuo is merely a juren; if he were not your confidant, how could he have been appointed as the Vice Minister of the Honglu Temple?"
Upon witnessing this, Tai Chang could not help but coldly ask: "Fang Congzhe, do you have anything else to say?"
Cui Wensheng's confession was scripted by Wei Zhongxian of the Taichang faction, directly targeting Concubine Zheng and the Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang factions. What is puzzling is that after the confession was read in its entirety, Fang Congzhe and Sun Ruyou, among others, still maintained calm expressions, unperturbed.
The Minister of War, Huang Jiashan, hails from Jimo, Shandong, and is a prominent figure in the Qi faction
Why is it said that it has gone to Yang Hao again
For instance, Emperor Yingzong, under the influence of the superstitious eunuch Wang Zhen, engaged in reckless and chaotic actions, which ultimately led to the Incident at Tumu Fortress. The elite forces of the Ming army were completely annihilated, and he himself was captured, resulting in the decline of the Ming Dynasty from its former glory.
Are you still selecting capable individuals for the country and the people?
The mountains echoed with three calls, and all officials stood at attention, while Tai Chang began to scan the surroundings slowly
Tai Chang was so furious that he wished he could immediately order someone to drag that old fellow out and behead him
There was also Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty, whose character was eccentric. For the sake of a woman, he did not hesitate to instigate a conflict that threatened the foundation of the nation, completely falling out with his ministers. When he was in a fit of anger, he even refrained from attending court for over twenty years
As a result, the successive removal of four cabinet ministers, more than ten ministers from the six ministries, and over three hundred officials in the capital proved futile; in the end, he still lost the struggle for the foundation of the state
Sitting high above and gazing down at the multitude of officials in the vast square, this feeling of reigning supreme is truly intoxicating
Murmur ... ...
So, how should we deal with these hypocritical pretenders
Immediately thereafter, the brocade-clad captain began to read aloud the will of Xi Li.
When it comes to this matter, I find myself somewhat at a loss for words.
Next, we shall see how the Donglin Party takes the opportunity to deal with you all
Tai Chang was quite irritated and said: "What is Yang Gao going to Korea for? The court has sent him to lead the army to fight against the Japanese pirates, not to win the hearts of the people! He is using the court's resources to win over the subjects of the vassal states; is this called being virtuous and capable? What is your true intention in vigorously recommending such a useless person to take charge in Liaodong? Both the Battle of Ulsan and the Battle of Sarhu were commanded by him; what were the results? Over one hundred thousand elite troops of the Ming Dynasty were lost because of him, and you still think that is not enough? Such a person deserves to be executed a hundred times, yet you continue to defend him and excuse his actions. Are you trying to rescue him so he can continue to harm the Ming Dynasty? Virtuous and capable? Do you think I am a three-year-old child, easily deceived?"
Unfortunately, the imperial power has waned, and many people no longer regard him as an emperor
He slowly walked to the center of the imperial path, knelt down, and said respectfully yet firmly: "Your Majesty, both Cui Wensheng and Li Xuanshi are speaking from one side; I do not understand why they would say such things, and I have never contemplated harming Your Majesty."
If the emperor is allowed to act so recklessly, then what will become of us
He shamelessly said: "Your Majesty, I am not one to appoint only those close to me, but rather to select the capable and virtuous for the sake of the country and the people. If you do not believe me, you may send someone to investigate; I have not promoted any relatives to positions in the court."
Do you enjoy arguing
Fang Congzhe was momentarily taken aback, then quickly retorted: "Yang Hao is deeply trusted by the people in the vassal state, and the King of Joseon has repeatedly written letters pleading for him. Such a capable individual cannot naturally be discarded and left unused."
This seems a bit out of order
Moreover, even if there is something to be read, it should be the ceremonial officials of the Honglu Temple who read it. When has it ever been the turn of the Jinyiwei?
At this moment, the dawn is just beginning to rise
Fang Congzhe, upon hearing these words, finally took action