Chapter 8: The Emperor's Choice
Slandering the government? Isn't that what the Donglin Party does every day? Is this even a charge? We are in the Ming Dynasty, not that Qing Dynasty! Moreover, how many times have you used this excuse? Why not come up with something fresh? ... And ...? ... Exile to Luoyang? The Prince of Fu's residence? No, that's not right, something is very wrong here, this little Wei is trying to fool me again! The Tianqi Emperor, due to his hasty ascension, is not skilled in schemes and tricks, but that does not mean he is foolish. No, that's not right, something is very wrong here, this little Wei is trying to fool me again! The Tianqi Emperor, due to his hasty ascension, is not skilled in schemes and tricks, but that does not mean he is foolish! He immediately saw through the hidden agenda.
A handsome young man sat upright behind the imperial desk, gazing with pride at the intricately crafted miniature version of the Qianqing Palace, which stood no taller than three feet. However, a memorial on the desk brought him a sense of melancholy. Was it not the Shandong earthquake? Had I not already issued an edict for disaster relief and exempted all provinces from this year's taxes? Why then did the ministers refuse to acknowledge it? They spoke of an empty national treasury and a lack of grain to distribute, yet they insisted on my issuing a self-reproach edict? Was it not the Shandong earthquake? Had I not already issued an edict for disaster relief and exempted all provinces from this year's taxes? Why then did the ministers refuse to acknowledge it? They spoke of an empty national treasury and a lack of grain to distribute, yet they insisted on my issuing a self-reproach edict?
Your Majesty, I humbly report that Lord Wei has come to present the list of this year's successful candidates for the imperial examination! It is true that there are not many around the Emperor who lack discernment; upon seeing the Emperor's displeasure, they immediately knelt down to the ground.
Yang Lian? How should one describe this person? He persuaded the court officials, stood up, stormed into the Qianqing Palace, and forced Li Xuanshi to be removed, stabilizing the court situation and supporting the ascension of the Tianqi Emperor! Compared to other members of the Donglin Party, he is a good person. However... the Tianqi Emperor's gaze once again fell upon the memorials on the desk. "... The report states: 'There are rain, sunshine, heat, cold, and wind, the five elements must be prepared, each according to its classification, to ensure the growth of the crops. One extreme leads to disaster, while the other leads to nothingness. The report on rest states: 'It is solemn, as if the rain is timely. The report states: 'There are rain, sunshine, heat, cold, and wind, the five elements must be prepared, each according to its classification, to ensure the growth of the crops. One extreme leads to disaster, while the other leads to nothingness. The report on rest states: 'It is solemn, as if the rain is timely. The report on calamity states: 'It is wild, as if it rains constantly; the king governs annually, the officials monthly, and the military daily.' Isn't this just the "Shangshu"? I have read it before, why must all natural disasters be blamed on me?
A carriage, two lewd figures, one of whom is the soon-to-return Xiao Changzi to Luoyang. It must be said that Wei Zhongxian is quite adept at business; not only did he get the job done, but before leaving, he could not stand Xiao Changzi's shabby appearance and specially gifted him an old master’s carriage that had not been used by the household servants for many years. Yet, this dilapidated carriage is still far better than the one he had when he first entered the capital.
Forget it, no need to think about it, continue to remain silent! Engage in some woodworking, and when I have time, I will play hide and seek. One day, I will let you know that when the Son of Heaven is enraged, blood will flow for thousands of miles! Isn't it just a self-criticism edict? I will hold off for now; if it becomes unavoidable, I will write one. Which of my ancestors has not done this?
I shall only give you this opportunity once! The Emperor of the Heavenly Enlightenment lightly tapped the imperial desk, not truly intending to delve deeply into this matter. However, as the Emperor, he sought to alleviate his earlier feelings of frustration by casually finding something to occupy his time.
This Lu Xiangsheng, whose courtesy name is Jiandou and style name is Jiutai, hails from Yixing, Changzhou. Although he is a scholar with fair skin, he possesses extraordinary talent. At the age of seventeen, he was awarded a doctor's degree and is capable of wielding a large saber weighing one hundred thirty-six pounds. Wei Zhongxian is not foolish; after accepting this deal, he still sought someone to investigate, and now it has proven useful.
The Forbidden City, Wuying Hall
The Tianqi Emperor's first reaction was surprisingly, "This little chubby boy is trying to deceive me! Dreaming of celestial beings giving guidance? Noble figures? Damn it, why doesn't this little chubby boy just say that Lu Xiangsheng is the reincarnation of the Buddha? What does he want with this scholar? To rebel? The Tianqi Emperor did not possess the same boldness as his ancestor, Emperor Wu, who would dismiss a rebellion with a casual, 'Let him be!' However, believing that a child not yet ten years old could scheme such grand affairs was simply impossible. ... Could it be ... ! ... The Tianqi Emperor was startled by the absurd thought that suddenly emerged in his mind! The Tianqi Emperor did not have the same boldness as his ancestor, Emperor Wu, who would dismiss a rebellion with a casual, 'Let him be!' However, believing that a child not yet ten years old could scheme such grand affairs was simply impossible. ... Could it be ... ! ... The Tianqi Emperor was startled by the absurd thought that suddenly emerged in his mind! Hmm, no way, no way! How old is this little chubby boy? If he were to find a twin, he wouldn't be in such a hurry, right? Since Lu Xiangsheng could pass the imperial examination, he must be around twenty, right? What on earth does he want to do ... ? Hehe. ... ... This Congdi, I must take a good look at him!
"The servant pays respects to Your Majesty, may the Emperor live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, and ten thousand times ten thousand years!" Do not be deceived by Wei Zhongxian's demeanor of being above all; he is well aware of the source of his power and, at least on the surface, remains very respectful towards the Tianqi Emperor
"Your Majesty, thanks to Your Majesty's grace, this examination has selected four hundred and nine candidates. Among them, I humbly request Your Majesty to decide on the top scholar who is to be awarded the title of Jinshi and the third place as well. There are seventy-seven candidates awarded the second class Jinshi and three hundred and twenty-nine candidates awarded the third class Tongjinshi! However... I never expected that Lu Xiangsheng would actually become a Jinshi. I must quickly devise a way to persuade the Emperor and secure that one hundred thousand taels of silver for myself.
"Ten thousand deaths? I truly believe you deserve ten thousand deaths!" The Emperor of the Heavenly Enlightenment suddenly changed his tone: "Recently, I have created quite a few items, yet I do not know..."
Oh? Is there perhaps some unexpected development? A twist from Wei Laoyan has indeed piqued the interest of the Tianqi Emperor
Yes, thank you for the grace! Wei Zhongxian, seeing that the storm had passed, began to secretly calculate in his mind that after deducting the ten thousand taels sent to Shuntian Prefecture and the expenses for opening a shop for the Emperor, he would still have about seventy to eighty thousand taels left. Although he had been a bit frightened this time, according to the Emperor's wishes, there would still be plenty of benefits from the Prince of Fu and the Library in the future
Then you may rise! Having achieved his objective, the Emperor of the Apocalypse no longer felt the need to maintain a stern demeanor to intimidate others. With a shift of his gaze, he continued: Since this is a matter entrusted to you by the royal uncle, then send the person to him! However, regarding this title... forget it, no need to fuss over it. If the Prince of Fortune has any further requests, make sure to inform me immediately, understood?
Why is it so difficult to be an emperor? Recently, I received reports about the refugees from Liaodong returning to the mainland. I intended to instruct the Ministry of Revenue to distribute grain for relief and to cultivate wasteland. However, those officials who eat the people's food but do not do their jobs actually delayed the process and refused to take action. In the end, it was I who had to take out five hundred thousand taels from the imperial treasury before they finally relented.
Oh? Talented in both literature and martial arts? The Tianqi Emperor became even more interested, while also feeling curious about that little cousin he had never met. However, he had no intention of letting Wei Zhongxian off so easily: "How much benefit did you receive from the Prince of Fu this time?"
Oh, I see, let him in! The Emperor of the Apocalypse is quite amused, hehe... ? ... The list of successful candidates! ? Let's take a look! This year, I wonder how many members of the Donglin Party are on it; and as for Wei Zhongxian, I can't imagine how much bribe he has secretly collected.
Seeing signs of the Heavenly Emperor's anger once again, Wei Zhongxian abandoned his last resistance and extended a finger to confess: "One hundred thousand taels of silver!"
I wish to open a small shop outside the palace, specifically to sell these items, but what about the shop space and personnel... The Tianqi Emperor was very pleased with Wei Zhongxian's current performance and began to take the opportunity to extort.
"Little Wei, can't you just handle such trivial matters with the Ministry of Rites?" The Tianqi Emperor took the list of Jinshi candidates that had been forwarded to him and casually inquired, "How is the situation regarding the selection of scholars this time, along with the library?"
Ah ...? ... Have we gone too far? Wei Zhongxian did not care whether the Emperor was truly angry or feigning anger; he trembled in fear, repeatedly muttering: "I am guilty! I deserve to die a thousand deaths ... ..."
Oh? Weren't we discussing the crimes of the diplomatic vassals? How did we suddenly shift to handicrafts? Your Majesty, we are of advanced age, could you please take smaller steps and not leap so far ahead? We can't keep up! Wei Zhongxian's mind is almost in a frenzy, yet he still has to wait for the Tianqi Emperor to finish speaking, to see if there is a need to find someone to retrieve his last life-saving card.
Wei Zhongxian? The name evokes a complex mix of emotions in the Tianqi Emperor! The emperor was well aware of the actions of this eunuch, who was closely associated with his wet nurse, Ke Shi. He was not ignorant of the reasons why Wei would only present memorials when the emperor was occupied with carpentry. In order to cultivate Wei and provide him with sufficient power to counter the external court, the emperor even indulged him in amassing adopted sons, engaging in schemes such as the "Five Tigers," "Five Dogs," "Ten Children," and "Forty Grandsons"!
"It is ... ... is ... ..." Wei Zhongxian's mind raced through several thoughts, and before he became completely dizzy, he decided to confess. With the support of the Ke family, there should be no major issues, right? Isn't there an old saying that honesty brings leniency? Thus, a heart-wrenching, gut-wrenching, and melancholic narrative was conveyed through Zhu Youcong's mouth, relayed by the Prince of Fu and Xiao Changzi, and refined by Wei Zhongxian. ... ... (countless omissions) In any case, it was the same old nonsense, officially published and distributed at Wuying Hall! Thus, a heart-wrenching, gut-wrenching, and melancholic narrative was conveyed through Zhu Youcong's mouth, relayed by the Prince of Fu and Xiao Changzi, and refined by Wei Zhongxian. ... ... (countless omissions) In any case, it was the same old nonsense, officially published and distributed at Wuying Hall!
I do not wish to be a poor emperor, but have you given me the opportunity? When I was the crown prince, Li Xuan-shi, relying on his favor, was arrogant and jealous, forbidding me from speaking with others; now that I am emperor, do you, the Donglin faction, not also want me to be a clay statue that listens to your commands and stamps documents for you? As long as it is something that does not benefit you, the Donglin faction, you would not hesitate to cause chaos in the world or see the throne change hands, nor would you agree to my doing so!
"Little Wei, what is the situation with Lu Xiangsheng?" The Tianqi Emperor set aside his initial stubbornness, intending to inquire thoroughly, or perhaps to gossip a bit.
Little Wei... The Tianqi Emperor still decided to give Wei Zhongxian a warning, lest this fellow become increasingly unambitious, almost as lazy as those telecom fraudsters of later generations, using the same excuses until they are worn out yet still relying on them! You may not find it bothersome, but I am already tired of hearing it! He slammed the table and said: "Don't think that I truly know nothing; speak up, what exactly is going on?"
"One hundred thousand taels of silver..." The Tianqi Emperor feigned anger and said: "You bold little Wei! Do you know what punishment the vassal kings deserve?"
Your Majesty—" just as I was thinking, a young eunuch beside me gently called out.
"This servant... this servant will take care of it!" Wei Zhongxian hurriedly picked up the Emperor's words, thinking, isn't it just opening a shop? Do you really need to be so intimidating? You are the Emperor, after all. That earlier moment scared my heart so much that it is still pounding!
This ... ... Second-Class Jinshi Lu Xiangsheng, recently after indulging in excessive drinking at a tavern, made reckless remarks about state affairs and has already been apprehended by the Shuntian Prefecture! Therefore, it is requested that his title be revoked and he be exiled to the Fuwang Mansion in Luoyang! Wei Zhongxian has become so accustomed to deceiving the emperor that this small matter is not difficult for him; he casually placed a large hat on him.
A few days later, outside Xizhimen
What is it? The Emperor of the Apocalypse could not help but frown; how dare this blind fool disturb me?
"Slave... ... Servant... ..." Wei Zhongxian was taken aback; the excuse he usually used so smoothly was no longer effective