Chapter 34: I Have a Question

Zhu Zaiji wore a look of curiosity, his eyes harboring a hint of playfulness. Xu Jie, however, stiffened.

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice. It was none other than Zhan Rong, the current Senior Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, who had just insisted that the position of Minister of War must remain vacant for later deliberation.

Under the collective gaze of the court—and particularly the rigid expression of Xu Jie—Zhan Rong looked embarrassed. He gave a heavy cough, then bowed and addressed the imperial throne: "Your Majesty, my objection is not because I, as the Senior Vice Minister, might be considered for the position of Minister. I am well aware of my own shallow talent and lack of ability; I have barely managed to fulfill my duties since taking this post, and I would never dare covet the position of Minister. Rather, the military situation on the Nine Frontiers is urgent. Last year, the Altan Khan’s forces raided our borders extensively, and since the beginning of this year, reports of military crises from beyond the passes have arrived frequently. The Ministry of War should promptly hold a court recommendation to select capable officials to oversee the Ministry's affairs."

After hearing Zhan Rong’s explanation, Xu Jie’s expression eased slightly, but Zhu Zaiji sneered inwardly. Previously, these officials had grouped the Nine Frontiers with the Southeast, but now they insisted on separating them. Was this not the same as their usual practice: invoking the "ancestral laws" when it suited them, and claiming "compliance with Heaven’s will and the Great Way" when it did not? A term immediately sprang to his mind: *sanctimonious hypocrisy*.

Yet, he knew it was not the right time to argue forcibly. Suddenly, his gaze fell upon Yan Song, who was still seated on a soft stool, and his heart stirred. Yan Song had been silently observing the Crown Prince for quite some time. Noticing Zhu Zaiji’s eyes on him, Yan Song pondered for a moment before smiling and speaking: "Your Majesty, I believe the Crown Prince’s earlier doubts are well-founded. Since the imperial court has established an official system, it is for the sake of having every official perform their duty. Currently, it is not just the positions of Minister of War and the Governors of the two southeastern provinces that are vacant; various ministries and local yamen across the empire have vacancies. It would be appropriate for the court to evaluate the officials and fill these gaps."

Watching as Yan Song shifted the focus from the specific vacancies in Zhejiang and Fujian to a general discussion of vacancies across the empire, Zhu Zaiji silently gave him a mental thumbs-up. A strange thought crossed his mind: Who said officials like Yan Song were entirely worthless? Who said Yan Song was merely a treacherous minister? At this moment, such a "treacherous" minister was the one most capable of reading the Emperor’s mind and acting with the greatest loyalty. He was the most useful tool available! If the circumstances were different, he would have liked to praise Grand Secretary Yan for his loyalty to the state.

After Yan Song finished, Xia Bangmo, the Minister of Revenue, naturally followed suit: "Your Majesty, I believe that given the urgency of border defense, the position of Minister of War should not remain vacant for long; we should hold a court recommendation soon. As for the governorship of Zhejiang and Fujian, since Zhu Wan has passed away, that position is also vacant. We should select the virtuous and capable as soon as possible to stabilize the situation in those two provinces."

After this Minister of Revenue, who was a sycophant of the Yan family, finished speaking, both Xu Jie and Wen Yuan cast side-long glances at him, their eyes filled with subtle meaning.

Seeing that both Yan Song and Xia Bangmo had stepped forward, Lü Ben, who had remained silent regarding the vacancies, finally stepped out of the ranks. "Your Majesty, the nation’s military affairs are paramount, and the seal of the Ministry of War cannot be left hanging for long. I second the motion to hold a court recommendation for the Minister of War as soon as possible."

He paused, then shifted his tone: "However, as for the governorship of Zhejiang and Fujian, the actions of Zhu Wan have already caused widespread resentment among the people; officials and civilians alike in both provinces are full of complaints. The coastal people already live in poverty, and they do not understand the court’s policies or the Emperor’s benevolence. If the court rushes to appoint a new governor now, I fear the people will not see it as an act of correcting past wrongs, but rather fear that the new official will be worse than the old, and his crackdown even more ruthless. In their fear and panic, chaos is bound to erupt. If the choice is poor or the actions too hasty, the two provinces will be engulfed in flames of civil strife, and the coastal borders will never know peace."

Having argued against the immediate appointment of a new governor, Lü Ben did not stop there, but offered a solution: "I believe that instead of selecting a new governor now, we should prioritize the stability of the people’s hearts and adhere to the principle of 'staying unchanged to meet all changes.' Furthermore, although the governorship is vacant, the regional inspectors, the three provincial commissions, and the local prefectural officials are all present. They are perfectly capable of pacifying the people and managing the maritime ban; there is no lack of staff to handle the duties."

The words of this newly appointed Grand Secretary drew everyone’s attention. This was a remarkably bold statement. If one were to nitpick, his mention of "flames of civil strife" could easily lead to a major confrontation.

However, someone did decide to be a bit more rigorous. Zhu Zaiji chuckled aloud, shaking his head under the surprised gazes of the crowd. Yan Song glanced at him and asked with a curious smile, "I wonder why Your Highness is laughing?"

*Old Yan is becoming more useful by the day!* Zhu Zaiji looked deeply at Yan Song, then took a step forward. He bowed to the Jiajing Emperor, then looked at the crowd, and finally fixed his eyes on Lü Ben, Wen Yuan, and Xu Jie.

"Father, Honorable Grand Secretaries, and Ministers."

"I have recently been studying in the pavilion, where my teachers have instructed me in the Four Books and Five Classics, the meaning of the classics, and the affairs of the state."

"I am young, barely of the age of fifteen, and truly dull-witted."

"Without my father's mandate, I should not be showing off before the esteemed ministers of our Great Ming. If word got out, would it not be a mere child babbling before the pillars of the state, inviting ridicule?"

The crowd bowed and nodded in response. The Jiajing Emperor’s lips curled slightly, a flash of a smile crossing his face before he sat back comfortably.

Zhu Zaiji took another step forward, closing the distance to Lü Ben and the others. "My teachers often instruct me in the wisdom of the sages, yet there is a principle before us today that my teachers seem to have overlooked."

Lü Ben’s expression froze, his mind racing. Zhang Zhi cast a side-long glance, sneered inwardly, and then stepped forward with a smile: "I wonder what principle Your Highness speaks of that we have failed to see?" *The student has stepped out; as his teacher, how can I retreat?*

Zhu Zaiji looked at Zhang Zhi and said in a deep voice: "You all, the pillars of the state, claim that the governorship of Zhejiang and Fujian should not be rushed, and that we should rely on the current inspectors and local officials to maintain stability and pacify the people."

Standing on the steps, Zhu Zaiji looked down at these officials who spoke so glibly of morality. His tone turned stern: "If the inspectors and local officials of Fujian and Zhejiang were truly capable of stabilizing the situation, pacifying the people, and strictly enforcing the maritime ban, why did my father send Zhu Wan to those two provinces two years ago to govern the land and oversee all affairs?"

"If those officials were truly virtuous and capable, why do reports of pirate raids arrive so frequently?"

"If they were capable, why do the Wokou and the Franks repeatedly occupy our islands?"

"If they were truly talented, why is it that during the reigns of the Chengzu and Renzong emperors, we had countless treasure ships dominating the Western Oceans, yet before Zhu Wan arrived, Zhejiang and Fujian had only a dozen warships and barely a thousand soldiers? Why do pirates land to plunder without fear of the authorities, continuing one after another without hesitation?"

"If those two provinces were truly peaceful, why was it that after Zhu Wan took office, he swept away pirates like Xu Dong and forced his accomplices like Wang Zhi to flee across the seas? How could he have won battle after battle for three months, crushing the thieves of Wen, Pan, and Nanji, and pacifying the miners' rebellions in Chuzhou?"

Zhu Zaiji had originally intended to proceed step by step. But after witnessing the hypocrisy of these men today, he no longer wished to hide his edge. He looked at the crowd with a cold, clear gaze, speaking word by word in a heavy voice:

"You are all the pillars of our Great Ming, the ministers trusted by my father."

"But today, I cannot help but ask..."

"The maritime ban of the Great Ming is meant to repel invaders and stop the people from going to sea. Why, with countless officials and soldiers in the southeast, is it still impossible to stop?"

"Is it because the pirates are endless and the treacherous people are cunning?"

"Or is it because someone is driving the pirates and using the people to line their own pockets?!"

After this stern interrogation, Zhu Zaiji let out a long breath, and his smile returned to his face. He bowed to the room.

"Father, your son has been reckless."

"Honorable ministers, I am young, ignorant of decorum, and have had little experience in governance."

"But I have doubts, and my teachers have taught me that if one has doubts, one must ask."

"I could not help but ask."

"I beg you, the pillars of our state, to clear my confusion!"