Chapter 25: Noble Lineages and Aristocratic Clans

After the morning court session, Wei Zhongxian, Cao Huachun, and Wang Chengen gathered in the Qianqing Palace. Wei Zhongxian offered a sincere compliment to Zhu Youjian: "Your Majesty, your strategy today was truly brilliant. This move will surely divert the vast majority of the officials' hostility."

Zhu Youjian remained noncommittal; he had no interest in such empty flattery. His only concern was how to advance the empire.

After a brief pause, he issued his instructions: "After I leave the palace in a while, the three of you must rely on these low-ranking officials to balance the court."

"This servant understands."

After the three bowed in acknowledgment, Cao Huachun was the first to step forward and ask: "Your Majesty, how many men do you intend to take when you leave the palace? I must prepare the carriages, horses, and provisions in advance."

"Prepare supplies for five thousand men, and stock up on food that is easy to store. If the funds are insufficient, draw directly from the inner treasury."

Zhu Youjian did not yet know the specific extent of the disaster in the Shaanxi region, having only glimpsed it through the memorials of the past two years. However, he possessed basic common sense. Given the agricultural productivity of this era, a disaster would inevitably lead to large numbers of the lower classes going hungry. He had to bring enough food to successfully initiate his first plan upon arriving in Shaanxi.

Furthermore, to Zhu Youjian, the death of any commoner was a tremendous loss for the empire. In his view, silver could be plundered again, land could be seized again—anything could be taken by force. But if the people of the empire were lost, where could he go to seize them back?

"Your Majesty, rest assured. Give me at most one month, and I will have everything arranged," Cao Huachun promised, accepting the task.

"Troops and horses move, but food and fodder must come first," especially for an imperial inspection tour. The logistics had to be flawless. Honestly, if he were still serving in the palace during the Tianqi era, even if he were given full control of all resources, he would not have dared to guarantee such preparations within a month. Back then, there was no money, and the resistance within the palace to such tasks was insurmountable.

Now, things were different. The inner treasury held over three million taels of silver, and the mindset of even the lowest-ranking eunuchs and palace maids had undergone a profound shift.

Cao Huachun was certain that by tonight, the Emperor’s actions in the court would spread throughout the palace. With a ruler like this, who among those dependent on imperial power would not be willing to serve with true devotion?

After instructing Cao Huachun, Zhu Youjian turned to Wang Chengen: "For those officials who were fined their salaries today, take some men and give each of them one hundred taels of silver and ten taels of gold. Also, go and check on the injuries of that man named Chen Xinjia."

"This servant understands."

Finally, he turned to Wei Zhongxian and spoke with meticulous detail: "After I leave, the security of the palace, especially your own, must be properly managed."

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I have been personally overseeing the training of the Eastern Depot guards day and night."

Seeing Zhu Youjian set aside his imperial status to show personal concern for their safety, the three were about to kneel and kowtow in gratitude. Zhu Youjian waved his hand, signaling them to hurry and attend to their duties.

Once they had left, Zhu Youjian sat alone in a side chamber of the Qianqing Palace, contemplating the current situation. While the faction of eunuchs around him was gaining momentum, they were still far from being a match for the civil official clique in the court. Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun lacked experience, and even with the low-ranking officials who had surfaced today, they remained a modest force.

Low-ranking officials held no real power; against the deep-rooted civil official clique, they would likely be scattered by a single counterattack. Political struggle was a life-and-death matter, and all sorts of imaginable and unimaginable tactics would be employed.

However, if he could also leverage the Beijing Garrison and the noble military officers, that should be enough—at least to maintain a delicate balance that would not easily collapse after his departure.

***

Meanwhile, in the Grand Secretariat offices, the four Grand Secretaries sat in silence, the atmosphere oppressive. As the Senior Grand Secretary, Huang Liji held the highest status, yet he was also the most despondent of the four. He regretted not truly leaving when he had threatened to retire in a fit of pique some days ago. Had he done so, these vexing matters would no longer concern him.

He was old, and both his mind and energy were no longer what they had been in his youth. He had thought he was choosing an idle prince who would be easy to manipulate, but upon ascending the throne, the man had transformed into an autocratic ruler with unfathomable depths.

Huang Liji felt that the situation had spiraled beyond his control, yet he could no longer leave. Before the situation had escalated, his departure would have pleased his subordinates, as it would have vacated a position. But now, as the Senior Grand Secretary and the public face of the civil official clique, his retirement would carry a completely different meaning. Desertion in the face of battle was a crime punishable by death!

His own death was not the main issue—at his age, though he inevitably feared death, he had made some preparations. What Huang Liji feared was that the civil official clique, in their fury, would vent their anger upon the "Wuliu Huang Clan" from which he hailed. As a member of this vast collective, he knew exactly how terrifying it could be. Thus, he could only walk this path to the end.

He picked up a teacup, sipped the fragrant tea sent as tribute from Jiangnan to moisten his parched throat, and said, "I never expected the factional strife in the court to become so severe. If this continues, I fear it will be detrimental to the Ming Empire."

Shi Fenglai added, "It is called factional strife, but I suspect those poor officials are merely after the silver."

"Perhaps we should send someone with silver to console and reward them; after all, the overall situation must take precedence."

Li Guopu sneered, "Then let Minister Shi provide the silver!"

Sensing the gunpowder in their words, Zhang Ruitu hurriedly tried to mediate: "As court officials, we all live off the imperial salary."

"Moreover, His Majesty has been consistently paying out backdated salaries to all low-ranking officials in the Ming court these days. This is not a matter for us to worry about."

As his voice trailed off, the office fell into silence once more. Some things could not be stated too clearly in the office, but all four understood the meaning behind each other's words. It was already impossible to bribe those low-ranking officials. A small amount of silver would only increase their hatred, and who would be willing to foot the bill for a large sum?

Furthermore, the events of the past few days had caused the influence of the newly enthroned Emperor to rise significantly in the eyes of everyone. Whatever they could offer in a year of salary would pale in comparison to the one month of back pay provided by the Emperor.