Chapter 31: Factions Within the Imperial Court

In the imperial court, the civil official faction, including the four Grand Secretaries who had been maintaining a strategic silence, could no longer contain themselves upon hearing the Emperor's declaration.

Do you even know how to be an Emperor?! Do you have any idea what an Emperor is supposed to do?!

We could tolerate the mass execution of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but what is this sudden whim to leave the palace for an inspection? If you were to die out there, what would become of the Great Ming’s foundation and its people? What would the civil and military officials do without a leader? Most importantly, if you were to truly see the state of the world outside, how would we continue to live our comfortable lives?

Consequently, the crowd knelt in unison, casting aside all decorum to loudly admonish Zhu Youjian against leaving the palace.

The "Alliance of Impoverished Officials" was also momentarily stunned by the Emperor's announcement. They, too, did not want the Emperor to leave, sharing the same concerns as the eunuchs: the Emperor’s safety was inextricably linked to their own futures and lives. Having just offended the civil official faction and tasted the fruits of their newfound influence, the prospect of the Emperor meeting with disaster was far more terrifying than death itself.

However, they did not immediately join the chorus of protests. After the initial shock, they grasped a deeper implication: if the Emperor could successfully leave the palace for an inspection, the majesty and authority of the imperial throne would be greatly bolstered. The inverse was also true. Therefore, they had to support him.

Having realized this, Chen Xinjia exchanged a tacit look with several Hanlin scholars and, propped up on his stretcher, shouted, "The Emperor’s word is divine law! Since His Majesty has declared his intent to inspect the realm, are you now attempting to defy an imperial decree?"

The civil official faction was equally adept at labeling their opponents. Someone immediately retorted, "Chen Xinjia! What is the meaning of these words? To disregard the Emperor's safety like this—you are clearly the greatest traitor in the court and a scourge to the nation!"

The Fengtian Hall erupted into chaos once more, with the various factions now clearly divided. The bitter rivalry between the civil officials and the impoverished official alliance was obvious. The remaining military nobility stood by as spectators; having long been relegated to mere mascots in the court, they had no voice.

Although they had heard that the Emperor was recruiting from the ranks of fallen military nobles into the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they dared not speak. They were simply too terrified by past precedents. When the Renxong Emperor died, even the daughter of Marquis Wuding Guo Ying—the Gongsu Imperial Concubine—was forced to be buried with him, let alone mere nobodies like themselves. Guo Ying had been a founding meritocrat, personally titled Marquis Wuding by the Taizu Emperor. Taizu had explicitly decreed that the daughters of military nobles were exempt from such funerary sacrifices, yet Guo Ying's daughter had been forced to her death, even after bearing three sons for the Renxong Emperor. Since then, with very few exceptions, the military nobility had been reduced to court ornaments.

Aside from the silent military nobles, a few minor, weakened factions also remained quiet, not daring to act after the Emperor’s "hundred-official massacre" upon his ascension. Then there were the "feudal fundamentalist" officials, torn between the belief that the Emperor must remain safe and the belief that the Emperor’s word was absolute. As for the eunuchs, they had grown tired of court squabbles, finding it more productive to simply fulfill the Emperor's tasks.

The Ming court was a complex web of competing interests, but to Zhu Youjian, these were non-issues. He had no intention of considering their opinions. Rising from the dragon throne, he strode out of the Fengtian Hall, surrounded by his guards, heading toward the Qianqing Palace. There, eight hundred soldiers of the Shenwei Camp were prepared. With a single command, they would march out of the Imperial City with him.

Seeing the Emperor depart, the civil officials realized his intent: he intended to ignore their remonstrations and leave regardless! *How could an Emperor behave this way? Does he not fear being reviled in the history books for all eternity?*

For a millennium, this had been every Emperor’s greatest fear. But they knew this was no time for contemplation. When words failed, they had to resort to physical obstruction. Led by the Senior Grand Secretary Huang Liji and the three other cabinet ministers, the crowd streamed out of the Fengtian Hall toward the Xuanwu Gate.

When the Chengzu Emperor moved the capital to the north, he modeled the Imperial City after the southern layout, establishing four gates: the Wu Gate, the Donghua Gate, the Xihua Gate, and the Xuanwu Gate. As the core portal of the palace, the Xuanwu Gate was the only way out, and they were determined to block him there.

The Alliance of Impoverished Officials caught on to their plan. Chen Xinjia struggled up from his stretcher, leading his followers to give chase. The Imperial City descended into a state of utter pandemonium.

Amidst the chaos, Huang Liji whispered to a trusted subordinate, "Go find someone to send word outside—mobilize the Capital Garrison to protect the Emperor’s safety!" Huang knew they might not be able to stop the headstrong Emperor at the gate, and he needed a backup plan. The subordinate nodded and slipped away.

After a frantic dash, the crowd reached the Xuanwu Gate and knelt in a mass, leaving the stunned guards bewildered. Why were so many high-ranking officials suddenly kneeling here?

Huang Liji knew it was time to play his part. He knelt and cried out to the officials, "His Majesty’s safety is the most critical matter for our Ming dynasty! We must persuade him—he must not leave the palace lightly! If any accident were to befall the sacred carriage outside these walls, our deaths would not be enough to atone for the sin!"

The officials echoed his cry. Chen Xinjia, hearing this high-sounding rhetoric, cursed, "To hell with your nonsense! You just want to keep deceiving His Majesty!"

Just as the two sides were about to clash, a rhythmic sound of marching echoed from the distance. Both parties stopped their bickering and turned to look. A magnificent dragon banner appeared, carried by a menacing, black-clad legion, advancing rapidly toward them.