Zhu Yijun had always looked three steps ahead with every move he made.
As for Feng Bao's post at the Eastern Depot, he had long been contemplating a suitable candidate.
Zhang Hong was ruled out right from the start.
First, his succession would hardly go smoothly; the resistance would be immense. Countless pairs of eyes watched both the emperor himself and Zhang Hong.
Even Empress Dowager Li might not agree.
Second, even if he managed to pluck the peach, it would easily provoke needless hostility from all factions.
Zhang Hong might not be able to withstand Feng Bao's counterattack.
Third, Zhang Hong's foundation and cadre of followers were far too weak.
The Eastern Depot was, after all, a military command, and Zhang Hong possessed no such grounding.
Feng Bao, on the other hand, had held the Eastern Depot for six years since the first year of Longqing, and his roots ran deep.
If Zhang Hong took over, he would not be able to take control easily anytime soon.
Moreover, Feng Bao occupied the Directorate of Ceremonial, the nominal superior of the Eastern Depot. If he directed his trusted veterans in the depot from afar, who truly called the shots would remain anyone's guess.
Li Jin, however, could not be more suitable.
Among the inner court officials, the Directorate of Imperial Horses held the status and seniority of military officers; in a narrow sense they bred horses, but in a broader sense they commanded guard battalions.
As a Secretarial Eunuch of the Directorate of Imperial Horses, Li Jin would retain his own cadre of subordinates even after a transfer.
Furthermore, Li Jin was imperial kin. Once his standing was elevated, a vast crowd of inner court officials would immediately flock to him—something Zhang Hong could never match.
All these factors would enable Li Jin to quickly seize actual control of the Eastern Depot.
Most importantly, Li Jin was Empress Dowager Li's clan elder brother, and he had done favors for mother and son in the past.
Whether by kinship or gratitude, he naturally passed the test of trust.
This would lessen Empress Dowager Li's feeling of being coerced by the outer court,
and through this cover, deflect unwanted scrutiny and hidden arrows.
As for how to control Li Jin... was that not already underway, like rain moistening things in silence?
The man already valued debts of gratitude—otherwise, he would never have opened the back door to send Empress Dowager Li into Prince Yu's Estate in the first place.
And after today's events, Li Wei would sing his praises far and wide among the relatives.
Li Jin would naturally know who he ought to thank for his ascent.
Zhu Yijun reviewed everything carefully in his mind, feeling there were no oversights, and finally let out a sigh of relief.
Another phased step accomplished.
Coming back to his senses, he heard Zhu Xizhong's voice.
"To share Your Majesty's burdens is this subject's bounden duty," Zhu Xizhong replied, kneeling at his side.
Zhu Yijun looked over.
This Duke of Chengguo was truly reliable; he never dropped the ball.
The emperor felt genuinely reluctant to see the duke pass away.
He could not help sighing, "The Duke of the Realm must take good care of his health and share more of Our burdens."
Hearing this, Zhu Xizhong gave a wry smile. "Lifespan is determined by Heaven. How could this subject defy it?
"However, when this subject passes away, the entire Duke's Mansion will continue to share Your Majesty's burdens."
Zhu Yijun let out a chuckle; the man was angling for a promise.
He walked over and helped Zhu Xizhong to his feet.
In a light tone, he said, "Is the jade pendant I sent Zhang Hong to deliver that day with the Duke of the Realm?"
Zhu Xizhong hurriedly reached into his robes, preparing to return the item to its owner.
Zhu Yijun raised a hand to stop him and smiled. "The Duke of the Realm had best keep this jade safe.
"It will serve as a constant reminder to Us that so long as this jade remains unbroken, We shall remember the Chengguo Duke's household."
The subtext was clear: as long as he lived, he would never mistreat the ducal household.
Hearing these words, Zhu Xizhong paused for a moment before sighing softly. "This subject has served three reigns and basked in boundless imperial grace. It is truly the fortune of three lifetimes."
Whether he believed it completely or not, he still had to give thanks for the grace.
He also knew that for an emperor to make such a promise was already the limit.
One could hardly ask the sovereign to swear an oath to Heaven.
Zhu Yijun nodded. "My mother has a niece who has come of age. If the ducal household has any outstanding young men, our families could call on each other."
This was a tangible benefit granted to Zhu Xizhong beyond mere verbal promises.
Unlike minor players such as Zhang Hong or Jiang Keqian,
a Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard holding the rank of the Three Excellencies would find a verbal promise far too flimsy.
Allowing the ducal house to form a marriage tie with Empress Dowager Li, granting them an extra layer of standing, was a visible, concrete boon.
Earlier, he had already discussed this with Li Wei; to say Li Wei was tempted would be an understatement—he had been overjoyed.
With Li Wei's approval, Zhu Yijun could safely offer the promise outside—after all, this was not an era of free romance.
Imperial kin mostly married into the nobility; for instance, Empress Dowager Li's younger sister had married Chen Wangmo, Count of Pingjiang.
All Zhu Yijun could do was ensure the prospective match was not a scoundrel and their family had no habit of courting disaster.
As for finding someone of brilliant genius and Pan An's good looks, one might as well dream on.
Zhu Xizhong had not expected the new emperor to be so generous.
To be rewarded so handsomely right after completing a task, he hurriedly bowed in gratitude: "This subject..."
Zhu Yijun cut through these unnecessary formalities: "Enough. Let us speak of serious business."
Zhu Xizhong promptly fell silent, thinking to himself that, as expected, a sweet date was always followed by an assignment.
Zhu Yijun looked at Zhu Xizhong and came straight to the point: "Last year, the late emperor wanted to reinstate Gu Huan as Superintendent of the Capital Garrisons, but he was impeached into retirement. Do you know about this?"
The Capital Garrisons were the garrison battalions permanently stationed in the capital, and the Superintendent was their commanding officer.
Last year, the late emperor had firmly backed Gu Huan to take command of the Capital Garrisons, but surveillance officials impeached him in succession, claiming Gu Huan was too old and decrepit.
Wang Zongzai, Censor of the Guangxi Circuit, went even further, claiming Gu Huan craved power and clung to office, drove wedges between sovereign and ministers, and demanded that his peerage be revoked.
This had frightened Gu Huan into suddenly developing dementia overnight, and he only recovered after the late emperor granted his retirement.
As for whether he was truly impeached for being old and senile?
All Zhu Yijun knew was that in history, Gu Huan would be reinstated next year to take charge of the Left Chief Military Commission—meaning that in Zhang Juzheng's eyes, at least, Gu Huan was by no means decrepit.
Zhu Xizhong naturally knew of the matter and made no attempt to conceal it.
He spoke plainly: "Marquis of Zhenyuan Gu Huan has, since the twelfth year of Jiajing, served successively in the Left Chief Military Commission, the Nanjing Central Chief Military Commission, as Director-General of Water Transport, and in the Right Chief Military Commission. While serving as Regional Commander of Liangguang, he even achieved the distinction of slaying enemies in battle.
"Especially in the thirty-third year of Jiajing, after the Gengxu Incident, he entered the capital by special decree to reorganize the Capital Garrisons.
"With distinguished martial achievements, immense prestige, and holding the rank of the Three Solitaries... he is not someone the Ministry of War can control."
Having said this much, anyone who failed to understand would be a fool.
The Five Chief Military Commissions were originally based on the Bureau of Military Affairs; as Director-General of Water Transport, he possessed administrative ability; commanding Liangguang, he possessed the martial prowess of battlefield slayings.
Not to mention that back during the Jiajing era, he had been entrusted with danger and commissioned to reform the Capital Garrisons—a truly formidable figure.
If a noble with such outstanding civil and military accomplishments took control of the Capital Garrisons, the Ministry of War could only look on helplessly.
Perhaps certain people were unwilling to sit by and watch that happen, and so wave after wave of impeachments followed.
After hearing this, Zhu Yijun did not explain why he had asked.
Instead, he pressed further, "And what of Yang Bing, Count of Zhangwu, who succeeded him?"
When that man took over, it had caused hardly a ripple.
Zhu Xizhong sighed. "After Count of Zhangwu Yang Bing took command of the Capital Garrisons, the first thing he did was change the procedure of submitting memorials directly to the throne, having them go through deliberations by the Ministry of War first and be presented only after the Ministry reviewed them."
A change in process meant a change in power.
Reporting directly to the emperor turned into routing through the Ministry of War as an intermediary. This abandoned the detached standing Gu Huan had enjoyed, bowing his head to the Ministry of War and acting subservient.
Ever since Emperor Yingzong, such behavior had been the norm among nobles.
What Zhu Xizhong did not say was that Emperor Shizong had suspected something fishy about the Emperor Yingzong affair back then, which was why he seized the opportunity of the Gengxu Incident to forcefully back Gu Huan in bypassing the Ministry of War to reorganize the Capital Garrisons.
Zhu Xizhong could not say whether Emperor Shizong had been exceptionally sharp or innately paranoid.
In any case, it was all in the past, and he did not care about the truth of it.
To the nobility, the status Emperor Shizong had granted was very real.
Unfortunately, once Emperor Shizong passed away, the late emperor promptly handed it back.
Zhu Yijun frowned. "Has the Count of Zhangwu always been so prudent and cautious?"
Had he taken bribes from civil officials, or was he simply incompetent to begin with?
Zhu Xizhong shook his head. "At the time, the Count of Zhangwu's heir apparent was prosecuted by the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice for breaking the law, and only acquitted a month later."
Zhu Yijun fell silent. What a finely linked sequence of moves.
This was precisely why he had never reached for the Capital Garrisons until now.
Whenever military power was involved, the situation became far too intricate.
Back then, the Five Chief Military Commissions had been virtually equivalent to the Bureau of Military Affairs; yet after several rounds of reform, they had fallen under the Ministry of War, subject to its control.
The Capital Garrisons were even more of a battleground for all factions, and could only be pursued slowly.
It was only because he now had Zhu Xizhong standing behind him that he dared harbor even a modest ambition.
Armed force was forever the greatest foundation for upending the game board.
His decision upon transmigrating to contact this Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard first, as well as his insistence on stripping Feng Bao of his post at the Eastern Depot, had both stemmed from this very calculation.
Zhu Yijun looked at Zhu Xizhong. "Duke of the Realm, We have ascended the throne at a tender age. Beyond granting a general amnesty, We shall also distribute imperial favors widely.
"We hear that Marquis of Zhenyuan Gu Huan has no sons of his own. What would you think if We bestowed an inherited privilege upon his nephew, Gu Chengguang, as an Assistant Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
A nephew by brother.
He was the person designated to be adopted as Gu Huan's heir to inherit the marquisate.
With this extra bestowed post now, once he inherited the title, he could pass this privilege along to a kinsman.
Zhu Xizhong fell silent for a moment, grasping the emperor's intention.
He nodded slowly. "This subject shall inquire at once into Gu Chengguang's talents and character."
Zhu Yijun sighed in relief and satisfaction. "When the Duke of the Realm handles matters, We can rest easy."
What was being examined was naturally not talent and character, but the depth of loyalty to the sovereign.
If Gu Chengguang was willing to attend upon the emperor just like Jiang Keqian,
it would indicate Gu Huan's agreement.
It would also mean Gu Huan was still willing to contest control of the Capital Garrisons on behalf of this new sovereign.
Of course, if he were unwilling, Zhu Yijun would probably have to lie low for a while longer and summon Qi Jiguang to the capital when the time came.
In any case, the Capital Garrisons had to be secured.
Whether it was the maritime transport promised to Li Wei, the Huguang mining tax case, cadastral surveys to make an example of Xu Jie, or even suppressing unrest in Xuan-Da, none could be moved forward until the Capital Garrisons were firmly in hand.
Zhu Xizhong bowed and took his leave.
Zhu Yijun nodded, watching him depart.
He stood before the doors for a moment before turning back toward the front hall.
...
The fifteenth of the sixth month.
The emperor bestowed silver coins upon the Grand Secretaries, the Six Ministries, the Censorate, the Five Chief Military Commissions, the Ministers of Military Affairs, the Seals Office, the Edict Drafting Office, and other officials.
Furthermore, pursuant to the emperor's sacred edict and the rescripts of Empress Dowager Chen and Empress Dowager Li, replying to the impeachment of Feng Bao by the seventy-six surveillance officials, an imperial edict was proclaimed:
"The ancestral statutes are consummate and complete, meant to be observed for ten thousand generations.
"In recent years, officials have neglected the constitutional standards, throwing affairs into confusion and plunging troops and civilians into perplexity. How could this constitute governance?
"To honor the intent of the ancestors and clearly examine the established statutes, the inner court ought to lead by example.
"Now, Feng Bao, Seal-holding Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Superintendent of the Eastern Depot, and supervisor of the Directorate of Imperial Horses, has submitted a self-assessment stating that out of expedient need, he has concurrently held multiple key posts, and requesting to be relieved of his duties at the Eastern Depot.
"The Emperor and Empresses Dowager all grant this request.
"From the date of this edict's promulgation, Feng Bao is relieved of his post at the Eastern Depot. Li Jin, Secretarial Eunuch of the Directorate of Imperial Horses, is transferred to Secretarial Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and appointed Superintendent of the Eastern Depot.
"Let all ministries and offices take note. Respect this."
The edict was issued in the names of the Two Palaces and the emperor; its legitimacy was beyond question.
Its content was straightforward: transferring the Eastern Depot from Feng Bao's hands to Li Jin's.
As for whether it was due to impeachment or voluntary resignation, that did not matter, and no one would delve too deeply into it.
If they wished to struggle without causing an outright break, the necessary face still had to be preserved.
Once this edict came down, the Six Offices of Scrutiny displayed rare efficiency.
Before long, copies were transcribed for the various ministries and offices, spreading to the ears of all officials.
Within the Censorate, the censors were tremendously encouraged, as though they had won a great victory.
After all, they had forced the regent empress dowager to yield.
This was both seniority and prestige.
Yet matters would not be so simple.
Before the surveillance officials could celebrate for long, two subsequent imperial rescripts arrived in quick succession.
One was an edict from Empress Dowager Li, questioning the Office of Transmission as to why the palace had not yet received the Senior Grand Secretary's memorial assessing his conduct in office. Had it been lost? They were to explain the matter at once item by item.
The second was an imperial edict from the emperor, commanding all officials who had not yet submitted their self-assessment memorials to do so with haste.
Anyone with discerning eyes could see that these two edicts were spoken from a single mouth.
The target, naturally, was Senior Grand Secretary Gao Gong, who had yet to submit a memorial requesting his own dismissal.
That very day, the Office of Transmission replied to the palace, stating that Senior Grand Secretary Gao Gong's memorial had been accidentally damaged and needed to be recopied, which was why it had been delayed.
On the same day, Minister of War Yang Bo had been preparing his response to an impeachment from the Office of Scrutiny for Revenue, leaving him no time for the court deliberation.
Yet for reasons unknown, the Office of Scrutiny for Revenue announced that their investigation had concluded, quietly withdrew the impeachment, and allowed Minister Yang to attend the court deliberation after all.
As soon as Yang Bo arrived at the deliberation, he received the edict stripping Feng Bao of his post.
Prompted by Feng Bao's impeachment on grounds of ancestral statutes, he openly questioned at court whether Senior Grand Secretary Gao Gong concurrently holding the post of Minister of Personnel conformed to ancestral precedent.
Minister of Rites Lü Diaoyang chimed in at once,
demanding of Censor-in-Chief Ge Shouli whether ancestral statutes were applied selectively depending on the person.
Ge Shouli argued vigorously on principle.
Minister of Justice Liu Ziqiang denounced Yang Bo and Lü Diaoyang for implicating others indiscriminately, accusing them of harboring treacherous intentions and throwing the court into turmoil.
At the same time, Superintendent of Granaries Wang Guoguang recited the text of the edict aloud in court, emphasizing the words "to honor the intent of the ancestors and clearly examine the established statutes."
Since the edict had been issued, how could they turn a blind eye to it? It was only right to ascertain who was failing to respect ancestral statutes.
Feng Bao of the Directorate of Ceremonial seized every opportunity to trample Gao Gong further,
declaring that even the Directorate of Ceremonial could lead by example—why was Gao Gong worse than a mere eunuch?
After being reprimanded by the protocol censor, Feng Bao countered that Ge Shouli directed surveillance officials to impeach him while ignoring Gao Gong, asking if this was not blatant proof of factionalism.
High officials across the Six Ministries, Nine Ministers, and the Seal-holding Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial instantly drew up their battle lines.
Under such circumstances, vice ministers, assistant censors-in-chief, and libationers lacked even the standing to interject.
They could only look on, shivering in silence.
To everyone's surprise, Gao Gong, who stood at the eye of the storm, was merely taken aback at the outset; immediately afterward, he stood at the head of the court ranks as though completely unbothered.
Not only did he offer no defense, he did not utter a single word, as if none of this concerned him and he were merely a detached bystander looking on with cold eyes.
Possessing the guileless curiosity of youth, the emperor asked openly whenever doubts arose.
After court, he inquired of the Senior Grand Secretary why he had offered no defense.
Gao Gong merely replied that he would submit a memorial requesting retirement as soon as possible.
He seemed truly disheartened, harboring the genuine intention to retire.
In a single day, the court erupted in an uproar.
Chapter 36