Tang Lian, a censor, was a jinshi of the forty-first year of Jiajing. He did not make it into the Hanlin Academy and was assigned to a local post, serving as magistrate of Baodi.
In office he repaired the city wall and dredged the moat. For his merit in defending the city, he caught Gao Gong's eye; only then was he promoted to Secretary in the Ministry of Works and later transferred to become a censor.
This was the most typical patron-protégé relationship in officialdom.
Whenever Gao Gong was impeached and submitted a memorial for retirement as custom required, Tang Lian would join Gao Gong's other disciples and old associates in petitioning to keep the Senior Grand Secretary in office.
Yet this very man was now weeping loudly on his knees, trying to cut all ties with Gao Gong!
He had even gone so far as to say that Gao Gong was deranged.
He was ready to make himself a turncoat, throwing away his reputation among the literati!
Courtiers who had not yet read the memorial were even more alarmed. What on earth was Gao Gong memorializing about, that even such die-hard allies abandoned him?
Zhu Yijun looked at Tang Lian. “Tang Lian, I summoned you ministers to deliberate, not to give you leave to attack a colleague.”
“The Senior Grand Secretary is virtuous and esteemed, a chief minister left by my late father. How dare you defame him as you please!”
Gao Gong had indeed startled him.
But not enough to rob him of reason.
This matter could be small or great.
At its smallest, it was mere impatience and incomplete thought.
At its greatest, it was rebellion!
If his mind slipped and he insisted on classifying it as the latter, it would mean kicking the table over for everyone; until the final moment, how could he bear to have Zhu Xizhong raise the butcher's blade?
This concerned the stability of the court and must not be spoken carelessly.
Take Tang Lian, speaking without any restraint. If Gao Gong is deranged, then what does that make the late emperor who promoted and trusted him? What does that make the new emperor he was meant to assist?
Struggle had its winners and losers, but once one pinned words like “deranged” on a man, the situation could easily slip out of control—unless he had truly hidden five hundred axemen in this side hall, Gao Gong could not be called deranged.
After the court order-keeping official scolded Tang Lian out of court, all the officials finished reading Gao Gong's memorial.
During this, the old and feeble Minister of Justice could not endure standing long and fainted.
People tried to revive him; his limbs responded normally, but his eyes would not open.
This made Gao Gong's partisans even more anxious and helpless.
Zhu Yijun saw everything.
Was Gao Gong's memorial really that powerful? It certainly was.
What were the so-called Five Urgent Matters of the New Administration?
Simply put, first: when holding audience at the palace gate, each office submits its reports, and the emperor answers in person; then the Directorate of Ceremonial has no part to play.
Second: after the emperor returns to the palace from court, he personally handles memorials, so the Two Palaces may no longer meddle with them.
Third: all matters must be reported in person. What if the emperor is inside the palace? In urgent or important cases, ministers must be allowed to seek an audience at any time, and no one may stop them.
Fourth: imperial edicts must obtain the Grand Secretariat's consent before they may be carried out.
Fifth: memorials may not be withheld and left unissued. If someone is stubborn enough to try? The third item is tailor-made for him; then he should not complain if he is dragged out of bed in the middle of the night.
Any single item could throw the court into turmoil, much less all five submitted together.
It could force even Feng Bao and Zhu Yijun onto the same side; the pressure it imposed was imaginable.
Zhu Yijun would not mind agreeing to part of it.
For instance, if the first item were used to abolish the Directorate of Ceremonial, that would help him sweep away Feng Bao; if he was too busy later, he could simply restore it.
But the rest... he could only shake his head.
The second appeared to speak up for the emperor, but he must not forget that the ruler was young and the state was in doubt.
Once the empress dowagers were excluded, leaving him alone to face the Grand Secretariat, it would no longer be amusing.
The last three even made him wonder whether Gao Gong had lost his mind.
Without Grand Secretariat consent, edicts could not leave the Forbidden City. Then who was the emperor—you or me?
You also want memorials reported at any time. If you can drag me out of bed while I am sleeping at midnight, why should I bother being emperor?
Zhu Yijun looked at Lü Diaoyang. “As for the Senior Grand Secretary's proposals, Minister Lü, what is your view?”
He naturally understood why Feng Bao had dragged him out to take the lead.
Gao Gong's memorial ought to be pressed back at the court deliberation if at all possible!
Otherwise, once it reached the palace, the officials endorsing it would no longer be these twenty-odd mouths at court, so easy to manage.
From provincial governors and provincial administration offices down, many were Gao Gong's disciples and old associates.
If it truly caused a great uproar, brushing the memorial aside lightly would be much harder.
So he had to step forward and cut this off at the deliberation.
This was probably one of the countermeasures Feng Bao and Lü Diaoyang had discussed yesterday.
He went along with it tacitly and began by asking Lü what he thought.
Lü Diaoyang had his answer ready in his mind. He bowed and replied, “As to this, I do not agree.”
“Your Majesty is not yet fully grown. Not only must you be diligent in your daily lectures, but you must also attend court and listen to governance. After the mourning period ends, you must also learn archery and military affairs.”
“The Senior Grand Secretary is forcing growth by pulling up the seedlings: demanding personal imperial replies, handling of memorials, and audiences with ministers at any time. In my view, this is absolutely inadvisable!”
His stance was clear.
The emperor was still young and still growing; piling on so much would be more than he could handle. Gao Gong's memorial clearly had ulterior motives!
Zhu Yijun nodded and looked at Wang Guoguang. “Minister Wang, what is your view?”
His order of questioning was calculated.
First, call on all the opponents, one round.
Apart from the herd mentality of people, just the sight of one objecting after another would press down the hesitant ones through sheer psychological pressure.
Wang Guoguang bowed and replied, “I also believe it is wrong.”
“Even this sentence—‘Once the emperor has reviewed it, send all to the Grand Secretariat to draft rescripts and present them for approval; only if it is truly proper may it be issued’—is utterly improper.”
“By the practice of our dynasty, not every memorial requires the Grand Secretariat to draft a rescript before it can be issued.”
“For instance, appointments within the inner court never go through court deliberation. Otherwise, why was Li Jin's appointment to command the Eastern Depot not discussed by the Grand Secretariat yesterday?”
This both spoke for the emperor and reminded him that this was a genuine erosion of imperial authority.
Lest the young emperor fail to understand the implication.
Zhu Yijun smiled and looked at Feng Bao. “Grand Companion Feng, Minister Wang makes some sense. What do you think?”
Feng Bao was expressionless. “Your Majesty, if the Senior Grand Secretary does not need the Directorate of Ceremonial to grant vermilion endorsements, why does he not simply petition for the seal outright?”
Those words cut to the bone.
If the Grand Secretariat wants the right to propose, the right to veto, and requires that imperial edicts pass through it, why not simply take the imperial seal as well?
Zhu Yijun did not answer and continued, “Minister Yang, what do you think?”
Yang Bo hurriedly said, “The wishes of His Majesty and the Empress Dowagers are the wishes of the Ministry of War.”
This old fox.
Zhu Yijun did not ask any of Gao Gong's disciples or old associates at all, leaving men like Ge Shouli, Han Ji, and Luo Zun aside.
After he had barely forced all those he could question to state their positions, only Gao Gong's people remained at court.
Fortunately, it came to nearly half.
Zhu Yijun passed over certain men and said, as though to himself, “Since half the court does not approve of the Senior Grand Secretary's memorial, there is no need to deliberate further.”
“He may as well return and polish and revise it.”
By the time he finished revising, Gao Gong's memorial requesting retirement would already have received its vermilion endorsement.
Lü Diaoyang immediately bowed. “His Majesty is wise!”
Wang Guoguang, Yang Bo, Zhang Siwei, and others followed suit, bowing to respectfully receive the imperial decree.
Zhu Heng and others, a beat late, hastily echoed.
At this moment, everyone began glancing at Ge Shouli from the corners of their eyes.
Ge Shouli was dazed for a while, but in the end he too bowed and accepted the order.
Only then did the officials breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Even Zhu Yijun and Feng Bao, standing above the imperial steps, could not help exchanging a glance and letting out long breaths.
Just as the two relaxed, suddenly the eunuch whom Feng Bao had sent to fetch Gao Gong's retirement memorial came in from the side hall, panic all over his face.
Zhu Yijun's heart sank at the sight.
He watched the eunuch whisper a few words into Feng Bao's ear.
Feng Bao's expression changed drastically. “What?!”
Then, disregarding decorum, he turned and stepped down from the imperial steps.
Dragging the young eunuch with him, he left the regular court audience through the side passage!
Feng Bao could leave, but Zhu Yijun could not just drop everything and walk off so casually.
He sat quietly until the deliberation ended.
It was not a military coup; there was no need for every second to count.
For one who holds power, composure in the face of great matters is an essential quality.
When the deliberation ended and the officials dispersed, Zhu Yijun called only Lü Diaoyang to stay.
The two walked out of Wenhua Hall one after the other.
Zhu Yijun asked first, “Minister Lü, is there nothing you wish to instruct me?”
Lü Diaoyang deflected. “If Your Majesty has doubts, I will tell you all I know.”
Zhu Yijun had no mood for beating around the bush. Waving his hand, he asked directly, “What do you think of the Senior Grand Secretary's memorial?”
Lü Diaoyang hesitated. “Your Majesty, I answered at court...”
Zhu Yijun stopped and turned around sharply.
He fixed his eyes on Lü Diaoyang and said, word by word, “Minister Lü, this is a grave matter. Do not answer me with empty words.”
Unable to evade, Lü Diaoyang sighed and said helplessly, “Since Your Majesty already knows, why press me?”
This was already a complaint.
Lü Diaoyang truly feared saying the wrong thing again.
Zhu Yijun shook his head. “The Senior Grand Secretary is pressing me. With the other two Grand Secretaries absent, I can only trust you, Minister Lü.”
With that, he seemed to lose interest.
Without waiting for an answer, he continued walking.
Lü Diaoyang looked at the emperor's helpless back and felt oddly lost.
He paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth and hurried after him.
Walking beside the emperor, he lowered his voice. “Your Majesty, this move of the Senior Grand Secretary is meant to abolish the Directorate of Ceremonial! To shut out the Two Palaces! Even to restrict Your Majesty!”
“It violates the way of a subject. I cannot tolerate it!”
Only then did Zhu Yijun slow down and wait for Lü Diaoyang to catch up.
He turned his head and looked at Lü Diaoyang, saying desolately, “Minister Lü, why does the Senior Grand Secretary treat me like this?”
Lü Diaoyang was silent.
As they spoke, Zhang Hong came jogging up from a distance.
Zhang Hong stopped nearby and did not speak at once.
He glanced at Lü Diaoyang, his eyes asking Zhu Yijun for permission.
Zhu Yijun was displeased. “Minister Lü is a trusted minister. What you tell me, you tell him. Why hide it? Report.”
Zhang Hong bowed in acknowledgment and reported, “Your Majesty, something happened at the Office of Transmission just now.”
“The man Feng Bao sent to fetch the memorial was told by the Office of Transmission that the memorial had already been taken by the Directorate of Ceremonial.”
“The two sides argued.”
Zhu Yijun took a deep breath to keep joy and anger from showing on his face.
He rubbed his brow, looking as though he had a headache.
Lü Diaoyang could not help asking, “Did Feng Bao not go himself? Did they resolve it?”
Zhang Hong glanced at the emperor. Seeing no objection, he felt reassured.
He nodded to Lü Diaoyang and answered, “Feng Bao went back to the Directorate of Ceremonial precisely because of this, so of course he found out.”
“It was the attendant eunuch on duty who took the memorial.”
Lü Diaoyang was stunned. “Where is the memorial?”
Zhu Yijun suddenly raised his hand and cut them off.
His expression unreadable, he muttered, “The memorial... was sent to Ciqing Palace, wasn't it?”
Lü Diaoyang realized what had happened!
A chill ran through him!
He turned sharply to Zhang Hong, hoping to get an answer.
Under Lü Diaoyang's horrified gaze, Zhang Hong nodded slowly. “Yes. The attendant eunuch submitted the memorial to Empress Dowager Chen.”
Zhu Yijun nodded.
He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
The clouds parted, the sun appeared, and the truth was clear.
So that was it. Everything made sense.
Though half a step late, he finally understood what Gao Gong was relying on, and what Gao Gong was planning.
No wonder.
No wonder Gao Gong dared submit this Memorial on the Five Urgent Matters of the New Administration.
No wonder he was close to Chen Hong; when Gao Gong impeached Feng Bao, Chen Hong secretly delivered his memorial for him.
No wonder Gao Gong dared openly block and return Consort Li's decrees.
No wonder Gao Gong dared promise Wang Chonggu a seat in the Grand Secretariat, and cared nothing for the emperor's right to education.
No wonder he had previously discovered discord between the Two Palaces.
No wonder, after transmigrating, his first visit to Empress Chen had been met with a closed door.
Every one of them was an actor.
He suddenly understood why Consort Li had acted so contradictorily in history.
If she thought Gao Gong monopolized power and must be dismissed, then Zhang Juzheng afterward was even more so—why was he allowed?
She drove away Gao Gong, yet allowed Zhang Juzheng, as Senior Grand Secretary, to control the Ministry of Personnel, serve as imperial tutor, and be titled Pillar of State.
This was a complete upgrade of Gao Gong. Why could she tolerate it?
Even with Feng Bao putting in a good word, she should have been at least somewhat wary.
So the root was here...
He suddenly connected it to history: after Gao Gong was dismissed, Zhang Juzheng's first act was to give the Two Palaces the same honorary title, erasing Empress Dowager Li's last shred of weakness and making her equal to Empress Dowager Chen.
He suddenly understood why Feng Bao, who bullied Emperor Wanli and whom the emperor angrily denounced as “deceiving the sovereign, blighting the state, guilty of grave crimes,” was not executed. Protected by Consort Li, he was only sent to Southern Zhili to die in peace.
Zhu Yijun had forgotten these details.
Now, connecting them, he recalled them.
He even remembered that before Gao Gong was dismissed, this Memorial on the Five Urgent Matters of the New Administration, whose contents he could not remember, had clearly been approved!
The sentence—‘On the fourth day after it was submitted, the reply came: Having reviewed what you have submitted, we find it greatly beneficial to the new administration, clearly demonstrating loyal devotion; carry it out as proposed.’—hovered before his eyes and would not leave.
Who approved it?
The emperor and Empress Dowager Li would never have approved it. Who else could it be? It went without saying.
Zhu Yijun finally saw everything clearly.
The fog of history was half concealed and half revealed.
The Veritable Records glossed over faults and dressed them up.
They had truly hidden a great surprise for him!
Once everything was clear, he suddenly smiled. Who said this Senior Grand Secretary was not skilled in political scheming?
Zhu Yijun looked at Lü Diaoyang. “Minister Lü, why not return to the Ministry of Rites and see? If my guess is correct, the Senior Grand Secretary should be at the Ministry of Rites this morning.”
Lü Diaoyang was still dazed. Hearing this, he looked up blankly. “What does Your Majesty mean...?”
Zhu Yijun shook his head and did not answer.
He stood by the road and waited quietly.
After a short while, Jiang Keqian appeared in the distance, running toward them.
Zhu Yijun said to Lü Diaoyang, “Minister Lü, let us make a wager. If the Senior Grand Secretary was at the Ministry of Rites this morning, will you enter the Grand Secretariat afterward to assist in governance and support me in implementing the new administration?”
Hearing this, Lü Diaoyang's heart was thrown into disorder.
He was about to answer, but the emperor did not give him the chance, walking toward Jiang Keqian.
Lü Diaoyang's mind was still buzzing, and he followed instinctively.
Just as they drew near, he heard the emperor say, “Is it about the Senior Grand Secretary?”
Jiang Keqian managed only a few quick breaths before saying urgently, “The Senior Grand Secretary was at the Ministry of Rites this morning and settled the honorary titles of the Two Palaces!”
Lü Diaoyang's heart jolted!
Combined with the memorial being taken earlier, he finally understood what it meant!
Clinging to a last hope, he asked, “What honorary titles were settled for the Two Palaces!?”
Jiang Keqian was a practical man.
Unable to memorize such things, he copied them onto a slip of paper and kept it.
Now, questioned, he took the slip from his sleeve and presented it.
Lü Diaoyang looked at the emperor. The emperor waved casually.
Only then did Lü Diaoyang carefully take it.
After one glance, he read aloud in an involuntary murmur, “The honorary titles of the Two Palaces look to ancient precedents. Only Emperor Xianzong honored his principal mother, the Empress, as Empress Dowager Ciyi, and his birth mother, the Imperial Noble Consort, as Empress Dowager.”
“Today's matter is exactly the same. Therefore, honor His Majesty's principal mother, the Empress Dowager, as Empress Dowager Rensheng.”
“Honor His Majesty's birth mother, the Empress Dowager, as... Empress Dowager.”
Having read this far, he suddenly staggered two steps. His hands went limp, and the slip of paper fluttered to the ground.
Zhang Hong, quick-eyed, hurried to support Lü Diaoyang.
Lü Diaoyang came back to himself, looked at the emperor, and said hoarsely, “I will return to the Ministry of Rites at once and stop the memorial!”
Zhu Yijun nodded. “Grand Companion Zhang, see Minister Lü off for me.”
He watched Lü Diaoyang walk away.
Slowly, he bent down and picked up the slip of paper.
He naturally knew that Lü Diaoyang returning now was already too late.
Gao Gong had used the memorial on the five urgent matters at the court deliberation to force them to respond.
His purpose was to take advantage of Lü Diaoyang's absence, go to the Ministry of Rites for a ministerial deliberation, and settle the honorary titles of the Two Palaces with the vice ministers and chancellors.
Then, taking advantage of the fact that he alone was on duty in the Grand Secretariat, he had the drafted rescript passed.
By now, the memorial had probably been sent to Empress Dowager Chen as well.
Do not dismiss it as a mere two-character difference.
This concerns rank, this concerns righteousness, this concerns the symbols of legitimate status.
A difference of two characters, and high and low are set at once!
If those two characters were settled, an Empress Dowager facing Empress Dowager Rensheng would have no room to fight back.
Gao Gong, with Empress Dowager Chen's support, was almost a replay of Empress Dowager Li and Zhang Juzheng.
He would even go further! Zhang Juzheng still had to watch Feng Bao's mood when he acted!
If Gao Gong truly gathered the Directorate of Ceremonial's power into the Grand Secretariat, and used Empress Dowager Chen to act in the emperor's place, everyone would be crushed under Gao Gong until they could not breathe!
Zhu Yijun even wondered whether this identity of his was some kind of innate body born to be suppressed.
A minor emperor, at the slightest misstep, could be saddled with the name of unfilial.
His birth mother was manageable, but if he were given an unexpected mother-empress not of one mind with him, what could he use to contend with Gao Gong?
Gao Gong!
What a Gao Gong!
The heroes of the realm were truly like carp crossing a river!
Zhu Yijun put the slip into his robe and recorded this lesson—the half-concealment of the history books had made him suffer for it.
He looked at Jiang Keqian. “Go. Tell Chen Mingyan to come to Qianqing Palace tonight to see me.”
“I will first go see the future ‘Empress Dowager Rensheng’.”
Gao Gong's move, subtle and traceless, was indeed astonishing.
But he had not forgotten that in history, Gao Gong was ultimately dismissed.
This round was not over yet!
Chapter 39