Chapter 28: The Chongzhen Emperor's Greatest Lackey!

Zhu Cilang gazed at the civil and military officials standing before him, who appeared little more than a collection of clowns, and could not suppress a cold sneer in his heart. Yet, on the surface, he maintained a look of feigned helplessness.

"Gentlemen, it is not that I refuse to let you see His Majesty, but that in his current condition, he is simply unable to receive you. His Majesty’s temperament is extremely unstable; he speaks of killing the moment he wakes, and spends the rest of his time in a stupor. In such circumstances, what would you have me do? I promise you all that as soon as His Majesty’s health improves, I will grant you an audience."

Upon hearing these words, a fresh wave of wailing erupted throughout the court. Everyone understood that the re-establishment of the Eastern and Western Depots could no longer be stopped.

Zhu Cilang, having no desire to entertain these people any longer, added, "If there is no further business to report, the court is dismissed."

Just as he was preparing to leave, Zhou Yanru suddenly stepped forward. "Your Highness, I have one more matter to submit!"

Zhu Cilang felt a sense of weariness but sat back down. "Speak, Minister."

Zhou Yanru spoke in a loud, resonant voice: "Your Highness, the matter of the former Senior Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan’s corruption and bribery has been suppressed for too long. The investigation has already confirmed his guilt. I implore Your Highness to issue a decree to punish him!"

As soon as these words were uttered, the ministers who had previously appeared half-dead seemed suddenly invigorated, as if injected with stimulants. One after another, they stepped forward.

"I second this motion!"
"I also second this motion!"
"I also second this motion!"

*Xue Guoguan...*

Zhu Cilang pondered the name, and a realization dawned on him. This was the very man who had once advised the Chongzhen Emperor to squeeze money out of the nobility! He had also been the Senior Grand Secretary under Chongzhen. However, unlike the other cabinet officials and ministers, this man was a complete outlier.

Consider his record: When the Chongzhen Emperor first ascended the throne, he deeply loathed Wei Zhongxian and his eunuch faction. Consequently, every time Xue Guoguan attended court, he would engage in bitter struggles with the eunuchs, constantly impeaching them until they were miserable. After the eunuch faction fell, the Donglin faction became dominant, and the Emperor grew to hate them as well. Thus, Xue Guoguan immediately turned his combativeness toward the Donglin faction, impeaching them frequently and leaving them in a state of disarray.

Later, when the Emperor ran out of money, it was Xue Guoguan who suggested extracting funds from the nobility. He even had the audacity to warn the Emperor right in front of Wang Chengen to be wary of eunuchs meddling in state affairs, leaving Wang Chengen—who was standing right there—speechless.

Yet, not long after, Xue Guoguan was suddenly attacked by everyone, accused of corruption and bribery. In truth, this was hardly a grave matter; after all, for someone to reach the position of Senior Grand Secretary, a little embezzlement was common. But for reasons unknown, the Emperor flew into a rage, had Xue Guoguan arrested, and ordered a thorough investigation into his crimes. Since Xue Guoguan had never been one to fit in, there was no one to speak for him, and the evidence against him piled up. In the original timeline, he was destined to be executed by the Emperor that very year—one of the few Senior Grand Secretaries to suffer such a fate.

To Zhu Cilang, however, Xue Guoguan was a genuine talent. Looking at his track record, he was neither a member of the eunuch faction, nor the Donglin, nor the Chu or Zhe factions. He was purely and simply the Emperor’s loyal hound—a true member of the "Imperial Party." Whoever the Emperor hated, he attacked; whatever the Emperor wanted to do, he provided the strategy. Though his methods were often ruthless, his intentions were always aligned with the Emperor’s interests.

The Emperor must have understood this, which was why he had promoted him all the way to the position of Senior Grand Secretary. Why, then, kill him in the end? If he had kept him in the cabinet, it would not have been so easy for the Donglin faction to seize total control of the court. Zhu Cilang could not fathom it. Even if Xue Guoguan were corrupt, incompetent, or treacherous, he was, at the end of the day, the Emperor’s number one man! The Emperor’s most loyal dog!

If you kill him, how are others who aspire to serve the Emperor supposed to feel? Isn't it a clear message that serving the Emperor leads to a miserable end? Who, then, would dare to follow the Emperor? If this continued, wouldn't the Emperor simply isolate himself?

With this thought, Zhu Cilang reached a decision. He looked at Zhou Yanru and the others and said, "Xue Guoguan was, after all, a Senior Grand Secretary. I cannot make this decision alone; I must consult His Majesty. At tomorrow’s morning court, I will provide you all with an answer."

Zhou Yanru and the others felt a sense of helplessness. They could not stop the re-opening of the Depots, and now, it seemed even killing a loyal lackey of the Emperor was proving difficult. But with things as they were, they had no other recourse.

Wang Chengen announced the dismissal of the court, and the ministers dispersed. As Zhu Cilang prepared to leave, Wang Chengen asked, "Your Highness, are you going to discuss state affairs with the cabinet today?"

Normally, the cabinet worked alongside the Emperor, but with the Emperor incapacitated, the Crown Prince regent should take his place. However, the mere thought of the faces of Zhou Yanru and his cabinet cronies filled Zhu Cilang with disgust.

"I have no desire to go. Just find some excuse to brush them off. You take a few secretaries with you instead. Once they have processed the documents, bring them to me for review."

In the Ming Dynasty, while the cabinet held great power, the final step always rested in the Emperor’s hands. As long as the Emperor did not approve, no decree could be issued, so Zhu Cilang was not worried about the cabinet causing trouble.

After returning to the Fengtian Hall, Zhu Cilang summoned Luo Yangxing, Fang Zhenghua, and another eunuch named Gao Yushun. Gao Yushun was not famous in history, but he was a loyal official who, upon hearing of the Emperor’s suicide, chose to immolate himself in his honor. Until his own young eunuchs could command the secret police, these were men he could utilize.

"Your Highness!" the three bowed in unison.

Zhu Cilang went straight to the point: "Two things. I have announced the re-establishment of the Eastern and Western Depots today. The Western Depot is entrusted to Fang Zhenghua, and the Eastern Depot to Gao Yushun. Each of you shall select loyal men to staff them; if you need anything, come to me directly. I have only one requirement: these men must be absolutely loyal to me.

"Secondly, I intend to expand the Jinyiwei. One hundred thousand is too many; let us set the target at fifty thousand for now. Luo Yangxing, I leave this to you. Are there any questions?"

This rapid succession of orders left the three men stunned.