Chapter 4: All the Royal Clan Must Be Executed
Wei Zhongxian once again felt a lump in his throat, but he only froze for a second before quickly kneeling to the ground.
The Emperor had only said that he wished to pass away peacefully in the Directorate of Ceremonial, and although the latter half of the sentence remained unspoken, Wei Zhongxian would not let those words fall to the ground unheard.
“Your Majesty, I have one more matter to report! I am aged and my spirit waning; I can no longer bear the responsibilities of Supervisor of the Eastern Depot.”
“I humbly beseech Your Majesty’s mercy to permit me to resign from this post!”
Compared to Wei Zhongxian, Wang Cheng’en’s reaction was even more intense. His eyes reddened, and his hands trembled uncontrollably.
Your Majesty... for the Son of Heaven himself to show such grace to us eunuchs and take on such responsibility—who else would not be willing to die for Your Majesty in the future?
Heaven bless our Great Ming, Heaven bless our Great Ming!
“Granted.”
“Cheng’en, draft an edict tomorrow. Promote Wei Zhongxian, the Directorate of Ceremonial’s Chief Eunuch, to Chief of the Directorate, and elevate Wang Cheng’en to Chief Eunuch, while temporarily assigning him to oversee the Eastern Depot.”
“I thank Your Majesty for this great favor!”
“I will obey Your Majesty’s command!”
Watching the two kneeling before him, Zhu Youjian waved at Wei Zhongxian, “Go and attend to your duties properly.”
Wei Zhongxian knelt once more in gratitude, then clutching the treasured sword at his side, he departed.
Even upon leaving the hall and returning to his post at the Directorate of Ceremonial, Wei Zhongxian felt somewhat light-headed.
Having served alongside the late Emperor for so many years, he had never heard such heartwarming words before.
At the same time, his mind involuntarily returned to the Donglin faction, those who sought to condemn him to death, and a burning fury welled up inside him.
To the damned Donglin bastards, I curse your very existence!
You want to kill me.
But as long as the Emperor keeps his sacred mouth shut, no one can kill me!
The Emperor even said I should die holding the seal of the Directorate of Ceremonial.
I want to see how long you scoundrels can keep deceiving His Majesty.
And all those disobedient godsons—each and every one deserves death!
Now that I am about to lose power, you think you can switch sides and join the Donglin rebels?
Take a look at yourselves—if it weren’t for me, would those self-righteous Donglin scoundrels even glance your way?
After I die, the next to go will be you!
Now is the perfect time.
Since death is inevitable, I will use your lives as the first token of loyalty I offer to His Majesty!
After Wei Zhongxian left, Zhu Youjian took a sip of fragrant tea to soothe his throat, then spoke again to Wang Cheng’en:
“Send someone to the Imperial Kitchen to fetch some sour plum juice for the guards and palace maids on duty, to ease the summer heat.”
Wang Cheng’en immediately summoned a young eunuch to handle the matter.
It was now the height of summer, the months of August and September.
The Forbidden City was sweltering, but what kind of life did the eunuchs and palace maids endure inside these walls?
Not to mention a moment’s relief from the heat, some had not even received their monthly stipends for several months.
There was no choice; with internal strife and external troubles, the fate of these people, regarded as mere grass by others, had to be temporarily endured.
Thus, a single bowl of sour plum juice moved everyone on duty to tears.
At that moment, Zhu Youjian sat alone in a remote chamber, listening to the grateful praises outside.
His face betrayed no expression, but his fingers twitched beneath his sleeves.
If even those closest attendants in the Imperial City were thus, what of the common folk elsewhere?
What kind of lives were they leading?
He glanced at the scroll in his hand, and a growing fire of anger flared within him.
It was titled the “Register of Ming Imperial Clan.”
In Henan Province alone, there were seven princes recorded.
Take the lineage of the Prince of Fu, for example—their documented fertile lands exceeded two million mu.
The cultivated land they occupied surpassed half of the entire province’s arable land.
And all of it was entirely exempt from taxation.
Elsewhere, the situation was even more outrageous.
Shanxi’s annual tax revenue was barely one to two million dan of grain.
Yet the salaries of the local royal clan amounted to over three million dan.
Staring at these staggering figures, Zhu Youjian narrowed his eyes.
With such parasites in existence, how could the empire advance?
If that was the case, then eliminate them all.
He felt no burden in making such a decision.
If sacrificing his own life could bring the empire to its zenith, he would die without hesitation.
He would even kill himself—why then care about the lives of the imperial clan?
One must hold firm ideals and extreme faith.
Anyone who blocks the path must be eliminated.
Zhu Youjian took a deep breath, committing the names to memory.
After steadying his emotions, he summoned Wang Cheng’en again:
“Bring Xu Yingyuan here.”
“Yes,” Wang Cheng’en replied with a bow.
Leaving the hall, Wang Cheng’en felt uneasy.
He and Xu Yingyuan were both veterans from the Xin Prince’s household and shared some rapport.
Now that the Emperor was aware of Xu Yingyuan’s embezzlement of twenty thousand taels, how would His Majesty handle the matter?
Old friend... your fate is now in your own hands.
Soon after, Wang Cheng’en brought Xu Yingyuan to the remote chamber.
Following the proper greeting, Zhu Youjian spoke plainly:
“Hand over fifteen thousand taels of the silver you took to the Imperial Treasury; keep the remaining five thousand for yourself. From now on, serve your duties well.”
Xu Yingyuan broke out in a cold sweat. He had only collected the silver during the day—how did the Emperor already know by nightfall?
To be honest, he did have selfish motives in pocketing some silver, but there was no disloyalty in his heart.
When they were still at the Xin Prince’s mansion, the Emperor had shown them eunuchs no favor.
He had to find a way to save some money for his old age.
Was that so unreasonable?
With the Emperor’s disposition, now that his embezzlement was discovered, wouldn’t he be immediately expelled from the palace?
In his panic, Xu Yingyuan only caught the first five words of the Emperor’s sentence, ignoring the rest.
He knelt hastily, banging his head on the ground: “I deserve death! I deserve death! I...”
“Enough!” Zhu Youjian waved his hand.
The previous occupant of this body rarely regarded eunuchs as human, causing them great fear.
But from his memories, this Xu Yingyuan was loyal and capable, though greedy.
To Zhu Youjian, greed was inevitable.
He allowed taking money but insisted on limits, and that the work be done properly.
“Cheng’en, draft an edict tomorrow. Promote Xu Yingyuan to Supervisor of the Imperial Kitchen. From this day forth, my meals will be entirely under the Imperial Kitchen’s charge, no longer routed through the Ministry of Rites.”
“Also, from that eighty thousand taels, keep five thousand for yourself and submit the rest to the Imperial Treasury.”
“I obey Your Majesty’s command!”
Wang Cheng’en breathed a sigh of relief on Xu Yingyuan’s behalf and genuinely rejoiced in the Emperor’s decision.
That’s right—using those brought from the Xin Prince’s household is far more reliable than palace insiders.
As for the silver the Emperor bestowed, he paid it little mind.
“Xu Yingyuan.”
“I-I am here!”
Xu Yingyuan still had not fully processed the situation.
The Emperor not only did not blame him but appointed him to oversee the Imperial Kitchen?
Was this still the same harsh and ungracious Emperor from before?
“Do your duties well at the Imperial Kitchen. Also, find some talented and loyal physicians and keep them there. Begin arrangements immediately.”
Matters of food, clothing, and shelter must be tightly controlled by those he trusted.
“I... I obey Your Majesty’s command!”