Chapter 6 Zhang Weixian: The Great Ming is Doomed
Page (1/3)
Next, another official presented a memorial.
“The Secretariat for the Transmission of Government Reports has submitted a memorial concerning the drought in northern Shaanxi... Ten thousand taels are needed for disaster relief.”
Zhu Youjian sat firmly upon the Dragon Throne, his expression unchanged as he once again said, “We shall discuss it later.”
???
The new emperor had uttered “We shall discuss it later” three times in succession, leaving most of the officials at court utterly bewildered.
Yet at that moment, they did not know what else to say.
The emperor had said they would discuss it later; he had not said they would refuse to discuss it.
Could they really step forward and demand that His Majesty make a decision immediately?
All they could do was tactfully mention the urgency of the situation and urge the emperor to reach a decision soon.
Then another official stepped forward.
“I, Vice Censor Yang Suoxiu of the Censorate, impeach Cui Chengxiu, Minister of War!...”
Hearing someone impeach a member of the eunuch faction, the civil and military officials immediately perked up, all ears.
Then they heard those same words again:
“We shall discuss it later.”
Next, a Ministry of Works supervising secretary named Lu Chengyuan stepped forward.
Compared with Yang Suoxiu, he was even more ferocious.
He not only impeached Cui Chengxiu, but Wei Zhongxian as well, bitterly denouncing both men before the assembled officials.
Wei Zhongxian and Cui Chengxiu hurriedly knelt and cried out that they had been wronged.
And what was Zhu Youjian’s attitude?
As before, he said, “We shall discuss it later.”
There could be no doubt about it.
The officials standing in the court were completely baffled by now.
Whether the matter was great or small, everything was to be discussed later. What, exactly, did His Majesty mean?
Was he still sunk in grief over the late emperor’s death and unable to attend to state affairs?
Or was he biding his time, preparing some grand maneuver?
Or perhaps he had not yet figured out how to be an emperor?
Quite a few officials leaned toward the last possibility.
After all, was that not precisely why they had chosen an idle prince who had lost both his parents to become emperor?
Yet Zhang Weixian, Commander of the Capital Garrisons, silently clenched his fists.
As the most powerful figure among the empire’s hereditary nobility, Zhang Weixian appeared outwardly to enjoy boundless glory. In truth, however, he was terrified to his very core.
The reason was simple.
The hereditary nobles shared the fate of the state, and the precedent of the Tumu Crisis still stood before them. His ancestor Zhang Fu had died in that very war.
Now the fighting in Liaodong suffered defeat after defeat, the Later Jin threat grew by the day, and even the most important capital garrisons within the Forbidden City had become rotten through and through.
He had to step forward and do something to change this desperate situation.
But this new emperor... what did he really mean?
In Zhang Weixian’s original expectations, the new emperor had just ascended the throne and would be filled with youthful fervor. He would surely strive to strengthen the empire and govern with diligence.
All Zhang Weixian needed to do was explain the current dangers and interests to him, and the emperor would certainly give his full support to reforming the capital garrisons.
But His Majesty’s repeated “We shall discuss it later” had made Zhang Weixian hesitate.
Did His Majesty intend to ignore all affairs of state?!
Zhang Weixian secretly glanced toward the young man upon the Dragon Throne, attempting to find some clue in his expression.
Page (1/3)
Page (2/3)
Yet from the beginning of the morning audience until now, he had discovered that he could not catch even the slightest useful hint.
And the young new emperor, whose face appeared utterly expressionless, seemed faintly to emanate a predatory pressure that made the flesh crawl.
Zhang Weixian could not help swallowing.
After struggling inwardly for a moment, he decided to persist with his original plan.
When an official of the Court of State Ceremonies called out his name, Zhang Weixian stepped forward.
“Your servant Zhang Weixian has an important matter concerning the capital garrisons to report!”
At the mention of the capital garrisons, all the civil and military officials immediately sharpened their attention.
The capital garrisons, the regional military commands...
Some matters were forbidden even to mention.
Several white-haired elders near the front of the officials narrowed their eyes as they watched Zhang Weixian’s back.
Zhu Youjian, meanwhile, remained seated upon the Dragon Throne, without the slightest change in expression.
“The capital garrisons have more than one hundred and twenty thousand men on their rolls, yet fewer than twenty thousand are fit for battle!”
“...”
“...”
Within the imperial court, Zhang Weixian proceeded to describe the current state of the capital garrisons point by point.
The astonishing embezzlement of soldiers’ pay by claiming wages for nonexistent troops; officers treating common soldiers like household slaves; officers abusing their men at will; rank-and-file soldiers going for months without receiving a single coin of their pay; desertions; training that had been entirely abandoned; a shortage of warhorses; obsolete firearms...
One horrifying example after another ultimately pointed to a single conclusion:
The Ming Empire was doomed!
As they listened to Zhang Weixian, the vast court sank into an eerie silence.
Most of those present already knew about the conditions he described.
But saying it openly before everyone was another matter entirely.
Duke Zhang, what exactly are you plotting by saying all this?
At that moment, in the court so quiet that a needle could be heard falling, everyone waited for the new emperor’s response.
Never mind how much real authority his words carried.
So long as the emperor remained on the throne, his voice represented the highest will in the imperial court.
If His Majesty ordered a thorough investigation, then on the surface they would still have to conduct one.
As for whether the capital garrisons were truly rotten to such an extent, that would no longer be a matter for Duke Zhang alone to determine.
If His Majesty flew into a rage, struck the table, and ordered reforms to the capital garrisons, then as loyal subjects they would naturally kneel at once in trembling submission, bow their heads to the floor, and immediately set about carrying out the order.
Afterward, they would inevitably have to send up a few heads to appease His Majesty’s fury.
But if His Majesty wished to investigate more deeply...
Then there would be many ways to deal with it.
The weather is dry; beware of candles.
It is the twelfth lunar month and the winds are bitter; take care not to fall into the water.
And if all else failed—
Loss of appetite, a frail constitution, frequent illness.
The Great Ming lacked many things, but it certainly did not lack princes surnamed Zhu.
Page (2/3)
Page (3/3)
“We shall discuss this matter later.”
Zhu Youjian’s calm voice drifted down from the Dragon Throne, devoid of even the slightest excess emotion.
It was as though the matter of the capital garrisons were no different from any of the memorials that had come before it.
Many people silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Beside the emperor, Wang Cheng’en and Wei Zhongxian wore the expressions of two illiterate men who could not understand a word being said, as though none of it had anything to do with them.
When Zhang Weixian heard the young man’s answer from the Dragon Throne, he clenched the fist hidden within his sleeve until it trembled.
After saying, “Your servant obeys the imperial command,” he offered no further words and silently returned to his place among the officials.
After that, many more officials presented memorials, but Zhu Youjian’s reply remained the same:
“We shall discuss it later.”
And with every repetition of those words, the oppressive atmosphere in the court gradually gave way to ease and even cheerfulness.
......
The weather in the Northern Metropolitan Province could change in an instant during the eighth and ninth months.
When the officials went to court, the sky had been clear from horizon to horizon. By the time the audience ended, dark clouds had suddenly gathered over the city.
Thick black clouds hung above the heads of the hundreds of high-ranking officials of the Ming Empire who were entitled to attend court assemblies, creating the unmistakable promise of an approaching storm.
Yet even that did not stop the great men from laughing, chatting, and teasing one another.
Getting soaked would be just as well.
Once they returned to their mansions, servants would already be waiting to change their clothes. If they were cold, hot water would be prepared for their baths; if they were hot, ice would never be lacking to cool them.
While changing, they could fondle the smooth, delicate buttocks of the “thin horses” sent from Yangzhou. When they grew tired of play, three or five slaves would be on hand to serve them into sleep.
Was life not beautiful indeed?
Was this not proof enough that our Great Ming was flourishing more splendidly by the day?
Even if it were all merely a beautiful dream, who would be willing to awaken from it?
You ask what happens if the dream shatters?
Change to another bed and continue dreaming, of course.
Boom—
A peal of thunder came first. Then rain poured from the heavens in torrents.
Zhang Weixian walked alone along the bluestone paths of the Forbidden City.
Several familiar military commanders had tried to accompany him, but he had waved them away.
Your Majesty... do you truly intend to ignore every matter of state?!
Are you afraid—or are you simply unwilling to awaken, just like them?!
Boom—
Rain streamed down Zhang Weixian’s face, impossible to distinguish from tears.
“Summon Zhang Weixian to the palace tonight. Cheng’en, see to this personally.”
After the morning audience, in a quiet side room where only the two of them remained, Zhu Youjian gave the order to Wang Cheng’en.
Page (3/3)