The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 327 Slander
Grand Master's Mansion.

Li Xianmu sat at the head of the table, below him were the ministers he had been watching. After exchanging glances, they all asked Li Xianmu with a puzzled look, "I wonder what important matter the Grand Secretary has summoned us for? Whatever your instructions are, we will obey them wholeheartedly."

Li Xianmu said unhurriedly, "Just now in the hall, I had a dispute with the emperor. Please remember it."

The group of people felt a chill run down their spines and began to speak.

"His Majesty is young and doesn't understand things, but the Grand Secretary is magnanimous and will probably not hold it against His Majesty."

"In the end, it is still up to the Grand Secretary to shoulder the responsibility of this vast empire. Although His Majesty is in charge of the government, he still needs to learn. The matter of Luchuan should be put to rest."

"Yes, it would be better to ask the Empress Dowager to intervene and let His Majesty observe the government. The matter of Luchuan is already beyond repair."

"He is a pillar of the state, a true leader; who in the court would not admire him?"

Those who could come to the Grand Tutor's mansion were all considered Li Xianmu's confidants. They were naturally quite dissatisfied with the emperor, so they were not very polite in their speech.

Although there was no direct insult, these words were even harsher than verbal abuse, directly denying the emperor's right to control the government and representing a blatant attempt to seize power.

However, they all knew in their hearts that this was impossible. The emperor's throne was quite stable to some extent, and in this era, there was no possibility of shaking the emperor's throne.

Unless one possesses military power and the ability to defeat all the princes and nobles of the royal family, including the hereditary guards and meritorious officials spread throughout the Ming Dynasty.

Otherwise, if there were any changes in the capital, countless princes would immediately rise up in rebellion. The enfeoffment system was indeed a threat to the emperor, but it was quite effective in protecting one family or clan.

Li Xianmu had no intention of seizing power, and simply said, "If Your Majesty insists on making a decision, your positions may need to be changed."

Upon hearing this, the people in the hall immediately tensed up.

"Does the Grand Secretary mean that His Majesty will replace him with his own people and then forcefully push this matter through?"

The group exchanged glances and immediately realized what Li Xianmu was talking about. They happened to be the ministers of the major departments that were preparing for the Luchuan Campaign, and they were also Li Xianmu's biggest helpers in holding the key to foreign war.

The Minister of the Central Bank immediately retorted angrily, "Isn't five million taels of silver enough for extravagance? If you want more, you'll have to step over my dead body."

The Minister of Taxation said coldly, "I think His Majesty wants to impose exorbitant taxes and transfer the funds to the provinces. I, the Minister of Taxation, am the thorn in his side, since I have rejected all the orders he has issued."

"How can high-ranking officials be appointed or dismissed arbitrarily without going through the cabinet? This is not in accordance with established practice."

The Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs angrily retorted, "Without the Phoenix Pavilion and Luan Terrace, there is no way to establish regulations! Does the Emperor not understand this principle?"

Li Xianmu raised his eyes and said, "The cabinet is not the prime minister's institution after all. Even the power to approve imperial edicts does not belong to the cabinet. Legally speaking, the emperor can take it back. The reason why it is still held by the cabinet is because the Empress Dowager did not take it back after she took over the government."

Now that the emperor is in power, he possesses this authority, and given what has happened today, it seems the imperial edicts will be revoked and taken back by the Directorate of Ceremonial.

After Li Xianmu said this, the expressions of the group became even more unpleasant. After Li Xianmu's series of changes, the cabinet became increasingly powerful, almost restoring the strength of the prime minister's institution during the Tang and Song dynasties. Due to his own reasons, Li Xianmu's power even reached that of the prime ministers of the Qin and Han dynasties and even the prime ministers of the pre-Qin period.

In essence, Li Xianmu simply used various complex institutional designs to ensure that all major court affairs had to go through the cabinet and be decided by the Grand Secretaries, thereby gaining immense power.

Just like Samsung in modern South Korea, the Lee family itself does not own many shares, but through various complex corporate equity designs, they have formed a huge cross network and firmly grasped the actual control of Samsung.

The cabinet is still the same today; it is still an office of a fifth-rank official, not an office of a prime minister!
The men paled in shock. The future described by Li Xianmu was simply unacceptable to them. They had been selected by Li Xianmu from among countless talents and entrusted with important responsibilities, and naturally they were all people with a passion for serving the country. Now, seeing the emperor acting recklessly, they were naturally indignant.

"Prime Minister, we are willing to die for this cause!"

"As soon as the Grand Secretary gives the order, we will immediately kneel before the palace gates and beg the Emperor to rescind his decree."

“Yes, even the emperor cannot sit idly by and watch the world in crisis. If we submit a petition together, we will surely be able to persuade the emperor to rescind his order.”

All of them were filled with righteous indignation.

People's hearts can be won over.

Li Xianmu sighed slightly, but gently waved his hand, signaling everyone to calm down. "There are some things that are useless for you to do. What if the emperor ignores you when you kneel at the palace gate?"
"It would only result in needless casualties. I alone am sufficient. I called you all here today to reassure you. If things go wrong, do not act rashly. Preserve your lives; you will be of great use in the future."

Li Xianmu's words did nothing to appease them; instead, they made them uneasy. Judging from the Grand Secretary's tone, it seemed he didn't want to go against the Emperor anymore.

But no one spoke out. After a moment's hesitation, they all bowed and left. After they left, Li Xianmu's second son, Li Fuyu, came up to the hall and asked in a strange voice what the others were thinking, "Father, what you just said meant that you want to indulge the emperor?"

Li Xianmu stood up, put his hands behind his back, and stood in front of the hall, gazing into the distance at the clouds. Li Fuyu stood behind him, calm and composed, without saying a word.

a long time.

Li Xianmu slowly spoke, "The emperor is born with prestige, a prestige that his subjects can only match after many years of hard work. I have worked diligently for thirty years and have the blood of the Zhu imperial family, which is why I can stand in the court and openly rebuke the emperor, who does not even dare to reply."

But there is one thing that is fair in this world: prestige is not static.

Fairness and dignity reside in people's hearts and will not change because of status. When you achieve something, your prestige will increase; when you do something wrong, your prestige will decrease.

Even the emperor is no exception.

If possible, I would naturally want to stop the matter in Luchuan, but if I cannot stop it, then let the Emperor face defeat. Only after defeat will he perhaps mature; even if he doesn't, there are some things his words will no longer carry weight.”

Li Fuyu was shocked. After a long while, he asked in a low voice, "Father, do you think that after today's morning court session, the emperor will still not listen to your advice, but will instead go his own way and even bypass the cabinet to appoint his own person as the minister, thereby directly launching an expanded campaign against the Hualuchuan?"

"inevitable!"

"Father, do you think you can't stop His Majesty if he insists on doing things his own way?" Li Xianmu calmly replied, "If an emperor is determined to do something, his subjects cannot stop him. This is true of the relocation of the capital and the deposition of the empress. This is the nature of the Ming Dynasty."

Li Fuyu naturally understood that his father had explained the Ming Dynasty's institutional design and checks and balances to him countless times, and he knew the power of the imperial authority better than anyone else.

The system, spearheaded by Zhu Yuanzhang and further refined and strengthened by Zhu Di, ensured the stability of imperial power. Therefore, even after the Tumu Crisis, during the reign of Emperor Wuzong in the mid-Ming Dynasty, the killing of civil officials was as ruthless as killing dogs.

A group of top civil officials were killed by eunuchs like dogs. This kind of thing only happened in the Han and Tang dynasties.

Even during the Jiajing era, a mere successor emperor was able to join forces with Empress Dowager Zhang and Yang Tinghe to oppose the Great Rites Controversy, a bizarre event.

If this were the Han Dynasty, they would have done what the Marquis of Haihun did: found over a thousand faults in just over twenty days, then deposed the emperor and installed a new one.

Such verbal stunts as the Great Rites Controversy could only occur in dynasties like the Song and Ming, where civil officials controlled everything. In eras where military generals were powerful, there were direct palace coups and military uprisings, like the Xuanwu Gate Incident, which resulted in rivers of blood.

"What about Luchuan?"

“Since we can’t stop it, we’ll do it to the best of our ability!” Li Xianmu turned around and said solemnly, “I have already sent your elder brother to the Yunnan Provincial Administration Commission to take over the local government affairs and the Ming spies there. Before the troops move, the spies will go first.”

Li Fuyu nodded. Intelligence is crucial in war, and his elder brother is a meticulous person, making him best suited for this kind of task.

"Is there anything I can do for my child?"

"You stay in the capital for now and keep an eye on public opinion among the scholars."

"My son understands."

Li Fuyu knew perfectly well that this was an attempt to create public opinion, and that his father still hoped the emperor would change his mind.

After Li Fuyu left, Li Xianmu remained standing in front of the hall, gazing at the clouds drifting across the sky. Unlike his son Li Fuyu, he had not expected the emperor to change his mind. He sighed softly, “Jealousy can make people lose their minds, and anger can blind them. When everything calms down, everything will be over.”

……

royal palace.

The emperor had just returned to his palace when Empress Dowager Sun summoned him. As soon as he entered the hall, Empress Dowager Sun asked urgently, "Your Majesty, I heard that you argued with the Grand Secretary in court?"

Zhu Qizhen was furious and said, "Mother, Li Xianmu, relying on his status as an elder and a regent, showed no respect for his son and made me lose face in front of the court."

Moreover, he had clearly promised me to lead the Luchuan Campaign, but now he has gone back on his word and wants to stop. I think he is afraid that if I win, my prestige will rise and affect his authority in the court. His intentions are simply despicable!
What kind of loyal minister?
I think he is...

"Be careful what you say!" Empress Dowager Sun glared at Zhu Qizhen, then softened her voice and said, "The Grand Secretary is not that kind of person. He is still loyal and upright. Tell your mother in detail what happened in court today."

Although Empress Dowager Sun's relationship with Li Xianmu was not particularly close, she had seen a lot about him over the years. Moreover, the late emperor trusted Li Xianmu so much that she had been influenced by him. To this day, although she was occasionally dissatisfied with Li Xianmu's excessive power, she had never doubted Li Xianmu's loyalty and integrity.

Zhu Qizhen was even angrier than he expected that the Empress Dowager would not stand on his side. He didn't want to speak and pointed at Wang Zhen, saying, "Mr. Wang, you speak to the Empress Dowager."

Wang Zhen wore a fawning smile. He realized that the Empress Dowager still trusted Li Xianmu to some extent, so it might not be appropriate to speak ill of him directly. Therefore, he rolled his eyes and, in a slightly distorted tone, embellished the words spoken in court that day.

Such words can sometimes be very damaging. For example, the famous Gao Gong said, "How can a ten-year-old crown prince govern the country?" which was twisted into "How can a ten-year-old crown prince be a ruler?" In an instant, his concern for the country turned into a desire to change the emperor.

This led to Gao Gong's downfall.

Li Xianmu was certainly not polite to the emperor in the palace today, but he still spoke with some restraint. However, Wang Zhen's description overemphasized those disrespectful words towards the emperor, especially his comments about the emperor's youth.

This immediately stirred up the deepest worry in the Empress Dowager's heart. She always remembered that Li Xianmu was the Imperial Clan Court Minister and a prince of the Ming Dynasty. He knew this very well. During festivals, younger generations would come to visit him. Could there be someone he particularly favored among them?

Although the late emperor had few children, Empress Dowager Sun knew that Li Xianmu had other options. Emperor Renzong's eldest son was also alive and had considerable prestige and reputation. According to the rule that "the emperor's son is the emperor," theoretically, these imperial relatives and princes all had the right of succession second only to the emperor.

and!

The emperor has no heir yet, and one thing after another has plunged Empress Dowager Sun into deep worry.

What should we do?

Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's murmurs, Wang Zhen knew that his intimidation had worked. The reason why the Emperor's relationship with Li Xianmu gradually deteriorated was because, in the Emperor's mind, Li Xianmu had gradually become the villain who was trying to seize his power.

Now that the Empress Dowager has developed a fear of Li Xianmu, she will naturally be led by the nose by him.

Instead of directly offering slanderous advice, they exerted subtle influence. How many emperors in history were influenced little by little by those around them in this way?

This wasn't the first time for Zhu Qizhen and Empress Dowager Sun, nor will it be the last.

As Zhu Qizhen listened to what Wang Zhen said, he recalled what had happened in the court. Wang Zhen's vivid description made him feel a burning sensation on his face, as if he had been slapped hard again, his face turning red and then purple.

Seeing the emperor's expression, Empress Dowager Sun was even more convinced that Wang Zhen was right, and her heart was in her throat.

Seeing that the time was right, Wang Zhen immediately advised, "Your Majesty, we must not back down now. If we deny that the Grand Secretary's power is growing stronger while Your Majesty's prestige is weakening, then His Majesty will become less and less trustworthy in the future. The matter of Luchuan must be continued."

Your Majesty must forcefully reject the Grand Secretary's memorial. Anyone who dares to oppose it should be arrested. Let everyone know that Your Majesty's words are law, and the matter of Luchuan will surely be a great victory.

If Luchuan wins, His Majesty will gain prestige, while the Grand Secretary who has consistently opposed His Majesty will face criticism and lose prestige. In the future, His Majesty will not be in such a passive position in court as he is today.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qizhen's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Sir, you are truly my Zhang Zifang!"

(End of this chapter)