Chongzhen's domineering

Chapter 5: Using a Pretext to Attack Guo Leads to Enrage

In the northeast corner of the Forbidden City, in the vast study of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Wei Zhongxian sat in the main seat with a gloomy face, seemingly very unhappy.

Wang Tiqian, Li Chaoqing, Wang Chaofu, Li Yongzhen, Tu Wenfu, and others all remained silent, standing on both sides, not daring to even breathe.

The sun was already high in the sky, and it was quite warm outside, but inside the study, it felt as if winter had arrived early, as it was very cold and damp.

The sudden death of Emperor Tianqi and the immediate seizure of the Imperial Horse Administration and the Eastern Depot by Emperor Chongzhen upon his ascension to the throne were preludes to dealing with them. Coupled with Wei Zhongxian's expression, everyone was on edge.

Over the years, they have become quite arrogant and have committed countless lawless acts. If Emperor Chongzhen were to punish them, the charges against them would be numerous.

Their crimes were all punishable by death.

How can this be good?

After an unknown amount of time, Wei Zhongxian finally raised his head and slowly scanned the area. Then, he gestured towards the desk with his lip and said expressionlessly, "Ruoyu, take these memorials to His Majesty."

Originally, they were the ones who approved these memorials, but now they can only take a look at them.

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned even more unpleasant.

Liu Ruoyu, who was standing at the far right, stepped forward without hesitation, picked up the memorial on the table, and respectfully withdrew.

He was just a handyman. He had no right to participate in the usual tasks of reviewing memorials, reading them to Wei Zhongxian, discussing countermeasures, or giving advice on the country. He was only useful when Wei Zhongxian was reviewing the memorials. This was because he had good handwriting and a certain literary talent. Wei Zhongxian's vulgar and common words could be made to sound eloquent and refined by him.

After watching his figure disappear through the study door, Wei Zhongxian said with a cold expression, "Wenfu, send someone to summon Xiuer over."

After saying that, he sat there silently with a gloomy face.

After an unknown amount of time, Cui Chengxiu strode in, cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Godfather."

Wei Zhongxian nodded slightly, then said with a solemn expression, "Xiuer, Yang Weiyuan forwarded Ruan Dacheng's memorial, saying that you and your father have been causing chaos in the court, and that your biological father has passed away, so according to the law you should observe the mourning period. Do you think you should observe the mourning period?"

what?
Upon hearing this, Cui Chengxiu's expression changed slightly.

How do you say this?

He thought about it carefully, then cautiously asked, "Godfather, what do you mean?"

This was never my intention.

Wei Zhongxian slowly shook his head and said, "After reading the memorial, His Majesty said that according to the law, you should observe the mourning period. What do you think?"

It’s over.

The tide has turned!

If the late emperor were still alive, this matter would not have been a problem.

At that time, the "Great Ming Code" was worthless; what his adoptive father, the Ninth Prince, said was the law.

Now the young emperor says that according to the law he should observe the mourning period for his father!
This means they can no longer act lawlessly.

Cui Chengxiu was stunned for a moment before gritting his teeth and saying, "Father, if no one had brought this up, we could have pretended it never happened. But now that Yang Weiyuan has forwarded Ruan Dacheng's memorial and His Majesty has said so, I must observe the mourning period. Otherwise, I will surely be attacked by that group."

That group of people?
Wei Zhongxian frowned slightly and asked, "Which group are you talking about? Who is so bold?"

Cui Chengxiu said with some resentment, "Tian Ergeng and Feng Quan have wanted to get rid of the child for a long time."

Uh, Geng'er and Quan'er?
What kind of time is this? You're still competing with them for their favor!

Wei Zhongxian shook his head slightly and sighed, "Fine, since you've said so, then go back to observe the mourning period. Who do you think can take over the Ministry of War and the Censorate?"

If I just leave like this, I'm afraid I'll never have a chance to get ahead. I need to leave myself a way out.

Cui Chengxiu thought about it carefully, and then said cautiously, "Father, I think Tian Ji is suitable to take charge of the Ministry of War, and Li Kuilong is suitable to take charge of the Censorate."

You certainly know how to promote your own people.

Wei Zhongxian nodded slightly, then waved his hand and said, "Yes, go ahead."

Sigh, that's all we can do.

Cui Chengxiu sighed inwardly, then bowed and took his leave.

Looking at his eldest son's dejected figure, Wei Zhongxian couldn't help but show a hint of anger on his face.

These guys really do want to seize the Ministry of War and the Censorate!
Xu Dahua, Yang Weiyuan, Ruan Dacheng, how dare you!

He couldn't help but snort coldly, then said angrily, "Wenfu, order Geng'er to throw Xu Dahua into the imperial prison, torture him severely, and recover the embezzled funds. If this scoundrel doesn't hand over 500,000 taels of embezzled funds, beat him to death. Also, send out the imperial guards to arrest Yang Weiyuan and Ruan Dacheng and bring them back to the capital for trial."

He's such a jerk, anyone who dares to mess with him will either die or be skinned alive!
Historically, he failed to see that this was a ploy by the Qi-Chu-Zhe faction and even the Donglin Party to launch a pretext for attacking Guo. As a result, he lost the Ministry of War and the Censorate, and then suffered a crushing defeat, which was beyond any hope of recovery.

Now, reminded by Zhu Jue and confirmed by Cui Chengxiu, he finally realized what was going on.

The Qi, Chu, and Zhe factions are targeting him, so naturally he'll let them experience his methods.

This is just the beginning. He wants to see who dares to seize his Ministry of War and Censorate.

Zhu Jue was also waiting to see a good show.

Before he could even hear the news of the dogs fighting, a voice suddenly announced from outside: "Liu Ruoyu, the Grand Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial, requests an audience."

Liu Ruoyu?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jue immediately said with great interest, "Summon them."

At this moment, Wang Chengen and Fang Zhenghua were keeping a very tight rein on everyone. No matter who it was, even those delivering memorials, they would stop them. If he wouldn't let them in, then no one could get close to him.

Shortly after, Liu Ruoyu strode in, held the memorial above her head, and bowed, saying, "This servant greets Your Majesty. Duke Wei has ordered me to deliver this memorial."

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, signaling Liu Ruoyu to place the memorial on the imperial desk, and then examined it carefully.

The saying goes that one's appearance reflects one's heart; many people's true nature is written on their faces, and one will gain relevant experience by observing more people.

Furthermore, facial expressions, demeanor, eyes, and even body shape, habitual movements, and ways of doing things can reveal a person's temperament.

This is how those in positions of power recognize talent. Having been president for many years, he has naturally met many people, and it is no exaggeration to say that he is quite adept at this.

Liu Ruoyu gives people the first impression of being calm and capable. Moreover, he has an upright appearance, a peaceful demeanor, and a strong physique, which makes him seem like someone who is not cunning or deceitful.

He examined him carefully before asking, "Your father seems to be a military officer, right?"

Uh, why are you suddenly asking about this?
Liu Ruoyu hurriedly and cautiously replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. My father inherited the position of Commander of Yanqing Guard at the beginning of the Wanli reign. In the twenty-fourth year of the Wanli reign, he was promoted to Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong Garrison and assisted in the defense of Liaoyang."

It really is you! The son of a second-rank deputy commander-in-chief, you castrated yourself to enter the palace!
This person is a rare talent; a eunuch actually compiled a history book that has been passed down to future generations. There has only been one like him since ancient times.

The key point is that the history book compiled by this person is specifically about the Ming Dynasty court. Everything in the palace and even the imperial city is described in great detail. From the daily lives of the emperor, empress, concubines, eunuchs and palace maids, to the rules of the palace, the duties of the eunuchs, the layout of the palace and the imperial city, the food and clothing in the palace, etc., are all described in detail.

He needs such a talent right now because he needs to do something very important in the palace and the capital.

He couldn't keep an eye on this matter all the time, so he needed someone familiar with everything in the palace to help him. It was like a godsend.

History has proven that Liu Ruoyu was wronged, and that his self-castration to enter the palace was not for the purpose of seizing power and profit.

This person is available.

Zhu Jue nodded with satisfaction, then said solemnly, "Ruoyu, I've heard that you are very familiar with everything in the palace."

Who told you that?
Liu Ruoyu cautiously replied, "I dare not conceal anything from Your Majesty. This servant is indeed quite familiar with the palace."

You're being modest.

Zhu Jue thought for a moment, then asked, "How many eunuchs and palace maids are there in the palace? I mean, those in the capital and those sent out to other places should be included."

How do you say this?

Liu Ruoyu said cautiously, “Your Majesty, the number of eunuchs and palace maids in the palace is not fixed. Every year, there are new eunuchs, those who return to their hometowns due to old age, those who fall ill, those who commit crimes, those who have accidents, and so on. All I know is that there are more than 10,000 eunuchs in the palace, but no more than 20,000, and more than 1,000 palace maids, but no more than 2,000.”

There are quite a few people kept in the palace.

Zhu Jue then asked, "What government offices are there in the palace? Include all of them, big and small."

Do we have to include everything, big and small?

Liu Ruoyu explained in detail: "There are twenty-four official government offices in the palace, namely the twelve directorates, four departments, and eight bureaus."

The twelve directorates were the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Directorate of Imperial Horses, the Directorate of Palace Attendants, the Directorate of Furnishings, the Directorate of Imperial Supplies, the Directorate of Divine Palaces, the Directorate of Imperial Cuisine, the Directorate of Imperial Seals, the Directorate of Imperial Seals and Ribbons, the Directorate of Palace Attendants, the Directorate of Imperial Clothing, and the Directorate of Imperial Household. The four offices were the Office of Firewood Conservation, the Office of Bells and Drums, the Office of Paper Money Conservation, and the Office of Bathhouse Management. The eight bureaus were the Bureau of Weapons, the Bureau of Silverwork, the Bureau of Laundry, the Bureau of Headwear, the Bureau of Needlework, the Bureau of Inner Weaving and Dyeing, the Bureau of Wine, Vinegar and Noodles, and the Bureau of Imperial Gardens.

Other facilities include the Inner Palace Supply Treasury, the Key Treasury, the Inner Transport Treasury, the Jia-class Treasury, the Yi-class Treasury, the Bing-class Treasury, the Ding-class Treasury, the Wu-class Treasury, the Chengdong Treasury, the Guangying Treasury, the Guanghui Treasury, the Guangji Treasury, and the Zangfa Treasury; as well as the Imperial Wine Room, the Imperial Pharmacy, the Imperial Tea Room, the Livestock Room, the Leakage Room, the Watchtower Room, the Sweets Room, and the Billiards Room.

There were also armor factories, peace factories, Han scripture factories, Fan scripture factories, Dao scripture factories, and Dong factories; there were also grasslands such as Licaolan grassland, Zhongfu grassland, and Tianshi'an grassland; there were also estates such as Nanhaizi, Linhengshu, Fanyushu, Jiashushu, and Liangmushu; and there were also imperial shops such as Anletang, Jingletang, Neianletang, and Baohetang.

Wow, so many!
He originally wanted to ask about the duties of various government departments, but if he asked, he probably wouldn't be able to finish talking about it all in a day.

Never mind, I'll have someone write the book down later, and I'll read it when I have time.

Zhu Jue thought for a moment and then said simply, "I want to set up a few offices in the inner court that are similar to the Ministry of Works to create some new things. I went to see them this morning. There is still a lot of open land west of Taiye Pond. I plan to entrust you with the construction of these offices and factories. What do you think? Any problems?"

How do you say this?

Liu Ruoyu thought for a moment, then carefully said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was originally a scribe for Duke Wei. Although I no longer need to write the imperial edicts, there are still many miscellaneous tasks in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs that I am responsible for. Moreover, the construction of government offices and factories in the palace is under the supervision of the inner palace, which I cannot manage."

This is nothing.

You used to write imperial edicts for Wei Zhongxian, right? Perfect, you can write them again from now on. I want the Qi-Chu-Zhe faction and the Donglin faction to mistakenly believe that Wei Zhongxian is in control.

Zhu Juewei said sternly, "You don't need to worry about the miscellaneous affairs of the Directorate of Ceremonial. From now on, you will still be in charge of writing imperial edicts and drafting imperial decrees. I will promote Ruoyu to be the Director of the Inner Palace."

Ah!
Has Lord Wei truly fallen out of favor?

The Imperial Horse Administration, the Palace Administration, and the Eastern Depot were the three most important government offices in the inner court, besides the Directorate of Ceremonial!

Now that the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has also revoked its authority to approve imperial edicts, what power does Duke Wei still have in the inner court?
Upon hearing this, Liu Ruoyu was stunned.

Seeing this, Zhu Jue simply asked, "So, are there any more problems? If not, you can hire people to build the government office and factory tomorrow."

He always acts decisively and efficiently.

Liu Ruoyu was a bit confused. How was she supposed to proceed with this all of a sudden?
He thought about it carefully, and then said cautiously, "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, how many government offices do you want to build in the inner court, how many people will be on duty in each office, and how many factories you want to build, and how big and tall they will be? Once these are decided, I will know how many craftsmen I need to recruit to build them."

You really are a good person when it comes to getting things done.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly and pondered, "This year, we only need to house about ten people in the inner court. As for the factories, we only need to build a few, each occupying at most a few acres. The key is to be fast. We need to make some samples this year. After the provincial and palace examinations next year, we need to build large factories outside the imperial city and recruit a large number of craftsmen to work."

Is that so?
Liu Ruoyu thought for a moment and then asked, "Your Majesty, do you mean that the officials of the inner court should live in the palace?"

This is natural.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly and said, "The reason I set up the Inner Court is that I don't want these government offices to have any connection with the government offices of the Outer Court. The officials of the Inner Court will live in the palace."

There are only four or five months left in the year. We need to build government offices and factories, and we also need to produce some samples. How can we possibly have enough time?
Liu Ruoyu nodded slowly, then said cautiously, "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, a few months is probably not enough to build a large government office like the Ministry of Works. How about we let them sit on duty in the Hall of Mental Cultivation for the time being?"
The Hall of Mental Cultivation contains a main hall, a rear hall, and two side halls, surrounded by dozens of rooms, complete with a kitchen, guardhouses, bedrooms, and side rooms, enough to comfortably house dozens of people on duty.

You really know the palace inside and out.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation is located next to the Palace of Heavenly Purity. It was originally built by Emperor Jiajing to handle state affairs and receive officials. However, after the Hall of Mental Cultivation was built, Emperor Jiajing became obsessed with cultivating immortality, and the place was abandoned.

It would be perfect to use it as an inner court office right now.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly and said, "Yes, have someone tidy up the inside and make some arrangements. The factory buildings also need to be built as soon as possible. As for what they should look like, we'll have to discuss that when the others arrive. You should first recruit people, clear the site, and build the walls. Enclose ten acres of land for each factory building, and start by enclosing ten of them with walls."

Uh, all of these cost money!
Liu Ruoyu hesitated for a moment, but still braced herself and said, "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, there are only four or five hundred thousand taels of silver left in the palace. The palace needs at least one hundred thousand taels of silver for expenses every month. I'm afraid this money is not enough."

Wei Zhongxian was quite shrewd; he set aside money for the Imperial Treasury to cover daily expenses.

There are still four months left in the year, and four or five hundred thousand taels will be just enough to last until the first month of next year!
Fortunately, he let that guy go and rob the money.

So, did this guy actually start shooting?

He had already entrusted this to Fang Zhenghua to keep an eye on. To put it bluntly, the Eastern Depot was used to monitor people, but the emperor did not restrain it, and it gradually developed into an agency for arresting, torturing, and even killing people.

It seems that all the various government offices in the inner palace need to be properly reorganized.

As Zhu Jue was pondering this, Fang Zhenghua suddenly strode in, cupped his hands, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei has ordered Xu Dahua to be imprisoned in the Imperial Prison."

well.

This guy has finally gotten into a fight with the Qi-Chu-Zhe faction, and he's getting his money back.

Zhu Jue nodded slightly, then waved for Fang Zhenghua to leave before asking, "Ruoyu, how much do you estimate it would cost to renovate the Yangxin Hall and build about ten factories?"

These don't cost too much money.

Liu Ruoyu said cautiously, "Your Majesty, this servant estimates that it will definitely cost tens of thousands of taels. If we want to speed up the work, we will need to hire more people. If we calculate it this way, it will probably cost more than 100,000 taels."

Hmm, not bad. If someone else were to do it, it would cost at least a million taels.

Those guys dare to quote two or three million taels just for the renovation of the palace!
The fact that you only need a few hundred thousand taels for this rushed project proves that you didn't intend to embezzle any of it.

I was right about you; you are indeed a capable person.

Zhu Jue nodded with satisfaction, then decisively said, "Alright, from now on you will be in charge of the Imperial Treasury. Eunuch Wei has already started to hand over his ill-gotten gains. From now on, he must hand over at least one million taels every month, no more, no less. You also need to keep an eye on this for me."

Recovering stolen goods?

Forget it, this isn't my responsibility, so it's best not to ask.

Liu Ruoyu quickly cupped her hands and bowed, saying, "This servant obeys the decree."

(End of this chapter)