Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 27: This is what a real man should do!

The scorching heat of August makes the late autumn weather extremely pleasant.

The old locust tree in the Hanlin Academy has lush branches and leaves, casting a large shade, rustling in the wind.

But the atmosphere under the tree was even hotter than during the dog days of summer.

Several Hanlin officials sat in a circle, ostensibly enjoying tea, but their conversations revolved around the morning's court assembly.

"Your Majesty's actions today were truly a stroke of genius."

"When Cao Cao burned books and King Zhuang cut his tassel, both rulers had been in power for a long time. Yet, no one expected that such a young emperor could do such a magnanimous thing."

It was Fu Guan who spoke.

He wore a moon-white silk robe, spotless, and the bamboo fan in his hand had a smooth, jade-like texture, which complemented his pampered face, giving him the air of a noble young master.

"Such actions are indeed suspicious."

The one who answered was Yu Huang, the newly appointed top scholar, whose brows were furrowed and whose expression was full of worry.

"We only know that when His Majesty was still a prince, he was always reading, and we thought he was studying the ways of Yao and Shun. Who would have thought that he was actually practicing the methods of Shen Buhai and Han Fei? If this continues, I'm afraid there will be no more upright and outspoken ministers in the court."

Upon hearing this, Fu Guan smiled slightly but didn't bother to refute it.

A slightly hoarse voice interrupted from the side; it was Sun Zhixie.

"But it is precisely because of this that His Majesty's eagerness to improve the situation is evident!"

"In the past, the Duke of Zhou spat out his food to welcome guests, and the people turned to him."

"Now that His Majesty has erased the past, it is for the sake of the nation. As his subjects, we should understand His Majesty's heart."

This statement sounds grand and dignified, but coming from this guy's mouth, it's so bad that you don't even want to respond.

The scholars exchanged glances discreetly, then raised their hands to offer tea.

After a round of tea, Hua Qifang, who had been silent all along, quietly filled everyone's teacups before suddenly raising her head, her tone full of longing: "I wonder when His Majesty will hold another lecture?"

"When will Your Majesty resume the lectures?"

These words immediately stirred the hearts of all the Hanlin scholars.

Everyone says that Hanlin scholars are noble and distinguished, and their nobility lies in their daily reading and lectures, which puts them close to the emperor.

In this way, with a leap of the wind, one can often instantly travel thousands of miles.

This is much faster than spending years in administrative positions, going around in circles and being tested year after year.

Just as everyone was deep in thought, a series of footsteps suddenly sounded.

Everyone looked up and saw Yang Jingchen, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and Academician of the Hanlin Academy, walking in closely with an old man.

The old man, dressed in a scarlet official robe and full of vigor, was none other than Li Guopu, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet who had been personally praised by the Emperor as "the Wei Zheng of the Emperor" in court today.

"Grand Secretary Li!"

With a "boom," everyone stood up, their previous ease vanishing completely.

This one is currently the most sought-after person in the court!

What is he doing at the Hanlin Academy?
Li Guopu's gaze, almost tangible, slowly swept over everyone present.

His gaze wasn't sharp, but it carried a kind of authority that came from someone who had long held a high position, causing everyone he looked at to involuntarily lower their heads.

Yang Jingchen stood beside him, half a body length behind, with a humble smile on his face.

"Your Excellency, look at you, you didn't even say a word before you came, so that I could have come to greet you."

What brings you here?

Li Guopu ignored his flattery and walked straight to the stone table, his voice calm yet clear enough to reach everyone's ears.

"Jingchen, I have come today on imperial orders to borrow people from you."

"Borrow someone?" Yang Jingchen's smile remained unchanged, but his mind raced.

“Not bad.” Li Guopu’s eyes suddenly sharpened. “His Majesty has decreed that I must immediately review the files of all officials who have been punished, dismissed, or demoted since the Tianqi Dynasty for speaking out, identify them one by one, and compile a list in preparation for their reinstatement!”

The four characters “to prepare for reinstatement” resounded like a thunderclap in the small courtyard!
Everyone was stunned by those four words.

Is it really that fast? This is only the third day since he ascended the throne!

Isn't this new ruler acting a bit too hastily?
But in any case, a new storm is looming ahead.

The only way to board the ship is in the hands of this very Minister Li!

This is no longer a simple task; it is an immense achievement, a ladder to the center of power!
Whoever gets involved will get a share of the spoils in this impending political storm!

All eyes were fixed on Yang Jingchen's face, as if they wanted to burn a hole through him.

Sun Zhixie was so excited that he trembled all over. He almost rushed to Li Guopu, his voice distorted with excitement.

"Your Excellency! Your Excellency! His Majesty is wise! This humble official... this humble official is willing to share Your Excellency's burdens, even at the cost of his life!"

His disgraceful behavior drew disdain from his colleagues.

Li Guopu frowned almost imperceptibly, but still didn't look at him, instead turning his gaze to Yang Jingchen.

Yang Jingchen took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and said loudly, "It is our duty as subjects to share His Majesty's burdens! The Hanlin Academy is full of talented people, and we will certainly live up to the Grand Secretary's expectations!"

He extended his finger and calmly pointed out three names.

"Yu Huang, the newly appointed top scholar, is a man of exceptional literary talent and is a worthy candidate for the best pen."

"Hua Qifang, the newly appointed runner-up, is calm and steady, and a reliable candidate for proofreading."

“Fu Guan, the second-place scholar in the previous imperial examination, is learned and has a strong memory, making him a suitable candidate for textual research.”

He paused, then bowed deeply to Li Guopu: "Your Excellency, these three are all pillars of our Hanlin Academy. I have bestowed upon you my most treasured possessions." The three men whose names were called suppressed their inner elation and stepped forward to bow deeply to Li Guopu.

Li Guopu nodded in satisfaction, but his gaze suddenly shifted and drifted to a corner of the courtyard.

Wu Kongjia stood alone on the edge, seemingly out of place in the enthusiastic atmosphere.

Li Guopu was momentarily dazed.

He recalled the night before the new emperor ascended the throne.

At that time, he was full of resentment, but in the end, he just went with the flow.

This young scholar dared to boldly declare at that time, "The mandate of heaven is renewed, and joy and renewal begin anew."

What a wonderful vision of renewal and a fresh start!

Now that I wish to clean up the officialdom, why not test the pent-up feelings in your heart together!

Having made up his mind, Li Guopu no longer hesitated. He turned to look at Yang Jingchen and smiled slightly.

"Since we already have the top two scholars, why not let this third-place scholar of the Yichou year also be given to me, so that we can have a total of three top scholars?"

"Buzz!"

A suppressed gasp rippled through the crowd, and all eyes turned instantly to Wu Kongjia.

Wu Kongjia's body trembled violently, his eyes filled with confusion.

He looked at Yang Jingchen, his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Yang Jingchen's mind raced, but he couldn't figure it out for a moment.

This Wu Kongjia...

It's alright, it's a small matter and won't affect me. I'll agree first and see what happens.

A bright smile instantly bloomed on his face, and he clapped his hands and laughed loudly, "Your Excellency is right, it was my oversight."

"Three top scholars from one examination, jointly contributing to such a grand event for the new dynasty, this is only right!"

Seeing that no one responded, Sun Zhixie felt anxious and gritted his teeth, ready to recommend himself again.

Just then, a commotion suddenly came from afar.

The group looked at each other, completely bewildered.

As the noise grew louder, everyone rushed out of the courtyard to investigate.

But on East Chang'an Street, people were already packed with people and traffic had stopped.

A group of Imperial Guards officers dressed in flying fish robes and carrying embroidered spring knives at their waists formed a human wall to protect the central government.

Within that human wall, a huge plaque was being carried slowly forward by eight strongmen.

Sunlight streamed down, reflecting a dazzling light on the four gilded characters on the plaque: "The Emperor's Wei Zheng!"
Countless officials rushed to the entrances of the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Works, and Ministry of War offices on both sides of the street, craning their necks, their faces filled with shock and envy.

"A plaque bestowed by the Emperor himself! My God, what an honor this is!"

"Grand Secretary Li... is truly a model for us civil officials, the epitome of a minister!"

"Such a meeting between a ruler and his minister is a timeless tale, and it will surely leave a significant mark on history!"

The honor guard, accompanied by the sounds of drums and music, quickly passed through East Chang'an Street and headed towards Li Guopu's residence.

Along the way, he attracted countless onlookers, and many children ran and cheered behind him, their shouts of "Wei Zheng is here!" echoing through the sky.

The members of the Hanlin Academy watched the procession depart into the distance, their minds reeling from the overwhelming force of imperial power, and they stood frozen in place.

After a long while, they seemed to wake from a dream, turned around abruptly, and turned their gaze to the center of the storm—Li Guopu.

The old minister, whose temples were slightly gray, was now trembling with tears streaming down his face.

He trembled, hastily wiping his face with the wide sleeves of his robe, his voice hoarse and choked with emotion.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty's boundless grace... This old minister... This old minister would give his life and give his brains, yet still could not repay even a fraction of it!"

Having said that, he suddenly turned towards the palace, lifted his robe, and knelt down, his head hitting the ground hard!

"boom!"

That muffled thud seemed to strike the heart of everyone present.

When he stood up again, he had regained the composure of a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, but his bloodshot eyes still betrayed the turbulent emotions within him.

"There's no time to lose, let's set off immediately for the Ministry of Justice!"

He gave Yang Jingchen a hasty bow, then led the lucky few who had been hit by the Heavenly Grace away in a long stride.

Yang Jingchen stood there, staring blankly at Li Guopu's back, which seemed to have straightened up considerably in an instant.

Looking again at the procession that was gradually receding into the distance and almost out of sight, an indescribable feeling welled up in my heart.

Is it envy? Is it jealousy? Or... resentment?
He couldn't help but mutter to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it.

"A real man, this is what you should do..."

　[Historical Materials in this Chapter]

　　1. The second and fifth years of the Tianqi reign (1622-1625) produced many notable figures among the Jinshi graduates. However, of the six individuals who achieved the highest rank (three top honors) in both examinations, only four remain today; the other two were dismissed from their posts. Each of them has their own story.
　　2. Hua Qifang, who later resigned from his official post and refused to serve after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, is somewhat comical. He would often say, "If I hadn't compiled the 'Essential Records of Three Dynasties,' I would be a prime minister now!"

　　3. Yu Huang, who later served as Minister of War in the Southern Ming Dynasty, curbed arrogance and once said, "If you want to be granted titles, think about how Emperor Chongzhen's tomb isn't even built yet. If you want to have your sons granted titles, think about where Chongzhen's children are." After a military defeat, he attempted suicide by drowning but was rescued. Two days later, he drowned again! He was truly a ruthless man; to be able to attempt suicide twice in a row shows that he had truly overcome the terror of life and death.

　　4. Fu Guan was a wealthy man with dozens of concubines, indulging in nightly revelry and heavy drinking. However, when the Qing army finally captured Jiangxi and tried to persuade him to surrender, he said, "In my hometown, there are no prime ministers who kowtow, only prime ministers who are beheaded!"

　　The Qing dynasty was indeed right in saying that "the number of officials who died in service during the late Ming dynasty was far greater than that of the Han, Tang, and Song dynasties."

　　
　
(End of this chapter)