Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 82 Sincere and Honest, What He Says Must Be True

Inside the Wuying Hall, all was silent at this moment.

Nearly a hundred civil officials and banner officers, divided into more than a dozen small groups according to the border towns they were to be sent to, stood quietly among them.

Among them were top-ranking scholars from the Renxu and Yichou examinations (the second year of the Tianqi reign) and Jinyiwei (the fifth year of the Tianqi reign), as well as selected members of the Imperial Guard.

Regardless of their identities, they all held their breath, suppressing their excitement and curiosity, and secretly observing the palace that had been the subject of much speculation recently.

Yes, after the new emperor ascended the throne, he only held one grand court assembly and one regular court session.

After that, he only held audiences on the Wuying Hall platform, completely disregarding the established practice of holding court on the third, sixth, and ninth days of the week.

But so what? The late emperor only attended court four times a month.

Being able to be frequently summoned to the Wuying Hall, while being spared the torment of regular court sessions, is truly a blessing.

At least for these lowly officials, it was an exceptionally good fortune.

After all, officials of the fourth rank and above could ride in sedan chairs and enter the main hall, while these lowly officials would only be able to shiver in the cold wind in another month.

Many people's eyes were drawn to the huge screen in the hall.

On the screen, neat squares were outlined with fine ink lines, filled with handwriting and numbers, which is the "form" that has caused quite a stir in the capital.

This item first appeared in the palace, and it is said that it was made by His Majesty himself to manage the income and expenditure of the imperial treasury.

When Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Revenue, saw it, he was amazed and immediately ordered its full implementation within the Ministry of Revenue.

This trend even spread beyond officialdom.

Restaurants and inns in Beijing, known for their keen information and love of keeping up with the latest trends, also started making similar signs, displaying the names of dishes and their prices in framed tables.

This sight greatly intrigued the scholars who were newly arrived in the capital.

Furthermore, there are rumors that yesterday, the eunuch Gao from the Directorate of Ceremonial personally visited the Ministry of Personnel and had a long talk with the newly appointed Minister Yang Jingchen. It seems that it won't be long before the Ministry of Personnel also uses this "form-based method" for performance evaluation.

Besides the screen, the two rows of neat tables and chairs were the focus of everyone's attention.

Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has changed the old rule of having people stand in the platform to discuss matters, and instead followed the ancient system by granting them seats to discuss matters.

As for whether this violates the rules of etiquette, His Majesty was summoning the emperor to the Wuying Hall after all, so how can it be considered the same as summoning the emperor to the Wuying Hall in the past?
Anyway, the cabinet ministers had no objections, the ministers had no objections, and even the censors and officials who had sat in the chair once had no objections.

In no time, the praise that "His Majesty is benevolent and wise, and his sitting and discussing the Way has almost restored the ancient system of the Han Dynasty" spread throughout the court and the country.

However, along with this praise, there was also a private discussion that "Your Majesty has the style of Emperor Taizu of Han." But when asked for details, no one could explain what exactly this "style of Emperor Taizu of Han" meant.

The crowd stood quietly, their eyes frequently exchanging glances, silently conveying their excitement and speculation.

Before entering the palace, these colleagues who were about to travel together had already chatted casually.

An amazing discovery thrilled everyone.

—In every group, whether they were ordinary people, secretaries, or imperial guards, they all came from the same hometown.

This completely overturned the previous practice of the imperial court sending officials, and the honor of being personally summoned by the emperor today makes people think even more.

What is the deeper meaning behind His Majesty's move?
Is it to win people's hearts, or is there another important role for him?

Everyone had a thousand guesses, but none of them could be confirmed.

Just then, a long, drawn-out chant suddenly rang out, instantly severing everyone's thoughts.

"Silence! His Majesty is ascending the throne!"

Nearly a hundred people inside the hall seemed to be held down by an invisible hand, kneeling down in unison with synchronized movements, their shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" reaching the heavens.

"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

The sound echoed through the palace, lingering for a long time.

A moment later, a young and gentle voice came from the throne, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"My beloved subjects, rise."

Everyone slowly raised their heads, their movements cautious, their eyes filled with barely suppressed eagerness and curiosity.

Most of them were the last-ranked Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and the only time they ever saw the emperor was during the palace examination, when they caught a glimpse of the late emperor from afar.

As for the current young monarch, they had never even seen him once.

After all, whether it was the enthronement ceremony or the daily court assembly, according to the regulations, these minor officials could only stand outside the steps, being the lowest of all officials.

From a distance, all that could be seen was a blurry figure on the throne.

Today, perhaps, is the closest they will ever be to the emperor in their entire lives.

Not to mention the captains who were carefully selected from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Many of them came from families that had been military households in the garrison for generations. They had clean backgrounds, but their status was low.

He was so excited to be able to meet the emperor that his palms were sweaty and his breathing became heavy.

……

On the throne, Zhu Youjian was somewhat shocked.

Just now, he clearly saw a green-robed official with half-white hair kneeling in the crowd, his face streaked with tears.

Throughout the entire process, the old man did not utter a single sound; he simply wept silently.

Is this reasonable?

Is this reasonable? !
Was the title of Emperor of the Ming Dynasty really that powerful?!

Zhu Youjian's values ​​were severely impacted.

He was just calling on the employees who were on business trips to have a pep talk, so why did he get so worked up?
He composed himself, glanced at the crowd below, and slowly began to speak.

"My esteemed subjects..."

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone looked up at him with almost reverent eyes, awaiting the emperor's instructions.

Under the intense gaze of nearly a hundred people, even with Zhu Youjian's years of experience, a thin layer of sweat instantly broke out on his back.

Oh no, what was I supposed to talk about today...?

My brain, don't give up right now!

He cleared his throat and spoke in a steady tone.

"I am very pleased to see all of you, my beloved ministers, today..."

While Zhu Youjian was rambling on and on, he was frantically searching his mind for what to expect next.

Found it! That core question flashed through my mind like lightning.

"What is the state of affairs in the world?"

Having found the thread, Zhu Youjian instantly felt his thoughts clear, and his entire demeanor changed immediately.

He slowly rose from his throne and walked down the steps.

"I have long lived in the deep palace, and in the past I only knew that the world seemed to be gradually getting worse, but I did not know exactly where it went wrong..."

His voice wasn't loud, but it had a unique infectious quality that made everyone listen intently.

"I asked my cabinet ministers, and they all said that we should get to the root of the problem and reduce taxes and levies."

"I asked the palace officials, and they also said that as long as the ruler is benevolent, the world will naturally be peaceful and prosperous."

“These words are all profound truths, and I understand them all. But I always feel that there is a veil between us, and I cannot see them clearly.”

"I need to get to the bottom of this before I can feel at ease."

Zhu Youjian's tone was very sincere, like that of a student genuinely seeking knowledge.

As he spoke, he slowly strolled through the crowd, his gaze occasionally meeting that of certain officials. “It just so happens that the other day I was about to finalize the list of those to be rewarded in the nine border regions, but I discovered that most of you, my esteemed ministers, have spent ten years studying diligently in the provinces, and some have even traveled to the capital multiple times to take the imperial examinations.”

"This journey must be over ten thousand miles long."

"I suspect that your understanding of the local areas and the world is still stuck two or five years ago."

"But he should also be considered the person in the court who is most familiar with the world."

His eyes swept carefully over the few young scholars, and he even nodded slightly to them.

"Moreover, you have all recently passed the imperial examinations and have not yet been too tainted by the habits of officialdom."

The young scholars blushed instantly and straightened their chests with excitement.

"Or perhaps they were selected from among the guard posts and have a clean background."

He then looked at the several Imperial Guards standing ramrod straight, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

This mutual and affectionate gaze gave everyone present the illusion that "His Majesty is speaking to me."

"I think that you all may not yet have been corrupted by the filth in officialdom or the secret police."

"In this way, it will truly be like a sincere and innocent child, and its arguments will surely be true."

Upon hearing this, everyone's breathing became rapid.

Even the less cultured members of the Imperial Guards were stirred to excitement by the progressively more intense speeches.

Zhu Youjian stopped at this point, paused, and carefully looked at each person from left to right.

After a moment of build-up, he slowly began to speak:
"As the ancients said, Heaven sees as the people see, and Heaven hears as the people hear. Since I am the Son of Heaven, I should naturally understand the people's sentiments and respond to Heaven's will."

"However, to know what is straight, one must use a plumb line; to know what is square or round, one must use a compass and square."

"If you do not know the ills of the world, how can you eliminate them? If you do not know the suffering of the people, how can you relieve their suffering?"

He paused, then slowly backed up the steps, using the height difference to survey everyone below with piercing eyes.

The atmosphere in the hall was so intense that everyone felt an unbearable pressure in their chests, as if a raging fire was burning within them.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Zhu Youjian, trying to catch every word he was about to say.

"Shouldn't the standards and rules of this world be set by the people of this world?"

Zhu Youjian's smile vanished, his true intentions revealed, and he finally spoke the last words, word by word:
"Today, I sincerely ask you all—"

"Where exactly does the ill in this world lie now? I beg you all to enlighten me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly flicked his sleeves, brought his hands together in front of him, and bowed slightly to the nearly one hundred officials below him.

boom!
Almost the instant Zhu Youjian finished speaking, the entire scene in the Wuying Hall completely spiraled out of control.

The long-suppressed silence was instantly ignited, transforming into a violent roar and a chaotic scene.

"Your Majesty! You must not!"

"I am waiting for death!"

Some elderly officials immediately kowtowed, their foreheads striking the gold bricks with a dull thud, their voices choked with sobs as they cried out.

A young scholar, tears streaming down his face, wanted to kneel down but felt it was inappropriate; he wanted to return the courtesy but felt it was presumptuous. He simply stood there, trembling, his mouth dry, unable to utter a single complete sentence.

Even the most upright and outspoken Imperial Guards had tears in their eyes, solemnly cupped their hands, and returned the deepest salute to their emperor.

The hall was filled with chaotic noise. Some shouted "Your Majesty is benevolent!", some roared "How dare I disobey!", and some wept, saying "I am willing to devote myself to Your Majesty until my dying breath."

This chaotic scene was utterly unbearable to witness compared to the perfectly synchronized eulogies recited by the officials during court assemblies and audiences in the Wuying Hall.

Yet it is brimming with vitality unlike anything seen before.

Gao Shiming couldn't help but take a few steps forward to slightly shield Zhu Youjian behind him.

A pair of sharp eyes scanned the entire room warily, fearing that these officials, who were out of control of their emotions, might do something outrageous.

Zhu Youjian slowly straightened up, also taken aback by the overwhelming scene before him.

But he quickly regained his composure, took a deep breath, and with all his might shouted:

"Everyone!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to carry a strange, magical power.

The chaotic scene quieted down again in an instant.

The main hall was completely silent!
Some stood, some knelt, all in different postures, but they all raised their heads in unison, their eyes burning with a mixture of tears, excitement, and fervor as they gazed intently at their emperor.

No one made a sound, but the immense power contained within that silence sent shivers down Zhu Youjian's spine.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and spoke as calmly as possible:
"Then please have the envoys from each town form a group and discuss the matter separately."

"Finally, write down the top three problems you believe are the worst in the world! And attach your own real observations from your local area as evidence!"

After saying this, Zhu Youjian turned his head and called out, "Gao Shiming!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Gao Shiming immediately understood and loudly relayed the order.

A group of eunuchs immediately filed in, carrying paper, brushes, ink, and inkstones that had been prepared beforehand, and placed them on the table.

Then, the envoys were directed to various tables according to the border towns they were going to.

Seeing that everyone had taken their places at their respective tables, Zhu Youjian coughed lightly and then said:
"Please, everyone, begin your discussion. I will return in an hour to hear your reports on the problems and shortcomings."

Having said that, he stopped looking at the crowd, flicked his sleeve, and turned to retreat to the back of the hall.

……

However, Zhu Youjian's figure had only just turned past that huge screen.

Behind them, a tremendous roar, seemingly capable of lifting the roof off the hall, suddenly erupted!
That ultimate silence was instantly replaced by ultimate noise!

"It's due to official corruption! If the administration is corrupt, everything will fail!"

"Bullshit! You're from the county town, how would you know how miserable the border troops are now! Military households have deserted, less than one in ten survived, that's the real threat!"

"You're all wrong! It's clearly a nationwide famine, and the disaster relief efforts are inadequate! Didn't you see the letters from my hometown? They've already started exchanging children to eat!"

"I am a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) from the Renxu year, and you are just a Yichou year candidate. Watch your words!"

"So what if you're a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations)? When I was working for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you were still wearing open-crotch pants!"

Zhu Youjian suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He stood behind the screen, trying to hear something, but the roar, argument, and discussion of nearly a hundred people were so loud and buzzing that he couldn't hear anything clearly.

Even through the screen, one could feel the fervor and longing in that fervent voice.

This force surged towards Zhu Youjian like a tidal wave, causing him to tremble slightly.

He slowly turned his head to look back.

But what lies before us is nothing more than a screen depicting mountains and rivers.

This Ming Dynasty...

There's still hope! There's absolutely still hope!

I said it! I, Zhu Youjian, said it! I, Zhu Youjian, the Yongchang Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, said it myself!
No one can destroy him!
At this time, the list of pedestrians and secretaries of the Imperial Secretariat could be found to include 68 people.

The list includes 14 individuals involved in the theft, Qing, and Mongol affairs; the rest, who died of natural causes or whose cases have no further records, are not included.

(End of this chapter)