The Grand Secretaries were all astonished. Emperor Wanli, who had been secluded for so many years, was suddenly going to hold court. They looked at Ji Xiang. All the matters that could be smoothly resolved this time were due to Ji Xiang.
"Wudang is good. To have such talent, the younger generation is formidable, and the predecessors are aging!"
The Grand Secretaries did not spare their praise. Hearing the Emperor speak of bestowing rewards, they immediately asked, "The Wudang Daoist saved the Emperor with merit, and of course, he deserves rewards. What does Your Majesty intend to bestow upon him?"
"Should we help Wudang repair its palaces and temples, grant him a title, or reward him with gold and silver?"
Emperor Wanli had also returned to normal, at least on the surface. He said to the three Grand Secretaries:
"I wish to grant him a title and add an official position. What do you three Grand Secretaries think?"
They had originally thought the Emperor's mention of rewards was a polite gesture, and at most, he would give him a house or something. But now, Emperor Wanli actually wanted to grant him a title and add an official position.
Ji Xiang was contemplating resignation. He had just argued with Zhu Changluo and naturally dared not agree:
"This humble Daoist's magical powers are weak, and I also enjoy quiet cultivation. I fear I am not suited for an official position. This time, when fighting with the Fire Lord, this humble Daoist deeply felt his magical powers were insufficient. I should return to Wudang to cultivate diligently and descend the mountain again after a hundred years... I implore Your Majesty to grant my request."
Emperor Wanli understood Ji Xiang's intention, but he was not prepared to approve Ji Xiang's resignation for the time being... at least not until Old Zhang entered the capital:
"That won't do. You saved me. If I don't reward you, who will save me in the future? Even if you feel your magical powers are weak and need to return to the mountain to cultivate, you cannot leave these past few days. The Longde Hall requires someone to perform sacrificial rites. If you must leave, let's discuss it after Grand Master Zhang enters the capital."
Emperor Wanli jokingly added, "You can accept the rewards I intend to give you with peace of mind. You not only saved me but also saved the Great Ming. How can I not reward you! What do the Grand Secretaries think?"
The three Grand Secretaries exchanged glances. The Grand Secretary Zhao Zhigao asked, "What kind of official position is it?"
Emperor Wanli thought for a moment and said, "Add a position of Scribe to the Imperial Academy. How about that? This position is not large, but it is not small either. It is merely a title, and it does not conflict with any of yours."
The three Grand Secretaries chuckled awkwardly: "What Your Majesty says about bestowing an official position, how could it conflict with us?"
"They are all old officials, and the younger generation is formidable. A Scribe in the Imperial Academy, from the fourth rank. Since it does not involve actual duties but is merely a title, it is acceptable."
"Indeed, the censors should not make trouble over this."
The three Grand Secretaries unanimously said, "We will obey Your Majesty's arrangements!"
Emperor Wanli's face lit up with joy. He thought that these three old men were quite obedient as long as they didn't discuss the Crown Prince. Thus, he said to Ji Xiang:
"You come with me. Do not refuse again. Do you intend to defy my orders! If you do not attend court, you will be sent to the Imperial Prison. Come with me."
Ji Xiang had no choice. He thought that Grand Master Zhang would enter the capital in two days, and he figured his troubles would be over then. Emperor Wanli had also said it would be these past two days, clearly showing his unease before Old Zhang's arrival.
...
Before the morning court, officials rose at midnight. After preparing themselves, they headed to the Meridian Gate to gather. At three in the morning, precisely at the fifth watch, the officials were already waiting outside the Meridian Gate.
Now that dawn was approaching, and the fifth watch was more than half over, the officials were habitually chatting outside the Meridian Gate. After the fifth watch passed, they would all return to their respective homes, as the Emperor was not holding court.
"Someone from the Northern Commandery Guard entered the palace earlier. Does anyone know what happened?"
"I don't know. Last night, I heard that someone from the Southern Commandery Guard also went in. Who knows?"
"This morning, it feels like... some people are missing."
"It's truly because His Majesty has not held court for a long time, and some people have already forgotten the rules."
But just as they were enthusiastically chatting, the Meridian Gate opened.
Three rounds of court drums sounded. The sky was not yet bright, but all things were awakening. However, the first to emerge were the heavenly soldiers and generals of the Northern Commandery Guard, surrounding a person who was blindfolded with black cloth, making it impossible to see his appearance.
The officials made way, and the heavenly soldiers and generals of the Northern Commandery Guard departed. The gate was not closed but was instead opened even wider. After a rumbling sound, a Grand Secretary from the Cabinet personally strode out from within.
After attracting everyone's attention, the Grand Secretary announced that the Emperor would not be skipping work today.
There was a moment of eerie silence in front of the Meridian Gate, followed by an earth-shattering clamor and noise.
Emperor Wanli was going to hold court. This was a major event, and someone immediately relayed the news into the Imperial City, into the inner city!
After so many years as a recluse, was it finally over?
All the officials whispered amongst themselves, completely unaware of what had happened in the Forbidden City last night. After all, within the Forbidden City, only the three Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet were allowed to reside, and they lived in the Wenyuan Pavilion in the outer palace.
"His Majesty has not held morning court for nine years. In these years, our memorials have all gone directly through the Cabinet..."
"We cannot say this today. The court session is a good thing, indicating that His Majesty will decide on the Crown Prince and make a comeback."
"Hurry, stop talking and go in quickly! The Grand Secretaries are getting impatient!"
The officials noticed that some familiar faces were missing. After two hours, they hadn't seen them, believing these people were in trouble. Today, the Emperor was suddenly holding court, and these people hadn't shown up. They would have to wait for accountability for their usual lack of attendance.
Many officials, however, viewed Emperor Wanli's unusual behavior as a sign that he had awakened and decided to stop being a recluse and start working diligently. Based on the Emperor's governance in the previous decade, they believed Emperor Wanli was a rather good leader.
After all, Emperor Wanli was easygoing. Whenever he couldn't win an argument with the civil officials, he would simply shut down.
The Meridian Gate was the main gate of the Forbidden City. The imperial path was in the center and was usually not opened. The left and right wings were for the generals on duty and the banner-carrying guards to pass through. On each side, there were also left and right side gates, which were the gates for officials to enter the court.
Above the Meridian Gate was the Five Phoenix Tower, where the Forbidden City's "morning bell" and "court drum" were kept. The eunuchs of the Bell and Drum Department held the authority to strike the bell and drum. At this time, as officials entered the Forbidden City, the morning bell rang, its sound shaking the heavens.
"Wait, that's an Imperial Censor! I haven't seen them for many years!"
"Watch your image! Don't cough or spit... or they'll record it!"
"Lower your heads, hurry, hurry..."
The officials entered the palace through the Meridian Gate and walked to the Fengtian Gate. The officials lined up in front of the Fengtian Gate, not entering the three great halls behind the Fengtian Gate. Then, the court session would be an imperial hearing, meaning the Emperor would have a chair brought out and sit by the entrance.
However, before the officials reached the Fengtian Gate, they saw a large amount of white smoke rising from within the Forbidden City.
Emperor Wanli had already had a chair brought out. This item was called the imperial throne, and he wanted to share with his dear civil and military officials the story of his backside being chased and burned by fire last night.
Someone from the Court of Diplomatic Reception arrived and sang out "Enter the ranks." The civil and military officials on the left and right advanced together into the imperial path. At this time, the civil officials ascended westward from the north, and the military officials ascended eastward from the north, performing a bow and three kowtows, which was called the "grand ceremony."
Dukes, marquises,驸马 (imperial son-in-laws), and counts formed the ranks of meritorious nobility, positioned in front of the military officials' ranks but slightly separated.
Officials from the Court of Diplomatic Reception first stepped forward to report to the Emperor the number of officials entering the capital to express gratitude and those leaving to resign. Then came the reports from the border. However, in the past, these matters were handled by the Cabinet. As there was nothing significant happening recently, it directly moved to the third stage, which was "reporting matters."
But Emperor Wanli's court session today was truly bizarre. For a long time, officials had not seen Emperor Wanli, so they didn't know what to say.
"Is no one reporting matters... Then I have something to say. Everyone, I almost didn't get to see you..."