Luo Longwen blurted out, "Precisely. Little Grand Secretary, Zhu Mo most likely discussed the matter of the Imperial Grandson with Mu Chaobi without authorization. The Emperor grew suspicious, and only then did Zhu Mo retreat!"
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm,
Everyone nodded in agreement, finding this statement to be the most logical.
Throughout history, imperial affairs were absolutely forbidden for ministers to meddle in. Moreover, during the Jingnan Campaign, no one could clearly ascertain the reasons, and the subsequent punishments were severe, leading to the tragic demise of several Confucian officials. This revealed the deep fissures and intense resentment within the imperial family! Even if Zhu Mo was favored by the Emperor, meddling in such matters would undoubtedly lead to a terrible end.
As a mere minister, how could he, Zhu Mo, discuss these matters with the Duke of Qian, who was akin to a vassal prince, without authorization? Wasn't that seeking his own death? The Emperor was likely angered, and Zhu Mo, sensing something amiss, thus retreated. As for his associating with literati, wasn't that just a pretense of purity? Aren't such people just like this?
Yan Shifan nodded,
"Mm, it makes sense. That's why the Emperor did not veto the reforms; the reforms must continue, but not with Zhu Mo leading them... Mu Chaobi's stance, that he would only obey Zhang Juzheng, has likely also garnered the Emperor's attention... After all, it was he, Mu Chaobi, who fought the battle to pacify Myanmar... For over a hundred years, border conflicts have not gone this smoothly. The Emperor is naturally pleased..."
Everyone recalled and felt it was indeed so. The nine garrisons had always suffered defeats, being in a state of utter disarray. Despite spending so much money, there were rarely any reports of victory. Yet, in this battle, Mu Chaobi, in less than two months, had forced the arrogant Mang Yinglong to retreat to his lair. How could the Emperor not be pleased? And this Emperor, in fact, cared most about his reputation. When the Mu family brought him honor, and presented requests, the Emperor naturally would not refuse. Moreover, Mu Chaobi had demonstrated considerable insight by proposing Zhang Juzheng to oversee the reforms, a proposal that would be agreed upon by all officials in the realm.
Although the elder Yan Song had not yet finalized his decision, he felt that things were largely as they seemed. Based on his understanding of Jiajing, it was likely due to some considerations that Zhu Mo was forced into retirement. And that imperial edict, which spoke of a complete renewal, would thus have a basis, which was to replace Zhu with Zhang...
Thinking thus,
He finally felt a bit more grounded. In a few days, when he reached the Grand Secretariat, he would lay out these discussed points and gauge the opinions of Xu Jie and the others. Finally, with Prince Yu's endorsement, this situation would be resolved.
"Good, good. After such a long period of turmoil, it's finally coming to a close... Shifan, have them keep an eye on Zhu Mo, keep a close watch, and see if he is truly at peace and accepts his fate! Don't let him cause any more trouble... Also, that Wang Daren needs to be sought out in a few days for further questioning. Don't just listen to Yu Chaosheng's one-sided account..."
After speaking for a while, he fell into thought and said,
"From today onwards, none of you are to move about carelessly. Use your eyes to observe and your ears to listen more. Do not speak, do not act rashly... Observe first, and then we shall discuss in a few months!"
With a swish,
He flicked his sleeves, clasped his hands behind his back, and his eyes revealed a sharp glint. In an instant, he regained his former imposing demeanor, no longer resembling an eighty-year-old man.
...
One afternoon,
Prince Yu's Mansion.
Xu Jie, Li Chunfang, Tan Lun, and Zhao Zhenji were present. Zhao Zhenji had indeed been appointed Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, but without the title of Minister for the time being. Although he could participate in state affairs, he was not yet considered a senior figure. However, his current fortune was truly extraordinary, and everyone in the capital had been discussing this newly appointed Grand Secretary for the past month. Zhao Zhenji was naturally filled with ambition.
The Emperor Jiajing's edict for regency had been issued a few days ago. The officials, initially completely bewildered, had by now largely digested it and deeply felt that the Jiajing era was finally coming to an end. This Emperor was very much like Emperor Wen of Han, appearing to advocate non-action and tranquility, while upholding the core principles. However, when he acted, it was with a thunderous strike that had kept the officials in fear for forty years. Counting carefully, the number of officials beaten to death by court staves alone was no less than three hundred! And now, however overbearing he was, he was ultimately about to depart.
Xu Jie knew well that even if Yan Song returned, he wouldn't have many years left. The elder Yan was eighty-three, and he himself was seventy-two. The regency edict stipulated a three-year term. By the time Prince Yu ascended the throne, he, as the Grand Chancellor, would undoubtedly be indispensable. His mindset had become even more positive during this period.
However, Prince Yu was quite worried. After all, no one knew a father better than his son. He vaguely felt that this matter was not so simple. The reforms of the past two years clearly showed the Emperor's extremely resolute will, even more so than Zhu Mo's. It was impossible for him to suddenly withdraw his efforts. As for cultivating immortality, while he could deceive the world, how could he deceive his own son? This Emperor never believed in ascension to immortality. Now, he was likely just feeling the urgency of his approaching end...
Therefore, even if he were to act as regent, he must not be ostentatious and must continue to lie low until the Emperor truly passed away. Only then would it be a certain moment... For this reason, he still had to yield to Yan Song, but it would be best to bring in some meritorious nobles to serve as a restraint.
With this thought,
He said casually,
"Grand Secretary Xu, the court session will be held in a few days. As regent, must I necessarily be present? If I am present, then what about my father? Also, is it still most appropriate for the court session to be held in the Yuxigong Palace?"
This question was very practical, showing that Prince Yu's emotions had not been disturbed by the regency edict, indicating that he had indeed made significant progress over the past few years.
Xu Jie sighed with emotion,
"Your Highness, it is truly excellent that you think this way... This old minister believes that the edict's talk of a renewed atmosphere does not lie in these minor details. As for the court session, it should still be held in the Yuxigong Palace, as usual... Even if the Emperor is unwilling to listen, it is still his decision. As for Your Highness, you should naturally be present, but according to the rules of the Great Ming, Your Highness should listen more..."
Li Chunfang, also an old official, strongly agreed, saying,
"Your Highness, what Shao Hu said is reasonable. The Great Ming has not changed; it's just that the Emperor is considering the long term and possesses his own wise strategy! What we should do, we shall continue to do. As for Grand Secretary Yan, as he was before, so he is today. We must naturally respect him."
Prince Yu pondered, feeling that it wasn't entirely accurate to say that nothing had changed. After all, the edict had recalled Yan Song and spoken of a complete renewal, but it did not mention Zhu Mo. And recent rumors all said that Zhu Mo had not returned to Hangzhou, nor had he come to the capital, but had been lingering by the Yangtze River. If there were no problems in between, how could that be possible?
In the past few days, they had discussed this several times, but without a conclusion. If this issue was not clarified beforehand, how would the court session be conducted in a few days? How could he, as regent, govern?
Thinking thus,
He said again,
"Grand Secretary Xu, what about Zhu Mo? He is already a Grand Secretary. Will he not come to the capital for the court session?"
Upon mentioning Zhu Mo, everyone immediately felt exasperated.
But Xu Jie had been thinking for a long time. He always believed that worldly rumors were mostly inaccurate. These past few days, he couldn't help but recall the Emperor's rare emotion when he chanted the Qingci. This young Zhu Mo and the Emperor had a fated encounter, a rare meeting of minds and hearts. How could it be possible that he had already fallen out of favor? Moreover, the Emperor's edict did not say the reforms were incorrect...
After much deliberation, he still believed it was best not to mention this person. He immediately said,
"Your Highness, Zhu Mo is said to be a minister of reform, but he has never had an official title. Several major matters were led by Taiyue and the others, such as the General Manager of Official Farms, uh, and the canal grain and sea transport, which was Zhang Han's; the agricultural colonization and garrisoning, which was Liu Yingjie's...
He, uh, is merely a Grand Secretary. His so-called appointed supervisor of the Jiangnan academic case was just a task, and by now, it can be said to be long completed... Oh, and he also holds the position of Chief Clerk of the Zhoushan Public Office, but that is an unclear entity. If ranked by grade, it is actually only fourth grade, equivalent to a Zhongwu Cavalry Officer, isn't it? Therefore, this old minister believes that whether Zhu Mo comes to the court session or not is his own affair. There is no rule in the court that prevents attendance, and there have been many former Grand Secretaries who did not attend to their duties, such as Yang Shiqi. Therefore, it cannot be considered a major issue..."
With his statement,
Everyone felt it was very insightful. Zhu Mo had caused such a stir throughout the land, but in terms of actual position and rank, he was truly not high. It was the Emperor's secret support that allowed him to achieve such great things, and each time, the nominal authority was actually given by the Grand Secretariat. To say he was a minister was indeed a misnomer.
However, despite what was said, Zhu Mo's influence was undeniable. To simply sideline him did not seem like a good idea. Moreover, how would the Emperor view this? This was truly a significant issue.