Chapter 56: Two Imperial Edicts Shock the Realm

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, all the civil and military officials stood in solemn silence.

They had no choice but to be well-behaved; after all, they had witnessed everything that transpired at the Chengtian Gate yesterday. The Emperor had made it abundantly clear that he intended to settle scores. If they failed to keep a low profile now and managed to provoke the Emperor's wrath, their deaths would be entirely in vain.

While most of the court officials maintained an outward appearance of calm and detachment, they were, in truth, anxious and terrified inside.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Just as the crowd was lost in their thoughts, the resonant announcement of Wang Cheng'en rang out. The officials gave a start, instinctively straightening their postures even further.

Chongzhen stepped into the Hall of Supreme Harmony and took his seat upon the dragon throne. Observing the expressions of the gathered officials, a cold scoff echoed in his heart. If they had known it would come to this, why did they ever act as they did in the beginning?

After the officials had completed their obeisances, Chongzhen spoke.

"My beloved subjects, by now, you have all likely guessed what has transpired over the past few days."

"Indeed, Wei Zhongxian is dead. The Directorate of Ceremonies, the Directorate of Imperial Horses, the Inner Garrison Troops, and various other entities have all been placed under control."

"Long live Your Majesty! May the Emperor's wisdom shine eternally!"

The officials dropped to their knees in unison, raising their voices in a thunderous chorus.

Chongzhen could not be bothered to acknowledge their hollow praise and continued: "I have consulted with Li Guopu, Zhang Weixian, Qin Liangyu, and others, and we have reached a decision on how to handle the remnants of Wei Zhongxian's faction."

"Wang Cheng'en, read the imperial edict!"

Wang Cheng'en stood at the edge of the nine-tiered platform, unrolled the imperial decree, and began to recite.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: We have perused the numerous memorials submitted by various ministers detailing the heinous crimes of the traitorous villain Wei Zhongxian, and We are now fully cognizant of them all. We reflect upon how the late Emperor bestowed minor favors and slight considerations upon him due to trivial services, yet Zhongxian repaid neither the country nor the benevolence shown to him. Instead, he indulged his selfish desires, formed cliques, and usurped the authority of the state... For his crimes, his estate shall be confiscated and three generations of his kin executed. Any of his clan members who usurped noble titles shall likewise have their properties seized and be permanently exiled to the pestilential southern frontiers.

"Upon the arrival of this edict, the local prefects are ordered to immediately demolish all living shrines dedicated to him, liquidate their assets at a fair valuation, and remit the proceeds to the Ministry of Revenue."

Among the assembly of officials, some turned ashen-faced as if mourning their own parents, while others let out long sighs of relief, their eyes brimming with vindication. Yet others were gripped by sheer panic.

Before the officials could voice their compliance, Wang Cheng'en nodded toward the rear of the platform. Fang Wen and Fang Jia stepped forward, unfolding yet another imperial decree.

Each holding one end of the document, the two men left the officials completely bewildered.

In truth, when Chongzhen had been drafting this decree himself a short while ago, he had been equally baffled—it was simply impossibly long.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: When Wei Zhongxian held power, an overwhelming multitude flocked to his influence and vied with one another in vicious flattery. Among them were the Five Tigers, the Five Eagles, the Ten Disciples, and the Forty Grandsons. Such treacherous ministers shall be immediately arrested, cast into prison, and subjected to rigorous interrogation... Those whose complicity is evident, such as those who erected living shrines, shall have their estates confiscated and three generations of their kin executed... Let this be known."

This imperial decree took the span of a cup of tea to read aloud, stretching to well over a thousand characters.

(PS: An extant imperial edict from the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty measures 3.6 meters in length and contains over 700 characters, so a decree of a thousand characters is not historically unprecedented. Furthermore, imperial edicts from the early Ming were divided into ten folded panels, standing approximately nine inches high and one foot and one inch wide, with five lines per panel and nine characters per line, embodying the symbolism of the supremacy of the ruler. Calculated thus, such an edict could accommodate 450 characters.)

Hearing successive decrees ordering the confiscation of estates and the extermination of entire clans, coupled with several demotions and asset seizures, the officials gasped in collective shock. Several men collapsed directly onto the stone floor, their legs turning to jelly.

Yet, for certain others, their hearts surged with secret joy. With rivals eliminated, opportunities would finally open up for them.

"Li Guopu, the civil officials are assigned to your jurisdiction for investigation. Li Banghua, the military officials are assigned to yours. The Brocade Guard and the Censorate shall be responsible for supervision. I give you three days. I want the final vetted list on my desk at the end of that period."

After both men acknowledged the decree, Li Banghua stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, if during the three-day investigation, any of the accused or their family members attempt to flee, how shall we proceed?"

"Execute nine generations of their kin!"

Chongzhen's voice carried boundless killing intent, causing the officials to shiver once again.

"Li Banghua, lift the curfew within the city of Beijing. Open the city gates, but allow entries only, not exits. Implement strict vetting for everyone entering the city."

"Li Guopu, immediately upon the adjournment of this court, arrange for couriers to dispatch the three imperial decrees to every prefecture and county. I want the common subjects of the Great Ming to learn of Wei Zhongxian's death at the earliest possible moment."

"That is all. Court is dismissed!"

Without giving the ministers the slightest opportunity to respond, Chongzhen rose and left, abandoning the grand hall to a throng of speechless officials.

A three-day investigation—what were they supposed to do during these three days? Were they to continue handling official business or simply give up and let things rot?

Was the Emperor determined to completely drain every drop of their value until they died?

If they continued their duties, they might die; but if they stopped working, they would undoubtedly die even faster and more miserably. Better to keep working, then. With heavy sighs, the officials began to disperse.

Li Guopu and Li Banghua exchanged a glance. Li Banghua nodded, strode out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, gazed up at the glaring sun, took a deep breath, and shouted in a booming voice, "Guards!"

"Hurry to the residences of Xu Xianchun, Sun Yunhe, Yang Huan, Cui Yingyuan, and the others! Place them under arrest, detain all their family members, transport all their assets to the South New Granary, and execute on the spot anyone who dares to resist!"

Squadrons of Brocade Guard operatives waiting in the plaza quickly marched away in formation.

Once the commotion outside subsided, Li Guopu stepped forward and commanded in a stern voice, "Men!"

"Hurry to the residences of Left Censor-in-Chief Cao Sicheng, Vice Censor-in-Chief Li Quilong, Junior Director of the Court of the Imperial Stud Cao Qincheng, Tian Ji, Wu Chunfu, and the others! Detain their families, transport all their household property to the South New Granary, and execute anyone who resists!"

The complexions of those whose names were called shifted drastically. Before they could utter a word, they were dragged out of the hall by the waiting Brocade Guard agents.

The individuals named by the two officials were precisely Wei Zhongxian's Five Eagles, Five Tigers, Ten Disciples, and Forty Grandsons. These people required no further investigation; their monstrous crimes were already known to all.

"My lords, return to your duties and conduct yourselves accordingly."

Li Guopu cast a glance at the remaining ministers in the hall, spoke those weighted words with deep emotion, and then turned to leave.

Half an hour later, dozens of swift horses thundered out of the gates of Beijing. These were the messengers tasked with delivering the two imperial edicts to every prefecture and province.

Once these decrees spread across the length and breadth of the Great Ming, one could only imagine the sheer terror that would grip factions and power brokers throughout the realm.

Inside the Eastern Warm Pavilion, Chongzhen sat before his dragon desk, writing furiously. Wang Cheng'en stood nearby, grinding ink, while Li Ruolian and Fang Zhenghua stood respectfully in front of the desk.

A moment later, Chongzhen finished writing two official memorials. "Big Brother Wang, bring me the imperial seal."

Wang Cheng'en immediately retrieved the jade seal from a chest behind him, applied the vermilion paste, and handed it to the Emperor. Chongzhen stamped both memorials, then handed them to Li Ruolian and Fang Zhenghua.

The two men looked startled for a fraction of a second, then simultaneously unfolded the documents.

"Li Ruolian, commander of a thousand households in the Brocade Guard, has demonstrated loyalty and consideration for the state. In the matter of eradicating Wei Zhongxian, he safeguarded Our person... He is hereby promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Brocade Guard. Gao Wencai is promoted to Vice Commander... Let this be known."

"Fang Zhenghua, eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Precious Things, possesses formidable martial prowess and has rendered repeated meritorious service in the eradication of Wei Zhongxian. He is hereby elevated to Director of the Directorate of Imperial Horses, overseeing the Four Brave and Valiant Guards... Let this be known!"

Both men's eyes were filled with overwhelming pleasant surprise as they dropped to their knees to express their gratitude.

When Chongzhen had first summoned Li Ruolian, he had promised to promote him to Vice Commander of the Brocade Guard and place him temporarily in charge if he performed well. Now, rather than waiting for a later date, the Emperor had fulfilled the promise in one decisive leap.

With a single handwritten decree, several military officers of the Brocade Guard received promotions, with some jumping straight from a regular sixth-rank company commander to a fourth-rank regional defense commander.

"The Directorate of Imperial Horses and the Brocade Guard are my personal elite forces, so I will not issue formal imperial edicts for these; take my handwritten warrants to the Grand Secretariat, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of War to have them officially registered. I trust you both, and I hope you will not let me down—nor ever become a second Wei Zhongxian."

"This subject dares not!"

Both men immediately dropped to their knees once more. "We are willing to follow Your Majesty to the ends of the earth, to crush the Jianzhou Jurchens, and to usher in a golden era for the Great Ming."

Chongzhen nodded. He was neither the Wanli nor the Tianji Emperor—one of whom refused to hold court while the other was obsessed with carpentry. With twenty-one imperial guards in his grasp, coupled with his newly trained troops, he feared no one.

If the civil officials dared to form cliques and pursue private interests again, he would execute every single one who stepped out of line. There were plenty of people in this world eager to be officials.

"You are to begin reorganizing the Four Brave and Valiant Guards and the Brocade Guard immediately. Purge all the old, weak, sick, and infirm—I want only the elite. Give me a firm timeline: when can the reorganization be completed?"