Chapter 23: A Single Night's Hunger, The Spark of Infinite Slaughter

Zhu Yijunjun looked at the words on the table, which were his summary of the Analects of Confucius. He stated earnestly and concisely: "It is said: If one in poverty and lowliness does not remain steadfast, they will surely become sycophantic; if one in wealth and status does not limit themselves, they will surely become arrogant. Thus, ritual will collapse, and music will decay."

Zhang Juzheng had been considering how to refute His Majesty, but before he could do so, he needed to find answers to two questions.

He could not fathom how one could avoid kneeling when faced with the circumstances of having nothing to eat, nothing to cover one's body, and feet torn by gravel.

Nor could he fathom how the wealthy, having come to view people as mere objects, could even manage to follow the law, let alone pursue morality, for the law is merely the baseline of morality.

Unable to find the answers to these two questions, he could not refute His Majesty’s inquiry. Could he simply offer a dry, empty response: "In poverty, pursue the Dao; in wealth, love ritual"?

That would be nothing more than deceiving a child.

As he pondered, four characters suddenly flashed before his eyes: "Kill the rich to aid the poor!"

Confucianism is a doctrine that emphasizes the order of superior and inferior. The moment these four characters appeared, a cold sweat broke out on Zhang Juzheng’s back. He hurriedly shattered the thought, telling himself: "The Sages must be right!"

Soon, another question emerged in Zhang Juzheng’s mind: "Are the Sages truly always right?"

The ideology of Zhang Juzheng, who had studied for forty-eight years and was as firm as a rock, developed a hairline fracture.

Once a seed is planted, it will take root and sprout, eventually blooming and bearing fruit.

"Your Majesty, shall we look at the 'Illustrated Mirror for Emperors'?" Zhang Juzheng decided to change the subject, speaking quite earnestly. He had compiled these stories himself and was confident he could resolve His Majesty’s doubts, rather than letting the Emperor continue down this path of heresy!

Defending the Three Bonds and Five Constants in the Emperor’s heart was Zhang Juzheng’s inescapable duty!

"Very well." Zhu Yijunjun picked up the "Illustrated Mirror for Emperors," flipped through it, and said: "Then let us discuss the story of Emperor Renzong of Song, who valued the five grains and disparaged pearls and jade."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Juzheng felt a twinge of regret; it would have been better to stick to the Analects, as that was merely theory.

Once this story of valuing grains over treasures was brought up, His Majesty would surely suggest engaging in agriculture—this was practice.

Zhang Juzheng said quite solemnly: "During the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty, the palace favored pearls, valuing the large and round. Many palace purchasers were sent out, causing the price of pearls in the capital of Bianliang to soar. When Consort Zhang wore pearl ornaments, Renzong covered his face and refused to look, saying: 'Pearls and jade covering your head, all white and shimmering, this is an inauspicious omen. Why be so heedless of taboos?' Upon hearing this, Consort Zhang hurriedly removed the ornaments, and only then was Renzong pleased."

"The Emperor did not like pearls and jade, so the palace stopped purchasing them, and the price of such treasures fell immediately."

The reason Song Renzong was known as "Renzong" (the Benevolent Ancestor) was not merely because he disliked luxury, but because he would not use the prestige of the Son of Heaven to trouble the palace staff. Song Renzong was a genuinely good man; he wanted to accomplish things, but having no heir, he was constrained in every move, unable to fulfill his ambitions completely.

"Then how did Song Renzong value the five grains?" Zhu Yijunjun sat upright and asked about another anecdote concerning Renzong.

Zhang Juzheng bowed his head and said: "During his reign, Song Renzong paid close attention to agriculture. Upon discovering a vacant plot of land in the rear garden, he had wheat planted there and built a small pavilion named the Baoqi Hall. One stalk of wheat produced two ears, known as 'Qi.' Every harvest season, Renzong would personally go to Baoqi Hall to inspect it, and he would personally cut the first bundle of wheat and thresh it."

Zhu Yijunjun asked with a smile: "Then may I ask, Grand Secretary, did Emperor Renzong of Song deserve the title of 'Benevolent'?"

Zhang Juzheng replied: "Song Renzong said: 'Treasures like pearls and jade cannot be eaten when hungry, nor worn when cold, yet a tiny piece is worth several strings of cash. To waste the provisions of the people just for a moment’s amusement is unacceptable.'"

"Emperor Renzong of Song, with the supreme status of the Son of Heaven, personally engaged in farming, knowing the bitter toil of the laborers. He often said to others: 'Among the four classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, the farmers suffer the most. They plow in the spring and weed in the summer, laboring from dawn till dusk, yet in the end, after paying the state grain taxes, the landlords' rent, and the private extortions of local officials, they rarely even have a full meal.'"

"Emperor Renzong of Song was respectful, frugal, benevolent, and merciful, excelling in modern times; he naturally deserves the title of 'Benevolent.'"

Zhu Yijunjun then said: "I have heard that the Assistant Prefect of Maritime Defense, Luo Gongchen, presented an auspicious item called the potato, which yields over a thousand catties per mu. Although I am young, I dare not forget the instructions of the late Emperor. I wish to emulate the past, disparage pearls and jade, value the five grains, reduce the expenses of the Qianqing Palace, build a Baoqi Hall in Jingshan, and personally engage in agriculture, in the hope of securing the foundation of the state and reviving the Great Ming."

"What does the Grand Secretary think of this?"

Wansui Mountain, or Jingshan, was the Emperor’s imperial garden. In the early Ming Dynasty, it was primarily used for storing coal to prevent the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty from besieging the capital and leaving it without fuel, which is why it was also known as Coal Hill.

Inside Jingshan stood the Shouhuang Hall, used for climbing, viewing flowers, banquets, and archery. There was also the Guande Hall, the training ground for Ming Emperors, specifically for testing the archery skills of the imperial heirs.

Zhang Juzheng had originally intended to protect Feng Bao’s position as the leading eunuch of the palace and was inclined to agree. Now that His Majesty was using these two stories from the "Illustrated Mirror for Emperors" to support his request, he spoke quite respectfully: "I think it is excellent. I once heard: 'A single night of hunger sparks endless slaughter.' The wise kings of old all prioritized the encouragement of agriculture. However, with excessive flowery praise, agricultural affairs have been largely neglected. Your Majesty is sagely."

Zhang Juzheng had agreed. The matter of the Founding Emperor farming, as recorded in the "Ancestral Injunctions of the Ming," was a backup ammunition; if anyone opposed this, he could use the laws of the ancestors to suppress them.

"A single night of hunger sparks endless slaughter"—Zhang Juzheng had specifically explained the meaning of this to the young Emperor.

If the common people could not even afford a single meal, they would gather in revolt, and endless slaughter would ensue. Thus, all the wise kings of ancient times prioritized agriculture. It was only because empty, flowery odes were sung too often that agricultural efforts had gradually withered.

Zhu Yijunjun asked with some curiosity: "I heard from my mother that the Sage Mencius once harshly criticized the followers of the Agricultural School for 'the ruler and the people tilling the land together.' Why did you not offer words of warning, Grand Secretary?"

Zhang Juzheng replied with certainty: "Mencius criticized the Agricultural School’s idea of the ruler and people tilling together because he feared that if a monarch accepted their teachings, they would become too obsessed with agricultural tasks and neglect the administration of government."

"Mencius said: 'In the world, there are a hundred trades; one cannot both till and govern.' This means that everyone in the world has their own duties, and one certainly cannot abandon those duties just for the sake of farming."

"The superior man has the duty of governing, while the common people have their occupations to earn a living. Some labor with their minds, some with their strength; this is the common principle of the world."

"Mencius’s rejection of the Agricultural School and the idea of the ruler and people tilling together was not a rejection of personally engaging in agriculture, much less a rejection of valuing agriculture or of benevolence and mercy."

"I see." Zhu Yijunjun understood Zhang Juzheng’s argument. Zhang Juzheng was not the type to cling to the books of the Sages, treating every word as a code of conduct to be followed blindly. He had his own views and understanding of the Sages' books—or rather, the logic by which this world operated.

In Zhang Juzheng’s view, the young Emperor wanting to plant potatoes and sweet potatoes was not a bad thing. Every Ming Emperor had his own little hobbies; farming was certainly better than fighting crickets or seeking immortality through alchemy.

Even the Founding Emperor had personally farmed. If anyone had the nerve, they could go to the Founding Emperor and say, "Founding Emperor, you are doing it wrong!"

Zhang Juzheng’s reasoning was: since the young Emperor was not yet personally governing and was idle anyway, keeping his heart on agriculture and seeing the suffering of the people would be better than being deceived when he eventually took the reins of power.

"Then I shall trouble you, Grand Secretary, to appease the criticisms from the outer court. Great Companion Feng, can you clear a few mu of land on Wansui Mountain today to build the Baoqi Hall?" Zhu Yijunjun looked at Feng Bao.

Feng Bao’s heart, which had been hanging by a thread, finally settled back into his chest. He hurriedly knelt on the ground and said quite sincerely: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, it will be finished by tomorrow."

The area below Jingshan was covered in orchards, known as the Hundred-Fruit Garden. Feng Bao had had it inspected; the soil was fertile. They would simply move the fruit trees elsewhere. Jingshan was large enough to accommodate the Ming Emperor planting a few mu of humble fields to promote his benevolent government.

Zhu Yijunjun and Zhang Juzheng continued to discuss various stories from the "Illustrated Mirror for Emperors." The book in his hand featured full-color illustrations for every story and was of exquisite craftsmanship.

When the lecture concluded, the officials in charge of displaying the books, the imperial tutors, and the lecturers began to exit. After they had fully departed, Zhu Yijunjun did not rise to pay respects to end the lecture; instead, he took out a memorial—it was Tan Lun’s resignation.

"Grand Secretary, let us temporarily not approve Minister Tan’s resignation." Zhu Yijunjun brought up court affairs. Tan Lun had blocked Wang Chonggu’s list of military appointments and refused to pass it even while resigning, but Zhu Yijunjun’s stance was to refuse Tan Lun’s resignation.

The reason?

The reason was that he did not want to wake up one day and find his head missing.

Zhang Juzheng hesitated for a moment and said: "This concerns the appointment and dismissal of capital officials, all of which is the Emperor's command. I should not have spoken, and I have overstepped. But to say that Tan Lun is merely a seat-warmer, I find that somewhat laughable."

The appointment and dismissal of capital officials were the core of imperial power. Even during the times of the Crown Prince Zhu Biao overseeing the state in the Hongwu reign, Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi in the Yongle reign, or Prince Xiang Zhu Zhan-shan during the Xuande reign, such appointments required the Emperor's vermilion signature.

Zhang Juzheng should not have spoken of Tan Lun’s official conduct in front of the Emperor, but as the Emperor had asked for his opinion, as the imperial tutor, and as the last remaining minister supporting the state, Zhang Juzheng expressed his attitude.

Even if the Emperor had not asked, Zhang Juzheng would have clearly stated in the cabinet’s draft response why they did not agree to Tan Lun’s resignation, leaving the decision to Empress Dowager Li.

However, in that draft, Zhang Juzheng would not merely say that Tan Lun was not a seat-warmer; he would explain the stakes of Wang Chonggu’s list of military talents and the underlying exchange of interests. If he did not write it clearly, he feared the Empress Dowager would not understand the crux of the matter.

Zhang Juzheng did not wish to explain the filth of the adult world in detail to the ten-year-old Zhu Yijunjun.

Yet, no matter how he looked at it, he felt the young Emperor seemed to have already understood exactly what was going on.

Zhu Yijunjun truly understood. The matter was not complicated: Tan Lun had defected from the Jin Party, the Jin Party was purging Tan Lun, and Zhang Juzheng wanted to protect him.

From the perspective of the Jin Party, Tan Lun had been treacherous and lacked personal integrity. The only reason they hadn't arranged for Tan Lun to "commit suicide after being shot eighteen times in the back" was because he was in the capital.

But Zhu Yijunjun, standing from the perspective of imperial power and the Great Ming, realized that if all the military talents in the Capital Battalion from top to bottom were people of the Jin Party, he might as well stop being Emperor and just hand his head over to the Jin Party to play with tomorrow.

The Jin Party, an unbreakable political alliance? It was merely a house of cards waiting to collapse.

Tan Lun had been recommended by Yang Bo, yet he refused to align with the Jin Party on such a crucial matter as appointing military commanders for the Capital Battalion.

"Thank you, Grand Secretary." Zhu Yijunjun rose and bowed slightly, ending today's lecture.

"I take my leave." Zhang Juzheng hurriedly bowed in return. According to etiquette, he should have knelt, but the Emperor had already granted him an exemption from such cumbersome rituals during their discussions. He slowly retreated to the entrance of the Wenhua Hall before turning to leave. As he walked toward the Wenyuan Pavilion opposite, Zhang Juzheng felt that something was not quite right.

The young Emperor seemed to have a truly clear, piercing insight into such matters of interest exchange.

After lunch, Zhu Yijunjun began his martial arts practice again. He remained the headstrong little Emperor. Zhu Xixiao, who was responsible for teaching him, noticed that the Ming Emperor’s practice was genuine—it wasn't just a burst of enthusiasm that would fade into laziness after a few days.

Because the Emperor was serious, Zhu Xixiao’s attitude became exceptionally diligent.

According to the ancestral customs of the Great Ming, imperial heirs were supposed to demonstrate their archery skills at the age of fifteen, the age of manhood, by hitting the target with three arrows. Due to various complex reasons, this assessment was abolished in the first year of the Zhengtong reign, after Emperor Yingzong, Zhu Qizhen, ascended the throne.

At that time, the Grand Empress Dowager Zhang and Empress Dowager Sun did not want the nine-year-old Zhu Qizhen to suffer too much.

Now, Empress Dowager Li also did not want the young Emperor to suffer, but the young Emperor had his own ideas and seemed to have persuaded her as well.

Zhu Xixiao was quite grateful to the young Emperor. In the case of Wang Zhanglong, if the Emperor had not appeared at the Northern Secret Service Bureau (Beizhen Fusi), the agency would have found it difficult to protect itself. But with the Emperor present and personally overseeing the trial, the bureau was spared much trouble in this case.

If the Emperor hadn't gone, no matter how he handled the trial, he would have offended either the Jin Party or Feng Bao.

For Zhu Xixiao, these were people he could not afford to offend. The Jinyiwei was no longer the all-powerful entity it had been during the Jiajing reign under the command of Lu Bing.

With the Emperor at the Beizhen Fusi, imperial power was supreme and the truth was clear; under the watchful eyes of all, Zhu Xixiao did not have to be forced to take a side.

"Commander, in the court’s recommendation of military talents for the Capital Battalion, all those accompanying me in martial practice are eunuchs. Are there no meritorious guards or sword-bearing attendants to accompany me?" Zhu Yijunjun slowly finished his stance, and only after calming his mind did he speak.

Meritorious guards and sword-bearing attendants were official positions held by the hereditary military nobility before they inherited their titles of Hundred-Household, Thousand-Household, Count, Marquis, or Duke.

Zhu Xixiao’s expression changed slightly as he said: "There are!"

Why was the Imperial Guard led by Lu Bing so powerful that it could even suppress the director of the Eastern Depot?

It was because Lu Bing’s mother was the wet nurse of the Jiajing Emperor, and Lu Bing had grown up in and out of the palace with him;

In the eighteenth year of the Jiajing reign, when the Emperor was touring the south and a fire broke out at the imperial palace in Weihui, Lu Bing rushed into the flames and carried the Emperor to safety;

In the twenty-second year of the Jiajing reign, during the Renyin Palace Coup, when palace maids attempted to assassinate and nearly strangled the Emperor, it was Lu Bing who rushed in first to save him.

Zhu Xixiao naturally wanted to recommend meritorious guards and sword-bearing attendants to accompany the Emperor in his practice.

But could the Empress Dowager and Feng Bao possibly agree to this?