Chapter Thirty-Five: Factional Exclusion Within the Clan—Relentless Until Defeat (Dedicated to the Alliance Leader “Rice Cooker Recipes”!)

"Haha." Tan Lun burst into hearty laughter again, looking at Ge Shouli while shaking his head. Ge Shouli naturally understood the meaning of the quote, and Tan Lun understood it just as well.

"He who demands much from himself and little from others will keep himself from resentment."

As a jinshi, Ge Shouli was well-versed in the classics of the sages; otherwise, he would not have been standing in the Wenhua Hall. But that was precisely the problem: if Ge Shouli were to apply this principle, he would have to impeach the Minister of Rites, Lu Shusheng, as well, because Lu Shusheng had also coughed during the sacrifice at the Altar of the Sun!

Zhu Yijun sat on the dais, a faint smile curling his lips. Beside him, Zhang Hong looked on with a hint of envy; as the Director of Ceremonial, Feng Bao was exceptionally competent.

Feng Bao smiled and said, "The Master said that to be strict with oneself and lenient with others is to avoid the resentment of others."

"To be strict in self-discipline, and to have that translate into merit and achievement; to be lenient with others, and to have that govern the way of governance—yet here, with Chief Censor Ge, it is the exact opposite. It has become 'strict with others and lenient with oneself.' Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"Chief Censor Ge, why not impeach Minister Lu as well?"

Lu Shusheng was the Minister of Rites recommended by Zhang Juzheng, yet he added obstacles to Zhang Juzheng’s path at every turn. When Luo Gongchen sought to collect taxes on foreign ships, Lu Shusheng opposed it. When Qi Jiguang came to the capital to receive his rewards, Lu Shusheng opposed it. When the young Emperor tried his hand at farming, Lu Shusheng opposed that too. It was only after Zhang Juzheng invoked the *Ancestral Instructions of the Imperial Ming*, cited the founding Emperor, and brought up the model of monarchical virtue, Emperor Renzong of Song, that he finally managed to suppress Lu Shusheng’s opposition to the Emperor and his people farming together.

Zhang Juzheng sat upright, watching Feng Bao unleash his verbal assault on Ge Shouli. He remained silent, seemingly engrossed in a memorial.

The choice now rested with Ge Shouli: either impeach both Tan Lun and Lu Shusheng, or impeach neither. Of course, there was a third path: to oppose the words of Confucius himself.

"Eunuch scoundrel in power!" Ge Shouli grumbled with great dissatisfaction, flicking his sleeves and returning to his seat. He did not know how to retort; he truly had not been aware of Lu Shusheng’s breach of decorum.

"Petty men are anxious and worried!" Feng Bao countered, meeting him point for point, yielding not an inch.

"Chief Censor Ge?" Zhang Juzheng held the memorial impeaching Tan Lun, his eyes flickering as he looked at Ge Shouli.

If Ge Shouli did not retract this memorial, Lu Shusheng would also be impeached. When that happened, it would be a disgrace for everyone. The Great Ming only had six ministries; to have two ministers deeply embroiled in impeachment would be an impossible quagmire.

At this moment, someone needed to play the mediator, and Yang Bo was the most suitable candidate. As the leader of the Shanxi Faction, if he were to cough and speak a word of justice, the factional strife would die down. But Yang Bo did not speak, nor did he cough. Like Zhang Juzheng just a moment ago, he remained silent.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Yang Bo, his gaze incredibly complex. He had always firmly believed that Yang Bo was a man of profound virtue, and for a long time, Zhang Juzheng had deeply respected him. But this time, the look in Zhang Juzheng’s eyes held less trust and more suspicion, less anticipation and more despondency—only a deep, lingering disappointment remained.

Zhang Juzheng was truly disappointed.

In the final leg of his life, Yang Bo had finally become the very thing he once despised. When the likes of Yan Song and Yan Shifan were in power, Yang Bo had submitted memorial after memorial of impeachment; he had been a man of noble ambition then. And now?

Feng Bao understood scholars well. They all loved to set up an exemplar in their hearts and follow that model's words and deeds. Ge Shouli, for instance, had always believed Gao Gong to be perfect; thus, when Gao Gong fell, Ge Shouli had exhausted all his strength to protect him.

Those with great power are broken; those with great merit are destroyed.

Yang Bo, on the final stretch of his official career, had not chosen the path of the gentleman or the way of perseverance; he had chosen to protect the interests of his small political clique.

Ge Shouli was trapped. He had no way to step down, no one to mediate, no one to offer a compromise. He sat there, his face ashen and unreadable. Even the most obtuse man should have understood his predicament by now.

Zhang Juzheng set down the memorial and looked toward the Minister of War, Tan Lun. But Tan Lun’s expression turned hesitant; he would not move, would not speak, and was unwilling to even defend himself. Feng Bao was growing anxious, but Tan Lun remained silent.

Zhang Juzheng, Feng Bao, and even Yang Bo all knew that in Tan Lun’s sleeve was a memorial from the Ministry of War’s Investigating Censor, impeaching the Minister of Rites, Lu Shusheng, for the same breach of decorum. The Ministry of Rites oversaw the rituals, and for Minister Lu Shusheng to cough at the Altar of the Sun was indeed a breach of decorum—and a more serious one at that. Yet, looking at Tan Lun’s posture, he had no intention of bringing it out.

This brief silence piqued Zhu Yijun’s curiosity. As he followed the others' gazes, his expression turned even more peculiar; he had grasped the key.

Tan Lun had been impeached by the censors for a breach of decorum. It was not that Zhang Juzheng had made no preparations; he had prepared thoroughly. However, the situation seemed to have exceeded the Grand Secretary's control. Even though Feng Bao had held them firmly in his grip—if only Tan Lun would pull out that memorial, the Shanxi Faction would suffer—Tan Lun refused to do so.

Why? Was he filled with guilt? If he were, would he have blocked Wang Chonggu thirty-four times, thoroughly offending him? Tan Lun was a magnanimous man; once he did something, he did not regret it.

The Minister of Revenue, Wang Guoguang, smiled, flicked his sleeves, and produced a memorial. "The Investigating Censor of the Ministry of Revenue impeaches the Minister of Rites, Lu Shusheng, for a breach of decorum. I ask the Grand Secretary to review it."

The reason was exactly the same: the breach of decorum at the Altar of the Sun.

Wang Guoguang was a man from Shanxi and a core member of the Shanxi Faction, but he was also the traitor of the faction officially purged by Zhang Siwei in the tenth year of the Wanli reign. Wang Guoguang was a rare, capable official and an expert in fiscal management. During his five years heading the Ministry of Revenue, tax revenues had climbed year after year. He was a specialist, a pragmatic official, and a man who walked his own path.

Tan Lun was naturally broad-minded. He did not like the fact that his conflict with the Shanxi Faction had dragged others into the fray. Tan Lun cared about his reputation; he had betrayed Yang Bo, who had recommended him, just as Lu Shusheng had betrayed Zhang Juzheng, who had recommended him. For one turncoat to attack another was utterly ridiculous. That was why Tan Lun refused—he refused to be like Ge Shouli, Yang Bo, or Wang Chonggu.

But Zhang Juzheng had arranged for others to impeach as well. It was initiated by the Minister of Revenue, Wang Guoguang, charging the Minister of Rites, Lu Shusheng, with the crime of breach of decorum.

Yang Bo, Ge Shouli, and Wang Chonggu wore grave expressions. Tan Lun was not from Shanxi; he was merely recommended by Yang Bo. But Wang Guoguang was from Shanxi. Inside the Wenhua Hall, Wang Guoguang’s impeachment of Lu Shusheng carried far more weight than if he had simply declared his support for Zhang Juzheng.

In this round of impeachment against Tan Lun, the Shanxi Faction suffered a major loss. Wang Guoguang had finally revealed his true colors, making a clean break from the Shanxi Faction.

Zhu Yijun was now certain: there were no unbreakable political alliances. The Shanxi Faction, a tightly knit political clique built on the core interest of privileged economics, had seen two traitors emerge in succession: Tan Lun and Wang Guoguang.

"Grand Secretary, let it be," Yang Bo finally stepped forward to play the mediator. He coughed twice and said, "There is much coughing due to the late spring chill. Are we to dismiss the entire court of officials because of this?"

Zhang Juzheng gripped the memorial in his hand and replied, "Master Yang, your words make it sound as if I, a cabinet minister, am wantonly wielding power to stir up factional strife. Is it my fault? Master Yang, your words are lacking in fairness."

Zhang Juzheng’s tone toward Yang Bo had finally turned sharp.

Feng Bao looked at Yang Bo and said with a chuckle, "Originally, as I said, if Chief Censor Ge had just taken it back, it would have been fine. It was making a mountain out of a molehill, playing at governance. I scolded him because he deserved it. If the memorial had been taken back, it would have been the end of it."

"But he stood there with his neck stiff, refusing to budge. And now he wants to smooth things over? You want all the benefits, but the moment you see a decline, you want to preserve yourself? There is no such easy path in this world."

Feng Bao appeared to be scolding Ge Shouli, but every word was directed at Yang Bo. They were all seasoned foxes; everyone could understand the implication of his words. It was not Zhang Juzheng or Feng Bao who had left Ge Shouli with no way out; it was the Shanxi Faction itself.

Ge Shouli’s expression was exceptionally desolate. He could not understand how, after all these years of charging into battle for the Shanxi Faction, he had ended up in such a state.

Tan Lun’s memorial had entered the Cabinet. After the Cabinet drafted the response and sent it to the Directorate of Ceremonial for the vermilion seal, it would go to the Qianqing Palace. These layers upon layers of bureaucracy meant that the impeachment of Tan Lun and Lu Shusheng was not the end, but merely the beginning. If this truly blew up, who would suffer the greater loss?

Yang Bo took a deep breath. "Grand Secretary, the factional strife in the two Song dynasties filled the heavens, and the Song dynasty subsequently faced the disaster of the southern retreat. With that warning before us, the Grand Secretary should think thrice."

Zhang Juzheng pondered for a moment, then handed the two memorials to a young eunuch instead of Zhang Hong, signaling for them to be returned to the Censorate and the Ministry of Revenue.

In the end, Zhang Juzheng did not ignite this factional strife.

Yang Bo, as the leader of the Shanxi Faction, was bullying Zhang Juzheng. He knew that a gentleman could be deceived by the principles he upheld. Yang Bo was certain that Zhang Juzheng would not let things escalate, because if Zhang Juzheng were to incite factional strife, the only loser would be the Great Ming.

Although Zhang Juzheng suppressed the roots of the strife, he said with great sternness, "Ministers should be treated with propriety. If we are to dismiss officials due to a single cough, it is not only heartless but also damaging to the dignity of the state!"

"The censors Jing Song and Han Bixian impeached Tan Lun out of reckless haste, and their intent to serve the will of another is clear. The actions taken today by the three men—Luo Zun of the Ministry of Personnel, and the censors Jing Song and Han Bixian—must be reported to His Majesty to rectify the conduct of the court."

Hearing that Zhang Juzheng intended to report to His Majesty, Zhu Yijun handed his pencil to Zhang Hong, asking him to replace it with a new one; the one in his hand had become too short to hold.

The young Emperor sat up straight and spoke: "A sacrifice at the Altar of the Sun is a minor matter; how could it lead to the removal of two high ministers?"

"Every time an impeachment is discussed, there is exhaustive searching for faults and the exclusion of dissenters by cliques. If they do not win, they do not stop. There are no clear regulations for employing or dismissing officials; it all depends on the censors digging for pretexts."

"Grand Secretary, how are the court and I to govern the world?"

Zhang Juzheng bowed respectfully and said, "Your servant does not know."

Zhu Yijun looked at Yang Bo and asked again, "Minister Yang, with cliques excluding dissenters, not stopping until they win, and employing or dismissing at will, without guidelines or discipline—how are the court and I to govern the world?"