Chapter 644: Sitting High Over the Realm

Chapter 644: The Throne's Firm Grip

"Your Majesty, the cabinet has drafted a memorial for the New Year's celebrations. I respectfully request Your Majesty's attention."

Grand Secretary Gao Sheng knelt on the steps, holding a memorial with both hands in a reverent manner.

"Is this really necessary? We write and speak about it every year, but in my opinion, few people in the world are willing to listen to my words."

A bland voice drifted down from the high platform.

"Your Majesty, the festival greetings have been a tradition since the Emperor ascended the throne. Today, it has become an essential ceremony for the people to celebrate the festival, and it must not be lightly abolished."

Grand Secretary Gao Sheng appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with dark hair and beard, and was in the prime of his youth.

"In addition to the people of the world, officials of all ranks in the court have also been eagerly awaiting this moment, looking forward to hearing Your Majesty's words."

"Is that so? Actually, these matters can be handled by your cabinet yourselves. You have done a good job over the years, and I have full confidence in you."

Gao Sheng lowered his eyes and remained silent, still holding the memorial high in his hands.

A faint sigh echoed in the empty hall.

Emperor Jiaqi put down his brush, stepped down from the platform, and stood before Gao Sheng.

"Since this is a tradition established by the former Emperor, I will follow it. Once I have recorded it, I will send it to your cabinet."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Feeling the memorial in his hands being taken away, Gao Sheng, who was kneeling, finally raised his head, but what he saw was a face that seemed slightly unfamiliar.

The Emperor Jiaqi before him had grown a beard at some point, though it was still thin. His eyebrows and eyes had lost some of their childishness and gained a touch of stability and restraint.

"Your Majesty, according to the Chief Minister's arrangement, I will be responsible for your studies during his absence from the capital."

Emperor Jiaqi said with a smile, "You? Gao Sheng? You are going to teach me?"

"Of course I know I lack the qualifications. That's why I came to resign from this duty and ask Your Majesty to relieve me of this task."

"No need. Since the Chief Minister asked you to come, it means he believes you are qualified to answer my questions."

Emperor Jiaqi waved his sleeve, and an attendant immediately brought a chair.

"Today you are the teacher, so there is no reason to teach while kneeling. Sit down."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat."

Gao Sheng was very nervous and quickly stood up, sitting with his buttocks tightly against the edge of the chair.

"Master Gao, I wonder where we should start our lesson today?"

"Your Majesty has studied under Lord Zhang and is already familiar with the works of the sages and the classics. I am not capable of giving guidance."

Gao Sheng paused and cautiously asked, "Why don't we study what Your Majesty is interested in today?"

"That's good."

Emperor Jiaqi stood with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth in front of Gao Sheng twice before stopping and asking, "Master Gao, I would like to ask, where is the foundation of the Great Ming Empire?"

"The foundation of the country lies in the people's hearts."

Without hesitation, Gao Sheng gave an answer that he thought was impeccable.

"That's wrong. Master Gao has misunderstood my question. I asked:"

Emperor Jiaqi pronounced each word slowly, "Who is the mountain of the empire, and who is the river?"

Gao Sheng's forehead was covered with sweat, and his mind raced. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Your Majesty is the mountain, and the Chief Minister is the river."

"What does this mean?"

"The mountain is the terrain, which carries all things with its virtue. Everything depends on the Emperor's grace to survive. The highest good is like water, flowing through thousands of miles of fertile land to nourish millions of people in the empire. The two complement each other, yet there is a clear distinction between the main and the auxiliary. The mountain is the monarch, and the river is the minister."

Emperor Jiaqi did not respond to Gao Sheng's awkward defense and slowly walked to his side.

"Master Gao, I remember your ancestral home is in the capital, right?"

Gao Sheng pursed his lips and replied, "Yes."

"In which year did you join the cabinet?"

"The third year of Jiaqi."

"So now, it's your tenth year in the cabinet?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for not abandoning me. It's almost ten years."

Emperor Jiaqi nodded and said, "You have worked hard over the years. Are there still descendants and relatives in your family in the capital now?"

Gao Sheng's heart suddenly trembled, and he hurriedly said, "They are all mediocre people, so they didn't enter officialdom. My old minister kept them in the capital."

"In the capital is fine. Now there are constant troubles in various parts of the empire, but the capital is relatively peaceful."

In just a few words, the two seemed to have exchanged roles.

Gao Sheng was no longer the teacher giving a lesson, but the prisoner being questioned, with the initiative completely in the hands of Emperor Jiaqi, who was supposed to be the student.

"I heard that when the former Chief Minister was still the headmaster of the New Donglin Academy, you were his student. Who were your classmates?"

"Yes, apart from the old minister, those who have held official positions are the current governor of Chengdu, Pei Xingjian, and the former pacification commissioner of the Woku region, Li Bu Peng. As for the others, most of them stayed at the academy to teach."

"All of them are the pillars of the Great Ming Empire."

Emperor Jiaqi laughed and said, "But their achievements are far inferior to yours. It seems you are the Chief Minister's favorite student?"

Gao Sheng smiled awkwardly and replied, "I dare not say that. I am actually the most mediocre among these classmates. I am not capable of taking on a heavy responsibility, so I can only stay by the Chief Minister's side and run errands."

"If the most mediocre one can become a Grand Secretary, then the others must be like pearls covered in dust, with positions that do not match their virtues."

Emperor Jiaqi suddenly sighed and said, "So many talented people have not been fully utilized, which is my fault."

"It's my fault for speaking out of turn. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

Gao Sheng's body suddenly went cold, his hair stood on end, and his waist straightened. His body, which was leaning against the chair, was about to fall.

"Since this is a lesson, there are no lords and subjects, only teachers and students. What fault does Master Gao have?"

Emperor Jiaqi put his hand on Gao Sheng's body, pressed his shoulders, and pushed him back into the chair.

"Okay, that was just small talk. Let's get back to the topic."

Emperor Jiaqi said, "Master Gao, you mentioned earlier that I am the mountain and the Chief Minister is the river. I think this statement is inappropriate."

"Please go on."

Gao Sheng tried to keep his voice calm.

"The late Emperor Shizong once said that the monarch is not a 'mountain' and the subjects are not a 'river'. Without us, the country still exists. It's just that if there are no lords and subjects, the chaos in the mountains and rivers will have no one to govern."

Emperor Jiaqi said loudly, "So in my opinion, the way to sit firmly on the throne is very simple: kill all the rebellious bandits and quell all natural and man-made disasters!"

"Then who are the bandits?" Gao Sheng asked tremblingly.

"Of course, it is the self-proclaimed Protector of the Country, Zhang Tianyi of Longhushan, the nine princes of the Donghuang Palace who are usurping power, and the Honghu princes who are inciting the people. Of course, there are also our own people."

Gao Sheng didn't know if it was his imagination, but he felt that Emperor Jiaqi pronounced the words "our own people" very heavily.

"However, since we are sitting on the throne, I should naturally stand at the highest point of the mountain and watch the winds and clouds rise. So what Master Gao said, 'the monarch is the mountain', is not entirely wrong. But what if one day the river dams collapse and cause a flood disaster? What should we do then?"

A pair of not very broad hands pressed on his shoulders, and the upright Gao Sheng's body suddenly trembled.

“I believe that no matter how large the waves are, they cannot drown the mountain peaks; they will always remain at the foot of the mountains.”

“I’m just saying it’s possible. If you really encounter a huge wave, what will you do?”

The hot breath hit his ear, but Gao Sheng felt a chilling coldness rise from his tailbone to his head.

“Gao Sheng, I ask you, what will you do when that time comes?”

Emperor Jiaqi repeated the sentence again, each word like a sword, piercing through Gao Sheng’s body.

Gao Sheng’s body slipped and he fell to the ground with a loud bang. “I will follow Li Bing’s example and devote my life to controlling the floods, and I will give my life for the Emperor until death.”

“Good, I will remember Master Gao’s teachings.”

Emperor Jiaqi bowed respectfully to the kneeling Gao Sheng, but when he stood up, his tone suddenly became very indifferent.

“I’m tired. Today’s lesson is over. Lord Gao, you may leave.”

“Yes, yes, the old minister will retire.”

Such unpredictability in emotions made Gao Sheng suddenly sweat profusely.

But he dared not raise his sleeve to wipe it away, and hurriedly got up and retreated from the hall in a messy manner.

In the empty hall, Emperor Jiaqi picked up the petition filled with beautiful words, shook his wrist, and the petition instantly turned into a pile of paper scraps scattered on the ground.

“When will the mountains and rivers sink? Who still has the right to celebrate?”

Emperor Jiaqi turned to look at the hall door where Gao Sheng had left, and coldly smiled.

“An old fox pretending to be stupid.”

“Your Majesty, should I go and deal with Gao Sheng?”

Emperor Jiaqi’s vision suddenly became blurred, and he had already entered a yellow millet dream.

The scenery in the dream was exactly the same as the palace in the present world. A young scholar stood here respectfully, and the voice just now came from his mouth.

“Although Gao Sheng is not capable and has been trapped at the threshold of order three all his life, he has many friends and good relationships in the Confucian order. If we act rashly, it will inevitably cause others to feel sympathy for him. Now is the time to win people’s hearts, and doing so would be a loss.”

Emperor Jiaqi shook his head lightly. “Moreover, Zhang Fengyue left him here as my teacher, which may have been a test. It’s not yet time to completely tear the mask off. We cannot touch him.”

“Yes. But Your Majesty, is Zhang Fengyue really giving up Beizhili voluntarily? Why?”

“He is giving me a practical lesson.”

Emperor Jiaqi said with emotion. “He deliberately left me a stage where I can exercise my abilities, just to see if I have the ability to be an emperor who can stabilize the country and quell unrest. Zhang’s intentions are good. If he hadn’t been determined to destroy the foundation of my Zhu family’s dynasty, I would really like to be his student for a few more years and fulfill my duty as a student to my teacher.”

“Your Majesty, please don’t be deceived by him!”

The young scholar cursed. “Zhang Fengyue is hypocritical and cunning, and his actions are despicable. He dares to destroy the millennium plan personally decided by Emperor Yizong for his own selfish desires. Even if he is cut into thousands of pieces, it is not a pity!”

“Shut up!”

Emperor Jiaqi suddenly shouted. “Yan Dongqing, you have such audacity. Who gave you the right to evaluate the current Chief Minister, my teacher, in such a way?”

“Your Majesty, please forgive me.”

The scholar turned over and knelt down. “But I really cannot bear to see Zhang Fengyue’s arrogant and overbearing behavior. As a minister and a slave, he not only does not think of the Emperor’s kindness, but also dares to commit such a rebellious act. He deserves to die, to be killed!”

“I know you are loyal, but whether Zhang Fengyue is a success or a failure in his life has not yet been concluded. If he can repent and stop at the edge of the cliff, in my eyes, he is still a great minister of the Ming Empire and should be recorded in history and celebrated forever!”

“Your Majesty’s kindness is so great. If he dares to be ungrateful and act on his own.”

Yan Dongqing said coldly. “Even if it angers Your Majesty, I must cut off this old man’s head.”

“Didn’t you understand what I said? How dare you speak so boldly here!”

“When it comes to the emperor and father, I really cannot contain this anger that makes my head explode!”

“You, you”

Emperor Jiaqi’s gaze suddenly changed from cold to soft, looking at the righteous Yan Dongqing, and said with a helpless smile. “When will you ever change this hot-tempered nature? Being so impulsive, how can I entrust you with the Spring and Autumn Conference?”

“I know I was wrong, please punish me, Your Majesty.”

“Enough, let’s talk standing up.”

Emperor Jiaqi personally helped Yan Dongqing up. “I’ve told you before, you and I are not just emperor and minister, but also fellow travelers with the same aspirations. When the Ming Dynasty is elevated to a divine country, you will still be my newly appointed Chief Minister. I understand your good intentions, and you should also understand my current difficulties.”

“It’s my fault, I disregarded Your Majesty’s kindness. I deserve to die.”

Yan Dongqing’s eyes flickered with excitement, and he quickly took two steps back and bowed deeply.

“You’re here again. Why be so formal?”

Emperor Jiaqi looked at his empty hands, his expression helpless.

“The etiquette between emperor and minister cannot be broken.”

Yan Dongqing changed the subject. “Your Majesty, I actually have something I don’t understand.”

“It’s about the gate problem, right?”

Emperor Jiaqi asked with a smile.

“Yes!”

Yan Dongqing spoke frankly. “Are we really going to hand over the Xu family of Songjiang? I received news that Yang Baze has already gathered enough evidence and may take action against the Xu family at any time.”

“The speed is quite fast. Pei Xingjian’s student is not ordinary either.”

“It’s because the Xu family is too dirty. They don’t need to dig deep to collect a pile of evidence. And these things are not important. Yang Baze only wants a legitimate excuse.”

Yan Dongqing said solemnly. “Your Majesty, although the Xu family is not important and Xu Hai Chao can die, this is a critical moment when the Spring and Autumn Conference is moving from behind the scenes to the front. If we choose to retreat now, I’m afraid it will frustrate the sharpness of others and make some wavering fence-sitters turn to the New Donglin Party, which is not good for the Spring and Autumn Conference!”

“Where is Zhang Fengyue now?”

Emperor Jiaqi did not answer Yan Dongqing’s question directly, but suddenly changed the topic.

Yan Dongqing frowned slightly and didn’t understand the Emperor’s meaning for a moment, but still answered honestly. “Zhang Fengyue is now in the frontier, and he has ordered Zhang Siren to use the Huangliang authority to blow up a celestial star track in the Taoist order, which should be a warning to the Dragon Tiger Mountain’s act of projecting Chengdu Prefecture.”

“The Huangliang authority is originally an imperial treasure, but it cannot be in my hands. It’s really a pity.”

Emperor Jiaqi muttered to himself, then said to Yan Dongqing. “I know you have always regarded Xu Hai Chao as a capable subordinate. But you must understand that from the time Yang Baze was transferred from the Wa region to Songjiang as the magistrate of Huating, Zhang Fengyue had already targeted the Xu family as the first to be dealt with.”

“Now the New Donglin Party is still powerful. Many older gate leaders, although they are also dissatisfied with Zhang Fengyue’s actions, have been so frightened that they dare not resist. They just hope that Zhang Fengyue will kill enough other people and then leave them alone.”

“For the Spring and Autumn Conference, this is not entirely a bad thing. The tighter he squeezes, the more people will naturally turn to the Spring and Autumn Conference.”

Emperor Jiaqi said patiently. “So now is not the time to worry about the gains and losses of one family or one gate. Do you understand?”

Although Yan Dongqing still felt dissatisfied, he dared not speak further and could only bite his teeth and say. “I understand.”

“Enough, seize this opportunity and win over more gates. Once the Spring and Autumn Conference has firmly established itself, we won’t have to retreat like we do today.”

“I will follow Your Majesty’s order.”

Yan Dongqing bowed and his figure disappeared in this dream.

“Your Majesty.”

This yellow millet dream had a bit of a “you sing, then I sing” feel to it. Just as Yan Dongqing left, another figure connected.

“Yan Dongqing is an ungrateful white wolf who cannot be tamed. His purpose in protecting the Xu family is not for the Spring and Autumn Conference, but for”

“Enough, Third Uncle, I understand what you’re saying.”

Emperor Jiaqi smiled and interrupted. “Yan Dongqing is indeed ambitious, but how can one achieve great things without ambition?”

“Ambition and a thief’s heart can’t be judged by the same standard.”

The man replied gravely, “Your Majesty must be extremely cautious and wary of him.”

“I’ve long since seen through his thoughts. He’s nothing more than a barely useful tool; there’s no need to be wary of him. On the contrary, I’ll give him a chance to pursue his delusion of ‘establishing an independent Confucian state and reviving the Spring and Autumn period.’”

Emperor Jiaqi said coldly, “Only then will this young Confucian leader devote all his energy to the Spring and Autumn Conference. He’ll take that group of arrogant and ignorant Confucians and fight to the death with Zhang Fengyue.”

“Are you not concerned about raising a tiger as a potential threat?”

“What’s there to fear? The chaos is precisely the opportunity we need to break through the Jin sequence. Isn’t this the situation we’ve been striving to create?”

Emperor Jiaqi turned to face his uncle and spoke earnestly, “Uncle, there’s something I’ve always wanted to ask you directly. When you switched from the Vertical and Horizontal schools to the military sequence, hid your identity, ran the Six Secrets as a merchant, and slaughtered the people as a butcher, did you ever resent me?”

“Your Majesty, you too have donned the guise of a Confucian and compromised with Zhang Fengyue. It’s all for the Zhu Ming royal family and the ancestral throne, so there’s no resentment.”

“Yes, it’s all for the Zhu Ming royal family and the ancestral throne.”

Emperor Jiaqi took a deep breath and smiled, “But it won’t be long before neither of us uncles and nephews will have to wear this foul-smelling disguise anymore.”

“Yes. We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time!”