Chapter Fifty-One: Father's Guidance

Just as Zhao Nanxing and Zou Yuanbiao were sinking into despair, believing their fate was sealed, an unexpected figure stepped forward to plead on their behalf. That person was none other than Fang Congzhe, the Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, who had earlier disagreed with their views.

Fang Congzhe stood before Zhu Changluo and spoke earnestly, “Your Majesty, Zhao and Zou are pillars of our Great Ming. Though their words were somewhat excessive, their intentions stemmed from concern for the realm. I implore Your Majesty to quell your anger and spare them. As for the alleged factional strife you mentioned, I have served as Grand Secretary for over ten years and have never heard of such a thing. Please do not heed the slander of petty men and harm loyal subjects. I beg Your Majesty to reconsider!”

Hiding behind the screen, Zhu Hao was puzzled. “Fang Congzhe is acting strangely today! First, he spoke up for me, now he pleads for those two old-timers Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing. Where does his allegiance truly lie?” But then, Zhu Hao understood a bit more, thinking, “Perhaps this is the mark of a successful politician. No firm principles, only interests. He speaks for himself out of self-interest; he pleads for the others likely for the same reason. To rise to Grand Secretary, Fang Congzhe must have some real skill—he’s no ordinary man!”

Zhu Changluo, unaware of Zhu Hao’s silent musings behind the screen, felt considerably better now that the situation was settled. He had never seriously intended to exile Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing to the Penghu Islands; doing so could have caused unpredictable turmoil, given their immense influence among the scholar-officials.

His harsh words were merely a warning, meant to curb their arrogance. Now, seeing them pale and terrified, Zhu Changluo had no desire to pursue the matter further. He followed Fang Congzhe’s lead and said, “Since Grand Secretary Fang has interceded for you, I will let you off this time. But if there’s a next time, I will have you both bask in the sun on Penghu Island! Hmph!”

He then rubbed his temples lightly and said, “I am weary. You may take your leave.”

The four bowed, especially Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing, who felt as if they had received a royal pardon. They hurriedly knelt and said, “May Your Majesty take care of your imperial health. We humbly withdraw!” With that, they slowly exited the imperial study.

After they left, Zhu Changluo addressed the screen, “Come out, Youjian. Wasn’t your father’s performance just now quite impressive?”

Zhu Hao almost burst out laughing. The once imposing monarch now acted like a child, seeking praise from him. But Zhu Hao did not mock his father; he knew this was a sign of genuine affection.

He stepped forward and said playfully, “Father is so impressive! Youjian must learn from you and become just as formidable one day!”

Zhu Changluo laughed heartily, “Good! Good! Good! Such ambition! Youjian will surely surpass me in the future!” His laughter faded, and his expression grew serious as he asked, “Youjian, after today’s events, what have you learned?”

Zhu Hao immediately stopped smiling, understanding that his father was testing him. To avoid appearing too extraordinary and alarming his father, Zhu Hao pondered briefly and replied, “Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing are not good people; they always contradict Father. I wanted to help Father teach them a lesson several times. Guo Zixuan isn’t any better, refusing to speak as Father wished and deserves punishment too! But Grand Secretary Fang is good; he helped Father out of a tight spot. I like him very much!”

Zhu Changluo laughed loudly, amused by Zhu Hao’s childlike way of judging ministers as “good” or “bad.” But he quickly accepted it; after all, Zhu Hao was just an eleven- or twelve-year-old child, and being able to distinguish between good and bad was already remarkable. With this in mind, Zhu Changluo stopped laughing, adopted a solemn tone, and said, “Youjian, today I will teach you something: among the ministers of the court, there is no true distinction between good and bad. The only difference lies in whether you can control them. Each type of minister represents a different interest group. Only by understanding which group they represent can you govern them. You will learn this with me in due time. Today, I will teach you the types of ministers: the first are capable officials, who may clash with the monarch due to differing political views. The second are loyal ministers, who seek fame in history and often oppose the monarch to highlight their integrity, and are unafraid of death. The third are what others call treacherous ministers, who always flatter the monarch, obeying regardless of right or wrong. These three types, if properly managed, are neither inherently good nor bad. The first are essential for the state; they will help you govern the realm. The second, keep them in high office as your mirror, to promote your virtue. The third, use them for practical matters; they can do things the first two cannot. If you use these three well, the nation will prosper; if not, it will fall. Youjian, remember this well!”

Zhu Hao nodded silently. Though his father’s words were somewhat one-sided, they were sound advice regarding the use of officials. He quickly replied, “Your son has learned! I will remember your teachings and study them diligently!”

Zhu Changluo was pleased with Zhu Hao’s obedient demeanor and nodded in satisfaction. Just as he was about to speak again, Zhu Hao interjected, “Father, earlier you mentioned the Donglin Faction. What exactly is the Donglin Faction?”

The smile vanished from Zhu Changluo’s face, replaced by a sigh. “Well, sooner or later you will encounter them. Today I will briefly explain what the Donglin Faction is. The Donglin Faction has emerged in recent years, a political group mainly composed of scholar-officials from Jiangnan. It was founded by Gu Xiancheng, formerly of the Ministry of Personnel. In the thirty-second year of the Wanli reign, Gu Xiancheng and others restored the Donglin Academy, where Yang Shi of the Song Dynasty once lectured, and, together with Gao Panlong and Qian Yiben, gave lectures there. While teaching, they rallied scholars from across the empire, ostensibly to critique government and officials, but in reality, they shielded landlords and fought for the interests of wealthy merchants. Though they publicly advocated integrity, reform, free speech, and eliminating corruption, in essence, they became the spokesmen of the great landlords and merchant class, opposing disaster relief funds and taxes. When I was still crown prince, I noticed something amiss and petitioned your grandfather to have the Embroidered Guards suppress their growth. He did not listen. Now, the Donglin Faction’s influence is spread throughout the empire; even my own Embroidered Guards are fewer than their numbers. This will be a major challenge for you in the future, but don’t worry. I will do my utmost to eliminate the threat and leave you a clean Ming dynasty!”

In truth, Zhu Hao’s question about the Donglin Faction was not out of ignorance, but uncertainty about its precise role at this point in history. After hearing his father’s explanation, Zhu Hao was inwardly stunned. “Their numbers surpass even the Embroidered Guards? This is a recipe for chaos! This is even more dangerous than Wei Zhongxian at his worst! Thankfully, Wei Zhongxian balanced them earlier on, or the Ming dynasty might have fallen even faster. This group must be dealt with. If these landlords all oppose the court, military logistics will become a nightmare. No wonder a million-strong Ming army ultimately lost to Li Zicheng’s ragtag force of tens of thousands—this must be the root cause. Without supplies, even the largest army is useless. Soldiers must eat; without food, who will willingly fight for you? The Donglin Faction represents the interests of Jiangnan’s great landlords, and Jiangnan is the main source of taxes. If they deceive the court, Ming’s fate is truly doomed. The collapse of the dynasty is not as simple as it seems on the surface!”

Now, Zhu Hao was more determined than ever to establish his own intelligence network. He knew far too little about court affairs, and almost nothing about the wider world. If a crisis arose, he would be unaware and powerless to save the Ming dynasty. If he failed to do so, his journey through time would be nothing but a wasted life.

With these thoughts swirling, Zhu Hao felt he could no longer remain in the imperial study. He quickly apologized to his father, “Father, forgive me—I am feeling tired and wish to return and rest. Please grant your son leave.”

Zhu Changluo, who had considered keeping Zhu Hao a while longer, remembered that his son had only recently recovered and was still frail. Fearing he might fall ill again, he smiled and nodded, “If Youjian is tired, go back to your palace and rest. You must regain your strength. Once you are well, I will teach you again.”

Zhu Hao knelt, “Thank you for your kindness, Father. I take my leave.”

He slowly exited the imperial study and hurried back to his own quarters, where he found Hua Rong searching the courtyard for him.

The reason Hua Rong was searching everywhere was that the morning court had begun at the fourth watch, just before dawn. When Zhu Changluo summoned ministers, the day was only beginning. Normally, Zhu Hao would rise late, and seldom awoke early unless necessary. Today was an exception, but since his father had summoned him, Zhu Hao had not called Hua Rong along.

When Hua Rong discovered his master missing after rising, she anxiously searched everywhere.