Chapter 355: Speaking Freely Among the Six Direct Departments

Although the imperial city in Beijing was still in its early stages of construction, its towering palace walls could not conceal its grandeur and splendor. With the crown prince governing in Nanjing and Zhu Di suffering from intermittent attacks of arthralgia, his attendance at the morning court meetings with officials was often irregular. Coupled with the bitter cold weather, holding court outdoors was an extremely unpleasant task. Hence, upon hearing that the emperor was holding court in the Jinsen Hall, the ministers who had not attended court for a long time each had their own thoughts, and they inevitably got up early that day.

As a result, even though it was still dark, the East and West Chang’an Streets were bustling with carriages and horses. Familiar officials could not help but greet one another, filling the air with noisy chatter. When everyone gathered in front of the East and West Chang’an Gates, the differences between civil and military officials became apparent. The nobles from the various military commanderies at the East Chang’an Gate were often dressed in luxurious cold-protective garments such as light furs and cape robes, while the civil officials at the West Chang’an Gate mostly wore ordinary coats over their official robes; some even had patched old clothes, exuding a sense of poverty. Amidst this gloom, Yang Rong, dressed in a gold-embroidered velvet cape, stood out sharply.

A group of civil officials had gathered at the Left Chang’an Gate waiting to enter the palace when someone sharp-eyed noticed a large group approaching along Zhengyang Gate Street, sparking much discussion among them. As they got closer, they realized it was foreign envoys dressed in Ming official robes, and they immediately understood what was happening. Watching those envoys, dressed in fine clothes yet awkward, standing in front of the palace gate, looking around curiously, many officials felt a sense of pride as representatives of the great empire.

“Hey, more people are coming over there!”

At this remark, the officials once again looked intently. This time, there were even more people, all dressed in bright colors, which appeared even more splendid against the blazing torches in front of the palace gate. Those who had heard rumors began pointing at their colleagues and saying, “See? Even among civil officials, those from noble families are different from us. Everything they wear is bestowed by the emperor… Tsk tsk, I wonder if the imperial sword they carry is real or fake!”

Jin Youzi glanced at Lu Zhen, the Minister of Rites beside him, frowned slightly, and sighed. “The Emperor has always been decisive in his actions. He once took his anger out on many people over the matter of moving the capital. Previously, countless accusations and admonitions poured into the Bureau of State Affairs. I’m afraid the Emperor is annoyed, which is why he’s going to such lengths this time. But as Minister Lu can see, even without the protection of the Jinyiwei, without a sable fur coat or an imperial sword, he still comes from a noble family. I doubt even his other garments are something we poor civil officials can afford.”

“How can our salaries compare to their family wealth?”

Yang Rong had always been proud. Hearing Jin Youzi say these things to Lu Zhen, he snorted lightly. “Since he comes from a wealthy family, if he pretends to be simple just to gain reputation, that’s hypocrisy! The Left Chang’an Gate is already open. Won’t Minister Lu and Brother Jin go in?”

Seeing Yang Rong gesture for Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji, who remained silent, to follow, he strode in with his head held high. The group of civil officials who had been discussing things among themselves immediately lost interest. Some curled their lips, some sneered, and one after another followed inside. Although Lu Zhen and Jin Youzi were displeased, they knew Yang Rong was just that kind of person and could only suppress their dissatisfaction and enter the palace one after another. By then, the military officials had also entered the imperial city through the Right Chang’an Gate. When the civil and military officials met, the chatter vanished instantly, as if melted away by ice and snow. It wasn’t until Zhang Yue and the others entered the palace under the escort of the Jinyiwei that it attracted numerous gazes.

Huang Yan, the eunuch in charge of ceremonies, looked gloomy. Since he wasn’t among those attending court, he naturally didn’t bother to follow the civil and military officials. He stared at Zhang Yue’s sable fur coat for a while before giving him a stiff greeting and walking away. The two young eunuchs were caught off guard and took some time before chasing after him, one of them still carrying a bulky bundle. Due to the cold and slippery roads, the young eunuch fell heavily after just a few steps. The bundle slipped from his hands, and the knots loosened slightly, revealing a corner of its contents.

Zhang Yue immediately saw a hint of deep purple inside and sneered inwardly. Earlier that morning, he had noticed Huang Yan looking listless with bloodshot eyes, as if he hadn’t slept well the night before. Now it seemed this old eunuch was waiting for him to knock on the door. Since this eunuch was on good terms with Prince Zhao, the items inside must have come from Prince Zhao’s mansion. It was a pity it was all in vain.

It was not yet time for the court session, so the officials waited in their respective chambers according to their duties. To the south of the Right Gate was the direct office of the Jinyiwei; below it were three rooms serving as the direct office of the Hanlin Academy. Inside the Duan Gate, on the left side, there were five rooms known as the Banfang, where the officials of the Eastern Palace and those from the Bureau of Classics waited for the court to begin. Since the officials of the Eastern Palace were now in Nanjing, there were naturally fewer of them. Each of the six ministries and the Censorate had its own area, and the once chaotic crowd quickly dispersed. Whether intentionally or not, Lu Feng, who was not required to attend court, simply entered the direct office of the Jinyiwei. Zhang Yue, who still did not hold any official position at the time, was hesitating when he saw Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Revenue, waving at him, so he followed him into the direct office of the six ministries.

There were charcoal stoves in the room, but the cold was still unbearable, so the dozen or so ministers wrapped themselves tightly in their clothes. Even a high-ranking official like Xia Yuanji was wearing only an old sheepskin coat that had lost its fur. Seeing that everyone was staring at him, Zhang Yue stood quietly, not looking away, waiting for the old minister to speak.

“The Emperor once summoned the cabinet ministers and us ministers to discuss the matter of Ningbo. Back then, I told the Emperor that while it is good for you to be young and full of vigor, your methods are too harsh. Although winning people over through virtue is merely theoretical, one should not rely solely on force, nor should one cater solely to the Emperor’s preferences.”

Despite his age, Xia Yuanji stood upright with a firm voice: “Let’s put aside for now the effectiveness of lifting the sea ban. But the fact that you thought of finding new sources of revenue is commendable. After you returned the imperial edict at today’s court session, I plan to ask the Emperor to transfer you to the Ministry of Revenue, so I’m letting you know in advance.”

Since Zhu Di established the Wenyuan Pavilion and selected a group of Hanlin scholars to assist in government affairs, the status of the ministers of the six ministries gradually declined compared to the Hongwu era. Yet Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji remained the Emperor’s most trusted men after Zhu Di ascended the throne—Jian Yi in charge of the Ministry of Personnel and Xia Yuanji in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, with almost all the other ministers following their lead. Now, with Xia Yuanji speaking such words openly in front of everyone, the ministers, vice ministers, and department heads present could not help but stare, even Jian Yi was somewhat surprised.

Lv Zhen, the Minister of Rites, was capable and slick, but fundamentally a critical person. Earlier, when he saw Zhang Yue surrounded by Jinyiwei officers coming from the West Chang’an Gate, he felt displeased and thus agreed with Jin Youzi. However, after seeing Zhang Yue bow respectfully upon entering, without showing arrogance due to favoritism or background, he realized there must be a reason why the Emperor favored this young man. So, upon hearing Xia Yuanji’s words, he deliberately cleared his throat and stepped forward.

“Since General Liu’s decisive victory at Wanghaiguo, this latest campaign has dealt a severe blow to those Japanese pirates. Your contributions are truly significant! You should know that Japan once submitted in submission and was granted recognition by the imperial court, yet now this new king has boldly stopped sending tribute. The emperor has long been extremely dissatisfied. After this campaign to suppress the pirates along the coast, while clearing the sea lanes is secondary, what’s most important is that the southeast coast will be at peace for a while, and other countries can send tribute without worries.”

Zhang Yue had traveled around Songjiang and Ningbo prefectures, with the help of eunuch Wang Darong, who had long been in charge of the Maritime Trade Office, as well as interacting with the Yang family, who were familiar with Eastern affairs. This gave him a better understanding of Japan. Given the precedent of Genghis Khan’s nearly total defeat in his invasion of Japan, although Japan repeatedly refused to submit during the Hongwu era, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, though angry, refrained from sending troops. It was not until the second year of the Yongle era, when Zheng He led a fleet there, that Japan accepted the Ming court’s recognition and agreed to send tribute every ten years. Of course, Japan valued trade routes, so tribute missions had occurred far more frequently than once every ten years.

However, the Japanese king recognized by the Ming court was named Gen Daoyi, who was not the Japanese emperor but rather Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the retired shogun! Now that Yoshimasa was dead, his son Ashikaga Yoshimochi truly held power as shogun. The reason they stopped sending tribute was even more absurd—they claimed, under the guise of divine will, that Japan had never submitted to anyone since ancient times!

So which country had sent countless envoys to the Tang Dynasty in the past? And who was the first to accept recognition from the Ming court?

With these thoughts in mind, he replied with a smile, “Minister Lu is absolutely right. To intimidate foreign nations, both kindness and strength are needed. Moreover, those pirates are criminals even in Japan. As far as I know, Japan is a small country. Their decision to stop sending tribute stems partly from arrogance, but there are also other reasons. Despite the new king’s grandiose claims, he is merely an usurper, and the previous king’s tribute submissions also had ulterior motives. Not to mention, Japan is currently divided among various feudal lords; the real emperor is controlled by the shogun, who in turn cannot fully control the regional governors. Even lower-ranking samurai dare to defy their superiors. In their terms, this is called ‘lower overcoming upper.’”

As the Minister of Rites of the Great Ming, Lu Zhen was indeed in charge of relations with foreign nations, but matters related to these foreign countries were naturally handled by the Bureau of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Correspondence. As a minister overwhelmed with duties, he had no idea what was really going on in little Japan. Hearing Zhang Yue mention “lower overcoming upper,” his expression changed drastically, and in the end, he couldn’t help but let out an angry snort.

“Those wretched small nations truly dare to disregard their rulers and ignore laws and traditions!”
Although most of the officials in the room disapproved of Zhang Yue’s early success, hearing him speak so eloquently made them pay close attention. At that moment, Zhang Yue frowned and spoke again.
“According to some clerks from the Maritime Trade Office who have dealt with Japanese envoys, when that Japanese king accepted our imperial investiture, many of his own ministers rebelled against him, saying things like, ‘Although Japan is a small nation, its imperial line continues unbroken, and it rules as an independent emperor. The Son of Heaven should not accept a title from a foreign country. Now, with Gen Daoyi acting as a military ruler, it seems to bring shame to Japan before other courts.’ This shows that if given the chance, even such a small nation might rise up in rebellion.”
Hearing the repeated mention of “other courts,” the room fell silent. Even Lu Zhen, who had initially asked casually, now had a deathly pale face. Realizing he had struck a key point, Zhang Yue stopped provoking them further. In his view, since the great Ming Dynasty sent envoys to Japan time and again, and Ashikaga Yoshimochi still dared to refuse to meet them and prevent them from entering the capital, did he really think Japan, a mere small nation, was something special? While launching a full-scale attack certainly went against the moral principles of the Central Plains, certain actions could still be tried.