“A power struggle?” Lu Fubao asked thoughtfully.
Fan Li nodded. “The Great Ming Dynasty. First, the founding emperor abolished the position of Chancellor. Then, the later Emperor established the Grand Secretariat. One abolished, the other established. Thus, the Great Ming’s sole Chancellor was replaced by a group of Grand Secretaries.
The Chancellor’s power was dispersed. The Grand Secretaries all vied for control. Especially between the Grand Secretary and the Junior Grand Secretary. The Grand Secretary feared the Junior Grand Secretary would usurp his position, while the Junior Grand Secretary dreamed of taking the top spot. They were natural enemies.
Such a struggle for power was fertile ground for factions to form. And the longer the Grand Secretary and the Junior Grand Secretary remained in office, the stronger their factions grew, and the more intense the power struggle became.”
Lu Fubao was horrified. She had heard that both Yan Song and Xu Jie were long-serving officials in the Great Ming court. They had held their positions for many years.
If that were the case, wouldn’t the power struggle during Emperor Jiajing’s reign be incredibly fierce?
Fan Li was also eager to discuss court politics. He continued, “People often use simple concepts like good and evil, loyalty and treason, black and white, to categorize everything. In the officialdom, honest officials are considered the ‘clear stream,’ while corrupt officials and traitors are the ‘muddy stream. Therefore, the Great Ming’s power struggle is also known as the ‘clear versus muddy’ conflict.”
Lu Fubao asked, puzzled, “Is… Is there something wrong with that?”
Fan Li laughed. “Your ancestor, the first Marquis Wenxin, do you consider him loyal or a traitor?”
Lu Fubao was speechless. She couldn’t possibly judge her ancestor’s character.
Moreover, the first Marquis Wenxin was a controversial figure. Historians had written countless volumes about him, but even after millions of words, they struggled to offer a fair and objective assessment.
“Then tell me, is the clear stream better or the muddy stream?” Lu Fubao had a hint of defiance in her eyes as she glared at Fan Li.
“Hee hee, please calm yourself, my wife.”
Fan Li rarely addressed Lu Fubao in such a manner. His words immediately brought a smile to her face.
“Since ancient times, the court has always been a mix of clear and muddy streams. There’s never been absolute clarity or absolute muddiness. Those in power should discern between the clear and the muddy, then utilize them accordingly.”
Lu Fubao retorted, “That’s sophistry. How can you utilize a muddy stream? Would you drink muddy water?”
Fan Li shook his head with a smile. No wonder Lu Fubao preferred formations cultivation. She hadn’t inherited much of her family’s Confucian teachings.
“Let me ask you, can clear water irrigate farmland?”
“Can muddy water irrigate farmland?”
Lu Fubao was stumped. She seemed to have an epiphany. At that moment, baby Diao Chan woke up crying.
“Oh no! She wet herself!”
The baby’s urine had soaked through several layers of cloth, even wetting Lu Fubao’s dress.
This tale has been pilfered from NovelHub. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Fan Li laughed. “If you use urine to irrigate farmland, the harvest will be even better than using clear water. It’s called organic fertilizer.”
“I’m going to change!” Lu Fubao didn’t have time to listen to his nonsense. She rushed into the inner chambers while carrying the crying infant.
Once she was gone, Fan Li’s smile faded. “Emperor Jiajing surely understands this simple principle of clear and muddy water.”
“Don’t favor clear water simply because it’s clear, and don’t dismiss muddy water simply because it’s muddy. The Yangtze River is clear, the Yellow River is muddy. The Yangtze flows, and the Yellow River also flows.
The Yangtze River irrigates the fields along its banks, and the Yellow River also irrigates the fields along its banks. Do you not understand this simple principle?”
Emperor Jiajing, dressed in a Daoist robe with his long beard reaching his chest, sat on his throne, resembling an immortal. Two officials, both with white hair and beards, stood before him. One was Junior Grand Secretary Xu Jie, the other was Zhang Juzheng, who had recently returned from his arduous task at Mount Yunmeng.
“But…” Xu Jie still wanted to argue.
Emperor Jiajing’s gaze turned cold. “Grand Secretary Xu, have my words lost their power? Are you planning to support your own master’s ascension to the throne? Do I need to remind you? Your master is gravely injured and unconscious. It’s unclear whether he’ll even wake up!”
“Your Majesty! This subject would never dare to harbor such treasonous thoughts!” Xu Jie dropped to his knees and hit the ground with his head.
Zhang Juzheng sighed and also knelt.
Xu Jie kowtowed repeatedly, saying, “This subject only has one master, and that is Your Majesty. All under Heaven, millions of subjects only have one master, and that is Your Majesty!”
“How dare you.” Emperor Jiajing sneered. “How dare I underestimate myself? Besides the Great Ming, there are also Wei, Han, Wu, and Chu. Oh, and there’s also the Great Ci Dynasty.
All under Heaven, millions of subjects, have more than one master. Even within the Great Ming, there might be more than one master. Grand Secretary Xu, you went to the Crown Prince’s residence last night and wept before him. Were you not pledging your loyalty?”
Xu Jie’s face turned pale! He looked at Emperor Jiajing in disbelief. He hadn't expected the Emperor to have informants planted even within the Crown Prince’s residence!
Xu Jie kowtowed again.
“This guilty subject…”
His voice trembled, as if his mind was in turmoil. He knew he had made a mistake, but he wasn’t truly this distraught.
However, to redeem himself and earn the Emperor’s forgiveness, he had to appear weak, helpless, and pitiful before this arrogant and self-assured ruler. Only then might he evoke a shred of sympathy from the Emperor.
Xu Jie’s approach finally worked. Emperor Jiajing, having vented his anger, calmed down slightly. Seeing Xu Jie’s pitiful state, he finally let out a long sigh.
“This… This subject is here!”
He had previously addressed him as “Grand Secretary Xu,” now he called him “Cunzai.”
Emperor Jiajing only addressed his closest and most favored officials by their courtesy names, such as Yan Song.
Xu Jie rarely received such treatment, perhaps once a year.
“I haven’t spared Hu Zongxian because I intend to ignore his crimes. But he’s imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison. He can’t escape. I’m not in a hurry. Why are you so eager?”
With those simple words, Emperor Jiajing didn’t explicitly state whether he would punish Hu Zongxian. He left room for maneuver. He could advance or retreat as needed.
Xu Jie knew that it was impossible to obtain permission to execute Hu Zongxian today.
“This subject understands.”
Emperor Jiajing, seeing the Junior Grand Secretary’s concession, couldn't let him leave empty-handed.
Zhang Juzheng was now also a Grand Secretary and Xu Jie’s student.
So, Emperor Jiajing asked Zhang Juzheng, “Recently, has there been anything interesting happening in the capital?”
‘Finally, it’s my turn to speak.’ Zhang Juzheng complained inwardly, but he still bowed respectfully to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, recently there have been two somewhat interesting events in the capital. First, the Fan Clan Trading Company’s representative in the Great Ming, Fan Yingcai, is old and has requested to retire. He has arranged for his nephew to take over in managing all of the Fan Clan Trading Company’s business affairs in our Great Ming.”
“Oh?” Emperor Jiajing’s eyebrows twitched. “Have you investigated?”
“This subject has ordered the relevant authorities to investigate. Fan Yingcai has no sons. He does have a nephew named Fan Zhe, twenty-two years old, with a wife and daughter. Fan Zhe has moved into the Fan residence in Beiting Alley with his wife and daughter.”
Emperor Jiajing nodded with satisfaction.
The Great Ming and the Great Chu were enemy nations. Official business was difficult to conduct.
But the Fan Clan Trading Company’s goods were incredibly tempting, and the Great Ming’s trade taxes were even more tempting!
The new head of the Fan Clan Trading Company had brought his entire family to the Great Ming. This was a reassuring sign.
“The second interesting event.
The famous courtesan of Qinhuai, Xue Susu, defeated the top scholar of this year’s imperial examinations, Chen Deyan, at the Orchid Pavilion poetry contest. Her fame has spread far and wide. She is now known as ‘Grand Master Xue.’
This subject suspects that Xue Susu is a member of the Pure Land.”