Chapter 30: The Curtain Falls, Yuan Keli Enters the Grand Secretariat

"Your Majesty, Eunuch Wang sent me to report that the court session at the Hall of Supreme Harmony has reached a conclusion."

"A bunch of slippery devils!"

Before he had even finished his plate of pastries, a young attendant eunuch arrived at the East Warmth Pavilion. Chongzhen let out a low curse.

"Go tell Wang Chengen that I am busy and to make the ministers wait a while."

After speaking, Chongzhen finished the pastry in his hand, then picked up two plates filled with pastries and shoved them toward Fang Zheng-hua, who was waiting to the side.

"You lot eat some pastries to fill your stomachs first. I’m going to take a nap and let them stew for a bit."

With that, he walked over to a nearby daybed and laid down.

Fang Zheng-hua stood there holding the plates, caught in a dilemma. Eating now felt wrong, but not eating felt wrong too. If he didn't eat, he was famished and the pastries smelled divine; if he did eat, consuming food inside the East Warmth Pavilion would surely lead to being torn to shreds by the censors if word got out.

Catching the eyes of his apprentices, Fang Zheng-hua glared at them, then bowed toward the sleeping Chongzhen, his heart filled with genuine gratitude.

He walked outside the pavilion and whispered, "Take turns eating. Each person gets the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

Inside the East Warmth Pavilion, Chongzhen’s light snoring could be heard.

Meanwhile, the ministers in the Hall of Supreme Harmony were grumbling in their hearts. *What kind of "official business" is he handling? All the ministers are here in the Hall of Supreme Harmony; what business could he possibly be dealing with alone?*

From the morning audience until now—first the disaster in Shaanxi, then an hour or so spent at the Imperial Academy, and now back to discuss disaster relief—they had long since missed their midday meal. Forget about eating; they hadn't even had a sip of tea. Being hungry and thirsty was one thing, but the urge to relieve themselves was becoming impossible to bear.

"Eunuch Wang, may we step out to relieve ourselves?"

"As you please. But let me warn you, His Majesty could arrive at any moment. Today, His Majesty is..."

Wang Chengen left the rest unsaid, but the implication was clear: the Emperor had executed quite a few people today. If you wanted to die, feel free to go.

Predictably, the ministers all fell silent.

***

Another hour passed before Chongzhen awoke. He walked straight to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Seeing the ministers about to kowtow, he said, "Save the formalities. Give me the result."

"Your Majesty, we have deliberated and still feel that Sun Chengzong and Yuan Keli are the most qualified. However, the ministers are divided in their preferences. Those who choose Sun Chengzong, stand to the right; those who choose Yuan Keli, stand to the left."

"There are sixty-nine ministers present today. Twenty-seven chose Sun Chengzong, and forty-two chose Yuan Keli. We await your imperial decision."

Chongzhen looked at the ministers on the left and right, a subtle, inscrutable smile playing on his lips.

The Eunuch Faction had all chosen Yuan Keli, while the Donglin Faction had chosen Sun Chengzong. Most of the military nobility had also sided with Yuan Keli.

Chongzhen was not at all surprised by this outcome. Sun Chengzong had been squeezed out by the Eunuch Faction, so they certainly did not want him back at court. The military nobility preferred Yuan Keli because Sun Chengzong had been the commander in Ji-Liao, and the hundreds of thousands of troops in Liaodong were essentially his own creation. The Eunuch Faction and the military nobility naturally did not want someone who could command such military power to return, as it would put immense pressure on them.

As for the Donglin Faction, they chose Sun Chengzong in hopes of winning him over. Although the Eunuch Faction had labeled Sun Chengzong a member of the Donglin Faction, the man himself was nothing of the sort; he held a neutral heart, acting only for the sake of the Great Ming Dynasty.

Regardless of the schemes of the Donglin Faction, the Eunuch Faction, or anyone else, as long as one of these two returned to court, his objective would be achieved.

"Since you have all made your choices, let us confirm Yuan Keli as the Imperial Commissioner for Shaanxi. I recall that after Minister Yuan left office, he was granted the titles of Grand Master of Glorious Happiness and Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. I shall now additionally grant him the title of Grand Secretary of the Middle Pole Hall. Once the disaster relief is concluded, he shall enter the Grand Secretariat to participate in the deliberation of state affairs. The Cabinet may draft the decree."

As soon as Chongzhen spoke, the ministers fell deathly silent. Shi Fenglai was stunned.

The other titles were manageable, but a Grand Secretary position meant entry into the Cabinet. The Ming Dynasty had four halls and two pavilions for its Grand Secretaries, and while there was no formal hierarchy between them, the titles were a matter of prestige and determined one's ranking in court.

For instance, the recently deposed Huang Liji had held titles including Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, the Wuying Hall, and the Jianji Hall, along with the nominal post of Minister of Rites, making him the Senior Grand Secretary. If Chongzhen did not appoint a new Senior Grand Secretary, Shi Fenglai, as the Grand Secretary of the Middle Pole Hall, would have been next in line to succeed him.

But now, with Yuan Keli being granted the title of Grand Secretary of the Middle Pole Hall, combined with his status as Imperial Commissioner and his previous honors, he was effectively the new Senior Grand Secretary.

***

The duck that had been in his hand had flown away; how could he not be depressed?

"What? Does Minister Shi have an objection?"

"This minister has no objection. I accept the imperial decree!"

Shi Fenglai, addressed by name, responded immediately. He then added, "Your Majesty, I recall that in the eighth month of the seventh year of the Tianqi reign, Minister Yuan submitted three memorials of resignation and has since vowed to retire from public life. This..."

"It matters not. I shall write him a personal letter. With the great disaster in Shaanxi, I believe Minister Yuan will not stand by and let the people suffer in fire and water."

Some ministers looked on with disdain. The Emperor was still young, after all; trying to use moral righteousness to pressure Yuan Keli was a miscalculation. If Yuan were truly that easily moved, he wouldn't have retired from public life in the first place—he would have stayed to turn the tide.

Chongzhen, unaware of their thoughts, continued: "Gentlemen, we have just discussed the mobilization of troops, the allocation of grain, and the question of whether the people will trust us. To resolve the final issue—what if the grain is insufficient and the people rebel again?—the matter of the Shaanxi disaster will be settled. Regarding this point, do you have any brilliant strategies?"

The ministers shook their heads one after another.

From the current perspective, a grain shortage was inevitable, and when it came, civil unrest was sure to follow. If they had a solution, they would have volunteered it long ago. Furthermore, the Emperor had already provided solutions for the previous issues, and he clearly had a plan for this one too. If they spoke up now and happened to suggest the same thing as the Emperor, wouldn't they be stealing his credit?

Nobody was looking to court death in such a way. Therefore, for the sake of safety, it was best to play the fool.

"Since you have no proposals, then I shall offer one."

Chongzhen finished speaking, stood up, walked to the edge of the dais, and stared down at the ministers.

"We await your instructions, Your Majesty!"