Chapter 42: Another Victory
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“Come on. Let us go to the Imperial Palace Hall and hear what they have to say!”
A quarter of an hour later, Chongzhen arrived at the Imperial Palace Hall.
After the assembled ministers had paid their respects, Chongzhen said coolly, “My esteemed ministers, Beijing was quite lively last night. I presume you all know what caused it by now. Does anyone have anything to say?”
The ministers fell silent. His Majesty was obviously furious. Was this really the time to step forward and make trouble?
“Have Li Ruolian come in and report the results of the investigation!”
A short while later, Li Ruolian entered the Imperial Palace Hall and gave his report. Seated upon the imperial throne, Chongzhen observed every reaction among the ministers.
“Your Majesty, there are many suspicious points in this matter. As for Ni Wenhuan…”
“Where is the evidence?”
Chongzhen naturally knew what Censor Yang Wenqing intended to say. With a single sentence, he silenced Yang Wenqing before he could continue.
“Your Majesty, even if Cui Chengxiu was not the mastermind behind this, the Five City Military Command belongs to the Ministry of War. For such a shocking incident to occur beneath the Son of Heaven’s feet, Cui Chengxiu is at the very least guilty of failing to govern his subordinates properly. I ask Your Majesty to punish Cui Chengxiu!”
Blocked by Chongzhen, Yang Wenqing immediately spoke up again.
“Your Majesty, I impeach Cui Chengxiu, Minister of War!”
Yang Suoxiu, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, stepped forward.
The assembled ministers all cursed inwardly. Good heavens, they really were determined to hound Cui Chengxiu to death.
“After ascending the throne, His Majesty received the title bestowed by the Holy Empress Dowager, demonstrating that he intends to govern the empire through filial piety. Yet recently, Cui Chengxiu’s parents passed away, and he remained in office because the late Emperor had ordered him to set aside mourning. This runs contrary to the principle of governing through filial piety. I hope Your Majesty will permit him to return to his native place and observe the mourning period, thereby upholding the eternal principles of morality.”
This time, it was Chongzhen’s turn to curse inwardly. The absurdity of it was beyond words.
Did that mean that from now on, whenever a minister’s parents died, every minister would have to return home to observe mourning? How was the court supposed to function?
What did any of this have to do with the matter at hand? Even if one wanted to impeach someone, one should at least find a solid reason. If the emperor actually believed such nonsense, that would be the real joke.
“Guards, drag Yang Suoxiu out and give him twenty strokes of imperial punishment. I would like to see whether he has nothing better to do than make reckless and baseless slanders.”
After the Embroidered Uniform Guards dragged Yang Suoxiu away, Chongzhen said coldly, “Cui Chengxiu, Yang Suoxiu’s impeachment was reckless and defamatory. But how do you explain the matter concerning the Five City Military Command?”
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“I have also heard that the Five City Military Command extorts resources from thieves and colludes with them. Is that true?”
Cui Chengxiu fell to his knees. “Your Majesty, I have been occupied with matters concerning the courier stations and the mobilization of troops recently, and have neglected the discipline of my subordinates. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!”
Chongzhen’s expression darkened, but inwardly he was delighted. This was precisely the answer he had been waiting for.
He immediately said, “Since you are so busy, the Five City Military Command shall be separated from the Ministry of War. It shall be renamed the Five City Patrol Command, while retaining its current responsibilities, and shall be placed under my personal authority. Does anyone object?”
The Military Command was responsible for four broad areas: urban security, municipal administration, relief for disaster victims and the poor, and various other duties. It was similar to a combination of the police, fire department, civil affairs bureau, commerce bureau, and several other agencies of later generations.
The rank-and-file soldiers under its command were all elite archers drawn from the army. Anyone capable of serving as an archer was a broad-shouldered, powerfully built man who could draw a great bow and fight with blades at close quarters. Their combat strength was astonishing.
Whenever thieves or bandits appeared in the city, or murders and robberies took place, the Five City Military Command was responsible for apprehending the criminals. It also hunted down deserters from the army, escaped craftsmen, and fugitives from labor service. Without elite troops, such duties were impossible to carry out.
“Your Majesty, the Five City Patrol Command deals only with trivial matters of everyday life. Why not place it under the Metropolitan Garrisons? I would be honored to shoulder Your Majesty’s burdens!”
The Duke of England, Zhang Weixian, who rarely spoke, suddenly stepped forward.
This time, it was not only the civil officials who were puzzled. Even the hereditary nobles could not understand what Zhang Weixian was plotting.
“The Metropolitan Garrisons are responsible for defending the capital. Their duties are of the utmost importance, and they cannot afford distractions. I shall take charge of it myself.”
Chongzhen rejected him outright. Before Zhang Weixian could speak again, he made the final decision.
“Since no one has any objections, the matter is settled.”
“Since this matter arose because of Li Banghua, the Five City Patrol Command shall be placed under his supervision. His official rank shall be raised from Fifth Rank to Fourth Rank. He is to assume his post as soon as his injuries have healed.”
He then turned to the grand secretary Shi Fenglai and the Minister of Personnel, Zhou Yingqiu.
“Minister Shi, Minister Zhou, now that the Five City Patrol Command has been made independent, may I appoint its officials directly?”
The two men stepped forward together and gave an affirmative answer.
Now that the command had been separated from the Ministry of War, to say that the emperor could not appoint its officials would be tantamount to publicly humiliating him.
“Very well. Let us return to the matter of the pursuit of Li Banghua. Ni Wenhuan mobilized the Military Command without authorization in order to hunt down Li Banghua. One inn and more than ten houses were burned, and five people were burned alive.”
“The Embroidered Uniform Guards shall confiscate his property. All members of his household within three degrees of kinship are to be taken into custody by the Ministry of Justice and thoroughly interrogated. Those found guilty are to be punished according to the Great Ming Code. Those found innocent are to be released.”
“Compensation for the burned buildings shall be drawn from the property confiscated from Ni Wenhuan. The Ministry of Works shall arrange for their immediate reconstruction. All medical expenses for those injured by the fire shall likewise be paid from Ni Wenhuan’s property, and anyone unable to work shall receive compensation at five times the prevailing market rate.”
“The Minister of Works shall personally go and comfort the nearby residents.”
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“The commander, deputy commander, and clerk of the Eastern City Military Command are all to be dismissed and permanently barred from office. Li Banghua shall select their replacements!”
“The few soldiers who pursued Li Banghua are all to receive thirty strokes of imperial punishment. Those who survive are to be sent to the border army’s death-defying assault units. Since they enjoy killing people so much, I shall give them more than enough opportunities to do so.”
“My esteemed ministers, is there anything wrong with how I have handled this?”
“Your Majesty is wise!”
The entire assembly fell to its knees. Chongzhen sighed deeply inwardly. This group of ministers truly needed to be replaced in large numbers.
What he needed were ministers capable of offering constructive advice and standing on their own. The truth might be unpleasant to hear, but only such people could ensure that he would not be hanged seventeen years later.
Back in the Eastern Warm Pavilion, Chongzhen took a sip of hot tea before looking at Wang Cheng’en and Fang Zhenghua.
“You two must be wondering why I insisted on personally taking charge of the Five City Military Command, an institution concerned with nothing but trivial matters.”
Fang Zhenghua pondered for a moment before saying, “Your Majesty, the Five City Military Command evolved from the military command offices of the old garrison system. Each city’s command has one garrison under it, and each garrison consists of 1,120 men. The five cities therefore amount to 5,600 men. Once reorganized, that will be a force not to be underestimated.”
“Moreover, the Five City Patrol Command controls the capital’s curfew. With proper deployment, it would be impossible for a large army to attack the imperial palace without making a sound.”
Chongzhen nodded approvingly. “Those are only two of its advantages. More importantly, the men of the Five City Patrol Command are frequently in contact with the common people, allowing them to gather all sorts of rumors and bits of information. In effect, they constitute another intelligence network.”
“Never underestimate such intelligence. Sometimes, information revealed through the ordinary disputes and gossip of everyday households can be far more deadly.”
“Your Majesty is truly wise!”
Chongzhen gave a soft laugh. The Five City Patrol Command was similar to the police and other such departments of later generations. It would certainly have to be made independent in the future.
If the opportunity arose, he also wanted to separate the Patrol Battalion into an independent body. That too would become a force not to be underestimated.
“Go and tell Li Banghua that if he is able to work, he should begin by reorganizing the Five City Military Command. He must move quickly.”
At that very moment, the hereditary nobles, having just left the palace and begun making their way toward the Metropolitan Garrisons, suddenly surrounded the Duke of England, Zhang Weixian.
“Duke of England, why did you just ask His Majesty to hand over the Five City Military Command—rather, the Five City Patrol Command? Is there some deeper meaning behind it?”
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