Chapter Thirty-Three: Wolf, Tiger, Dragon

Upon hearing the "Five Proposals" memorandum from Zhang Juzheng, Empress Dowager Li rose to her feet. She stood in silence for a long time, her expression a mix of uncertainty and hesitation, before finally sinking back into her chair.

Empress Dowager Chen, the Ren Sheng Empress Dowager of the Cining Palace, watched Li’s anxious demeanor and could not help but smile. Concern blinds, while desirelessness brings strength. Li’s son sat upon the throne, while Chen had neither children nor heirs, allowing her to see the situation with greater clarity. Li’s various worries and doubts did not, in the final analysis, stem from the outer court—not from Zhang Juzheng or Gao Gong—nor from the inner court—not from Feng Bao or Zhang Hong. The crux of the matter lay solely with the young Emperor, who was currently gritting his teeth while practicing his horse stance. If the young Emperor grew into his role, the Ming Dynasty would have its bright future; if he failed, there would be no hope, and all would be lost.

Would the young Emperor succeed or fail?

"To drive away a wolf only to invite a tiger—is this truly a wise strategy?" Empress Dowager Li watched the young Emperor, his face drenched in sweat as he held his stance, and her heart grew heavy. Gao Gong was the wolf that had been driven away, but now Zhang Juzheng, the tiger, had begun to bare his fangs.

Empress Dowager Chen, however, remained quite indifferent. "I do not know what you fear, sister. Our Emperor is a dragon." She added, "Whether it be a wolf or a tiger, what does it matter? There is no need for such concern."

Li was indeed blinded by her own anxiety. Even if Zhang Juzheng were truly a tiger, so what? The Emperor was a true dragon; he had no reason to fear such jackal-like ministers. Was the young Emperor a true dragon? Chen believed he was. Seeming slightly uncertain for a moment, she turned to look at Zhu Yijun, then revealed a look of reassurance. Confirmed in her belief, she continued cracking melon seeds and said, "The Emperor has great perseverance and a mind of his own. The Senior Grand Secretary cannot bully him."

Seeing the young Emperor’s earnest expression, Chen knew he would amount to something and that he was, indeed, a true dragon. Those who are hard on themselves are formidable people. Chen stretched lazily. Ever since the attempted assassination, the young Emperor’s performance had become increasingly reassuring; even the imperial guards and sword-bearing attendants lacked the Emperor’s steadfast character. Chen had also reviewed the transcripts of the lectures and debates between the Emperor and Zhang Juzheng, noting that even Zhang was occasionally questioned to the point of being unable to provide a straight answer. Chen’s expectations and confidence in the young Emperor were far more resolute than those of Empress Dowager Li.

Prince Lu, Zhu Yiliu, leaned against a stool, gripping the back of a chair while watching his older brother toil. At four years old, he had only just mastered full sentences. He pointed at the young Emperor and asked, "Mother, what is brother doing?"

Empress Dowager Li stroked Yiliu’s head with great indulgence and smiled, "Brother is practicing martial arts."

Watching this, Empress Dowager Chen remained silent. In stark contrast to the strict demands placed upon the young Emperor, Li was excessively doting toward the young Prince Lu—to the point of indulgence. If he broke something, Li would only scold the palace servants for being careless. Yet, if the young Emperor broke something, Li would only rebuke him for lacking decorum.

Zhu Yijun finished his session and looked toward Luo Sigong. Having been caught slacking off by Zhu Xixiao yesterday, Luo was exceptionally diligent today. Even with his legs trembling from exhaustion, he showed no intention of slacking. This was progress. As long as there was progress, Zhu Yijun would allow for mistakes once or twice, but he would not permit a third.

After concluding his exercise, Zhu Yijun put on a sunny, cheerful smile and walked before the two Empresses Dowager, bowing to pay his respects: "Mother, Imperial Mother."

"Sit down and rest. You are soaked in sweat. The weather has turned warm, and the peach and pear blossoms have bloomed. Tomorrow is the twenty-third, so there are no studies; why not take a break from the martial arts as well?" Empress Dowager Chen pulled up a stool and placed a bowl of rock-sugar pear water before the young Emperor, encouraging him to rehydrate while it was at the perfect temperature.

On days ending in three, six, and nine, the Emperor usually rested from his studies, allowing for nine days of rest a month. If they followed Empress Dowager Chen’s suggestion, what would be left of his martial training?

The court sessions in the Wenhua Hall would never cease. If he accepted Zhang Juzheng’s "Five Proposals," Zhu Yijun would have to attend court at the Wenhua Hall every single day without a break. This was the first point of the memorandum: the Emperor must preside over court.

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "Thank you, Mother, but diligence must not be interrupted. One cannot rest from martial arts for even a day."

*I, Zhu Yijun, love to learn!*

Zhu Yijun glanced at Feng Bao. Feng Bao gave a slight, helpless shake of his head; the Emperor was clearly asking about the status of the "Five Proposals," and Feng could only signal that Empress Dowager Li remained hesitant.

Of course, Li would hesitate. If she agreed now, would this fierce tiger, Zhang Juzheng, push for more?

"Today, Senior Grand Secretary Zhang lectured on the *Illustrated Mirror for Governing*, speaking of the story of Emperor Daizong of Tang and Guo Ziyi," Zhu Yijun said, his tone still sunny and cheerful, as if discussing his studies.

"Guo Ziyi’s son, Guo Nuan, married Emperor Daizong’s daughter, Princess Shengping. Once, they quarreled, and the Princess angrily retorted: 'My father is the Son of Heaven; how dare you contradict me!' Guo Nuan replied: 'Your father is only Emperor because my father does not wish to be!'"

Empress Dowager Chen asked in shock, "How could Guo Nuan be so arrogant and reckless? How could he speak such nonsense? Was he not trying to ruin Guo Ziyi?"

Zhu Yijun continued, "The Princess returned to the palace in her carriage to report this to her father, Emperor Daizong. But Daizong said: 'You do not understand; it is indeed true. If Guo Ziyi truly wanted to be the Son of Heaven, this world would long ago have ceased to belong to the Li Tang dynasty.'"

Empress Dowager Li’s brow furrowed. She fell silent for a moment before asking, "And then?"

"Later, when Guo Ziyi heard of this, he had his son bound and brought before Emperor Daizong, begging for his son to be punished. But Emperor Daizong replied: 'Children quarreling should not be taken seriously. If one is not a little deaf or blind, one cannot be the head of a household. Why should I listen to the prattle of children in their boudoir?' Daizong pardoned Guo Nuan’s slip of the tongue, though Guo Ziyi still had his son whipped until the Princess pleaded for mercy."

Guo Nuan’s bold words—*my father doesn't want to be Emperor, so your father is*—essentially meant: "I show him respect by calling him the Son of Heaven; if I didn't, I could let both the Emperor and the Tang dynasty be buried together." Emperor Daizong merely laughed it off, refusing to punish him for the words of children.

Zhang Juzheng’s telling of this story was primarily meant to highlight the trust between Emperor Daizong and Guo Ziyi, expressing an ideal political environment: a sage emperor and a worthy minister. Of course, beneath the brilliance of such a partnership, there were always shadows. It was not that Emperor Daizong had never considered moving against the man whose power and merits overshadowed his own.

In the spring of the fourth year of the Dali era, the eunuch Yu Chao'en invited Guo Ziyi to visit the Zhangjing Temple. It was the first time Emperor Daizong had tested Guo Ziyi after the An Lushan Rebellion had been largely quelled, with the eunuch Yu Chao'en tasked with the execution. Fearing a trap, Guo Ziyi’s men armed themselves to escort him, but Guo Ziyi dismissed them, taking only a few servants to visit the temple with the eunuch. Yu Chao'en eventually died a traitorous death.

After Emperor Daizong died and Emperor Dezong ascended, he honored Guo Ziyi as "Shangfu" (Imperial Father). Dong Zhuo had also once held the title of "Shangfu." Yet, Guo Ziyi held the title while rebuilding the Li Tang royal house, his merits unmatched for a generation, safeguarding the safety of the world for twenty years.

Zhu Yijun stopped there, waiting for Empress Dowager Li to realize the point. The An Lushan Rebellion was the turning point where the Great Tang shifted from prosperity to decline, and Guo Ziyi had rendered heaven-shaking service in pacifying it. The Gengxu Incident, the invasion of the northern barbarians, and the twelve years of mutual warfare from the thirty-second to the forty-fourth year of the Jiajing era had severely wounded the Ming. Gao Gong and Zhang Juzheng had promoted the "tribute and enfeoffment" policy with Altan Khan—that was a contribution to stabilizing the borders.

After the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang fell into decline, and regional warlords emerged. Yet, as long as Guo Ziyi lived, those warlords dared not rebel like An Lushan or Shi Siming. The Ming was likewise half-buried, its national power swaying in the wind, struggling even against the northern barbarians whom the Chengzu Emperor had once chased across the globe.

If Emperor Daizong could tolerate Guo Ziyi, then Zhu Yijun could tolerate Zhang Juzheng. Everything was for the sake of the Ming’s resurgence, everything was for the sake of making the Ming great again!

Empress Dowager Li fell into a daze, deep in thought for a long time. The young Emperor had specifically mentioned this matter to address the "Five Proposals." Finally, she sighed and said, "Very well, very well. It is only a grievance to you, my son."

"I do not feel it is a grievance; I find it rather interesting," Zhu Yijun said, his smile still bright, as he continued talking about what he had learned that day.

It was not surprising that Empress Dowager Li had agreed. Zhang Juzheng was not Gao Gong. Behind Gao Gong stood the Jin faction—a group bound together by the core interests of a privileged economy, linked by marriage and shared hometowns. Whether Gao Gong himself wanted to push for more or not, the Jin faction would have pushed him forward. Zhang Juzheng, however, employed officials who had neither marital ties nor shared regional backgrounds. Most importantly, Zhang’s "Five Proposals" did not seek to abolish the Directorate of Ceremonial, nor did it seek to pull the young Emperor’s fangs or limit his authority to review memorials; it made demands of the capital officials alongside the Emperor.

"Time to go farm!" After finishing his lessons, Zhu Yijun ran off energetically, intending to head to Jingshan. Farming was the most important task; he had to check on it every day.

"Brother, take me!" Prince Lu shouted, seemingly wanting to go play, but Empress Dowager Li picked up the four-year-old, not letting him follow.

Zhu Yijun was opening a kiln today, or more accurately, he was cultivating seedlings. The specialized research into planting potatoes and sweet potatoes was the priority; regardless of anything else, they had to ensure they could grow. If he could successfully grow potatoes and sweet potatoes, the people would have enough to eat, and only with strength could they overcome the heavens!

"Greetings, Your Majesty. Is your sacred body well?" Xu Zhenming led several veteran farmers in a salute. While these farmers lacked experience with potatoes and sweet potatoes, they were the most skilled farmers found among the commoners for growing water chestnuts.

Why was Zhu Yijun so fixated on potatoes and sweet potatoes, even willing to set aside his imperial dignity to do this? Because under the Ming system, only the princes and the commoners had the capacity to rebel. If the people had nothing to eat, they would storm the capital, crack open the Emperor’s skull, and drink their fill. If the people were fed, they would not come to the capital to kick the Emperor’s head around like a ball.

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "I am well. Rise."

"Your Majesty, sprouted or green potatoes must never be eaten. They are poisonous and can truly kill," Xu Zhenming warned. If the Emperor were to eat a sprouted potato and even get a stomachache, it would be a major crisis. Xu Zhenming was the one who least wanted anything to happen to the Emperor; he was a firm believer in agricultural prosperity, and if the Emperor were to fall ill, the work of land reclamation and cultivation would all be abandoned.

Zhu Yijun nodded. The Ming Emperor had specialized officials—eunuchs responsible for tasting food for poison before it was served.

"What work shall we do today?" Zhu Yijun looked at the completed fire chamber. Under the strict orders of the Chief Eunuch Feng, over a hundred eunuchs had worked overtime to finish the construction and install the glass.

Xu Zhenming said with certainty, "Seedling cultivation."

The Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Feng Bao, had specifically instructed his subordinates to tell Xu Zhenming not to leave the dirty or heavy work for the Emperor. Outside the palace, Zhang Juzheng, the Senior Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion, had sent his head steward, You Qi, to deliver a message to Xu Zhenming: the Emperor’s personal involvement in agriculture was primarily a gesture. Since the Emperor attended court and lectures in the morning and practiced martial arts in the afternoon, he was already exhausted.

Xu Zhenming understood and carried out these instructions to the letter!