Chapter Fifty-Two: News of Victory

Chapter Fifty-Two: The Triumphant News

Zhu Qizhen said, "I do not understand, Grand Empress Dowager. Please enlighten me."

The Grand Empress Dowager replied, "The most important task for an emperor is to employ capable people. No matter how talented the emperor may be, he alone cannot manage all the affairs of the realm."

"The diligence of the founding emperor was rare in the world, yet even he had to rely on the Six Ministries to share the burden."

"Even at the pinnacle of power, a single person cannot govern the world."

"The scholars say, the Son of Heaven shares the world with the literati. The noble families claim they rise and fall with the nation, forging alliances with the royal family. The eunuchs assert they are servants of the emperor, bound to him as one. But when it comes to actual governance, whom should you trust, and whom should you doubt? That is the crux of the matter."

"No one is perfect. Employ their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. Even someone like Yang Shiqi, whose son has caused a scandalous uproar—Wang Zhen has already told you about it. Do you really think I am senile and unaware of what happens outside?"

"As long as Yang Shiqi is devoted to public service, his son could run wild in the countryside, and I would still shield him. I just never expected that a lifetime of upright conduct would end with such a disgraceful son."

For a moment, the Grand Empress Dowager was filled with emotion.

When Yang Shiqi’s son was young, Yang himself was imprisoned by the Emperor Taizong. The women at home inevitably spoiled the child. When Emperor Renzong ascended, Yang Shiqi became a member of the Cabinet, busy with state affairs, and had little time for his son’s upbringing.

As a result, his son became unruly in the capital, causing numerous incidents. It is said that Yang Shiqi personally intervened, breaking several sticks in the process.

But there was nothing more he could do. After all, it was his own son—he could hardly kill him.

Yang Shiqi could only send his son back to their ancestral home in Jiangxi. Firstly, the capital is the heart of the empire; any disturbance there quickly becomes national gossip. What his son did, Yang Shiqi could hardly conceal. Secondly, in Ji'an, the Yang family was prominent—while not all-powerful, their connections could smooth over minor issues. With uncles and elders at home, his son could be better supervised.

But a leopard cannot change its spots. Once character is warped, it is not easily straightened. It was only Yang Shiqi’s influence keeping him in check.

The Grand Empress Dowager glanced at Zhu Qizhen, feeling satisfied. She said, "If you can uphold two principles—first, maintain virtue; second, employ capable people—you will be a competent ruler, like Emperor Renzong of Song. You need not excel in every matter; simply be the sovereign. I will then have face before our ancestors."

Zhu Qizhen pondered, feeling overwhelmed for a moment.

He understood the importance of virtue; in this Confucian society, the moral standards of the monarch had immense influence—much like Emperor Chongzhen.

Chongzhen’s governance was lacking, but his personal virtue was unimpeachable. Even as the emperor who lost the nation, he was remembered fondly for centuries.

But employing people—that phrase was both simple and difficult. It seemed straightforward, as Zhuge Liang once said: trust virtuous ministers, keep distance from petty men. Yet who is virtuous, and who is petty, is always subject to interpretation.

Many are not judged until the coffin is closed.

"In this, I have at least one advantage—there is a man whose character is already settled in history," Zhu Qizhen thought to himself. That man, of course, was Yu Qian.

The Grand Empress Dowager saw his hesitation and said, "These two matters require a lifetime to master. Today, let’s start with a practical exercise: how do you plan to deal with Little Cao?"

Zhu Qizhen was momentarily at a loss.

Had Cao Jixiang erred? From the information provided by the Grand Empress Dowager, Zhu Qizhen saw that Cao was hardly clean-handed. Many details were ambiguous; there was certainly something suspicious about Mentougou.

Yet overall, Cao Jixiang had switched palace supplies from wood to coal, and converted most kitchen stoves to burn coal—a move quite in line with Zhu Qizhen’s intentions.

Not to mention, Cao was Wang Zhen’s adopted son.

At this moment, Zhu Qizhen still relied on Wang Zhen.

If he truly dismissed Cao Jixiang, who would handle affairs for him in the future? Yet to let it pass unpunished was also unacceptable.

First, the Grand Empress Dowager would be disappointed.

She had just said the emperor must uphold virtue.

How to uphold virtue? For an individual, it meant being flawless in morals, like Emperor Renzong of Song. When he saw a eunuch forget to serve tea in the imperial garden, he simply refrained from drinking, sparing the young man a reprimand. When Bao Zheng criticized him face-to-face, he did not lose his temper.

Eunuchs are imperial servants; now, when a eunuch harms the common people outside and the emperor makes no response, it damages his reputation.

Even Zhu Qizhen himself could not help but feel anger.

"Report!" Footsteps sounded densely outside. Someone knelt and announced, "Military news from Datong."

Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen rose abruptly and strode out, finding a eunuch kneeling with a memorial. Zhu Qizhen took it and opened it, immediately breathing a sigh of relief.

The Grand Empress Dowager watched, sipping her tea gently. "What is it? Have you found peace now?"

Only then did Zhu Qizhen realize the Grand Empress Dowager had brought up Cao Jixiang to divert his mind, having noticed his constant tension.

Zhu Qizhen smiled. "Fang Zheng has routed the Tartars, beheaded two hundred, and Datong is no longer threatened."

The Grand Empress Dowager said, "Today is your first time receiving military intelligence. In the future, you will see countless such reports. Remember, the more tense the situation, the more you must steady your nerves. Even if you are anxious, never let outsiders see it."

"When Emperor Taizong reigned, Emperor Renzong’s most frequent advice was: the imperial mind is inscrutable."

Zhu Qizhen understood some things, but not all.

Even with his modern perspective, he could not fully grasp everything.

He said, "I will remember. But yesterday, I reviewed documents from the founding emperor’s era to the present regarding Mongolia, and I am still puzzled. The founding emperor sought to maintain borders with the Mongols. Emperor Taizong struck their strongest, supporting the weaker. The founding emperor’s method cost little, but all Mongol tribes are hereditary enemies; once they recover, they inevitably desire to invade south. Taizong’s policy involved deploying hundreds of thousands northward, draining the treasury without bringing lasting peace to the steppes. Now the rise of the Oirat is connected to Taizong's repeated campaigns against Eastern Mongolia—an endless cycle with no conclusion. Is there a strategy for lasting peace?"

Hearing this, the Grand Empress Dowager’s hand tightened around her teacup, her heart filled with joy. Such words—

In truth, the overall strategy during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign regarding the steppes was simply abandonment.

That was why Zhu Qizhen avoided mentioning Emperor Xuanzong’s era—after all, it was his father, and he understood the principle of respecting elders.

The Grand Empress Dowager was delighted that Zhu Qizhen, at just nine years old, possessed such far-reaching vision. Yet for this question, she had no answer. She smiled, "Emperor, it is excellent that you have thought this far, but the answer must be found by yourself. I do not have it. Your grandmother is old, able to guide you for a few more years, but the future of the Ming realm rests with you."

Zhu Qizhen felt a tinge of disappointment. Suddenly, he realized that the Grand Empress Dowager was simply an old woman.

Though wise, she too had her limitations. Her prestige could keep the Ming empire moving forward with inertia, resolving problems as they arose.

But in matters of major strategic decisions, her insight was not profound.

This did not diminish her, but merely recognized her limitations. She was a woman of the inner palace, never groomed to be emperor.

Much must be handled by himself.

Zhu Qizhen said, "I understand."

The triumph from Datong not only brought Zhu Qizhen relief but reassured many others. Wang Zhen wasted no time, immediately heading to the Cabinet to discuss rewards and honors.

How to reward them, Zhu Qizhen did not concern himself; the regulations were well established, and errors seldom occurred.

Returning to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Zhu Qizhen pondered the Grand Empress Dowager’s words. They felt familiar, but he could not recall where he had seen them.

Suddenly, he rose, lighting a candle, and searched among the rows of bookshelves. He opened a chest of books, and found a familiar line.

"One hundred battles in a single day between ruler and subject."

Zhu Qizhen thought, "So it was Han Feizi. The so-called imperial art lies in law, technique, and authority."