Chapter Ninety-One: Opening the Sea, Part Three
Chapter Ninety-One: Opening the Seas, Part Three
The Grand Empress Dowager said, “Sit. What brings you here?”
Zhu Qizhen smiled. “If I have nothing to do, may I not come and see Your Ladyship?”
The Grand Empress Dowager laughed. “When you have nothing to do, you have never been one to come often.”
Though the old grievances between grandmother and grandson had melted away, there may still have been a knot in each heart. Moreover, Zhu Qizhen had come to understand the Great Ming court more and more; he was no longer the same Zhu Qizhen who had once needed the Grand Empress Dowager to decipher the twists and turns hidden in memorials before he could understand them.
Thus, though he came daily to pay his respects, he only sought her out when there was something he did not understand.
Yet with Yu Qian, who had traveled widely as a local magistrate, at his side, there were few questions Yu Qian could not answer for him. So Zhu Qizhen came even less often.
He hurriedly said, “This is my fault.”
The Grand Empress Dowager said, “It is nothing. With Mister Yu by your side, I am very much at ease. Speak then—what matter have you come about?”
Zhu Qizhen took several steps forward, stood behind the Grand Empress Dowager’s shoulder, and gently kneaded her shoulders. “Your Ladyship, I recently received the envoy from the Governor-General of the Old Harbor, and I have discovered that this Old Harbor Governor-General’s office may soon no longer belong to the court.”
The Grand Empress Dowager frowned slightly. “Old Harbor—” She hesitated, then asked, “In the Southern Seas?”
It was clear that Old Harbor held no presence at all in the Grand Empress Dowager’s mind.
Zhu Qizhen gave a bitter smile inwardly. “Exactly.”
The Grand Empress Dowager smiled faintly. “Then let them be. Such a tiny place, like insects of summer—born, grown, and dead of itself. Why should the court concern itself with them?”
Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen said, “Your Ladyship speaks truly. If it were any other governor-general’s office, I would not concern myself either. These petty places exist only to trade with the court; they bear the court’s name in form alone. But Old Harbor is unlike the rest.”
The Grand Empress Dowager asked, “What is special about it?”
Zhu Qizhen replied, “Old Harbor is a place of the Han people. The Shi family, who hold the Governor-General’s office there, are from Fujian. When the Eunuch Sanbao sailed the western seas, he stopped many times at Old Harbor, and many military households settled there.”
“These people belong to the court.”
“And now the court cannot ignore them.”
When the Grand Empress Dowager heard this, she understood the matter in her heart. With a faint smile she said, “And how do you want to manage it? Tell me.”
Zhu Qizhen turned around, half-kneeling beside the Grand Empress Dowager, and with his hand lightly tapped at her old, rheumatic legs. “I know that another great voyage to the Southern Seas, Your Ladyship will absolutely not permit.”
“Still, Your Ladyship, the officials outside all say that these western voyages exhaust the people and squander wealth, yielding nothing at all. But did the palace truly retain not one benefit from them?”
The Grand Empress Dowager glanced at him. “There are a few foreign trinkets, but one cannot eat them when hungry, nor wear them when cold. What use are they?”
Zhu Qizhen said, “I think that since these voyages exhaust the people and squander wealth, there is no need to sail again in future. But the people of the Son of Heaven, even if they are in the Southern Seas, the court must protect them.”
“Now the court merely lets other states come to offer tribute. That is perhaps too much. Why not select a few places where the people may travel to and fro across the outer seas?”
“Impossible,” the Grand Empress Dowager said. “Do I not know what is in your mind? Though maritime trade makes money, under heaven agriculture comes first. If the seas are opened, how could the coastal people settle down to till the fields? You would only stir up men’s hearts.”
Zhu Qizhen said, “Only the people of Old Harbor would be allowed to travel there and back; others would not. With court supplies, the Great Ming people in the Southern Seas would also have the means to defend themselves.”
The Grand Empress Dowager cast him a sidelong glance, and her eyes plainly said, “I’d believe that only if the sun rose in the west.”
Still, she was moved by the conditions Zhu Qizhen had proposed.
What the Grand Empress Dowager feared most was Zhu Qizhen making trouble. Now he had personally said that there would be no more voyages to the western seas, and would instead exchange that for this opening. She had to give him some sweetness in return.
The Grand Empress Dowager said, “So you truly mean never again to launch a grand voyage to the western seas?”
Zhu Qizhen said, “I guarantee it. Since these voyages exhaust the people and squander wealth, and bring harm to the common folk, I guarantee that from now on there will never be such a thing again. If not, I swear it before Your Ladyship.”
Inwardly Zhu Qizhen thought, “A peaceful parade like Zheng He’s will never happen again. And in future, I won’t let eunuchs handle this affair either. There will be a dedicated navy to take care of it.”
“No more grand voyages, but rather maintaining a presence in the Southern Seas, slowly and steadily encroaching over time.”
“It will certainly be different from Zheng He’s day. Add up this and that, and it will no longer be ‘going to the western seas.’ Besides, I’ll change the name too. There will absolutely be no more such name.”
The Grand Empress Dowager smiled faintly. She did not know how many hidden turns were in her grandson’s mind. “No need to swear. I understand this matter.”
Zhu Qizhen paused slightly. “Your Ladyship.”
The Grand Empress Dowager said, “What more do you want? Must I speak to the Grand Secretariat for you?”
The Grand Empress Dowager was acting according to Yu Qian’s earlier counsel, letting Zhu Qizhen do things for himself.
Political affairs are often impossible to truly understand without doing them oneself. And sometimes, even when power is placed in your hands, how much you can truly wield depends on your ability.
Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen immediately said, “I understand.”
He hurriedly withdrew and went to discuss matters with Yu Qian. Only then did Madam Hu come forward and say to the Grand Empress Dowager, “Your Ladyship, if the Emperor does this, the old ministers of the court may not agree.”
The Grand Empress Dowager said, “Even I have tacitly approved it, and he still cannot manage it? Then he had best obediently study and stop thinking of leaping about like a monkey.”
After Zhu Qizhen returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity and discussed matters with his own inner circle, he began to act.
After Yu Qian left the palace, he immediately went to the residence of Yang Shiqi and recounted the entire matter in full.
After hearing him out, Yang Shiqi did not even raise an eyebrow. “Tingyi, do you need me to lend you a hand?”
Yu Qian said, “This student would not dare trouble the teacher. I only hope the teacher will show me some leniency.”
Yu Qian understood very well that Yang Shiqi was an obstacle that could not be bypassed in the Great Ming court. This matter would sooner or later reach Yang Shiqi’s ears.
If he did not give prior notice, and Yang Shiqi misread the situation, Yang Shiqi would not need to state his position plainly to ruin the whole affair.
Yang Shiqi said, “This is an examination the Grand Empress Dowager has set for the Emperor. As his teacher, I naturally will not interfere. However, Tingyi, do you think your plan can really be carried through?”
Yu Qian said, “I beg the teacher to instruct me.”
Yang Shiqi said, “Tingyi, you have simply been in the capital too short a time. There are things you do not understand. And this time, it is not only an examination the Grand Empress Dowager has set for the Emperor—it is one for you as well.”
“Even if this matter cannot be accomplished, the Emperor himself will naturally be fine. But you, Tingyi, may not be able to remain in the capital.”
Hearing Yang Shiqi’s words, Yu Qian’s heart sank. He had not expected the Grand Empress Dowager to have such a layer of meaning behind this.
On reflection, it was only natural.
Since the Emperor had made up his mind to treat Yu Qian as a future Grand Secretariat assistant, the Grand Empress Dowager would naturally need to test the weight of this future minister.
As for Wang Zhen, Jin Ying, and the like, they were merely eunuchs. The Grand Empress Dowager had never taken them seriously. But she valued Yu Qian highly.
Although Yu Qian’s record and his words had already proven that he was indeed exceptional, as a Grand Secretariat assistant he ought to have his own understanding of the petty scheming within the court, the interlocking factions, and the tangled web of powers. He should even possess some attainment in the arts of intrigue and strategy.
Otherwise, would one truly think that becoming a Grand Secretariat assistant was so easy?
If Yu Qian could not do this, the Grand Empress Dowager would absolutely send him out again to serve as a local official, and would not allow him to remain by the Emperor’s side.
Yu Qian bowed to Yang Shiqi. “This student understands.”
Yang Shiqi said, “I cannot help you in this matter. If I did, I would only harm you. Still, I think your plan is broadly sound. It should be a matter of some alarm, but no real danger.”
Yu Qian’s heart stirred, and he immediately understood.
The Grand Empress Dowager had sharp eyes and ears. If Yang Shiqi took action, it would be difficult to hide it from her. But Yang Shiqi said there would be alarm without danger, meaning that although there would be some flaw in the matter, Yang Shiqi would still give it some measure of support.
Yet Yu Qian kept thinking over one thing.
What exactly was the flaw? What place was it? Something he had failed to foresee.
But the next day, he very quickly understood where that flaw lay. He had overlooked one thing.