Chapter 33: Signs of Division Within Donglin

After returning home, Ye Xianggao immediately sent invitations to the Donglin officials in the capital, arranging to meet this evening at the Fengsheng Pavilion.

As dusk fell, everyone was already seated inside the pavilion. The innkeeper and his servants brought out the food and wine, then locked the door from within, handing the key to Ye’s household servant outside before leaving.

Ye Xianggao spoke directly: “His Majesty is furious and demands the resignation of the three ministers.”

The Donglin members were first stunned into silence, then erupted into loud exclamations. Ye Xianggao tapped the table with his chopsticks, finally bringing the room to order.

He tapped again and said, “One at a time. What’s with all the shouting?” Though he spoke calmly, his uncouth tapping betrayed the turmoil within him.

Wang Ji declared, “I will not resign; dismissal is another matter.” Zhao Nanxing and Sun Shenxing shared the same sentiment—they would rather be dismissed by the emperor than resign voluntarily.

Normally, even a hint from the emperor would prompt officials to tender their resignations immediately, especially when the message was directly relayed by Ye Xianggao. This showed how deeply aggrieved these three must have felt. They had labored for the nation, seeking only to expel corrupt ministers and restore a court of upright officials—yet the emperor commanded their resignation, a notion they could not comprehend.

Zuo Guangdou said, “This is an unlawful order; it need not be obeyed.”

Ye Xianggao shot him a sharp glance. “Choose your words carefully!”

Sun Shenxing added, “Tomorrow, we will go to mourn at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.”

The atmosphere grew chaotic again, voices overlapping: “We will mourn at the temple. The court is ruled by treacherous ministers; the nation faces peril. We must appeal to our illustrious ancestors of the Ming.”

Han Kuang spoke with a tone neither warm nor cold: “What use is it for just us to mourn at the temple? Let the students from the Imperial Academy come too—that’s when we’ll have some weight behind it.”

Ye Xianggao’s heart burned with bitterness. He had hoped to downplay the crisis to preserve some foundation for Donglin, but no one appreciated his caution. Han Kuang even took the lead in opposing him. Judging by the emperor’s current mood, could they afford to be so confrontational? At least nominally, the emperor held sole authority over the nation; the divide between sovereign and subject was as vast as the heavens. Mourning at the ancestral temple was a direct challenge to the emperor. Once angered, who could predict the consequences?

Yet Ye Xianggao had lost control over the Donglin members, who might even view him as an adversary. He looked pleadingly to Sun Chengzong but found the latter bowed in silence.

He then glanced at Yang Lian, who returned his gaze. Their eyes exchanged a silent message: Ye’s eyes said, “Stand up and stop this,” while Yang’s replied, “If you can’t, what can I do?”

With no other choice, Ye Xianggao rose again. The crowd quieted, but he saw distrust in their eyes. Slowly, he said, “I understand your feelings, but we must still discuss a prudent plan.”

Sun Shenxing sneered, “What do you, Vice Minister, consider prudent?” He refused to address Ye Xianggao by his courtesy name, revealing clear hostility.

Ye sighed inwardly, about to respond when Sun Chengzong spoke: “Mourning at the temple is too extreme.”

Wang Ji said, “We know it’s drastic, but the emperor has cornered us this way. What choice do we have?”

Sun Chengzong continued, “The emperor only demands the three ministers’ resignations; he does not intend to uproot Donglin entirely. If we go mourning at the temple, the entire Donglin faction risks being swept away.”

Zuo Guangdou countered, “But if the three ministers resign, Donglin’s power will be severely weakened, and the three factions will soon dominate. Better to fight fiercely, risking all, and perhaps a new order will arise.”

At this, Yang Lian interjected, “Taking such a risk is best avoided. The court is not without allies. The emperor likely does not wish to destroy Donglin entirely. If Donglin falls, the three factions will dominate, and that is not what the emperor desires either.”

Zhao Nanxing nodded. “That is reasonable. As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn. Donglin men are spread throughout the court. Even if the three ministers step down, the upcoming capital examination will see us return stronger, still able to purge corruption and restore clear governance.”

Zou Yuanbiao spoke reluctantly, “Are we truly not going to try mourning at the temple? I feel this could pressure the emperor to concede. I don’t believe he dares expel all of Donglin. With so many vacancies, how would he fill them?”

Sun Chengzong smiled coldly. “Recall the reign of Emperor Wanli—so many vacancies then too, yet what happened? The current emperor’s position is far stronger. Back then, almost all ministers opposed him, yet nothing changed. During the Wanli forty-fifth-year capital examination, Donglin suffered near annihilation.”

The thought of those dark times sent chills through the assembly. Donglin’s relentless attacks on Fang Congzhe stemmed from the crucial role of the Chief Minister. Donglin’s disastrous defeat in that year’s examination was due to the Chief Minister not being from Donglin. With the upcoming capital examination under the third year of Tianqi, if Fang Congzhe remained in office, Donglin’s revival under Guangzong would likely repeat the same fate.

If Fang Congzhe could be removed, Ye Xianggao would surely become Chief Minister, with Han Kuang or Sun Chengzong as Vice Minister. Then Donglin could easily expel whom they wished, and the stalwarts of the three factions—Zhejiang, Qi, and Chu—would be swept away.

This was why Donglin clung so fiercely to the Hongwan case, disregarding the other two; only through that case could they expose Fang Congzhe’s missteps and bring him down.

With this clarity, the Donglin members calmed, realizing that retreating now was necessary to avoid the emperor’s total crackdown. Thus, the three ministers agreed to tender their resignations the next day to preserve Donglin’s remaining strength.

After their meeting, they parted ways unaware that two Eastern Depot guards were observing them through a small hole in a nearby storeroom wall, listening intently.

An hour later, Zhu Youxiao had learned the essential details of Donglin’s gathering. Hearing Han Kuang’s suggestion to mourn at the temple, he sensed some trouble but considered it manageable. He had resolved that only force would work against these obstacles and made a mental note regarding Han Kuang.

He was quite satisfied with the conduct of Ye Xianggao, Sun Chengzong, Yang Lian, and even Zhao Nanxing. Yang Lian, once a troublemaker, had become a Donglin member who cared for the greater good—a promising sign. He planned to send Yang out more to engage with reality, hoping to draw him away from Donglin’s influence.