Chapter 8: Daning

After Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the Secretariat, power was divided among the Six Ministries, and the Minister of Personnel, the head of the six, became the undisputed leader of all officials. During morning court assemblies, Jian Yi stood at the very front of the civil officials.

As for the ministers of the Grand Secretariat, they had not even been established yet; even if they were, a Grand Secretary held only the fifth rank. Compared to Jian Yi, or even the Grand Secretary of the Office of Transmission, they were leagues behind.

The so-called "Three Yangs" who assisted in government were only lauded as powerful after the influence of the Grand Secretariat grew. In the Yongle era, the undisputed heavyweights were Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji. One controlled personnel, the other controlled finance. Having remained in power for twenty years without wavering, they were the absolute pillars of Zhu Di's administration.

Yet, both were disciples of Xu Zengshou, or rather, had been recommended to Zhu Di by him. The network of connections left behind by his father was truly terrifying.

Xu Jingchang finally understood why Yao Guangxiao was so confident in making him the Grand Secretary of the Office of Transmission. He must have known about the correspondence between Xu Zengshou and Zhu Di. If Xu Jingchang were merely a scion of nobility, it would be one thing, but once his talent and insight were revealed, there was no way the old monk would let him go. This also explained why the Xu family could have two dukes in one generation; besides their relationship with Zhu Di, the recognition of the court officials was also indispensable.

In short, Xu Jingchang felt his status had risen just a little bit more.

*If I had known about this connection, I shouldn't have agreed to the old monk so easily. I should have demanded more conditions...* Xu Jingchang grumbled to himself, but it was too late. *Should I try a "three visits to the thatched cottage" approach again?*

"Minister, selecting the virtuous and capable is the duty of a subject. My father’s recommendation of you must have been based on your strategies for peace and stability. I am still young, and being appointed as the Grand Secretary of the Office of Transmission is like driving a duck onto a perch—it's forcing a difficult task upon me. I was thinking, since you oversee the evaluations of the Ministry of Personnel, why not find an opportunity to give me a poor rating so I can be dismissed and return home?" Xu Jingchang suggested.

Upon hearing this, Jian Yi nearly spat out his tea. Others begged him for excellent ratings to advance their careers; this was the first time he had ever seen someone actively ask for a poor one. The young marquis before him was truly unique.

"Young Marquis, the Grand Secretary of the Office of Transmission is one of the Nine Ministers. You are responsible for managing government affairs, liaising between the inner and outer courts, and coordinating administration. The power in your hands is immense, and there are many things you can control. Moreover, as the Empress's nephew and a relative of His Majesty, no one is more suited for this position than you. I was worried about finding a candidate, but finding someone as suitable as you is pure luck."

Xu Jingchang remained vigilant, not just toward Yao Guangxiao, but also toward this amiable uncle, Jian Yi. The Ministry of Personnel was a place for manipulating people; if he easily believed his words, he wouldn't even know how he died. The more Jian Yi emphasized the importance of the position, the more cautious he became.

"I know my own limitations perfectly well. My ambition is not in the court; I only wish to pursue the vast starry sky and explore the mysteries of the universe... By the way, Minister Jian, do you have any tasks that would easily offend people? Something that would allow me to stir up a medium-sized disaster so I could be dismissed? Tell me about those."

Jian Yi was left between laughter and tears. He had never expected the son of the Marquis of Wuyang to be such an interesting character.

"If you want to talk about offending people, I do have one matter that others might not be able to handle: Prince Ning, Zhu Quan, wants a new fiefdom."

Xu Jingchang was stunned. "Isn't his fiefdom in Daning? Why does he want another?"

Jian Yi explained, "It is like this: His Majesty intends to abolish the Daning Regional Military Commission and relocate it to Baoding. Also, regarding the Three Guards of Duoyan, His Majesty intends to appease them, so abolishing the Daning commission is a gesture of goodwill."

Xu Jingchang gradually understood. This was still the unfinished business from the Jingnan Campaign. At the time, Zhu Di lacked sufficient troops, while Prince Ning, who held a fief in Daning, possessed eighty thousand armored soldiers and six thousand war chariots—a formidable force. Zhu Di had kidnapped Prince Ning and forced him into rebellion, even promising to divide the empire upon success.

Now that Zhu Di sat on the dragon throne, it was impossible for him to reward Zhu Quan with half the country. He didn't even want him to return to Daning; what if the prince had second thoughts and launched another "Jingnan Campaign"? As for the Three Guards of Duoyan, that was also a result of the promises Zhu Di had made everywhere. He had many Mongol cavalrymen under his command, and after the campaign succeeded, they expected their rewards.

In short, by abolishing the Daning commission and leaving behind a vast, empty pasture, he was signaling peace and friendship. In other words, Zhu Di had succeeded, and now it was time to fulfill his promises.

Jian Yi leaned in. "Grand Secretary Xu, other matters are easy to handle, but this involves the Prince of Ning, and as an official, it is difficult for me to speak. The same goes for the Three Guards of Duoyan. Do you think you can find a way?"

Xu Jingchang thought seriously and replied, "If I handle this, can I find two censors to impeach me so I can be dismissed and go home?"

Jian Yi rolled his eyes and said with a straight face, "I will do my best."

Xu Jingchang took a deep breath and smiled. "Actually, it's not difficult. We just need to grant Daning to the Prince of Ning in name, while actually handing it over to the Three Guards of Duoyan."

Jian Yi was momentarily confused. "Grand Secretary Xu, what do you mean? Are you really going to hand the Ming territory to the Mongols?"

Xu Jingchang smiled. "Of course not. How could I do such a thing? I mean, since we established the Daning commission, we must manage it properly. Even if we grant favors to the Three Guards, they may not know how to govern, so we must keep a set of officials in place. When the time is right, we can hand Daning over to them. Of course, the definition of 'the right time' depends on the imperial court."

"In this way, Daning remains in our hands, and the Prince of Ning cannot easily demand a change of fiefdom. We can just keep him in the capital, pay him his annual salary as a prince, and keep him well-fed," Xu Jingchang said calmly.

Jian Yi was stunned, then dumbfounded. This idea was actually excellent! The Prince of Ning was surely dissatisfied because he hadn't received what he wanted for participating in the rebellion. Zhu Di had acted dishonorably, but as the Emperor, he could not indulge Zhu Quan. Since they had already wronged him, they might as well continue the deception to the end. As for the Three Guards, giving them the name without the reality and dragging the matter out—ideally for a hundred years—was the best approach.

"Grand Secretary Xu, who did you learn this from? How could you be so precise?"

Xu Jingchang smiled without answering, maintaining an air of mystery. Jian Yi didn't dare ask more. He stood up quickly and took Xu Jingchang to see Zhu Di.

They arrived at a fortuitous moment; Prince Ning, Zhu Quan, was indeed there to see Zhu Di.

"Your Majesty, your younger brother dares not have extravagant hopes. If I cannot return to the Daning commission, I am willing to take a fief in the interior."

Zhu Di looked at his brother and said in a deep voice, "Which place have you set your eyes on?"

"Suzhou!" Zhu Quan answered bluntly. "I have no other intentions; I just want to find a prosperous, wealthy place, a land of gentleness and kindness, to enjoy my remaining years in luxury. I hope Your Majesty will grant this."

Zhu Di took a deep breath. He wanted to keep Zhu Quan provided for, but Suzhou was simply out of the question. "It is like this: after the late Emperor defeated Zhang Shicheng, the taxes in Suzhou were set higher than elsewhere. It is also part of the Southern Zhili, right under the capital's jurisdiction. It would be inappropriate for you to hold a fief there."

Zhu Quan had guessed the result, but he remained calm. "Since Suzhou won't work, then how about Qiantang? That would also be fine!"

Naturally, it would be fine. "Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below." If he couldn't have Suzhou, he would take Hangzhou instead!

Zhu Di was seething with hidden anger. Governing a country was not child's play; dividing family property between brothers was common, but he could never bring himself to grant a prince one of the most fertile lands in the empire, which would weaken the court's financial power. He would rather be branded ungrateful and a promise-breaker than do it. But he found it extremely difficult to say so. He had already told Jian Yi to come and help, so why was he so slow?

Just as Zhu Di was fretting, Zheng He came to announce that Jian Yi and Xu Jingchang were requesting an audience. Zhu Di was delighted and immediately ordered them in.

After the greetings, Zhu Di smiled. "Seventeenth Brother, do you see this young man? He is the son of the Marquis of Wuyang and the nephew of the Empress. He is young, clever, and well-read. I have promoted him to be the Grand Secretary of the Office of Transmission. I am never stingy with meritorious subjects. Seventeenth Brother, do not worry, but there are many urgent matters at the moment; can we delay this for a while?"

With Zhu Di having said this, what more could Zhu Quan say? He could only agree.

However, Jian Yi and Xu Jingchang had already planned their move; they weren't about to miss the opportunity.

"Your Majesty, I dare to offer a remonstrance. Merit must be rewarded, and faults must be punished. The Prince of Ning indeed rendered great service to Your Majesty. Your Majesty cannot bear to see the Prince wandering outside, unable to see his brother day or night. How about this: let the Prince of Ning remain in the capital, and Your Majesty can bestow a mansion upon him to reside in," Jian Yi said loudly.

Zhu Quan was dumbfounded. Who wanted to stay in the capital?

At this point, Xu Jingchang also smiled. "Your Majesty, the Prince of Ning's fiefdom can be retained, and his salary will remain as usual, but we will grant him the favor of residing in the capital. After all, the Prince of Ning is different from other princes; it is only reasonable that Your Majesty grants him special favor."

Zhu Quan was on the verge of cursing. What kind of "special favor" was this? They were lying through their teeth, and he refused to accept it!