Chapter Seventy-Seven: Yu Qian Speaks Again of the Grand Empress Dowager

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Yu Qian Advises the Grand Empress Dowager

After the previous incident, Zhu Qizhen naturally kept his distance from the Grand Empress Dowager, treating her with utmost respect, doing his duty as a filial grandson. Yet the Grand Empress Dowager herself had been mulling things over and over.

An emperor cannot be deposed lightly. First of all, the Grand Empress Dowager could not harden her heart enough to do so. She was all too aware of the fate that awaited a deposed sovereign. In the past half year, Zhu Qizhen had stayed by her side and real affection had grown between them. Zhu Qizhen regarded her as his grandmother, and how could she not love this grandson in return?

Though she was certainly fond of the Prince of Xiang, above all she valued Emperor Xuanzong, her eldest son. If Zhu Qizhen had proved truly useless—unruly, incorrigible, incapable of shouldering great responsibility—then for the sake of the Ming dynasty she might have forced herself to act. But that was not the case now. The Grand Empress Dowager saw Zhu Qizhen’s talents for herself; though he had his flaws, they did not warrant dethronement.

Second, there was simply no suitable candidate. Zhu Qiyu was a secondary son; the Prince of Xiang was an uncle. Neither was appropriate, and to do so would only throw the realm into turmoil.

Third, she could not depose him even if she wished. Though she wielded the power of the realm, after all, her surname was Zhang, not Zhu, and this country belonged to the Zhu family. She had seen the attitudes of the Three Yangs back then and knew they would not support a deposition. Even Grand Prince Cheng, Zhu Yong, with his posture of keeping close to the imperial palace, was no true ally. If she tried to depose the emperor, a great storm would surely arise. Yu Qian, standing before her now, was a favored teacher of the emperor and also a valued disciple of Yang Shiqi. He claimed to speak for the emperor, but could it be said he had nothing to do with Yang Shiqi? The Grand Empress Dowager could hardly pretend Yang Shiqi did not exist. Thus, her political stance was quite at odds with theirs.

In history, even when the Orthodox Emperor proved inadequate, the Grand Empress Dowager never dethroned him. That in itself was telling; after all, she was still a woman. At this moment, she also reflected on whether her earlier attitude had been too harsh. Yet for an elder to yield to a junior was out of the question. Furthermore, Zhu Qizhen’s manner toward her had grown cool and distant.

The Grand Empress Dowager feared that anything she said now would be disregarded by the emperor as so much empty air, which is why she summoned Yu Qian.

“What counsel have you, Minister Yu?” Her tone was now more solemn.

Yu Qian replied, “Idle talk is no substitute for action.”

“Though His Majesty is intelligent, there is much in this world he does not yet understand. Now that he has his own ideas, it would be best to let him act on them.”

The Grand Empress Dowager asked, “Minister Yu, do you mean that the emperor should take the reins of government himself?”

Her voice had grown cold. Had Yu Qian answered yes, he might have been thrown out on the spot. It was not that she clung to power; rather, the emperor was still a child, only ten years old. Though he was perceptive for his age, to entrust the affairs of the realm to a mere boy was preposterous.

Yu Qian said, “Your servant would never dare suggest such a thing. This is the time for His Majesty to devote himself to learning; I would not have him neglect the fundamentals for the superficial. It is only that His Majesty is eager to try his hand at many things.”

“Perhaps Your Majesty might indulge him, let him take on some tasks. Anything he undertakes personally will teach him, and let him come to understand for himself the hardships of the world.”

“Now is the time, with Your Majesty as his support—should he err or any trouble arise, Your Majesty can always make things right. In the future, if he makes mistakes again, I fear that, even if loyal ministers offer frank advice, His Majesty may not heed words that are hard to swallow.”

“It does not matter what he attempts; what matters is that he learns, after making a mistake, how to set things right.”

Yu Qian’s words struck a deep chord in the Grand Empress Dowager’s heart.

To be able to recognize and correct one's mistakes is a rare virtue indeed.

Some may call these mere platitudes, but emperors have always been beyond the control of others. Many, after erring, refused to admit fault, covering one mistake with another, until the throne itself was lost. Emperor Yang of Sui was a prime example. After his failed campaigns against Goguryeo, if only he had admitted his errors and changed course, allowing the empire to recover, Sui might not have fallen. The Grand Empress Dowager was not afraid that Zhu Qizhen could not handle the affairs of state, but rather that he would stubbornly refuse to admit his mistakes and press blindly onward. Even Emperor Wu of Han eventually issued the Edict of Luntai in repentance.

If Zhu Qizhen could be taught what to do after making a mistake, the Grand Empress Dowager would gladly pay any price. As long as he could achieve this, she would be at ease.

But then the Grand Empress Dowager realized, “Is this not what the emperor has always wanted?”

She had long known he wished to do things himself. Appointing Yu Qian as Prefect of Shuntian was precisely to give him something to do.

Although the Prefect of Shuntian was unfortunately beset by many superiors, with the emperor’s backing, he still wielded considerable power.

The Grand Empress Dowager smiled faintly, saying, “Minister Yu, you have a clever tongue.”

Yu Qian quickly bowed. “Your Majesty overpraises me.”

She continued, “I understand your meaning. Whatever the emperor wishes to do in Shuntian, I will permit it all. However, Minister Yu, you are a man of rare talent, and the emperor intends to make you his chief minister one day. Do not disappoint his expectations.”

“Teach him what this world is truly like. Mere flattery is not the conduct of a true minister.”

Yu Qian bowed again. “I will do all in my power to guide His Majesty to become a wise and enlightened sovereign.”

The Grand Empress Dowager nodded. Part of her agreement was, indeed, for Yu Qian’s sake.

In her life, she had seen countless people; with many, a mere glance sufficed to gauge their character. Looking at Yu Qian, she saw the bearing of a true statesman, not a petty schemer. What the future would bring remained to be seen, but having such a man by the emperor’s side could only be beneficial.

She asked, “Was Yu Qian a chief examiner at this spring’s imperial examinations?”

Yu Qian responded, “Indeed, I was.”

A chief examiner was one of the officials who evaluated the candidates’ papers in the examination halls, recommending those worthy enough to be shortlisted for the chief examiner’s review.

The Grand Empress Dowager said, “After March, if the emperor wishes to leave the palace, I will permit it. But he must report to me in advance, and Jin Ying must attend him closely.”

“Only once a month, no more.”

“Not a word of this must leak out. If any news escapes, Yu Qian, you understand what that means.”

Gritting his teeth, Yu Qian replied, “Rest assured, Your Majesty. If any misfortune befalls His Majesty, I will answer for it with my life.”

Truth be told, Yu Qian did not wish for the emperor to leave the palace too often. Not because it made the emperor harder to guide, but because the emperor was so very young, and Yu Qian could not bear the responsibility if anything were to happen.

But since the Grand Empress Dowager had spoken, how could Yu Qian refuse?

She soon dismissed him.

Watching Yu Qian depart, the Grand Empress Dowager sighed softly. She stood at the edge of the pavilion, gazing at the calm surface of the water, beneath which koi swam to and fro.

She reflected, “The imperial court today is like this water—placid and unruffled, the world at peace. But who knows what undercurrents flow beneath? Who can say?”

“Those who know pretend not to; those who do not know act with reckless abandon.”

“Perhaps the Ming dynasty truly needs an emperor who can accomplish things.”

Her eyes were far from blind. In the Grand Secretariat, at the Five Military Commissions, even in Jiangnan, she had informants everywhere. Very little escaped her notice.

Yet, faced with deserters from the garrisons and fugitives from the counties, the vital household registers that Emperor Taizu had deemed the foundation of governance had become nothing but empty documents, utterly unreliable.

She was surely aware of these circumstances.

Yet some problems she did not know how to tackle; to pull on one strand would shake the whole web. And after all, she was not the emperor—her authority was limited. To have Yang Shiqi and the others reform the bureaucracy and reorganize the army was not a true remedy, but it was the only course she could think of.

For this reason, she so strongly opposed any drastic action against Zhu Qizhen. She had long seen the restless spirit in him. One day, when he held the reins of power, he would surely stir things up. Yet now, there was nothing more she could do.

She could only hope that Yu Qian might instill some steadiness in Zhu Qizhen, for to govern a great realm is like cooking a delicate fish—too much force will ruin it, too little will leave it raw.