lcionline Chapter 489 Political Alliance
Chapter 489 Political Alliance
When Lin San and his party returned to Nanjing, it was already July of the ninth year of Chongzhen's reign. Less than two months later, Liu Ye received the second imperial edict in the military camp.
Having learned from the previous lesson of "granting a son the hereditary title of centurion in the Embroidered Uniform Guard," the entire Qionghai Army had little expectation for the second imperial edict, and their acceptance of it was somewhat perfunctory. From Liu Ye to Yan Guang and the others, no one expected any surprises. When they heard, "...Liu Ye, the General-in-Chief of Pingnan, Right Commander-in-Chief, and Dragon-Tiger General, has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the bandits, and is hereby granted the title of Earl of Pingnan, commanding the troops of Guangdong and Guangxi, and this is hereby proclaimed to the world..." they could hardly believe their ears.
Yan Guang, usually so composed, was now extremely excited. He forgot the procedure of receiving the imperial edict after it was read aloud and said in a trembling voice, "Congratulations, General! Since the Holy Emperor ascended the throne, no military general has been granted a title. From this day forward, you are the number one military general in this dynasty!"
Liu Ye was still a little confused. What was Chongzhen up to? After such a great victory, there was no decent reward. Why did he suddenly change his mind?
The eunuch who delivered the decree was not angry. He smiled and closed the imperial edict, reminding the recipient, "Congratulations, Earl of Pingnan. Please receive the decree."
After being called several times, Liu Ye finally realized that he was the Earl of Pingnan, and quickly accepted the imperial edict. Being adept at interpersonal relationships, he naturally did not forget etiquette and instructed his attendants, "Present a thank-you gift to this eunuch."
The eunuch declined a few times, but eventually accepted the thick wad of silver. Then he said softly, "Lord Pingnan, a high-ranking official in the court asked me to pass on a message to you. May I speak to you privately?"
Liu Ye was somewhat surprised. Anyone who could get palace eunuchs to relay messages privately must have considerable power and status; if they were to bring someone along, it would likely be someone shady. He asked, "What is your name, sir? What is your position in the palace?"
The eunuch replied casually, "My name is Fang Zhenghua. I'm just an idle man, working as a court eunuch in the Directorate of Ceremonial."
The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was the highest-ranking institution for eunuchs. During the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, its power grew increasingly significant, rivaling that of the outer court and the inner cabinet. The Grand Secretary (秉笔鈥) could sign official documents on behalf of the emperor, while the Grand Eunuch (掌印鈥), known as the Inner Minister (内相), held the final decision-making power over these documents, rivaling even the Grand Secretary in their respective strengths. Although the Attendant Eunuchs (随堂鈥) held a slightly lower position, who could guarantee they wouldn't one day rise to the position of Grand Secretary?
Liu Ye quickly dismissed everyone and said warmly, "So it's Eunuch Fang from the Directorate of Ceremonial. How could I possibly dare to trouble you to come and deliver my decree?"
Fang Zhenghua had a smile on his face the whole time, looking harmless. He said with a smile, "Lord Pingnan, there's no need to be so modest. This mission to deliver the imperial decree was arranged by Eunuch Cao Huachun. He instructed me to come and find out the details of the Qionghai Army. However, the message I'm carrying is for the Grand Secretary. It can only be given orally, not written down. So, I wonder if Lord Pingnan understands?"
This sounds a bit strange. The task was arranged by Cao Huachun. The so-called "getting to know the details" implies ill intentions. Logically, it should have been done secretly, but Liu Ye was informed of it so easily, which is illogical. However, the second half of the sentence makes it clear.
Liu Ye understood immediately and tentatively asked, "Is Eunuch Fang actually here on behalf of the Grand Secretary?"
Fang Zhenghua's smile deepened: "No wonder he was made an earl at such a young age; he is indeed an outstanding person among men."
Liu Ye understood: Wen Tiren and this eunuch Fang from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs had become acquainted; the two were in cahoots. Although the Ming Dynasty strictly prohibited eunuchs from associating with officials of the outer court, and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs and the Grand Secretariat were naturally antagonistic, on the surface, it seemed impossible for a Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat and a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs to be on the same page. However, in officialdom, anything is possible. Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao during the Wanli era were the most typical examples. When Zhang Juzheng was still the Second Grand Secretary, he coveted the position of Grand Secretary Gao Gong, while Gao Gong and the Grand Secretary Feng Bao were bitter enemies. Neither Zhang nor Feng could defeat Gao Gong individually, so they naturally joined forces. After defeating Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, under Feng Bao's protection, wielded immense power.
Although Fang Zhenghua did not provide a specific explanation of his relationship with Wen Tiren, Liu Ye could basically imagine it: he was simply a weaker version of Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao.
To secure his position as Grand Secretary, Wen Tiren needed to understand the Emperor's intentions and follow Chongzhen's lead, thus gaining the Emperor's favor. Since the Emperor resided deep within the palace, the best way to monitor his every move was through the eunuchs he interacted with daily. Fang Zhenghua, as a court eunuch, was a rising star, naturally unwilling to spend his life running errands for the Grand Eunuch. He undoubtedly wanted to climb to the position of Grand Secretary, and the Grand Secretary's covert support would make things much easier. With mutual interest, they quickly formed a secret political alliance. As for why he outwardly obeyed but inwardly defied Cao Huachun, his superior in the Directorate of Ceremonial, the reason was simple: to climb the ladder, he had to oust Cao Huachun—who wouldn't covet the position of Grand Secretary and concurrently Director of the Eastern Depot?
Fang Zhenghua coughed twice and said, "The Grand Secretary asked me to tell the Earl of Pingnan that the cabinet had originally proposed this title, but His Majesty rejected it. Later, because of a secret report from Wang Lin, the Minister of War in Nanjing, they changed their minds..." He told Liu Ye the whole story.
Liu Ye suddenly realized the secret of the strategy of first suppressing and then elevating the opponent. He couldn't help but sigh, "Three kind words are not as effective as a single blow. We won a great victory, even capturing Gao Yingxiang and sending him to the capital, but in the end, it would have been better to have fought a battle in Nanjing." Wang Lin's secret report was very insightful in its analysis of him. It was precisely because of this that Chongzhen felt threatened by the Qionghai Army and tried to win him over with fame and fortune.
He slapped his forehead, somewhat annoyed. He should have done this long ago; the current Guan Ning Army and future figures like Zuo Liangyu were perfect examples. Only by possessing military power and supporting bandits could one obtain what one wanted. If one allowed the court to summon and dismiss them at will, one would become the next Yuan Chonghuan, whose life could be ended with a single word from the emperor.
Fang Zhenghua concluded, "Besides these words, the Grand Secretary also asked me to tell the Earl of Pingnan that he admires you greatly and considers you a pillar of the Ming Dynasty. He also has a close relationship with Lin Tianming, the Governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou."
The intention behind these words to curry favor and win over the enemy couldn't be clearer. It seems that this Chief Minister Wen not only has a plan in the palace, but also wants to build his own network in the military.
Liu Ye thought for a moment. Putting aside Wen Tiren's character and governing ability, he had miraculously remained in power for eight years during the Chongzhen era, a time when prime ministers changed hands frequently. Moreover, he was highly skilled in manipulating power and understanding the emperor's intentions. He might not be a qualified prime minister, but he was certainly a qualified political ally.
Thinking of this, he smiled and replied, "I am deeply flattered by the Grand Secretary's praise. I must seek his advice on how to be an official when I have the opportunity." This was considered as accepting Wen Tiren's offer and giving a clear response.