Chapter 2757: The Capital (Part 113)
"The Heavenly Book truly says so," Wang Yehao said, his brow furrowed.
"Indeed."
"That complicates matters." Wang Yehao's frown deepened. "Yuanqiao is a man who harbors grudges over the slightest offense. When Shouzhi blocked him and Zhou Yanru from entering the Grand Secretariat, a blood feud was forged. Although Shouzhi was eventually forced from office and sent home in disgrace, Yuanqiao refused to let the matter rest. Over the years, he has been quietly amassing evidence of Shouzhi's failings, waiting for the moment to deliver a killing blow. If, as you say, a great opportunity presents itself this year, how could he possibly let it slip through his fingers?"
"This student shares precisely that concern, which is why I came to seek Master's counsel."
"Inadvisable, utterly inadvisable." Wang Yehao shook his head emphatically. "Yuanqiao has occupied the Grand Secretariat for seven years and has thoroughly won the Emperor's favor. Everything goes smoothly for him; every endeavor succeeds. Who in the entire court does not depend on his goodwill? Though he styles himself 'Lone Destiny,' the truth is that his partisans have infiltrated every corner of the court and opposition alike. Even the ministers of the Grand Secretariat dare not defy his will. The court and opposition whisper that the Emperor has 'encountered plague'—a play on the name Wen. Even if we attempted to persuade him, he would never believe us, and we would only invite fire to burn ourselves."
"Master speaks wisely. Yet if the proposal to suppress the Kun succeeds..." Zhou Lezhi's face betrayed deep anxiety.
"Your concern is well-founded. However, you need not worry excessively." Wang Yehao paused thoughtfully. "Feiweng was summoned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity just days ago. He argued that to resist foreign aggression, one must first pacify internal threats—strongly advocating that the roving bandits be exterminated before turning attention to the Eastern Barbarians and the Kun. The Emperor was deeply persuaded. This suggests that regarding peace negotiations with the Kun, the Emperor has already reached a Holy Judgment in his heart."
"I fear that may prove unreliable." Though Zhou Lezhi had never served a day as an official, his understanding of the Emperor rivaled that of the veteran bureaucrat before him. "The Emperor has always been opinionated yet irresolute. Once word of peace negotiations leaks, court debate will inevitably erupt into chaos. Given the Emperor's temperament, he will turn his face and demand suppression once again."
"Guard your tongue!" Wang Yehao lowered his voice. "Though we speak in a darkened room, we must never show disrespect toward the Emperor."
Zhou Lezhi responded with a faint smile. "Of course."
"Nevertheless, your words carry weight." Wang Yehao had spent too many years in officialdom not to recognize the Emperor's nature. He pondered for a moment before continuing. "We must absolutely refrain from advising Yuanqiao. To do so would be to invite fire upon ourselves. This man's reputation, both within and beyond the court, is abysmal. We are not among his partisans, so there is no reason to embroil ourselves in such matters."
"If that is so, I fear this plan for peace may be..." Zhou Lezhi's expression grew troubled.
"No matter." Wang Yehao considered carefully. "Since the Emperor intends to appoint Feiweng to the Ministry of War, it demonstrates he still wishes to 'pacify the interior' first. Peace negotiations will certainly never materialize, but this suppression is likely nothing more than going through the motions."
He then spoke of Yang Sichang's recommendation that Xiong Wencan remain as Governor-General of Liangguang.
"...If the Emperor truly wished to mount a full suppression, there would be no reason whatsoever to let Xiong Wencan continue while wearing his guilt. As for Fu Zonglong, the Emperor has prepared only a governorship of Southern Gan for him. Consider the precedents set by campaigns against the Eastern Barbarians and the Roving Bandits—for an undertaking like suppressing the Kun, which spans multiple provinces, the Commander-in-Chief must be a Supervising Minister or a Prime Minister, someone capable of coordinating and commanding from the center. How could a mere Governor suffice?"
"So the Emperor is also merely going through the motions?"
"Precisely! After all, court debate rages fiercely, and the Emperor cannot simply ignore it. Especially since the Kun have already captured two provinces—though they may be remote borderlands, they have audaciously established Administration Commissioners there. Quite a few officials of Guangdong origin serve at court. Now that Guangdong has been lost for more than two years, the Imperial Court must offer some gesture to appease them." Wang Yehao concluded, "In my estimation, suppressing the Kun is an arrow nocked on the bowstring—but this arrow is carved from wood."
"If it truly proves so, that would be a great fortune indeed!" Zhou Lezhi breathed a sigh of relief.
Fighting a losing battle, sacrificing a few thousand troops, squandering more than a hundred thousand taels of silver to no purpose—it was regrettable, certainly, but at least it would not break bones or sever tendons.
"The only one in true danger is Xiong Xinkai!" Wang Yehao whispered. "Should this suppression of the Kun fail, he will be forced to shoulder the blame for the fall of Liangguang."
"What of Fu Zonglong?"
"He is the man Feiweng has prepared to use; he will inevitably emerge unscathed. If Feiweng succeeds in pacifying the roving bandits, and then moves to pacify the Kun as the next step, he will certainly employ him."
"Then this student is relieved."
"Indeed. At present, the Restoration Society wields considerable power, and many scholars of Guangdong origin belong to it. If we insist blindly on peace, we risk offending the Restoration Society beyond all repair. Do not forget that we also have arrangements in Guangdong. Should we truly antagonize them, those arrangements will become useless."
"Master speaks truly." Zhou Lezhi could not help but express his admiration.
"The only viable strategy now, as I see it, is to cultivate friendship with the Restoration Society. Though Tianru may be idle at home at present, his reputation grows daily among the court and opposition. If the Heavenly Book is correct, he will help restore Zhou Yanru to the premiership. The influence of this man and the Restoration Society should not be underestimated. Moreover, they are opposed to the Kun. If we can befriend them, they will prove invaluable allies to the great cause of opposing the Kun in times to come."
Zhou Lezhi could only offer his deep agreement. After all, he was unfamiliar with the machinations of court politics and relied entirely on Master Wang's guidance.
"In that case, regarding the matter of Zhang Hanru, Master might employ some small gestures to demonstrate goodwill toward Zhou Yanru." He offered the reminder.
"That goes without saying. Since the Heavenly Book declares that Yuanqiao has no chance of reversing his fortune, there is naturally no need for caution." Wang Yehao paused. "It is only that you mentioned Yizhai will not hold the premiership for long..."
"Whether Yizhai's tenure proves long or short depends on whether he can align with our intentions." Zhou Lezhi replied, "That is all the Heavenly Book reveals."
Wang Yehao nodded. "You must exercise great care during this period."
"Many thanks, Master."
"You ask my opinion?" Leng Ningyun laughed. "Naturally, I am in favor."
As he spoke, he sat in the secret room of Delong, conversing with Xu Ke, who had arrived in disguise.
Theoretically, there was no need for Xu Ke to come to the front lines personally, nor to meet with Leng Ningyun face to face. Yet he had decided to risk the journey to the Capital regardless. His purpose was twofold: to discuss the future operations of the Beijing Station with Leng Ningyun, and to assess the situation in the Capital firsthand.
"I thought you would continue to swallow your humiliation and bear the burden in order to use him." Xu Ke teased.
"I am not so cheap as that. I was even invited by the God of Wealth himself. Nearly lost my little life in the process..." Leng Ningyun smiled. "But then again, if he were still Yang Gonggong's beloved protege, I would genuinely have to reconsider. However, those two have gone from father and son to bitter enemies. Yang Tianliang's utility value has diminished considerably."
"My thoughts exactly." Xu Ke said. "This Little Eunuch Yang is not only insatiably greedy but recklessly bold. Keeping him will inevitably prove a liability."
"What do you intend to do?"
"I have evidence in hand proving he plotted to kill Yang Gonggong. I will bring it to Yang Gonggong... and Yang Gonggong will dispose of him personally!" Xu Ke declared.
Leng Ningyun shook his head. "Though Yang Tianliang has shown himself ruthless toward his adoptive father—and the two can be considered to have severed all bonds of kindness and loyalty—Yang Gonggong hesitates to act for fear of shattering the vase. Yang Tianliang is no ordinary eunuch now. This cannot be settled with a simple command to 'drag him out and beat him to death.' He holds an official position and has cultivated a channel to Wang Zhixin. How would Yang Gonggong dare touch him? Should he insist on making a move, Wang Zhixin would seize the opportunity to extort him, and he would have to bleed heavily to smooth matters over. He would never dare."
"So essentially, only we can do it."
"Correct. After all, Yang Gonggong still holds utility value for us." Leng Ningyun laughed. "Just yesterday, he returned the ten thousand taels of silver."
"Good heavens, these eunuchs truly have thick skin!"
"There is no shame in making money." Leng Ningyun laughed again. "Speaking of which, he remains our only channel into the palace, so we must continue to humor Yang Gonggong. For my part, eliminating Yang Tianliang is a welcome development. Otherwise, having to manage both father and son simultaneously—with mutual suspicion poisoning the relationship between them—would prove exceedingly difficult."
He took a sip of tea and continued. "Yang Tianliang is shrewd, capable, and extraordinarily greedy. He makes for a troublesome client. By comparison, Yang Gonggong is aging. Though he may be an old fox, he delights in flattering words. We can still extract considerable resources from him—and I do not speak merely of silver."
"You mean connections within the palace?"
"Precisely. Chongzhen is, in truth, like most Ming emperors—he trusts his domestic servants above all others. Especially the cohort of eunuchs he brought with him from the Prince of Xin's mansion. Though Yang Gonggong is not among his direct retainers, he has spent years ingratiating himself and now enjoys cordial relations with these powerful eunuchs. How else could he have brought me so many deposits?" Leng Ningyun continued, "That is merely one advantage. The benefits in intelligence go without saying—eunuchs receive news faster and more accurately. But I believe we have been neglecting another avenue of work regarding the Ming's senior officials."
"What would that be?"
"Influence."
"Lobbying?"
"Exactly." Leng Ningyun nodded vigorously. "Pay no attention to officials and eunuchs alike crying 'This subject deserves death' and 'Your Majesty is wise,' giving the appearance of 'Imperial Autocracy.' In reality, each has their own methods for shaping court affairs. The influence of eunuchs is actually no less than that of the Grand Secretariat. Take Wen Tiren, who is destined for misfortune this year. Had Qian Qianyi not written an inscription for Wang An back in the day, and had Cao Huachun not spared him on account of that slender thread of sentiment, Qian Qianyi would likely have lost his head—and Wen Tiren, the Senior Grand Secretary, might have held his position for several more years."
"What court affairs do you wish to influence through eunuchs?" Xu Ke asked with a laugh.
"Not necessarily through eunuchs alone," Leng Ningyun replied, growing animated. "There are cooperative prospects among the ministers as well. We can now begin cultivating agents."
"Agents? We are going to overthrow the Great Ming..."
"Overthrowing the Great Ming is a matter for the future." Leng Ningyun laughed. "Has the lesson of Liangguang taught us nothing? What does direct rule cost? If, and I mean if, the Imperial Court were willing to negotiate peace with us? Perhaps sign a trade agreement of some kind..."
"Another Five Ports Open to Trade?"
"Do you not think such a model would be more cost-effective economically? It would also suit the current financial situation of the Senate, which teeters on the brink of bankruptcy."
"Keep dreaming! Would Chongzhen ever agree?"
"Patience!" Xu Ke said. "After the Manchus entered the pass, various roving bandits largely became pillars of the Imperial Court. In the end, at the bitter end of the road, even the Empress Dowager of the Yongli Emperor considered seeking aid from the Portuguese. When circumstances grow desperate enough, any possibility exists. If we build a network of agents now, it will prove invaluable in the future."
Xu Ke reflected for a moment. "What you say makes considerable sense. But it will not be simple. After all, most of the upper class still harbor preconceptions about us—believing we possess nothing more than strong ships and sharp cannons, and a talent for commerce."