Zhu Mo was quite pleased with the old Daoist’s words and nodded repeatedly. He continued:
“Daoist, you and I see eye to eye. Heh heh, let’s then talk about the Way of the Former Kings that scholars and literati love to discuss…
Well, let’s put it this way. The Way of the Former Kings was to align with Heaven through virtue, but most people misunderstand their roles: this alignment with Heaven refers to the Son of Heaven, not their chancellors and officials. What virtue or capability do they possess to align with Heaven? It’s clear that they’ve misunderstood the very first step. Yet, it’s laughable, if you were to ask any official or scholar right now, they would certainly believe themselves to be the ones aligned with Heaven…
I too have read a little. I recall the *Book of Documents* mentioning Yao entrusting the four Yue, who were the earliest officials. But that was about their duties, not about making those four individuals superior to all the people? That’s quite strange, isn’t it? … Ah, never mind that for now, let’s get back to the point.
The reason the Son of Heaven can align with Heaven through virtue is because he maintains the livelihoods of the common people, allowing them to live and work in peace, to recuperate and rest… In a word, the Emperor’s foundation lies with the people, not with his officials. Once you grasp this point, you’ll understand why chancellors and officials are unreliable.
Take the Grand Ancestor, for instance. From a commoner of Huaidong, he became the Son of Heaven overnight. Day and night, he diligently attended to state affairs. Big or small matters, all were considered for the sake of the people. If the people were hungry, cold, or bullied, his heart ached… Every measure he took was to prevent future generations of people from suffering.
Initially, he also had chancellors. But later he realized that the chancellors were not of one mind with the people. Li Shanchang, Wang Guangyang, Yang Xian, Hu Weiyong – all of them were like this. And the Grand Ancestor knew deeply: if he allowed them to collude with the officials, form cliques, and use public power for private gain, the Emperor and the people would become estranged, the foundation would be severed. Once the Emperor’s foundation was severed, he would have no control over the officials. Throughout history, every emperor has wanted to be the father of all people. But tragically: in the eyes of the people, such an emperor is precisely the ringleader of all corrupt officials, not the father of all people! He is clearly the father of the officials!
The Grand Ancestor later understood. Since all officials served themselves, the chancellor naturally acted as the head of all officials. To strike down the officials, one had to start with the chancellor. Shoot the horse first, then the rider. So, with a few swift moves, no matter how esteemed you were as the premier minister for five hundred years, you would only return to the Yellow Springs…
You must understand, the Grand Ancestor came from the most impoverished commoner background. His flesh-and-blood connection with the people could never be severed. He didn’t want to be the father of officials… Besides, could one be such a father? That would be like sitting in the Hall of Supreme Harmony carrying a colossal burden every day! Such an emperor would surely meet the most tragic end, and his name would be infamous for millennia!
Therefore, he resolved to ensure that all officials must be of one mind with the people, or face severe punishment. Under strict laws and heavy penalties, there finally came the longest era of peace in the history of China… That is why I say the Grand Ancestor was the closest to an ideal sage ruler.
However, even he only succeeded halfway. After his death, his grandson was manipulated, and by the Hongzhi reign, the Grand Secretary had once again become a de facto chancellor. Factionalism re-emerged, and officials sang praises of sagacity in unison… Alas, these matters… I really don’t know where to begin. It’s simply a matter of the cycle of governance and chaos, wouldn’t you say…”
This discourse was delivered in a calm tone, like a gentle stream, but within Jiajing’s heart, a sudden, inexplicable shock, even a hint of panic, arose—
Father of all people,
Or father of officials…?
Sitting in the Hall of Supreme Harmony carrying a colossal burden?
Why were these words like knives? What am I? Whose father am I? If I have been the father of officials for forty years, then…
He suddenly dared not to think further… He was even a little afraid of Zhu Mo continuing. He vaguely sensed that what the young man was about to say would likely only tear his heart further…
At the same time, a thought subtly lingered in his mind—
Have I been wrong for all these forty years…?
…
As for Lü Fang, he felt as if he understood, yet remained somewhat confused—
The chancellor is the head of all officials; this has been the way since ancient times, and no one has ever said it was wrong. When the ruler is wise and the ministers are capable, that is good governance… Why do you say all chancellors are bad? Could it be that the Grand Ancestor truly thought this way?
After much thought, he glanced at Jiajing several times, but Jiajing never responded, remaining seated motionlessly like a mud bodhisattva. After trying to hold back a few times, he could no longer resist and asked:
“Young Master Zhu, what you say seems to have some logic. I, a subordinate, don’t quite understand. Even if what you say is reasonable! However, there is one point I don’t quite agree with: you keep saying that chancellors are leaders of bandits. This, I fear, is not very convincing… They must listen to the Emperor’s words, surely? I, this old servant, am just speaking casually. Young Master Zhu needn’t take it too seriously.”
Mm, mm,
Jiajing nodded—
The good thing about Lü Fang is that he always knows where to draw the line…
He nodded to Lü Fang, then casually glanced at Zhu Mo, appearing as if he completely disregarded Zhu Mo’s words, but in his heart, he was even more unsettled than Lü Fang.
Zhu Mo, however, took a sip of tea, gazed leisurely at the sky for a moment, and then continued:
“Heh heh, have you ever thought about it? When a person starts from studying and passing the imperial examinations, step by step becoming a chancellor, according to ancient sayings, this is the pinnacle of ministerial service. According to the Great Ming, the path of cultivation, order, and peace has reached its end… So, at this point, what does he desire most, fear most, value most, and disregard most?”
This question seemed to spark something in Lü Fang, yet he couldn’t quite articulate it. He had personally witnessed Grand Secretaries like Yang Tinghe, Zhang Cong, Mao Ji, Fei Hong, Yang Yiqing, Xia Yan, and Yan Song…
These men had their good and bad qualities, but overall, they were not very good, quite out of line. Some were merely putting on a show, some occupied their positions without doing anything, some were busybodies, some were duplicitous, some feigned wisdom… But to call them leaders of bandits would be an exaggeration. Perhaps Yang Tinghe could be considered one, and Yan Song half.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Zhu Mo again, feeling how sharp this child was. With a few strokes, it was as if he had peeled away the bones. He wondered what Zhu Mo truly intended…
Both men harbored their own thoughts, waiting for Zhu Mo to reveal the truth, yet their faces showed no emotion. The small courtyard remained serene.
Zhu Mo leisurely said:
“When a person climbs to the position of chancellor, what he fears most is ruin and infamy… What he desires most, what he values most, is the support of the officials. What he disregards most is – the people.
Why? Because he is the head of officials. His foundation lies with the officials, not with the people. If the officials consider him a wise minister, then all scholars will echo their sentiments, and he will be immortal. His descendants will be noble families, enjoying wealth and glory, just like Li Dongyang of the Hongzhi reign, wasn’t he? If the officials belittle him, he becomes the running dog of a tyrannical or foolish ruler, a villain who disrupts the realm, and all scholars will join in condemnation. His descendants will be unable to hold their heads high, or even enter officialdom, just like Yao Guangxiao, wasn’t he?
As for what the people say, he cares not at all, because the words of the scholars are what matter, they can be written in books and passed down for millennia. But the discussions in the fields, they do not travel more than ten miles and cannot last three generations, so they can naturally be ignored…
Imagine, if you were someone like the Grand Ancestor, a commoner through and through, facing such a chancellor, how would you feel? Would you not feel that your life’s hard work was merely to make wedding clothes for them? With the support of all people, you align with Heaven and become the ruler, the father; but in just a few decades, you become the ‘father of officials,’ the ringleader of all corrupt officials in the realm! Isn’t this the most heart-piercing irony?
After collecting a hundred flowers to make honey, for whom is the hard work and for whom is the sweetness…? Every time I think of this, I feel sorrow for the Grand Ancestor and the sagacious rulers of past dynasties…”
Zhu Mo gazed leisurely at the sky above the courtyard. In this quiet place, the events of a thousand years seemed to vanish like clouds, leaving behind infinite regret…
Then,
He seemed to mutter to himself:
“This uncle says that officials and chancellors are not thieves, and that is certainly true! What are thieves compared to them? The most formidable thieves can only cause chaos for a time, but they can endure for centuries, becoming esteemed families. Yuan An, resting in the snow, was merely a poor scholar, yet generations later his descendants held the highest positions; Kuang Heng, drilling a hole in the wall to steal light, occupied forty thousand mu of land in his later years… Even today, if you visit any village, any wealthy household, who does not venerate an ancestor who served as an official? In the eyes of the people, heaven and earth are secondary; officials are paramount!
Therefore, the sage ruler I envision should be one who completely dismantles the official families, returning them to their role as commoners. Official service should become ordinary duty, and then establish a lineage for a hundred generations, a law for ten thousand years, so that even after he has ascended to the heavens, the people will no longer suffer the torment of repeated cycles of chaos…”