That Winter (2)
Chilled to the marrow by that terrifying display of solidarity, the assembled civil and military officials dared not step forward.
Even as the eunuchs' power swelled past all reason and propriety, none could oppose it. The central axis of the Directorate of Ceremonial — stretching from Grand Director Zheng He to the realm's preeminent inner courtier, Jin Myeong — had earned merit enough to justify it. And because the Son of Heaven's heart had tilted toward the eunuch clan, the officials found themselves without sufficient grounds to restrain them.
The factions and interests of the Ming court were a labyrinth. One could go on forever about the finer branches, but in broad strokes they ran as follows.
First, the military establishment, represented by the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War. Though both belonged to the army, the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War were locked in a fierce turf war over their respective domains.
The Three Judicial Offices — the legal institutions of the realm — and the Jinyiwei, which was at once a judicial body, an intelligence organ, and an imperial guard, were likewise at odds, though the Three Judicial Offices were the weaker party.
Last came the Grand Secretariat, which, by the very nature of having to oversee all court affairs, was doomed to clash with every other faction. And now a formidable rival had risen among them: the Eastern Depot.
And right here stood the Grand Secretariat scholars who were performing the role of the Central Secretariat and the Chancellor — offices abolished in the wake of the treason plots of Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang, the founding chancellors of the dynasty.
In the plaza of Fengtian Hall, where tangled emotions churned in every direction, these two scholars alone kept their composure — though a trace of worry clouded their faces. The Jinyiwei alone had been trouble enough. And now an office had been born whose rank was low, but whose authority, measured honestly, was set to surpass even the Jinyiwei. Worse still, its master was a eunuch. What else could they feel but lament and dread?
"Mianren, the inner courtiers' power grows by the day."
"Indeed, Jiaozhong. His Majesty Taizu's dying injunction stands right over there, and yet..."
The middle-aged scholar who answered, glancing past Fengtian Hall toward the inner court, was Yang Rong. His office: Hanlin Academician and Grand Academician of the Wenyuan Chamber. Though his rank was a mere fifth grade, the Grand Secretariat served as the Emperor's advisory body, and so its power was immense. Each scholar was, in effect, a chancellor of old.
"The inner courtiers are a sinister breed. That is why His Majesty Taizu erected the Iron Tablet."
The scholar who answered him was Yang Shiqi — likewise a Hanlin Academician and Grand Academician of the Left Spring Chamber. He was six years older than Yang Rong, who was approaching fifty. In later years, the world would call these two, together with Yang Pu who currently sat in prison, the Three Yangs. In short, they were among the most illustrious ministers of the early Ming — the finest of grand councilors.
"At this rate, there is no law that says a Zhao Gao of Qin will not emerge among us."
Yang Rong replied with a look of frustration. Zhao Gao, the eunuch of Qin, had once gathered the ministers before the Emperor, pointed at a deer, and called it a horse. Those who fawned under Zhao Gao's power said it was a horse. Those officials of integrity and conscience said it was a deer. Those who, like Zhao Gao, called it a horse survived. Those who answered that it was a deer were all beheaded by Zhao Gao's hand.
"And there were the Ten Attendants of the Later Han as well. The Directorate of Ceremonial's solidarity is that tightly bound — surely their ringleader will become a Zhao Gao, and the Grand Directors the Ten Attendants."
Yang Shiqi nodded in agreement. Just as there was the precedent of the Ten Attendants who held a child emperor in their grip at the end of the Later Han, the falls of Qin, the Later Han, and Tang were all intimately bound to the tyranny of eunuchs. What's more, were not some of the current Grand Directors the very men who had betrayed their former lord, the Jianwen Emperor, and opened the palace gates to the Yongle Emperor? To the civil and military officials — the outer ministers — the inner courtiers, the eunuchs, were sinister and dangerous beings.
"The Crown Grandson is a brilliant young man, still in good health. If the ministers serve him well... but should some misfortune befall the imperial house...!"
Yang Rong let the words trail off, not daring to speak of calamity in the imperial family, but Yang Shiqi could not fail to understand. If some misfortune should befall the imperial house, and a child emperor should ascend the throne as Emperor Ling had at the end of the Later Han — who could guarantee that the nightmare of the Ten Attendants would not be repeated?
"The rise of the Ten Attendants could well become reality. Ah...!"
Truly, great ministers were great ministers. Yang Rong and Yang Shiqi were already, more than twenty years in advance, foreseeing the rise of Wang Zhen — the Ming Dynasty's first eunuch-emperor.
"The Great Ming Code and the Iron Tablet still stand. And yet His Majesty's heart keeps tilting toward the eunuchs. It worries me."
The Iron Tablet Yang Rong mentioned was the iron stele that Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, having learned the dangers of eunuchs from history, had erected at the main gate of the inner court. Upon that Iron Tablet, Zhu Yuanzhang had inscribed the following:
Eunuchs shall not interfere in state affairs.
Those who do shall be beheaded.
Erected by Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang at the main gate of the inner court.
When the Great Ming Code was promulgated, the number of eunuchs was not to exceed one hundred, and the highest eunuch rank was not to surpass the fourth grade — all constraints born of Zhu Yuanzhang's fears.
Yet the Jianwen Emperor, who had followed his grandfather's injunctions to the letter and kept the eunuchs in check, had tried to suppress his uncles — potential threats to imperial power — and in doing so had met a titan named the Yongle Emperor. He had fallen, betrayed by the very eunuchs he had oppressed.
The Yongle Emperor who succeeded him ignored his father's dying injunctions and the Great Ming Code, and began to employ eunuchs in earnest. The power and reliability of inner-circle politics had been vividly demonstrated in the cases of the eunuch Zheng He and the monk Daoyan.
And so, at last, an office of the eunuchs, by the eunuchs, and for the eunuchs had been born.
"The heart of the inner courtiers is Zheng He. For now, let us watch him and that young inner courtier. If those two set out to ruin the nation, that will be the time to act, will it not?"
"Indeed, Jiaozhong. We should watch for now — but would it not be wise to prepare our methods in advance?"
"Let us do so, Mianren. We shall discuss this separately."
Jiaozhong Yang Shiqi and Mianren Yang Rong looked back and forth between Zheng He and Jin Myeong with expressions of lament. Both were ministers of backbone. They would surely make their move.
That afternoon, the Directorate of Ceremonial.
The Eastern Depot's official yamen was to be used after the capital relocation; for now, they conducted business from the Directorate of Ceremonial. Since every eunuch of the Directorate belonged to the Eastern Depot anyway, moving or not made little difference.
"Bingbi."
Zheng He, seated in the place of honor, called for Yi Gwak, Chief of the Inspection Bureau and Bingbi Grand Eunuch.
"Yes, Superintendent of the Eastern Depot."
"His Majesty has commanded the pursuit of Suchengye. Finish assembling the Inspection Bureau at once."
"As it happens, I have nearly completed the selection together with Director Yun and Commander Jang."
"I see. Commander Jang."
"Yes! Superintendent of the Eastern Depot."
Jin Myeong answered.
"How goes the formation of the Inspection Bureau?"
"Before that, this humble servant believes that with the current number of inner courtiers, this Depot will find it difficult to perform its role properly."
"Hmm."
The eunuchs bobbed their heads in agreement with Jin Myeong's words. The thousand martial eunuchs had been reduced to fewer than nine hundred through the bloodbath at Mount Baohua. The losses were far smaller than the Jinyiwei's, but as a proportion they were significant. It meant, fundamentally, that there were simply too few eunuchs trained in martial arts.
"Therefore, might we not first draw from the Jinyiwei to make up the numbers?"
"Draw from the Jinyiwei?"
"We are desperately short of squad leaders to manage field informants, and of station masters to manage those squad leaders. The only ones who have any rapport with the eunuch clan are the Jinyiwei."
The problem was that many of the martial eunuchs also served as personal attendants, so there were far too few Depot Guards who could operate in the field. The attendant eunuchs could hardly all leave the imperial palace, after all.
"The Commander's words are correct. With our current numbers of inner courtiers, it will be difficult to oversee intelligence."
Yun Bong, Director of the Eastern Depot and Left Vice Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, came forward in agreement. Yun Bong had been in close contact with Jin Myeong regarding the Eastern Depot's organizational structure and the Inspection Bureau's formation. Originally, only the idea of establishing the Inspection Bureau had been Yun Bong's. Most of the organizational design had come from Jin Myeong's mind, so Yun Bong's agreement was only natural.
"If we must choose people, the Jinyiwei is the better option, as Commander Jang proposes."
"Both the Commander and the Director are right, Superintendent. We can hardly go around inspecting the Five Military Commissions and the Imperial Guard. At least with the Jinyiwei we have some acquaintance from coming and going. Besides, the work this Depot has planned is an extension of what they were already doing."
Yi Gwak, who had been entrusted with the Inspection Bureau's heavy responsibility, offered his opinion more actively than usual. It was a duty the Emperor himself had assigned during the meritorious awards, and the Eastern Depot's first major charge. At present, the Inspection Bureau was the Eastern Depot, and the Eastern Depot was the eunuch clan.
"Very well. Commander Jang, continue."
"The Jinyiwei will feel a certain dissonance at having to obey eunuchs from the start."
"That they will. The Jinyiwei are proper military officers, after all."
"So we mix inner courtiers and Jinyiwei in the mid-level cadre posts of Director, Commander, and Orderly rank and below."
"We won't be handing over Northern Pacification Director of the fourth rank or above, so it would be Thousand-Household Officers and below."
"That is so, Superintendent."
"Good. Let us do that. You've already made a rough selection, I take it? Start with the Inspection Bureau. The Inspection Bureau is urgent."
"Of course. For Inspection Bureau Commander: Thousand-Household Officer Gongsun Dajing. For Orderly: Centurion Jeong Myeong-su. For Station Master: Platoon Commander Jiang Wenchen..."
Jin Myeong recited the Jinyiwei personnel he had selected in advance. As he had long intended, he named Gongsun Dajing first, and also included Jiang Wenchen, who had formed a connection with Jeong Go when the Hainan Sect attended the Yingtian banquet. Centurion Jeong Myeong-su was Gongsun Dajing's close aide, recommended by Gongsun Dajing himself.
"As for the inner courtiers: Orderlies, Attendants Deok Heum and Gang Su. Station Masters, Directorate Officials Wang Zhen, Zhao Gou, and Yang Gwang..."
Jin Myeong continued listing the names of the eunuchs assigned to the Inspection Bureau. The trio of Wang Zhen, Zhao Gou, and Yang Gwang, who had never expected their names to come up, were listening in a daze — then jolted as if struck by lightning.
Hiccup.
Among them, Zhao Gou and Yang Gwang, who had been dozing, were so startled they got the hiccups. When they came to their senses, every Grand Director was looking their way.
"Zhao Gou. Yang Gwang."
"Yes! Commander!"
When Jin Myeong called, the two answered with their spirits fully gathered.
"Are you sleeping? Right now?"
"N-no, sir! Commander!"
Zhao Gou and Yang Gwang were only sixteen. Was that not the age when one slept the most? What's more, it was the dead of winter. Outside the hall it was freezing; inside it was warm. No wonder their languid bodies had summoned sleep.
"The Grand Directors are discussing a matter of grave importance to the clan, and you feel sleepy?"
Jin Myeong was privately amused, but he wore a grave expression as he pressed them. This old public servant intends to work you two to the marrow. To do that, I have to hammer you into shape starting now, don't I?
That said, he hadn't picked them for that reason alone. Among the eighth-rank Directorate Officials, Wang Zhen's gang was the most outstanding — both in terms of faction and in terms of ability. Excluding Wang Zhen's gang would mean losing the rank and file. Of course, he could teach and take hold of the rank and file himself, but that would be far too bothersome. Catch Wang Zhen and you catch everyone below Directorate Official. Why take the hard road when an easy one was right there?
"Forgive us! Commander!"
"The Grand Directors are watching, so I'll leave it at this — but pull yourselves together."
"Yes! Commander!"
"Hohoho! When it comes to putting the fear of God into us eunuchs, Commander Jang is second to none, isn't he?"
Wang Guitong, Left Interrogator of the Eastern Depot and Chief Scribe Eunuch — second in the eunuch hierarchy — let out a dry laugh at the sight of Zhao Gou and Yang Gwang, now fully alert.
"Commander Jang. Deok Heum and Gang Su are attendant eunuchs to Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Crown Grandson. Will that be all right?"
"Should this Depot not take hold of both the Inner Court and the Eastern Palace?"
"Ah! Ahh! That's it! Indeed! Commander Jang is not a man to do things by halves, no indeed!"
Wang Guitong slapped his knee, belatedly grasping the meaning in Jin Myeong's words. The other Grand Directors were the same.
Only by using the Inspection Bureau's work, which the Emperor himself had commanded, could they periodically pull those attendants out. And they would need to see each other regularly to maintain the bonds they shared. Given the nature of attendant eunuchs, who spent all twelve watches of the day with their masters, distance would inevitably grow if they did not meet often with this side. In severe cases, there were even those who became more loyal to their masters than to the Directorate of Ceremonial.
What's more, the Empress was the supreme head of the palace's nine thousand ladies-in-waiting. The Crown Grandson was the measuring stick and the counterweight by which the flow of power could be gauged. In other words, intelligence on the nine thousand palace women gathered in the Inner Court, and around the Crown Grandson flowed all the great and small ministers who chased power. For the Eastern Depot, these were places that had to be seized two and three times over. And besides, even as Depot Guards of the Inspection Bureau, there was no plan to keep sending them out into the field forever.
"O-hong-hong-hong!"
"As expected!"
The Grand Directors nodded again and again, looking thoroughly satisfied.
"But, Commander Jang."
"Yes, Left Interrogator."
"How do you intend to track Suchengye? Last time, during the Hainan affair, we attached the Jinyiwei — and they lost them."
He meant Yi Yugyeong and Nam Woo-jeong. The Jinyiwei had been assigned to locate the base of those two, who had been defeated by Wudang Palm King Hyundo's Ten-Step Brocade and forced to retreat — and they had lost them.
"The Jinyiwei are plenty skilled at skewering people with iron rods, but tracking? Not so much."
The pursuit of Suchengye needed no further explanation of its importance. And yet, with the Jinyiwei having already failed, there was no master of tracking arts they could trust. The eunuchs knew the geography of the palace and the capital well enough, but once they left the capital they were, in truth, no better than children who knew nothing of the world. It was a genuine predicament.
Rise and fall were originally a hair's breadth apart. Today the Eastern Depot had been launched bearing the Son of Heaven's expectations — but if it failed to meet them, it would plunge straight into the abyss. The pursuit of Suchengye was the problem immediately at hand, a problem that had to be solved. And yet there had been no clear solution.
"Therefore, I intend to bring in personnel from outside both the clan and the Jinyiwei."
"Ehh...?"
"From outside the Jinyiwei? Whom?"
"I have found a man of exceptional tracking skill."
Jin Myeong glanced over the puzzled Grand Directors, then looked toward Jeong Go, who stood by the entrance.
"Attendant Jeong, tell him to come in."
"Yes! Commander!"
Creeeak. Whoooosh! When Jeong Go opened the door, the wooden frame groaned and a gust of icy wind swept in.
"Aww, shit—my snot! Fuck! I'm freezing my ass off out here, how long were you gonna leave a guy—!"
Crash-bang-tumble! The middle-aged soldier who had been leaning against the door, soaking up the warmth, went sprawling the moment it suddenly opened.
"Fuck!"
The middle-aged soldier bounced back to his feet and rubbed his stinging backside.
"Don't yank the door open like that! Ahaha...!"
Then, having let a curse slip without thinking, he scratched the back of his head at the sight that met his eyes — a grotesque scene, as if pale white faces were floating in midair.
Sniffle! From Zheng He and the Grand Directors' perspective, a middle-aged soldier with a face so weathered you could tell at a glance he'd had a hard life was sniffling and smiling awkwardly.
"Come in, Scout Leader Jong."
Jin Myeong greeted Jong Deok with a smiling face.
"Scout Leader?"
"Yes! Superintendent. That man is the finest scout in the Central Military Commission."