Chapter 32: Is Factional Strife Necessarily a Bad Thing?

Fu Youwen, noticing that everyone’s gaze was fixed upon him, pondered for a moment before speaking in a measured tone.

"Your Highness, what I wish to ask is this: since you have established the Ministry of National Defense, should the military power held by the vassal kings also fall under its jurisdiction?"

A sharp intake of breath echoed through the Qianqing Palace.

The men present were old foxes who had navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades. Could they have failed to realize the inherent conflict between the Ministry of National Defense and the military authority of the vassal kings? No, they had sensed it long ago, but they had not dared to voice it. They had hoped to gloss over the matter for the time being, prioritizing the finalization of the Cabinet’s structure, never expecting Fu Youwen to be so blunt.

Zhu Yunxue was only fifteen years old. It was already astonishing that he could devise such a detailed reform plan for the Cabinet and the Ministry of National Defense; how could he possibly have considered every single facet?

Just as some were secretly blaming Fu Youwen for his lack of tact, Zhu Yunxue broke into a laugh.

"Ha! Master Fu has hit the nail on the head."

He swept his gaze across these stalwarts of the Hongwu era and continued slowly, "Indeed, since the full title of the Ministry is the 'Great Ming Ministry of National Defense and Garrison,' it stands to reason that all military forces within the borders of the Great Ming should be under the unified administration of this Ministry. Naturally, the forces held by the vassal kings are no exception..."

"Your Highness, you must not!"

Before Zhu Yunxue could finish, Zhan Hui, Liu Sanwu, Ren Taiheng, and others rose in a flurry of anxiety to voice their opposition.

Liu Sanwu, looking particularly distressed, exclaimed, "Your Highness, the Emperor has only just passed away, and the nation is not yet fully stable. You must not move to prune the power of the vassal kings now!"

"Indeed! Your Highness, the garrisoning of the borders by vassal kings is a national policy set by the late Emperor; it cannot be altered lightly!"

"We beseech Your Highness to think thrice and avoid provoking the vassal kings at this juncture."

...

A chorus of remonstrations ensued, each warning of the dire consequences, their faces etched with deep concern and urgency.

Zhu Yunxue did not know whether they were truly anxious for the stability of the Great Ming or merely fearful that a conflict with the vassal kings would impact their own interests. Regardless, he was pleased to see such a reaction. He did not immediately state his position, waiting nearly a quarter of an hour before raising his hand to silence them.

"Gentlemen, do not panic! I had not finished speaking."

The stalwarts of the Hongwu era were left red-faced, choked by their own haste.

Zhu Yunxue suppressed a smile and said, "I am well aware that the garrisoning of the borders by the vassal kings is a policy established by my Imperial Grandfather. Furthermore, I have great confidence in my uncles; with them guarding the frontiers, the Great Ming dynasty will surely endure for generations to come. Thus, I have never had any intention of pruning their power. I do not intend to do so now, and I shall not do so in the future..."

"However, I once heard a saying from the martial artists of the world: 'The best defense is a good offense.' I believe this holds true for national military strategy as well."

"I do have other plans, but they are not yet fully matured. Therefore, the matter of the vassal kings shall be set aside for now, to be revisited once I have given it further thought."

"Your Highness is sagacious."

Though the officials did not know what these other plans were, they hurried to offer their flattery. Of course, the more astute among them had sensed something from Zhu Yunxue's cryptic words, but they were far too clever to voice their suspicions in such a crowded hall.

"Very well, I trust there are no further questions regarding the Ministry of National Defense?" Zhu Yunxue scanned the room again.

Seeing that no one rose, and noting the newfound burning intensity in their eyes, he continued, "In that case, let us proceed to discuss the Cabinet."

"I have previously stated that the Cabinet will be composed of five Grand Secretaries from the Huagai Hall, Jinshen Hall, Wuying Hall, Wenyuan Pavilion, and the East Pavilion. Now, we must discuss how these five Grand Secretaries shall be chosen."

The breathing of the gathered officials grew ragged and heated. Ren Taiheng, Liu Sanwu, and other veterans were practically straining to stand up and declare their own candidacy. Among the dozen or so men present, their seniority made them the obvious and undisputed choices.

Zhu Yunxue watched their reactions with a smile. After a moment of feigned contemplation, he said, "First, I must declare to you all that from this day forward, I intend to transform the Great Ming into a political system defined by true freedom and democracy."

"Based on this principle of freedom and democracy, the five Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet should naturally be elected by you all, rather than decided by my decree alone. What do you think, gentlemen?"

The room was stunned. They were struck dumb, as if hit by a thunderbolt.

Freedom and democracy?

They did not understand the full meaning of Zhu Yunxue's terms, but they understood the immense advantage of the Cabinet members not being appointed by the Emperor’s whim alone. Officials like Qi Tai and Zhang Cun-dao, who previously had little chance of entering the Cabinet, looked at Zhu Yunxue with extreme fervor.

Election!

It meant that if they could rally enough support, they had a chance to surpass the old guard like Ren Taiheng and leap into the central government.

Zhu Yunxue took in every expression, suppressing the urge to laugh. This was exactly the result he wanted; otherwise, if the civil official group stood united, he would be the one in a difficult position.

Divide and conquer.

To split these dozen-plus men into various factions—this was his true objective. As for party strife? Zhu Yunxue had considered it, but his Cabinet system was not a copy of Zhu Di's; it was a reform modeled after Western constitutional monarchies and the Great Ming's own structure. No matter how the factions fought below, he, the Emperor, remained the final arbiter.

Furthermore, Zhu Yunxue intended to leverage their competition to yield positive results for the nation. They would have to demonstrate the effectiveness of their policies to keep their positions. He even planned to eventually introduce a form of universal suffrage, turning party competition into a virtuous cycle that benefited the state and the people, while effectively curbing the destructive infighting of the past.

"May I ask, Your Highness, how this 'election' is to be interpreted, and who will be doing the electing?"

The speaker was Song Shanshi, the eldest son of Song Lian. He was agitated because he had previously lacked the leverage to compete with Ren Taiheng, but if it were an election, he might be able to rely on the political legacy left by his father to fight for a seat. He was desperate to know the procedure and the electorate, so that he might begin rallying support using the influence he had inherited.