Chapter 402: Requesting the Empress Dowager to Attend Court
"Throughout the centuries of our Great Jin Dynasty, except for occasional court closures due to severe illness of the emperor, never has any emperor been this late for morning court!"
"I heard that during lessons, the Emperor led eight study companions to boycott classes, nearly making Grand Tutor Xu ill with anger."
"Your subject also heard that yesterday the Emperor ordered a study companion to jump into water. It's winter - a young child jumping into water could cost a life."
"The Emperor is too willful, showing no benevolence befitting a ruler..."
Listening to the officials' impeachment below, the young emperor looked displeased: "I'm not even eight years old yet, still growing. What's wrong with sleeping longer in the morning?"
He stood up, "Grand Tutor Xu's lectures are too boring. Is it wrong that I don't want to listen to his lessons?"
"As for that Lin Dongdong, he was the one who claimed he could swim and insisted on showing me. It wasn't my order, and besides, no one died anyway."
The ministers shook their heads one after another.
"Alas, the Emperor is too unruly."
"Not attending lessons is one thing, but treating human life as worthless..."
"I fear the Great Jin Dynasty's foundation will be ruined..."
Chu Rui, standing at the head of the officials, curled his lips.
The more absurd and reckless the young emperor became, the more justification he would have to depose the child emperor later...
At this moment, Yun Ze stepped forward and addressed the officials: "While you all criticize the Emperor, shouldn't you consider why His Majesty has become like this? You should know that back at the Imperial Academy, the Emperor was the youngest but deeply favored by Master Wang. Master Wang even said that in another two or three years, the Emperor's literary talent would rival Meng Shen's. Why has such an outstanding child suddenly become unruly after ascending the throne?"
His words made everyone involuntarily ponder.
Indeed, many of them had children studying at the Imperial Academy and naturally knew that the young emperor's performance there hadn't been poor - he could truly be called outstanding.
Why had he become like this after becoming Emperor? Where had things gone wrong?
"That's because after ascending to the highest position, there's no one left who can discipline the Emperor," Yun Ze explained. "The Emperor is like a kite without a string, deviating from his original path. Grand Tutor Xu, as the Imperial Tutor, has failed to fulfill his responsibilities. Does Grand Tutor Xu have anything to say?"
During this period, Grand Tutor Xu had aged rapidly.
With his entire clan's lives held in Chu Rui's grasp, he could only pledge loyalty to Chu Rui.
Chu Rui ordered him to corrupt the young emperor.
Thus, he taught the emperor unorthodox subjects like the Eight Trigrams, Yin-Yang, and the Five Elements...
His conscience tormented him constantly.
On one side was the Great Jin Dynasty's foundation.
On the other were his clansmen's lives.
Whichever he chose would be wrong, leaving him tormented and aged ten years in just two months.
He wanted to resign, but he had no right to escape.
He could only raise his eyes and confront Yun Ze: "Then may I ask Minister Yun, what does fulfilling the Imperial Tutor's responsibilities mean? What should I do with this unruly young emperor to pull this kite back to its original course?"
"How amusing," Marquis Pingjin curled his lips. "Minister Yun isn't the Imperial Tutor - how would he know this? Shouldn't Grand Tutor Xu figure this out himself? Otherwise, why make you the Imperial Tutor!"
"Well said," Nie Zhou stepped forward. "If Grand Tutor Xu lacks this capability, perhaps he should yield his position to someone more competent."Chu Rui spoke calmly at this moment, "Then may I ask Lord Nie, among all the civil and military officials at court, who is more qualified than Grand Tutor Xu to serve as the Emperor's teacher?"
This question left everyone present speechless.
Grand Tutor Xu had been the previous emperor's teacher. When the previous emperor was still the Crown Prince, Xu served as Junior Tutor, and as the emperor ascended the throne, he was promoted to Grand Tutor, his status rising accordingly.
Indeed, no one more suitable than Grand Tutor Xu could be found throughout the entire court.
"There is one person," Minister of Justice Ji spoke up. "That would be Grand Tutor Xu's own teacher."
"Good heavens! Grand Tutor Xu is already sixty years old. His teacher must be at least seventy or eighty, if he's even still alive."
"Precisely. That's why Grand Tutor Xu is the only suitable candidate to be the Emperor's teacher."
"Grand Tutor Xu's teacher—could it be the venerable Master Ouyang?"
Grand Tutor Xu's fingers paused, a glimmer of light appearing on his ashen face.
He finally knew how to extricate himself.
He said, "My teacher is indeed the venerable Master Ouyang Ye. The old master is still alive, eighty-nine years old this year, living in a village twenty li outside Ningcheng... Given his advanced age, I'm afraid he may not be suitable to serve as the Emperor's teacher."
Chu Rui smiled. The only suitable candidate was nearly ninety years old, probably bedridden and nearing death. Heaven itself was helping him.
He said, "Regardless, we must try. If the venerable Master Ouyang is willing to enter the palace and instruct the Emperor, it would be a blessing for our Great Jin."
"Yes, yes, that's exactly right."
"But who should go to invite him?"
"I'll go," Yun Ze spoke up. "Master Ouyang is so advanced in years that it might be difficult to persuade him. I have another idea that everyone might consider."
Nie Zhou enthusiastically responded, "Please speak, Lord Yun."
"How about having the Empress Dowager govern from behind the screen?" As soon as Yun Ze said this, everyone present was shocked. He immediately raised his hand to calm them and continued, "The Emperor is young, Grand Tutor Xu cannot control him, and Master Ouyang may not be able to come. The only person in this world who can manage the Emperor is Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. Moreover, governance from behind the screen is not unheard of—there is precedent in the history of Great Jin. Once the Emperor is capable of ruling independently, the screen governance can end. What do you think?"
Chu Rui said, "The late emperor appointed five ministers to assist the state. There's no need to trouble Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."
"However," Yun Ze looked around at all the civil and military officials, "neither the five assisting ministers nor the Emperor's teacher have been able to manage the Emperor. The Emperor is not yet eight years old—precisely the age of mischief. If he is not properly disciplined and is left to his own devices, he may grow into a tyrant. Are we all to stand by and watch our Great Jin decline step by step?"
"I support governance from behind the screen!" an old minister stepped forward. "Let me tell a story. In my youth, I favored a concubine over my wife and divorced her. My eldest son, lacking discipline in his childhood, grew up unruly and constantly caused trouble... So, I brought back my former wife and had her discipline our son. Under her earnest guidance, my son finally came to his senses. Although he didn't become a Presented Scholar until his thirties, I am satisfied... The Emperor is young and needs a mother's guidance. Governance from behind the screen is currently the best option."
Marquis Pingjin declared loudly, "I second the motion!"
"I also second!"
"Let the Empress Dowager govern from behind the screen!"
The civil and military officials more or less understood the situation: currently, the Regent held power and controlled the entire court.At this moment, it was indeed necessary for the Empress Dowager to participate in state affairs to counterbalance the Regent's influence. Otherwise, the young Emperor would only be raised into incompetence, eventually deposed, leading to internal chaos...
The overwhelming majority in the court agreed to invite the Empress Dowager to govern from behind the screen.
The faint objections from Chu Rui's faction were drowned out. Though he could privately bribe, threaten, or eliminate those ministers, under the watchful eyes of the entire court, he had no alternative but to reluctantly consent, permitting the Empress Dowager to attend court sessions.
Moreover, the young Emperor decisively concluded with his decree: "By imperial command, the Empress Dowager shall govern from behind the screen!"
OpenNovel