035 Qing Returns in Submission

For today’s morning court session, the Hongguang Emperor arrived quite early. No sooner had the civil and military officials entered the hall than a eunuch called out in a shrill voice, "The Emperor ascends the throne; kneel!"

Over a hundred men collapsed to the floor in a flurry, chanting in unison, "Long live, long live, long live our Emperor!"

Wang Lanping looked around and noticed that the Grand Secretary, Ma Shiying, was merely bowing with his hands cupped. He was the only one in the entire court to do so—an honor of no small measure. One had to consider that in the entire Ming Dynasty, only Zhang Juzheng had dared to act so brazenly before the Wanli Emperor, and look what happened to him: his home was confiscated and his clan executed.

"Rise," Zhu Yousong said, his face glowing, perhaps due to the attentive service of the woman who had attended him the night before.

"We thank Your Majesty."

As the officials stood, a eunuch immediately brought a chair and placed it before Grand Secretary Ma. Ma Shiying seemed entirely unfazed by this, seating himself quite comfortably before the Emperor and the full assembly of officials. Wang Lanping leaned slightly and whispered to a nearby official, "Does the Grand Secretary sit like this every time he attends court?"

The man nodded. "The Grand Secretary holds the highest rank among ministers and has rendered distinguished service. Moreover, he is advanced in years, so the Emperor has specially granted him the privilege to sit while discussing state affairs."

Wang Lanping glanced sideways at Ma Shiying. He looked to be only about fifty, with a ruddy, oily complexion and hardly a grey hair on his head. He didn't look "advanced in years" at all, especially since there were plenty of officials in the hall with hair as white as snow. This old fellow really had the nerve to sit there with such a thick face.

"Didn't he stand during the last court session?" Wang Lanping whispered, then glanced at the Emperor, who was gesturing for Han Zanzhou, the Director of Ceremonial, to step forward.

"That was an emergency court session regarding military intelligence, called by the Emperor on short notice. Today is the formal morning assembly," the official replied, answering every question. Dingnan Marquis Wang Lanping was currently a man of the hour, his popularity rivaling that of the Grand Secretary himself; the official dared not withhold any information.

Wang Lanping murmured an acknowledgement and nodded.

"The Emperor has an edict; the policy debate begins," Han Zanzhou announced.

Ma Shiying stood up, intending to speak, but Han Zanzhou called out again, "Grand Secretary, before today’s deliberation, the Emperor has an edict to issue."

Ma Shiying paused, stunned. An edict? It seemed the Emperor was increasingly acting like a real sovereign. Last time, he had pulled a surprise move by appointing Wang Lanping as the supreme military commander of Nanjing. Had it not been for the fact that the move served his own interests, Ma would have rejected it outright. And now, another edict?

Ma Shiying glared coldly at Han Zanzhou, implying, *Why wasn't I informed in advance? Are you trying to rebel?* Han Zanzhou did not dare to meet his gaze and turned his head away. Wang Lanping took it all in: although the Emperor had promoted him, the court was still firmly in Ma Shiying’s grasp, and he himself had no real voice yet.

Just as Wang Lanping was considering whether to help Zhu Yousong regain some face, he heard the Emperor call out, "Wang Lanping, come here, to my side."

Unsure of the intent, Wang Lanping walked onto the dais under the envious and admiring gazes of the crowd, cupping his hands. "Your Majesty."

Zhu Yousong nodded with satisfaction and pointed to the side of the imperial desk, signaling him to stand there.

The crowd was astonished. *Heavens, he is actually standing with the Emperor to receive the obeisance of the officials. Is our Ming Dynasty about to see a second Grand Secretary Ma?*

Ma Shiying’s face was filled with resentment, but he could not vent his anger before the entire court. He merely stared daggers at Zhu Yousong and Wang Lanping with eyes that seemed ready to devour them.

Han Zanzhou glanced at Zhu Yousong, then gathered his courage. "Since Your Majesty’s ascension over a month ago, the court rituals and music have fallen into disuse, and the palace halls are largely in disrepair, failing to manifest the majesty of an emperor. Deeply feeling that he has failed his ancestors, and knowing that a royal house without majesty cannot pacify the people, His Majesty issues this edict: The Ministry of Works is to immediately arrange for the reconstruction of the Imperial City, using the Beijing Imperial City as a blueprint and producing designs within three days. Furthermore, the Ministry of Rites is ordered to command all prefectures and counties to select one thousand young women from the common folk to replenish the inner palace."

Hearing this, Wang Lanping suddenly understood. So, Zhu Yousong had let him take charge of the city defenses not to help him escape his status as a puppet, but to have him guard the gates for his own hedonistic lifestyle. It was no different from his previous job at the Du residence; the only difference was the scale of the employer. Truly, fate played tricks; after going in a full circle, he was back to his old trade.

Once Ma Shiying realized the intent, he felt relieved. *So you appointed a top scholar-general to oversee Nanjing just so you could indulge yourself inside. Fine. Play your games in your little court; you can't flip the sky outside, and the ultimate control of state affairs remains in my hands.*

Ma Shiying said, "Your Majesty is wise. Rebuilding the palace is a matter of celebration for the whole world and the court’s highest priority. Selecting maidens for the palace is also only natural; attending to the Emperor’s daily needs concerns the well-being of all people and is the duty of his ministers. I have been so caught up in trivialities that I failed to bring this up myself. It is my fault. After the court is dismissed, I shall immediately consult with the Grand Secretariat to ensure that the dignity of the royal house is not compromised."

Wang Lanping wanted to speak up. The world was in shambles, yet they were planning massive construction and searching for a thousand beauties—it was utter madness. With that kind of money, they would be better off training troops. But he knew he was only a city defense general with no standing to debate policy. He scanned the officials, hoping that someone, surely, must be a man of sense.

But the Emperor had issued an edict, and the Grand Secretary had no objections. Who dared to speak? Even the self-righteous "pure stream" faction of the Donglin Party stood silent.