Chapter 24: Only by Remaining True to One’s Original Aspiration Can One Reach the End

Chapter 24: Never Forget Your Original Intentions to Achieve Your Goals

If a steaming, fragrant pie the size of a tabletop were to fall from the sky and be stuffed directly into your mouth, what would you do? Xu Jingchang was currently facing exactly such a situation.

If being granted his hereditary title was standard operating procedure, then being appointed as the Junior Preceptor to the Crown Prince was an extraordinary promotion. After all, Yao Guangxiao—the man who held the title of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince—was only a second-rank official. As for being asked to preside over the decadal meetings of the Six Ministries and the Nine Ministers, that was even more preposterous. Everyone knew that presiding over meetings of high-ranking officials was a task reserved for the Emperor or the Prime Minister. A Prime Minister under sixteen? What kind of joke was that? Xu Jingchang wasn’t Gan Luo; one couldn’t just cheat through life like that.

"Master Yao, what exactly are you implying?"

Yao Guangxiao continued eating, saying unhappily, "This is the Emperor’s will; it has nothing to do with this old monk."

Xu Jingchang let out a cold laugh. Zhu Di? He might be a first-class military commander, but when it came to political maneuvering, he was still a bit green. He had just ascended the throne; give him a few years, and maybe he would be better. Pushing him out to the front? That had to be the work of this old monk.

Xu Jingchang rolled his eyes, and an idea formed. "Since it is His Majesty’s will, I have nothing to say but to obey. However, the court officials might not agree."

Yao Guangxiao smiled. "And who among the court officials would dare to object?"

Xu Jingchang chuckled. "Wu Shan, the Left Counselor of the Office of Transmission, would be quite enough."

"Wu Shan? Isn’t he your subordinate? Would he dare to defy his superior?"

"I am the one who makes him dare!" Xu Jingchang said with a grin. "I could write a memorial right now, impeaching His Majesty for nepotism, claiming that Xu Jingchang, despite his youth, has usurped a high position simply because he is the Empress’s nephew, thereby corrupting the laws of the state and throwing the court into chaos. I’d just need to sign Wu Shan’s name to it."

Yao Guangxiao’s brow furrowed. "Do you think such a memorial would have any effect?"

Xu Jingchang laughed even louder. "I only need to ensure everyone knows about it before he submits the memorial, then I will submit my own rebuttal while self-imposing a period of seclusion at home to reflect on my mistakes. That way, I wouldn’t even need an imperial decree to stay home and enjoy some peace. If you want to get me out after that, it would be quite difficult."

Hearing this, Yao Guangxiao’s aged face changed color. He finally lost his temper. "You little scoundrel, you are truly detestable!"

"Hahaha! Touched a nerve, did I?" Xu Jingchang chuckled. "Ever since I became the Transmission Commissioner, I’ve been thinking of how to get out of it. You old monk have been plotting to push me to the front, so why would I let myself be easily hoodwinked?"

After saying this, Xu Jingchang happily poured himself a glass of wine. *Sip.* Good stuff! The initiative had finally returned to his hands. He hadn’t fully figured out Yao Guangxiao’s entire game plan, but he didn’t have to participate. As long as he didn’t take the bait, none of the schemes would matter. If you don’t buy it, you save one hundred percent. *Old monk, stop trying to set me up.*

***

Yao Guangxiao was absolutely furious; Zhu Di was ten thousand times easier to deal with than this boy!

"Commissioner Xu, what exactly do you want? I’m offering you immense power, and you don’t want it?"

Xu Jingchang smiled. "Master, I’ll be honest. Everyone likes power, but I won’t take on anything beyond my capabilities. As I said before, my father’s generation sacrificed themselves, and I don’t want to end up the same way."

At this moment, Yao Guangxiao was completely out of options.

"Fine, let me be blunt! His Majesty wants to establish a Cabinet but fears it will cause chaos in the government. Delegating power to the Six Ministries also makes it difficult to fulfill His Majesty’s grand ambitions. That is why he wants you to mediate from the center, to test the depth of the court, to see who is capable and who is not. While you’re at it, you can take a look at the ridiculous mess left behind by the Jianwen Emperor over the past few years. Don’t worry, it won’t be for long. In a few months, the eldest prince will arrive from Beiping, and I will then advise His Majesty to let the Crown Prince oversee the state. Once that happens, the court officials will naturally gather around the Crown Prince. After all, you, the Marquis of Wuyang, lack the same rallying power as the Crown Prince!"

Xu Jingchang’s brow furrowed slightly. "Master, has my eldest cousin’s position as heir been decided?"

Yao Guangxiao was surprised for a moment, then said, "Yes. The Empress spoke to the Emperor in private, urging him to respect the late Emperor’s wishes. She also noted that the eldest prince is benevolent and will treat his brothers well, whereas the second prince might not."

Xu Jingchang took a deep breath. Now he understood. Zhu "Fatty" Zhu was recommending him for the title as a *quid pro quo*, grateful that he had managed to convince Empress Xu. As a high-ranking Marquis, adding the title of Junior Preceptor to the Crown Prince was a natural progression. This was the advantage of the nobility; while it was rare for civil officials to become Grand Preceptors, it was effortless for the nobility to receive the titles of the Three Dukes or Three Solitaries. Of course, even if they gave Xu Jingchang the title of Grand Preceptor, the officials wouldn’t truly treat him as a teacher. *You aren’t worthy!*

But the problem was that with this title, Xu Jingchang could rank ahead of the Ministers of the Six Ministries. Establishing a Cabinet would meet with opposition from high officials, so setting up the decadal meetings of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers served as a compromise. And the person leading these meetings definitely could not be Jian Yi. Whether it was the current Xu Jingchang or the future Prince Regent, either was better than allowing a *de facto* Prime Minister to emerge.

Xu Jingchang weighed the options repeatedly and found no obvious loopholes.

"Master Yao, I agree to this. From now on, you, my eldest cousin, and His Majesty must all back me up. Under no circumstances will I face the court officials alone. Otherwise, I’m walking away."

Yao Guangxiao let out a long sigh of relief. "Persuading you to be an official is harder than persuading His Majesty to rebel. Come, let’s have a drink."

The two of them clinked glasses, actually quite happy. However, while they were content, not a single court official was pleased. Jian Yi was particularly depressed. He had wanted to seize power and suppress the Cabinet; instead, the job was done, but not quite in the way he wanted, and this little brat Xu Jingchang had benefited. His calculations had come to nothing.

Even more depressed were Yang Rong and Xie Jin. They had worked hard to stand out and become the Emperor’s close advisors, hoping to make their mark, only to have the few advantages of the Cabinet snatched away by the decadal meetings of the Nine Ministers. And while they were close to the Emperor, they couldn’t compete with Xu Jingchang, who was an imperial relative! In the blink of an eye, Xu Jingchang had managed to offend the Cabinet yet again. He was riding high on the road to being despised by everyone. If there were a vote for the most unpopular official, Xu Jingchang would undoubtedly take the top spot, no contest!

But no matter how much everyone disliked him, the imperial decree had been issued, and for the moment, no one dared to challenge Zhu Di.

***

Ten days later, Jian Yi, Xia Yuanji, Chen Ying, Wu Zhong... all the high-ranking officials of the Six Ministries were gathered in the main hall of the Office of Transmission.

Wu Shan’s heart was pounding; he hadn’t been this excited even on his wedding day. Who would have thought that a government office like the Transmission Office would suddenly shine so brightly? If the Master was the Prime Minister, then he was surely the Deputy Prime Minister. His status had skyrocketed. He busily arranged for the arrival of all the high officials. However, the men wore grim faces, as if someone owed them eighty thousand taels of silver and hadn’t paid up, offering not a single pleasant look.

Wu Shan couldn't help it. He ushered everyone in, and once they were seated, he hurriedly went to the back hall to invite Xu Jingchang.

"Are they all here?" Xu Jingchang asked calmly.

Wu Shan nodded. "They are all here."

"Did they give you any trouble?"

Wu Shan hesitated, then sighed helplessly. "They are high-ranking officials with high tempers. It doesn't matter for a humble official like me."

Xu Jingchang’s eyes widened. "What kind of talk is that? You are my subordinate. If they give you a cold shoulder, they are looking down on me. Have you forgotten my temper?"

Wu Shan was startled, then looked up at Xu Jingchang, his voice trembling slightly. "Master, you... you are going to stand up for me?"

Xu Jingchang laughed. "Just watch!"

With that, Xu Jingchang strode out of the room. A warmth surged in Wu Shan’s heart, and he hurriedly followed.

When he reached the main hall, Xu Jingchang scanned the group. The heads of the Six Ministries and the Censor-in-Chief were all second-rank officials, wearing gold belts. Only Xu Jingchang, a first-rank official, wore a jade belt. Gold has a price, but jade is priceless; the gap in status was immediately apparent. Who would dare to look down on Xu Jingchang now?

"Gentlemen, we are holding these decadal meetings to better serve His Majesty, to handle the complex state affairs, and to benefit the nation and the people. But if you ask me, everyone should first prioritize moral integrity. Those with crooked hearts are not worthy of wearing these official robes." Xu Jingchang looked at Jian Yi and smiled. "What does the Minister of Personnel think?"

Jian Yi kept a straight face. "Commissioner Xu is very insightful."

Xu Jingchang laughed. "Good. As long as Minister Jian agrees, it’s easy to proceed. I just heard that today is the day for dealing with Ru Chang and other corrupt officials. I propose that we all go to the execution grounds first to see what becomes of ungrateful and corrupt officials! As the saying goes, ‘Never forget your original intentions to achieve your goals.’ Everyone should rediscover the innocent heart you had when you first studied to save the world and govern the nation! Right?"

The officials were dumbfounded. *You want us to go watch an execution? What are you thinking?*

At this moment, tears welled up in Wu Shan’s eyes. He quickly wiped them with his sleeve and said excitedly, "The Master is absolutely right!"