Chapter 27: Cutting Flesh

Once Feixuan Zhenjun made up his mind, his efficiency in handling matters was absolutely swift. Just seven or eight days later, he summoned the pavilion ministers and officials from the six ministries and nine courts to the Western Garden for a meeting to discuss the state affairs.

In these few days, the political situation had suddenly become turbulent, and the government had fallen into an unpredictable mess, leaving everyone uncertain of the direction. 

A few days ago, the son to the Duke of Mu had struck with great force, causing Zhou Zhicheng and glass egg to retreat in dejection, weakening the voice of the reformers. 

However, after the emperor went mad, the Dongchang acted like a rabid dog, attacking fiercely, exposing a list of bribery scandals with deep ties to the Yan faction, and landing a resounding blow on the face of Yan Ge Lao. 

The two pavilion elders lost all tson dignity and were now forced to remain silent, no longer daring to speak easily.

One aims to seize power through collaboration with the Japanese, while another accepts bribes to pervert justice. One is a sleeping dragon, and the other is a Phoenix chick. This is perhaps the court’s excellent matching mechanism—two treasures serving the same nation; how could the common people of the Central Plains not be fortunate?

Due to these awkward circumstances, the court meeting at Western Garden was extremely dull. 

The Chief Minister, Xia Shoufu, was determined to retire, and Li Ge Lao Lao remained as transparent as ever. The officials from the six ministries followed tson usual protocol, offering formal greetings and exchanging a few words before falling silent. 

Everyone stood motionless at tson posts, silently feeling the cold wind of Western Garden at dawn.

But while the ministers were quiet, the Feixuan Zhenjun still had a big move to make. Li Zaifang, standing beside the Emperor’s throne, coughed lightly. 

The commander of the imperial guards and the director of the Dongchang stepped forward together, reporting the progress of tson investigations and presenting confessions and evidence from the criminals.

The methods of the Dongchang were indeed rough, often leading to strange and incomprehensible confessions. 

However, now that they had the Feixuan Zhenjun’s deadly KPI hanging over them, the long-experienced eunuchs did tson best to gather a complete and undeniable chain of evidence. 

It was precisely because the evidence was so thorough that the shock of the entire report was even more astounding.

Years later, when the Japanese invaded Goryeo, tson spies even managed to learn details of the Emperor’s sleeping quarters and the dates when troops would mobilize. The foundation for future leaks of information was laid here, in this moment.

While the state of the government was scattered, it had not yet degenerated to the point where everyone was openly acting in corruption, as some might expect. 

After the Dongchang read the shocking confessions, there was a deathly silence in the large hall of Western Garden. Not even a breath could be heard.

With the atmosphere perfectly set, the Feixuan Zhenjun coldly spoke:

“The state has come to this point; what do you ministers have to say?”

What more was there to say? Led by the Chief Minister of the Inner Court, all the officials kneeled, not daring to make a sound.

“Heaven entrusted the Kyushu to me, and the ancestral spirits entrusted the family line to me. I am the Son of Heaven, the father of the nation. 

Now, the world is in this state, and all the sins lie with me alone.” The Feixuan Zhenjun spoke indifferently, his words solid and resonant, striking at the ministers’ rapidly beating hearts. 

“Now even the officials of the court cannot be trusted, nor can the scholars who read the classics. What virtue do I possess? What virtue do I possess?”

After decades of decisive rule and absolute control over the empire, the Emperor was still the ruler who could manipulate the officials like household servants. 

Despite whispers and slanders among the courtiers, no one dared resist the Emperor’s overwhelming authority once he made his intentions clear.

The cold wind of Western Garden blew sharply, causing the Emperor’s robes to flutter and freezing the blood of the ministers inch by inch. The power accumulated by the Zhu family over hundreds of years, cold and grand, weighed down on them like a mountain, suffocating every breath.

After a deadly silence, the Chief Minister, Xia Shoufu, crawled a few steps forward and kowtowed:

“The state has faltered, and it is our hesitation that has caused harm to the nation and troubled the Emperor. I feel ashamed before Your Majesty and the people. We can only humbly await divine punishment!”

As the Chief Minister, Xia Shoufu usually held considerable influence, and the Emperor often spared him some face. 

However, the Feixuan Zhenjun cast a brief glance at the court and showed no change in expression. The cold, ruthless look in his eyes made even the experienced officials shiver. 

They had seen such a look only once before, when the Emperor had gone mad and struck down ministers during the grand court meetings.

The Feixuan Zhenjun’s expression remained unchanged, silently applying terror and pressure. 

The Emperor’s authority stemmed not only from imperial power but also from his political skills and the aura he exuded in every action. 

As someone naturally gifted for the role of Emperor, the Feixuan Zhenjun understood well how a ruler’s fury could give a huge advantage in pushing through key issues.

Of course, the Emperor’s acting skills couldn’t compare to those of the seasoned ministers, who had mastered the art of controlling the court. In the past, the Feixuan Zhenjun had to rehearse and carefully prepare to display his royal anger. 

However, this time there was no need for such preparation. Just thinking about his own troubled path to immortality instantly sparked an uncontrollable fury.

My heavenly decree! My opportunity! These damned Japanese pirates, these damned sea bandits! It’s all because the eunuchs of Sanbao have failed to eliminate them!

The court’s senior ministers were quick to sense the Emperor’s anger, and within an instant, they trembled, kowtowing without a word, afraid to trigger the Emperor’s wrath.

However, such fury had to be borne by someone. The ministers of the Inner Court, who had no choice, all bowed and spoke:

“Your Majesty, our crimes are great, and no punishment can redeem us.”

The Feixuan Zhenjun snorted and finally gave them a cold look:

“What’s the use of your death? I want the Japanese to die!”

Finally, he spoke sarcastically:

“The Japanese have revealed tson wolfish ambitions. If they continue to act, it would be better for me to give up my throne! The situation has reached this point—what do you propose we do?”

What else could they say? Chief Minister Xia Shoufu, still on the ground, submitted a report:

“Internal and external collusion—there is no greater disaster. It requires a thunderous strike to cleanse the corruption. The power and authority must come from the top. We are ready to follow Your Majesty’s orders.”

Ministers Yan, Xu, and Li all bowed tson heads: “At this point, hesitation is not an option, Your Majesty. Please strike with a heavy hand!”

This response was somewhat acceptable, and the Feixuan Zhenjun was mostly satisfied. 

However, he immediately threw out another question.

“A thunderous strike? What thunderous strike? You’re all kowtowing like garlic being pounded.

 How are you going to drive the Japanese pirates off the seas or the island thieves away? If you really had the skill of your words, how could these islanders have run rampant until now?” The Emperor’s face remained dark as he looked around. 

“Don’t talk about ‘cleansing corruption’; that is nonsense. I don’t want to hear such nonsense; I want to hear the truth.”

This was a powerful blow, silencing the ministers, who could only look at each other, unable to speak. What truth could they reveal? 

Could they say that the coastal defenses had long been plundered and wasted by greedy officials, with the largest portion going into the pockets of Your Feixuan Zhenjun?

At this point, why are you still pretending to be a wise and benevolent ruler, acting like Emperor Taizong of Tang, accepting advice? It’s fine to deceive the ministers, but don’t deceive yourself. 

The ministers might be fooled, but this is your family’s empire!

Furthermore, in the past, there were those reckless enough to speak the truth, but now, haven’t they long since been struck down by hidden arrows and died from tson own actions?

In the midst of the silence, the emperor simply asked:

“The Ministry of War, answer me! With the current military strength, what more do we need to do in order to drive the Japanese pirates off the seas?”

Minister Chen of the Ministry of War raised his head, trembling, and began to answer. The Ministry of War had always been effective in its work, even during the most impoverished times, still preparing plans to deal with the Japanese pirates. 

However, from the perspective of the court officials, this plan seemed like a pipe dream—naval battles were money-guzzling beasts; simply maintaining law and order to deal with pirates would require astronomical amounts for ships and heavy artillery, not to mention actively seeking out the Japanese pirates for a confrontation.

There were many smart people in the court. If it were as easy as spending a few coins to shore up coastal defenses, the situation wouldn’t have deteriorated so much. 

Everyone knew the root of the problem, but no one dared to speak out.

After hearing the figures for military strength and manpower, the Feixuan Zhenjun fell silent for a moment, then turned to the Ministry of Revenue:

“How much will it cost to procure these things?”

Li Ge Lao Lao of the Ministry of Revenue lifted his head:

“Your Majesty, if these figures are correct, it will require at least two to three million taels more each year…”

He hesitated for a moment and then whispered:

“Your Majesty, the national treasury only has three million taels left.”

A mere three million taels, barely accumulated through desperate measures. If there were any natural disasters or misfortunes, it would be immediately depleted, leaving no funds even to pay the officials’ salaries. 

How could this dwindling stockpile survive the expenses of two to three million taels each year?

Although there was no outright rejection, the implication was obvious. Unless Feixuan Zhenjun had mastered the ability to turn stone into gold, no matter how much they protested, the money simply couldn’t be squeezed out.

A lack of funds was a problem for the entire court. When things reached such a desperate point, even the emperor could only stand down and look for a way to retreat. At most, he would issue a few edicts afterward, urging the coastal provinces to “act diligently,” confiscate a few properties, dismiss a few officials, and let the public believe that the pirates never existed.

Of course, the emperor’s anger today was still valuable, and the ministers had already decided to back down. If the emperor was not satisfied with confiscating property, they could contribute a few scapegoats, allowing the emperor to remember the glorious days of the founding emperor, who once skinned people alive.

 Once the skinning had been done, surely his anger would subside, right?

Perhaps to ease the atmosphere and give the emperor an exit, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites stepped forward and bowed, respectfully presenting a petition:

“I do not dare to agree with the words of the several ministers. The Sage said, ‘If distant peoples do not submit, then cultivate virtue and lead them,’ and also said, ‘War is a weapon of violence and should only be used in dire circumstances.’ 

Although the Japanese pirates are indeed vicious, they should be taught with great virtue, to move tson hearts, and it is not appropriate to hastily resort to war. Furthermore, the Japanese country was listed by Emperor Taizu as a non-conquering nation, and rash actions might offend our neighbors. 

Your Majesty is wise and enlightened, and both the people and the court are in agreement. Why should we argue over such a small advantage with these insignificant Japanese?”

The Ministry of Rites officials were all living on fixed salaries, so they naturally feared that if the Taoist Master got too angry, tson own salaries might be misused. It was not surprising that they took a conservative stance, and the language was polite, praising the emperor. 

However, after hearing this long-winded speech, Feixuan Zhenjun’s face grew darker and darker. He could no longer tolerate it and exploded.

“—Cultivate virtue, cultivate virtue, I’ll cultivate your grandmother’s yam peel! What nonsense about offending the barbarians? The more the barbarians oppose, the more it proves I am right! If the barbarians didn’t oppose, it would show that I have no fault!”

His roar was like thunder, shaking the entire court. All the officials trembled, holding tson breath, afraid of letting anything slip. Only the Duke of Mu’s son, standing in the back, suddenly shivered and couldn’t help but glance around:

Damn, why do these words sound so familiar?

Shouldn’t these words be mine?!

He thought for a moment but couldn’t figure it out, so he simply blamed it on coincidence.

The emperor, angry and careless with his words, had unknowingly blurted out a golden phrase. 

The storm raged, and the officials stood silent, waiting for the emperor’s wrath. The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites had no choice but to defend himself:

“I have offended the emperor’s majesty, and I deserve death. But I am foolish and backward, only trying to follow the instructions of the great Emperor Gaozu…”

Emperor Gaozu had once listed the Dongying (Eastern Islands) as a non-conquering nation and had often issued decrees for sea bans. 

These two precedents were deeply influential and could not be ignored when discussing coastal defense. Respecting the will of heaven and the ancestors was the root of the nation. 

In the past, whenever coastal defense was brought up, the conservative officials would drag the discussion on for hours, until everyone was exhausted and too tired to argue further.

Now, when the Deputy Minister of Rites cited these ancient precedents, it was like using them as a shield. 

If he was merely foolishly repeating the teachings of the ancestors, it was at most a small mistake, a lack of adaptability. 

The emperor, with so many conservative scholars in the Ministry of Rites, could only let it go and reprimand him at most.

Feixuan Zhenjun certainly could not argue about the teachings of the emperor’s ancestors. But it didn’t matter; there were always loyal people willing to help.
 
The head eunuch of the Dongchang, Huang Shanggang, immediately stepped forward, full of righteous indignation.

“Your Majesty, the treacherous ministers have come forward themselves! This Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites is one of them! And there must be others! What ‘ancient Emperor Gao’s teachings’? The empire left by Emperor Gao is in Your Majesty’s heart. 

You dare to talk nonsense about ‘serving the country’? The coastal defense has reached this point, and the emperor is doing everything he can to repair it, while you are just talking and wasting time. Have you ever thought about this country, about this dynasty?!”

This speech was like thunder and a storm, not only slapping the Assistant Minister of Rites in the face but also dragging many other officials of the Ministry of Rites into the mess! What’s more, the words were vicious to the point of mocking the great scholars as talking nonsense—honestly, even if you jumped up and insulted the entire family of a great scholar, the fury it would provoke wouldn’t be as intense as this.

At this point, a counterattack was inevitable. The Right Assistant Minister of Rites, standing nearby, angrily spoke:

“Our knowledge, honed in the examination halls, is surely not for someone like Eunuch Huang to casually judge.”

The officials of the Ministry of Rites, after all, were top scholars, with tson degrees from the two imperial lists and tson close ties to the emperor. How could they be mocked by a shallow, impulsive eunuch? Didn’t he see how little education he had?

In the past, this tactic of academic discrimination had been highly effective, often silencing even the eunuchs, nobles, and the Imperial Guards with just a few words (though, of course, this didn’t work as well against shameless madmen like the Duke of Mu’s son). 

But today, it was clear Eunuch Huang had come prepared. He sneered and said,
“Indeed, the scholars of the Ministry of Rites are great. I vaguely remember that the two Assistant Ministers were even appointed to the Hanlin Academy over a decade ago, weren’t they?”

A masterstroke. With just a casual remark, the faces of the two Assistant Ministers turned from white to green, and in an instant, they looked as if they were no longer living.

For the sake of the “Yuan History” case, Feixuan Zhenjun had abolished the glass egg, placed the Hanlin Academy under house arrest, and officials who were linked to the Japanese had been dragged into the imperial prison and squeezed dry. 

But when such a shocking scandal broke out in an official history book, surely the blame couldn’t be placed solely on a mere glass egg?

—As the saying goes, some matters, when measured, are only two taels; once weighed, they could weigh a thousand pounds. 

How could so many top scholars from the Ministry of Rites, with tson decades of experience in the Hanlin Academy, not catch a simple word like “thief”?

If they emphasized tson vast knowledge, they might be seen as deliberately allowing the Emperor to remain the “thief monk” for these hundred years, and surely tson families would have objections. So, after much thought, it would be better to admit they were ignorant fools, having missed the mistake.

Therefore, although Eunuch Huang’s mockery was sharp, it was truly meant with good intentions, suggesting that the great scholars of the Ministry of Rites should not be so ungrateful.

One sentence made the learned scholars of the court roll tson eyes in frustration. Eunuch Huang, with great poise, turned around and respectfully bowed.

“To ease the Emperor’s worries, how could I dare to shirk my labor! The Dongchang and the Imperial Guards have already seized over 800,000 taels, all to be handled as the Emperor deems fit.”

Feixuan Zhenjun’s rage was unstoppable, and both the Dongchang and the Imperial Guards had struck hard. 

Any officials with ties to the Japanese were sent to the imperial prison to be thoroughly squeezed, which had led to such substantial gains in just a few days. If bigger fish were to be caught, the total might rise even further.

The pile of silver was as high as a mountain, and while Feixuan Zhenjun felt a pang of pain in his heart, he still decisively spoke:

“Find a warehouse in the palace and start counting the silver. Allocate 300,000 taels annually for coastal defense; this should relieve the Ministry of Revenue’s immediate concerns.

Yan Donglou, the memorial you and Mu Qi submitted, suggesting that ‘after opening maritime trade, the harvest will be abundant’—how much do you estimate it will bring in?”

Yan Donglou quickly bowed. He wasn’t very familiar with maritime trade, so he could only report according to the Duke of Mu’s estimation:

“Replying to the Emperor, the profits will fluctuate annually; there may not be much in the early years, but it will increase gradually. In our estimation, after opening maritime trade, a net profit of 700,000 to 800,000 taels per year is likely.”

Feixuan Zhenjun nodded. “Then, let’s calculate it as 700,000 taels. This way, the 1,000,000 taels gap will be covered. 

Li Ge Lao, I’ve already thought of a solution for you. How much more can the Ministry of Revenue contribute?”

At this point, Li Ge Lao had no choice but to reveal his limits:

“Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue’s funds are indeed short in many places and hard to manage. I can only scrape together 900,000 taels a year…”

As soon as he spoke, all the officials held tson breath for a moment. If the Ministry of Revenue could only come up with 900,000 taels, that still left a 1,000,000 taels shortfall. 

This amount could not be covered with any small measures. To fill this gap, heavy-handed tactics would be required.

Opening new sources of revenue or tightening spending—according to past experience, this usually meant either cutting the salaries of officials or increasing taxes on the people.

And according to the same past experience, after doing such morally reprehensible, foul deeds, the wise and just Feixuan Zhenjun, Emperor Qingmiao, and Emperor Wanshou would never take responsibility. He would only make the common people suffer and burden the minor officials, while all the blame would fall on the ministers.

Damn it, once again, the ministers were left holding the bag!

The ministers’ mental state was breaking down, and Feixuan Zhenjun’s face grew heavier, as if preparing to put on another performance, expressing the sorrow and pain of needing to raise taxes.

“The treasury is so empty. I have honored the heavens, cultivated myself, and saved to love the people, yet I never expected the court’s expenses would be so great. Well, there’s nothing for it. 

We can save a bit on the palace’s expenses, and everyone can wear rags and beg for food on the streets…”

This was the usual complaining and shifting of blame, indicating that the emperor was not responsible for the deficit. 

The ministers were expected to play along, praising the emperor’s great benevolence and covering up the mess. But now, there were some things they couldn’t indulge him with:

“Begging? That seems perfect; we shouldn’t let go of our ancestors’ traditions! I think with Lao Deng’s appearance, he could probably beg for a three-dish meal.”

Feixuan Zhenjun’s face suddenly contorted, almost choking on the words.

Damn it, even if you treat insults from the heavenly books as a test for an immortal, this test is really breaking his resolve!

Can immortals really be this foul-mouthed? Doesn’t the heavenly court have any rules about this? 

Personal attacks, throwing tantrums! How far can this madness go? Is there no justice or law anymore?

The Taoist above was in utter disarray, while the bureaucrats below were all kneeling in silence, no one daring to glance at the emperor’s face. Even the son—the one who had just made a mocking remark, shaking the immortal’s resolve—was now looking down, filled with worry and anxiety that was impossible to describe, fearing that Lao Deng might really do something outrageous.

For the heir to the Duke of Mu, who holds the life-saving golden medal, the old Taoist priest and the various officials in the court may only be considered as lovable and charming antagonists; but for the common folk at the bottom, even a speck of dust falling from above can crush them into never rising again.

The world is in such turmoil; is there still room for mischief? The heir truly dared not think any further.

·
The old Taoist remained silent for a moment, then mustered his true essence, swallowing down his anger with great effort. 

He had originally planned to elaborate on his saintly virtue of only wearing eight sets of clothes throughout the four seasons, but now he was truly afraid of the boundless, unrestrained mouth of the heavenly book and had no choice but to alter his words:

“Of course, the world is ultimately my home, and the people are ultimately my subjects. I must always consider the welfare of my subjects…”

At this point, even though his plans had been made, the old Taoist still felt an unbearable ache in his heart. 

But what could he do? Taxes could no longer be raised; adding more would certainly provoke a rebellion. 

The gaps in coastal defense could not be left even the slightest bit lacking… Well, well, silver is precious, but the elixir is worth even more; for the sake of cultivating immortality, the world can be discarded. 

For the grand cause of cultivating immortality, the old Taoist had decided to go all in:

“…Then, the missing one million taels of silver, the palace will cover it.”

The Western Garden was silent and remote, and the words immediately spread across the land. 

But in an instant, the officials present all began to doubt whether their ears were malfunctioning.

Then—unanimously, everyone looked up in shock, staring at the emperor on the throne.

At that moment, their thoughts were probably too complicated to put into words, far surpassing the waves in the political world after decades. 

Fortunately, the heavenly book activated in time, exclaiming the common thought of all the officials:

[The old Taoist has finally gone mad!]

·
Mu Qi stared blankly at the figure on the throne, his mind only swirling with the words “gone mad.”

Of course, he couldn’t be blamed. Given the current situation, other than “gone mad,” he couldn’t think of any other explanation… Moreover, wasn’t there a similar case in Taoist scriptures? Some people overconsume the elixir of immortality, leading to confusion and madness, becoming unreasonable, completely reversing their usual way of thinking…

So, what should this be considered? The old Taoist’s intentions were bad, but the elixir carried them out well?

How magnificent was Ge Hong, how magnificent was Tao Hongjing, and how magnificent was the Jindan of the Elixir!