Volume Two: The Powerful and the Petty Chapter Thirty-One: Caught Off Guard, a Grave Crisis Erupts

Without delay, early the next morning, Gu Yunxiao arrived at the Ministry of Rites.

It was his first visit there in two months. Because of his guilty conscience, he had not dared come before.

So when he stepped inside the ministry today and saw the entire office in such a state of grim faces and hurried footsteps, he could not help standing there in astonishment for quite a while.

Was this really the Ministry of Rites he knew, or had he taken a wrong turn and wandered into some neighboring office instead?

In his memory, the Ministry of Rites had always been calm and unhurried, no matter the hour.

As the only easy post among the Six Ministries, it truly had the lightest duties. There were almost never any urgent matters to attend to in ordinary days, much less such frantic bustle that made every official in the bureau run about with barely a moment to spare.

What on earth had happened?

Just as Gu Yunxiao was about to stop some clerk and ask, a colleague recognized him as well.

"Lord Gu, you've come at just the right time. Come at once with me to see Vice Minister Wu. This matter cannot do without you."

Gu Yunxiao quickly nodded and followed him inward, asking as they went, "What exactly has happened to make even the Vice Minister so deeply concerned?"

"Not only the Vice Minister, even the Minister himself has a terrible headache over it." The man sighed, looking as though he did not know where to begin.

This only made Gu Yunxiao even more curious. He also could not help a inward sigh; lately, because of the matter of the Twelve Towers, he truly had not paid much attention to affairs in court.

Soon the two arrived at the Vice Minister's office. Wu Yipeng, newly appointed to the post of Vice Minister of Rites, was frowning as he flipped through something. Seeing the two requesting an audience, he only lifted his head slightly.

"What is it?"

"This humble official, Gu Yunxiao of the Office of Palace Music, has an urgent matter to report to Your Excellency the Vice Minister, and also because..."

Before he could finish, Wu Yipeng cut him off.

"Put your little matter aside for now. What needs doing now is for all of us to search through every book relating to ritual and find precedents and arguments that can persuade His Majesty not to bring a feudal prince into the ancestral temple."

"Ah?" Gu Yunxiao froze at once.

"Ah, what? Get to work. Within the next two days, we must have a clear memorial in reply. Everyone is to draft a petition, and you are no exception. Go."

With that, Vice Minister Wu waved him off and bent back over the great pile of documents on the desk.

Only then did Gu Yunxiao see clearly that those documents were all matters concerning ritual law from dynasties past.

He stumbled out of the office in a daze, then was led to a side hall, where he and several other colleagues began combing through thousands upon thousands of ancient records. Only then did he finally understand what had happened.

To put it simply, it could be summed up in one sentence: in the past two days, the Emperor had suddenly issued a direct order to the Ministry of Rites, telling them to find grounds for his wish to place a memorial tablet for his deceased father in the Ancestral Temple, and the Ministry of Rites, of course, absolutely could not agree.

What a joke. This was entirely contrary to ritual and propriety.

Let alone a direct imperial command that had not passed through the Grand Secretariat and thus carried no legal force at all; even if it truly had the approval of the Grand Secretariat, the Ministry of Rites would still have to oppose it and stop it, in order to preserve the ritual system of the Great Ming!

Because the matter was so grave, and under the instruction of Minister Mao Cheng, the Ministry of Rites decided that all its officials would submit a joint memorial in opposition.

For that reason, all other work could be set aside. Of course, to be fair, the Ministry of Rites did not actually have much other business to keep busy with.

Since the matter touched on the foundations of state, Gu Yunxiao did not dare be negligent and at once busied himself with the others.

Compared with such a major affair, the little upheaval in his Office of Palace Music was truly not worth mentioning.

...

In truth, it was not only the Ministry of Rites. As word spread, officials of every rank in the capital were badly shaken by the Emperor's sudden move, and many of them also began to think of submitting memorials to remonstrate, urging him to withdraw his order at once and change his mind.

For a time, unease stirred through every office in the capital. In particular, within the Court of Censors and the Six Remonstrance Offices, where outspoken officials gathered, everyone began drafting memorials on this matter.

It was only because they still had some reservations, and were waiting for the Ministry of Rites to make the first move, that an endless stream of petitions did not flood the Ministry of Administration that very day and reach the Emperor's imperial desk.

That afternoon, Huang Ming also learned of the matter from a classmate, and was so stunned he stood there dumbfounded for a long moment.

Was Emperor Jiajing really that forceful?

But after thinking of Zhu Houcong's age, Huang Ming quickly understood.

Young and full of vigor, and already feeling securely seated upon the throne, Jiajing had naturally wanted to do something after being stung by the fact that, on the first day of the New Year sacrifices, he could not pay homage to his own father.

His earlier hint to the Grand Secretariat had been flatly ignored by Yang Tinghe and the others, so this time he had intended to achieve his aim by an indirect route. Clearly, however, he had been wrong again, and gravely so.

The solitary emperor who would one day toy with all his ministers in the palm of his hand did not yet possess such formidable schemes or such mastery of means.

"Young Master Huang, tonight we are hosting a banquet at Tender Grace House to celebrate for the beauties there, including the ladies from Nishang, and we have invited you as well. Will you come with us?"

Huang Ming's thoughts were interrupted by Zhang Han's invitation, and he paused before shaking his head.

"No. I'd like to go home early and rest today, so I won't be going."

"You'll regret it if you don't," Xu Qingzhi hurried to add, wearing a look that said he understood everything. "I hear that tonight, not only will the famous courtesans from Tender Grace House be there, but women from the other pleasure houses will also be sent over, and they say they mean to thank you properly."

Still, Huang Ming shook his head.

"I truly am not in the mood today. Another day."

Seeing that he was determined, the two had no choice but to say no more and drift away with some regret.

After tidying up a little, Huang Ming left the Imperial Academy and returned home.

He did understand, in truth, that with his present identity, he had no real connection to such affairs of state and need not trouble himself over them at all. Yet for some reason, one thought would not leave his mind.

In this matter, perhaps I really can do something.

Was it because of my father?

When evening came, that question mark suddenly turned into an exclamation point.

As though by some strange telepathy, Huang Jin, who had not left the palace since the first month of the year, actually returned that very night.

Yet unlike his usual relaxed manner when he came home, tonight even after reaching the house he looked burdened with worries, paying no heed to Huang Zhong and the others when they came to pay their respects.

Only after seeing Huang Ming did he nod toward him.

"Ming'er, come with me to the study."

After Huang Zhong had served tea and refreshments and withdrawn, Huang Jin even made a point of going to shut the door himself. Only then did he turn solemnly to his son.

"Now I have something to ask you. You must answer truthfully. This is not your father asking you, but the one above, His Majesty, who has instructed me to ask you."