The Sage, the Swordsman and the Scholars

by Pierre Dimaculangan

  “Our own investigations conducted recently in Guangzhou have led us to the very same conclusions,” said Zhang Sunzan.

  “I have personally observed interactions with them. They are deceitful and will outwardly show you esteem and respect, but their hearts are full of ill-intent and if we do not act quickly we will find ourselves in a situation with which escape would be most difficult,” said Wu Chan. The Scholars present all nodded in agreement. “The easy access Hanlin Academicians have to the Emperor and the politicians of the court have been of great importance to our initial investigation, brothers,” he added. “Despite this privileged access, there is not much I or the Hanlin Academy can say with certainty concerning the loyalties of officials in and out of the palace. However, it has become apparent to me that the Emperor has been left in the dark concerning the true state of affairs within the very empire he rules. His health has been in poor condition of late and I fear that many conspire against him in fear of their corruption being discovered. For if the emperor were to know the truth, many government positions would be left… vacant.” The meeting room was silent and anxiety filled the air as Academy Chancellor Wu Chan continued.

  “A thorough and secretive investigation must be carried out for the following days to see who is conducting illegal business with the Pale Foreigners granting them unfavorable trading rights and diplomatic privileges.” He then also presented to the Scholars a small pile of light yellow dust wrapped in paper. “This mysterious substance was seized some time ago by our very own Wei Qiuyuan, currently imprisoned in a government dungeon. It was found in the quarters and offices of several eunuchs and key ministers who have been gaining more political influence than they should.” The mysterious substance was passed around among the Scholars who examined it and sniffed its potent odor.

  “By its scent it seems to be some sort of drug, one that can be easily abused,” remarked Tian Qiu as he passed it slightly beneath his nose. “Even with a small whiff of its toxic fragrance, I am beginning to feel its seemingly euphoric effects. I am not fond of it,” he continued to say as he turned his head away from it in distaste.

  “You are correct, comrade,” said Wu Chan. “In recent days, several of us at Hanlin have been secretly observing its influence on the users. The substance has very addictive effects, and we can confirm that those who are under its influence do not only crave more, but have become susceptible to the Foreigners’ bidding. This alien drug is altogether evil.”

  “This explains many things, including their access to our land, their ridiculous trading privileges, and apparently their influence upon our politics,” commented Lu Guanying.

  “Specifically what sort of privileges and favors have they been granted?” asked Shang Jian.

  “As you know all foreigners from kingdoms near and far conduct limited trade in the southern ports. All transactions are under a conditional level. In other words, the Ming is doing them a favor simply by allowing them any sort of trade and commerce at all. Sad to say, our ancient foreign policies have always been lopsided where the terms were largely in favor of the Middle Kingdom’s dynastic rule and the other party is often belittled and exploited. Trade with the Middle Kingdom has always been treated as a tremendous privilege granted to nations the capital esteemed. In exchange for this favor, the foreigners would pay a handsome monetary and symbolic tribute to the emperor representing their ‘inferiority’ before the Middle Kingdom.” Wu Chan paused for a moment to catch his breath.

  “Go on, Chan,” said Zhang Sunzan eager to hear Chan’s address.

  “When these Terukk arrived in relatively small numbers several weeks ago, they proceeded with the same caution and meekness all foreigners were expected to follow. The authorities were not pleased at all that they have anchored along the northeastern coast which was uncomfortably near the capital. However, curiosity quickly overcame reason and the government was enamored by them and soon they were granted permission to move further inland. They kowtowed before the Forbidden City palace, paid their tribute in gold ingots, and addressed them with the proper rites. As the weeks went by however, our government began to favor them moreover than the other foreigners who hail from south overseas. Those of us in the Hanlin Academy’s inner circle have grown suspicious of them compelling us to conduct an investigation concerning their activities.”

  “Soon enough, we uncovered under-the-table negotiations between several officials within the Six Ministries, and handfuls of eunuchs close to the emperor. It was not long until we have also discovered the true extent of the use of bribery with this drug,” said Song Yuan, a fellow Hanlin Scholar. “It has an unprecedented ability to twist the mind. Those who take more than what is prescribed experience episodes of hallucination and unexplainable behavior, not to mention slight changes in their physical appearance. Our spies have witnessed their effects immediately after it has been administered,” Wu Chan told them sadly.

  “This scandalous behavior runs deep, brothers. We are on the verge of losing our great nation to these inhuman corpse-looking Foreigners because of some drug,” said Tian Qiu.

  Thus was the topic of discussion amongst the Scholars of Beijing and Guangzhou who have now become increasingly alarmed at the nation’s state of affairs. The Hongzhi Emperor, who has proved to be more virtuous than his predecessors, has been thoroughly deceived and kept in the dark concerning the conspiratorial events taking place within his own court. To ensure that the emperor did not pose a threat to the Foreigners’ agenda, corrupted eunuchs have been serving him a special ‘medicinal’ brew that causes increased illness that has rendered him unable to fulfill his duties and most importantly, unable discover the truth of what is taking place. The righteous officials in the palace were unable to make a stand in fear of being discovered by those who have fallen under the wiles of the Pale Foreigners. The line between friend and foe has been severely blurred in the imperial court. In fear of neutralization, the righteous officials backed down and were obliged to tolerate the radical changes taking place within the Ming court.

  It was not long until Zhang Sunzan discovered that his friend and trusted investigator, Fox, had been executed on the spot upon the discovery of his investigation. He was proceeding to embark on a ship to Nanjing via the Grand Canal but was somehow caught and arrested just before he could board the ship. Others who had been discovered to be in opposition of recent happenings have also been imprisoned and tortured for “slander and high treason”. Zhang Sunzan, inconsolable over the death of his friend grieved for three days. It appeared that even the very own Censorate, created to prevent corruption and bring justice to the corrupt had already fallen to the Terukk’s wiles.

  After the Scholars had finished discussing matters, they devised a plan to rescue the emperor from the cunning of the corrupted eunuchs and officials and to start a government take-over that will allow them to by force expel the Terukk from the court and from the country. The first order of business was to gain an audience with the emperor in secret and away from the creeping eyes and ears of the palace walls. It would prove difficult as the emperor’s strict palace policies prohibited any official or scholar from seeing him outside the appointed times of the day. Second was to discover those of who were still loyal among the key officials in order to coordinate their assault against the opposition. There were many among the secret police, the Jinyiwei, who have proved more loyal to the eunuchs than the emperor himself. A physical confrontation with them would be inevitable.

  Over the course of several days, the Scholars of Hanlin in coordination with the League, acted as spies within the bureaucracy and the Six Ministries of government to uncover the real depth of the corruption. The investigation was long and tedious, but was nevertheless executed with careful maneuvering. With diligent documentation of the officials’ comings and goings across the city, along with the thorough examination of their documents, books, and papers, the Martial Scholars worked long nights, sleeping little and eating even less.

  Such was the
intricacy involved in exposing the conspiracy, for the palace itself was city within a city with many watchful eyes and ears, and full of rigid ceremony. Even as Hanlin scholars, it was imperative to move with caution. Nothing would stay hidden for very long. It was called the Forbidden City for it was quite possibly the largest palace in the entire world and was the home the emperor, his family, his attendants, and the working place of all officials. To the Scholars conducting their investigations, much of what they were uncovering was indeed, forbidden. Hanlin continued going about the palace gathering information and separating allies from the enemies.

  A special observation was placed upon the outposts of the Terukk who remained mysterious in their comings and goings and their activities amongst the palace and the city. The people of the city have become suspicious of their presence in the capital but have remained quite curious about their business. What was rather most insulting was their freedom to build their structures and occupy space that encroached on the Ming Dynasty’s sovereignty over the land. The very authority of the empire and the rights of the people were being defied. Overturning the government and defying the presence of the Terukk would be openly declaring war upon them and so this was the full intention of the Scholars.

  After the Scholars and Academicians had taken the names of the traitors and have gathered evidence against them, Lu Guanying and Wu Chan maneuvered to gain an audience with the Emperor Hongzhi at the dead of night way past palace curfew despite his weakening health. They met in the Imperial Garden, which sat in seclusion within the walls of the mighty palace and was one of the very few places that was remotely safe to speak in private… given that nobody had spotted them on their way to the garden. The emperor emerged before them, though ill, his chin was held high, his shoulders broad, and eyes as focused and determined as ever. A young man who has lived just a few winters beyond twenty stood before Wu Chan and Lu Guanying as the most powerful ruler in the known world.

  “I certainly hope there is a rational reason as to why we are breaking protocol at such an hour so late… and in an evening so dark,” he said looking down at them both directly from his erect posture. His commanding presence was further reinforced by his reverberating voice and flawless diction.

  “Imperial majesty,” they said as they transitioned their bow to a kow-tow, their heads pressed firmly against the ground.

  “Get up, get up. We can dispense with the formalities and honorifics. This is an unofficial meeting, and I am too pragmatic to care about such vanity,” he stated. “Chancellor Wu Chan of Hanlin Academy— I suspect this meeting has nothing to do with your secretarial duties? I hope they do not overwhelm you.”

  “Your imperial majesty, I must introduce you to a most trusted friend and a staunch supporter of your rule. This is Lu Guanying, a great scholar as much as a warrior, and Headmaster of a highly respected school in Guangzhou.” He kept his eyes to the ground and his posture slightly bowed toward the emperor.

  The emperor redirected his gaze to Lu Guanying. “Outsiders in my palace… were it not for the Chancellor I would have already called for my Capital Guards to cut you down, not that I would have needed help. This had better be worth my time. Go on then. Speak.” He commanded.

  “We come before you today with grave and alarming news regarding the new pale foreigners with which the court has been treating…”

  That night, they revealed to him all that was transpiring in secret within and beyond his own court and named to him all who had betrayed the nation and his trust. Thanks to the aid of Zhang Sunzan’s allies Fox, Wei Qiuyuan and Zhou Liang— the two vice-censor-in-chiefs of the Censorate, he was also presented with documents that outlined the deals done with the Terukk and a record of all their transactions serving as proof of the Pale Foreigners’ sinister and subtle colonial and expansionist agendas. They told him that a coalition of several eunuchs and other officials led by a certain Liu Jin, was at the core of the corruption that had taken hold in the court and spy agencies.

  “Long before the arrival of the Terukk, Liu Jin has had a rather long record of greed and fraud which did not go unnoticed by the Scholars and other key officials. Such a fact was what led us to suspect Liu Jin of illegal dealings with Terukk in the first place. He and his allies were instrumental in the spread of corruption and greed within the court and within the provincial-level governments throughout the eastern coast of the Ming Empire,” informed Wu Chan.

  “The arrival of the Pale Foreigners has also caused a drastic decline in the Ming’s relationship with its tributaries as trade and communications with other nations have been neglected or altogether severed by the palace officials. Tributes have not been received since the Terukk have grown unchecked and unbalanced as they monopolized all trade, commerce, and have meddled in the political affairs of the nations and kingdoms over the mountains, deserts, and sea,” added Lu Guanying.

  Upon receiving the disturbing news and hearing the truth from the findings of the Scholars, Emperor Hongzhi became outraged and distraught at what had become of his reign. The very eunuchs that served him had plotted against not only his family and throne, but his life by keeping him ill with a mystery concoction that had left him bedridden and delirious.

  Emperor Hongzhi’s fists shook. His entire body trembled with anger. “How could I have been so blind to confide in those eunuchs without doubt? Never before have I been made such a fool but now, they will feel my wrath!” he declared. His whole body shivered with rage. “I have suspected the Terukk the moment they presented themselves before the palace gates. There had not been one moment where I found their presence and their ways the slightest bit pleasurable. Because of what I had felt about them, I acted upon my instincts and ordered them to leave and never return. However, not even in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that events would unfold the way they have. The Terukk will be punished for not leaving our lands and shores as I have commanded on the very first day. Heaven has witnessed that I have only ever held my position with honor and truth. All those who have played a part in all of this must be dealt with immediately!” he shouted.

  “Summon all the officials and eunuchs of the court and gather them to the palace square,” suggested Lu Guanying and Wu Chan. “You now have the evidence and multiple witnesses. Call out the guilty from amongst the crowd of eunuchs and officials of the Six Ministries and confront them regarding their traitorous actions and punish them however you see fit. I must add, that although your Capital Guards may remain loyal to you, some agents of the Depots as well as the secret police may reveal their true colors. If they choose to be against you, our Academicians will ensure your Majesty’s safety and security.”

  Emperor Hongzhi agreed to the Scholars’ advice and the next day summoned all the officials inside the palace, and those serving in the city, and they stood before him at the Forbidden City’s main square. With the careful and diligent aid of the Martial Scholars and Academicians, the emperor forsook the strict rites and schedules of the palace and straightaway made the preparations necessary to make his address. Representatives from the Terukk delegation were present among the officials as well. They stood tall and arrogant and no longer observed palace rites, such as kowtowing before the emperor when he stood before them. It appeared that they too sensed something within the palace had changed. The emperor glared at them with malice, evidently infuriated by their very arrogant presence. He nonetheless proceeded to address the crowd assembled before him. He began with a simple speech by preaching to them the purpose of government, the values upon which their civilization stood, and the causes of the poor political situation in which the Ming government had now found itself. Finally, he revealed his recent knowledge of the scandals and conspiracies taking place right under his nose –knowledge provided by those who were still loyal to the throne. He called out the accused from amongst the crowd, separating the guilty from the innocent, according to the League of Scholars’ thorough investigation. There were dozens from the Six Ministries and many more fro
m the Eastern and Western Depots and the Jinyiwei officers with whom they coordinate. The drug that the corrupt officials had been abusing had side effects that over time became quite apparent. One was the trembling of the hands and the other was a discoloration of the chest right above where the heart rested.

  “You have committed the greatest of crimes against the Ming Dynasty and the entire civilization of the Middle Kingdom! You have willingly sold our land and our sovereignty over to the Foreigners who want nothing more than domination and conquest of what Heaven has granted to us for over four and a half thousand years! You are all fools for failing to realize these foreign devils will grant you nothing; all they have promised you are but lies and deceit. They are all false, just as the effects of the drug with which you have been bribed!” The emperor was infuriated and the tension within the palace square ran extremely high amongst all who were present. “Most of all, you would attempt to murder me. ME! The one who holds the Mandate of Heaven! This is beyond treason. This is an offense against Heaven itself!”

  After the emperor had finished his address, the Terukk delegation present in the square made a hasty exit, seamlessly bypassing the secret police that stood by the gateways and paths. It appears that the guards had already had themselves sold to the Terukk.

  The emperor frowned but continued. Upon commanding the guilty to segregate themselves from the rest, Liu Jin and his coalition jumped out from the rest of the guilty.

  “You are wrong!” shouted Liu Jin defiantly. “The Terukk will bring unity, peace, and salvation to the world. They have power and wealth beyond our wildest dreams and they have graciously offered them in abundance to those who would are willing to join their campaign against all who refuse to see the truth!”

  “You know nothing of truth, you vermin. You and your kind are ignorant, blind and stupid for you have lost all sense of reality. Guards, seize them at once!” the emperor barked, at the Jinyiwei. The guards however, were hesitant to obey and remained at their post. The evil eunuch then rallied the guilty dozens to riot against the throne and summoned the officers of the fallen Jinyiwei to defend them. Their loyalties of the officers it seemed already belonged to the evil eunuch and his followers. In that same moment, the Scholars present at the square summoned the martial Academicians to come to the aid of the emperor’s personal guards and to the remaining loyal government officials and eunuchs. Hundreds of Jinyiwei and the hooded Academicians from both schools stood facing each other in the square tensed and ready to battle for the sovereignty of the Ming’s governance over the Middle Kingdom. Dozens of the emperor’s personal Capital Guards formed up alongside the Academicians.