Chapter 285: The Sacred Heart Is Unfathomable?

Although most civil officials were critical of the emperor’s repeated dispatch of eunuchs to the West, draining the national treasury, they kept their dissatisfaction to themselves when facing an emperor who held both military and political power. Even Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Revenue in charge of the treasury, could only sigh deeply after calculating the enormous expenses required to reward the soldiers who went to the West, lamenting that the treasury would be emptied again and again.

Upon learning that Zheng He’s fleet had arrived in Nanjing, Zhu Di immediately ordered him to come north. Once Zheng He arrived in Beijing, he was summoned to the Cool Hall, with all eunuchs and palace servants kept at bay. No one knew what was said between the emperor and his subject. What outsiders knew was that the emperor, showing compassion for Zheng He who had been at sea, bestowed upon him a brocade robe, a hundred gold ingots, and a residence in Beijing, allowing him to rest at home for several months without having to deal with palace affairs.

Yet on this day, Zheng He, who should have been resting at home, appeared with Zhu Di in the imperial city under construction. As an old servant of the YanMansion, he was deeply moved to see the former YanMansion transformed into the Ming imperial palace. When they reached the Taiye Pond, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “It seems this was once the western pond of theMansion?”

“You still remember!” Zhu Di was in high spirits. Seeing the shimmering water, he felt like taking a boat ride. When the accompanying eunuch nervously said the imperial boats weren’t ready yet, he angrily waved his hand and turned to Zheng He, saying, “Back then, those two brats, Gao Chi and Gao Xu, were playing by the pond and fell in together. They couldn’t swim and kept flailing around. The attendants tried to drive them away, but it was you, at just sixteen, who jumped in and saved them. Since you saved Gao Chi first and then Gao Xu, Gao Xu swallowed more water. When he came back, he even complained to me about you. Do you remember?”

It had been over twenty years since then, but Zheng He certainly remembered this incident, as well as how he was rewarded while twelve eunuchs and maids serving Gao Chi and Gao Xu were executed. Now that Zhu Di brought it up, he couldn’t help but recall Gao Xu’s fierce expression afterward. Though he had spent many years at sea, he had also served in the YanMansion for years and spent considerable time in the palace, so he quickly realized it was better not to engage further on this topic. After thinking for a moment, he smiled.

“The Emperor truly has a good memory. As for me, I’m not the same anymore; I’ve become quite forgetful. If it weren’t for Your Majesty bringing it up, I might have forgotten such an incident from the past. Over twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye. The Emperor rules over the land and commands the seas, the Crown Prince manages state affairs efficiently, and the King of Han is also extremely brave. Recalling the scene when the Emperor gathered all the generals in the Prince of Yan’s palace to swear an oath still feels like it was just yesterday. Even when I was traveling at sea, many places in the Western countries spoke highly of the Emperor’s administrative skills and military achievements.”

Zhu Di had always been proud, and hearing these words filled him with enthusiasm. Yet upon thinking of Zhu Gaoxu, who was arrogant yet lacked the necessary talent, he frowned. He had indeed promised Zhu Gaoxu the position of heir apparent, but after gaining power, he had too many things to consider. Moreover, although Zhu Gaochi was plump and big-eared, Zhu Zhanji was young and capable, so that promise remained unfulfilled. Still, he had always indulged Zhu Gaoxu, ignoring many of his actions. Only the year before last had he dealt with him harshly, yet even after sending him to Shandong, Zhu Gaoxu still refused to be quiet!

Could it be that Zhu Gaoxu really intended to follow in his footsteps?

After this thought crossed his mind, Zhu Di quickly suppressed it—Zhu Gaoxu was brave but lacked strategy, far inferior to him back in his day. Besides, although everyone said he had rebellious intentions, he might not actually dare to rebel!

After standing still for a full fifteen minutes, Zhu Di finally turned around and called out in a deep voice, “Zheng He, Zhang Qian, come forward. I have questions for you.”

Hearing this, Zheng He and Zhang Qian hurried forward a few steps. Facing Zhu Di’s solemn expression, even with their calm temperaments, they felt uneasy, unsure of what the emperor would order next.

“Though I am still as vigorous as Lian Po, and I have countless brave generals and soldiers at my command, gathering troops in the capital is not the proper way. Although the imperial guards are elite, it’s not convenient to deploy them regularly. I plan to have the Imperial Horse Supervision select strong and capable soldiers from various military units across the country, along with young men who fled from the Mongol Yuan dynasty, to train and care for horses in the inner court. This will require a reorganization of the inner court’s administrative structure. You two have spent years at sea and are not like other eunuchs in the palace who are only concerned with scheming and acting with ulterior motives. Please consider this matter carefully for me.”

The concepts of fourth-rank inner officials and fourth-rank outer officials are entirely different. Zheng He and Zhang Qian were eunuchs of the Inner Officials Supervision Agency and the Imperial Use Supervision Agency respectively, with ranks even higher than those of grand scholars like Yang Shiji, Yang Rong, and Jin Youzi. Yet when they met, they still had to bow to the ministers. Today’s eunuchs still follow the old system from the Hongwu era, where just a few positions allow a large group of people to use every trick in their arsenal. If not for their solid foundations, they might also be drawn into such struggles. Hearing Zhu Di speak like this, the two felt both inspired and terrified.

As a result, the Imperial Horse Supervision Agency, which originally ranked behind the Ritual Supervision Agency, Inner Officials Supervision Agency, Imperial Use Supervision Agency, and Department of Imperial Establishments, suddenly became highly influential. The temptation to restructure the inner court’s official system was even greater.

“Furthermore, the Jinyiwei has extensive powers to investigate officials, yet there is no oversight. If this continues, traitors like Ji Gang will inevitably emerge again. I intend to establish the Eastern Investigation Bureau to monitor the Jinyiwei and other officials, to be led by inner officials—this also falls under the reorganization of the inner court’s official system. The current members of the Ritual Supervision Agency are already old and incompetent. It’s time to replace them with younger, more capable people. You’ve just returned from the West, so please take care of this matter. When you set sail again tomorrow, I hope the inner court will be in good order.”

“I will strictly follow the Emperor’s wishes.”

Both Zheng He and Zhang Qian felt a sense of awe and hurriedly stepped back two steps before kneeling on the ground. The accompanying eunuchs and guards nearby understood that the emperor must have entrusted these two trusted eunuchs with some important task, and they each began to ponder what it might be. After Zhu Di returned to the cool hall, Zhang Qian and Zheng He both took their leave. Outside, they parted ways without exchanging many words.

Although they were eunuchs, like Zheng He, Zhang Qian also had a private residence outside the palace, but he spent most of his time inside, rarely leaving. Unlike Zheng He, who had special privileges and didn’t need to handle affairs, Zhang Qian went straight to the Imperial Use Supervision Agency as soon as he left the cool hall. Upon entering, he saw several eunuchs surrounding Lu Feng, flattering him, and immediately frowned.

Although Lu Feng was full of pride, his keen senses allowed him to spot Zhang Qian right away. He quickly left those eunuchs behind, welcomed Zhang Qian, and seated him in the center of the kang, then hurriedly ordered someone to bring tea. Only after Zhang Qian took a sip of the tea did Lu Feng smile obsequiously and say, “This morning, Scholar Yang and Scholar Jin came to the cool hall but found no one there. It seems the emperor took Eunuch Zhang and Eunuch Zheng to the palace city and left in frustration. Everyone says that although there are those grand scholars from the Wenyuan Pavilion outside, the ones from the Ritual Supervision Agency inside rely only on their age. But in truth, it’s Eunuch Zhang and Eunuch Zheng who enjoy the emperor’s highest favor.”

Although Zhang Qian had always been cautious and had no conflicts with Zheng He, Lu Feng deliberately placed him at the front and showered him with such blatant flattery, which still sounded quite pleasing to his ears. Thinking that this disciple had already risen to the fourth rank in just thirty years, he might become a great asset if nurtured properly, his expression immediately softened, and he waved his hand to send away the other eunuchs.

“The Emperor plans to reorganize the internal court hierarchy. You’re still young, so you have plenty of opportunities. Be careful not to let arrogance show on your face—the Emperor dislikes frivolous people. By the way, have you recovered from your injuries? After all, Lord Zhang saved you once. Even though he’s back now, you should go and express your gratitude.”

Upon hearing Zhang Qian’s words of advice, Lu Feng’s heart skipped a beat. Reflecting on his behavior over the past few days, he realized he had indeed become complacent. Fortunately, he was usually stingy; otherwise, if he had spent recklessly, the trouble would have been even greater! So, he quickly nodded repeatedly, his face showing deep gratitude.

“Master, rest assured. I will definitely go. If I go, others will surely point out my faults, and Lord Zhang might also face criticism. It’s not that I don’t want to go, but that I dare not.”

“Go if I say go!” Zhang Qian ordered firmly. Seeing Lu Feng frozen in place, he lowered his voice and said, “You’ve just returned, and you haven’t yet been assigned any duties in the palace. There are things you don’t understand. In short, even the Emperor knows he saved you once—so what’s there to avoid about going to thank him? If you think it’s too conspicuous to go… In just over half a month, it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Emperor will reward all officials as usual. Besides Zhang You, the deputy commander of the Left Army, he will surely give something to Zhang Yue as well. You might as well wait—there’s a good chance you’ll be sent to Zhang’s residence then.”

Although he knew the Zhang family enjoyed extraordinary favor, Lu Feng was still surprised by Zhang Qian’s assertion. Gathering his thoughts, he saw Zhang Qian sitting there calmly sipping tea. Recalling some news he had heard over the past few days, he immediately bent down and asked in a low voice, “Master, there’s something I really can’t figure out. The Emperor treats Princess Chenliu almost like a princess, yet the Imperial Clan Office submitted three lists of suitable candidates for her marriage, all of which were rejected by the Emperor. Could it be that the Emperor has already chosen someone? I heard that Lord Zhang hasn’t settled his marriage yet…”

Hearing these words, Zhang Qian almost choked on the tea he had just swallowed. He set down his teacup and glanced at Lu Feng, who sneered coldly before sending him away without saying a word. Only when the room was empty and he was alone did he recall a piece of writing written by Zhu Di during his northern inspection tour at the beginning of the Yongle era. Though that writing had long been burned, he remembered it clearly.
The Northern Yuan, princely states, and grain transport!
No matter how much favor she received, the Princess of Chenliu was still the daughter of the King of Zhou. Although the King of Zhou was Zhu Di’s full-blooded brother and had been extremely obedient since the beginning of the Yongle era, he still commanded over nine thousand troops under his three guards. In the current realm, aside from the Kings of Han and Zhao, only the King of Zhou still had his own guards and personal army among the imperial family members. Naturally, this aroused suspicion, and even the emperor might not be entirely at ease. For the officials in the imperial clan’s offices to choose suitors for the Princess of Chenliu only from the descendants of meritorious officials—wasn’t that foolish?