Chapter 306: Confidence Under Pressure

The emperor wanted to lift the sea ban!
This move sent ripples through the court. When Zhu Di proposed such a thing, all the officials present were thrown into turmoil. Although the decree to move the capital had not yet been issued, and although Nanjing’s crown prince was in charge there while another group governed Beijing—seemingly giving more importance to the south—everyone knew that those officials remaining in Nanjing would likely stay there for life, while those who followed the emperor to Beijing would truly become the pillars of the nation. It was easy to imagine that if the emperor succeeded in doing this, they would surely be considered real criminals.
“That’s an ancestral decree, from Emperor Hongwu—how can it be lightly abandoned?”
“Sending eunuchs to the West already violates ancestral traditions; lifting the sea ban is absolutely unacceptable!”
“To change ancestral traditions so casually is nothing but disloyalty and unfilial conduct!”
Amidst the endless discussions, it was the censors of the Censorate and the imperial secretaries who took action first. Petitions poured into the Bureau of State Affairs like snowflakes, and their determined attitude to persevere until their goals were achieved resembled that of the debates over moving the capital. Although Zhu Di was not a forgiving emperor, the officials exercised restraint in their wording, yet there were still some passionate youths who spoke boldly. The ministers and secretaries faced numerous accusations. At this critical moment, news suddenly spread.
It turned out that the idea of lifting the sea ban came from a minor sixth-rank official named Zhang Yue!
Though no one knew where the news came from or whether it was true or false, the officials’ focus immediately shifted. Zhang Yue’s past actions were dug up and analyzed in detail. The censors, skilled in writing, expressed their anger in various ways through their petitions. Some accused him of negligence during his tenure in Qingzhou, others of disobeying orders by deploying troops without permission, some of being tyrannical, and still others of showing favoritism to the people with ulterior motives. Many even accused him of ignoring the “Imperial Ancestral Instructions” and committing treason, deserving execution to atone for his crimes.
Unlike the outraged officials, the eunuchs in the palace were quite excited. Learning that Zhu Di had previously consulted Zheng He on this matter, some influential eunuchs even sneaked into Zheng He’s residence to gather information—about the products of foreign countries and the sea routes—some even boldly asking for maps. One day, Zheng He, too lazy to deal with his colleagues, wanted to keep his nephew Zheng Enming away from visitors. Unexpectedly, the chief eunuch Yang Qing showed up again.

Zheng He and Yang Qing were on good terms; they had sailed together before. Seeing him show up now, he was surprised and raised his eyebrows, asking, “These past few days, my doorstep has been nearly trampled apart by people. How come even you, Old Yang, have come to join in the chaos?”
“The news is spreading like wildfire. Something seems off about the situation, so I had to come and check it out,” Yang Qing said, sitting down on the kang opposite Zheng He. He looked around to ensure no one else was in the room before whispering, “Those censors initially were only focusing on Zhang Yue, but their actions have become strange these past few days. Many of them have turned their attention to you. Some even claim that you’ve accepted many rare gifts from local kings in the Western countries to enrich yourself, and that your soldiers secretly hoard spices and exotic medicines.”
Zheng He wasn’t concerned about the first point—he faced it every time he returned—but this was the first time anyone had mentioned the latter. After asking Yang Qing in detail, his expression grew increasingly serious, and he placed the teacup in his hands back on the kang table. Zheng Enming, who had sailed with Zheng He many times, quietly slipped out and waited outside.
“Old Yang, you’ve been with me before, so you should know what it’s like to secretly hoard spices and exotic medicines. The soldiers spend a year or two at sea, often dying from lack of fresh vegetables and fruits. The risks they face are far greater than those of ordinary soldiers. Although they receive rewards and their salaries are paid on time upon returning, what use are those gold coins? After going through so much trouble to bring back some goods from the West, they can exchange them for money to live a better life. Naturally, I have to turn a blind eye.”
Seeing Zheng Enming leave, Yang Qing spoke more freely: “You always send the same group of soldiers on these voyages to the West. Such practices are understandable—otherwise, who would be willing to leave their homes and go to sea, possibly at the cost of their lives? But those civil officials don’t understand these realities. They just try hard to find faults, without any concern for others! Those eunuchs came to see you because the lifting of the sea ban means an opportunity to make money. In your opinion, can the sea ban really be lifted?”
“Since the emperor has already spoken… Let’s just say that once the emperor makes up his mind, it’s useless for the ministers to oppose!”

Having followed Zhu Di for many years, Zheng He was well aware of the emperor’s nature. Having spent years at sea, he had developed the habit of chewing betel nuts. Habitually reaching for his waist, he found it empty and then saw the betel nut bag on the table. He took one out and began chewing slowly, lost in thought for a while before saying with a smile, “After all, those soldiers are experienced veterans who have sailed many times. Besides, it’s not a major issue—the emperor won’t care about such trivial matters. But Zhang Yue is under quite a lot of pressure this time. As a civil official, he knows that many people disapprove of a young man rising to power so quickly. Moreover, the emperor is decisive; mere words are not enough—he’ll likely assign Zhang Yue a task right away.”

In the Self-Reflection Study outside Zhang’s residence.

Although he had expected that no secret could remain hidden, Zhang Yue truly didn’t expect the turmoil to come so quickly and violently, especially under the emperor’s deliberate suppression. So soon, someone had pushed him to the forefront. Even though he was confined at home, he could sense the overwhelming pressure. Though he couldn’t hear any discussions at home, Lady Gu never showed any unusual reaction, and relations among his elders and brothers remained as before. But how could he not be aware of the anxiety in everyone’s hearts and even some people’s complaints?

“Young master, I’m back.”

“Come in.”

Zhang Yue, who was practicing calligraphy at his desk, put down his pen and looked up to see the burly Hu Qi pushing aside the thick cotton curtain as he entered. Having heard earlier that Lord Zhang Fu needed more men to train troops in Xuanfu, he planned to send a few more household soldiers from the Duke of Ying’s residence. Understanding the situation, he reported everything to Peng Shisan upon returning and then sent them away. After all, they were Lord Zhang Fu’s trusted household soldiers, and since they were needed now, he had no reason to hold them back. Fortunately, he now had the more reliable Hu Qi and the others by his side, so he wasn’t worried about lacking someone to handle confidential tasks.

“Any news?”

“The emperor, in his fury, ordered Lord Yuan to investigate thoroughly. He discovered that it was the eunuch Huang Yan from the Imperial Secretariat who leaked the information. But since this is a serious matter, acting rashly could backfire, so he didn’t report it directly and instead found a few scapegoats.”

Seeing Zhang Yue frown, Hu Qi hurriedly explained, “Huang Yan was once part of the Yan Wang’s household. He was originally the most trusted eunuch by the emperor, which is why he was in charge of the Imperial Secretariat. Even the princes and princesses treated him with respect. He had a poor relationship with the crown prince but was close to Prince Zhao, and he often corresponded with Prince Han. This man is extremely greedy; he extorted countless amounts of money and goods during his several trips to Joseon. His mansion in the capital is as magnificent as those of dukes and marquises. As for why he deliberately leaked the information this time, the reason has not yet been uncovered.”

If at first Zhang Yue had doubted Yuan Fang’s motives, after years of observation and careful consideration, he had gradually figured things out. He had developed deep trust and confidence in this elder—there really was no other possibility. So, he didn’t doubt Hu Qi’s answer at all, though he still pondered the matter.

Before leaving, the Princess of Chenliu had asked him through Xiao Wu to be wary of Huang Yan. Now that the Jinyiwei had confirmed it was indeed Huang Yan who leaked the information, why exactly did this top eunuch targeting the emperor want him? After all, he had never dealt with Huang Yan before and didn’t even know what he looked like. But if that old eunuch thought such pressure would throw him into chaos, he was underestimating both him and the emperor.

“Lord Yuan also mentioned that Huang Yan is on good terms with Lord Meng Xian. On the day of your marriage, Huang Yan disguised himself and went to Lord Meng’s house. It took him over an hour to leave, after which he went to Prince Zhao’s mansion. Lord Meng is too materialistic. After experiencing imprisonment, demotion, and the loss of his wife, he not only failed to reflect but now seems to have other schemes. The Jinyiwei has learned that he is about to return to Haifeng in Shandong to bury his deceased wife, and there seem to be many unfamiliar faces in his household.”

At the mention of Meng Xian’s name, Zhang Yue took a deep breath, feeling an indescribable headache. Without ambition, one cannot achieve anything, but excessive ambition often leads to failure rather than success. If Meng Xian continued to cause trouble repeatedly, it wouldn’t just affect the Meng family’s members; even the Bao Ding Marquis’s family might be dragged into it!

Grasping this firmly in his mind, he asked thoughtfully, “Have you told Lord Yuan about the matter in Fangling? And what does he think about the important matter I asked you to inquire about?”

“Lord Yuan said the matter in Fangling could be handled easily; he was very in favor of that important task.” Thinking of Yuan Fang’s expression of shock and joy at that time, Hu Qi also felt a sense of pride. “He said that next year, when the Eastern Depot is first established, it will surely rely on the manpower and information networks of the Jinyiwei, but eventually it will find other channels to bypass them. So it’s indeed necessary to plan ahead now. The Jinyiwei will face many difficulties in acting, so Lord Yuan also said we four should take care of it, after all, we’re all familiar with the details of the Jinyiwei’s operations. Also, he said that Eunuch Lu seems quite willing to interact with the young master, so the young master should keep him satisfied—it will be useful in the future.”
With Yuan Fang around, Zhang Yue wasn’t worried about the Jinyiwei keeping an eye on him. However, if a group of people from the Eastern Depot got involved, the feeling wouldn’t be pleasant at all—this was why he wanted to prepare in advance. After hearing this, he nodded in agreement and then called Hu Qi over to whisper something in his ear. Just as he was about to send them away, someone suddenly pushed aside the cotton curtain.
“Young… young master! There’s an imperial decree, an order from the palace!”
At the word “imperial decree,” Zhang Yue jumped in shock and immediately rushed outside. Hu Qi, who was momentarily stunned, realized that he hadn’t heard anything from Yuan Fang earlier, so he knew Zhang Yue must go back inside to change into a coat. He quickly grabbed Liansheng, who was about to follow, and demanded sharply, “Who is it outside?”
“Who? It’s that Eunuch Lu who came before!”
Liansheng was busy preparing the incense altar and other things; he had no time to talk much with Hu Qi. He broke free forcefully and dashed outside. Hu Qi, whose heart had been in his throat, finally realized—he had been worrying needlessly. If the emperor were angry enough to use Zhang Yue as a scapegoat, the Jinyiwei would have already intervened. How could Yuan Fang not have heard anything about it?