Chapter 347: The Emperor Clears Up Doubts? More Turmoil Arises

It was the twelfth lunar month, and the Timber Management Office had long begun supplying firewood to various palaces as per tradition, with the Renshou Palace receiving it first. Zhu Di, who was accustomed to living in Beiping during his time as the Prince of Yan, was not bothered by the cold weather. When he heard that Princess Wang was ill, he ordered half of the silver-frosted charcoal from the Renshou Palace to be sent to Xiuchun Pavilion. Although this violated the rules, everyone knew that the emperor cared least about rules, so no one dared to advise against it. However, with Princess Wang ill, there was no one left to advise Zhu Di. Thus, whether it was the Prince of Zhao or the imperial grandchildren and their husbands who came to visit her, their greatest hope was that he would refuse to see them, allowing them to leave after simply kowtowing outside.

Inside the East Warm Pavilion of the Renshou Palace, it was warm and cozy. Zhu Di lay on the bed, ignoring the pile of memorials and documents on the side table, lost in thought as he gazed at the ceiling. A maid knelt beneath the bed, massaging his knees and calves, sweating profusely but not daring to make a sound. Several eunuchs standing around held their breath, fearing they might suffer consequences.

At that moment, everyone was blaming Zhang Yue, who was far away in the south—had it not been for the uproar caused by his breaking the emperor’s sword, why would the emperor ignore high-ranking officials and instead vent his anger on them?

Just as the room was silent, a rustling sound came from outside. Soon, the thick red brocade curtain adorned with peacock patterns in front of the warm pavilion was pulled aside, and someone rushed in. The young eunuchs, unprepared for someone to enter at such a time, turned to see it was Huang Yan, a eunuch from the Imperial Secretariat, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Your Majesty.”

Zhu Di, snapping out of his daze, frowned and was about to get angry. Seeing Huang Yan standing bowing before him, his anger subsided slightly, though his tone remained impatient. “Haven’t I said it before? Unless it’s a major military issue like an invasion by the Mongols, let the six ministries and people like Yang Rong and Jin Youzi handle the rest. The capital has the crown prince as regent—there’s no need to bother me with every trivial matter!”

If it were anyone else hearing such a stern rebuke, they would have fled in panic. But Huang Yan, having served the emperor for decades, wore a smiling face without showing any fear. “Your Majesty, although it’s not a major issue, it is good news. Didn’t Prince Hening, Alutai, defeat the Taiping tribe with his troops earlier? Now he has sent envoys to offer New Year greetings and twenty fine horses as tribute.”

“It’s just dogs fighting each other. Such upstart clowns rebel from time to time. Their submission now is merely a temporary tactic—what good news is that?”

“The Emperor speaks truly. But had it not been for the Emperor’s two successive defeats of the Mongol Yuan forces, how could there be such submission now?” Though it was blatant flattery, coming from Huang Yan, who had served him for years, Zhu Di couldn’t help but smile. He immediately ordered Huang Yan to discuss matters such as the reception of New Year’s envoys with the officials of the Ministry of Rites. Yet after giving these instructions, Huang Yan showed no sign of leaving. Frowning slightly, Zhu Di asked, “Is there anything else that must be reported at this moment?”

Huang Yan casually glanced around. Seeing that the few eunuchs stood motionless like wooden statues with their hands at their sides, and the maid was still bent over, busy with her massage, with no one else around, he said with a smile, “This old servant just went to the Tongzhengsi and found a memorial sent from the Jiangnan region. After recording it, I brought it over right away. The rumors outside are untrustworthy; Lord Zhang would surely not dare deceive the Emperor with his own writings.”

“A memorial? His previous reports have already arrived. Why haven’t the officials of the six ministries and the Grand Secretariat come up with any plans yet?”

Seeing Huang Yan shake his head, Zhu Di grew impatient. “Those people only know how to guess the Emperor’s intentions! Zhang Yue was tough-hearted when fighting the Japanese pirates in Songjiang Prefecture and handling the aftermath, but now he’s become soft-hearted. Opening the sea trade is one thing, but smuggling was another matter. By law, those who dare to smuggle should all be put to death… Never mind. Compared to those traitors who collude with the Japanese pirates, these people are still forgivable. Besides, killing merchants at the beginning of opening the sea trade is an omen of misfortune. Here’s what to do: Execute only the ringleaders, spare their families, and deal leniently with the rest—just this once, and not as a permanent policy. As for those who collude with the pirates, there’s no need to kill them. Make them wear 50-jin weights at the entrance of the Maritime Administration until death! Go and convey this as my decree!”

Even someone as heartless as Huang Yan couldn’t help but gasp. While being beaten with a government rod could indeed kill someone, it was a short-term pain. But dying under such weights was a long-term suffering. He felt a chill down his spine and, after responding, respectfully handed over the memorial.

Having made up his mind, Zhu Di let out a long sigh and took the memorial from Huang Yan to read. The Ming Dynasty had no system of secret memorials. Apart from Zhang Yue’s previous informal notes and the regular reports from the Jinyiwei, all memorials were sorted and submitted by the Tongzhengsi. So he knew this document must have been carefully examined by many people. He had initially skimmed through it quickly, but after reading a few lines, his casual expression vanished.

“The Japanese pirates come from their country over long distances and must take advantage of the northeast winds. Yet the season when these winds are strong lasts only a few months each year. Why then do they attack at any time of the year? In the past, Emperor Taizu evacuated the people from the coastal islands to the interior, employing a strategy of fortifying defenses and clearing the land. Yet even so, some commoners colluded with the pirates, even supplying them with goods, allowing the coastal islands to fall under the control of pirates. Dongfan Island, in particular, became a haven for them. Now, Your Majesty is sending a large army to hunt down the pirates along the coast, which is the right way to eradicate this scourge and ensure peace along the coasts in the future.”

Zhu Di was naturally very concerned about such matters. After pondering for a while, he decided to summon his court officials to discuss it further. When he read about the merchants gathering at the maritime administration offices, a smile gradually appeared on his face. However, upon reaching the last paragraph, his previously relaxed brows furrowed tightly again.

“Some time ago, I happened to meet Wang Darong, the eunuch in charge of the Ningbo maritime administration, and we went together to the Wanren Market. Unexpectedly, we were attacked by assassins. They used hidden weapons to seriously injure a woman from the Fan family, killing her. The guards fought bravely and drove the assassins back. But due to my carelessness, I was caught off guard by a highly skilled assassin, who even broke my sword with a single arrow. I ordered a thorough search of the entire city using the tax registers and captured the assassin along with dozens of other suspects. These people were not merchants or vagrants; their identities could not be verified, and they had no permits or documents, making them highly suspicious! Some people say the broken sword was the emperor’s sword, which really surprised me. After all, only a few people know that the emperor bestowed a precious sword on me, and even fewer know it was once used in battles alongside the emperor. I wish to avoid arguing. When I return to the capital someday, I will surely wear this sword as a token of gratitude for Your Majesty’s kindness. I, Zhang Yue, bow deeply.”

Upon reading this, Zhu Di lightly tapped the memorial with his hand and smiled. “He actually says he doesn’t want to argue. When he returns with the sword, he’ll make those guys shut up! Good, good. Let those rumors spread—after all, the Jinyiwei aren’t idle!”

Although most eunuchs today are illiterate, Huang Yan was an exception. He had read this memorial countless times along the way. Even though he thought Zhang Yue’s memorial might dispel the emperor’s doubts, hearing Zhu Di’s words made him unhappy. Even if his trusted Wang Darong wasn’t involved this time, he didn’t want Zhang Yue and Lu Feng to take the credit.

Thinking of this, he slightly bowed and said with a smile, “Lord Zhang’s idea is truly excellent. Silencing those people with facts is indeed the best way. However, this memorial will surely be circulated among others, and who knows if those verbose officials might come up with other ideas, leading to even more rumors. They might think that the Imperial Sword is already broken and that the Emperor is protecting Lord Zhang, allowing him to deceive everyone—by then…”

“Nonsense!” Zhu Di’s expression darkened instantly. He sat up abruptly and said slowly, “That sword has accompanied me through countless battles. I remember every notch and scar on it clearly. Once he returns, I will take it back. How dare he deceive the Emperor! Hmm, once Zhang Yue arrives in the capital, I want him to bring back all the items I bestowed upon him—his imperial robes, the sable fur cloak, and the Imperial Sword—nothing shall be missing!”

“I’ve noted it!”

After responding respectfully, Huang Yan felt immensely proud. Even if the Imperial Sword wasn’t actually broken, from what he had learned, Zhang Yue’s sable fur cloak was long gone. That fool Zhang Fan had been scared off by Lady Wang’s actions; he wasn’t that stupid. In any case, either the sable fur cloak or the Imperial Sword—at least one of them would surely be missing.

It was thanks to that unyielding Prince of Han and his spies in Beijing that rumors spread throughout the city! Sable fur could only be obtained from the production areas as tribute, so other princes and officials wouldn’t lend it easily. Thus, the Prince of Zhao could gain a huge favor from Zhang Yue—though it was also a huge weakness for him.

Three days later was Lady Wang’s birthday, which coincided with her son’s first month. She naturally invited all the noblewomen to hold a grand celebration. As a result, Qingshui Alley in front of the Duke of Yingguo’s residence was almost completely blocked. Even the sick Consort Wang sent gifts. After the banquet, a stage was set up in the backyard for opera performances, with the noblewomen sitting in the pre-arranged heated pavilions. Since news of Zhang Yue’s memorial had already spread, the Zhang family was free from worries, creating a joyful atmosphere.

Lady Lu, the wife of the Marquis of Baoding, arrived a bit late, but as she was part of the Zhang family’s kinship, the guide led her straight to the central pavilion. After greeting everyone, she sat down to the left of Lady Wang. Seeing that everyone around her was from the Zhang family, she quietly shared the news that Meng Jun had just brought back.

“The Emperor has always been decisive and dislikes delays. Therefore, after a meeting with the ministers, he issued an edict that very day, approving Yue Geer’s request to let General Zhang lead his troops to Changle in Fujian to rest and resupply before heading straight for Dongfan. Additionally, the edict included a clause stating that when Yue Geer returned to Beijing, he must dress properly—without missing the qilin-patterned robe, the sable coat, or the imperial sword—and go straight to the palace to meet the Emperor.”
Lady Wang had been smiling, but upon hearing the last sentence, she was shocked. Fortunately, everyone’s attention was focused on Lady Lu at that moment, so no one noticed her. But Xi Yu, who knew everything well, understood what had happened and quickly changed the subject, exchanging a glance with Lady Wang.
The Emperor, busy with countless affairs, surely wouldn’t remember such a trivial matter. Who exactly had instigated him?