Chapter 555: Worrying About the Collapse of the Mausoleum

Upon arriving in Kaiping, Zhu Di issued an edict stating that all domestic and foreign affairs should be handled by the crown prince, while major military matters would be discussed among the five ministries and six departments before being reported to the crown prince for decision. No further reports were needed to the imperial court. But who would take this seriously? Thus, despite being accustomed to acting as regent, Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi was still extremely busy.

Although he was not officially in charge of the northern expedition, the logistics of transporting military provisions were enormous. Almost all the ministers and deputy ministers were also responsible for transporting grain, leaving him with few available resources. Moreover, as if heaven itself wanted to make things worse, he had hardly had a moment of success in those months.

In early May, hurricanes, storms, and floods hit Guangzhou and other provinces in Guangdong, killing over 360 people, destroying more than 1,200 houses, and ruining over 25,000 stones of grain stored in warehouses. He was forced to send officials from the Ministry of Revenue to assess the situation. In mid-May, he sent envoys thousands of miles away to present fruits and vegetables to his father, only to be reprimanded harshly. In June, under his father’s orders, common criminals were sent to the front lines to atone for their crimes, while corrupt officials were tasked with overseeing the transport of military provisions. Then there were repairs to the Xiaoling Mausoleum and sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the death of Princess Zhou, envoys from Champa and Xisha bringing tributes, and floods in North and South Zhili, Shandong, and Henan… As his birthday approached, he had no interest in celebrating, and he was furious at Lu Zhen’s suggestion that all officials should come to pay their respects.

“You are the Minister of Rites—don’t focus only on my birthday! Although you’re not in charge of military provisions, Minister of War Zhao Jin, Minister of Works Li Qing, and Censor-in-Chief Wang Zhang are either overseeing transportation or funding. Besides the Ministry of Rites, you’ve also been ordered to handle matters related to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue. You must do your best! There’s still a shortage of military provisions, and more laborers, don’ts, and animals need to be assigned. Autumn is approaching, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians are outside the Great Wall. Any delay could lead to countless deaths from cold and hunger. How can you remain calm? You don’t need to worry about other matters—just handle the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War properly, and that will be a great merit. Otherwise, if someone holds you accountable for past mistakes, all my efforts will be in vain!”

The crown prince was usually gentle in speech, so his rare severity frightened Lu Zhen greatly. After promising to comply on the spot, he grew suspicious once he left the Duanjing Hall. Previously, his son-in-law, Zhang Hechao, an official in the Ministry of Revenue, had committed a breach of protocol, and it was only after Lu Zhen pleaded with the crown prince that the accusation from the Honglu Temple was dropped. Judging from the crown prince’s tone, could it be that someone was dissatisfied with this matter? Over the years as an official, he must have offended many people. It seemed he needed to be more careful from now on.

“Minister Lu.”

Hearing this call, Lu Zhen, who had been lost in thought, immediately came back to his senses. Seeing that it was Liu Guan, the Censor-in-Chief, greeting him, he nodded with a smile. He was about to exchange a few words before returning to his office to attend to his own affairs when Liu Guan suddenly stepped forward and whispered, “Recently, many people in the Censorate have intended to impeach Minister Lu. I’ve put those attempts on hold for now. Fang Bin is dead, and Xia Yuanji and Wu Zhong have been imprisoned. Minister Lu must be extra careful and not give anyone any grounds to attack him. By the way, have you heard the recent military reports? The emperor has achieved a great victory in his campaign against the Wulangha and is likely to return soon…”

Liu Guan kept talking nonstop, but Lu Zhen knew the old man’s habit of being cryptic. He understood that only one or two key points were important, and he would have to figure out the rest on his own. When Liu Guan bowed with a smile and headed up the steps toward the Duanjing Hall, Lu Zhen snorted in disdain. Although Chen Ying had been strict in the past, he was still better than this shameless fellow. As a Censor-in-Chief, he often summoned official prostitutes during banquets, setting a poor example; there were hardly any decent censors in the Censorate!

However, dealing with such people was convenient—as long as enough benefits were distributed, Liu Guan wouldn’t stick to any principles. Since Liu Guan had said he had put aside the censors’ impeachment attempts, Lu Zhen could simply return the favor by helping Liu Guan’s son, Liu Fu.

Zhu Gaochi wasn’t naturally energetic, and now that Zhu Di was gone, he, as the crown prince, had to preside over court meetings before dawn every day and then review memorials. After a few months, even the strongest person would be exhausted. With only Yang Shiqi left in the Grand Secretariat, the countless tasks were impossible to handle. So by afternoon, he would take a nap, while Crown Princess Zhang sorted through the memorials submitted by the Grand Secretariat and classified them by urgency. Those that weren’t critical were reviewed and approved by eunuchs like Fan Hong from the Eastern Palace based on Yang Shiqi’s suggestions, while the more important ones were personally reviewed by Zhang before he approved them after his nap.

Zhang, however, was an energetic woman. She finished sorting everything in just two hours. After ordering everyone to arrange the memorials neatly, Zhong Huai, who was usually in charge of the Eastern Palace’s affairs, rushed in. After bowing, he remained silent. Realizing there might be trouble, she pulled back the curtain and went into the inner room, with Zhong Huai following closely behind.

“News came from the main camp saying that a secret report had arrived at the emperor’s court. The emperor was furious upon reading it. Only Zhang Yue was present at that time. Since water couldn’t get into the imperial tent, only those outside heard fragments of the conversation, seemingly the emperor asking… who among the crown prince and the grand crown prince was more fit to inherit the throne.”
“The emperor actually asked that?” Lady Zhang raised an eyebrow and asked Zhang Yue carefully for an answer, but Zhong Huai shook his head, saying he hadn’t found out. She frowned briefly but soon relaxed. When Zhang Yue went to Dezhou to welcome them, she had seen him write a family letter on behalf of Zhu Zhanji—clearly a steady young man who shouldn’t stumble over such a topic. After pondering for a while, she asked again, “By the way, why was the emperor angry?”
“That’s really something I couldn’t find out,” Zhong Huai said, feeling somewhat suspicious. If even the emperor’s words to Zhang Yue could be overheard, yet no one knew how Zhang Yue replied or why the emperor was angry? Seeing Lady Zhang frown again, he quickly added, “But what’s more important is another matter. For some reason, within three days, neither Yang Rong nor Jin Youzi left the imperial tent at all. Moreover, it’s said the emperor has sent Zhang Yue back, but no one knows where he went.”
Though Zhong Huai spoke obliquely, an uncontrollable thought arose in Lady Zhang’s mind—could something be wrong with the emperor? Although she was deeply favored by the emperor and respected by the crown prince, years of trying to mediate between these two supreme figures had left her physically and mentally exhausted. Yet the thought that the emperor might be in trouble still sent shivers through her. After asking Zhong Huai a few more questions, she calculated that Zhu Gaochi should be nearly done with his noon nap, so she led her people to the cool pavilion west of her palace. But when they reached the entrance, a eunuch stopped her with a troubled expression.
“Your Highness, the crown princess, I’m sorry, but the crown prince is currently meeting with Grand Secretary Yang and Scholar Du.”
“Scholar Du?”
Lady Zhang was slightly stunned and immediately took Zhong Huai to a side hall to wait, her mind filled with suspicion. After years of marriage, Zhu Gaochi had a strict habit of taking his noon nap every day. It was extremely unusual for him to get up early to meet someone before the time. Du Zhen had been released from prison and reinstated as a Hanlin scholar, but he was ordered to rest at home. Was he here at the crown prince’s summons or introduced by Yang Shiqi? Her head ached from thinking. Suddenly, Zhong Huai interjected.

“Your Highness, the Crown Princess, I’ve forgotten one more thing. Lu Feng hasn’t been to the Eastern Depot for over ten days. Even if it were heatstroke, it shouldn’t last that long—after all, autumn is almost here. He was originally introduced by Eunuch Zhang of the Imperial Surveillance Bureau. Should we ask Eunuch Zhang to check on him? Though he claims to be loyal to the Eastern Palace, such things are hard to trust.”

The ability to draw inferences is an essential quality for those in the royal family, so Zhong Huai suggested this. Crown Princess Zhang not only asked Zhang Qian to visit Lu Feng, who was said to be suffering from heatstroke, but also consulted the Crown Prince to send envoys to comfort the officials who had been busy throughout the summer. Those getting married would receive twenty taels each, with noble families receiving double that amount. The nearby Wu’an Marquis’s and Yangwu Earl’s households also received rewards, though they were larger than those given to other officials and nobles, as the heads of these two families were either stationed in the military or accompanying the army on a northern expedition. Zhang Qian, who came in person, specifically visited Lady Gu and also met with Du Wan in the name of the Crown Princess.

Having endured the initial difficult period of vomiting incessantly, Du Wan was now somewhat better, but her mobility was becoming increasingly limited. Although Zhang Qian was an eunuch, being alone with him still felt extremely unusual to her. She handled every word carefully while also trying to figure out why he had specifically asked to see her.

After talking for a while, Zhang Qian picked up his teacup and took a sip, then looked up and said, “What I asked earlier was necessary, as I need to report back. But I’d like to ask Lady Du—have you received any letters from Lord Zhang recently? Do you know when he’ll be returning?”

This question was quite sudden, and Du Wan felt even more convinced that Zhang Qian’s purpose was related to Zhang Yue. However, since Zhang Yue had gone to Kaiping, all communication had almost ceased. The only updates came from the Rear Army Command, stating that he was safe, but nothing more. At this point, she simply answered truthfully and then asked directly, “Since Eunuch Zhang is asking, could you tell me how he is now?”

“As far as I know, Lord Zhang isn’t at the main camp right now. He’s probably on his way back. As for where he is, no one knows. It’s said he’s acting under imperial orders.” Seeing Du Wan frown thoughtfully, Zhang Qian whispered, “Lady Du, I must warn you. If Lord Zhang does return secretly to see you, you should tell him. If there’s indeed a crisis in the north, urgency demands flexibility—he shouldn’t be too rigid and risk missing important opportunities.”

These two simple words carried an unpredictable crisis. Although Du Wan agreed verbally, she felt inexplicably nervous. This expedition was different from those in the eighth and twelfth years of Yongle’s reign—though the army was invincible, the emperor was already old. If Zhang Yue really returned, not only those behind Zhang Qian in the Eastern Palace but countless others would want to know the emperor’s condition. After all, once the emperor passed away, the world would change hands!

After seeing Zhang Qian off, Du Wan wanted to ask Zhao Hu for details, but due to the strict separation between inner and outer areas, and with her large belly, she had no excuse to leave the house. If the elders found out, there would surely be chaos again. Yet, she couldn’t help but worry if she didn’t ask. After hesitating for a while, just as she resolved to go out, the bamboo curtain suddenly shook violently, and soon after, a chubby little boy stumbled in.

“Mom… Mom!”

Seeing it was her son, Du Wan’s brief confusion vanished instantly. Amber, who was waiting nearby, quickly picked up the child and gently placed him on the kang. Lingxi followed in and saw Jingguan gripping Du Wan’s arm and laughing nonstop. She too wore a smiling face.

“Ever since the ‘catching objects’ ceremony, Jingguan seems like a different person—much more lively. He used to refuse to walk but now runs around everywhere; he used to only want to sleep, but now he insists on being taken out to play as soon as he wakes up. Just now, I let him go outside, and he ran back in by himself. Young mistress, you needn’t worry anymore. Indeed, a year older makes a difference.”

Feeling her son’s soft little hands on her shoulders, Du Wan gently pulled him closer. Seeing his dark, bright eyes fixed on her, she pinched his chubby arms and hands. The child immediately called out “Mom” again. Though it wasn’t the first time she heard him call her that, she was still overjoyed and played with him for a while. At that moment, Qiu Hen, carrying a small tea tray, entered the room. Seeing Jingguan crawling around on the kang, she smiled too. She set the tray on a side table, handed Du Wan a teacup, wiped her hands, and took out a letter from her bosom.

“Young mistress, this was just delivered at the gate. It says it was opened by Princess Chenliu.”

Du Wan, who had been thinking about Zhang Yue, quickly reached out to take it upon hearing these words. But as soon as she opened it, she remembered that she hadn’t seen Zhu Ning since returning from Xuanfu. Mother Ying had visited once in May, but after that, Princess Feng passed away. Although she sent people to offer condolences, the messages they brought back were only brief. This time, Zhu Ning only sent a letter—nothing else, which was quite strange.

She read the letter from beginning to end and found it filled with trivial matters, making her even more confused. It wasn’t until she saw the words “Cui Mo” at the end that she paid attention. Before going to Xuanfu for the New Year, she had accompanied Zhu Ning to the Meng family’s house, where Zhu Ning seemed very close to Cui Mo and gave her some extra instructions. It had seemed normal at the time, but could there be something important going on? If so, even if she couldn’t go herself, she would have to find a way to bring that person over for a meeting.