Chapter 658: Those Who Do Not See Him Off and Those Who Do

The Inner Cabinet Building was located beside the south wall east of the Right Shun Gate in the imperial palace. Compared to the grand multi-eaved buildings in the palace, it consisted of just two small courtyards attached to the palace walls, with a few simple houses with large tiles on their ridges, looking rather unimpressive. During the Yongle era, although it was important, it was mainly used for the emperor’s consultations and the issuance of imperial edicts—essentially a secretariat. Yet now, it had become equivalent to most of the central government, even beginning to rival the six ministries. In terms of the emperor’s favor, almost none of the cabinet ministers were inferior to Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji.

Since Zhu Di’s death, the cabinet ministers took turns staying overnight in the building. Regardless of the importance of the matters reported in the memorials, they drafted documents and submitted them, with few being rejected over the past few months. The greater the responsibility, the more cautious everyone became. Even the most energetic Yang Rong ended up with red eyes from staying up all night, not to mention Jin Youzi and Huang Huai, who were already in poor health. Seeing this, the experienced Yang Shiqi submitted a request, and Zhu Gaochi approved a ten-day rotation break.

When Zhu Di selected scholars to work in the Wenyuan Pavilion, he never appointed a single person as chief minister, but there was still a hierarchy in terms of favor. Initially, Jie Jin stood out for his eloquence and wit, but later angered the emperor by getting involved in the succession issue and was frozen to death in the snow by the imperial guards. After that, Hu Guang gradually became the leader, rising to become a grand scholar of the Wenyuan Pavilion and in charge of the Hanlin Academy. After Hu Guang’s death, Yang Rong became the most favored. However, after Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne and rewarded the cabinet ministers, Yang Shiqi, who had long served as an official in the Eastern Palace and assisted the crown prince on several occasions, established himself as the top minister. The other cabinet ministers, though they had their thoughts, kept them to themselves.

That day, Huang Huai asked for leave due to illness. It was Yang Shiqi’s turn to cover his duties, but suddenly a eunuch from the inner palace rushed over, smiling and saying that since Yang Shiqi was on leave, the emperor had specially given him some gifts. Seeing this, Yang Rong joked that there were still three people there, enough to handle things, and quickly sent Yang Shiqi back. After Jin Youzi was summoned to the Qianqing Palace by the emperor, he casually glanced at Du Zhen.

“Yishan, these past days, Zongyu and Youzi have fallen ill one after another. You and Shiqi have taken turns covering for them, hardly even returning home. Leaving the Longevity Festival aside for now, the Oirats certainly wouldn’t dare harm our Ming envoys, but your proud disciple and son-in-law should be setting off for the south today. Even if you don’t go to see him off, you should at least send a message. Are you really that unconcerned?”

Du Zhen, who was busy writing, didn’t even lift his head upon hearing this. He continued writing without pause and said indifferently, “He’s not a child anymore; he’s in his early twenties now. He’s experienced everything, so he doesn’t need my guidance. Each generation has its own blessings. His temperament can withstand hardships, and he’s going to a prosperous area in the south. There’s nothing for me to worry about.”

“You’re quite open-minded as a mentor!” Yang Rong shook his head irritably before sitting down and casually flipping through a memorial, then adding, “Because Xia Yuanji spoke up, the matter of abolishing the Maritime Trade Commission has been put on hold for now. But since the emperor often says he wants to uphold ancestral traditions, it seems he’s reluctant to make this concession. I fear that day will come within a few days. As for the Daping project in Danning, it’s approved by the Five Army Commanders, so it hasn’t been mentioned again these days. To be honest, the income from the Maritime Trade Commission is far from enough to cover the costs of warfare.”

“That’s why military actions must be precise. Sending hundreds of thousands of troops on distant expeditions requires corresponding results,” Du Zhen said seriously, lifting his head and rubbing his sore wrist. “The Maritime Trade Commission is about long-term benefits. If we can restore the prosperity of the Song Dynasty decades from now, its advantages will become evident. As for the border regions, the focus should be on settling farmers there. If this can be sustained, the troops stationed there won’t just avoid draining the national treasury but will also help maintain the defense.”

When the topic turned to military affairs, Yang Rong became enthusiastic. He put aside the memorial he was holding and took another one to discuss the fourteen military proposals he was about to submit. Although Du Zhen wasn’t the best discussion partner like Jin Youzi, he was an excellent listener—often the most patient in the cabinet, and his decisions at critical moments were never ambiguous. But at this moment, as Yang Rong spoke at length, he became somewhat distracted.

Should Zhang Yue set off now?

With the cold winter and national mourning combined, the capital was naturally solemn, even after the most difficult day, the 27th, had passed. Zhang Yue had already informed most of his relatives and friends in advance, so not many people came to see him off that morning when he left home. Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi took time off specifically to see him off together with Zhang Jiu, while Fang Jing and Gu Bin also arrived. A large group accompanied him all the way outside the city. Xiao Wu, on the other hand, was in the same carriage as Du Wan, along with Zhang Jing, who stubbornly followed them.

Besides Zhang Yue’s family, Sun Han’s family also accompanied them. Due to the frozen canal, they could only take the official road to the south of the Yangtze River. Therefore, in addition to bringing plenty of thick clothes, they also carried a lot of firewood for warmth in case of difficult travel conditions caused by snow and wind. Even so, after leaving Xuanwu Gate, Zhang Yue listened to another long lecture from his father, Zhang Zhuo.

“Be sure to keep well the things I gave you earlier. Once you arrive in Nanjing, you can use them to mobilize the staff and funds of those silk shops. Remember to tell Uncle Yuan that money is dead while people are alive; if anything goes wrong, it’s worth emptying the warehouses. Also, things there are not what they used to be—there’s no longer a Prince of Chengguo or a Marquis of Xiangcheng, so you must be extra careful in everything. And…”

Seeing his father giving detailed instructions, Zhang Yue listened carefully and patiently before asking when Zhang Zhuo would return to Henan. Upon learning that his uncle Zhang Xin was worried about his nephews in the capital and asked Zhang Zhuo to stay at home, and that the Sun family would also be coming to the capital soon, he couldn’t help but smile, then sigh. “It’s a pity I won’t be able to see my mother this time; I wonder how much she’ll nag me later.”

“Your mother has only you as her son. Ever since you grew up, we’ve been apart often, and she worries about you all the time.” Seeing Zhang Yue straighten his clothes and prepare to bid farewell, Zhang Zhuo quickly helped him up and gently patted his shoulder. “Remember, it’s not about achieving greatness, but about avoiding mistakes. Your uncle Yuan often acts too rashly—you need to keep an eye on him when necessary!”

This final advice made Zhang Yue laugh silently, but he still nodded firmly before going to say goodbye to his brothers. Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi, who both didn’t like to beat around the bush, each said just one sentence but gave Zhang Yue a tight hug. Zhang Jiu, holding Fang Jing, vowed firmly that he would pass the imperial examination next year. Gu Bin, who was usually cold and reserved, pulled Zhang Yue aside.

“I don’t have much else to say. On your journey to the south, you need to be especially careful of the censor officials. Back when Emperor Taizong was alive, they couldn’t do anything to you, but things are different now. The higher the Zhang family stands, the more noticeable they become. No one dares to touch the Duke of Yingguo, but it’s different for you. Titles like Grand Tutor or Commander of the Central Army are just for show.”

“Thank you, Little Seven Brother. Don’t worry, I’ve taken it all down.” Zhang Yue observed Gu Bin’s increasingly calm demeanor and suddenly thought to himself that a cold-hearted teacher like Du Zhen had such a student as him, while the clever and eloquent Yang Rong had such a reserved disciple—life was truly interesting. Gathering his thoughts, he couldn’t help but tease, “I just hope that when I return, I’ll be able to pay a visit to my Little Seven Sister-in-law!”

After saying this, he saw Gu Bin turn red in shock. With a sly smile, he slipped away and headed to Du Wan’s carriage. Seeing Xiao Wu get off the carriage with red eyes and his sister Zhang Jing also in tears, he could only watch as Du Wan comforted them one by one. After things settled, he spoke gently to Xiao Wu, “I’ve asked my uncle and several colleagues in the Ministry of War to take care of Lao Wan. I’ll let you know as soon as there’s any news. Xiao Wu, stay calm—he will surely return safely.”

Xiao Wu nodded stiffly, but her nose stung again, and tears streamed down. Just as Du Wan was comforting her by putting an arm around her shoulders, the sound of horse hooves came from the north side of the road. Soon, several riders rushed forward, escorting a carriage. Zhang Yue looked up and immediately recognized the man beside the carriage as Chen Wu, one of Zhu Zhanji’s most trusted eunuchs.

When the carriage stopped nearby, Ying Mama got out first. She nodded at Zhang Yue and Du Wan, then helped Zhu Ning down. Since she was going out, Zhu Ning wasn’t wearing hemp clothes but was dressed in plain black, with a plain cloud-patterned cloak over it. After stepping forward with Ying Mama, she glanced at Chen Wu, who was following closely behind, and then gave a bitter smile.

“I had already said goodbye to Wan’er; there was no need to send me out of the city in such a showy manner. But someone insisted on using this as an excuse to see me off. Chen Wu, what are you standing there for? Why don’t you tell me what your master sent you to do?”

Since all the eunuchs and maids in the palace were in mourning, Chen Wu too wore hemp clothes underneath and a plain dress on top. Hearing Zhu Ning’s annoyed words, he quickly stepped forward, glanced at the Zhang family not far away, then lowered his voice and said, “Lord Zhang, the Crown Prince sent me to tell you that he has read all the memorials you submitted to Emperor Taizong. After implementing those policies, each one has shown its own results. Abolishing them now would require doing it one by one—it’s not that easy. He will surely try to delay things; you must not lose heart.”

Though it wasn’t an official decree, its meaning was similar enough, so Zhang Yue quickly bowed in response. After Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne, he first pardoned the former officials of the Jianwen era, then boldly abolished many of the Yongle-era policies. Some of these reforms were indeed commendable, while others simply reverted to outdated practices. Having served as the crown prince under the domineering Emperor Zhu Di for over twenty years, he had finally shaken off that shadow and seemed determined to turn things upside down. Yet he couldn’t rely solely on the emperor’s short lifespan, so there was still much to be done—after all, history was no longer what it used to be!

He had thought Chen Wu had finished his instructions, but after a pause, the eunuch from the Eastern Palace cleared his throat slightly and added, “His Highness the Crown Prince says you should not just idle away your time in Nanjing. You might as well prepare more of those memorials and proposals you submitted to Emperor Taizong. The emperor may not want to read them, but His Highness does!”

At these words, not only did Zhu Ning burst into laughter, but Du Wan also smiled, and even Xiao Wu, who had been sad earlier, grinned, revealing his adorable dimples. Only Zhang Jing didn’t understand any of this. Tilting his head, he looked at the adults in confusion and reached out desperately to pull on Zhang Yue’s sleeve. After a moment of daze, Zhang Yue finally came back to his senses.

“If that’s the case, please convey to His Highness the Crown Prince that I will obey his orders.”

“Is that all? It’s a shame to waste such great talent like yours, Lord Zhang,” Chen Wu said jokingly after completing his most important task and sighing in relief. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and turned back. “Do you still remember Commander Wei from the palace army’s vanguard? He’s been transferred there ten days ahead of you and is probably feeling down right now. When you get there, give him a message from His Highness—say he still remembers him.”

It was the simplest task possible, and delivering such a message could only bring benefits, so Zhang Yue was happy to help. After Chen Wu left, he couldn’t help but thank Zhu Ning repeatedly, but the Princess of Chenliu merely gave him a disdainful look.

“No need for thanks. I’ve already taken the blame once; I’m not afraid of more rumors now. Otherwise, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wouldn’t have sent someone like this. If you really wanted to thank me, you should have found a way to come back earlier—that would be proper.” Before Zhang Yue could speak, Zhu Ning pointed at the people not far away and then said, “Whether you admit it or not, your brothers regard you as their leader, your father has high hopes for you, and your friends are willing to listen to you. You’re not alone.”

Zhang Yue wasn’t the eldest at home—there were two older brothers and a sister. But Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi never acted like elders; instead, they came to him first for advice when problems arose. His older sister, Zhang Qing, had married early, so he had long been used to taking charge. Among his friends, he often acted as the chief advisor, even in front of his father. Perhaps the only one who treated him like a child and wanted to protect him at all costs was his mother, Lady Sun. Hearing Zhu Ning’s words, he felt deeply moved.

Du Wan couldn’t help but laugh. “Sister really sees through his true nature!”

Without waiting for Zhang Yue’s reply, Zhu Ning reached out to take Xiao Wu’s hand, then turned around and said, “You don’t need to worry about Xiao Wu. Now that I’m in the capital, I’ll take care of her. I’m taking her away to talk. Have a good journey.”

After saying that, she called out to Chen Wu, “Stop standing here. Everything that needs to be done has been done. If you don’t go back now, your master will worry! There are so many people coming and going here. It’s fine if they recognize me, but it would be troublesome if they recognized you!”

Seeing Xiao Wu wave at him as Zhu Ning pulled her onto the carriage, Zhang Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief. With Zhu Ning around, he could rest easy about Xiao Wu—no need to worry that she might get impatient and run off to the grasslands. Just then, he heard the sound of melodious drums in the distance. After a moment of surprise, he realized what it was.

He almost forgot—today, the one who was banished from the capital was also that coward, King Han Zhu Gaoxu! That man came in a huff, but now wasn’t he leaving in frustration? If it weren’t for the demand he made of Tang Sair, Zhu Gaoxu would likely be dead by now.