Chapter 675: Neither Human nor Object—Famous People Everywhere

The distance from the capital to Nanjing by land is just over a thousand li. With urgent messengers, it could take at most three to four days to reach, but for a large entourage traveling slowly, even ten times that time wouldn’t suffice. For someone like Zhu Zhanji, accompanied by dozens of civil and military officials and thousands of soldiers, it took a full month and a half to arrive in Nanjing. Before they even arrived, orders were sent ahead.
First, the people were not to be disturbed; second, no one was allowed to repair the palaces in Nanjing without permission; third, extravagance was prohibited. With these three orders, everyone from top to bottom settled down, and the local troops, who had been uneasy due to rumors of palace construction, also calmed down. Although no other confirmations were available yet, at least the monthly rations were paid out as promised, which was slightly better than suffering from famine.
On the day the crown prince’s entourage entered the city, embroidered fans and colorful banners covered the sky. The gleaming weapons, along with solemn drums and music, created an atmosphere of imperial dignity that spread from the entrance road throughout the city. Many people who came out to welcome them knelt by the roadside, peeking secretly. Behind the crown prince’s golden carriage were golden basins, jars, incense burners—even spittoons and cups were made of gold, leaving everyone in awe. After waiting for over an hour, the entourage finally passed by. The people got up from the ground, rubbing their sore legs, and began discussing in small groups.
“It’s been seven years since the late emperor went to Beijing!”
“Don’t complain about the long time. We chose to come and see the spectacle on our own—no one is forcing us! Besides, the crown prince’s entourage is much simpler than the emperor’s or the imperial procession. When the emperor left the capital in the 15th year of the Yongle era, it took nearly three hours for the procession to leave, and many elders fainted from kneeling so long!”
“True! But now we won’t get the chance to see such a spectacle. I wonder how long the crown prince will stay this time and whether he’ll come back. I heard the palaces in Nanjing are in ruins. Alas, why can’t our ancient capital of the Six Dynasties compare to those in the north? How wonderful the Jiangnan region is! If only the emperor would move the capital back here!”
“Shh, you’re right—there are indeed such rumors, and they sound quite believable. It’s said the current emperor doesn’t like the current capital and prefers Nanjing! Hey, as long as the emperor is willing to return, this place will soon be the seat of the emperor again!”

In the capital, nobles were everywhere. Though one often encountered domineering and tyrannical people, the likelihood of family destruction was lower compared to remote areas, and ordinary people had more opportunities to make a living, perhaps even leading a stable life—this was the simple thinking of some commoners. However, the nobles seated in the Crown Prince’s carriage did not consider things so casually. Having returned to Nanjing, he felt little nostalgia and instead kept ruminating on his mother, Empress Zhang’s instructions before leaving the capital.

The imperial palaces in Nanjing and Beijing were similar in layout. The Eastern Palace mainly consisted of Duanjing Hall, with administrative affairs handled in Wenhua Hall. After meeting with ministers from the six ministries and five bureaus in Wenhua Hall and setting the schedule for the ancestral temple ceremonies, Zhu Zhanji returned to Duanjing Hall. Since he was there by imperial order to pay respects at the Xiaoling Mausoleum, he did not bring any concubines along. From among the teachers in the Eastern Palace, he chose only Wang Rang, Zhang Ying, and Chen Shan, whom he favored, leaving the rest behind in the capital. After taking a nap, he got up, washed his face, had some light food, and then left Duanjing Hall with Chen Wu.

Although the imperial palace in Nanjing was repaired every year, it had been unoccupied for several years, with no new maids or eunuchs added. Cleaning was only done in the main halls, while other areas were barely maintained. In contrast, the Eastern Palace area was relatively well-kept. After all, Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji had only moved north after the official relocation of the capital, so this place had only been unused for three or four years. Yet, as he left the Eastern Palace and entered the area of the three main halls through Fengtian Gate, seeing Fengtian Hall lose its former luster, he couldn’t help but recall the thunder and fire that had struck years ago.

Though this hall was old, it still stood, while that towering hall had burned down—proof of how unpredictable life is.

“Your Highness, Chief Censor Liu is not at the Censorate.”

Hearing this voice behind him, Zhu Zhanji turned to see Huang Run rushing over, panting, with two attendants following. He nodded and said, “I know. You’re getting old—why go through such trouble personally? Liu Guan is eager; he starts investigating right away. Is there really something suspicious about this settled matter? Well, here’s what to do: Take a few people out of the palace. Don’t use my name. Visit the residences of various noble officials and relatives, listen to what they say, and finally go to Zhang Yue’s place.”

“I shall obey!”

Huang Run bent down deeply, and after lifting his head, he gave Chen Wu a subtle nod, signaling him to follow closely. Then he quickly left with the two eunuchs. As soon as he was gone, Chen Wu stepped forward and whispered, “Your Highness, the Emperor has already ordered Lord Liu to handle this matter. Isn’t it too obvious to send Lord Huang?”
“It doesn’t matter. Although Father has assigned Liu Guan to handle it, if he truly intended to do something drastic, the Jinyiwei and the Eastern Depot wouldn’t just send a few people as escorts. Liu Jun, the commander of the Jinyiwei in Nanjing, has set up secret prisons to extort ministers—he’s greedily corrupt and deserves death. That was what Father himself said. Liu Guan can’t just overturn that record. If he tries to play any tricks, I won’t stand by and do nothing. When it’s time to take responsibility, I must do so—that’s what Mother instructed me when I left the capital.”
Mentioning Empress Zhang, Chen Wu hurriedly agreed and fell silent, merely accompanying Zhu Zhanji as they visited various palaces, his mind racing. Everyone knew that the current emperor and empress had always gotten along well even while she was in the Eastern Palace, and the emperor’s successful ascension to the throne was largely due to Empress Zhang’s wisdom and competence. But ever since the funeral for Zhu Di, Zhu Gaochi seemed to have changed completely—spending almost every night with women, often appearing listless when handling state affairs during the day, with Empress Zhang taking care of most of the details. She tried to persuade him repeatedly, but his behavior only worsened. Even the doctors in the Imperial Medical Bureau were worried.
Such a king, regarded by all as kind and filial, had almost beaten Li Shimian to death not long ago and nearly punished Shu Zhongcheng and others for past grievances. If not for Yang Shiqi’s intervention and the Jinyiwei’s intervention, those people might have lost their lives.
As Zhu Zhanji said, Huang Run was only two years away from turning 60, and his health was indeed not what it used to be. After riding in a carriage to visit the Mu, Xu, and Guo families, he felt as if his body had fallen apart, and he no longer had the energy to visit other nobles. So he ordered to change course and head to the Zhang residence. It was nearly evening when he happened to meet Zhang Yue returning home on horseback on Hubu Street. He quickly pulled down the carriage curtain to call out to him.

During the national mourning period, musical ceremonies and other such activities were suspended for a hundred days, and officials were prohibited from getting married for a month. All court officials wore plain clothes, black gauze hats, and black sashes—Zhang Yue was dressed in this manner as well. Ever since he learned the results of the imperial examination, he had been in high spirits. Upon recognizing Huang Run, he smiled, rode over, and after a brief conversation, he realized that Huang Run had come to see him. Noticing Huang Run yawning constantly and looking unwell, Zhang Yue became suspicious and immediately asked, “The crown prince just arrived in the city today. After all the hardships along the way, Eunuch Huang should take some time to rest.”

Although Zhu Zhanji had ordered that visitors be introduced under Huang Run’s own name, since it was not someone else in front of him, Huang Run helplessly sighed and said, “Isn’t it the prince’s order? I just went to the Mu family’s and Xu family’s residences, as well as the Wuding Marquis’s estate… Ah, I’m too old to walk much longer, and I don’t want to visit other places either. So I came straight here. Anyway, what you say is better than those people’s nonsense!”

In the midst of joking, they arrived at Zhang’s residence. Since this was not a formal mansion, the main gate didn’t need to follow any strict structural rules, nor did it have any side gates. After entering through the main gate and passing through the screen door, there was a second gate that separated the inner and outer areas. Zhang Yue invited Huang Run into a small pavilion, but Huang Run looked around for a while before sitting down and then asked about the details of what had happened earlier. Since it was his own story, Zhang Yue naturally explained it thoroughly, not hiding even what Mu Xin had said to him on two occasions.

“With such a mess, those top-ranking nobles naturally couldn’t stand it. Moreover, Xu Jinghuang is a deputy commander of the Jinyiwei. The emperor granted him a real position due to his father’s influence—it wasn’t just a nominal title. So it became even more justified for him to take action!”

As Huang Run spoke, he shook his head. Just as he was about to lift his cup to drink tea, he suddenly remembered what Xu Jinghuang had said during his visit to the Xu family’s residence. Putting down his teacup, he said, “I heard that someone once accused the former Jinyiwei commander Yuan of having connections with your family, and some censors also impeached him based on rumors, but it was dropped later?”

When the old matter was brought up again, Zhang Yue remained completely calm. “It’s true. But that was during the flood in Kaifeng back then. I impulsively took my sisters to avoid the disaster. Since my family couldn’t be found, in my panic, I paid the Jinyiwei to help search for them. If that counts as a connection, then there are countless people with connections in the world. It’s just that some people jump to conclusions based on rumors—everything is nonsense.”

“That bunch of censors are just idle and corrupt; they’re greedy and yet still try to bite others—truly despicable!” Huang Run had never had a good opinion of the Censorate, so he blurted out an insult before putting on a serious expression. “I just arrived today, and Liu Guan isn’t at the Nanjing Censorate either—he must have gone out to look for some clues among the common people. Most of these accusations by censors are instigated by someone behind the scenes. Be careful!”
“Thank you for the warning, Eunuch Huang. I’ll be careful!”
Zhang Yue’s humble attitude pleased Huang Run. After sitting for a while longer and seeing that it was getting late, he prepared to leave. Just as he stood up, he suddenly remembered something and turned back, saying, “Lord Zhang, both my family and Chen Wu are trusted by the Crown Prince. It’s too noticeable for us to come and go frequently. If anything happens in the future, I’ll have Jixiang come to find you. He’s learned some reading and writing skills while in the capital and is better than ordinary people. The Crown Prince also trusts him greatly. Jixiang, come and greet Lord Zhang!”
Zhang Yue didn’t pay much attention to Huang Run’s introduction. After giving a polite response, he personally saw Huang Run out. When he turned back, he thought about how he had already warned Mu Xin. Now, he didn’t know how many nobles and disciples were watching that censor who wanted to cause trouble. All he needed to do was find his weakness and deal with him once and for all. Just then, he heard a commotion outside. As he stood up, a servant rushed in quickly.
“Young master, Master Chen has returned with those young scholars from the clan school!”
It was already early May, so these people had been away for most of half a year. Zhang Yue wasn’t surprised and quickly ordered them to be brought in. Soon, a large group rushed into the small garden hall. Master Chen, who was at the head, looked much thinner, but his spirit was much stronger than when he was in the capital. The students all looked tired from the journey, but their faces showed excitement. Sure enough, as soon as Zhang Yue asked about their findings, Master Chen, unlike the other students, sighed deeply.

“These days, most prefectures and counties prioritize official schools over private ones. The majority of talented people gather in county schools, prefectural schools, and imperial universities, leaving private academies far behind. This time, I first took them to Bailudong Academy in Jiangxi. To my surprise, even such a famous place was in ruins, while Yingtianfu Academy had completely disappeared. After traveling around the Jiangnan region, we visited about a dozen academies. The largest had just over a hundred people, while the smallest were similar to private tutoring schools, with teachers of varying quality. Those who were truly talented either lived in seclusion in the countryside teaching one or two students or strived for fame in official schools. Alas!”

Due to the prosperity of official schools at the beginning of the Ming dynasty, with strict assessments in institutions like the Imperial Academy, Zhang Yue naturally understood the plight of private academies. Yet upon hearing that the renowned Bailudong Academy was in ruins, he still lamented for a while. But compared to Master Chen’s disappointed shakes of head, the students were full of enthusiasm—some saying they had stood out at poetry gatherings, others claiming they had participated in discussions on classical texts. The atmosphere was extremely lively. Finally, a young scholar suddenly clapped his hands loudly.

“After passing by Bailudong Academy, we stayed in Chongren County for a few days. By chance, we heard from locals that there was a virtuous scholar living in seclusion. Master Chen took us to visit him, only to find that man merely kept to himself, ignoring us completely. We don’t know how learned he is, but he certainly has a great deal of arrogance. By the way, Master Chen, what was his name?”

Master Chen quickly explained to Zhang Yue, “His name is Wu Yubi, styled Zifu, with the literary name Kangzhai. Locals say he abandoned the imperial examinations before he turned twenty and has since lived in seclusion, achieving great scholarly mastery. It’s a pity we couldn’t meet him. Speaking of which, we encountered a young man around sixteen or seventeen outside his house. He said he was visiting the sage during his travels but was also turned away. He claimed to be from Suzhou, named… um, Xu Zhen. He also followed us to Nanjing, saying he would return after visiting Jinling to pay his respects to you.”

Zhang Yue felt the name Wu Yubi was familiar but couldn’t recall who it belonged to. Then he heard the name Xu Zhen and was momentarily stunned. The character “Zhen” was somewhat rare. He vaguely remembered that the famous Xu Youzhen had once used such a name. Could it really be him? If so, after meeting Yu Qian first, then Shi Heng and Xu Youzhen, if there was also an eunuch named Cao Jixiang, wouldn’t that mean all the most important figures from the Coup of the Palace Gates were gathered?

Wait—was that Jixiang mentioned by Huang Run earlier… could it really be Cao Jixiang?