Chapter 683: A Great Change Is Imminent

On the fifth day of the fifth month, the Dragon Boat Festival, the palace would traditionally bestow colored silk threads and mugwort on its officials, while households busied themselves cooking zongzi. The weather in the capital these days was particularly erratic—often sunny enough to dazzle one the previous day, only to be followed by sudden downpours the next, with temperatures swinging wildly. Those in good health might cope, but the elderly and frail often couldn’t withstand such fluctuations. At least one-tenth of the officials in the six ministries took leave due to illness, and Huang Huai from the Grand Secretariat also retired home because of illness.

The military officers, having trained since childhood and possessing strong physiques, plus being mostly young, saw no absences in the Five Armies Command. However, Zhu Yong, the Duke of Cheng, who had taken leave due to illness since the new emperor ascended the throne, still hadn’t returned, and his mansion had remained closed for months without any visitors. Yet on this day, the three large doors adorned with gold-painted animal faces and tin rings were unusually wide open, and Zhu Yi, Zhu Yong’s five-year-old eldest son, personally went to the door to greet them.

The Zhang and Zhu families had long been acquaintances, so Zhang Fu’s visit didn’t need to be so formal. Yet even he hadn’t set foot in this duke’s mansion in months. It was only because the emperor mentioned it that he was allowed in, requiring some formalities first. After completing the necessary rituals, he and Zhu Yi walked inside and asked a few questions about the situation. But since Zhu Yi was still young, though well-mannered in his actions, he couldn’t provide details.

In the Ming Dynasty, titles were rarely granted without military achievements, and the rank of duke was even rarer. Among the many dukes conferred during the Hongwu era, only the Xu family, the Duke of Wei, remained. The Deng family, the Duke of Wei, the Feng family, the Duke of Song, and the Li family, the Duke of Han, had had their titles revoked in connection with the Lan Yu and Hu Weiyong cases. The Chang family, the Duke of E, and the Li family, the Duke of Cao, were demoted after Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, ascended the throne. The title of Duke of Xin remained vacant for decades after Tang He’s death due to disputes among his descendants.

Thus, in reality, there were only five ducal families left: the Zhang family, the Duke of Ying; the Zhu family, the Duke of Cheng; the Xu family, the Duke of Wei and Duke of Ding; and the Mu family, the Duke of Qian. The Mu family was stationed in Yunnan, while the Xu and Ding families held only nominal titles—only the Zhang and Zhu families remained prominent. Zhang Fu had watched Zhu Yong grow up since childhood, and their bond was extraordinary, with them relying on each other for support.

Upon entering the main hall, they saw Zhu Yong being helped up from the couch by a maid. Zhang Fu’s expression darkened immediately, and he snapped irritably, “Stop putting on an act! I know you’re healthy and fine! You’ve been avoiding people at home for half a year. If you try to deceive me again, be careful—I’ll drag you out!”

Hearing this, Zhu Yong awkwardly pushed the two maids away, then sternly ordered everyone to retreat before forcing a smile and saying, “Brother Wenbi, I’m just trying to stay out of the spotlight at home. I’m not like you—without any military achievements or experience, my title was passed down by my father. I already caused a stir once before; it’s better now to stay indoors, recover, and focus on studying…”

“Studying? You, who have such a reputation as a nobleman who respects scholars, do you really plan to become the top scholar in the exams?” Zhang Fu glanced at Zhu Yong, noticing his plain-colored Lu silk shirt with a crossed collar and a pair of slightly worn black cloth shoes beneath. He remembered the incident when Zhu Yong was accused of drinking during mourning and asked, “What happened that time you were accused of drinking? You’re usually so respectful—was it someone who instigated or encouraged you?”

“I don’t have two brothers like you to make decisions for me. Who would dare?”

Zhu Yong smiled warmly and gestured for Zhang Fu to sit down before shrugging and saying, “It wasn’t just me who was accused that time. A few of us got together, and someone couldn’t resist drinking a cup. I just happened to be implicated. Let’s not talk about it. I’m not like you; it’s better for me to stay hidden. By the way, regarding your sister Tian’s marriage…”

“Your sister-in-law has made a request to the empress, and perhaps the daughter of Marquis Ningyang will marry her. But Tian is still so young. So, let’s not discuss this marriage for now. The empress has promised that our family will decide when the time comes.” Seeing Zhu Yong nod in strong agreement, he moved to a cushioned seat across from him and continued, “The King of Han has just returned to Le’an, and now the Crown Prince of Han and the other princes have also arrived in the capital. Things outside are in complete chaos. I came to see you today not only because the emperor asked me, but also because there’s another matter I’d like to discuss with you.”

Zhang Fu rarely adopted such a serious tone, so Zhu Yong didn’t dare neglect him and sat up straight immediately. Yet even though he was mentally prepared, after hearing those words, he was still stunned.

“I’m in charge of the Central Military Command and have been ordered to oversee the capital garrisons as well. This was originally a temporary arrangement after the new emperor ascended the throne. When I returned from my four campaigns in Jiaozhi, I never interfered with military affairs. Now that this heavy responsibility lies on my shoulders, it’s fine for now, but in the long run, problems will arise. After these two years, I plan to hand over military control, and it will be your turn to take over.”

Swallowing several times hard, Zhu Yong finally regained his composure from extreme shock. After a long while, he forced a wry smile and said, “Brother Wenbi, you’ve truly posed a huge challenge for me. If I hadn’t pretended to be ill at home this time, I would definitely have had to accompany the Crown Prince to Nanjing. With few influential people there now, the Crown Prince will face fewer obstacles and be able to act more freely… Well, since you’ve pushed me into this predicament, I’ll just go through with it!”
The two exchanged glances and laughed simultaneously. After chatting for a while longer, Zhang Fu, worried that staying too long might attract gossip, stood up to take his leave. Once outside the Duke of Cheng’s residence and back in his own sedan chair, he couldn’t help but close his eyes, repeatedly thinking about the fragments of conversations and clues he had heard over the past few days.
“Tensions persist beyond the borders. If Kaiping, Danning, and Xinghe are truly abandoned, won’t all the efforts made during the Yongle era be in vain? And if the capital is moved back to Nanjing, what will become of the capital city that took over a decade to build? If that day really comes…”
Just as Zhang Fu took a deep breath, determined to argue firmly and not back down when the time came, he suddenly felt the sedan chair shake violently before coming to a stop. Frowning deeply, he lifted the curtain to look outside and saw Rong Shan, the steward left at home, running toward him. His heart sank as an ominous premonition arose.
“Master, there’s an urgent summons from the palace. My lady fears something serious has happened and ordered me to come looking for you right away. I happened to hear that you were heading to the Duke of Cheng’s residence, so I rushed here immediately,” Rong Shan said, wiping the sweat from his forehead before lowering his voice. “It was Eunuch Zhang who sent the summons. He seemed quite anxious. My lady asks you to go straight to the imperial city by sedan chair—don’t waste any time!”
Zhang Fu listened with a solemn expression, nodded, and told Rong Shan to return. He then ordered them to head straight to the palace. When they stopped at the Left Gate of Chang’an, eunuchs who had been waiting there rushed forward. After bowing quickly, they said, “The Emperor is waiting in the Qianqing Palace. Please follow me into the palace, Duke of Ying.”
Although everything outside the imperial city seemed normal, Zhang Fu felt uneasy as he followed the young eunuch inside. Upon entering the palace through the Left Flank Gate, he instinctively sensed a heavy, oppressive atmosphere in the air. Glancing at the Right Succession Gate, he couldn’t see any movement in the Cabinet Office or the Decree Office, so he suppressed his urge to ask questions.

Entering through the West Corner Gate west of Fengtian Gate leads to the three main halls, including the Fengtian Hall. The once majestic halls now only have their bare white marble bases left; all the remaining ruins, wooden structures, and stones have been removed, greatly improving the visibility. Zhang Fu looked into the distance and could even see the Qianqing Gate and Qianqing Palace further ahead. When he passed through the Middle Left Gate and arrived in front of the Qianqing Gate, guards immediately stepped forward to check his identification badge.

Although this was a necessary step for entering the palace, Zhang Fu was the Duke of Britain, well-known throughout the imperial court, so such checks were usually mere formalities. But that day, the burly guard with a jujube-red face carefully examined the gold medal engraved with the character “Ren” and coiled clouds before finally bowing and letting him pass. Meanwhile, the attendant eunuch was taken to a room in the front courtyard of the Qianqing Palace.

After ascending the steps to the main hall, Zhang Fu adjusted his attire, and soon an announcement was made for him to enter. He entered solemnly and, upon standing in front of the yellow bamboo curtain, heard the familiar voice of Empress Zhang: “Please, Duke of Britain.”

Hearing this invitation, Zhang Fu felt a surge of anxiety. When someone lifted the bamboo curtain, he lowered his head and entered. There, on the large bed carved with dragons from yellow sandalwood, a bright yellow curtain hung, suggesting someone was inside. On the boxwood chair in front of the bed, Empress Zhang, her expression stern, stared at him. As soon as he bowed, an eunuch stepped forward to assist him, and someone brought a cushion for him to sit on. Though this was the usual procedure, the fact that only the empress was present after the emperor’s summons made his heart pound.

“The imperial physicians were here just now and are currently in the adjacent room preparing prescriptions,” Empress Zhang said in an unusually slow pace, as if choosing each word carefully. “The emperor, while still conscious, ordered that the crown prince be summoned back to the capital, and also that Minister Zhang and other cabinet ministers be called to the palace. I haven’t sent anyone to handle the first matter yet, but summoning the ministers cannot be delayed. The cabinet ministers are already waiting in the west wing room of the front courtyard of the Qianqing Palace. I am seeing Minister Zhang first because the emperor said the Duke of Britain is a key figure in the state, and matters of great importance can be discussed with him.”

Zhang Fu had heard this once before, but hearing it again now made his throat tighten so much that he couldn’t speak. He had heard that the emperor had not been well these past few months, but Zhu Gaochi had already been dependent on medicine even as the crown prince, needing palace maids to help him walk, so he hadn’t taken these reports seriously. Yet now that Empress Zhang had spoken so clearly, he couldn’t help but believe it. From beginning to end, the curtains hanging over the dragon bed never moved, showing no sign of life.

“Your Majesty the Empress, Your Majesty the Emperor…”

“After returning from Concubine Guo this morning, the Emperor suddenly fell ill. After diagnosis by the head physician of the Imperial Medical Academy along with four other imperial doctors, the news was not good at all.” Although Empress Zhang’s tone remained calm, her hands clenched tightly around the silk handkerchief, her nails digging painfully into her skin without her even realizing it. “If the Emperor hadn’t felt unwell himself, he wouldn’t have rushed to summon the crown prince. In fact, he had already noticed some palpitations and discomfort when leading the civil and military officials to Changling Mausoleum, but he just didn’t pay much attention to it.”

At the mention of visiting Changling Mausoleum, Zhang Fu immediately became alert. Paying respects at mausoleums or offering sacrifices to heaven and earth were always time-consuming and laborious tasks. Even he, who had performed such sacrifices twice during the new emperor’s ascension and the empress’s enthronement, had taken several days to recover afterward. If the emperor’s illness truly stemmed from the sacrifices as the empress said, it might indeed be serious.

“I understand. But regarding all matters related to defense, I beg the Empress for your guidance.”

Empress Zhang knew well of Zhang Fu’s caution, and since she already had her own plans, she spoke directly: “The Emperor’s wish is to send Hai Shou, the deputy head of the Imperial Horse Administration, to Nanjing to summon the crown prince. All military affairs in the five provincial administrations and troop deployments in the capital shall be handled by the Duke of Yingguo, with Liu Yongcheng as his deputy and Fan Hongzhong assisting. Tianjin, Dezhou, and other places shall follow last year’s regulations. As for the princes of the Han clan in the capital, they shall be under strict protection by the Shence Army. All internal and external affairs shall be compiled by the six ministries, drafted by the Cabinet, and reviewed and sealed by me personally. To the outside world, it will be stated that the Emperor is ill and has temporarily suspended court meetings.”

“I will strictly follow the Empress’s orders.”

Seeing Zhang Fu rise and bow, Empress Zhang couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. She quickly ordered the eunuchs nearby to help him up, then instructed him word by word: “Sending Hai Shou to summon the crown prince is one thing; you must also send a messenger to Nanjing to inform Zhang Yue. The capital is no longer the Great Ning of old. No matter how careful we are, news will inevitably leak. Although the crown prince has his own troops, mobilizing forces along the way would be extremely troublesome. In short, it was the Duke of Yingguo who fulfilled the late emperor’s trust and stabilized the realm of the Great Ming. Now, I am entrusting everything to you… Use whatever means necessary to ensure that your swift steed brings the crown prince back safely and unharmed!”
Only after Zhang Fu left as instructed did Empress Zhang stand up. She walked slowly to the bed and gently hung the bright yellow curtain on the hook. Seeing Zhu Gaochi still asleep on the bed, her brows gradually furrowed, and she let out a deep sigh, her face showing unmistakable resentment.
After enduring hardships for over twenty years and finally gaining power, he still didn’t take care of himself properly, focusing only on women! She had managed household affairs and served him dutifully for years, expending countless efforts—yet all her advice was in vain. If he really couldn’t make it this time, she would fulfill his wish and let those women accompany him forever!
Just as she made up her mind, a shrill voice suddenly rang in her ears: “Your Majesty! Fang Ling, the deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, has arrived and is waiting in the West Warm Pavilion.”
Empress Zhang snapped out of her thoughts. She dropped her sleeves and stood up, then calmly ordered the two young eunuchs nearby, “Stay here and guard the emperor carefully. Report to me immediately if he wakes up. Issue orders: no one is allowed to peek into the Qianqing Palace; violators will be executed! The concubines in the Eastern and Western Palaces must not leave the palace without permission. If any of the princes granted titles earlier wish to see him, they must stay in the old Eastern Palace residence first—concubines and princes are not allowed to meet!”