Chapter 686: A Swift Resolution Through Expulsion

Throughout the Yongle era, the position of Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate was only changed once. After Chen Ying, who was ruthless and acted recklessly under the emperor’s authority, was dismissed and executed, the Censorate remained leaderless for three full years until Liu Guan took over. Known for his ability to navigate various situations skillfully, he held this position for ten years, remaining steadfast at the heart of the supervisory powers.

However, since the new emperor ascended the throne, he knew his good days were over. When Zhu Gaochi was still the crown prince, he had once criticized him for certain actions. Although later Zhu Di issued an imperial edict advising that ministers should not be humiliated too hastily, the matter was dropped, but tensions remained. Thus, after Zhu Gaochi became emperor, he tried every means to flatter him, ordering censors to impeach anyone Zhu Gaochi pointed out—just as he did this time by volunteering to go to the south.

Beyond this apparent purpose, he had another hidden motive. Though a graduate of the imperial examinations, he came from a poor family, so he became extremely greedy after becoming an official. Because his son Liu Fu accepted money from Princess Yongping, he reluctantly impeached Zhang Yue and offered her various suggestions, eventually ending up on the wrong side of Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu. Now, this matter could not be erased—any exposure would mean ruin, so he had no choice but to push things to the extreme.

At that moment, Liu Guan in the study kept rereading the three pages of letters in his hands, feeling increasingly troubled. Currently, the chief strategist in the Prince Han’s mansion was Mei Qing, from whom all these letters and orders came—this time as well. Mei Qing distrusted Yuan Fang, the former commander of the Jinyiwei, and wanted him eliminated; Liu Guan agreed to this, so he plotted in secret. Unfortunately, his plan nearly failed. But Mei Qing was also trying to turn the nobles in Nanjing against Zhu Gaochi, thereby alienating them from him—this really alarmed Liu Guan.

As the Left Censor-in-Chief and a trusted advisor to Zhu Gaochi, the nobles might assume all his actions were ordered by the emperor, leading to resentment toward him. Even if Zhu Gaoxu successfully seized the throne, to win over the nobles, who knew he might discard Liu Guan to quell public anger, denying that all his actions were carried out under orders?

“Has that Tang Qian still not woken up?”

The strong-looking servant quickly bowed his head. “Master, ever since the torture the other day, this man has been in a coma. Even dousing him with cold water hasn’t worked. As he hasn’t eaten or drunk anything for days, I’m afraid he won’t last much longer…”
“Haven’t I told you to be more careful?” Although he had already heard about this, learning that the man still hadn’t awakened made Liu Guan extremely angry. “With so many doctors in Nanjing City, wasn’t there even one to take a look at him? If he dies, what will I use to silence the rumors? I don’t care what methods you use—if this man still can’t speak in three days, don’t even bother coming to see me; just go and kill yourself!”
The weather was already hot, and the strong servant was already sweating profusely from nervousness. Hearing these words, he was terrified. But it was useless to argue or plead at this point; he could only slump his head in defeat and nod, then slip away quietly. Only when no one else was in the study did Liu Guan slam his hand hard on the table, the force causing his hand to ache. Wincing as he rubbed his palm, he thought of the rampant rumors in the city and couldn’t help but sneer through gritted teeth.
Those fools not only slandered him and Liu Jun as relatives but also claimed that many censors in the Censorate were corrupt! If he could get proof of those behind the scenes manipulating things, he would make sure those people suffered immensely!
“Master, master, something bad has happened!”
A panicked voice outside abruptly interrupted Liu Guan’s thoughts. Fuming, he ordered someone to come in. Seeing the servant kneeling frantically on the ground, he cursed loudly, “What’s the rush in the early morning? What could possibly be so serious?”
“Master, our main gate is blocked by a large group of people!” The servant, who was used to scheming and seeking favors for Liu Guan, had no idea how to handle such an unexpected crisis. Seeing Liu Guan’s shock, he said with a gloomy face, “These people suddenly emerged from both ends of the alley, claiming they were there to defend the Luo family. I inquired a bit—they’re all from Suzhou, ranging from students from the local academy to gentry and commoners. There are at least seventy or eighty of them!”

At the mention of the name “Suzhou Prefecture,” Liu Guan instantly thought of Xu Zheng, who had boasted arrogantly in front of him that day, and then the detestable smiling face of Zhang Yue appeared before his eyes. In the official world, those who were overly tolerant and conciliatory could hardly survive, so he naturally had plenty of ways to take revenge on such insolent youngsters. However, those scholars had wisely taken refuge in an inn near the Prince of Qianning’s mansion and, somehow, under Mu Xin’s protection, became cowards—he couldn’t bring himself to act against them.

But now, more than ten days had passed. Just as he had decided to put the matter aside for the time being, they stirred up an even bigger uproar, blocking his door outright! He refused to believe that a few mere scholars could have such audacity; it was likely Zhang Yue behind this. But how dare that kid?

The servant kneeling on the ground saw Liu Guan’s ashen face and dared not move. After what seemed like an eternity, loud noise suddenly came from outside. At that moment, Liu Guan, with clenched fists, snapped out of his daze. He stepped outside in a few strides and shouted sternly, “What’s going on?”

“Master, it’s… it’s those people outside! They’re listing the misdeeds of Lord Hou, the imperial censor of Nanjing, saying that the people of Suzhou Prefecture have prepared a petition to present to him!”

Hearing his attendant’s panicked report, Liu Guan felt his head grow heavy and he could barely move. Such extreme measures were strictly forbidden in the Ming Dynasty. Even if he were dismissed because of this, those people outside wouldn’t come out unscathed either. A thorough investigation would only cause even greater turmoil. Could it be that Zhang Yue truly had enough confidence to use this incident to overthrow him? Impossible. Though that kid was called a butcher and an omen of misfortune, he didn’t have such capabilities!

“Go and check if there’s anyone at the back door. If not, prepare a horse right away. I’m going to the palace to see the crown prince!”

Watching the servants rush off to prepare, Liu Guan resolved to take action. No matter how much Zhu Zhanji protected Zhang Yue, as long as he pressured for a thorough investigation, his master wouldn’t be able to refuse. After all, the crown prince wasn’t the emperor. Just as Zhu Gaochi had dared not do much to him before, Zhu Zhanji couldn’t do anything either. As long as he remained the Left Censor-in-Chief, his words would carry more weight than Zhang Yue’s! As for the future… who would prevail was still uncertain!

Compared to the noise and chaos caused by the front door being blocked, the back door of the Liu family’s residence remained quiet. Liu Guan, who left in an ordinary black oil carriage, specifically instructed the driver to take a detour through the alley near the front door. Seeing a large crowd blocking the entire alley, with even many onlookers gathered, he couldn’t help but smirk coldly before ordering the carriage to head toward the imperial palace.

After arriving in Nanjing with Zhu Zhanji, Liu Guan had met the crown prince several times. Aside from the first day when they met in the Wenhua Hall for a formal audience, the rest of the meetings took place in the Duanjing Hall or other informal settings. However, this time, after being summoned, the eunuch who came to greet him led him outside the Wenhua Hall in the Eastern Palace. It should be noted that the Wenhua Hall was the crown prince’s official workplace, and it was only used for important matters. Meeting him there meant it was a formal affair with no room for negotiation.

After climbing dozens of steps to the hall’s entrance, Liu Guan was already out of breath. Being of middle age, he had walked from the palace gates under the scorching sun, leaving his clothes drenched in sweat. The sunlight outside was bright, but the hall inside was still somewhat dim. Yet as he stepped inside, he immediately realized he wasn’t the only one there.

Zhao Jin, the Minister of Punishments of Nanjing; Huang Fu, a high-ranking official from thethe Zhanshi Fu; and Xiang Xiang, the Censor-in-Chief of Nanjing and also a high-ranking official—these three men had no connection with him at all. Among them, Xiang Xiang had been promoted to Right Censor-in-Chief after the new emperor ascended the throne but was soon sidelined to Nanjing. Seeing Zhu Zhanji sitting on the throne with an expressionless face, Liu Guan found the whole situation even more strange.

Sure enough, before Liu Guan could speak, a young eunuch beside Zhu Zhanji hurried down with a thick stack of memorials and respectfully handed them to him. Seeing Zhao Jin’s name on the top document, he looked up at him, but Zhao Jin calmly ignored him completely. So, Liu Guan simply remained still without making a move.

“Lord Liu, why not take a look at these memorials? Ever since I arrived in Nanjing, they have kept coming!” Zhu Zhanji’s voice was extremely steady, without the slightest fluctuation. “Originally, I thought I could just keep them, but the petition from the people of Suzhou accusing Censor Hou Jie has already reached the Tongzheng Office. If I ignore it any longer, it might provoke civil unrest.”

With the crown prince speaking in such a firm tone, Liu Guan’s prepared words were completely silenced, leaving him unable to say a word. Thinking of how the local gentry and commoners had blocked his door back home, he grew even angrier. Instead of examining the memorials, he knelt down straight away, bowed deeply, and then stood back up.

“Your Highness, the Censorate has always been tasked with overseeing all officials across the realm by imperial decree, and thus has always been a target of criticism. Even if there are corrupt elements among them, the emperor will decide how to deal with them. The so-called ‘Petition of the People’ is nothing but the result of malicious commoners and corrupt officials fearing the Censorate’s authority. Now, my household entrance has been blocked by those troublemakers and scoundrels. I urge Your Highness to investigate this matter thoroughly to restore order!”
If this tactic had been used in the past, Zhu Zhanji might have hesitated out of caution. But this was a critical moment—no matter what, he had to get rid of this scourge. So, as he looked at that expressionless man, he sneered inwardly and immediately turned his gaze to Xiang Rong. The head of the Nanjing Censorate, who harbored deep hatred for Liu Guan, immediately stepped forward and spoke with a fake smile.
“Lord Liu, you’re mistaken. Even Emperor Taizu had precedents of stripping corrupt officials of their skin. How can it, in your mouth, become about punishing the common people? The people detest the corrupt censors of the Censorate who act with impunity. That’s why they submitted the Petition of the People. As the Left Censor of the Censorate, you’re still protecting your subordinates now, which shows you’re failing to distinguish right from wrong and shielding them! The emperor sent Lord Liu to the south to investigate Liu Jun’s case. Now that the evidence is clear, you still refuse to close the case—what’s your intention? The people of Nanjing are in panic. This matter can’t be delayed any longer. Either execute Liu Jun immediately or send him to Beijing!”
Seeing Zhao Jin agreeing as well, Huang Fu couldn’t help but recall Zhang Yue’s report about the emperor’s serious illness. Having been away for over a decade, he was quite unfamiliar with court politics and didn’t want to follow others blindly. But now that he was the head of the Secretariat and nominally the top official beside the crown prince, it was only right to get rid of those with ulterior motives. So, he calmed himself down and said calmly, “All the nobles in Nanjing have submitted petitions to Your Highness, accusing someone of inciting them to act against their own households. At such a time, people like Liu Jun should not be allowed to stay. Lord Liu has been investigating for a month—it’s time to close the case.”
As if to reinforce Huang Fu’s words, a young eunuch hurriedly entered the hall from outside, carrying a lacquered tray filled with a thick stack of petitions. Kneeling at the steps in front of the throne, he reported in a low voice, “Your Highness, these are petitions submitted by twelve nobles, including the Duke of Wei in Nanjing and Marquis Wuding, among others.”

Chen Wu hurriedly went down, carried the stack of documents, and presented them. However, Zhu Zhanji did not take a look, casually glancing at the thick pile of plain documents before signaling Chen Wu to read the top one. Hearing the sharp words, he saw Liu Guan’s expression turn extremely ugly and said calmly, “Has Lord Liu heard this? It is said to follow the will of the people. At this point, one should stop when it’s time to stop. Tomorrow morning, send him back to the capital. You may choose any members from the Nanjing Jinyiwei to accompany him. After all, Jinling is a place of great wealth, and stability and peace are of utmost importance!”
Once these words were spoken, there was no room for change. Even though Liu Guan was furious, he couldn’t think of any words to refute them. Zhu Zhanji was different from Zhu Gaochi in the past. Though he lacked the title of regent, he enjoyed Zhu Gaochi’s trust. If he wanted Zhu Gaochi to protect him as Zhu Di once did, he would have to work hard after returning to the capital. Thinking about the plans he had made before leaving the capital and comparing them to the current failure, he gritted his teeth, eventually managing to utter just one word.
Only after Liu Guan left the Wenhua Hall did Zhu Zhanji breathe a long sigh of relief. Looking at the three ministers with varying expressions in the hall, he nodded approvingly and said, “Today, it is all thanks to you three. Only because of you could we send him away. Once Liu Guan sets off by water along the canal, I will also set out immediately. I leave Nanjing in your hands.”
“We shall strictly follow your orders.”
As Zhu Zhanji stood up to leave, holding the Nine-Dragon Jade Pendant that Zhang Yue had asked Cao Jixiang to bring back, he felt much more at ease. With his mother, Empress Zhang, in charge of Beijing, he had nothing to worry about. With these three people in Nanjing, he could also rest assured. As for the journey… with Zhang Yue’s strategies, he could sleep soundly.