Chapter 738: In the Court Hall

Like other government offices in Guangzhou, within the eight-character-shaped wall lay the first main entrance. Passing through it and entering the courtyard led to the second gate, the ceremonial gate. The name “ceremonial gate” signified “a place for formal ceremonies.” Not only did new officials dismount here upon taking office and be escorted into the office by attendants, but even higher-ranking officials were usually sent here before proceeding further. Normally, this gate remained closed, and people used the side door on the east side, which served as an annex to the ceremonial gate. Today, since all those who came were high-ranking officials, the ceremonial gate was opened wide. Besides a few guards, there was also a young eunuch who had followed Zhang Qian and was now looking bored.

“I was doing fine in the capital. I’m not even Zhang Gonggong’s confidant—why were they sent me here?”
Muttering in a voice no one could hear, Cao Jixiang felt a surge of heat and couldn’t help rolling up his sleeves. He had entered the palace at the end of the Yongle era. He already had a family back home but was illiterate and accomplished nothing. If it weren’t for once seeing the ostentatious display of certain eunuchs on a mission to Korea by imperial order, he wouldn’t have abandoned his wife and entered the palace. At first, he found a powerful patron, but as Wang Jin rose to prominence, he was transferred to Zhang Qian’s jurisdiction in Guangzhou.

“Stop!”
Just as he was cursing in his heart about Zhang Qian’s strange behavior of refusing gifts, favors, or power, a loud shout from a guard suddenly reached his ears. Turning his head, he saw a middle-aged man striding forward, along with an older guard running after him. Seeing the guards at the ceremonial gate draw their swords and surround him, he felt somewhat reassured. He narrowed his eyes to examine the man. Noticing the plain clothes and yellow mud on the man’s boots and pants, he was immediately convinced.

“This is a sacred court hall—who dares to barge in? Lord Zhang, the supervisor of the Maritime Trade Commission, along with Lords Li and Yu, are all inside. If you don’t have an important matter, get out now!”
As soon as he received a reply from the capital, Marquis Zhenyuan Gu Xingzu rushed here with his trusted troops, resting only for two hours each night and traveling the rest of the time. Even though he was used to riding horses, his legs were now aching, and his complexion was terrible. Glancing coldly at the young man standing in his way, he immediately recognized the silk robes favored by low-ranking eunuchs. Hearing his high-pitched accent, he unconsciously tightened his grip on the whip in his hand.

“Get out? You’re just a servant, without even a rank in the palace—how dare you tell this marquis to leave?”

Cao Jixiang had been in the palace for too short a time, and Wang Jin was also only part of the Eastern Palace at that time, so naturally he couldn’t recognize all those important nobles. Hearing the title “this noble,” he was immediately startled and took a long time before stammering, “Your Excellency is…?”
“This noble is Marquis Zhenyuan! Everyone says Zhang Qian is the strictest in his command, but never thought it would be to such an extent!”
Gu Xingzu snorted coldly and then strode past Cao Jixiang into the ceremonial gate. Before him, a quick-witted official rushed toward the courtroom, and upon reaching the platform below, he shouted loudly, “I announce to all the lords, Marquis Zhenyuan has arrived!”
By then, the guests and host had already taken their seats, and the prisoner had been brought in. Magistrate Li had only asked a few questions when he was interrupted by this sudden outcry, naturally feeling annoyed. But once he understood what was being said, he gasped in shock and quickly stood up. Not only him, but everyone in the courtroom also stood up, just in time to see that figure enter the courtroom without hesitation. Although it had been announced that Marquis Zhenyuan was coming, only one person there recognized Gu Xingzu.
“Oh my, it really is Marquis Zhenyuan?”
Back when Gu Cheng assisted the crown prince in defending the capital, Zhang Qian had been ordered to accompany him, so later when Gu Xingzu inherited the title, he had dealt with him a few times—just barely acquainted. Now, after greeting him with a smile, he introduced him to the others. Seeing that it was indeed Marquis Zhenyuan, no one dared to neglect him and stepped forward to pay their respects, while Gu Xingzu also softened his earlier arrogance at the main gate, his expression becoming slightly more relaxed. Before anyone could ask a question, he directly uttered some astonishing words.
“I don’t come to such a place for no reason. This noble has just quelled the rebellion of the Yao people in Guangxi and other rebels, and happened to discover an important piece of information. So I sent someone to rush for an imperial decree at top speed and then came here at night. However, this noble already informed the Provincial Administration, so I suppose you all must have some idea. What, is this a trial now?”
Gu Xingzu glanced indifferently at the person kneeling in the courtroom and then said slowly, “No matter what the case is, it’s nothing compared to a rebellion. Magistrate Li, let me ask you—when the officials of your yamen were assassinated during the Dragon Boat Festival race on the Pearl River, did those Li people assassins confess to colluding with the Yao people?”

Zhang Yue and Xiang Shaoyuan had only received a letter from Marquis Zhenyuan Gu Xingzu the day before, and Zhang Qian was also aware that the Xu family had such a nobleman backing them. Yet none of the three expected Gu Xingzu to arrive so quickly. As for the others, they were even more confused. Only Magistrate Li was startled upon hearing this question and immediately looked at Zhang Yue and Zhang Qian for help.

Since Qin Huaijin had committed suicide out of fear of punishment, those three assassins had also “committed suicide out of fear.” Why was this matter being pursued now?

Seeing Zhang Yue frowning, Magistrate Li cautiously asked, “My lord, what do you mean by this?”

Seeing everyone silent, Gu Xingzu sneered. At that moment, his personal guards finally arrived, handing him a package wrapped in oiled paper. Gu Xingzu took it casually and placed it lightly on the desk before saying word by word, “This nobleman has slain over 1,050 rebels led by Tan Gongwang in Si’en County. Through interrogating the captives, I obtained these confessions. It clearly states that these rebels colluded with the Li tribal leaders of Qiongzhou Prefecture to rise in rebellion together, planning to divide Guangdong and Guangxi among themselves once successful. Now, Magistrate Li, do you still ask what I mean by this?”

Xu Zhengping, kneeling below, glanced at the group around Marquis Zhenyuan Gu Xingzu, his hands clenched tightly in his sleeves. Ever since their hideout in Foshan Town was raided, he had felt that something serious was wrong, and any remaining hope vanished after Zhang Yue launched an attack at Caiyun Tower. In his view, although Gu Xingzu was a hereditary nobleman, Guangxi had no jurisdiction over Guangdong, and even if he wanted to make amends, he wouldn’t know how. But unexpectedly, not only had he arrived, but he also brought such a powerful trump card. It seemed that his family’s treasure trove was indispensable to Gu Xingzu.

May the gods bless me—once I get through this, I will surely offer sacrifices to all the temples and Taoist shrines!

Seeing that Magistrate Li was stunned, Zhang Yue stepped forward and personally untied the oiled cloth. Inside was a thick stack of papers filled with dense, tiny handwriting. He quickly flipped through them one by one and then handed them to Zhang Qian beside him. Since Gu Xingzu hadn’t even glanced at him since entering, he pondered for a moment before taking over and saying, “May I ask how my lord knows about the confessions obtained from the previous assassins?”

Gu Xingzu arrived with great arrogance, armed with irrefutable evidence, and with everyone showing him respect, he hadn’t given much thought to what he said earlier. Now that Zhang Yue had immediately pointed out his flaw, he frowned and sneered, “If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it in the first place. Governor Zhang, you need not ask how I know—just know that this incident indeed exists! You merely want to maintain peace in your jurisdiction, but if rebels aren’t eliminated, Guangdong will fall into chaos, and you will still bear responsibility!”
Although Zhang Yue generally avoided confrontation, he was naturally angered by Gu Xingzu’s domineering attitude. After a brief thought, he retorted, “Since Your Lordship claims that the Li and Yao people in Qiongzhou Prefecture are colluding, is it based on these confessions? Then I ask Your Lordship—where are the people who made these confessions?”
“These were confessed by Qin Gongwang himself. He originally wanted to trade them for his life, but since the imperial laws are strict and he was the ringleader, he was naturally beheaded as a warning to others. If Governor Zhang doesn’t believe it, many others, such as the magistrate of Si’en County, can testify—everything is written down in black and white, with their signatures!” Seeing Zhang Yue’s unyielding stance, Gu Xingzu grew impatient and said slowly, “Governor Zhang, don’t forget—this lord bears the seal of the General Who Conquers the Barbarians!”
Hearing this, everyone in the hall was shocked. Generals tasked with suppressing rebellions or guarding regions always bore such seals, a rule that had only started during the Hongxi era. Gu Xingzu carried the seal of the General Who Conquers the Barbarians, meaning he had authority over Guangdong and Guangxi provinces. Moreover, he had a legitimate reason, leaving the officials present unable to refute him.
“Magistrate Li, I’ll ask you one last time—where are those three Li people who acted as assassins?”
At that moment, Magistrate Li wished he had never appeared that day. Glancing at Zhang Qian and Zhang Yue, he gritted his teeth, bowed, and told the truth, “Your Lordship, those assassins, realizing their plot had been exposed, committed suicide in prison just a few days after being imprisoned. Now even their bodies are buried in an unmarked grave.”
“Suicide? They attempted to assassinate imperial officials and were probably rebels. Are the people in your Guangzhou government office so careless? Will you just ignore this and act as if nothing happened? You’re paid by the imperial court, yet you sit idly—this lord will impeach you!”

The endless anger accumulated over various matters earlier was now vented all at once by Gu Xingzu. Seeing Magistrate Li’s pale and panicked face, with his shoulders trembling slightly, a sense of satisfaction arose in his heart. He then turned and cast a cold glance at everyone in the hall, his gaze finally falling on Commander Li Long, his tone growing even colder: “Li Long, I hear that without orders, you dared to privately divert the grain stored in the military camps to help the local officials sell it at fair prices?”
“Reporting to Your Lordship, I…”
“The grain stored in the military camps is the foundation for maintaining troops. Don’t think this lord doesn’t know your schemes—desiring a small profit from the grain by ignoring imperial laws. How bold of you!”
Seeing Gu Xingzu turn to Yu Liang as well and start targeting them one by one, Zhang Yue grew furious. Just as he was about to speak in defense, he saw Zhang Qian shake his head slightly at him. After a moment’s thought, he remembered that after receiving the silver seal sent by Zhang Qian, he had already detailed the entire process of the disaster relief in a memorial and submitted it to the capital. By now, it must have reached the emperor’s ears. The matter of Li Long diverting grain was no secret, so he held back from speaking.
It wasn’t his style to engage in conflict rashly when he wasn’t fully certain. However, this Marquis of Zhenyuan had probably lived too comfortably during the Yongle era and had also been granted the title of General for Conquering the Barbarians. He still thought it was the time when nobles held half of the country, without realizing how many people he would offend by showing off like this! If that pretentious excuse were true, it might be okay, but if it was fabricated, who would tolerate him here?
“Enough. There are bigger cases now. Let’s put this case aside for now…”
“We can’t put it aside!”
Just as Gu Xingzu had vented his anger and finally uttered a crucial sentence, a firm voice suddenly rang out beside him. Everyone turned to see Xiang Shaoyuan, the Right Minister of Revenue, with a flushed face, and were instantly stunned. Gu Xingzu was the most shocked of all. He glared at Xiang Shaoyuan fiercely and demanded angrily, “What did you just say?”

Xiang Shaoyuan had risen from the position of county magistrate to prefect, always suppressing the powerful and enforcing justice strictly in his local roles. But when he tried to do the same as governor of Guangdong, he faced countless obstacles and truly understood what it meant to struggle forward with difficulty. Within just a few years, not only were his ambitions shattered, but he also fell ill. Although he still had no chance to prove himself these days, seeing Zhang Yue accomplish several things he had failed to do, he gradually regained his spirit. Now, determined, he showed no fear even of Gu Xingzu.

“The public trial of Xu Zhengping for illegally sending people abroad and trading with foreign ships has long been announced throughout the city. Those waiting outside for news include not only the victims but also people from Guangzhou Prefecture and even other regions. If this case is delayed, where will the government’s credibility lie? If the marquis wants us to assist you in handling this serious case of rebellion, that’s fine—everyone here is willing to help! But instead of having both Prefect Li and Judge Lu stay—one to continue the trial and the other to conduct interrogations—we can achieve both goals by having just one person handle the case while the other accompanies during interrogations!”

“You…”

Seeing Gu Xingzu’s face turn red and his neck swell, and noticing that although the others seemed relieved, they unconsciously stepped back from Xiang Shaoyuan, Zhang Yue suddenly realized that this right governor, with whom he had not been very familiar, was truly extraordinary. In the silence of the room, he suddenly coughed loudly before saying with a smile, “Lord Xiang’s idea indeed achieves both goals.”

Zhang Qian agreed without hesitation, “Indeed. Since the matter concerning Marquis Zhenyuan is urgent, let’s leave Prefect Li here.”

These two agreed with Xiang Shaoyuan one after another. Yu Liang, who had just been criticized and had nowhere to vent his anger, also sensed something was wrong and quickly agreed as well. Although Li Long did not fully understand the situation, thinking that the provincial officials and the Maritime Administration had already expressed their stance and that he had just been scolded, he decided it was better to side with them and agreed as well. Gu Xingzu, who had just shown off his authority, was completely unprepared for everyone to oppose him, and his face turned ashen.