Chapter 806: Adaptation

During the Hongwu era, twelve elite military units were established in the capital, and during the Yongle era, another ten were added. Combined, these twenty-two units numbered over a hundred thousand soldiers. Yet several years had passed since the last northern expedition, and various problems within these military units grew increasingly severe—such as embezzlement of funds and mismanagement of pay, among other abuses too numerous to mention. Those who truly wanted to rise to prominence would do anything to be transferred to the three main military camps. After all, whether it was on inspection tours or military drills, priority always went to the capital troops.

Even Zhang Qi, who was destined to inherit the title of Marquis of Yangwu, had such ambitions. He was currently a deputy commander in the Yulin Front Guard. Having spent so much time in the military, coupled with his easy-going personality that allowed him to get along well with everyone, he had many friends. Recently, many people had whispered in his ear, suggesting that he take advantage of his cousin Zhang Yue’s position in the Ministry of War to transfer to the capital troops. This idea had sparked some interest in him. But after returning home and hearing his mother, Lady Dongfang, nag about it again, he immediately changed his mind.

His own family had hardly helped his third brother Zhang Yue at all; he and his elder brother Zhang Chao often caused trouble. Now that their father was seriously injured and their uncle had gone to take care of him, they wanted to rely on him in times of difficulty—what kind of logic was that?

“Sir, sir!”

Zhang Qi, who was taking a short nap in the barracks of the Yulin Front Guard, was awakened by these urgent calls. Looking up, he saw his personal guard standing beside him. Annoyed, he kicked him and asked sternly, “What’s the big deal? You’ve disturbed my sleep!”

The guard, too busy dealing with the pain in his kicked leg, quickly replied, “Sir, someone is outside looking for you. They say it’s your third brother!”

“Nonsense. What time is it?” Zhang Qi glanced at the water clock and snapped, “My third brother is the left vice minister of the Ministry of War. It’s not even lunchtime yet. How could he leave his office and come here? Besides, our Yulin Front Guard is a low-ranking unit. Even when the emperor leaves the palace, it’s the Jinyi Guard he uses. Why would he come to see me? Don’t listen to those nonsense people trying to amuse themselves at my expense…”

“Sir, it must be Lord Zhang,” the guard insisted, recalling Zhang Yue’s stern commands while on horseback and thinking of his face, which resembled Zhang Qi’s. He added quickly, “I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. If not, I swear I’ll have my eyes gouged out!”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Zhang Qi then jumped to his feet, walking quickly while hastily tidying his clothes, ignoring the bodyguard hurrying after him. When he reached the outermost area, he saw Zhang Yue standing there holding a horse, so he quickened his pace even more and rushed over. Since it was his turn to be on duty at the barracks, he couldn’t go back, and this was the first time he had seen Zhang Yue in the ten days since his return. As soon as they met, he couldn’t help but grab Zhang Yue’s shoulders and then chuckled.

“I thought someone was tricking me. To my surprise, it’s really you, my third brother! Hey, you’ve been away for over two years—you look thin and dark, but your physique has become much stronger! How did you, such a busy man, find time to come here? If it’s for official business, just send someone else. How could I dare refuse the summons of an official from the Ministry of War?”

Zhang Yue had matters on his mind, but he wasn’t expecting Zhang Qi to bombard him with so many words right away, leaving him momentarily speechless with a smile. Seeing that Zhang Qi was half a head taller than him, with a robust build typical of a warrior, and speaking in a manner befitting a military officer without any pretense of nobility, he felt even more at ease.

“I wouldn’t come to see you if there was no reason. Second brother, how’s things here in the Yulin Vanguard? Do the subordinates respect you? Can you deploy troops?”

He had known Zhang Yue to be meticulous and would surely not come to the garrison for no reason, but hearing his questions, Zhang Qi was stunned. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “I’ve been here for several years. Of course, the subordinates respect me. Besides, our Zhang family is a military family—even the commanders will show me respect. But deploying troops…”

“I’m not asking you to deploy troops. Just pick a dozen or twenty suitable people to do me a favor.”

Only then did Zhang Qi breathe a sigh of relief. “If that’s the case, it’s easy. Just issue an order saying they’re going to the city on business—no one will question it. Third brother, tell me what it is.”

Although they weren’t blood brothers, having grown up together since childhood, their bond was special. Zhang Yue used to avoid involving his brothers, but now he couldn’t afford to. After all, this matter involved not only eunuchs but also nobles. Since Zhang Qi, as the heir of the Yangwu Marquis, could influence people, he was the perfect helper. After whispering a few words in his ear, seeing him first shocked, then angry, and finally showing a determined expression, he gently patted his arm.

“Second brother, this whole matter depends on you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take them personally to handle it—nothing will go wrong.”

The two brothers shook hands firmly. Zhang Yue said no more, mounted his horse, and rode off at full speed. He turned from Chongwenmen Street onto East Chang’an Street, then crossed the Yuhé North Bridge. In the distance, he saw the Hanlin Academy. He had left the Ministry of War without giving clear instructions, and now, eager to return, he did not slow down his horse. But when he caught sight of someone coming out of the Hanlin Academy, he was startled. Unconsciously, he tightened control on his horse, bringing it to a halt.

Zhang Jiu was just leaving the Hanlin Academy. After three years of assessment as a shujishi, although he had performed excellently, his official appointment still depended on the arrangements and rivalries among the powerful figures. His father, Zhang Xin, had suddenly switched from a civil official to a military position. When he was promoted to vice minister of the Ministry of War, those who had flattered him before vanished immediately. Even among the shujishi, he was isolated, with only a few willing to associate with him. Among the shujishi, some stayed in the academy as instructors, some went to the six ministries or the Censorate, and others were sent abroad. If he remained abroad after three years in the academy, it would mean he was completely sidelined. To his surprise, today, Yang Shiqi, the head scholar of the academy, came to give a lecture to the shujishi and announced the list of those who would stay. His name was on it!

“Fourth brother!”

The good news came so suddenly that Zhang Jiu, who was walking, didn’t notice someone calling him at first. When he heard the voice again, he looked up and saw Zhang Yue smiling as he held his horse. Stunned, he hurried over a few steps. Seeing Zhang Yue dismount, he couldn’t help but glance at the sky. “Third brother, are you going out on business?”

“I just came back from outside. Seeing how happy you look, is it the list from the Hanlin Academy?”

“Yeah. I’ve been appointed as a compiler at the Hanlin Academy.”

Overjoyed, Zhang Jiu blurted it out. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he remembered Zhang Yue’s strange question earlier and widened his eyes. Instinctively, he asked, “Third brother, could it be you…?”

“It has nothing to do with me. You’ve always performed excellently during your three years as a shujishi, so it’s only natural you’d stay. Now that our uncle has switched to a military position, only you and I remain civil officials. I’m counting on you to help me in the future!” Looking at Zhang Jiu’s mature face, Zhang Yue recalled his own proud demeanor in the past. He thought how much the young man had changed over the past decade. Before Zhang Jiu could speak, he asked, “By the way, did you get the news today?”

Although Zhang Yue denied it outright, Zhang Jiu knew full well that his elder brother must have played a role in it, and his nose instantly stung. Only after hearing the next sentence did he nod: “The head scholar of the academy came today.”
“Is it Grand Secretary Yang or Academician Yang?”
It had been customary since the Yongle era for cabinet ministers to also serve as head scholars. Initially, it was Yang Rong, but later Yang Shiqi was added as well. So, upon hearing that it was Yang Shiqi, Zhang Yue immediately thought of the chaos at the Beizhenfu Office of the Jinyiwei and frowned again, asking, “When did Grand Secretary Yang arrive? Is he still in there?”
“He arrived early in the morning. It is said the emperor ordered him to oversee the selection of scholar-officials, so we were questioned all day and just dispersed. Grand Secretary Yang and Scholar Shen stayed to encourage me a bit more; he’s still in there.”
Learning that Yang Shiqi had entered the Hanlin Academy early in the morning and hadn’t left at all, Zhang Yue let out a long sigh. This was not the time to pursue further details. He immediately placed his hand on Zhang Jiu’s shoulder and said, “Fourth brother, do me a favor. Go back to the Hanlin Academy and try to see Scholar Yang. Tell him…”
He recounted everything about the Beizhenfu Office. Seeing Zhang Jiu’s face turn pale, he warned him seriously, “Remember, you must tell Grand Secretary Yang that the emperor has already sent someone to summon Governor Gu! Also, judge the situation carefully when speaking—emphasize it clearly. Things have come to this point, and too many people have already been dismissed. No one knows how far this will go. Besides, Governor Gu was recommended by him; if anything goes wrong, it would be a major disaster.”
Zhang Jiu wasn’t like Zhang Chao or Zhang Qi. With his father often away, he, as the eldest grandson of the family, had become very adept at reading people’s expressions over the years. Compared to Zhang Yue, he had had less success in the imperial examinations, but compared to those who passed in their fifties, he was still extremely young. The difference lay only in experience, not anything else. Since Zhang Yue had brought it up, he suddenly realized his own awkward situation. Like Zhang Yue, he also came from a noble family, but he was a civil official.
“I’ll go right away!” Seeing Zhang Yue nod, he immediately turned to mount his horse, then suddenly grabbed Zhang Yue’s reins. “Third brother, where are you going now?”

“Grand Secretary Yang has given you the instructions. Another important prisoner has someone sent by my second brother to help capture him. I’ll head back to the Ministry of War now. One shouldn’t interfere in matters beyond one’s authority; I can’t let those who disapprove see me bustling around.” Zhang Yue rode over, looked down at Zhang Jiu, and smiled. “Xiao Si, after completing this errand, go straight home. Since you haven’t yet been officially appointed, there’s no need to wait until the office closes. You can tell your uncle about today’s events—he’ll understand the situation.” Seeing Zhang Yue nod and immediately spur his horse away, Zhang Jiu felt a sense of melancholy. But soon, he turned and strode quickly toward the entrance of the Hanlin Academy. When he reached the scholar in charge’s office, the servants at the door stared at him strangely—having just left, he now rushed in unannounced. Which Hanlin scholar would dare be so disrespectful? Yet, this Zhang Jiu was not the usual well-behaved scion of a noble family. When stopped at the scholar’s office, his impatience nearly made him lose his temper. It was only after Yang Shiqi heard the commotion that he was allowed in. Passing by the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Carriage Depot, another short ride ahead led to the Left Gate of Chang’an. Turning into a side alley, the first government office encountered was the Ministry of War. Zhang Yue dismounted quickly, stepping onto the stone step in front of the door. As soon as he stood steady, a servant rushed over, knelt down, and said, “Sir, Minister Zhang just left. Before leaving, he instructed everyone in the office to follow your orders if anything arises.” Learning that Minister Zhang Ben had actually left, Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned but said nothing and went straight in. It wasn’t until he reached the third gate that he called over his servant and asked directly, “When did Minister Zhang leave?” “Shortly after you left, sir. It is said that Minister Hu of the Ministry of Rites sent someone over, saying there was urgent business to discuss.” At that moment, Zhang Yue sent the servant away and fell deep into thought. Although the grand secretaries and high-ranking officials held positions such as grand scholars and the three dukes and three marquises, even holding top posts in the six ministries and nine departments, they still couldn’t fully suppress those ministries in terms of real power. Thus, though there were internal disagreements, they usually agreed on major matters externally. For example, Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji, who had served as ministers for decades, had their own followers who obeyed them unconditionally. Meanwhile, elders like Hu Jie and Zhang Ben, who had risen to power during the Hongxi and Xuande periods but also had considerable experience, naturally formed their own group.

Zhang Ben and Hu Jian must have already heard about the situation at the Northern Pacification Commission, so they went to discuss it together. If that’s the case, why did Du Zhen go alone? What about Yang Shiqi, who mentioned early on that the Hanlin Academy was not part of the Inner Cabinet, and Yang Rong, Yang Pu, and Jin Youzi?

Two groups had already been arranged outside, and Zhang Yue didn’t want to abandon his plans just because of a mere guess. Some of these plans had been in the works even before he returned to the capital; due to the short time available, he hadn’t yet been able to carry them out. He believed that compared to his own preparations, others would be even more unprepared to deal with today’s sudden events. It was uncertain whether there would be any other emergencies at the Northern Pacification Commission. If so, the emperor might not want to return to the palace either and might go somewhere to relax…

“Someone!”

The small Buddhist hall in Renshou Palace.

Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, believed in both Taoism and Buddhism. To be precise, he was willing to believe in anything that could help calm his mind or ensure victory on the battlefield. That’s why there was the Lingji Palace, and why there were one after another Tibetan living Buddhas and Dalai Lamas. Empress Dowager Zhang’s belief in Buddhism also originated from Zhu Gaochi’s difficult time as crown prince. At this moment, she repeated the Heart Sutra over and over before finally opening her eyes and rising from her cushion.

“I know Zhan Ji’s nature. Even if he’s furious, it must be Dai Lun who’s ignorant!”

As the mother of the nation, Empress Dowager Zhang wasn’t interested in the kind of integrity that Confucian officials admired. She glanced at Fan Hong and Jin Ying standing by, as well as Zhu Ning, who appeared calm, before sighing deeply.

“It’s not worth sacrificing the pillars of the court for someone who’s ignorant! If the emperor returns, I’ll speak to him myself. Jin Ying, how’s the investigation you were sent on with Lu Feng progressing? Have you found any clues?”

“Reporting to the Empress Dowager, we have indeed found some clues,” Jin Ying stepped forward and kowtowed before hesitating for a moment before continuing, “It involves the Inner Study.”