Chapter 840: Unrelenting Investigation, the Gift List for the Winter Solstice
The half-month deadline set by Empress Dowager Zhang passed quickly. Yet when she saw the report submitted by Lu Feng, her brows furrowed in concern. Over the past three years, 122 hereditary military officers had been appointed by the Imperial Guards, among whom 32 were actually impostors! Some took over positions as nephews or cousins without reporting to higher authorities due to having no heirs; some were adopted sons; and others were completely unrelated individuals who used connections to secure military positions. When the Jinyiwei began investigating, aside from a few who confessed, most fled at the first sign of trouble. Now, the Ministry of Punishments had issued arrest warrants, and Jinyiwei stations across the country were ordered to conduct investigations.
However, further investigation into the clues hit a dead end. Apart from the deceased Shang Yong and the imprisoned Zhou Pingan, Chai Che, who had just returned to the Ministry of War as a physician before the New Year, seemed unrelated—Zhang Yue failed to keep him in his original position, but Empress Dowager Zhang still knew of this old man who had joined the ministry during the Yongle era, so she didn’t doubt him. But the others uncovered were either low-ranking officers of the Imperial Guards or those with experience in the Five Military Commanderies. Below them were mere servants and laborers—people of no significance at all. It seemed all traces led nowhere further up the chain.
“The previous report was sent via urgent courier to the imperial court, and after reading it, the emperor was furious. Now that the imperial reply has arrived, it boils down to just two words—thorough investigation!” Empress Dowager Zhang gently set the report aside and then said coldly to Lu Feng, “For now, this case can be considered closed on the surface, but in reality, it’s far from resolved. You must investigate it thoroughly!”
Although he was also an old hand in the palace, Lu Feng always felt immense pressure in Empress Dowager Zhang’s presence. He quickly knelt down and pledged to carry out the task. After getting up, he hesitated for a moment before adding, “There’s one thing that remains unclear. I wouldn’t dare report it rashly, but after much thought, I still can’t hide it from the Empress Dowager. Among the servants captured this time, a few came from the Left Military Commandery. Under severe torture, they admitted to having little contact with the nobles, but two of them had previously served Marquis Wuding.”
The mention of Marquis Wuding immediately brought up some unpleasant memories for Empress Dowager Zhang. During the Hongwu era, older princes often married into noble families—princes like Zhu Hu of Qin, Zhu Di of Yan, Zhu Gui of Dai, and Zhu Bi of Liao all married daughters of nobles. But as younger princes and future heirs married, Zhu Yuanzhang gradually established a rule: princesses, heir princesses, and the like should come from humble, reputable families.
The Zhang family was not from a prominent or noble background, but the concubines Zhu Gaochi took after becoming crown prince were almost all from distinguished families. Fortunately, because Zhu Di valued her as his eldest daughter-in-law, her father was granted the title of Marquis of Pengcheng. During the Hongxi era, Zhu Gaochi further elevated her brother to the hereditary title of Marquis of Pengcheng as a reward for her years of support. However, while granting the title of Marquis of Pengcheng, Zhu Gaochi assigned the title of Marquis of Wuding to Guo Xuan, the brother of Concubine Guo. Although she showed no objection at the time, a resentment settled in her heart. Later, when Zhu Gaochi died young due to excessive indulgence, Concubine Guo committed suicide by cutting herself to die with him. Though this relieved her somewhat, she still held no goodwill toward the Guo family.
Yet, despite holding a high position, she could not make decisions based on personal preferences. Moreover, Prince Wei Zhu Zhanlian was still being raised in the palace, and the child was quite attached to her as his legitimate mother. After careful consideration, she nodded and said, “Keep an eye on this matter, but don’t jump to conclusions. The incident involving the Duke of Yingguo previously caused much discussion in the capital, so we must be even more cautious this time.”
Lu Feng merely mentioned it briefly, as rashly involving the nobles could bring trouble even to him as the supervisor of the Eastern Depot. Just as he was about to leave, he heard another order from Empress Dowager Zhang.
“Anning mentioned the Prince of Xin’an to me a few days ago, which reminded me. Have your subordinates also pay close attention to the activities of the imperial relatives. It’s one thing if they act recklessly in their fiefs, but if they have ulterior motives, we must be on guard.”
After Lu Feng left, Fan Hong, who had been waiting outside for a while, entered carrying an inlaid wooden box. Since it was raining outside, his clothes were splattered with mud, but knowing that Empress Dowager Zhang disliked extravagance, he didn’t bother changing. As he watched her take out memorials, flip through them, make marks, and finally stamp them with her imperial seal, he said, “Grand Secretary Yang asked me to ask—what’s most urgent now is whether to resume the military recruitment process.”
“It’s been suspended for so long; we can’t keep delaying it. The military recruitment should definitely resume, and that’s what the emperor wants. Let Zhang Yue handle it personally to avoid further mistakes. The emperor has also approved of his proposals regarding martial arts and examinations. But since this is a crucial matter, we can’t ignore the five ministries. Since he’s a descendant of an old noble family, he’s the right person to discuss this with the nobles. But we must also be strict in selecting military students. The previous batch was accepted because he agreed, but from now on, strict screening is necessary. This is the court’s place for training officers—we can’t admit just anyone; we can’t afford to waste so much money and resources.”
With Empress Dowager Zhang’s words, Zhang Yue naturally took personal charge of the annual promotion selections at the Ministry of War. Given the recent shocking scandal that had shaken the court, regardless of past flaws, no one, from top to bottom, dared to think of anything improper this time. Unlike the trials for hereditary officers, which usually didn’t require actual combat drills, Zhang Yue still personally examined each candidate who had been rated excellent by the capital guards and was eligible for promotion. He assessed their physical condition and speech skills, as well as their archery and horsemanship abilities, before signing and stamping the final list. By the time all this was done, the Winter Solstice holiday had already begun.
The Winter Solstice holiday lasted three days, during which civil and military officials in the capital were granted an additional seven days off, while those in provincial administrations and local governments received five days. Yet, various government offices still had to keep staff on duty. After all, this was not the time when offices were sealed shut from late December to early January without handling any affairs—no carelessness was allowed. Nevertheless, it was one of the few holidays of the year, especially for Zhang Yue, who had no weekends or other holidays. During this time, he could not only relax and spend quality time with his family but also focus on other matters.
Since the emperor was not in the capital, the Winter Solstice day was simply a day for officials to gather and pay their respects at the palace. Meanwhile, the Sun family and Du Wan had to dress formally according to their ranks and go to Renshou Palace to see Empress Dowager Zhang. So when Zhang Yue, dressed in a sable fur coat, rushed home, his servants reported that his wife and young wife had not returned yet, having only sent a message saying that the empress dowager had provided a meal. Zhang Yue had come back early hoping to have a family meal together, but upon hearing this, he felt somewhat helpless, thinking the meal would have to be postponed until evening. When he asked about his father, Zhang Zhuo, the gatekeeper hesitantly said that his father had left early in the morning, saying he would definitely return by night.
That wasn’t all. Disappointed, he entered through the second gate and remembered that Zheng Fangfei had sent a note early in the morning, inviting Jing Guan Sansansan and Zhang Jingzhang, who were on holiday at home, to go out and play. Fang Jing was busy preparing to be his tutor, so none of his family members were at home. After walking a few steps, feeling truly depressed, he simply stopped and turned to leave.
“Young master, what are you doing…?”
“Go back and tell them when they return that I’m heading to the Du family’s house in Wugong Hutong.”
The Du family’s residence was originally a bit far from the imperial city. Du Zhen, who had risen from a Hanlin scholar to a cabinet minister, could neither miss the daily court meetings nor return home late at night. So not long after Emperor Zhu Zhanji ascended the throne, he, like other cabinet ministers, was given a three-section courtyard very close to the imperial city, located near West Chang’an Street and Xuanwu Gate Street in Wugong Hutong—what outsiders called Du Xueshi Hutong.
Zhang Yue hadn’t gone far after leaving home when he remembered that Du Zhen was on a northern inspection tour, and the Qiu family was likely included in the imperial order to provide meals. But since he had already left the city, he harbored a glimmer of hope. When he arrived at Wugong Hutong and saw a row of carriages parked at the entrance, he felt puzzled. After a brief pause, he didn’t turn in but rode around to the back door, where he happened to see an empty large cart coming out through the side gate.
Unlike in later generations when the Winter Solstice barely caught people’s attention, it was now one of the three major festivals of the year. With the New Year approaching and the weather cold, people stored various kinds of meat in their cellars. Households made more purchases than usual, and along the way, aside from passing carriages, there were many large carts carrying fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood. Zhang Yue, along with Zhang Bu and Niu Gan, spurred their horses forward. They dismounted at the back door, where a little girl playing shuttlecock there immediately noticed him and dropped her shuttlecock to run inside.
“The eldest son-in-law has arrived! The eldest son-in-law has come!”
At this cry, an old woman quickly came out. Seeing that it was indeed Zhang Yue, she hurried forward to greet him. After he dismounted and handed the reins to his attendants, she said with a smile, “The eldest son-in-law must have seen the crowd in the front alley, so you took the back door, right? The lady went to the palace and hasn’t returned yet. Who would have thought that when the master was alive, no one dared to come here, but now that he’s on the northern inspection tour, the house has suddenly become lively. Only the second young lady is here, and she’s struggling to handle everything. Since you’re here, please help out a bit.”
Was it that exaggerated?
Zhang Yue had originally thought that since no one was around, he would just find another place to pass the time. But hearing this, he changed his mind. He followed the old woman through the back door and asked a few more questions. After passing through another door and entering the main hall, through the ceremonial gate, he found that the situation was far more exaggerated than he had imagined. The noise outside never stopped. The few servants in the Du family were running back and forth nonstop, sweating profusely in the cold weather. From the main hall, he could also hear Xiao Wu’s voice, clearly growing more impatient.
“Weren’t you told that my brother-in-law has already arrived? Why isn’t he here yet?”
Xiao Wu asked angrily again, then saw the light green curtain in front lift high. Without even waiting for them to enter, she rushed over and blurted at Zhang Yue, “Brother-in-law, look! They all choose to bring gifts when our parents aren’t around! Luckily I came. The butlers in front can’t stop them at all. They all say it’s a small gift, but everything inside is extremely valuable. I can’t handle it anymore. You should go take a look quickly—maybe it’s you who caused this!”
Just coming in from the freezing wind to this warm hall, he was immediately bombarded with such pressure. Zhang Yue felt utterly helpless, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Seeing Xiao Wu’s expression as if to say, “If you don’t go, I’ll push you out,” he sighed helplessly and said, “Alright, alright, I’ll go deal with them.”
“That’s right! Brother-in-law, you’re feared even by ghosts—once you show up, they’ll surely be scared!”
Carrying the nickname “Ghost-Fearing” given to him by Xiao Wu, as soon as Zhang Yue stepped out of the hall, his face turned as black as charcoal. Someone suddenly shouted, and the servants who were explaining to others that their master would never accept gifts immediately turned around and rushed over. Meanwhile, those servants from other families who had intended to leave their gifts right away instinctively stopped in their tracks upon hearing the title “eldest brother-in-law.”
“I didn’t expect that since my father-in-law isn’t at home, so many people would come to deliver gifts.”
Zhang Yue spoke politely, but his tone was far from gentle. Coupled with his icy expression and his reputation, it naturally exuded an indescribable sense of intimidation. He walked forward slowly, glanced at a list of gifts, chuckled lightly, and tapped it with his finger. “These are ginseng and antler—my father-in-law probably can’t afford them. If you insist on leaving these gifts, I’ll have no choice but to trouble myself and visit each household this afternoon to return them.”
His words left the servants looking at each other in confusion. Those with connections to the Zhang family stepped forward to apologize and explain, while those without such ties thought for a moment before quietly taking their gifts and leaving. In just over fifteen minutes, the once-noisy courtyard was completely empty, while many servants from the Du family were still sweating profusely.
Mingdi and Moyu followed Du Zhen. Although there was a housekeeper, it was Yue Shan, who managed the front gate, and Nan Bo, who managed the study, who held real power. After ordering the others to go about their tasks, they went forward together. Yue Shan said with a smile, “It really takes skill to send everyone away with just a few words. We were useless just now—we couldn’t stop those first five or six gifts.”
“It’s fine. Since they brought gifts, they must have left their name cards. I’ll have someone return them to each household this afternoon,” Zhang Yue said nonchalantly, waving his hand. Then he asked curiously, “What exactly is going on? Isn’t my father-in-law’s personality well-known throughout the capital?”
“I was also confused at first, but later, as they revealed a bit more, I heard some details. I don’t know where the news came from, but it says that in the future, officials will be appointed not just by the Ministry of Personnel, but also require a recommendation from the Cabinet before they can be put forward for consideration. It’s also said that another system of recommendation will be introduced, with the Cabinet supposed to recommend capable individuals.” Nan Bo, having served Du Zhen for a long time, was quite familiar with the court’s personnel system. After saying this, he appeared somewhat worried. “The strangest part is that some say the Emperor prefers adults in their prime. Scholar Jin is not in good health, Scholar Yang has gone to Yunnan, while my master is at the height of his strength. After returning from his northern inspection, it’s very likely that my master will replace Elder Yang…”
“What nonsense is this? I’m in the court all day long—how come I haven’t heard of this?”
Zhang Yue was both shocked and angry. After checking the remaining gift lists, he found that the names on them were completely unfamiliar. At that moment, he didn’t care about the afternoon anymore and immediately called Niu Gan and Zhang Bu, ordering them to return each gift according to the list, giving them various instructions along the way.
It wasn’t a big deal if the heads of the Cabinet and the six ministries heard such rumors, nor if those who were already aware of them did. But the spread of such gossip was detestable. His information network was more efficient than most people’s, so if he hadn’t heard of this, it must be those who sent the gifts causing trouble!