Chapter 851: Nightly Anxiety

In the vast capital, at its central axis stood the enormous Forbidden City. The outer part was the imperial city, while the inner part was the palace city. Aside from court sessions, only a few people were allowed to enter the palace city on ordinary days. Inside the Left Shun Gate on the south wall of the palace city lay the Inner Cabinet’s offices, along with the Office of Imperial Edicts and the Office of Decrees directly under the Inner Cabinet. Inside the Right Shun Gate were the offices of the Six Departments’ censors—no other government offices had such dedicated spaces.

In the evening, Zhang Yue was led into the palace by Fan Hong and went straight to a courtyard in the Ancient and Modern Collections Repository. After inviting Zhang Yue in, Fan Hong had originally intended to return to Renshou Palace to report, but upon leaving the courtyard, he changed his mind and went back inside.

Though it was a temporary residence, Fan Hong had already instructed the eunuch in charge of the repository to prepare a place for them. Stoves, bedding, food, and everything else were already arranged. This place was originally used by the eunuchs in charge of seals and documents; it wasn’t particularly spacious, but it was clean. Zhang Yue brought along important military documents in a secret box. Thinking there would be time to relax, he also took a few books he often read. With today’s tasks completed, he sat behind the table, propping his head as he read “Dongpo’s Notes.”

Hearing the curtain rustle, he raised his head and was surprised to see Fan Hong returning. As soon as Fan Hong entered, he waved at a young eunuch serving in the room.

“Lord Zhang may not be used to being in the palace. How about this—later, I’ll have Cao Jixiang come to serve you. He once helped you in Guangzhou; he’s more useful than these kids.” Fan Hong sat down in the chair opposite Zhang Yue and then said in a gentler tone, “I know Lord Zhang was once praised by Emperor Taizong for his sense of propriety and knowing when to advance or retreat. At such a critical moment, he surely won’t misunderstand. The five provincial governments command troops, and the Ministry of War is responsible for deploying them. Since we still don’t know where the problem lies, the Empress Dowager believes only in Lord Zhang. But if he’s outside the palace, there are too many variables.”

It was both trust and caution—a principle Zhang Yue had long understood. He simply nodded slightly and said, “Thank you for your kindness, Eunuch Fan. The Emperor entrusted me with important duties before leaving. Now that things have become urgent, I naturally understand the gravity of the situation.”

“That’s good. We were just wasting words.” Fan Hongshi didn’t want to strain relations with Zhang Yue and felt relieved. He stood up and said, “I’ll go to Renshou Palace to see the Empress Dowager now. It’s extremely cold these days. I’ve already instructed the Timber Management Office and the kitchen to ensure there’s enough firewood and to provide the best food. If Lord Zhang needs any messages sent back home, just give orders to these servants.”

Zhang Yue nodded and sent Fan Hongshi away before sitting back down. Logically, since the truth had been revealed today and Empress Dowager Zhang had immediately ordered an investigation, the situation should be easy to handle. However, since Zhu Zhanji left, one issue after another had arisen suddenly, leaving people overwhelmed. But with Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu already completely defeated, who else would dare to take such risky actions?

It must be said that too drastic changes can also cause trouble—at least, the future developments had deviated from the planned path. Inside the palace, there were no night watchmen or drumbeats; only the ringing of bells from the guards outside the imperial city could be heard. A junior eunuch announced the time indicated by the water clock—already the second hour of the night. Zhang Yue ordered him to prepare foot bath water so he could soak his feet before going to bed. After hot water and a soft towel were brought in, he submerged his feet when voices came from outside, followed by someone pulling back the curtain to enter.

“Lord Zhang.”

Seeing it was Cao Jixiang, Zhang Yue smiled and said, “Just now, Eunuch Fan said you’d come right away. Don’t you even check what time it is? The palace gates have been locked; there might not be any official business until tomorrow morning. Why such haste?”

“I have nothing better to do anyway. It’s better to come early. Besides, even though the palace gates are locked, important messages can still be delivered at night. We can’t afford to delay them.”

Although Cao Jixiang was only a sixth-rank attendant in the Imperial Ceremonial Bureau, he was still of higher status than those lowly eunuchs in the Seal Supervision Bureau. So, when another junior eunuch in the room saw him, he quickly bowed. Cao Jixiang gave a slight nod, bowed in return, then found an opportunity to send the two out of the room. He then took a small stool, sat in front of the basin, rolled up his sleeves, and began washing Zhang Yue’s feet himself.

Before Zhang Yue could speak, he rushed to say, “Lord Zhang is a key official of the state and has shown me kindness. It’s my duty to do this for you. Besides, when Eunuch Fan was in Guangzhou, I was the one who massaged his feet and he even praised my skills. This kind of service can relieve fatigue and ward off the cold—perfect for someone as hardworking as you.”

During the brief pause, Zhang Yue felt a pair of skillful hands gently pressing on the soles of his feet in the hot water, bringing a pleasant tingling sensation, so he said nothing further. It had to be admitted that Cao Jixiang’s skills were truly excellent—massaging every acupoint from the soles, toes, tops of the feet to the calves, he felt all the fatigue from the day being squeezed out through his pores, giving him a sense of relief. For a moment, he even thought about sending someone to learn this skill from Cao Jixiang.

During the two and a half minutes of massage, Cao Jixiang went outside twice to change the water. After using scalding hot water to soak Zhang Yue’s feet once more, he dried them with a soft cloth. After washing his own hands, he brought clean cotton socks for Zhang Yue to put on. Once that was done, he helped Zhang Yue to the bed.

“Did you learn this before entering the palace or here?”

Cao Jixiang pulled the blanket over Zhang Yue and said with a casual smile, “I entered the palace full of ambition, thinking wealth and honor would come easily. I never expected my first task to be washing feet for the eunuchs in charge. Fortunately, I met a kind eunuch who taught me this skill and helped me temper my character. Among those who entered the palace with me, some died, some fell ill, and some struggled to survive. I’m already very lucky. The eunuchs I worked for later, Zhang and Wang, weren’t strict either, and I’ve always been grateful.”

Zhang Yue didn’t look up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a hint of self-mockery on Cao Jixiang’s calm face. He thought that no matter if Cao Jixiang would become a powerful eunuch in the future, at least for now he was a real person with emotions. With that thought, he leaned back slightly and nodded, saying, “Eunuch Zhang is getting old and won’t be involved in palace affairs anymore. Since Eunuch Wang values you, be more careful. Playing low to climb high isn’t unique to the palace—it’s common in both official circles and among ordinary people. Eunuch Zhang also mentioned in his letter to take care of you.”

The original intention behind Zhang Qian’s words in the letter was that in the corrupt palace environment, many clever people ended up badly. If Cao Jixiang helped him achieve merits, Zhang Yue should assist him to prevent him from a tragic end. Using someone like him was better than relying on others with unknown backgrounds. But Zhang Yue adapted his words slightly, and Cao Jixiang heard them and felt his throat tighten.

“Eunuch Zhang is truly generous. I can’t write letters. Please convey my thanks to him when you have the chance.”

It was already late, and Cao Jixiang did not dare keep Zhang Yue awake any longer. After forcing a smile and saying a few words, he quietly left the room. Zhang Yue lay down comfortably, but found the pillows in the palace unbearably hard, making it difficult for him to fall asleep. Thinking about the events of the day, tomorrow’s plans, and his family back home, he found it even harder to drift off. It was unknown how long passed before he finally closed his eyes. In a drowsy state, he suddenly felt someone pushing him hard several times.

“Sir, sir!”

Struggling to open his eyes against sleepiness, Zhang Yue saw Cao Jixiang standing in front of the bed, looking extremely anxious. Frowning, he remembered where he was and sat up quickly. “What’s the matter?”

“This is an edict drafted by Grand Secretary Yang of the Cabinet. The Empress Dowager has reviewed it and stamped it. Sir, please affix your seal.”

Although the brazier in the room was not extinguished, this was not a room with a heated floor or kang, so it was still extremely cold in the middle of the night. Seeing that Cao Jixiang had already brought his thick robe, Zhang Yue immediately put it on. With the help of a lamp that had just been lit nearby, he scanned the edict quickly and was shocked.

It ordered the Jinyiwei to arrest all officers above the rank of hundredman in the Dingbian Garrison, while the remaining troops in Tongzhou were forbidden to leave their posts. At the same time, elite troops from the capital were to be sent to Marquis Wuding’s estate to capture Marquis Wuding’s eldest son, Guo Cong!

“Sir.”

Zhang Yue nodded and quickly put on the clothes from the chair beside him. When he reached the table, he read the edict carefully again and indeed found many ambiguous parts. He knew that many things were still unclear, and Cao Jixiang was undoubtedly not someone who knew the full details. So he first stamped it with the silver seal and the official seal of the Ministry of War. After receiving it, Cao Jixiang gently blew on it and then hurriedly left the room. Moments later, voices could be heard outside.

Needless to say, someone was being sent to deliver the orders.

Although Zhang Yue often stayed at the Ministry of War, his family would send someone to check on him in the evening—either saying he was staying at the yamen or returning home—so there would always be some news. That day, he had already said he wouldn’t be returning. Thus, during the night curfew, the side gates of his home were already locked. When a young eunuch dressed in palace attire knocked on the door and hurriedly said that Zhang Yue had been staying in the palace these past few days, the whole family was shocked, with Lady Sun especially anxious.

“How could our good Yue end up staying in the palace?”

Zhang Zhuo calmed down a bit. News in the capital spread quickly. Though he had retired, he still traveled frequently, and by evening he already had a general idea of what had happened. Realizing that the palace must also be taking precautions under such circumstances, he snapped, “Why the panic? The Minister of War is accompanying the emperor on his northern tour. With only Vice Minister Feng seriously ill, it’s not strange to summon him to the palace to assist. Besides, the palace is guarded by a large army—what danger could he possibly face? Don’t panic at the slightest disturbance; otherwise, people might think you’re hiding something!”

Normally, the couple spoke in a gentle tone and rarely got angry. Today, it was rare for Zhang Zhuo to scold her sternly, leaving Sun Shi momentarily stunned before she sat down worriedly, not daring to say another word. Zhang Zhuo had no time to comfort his wife either. He turned to Du Wan and said, “There will likely be many complications tonight. Go and instruct the steward, Gao Quan, to double the number of night guards for both shifts and to keep the gates secure. The same goes for the inner gates—once locked, keep the keys yourself and forbid anyone from leaving.”

Du Wan agreed to everything. Once she left the main room, her expression grew serious. Although this situation was within expectations, its development was even more severe than anticipated. If they could stir up so much trouble while the emperor was not in the capital, who would believe they didn’t have rebellious intentions? Thinking of this, she lightly pinched the palm of her hand. When she returned to the room and saw Amber and Qiu Hen coming out, learning that the children had not been disturbed, she nodded and ordered them to follow her inside.

Though they were all family, there were things that could be said and things that couldn’t. So Du Wan simply avoided the more sensitive details, saying that Zhang Yue was staying in the palace due to military matters. Qiu Hen was clueless, while Amber’s expression changed slightly, but in the end she asked nothing and took Qiu Hen away. Standing in the empty room, Du Wan thought of Zhang Yue in the palace, then of Xiao Wu staying at home with his mother, Qiu Shi, and couldn’t help but think of her father far away in Danning.

May heaven protect us from trouble tonight.

Outside the eastern warm chamber of Renshou Palace.

Although it was deep at night, Zhu Ning, lying on the imperial couch, was neatly dressed, not even having removed her hairpins. Yet the palace servants and eunuchs passing by quietly could hear the princess, resting on that beautiful Dingyao porcelain pillow, snoring softly—clearly extremely tired. Empress Dowager Zhang had managed to sleep at least a little after nightfall, but Zhu Ning remained awake throughout the early part of the night, staying by the crown prince. Later, upon hearing news brought in from outside the palace gates, she rushed over, wrote several letters for Empress Dowager Zhang, and sent them off at top speed. It was only just now that she lay down on the couch to rest, only to fall asleep so quickly.

At that moment, a palace servant brought a brocade quilt to cover Zhu Ning, but with the slightest movement, Zhu Ning jolted awake. Pulling the quilt aside, she asked, “What time is it?”

Just then, a panicked voice from inside came through: “Empress Dowager, what’s wrong with you?”

Zhu Ning threw off the quilt and sat up, not even bothering to put on her shoes. She rushed in barefoot. Seeing Empress Dowager Zhang looking pale, she sharply stopped a young eunuch who was about to run out, then reached out to check her breathing and pulse before helping her sit up. Suspecting a sudden heart attack, she applied the techniques she had learned from Xiao Wu. What seemed like less than half a cup of tea passed like a thousand years. Finally, Empress Dowager Zhang moaned and opened her eyes.

“Empress Dowager!”

“A’ning, from now on, without your order, no one is allowed in or out of Renshou Palace!” Empress Dowager Zhang managed to utter these words with great effort. She then felt another wave of dizziness and, only after catching her breath, continued, “If anyone here dares to reveal even a single word about my condition, they shall be killed on the spot! Choose a reliable person to go to the imperial pharmacy. Remember, tell them the crown prince is sick. Take this opportunity to see if there are any unruly elements causing trouble.”

“Yes!”