Chapter 867: Once Again, the Dead of Night

Once again, the dead of night had fallen. Compared to the continuous chaos last night before that and the eerie silence the night before yesterday, this deep night was also filled with unrest. The Jinyiwei, having been busy for several days, once more broke into residential homes in the dead of night. This time, however, their actions were more targeted—after forcing their way in, they swiftly drove away or captured the inhabitants. The victims often didn’t even get a chance to speak before being tied up tightly, their mouths covered, and taken away without a word.

The same was true at the residence of Prince Jin of the Ten Princes’ Mansion. When the tightly closed side gates were suddenly forced open and a large group of Jinyiwei rushed in, all the servants in the mansion were in a state of panic. From the Yongle era to the early years of the Hongxi and Xuande reigns, although the princes of the Jin faction never went to the capital to pay homage, their heirs and princes were frequently summoned there by imperial decree. Over the years, many people had lived here, including numerous servants. Although the rewards were modest, there was no master to control them, so they led rather free lives. Who could have imagined that such fierce Jinyiwei would show up?

Fangling stepped forward, seeing that all the servants had been driven into the courtyard by his subordinates. It was deep night, and many had been pulled out of bed forcefully; they were dressed in thin clothes, kneeling on the cold bluestone ground, shivering. Quickly suppressing his displeasure, he asked in a stern voice, “Where is the manager?”

“Reporting to you, sir, all exits have been secured. No one has been seen coming in or going out, but the manager is missing!”

Thinking of how Li Maoqing and Guo Cong had both hung themselves before, Fangling felt a chill sweep over him. He immediately snapped, “Search again, especially the ponds and wells. Bring me the person alive, or the body dead!”

Although it was a mansion rather than a prince’s palace, it was still grand enough to serve as a residence for the princes of the Jin faction when they went to the capital. The main hall’s walls were adorned with paintings by famous artists from the Tang and Song dynasties; the kitchen cabinets held complete sets of porcelain bowls and dishes from famous Song dynasty kilns; the storage rooms contained large colored glass screens. In the upper rooms, there were silk clothes for all seasons, along with various decorations… In short, in the eyes of the Jinyiwei, experts at looting, everything was valuable.

However, since this mission carried the risk of punishment if it failed, most people merely grabbed one or two items casually, focusing mainly on the actual task. Yet, after turning the entire mansion upside down, probing the well with long bamboo poles, and checking the frozen pond, not a trace of anyone was found.

After a whole night of hard work and gathering information from various sources, Fangling’s expression finally darkened completely—the chief steward mentioned by Prince Zheng, who allegedly used the death of a maid to threaten him, had truly disappeared! Interrogations of several servants revealed that before the gates were locked at nightfall, the second chief steward had come to deliver a message, and no one had seen the real chief steward since the afternoon.
“Could it be that he’s escaped again?”
The thousand-household officer beside him was furious and couldn’t help complaining. At that moment, the hundred-household officer who had gone to search the study rushed over with a bunch of letters, his face filled with excitement: “My lord, everything in the study is still there—many are written in Prince Jin’s own hand, even stamped with his gold seal! Each letter contains words of treason, and it even says to find someone skilled in witchcraft and send them to Taiyuan!”
“My lord, with just these pieces of evidence, we can resolve this matter neatly!”
Fangling merely frowned upon hearing this. It was extremely unusual for the suspect to have fled while all the evidence remained. Yet, after taking the letters and glancing through a few, his frown gradually eased. With his experience, he could tell they weren’t forged—both the tone and handwriting, along with the gold seal, clearly belonged to the current Prince Jin, known for his tyranny. So, though the mystery in his heart remained unsolved, he still nodded.
Although he had received orders directly from the palace, since he was in charge of the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Guards, he couldn’t bypass that authority. Seeing everyone’s enthusiasm, he ordered, “Check everything in the study thoroughly, then make an inventory and seal it away. Send someone to inform Eunuch Lu to bring his men here as soon as possible!”
Meanwhile, the lights were also on in the inner chambers of the Wenyuan Pavilion’s cabinet late at night. Yang Shiqi held those thin sheets of paper in his hands for a long time before putting them down, gently rubbing his temples. They had been delivered from Zuo Shunmen in the evening, initially mixed among other documents, so he hadn’t paid attention. It was only later, upon noticing the signature, that he took them out to read. But after reading them once, twice, and now who knew how many more times, he was shocked.
Chen Shan had actually submitted a letter claiming he was too old and incompetent to continue serving, asking to retire!
In terms of seniority, among all the civil and military officials in the capital, only Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji could compare with Yang Shiqi, but the latter two were already in a state of retirement. So, while others might not know, he was well aware of Chen Shan’s background.

Chen Shan was a Jinshi in the 27th year of the Hongwu era. He later joined the project to compile the Yongle Encyclopedia and taught classics and history to the crown prince. It was not until the 18th year of the Yongle era that he officially transferred from his position as an official in the Censorate to serve in the Eastern Palace, dedicated to attending to Zhu Zhanji, who was then still the crown prince. By the early years of the Xuande era, as a veteran of the Eastern Palace, Chen Shan was highly trusted and promoted from vice minister to Minister of Revenue and Grand Secretary of the Jinsen Hall. However, he failed to secure a firm position in the power struggles within the cabinet.

Unlike Yang Rong, who came from a wealthy family, Jin Youzi from a scholarly background, and Du Zhen, who had traveled extensively, Yang Shiqi grew up in poverty and was supported by his stepfather for many years. Although his career was not full of dramatic ups and downs, it still had its highs and lows. As a veteran of five dynasties, he always knew when to speak and when to remain silent. He was aware of the previous incident involving gifts from the Du family and the endless rumors, and now, holding this petition to retire, he couldn’t help but sigh.

Although he could return home, the turmoil of these days kept even Yang Pu, who usually stayed quiet, in the palace. He couldn’t help but ask, “Lord Shiqi, what petition has Grand Secretary Chen submitted?”

“Chen Ru Jing is from the same year as me, yet he wants to retire,” Yang Shiqi said, gently tapping the petition in his hand and shaking his head slightly. “He has a mentor-like relationship with the emperor and has been very honest in his official duties. If it weren’t for this persistent desire to retire, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to return to the cabinet. Some actions, no matter how hidden, will eventually be seen by someone.”

Yang Pu, who was usually quiet, only showed a slight reaction upon hearing this before returning to his work. Among the cabinet members, he had the shortest tenure. When he and Chen Shan and Zhang Ying first entered the cabinet, Zhang Ying even mocked him behind his back, saying he had become a cabinet minister because of imprisonment. But even when he heard this, he remained as humble as ever. In the end, Chen Shan and Zhang Ying left the cabinet due to their lack of familiarity with government affairs, while he, who seemed insignificant, continued to hold his position firmly.

For Yang Shiqi, it was enough to express concern for Chen Shan; there were still many other matters to deal with through the long nights. The same applied to Yang Pu, who was destined to step down and thus didn’t need to worry further. The two resumed working, sorting through the mountain of tasks on their desks to identify priorities and draft summaries and responses.

Several oil lamps indoors had already been filled with kerosene, and they burned brightly. Even when the eunuchs who occasionally slipped in to refill the tea stirred up a gentle breeze by lifting the door curtains, the flames remained steady—just like the two elders sitting firmly behind their desks, as steady as Mount Tai, and their hands, though wrinkled, still firm and unshaking.

The Warm Pavilion in the West Courtyard of Prince Wei’s Mansion, in the Ten Princes’ Palace.

Among Emperor Renzong Zhu Gaochi’s ten sons, Prince Wei Zhanjian was the youngest. He had been weak and sickly since childhood, so Emperor Zhu Zhanji felt great pity for him. Yet despite the imperial physicians coming to the mansion almost daily and administering doses of medicine after doses, his health did not improve much. It was the same in the middle of the night—seeing the physician shaking his head with a worried expression, the steward immediately went to knock on the doors of the neighboring households and, under the watchful eyes of the imperial guards, insisted that Prince Xiang and Prince Liang come over at all costs.

At that moment, after being given medicine and having needles inserted, Prince Wei finally regained his breath. Seeing his two elder brothers had come, he was overjoyed. But after his joy subsided, lying on the large sandalwood bed adorned with the “Five Blessings Together” pattern, he looked pitifully at the bowl of medicine brought to him and said plaintively, “Eighth Brother, do I have to drink the medicine again?”

“Of course. Be good and drink it, and you’ll feel better.”

Seeing Prince Liang acting as if he were soothing a child, he turned to Prince Xiang with a pitiful look and pleaded, “Fifth Brother…”

“Even if our emperor were here, he’d force you to drink the medicine. You’re already this sick, yet you still act spoiled! Drink it, and tomorrow I’ll take you to the market.”

Seeing Prince Xiang shake his head impatiently, Prince Liang sat down, firmly held his shoulders, and forced a large bowl of medicine down his throat. Then he put a hawthorn candy in his mouth before gently patting his back, his face showing concern. After settling him down and covering him with a blanket, Prince Liang signaled to Prince Xiang, but Prince Wei grabbed him, pleading softly, “Eighth Brother, stay with me a little longer. Stay with me before you leave…”

Seeing the poor boy’s pitiful expression, Prince Liang thought of his own brother, Prince Teng, who had died of illness earlier, and his eyes reddened slightly. He then sat down on the edge of the bed. With no choice, Prince Xiang also sat down. After finally coaxing him into sleep and hearing his steady breathing, the two quietly left the room. Prince Xiang instructed the eunuchs and maids to take good care of him.

After leaving the room, Prince Liang let out a soft sigh. “Fifth Brother, if I’m sent to a remote fief, my weak health probably won’t withstand it. If it weren’t for concern for him, I wouldn’t have disturbed you in the middle of the night.”

Prince Xiang was the youngest among the empress dowager’s sons. His constant cheerful demeanor and refusal to act like a legitimate heir made him get along well with his brothers. Everyone came to him when they had problems, and his good relationship with Prince Liang also led him to take better care of Prince Wei. At this moment, he showed no annoyance at being pulled out of his warm bed; instead, there was a hint of sadness on his face.

“If my health is poor, I should naturally come and ask you. It’s an ancestral rule that princes cannot reside in the capital. Even if our elder brother shows pity and keeps me here instead of sending me away, we still can’t avoid it. Once we part, we really won’t know when we’ll see each other again. So we should spend as much time together as possible now. When Eighth Brother left before, I cried like a broken person and fell seriously ill. I was really afraid something might happen then… But what can we do now? I get sick every winter. The imperial physicians say he’s just barely holding on.”

“At least he’s still alive, rather than passing away so young like Eighth Brother.”

The two brothers exchanged glances. In the end, Prince Xiang said nothing but gently shook Prince Liang’s hand. It was still midnight, so Prince Xiang couldn’t stay long. After exchanging a few more words, he put on his cloak and left. Prince Liang watched him go before hurriedly returning inside and sitting by Prince Wei’s bed. Looking at his frail brother, he unconsciously remembered the time when their mother was still alive.

Their father had ten sons, and the three youngest were his concubine, Consort Guo’s children—Eighth Brother, Prince Teng, him, and Prince Wei. Back then, although the Eastern Palace was often unstable, the brothers got along very well—after all, the position of crown prince had already been determined, and no one could challenge Zhu Zhanji, who was at least six years older than them. And because their mother was highly trusted by their grandfather and father, the concubines in the Eastern Palace also got along harmoniously. But everything changed drastically after their father ascended the throne. As a result, he lost his father, his mother followed him, and even Eighth Brother, Prince Teng, died from shock, grief, and illness.

“Eighth Brother, do you know? Even Uncle might not be able to hold on this time. I never expected Cousin to die too—he did it all for me…”

Muttering to himself, Prince Liang gently stroked Prince Wei’s temple, then leaned back on the bed, his face showing an indescribable sorrow. His mother was a noblewoman from a high-ranking family, yet she married his father as a concubine. After years of waiting, she finally had a brother who was granted the title of Marquis of Wuding, but in the end, they all lost everything, leaving only the three brothers. Now that he had reached adulthood, he had not yet taken a wife, nor did he know where he would be assigned as a governor, nor whether he would be able to see his only sibling by the same mother again.

“Zhan Yan, don’t blame me. I didn’t expect this to happen either, but there’s no turning back now. Fifth Brother taught me many things, but there are some things he could choose to ignore, while I can’t. After all, we weren’t raised by the same mother… Don’t worry, I’m prepared. Since I haven’t married a princess nor had any children, I’m just alone… I suppose, for the sake of the royal family’s dignity, no one will mistreat you…”

After speaking for a while, seeing that Prince Wei in his sleep seemed to be having a good dream with a gentle smile on his lips, Prince Liang tucked the blanket around him. Then he took a deep breath, stood up to close the curtains. But when his hand touched the curtain hook, he froze—the ivory hook was actually in the design meant to ensure prosperity for future generations. After a brief pause, he lowered the thick double layer of curtains, rolled them up neatly, and then walked out. With his back turned, he didn’t notice that the curtains, which had seemed closed, were pulled open a slit by a hand as he reached the door, revealing a pair of bright eyes.