Chapter 259: Understanding the Big Picture and Knowing When to Advance or Retreat
Construction of the imperial palace in Beijing began in the fourth year of the Yongle era, and after thirteen years of intermittent work, it had not yet been fully completed. Since the capital had not been officially moved, the three main halls were still under construction, so from the emperor to the concubines, everyone continued to live in the Western Palace. Although Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, had long ordered the crown prince to govern in his absence, he often handled state affairs personally. His ministers would gather at the Fengtian Hall in the Western Palace every few days.
Despite suffering from chronic arthralgia, Zhu Di, who was accustomed to a military life, could tolerate nothing worse than lying bedridden and taking medicine. So whenever his illness eased slightly, he would summon a few trusted ministers to keep him company. Yang Rong, known for his witty speech and ability to adapt quickly, was naturally summoned most often. One day, in high spirits, he talked with Yang Rong for a while before calling in Marquis Anyuan Liu Sheng. Accompanied by a large group of Jinyiwei guards, they headed straight for the already imposing palace complex.
The various government offices within the imperial city were still in their infancy, but all the palaces inside the forbidden city were already complete. In particular, the three main halls standing on tall stone platforms inspired awe from afar. Since becoming king, Zhu Di had often resided in the northern regions. Now, as he walked along and saw how his former Yan Kingdom palace had transformed into a grand imperial city, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
At that time, neither Duke of Ying, Zhang Fu, nor Duke of Cheng, Zhu Yong, was present. Marquis Anyuan Liu Sheng was one of the most trusted military officials. Though he couldn’t compose a poem on the spot to entertain the emperor, he had his own way of expressing his thoughts. Smiling, he said, “Now that Your Majesty is based in Beijing, those Tartars of the Yuan dynasty are terrified and hide in the northern deserts, too afraid to show their faces. Once this city is fully built, all the strongest troops in the land will be stationed here, ensuring long-term peace and stability for our Great Ming!”
Pushing aside his ministers to advocate moving the capital to Beijing was one of Zhu Di’s proudest achievements. Liu Sheng’s words certainly tickled his ego, and he was overjoyed. Yang Rong, who was a few steps behind, couldn’t help but frown slightly. Though he was a highly trusted minister, his rank and status were far below Liu Sheng’s, so he remained silent.
Like Minister of Personnel Jian Yi and Minister of Revenue Xia Yuanji, he was also one of the civil officials who strongly supported moving the capital. Having witnessed Zhu Di’s several northern campaigns, he understood the importance of stationing heavy troops in the north. However, the Prince of Han, who was in Le’an, could reach Beijing in just a few days if he traveled day and night. The Prince of Zhao was still in Beijing and had not yet taken up his post. On the other hand, the crown prince and grand crown prince were currently guarding Nanjing. With these fierce warriors who had followed Zhu Di in his campaigns now present, it was hard to feel secure. What if something happened to the emperor’s health…
“Bastard!”
Lost in thought, Yang Rong was immediately pulled out of his reverie by this sound. Seeing Zhu Di ahead had stopped and turned to talk to someone, he hurried forward a few steps, feeling somewhat annoyed, fearing he might have missed something important due to his daydreaming. When he noticed that Yuan Fang, a commander of the Jinyiwei, had appeared beside Zhu Di at some point, his heart tightened even more.
“Fortunately, I didn’t let that traitor enter the capital. On his journey north to Tianjin by boat, he overturned countless civilian ships along the way. He even caused the family of Zhang You, the deputy commander in charge of Jiaozhi who was ordered to return to the court, to fall into the water! If he were allowed to continue north from Tianjin, wouldn’t he dare use his boat to ram the docks directly? Such arrogance and recklessness—what a scoundrel!”
Liu Sheng, the Marquis of Anyuan, was a former subordinate of Zhang Fu, and his niece was married to Zhang You’s second son. Hearing this news suddenly, he was shocked. Frowning, he stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, since Zhang You hasn’t reported this incident, it must be that only ordinary servants fell into the water. The Prince of Han is simply too reckless. There are so many official ships traveling on this canal—why act on impulse?”
Yuan Fang suddenly interjected, “Marquis of Anyuan, although it was only Lord Zhang’s concubine who fell into the water, it is said that she is the only daughter of a local chieftain in Qianxi, and the marriage was arranged by the Duke of Qian. She is not an ordinary servant.”
“That’s because she encountered Zhang You, who is easy-tempered. If it were someone else, they would endure it in front of him but surely not let it go behind his back!” Zhu Di was furious at this moment, his right hand clenching into a fist. Finding nothing around to punch, he reluctantly lowered his hand. “Zhang You has served in Jiaozhi for many years, working hard without complaint. I originally planned to appoint him to head the Left Military Command. It seems he truly knows what’s best for the greater good. If it weren’t for the Jinyiwei uncovering this, he might have suppressed the matter outright.”
Thinking of Zhang Fu, who had gone to Xuanfu to train troops for the northern campaign, even though Zhu Di usually favored him, he couldn’t help but snort coldly, “If all my subjects were as sensible and knew when to step back as the Zhang family, I wouldn’t have to worry so much.”
Liu Sheng had little contact with the Prince of Han. Hearing that Zhang You’s beloved concubine had been knocked into the water by the Prince of Han’s ship, he felt somewhat indignant. But after hearing the emperor’s praise, he felt relieved, thinking that Zhang You had turned misfortune into fortune, compensating for the earlier shock. Meanwhile, Yang Rong couldn’t help but think of Du Zhen, who was still imprisoned in the Jinyiwei’s jail. Although their relationship wasn’t extremely close, he still felt a sense of shared sorrow. After a brief thought, he casually added something.
“Although Zhang You never submitted a report, since the Emperor is now aware of it, it’s best to reassure him—after all, we can’t dampen people’s morale. In the past, the Duke of Rong was loyal in battle, and now the Duke of Ying is preparing troops in Xuanfu. Zhang You has served abroad for many years without becoming arrogant or impatient, which truly makes him a model for military officials. Such a family of heroes surely has successors!”
Though Yang Rong’s words were full of praise, after Zhu Di nodded in approval, he immediately focused on the phrase “has successors.” First, he remembered that Princess Wang had mentioned earlier that the Duchess of Ying was pregnant again. Then he recalled how Zhang Jie had volunteered to go to Le’an to protect the Han King’s guards, only to return in disgrace. His brows furrowed deeply.
Thus, he thought of Zhang Yue, who had returned to Beijing, and also of Meng Xian, who had been in the Jinyiwei prison for some time. From this, he thought of the White Lotus Sect rebels who had been suppressed in Shandong, and his mind was stirred. Leaving Liu Sheng and Yang Rong behind, he stepped forward a few paces and suddenly turned around to order, “Yang Rong, go back and summon a few Secretariat clerks to the Cool Hall. I have matters to instruct them.”
Due to this sudden development, none of the emperor and his ministers had the heart to appreciate the grandeur of the new palace. They simply glanced around absentmindedly, especially Yang Rong. Once they left the Chang’an Right Gate of the imperial city, Marquis Anyuan Liu Sheng took his leave first—he was in charge of the imperial troops and had been summoned specially today, so he naturally needed to return to the camp to handle affairs. But in reality, as he watched Zhu Di’s entourage depart, he immediately led a few attendants straight to Zhang’s residence.
He was never the type to plan everything carefully, so he never considered whether his actions could be concealed from the emperor. Although this family was not related by blood, his elder sister had died early, and his niece was almost like his own daughter. Thus, matters related to the Zhang family were also his concern. If he hadn’t known about it, it would have been fine, but now that he did, he had to go and ask Zhang You clearly.
Zhang’s residence was next to Marquis Wu’an Zheng’s house. As Liu Sheng rode past at full speed, he saw people seemingly seeing off guests at Zheng’s gate, one of whom looked like Zhang Jie. Although he was the biological brother of Duke of Ying Zhang Fu, Liu Sheng didn’t interact with him often. He gave a quick glance and rode past, stopping only at the east gate of Zhang’s residence. Though he didn’t visit often, as soon as he introduced himself as Marquis Anyuan, several servants came forward to greet him, while others went to inform someone, and eventually, Zhang Yue, who was at home, came out to welcome him.
“Is your second uncle not at home?”
“My second uncle has gone to the Central Military Command.” Zhang Yue had just been slapped twice on the shoulder by Liu Sheng, and he was impressed by the general’s strength. Rubbing his shoulder, he said with a smile, “He left early in the morning; it must be quite late now. If Uncle Liu is free, why not sit and wait?”
“It’s too late to return to the camp anyway, so it doesn’t matter if we wait a bit,” Liu Sheng, who was always straightforward, replied cheerfully. “You really caused quite a stir in Shandong this time—heard you led people to raid a White Lotus cult stronghold yourself. How many did you kill? In my opinion, since you come from a military family, you might as well give up literature and pursue military career. We veterans in the army won’t let you down. What’s the good of being a civil official? You get noticed for the slightest mistake, and you’ve offended quite a few people this time!”
In his excitement, he didn’t care that they were on the path leading to the main hall and blurted out, “Today, Yang Rong and I accompanied the emperor on a tour of the palace. When we reached outside the Jinshen Hall, the emperor joked with us, saying that Yang, Liu, Rong, and Sheng made a perfect pair. He also asked Yang Rong how many children he had, suggesting a marriage alliance. Seeing Yang Rong’s terrified expression, I suddenly interjected, ‘I have a twelve-year-old daughter who I plan to marry off to a son who can shoot an arrow from a hundred paces away!’ The emperor laughed heartily and never brought it up again.”
Learning that Liu Sheng and Yang Rong had accompanied the emperor to tour the under-construction palace today and hearing the emperor’s comment about pairing them, Zhang Yue almost laughed himself breathless. The idea of a marriage alliance seemed even more absurd. Zhu Di clearly favored military over civil affairs. Liu Sheng was a marquis of the highest rank—how could he be paired with Yang Rong, who was only of the fifth rank? It must have been just a joke!
Seeing Zhang Yue sneaking smiles, Liu Sheng knew exactly what he was thinking and angrily slapped him hard on the back with his big hand. “Stop laughing. Once your second brother’s marriage is settled, it’ll be your turn! By the way, I accompanied the emperor around today, and he happened to praise the Zhang family. Since you share the same surname, I suppose this little matter isn’t a big deal.”
Zhang Yue replied with a smile and led Liu Sheng to the newly built Ruiqing Hall in the Zhang family’s residence. Compared to the old main hall in Xiangfu, this one was even more magnificent. The red-gold and blue plaque in the central hall was written by Zhu Di himself, with the characters “Ruiqing Hall” written in a dynamic, elegant style. Liu Sheng already had such an imperial inscription in his own home, so seeing it here made him feel even more connected.
Just as the young servant in cyan brought the tea, a announcement suddenly came from the outer corridor: “Third young master, an imperial messenger is here, saying the emperor has summoned you to the cool palace for an audience!”