Chapter 260: Lord and Subject

It was Zhu Di who encouraged the young and old to learn military skills, who knew how to appoint capable people, who was valiant and heroic, who treated meritorious officials well, and who was also cruel and bloodthirsty. Since the Yongle era, meritorious military officials were occasionally punished and demoted—sometimes for just a few days or months, sometimes for three to five years—only to be reinstated later. But if a civil official offended him, they might be imprisoned in the Jinyiwei’s dungeons at the least, or even executed outright. Zhu Di often praised a minister one day and turned on him the next, so over time, appearing before him became seen as a daunting task.

This was no longer merely a matter of honor and disgrace, but a real matter of life and death.

Although it was not Zhang Yue’s first time visiting the Western Palace, it was his first time in the Cool Hall. Located north of the Fengtian Hall, the hall was surrounded by lush bamboo forests and trees. Behind it was a pond, and all around stood imposing Jinyiwei generals, standing motionless like nails, exuding a stern and awe-inspiring presence. It was said that the hall also had fans powered by water, making it extremely cool in summer.

The eunuch sent to summon him led Zhang Yue to the white marble steps in front of the Cool Hall and ordered him to kneel and wait. Then he rushed back into the hall to report. It was a scorching midsummer afternoon. Though the Cool Hall was much cooler than the other palaces in the Western Palace, the ground was still heated by the intense sunlight, and Zhang Yue soon broke into sweat. Just as he was nearly fainting from the heat, movement appeared ahead— an eunuch came down the steps, speaking in a high-pitched, shrill voice:

“The Emperor orders Zhang Yue to come forward for an audience!”

Zhang Yue quickly stood up, feeling large drops of sweat roll down his forehead and splatter on the ground. With people all around, he couldn’t use his sleeve to wipe himself, so he hurriedly followed the eunuch up the steps. When he reached the entrance of the Cool Hall, a cool breeze hit him, instantly reducing the heat in his body.

“Sir Zhang, you’re sweating profusely. Wipe your sweat first before entering, so you won’t look bad in front of the Emperor.”

Seeing the eunuch hand him a pine-colored handkerchief, Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned before quickly taking it and wiping his face. After wiping his sweat, he handed the handkerchief back, but it was awkward to wrap anything in it in front of so many people, so he simply thanked him. The young eunuch then stepped through the threshold first. After Zhang Yue followed in, he whispered, “Academician Da Shen is in the hall now. The Emperor is in a bad mood—be very careful.”

“Thank you for the warning, sir.”

The eunuch laughed until his eyes narrowed: “This young man is Master Zhang’s apprentice. When Lord Zhang arrives, he will surely thank Master Zhang.”

Entering the main hall, Zhang Yue stepped inside and immediately saw Zhu Di, dressed in a bright yellow robe, standing behind a desk to the side. Beside him stood a man—Shen Du, known as the great scholar Shen at that time. Shen Du didn’t even lift his head, busy writing swiftly with a brush in his hand. Though he couldn’t hear Zhu Di speak, from his posture, he could tell that Shen Du was likely drafting an imperial edict for Zhu Di.

He took a deep breath, stepped forward two paces, and knelt on the ground: “Your humble servant, Zhang Yue, pays his respects to the Emperor.”

Zhu Di glanced at the imperial edict, which was already more than half written, then casually cast a look at Zhang Yue before sneering: “Have I ever said you are guilty? You come from a family of military heroes—don’t imitate those pedantic scholars who constantly talk about punishing criminals to death! You went to the military headquarters to mobilize troops and personally led the attack on that stronghold. After that, you sorted out the traitors and cultists, locking up those who deserved it and releasing those who didn’t. Why weren’t you filled with fear at that time? Mobilizing troops without permission and releasing prisoners on your own—how bold of you!”

Apart from appearing before the emperor as required, Zhang Yue had also met Zhu Di several times in private. Knowing well that Emperor Yongle could turn hostile very quickly, this final harsh rebuke didn’t frighten him. After bowing once, he stood up straight and replied loudly, “The common people in the countryside don’t understand what royal virtue is, but they firmly believe in the teachings of the White Lotus Cult, simply because of their sorcery and small acts of kindness. If we must suppress them, we should do so with overwhelming force to eradicate them completely. But if we punish everyone indiscriminately after that, it won’t demonstrate the court’s benevolence nor earn the gratitude of the common people. I acted in accordance with reason and law, and I feel no fear.”

Zhu Di stared at Zhang Yue for a long time, suddenly recalling Zhu Zhanji’s evaluation of him—“an honest but simpleton”? In his eyes, this kid was clearly just an honest fool!

Angrily, he sneered, “Demonstrate the court’s benevolence? I think you’re just showing kindness to the people to gain a good reputation for yourself! You’ve only been in Shandong for a little over half a year, yet Lord Zhang has already gained quite a reputation. You submitted petitions regarding salt affairs, and the salt producers are deeply grateful to you. You also helped with land reclamation, and the common people speak highly of you. I even heard that people claim you’re the God of Thunder. Let me ask you—when you borrowed troops to destroy the Xieshipeng Stronghold, weren’t you thinking that your teacher, Du Yishan, was backing you in Qingzhou?”

He had seen Zhu Di calm and smiling, had seen him furious and merciless, had seen him unreasonable and forcing others to comply, but this mocking and sarcastic demeanor was something Zhang Yue had never witnessed before. Hearing the last question, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly to himself—Du Zhen’s attitude of separating public from private affairs certainly didn’t resemble that of a teacher who stands by his students.

“Your Majesty, I was unaware of Lord Du’s arrival in Qingzhou at the time. But whether I knew or not, the situation demanded immediate action. Even without the hostage robbery, I couldn’t allow bandits to take control of the mountains and grow stronger. The villagers were ignorant; within just ten days of the White Lotus Sect leader seizing the stronghold, his forces doubled. Delaying suppression by even a day would only deepen the threat. I still remember when I met Lord Du in Jinan Prefecture, he said that teacher and student are separate, and superiors and subordinates have their roles. Given Lord Du’s character, how could he neglect public duties for personal ties? As for reputation, if it means maintaining peace in the region, whether as a harsh or capable official, I am willing to endure it.”

As the emperor and his minister exchanged questions and answers, Shen Du, who was writing furiously, couldn’t help but stop and glance up secretly, worried about Zhang Yue. Although there were many officials drafting edicts, he was the most favored by Zhu Di and even had the reputation of being able to write edicts on gold plates and jade tablets. Even so, he dared not intercede for Du Zhen, fearing it might backfire and endanger his friend’s life. Now, with Zhang Yue defying Zhu Di head-on, wasn’t he afraid the emperor might punish both of them in anger?

Yet, to Shen Du’s surprise, he heard the emperor beside him suddenly laugh. Though he didn’t dare turn to see what kind of smile it was, it sounded quite pleased. Thinking of the edict he was drafting, he gradually relaxed and continued writing quickly, not daring to get distracted.

“Rebels are detestable. Killing them is necessary to intimidate the world. If I sent you back to Shandong to execute those rebels, would you dare to go?”

At that moment, Zhang Yue felt bitter, thinking that Zhu Di was truly a ruthless emperor. Yet he also knew that although he had saved some people, the White Lotus Sect was originally a heretical group strictly prohibited. Moreover, those in Shishipeng Stronghold had openly robbed prisoners and seized the stronghold with malicious intent, making execution almost inevitable. It was only natural they would be executed before autumn. Though he had no interest in such a deadly task, how could he refuse?

If he dared say no, Zhu Di would surely reply with another harsh, heart-wrenching remark—“If you can’t even do this, how can you claim you’re winning the hearts of the people?”

He could only grit his teeth and say, “Of course, I dare to go.”
As emperor, Zhu Di had no preference for truth or falsehood; he only wanted to hear what he wanted to hear. He was fairly satisfied with Zhang Yue’s reply. Looking down at Shen Du, he saw that he had already drafted the imperial edict, so he took it and admired the handwriting, which was as sharp as iron hooks and silver strokes. Then, turning his gaze back to Zhang Yue, he said in a deep voice, “When you first met me, you called yourself a guilty subject. How can this appearance suggest you acknowledge your guilt? It’s clear you think you’re in the right! Get up. If it weren’t for the fact that you are the nephew of the Duke of Ying, I would have made you kneel outside the Meridian Gate for three days to reflect on your mistakes!”
There was a hint of mockery in his words. As Zhang Yue stood up, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly inwardly. At that moment, he saw Shen Du had stepped behind Zhu Di but was smiling and giving him a slight nod. Seeing such an expression, he knew that even if the drafted edict wasn’t favorable, it at least wasn’t a punishment, which made him even more confident.
“The Han King is indeed arrogant, but as a local official, if a vassal prince makes mistakes, he should report them to the court—how can he act recklessly? I used to think Du Yishan was cautious, but I never expected him to be so rash in his actions! In a crisis, he almost eradicated the White Lotus cult in Shandong, which counts as some minor merit. However, since the Jinyiwei gave him the information, he dared to act directly. He certainly has courage, and his sense of responsibility is decent. That said, standard weapons were found in the Han King’s estates, along with White Lotus rebels hiding there. Does he really think the people of the Han King’s estate are involved with these rebels?”
No one dared answer this question. Shen Du kept his eyes fixed ahead, letting sweat roll down his forehead, staying silent. Zhang Yue also wanted to play the dumb role, but suddenly Zhu Di frowned and glanced at him, causing him to feel a pang of anxiety.
“This edict was issued after deliberation by Xia Yuanji, Jian Yi, Yang Rong, and others. Its main content is the salt administration proposal you submitted together with Ling Hua earlier. It’s good that you, at such a young age, are dedicated to practical matters—at least you’re better than those who painstakingly try to figure out the emperor’s intentions! You don’t need to worry about Du Yishan’s matter. Public and private matters are separate; I will make my own decisions. I heard your grandmother is ill. Stay by her side for a few days, then take this edict back to Qingzhou to prepare for executions! After finishing the executions, come back—I have other tasks for you.”

Seeing Zhang Yue withdraw, Zhu Di turned to look at Shen Du and noticed that his face still showed unmistakable surprise. He couldn’t help but sneer inwardly—since he was a descendant of the Zhang family, he should regard killing as something ordinary. Only by seeing blood could this boy’s resolve truly be tempered!