Chapter 308: The Emperor’s Favoritism

Isn’t this the very sword Zhu Di once pointed at his nose with?
No matter who it is, if they’re pointed at with a sword by the emperor, cursed at, nearly hit in the head by an inkstone thrown at them, and yet somehow still manage to succeed—such a rollercoaster experience would be unforgettable. It was then that he truly realized how lucky he was to have an elder in charge of the Jinyiwei backing him up. Without Yuan Fang, his father-in-law would likely still be in prison for a long time.

Touching the tiny dents on the blade, Zhang Yue fully believed what Lu Feng had said. It was impossible for anyone to dare to duel Zhu Di, the emperor, let alone cause so many dents in his sword; the emperor himself would never use such a sword to kill people in the palace. Only during his previous northern expeditions would Zhu Di use this sword to kill. It was clear that the sword was well-maintained—probably Zhu Di’s favorite. He would likely have to return it after using it this time.

Handing the sword to Du Wan, he suddenly remembered something and smiled, “Everyone knows I’m more inclined to literature than martial arts. So from childhood to now, the gifts from elders have always been things like writing tools, paper, inkstones, and books. Aside from weapons for practicing martial arts, this is the second sword I’ve ever received. Wan, you’re always smart—guess who gave me the first sword?”

“The first sword?” Du Wan frowned. Seeing Zhang Yue’s sly expression, she had an idea. “Could it be Father?”

“You guessed it! Yes, it was left to me by my father-in-law before he went to Nanjing. I still remember him writing in his letter, ‘A sword is both a sharp tool and a deadly weapon.’ But I’ve never had the chance to use it. I’ve always kept it under a box, afraid it might get damaged while I practice with other swords. People say I’m a butcher, but I’ve never even killed a chicken with my own hands.”

Seeing Du Wan’s curiosity, Zhang Yue led her into the inner room and dug out the long wooden box. Though unused, Zhang Yue often took it out to clean and maintain it while organizing his things. So when he pressed the spring to draw the sword, Du Wan’s eyes lit up immediately. She couldn’t help reaching out to touch the blade’s edge, her face showing a thoughtful expression.

“This sword seems to have been crafted by a skilled artisan—nothing fancy, but Father probably never used it.”

“That’s true,” Zhang Yue raised his eyebrows before smiling and saying, “I have no idea where my father-in-law got this sword. To speak disrespectfully, the scabbards of the two swords don’t seem very different. If the swords are drawn, I’m afraid nine out of ten people would get them mixed up. Who would have thought that the precious sword bestowed upon me by the emperor was actually one he had used himself, and it looks so damaged that it seems to break at the slightest touch? Do you know that the emperor added an extra note in his secret decree, telling me to make a grand show of myself on this trip to the south and to bring a few maids along.”

Outside the curtain, Amber, who had intended to enter, quietly stepped back a few paces. She placed the pile of clothes she had just taken from the warm room on the kang and folded them carefully one by one. Although she had only overheard a few words by chance, she was smart enough to understand what was going on. Now, Qiu Hen, who had been worrying for a while, could breathe a sigh of relief; with Ling Xi by her side, the old lady would also be at ease; as for her own sake, following Zhang Yue was better than staying at home.

Dongnuan Pavilion in Renshou Palace.

Zhu Di was naturally suspicious and deeply resentful of censors who seemed to conspire against him. As a result, he didn’t even want to look at the memorials submitted by the Tongzhengsi and tossed them all to the Grand Secretariat. With the crown prince handling most of the trivial affairs while he was regent, he now only dealt with matters related to personnel appointments and promotions, as well as major military and state affairs. Facing the lists of talented individuals recommended by various provincial administrations, although he knew he should personally assess them, he still lacked the enthusiasm.

“Your Majesty, a routine report from the Jinyiwei.”

Hearing the respectful voice of the young eunuch beside him, Zhu Di finally raised his head and casually took a document from the red lacquered plate. This had been a long-standing practice—once every three days, the Jinyiwei would submit a summary of their recent investigations. Most of the time, it was just trivial matters, but occasionally important clues could be found among them. Thus, he had come to see this routine task as a way to relax. At least it was easier than reading those memorials full of fancy words that were actually just insults.

The content of the document was uninteresting, even boringly straightforward. For example, “So-and-so, the Left Censor-in-Chief, met with So-and-so, an official from the Ministry of Rites, and left half an hour later; it is suspected they discussed submitting a complaint.” Or, “So-and-so’s wife held a birthday banquet today, inviting several guests and receiving gifts…” Naturally, important messages were marked with ink lines by the Jinyiwei, just like this one.

“On the day of Bingyin in September, Zhang Yue visited Fang Ling, the grandson of the late Fu Chun Bo Fang Sheng, and got thoroughly drunk in an inn. Fang Ling was the illegitimate son of Fang Tongda, the former commander of the Jinwu Guard, and the younger brother of Fang Ruan, a thousand-household officer. A few months earlier, he had offended Li Maofang, the Marquis of Fuyang, over a trivial matter and was expelled from the Imperial Academy, with his father and brothers showing no concern. He was on very good terms with Zhang Yue and Sun Han, a hundred-household officer of the Jinyiwei imperial guards, and was a heroic and righteous man skilled in both civil and military affairs.”
“Skilled in both civil and military affairs?”
Upon reading this, Zhu Di couldn’t help but tap the armrest lightly with his middle finger out of interest, raising his chin thoughtfully. As the emperor, he naturally prioritized legitimate heirs over illegitimate ones, but from another perspective, he didn’t care about such so-called moral principles. Although he couldn’t acknowledge his biological mother, he could build the Dabaoen Temple to repay her for giving birth to him, and he could also promote Zhang Yue, who was merely from a minor branch of the Zhang family. So, upon learning that Fang Ling had offended Li Maofang and been expelled from the Imperial Academy, with his father and brothers ignoring him, he couldn’t help but sneer disdainfully.
“Fang Sheng was the first to raise troops and surrender to me. Though he was merely mediocre in battle, he at least had some sense. Who would have thought his son would lack any sense of responsibility? Li Maofang… that worthless kid who knows nothing about either civil or military affairs is truly a disgrace!”
After muttering to himself, Zhu Di casually wrote a few words in red ink on a piece of paper and called over a young eunuch, “Deliver this to the Cabinet and order them to draft an imperial edict immediately. Also, summon Marquis Liu Sheng of Anyuan to see me!”
The Cabinet during the Yongle era merely served as a advisory body without any decision-making power, let alone the power to oppose or veto decisions. Thus, even though Jin Youzi frowned deeply upon seeing the paper with the emperor’s red inked orders and was highly dissatisfied, he still had no choice but to take it. When Yang Rong returned from handling affairs at the Ministry of Personnel, he inevitably handed him the paper.
“With constant debate in the court right now, the emperor only protects Zhang Yue. Sending him to the south was one thing, but what’s going on now? This Fang Ling is just a student who was recently expelled from the Imperial Academy. Even if he’s a descendant of a meritorious official, it’s completely irregular to suddenly appoint him as a hundred-household officer in the imperial army. Even if the emperor favors those close to Zhang Yue, does that mean he’ll promote anyone who is close to him?”
“How do you know that Fang Ling is close to Zhang Yue?” Yang Rong remained unmoved after reading the paper. Instead, he looked up at Jin Youzi with a half-smile, “Youzi, you seem to have quite good information sources. I didn’t even know about this!”

Faced with Yang Rong’s casual rhetorical question, Jin Youzi was instantly speechless. Seeing Yang Rong return to his desk and continue working as if ignoring him completely, he grew even angrier. Although there was no formal hierarchy within the cabinet, outsiders still had to distinguish between ranks and strengths. It was one thing for Yang Shiqi to be mature and cautious, but Yang Rong was clearly the youngest—why did everyone think he was superior? In terms of writing, military strategy, character, and resourcefulness, he was in no way inferior to Yang Rong—why should Yang Rong be so arrogant?

Despite his anger, duty called. Even though he was extremely reluctant, Jin Youzi had no choice but to draft an imperial edict and deliver it personally to Renshou Palace for sealing. He watched helplessly as a high-ranking eunuch carried the edict wrapped in yellow silk, accompanied by several other eunuchs, leaving the palace. Although he hadn’t instigated the previous turmoil, he had been curious to see how it would unfold. Who would have thought the emperor would side so strongly with Yang Rong?

“Lord Jin, why do you look so pale? Did the emperor scold you at Renshou Palace?”

Hearing this voice as he descended the steps, Jin Youzi quickly raised his head and saw Huang Yan standing there with two other eunuchs. He immediately put on a calm expression and smiled faintly. “Eunuch Huang, you’re joking. I was just worried about the ongoing rebellion in Jiaozhi and the difficulty of selecting new officials, so I felt a bit frustrated.”

“Oh, so Lord Jin is so meticulous.” Huang Yan nodded cheerfully and let Jin Youzi pass. Only after the group was far away did he wave his hand behind him and give orders in an expressionless tone, “Go find out what Jin Youzi was doing at Renshou Palace just now. Report every detail.”

After sending one eunuch away, he asked another, “When does Meng Xian plan to set off? Has Prince Zhao arranged everything?”

“Your Excellency, Prince Zhao has already sent everyone over. Now, the Meng family has everyone they need, not even a single maid missing. But Prince Zhao asked me to ask you—although the other two commanders of the Changshan Guard are not as capable as Lord Meng, the emperor clearly despises him now. Do you have any way to turn the situation around?”

“If it’s stated outright, how can it be considered a trick to turn things around?” Huang Yan sneered darkly, stroking his chin gently. “If I get involved in this matter, the emperor will surely be suspicious. We need to use others to achieve our goals. If Meng Xian weren’t so indispensable, why would I go to such lengths? By the way, has the person I sent to work beside that little monkey in Lufeng completed the task?”

Only after receiving a positive reply did Huang Yan smile triumphantly. Rising to such prominence at such a young age, how could she know how precious experience and wisdom truly are? Lu Feng deliberately tried to get close to Zhang Yue precisely because of his background—though unfortunately, he wasn’t the legitimate son of the Duke of Ying, so what noble status did that entail?

The Meng family, now past the hundred-day mourning period for Lady Wu, was gradually regaining its vitality. Not only had they filled all positions both inside and outside the household, but Meng Xian, as the head of the family, no longer wore a perpetually gloomy expression; he resumed his usual firmness in handling affairs, giving the household a completely different atmosphere. Even the treasury, which had once been empty, now saw a resurgence in income.

Yet as the Meng family recovered, Hongxiu found herself faced with a pile of silver on the table and an exquisite jewelry box. She also encountered Meng Min, whose eyes were slightly swollen, as well as Cui Mo, who had arrived recently but already taken her place.

“Miss, what exactly have I done wrong? Why must you drive me away?”

Though reluctant, Meng Min thought of Hongxiu’s deep loyalty since childhood, the many unfamiliar faces in the household now, and the uncertain future ahead. She resolved firmly, “Hongxiu, it’s time for you to get married. There’s no need for you to endure hardship with me for another three years. Whether your parents arrange a marriage for you or you find someone you like, just get married.”