Chapter 310: The Assassination Plot in the Eastern Palace

Nanjing had thirteen city gates in total, among which Jinchuan Gate held the most crucial position as it guarded the entrance to the outer Jinchuan area. It was through this gate that Zhu Di led his troops to seize power and rule the country. In the 11th year of the Yongle era, Princess Baoqing, the emperor’s sister raised by Empress Xu, was married to Zhao Hui, who was originally just a commander at Jinchuan Gate, further solidifying its status as the most important gateway in Nanjing. Most ships traveling north and south would dock at the wharves outside Jinchuan Gate along the Yangtze River, making the streets around it extremely busy day and night.

That day, four official ships moored steadily at the wharves. As the gangplanks were lowered, squads of soldiers disembarked one after another. Seeing the dragon flags flying on the ships, the laborers at the wharves hurriedly stepped aside, clearing a path in no time. Soon, two officials dressed in bright red qilin-themed robes came off the ships, but their unusually young appearance drew murmurs from onlookers.

As soon as those people disembarked, fast horses set off from the wharves and rushed into Nanjing City. Thus, Zhu Zhanji was informed of the news right away. He had already known that Zhang Yue was coming. Zhu Di had ordered his men to copy and give him those notes along with Zhang Yue’s over a hundred pages of detailed reports. Due to the favorable impression he had from the start, coupled with Zhu Di’s constant praise for Zhang Yue’s abilities, he felt not only curious but also proud—proof that his judgment had been sound from the beginning.

Eunuch Huang, who was there just to amuse himself, saw Zhu Zhanji smiling and bent down to say, “Your Imperial Grandson, since this is an envoy sent by the emperor, the first thing he will do upon arriving in Nanjing is to pay respects to the Crown Prince and you. Lord Zhang should arrive soon. It’s been a long time since you last saw him; why not stay and talk to him? It’s not right for others to say anything.”

“Do you think I can do whatever I want? At this critical moment, if I keep him alone, rumors outside will run wild,” Zhu Zhanji said with a sneer, then ordered, “Go change into proper clothes. Since this is someone sent by my grandfather from Beijing, I must inform my father. Father has recovered somewhat these days and can see visitors now. Let them meet so as to prevent unnecessary rumors.”

Due to Zhu Gaochi’s weak health and frequent illnesses, coupled with his obesity and inability to walk, although his condition had improved significantly, he still spent most of his time resting in bed, leaving state affairs to Zhu Zhanji and Yang Shiqi. It was lunchtime; sitting on the kang, backed against the wall with a pillow, covered in a thick blanket, he watched as several maids and eunuchs arranged eight dishes on the table, yet he still had no appetite. It wasn’t until a announcement came from outside that he raised his head.

“Father.”

“It’s Zhanji.” Zhu Gaochi propped himself up and sat upright. Seeing Zhu Zhanji about to bow, he quickly waved his hand. “It’s not morning or evening court visits, nor are there any outsiders here—no need for formalities. Since you’re here, have lunch with me.”

Zhu Zhanji had grown up beside Zhu Di. If not for attending to his father’s illness this time, he would have had little chance to spend time with his father, Zhu Gaochi. Smiling, he stood up and sat down at the lower end of the kang. Seeing that most of the dishes on the table were greasy and meaty, he ordered the eunuch beside him to remove them and specified several lighter dishes to be prepared separately.

“People say a father knows his son best, but I think a son knows his father best. I really have no appetite for those greasy things,” Zhu Gaochi joked, though in a good mood. “But with all this fuss, once Yang Shiqi and the others find out, they’ll surely advise you to be more considerate of those below and not to do this again. My appetite is limited anyway; I can’t eat much.”

“As you say, Father. But since it’s rare for me to come and eat with you, I can’t just sit there with a full table of dishes untouched, can I?”

The father and son rarely had such relaxed conversations, so they couldn’t help but smile at each other. Once the food was served, the two ate in silence. Only after that did Zhu Zhanji dismiss the maids and eunuchs serving them and reveal the purpose of his visit: “Grandfather had already informed me that he would send Zhang Yue and Lu Feng, the deputy head of the Imperial Supervision Agency, to Nanjing to investigate the shortage of this year’s summer grain in the warehouses. They’ve already arrived at the port. Although this is the official reason, another purpose is for Zhang Yue to take action regarding the Mingzhou Maritime Administration. This year, foreign envoys have come to offer tributes again. It seems there have been several disputes over who gets to present the tributes, and the officials in charge can’t control the situation. Besides, Grandfather seems determined to lift the sea ban.”

There was an emperor of extraordinary talent and vision, and being the crown prince meant living on thin ice. Throughout history, the most famous emperors often had crown princes who met tragic ends—such as Emperor Wu of Han and the Crown Prince Li, Emperor Taizong of Tang and Li Chengqian. Even Zhu Biao, who died young, can be said to have passed away prematurely under the immense pressure from Zhu Yuanzhang. Thus, Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi also endured similar hardships and suspicions, nearly being deposed several times. Upon hearing the words “lift the sea ban,” he couldn’t help but frown slightly.

“What does Yang Shiji say?”

“I showed Lord Yang those notes by Zhang Yue, and I also showed him the detailed proposals as ordered by His Imperial Grandfather. He greatly appreciated Zhang Yue’s cautious attitude—even if the sea ban was to be lifted, it had to be done step by step, without rushing. Although the three major maritime administrations during the Song Dynasty were at their peak, it was the sea merchants who exported large amounts of copper coins abroad, resulting in a shortage of copper coins no matter how much was minted. However, merely imposing a sea ban wouldn’t stop corrupt individuals from smuggling overseas, so long-term planning was necessary.”

“Yang Shiji is prudent and steady. Since he says so, I’m relieved.”

Due to his illness earlier, Zhu Gaochi had not read Zhang Yue’s articles. After asking in detail, he ordered Zhu Zhanji to bring them to him for careful study. As the father and son were talking, a loud announcement came from outside.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Grand Crown Prince, Lu Feng, the deputy supervisor of the Imperial Workshops, and Zhang Yue, a court advisor, have come from Beijing by imperial order and are waiting outside Wumen Gate for an audience.”

Zhu Gaochi had ignored all state affairs these days, not even meeting his close ministers like Yang Shiji. But after hearing Zhu Zhanji’s account, he had already made up his mind. He immediately ordered, “Summon them to Wenhua Hall for an audience.”

Since the visitors were special envoys sent by Zhu Di from Beijing, servants and eunuchs brought in a complete set of the crown prince’s robes. Zhu Zhanji stepped back outside to wait and ordered a sedan chair to be prepared. It took a full fifteen minutes before he saw Zhu Gaochi, fully dressed, emerging from the inner room, supported by two strong eunuchs. He wore a Yishan crown, a red robe with gold-threaded coiled dragons and narrow sleeves, a jade belt around his waist, and black leather boots. Though his complexion remained somewhat pale from illness, his spirits were fairly good.

Even so, after helping Zhu Gaochi onto the sedan chair, out of caution, Zhu Zhanji still ordered thick blankets to be placed over his father and an umbrella to be opened. It was not until they arrived in front of the Wenhua Hall and saw that Zhu Gaochi still seemed in good condition as he was helped down that he finally breathed a sigh of relief. The subsequent reception was merely a formality; he stood by Zhu Gaochi’s side, often glancing at Zhang Yue but remaining silent throughout.

Despite having a sedan chair for transportation and being supported by two eunuchs whenever entering or leaving, Zhu Gaochi was still out of breath upon returning to the Eastern Palace. He sat on the heated kang and rested for a while before drinking a cup of scalding hot tea before regaining his senses. After exchanging a few words with Zhu Zhanji, he showed signs of fatigue and instructed him not to stay there.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, Your Highness the Grandson has left.”

Zhu Gaochi, who had been resting with his eyes closed for a long time, opened them upon hearing this. Seeing an old eunuch bowing before him, he pondered for a moment before asking, “Have you clarified the matter you reported earlier?”

“Reporting to Your Highness the Crown Prince, the person who rummaged through the papers in your study has not been identified yet, nor is there any clue as to the whereabouts of those papers that should have been destroyed,” replied the old eunuch Zhong Huai, who had served Zhu Gaochi for many years. As soon as he finished speaking, he felt two sharp gazes upon him and lowered his head even further, quickly adding, “But the young eunuch who tried to smuggle things out has confessed under torture. He said he took things out of the Eastern Palace three times, just to sell them for money…”

“Sell them for money?” A fierce anger suddenly appeared on Zhu Gaochi’s round face. “He’s just a eunuch who lives and eats in the Eastern Palace. I’ve never treated them harshly—why would they steal things to make money? They think they can deceive me by saying this, believing that since I don’t pay attention, I really know nothing?”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, calm down!” Zhong Huai hurriedly knelt down and crawled forward a few steps before whispering, “I also didn’t think it would be that simple. After ordering more severe torture, he finally confessed that he lost a large sum of money in a bet with two eunuchs serving Princess Yongping. When they demanded repayment, he had no choice but to resort to this method. And also…”

By now, Zhu Gaochi was furious. He took a deep breath before suppressing his anger. “What else?”

“That little eunuch also revealed that he wasn’t the only one in the Eastern Palace who owed such gambling debts, and almost all of them were owed to Princess Yongping. He repaid them by stealing, not knowing what others did. I realized this was a serious matter, so I quietly dealt with those two eunuchs who interrogated him. That little eunuch is still locked up, waiting for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to decide his fate.”
“He’s brought shame upon the entire Eastern Palace! Execute him with a stick, then drag his body out and bury it—report it as a sudden death.”
“Yes, but what about Princess Yongping…”
“This has nothing to do with Princess Yongping. Even if someone investigates in the future, it will be the Eastern Palace claiming it dealt with a thief!”
“Yes, yes, I understand!”
Zhong Huai had never seen Zhu Gaochi so enraged before. After repeatedly agreeing, he didn’t dare stay longer and hurriedly left. Zhu Gaochi sat alone on the kang, his expression extremely grim. It took some time before he regained his usual composure, frowning as he thought carefully about what Zhong Huai had said, a murderous intent arising in his heart.
Although they were full brothers born of the same mother, the King of Han and the King of Zhao had been eyeing the Eastern Palace for days and weeks now, and now there was also Princess Yongping! After all, Princess Yongping’s birth mother had died early, and her husband, Li Rang, passed away as early as the second year of the Yongle era. Without any backing, how could she be so bold?