Chapter 356: The Emperor Values a Good Name; The Art of Calligraphy Is Also a Great Path

All foreign tribes submit to the emperor’s rule,
all come to revere the great Ming dynasty.
All nations and kingdoms return to righteousness,
the imperial court is established, and the benevolent and sage reign.
The officials line up on the imperial steps,
singing in unison of peace and prosperity.

The Justness Hall had just been completed when it hosted the first court meeting after Zhu Di moved to Beijing. The Bureau of Drums and Gongs played the song “Joy Before the Hall” from the repertoire of foreign dances. After the emperor took his seat, several foreign envoys, guided by attendants, approached. Though they had been taught etiquette by the vice minister of rites at the Assembly Hall, the splendor of the place and the sound of music left them almost lost, holding back their breaths and movements, looking like clumsy puppets learning to walk.

Among the officials in silk robes with black gauze hats lining both sides, Zhang Yue, dressed in a sable cloak and qilin-themed attire, stood out sharply—yet what caught even more attention was the sword at his waist. Even military officials with great merits were not allowed to wear swords in such occasions. Given previous rumors, however, any sensible person knew the emperor would likely take back that sword soon, so no one dared question it. Still, some couldn’t help but glance at it more often.

As it was a court meeting with civil officials on the left and military officials on the right, relatives like Marquis Anyuan Liu Sheng and Marquis Baoding Meng Ying were among the noble officials. It was difficult to greet them in such a setting. Though called an imperial palace, all civil and military officials lined up on the red steps below the Justness Hall. Standing near the back, Zhang Yue saw his father-in-law Du Zhen and Yang Rong pass by and stop not far above him.

When the civil and military officials bowed three times, the court meeting began. The Justness Hall was enormous, and from his position, Zhang Yue could only see the grand palace; he couldn’t even see the throne inside, let alone make out Zhu Di’s appearance. Thus, he fully believed the saying that ten years as an official in Beijing could leave one unaware of the emperor. In front of the palace gate stood countless Jinyiwei generals in bright iron armor, and even behind the civil and military officials were sword-bearing officers. An atmosphere of severity and power filled the air.

His first time attending court was initially novel for him, but after standing in the cold wind for a long time, he realized that the censors and officials from the Honglu Temple were staring intently, ready to accuse any officials who failed to meet proper etiquette. He naturally couldn’t move at all. He could hear the officials from the Ministry of Rites guiding the foreign envoys to present their petitions, while the emperor dictated imperial edicts. Gradually, he understood why the Ming emperors disliked attending court. This was still an imperial palace; if court sessions took place at the palace gates, the emperor would be exposed to wind, sun, and rain aside from having an umbrella—who would want to endure such hardship? Just as he was almost distracted, suddenly he heard a loud shout from an official of the Honglu Temple.

“Zhang Yue, Minister of Counsel!”

Zhang Yue jolted back to reality, quickly stepped forward in a solemn manner, climbed the steps, and entered the main hall. On both sides were still foreign envoys, nobles, and high-ranking civil and military officials. He removed the sword at his waist, held it in both hands, and knelt in front of the emperor: “By imperial order, I was in charge of the Ningbo Maritime Administration. The emperor graciously bestowed upon me this sword. I was fortunate enough to suppress the rebels and clear out the traitors. Now that my mission is complete, I return to hand over this imperial sword.”

A young eunuch hurried down the steps, bowed to receive the precious sword, then climbed back up and held it high above his head in front of the emperor. Under everyone’s gaze, Zhu Di did something that stunned everyone—he casually drew the sword from its sheath, ran his left index and middle fingers slowly along the blade, and then gave a slight nod.

“Although I live deep in the palace, I have heard rumors from outside. Apparently, some people are wondering whether this sword is indeed the one I originally bestowed.”

Zhu Di’s voice carried an indescribable menace, silencing the entire hall as if even breathing and heartbeat ceased. He simply cast a cold glance at the crowd, his tone even colder: “I previously granted Zhang Yue a robe of the qilin pattern and a precious sword. Now everyone seems to know it’s an imperial sword—you officials are well-informed!”

Despite the foreign envoys present, Zhu Di showed no signs of stopping. He stood there, holding the sword, looking less like an emperor and more like a furious general. Suddenly, he raised his voice, filling the vast hall with his roar.

“Yes, what I bestowed upon him was my personal sword—the very sword I used in numerous campaigns to quell rebellions and launch northern expeditions! If you wish to understand my thoughts, you should do so thoroughly. How could you think he would dare deceive me with a fake? I am someone who cannot tolerate even the slightest flaw, and my sword is a weapon for killing, not some weak trinket meant only for display. Do you really think I cannot tell the difference between real and fake? Whatever you do in secret, whatever messages you pass behind my back, do not think I cannot see or hear it. If someone is willing to risk their life for someone else’s future, then I can grant that wish!”
Zhang Yue, who was present before the emperor, felt his ears ringing from the loud voice. He had no doubt that these forceful words could be heard by most people outside the hall. Nor did he doubt that if a fake sword had been presented earlier, Zhu Di might have killed him on the spot in a fit of rage. Only after enough warnings were given did the emperor’s tone suddenly change.
“Zhang Yue, report on your duties in Ningbo.”
What was meant by reporting at court was essentially reading out loud one’s own official report, so it required a good appearance and a loud voice. If one lacked such confidence, the Ministry of Rites or the Bureau of Communications could read it on their behalf. Stirred by Zhu Di’s words, Zhang Yue forgot to take out his report from his sleeve and simply said aloud, “By imperial order, I went to the Ningbo Maritime Administration to investigate past tribute missions and the lifting of maritime prohibitions. I discovered that Fan Tong, the head of the administration, had committed illegal acts…” After detailing various matters, he suddenly shifted his tone.
“Your Majesty, by imposing severe punishments on those who deal with pirates, you will deter such people from acting recklessly. By sending large armies to suppress pirates along the coast, pirates will not be able to settle there, allowing the coastal areas to enjoy peace and stability. By trading the empire’s goods with other countries, those nations will admire the glory of the Ming Dynasty. Now, the people along the coast praise Your Majesty, and in the future, those who recognize the wisdom of our emperor will spread throughout all foreign lands.”
Although many civil officials still disagreed, seeing Zhu Di, who had been furious just moments ago, now sitting calmly with a smile, no one would dare to speak out at such a time. It was one thing to speak up bravely, but another to risk death knowing it was futile. The officials from the six ministries who had heard Zhang Yue’s analysis earlier also looked deeply thoughtful. Even Lu Zhen, the Minister of Rites, who was known for handling the affairs of three ministries each day with fluency, was pondering what Zhang Yue meant by his words—was it possible that someone, not satisfied with lifting the maritime prohibitions, was trying to incite the emperor to attack Japan?

If that were the case, one should incite the emperor rather than speak to these officials from the six ministries in the inner palace. Although Jin Youzi had some complaints about Zhang Yue, Lu Zhen did not think Zhang Yue was that ignorant. After all, the emperor’s temperament is the most unpredictable; it would be a mistake to assume that those from the Zhang family could be heavily relied upon. Didn’t everyone see that Zhang Xian, the eldest son of the Zhang family, was still stuck in Jiaozhi?

Zhu Di did not delve deeper into what Zhang Yue meant. Seeing a group of foreign envoys who understood Chinese quite well become overjoyed after hearing Zhang Yue’s proposal on combating pirates and establishing trade, even kneeling down and praising him repeatedly, he felt extremely proud. To display power abroad and earn praise from the people was originally the standard for a good ruler. If those praising him included people from foreign nations, wouldn’t that be an even more satisfying outcome?

In his great delight, he naturally felt that Zhang Yue truly understood his intentions and could not help but praise and encourage him. Yet at that moment, Xia Yuanji suddenly stepped forward: “Your Majesty, since Zhang Yue has not yet been assigned a position after submitting his memorial, and given his expertise in financial matters, please allow him to work in the Ministry of Revenue to learn about government affairs.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zhen also stepped forward with a smile and said, “Your Majesty, since Zhang Yue is knowledgeable about pirate issues, he could be appointed to the Ministry of Rites.”

These two ministers suddenly rushed to compete for the same person. Not only were the military and civil officials in the hall stunned, but even Zhu Di was taken aback. He looked at the flustered Zhang Yue with interest, then suddenly laughed. Without hesitation, he waved his hand and said, “He may not be good at the trivial affairs of the six ministries. Stop arguing. I have my own plan.”

Since the crown prince began to act as regent, Zhu Di rarely held court meetings and seldom saw ordinary officials, aside from the cabinet ministers and ministers of the six ministries he personally appointed. Now that his daily activities had moved to Renshou Palace, he became even more arbitrary. When his temper flared or his arthralgia struck, even princes and princesses would be turned away. But when he was in a good mood, he would occasionally summon literary officials like Shen Du and Shen Can to write, often bestowing his own handwritten calligraphy on trusted ministers.

After leaving the court and returning to Renshou Palace, Zhu Di was in high spirits. He focused intently on writing at his desk, in a very good mood. After finishing the last stroke, he looked satisfactorily at the sheet covered in ink and then said without even lifting his head, “I have always loved calligraphy, especially Shen Minze’s style—elegant, graceful, and well-proportioned. If your handwriting can reach even a third of Shen Minze’s level, that’s already quite good. Calligraphy also emphasizes the balance of strength and softness, as well as the principles of culture and martial arts—these are the great truths. One must be firm when necessary and gentle when appropriate. But in my view, it’s better to overdo it than to fall short by even a fraction.”

It was a horizontal scroll. When Zhu Di started writing, he used a weight to press down one end, but ordered Zhang Yue to fan the other end, essentially using him as a human weight. Hearing these words, Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned before quickly nodding.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for the reminder. My handwriting is merely imitative; I’ve only sought advice from Scholar Shen twice in person. I will surely remember the importance of balancing culture and martial arts, as well as using strength and softness together in the future.”

“Shen Minze has drafted edicts for me for over a decade. Many young scholars tried to get access to him, whether to learn calligraphy or writing, but all were turned away. Those who interact with him regularly are just a few close friends. Besides Shen Minze, Yang Shiqi has been with him in the Hanlin Academy for over a decade and gets along best with him. Next is your father-in-law. The fact that you were able to seek his advice twice is thanks to your father-in-law’s influence!”

Zhu Di was satisfied with Zhang Yue’s response and joked smilingly, “Du Yishan has the same temperament as Shen Minze—only those who are compatible with him are accepted; he ignores everyone else. Even your family members don’t visit him often. He’s quite an odd person. Others worry that I might promote him to the cabinet, but with his icy expression even more stern than Yang Rong’s, plus Jin Youzi, who is skilled in writing yet has a proud character, these three might turn on each other at the slightest provocation… Speaking of which, your second uncle handled military operations skillfully this time, and thanks to his previous achievements in Jiaozhi, he can be granted a title upon his return. You are bold, quick-witted, and intelligent. Take this scroll back and hang it in your Ruiqing Hall. Come see me again in three days!”