Chapter 364: A Minor Stirring of Turmoil

There were countless meritorious military generals during the Yongle era, but few civil officials enjoyed enduring trust. Among the Six Ministries, Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji were both prudent and steady individuals, whom Zhu Di trusted to handle affairs impartially. Yang Shiqi, known for his fairness and profound knowledge, was often assigned by Zhu Di to assist the crown prince. Yet, as for those who truly participated in confidential matters in Beijing at that time, aside from Hu Guang, Yang Rong, and Jin Youzi, Fang Bin, the Minister of War, was undoubtedly one of them. According to Ming dynasty regulations, noble meritorious officials were in charge of the Five Military Commanderies, while the Ministry of War was overseen by civil officials. Thus, when the emperor suddenly appointed Zhang Yue, Fang Bin, as a high-ranking official in the Ministry of War, was initially somewhat reluctant.

Though reluctant, he remembered the precedent of Lu Zhen, the Minister of Rites, and Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Personnel, competing to recruit Zhang Yue. As such, he treated him politely in their meetings and occasionally gave him some advice. However, he couldn’t quite understand why Zhang Yue, after changing his role in the Beijing military camp, frequently visited the Bureau of Military Equipment and even came up with some novel and unusual systems, spending time with craftsmen. This didn’t stop him from staying in close contact with the Ministry of Works.

Lao Song Li, the Minister of Works, was now seriously ill, and all ministerial affairs were handled by his deputy, Jiang Tingzhan. Jiang Tingzhan had once been a colleague of Zhang Xin. Out of old friendship, he thought Zhang Yue’s actions weren’t that serious and simply let him proceed, assuming that if problems arose, he could reluctantly take blame. After all, he was the nephew of the Duke of Yingguo—surely he wouldn’t reveal the most confidential formulas for gunpowder and firearms of the Ming dynasty, would he?

So, when this minister and his deputy met other high-ranking officials in front of Renshou Palace, they exchanged nods and greetings, then inevitably whispered about their respective ministry’s affairs. After chatting casually for a while, Lu Zhen said with a smile, “Shangshu Xia and I competed fiercely but failed to get him. Instead, he ended up at your Ministry of War and Ministry of Works. The emperor’s choices are truly beyond our comprehension as officials. Even I, as Minister of Rites, heard that since the court rewarded those three craftsmen, the number of apprentices taken by the craftsmen under the Bureau of Military Equipment has doubled. They’ve shared their cherished skills with others, greatly improving the bureau’s efficiency.”

Jiang Tingzhan replied with a smile, “Shangshu Lu is indeed well-informed. The Bureau of Military Equipment is a top-secret institution of the court—how could such news spread so quickly?”

Though the words sounded like a joke, Fang Bin couldn’t help but smile bitterly. “It’s indeed a confidential matter, but since the Ministry of Works has already reported it to the Emperor, with so many people in the palace, how can it be kept secret? As Zhang Yuanjie is an official in the Armory Department, I’ve heard him mention some things. Throughout history, craftsmen have been reluctant to pass on their skills to apprentices, fearing that if they succeed, the masters will starve. Over the years, countless good ideas, methods, and skills have been lost. Now, ranks and salaries are not determined solely by a craftsman’s skills but also by the number and quality of their apprentices. If someone has good ideas to submit or valuable skills to record, they will be immediately rewarded with fame and benefits for their families. This way, fewer people will hoard their skills. Originally, it would take at least half a year just to equip the thousands of soldiers in the Divine Machine Camp, but now the Military Armory produces 30% more than before, and even half of the troops in the capital have been equipped.”

Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji exchanged a glance. The latter said solemnly, “Among the four classes—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—artisans are also indispensable. What he does is certainly right. However, if artisan households also follow the example of kitchen workers and are given rice instead of cash each year, the burden on the Ministry of Revenue will be enormous. But with the Maritime Trade Office generating additional income, plus the measures he proposed for other goods produced by artisan households, if all these work, there’s no need to worry. What I fear most is that the Emperor, seeing the effectiveness of firearms, might still think of launching a northern expedition.”

At the mention of a northern expedition, all the highest-ranking civil officials present fell silent. Aside from Minister of Works Jiang Tingzhan and Minister of Personnel Jian Yi, the rest had all gone on one or two northern expeditions. The hardships were secondary; with firearms at their disposal and well-trained troops, even facing the elite cavalry of the Mongols, their chances of victory were quite good. The problem was that those damned Tartars were becoming increasingly cunning—running away when defeated, making it impossible to catch them. What’s the point of sending troops in such a grand scale?

Moreover, the Emperor was already old. Would it not be reckless to send him on expeditions over and over again?

When they saw a young eunuch coming out from under the archway with blue background and gold characters, they instinctively stopped talking. But instead of the Emperor summoning them, the eunuch blurted out another sentence, expressionless. “The Emperor says he’s not feeling well and won’t see the officials today.”

Hearing this, from Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji to Lu Zhen, Fang Bin, Jin Chun, and Jiang Tingzhan, everyone was stunned on the spot. It had clearly been the emperor who summoned them, so why did he suddenly claim to be unwell upon their arrival? Recalling Xia Yuanji’s words earlier, they all felt a sense of foreboding. The most senior among them, Jian Yi, stepped forward ready to question them, but two people hurried out from inside.

It was Zhang Qian, the eunuch in charge of the imperial palace. Seeing that these were all ministers from various departments, he immediately understood what was going on. After thinking for a moment, he said, “My lords, unless it’s a serious military or state matter, please go back for now. Just now, Xiu Chun Hall reported that Concubine Wang suddenly fainted. The emperor was furious upon hearing this and ordered me to take the chief physician from the Imperial Medical Academy to treat her right away. He plans to go there himself shortly and likely won’t have time to see you all.”

Seeing Zhang Qian bow and leave in a hurry with the chief physician Shi Quan, the high-ranking officials from various departments exchanged glances before heading back to their own offices. If it had been any other concubine, they would have advised the emperor not to neglect state affairs for beauty, but since it was Concubine Wang… The emperor was becoming increasingly irritable, and even they, as external officials, had heard that Concubine Wang was trying to gently persuade him to calm down. If something really happened to her, who else would dare to advise the emperor?

Although he was only a vice director in the Military Department’s Armory Bureau, Zhang Yue knew he held only a nominal position and usually didn’t interfere rashly in departmental affairs. Yet, he would visit the Military Department every day, morning and evening, and this day was no exception.

The Military Department was a typical complex of buildings, with several courtyards inside. The main hall, large and spacious, served as the place where officials discussed matters and met with those handling various tasks. The four subordinate offices occupied four smaller courtyards on either side of the main hall. Add in the storage rooms for documents and archives, and there were well over a hundred rooms in total. Zhang Yue walked along the corridor past the main hall and arrived at the secondary office where the minister usually handled official business. Seeing that Minister Fang Bin looked gloomy, he reported today’s matters as usual and prepared to leave. But before he reached the door, Fang Bin suddenly called out to him and, after much hesitation, uttered something unrelated.

“You’ve been busy running around these days; you must be tired. Since there’s nothing to do today, go back early.”

Despite his direct superior’s orders, Zhang Yue thought it over carefully before deciding to return to his own department to take a look. After all, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty favored diligent officials above all else, and it was not worth risking such a minor mistake. Upon arriving at his department, he saw Chai Che, the officer in charge of military recruitment, talking with Qian Yun from the armory department, so he stopped. Soon, the two finished talking. Chai Che turned to leave; upon seeing him, he merely gave a brief greeting without saying much.

One was from the military recruitment department and the other from the armory department—they were merely colleagues who had exchanged nods. Zhang Yue knew the other man came from a poor background and had a rigid personality, but he didn’t mind this, so he went ahead to meet Qian Yun, the head officer of his department. It was the middle of the year, and the busiest task for the armory department was assigned to Zhang Yue, allowing Qian Yun and his subordinates to relax a bit. But these days, it wasn’t good for officials to be idle, so Qian Yun, seeing that Zhang Yue, who was over twenty years younger than him, could often meet the emperor, felt displeased.

“Today is the 15th day of the eighth month. It’s rare for you to have free time. Instead of going back early, you still find time to return to the armory department?”

Was it the 15th day of the eighth month? Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned before recalling this, finally understanding why Fang Bin had mentioned it. Although Qian Yun’s words were somewhat sarcastic, Zhang Yue had no intention of arguing with him. He didn’t bring up Fang Bin’s request for him to go back early and instead said with a smile, “Thanks to Lord Qian reminding me, otherwise I really would have forgotten what day it is. Since it’s the Mid-Autumn Festival, have the other colleagues gone back?”

“Thanks to you, the armory department has been very idle these days. I’ll order everyone to go back in a moment.” Seeing that Zhang Yue wasn’t annoyed, Qian Yun quickly lost interest and lazily said, “Since you’re back today, come in and sit with us. A few days ago, people from the Prince Zhao’s palace came asking whether the weapons of the Changshan Guards were outdated and needed to be replaced. Since you’re busy with the capital garrison and the armory bureau, I’ve put this matter on hold for now. Later, ask Minister Fang what the rules are.”

Ever since the capital garrison and guards were being equipped with new weapons, Zhang Yue had heard many rumors. Hearing Qian Yun mention the Prince Zhao’s Changshan Guards now didn’t surprise him. He followed Qian Yun into the main office of his department, exchanged a few words with several other officials, and before long, Minister Fang Bin indeed sent someone to order everyone to disperse and go home. Watching his colleagues leave with empty hands, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was a major holiday, yet the court didn’t even offer any rewards—not even a single mooncake?

The Ministry of War’s office was facing the Right Chang’an Gate of the imperial city under construction. Even though it was said to be an early dismissal day, it was already the hour of You, with the sun gradually setting in the west. Due to meager salaries, most officials below the rank of vice minister walked, with few riding in carriages or horses; there were even a few on donkeys. Thus, when they saw Zhang Yue join two servants on horseback, many began to whisper among themselves. Yet, something as intangible as imperial favor could still offer opportunities in the future—so why would birth status be of any use just because one envied it?

“I almost forgot it’s the Mid-Autumn Festival today. You two often travel outside—do you know where the best mooncakes in Beijing are?”

Lian Sheng and Lian Hu were taken aback by Zhang Yue’s first question after he mounted his horse. Lian Hu, who was usually quicker-witted than his brother, quickly interjected, “If Master is asking about this, I remember there’s a new pastry shop opened on East Street called Qianwei Zhai. It’s small, but I bought something there once, and the pastries were made with care. We already have a pastry chef in our household; since we just want something fresh, why not go there?”

Zhang Yue gave this clever boy an approving look and nodded. The three of them then rode to East Street and soon found Qianwei Zhai. The shop had only one room, with a small sign hanging above it, barely noticeable among the nearby restaurants. Upon entering, they saw two other groups of customers in the small space—a couple pointing at items as they asked a clerk to choose for them, and a young woman with a maid discussing something with the shopkeeper.

After a while, the couple turned around. Zhang Yue, who had been waiting, was stunned upon seeing the plain woman in a lotus-colored dress on his left. She too recognized him the moment their eyes met. She grabbed the man beside her and forced a smile.

“Third cousin, it’s been so long.”

No matter how much Zhang Yue thought about it, he never expected to meet Jin Su here after not seeing her for so long. Ever since his uncle Zhang Xin was exiled to Jiaozhi, he had never seen his aunt Feng or Feng Lan again. After Jin Su visited the Duke of Ying’s residence with her mother, he never encountered her again, only hearing indirectly that her father had been dismissed from his position and would never be reinstated. Judging from her and the man beside her now, it seemed she must have gotten married.

The man was tall and thin, around thirty years old, wearing a slightly worn green silk robe. Seeing that Zhang Yue was still in his official robes, his eyes lit up, and he soon said with a smile, “My dear, why didn’t you mention you had relatives in Beijing?” When Jin Su didn’t respond, he mistook her silence for joyful shock and stepped forward to bow to Zhang Yue. “I am Wang Yu, the commander of the Changshan Guards. I wonder who this honorable sir is…” Again, the Changshan Guards? Zhang Yue glanced at Jin Su, seeing her bite her lip in silence, which reminded him of her determination back then. Though the old grudges had long passed, some things couldn’t be easily forgotten. At least at this moment, his emotions were turbulent, and Jin Su’s expression certainly didn’t show the warmth one would expect from a long-lost reunion. “Husband, my third cousin and I are only distant relatives. Why do you keep asking her such detailed questions?” Jin Su finally regained her composure from surprise and embarrassment, returning to her usual cheerful and generous demeanor. She gave her husband an annoyed look before bowing to Zhang Yue. “On the day my third cousin got married, I wanted to go, but he stopped me. Now that our families are separate, it’s better if we avoid each other and live our own lives—this way, we can forget the past easily. As your husband just said, he’s the commander of the Changshan Guards. If your third cousin needs help, you might as well assist him; if not, please don’t tell anyone else in the family. Marrying him is my fortune—I don’t expect any official titles or honors.” Wang Yu had always obeyed his wife. Though he realized later that Jin Su’s words had deeper meanings, he followed her lead as she pulled him away. As they walked, he couldn’t help but glance at Zhang Yue again. Meanwhile, Zhang Yue stared thoughtfully at the backs of the couple, unaware that another master and servant in the shop had also quietly left. Outside, seeing Wang Yu and Jin Su board a carriage, the young woman holding the maid’s hand frowned slightly before biting her lip. After arriving in Beijing, she had already quietly learned quite a bit about the Zhang family. Was that woman the former Jin family heiress who was once engaged to Zhang Chao before breaking off the engagement? Oh, no—she must be the sister of that heiress. A proper daughter from an official family, yet ended up marrying a mere commander… But even if Jin Heng had married Zhang Chao, it likely wouldn’t have ended well. The woman Zhang Chao often mentioned in his dreams wasn’t her name! What good is a good background if one makes a wrong choice and suffers for life?