Chapter 414: Do Not Judge a Noble Man by a Petty Standard
The late heir to the Han King was posthumously titled the Han Yi Zhuang Heir.
Du Zhen, a Hanlin Academician, was assigned to the Wenyuan Pavilion and also served as a Left Junior Scholar in the Left Spring Court.
With so many deaths in the capital over the past few months, most people were only concerned about the latter matter. Although cabinet ministers ranked lower and held less power than the seven high officials such as the ministers of the six departments and the censors, being admitted to the cabinet meant they held the emperor’s favor. Thinking of how Du Zhen had caused such a stir in Qingzhou, only to spend a short time in the Jinyiwei prison before being reinstated, and now being admitted to the cabinet again, many must have envied him. Even officials who rarely spoke to this cold and aloof man couldn’t help but congratulate Zhang Yue, and even Fang Bin, who had grown distant from him before, regained his usual friendly demeanor these days.
Yet Zhang Yue was so busy that he didn’t even have time to go to his father-in-law’s house to offer congratulations. Although Zhu Di was dissatisfied with the situation in Jiaozhi, he still couldn’t ignore Chen Zhi’s urgent reports. Thus, he had to oversee the Military Equipment Bureau of the Ministry of Works, prepare weapons according to the records, and assign two officials like Wan Shijie along with clerks to select military households. He even returned home at dawn and dusk. Since his duties didn’t involve the Wenyuan Pavilion, aside from attending court, he had no chance to meet Du Zhen even in official settings.
Due to the humid climate in Jiaozhi, the army relied heavily on firearms, and the procurement and transportation of gunpowder became another major issue. After that mysterious explosion earlier, both the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War had become increasingly strict in managing gunpowder. Liu Sheng in the imperial army even issued a strict order: if even a small amount of gunpowder was lost, all the guards involved would be executed. Zhang Yue also ordered the Military Equipment Bureau to strengthen security and assign more personnel for transportation.
The four people in the Armory Department of the Ministry of War, along with over a dozen clerks, spent half a month finally preparing all the weapons and troops needed for Jiaozhi. They were all exhausted. That noon, after compiling the last batch of documents, just as it was time to eat, Zhang Yue said with a smile, “These days, some of you have run yourself to exhaustion, some have worn out your lips from talking, and some have strained your backs from hard work. You’ve all worked hard. Today, we don’t need to worry about finding food. Lao Wan said there’s a new Du Kang Lou opened at Chongwen Gate. I’ve already reserved a table there. I’ll treat everyone—let’s go there and celebrate properly! We have one and a half hours at noon, and it’s still enough time to get back.”
The boss was treating them, so how could the people from the Armory Department not be happy? Naturally, they all agreed right away. As they left the Ministry of War’s office, they found the streets bustling with people. After inquiring, they learned that March 15th was the day the results of the imperial examinations would be announced. Apart from Zhang Yue and Wan Shijie, who were both graduates of the same class, the deputy director and another official were also former classmates. Encountering the announcement of the exam results, they couldn’t help but joke around. The clerks, thinking of those who could become officials just by being listed on the honor roll, and realizing how much money they had spent trying to get a position as a clerk in one of the six ministries, felt both envious and jealous.
Since it was very close to Chang’an Left Gate, where the results were announced, the Ducang Building next to Chongwen Gate was extremely busy. Even so, the owner still kept the three reserved tables in a private room on the second floor. Even when some newly appointed scholars came to complain that there were no seats left, he insisted that reservations couldn’t be canceled, leaving them to leave in frustration. Therefore, although Zhang Yue and the others arrived late, the dishes were served quickly once they sat down, and soon the tables were filled with various cold and hot dishes.
Zhang Yue toasted each of them one by one, smilingly telling the clerks to make themselves at home, before returning to the main table. He had just spoken a few words to Deputy Director Cui Fanzhi when he suddenly heard the noise from the next room get louder.
“That top scorer is really lucky this time. During the provincial exams, it was Lord Yang who graded them. It was rare to meet a fellow native from Taihe, and his essays were excellent, so he naturally ranked high. But this time, the emperor personally reviewed the papers. It is said that he happened to dream of a white crane spreading its wings before the exam, and since the top scorer’s name also contained the character for “crane,” he was promoted from second place to become the top scorer, while the person who was originally first became second. It shows that exams depend not only on talent but also on luck!”
“It’s not entirely true. Didn’t someone say when the results were announced that the top scorer and his brother both passed the provincial exams? He stayed behind to take care of his parents first. His brother became a graduate not long after, but passed away soon after. He then had to support his parents and sister-in-law. It wasn’t until he was nearly forty that he finally passed the exams. This is also a case of good deeds leading to good rewards. Besides, while ranking high in the exams is important, what’s more crucial is whether one does solid work after entering government service. Being the best in the exams is good, but to be remembered in history, one still needs to see what happens in the future!”
“Tingyi, you truly have a broad mind. But then again, you passed the imperial examinations in your early twenties. Even if you can’t compare to the top scorer from the previous session or that Zhang Yuanjie, you’re still among the youngest among this year’s successful candidates. I’m ten years older than you. We’re waiting for you to leave your name in history and bring honor to the scholars of Zhejiang!”
Hearing this, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but smile, thinking how coincidental it was. Before he could speak, Wan Shijie raised an eyebrow and laughed, “Speaking of which, I’ve been so busy that I completely forgot about the imperial examination. Does anyone know what the topic for this year’s exam is?”
Cui Fanzhi, the official sitting next to him, glanced at Wu Yuan before smiling and saying, “This year’s exam topic is ‘How to Emulate Yao and Shun’s Governance through Non-Interference and Effortless Administration.’”
Zhang Yue hadn’t paid attention to the exam topic before either. Hearing that it was about non-interference and effortless administration, he began to ponder. Although emperors and officials throughout history had often aimed for such governance, even during the early Han Dynasty when Huang-Lao philosophy guided governance, true non-interference was unattainable. Moreover, Zhu Di had waged military campaigns, built canals, moved the capital, and now lifted maritime restrictions—so why suddenly choose non-interference as the exam topic?
At that moment, the chatter in the adjacent booth grew louder. Some were saying the court prioritized border affairs over civil governance and military affairs over literature. Others were indignant, saying that noble families enjoyed hundreds of hectares of land, while civil officials could barely make ends meet from their salaries. As the conversation progressed, it naturally became more extreme, and someone mentioned the Zhang family.
“The Duke of Yingguo conquered Jiaozhi three times and pacified Annam four times. It’s one thing he was granted the title of Duke for his achievements, but his two brothers also received high positions as descendants of meritorious officials. Look at another branch of the Zhang family—aside from being granted the title of Marquis of Yangwu for their contributions in conquering Jiaozhi and suppressing pirates, their other descendants entered official service at a young age. Judging from Zhang Yuanjie’s rapid promotion, he might become one of the seven high-ranking officials before he turns thirty! After all, they come from a military background, unlike true Confucian scholars who only know how to kill without showing mercy or compassion for the people! And then there’s Scholar Du Yishan—now he’s also entered the cabinet. It’s been only five years since he resumed his official career, yet he’s risen quickly by clinging to the Zhang family…”
“Ziyi, Scholar Du isn’t just a predecessor in the imperial examinations; he’s also known for his integrity. Your words go too far!”
“Tingyi, did you meet that young Mr. Zhang last time and want to ride on his coattails? How dare you say Du Yishan didn’t get into the cabinet because of his beloved son-in-law and favorite student?”
Hearing someone mention the Zhang family, Zhang Yue frowned slightly but didn’t take it too seriously. After all, though the words were unpleasant, they were just complaints. When others criticized him for being ruthless and unforgiving, he simply laughed it off—it was better for one family to cry than for many. He never expected to please everyone, so such comments didn’t bother him. However, when he heard the speaker viciously attacking his father-in-law, he could no longer hold back. He stood up abruptly and headed out.
With his departure, Cui Fanzhi and Wu Yuan exchanged glances, and the clerks who were enjoying their meal hurriedly put down their chopsticks. At that moment, Wan Shijie also stood up and gestured to everyone, saying, “Stay calm. He must have gone next door to argue. Let’s wait here; he’ll surely return soon.”
After leaving the room, Zhang Yue went straight to the door of the next room and knocked gently. Soon, someone opened the door. Looking inside, he saw about five or six scholars, none of whom he recognized except Yu Qian. Seeing everyone looking his way, he asked, “Celebrating those who passed the imperial examinations is not my business, but your voices are a bit too loud. Even if I didn’t want to hear it next door, I still overheard it. May I ask who just criticized my father-in-law?”
Jiangnan has always been a land of literary excellence, with Zhejiang being the most prominent. The six people in this room were all outstanding candidates who had succeeded in the recent imperial examinations. As they were enjoying themselves, someone knocking on the door interrupted their fun, naturally making most of them unhappy. But upon hearing the word “father-in-law,” the scholars who had previously shown arrogance were stunned.
“It’s me!” said a short, chubby young man in a blue robe in his early thirties, standing up with a cold smile. “I never thought I’d meet you here today. What a coincidence. Are you here to demand an explanation? Did I say anything wrong? If not for your family’s influence, how could Scholar Du rise to such a high position so quickly? After all, the two scholars who recommended him to the emperor are now nothing more than mid-ranking officials. Why should he be able to surpass them and rise so swiftly?”
Examining this clearly hostile man from head to toe, Zhang Yue calmly said, “Since Your Excellency is a newly appointed scholar-official, surely you understand the difference between civil and military paths? Although my father-in-law has only been serving in the court for five years, he has quelled rebellions in Qingzhou, offered advice to the emperor, and even protected loyal officials. If you claim he is a vassal of the Zhang family, then tell me which Zhang family member he has spoken well of or who has recommended him. Aside from my uncle who is still in Champa, all the others in the Zhang family are military officials. Even the Duke of Yingguo has always been cautious and has never recommended any civil officials to the emperor. Since my father-in-law entered the court, he has neither cultivated connections with powerful figures nor accepted favors from others, nor has he asked others for favors. How dare you slander him like this!”
Seeing the short, fat young man’s face turn blue, he continued to counterattack, “My father-in-law was recommended for a position in the cabinet by Grand Secretary Yang. The emperor consulted the seven high-ranking officials and the scholars of the Hanlin Academy. Even those who had no personal relationship with him all praised his knowledge and character. By your standards, does that mean all the ministers in the court lack judgment, while you alone possess sharp insight? In this world, there are those who pursue power by following orders, but there are also gentlemen who act based on integrity and justice. As a disciple and son-in-law, I merely wish to advise you: as a scholar, you should know bounds when speaking ill of others behind their backs. Do not judge gentlemen with the mindset of a petty person!”