Chapter 433: Frankness and Brutality

Since Emperor Hongwu Zhu Yuanzhang began granting fiefs to his sons, it was established that princes could not enter the capital without an imperial decree. However, those princes in earlier years were originally princes themselves, so they often had the chance to visit the capital every few years. As a result, their residences in Nanjing were built with great splendor, far exceeding those of dukes and marquises. But after Zhu Di ascended the throne, he successfully carried out what Emperor Jianwen had failed to do—reducing the power of the princes. One by one, the rebellious princes were killed or disabled, leaving them completely subdued, and few princes ever went to court again. Thus, after moving the capital to Beijing, only the Princes of Han, Zhao, and Zhou had residences in the capital.

The Prince of Zhou’s residence was built specifically under Zhu Di’s orders during the construction of Beijing. It occupied half of a hutong and was almost as grand as a duke’s mansion, except that its main door was painted red, while its beams, rafters, brackets, and eaves were all made of gold, distinguishing it from ordinary duke’s mansions. Princess Zhu Ning’s residence was only two alleys away. After living in the palace for over half a month, Prince Zhu Tu moved out, and she naturally moved here to live with her father, visiting the palace only occasionally.

Zhang Yue and Zhu Ning often met due to Du Wan, but this was his first time visiting the Prince of Zhou’s residence. Seeing the bright-clothed Jinyiwei officers in the hutong, along with many well-dressed guards, he remembered that Prince Zhu Tu still had three guards he wanted to give to him but couldn’t. He thought it must be difficult to be a prince these days.

Offering a thousand pieces of gold to compile a herb book for famine relief… Although this Prince of Zhou had several misbehaving sons, at least he himself was a decent person.

With Jinyiwei officers and the prince’s guards outside, the interior was entirely under the control of the Jinyiwei. Just between the main gate and the second gate, Zhang Yue saw at least a hundred people, which amazed him. After entering the second gate, Yuan Fang left all his attendants outside. As they walked further, there were far fewer Jinyiwei officers, all hidden in inconspicuous positions, without the tense atmosphere of facing a threat. In such circumstances, he and Yuan Fang no longer carried the stern demeanor they had at first, making it much easier to talk.

“Your brother Jingguan has been there for almost two months now—he must be quite strong by now, right?” Although Yuan Fang kept his eyes fixed straight ahead and his face stern, he brought up such a warm topic. “I don’t have anything good to give, so I told your father to send you a hundred taels of gold. You can use it to make a gold lock or a bracelet or something similar. By the way, was the pen sent by Hu Qi made from fetal hair? Fetal hair is very rare. After you gave it to me, there won’t be any left for others.”

“The little guy eats when full and sleeps when tired, just as fitting for the nickname I gave him. As a result, after two months, its down was even thicker than others’, and it was used to make a set of pens. Besides keeping one as a souvenir, I gave one to my father-in-law’s family, one to Uncle Yuan, and the princess herself came to take one.” Recalling the pen given away and the congratulatory gift for the baby’s first month, Zhang Yue paused for a moment before smiling and saying, “So why not give it a try?”
“I’m not a civil official; there’s no need to try. It’s fine to keep it as a memento.”
Thinking of his surprise and disappointment when he first opened that exquisite box and saw the pen, Yuan Fang couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Seeing the eunuch in charge approaching, he put aside his relaxed mood and whispered, “Today, Fang Bin came to the palace to report that Aru Taibei had fled. The emperor was extremely angry. Though he reluctantly agreed not to conscript troops for now, he later flew into a rage and even said that since the Jinyiwei had so many spies, some could be sent to the north as well.”
“Isn’t that putting people in a difficult position?” Hearing this, Zhang Yue was both amused and exasperated. However, using the Jinyiwei, tasked with supervising officials, as an intelligence agency was a tactic used back in Qingzhou when investigating the White Lotus Sect, and it had proven very effective. It wasn’t strange that the emperor thought of this. Still, the Ministry of War had already planted spies in the Northern Yuan, so if the Jinyiwei got involved in this matter, the six ministries would surely be displeased. With that in mind, he asked, “So what did you reply?”
“This time it’s news brought back by captured young men who fled back. We can rely on it once, but not twice. Moreover, even merchants aren’t allowed to do business in the Northern Yuan, making it hard to plant spies there. Besides, since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, most of the Han people who fled to the desert from the Mongol Yuan have returned. Unless we can win over their tribal leaders, we won’t be able to obtain any important information. After explaining all this, I said that if the emperor approved, I would do my best. But he immediately changed his mind.”
Yuan Fang had developed quite a skill set in dealing with the emperor Zhu Di. Thus, despite repeated accusations from civil and military officials against him as the commander of the Jinyiwei, his position grew increasingly secure. Even the Dongchang, which was originally above him, didn’t significantly undermine his authority. His only concern now was that the emperor could change at any time, especially since his health was no longer what it used to be.

He would never say such things to Zhang Yue. Instead, he gently coughed and said, “The Emperor has summoned you probably regarding matters of the Ministry of War. But today, Zhu Zhanqi, the second son of the Prince of Han, has arrived in the capital. Hai Shou, the deputy head of the Imperial Horse Supervision Bureau, went to summon him. If you meet, it’s best you be prepared. You have a history with him—be more restrained in front of the Emperor. After all, the Emperor may not like him either.”

These warnings were all sound advice, and Zhang Yue naturally agreed to each one. After passing the Inner Court Gate, Yuan Fang quickened his pace, passed Zhang Yue, and went up the stairs, stopping in front of the bamboo curtain in the main hall. Before he could bow and report, a firm voice came from inside—clearly Zhu Di in a fit of anger.

“Nothing is good enough! What exactly do you want from me? Even when choosing a son-in-law, I never put in this much effort! Let me tell you the truth—yes, I have my own motives. I don’t want to choose a nobleman’s son for Ning. But it’s for her own good! Noblemen’s sons are spoiled from childhood; even before marriage, they already have six or seven concubines and three or four mistresses. Marrying one of them would only cause trouble. As for those young and talented civil officials in the court—after decades of hard study, they’re full of ambition. If they marry Ning, though they’ll gain status, their career will come to an end. If they claim to be willing to marry a princess… I dare say they’re all lying!”

“At least we need a man who’s worthy of Ning! Otherwise, any scoundrel can become a royal attendant. How can I face her then? Even if you, my elder brother, don’t trust me, you should know how good she always has been!”

Their words were rough and direct. Zhang Yue outside was stunned, thinking that the Emperor and the Prince of Zhou were truly straightforward at this moment. Yet soon, he became even more alarmed.

“Over twenty years ago, when I was still a prince, your son accused you of rebellion to the court. Though it was an excuse, can you say you never had the same thoughts as me? After I became Emperor, others also accused you several times, including this time. I believed you without hesitation, but can you say your actions weren’t improper? Ning always thought of you as a lazy prince who only wanted a carefree life. But now, in front of me, how dare you say you haven’t had any thoughts at all? Nonsense! As your own brother, I know your temper well—you’ve always been the best at pretending! If it weren’t for Ning, I would have investigated thoroughly this time. Do you really think no clues would have been found? Fifth brother, let me tell you the truth today—I treat Ning as my own daughter!”

Silence filled the room for a long time, until finally a low voice was heard: “Actually, I merely hope that Ning’er can return to Kaifeng safely to marry someone…”
“You have eleven daughters; just let Ning stay and accompany me for a few years. You’re younger than me, so surely there will be a time for her to return to Kaifeng. Besides, what good men are there in such a small place as Kaifeng…”
Listening to the conversation between these two most noble brothers in the world, Zhang Yue felt he should quietly leave. Although the emperor favored him greatly, some things were simply too troublesome to hear. When he saw Yuan Fang also stepping back two steps, footsteps suddenly sounded behind him.
“Unfilial grandson Zhu Zhanqi pays his respects to His Imperial Grandfather!”
Not early enough, not late enough—just at this moment! Seeing the bamboo curtain lift suddenly, a man with gray hair, dressed in a purple-red robe with large floral patterns, stepped out. His gaze was stern yet authoritative—it was Zhu Di. Zhang Yue quickly stepped back several times, thinking he was far enough from where Zhu Zhanqi was kneeling, before bowing in greeting. Before he could speak, he saw the emperor, clad in black leather boots, stride forward and kick Zhu Zhanqi hard, sending him tumbling. At that moment, he regretted everything, wishing he had stayed on the road with Yuan Fang a little longer.
First, he had to listen to the royal brothers arguing, and now he saw the emperor kick the grandson of a prince away… How could his timing be so unlucky?
“You also know what unfilial behavior is! If it weren’t for your naturally virtuous elder brother, I would have stripped you of your title and imprisoned you for life! Get up! I don’t need such weak-minded grandchildren. Where’s the courage you had when you accused your father?”
“Your grandson was merely confused and led astray for a time…” Perhaps due to being confined for so long, Zhu Zhanqi’s face was extremely pale, and he no longer showed his usual defiant attitude. He kowtowed several times in a row, saying, “My elder brother came to see me once at the beginning of the year when he was still able to move around. Despite his illness, he scolded me harshly. Now I realize my mistake and will never act recklessly again…”

Although Zhu Di’s edict rebuking Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu sounded grandiose, upon seeing such a detestable wretch, he couldn’t help but want to kick him to death. It wasn’t until Zhu Zhanqi brought up his deceased elder brother Zhu Zhantǎn (tǎn) – calm, composed, or open and frank that his anger gradually subsided, and he recalled the series of events that had begun at the end of last year. First, it was the crown prince’s heir; then, the prince of Han’s heir. In June, Zhu Zhan Yin, the fourth son of the crown prince Zhu Gaochi, fell ill and showed no signs of recovery—definitely not a good omen. Thus, he grew tired of venting his anger on Zhu Zhanqi, gave him a few stern words, and sent him away.

“Zhang Yue, get up and follow me inside.”

Had it not been for that call, Zhang Yue would have thought the emperor had almost forgotten about him. After responding and getting up, he saw Yuan Fang already standing under the eaves, so he composed himself and followed inside. As he entered through the bamboo curtains, he was surprised to find Zhu Ning standing right behind Prince Zhou Zhu Tu, with no expression on his face at all. Remembering how Zhu Di and Zhu Tu had argued in front of him without any restraint, he thought to himself that these two elders were truly too reckless.

Looking at Zhang Yue, Zhu Di suddenly forgot why he had called him—originally to have his wife, who had just given birth to a son, persuade Zhu Ning—and instead asked directly about the matter at hand: “Zhang Yue, the Minister of War Fang Bin previously reported that Alutai, upon hearing of my northern inspection, fled north with his entire family. You’ve also been in the Ministry of War for over a year—what’s your opinion on this?”