Chapter 443: Once Dead, They’re Dead

There was always a banquet during the Mid-Autumn Festival in the palace. Not only were all the concubines present, but the crown prince and various imperial grandsons also attended, making it a rare time of reunion for the royal family. However, due to continuous reports of deaths both inside and outside the palace since the previous year—Princess Wang passing away less than a year ago, Princess Yu passing away just a few months prior, and even still within the seven-day mourning period for Zhu Zhan’yan—this Mid-Autumn banquet was much simpler than usual. It ended hastily due to sudden news.

“Fang Bin hanged himself?”

Although Zhu Di was now irritable, his anger came and went quickly. Just as Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji stepped forward to offer drinks, he already began to regret what had happened the previous day. Whether it was military campaigns or the construction of canals or voyages to the West, everything was coordinated by Xia Yuanji, and the Ministry of Revenue had never made any mistakes. Fang Bin, who had served in the Ministry of War for many years, accompanied him on every campaign. He was sharp-witted and highly capable, and considered a trusted pillar of the court. Du Zhen, though newly appointed, handled everything he was tasked with flawlessly. The reports he submitted the previous day were meticulous, showing that he was far more than just a literary attendant and also had deep insight into state affairs.

Zhu Di had even decided to restore Fang Bin to his position in a few days. But at this critical moment, Fang Bin died! That alert and capable Fang Bin had hanged himself!

Seeing Zhu Di drop his cup in shock, Zhu Gaochi realized how much this news had shaken his father. He then gave a subtle signal to the crown prince’s wife, Lady Zhang. Although Lady Zhang was only a concubine of the eastern palace, since Princess Wang’s death, although Zhu Di still ordered large-scale beauty contests in Joseon, adding many young and beautiful women to the harem, no new princess had been appointed to oversee the six palaces. Since arriving in the capital with Zhu Gaochi, Lady Zhang had essentially been in charge of all matters related to the palaces.

At that moment, she understood her husband’s intention and spoke a few words to the panicked concubines. She quickly sent these young women away and ordered the eunuchs to remove the dishes and tables. In no time, the once bustling hall was empty, with even the young imperial grandsons taken away.

“Although I removed him from his position as minister and ordered him to oversee Lingji Palace, that was merely to remind him not to forget his duties as Minister of War. I never truly blamed him. How could he be so desperate… Stupid, fool!”

Seeing Zhu Di’s face twitching and his speech becoming incoherent, Zhu Gaochi quickly urged, “Father Emperor, since Fang Bin hanged himself, he was truly utterly foolish. As a high official, one should remain humble in prosperity and unshaken in exile—how could one despise one’s own life at the slightest setback? But since he’s dead now, please rest assured, Father Emperor.”

Standing nearby, Zhu Zhanji noticed his father Zhu Gaochi giving him a slight nod and stepped forward to advise, “Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Grandfather, don’t let this matter spoil your mood. These days, Scholar Shen has had time to guide me. I’ve written a few pieces of calligraphy, but due to your busy schedule, I haven’t had the chance to present them to you…”

“Oh, Shen Minze has been guiding your calligraphy again?” As Zhu Gaochi kept trying to reassure him, Zhu Zhanji interrupted, causing Zhu Di to temporarily set aside his concern for talent. “You’ve always been diligent in studying and practicing calligraphy. If you dare to show it now, you must be quite confident. Bring it to me—if it’s good, I’ll reward you; if not, I’ll make you practice copybooks!”

When Zhu Zhanji brought out several scrolls of his calligraphy, Lady Zhang also stepped forward to join in the conversation. Even Zhu Di, who was usually stern and grave, showed more smiles, creating an atmosphere of family joy. However, once everyone left the Eastern Palace at the hour of Xu, and he returned to the Eastern Warm Pavilion, he didn’t even remember which concubine he had chosen to accompany him before the banquet. He simply frowned deeply. As Zhu Gaochi had said, death was death—what mattered now was the northern expedition. Although Zhao Jin had long held the title of minister, he wasn’t as reliable as Fang Bin. If he was to oversee the transportation of funds, one person alone wasn’t enough…

“Your Majesty, Concubine Cui is already inside…”

“Get out!”

Though he enjoyed women every night, Zhu Di was extremely impatient at this moment and snapped angrily without even lifting his head. Only when all noisy sounds around him ceased did he resume his deep thoughts. With that precedent set, none of the eunuchs or maids dared to disturb him. The entire warm pavilion was filled only with statue-like figures, not a hint of extra noise.

It was unknown how much time passed before Zhu Di suddenly raised his head and casually asked, “What time is it?”

“Your Majesty, it’s already the third watch.”

“How could you not remind me even at this late hour!” Frowning, Zhu Di grew annoyed. Suddenly, he found the voice familiar. Turning his head, he saw it was Zhang Qian and was surprised. “When did you arrive? Why didn’t you make a sound?”

“The Emperor seems to be deep in thought; I dare not disturb him,” said Zhang Qian. Yet he had been there for quite some time. He was good at reading people’s expressions, and even though no one around could speak to warn him, he patiently waited aside. Seeing that Zhu Di’s expression was relatively calm, he softly explained, “I merely saw the lights still on in the East Warm Pavilion at this late hour, so I came to take a look. I didn’t expect the Emperor still to be awake. It’s already the third watch now, and as autumn deepens these days, Your Majesty should rest early.”

“You’re not old, yet you’re more talkative than those old men!” Zhu Di joked and scolded before carelessly standing up. “These past few nights, no one has rung the bell to announce peace in the realm. I’m quite unaccustomed to it. Go inspect the palaces tonight. The three main halls were damaged recently, so we need to be extra careful. If anyone misuses fire, punish them accordingly.”

Although he had received Zhang Yue’s report, the timing was not right to present it now. So Zhang Qian acted as if nothing had happened, respectfully seeing the Emperor off to his inner chambers before retreating. Seeing a quiet eunuch follow out, he bowed and thanked him, explaining the situation. Then he reprimanded him, “You’ve served the Emperor for so long yet still can’t read the situation. Not to mention Concubine Cui—even those still alive wouldn’t dare disturb him at such a time. Stay outside and keep watch properly. Don’t make any mistakes. I’ll go inspect outside.”

That eunuch was Zhang Qian’s newly recruited apprentice. Hearing this scolding, he obediently agreed. After leaving the Qianqing Palace, Zhang Qian had no choice but to be guided by a lantern as he inspected the six palaces. Along the way, he indeed encountered two palace maids walking around at night. After scolding them, he made them ring the bell, and once again, the sound of “peace in the realm” echoed through the streets. After finishing his tasks, he left through the back right gate and headed straight for the rooms near the drum tower. But as soon as he arrived, someone rushed out from the shadow in the corner.

“Master!”

Zhang Qian was startled. After hearing the voice and recognizing the person, he snapped irritably, “Why are you sneaking around at this late hour? If someone sees you, they’ll think you’re some sly eunuch up to no good! What are you doing in the palace at this time?”

Lu Feng wore a blue robe and carried a bundle, looking quite unremarkable. Hearing this, he hurriedly explained, “Master, I originally planned to enter the palace to report to the Emperor and bring you some things as well. Since I heard the Emperor wasn’t in a good mood before, I didn’t dare disturb him and could only wait here for you to return. So, are you coming back from the Qianqing Palace? How is the Emperor’s mood?”

“The Emperor has gone to rest. If it’s not urgent, don’t disturb him.”

Zhang Qian waved his hand, instructing his attendants behind him to rest, then called Lu Feng to enter the room. After sitting down, he said with a stern face, “You are now the deputy head of the Imperial Secretariat, in charge of almost all affairs in that department. Don’t be so hasty in handling things. I don’t need you to bring me anything. By the way, since you’re in charge of the Eastern Depot, you must be aware of the incident at Lingji Palace. Why would Fang Bin commit suicide out of the blue?”
“After being in a high position for so long, falling and losing hope— isn’t that quite natural?” Lu Feng’s heart skipped a beat, but he kept a calm expression. He then smiled and said, “Why does the master ask about such an unlucky man? I heard that the censors in the Censorate had long disliked him and were planning to submit a petition to impeach him! Even though he’s dead now, it’s very likely they’ll reopen his case. Enough about that. Here’s what I brought for you.”
Seeing Lu Feng skillfully untie the gray cloth bundle and take out a purple sandalwood box, Zhang Qian frowned deeply. When the lid was opened and he saw what was inside, his expression turned even darker. He raised his head and asked, “With the lessons from Huang Yan and the other two still fresh in mind, how dare you bring such a mysterious item? If it were ordinary gold or silver, it might be okay if you took a bit, but how can you just take something of uncertain value?”
“Master, you’re misunderstanding. This was given to me by someone else. I wouldn’t dare do such a thing. This morning, when I went to see Prince Shouguang, he insisted that you had once advised him, and now he deeply regrets it, so he sent this to thank you. It wasn’t that I refused outright, but that prince is hard to deal with—he almost lost his temper, so I had no choice but to bring it.”
Hearing it was Prince Shouguang, Zhang Qian’s expression grew even darker. He had experienced Zhu Zhanqi’s temper in the past—arrogant and domineering in Nanjing, causing countless problems, and even more lawless in Qingzhou by whipping officials. He certainly didn’t believe that two years in prison had changed him completely. Staring at the pair of milky white jade balls, which appeared soft and gentle in the candlelight, he pondered for a moment before closing the lid and saying calmly, “Be more careful when dealing with Prince Shouguang from now on.”
Seeing Zhang Qian put it away, Lu Feng couldn’t help but wonder inwardly, though he maintained a respectful appearance. After chatting a bit more and leaving the room, he walked a few steps before stopping, recalling the terrifying sight of Fang Bin hanging himself.

He knew Fang Bin’s temperament all too well. Though his words were indeed a huge blow, even if Fang Bin couldn’t understand them, hanging himself was an overreaction. After all, he merely wanted Fang Bin to lose heart and return home, which would pave the way for subsequent accusations by his subordinates. Once the truth came to light, he could just wait for his family to be confiscated. But Fang Bin actually hanged himself… Was this old man crazy? If he had committed suicide a couple of days later, it would have been fine—no one would have connected it to his visit to Lingji Palace. But now, if anyone questioned this, he could only deny it to the death, as no one other than Fang Bin knew about it. It was better to keep this matter buried! Once someone died, they were dead—could Fang Bin come after him even in the afterlife?