Chapter 512: A Frigid World with Unstable Hearts
According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, all petitions from subjects were first reviewed by the Tongzhengsi, which would prepare copies before submitting them. Even agencies such as the Five Armies, Six Ministries, and the Censorate, when dealing with matters of great secrecy, still needed to stamp their submissions with the Tongzhengsi’s seal before presenting them during the morning court session. Petitions sent privately could be rejected by the Tongzhengsi officials.
Yet Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, paid no attention to these rules. He often issued imperial edicts to his subjects asking for advice on various matters, so private petitions never ceased. Moreover, since ascending the throne, he had increasingly appointed eunuchs to oversee military affairs. As servants of the emperor, they were not under the jurisdiction of the Tongzhengsi, allowing them to deliver letters directly to the palace without anyone else being able to see them.
At that moment, a young eunuch carried a thick stack of petitions into the Qianqing Palace. As he passed through the hall toward the East Warm Pavilion, he saw a group approaching and hurriedly stepped aside to bow. The group stopped when they reached him. Liu Yongcheng, the leader, glanced at the stack of petitions and then asked with a fake smile, “Were these all sent by those eunuchs outside? Tsk tsk, it’s no wonder the emperor taught them to read and write. Compared to this old fool, they’re quite capable!”
The young eunuch knelt there, not knowing how to respond. Hai Shou stepped in to defuse the situation, “These are things the emperor wants to see right away. Hurry and deliver them—don’t delay!” After the young eunuch bowed and rushed off toward the East Warm Pavilion, Hai Shou leaned close to Liu Yongcheng and whispered, “We’re in the Qianqing Palace. You should be more careful too.”
“Since Eunuch Zheng isn’t back, the others keep running around causing trouble. I just can’t stand it!” Liu Yongcheng frowned unhappily before leading the group outside. As they left the main hall, they happened to meet Zhang Qian. Although they held the same rank, Zhang Qian ranked above him and had served the emperor for longer. Liu Yongcheng had no choice but to greet him with a smile. Once they left, he couldn’t help but sneer as he descended the steps, “I wonder how I’d feel if Old Zhang tried to compete with the disciples I’ve painstakingly trained! That kid Lu Feng clearly isn’t easy to deal with—he’s not as honest as you!”
Hai Shou, who was behind, heard Liu Yongcheng praising his honesty and immediately lit up with a smile, quickly adding a few words in agreement. Recalling that he had originally planned to join the northern expedition, but had just learned that Liu Yongcheng would be accompanying the army while he would be sent on a mission to Korea, his heart had already flown back to his homeland. In the past, he had always followed Huang Yan, taking the scraps while the others had the main portion; this time, with no constraints, he could take as much as he wanted—far better than going to those frigid lands beyond the Great Wall!
Outside, it was bitterly cold, but inside the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, the four-legged bronze incense burners gilded with gold contained specially made red lotus charcoal for incense, keeping the place exceptionally warm. There was not a hint of smoke in the air, instead, there was a faint, pleasant fragrance. Although Marquis Fengcheng, Li Bin, had passed away, Zhu Di’s mood was still fairly good thanks to the great victory over Annam, which had forced Li Li to flee without a trace. He casually flipped through several memorials submitted by the eunuchs, mostly scribbling “approved” or “acceptable” in red ink, occasionally adding a few more words. However, when he opened the second-to-last memorial, his expression suddenly froze, and he threw the red ink pen onto the desk.
“Damn you!”
Zhang Qian, who happened to enter as the curtain was lifted, was startled by this outburst. Seeing the emperor gritting his teeth, he felt a sense of helplessness, thinking that this was certainly not the right time to speak and that he would need to be extra careful. With that in mind, he planned to go forward to pay his respects, but suddenly the emperor raised his head, his gaze falling on him. Before Zhang Qian could bend down, Zhu Di tossed the memorial at him, forcing him to rush forward to catch it.
“Take a look at this! Although I trust Lu Feng’s judgment and words, what he reports is utterly unbelievable! Wang Guan has been in Xuanfu for five or six years now. I always thought he was loyal, but I never imagined he would be so audacious! Embezzling military rations is already a crime worthy of death, and Lu Feng claims he even colluded with the Tartars to trade secretly… Do you think what he reports is true or false?”
Hearing about this, Zhang Qian immediately felt reassured, as Lu Feng had already sent him a message earlier. But seeing Zhu Di trembling with anger, he suddenly remembered how the three heads of the Imperial Secretariat had all been dismissed at once. Although he wasn’t the kind to take advantage of others in trouble, nor was he easily deceived, Wang Guan’s actions were simply outrageous. After pondering for a moment, he glanced at the memorial and stepped forward.
“That little monkey from Lufeng can’t read much, and although some of the men he brought with him can read, they surely wouldn’t be able to write such characters. In my opinion, unless the matter is absolutely certain, he would never ask the clerks of the General Commander’s office to draft such a memorial.” By now, Zhang Qian already knew who had drafted the memorial, but he didn’t want the emperor to realize this, so he stepped forward to return it and advised, “Though he’s impatient, after all, he’s in charge of the Eastern Depot—he surely wouldn’t submit a report before things are confirmed. Besides, with Marquis Wu’an stationed in Xuanfu, if Lufeng really did investigate and take action, news would arrive soon enough.”
“Then I’ll wait for Zheng Heng’s letter!”
Just after sending Liu Yongcheng and Hai Shou away, Zhu Di had specifically instructed Hai Shou to bring back two more virgins from Korea. Now, he pulled at his collar even more, feeling the room too hot and extremely irritable. Even if the maids in the Qianqing Palace were all young and beautiful, and most eunuchs were chosen for their good looks, to him they all seemed like misshapen fruits. His three biological sons were all eyeing his position, thinking his health was failing. If they knew he still had vigor every night and enjoyed every woman, they probably wouldn’t worry about his lifespan but would be devastated!
“The weather has been cold these past few days, so court sessions have been suspended. I originally said that aside from matters of military and state affairs, everything else should be reported to the crown prince for handling. Go to the Cabinet and see if there are truly no such matters. Also, check what accusations there are from the Censorate and have them sent over. After handling these matters, go out of the palace and summon Princess Chenliu. It’s just trivial gossip—she’s such a straightforward and cheerful girl; since when would she start avoiding such things?”
Zhang Qian agreed to everything and repeated it once more before turning to leave. Once outside, taking a breath of cool air, he walked down the stairs while pondering the emperor’s intentions, only to find it impossible to figure them out no matter how hard he tried. Since he wanted to see the Censorate’s accusations, it was likely to gauge the political climate, but summoning Princess Chenliu at the same time—what would others think?
Moreover, upon deeper reflection, it wasn’t strange for censors to file accusations, but unless the Jinyiwei and Eastern Depot dug deep, how could those censors know about events from over a decade ago? Censor-in-Chief Liu Guan had always been greedy and lustful—could it be that this despicable man was behind this?
Entering the Right Succession Gate, a row of straight buildings lay to the right, including the Imperial Edicts Office, the Proclamations Office, and the Inner Cabinet Offices. During the day, many people carrying thick stacks of documents came in and out. Since Zhang Qian was an eunuch of the Imperial Surveillance Bureau and often went in and out here, he moved freely. Yet as soon as he passed the second gate, he heard Jin Youzi’s complaints.
“What’s going on at the Censorate? Even the smallest matters drag on endlessly! If it were about accusing Du Yishan of dereliction of duty, poor conduct, or embezzlement, there would be nothing to argue about. But what are these trivial issues? As the chief censor, shouldn’t Liu Guan know how to supervise these censors properly? If this continues, the entire atmosphere will be ruined!”
“Youzi, why get angry at a young man for no reason? He’s just here to deliver a memorial as ordered. Besides, you know he’s half a disciple of Mianren, and it was Mianren who recommended him to the Censorate. He’s always been honest and diligent.” Immediately after, Yang Shiji gave orders, “Alright, go back and tell Chief Censor Liu that memorials are now sent to the Eastern Palace as per protocol. We’ll deliver them shortly.”
While pondering, Zhang Qian saw a young civil official in his early twenties coming out. Though he disliked dealing with Censorate officials, hearing that the man was a disciple of Yang Rong piqued his curiosity. After observing him carefully, he realized the man wore simple clothes, hardly resembling Yang Rong, who paid great attention to his appearance. Since they weren’t close friends, he didn’t speak to him and went straight inside to deliver his message. After finishing, he ignored the strange expressions on Yang Shiji and Jin Youzi’s faces, bowed slightly, and left.
Delivering messages inside the palace was simple, but doing so outside was troublesome. When he arrived at Prince Zhou’s residence, Zhang Qian learned that Zhu Tu and his daughter Zhu Ning had gone to Daqing Shousi Temple. But when he rushed to Daqing Shousi Temple, he found out that Zhu Ning was holding a seven-day ritual for her deceased mother, which caused him great distress. Moreover, when he mentioned the emperor’s words to Zhu Tu, hoping the prince could find a solution, Zhu Tu simply shook his head sadly.
“Even if it’s an imperial summons, we have to delay this time. Today happens to be my mother’s anniversary. She can’t go back to pay respects, so she can only hold a ritual here. It was originally planned to last 49 days, but since her mother was only a concubine, it will only be seven days. We can’t keep her restless for those seven days either. If Eunuch Zhang thinks it’s awkward to report back, I can accompany you back.”
Is it really the anniversary of Zhu Ning’s birth mother’s death today? Although Zhang Qian found it coincidental, he knew that Zhu Zhuo would never make such a serious claim without basis. Seeing the solemn atmosphere in the temple and hearing the monks’ chants, he had no further doubts. Yet he dared not defy the imperial order by allowing a father and daughter to enter the palace together, so he had no choice but to turn back reluctantly.
On his hurried return to the palace, he arrived at Qianqing Gate and received unexpected news—a messenger sent at top speed reported that the grain stored in Kaiping was of inferior quality; at least half of the 5,000 dan of grain had already gone moldy!