Chapter 703: Bloodshed and Rewards for Merits

With a new emperor ascending the throne, it was customary to grant a general amnesty across the land, and joy should have reigned in the aftermath of the national mourning. Moreover, the rebellion in the Han princely domain was quelled within just a month. Yet, in September, the capital was shrouded in a tense atmosphere.

Half a month earlier, Zhang Yue, who held the Emperor’s Sword, submitted an urgent memorial to the emperor in Qingzhou Prefecture, presenting letters found in the Han Prince’s palace along with a lengthy list. A few days later, after deliberation by the imperial court and the emperor’s approval, an order was swiftly sent to Qingzhou Prefecture. Thus, the following days were marked by bloodshed and violence.

On September 13th, Jin Rong, the commander of Shandong, along with 22 others, were executed.
On September 16th, 41 people, including commanders and officers from the Le’an Han Prince’s palace, were executed.
On September 23rd, 19 officers below the rank of commander in Cangzhou were executed.
On September 26th, 21 officers below the rank of commander in Tianjin were executed.

In addition, no fewer than 50 officers in Xuanfu, Datong, Juyongguan, and other places were sentenced to death. It was only after Zhang Yue returned to the capital that Zhu Zhanji assigned the case to the Jinyiwei for handling. However, in the eyes of those who understood the situation, even the notorious Jinyiwei would likely focus on garrisoning border areas rather than executing many more people once the main culprits had been dealt with.

The bloodshed intimidated those with ulterior motives but also made it clearer to others what the direction of the court was. As a result, the Yangwu Bo’s residence, which had been deserted since Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne, once again saw a bustling crowd of guests. But Zhang Yue, who had just returned from Shandong and had only been granted ten days off, had no desire to deal with such distractions. He ordered that no one be admitted, ruthlessly turning away many who hoped to gain his favor.

By now, October had passed, and in three days, it would be the 25th anniversary of the Gu family’s ancestor’s death. Although none of the family members could return to Kaifeng, they still had to hold proper ceremonies at home. Therefore, Zhang Chao, Zhang Qi, and Zhang Jiu all took time off to go home. The brothers all experienced the difficulty of getting through the streets near the Wu’an Marquis’s residence.

The Sun family, along with the women, arranged the rituals for the anniversary. The brothers, who hadn’t had a proper chance to talk in a long time, gathered around the kang in the room east of Ruiqing Hall and naturally had much to discuss. When they heard that the youngest brother, Zhang Jiu, was excitedly announcing that his wife was pregnant, the three brothers who were already fathers smiled knowingly. They congratulated him and teased him before shifting to other topics.

“Marquis Wu’an guards Kaiping, while Father guards Jiaozhi. This Wu’an Marquis Alley has been quiet for almost two years now. Who would have thought it would become so lively again?” Zhang Qi was straightforward by nature. As he peeled an orange, he looked at Zhang Yue with a smile and said, “I thought I could definitely follow the imperial court to Shandong to earn some merits this time. But it seems things were settled there even before we left. Though you’re a civil official, brother, even we military officers haven’t killed as many people as you have.”

Zhang Yue, who was drinking tea, almost choked on his drink upon hearing this. After calming down, he helplessly shook his head and said, “Do you think I really enjoy killing people? It’s all out of necessity. Ask our eldest brother how he felt when he first went to battle to fight the Japanese pirates. Even for those who are extremely wicked, watching someone’s head roll is no easy task.”

At the mention of the Japanese pirates, Zhang Chao remembered that unpleasant experience and quickly changed the subject, saying, “In my opinion, the Han Prince… the commoner Han died at the worst possible time. If he had died earlier, it wouldn’t have caused so many problems.”

Zhang Jiu, who had remained silent until then, suddenly interjected, “I think he died at just the right time. If he had died earlier, those Tiance Guards who had pledged loyalty to him might have held back for a while before pushing the crown prince forward to continue the rebellion. All these princes still remember Emperor Taizong’s efforts to seize power. Didn’t the Prince of Gu, the Prince of Qi, and others harbor rebellious intentions, only to be punished one after another? Instead of delaying resolution, it’s better to cut things off quickly now to avoid future troubles. Our third brother has really eradicated the problem for the emperor. The emperor has pardoned the Han crown prince and those princes, but demoted them to commoners and imprisoned them in the Western Garden. However, I heard the emperor has decided to punish Zhao Fan as well.”

Although the scholars of the Hanlin Academy held no high rank, they were closer to the imperial court than ordinary officials, so they were well-informed. Zhang Yue had already known about this, but Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi hadn’t heard. They quickly asked for details. Seeing that Zhang Qi was still focused on fighting, Zhang Yue cleared his throat, but before he could speak, Zhang Jiu suddenly said seriously, “Eldest brother, second brother, third brother, there’s something I need to tell you first.”

Zhang Jiu’s temper was much better now, though his popularity wasn’t as high as before. Seeing him so serious, the three of them exchanged glances. Zhang Qi quickly sat up straight and asked with a smile, “Little Four, could it be there’s some important matter that needs our help?”

“It’s not some major court matter; it’s just a family affair.” Zhang Jiu hesitated for a long time before finally saying straightforwardly, “When our grandmother was still alive, she purchased land at the end of this Wu’an Marquis Alley. The house there has remained empty and untouched. My father wrote that once their period of mourning ends in the twenty-seventh month and the national mourning restrictions are lifted, they will renovate the entire complex.”

Upon hearing this, not only Zhang Chao and Zhang Qi were stunned, but even Zhang Yue was frozen in place. After a while, Zhang Chao asked in a hesitant voice, “Xiao Si, do you mean that once everyone returns and the family grows larger, we need to move out? If that’s the case, my brother and I can assure you that household affairs won’t be as chaotic as before…”

“That’s not what I meant,” Zhang Jiu replied quickly, knowing Zhang Chao had misunderstood. “Although we’re still one family, without some separation, each household would have to worry about their private matters being overheard by others, which is inconvenient. Besides, my second uncle is a count; my father will return to office after his mourning period ends, and his rank will be different; even my third brother’s future promotions are uncertain. We’re still one family, but some preparations are necessary. With the three houses side by side, it will be almost the same as before. This isn’t about splitting up the family—living together still allows us to take care of each other. I’m reluctant, but it’s my father’s decision. You know how stubborn he is.”

Zhang Jiu had long noticed that their father, Zhang Xin, seemed gloomy living in the Yangwu Marquis residence. He sighed at that thought. Zhang Yue, after some reflection, found it reasonable and joined in persuading their two elder brothers. Zhang Qi, still unwilling, tried to convince Zhang Jiu for a while, but seeing that he couldn’t change his mind, he reluctantly agreed—knowing full well that their mother, Dong Fang, who had always been eager to take on the role of head of the household, would surely not refuse such a proposal once they returned to the capital.

Recalling how happy the whole family used to be under their grandmother, Lady Gu, they realized unconsciously that two years had passed since her death. All four brothers felt sad. Just then, a clear voice of a maid came from outside. “Young masters, someone from the palace has come to inform us that the emperor has sent Eunuch Wang to deliver an award—please make preparations at home right away!”

Ever since Zhang Yue returned to the capital, was granted leave after meeting the emperor, he had known that the day for rewarding his merits would come, so he wasn’t surprised upon hearing about it now. Zhang Qi, on the other hand, immediately laughed, hurried outside to send away the girl, then loudly ordered preparations to be made before returning to the room with a smile and saying, “My third brother will be a fourth-rank official in his early twenties. Now, with another reward for his merits, who knows what rank he’ll reach! If he’s granted a title at such a young age, our Zhang family will have never seen anything like it before!”

While having two titles within one family was rare in the Ming Dynasty, it did happen—Guo Xing, the Marquis of Guchang, and Guo Ying, the Marquis of Wuding, were examples of this, and the Xu family even had two duke titles. However, the former were meritorious officials from the Hongwu era who benefited from Princess Guo’s influence, while the latter were due to Emperor Yongle’s guilt toward his uncle Xu Zengshou—neither was a common occurrence. Thus, hearing Zhang Qi’s excitement, Zhang Yue merely smiled sarcastically, thinking that if titles were truly that easy to obtain, Emperor Yongle Zhu Di wouldn’t have drawn up the title of Baron of Ancheng just for him.

Since the Zhang family often received imperial envoys bringing rewards and honors, everyone there was already accustomed to rituals like setting up incense altars. As preparations were nearly complete, Wang Jin arrived with his entourage. He greeted Zhang Yue with a warm smile, and only after all the Zhang family members had bowed did he unfold the imperial edict. Upon hearing the well-structured and carefully chosen words, Zhang Yue immediately recognized they were written by Yang Shiqi. Having become immune to such praise, he focused instead on the important parts.

“…Today, Zhang Yue is specially promoted to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief and Junior Middle Rank Official, appointed as Minister of Merits and Governance. His wife, Du, is granted the title of Lady Virtuous; his father, Zhang Zhuo, is appointed as Middle Rank Official, and his mother, Sun, is granted the title of Lady. His son, Zhang Ye, will hold an official position upon reaching adulthood…”

These rewards weren’t unexpected for Zhang Yue—after all, honorary titles were originally meant to reward subjects. But being promoted further within the Censorate left him puzzled—it seemed more like revenge for his previous several accusations by censors. Yet he hadn’t expected that both his parents would also receive such great honors. After all, a Middle Rank Official was a second-rank honorary position, and a lady’s title ranked just below that of a first-rank lady—few people could hope for such high honors. Shocked, he expressed his gratitude verbally but couldn’t help wondering: How could his father be appointed to an official position now that his mourning period had ended?

After reading the edict, Wang Jin handed Zhang Yue the gilded three-scroll imperial edict with a smile. He didn’t leave right away but entered the Ruiqing Hall of the Zhang family with Zhang Yue. After taking a sip of tea served by a servant, he waved his hand to send them away and then sat upright in a formal posture.

“Lord Zhang, the Emperor originally intended to summon you to the palace, but times have changed, and it would be too conspicuous. After much consideration, the Emperor decided to have me convey this message to you while the imperial edict was being read out. Emperor Taizong had already prepared your iron certificate as the Marquis of Ancheng, and the Emperor wanted to reward you generously this time, but the Empress Dowager persuaded him otherwise. She asked the Emperor whether he wanted to grant you a title and let you live a life of wealth and leisure, or postpone the title to allow your descendants to enjoy imperial favor for generations. Naturally, the Emperor was left speechless. Thus, your parents received this imperial decree. After all, the Emperor felt uneasy, so he could only bestow generous rewards on them.”

Only then did Zhang Yue understand what was going on. While expressing his gratitude humbly, he was deeply alarmed—Empress Dowager Zhang was renowned throughout history. From all the previous events, it was clear she was a person who wouldn’t tolerate any deceit. Her proposal seemed selfless, but it actually had other considerations behind it. Even the Emperor was no longer the former crown prince. At that moment, Wang Jin suddenly spoke up again.

“A civilian official of the third rank and a military official of the third rank are both lower in status than official positions. Following the usual practice, the position of Left Assistant Censor-in-Chief is lower, which is why you were appointed as Right Deputy Censor-in-Chief. However, the Emperor already knew that despite your great reputation, it would not be appropriate for you to head the Censorate. The morning court meeting had decided that Gu Zuo, the Minister of Communications, should take over as Censor-in-Chief. Since Mr. Gu is upright, you might not be able to adapt to that environment. Then the Empress Dowager came up with a solution. In our dynasty, the Ministry of Provincial Administration is as important as the six ministries. When a Minister of Provincial Administration becomes a vice minister, a Deputy Censor-in-Chief can be assigned to that position. Now that you hold the title of Deputy Censor-in-Chief, you can be assigned as Minister of Provincial Administration, and when you return, your experience and qualifications will be sufficient. The Empress Dowager also said that you lack nothing except experience in governing a region.”

At this point, Zhang Yue finally understood why Zhu Gaochi, who had been known as the benevolent and filial crown prince, consulted Empress Dowager Zhang on every matter as the emperor. This Empress Dowager Zhang was utterly strategic, making it seem impossible not to follow her wishes. Just like now, although he didn’t believe she truly saw him differently, he still had to admire her foresight and cunning.

The emperor of a country is a solitary figure. He had gotten too close to Zhu Zhanji. Moreover, with his sudden promotion, what would happen to Duke Ying of Britain, Zhang Fu?

“Lord Zhang, Lord Zhang?”

Hearing Wang Jin’s repeated calls, Zhang Yue realized he had been distracted. He bowed and said, “Please convey to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager that I am overjoyed at their concern. I will surely not disappoint their expectations. It’s just that…” He didn’t finish his sentence before Wang Jin interrupted, “The Emperor was initially reluctant, but since the Empress Dowager made a valid point, he had no choice but to agree. However, among the thirteen provincial administrations in the realm, some are better or worse, more complex or simpler. The Emperor has asked me to inform you so you can choose a suitable place. Since you’ve achieved such great merits, you deserve this favor.”

Back when he discussed this with his father-in-law Du Zhen, Zhang Yue had already made up his mind, and he almost blurted it out at that time. But since Wang Jin was asking him now, answering right away would raise suspicions, so he had to ponder for a long time. In the end, he said he couldn’t give an answer right away and needed time to think carefully. After seeing the group off, he placed the imperial decree in the back hall of Ruiqing Hall and couldn’t help but gaze at the imperial inscription by Zhu Di on the wall.

“To govern with laws and order with force—that ensures success.”

This was the way to manage an army, and it applied equally to leading subordinates.

“Young master, young master! Good news, amazing good news!”

Hearing the noise outside, Zhang Yue turned and left the back hall. When he reached the front, he saw Gao Quan, his face alight with excitement. Before he could ask anything, the old steward gasped, “The Duke of Ying has sent word—Lord Wan… Lord Wan has arrived in Kaiping! The entire delegation is safe and sound, which is almost a miracle after so many years of missions beyond the borders! Lord Wan also brought many Mongols, saying they’re offering tribute horses and other gifts!”

Faced with this sudden good news, Zhang Yue felt a sudden sense of relief. He stood there for a while before bursting into laughter. Though he had firmly believed that Wan Shijie would return, he had always harbored doubts. Now, all those worries were finally gone.