Chapter 725: Gentle as Jade, Correcting Mistakes

The distance from the capital to Guangzhou is over 7,800 li. At a rate of 120 li per day, it would not be unusual to take two months to travel this distance. Yet, Zhang Qian spent more than four months on the journey. It was not that he intended to delay, but he was ordered to first go to Nanjing, where he had to pay his respects at the Xiaoling Mausoleum. Later, due to a letter sent by Zhang Yue, he brought along many people following the instructions. As more and more people joined him along the way, his progress naturally slowed. He then spent some time in Huguang, so by the time he arrived in Guangzhou, it was already the end of August.

He had originally traveled by land, but later, because of grain ships and the large number of people, he switched to official boats in Huguang. Now, stepping off the boat, he saw Zhang Yue personally coming to greet him, and he naturally wore a smile. As an experienced official from the palace, he was essentially acting as a semi-imperial envoy. Li Long, the commander-in-chief, and Yu Liang, the inspector, were also present—three high-ranking officials gathered together. They then invited him to Piaoxiang Tower for a welcome banquet. Seeing Zhang Qian’s amiable demeanor, free from the sarcastic behavior of previous eunuchs, many officials felt relieved. When Zhang Qian invited Li Long, Yu Liang, and Zhang Yue to talk in another room, they began to discuss among themselves.

“After all, he was once a highly trusted eunuch in the emperor’s court. He’s different from those pretentious folks.”
“Indeed. Look at Lord Zhang’s grace and demeanor… Tsk tsk, he truly has the bearing of a noble from the capital. He’s fundamentally different from that disgusting Qin Huaijin!”
“I heard that Lord Zhang was the most low-key and amiable person in the palace, uninterested in fame or wealth. With him in charge of the Maritime Administration, our lives will be much easier.”

Meanwhile, Zhang Qian was unaware that he had won so many people’s favor just by arriving. However, his purpose in this trip was not to gain praise. Once in a quiet private room, he immediately put away his smile and adopted a serious, official expression. Zhang Yue was already aware of Zhang Qian’s subtle tactics, and Yu Liang, having once served as a deputy minister in the Imperial Stables, could somewhat understand them. Poor Li Long, however, was experiencing this for the first time. Under Zhang Qian’s gentle hints, he nearly lost his composure and still hadn’t recovered by the time they returned to the main hall.

That very night upon arrival, Zhang Qian went to see Qin Huaijin, who was under house arrest at the Maritime Administration.

He approved the Guangzhou Maritime Administration’s ships to set sail for trade.
He allowed ships returning from various Maritime Administrations to dock at the three main Maritime Administrations at will.
Merchants would still be taxed at 30% as before, with the rate to drop to 15% after five years.

Those who brought in items such as elephant ivory and ambergris would have half of them purchased at fair prices by the government, while the other half could be sold freely. Sea merchants were taxed at the same rate as foreign traders’ ships: two-tenths on spices like pepper after valuation, five-tenths on dyes like logwood, and one-tenth on gems. The port officially opened on the first day of the eleventh month at the end of the year.

Among various decrees, as soon as Zhang Qian arrived, the Maritime Administration brought news that Qin Huaijin had committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Soon after, the officials whom the inspector Yu Liang had investigated and accused were one by one taken back to the capital by the Jinyiwei for interrogation. Instantly, the entire city of Guangzhou fell into silence—not a single sound was heard. Those who had thought Zhang Qian would be easy to deal with were stunned.

Zhang Yue and Zhang Qian were old acquaintances; they had worked together before, and Zhang Yue had received much help from him. But after witnessing the decisive actions of this highly trusted eunuch from the Yongle era, he couldn’t help but feel admiration. Only after Qin Huaijin’s family packed up their belongings and left, and Zhang Qian moved into the Maritime Administration’s residence, did Zhang Yue visit him.

Although the Hongwu dynasty imposed strict restrictions on eunuchs—even high-ranking ones were not allowed to keep concubines or adopt sons—these rules gradually relaxed during the Yongle era. Zheng He, an eunuch from the Imperial Eunuch Bureau, had an adopted son named Zheng Enming; Liu Yongcheng from the Imperial Horse Bureau had a wife and a concubine. Even eunuchs close to Emperor Zhu Zhanji, such as Wang Jin, Jin Ying, and Fan Hong, all had adopted sons outside the palace. Zhang Qian was no exception. On his journey to Guangdong, he brought along his adopted son Zhang Yong and two young eunuchs from the inner court, one of whom was Cao Jixiang, a familiar face to Zhang Yue.

Now, sitting face to face, seeing only Zhang Yong by his side, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but tease, “I used to think Lord Zhang was such a kind and amiable person. Who would have thought that with his arrival, my reputation as a man prone to killing would be instantly overshadowed?”

“Are you trying to belittle me, Young Master Zhang? It seems like I’ve caused a stir in Guangzhou, but in fact, it wasn’t you who started all that chaos—you had to involve the higher officials as well. You say you didn’t kill anyone, but then who killed Qin Huaijin’s adopted son, Qin Yi?”

Since Zhang Qian had spoken openly, Zhang Yue could only laugh it off and brush the topic under the rug—while it’s true that a wise bird chooses its tree to perch on, someone who would betray even his own kin is undoubtedly a great disaster. Even if such a person offered him five thousand taels of gold, he wouldn’t dare or want to keep them. As for Qin Huaijin committing suicide out of fear of punishment, that was precisely the outcome he had hoped for. With the new emperor Zhu Zhanji ascending the throne, although he carried out mass killings in Shandong, he didn’t want widespread trials across the land. By deceiving Li Long and Yu Liang with fabricated confessions, he certainly didn’t want the truth to come to light.

The two exchanged smiles, and Zhang Qian’s expression relaxed considerably as he nodded at Zhang Yong. Zhang Yong, who was about the same age as Zhang Yue, looked like a child. Seeing the look in his father’s eyes, he quickly went to a high table nearby, picked up a square tray carved from Yunnan agate and painted with lacquer, covered with crimson silk, and hurriedly presented it to Zhang Yue.

Seeing Zhang Yue seem confused, Zhang Qian said with a smile, “Take it without worry.”

After Zhang Qian said that, Zhang Yue took the tray with both hands. Only then did he see that inside were two silver seals. He was momentarily stunned, then immediately stood up. “Eunuch Zhang, is this a gift from the emperor?”

“After ascending the throne, the emperor had seals cast from white gold and bestowed them on many officials. Among the civil officials were the Three Yangs of the Cabinet and your father-in-law, as well as the two ministers Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji. Among the military officials, only the Duke of Yingguo received one. Among the eunuchs, there were Wang Jin, Fan Hong, Huang Run, Jin Ying, and also Eunuch Zheng and me. Before leaving the capital, the emperor said he wanted to specially grant you a silver seal, but since you are still the governor, a grand ceremony for its presentation would be detrimental to you, so it was cast secretly. One of the seals bears the inscription ‘Gentle as jade’—it’s a private seal for your personal use. The other reads ‘Correcting mistakes’—as you probably know, Emperor Renzong once gave this seal to the three ministers of the Cabinet, ordering them to seal their memorials before presenting them. Now the emperor is granting you this authority. By stamping this seal on a memorial and handing it to the local Jinyiwei, the memorial can go straight to the emperor without passing through the Cabinet. Do you understand?”

Zhang Yue examined them carefully. The private seal was about the size of an ordinary family’s book seal, while the other was a square seal two inches by half an inch thick. Realizing they were cast separately, he held the two heavy seals with mixed feelings and said to Zhang Qian with a wry smile, “Such an important matter, and Eunuch Zhang didn’t hint at it at all before. Fortunately, only you, me, and your son are here. Otherwise, if others saw me accepting it so casually, they would likely accuse me of grave disrespect without hesitation.”

Zhang Qian smiled upon hearing this and said, “The Emperor specifically asked me to convey that this is a personal gift, so there’s no need for the formal kneeling and praises. Kneeling in fear and shouting ‘Long live the Emperor’ doesn’t necessarily mean unwavering loyalty. Besides, there are already many loyal and righteous officials; he doesn’t particularly desire one more. I kept this hidden carefully on the journey—others thought it was some kind of gold medal or imperial decree. It’s not appropriate for you to take it back now. Zhang Yong, go fetch a rosewood box. Also, my chest hurts a bit—go get a pill from the first drawer on the cabinet beside my bed in my room so I can take it!” After sending his adopted son away, Zhang Qian shed his casual demeanor and took out a seal from his sleeve, handing it solemnly to Zhang Yue. Before he could ask questions, Zhang Qian explained, “There’s no need for pretense between us. This was given to you by my disciple in the palace. Though he’s not as prominent as before, thanks to reporting to Nanjing last year, the Emperor still trusts him and allows him to continue holding his positions as supervisor of the Eastern Depot and left vice supervisor of the Court Ceremonies Bureau. I raised him from childhood; aside from other things, he’s at least clever and might improve in the future. I know you’re not one of those stubborn civil officials, and since he’s not giving anything valuable, I brought it along.” Seeing that it was also a silver seal, Zhang Yue found it extremely strange. An emperor bestowing a silver seal naturally signified closeness and trust, while Lu Feng giving it was meant to further win over this “allied party.” All of Zhang Qian’s words were essentially hinting that it was beneficial to maintain good relationships in the palace, and he indeed wasn’t averse to that approach. However, with so many eunuchs in the palace, it wasn’t easy for Zhang Qian to bring along such a powerful disciple. Moreover, Lu Feng’s temperament was different from Zhang Qian’s, so caution was needed. “Eunuch Zhang, rest assured. I’ll handle this.” Zhang Qian had rarely asked for favors or pleaded for anything for his disciple before, but now, coming to Guangdong, it was more like finding a way to utilize his skills in his old age rather than truly retiring. Before leaving the capital, the Emperor had made it clear that the position of Maritime Commissioner couldn’t be changed every ten or eight years. Since he was familiar with the geography of Western countries, he was the most trustworthy person for the role. After all, he was also regarded as a veteran in the palace. Doing one last thing for this sole disciple he could rely on left him with little to worry about. “Father, Lord Zhang.”

With that sound, Zhang Yong entered carrying two boxes. He casually placed one empty box on a shelf nearby, glanced at Zhang Qian, and then shyly handed the other box made of boxwood to him. Having been through quite a scare that night, Zhang Yue naturally became vigilant. When Zhang Qian opened the box and took out a pill, actually swallowing it with water, he realized it was indeed medicine and breathed a sigh of relief. But soon he saw Zhang Qian take out another small box from the box.

“I was born in Beiping and later entered the Prince of Yan’s palace to serve Emperor Taizong—already decades ago. This is something from my hometown in the Western Hills of Beijing that I brought with me before leaving the capital; it’s just a memento when I miss home.”

He gently patted the wooden box in his arms, then grew serious: “Now that you have control over both the military and judicial departments, the only concern left is the Maritime Administration. Li Wenchang, the head of the Maritime Administration, seems upright, but he lacks practical judgment. The Maritime Administration was originally under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Administration, and before, eunuchs in charge of maritime affairs interfered, making it difficult for you to take control. But now that it’s me, things will be much easier. I’m very familiar with Western geography and customs, but I know nothing about doing business. In short, I’ll handle the external affairs, while you decide on the policies.”

“To be honest with you, Lord Zhang, I’ve dealt with some matters related to the Maritime Administration when I was in Ningbo, so I can certainly help a bit. But even if I have some ideas, it’s already tough enough to manage the entire Provincial Administration alone.” Zhang Yue spoke frankly. Seeing Zhang Qian freeze, he added earnestly, “After all, it’s inconvenient for me to go to the Maritime Administration office frequently. Now that my father has come from Beijing, maybe I can ask him to accompany Lord Zhang to play chess sometimes when he has free time?”

After a moment of surprise, Zhang Qian laughed: “Father and son fighting side by side—good, I’ll go with that. In any case, the emperor wants results, and so do I. By the way, the emperor has ordered shipbuilding at Liujiagang. Starting next year, ships will be stationed in various coastal garrisons to prevent Japanese pirates, privateers, and unauthorized voyages. The Jinyiwei who came with me will take away those items you registered earlier. As for the gold you discovered later, it’s better to report it in a secret memorial; use that money to repair the docks at Huangpu Port in Guangzhou first. Once the Maritime Administration in Ningbo starts operating, it will become the busiest among the three major maritime administrations. If Guangzhou isn’t improved, how can it attract merchants?”

Dongnuan Pavilion, Qianqing Palace.

Sitting behind his desk, Zhu Zhanji browsed through the lengthy memorial of tens of thousands of words, finally closing it thoughtfully. It had been submitted by Gu Zuo, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, in response to an imperial edict calling for candid advice. In addition to ten points regarding government affairs, it also contained ten points on personnel matters, two of which were particularly important: being cautious when appointing young people and showing favor to noble families.

The idea of being cautious with young people referred to his selection of many young people from the two batches of Shujishi in the 16th and 19th years of the Yongle era to work in the Hongwen Pavilion. As for showing favor to noble families, it implied that since these nobles controlled the military forces in the capital and participated in state affairs, it would be better to reward them by allowing them to live in comfort and high status. Although these two points were not prominent among the many other provisions, his mother often hinted at respecting senior officials, which made him feel constrained in his actions.

“Your Majesty, the Cabinet has forwarded the candid advice letters submitted by the governors of various provincial administrations.”

Zhu Zhanji, who had initially planned to ignore them, immediately sat up straight upon hearing Wang Jin’s words and glanced at him again. Sure enough, this eunuch, who was highly trusted by him, promptly selected a document from the pile and presented it to him. He skimmed through it quickly and saw the familiar handwriting discussing agriculture and commerce, so he read it carefully.

“Your Majesty, an official from the Ministry of Rites has already been sent to Kaifeng to offer condolences. Who should be sent to receive the Princess of Chenliu?”

Wang Jin suddenly asked about this, but Zhu Zhanji wasn’t inclined to think much about it and casually ordered, “Discuss it with Fan Hong and make a decision. This is the wish of your Majesty and the Empress Dowager. Go and give them a heads-up so they won’t make a fuss over such a trivial matter.”