Chapter 782: The East Wind Overpowers the West Wind, But the West Wind Refuses to Yield

Beijing had seen several snowfalls by the end of the twelfth lunar month. Although the snow had stopped early that morning, everything was still covered in white. On the streets in front of the city’s main gates, officials arriving for court meetings stood in groups, waiting for the gates to open. Those who usually brought lanterns with their family members were spared this effort today. The reason was simple: although it was still dark, the snow provided enough light to make things much clearer than usual.

At the proper time, the palace gates opened, and the civil and military officials entered one after another. The usually dim and hard-to-see corridors were now clearly visible; as long as one was careful where they stepped, there was no risk of hitting walls or falling into water. Upon reaching the Meridian Gate, the officials separated into different groups, each waiting in their respective offices—clearly divided. The heads of the six ministries were in one group, the Cabinet in another, while high-ranking officials such as the governors of the five provinces formed yet another group. Those of lower rank who couldn’t afford hand warmers huddled outside, warming their hands together, not even daring to stamp their feet lightly.

“The snow may have stopped, but it’s still freezing cold! Don’t you think this winter is especially harsh?”
“That’s nonsense. Which winter isn’t cold? Poorly, I don’t even have enough charcoal at home. I’m counting on my salary at the end of the month to get through the New Year.”
“Speaking of salaries, I just remembered—do you know that because the Minister of Revenue is unwell lately, the Minister of Rites has taken over his duties? He’s in dispute with Grand Secretary Du these days. I found out it’s over the issue of officials’ salaries! Emperor Renzong originally allowed 25 guan per stone of rice in cash form, but Minister Hu insists on deducting another 10 guan! Think about it—cash is becoming increasingly worthless, with one guan only worth two or three coins in many places. If we keep having our salaries cut like this, what will we use to support our families?”
“What did Grand Secretary Du say?”
“He proposed trying double-cropping rice in Jiangnan, Huguang, and Guangdong, using the Tang and Song dynasties as examples, to gradually reduce salaries paid in cash and instead give rice directly. But Minister Hu mocked him, saying he was using the state treasury to boost his own reputation, and even said some harsh things. I heard even Lord Zhang in Jiaozhi was implicated in this!”

The discussion was about three or four low-ranking officials working at the Taichang Temple. As they grew more indignant, their voices rose slightly. Several of them complained at once, and one observant man suddenly noticed someone walking slowly by. Upon recognizing that person, he immediately fell silent and then signaled the others to stop talking as well. Only after the person passed did he say, with lingering fear, “Thank goodness, it was Lord Yang Hongji. If it had been Yang Mianren, who can’t stand others getting by, he would have scolded us and recorded it in the records—we would have been in trouble!”

Yang Pu had felt dizzy and lightheaded that morning, so he took medicine before hurrying out, arriving later after all the officials had gathered at the Meridian Gate. He never walked in the middle of the corridor but instead moved slowly along the wall, so more than half of those whispering about government affairs didn’t even see him. Having just heard what the officials from the Taichang Temple had said, he felt somewhat troubled, but once he entered the inner chambers of the cabinet, he sat quietly without saying a word.

These inner chambers were merely for high-ranking officials and nobles to rest before court sessions and did not provide firewood or other necessities. However, due to orders from the heads of the Imperial Secretariat and the Imperial Household Department, each cabinet minister was given a hand warmer. Even so, Yang Rong still wrapped himself tightly in his silver fox fur coat, frowning as he spoke.

“It’s getting colder day by day. I had my family inquire, and at least 180 houses in the capital have been destroyed by heavy snow. Shuntian Prefecture has dealt with them all, but what about the counties around the capital, and the areas in Northern Zhili? Yesterday, people from some estates came to deliver New Year’s goods and mentioned that heavy snow has affected many estates this year. Yet few landlords reduced rents, causing many tenants to flee as the New Year approached, some even resorting to selling their children! Moreover, Hu Jie and Hu Yuanjie, who also handle affairs of the Ministry of Revenue, intend to cut costs by reducing the salaries of officials from various departments. Since they themselves are wealthy, why don’t they think of their poorer colleagues?”

At this moment, Yang Shiqi could only advise, “Mianren, Yuanjie is also concerned about the country’s insufficient funds.”

“He really is no match for ‘Yuan Ji’—at least Xia Weizhe has managed the Ministry of Revenue for many years, handling tasks like moving the capital, building canals, and leading northern campaigns all in an orderly manner. Yet he wants to cut people off from their livelihoods right from the start! ‘Yuan Jie’ from Yishan still knows how to increase revenue, while he only focuses on cutting expenses!” Yang Rong said, casting a sidelong glance at Yang Shiqi, before adding, “Brother Shiqi, don’t forget—Hu Yuanjie has swept our entire cabinet aside, calling us officials who exploit the national treasury. You can tolerate it, but I can’t! Yishan’s memorial is spot on; I fully agree!”
Although he wasn’t particularly close to Yang Rong, Du Zhen knew better that this colleague always saw the entire cabinet as one unit, refusing to allow outsiders to interfere or criticize. Nor was he the kind to back down after a few complaints, so he immediately interjected, “I will argue for reason in this matter. After all, officials are the foundation of the court. If we’re too harsh, sooner or later no one will be willing to work. There are already signs of unrest outside. Let’s attend court first and discuss these matters later!”
For a moment, no one spoke, and they all put down their hand warmers and left. It was the day when Zhu Zhanji held court at the Hall of Heaven. The officials knelt in the howling north wind to present their petitions. By the end of the meeting, many were almost frozen solid. This was not like the Hongwu era, when the emperor would even provide meals in the corridors—though not necessarily hot food, at least it filled the stomachs. Now, they could only return to their offices hungry and fend for themselves. Only the cabinet members, upon returning to the rooms east of the Meridian Gate, were greeted by duty clerks who brought various hot snacks and drinks. The rooms were also heated by charcoal stoves and kang beds, a world of difference from the outside.
Apart from Du Zhen and Yang Pu, Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and Jin Youzi had all served in the cabinet for many years. Even during Zhu Di’s reign, the cabinet rooms did not enjoy such treatment. It was only under Emperor Renzong Zhu Gaochi that such privileges appeared, and now it was an additional instruction from Empress Dowager Zhang. Everyone was deeply grateful. After taking off their coats, eating the snacks to warm up, and rubbing their frozen hands, the group sat down in small groups to discuss matters. As noon approached, Yang Rong packed up all the petitions and personally delivered them to the Qianqing Palace.
Usually, a small eunuch accompanied him on such trips. Although Yang Rong usually ignored these eunuchs, the one assigned this time was clever. Every time he accompanied Yang Rong to the Qianqing Palace, he would often reveal information inside without being asked. Over time, Yang Rong would occasionally joke with him. Now, the eunuch suddenly brought up the issue of designating an heir, which made Yang Rong feel solemn.
“Where did you hear that?”

“The servant only heard about it from Yongning Palace… Moreover, it is said that the emperor has mentioned on many occasions that if Concubine Sun gives birth to a son, he must be made the crown prince.”
“Such matters must not be mentioned again. Otherwise, when Eunuch Fan from the Imperial Secretariat investigates thoroughly, you won’t fare well!”
“Yes, yes, sir. I deserve punishment for talking too much. Please forgive me!”
Though he scolded him verbally, Yang Rong was deeply shaken. He had heard such rumors before, but hearing them again now, from this eunuch who was usually very accurate in his information, made him believe they were true. In his view, the reason Yang Shiqi could surpass him during the Hongxi and Xuande reigns was because he had once served as an official in the Eastern Palace. As a result, he and Jin Youzi had never been imprisoned by the Jinyiwei, which now turned out to be a disadvantage. To ensure a long career in the dynasty, establishing an Eastern Palace was clearly an essential step.
With these thoughts in mind, Yang Rong never mentioned the matter again, not even when he entered Qianqing Palace. The little eunuch watched him leave at the entrance of Qianqing Palace, then pretended to look for a place to shelter from the wind and quickly ran off down a side street. When he reached Yuntai Gate, an old eunuch who was waiting there greeted him. The little eunuch whispered to him for a while, then reminded him, “When you report back, don’t forget to add that if I’m still working in the Inner Cabinet within three days, then it’s fine. But if I’m beaten and sent to some remote office or even die, please do help me out!”
“Enough, enough. How could I not reward you for doing this job? Your mother outside the palace only got a hundred taels of silver. If something happens to you, she’ll still have someone to support her!”
The old eunuch sent him away. After watching the little eunuch disappear, he glanced around, then slowly walked back with his food box, looking like just an unremarkable servant from the Imperial Kitchen Department. Not long after he left, someone covered in snow emerged from behind a flower bed. They shook off the snow from their clothes and rubbed their frozen hands vigorously before carefully covering up any traces of their hiding place, then quickly headed in another direction.

Outside Donghuamen and Dongshangbeimen, the narrow strip of land between the palace city and the imperial city housed those twenty-four government offices, including the twelve supervisory bodies, four departments, and eight bureaus of the eunuch officials. The East Factory’s operations office was right across from the straight buildings by the moat. Though not large and not the official headquarters of the East Factory, it was staffed with the finest elements selected from the entire organization. However, since the emperors of the Ren and Xuan dynasties trusted the Jinyiwei and East Factory far less than Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, it no longer enjoyed its former glory.

Although operations should have taken place in the East Factory Alley outside Dong’anmen, there wasn’t much to handle outside these days, so Lu Feng simply left a few trusted men there while staying here himself to stay informed of any developments in the palace at any time. Now, he carefully pondered what he had just heard, walking back and forth in the room before finally stopping and asking, “What you just said—wasn’t that spreading rumors?”

“Godfather, as per your instructions, I’ve been keeping a close eye on what’s going on at Yongning Palace. But I would never have secretly left the palace at this moment if I wasn’t sure. If I weren’t afraid of being blamed for overstepping my bounds, I would have left early! That little monkey sent a message through that old wretch—there are only two possibilities: if Yang Mianren thinks he’s talkative, he’ll just send a message to the Secretariat, and then he’ll either be beaten into labor or killed outright; if Yang Mianren thinks it’s useful to keep him around, then he’ll act as if he never existed, and he can continue his job safely…”

“I certainly know all this. Alright, go back quickly before someone catches you at fault! Things aren’t what they used to be. As long as you do your job well, I guarantee you’ll have a bright future!”

Annoyed, Lu Feng sat back down in his chair, took a sip of tea, but found it icy cold. In frustration, he poured the rest of it on the floor. It seemed like only a small step from being a junior eunuch to a senior one, but he had struggled for years with no hope of advancement. Fan Hong and Jin Ying, eunuchs of the Secretariat, were part of the Eastern Palace and protected by the Empress Dowager—there was nothing he could do. Wang Jin was the emperor’s most trusted man—still nothing he could do. Liu Yongcheng and Haishou seemed even worse than him… And not to mention, there were even lower-ranking people trying to climb up—pure delusion!

“Godfather, Eunuch Zhang has brought back a message!”

As soon as he heard the name Zhang Qian, Lu Feng immediately sprang up from his chair. Glancing at the leftover tea in front of him, he sat back down and quietly ordered someone to come in. Moments later, an eunuch in his early forties entered and respectfully presented a tightly sealed letter. Lu Feng took it without opening it and asked, “Was the letter sent through that channel?”
“Reporting to my godfather, it was sent through our Eastern Depot’s channel; it has nothing to do with the Jinyiwei.”
“That’s good!”
Only then did Lu Feng start to open the letter. He originally knew few characters, but with the establishment of the Inner Study Hall, where many young eunuchs came to study, he felt increasing pressure. So he gritted his teeth and forced himself to learn to read and write. After over a year, he managed to recognize most common characters, though he still needed help with writing. Now, after scanning the letter from beginning to end, his expression changed several times before settling on a very subtle one. Although there were still some characters he didn’t recognize, he had grasped the general meaning. After taking a deep breath, he handed the letter to the eunuch beside him.
“Read the letter from beginning to end!”
After hearing its contents again, Lu Feng gradually showed a satisfied smile. For the eunuchs in the palace, the establishment of the Inner Study Hall was a good thing—a shortcut to promotion. Though he was afraid that some clever ones might rise to replace him, he wouldn’t go to such lengths to stop them. After all, hadn’t the ministers in the Cabinet and other departments remained silent? Yet now, that damned guy was using the Inner Study Hall to plot something huge, even manipulating the ministers in the Cabinet—one by one. He truly didn’t take these senior officials seriously! Fortunately, the elders in the capital remained quiet, but there were voices outside. Still, that guy had quite the audacity!
After pondering with narrowed eyes for a while, he suddenly asked, “Do you still remember the letter that Lord Zhang sent specially before?”
The eunuch, though over forty, was willing to call Lu Feng “godfather,” so he was naturally sharp-witted. He quickly nodded and said, “Does my godfather want me to recite it?”
“No need. I’m not that forgetful!”

Slamming his hand on the armrest, Lu Feng couldn’t help but sneer. Before going to Jiaozhi, Zhang Yue sent a message saying he had heard from someone that the Censorate seemed to have some complaints about the Neishu Tang, and warned him that in the future, all those who came out of Neishu Tang would be literate eunuchs—who would care about them? They would naturally become a powerful force. So he began to pay attention to developments there, and now he indeed found that Wang Zhen wasn’t only courting Concubine Sun but also targeting the ministers of the Grand Secretariat. If Wang Zhen succeeded, he, as the supervisor of the Eastern Depot, might as well quit! Just then, another voice filled with shock and joy came from outside the door: “Eunuch sir, good news! A great victory in Jiaozhi!”