Chapter 796: The Empress of Peace’s Anger

Since Zhang Yue was not yet assigned to any department and did not need to attend the morning court session the next day, he slept extremely soundly on his first night back. Although his parents, concubines, and children were not by his side, and his sister Zhang Jing had not yet been brought back from the Duke of Yingwu’s residence, the sense of true homecoming made him reluctant to get up even when the sun was high in the sky. It was only after the maid who stayed behind urged him carefully for the third time that he lazily got up to get dressed.

Now that the three branches of the Zhang family each had their own residences, their servants were also separated accordingly. The official slaves and servants given as rewards by the government all belonged to the Yangwu Bo’s residence, while the older, long-serving servants were mostly given to Zhang Xin. Zhang Yue kept only a few whom he was accustomed to using, and added quite a few new faces as well. The male servants were those his father Zhang Zhuo had chosen in advance, and most of the maids and servants were new—just like those in the house now; having not seen them for a long time, Zhang Yue could hardly remember their names.

After breakfast, Zhang Yue met Lian Sheng and Lian Hu in the study outside. Learning that the clan school was thriving, with over a hundred students besides the clan members—comparable to those famous private schools—he nodded in approval. Moreover, these students had achieved success in both the imperial examinations and last year’s provincial examinations: eight had passed the xiucai exam, and two had passed the juren exam. Though not many, these were considered extremely high achievements given their young ages.

Flipping through the account books casually, Zhang Yue nodded approvingly and said, “Not bad. You’ve managed things well these past two years.”

“I merely followed the young master’s instructions,” Lian Hu said with a smile, bowing before sighing regretfully. “The young master previously sent word that he had taken Lord Li and Lord Rui as students. It’s a pity they missed this round of exams and will have to wait until next year’s imperial examinations; otherwise, they might have passed this time. If that were the case, the young master would have two juren students, which would surely make him famous throughout the land!”

“Do you think it’s that easy to pass the juren exam?”

It was quite clear how limited the two students’ abilities were. His own skills in helping them get started were limited, and he couldn’t teach them much in terms of exam preparation. So if they were to take the college entrance exam next year, after Li Guoxiu and Rui Yixiang returned, they would need to seriously study and practice writing essays. He didn’t expect them to succeed overnight, so he didn’t worry too much about it. Instead, he asked about things at Lian Hutian’s manor. He learned that growing crops there wasn’t going well, but the gardener had managed to develop several new potted plants that hadn’t existed before. Most of these were now sold to noble families and government officials, which made him laugh in amazement.

It was truly a case of achieving something unexpected without trying.

Lian Sheng and Lian Hu were already two years older than him, and now that he had children of his own, so did these two brothers. Learning that their children were already seven or eight years old, with the younger ones still crawling, he thought for a moment before saying, “When Jingguan and the others return, they’ll need someone to accompany them in their studies. Have your sons go with them to learn to read, and when they grow up a bit more, they can help with some of the chores. As for the girls, Third Sister will need to be brought back too. With San San around, there will be times when they’ll be useful. There will only be more and more work at home in the future. If you pay close attention, you’ll be in great demand someday.”

Hearing this, the two brothers were overjoyed and quickly knelt down to kowtow. The third branch of the family hadn’t been prominent before, and they had been chosen to accompany Zhang Yue in his studies, with no benefits for their own family. But who would have thought that circumstances could change so drastically in just twenty years? Just the day before, they had even heard that the head of the first branch had come specifically to ask their young master for help!

“Young master, an imperial envoy has arrived!”

Yesterday, Wang Jin had come as a private visitor, so there was no need to open the main gate or change into formal clothes. But now that it was reported that an imperial envoy had arrived, it was a formal summons. Zhang Yue immediately sent Lian Sheng and Lian Hu to assist Gao Quan, while he hurried back to change into his official robes. Once he was properly dressed in his official hat and shirt, he rushed to the front yard. There, he found a middle-aged eunuch with a completely unfamiliar face. The message he brought was simple: an audience in the Qianqing Palace.

From the Yongle era to the Hongxi era, and now to the Xuande era, many changes had taken place in the palace. Zheng He and Wang Jinghong had returned to their old occupation of sailing to the West. Hou Xian set off again to reward countries in the West such as Utsang, Biligongwa, Lingzang, and Sidazang. Zhang Qian was in charge of the Guangzhou Maritime Administration, Liu Yongcheng replaced Zheng He and Wang Jinghong in guarding Nanjing, and Haishou went to Xuanfu… Adding those who died of old age, illness, or other reasons, the palace was now filled with entirely new faces.

Just like the middle-aged eunuch who led the way after the imperial edict was announced—he brought Zhang Yue in without saying a word all the way, until they reached the platform atop the high steps in front of the Qianqing Palace and were about to send him in. Only then did he whisper, “I am Master Wang’s apprentice. When I set out, the Emperor was angry; please be careful, Lord Zhang.”

Zhu Zhanji was not in the main hall. He bypassed the throne in front of the screen, passed through the eastern side room, and went all the way to the far east, where the newly built cool pavilion was located. It was unbearably hot outside, but as Zhang Yue entered, he felt much cooler. The room was surrounded by ice basins, with people slowly moving fan blades to circulate air, and others carrying ice-cooled fruits to serve.

Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, was still under thirty. Compared to his grandfather Zhu Di, whose features were sharp as cut by a knife, and his father Zhu Gaochi, who was as plump as Maitreya Buddha, his own figure was well-proportioned—broad shoulders and a narrow waist. However, his complexion was unnaturally pale, and lines already appeared between his brows. After Zhang Yue bowed, the emperor studied him for a while before suddenly sighing.

“I truly don’t understand. You travel back and forth day after day, working hard, looking darker and thinner, yet you still seem full of energy!”

The emperor spoke these words right away, leaving Zhang Yue speechless for a moment before he laughed and said, “Even though I work hard, I only need to manage what’s right in front of me, so the effort required is limited. If I were listless, wouldn’t that make those old ministers in their seventies and eighties who are still full of vigor laugh at me? With all due respect, Your Majesty seems less energetic than before.”

The attendants here were all carefully selected maids and eunuchs from the Imperial Secretariat and the Imperial Workshops. They were used to seeing Zhu Zhanji receive his ministers, but even veteran ministers like Yang Shiji and Jian Yi, who had served through five dynasties, wouldn’t dare speak so bluntly in his presence. For a moment, some bold ones even glanced at Zhang Yue, wondering if he really had the courage to say such things.

“Well, Zhang Yue, only you would dare say that I’m less energetic!”

Zhu Zhanji stood up abruptly, walked around the desk, and took a close look at Zhang Yue before saying in a disinterested tone, “Back when I was still the crown prince, I could train with the imperial guards, shoot at willow targets during the Dragon Boat Festival, accompany the emperor on northern tours, and in my free time, tinker with various small gadgets… Now, even if I want to go hunting in the Western Garden, it draws a crowd of censors who advise me to rule by virtue, implying that military prowess is no longer necessary! If I were to compete with you in archery again, it’s hard to say who would win!”

Although it had been over two years since he left, Zhang Yue knew Zhu Zhanji’s temperament well. Zhu Zhanji was talented in both literature and painting and wasn’t one to sit still, but even if he could, being confined to the palace all day long, with every attempt to move met with criticism, he truly felt sympathy for this emperor. Yet, since they were in the Qianqing Palace at the moment, his earlier words were deliberate, and the rest couldn’t be expressed openly.

So, he could only force a smile and say, “Your Majesty knows that my archery skills used to be passable, but I haven’t used a bow in at least two or three years now. I’m afraid even if I shoot ten arrows, all ten would miss the target.”

“I’ll find another chance to compete with you!”

Though he missed the days when Zhu Di had him train with the imperial guards and compete in shooting at willow targets on the small training ground, Zhu Zhanji knew it wasn’t the right time. So he sat down and asked Zhang Yue about his experiences abroad over the years. Zhang Yue briefly mentioned the progress of the Guangdong Maritime Trade Office, the various flaws in its valuation system, and proposed improvements. Finally, he spoke directly.

“Agriculture is the foundation of a nation. Reducing taxes can encourage farmers to cultivate more land, but a tax rate of only one-tenth for merchants is far too low. Guangdong isn’t the most concentrated area for merchants in the country, but whether they are sea traders or shopkeepers, their annual profits are several times or even dozens of times those of landowners with thousands of acres of land, yet they pay far less in taxes. I’ve heard that in the past, due to insufficient state funds, there were plans to lower salaries in kind. If tax revenue from merchants is sufficient, why worry about a lack of funds?”

Although Zhang Yue was abroad, various reports were sent to the capital every month, mostly in the form of travelogues or essays. Zhu Zhanji would keep them when he liked them and take them out to read when he was in a bad mood. So upon hearing this, he immediately remembered having seen it somewhere and nodded.

“I once said this to Hu Jian, but he dismissed it, claiming that opening up revenue sources meant competing with the people for benefits and was not the right approach. Instead, efforts should focus on cutting expenses. The regular salaries given to court officials are already sufficient for their families to live on. If the amount is reduced, it can be offset with items like agarwood and pepper. Those who complain are simply not loyal enough…”

“Minister Hu after all comes from a wealthy family. How could he understand that ordinary officials in the capital now rent a house and, to save money, dare not even bring their families to live with them, resulting in some even losing their descendants! There are also many who rely on their salaries to feed their families during festivals. Cutting the salary in half would take money out of these already meager pockets. Your Majesty, Emperor Taizu’s effort to ensure officials are honest and dedicated is indeed commendable, but if officials live in such hardship, it’s hard to guarantee they won’t become greedy. This is especially true for those stationed in the border regions, where officials are selected only once every nine years. I have personally seen those who were sent as local officials from Guangxi and Yunnan in their youth—full of black hair—now with gray hair and aged beyond measure…”

After all, Zhu Zhanji was the emperor. The Eastern Depot and the Imperial Guards monitored officials and paid no attention to their living conditions. Although Yang Shiji and others tried to offer advice, they were respected and trusted but could never be close to the emperor. Therefore, Zhang Yue described in straightforward terms what he had seen and heard in Guangzhou and Jiaozhi over the past two years, as well as his experiences on the journey. Zhu Zhanji listened more and more attentively, so engrossed that he didn’t even hear the announcements outside.

At first, Zhang Yue didn’t notice, but after several repeated announcements, he stopped speaking immediately. This time, Zhu Zhanji finally noticed the commotion outside. He wanted to order them to wait a while longer, but after some thought, he ordered them to come in. When a young eunuch entered carrying a large stack of documents, both Zhu Zhanji sitting on the chair and Zhang Yue standing there, as well as the courtiers and eunuchs around them, were stunned.

It didn’t seem like the time for the Cabinet to submit memorials.

“Your Majesty, these were submitted by eleven censors from the Censorate to the General Administration of Communications. After being reviewed by the Cabinet ministers, they were ordered to be presented immediately.”

The mere mention of the Censorate instantly made Zhu Zhanji’s face turn pale. He ordered it to be brought over, picked up one book at random, glanced through it briefly, and set it down on the table. Then came another, and another, and another… After flipping through most of them, he threw them all onto the table in anger and sneered, “Well, I merely used a few eunuchs to share some of my tasks, just looking for a few people who could speak up, and they all rushed at me! Good, very good—each of them a loyal minister, while I’m not a wise ruler!”

His words were extremely harsh. Seeing the palace maids and eunuchs silently kneel around him, not daring to make a sound, Zhang Yue also bowed and said, “Your Majesty, it is the duty of censors to speak out. If their criticism is excessive, please forgive them. There are no trivial matters for the emperor, neither internal nor external. Please consider their sincere intentions.”

“You still defend them? Do you know how many people have impeached you since you entered service during the Yongle era, up to your recent assignment as governor of Guangdong and even your role in advising on military affairs in Jiaozhi? Even that incident in Nanyang where you intervened when you saw injustice was reported by someone who was well-informed—faster even than the Jinyiwei! Lu Feng returned from you yesterday and rushed to apologize to me, saying he failed to discipline his nephew properly and that you stepped in for him. I scolded him and was thinking of rewarding you for your vigilance, but instead, others have labeled you with a charge of carelessness!”

The more Zhu Zhanji thought about it, the angrier he became. He remembered how, during his grandfather Zhu Di’s reign, those civil officials were all overly submissive; those who spoke out recklessly were either imprisoned by the Jinyiwei or sent to Jiaozhi to count stars. Since ascending the throne, he had finally managed to get rid of the most talkative people around the crown prince, only to find that he still couldn’t enjoy peace. Thinking of the resistance he faced when trying to designate an heir, he grew even more determined.

“Issue an imperial decree: let the ministers of the Six Ministries, the Censorate, and the Wenyuan Pavilion debate with these censors at the Meridian Gate after tomorrow’s court session! Zhang Yue, stay as well. I refuse to believe that these mere censors can compare themselves to the incident of the fire in the three main halls back then!”