Chapter 798: “False Speech” Undermines the Foundation of the State; Blockade at the Palace Gates

After the grand court meeting on the first day of the month, the square from the Jinshui Bridge at Wumen to in front of Fengtian Gate was once again filled with people.
It had been the site of a fierce debate during a heavy rainstorm. Back then, Zhang Yue experienced for the first time being publicly denounced as a treacherous villain, while Xia Yuanji, also labeled as such, took a strategic retreat and claimed the fault lay with the ministers, temporarily calming the turmoil. Although some of the censors were later imprisoned by the Jinyiwei or exiled to Jiaozhi, at least they were spared at that time.
Yet this time, the emperor had been replaced by Zhu Zhanji, who was known for his kindness. The censors’ passionate rhetoric only intensified. Yu Qian was upright and honest, and as the saying goes, like begets like. After Gu Zuo took charge of the Censorate, when selecting censors, aside from moral character, only two qualities were required—courage to speak out. Moral character could be concealed, but courage to speak could not. As a result, the number of accusations and admonitions issued by the Censorate had doubled since Liu Guan was in charge.
“…Nowadays, eunuchs serve as envoys abroad, garrison commanders in local areas, or military supervisors on the borders, all wielding great power. This has led to serious problems such as corruption, lawlessness, and oppression of the people! The eunuch factions caused havoc during the Han and Tang dynasties. Our Emperor Taizu established a strict rule that eunuchs must not interfere in politics. Now that this rule has been broken, we risk our lives to offer advice!”
“…Those in high positions in government departments and councils should focus on state affairs rather than passively letting things slide. Failing to admonish the emperor is a grave offense! I urge Your Majesty to appoint capable people to the Wenyuan Pavilion to handle important affairs, so as to prevent treacherous elements from controlling the court and harming the Great Ming!”
“…The birth of the crown prince is a cause for celebration, as Your Majesty now has an heir. However, there is a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs, and a hierarchy of rank. If an amnesty is granted throughout the country due to the birth of the crown prince, what will happen when Your Majesty’s legitimate son is born? It is reported that many eunuchs in the palace are trying to curry favor with the imperial concubine and the crown prince to gain advantages for themselves—their motives are utterly sinister and alarming. I earnestly request that Your Majesty clarify the hierarchy to restore order among the people!”
Back when Zhu Di was still alive, those censors dared to kneel and plead desperately on the grounds of a fire in the three main halls. The current situation was nothing compared to that. Yang Shiqi, Jian Yi, and others were all seasoned individuals who remained calm through four or five reigns of emperors. The newly appointed ministers like Zhang Ben were also shrewd and calculating. So at first, when they were accused of being treacherous villains again, they simply reacted indifferently. But when these admonitions reached their most critical point, everyone present paled in shock, and Gu Zuo, the Left Censor-in-Chief, was visibly shaken.

He didn’t care if his colleagues thought he had orchestrated this incident to offer advice; what mattered to him were those censors he had personally promoted. Yu Qian was a protégé he highly regarded—honest, capable, and most importantly, possessing the demeanor of a true minister. The others here were also among the best in the Censorate. If these people were punished for speaking out, the Censorate would instantly lose its core members. If he, as the Censor-in-Chief, failed to protect them, the Censorate would become nothing but a shell!

But why drag in the crown prince in the first place? If the aim was to accuse eunuchs of abusing power, then focusing on them would be sufficient. Why persist with matters related to the palace? Not only was the empress childless, but all the concubines in the harem were as well—wasn’t that adding fuel to the fire?

Zhang Yue hadn’t yet received an appointment, so he stood behind others, though not far from Zhu Zhanji. Seeing the Emperor Xuande initially sit calmly with a mocking expression, gradually turn pale, lean forward, and unconsciously grip the arms of his golden chair, he knew Zhu Zhanji was furious. That day, Xia Yuanji and Jin Youzi were ill, so the only high-ranking civil officials present were the Three Yangs and Jian Du. Under no circumstances was it his turn to speak first, so he couldn’t help but glance at Duke of Yingguo Zhang Fu.

Zhang Fu only attended court on designated days and usually didn’t participate in regular meetings. He focused on military and state affairs rather than trivial matters. After the upheaval in Jiaozhi, he hadn’t spoken in court for a long time. But with the news brought by Zhu Ning the previous day, things were different. Yet, in the deathly silence, he slowly stepped forward. His eyes, which had been half-closed for years, suddenly opened wide, and his sharp gaze swept over everyone’s faces.

“It is the duty of censors to speak out—whether to eliminate eunuch factions or rid the court of villains, it is all out of loyalty. But talking about so-called ‘righteousness’ is nonsense! The emperor has had no heirs for years; the birth of the crown prince is a cause for celebration across the land! Ordinary people rejoice at the birth of a son, fearing others won’t know, let alone the imperial family. It is a great fortune for the empire that the emperor now has an heir, hence the decree to exempt taxes and grain—sharing in the joy of the common people! As censors, you should be able to distinguish right from wrong. Spreading baseless accusations only shows a malicious intent—where does that leave the emperor and his father?”

One sentence to distinguish right from wrong, another to make random speculations—immediately turning the faces of the censors below red. Seizing this opportunity, Gu Zuo immediately stepped forward, assuming the role of the chief censor and scolding them harshly, his words clearly implying that they should stop arguing over ranks and hierarchies. With this military and civil leader setting the tone, the others naturally began to criticize as well, but this time it was vastly different from the incident in the three great halls before; no one had the energy to pay attention to those accusing them of being traitors; they just wanted to suppress those dangerous sparks first.

Yet once those sparks arose, they were not so easy to extinguish. Censors were already the most stubborn people in the world. Even though Gu Zuo had given extremely clear hints, they, having already made up their minds, refused to back down and instead stubbornly argued back. Zhang Fu, who had spoken first, saw this and sighed deeply. Noticing that Zhang Yue was looking over, he could only shake his head slightly.

Understanding Zhang Fu’s meaning that nothing could be done, Zhang Yue felt a headache. He thought that even Empress Dowager Zhang couldn’t openly order people to make these censors change their minds. If so many ministers couldn’t make these determined men change their views, then he certainly couldn’t. This time was different from before—the focus was on the heir apparent and the foundation of the state, not on traitors.

When Zhu Zhanji was still the crown prince, he had been taught to accept advice and treat subordinates kindly, and he had generally followed this approach. After the fire in the three great halls led to the censors collectively submitting petitions, he even had Zhu Ning send a message to Zhang Yue, asking him to step in and take responsibility at the appropriate time. However, his motivation was never to protect certain officials but to maintain stability in the court and prevent major chaos, and his tolerance also had limits.

Now that he was the emperor, he was still constrained in everything he did. It was one thing for these censors to see eunuchs as thorns in their eyes, but even his beloved wife giving birth to his eldest son wasn’t spared by them!

Seeing Zhu Zhanji’s displeased expression, Wang Jin quickly gave a signal to a young official beside him. With a loud shout, the nearly chaotic scene resembling a market immediately quieted down. Only then did Zhu Zhanji stare at these annoying censors before him and say word by word, “Clarify ranks, define hierarchies… Good, very good! But who among you remembered ranks and hierarchies just now? Spouting nonsense about state affairs for fame, calling everyone a traitor except yourselves as loyal officials! I ask you, these so-called loyal officials—who ordered you to rashly discuss the heir apparent and the foundation of the state?”

“Your Majesty, everywhere in the streets and alleys, people are discussing how a mother gains honor through her son, and a son through his mother. We are not speaking rashly, nor have we been instigated by anyone!”
“As officials in charge of speech, how can you believe such rumors from the streets?”
Zhu Zhanji could no longer hold back. He suddenly stood up and said sternly, “Summon all the Jinyiwei…”
Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Yue stepped forward immediately and said loudly, “Your Majesty, although these officials use forceful words when expressing their opinions, they do so out of a sense of public duty. To punish them for their words would undermine the wisdom in selecting officials. I implore Your Majesty to show wisdom and pardon them for their rash speech.”
“Zhang Yuanjie, where in our words have we been rash?”
Hearing this sudden shout behind him, Zhang Yue wished he could turn around and kick the person who spoke away. At that moment, he could only suppress his urge to turn around and said in a deep voice, “Submitting false reports, talking about unresolved matters without evidence, making unfounded accusations— isn’t that also rash speech? You, Governor Gu, and the other officials have put in so much effort, yet you refuse to see reason. You only care about winning arguments— isn’t that also rash speech…”
Just as he was about to continue, he saw a young eunuch whispering in Wang Jin’s ear. This most loyal eunuch’s expression changed instantly, and he hurried over to Zhu Zhanji, whispering something to him. After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Zhanji stopped speaking. Yet at such a critical moment, one of the young officials persisted, and soon Gu Zuo’s reprimanding voice was heard again.
“That’s enough for today!”
Zhu Zhanji snapped these words angrily. Then an eunuch announced it formally. Immediately, whether it was the officials who still had something to say or Gu Zuo, who wanted to scold them, everyone knelt down to see the emperor off. Although everyone had a lot to say, once the emperor left, the area in front of the Jinshui Bridge was no longer a place to stay long. Everyone hurriedly retreated.
After crossing the Jinshui Bridge, Yang Shiqi whispered a few words to Gu Zuo, then he and the other members of the cabinet returned to the cabinet building first, while the ministers of the six departments left through the Wumen Gate together with the officials. Once they left the inner court, the officials, who had been quiet earlier, could no longer hold back. Zhang Ben, the Minister of War, even said directly to Governor Gu Zuo, “Governor Gu, you do choose honest and outspoken people, but honesty and outspokenness need to be applied appropriately! It’s right to eliminate eunuchs and corrupt officials, but they actually… they dare to speak rashly about the foundation of the state!”

Wu Zhong, the Minister of Works, saw that those people clearly harbored defiance and sneered, “Getting rid of eunuchs? It doesn’t matter to us, but there are things even the Three Dukes and Three Princes dare not speak out on. You guys are bold—just blurt it out outright! Yu Tingyi, who’s currently in the Jinyiwei’s prison, has only swept in all the eunuchs. If not for Zhang Yuanjie stepping in to interrupt, they would all be in the Jinyiwei’s prison by now! There must be limits to speaking frankly. Governor Gu has worked hard to restore the reputation of the Censorate—don’t ruin it!”
Seeing Gu Zuo shaking his head repeatedly, and those censors looking utterly embarrassed with grim faces, Zhang Yue realized there was no room for him to speak. He stepped forward to help Duke Ying of Britain, Zhang Fu, and the two unobtrusively left. Although Zhang Fu, as a military officer, was granted the privilege of riding in a sedan chair, riding a horse was already enough to draw attention during court sessions, so he usually rode a horse on such occasions. As they exited the Left Gate of Chang’an, they stopped in awe at the various carriages and horses lined up on the road leading to the imperial palace.
“Do you think those censors spoke from the heart today, or were they instigated by someone behind the scenes?”
“Your uncle must already have an opinion,” Zhang Yue said, feeling a heavy weight in his heart. Seeing the attendants from his own family and Duke Ying’s household coming to greet them, he couldn’t help adding, “If no one had hinted or instigated them, even if these censors were upright and outspoken, they wouldn’t have spoken so rashly about the heir to the throne. Just now, Wang Jin whispered something in the emperor’s ear. The emperor looked both shocked and angry—seems there’s some issue in the harem.”
Since Zhang Fu no longer held military power, and Zhang Yue hadn’t assigned him any new duties, with his family not in the capital either, the two simply went back to Duke Ying’s residence together. When they turned into the alley leading to the front gate of Duke Ying’s mansion, they saw carriages entering the corner gate. They exchanged a glance. Sure enough, when they reached the East Corner Gate, the attendant reported respectfully, “My lord, Young Master Yue, the second and third masters have arrived with several young masters.”
Zhang Fu, though high-ranking, feared nothing more than his two younger brothers. Hearing that they had come together, along with his nephews, his expression darkened instantly. Since Zhang Yue’s family was nowhere nearby and he had nothing to do, he had originally planned to stay there for ten days or half a month to spend time with his eight-year-old son. But now, with such a crowd showing up, he hesitated for a long time before looking at Zhang Yue.
“It seems I really can’t keep you here today…”

“What a coincidence! We just arrived, and you guys have already come back!”
Hearing that Zhang Fen, Zhang Jie, and his cousins had all arrived, Zhang Yue already wanted to back out and planned to leave as soon as Zhang Fu spoke. But before he could find an excuse to flee, a voice came from behind the screen door, followed by two people walking over smilingly. Recognizing them as Zhang Fen and Zhang Jie, though extremely reluctant, he had no choice but to step forward and greet them properly. Before he could come up with a reason to leave, Zhang Fen grabbed him, his face filled with a warm smile.
“Third brother is right. It’s better to arrive at just the right time than early. I thought we’d have to send someone to Wu’an Hou Hutong to invite you, but who knew Brother Yue would come along with the eldest brother today, saving us the trouble. Have you forgotten what day it is?”
Zhang Yue was confused by Zhang Fen’s words and saw that Zhang Fu also seemed puzzled. Just as he was about to ask, Zhang Jie nodded at him with a smile, “It seems you really have forgotten. Today is your birthday. It’s not a full birthday celebration, but you’re 25 after all, which is different from usual birthdays. I thought you’d have to celebrate it on the road, but it just so happens we arrived at the right time.”