Chapter 800: The Rooster Has Risen
News in the palace spread quickly. Concubine Sun’s illness kept Emperor Zhu Zhanji in Yongning Palace for an entire noon. After that, not only did Empress Dowager Zhang and Empress Hu send people to visit her and bring gifts, but other concubines in the harem also came to offer their regards. Every high-ranking official from the Imperial Secretariat and the Imperial Household Department was present. Though her status allowed her to ward off most of them, there were still some she had to see. By evening, after hearing the news from outside, she truly appeared sickly, with little appetite even for food.
“Establishing proper hierarchy and showing respect for rank—these censors really have a lot of nerve!”
She angrily tore at the silk flower in her hand, then stared at Wang Zhen, who was sitting on a small stool in front of the bed, and asked, “It was you who said earlier that the emperor only had one son, the eldest prince. Since the court has been worried about the lack of an heir for years, they surely wouldn’t stop the emperor from designating a crown prince this time. But look at the situation now—those censors seem determined to devour us, mother and son! Empress Dowager Zhang never liked me anyway. What if things get worse? Today I managed to make the emperor leave by pretending to be sick, but what about after that?”
With so many high-ranking officials from the twenty-four government departments present today, Wang Zhen, as the last to arrive, naturally stood out little. Seeing Concubine Sun’s angry expression, he quickly tried to appease her with a smile, saying, “Please calm down, Your Majesty. As long as the emperor is determined, what are those censors? The more they make a fuss, the more disgusted the emperor will become. After all, doesn’t he think someone is behind this? However, it’s true that the eldest prince is currently the emperor’s only son, but having the title of eldest son isn’t the same as being the legitimate heir. Throughout the history of our Ming Dynasty, which emperor wasn’t the legitimate heir?”
These words struck a chord with Concubine Sun. Having grown up in the palace, she was well aware of the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs. The late Emperor’s favorite concubine, Concubine Guo, was so favored that Emperor Renzong, for her sake, chose her brother over a princess’s son when deciding the heir to the title of Marquis of Wuding. Yet in matters of state, it was always Empress Dowager Zhang who made the final decisions. Moreover, after the emperor passed away, Concubine Guo was mysteriously buried alive—despite being the mother of three princes! Thinking of this, she saw before her Empress Dowager Zhang’s face, always so composed in times of crisis.
“Additionally, there is one more thing Lady Guifei should be cautious about. You have given birth to the crown prince, but almost all of the maids and attendants chosen before have been replaced. The Empress Dowager has sent Princess Chenliu to watch over him constantly, and she herself visits from time to time. Although it’s good that the crown prince is favored by the Empress Dowager, another risk must be guarded against. A prince who does not grow up under his mother’s care is likely to develop a sense of distance. Moreover, if someone with ulterior motives constantly instills certain ideas in him, it will only make it more troublesome for him to distance himself from his own mother in the future.”
Although Lady Guifei was clever and well-read, she had mostly focused on poetry to please Zhu Zhanji, using her cunning solely to maintain his favor. So when Wang Zhen spoke these words, she believed them somewhat, feeling both angry and anxious. Seeing that he had made his point, Wang Zhen did not say more. After sitting for a while, he took his leave, leaving behind one crucial message: “First secure the heir, then arrange for a consort—only then can it be done legitimately! If one lacks such ambition, it’s one thing, but Lady Guifei has harbored this concern since she was made the consort of the crown prince. After Emperor Renzong’s death, seeing the fate of those concubines buried with him only deepened her fear. Now that she has a son, even if not for herself, she thinks for his sake. That night, Zhu Zhanji had said he would come, but she sent word to refuse on the grounds of not wanting the emperor to see her sick. As expected, after dinner, Zhu Zhanji came to visit personally and stayed with her for a long time before leaving.”
Empress Dowager Zhang was attentive to Zhu Zhanji but unwilling to use excessive tactics with the concubines, often impatient to deal with their schemes. But that day, when the emperor lost his temper while questioning the censors, she had no choice but to summon Zhu Zhanji to Renshou Palace to reprimand him. When she learned later that he had gone to Lady Guifei’s place, she felt deep helplessness.
Whether it was Emperor Hongwu, Emperor Yongle, or even her own husband Zhu Gaochi, none of them were known for their deep affection. No matter how favored the concubines were, it was always her respected legitimate wife who ruled the harem. Yet her son was an exception. And it was bad enough that Empress Hu received little favor from the emperor; the fact that she couldn’t bear children posed a serious threat.
After the emperor’s evening visit, the gates of Renshou Palace were closed. Usually, before going to bed, Empress Dowager Zhang would have a female official read historical books. Since Zhu Ning had been staying in the palace these days, she naturally took over that role. Moreover, Zhu Ning’s knowledge of history and classics far surpassed that of ordinary female officials. So as they read, the sister-in-law and niece began to chat casually.
Just as they were discussing the Northern Wei Dynasty’s practice of killing mothers to elevate sons, Empress Dowager Zhang shook her head, saying it severed the natural bond between mother and child and was absolutely unacceptable. At that moment, voices came from outside, followed by a senior palace maid reporting in a low voice, “Your Majesty, Eunuch Lu, the supervisor of the Eastern Depot outside Renshou Palace, is knocking at the gates and requesting an audience, saying it’s urgent.”
“Has he reported to the emperor?” Upon hearing a negative answer, Empress Dowager Zhang furrowed her brows even more. Since she herself wasn’t inclined to rule directly, she naturally disapproved of others bypassing the emperor to approach her. She said indifferently, “Tell him to go report to the emperor first if it’s truly urgent; there’s no need to come to Renshou Palace.”
The maid outside hesitated for a moment before saying in a lowered voice, “Your Majesty, Eunuch Lu insists that since it concerns you, he had no choice but to bypass protocol and report to Renshou Palace first.”
The words “concerns you” were no trivial matter, so Zhu Ning immediately turned to look at Empress Dowager Zhang. Seeing that her expression was indeed grave, she stood up and said, “Although it’s against the rules, if it’s truly important, we might make an exception. Would you like to see him?”
After much hesitation, Empress Dowager Zhang finally nodded. She summoned the maid to bring her another set of clothes to change into. When Zhu Ning finished packing her books and was about to leave, she hesitated for a moment before saying, “You should change too and come with me. If it’s really that urgent, go meet the emperor with him. The emperor and I are as one; there’s no reason for me to know something while he’s kept in the dark.”
The main hall of Renshou Palace had its lights extinguished. Not wanting to light more lamps and cause a disturbance, Empress Dowager Zhang met Lu Feng in a small hall in front of her bedroom. He didn’t wear the special robes like other high-ranking eunuchs but a plain shirt with a round collar, along with a black gauze hat and rhinoceros horn belt. He bowed respectfully, which reduced the sense of annoyance from being disturbed at night. However, when Lu Feng explained the reason why he had to come at night, even she, who was usually composed, couldn’t help but pale.
“Previously, the censors kept submitting petitions, which angered the emperor greatly. I ordered the Jinyiwei to investigate those censors. The Jinyiwei found that one of the censors’ servants frequently visited a small restaurant in the Eastern District—a place often frequented by palace eunuchs. They sent people to spy there and discovered someone passing messages to the servant, saying that the Empress Dowager placed great emphasis on the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs. The emperor had pardoned taxes and grain taxes across the country due to the birth of his eldest son, but the Empress Dowager was extremely dissatisfied with this. She also thought Consort Sun was too spoiled due to her favoritism, so she didn’t want to designate an heir so soon. Thus, these censors’ petitions advocating for proper hierarchy were exactly what the Empress Dowager thought…”
Bang—
Zhu Ning, standing by, was both shocked and angry. Hearing this, she saw Empress Dowager Zhang slapping the armrest hard, her usually calm face now filled with fierce anger. Realizing that today’s matter was far from trivial, she couldn’t help but gaze at the eunuch who had held the position of head of the Eastern Depot since the Yongle era, wondering how he had noticed such things.
Though extremely angry, Empress Dowager Zhang quickly calmed down. She looked at Zhu Ning and said indifferently, “Tonight, the emperor visited Concubine Sun in Yongning Palace. He likely has no desire to go to bed early and won’t head to the Eastern or Western Six Palaces either. Anning, go with him to Qianqing Palace and explain the situation clearly to the emperor. Advise him that censors are officials in charge of speaking out; it’s wrong to submit reports based on hearsay, but he shouldn’t act rashly out of anger either. He should consult the veteran ministers left to him by Emperors Taizong and Renzong on everything. Also, Zhang Yue has returned—appoint him to some position so he isn’t idle.”
Lu Feng, kneeling below, knew that Empress Dowager Zhang was trying to avoid involvement. Though they were mother and son, on certain major matters, even though she held great influence among the civil and military officials, she wouldn’t intervene lightly, let alone when it involved herself. Yet he had come to report overnight not to have her take such an attitude, so he quickly tapped his head.
“Your Majesty, the emperor is still angry from today’s incident. Hearing this news suddenly, even the princess may find it hard to persuade him. Since things are suspicious, if you ignore them completely, I’m afraid someone might fabricate trouble. Although it’s your good intention to report to Qianqing Palace, it might be misinterpreted. It would be better if you assigned a suitable person to assist me in investigating this matter.”
Zhu Ning knew that although Emperor Zhu Zhanji treated her well and she could persuade him on some matters, she had no confidence in handling this one. Hearing Lu Feng’s words, she nodded quickly and said, “What Lord Lu says makes sense. Today, in his anger, the emperor almost sent someone to the Jinyiwei prison. If he hears this news, the Censorate will surely be in even greater turmoil. Censors have always been the emperor’s trusted officials; it would be terrible if their authority and reputation suffered such a blow. It’s better to investigate quietly first before reporting to the emperor.”
Only an oil lamp was lit in the room, illuminating only a small area in front of Lu Feng. Empress Dowager Zhang sat in the dimness. The golden cloud-and-dragon patterns on her dark blue robe shone under the light, the golden hues contrasting with her dark complexion, making it difficult for Zhu Ning to guess what the empress dowager really meant.
For women, the position of queen is far less stable than that of empress dowager. Empress Dowager Zhang had already handled government affairs on behalf of Zhu Gaochi in her early years. Though she claimed to stay out of matters now, she actually oversaw many things. Was she worried that this might estrange her from the emperor?
“Send Jin Ying with you to the Eastern Depot tomorrow. Wang Jin is better, but the emperor can’t do without him for even a moment. If anyone asks, just say you came tonight to report that the Marquis of Pengcheng has occupied civilian land.”
“Don’t worry, Empress Dowager. I understand.”
After saying this, Lu Feng quickly kowtowed in agreement. Despite the previous commotion, as long as Empress Dowager Zhang wanted to, she could erase all traces. He just needed to follow her instructions. As for whether the Marquis of Pengcheng had indeed occupied civilian land, that was self-evident. Among the court officials and nobles, even someone as upright as Zhang Fu had land donated to him. As the empress dowager’s brother, the Marquis of Pengcheng was even less likely to be spotless.
Before leaving, he glanced at Empress Dowager Zhang’s expression and decided to fulfill his duty by informing her: “There’s one more thing I must report to You Majesty. In the evening, Dai Lun and Lin Changmao were taken back to the capital by the Jinyiwei and are now in the prison of the Northern Pacification Bureau.”
Hearing this, Zhu Ning’s eyelids twitched. Seeing Empress Dowager Zhang’s even darker expression, he quickly lowered his gaze. The woman who had once been Zhu Zhanji’s teacher could just be taken away like that!
That night, Zhang Yue, who was alone at home, also couldn’t sleep well. The previous night, he had slept soundly upon returning home, but today, a series of incidents had disrupted his peace of mind. It was one thing dealing with outsiders, but when it came to his own family, the discomfort was unbearable. Zhang Fu and Zhang Jie were trying to get positions for their son, and Zhang Fu had taken on the task. But they said Zhang Xin’s transfer had been postponed. If that were true, it was unclear who was trying to put him in trouble!
As he thought about this, he couldn’t help but think of his parents, wife, and children, who were probably somewhere out there at that moment. It would take several months for so many people—old and young—to travel from Guangzhou to the capital, not to mention the infants who had just turned one year old and the pregnant women with large bellies. He really didn’t know how long the journey would take. His father had been his best support, his wife his most reliable helper, and having them around always made him feel more at ease. Now that they were all gone, his heart felt utterly empty.
Having been forced to drink a lot of alcohol at noon, and although he had drunk some sobering soup and gone to bed early, tossing and turning for too long caused a dull pain in his head, so he called out. After calling twice with no response, he remembered he hadn’t asked anyone to stay outside to keep watch. With no choice, he got up and groped around to find water to drink. Just as he checked the copper water clock and then fumbled in his bag for a teapot, suddenly he heard voices outside. Even though it was his own house, he remained vigilant and rushed outside. Seeing that the main door was tightly closed and nothing seemed amiss, he opened it and indeed saw, besides a young girl in the courtyard, an old woman with a somewhat familiar face. Upon seeing him come out, the old woman hurried forward and bowed. “Young master, please forgive me. It’s Brother Zhang from outside who just returned, saying he has important news to report to you and asked to be let in through the second gate. I was afraid it might be delayed, so I didn’t care about the late hour…” Before the old woman could finish, Zhang Yue impatiently asked where he was, then put on a garment and rushed outside. When he reached the second gate, he saw Zhang Bu waiting anxiously there. He remembered Zhang Bu mentioning earlier that he wanted to meet up with a few friends he had fought alongside during his northern expedition. He had sent him off, but he hadn’t returned until now. “It’s so late—what’s so urgent?” “Young master, on my way back, I encountered a group of Jinyiwei officers. Someone put this in my pocket when I passed by.” Unfurling the paper bundle Zhang Bu handed over, Zhang Yue glanced at it briefly before his expression turned grave. He had heard Zhu Zhanji mention the names of Dai Lun and Lin Changmao; these two had been taken to the capital’s prison by the Jinyiwei due to resentment. The message below was even more ambiguous—it seemed someone had clashed with the Censorate.