Chapter 807: A Shocking Revelation
Early June is the hottest time of the year in Beijing. Yet, in the courtyard of the Beizhenfu Si at this moment, soldiers in neatly dressed Jinyiwei uniforms stood under the scorching sun, sweating profusely yet remaining motionless. Fresh blood stains could still be seen on the bluestone ground, and in a corner, beneath a reed mat, the outline of a person could be faintly made out. Several Jinyiwei officers standing in the corridor pretended not to look, but their eyes kept drifting toward that glaring spot, each harboring different thoughts.
In the courtroom, still seething with anger, Zhu Zhanji sat there, not even glancing at Jian Xiadu and the others beside him. He merely tapped his fingers on the table in front of him. Though he was under thirty and skilled in governance, he still carried a youthful impulsiveness. After ordering the execution, he felt some regret, but the sudden arrival of these ministers and their persistent persuasion only made him angrier, and he refused to back down under any circumstances. Hearing noise outside, he raised his eyes, not looking at Lin Changmao and Yu Qian kneeling below, but instead gazing outward.
“Your Majesty, Governor Gu has arrived.”
The three high-ranking officials rushed over not just for Dai Lun’s sake. After all, Dai Lun had been the reader during Zhu Zhanji’s time as crown prince and could be considered a court official. Executing him openly due to resentment might be acceptable, but it would be inappropriate for the emperor to personally oversee the execution. What surprised them even more was that when they entered, Dai Lun had just died, and the emperor, still unsatisfied after killing him, wanted to take his anger out on Dai’s family. The three of them immediately advised against it, but the emperor, who usually listened to advice, became stubborn this time.
Seeing Gu Zuo enter, Du Zhen couldn’t help but recall how Wang Jie, the Jinyiwei commander, had come in earlier, whispered something to the emperor, and then placed a stack of documents on the table. Instantly, Zhu Zhanji’s face turned ashen. He had no particular relationship with Gu Zuo, who was nicknamed “Gu the Solitary One.” In fact, Gu Zuo was even more isolated, with almost no support in the court. Yang Shiqi had recommended him only out of respect for his character and integrity. Such a person would be fine if trusted by the emperor, but if he lost that trust, the consequences could be dire.
“Minister Gu.”
Seeing Gu Zuo’s rigid demeanor, with his formal greetings and naturally cold tone, Zhu Zhanji said, “I appointed you based on Yang’s recommendation to rectify the Censorate. Following your advice, I dismissed over twenty censors from the Censorate—eight demoted and three dismissed. It seems we’ve always acted in agreement. Everyone says you are upright and honest, yet now there are those who accuse you of accepting bribes and releasing prisoners privately.”
When Wang Yu summoned him, Gu Zuo, upon hearing about the Northern Pacification Commission, almost thought that all those censors who had submitted petitions before were imprisoned. He rushed here in a hurry; when dismounting, he staggered and nearly lost his balance. Seeing Dai Lun’s body covered only with a reed mat in the courtyard, he was filled with rage. But hearing these accusations, his mind instead became calm.
“It’s true.”
Zhu Zhanji had expected Gu Zuo to deny it outright. Holding the stack of documents in front of him, he was ready to throw them at him in anger. To his surprise, Gu Zuo admitted it calmly, leaving him stunned. After a long pause, he sneered, “Good, good! You say the censors of the Censorate are corrupt and unfit for duty, yet you yourself accept bribes—how can you set an example for officials?”
Seeing that Gu Zuo did not defend himself, Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji grew anxious. They wanted to speak up in his defense but feared exposing more secrets and damaging the reputations of other high officials, leaving them in a dilemma. Just then, Du Zhen spoke up.
“Your Majesty, please calm down. The practice of accepting bribes isn’t limited to Lord Gu alone.” Despite Zhu Zhanji’s stern gaze, Du Zhen continued calmly, “Living in the capital is not easy. Most officials, except those granted residences, rent houses. Although high-ranking officials of the second and third ranks are supposed to receive four bushels of rice and six silver coins per month, the rice comes from the Nanjing granaries, and any losses are borne by the officials themselves. In reality, they end up with 20% less rice. When Lord Xia had his property confiscated at the end of the Yongle era, aside from some silver coins, he was only given plain clothes and pottery. As a high-ranking official for years, he ended up so poor—let alone lower-ranking officials in various departments in the capital. Thus, since the end of the Hongwu era, when farming seasons arrived, the clerks in various offices would pay to exempt themselves from labor, allowing officials to get money while the clerks could return to farming.”
This unwritten rule had been in place for many years. Xia Yuanji, who was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, knew it better than Du Zhen. Seeing Zhu Zhanji’s astonishment, he sighed. With Du Zhen giving an example, it was difficult for him to agree. With his silence, Jian Yi had no choice but to speak up: “It’s true. What Scholar Yishan said is accurate.”
His punch landed like it hit cotton. Though somewhat regretful, Zhu Zhanji still felt angry. He had already summoned the Imperial Observatory to select an auspicious day and decided that, regardless of the officials’ opinions, he would announce the coronation of his eldest son soon. Therefore, he was extremely annoyed by the petitions from those censors in the Censorate, which touched on his most sensitive concerns.
“Even if this is an old practice, the censors of the Censorate are not just those who dare to speak! Who among the current court officials doesn’t know that censors value fame above all? By accusing high-ranking officials of the seventh rank, if successful, they gain fame throughout the land; if not, their names remain in history. Even if they are demoted, the people will still say it was those high officials’ fault. As a Censor-in-Chief, besides enforcing discipline, you must also address such malpractices! Seeking fame through empty rhetoric—no matter how many petitions you submit—what’s the use?”
“I dare not agree with Your Majesty’s words!” Yu Qian, who had remained silent until then, suddenly spoke out loudly. “As a censor, one should accuse corrupt ministers, those who form factions to manipulate power, and those who disrupt governance. One should accuse officials who are corrupt and violate official discipline. One should accuse those who distort scholarship, submit petitions to change laws, and seek advancement. If Your Majesty insists on strictly punishing those who falsely accuse high officials, then the court will become stagnant—who will dare to speak out? Accusing superiors is based on reason and justice; what does it have to do with seeking fame? If court discipline is properly maintained, there will be no need for censors—then the world will be fortunate!”
Since Yu Qian was imprisoned, Gu Zuo had kept trying to send him supplies through intermediaries, but he never managed to see him. Now, seeing his highly regarded young subordinate much thinner than before, almost too weak to wear clothes, his concern for the bigger picture was instantly overridden by these passionate words. Without hesitation, he lifted his robe and knelt on the ground.
“The censors say that if their advice is sound, Your Majesty may accept it; if it’s false, Your Majesty may reprimand them. But my duty is to ensure that censors remain honest and upright, daring to speak and act, and to keep the channels of communication open. Your Majesty orders me to restrain censors from arbitrarily accusing ministers. But how can such ‘arbitrariness’ be defined? If a person’s evil deeds are not obvious and everyone regards them as good, then their actions might be seen as seeking fame for a time. But as long as they aren’t punished, they can keep submitting petitions, hoping to bring about justice. The Censorate is Your Majesty’s eyes and ears, responsible for maintaining discipline. As for such malpractices, I absolutely cannot agree with them!”
Jian Yi and Xia Yuanji saw Zhu Zhanji’s expression growing darker, realizing that this time he was truly determined. Having been in charge of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue for a long time, they had also been accused by censors before, and had faced accusations of being corrupt officials countless times—so they no longer felt the initial indignation. But to be honest, they certainly didn’t feel fond of or approve of those censors.
“Your Majesty, Lord Gu…”
Xia Yuanji had only begun, but Zhu Zhanji suddenly raised his hand to cut him off. He then nodded at Wang Jie, the commander of the Jinyiwei, and said, “Show these to this self-righteous censor—show them to these so-called honest officials of mine!”
A few thin sheets of paper were passed around among those standing or kneeling. For a moment, the hall fell dead silent. Seeing this, Wang Jie, the commander of the Jinyiwei, felt extremely proud. Compared to his predecessors, he had been the most overlooked. With the Dongchang pressing down on him from above and Fangling, who controlled the Beizhenfu Si, restraining him from below, almost everyone had forgotten his existence. He had been holding back his anger for a long time. Over the past year or so, he had mobilized every resource at his disposal to uncover such a large amount of information, even risking his career and life to exploit this opportunity while the emperor was at his most furious!
What nonsense about being honest and upright, with meager salaries! Those self-righteous civil officials are nothing but fools!
Though there’s a saying about deceiving those above and below, in the officialdom, the voices of those below are never taken seriously. As long as one can deceive those above, it’s considered a success. At this moment, looking at those sheets filled with tiny handwriting, Du Zhen’s expression grew increasingly dark. He was an honest man who despised the greedy, but he also knew that among the officials from various regions, those with influential relatives in the court were causing trouble. Even he, if not for repeated orders and the appointment of honest officials as the governor of Songjiang, along with Zhang Yue keeping an eye on things through his connections in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, would have faced chaos from his own family. But what was this up here?
Since Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang, established the Tiji, all civil and military officials had been trapped in an all-encompassing web. Yet, the size of the mesh in this web was regulated by rules. The sheets of paper Wang Jie presented now listed almost all officials of rank four or above in the court, along with the additional land their families had acquired over the past twenty years. Even Ji Gang back in the day wouldn’t have dared to conduct investigations in such an overt manner—this was undoubtedly challenging the most powerful scholars and officials in the land.
To completely eliminate those who had contributed to conquering the realm and let civil officials govern the country with meager salaries barely sufficient for survival—this was Emperor Hongwu Zhu Yuanzhang’s policy. By the time of Emperor Yongle, eliminating these meritorious officials turned into exalting them, while civil officials’ salaries remained low. Zhu Zhanji did not have a deep affection for these noble officials, so although he did not neglect military affairs upon ascending the throne, it was a fact that he favored civil officials. As the supreme emperor, even if he was aware of corrupt practices below, how could it compare to having them exposed right before his eyes? Moreover, he was exactly looking for an excuse! “All of you advise me to temper my wrath for now, so let’s put an end to the matter of Dai Lun for the time being. But since everything has been exposed, I also hope you can give me an explanation! Someone, take Yu Qian and Lin Changmao into custody!” With these last words, Zhu Zhanji strode away. It was not until the emperor had taken two or three steps that Wang Jin finally snapped out of his daze and hurried after him. Before leaving, he couldn’t help but glance sideways at Wang Jie, the commander of the Jinyiwei. Seeing his expression change erratically, as if he was somewhat excited and pleased, Wang Jin wondered even more if this head of the Jinyiwei had gone mad. Aside from the founding emperor who had indeed executed officials for embezzlement of over a thousand guan, when had there ever been such severity? Even an emperor, in his fury, might reconsider after calming down. After leaving the Beizhenfu Si, Wang Yu, the deputy commander, gathered the Jinyiwei guards who had been scattered throughout the alley and the streets outside. However, when Wang Jin personally took the reins from a Jinyiwei guard and led the horse over, Zhu Zhanji did not mount it immediately but stood there gazing at the blue sky in a daze. After a long while, he calmly ordered, “Don’t return to the palace yet. Go to Britain Park!” Hearing this, Wang Jin was stunned. He considered saying something to persuade him but swallowed his words. Zhang Fu was not Yang Shiqi. Previously, Zhu Zhanji had gone incognito to Yang Shiqi’s residence but was persuaded to turn back by a few words of admonition from this prime minister. Though he accepted it, he still felt displeased inwardly. He had intended to help Zhu Zhanji onto the horse, but seeing that the emperor jumped onto it without hesitation, he quickly withdrew his hand and then looked up and asked, “Should I go send a message?”
Zhu Zhanji appeared today not in a prominently embroidered dragon robe with gold threads, but in a plain dark blue ordinary robe. Hearing Wang Jin’s question, he immediately understood that the eunuch was referring to Empress Dowager Zhang of Renshou Palace, so without hesitation, he nodded and said, “Send a suitable person to the Ministry of War. Disband these Jinyiwei troops and have Wang Yu select twenty reliable men to accompany me. I’ve left the palace before; there’s nothing to fear!”
In just a moment, the Jinyiwei soldiers who had guarded the area like an iron fortress vanished completely. Wang Jie, the commander of the Jinyiwei, also didn’t want to stay and attract attention after that shocking incident, nor did he wish to linger in Fangling’s territory. He quickly left with his men, thinking about how much power he could gain if the emperor entrusted him with this task.
With their departure, the four upright civil officials left behind fell into silence. It wasn’t until Fangling reentered and reminded Yang Shiqi that they snapped out of their daze.
Yang Shiqi, who rarely had time to teach the scholars at the Hanlin Academy, had not expected such a major incident to arise so quickly. After receiving news from Zhang Jiu, he rushed here in a hurry. Seeing the unusually grim expressions of Jian Xia, Du Gu, and the others, along with the pool of blood he had seen outside, he felt a heavy weight in his heart. Yet when he saw what Jian Yi handed him, all traces of his complaints and anger vanished instantly.
“This… Has the emperor already seen this?”
Seeing Du Zhen sigh and give an almost imperceptible nod, Yang Shiqi felt unsteady on his feet. Among those involved were not only officials from Beijing but also those from Nanjing. Did the Jinyiwei really have the audacity to investigate them without the emperor’s approval? If it was indeed with the emperor’s consent, then what did this young emperor intend? Could it be merely to silence them from any future court affairs?