Chapter 813: The Rod and the Sweet Dates
The palace and the outside world were originally one; naturally, news of the emperor’s efforts to organize the land and population across the realm spread widely during the day. By evening, under the Empress Dowager’s orders, the Eastern Depot executed more than a dozen eunuchs of various ranks, while dozens more from the six palaces were demoted to do menial cleaning work in the palace. These stories spread quickly thanks to Lu Feng’s deliberate efforts. Moreover, the emperor issued an official decree stating that Yan Ai, who had returned secretly from the Liaodong garrisons, was guilty of colluding with corrupt officials and would be executed by beheading at the West Fourth Archway in three days.
With such a series of news items, how could the officials in various government offices focus on their work? Those who were honest and upright might be fine, but those who knew or understood the affairs in their hometowns were all restless. It wasn’t long since the founding of the dynasty, and people still remembered the harsh laws of that time. Many who had been forcibly conscripted into official positions during the Hongwu era shuddered at the memory of how miserable scholars lived back then. Not to mention those who had experienced the Hongwu era firsthand, like Shen Du, who would never forget being exiled for arriving late after being conscripted.
Although it was said that offices should close at the hour of You, by the third watch of Shen, almost everyone had left. Zhang Yue stayed later due to urgent reports from Luchuan. He was pondering which general and which army should be sent to pacify Birmingia, while also weighing the chances of success for Mu Sheng’s military campaign. Since the initial battles in Dingjiai had not resulted in heavy losses as in history, the military and national strength had not been greatly weakened, so there was no shortage of funds. Yet, the top generals were not optimistic about Mu Sheng’s prospects.
Being alone at home and having already given instructions to his servants, Zhang Yue wasn’t in as much of a hurry to go home as others. It wasn’t until the first watch of You that he slowly packed up and left. Outside, he saw Zhang Bu and Niu Gan waiting with their horses. After joining them and mounting his horse, he headed onto East Chang’an Street, where he noticed a group coming out of the Left Gate of Chang’an.
The officials in that group wore uniforms adorned almost uniformly with qilin embroidery, except for the last person, whose robe, though slightly less splendid, was still a bright red brocade with large floral patterns. Leading them were Duke Cheng Zhu Yong and Marquis Ningyang Chen Mao, with the last being Mu Bin, the heir to the Duke of Qian. Faced with this encounter on a narrow road, he hesitated briefly before pulling his horse aside to let these nobles and their entourages pass first. However, Marquis Ningyang Chen Mao rode straight toward him.
Chen Mao’s father was also a meritorious warrior who died in the Jingnan Campaign, just like Duke Rongguo Zhang Yu. However, the titles of such meritorious warriors were not hereditary, so half of his title came from his father’s achievements and the other half from his own contributions in suppressing rebellions and governing Ningxia during the early Yongle era. Though he didn’t achieve as much in expanding territory as Duke Yingguo Zhang Fu, he was younger—only 48 at the time. He had once served the sickly Zhu Di in the abandoned city of Danning alongside Zhang Yue, but they hadn’t had much contact since then. Yet today, after leaving the palace, he happened to meet Zhang Yue again, leaving him with mixed feelings.
“I heard your parents, wife, and children still haven’t returned?”
Since they had been granted ducal titles, rewarded with land and servants, and given mansions, the nobles all emphasized propriety and dignity, speaking in a refined manner like civil officials. Thus, Zhang Yue, who didn’t interact much with Chen Mao, was taken aback by the marquis’s blunt speech. He paused briefly before nodding, “Yes. My father and the others will likely take a few more days to reach the capital.”
“Good. When they return, let my kids play with yours. Otherwise, they’ll end up getting tricked just like me… Damn it!”
Hearing Chen Mao’s last vulgar remark, Zhang Yue’s expression became even more peculiar. He realized that Chen Mao must have been reprimanded in the palace and understood immediately. So he simply smiled and agreed, “Since the Marquis of Ningyang says so, I’ll have my wife take the children to visit your place more often.”
“That’s exactly it!” Chen Mao then thought of another remark from Empress Dowager Zhang, and his mood improved unconsciously. “My eldest son is about the same age as yours, but my second son is ten, and the youngest is only four—about the same age as your kids. I heard your family’s school is quite good. They’re too young to go to the Imperial Academy yet. If you agree, I’ll send them to your school right away.”
Seeing Chen Mao’s face light up with excitement, Zhang Yue knew well that the emperor and empress in the palace might be offering a sweet reward after a harsh punishment—agreeing to let one of the Marquis of Ningyang’s children tutor the emperor’s eldest son. And Chen Mao wanting to send his younger sons to his school was clearly a gesture of goodwill. But he had already planned to send Jingguan to study under Liang Jin. How could he explain this to Chen Mao?
Before he could decide how to respond, Meng Ying, the Marquis of Baoding, and others arrived as well. Meng Ying was related to the Zhang family through marriage, and he had entered the palace with trepidation. To his surprise, the emperor did not bring up old grievances; instead, the empress dowager comforted him a few words. After all, with Zhang Yue’s advice, he had spoken to a few familiar nobles, and things were finally resolved. Although Changsun Meng Ang was too old to hope for closer ties with the crown prince, his daughter-in-law Zhang Qing brought good news, suggesting there might still be hope in the future.
Since Meng Ying was related to Zhang Yue, he did not rush in. Hearing that Marquis Xue Lu of Yangwu and Marquis Wang Tong of Chengshan also wanted to send their children to study at the Zhang family’s residence, he almost laughed out loud. After all, Meng Ang had once studied with those children at the Duke of Ying’s mansion—who would want their own children to mix with outsiders?
Sure enough, after a while, Zhang Yue could no longer hold back and reluctantly said he planned to have his child study under Liang Jin upon returning. Learning that Liang Jin already had several students, the nobles realized one teacher could not teach so many and suggested that the children learn archery and martial arts together in the future. This time, Zhang Yue agreed readily.
Duke Zhu Yong of Chengguo and his nephew, Mu Bin, the heir to the Duke of Qian, did not join in the excitement. Zhu Yong’s eldest son, Zhu Yi, had just been born that year. Given his title, he would surely receive proper education. Moreover, as an old friend of Zhang Fu who had helped the Zhang family before, there was no need for him to show enthusiasm now.
Mu Bin, on the other hand, felt envy mixed with disappointment. He wanted to connect with the nobles for real power, but the emperor had come up with such a plan. The empress dowager’s subtle warnings forced him to drop those ambitions. What he wanted to know most was what Zhang Yue had said to the emperor the previous day, which not only calmed the emperor’s fury but also brought such benefits to the nobles—excluding those frightening warnings, this visit to the palace had indeed been very fruitful.
As Dong Chang’an Street was the busiest route for high-ranking officials, and with the Yuhe North Bridge ahead, it would not do for the group to block the road. With Zhang Yue’s promise, the Marquis of Ningyang and the others dispersed. Meng Ying took the chance to mention that Zhang Qing was pregnant. Hearing that Zhang Yue would prepare gifts to congratulate her later, he left satisfied. It was then that Zhu Yong and Mu Bin approached together.
“You came back this time seeming low-key, yet such remarkable things happened—both civil and military officials owe you gratitude. Such a huge case was dropped without further investigation, and there was even a settlement regarding land and population. As for us, to be honest, we just wanted our descendants to have hope, and now that hope has been fulfilled. Just now, the top nobles were all circling around you, yet you remained calm—even Wen Bi, my elder brother, can’t match your composure.”
Zhu Yong joked a bit, but when he saw Zhang Yue smiling and modestly saying the incident had nothing to do with him, he refused to believe it. Immediately, his expression turned stern: “Not only during your return to the capital, but you rarely visited me before either. My Shijing Garden was just repaired before the New Year. Why wait? Come visit me. Though I’m a warrior, my home is just a humble garden, but there are many scholars who often visit me there!”
“Brother-in-law, if your garden is still called humble, then there are probably few decent gardens left in the capital. During the Yuan Festival, as you said, you’re so busy that it’s uncertain when you’ll have time again. Let’s go together.”
One was the current duke, the other the future duke. Their words were polite, and Zhang Yue couldn’t refuse, so he agreed. He then ordered Niu Gan to go back and inform his family, while he followed Zhu Yong and Mu Bin across the North Bridge of the Jade River onto Chongwenmen Street.
Over the past few years, nobles such as the Duke of Ying, the Duke of Cheng, and the Duke of Ding had built gardens along the banks of Shichahai. Among them, the Ying Country Garden and Duke of Cheng’s Shijing Garden were separated by only three alleys, showing the closeness between the two families. Going west from the main gate of Shijing Garden, past a memorial arch, led to Hongmiao Street, and further west was the Central Military Office. Since curfews often came after banquets, the people at the Military Office were already used to seeing people coming out here.
It was Zhang Yue’s first time at Shijing Garden. Passing through the carved memorial arch at the entrance of the alley, he saw the lush elm and willow trees and the numerous pavilions and towers inside, which reminded him of the simple courtyards of the Du, Shen, and Yang families.
This wasn’t the time to ponder the differences between civil and military officials. After dismounting, he handed the reins to the gatekeeper who came forward. Zhang Yue crossed the main hall of the courtyard and followed the path to the garden’s main gate, where the words “Shijing Garden” were boldly inscribed in dragon and phoenix script. He glanced at Zhu Yong. Sure enough, the Duke of Cheng nodded smilingly.
“The people in the capital spread rumors and often call this garden ‘Shi Jing Garden.’ I asked Scholar Shen to write these characters for me. Many envy me for having a plaque made of gold and jade hanging in my home.”
Zhang Yue had previously visited famous gardens such as the Humble Administrator’s Garden and Dingyuan in Suzhou, as well as the Gongwangfu in Beijing, so he had seen quite a bit of the world. Born into a wealthy family, he was accustomed to such opulence and gradually came to understand what true power and influence looked like. Yesterday, while accompanying the emperor in the British park, he had only glanced around absentmindedly due to his own concerns. Today, with Duke Cheng Zhu Yong serving as his guide, he finally appreciated the charm of this garden.
The garden was filled with tall willows and old elms. Besides pavilions and halls, there were also three large buildings. Entering through the main gate, the first building encountered was the left hall, where only a few evergreen pines stood alongside large patches of blooming jasmine. The greenery appeared even more vivid, the whites even purer, and a pleasant fragrance filled the air, making it hard to move on. Passing behind the hall, through artificial hills and pavilions, along a shaded stone path, one would come across a pool of clear green water. Fresh water from outside was brought in, keeping the pool crystal clear, with only a few green leaves floating on the surface. Along the shore, colorful koi fish swam back and forth, and in the distance, cranes and deer could be seen, adding to the natural charm. As they walked along the pool, past hundreds of green bamboo stalks, and reached beneath the big locust tree behind the right hall, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’s strange that scholars all like to come to Duke Cheng’s beautiful garden. Everything here is provided—food, drink, and comfort—and they can enjoy fragrant flowers, green trees, and beautiful women. Who wouldn’t want to come here and eat freely? In such a large garden, I’ve seen no less than a dozen or so people just doing cleaning work!”
“My family never lacks hands to work. Besides, household affairs are taken care of by the managers. I don’t need to worry about so much. I don’t have great ambitions, but I know one should enjoy life while it lasts… And after all, country folks have their own advantages.”
Speaking of the advantages of country folks, Zhu Neng gave Mu Bin a warning look. Seeing him staring blankly at the bark of the locust tree, he explained, “This is a locust tree over four hundred years old. When the house was built, someone came to check the feng shui and said that a spirit dwelling in an old locust tree was inauspicious, suggesting I cut it down. But that night, I dreamed of children playing under its dense shade. Within a month, my wife showed signs of pregnancy, so I kept the tree. It seems this old locust tree brings good fortune… Everything is about continuity—ensuring descendants are blessed. That’s true fortune!”
This was undoubtedly a pun, and Zhang Yue couldn’t help but ponder upon it. Yet, Duke Cheng of Cheng, Zhu Neng, quickly shifted the topic: “But today, I still want to hear the truth from Brother Yue—what exactly is the purpose behind determining the land and population counts across the realm this time?”
“Determine them based on reality. Duke Cheng, don’t forget that compared to the huge profits from other industries, land taxes are actually not much. Three sheng, three he, five shao in taxes—for one qing, or 100 mu, that’s just three shi plus a bit; it takes a thousand qing to reach three thousand shi. But among the nobles, how many actually own a thousand qing of land? Nowadays, there are far more than just one or two ways to make money, yet land taxes remain one of the most crucial sources of revenue for the state treasury. Since the 26th year of the Hongwu era, the number of mu of land has hardly changed. It’s only natural that the emperor, out of anger, decided to conduct an inspection of the land counts.”
Mu Bin, who had been watching, finally couldn’t hold back—while others didn’t own a thousand qing of land, their Mu family owned far more. So he asked directly, “What about commercial taxes?”
“It’s still too early to discuss commercial taxes. Why rush, elder brother?”
Seeing that Zhu Yong and Mu Bin were relieved but still hesitant, Zhang Yue knew full well that aside from Zhu Yong, the Mu family’s estates were a truly enormous amount. It was fine to focus on commercial profits for now, but commercial taxes couldn’t remain so ambiguous forever. A 30% tax rate couldn’t be changed lightly, but collection efforts needed to be strengthened. Moreover, the exploitation by local tax inspectors and others against merchants couldn’t be ignored. In the great Ming Dynasty, commercial taxes accounting for less than 1% of the state treasury’s income was simply unacceptable.