Chapter 824: Banquet and Private Instructions

Among the early emperors of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizong Zhu Di often traveled from Nanjing to Beijing during his reign before moving the capital. As a result, the rituals associated with such inspections were carefully established during the Yongle era. Before Zhu Zhanji’s entourage set off, nobles and civil officials were sent to pay respects to heaven, earth, the ancestral temples, and imperial tombs. Afterward, a banquet was held for the civil and military officials in Beijing.

The members of the Grand Secretariat, the ministers and vice ministers of the six ministries, the commanders of the five military commands, and various nobles sat at the upper tables. Officials of rank five or above sat at the middle tables, while those below rank five sat at the lower tables. Although there were not many redundant officials at the time, dozens of tables were set up, filling the Guanglu Temple to capacity. The emperor appeared briefly before leaving, allowing the remaining officials to feast heartily. However, those at the tables merely whispered to each other in small groups.

Civil officials from poor families often tried to take some food back to share with their families, as there were precedents for this. The palace staff turned a blind eye, not caring about it. Meanwhile, wealthy officials disdained the food prepared by the Guanglu Temple. At that moment, Zhang Yue had no appetite for the horse meat rice in front of him; only the various teas and fruits were palatable. As for the imperial wine, which was sweet but strong, he only drank two cups.

“Lord Zhang, doesn’t the emperor have too few troops on this border inspection?”

This was asked by Guo Jin, the vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He had started his career as a clerk in the Ministry of Revenue and gradually risen to become vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He also served as a director in the Imperial Academy, making him the most senior vice minister. Now that Jian Yi had stepped down from his duties, Guo Jin was tasked with accompanying the emperor, and everyone believed he might take over the Ministry of Personnel. Yet he knew his own limitations and remained very humble both with superiors and subordinates. Even when speaking to Zhang Yue, who was thirty years younger than him, he still used respectful terms.

“The emperor likely considers that too many troops could disturb the local counties along the way and place heavy strain on supplies and logistics.”

“The officials in the Ministry of Rites are all trembling with fear. You must know that this is not even as many troops as Emperor Taizong brought on his northern inspection tour from Nanjing to Beijing in the past.” Guo Qin, after all, was a veteran minister who had served in the court for many years and had a good memory. He began counting on his fingers, “Back then, there were 50,000 cavalry and infantry troops accompanying him in the capital, of which 10,000 were cavalry and 40,000 were infantry. 5,000 cavalry and 5,000 infantry served as the vanguard. The remaining 5,000 cavalry and 35,000 infantry were divided into five armies, each with 1,000 cavalry and 7,000 infantry, led by commanders-in-chief. In addition, the Jinyiwei selected 500 elite generals, 2,500 lieutenants, and 2,000 strongmen to accompany him. Including the civil and military officials, there were roughly 60,000 people, more than half of whom were soldiers. Yet, the emperor brought less than 30,000 troops from the capital garrisons and guards this time, and they still had to go through Xifengkou.”

“Lord Guo, it’s better to have elite troops rather than a large number. The capital garrisons train daily, and the Shenjiying has already been fully equipped with Yongle fire lances, which naturally have an advantage over Mongol cavalry. The 3,000-troop army is also elite. As for the soldiers selected from the capital guards, since they have been rewarded, they all aspire to achieve great feats, so their morale is high. Besides, this is an inspection tour, not a military campaign, so the emperor’s journey should be safe.”

Guo Qin let out a long sigh and then said in a low voice, “I’m afraid those Tartars might learn of the emperor’s inspection tour and set up ambushes in advance, just like what happened when Emperor Taizong encountered enemies during his northern inspection…”

At that point, he glanced around and said no more. What he said was something Zhang Yue had already thought of. Therefore, Minister Zhang Ben had long discussed the matter with the cabinet members and advised the emperor to listen more to the opinions of experienced generals in military affairs. They also informed the governors of Huizhou, Danning, and the Xifengkou garrison in advance, and even places like Guangningwei and Kaiping entered full combat readiness. Not to mention that the Ming army was still considered elite at that time; even during the Tumu Fort Incident later on, if it weren’t for faulty intelligence and poor command that led to temporary disarray, it wouldn’t have resulted in such a catastrophic outcome.

After eating only half full, and with the other high-ranking officials at the same table, who were all in their forties or older and not as modest as Guo Qin, he had nothing much to talk to them about. So Zhang Yue put down his chopsticks and sat there, planning to see Zhang Fu off after the gathering ended. After all, when the imperial procession left the capital for the inspection tour, there would be no time for officials to talk as they saw him off. Suddenly, he felt someone lean against him from behind, so he quickly focused his thoughts.

“Lord Zhang, Eunuch Wang from the Imperial Workshops says he needs to speak with you for a moment.”

There were several eunuch supervisors in the imperial court, but only one seemed to have come looking for him at this moment. Moreover, he was familiar with the voice of the eunuch behind him. Glancing at the calm high-ranking officials at the same table, Zhang Yue bowed slightly in apology before leaving immediately. As soon as he left, someone at the table let out a seemingly casual hum.

“Those from noble families indeed have an advantage; even eunuchs rush to curry favor with them.”

Guo Qin was raising his cup to drink when he heard these words. He couldn’t help but advise, “Why must Lord Fang speak so bitterly? Although Lord Zhang benefits from his noble background, he has also achieved many merits over the years, so naturally, the emperor trusts him. As for the eunuchs in the palace, it’s common for them to seek power and influence—why bring that up?”

At that moment, a vice minister beside Guo Qin also sneered softly, “Lord Guo is quite open-minded. We’ve struggled all our lives to reach this position, yet someone under thirty already holds the same rank. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Don’t think that just because Minister Jian is in charge of personnel affairs, you can take his seat. Minister Jian has held that position for so many years that others, despite coveting his power to select officials, couldn’t interfere. But things might not be the same in the future. The Cabinet is gaining more power, and sooner or later, it will try to extend its influence. As for Zhang Yuanjie… he’ll never make it into the Cabinet in his lifetime, but the position of Minister of Personnel isn’t out of reach. Don’t regret speaking up for him now.”

Another person muttered softly, “Besides, what trust? The emperor has already taken those he trusts on his northern tour and left him behind in the capital—clearly showing neglect.”

After leaving the banquet hall, Cao Jixiang, who had remained silent until then, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Looking around, he lowered his voice and said, “Only Eunuch Wang came, but the emperor is at Prince Zhou’s residence, supposedly playing chess with Princess Chenliu. It’s likely he wants to summon you, Lord Zhang. Be prepared.”

Learning that the emperor had left the palace again, Zhang Yue immediately felt a headache. Last time Du Wan entered the palace, Empress Dowager Zhang had subtly suggested that he persuade the emperor to calm his restless nature, but he hadn’t figured out how to bring it up. Besides, he never thought it was a bad thing. Even just walking around the capital was better than the emperor staying in the palace, relying on others to report everything. He was well aware that, among everyone from top to bottom, there were still many who opposed Zhu Zhanji’s decision to lead an army on a northern tour.

“Lord Zhang, the emperor is at the princess’s residence and has summoned you.”

Upon seeing Wang Jin approaching with a beaming smile, he spoke these words directly. Zhang Yue didn’t waste time either; he nodded and followed her out of the Guanglu Temple. The Guanglu Temple was located to the right of Dong’anli Gate, adjacent to the Shangshan Jian on one side, making it convenient to get various dishes; on the other side was the place where medical studies took place. Further inside were Dongshangzhong Gate and Donghua Gate, making it one of the rare government offices situated within the imperial city. After leaving the Guanglu Temple and passing through Dong’anli Gate and Dong’an Gate, Zhang Yue and Wang Jin headed down Dong’anmen Street into Jinyu Hutong. This place was what the people of the capital often called the Ten Princes’ Mansion, but Zhang Yue still remembered another well-known name for it—Wangfujing. After Zhu Di moved the capital, the Ministry of Works built grand residences in this area between Jinyu Hutong and Andingmen Street for the imperial relatives who came to the capital to pay their respects. However, after they were built, aside from the Han Prince and Zhao Prince coming to the capital for funerals, and the Zhou Prince coming to the capital, as well as the heir of the Shu Prince coming in place of his father, most of these residences remained empty most of the time. Zhu Ning had originally lived in the Zhou Prince’s residence here, but now that Empress Dowager Zhang had asked her to find another place to live, she refused to let others choose for her and selected a mansion at the end of Jinyu Hutong. Firstly, it was only a fifteen-minute ride from Dong’an Gate, and secondly, it prevented the censors from interfering. Thus, Empress Dowager Zhang liked her even more for her understanding and discretion. It was the first time Zhang Yue had been here since returning to the capital. He entered on horseback through the West Corner Gate, passed by a lotus-shaped screen wall, and after walking along a corridor for a short distance, he reached the second gate. After dismounting and entering the second gate, the scene was completely different from the inside. Along the covered walkway stood upright Jinyi Wei guards. Although servants came and went occasionally, not even a cough could be heard, only faint footsteps that were barely discernible, causing him to unconsciously slow down his steps as well. After walking to the end of the walkway and exiting through a small gate, he finally heard voices. Before he could hear clearly what was being said, there was a cheerful laugh. “Since that’s the case, I won’t say anything more. As the emperor, if I can’t even satisfy Aunt Ning’s wishes with such a trivial matter, wouldn’t that be a joke?” After laughing, Zhu Zhanji glanced over and saw Wang Jin and Zhang Yue entering through the small gate. Seeing Wang Jin approach while Zhang Yue stayed behind, he called out, “Yuanjie, come in. This is Aunt Ning’s territory. You’re not an outsider, so there’s no need for so many rules! Come and try this—this is roasted New Year cake made by Aunt Ning herself.”

Since the Emperor had spoken, Zhang Yue hurriedly stepped forward to the pavilion and performed the usual courtesy. It was cold outside, but the pavilion was enclosed with wind barriers, and a charcoal stove inside kept the space warm, so it wasn’t uncomfortably cold. Zhu Ning, standing beside Zhu Zhanji, was wearing only a simple purple jacket, and her gold bracelets had been taken off and placed on a small table. She was personally preparing two pieces of New Year cake on an iron plate, nodding slightly at Zhang Yue when she saw him. Seeing this, Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned.

“Aunt Ning said she learned this method from your wife. Most of the pastries and sweets in the palace are served steamed, and it’s quite novel to taste them for the first time. I heard that not long after you arrived in Guangzhou, many new kinds of pastries and snacks appeared there—all under the Zhang family’s name?”

Zhang Yue already didn’t know what to say, and now he felt even more embarrassed. Seeing that Wang Jin had wisely stepped back and there was no one else in the pavilion, he stammered, “Your Majesty, please forgive me. One should never be satisfied with ordinary food—this is just my personal preference. I’m not really into those complicated pastries; I just enjoy making things fun. Just like what the princess did—initially it was to avoid waste… Cassia flower cake, red bean and mung bean cakes, etc., lose their taste once they cool down, and reheating them in the steamer also doesn’t work well. By adding some vegetable oil and frying them on an iron plate, or baking them in a double-iron pot, even children who usually dislike leftovers can eat a few more pieces…”

As he spoke, Zhu Ning, who was fiddling with the New Year cake, accidentally got burned by a splatter of oil. She pulled her hand back, put her finger in her mouth, and earlier she had said irritably, “Well, your wife thinks this is fun. When we gather, we keep using the iron plate to roast this and that, not realizing you were actually thinking about saving money! Your Majesty, look at your good subject—despite holding such a high position and having such a wealthy family, he still thinks about not wasting food… With so many people in your family, can’t two or three baskets of cassia flower cake possibly go uneaten?”

Zhu Zhanji had been smiling, but seeing Zhang Yue speechless, he burst into laughter. When he noticed the various tools around Zhu Ning, he shook his head again. “When no one is watching, you dare to neglect your duties. From now on, I need to give you more responsibilities so you won’t just keep having blacksmiths make these strange things to satisfy your cravings! Well, after eating the New Year cake, I have something to discuss with you. First, let’s fill your stomach.”

Zhang Yue glanced furtively at the steaming rice cakes on the charcoal fire before awkwardly asking, “How did Your Majesty know I wasn’t full?”
“I eat nothing but the gently cooked meals prepared by the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor all day long. Even the best food cools down by the time it’s served. How could I not be aware of the grand banquets prepared by the Bureau of Ceremonial? Besides, you just said that one should never be satisfied with ordinary food or finely prepared dishes—so you must have only taken a couple of bites to appear polite!”
Normally, such things would be understood implicitly and never spoken aloud, but Zhu Zhanji blurted them out naturally. Not only was Zhang Yue surprised, but even Zhu Ning was taken aback. Since he had been exposed, Zhang Yue honestly admitted that he had only eaten a few candied fruits, had a cup of wine, and half a steamed bun. When Zhu Ning brought the food, he quickly finished the rice cake, thanked him, and then followed Zhu Zhanji out of the pavilion.
“I originally wanted to inspect the borders during this time of good weather and strong horses, but it was the period before naming an heir, so there were many affairs to handle. Plus, after all that happened before, I couldn’t free myself. So I had to take advantage of this opportunity. Fortunately, there aren’t many people in this army, everyone has new coats, and the supplies are fully prepared—there should be nothing to worry about. Arutai and the Wulangha tried to conspire but were defeated by Emperor Taizong. I doubt they would dare to try anything again. What worries me is the capital, so when the Empress Dowager suggested you stay, I agreed.”
Seeing Zhang Yue nod with a calm expression, Zhu Zhanji paused briefly before continuing, “After the memorials from the six ministries are submitted to the Cabinet, they are all sent to the Imperial Secretariat. If you have any urgent matters to report, I’ll issue you a special order, seal it with the silver seal given to you, and have the Jinyiwei deliver it urgently. With that silver seal, you can even request an audience with the Empress Dowager! As for the rest, since you’re well-known, I suppose I don’t need to tell you anything else.”