Chapter 861: Bluffing

Since the Renshou Palace was named after Renshou, it was built originally to serve as a retirement home for the emperors and concubines of the previous dynasty. The front half was the Renshou Palace, the middle part was a garden, and the back half consisted of the Yuluan Palace and the Xiefeng Palace. After Zhu Di’s death, many concubines were buried with him, and the same happened to Zhu Gaochi. Now, only Concubine Li Xian, Concubine Zhang Shun, and Concubine Li Li resided in the Yuluan Palace and the Xiefeng Palace. Although they had spent many years in the Eastern Palace with Empress Dowager Zhang, all three feared her strictness and rarely went to the Renshou Palace. The same was true even now, despite the commotion.

“Third brother, stop!”
Although the Prince of Yue was Empress Dowager Zhang’s biological son and Zhu Zhanji’s full brother, he was somewhat impulsive. Yet he knew that Zhu Ning enjoyed the trust of both his mother and brother. Hearing the noise and hearing the Prince of Zheng’s sharp shout, he suddenly regained his senses and immediately stopped. But once he came around, it seemed he forgot he was a noble prince and started shouting loudly.

“Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager! Have you abandoned your son? Once I’m sent to my fief, you’ll ignore me even more! I’ve brought the best medicines and top doctors from outside the palace, all waiting to treat the Crown Prince!”

At first, Zhang Yue signaled Cao Jixiang to throw the secret box. Since it was made of iron, it made a loud noise. Coupled with the Prince of Zheng’s order, they managed to pull back the nearly berserk Prince of Yue. Now, seeing him suddenly sit down and shout before bursting into tears, she felt a chill in her heart and realized that the real problem lay not in the Jin fief but in the capital.

Zhu Ning stared expressionlessly at the Prince of Yue sitting on the ground, glanced at Prince Xiang who awkwardly stepped forward to comfort him, at the Prince of Zheng stamping his feet, and then at Guo Xuan kneeling motionless on the steps of the hall. She sneered inwardly, though her hands clenched tightly inside her sleeves. She didn’t care what others said about her, but the situation had escalated too much—mere obstruction was no longer enough.

If the Jianwen Dynasty was included as well, Yang Shiqi could be considered an elder of five dynasties. Yet facing the enraged Prince of Yue, he was utterly helpless. Although the princes no longer led tens of thousands of guards, they still bowed low when meeting them, refusing to use formal rituals. Even as a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, he couldn’t stop them. Before being summoned to the Renshou Palace this time, he had already visited once, knowing that the Empress Dowager had suddenly fallen ill and was in critical condition. So he kept a low profile. But he rushed here quickly, and the two groups happened to meet by chance.

But because of the issue of prior knowledge versus later insight, Prince Zheng sneered mockingly, and Prince Yue nearly rushed forward. When Zhu Ning appeared, the situation became even more out of control. At that moment, watching Zhang Yue bend down to pick up the secret box and shout a few stern words at Cao Jixiang, he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. Thinking to himself that Zhang Yue had arrived so coincidentally, he stepped forward.

“Why is Vice Minister Zhang here?”

This was the palace, so there was no longer the usual hierarchy between elders and juniors as at home. Zhang Yue took the box and said in a voice audible to everyone, “This is an imperial secret letter sent from Danning, meant to be presented to the Empress Dowager.”

Zhu Ning’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. She had just summoned Yang Shiqi and Yang Pu under the pretense that the Empress Dowager wanted them to discuss the crime of Marquis Wuding Guo Xuan, but this reason was weakened by the interference of Prince Zheng, Prince Yue, and Prince Xiang. Now, with Zhang Yue’s excuse—having an emperor’s personal letter—it made sense to present it to the Empress Dowager first, thus setting the three princes aside for now.

Yet as soon as Zhang Yue finished speaking, a cold voice rang out from the side, “An imperial secret letter? Why not deliver it directly to the palace to the Empress Dowager instead of having a mere subject pass it on?”

It was Prince Zheng who spoke. Though he still blocked Prince Yue’s path with one hand, his face was turned toward Zhang Yue. Prince Xiang, the youngest among them, quickly whispered in warning, “Second brother, don’t be impulsive! According to our family traditions, princes should not interfere in court affairs. Besides, Zhang Yue is the one the emperor values the most—you know that…”

“And what if I do? But what time is it now?” Prince Zheng turned to glare at Prince Xiang, his face showing undisguised annoyance. “There are one after another problems in the capital, many of which involve the Ministry of War. Can’t I help my brother stay vigilant? Besides, have you forgotten why we came to the palace today?”

Zhang Yue had dealt with many princes before, but he had hardly interacted with these three before. Seeing them start arguing on their own, he grew even more suspicious and puzzled. Just as he cleared his throat, planning to find a way to defuse the situation, a sharp and high-pitched voice suddenly came from outside the hall.

“The Empress Dowager orders that Grand Scholar Yang Shiqi of Huagai Hall, Scholar Yang Pu of the Hanlin Academy, discuss the previous matters later and return to Wenyuan Pavilion to handle affairs. Prince Zheng, Prince Yue, and Prince Xiang may wait here for now. Summon Vice Minister of the Ministry of War Zhang Yue to see her!”

These orders instantly silenced the noise in the square. Whether it was the three princes whose faces were already red, Yang Shiqi and Yang Pu whispering to each other, or Zhang Yue lost in thought while others weren’t looking, everyone was shocked. Yet the palest of all was Marquis Wuding, Guo Xuan.

With so many people present, not a single word had been said about him—had Empress Dowager Zhang forgotten him? Realizing this, Guo Xuan, who was already frozen stiff, felt cold from head to toe. He still had no idea what had become of his son, and now that he had been left here upon entering Renshou Palace, he couldn’t even imagine what would happen next. Not to mention, he had been kneeling for nearly an hour; if this continued, even if he wasn’t summoned inside, he feared he would die of cold or exhaustion here!

Yang Shiqi and Yang Pu naturally said little and left as ordered. Jin Ying and Fan Hong watched as Zhang Yue stepped up the stairs inside, exchanging a glance. Seeing Zhu Ning cast a cold look at the three princes before calmly ascending the stairs, they breathed a sigh of relief. However, seeing the dissatisfied expressions on the princes’ faces, they all knew this delay wouldn’t last long, and their hearts grew uneasy.

Time passed, and as the three princes grew impatient, Fan Hong and Jin Ying grew anxious, while Guo Xuan involuntarily raised his stiff shoulders, trying to pull his exposed hands back into his sleeves. Suddenly, a voice rang out above him.

“Marquis Wuding, Guo Xuan!”

Guo Xuan’s mind flashed, and he quickly bowed his head. “Your servant is here.”

It was Cheng Jiu, the deputy head of the Imperial Secretariat, who came out of the hall. Seeing Guo Xuan respond, he cleared his throat and spoke slowly, word by word: “The Empress Dowager asks you—did you know that Guo Cong interceded on behalf of others at the Military Selection Bureau, placing nine officers in various imperial guards units such as the Yulin Front Guard, the Jinwu Left Guard, and the Shence Guard? Seven of them were impostors. Did you know about this?”

At that moment, with three princes and two eunuchs present, Guo Xuan had no time to consider the devastating consequences this could bring to his family. He bowed three times heavily and said through tears, “That traitor! Your servant knew nothing! If I had known, I would have beaten him to death with a stick!”

Cheng Jiu didn’t respond immediately. After a pause, he continued, “Yesterday, the supervisor of the Tongji Granary delivered grain to the capital’s grain store, hiding two hundred sets of cotton armor inside the bundles. It turns out the person who took delivery was Huang Hong, an official from the Left Military Command and also your brother-in-law. He has fled—do you have an explanation?”

Guo Xuan truly knew nothing about this matter. Suddenly, his head felt as if it were exploding; if not for his hands pressing against the ground for support, he might have collapsed right away. Staring at the clearly defined brick seams on the ground, he could even feel the cold sweat seeping out from behind him. After struggling for a long time, he finally managed to answer with difficulty, “Huang Hong is indeed my brother-in-law, but our interactions were purely business-related, with no personal ties. My eldest son, Guo Cong, was very close to him and often stayed at the Huang family’s place overnight without returning. I truly failed to teach my son properly!”

Although he knew he could never brush off the accusation of failing to teach his son properly, Guo Xuan really had no other explanation and could only lie there, exhausted. The worst outcome would be imprisonment and confiscation of his property, with further punishment to come once the emperor returned. He couldn’t even imagine the best outcome. After what seemed like an eternity—when he thought the people behind him might have already entered the Renshou Palace—a voice that sounded like it was scrutinizing every word came from above.

“The Empress Dowager only asked about these two matters; the rest are her oral instructions,” Cheng Jiu said calmly, without even glancing at the three princes standing there like stunned birds behind Guo Xuan. “Marquis of Wuding, Guo Xuan, has failed in his duties and failed to teach his son properly. He is hereby relieved of his position as Deputy Commander of the Left Army and must stay indoors to reflect, without permission to leave. As for his son Guo Cong, since he has already hanged himself, that matter is temporarily set aside.”

Guo Cong had hanged himself!

Hearing this unexpected news, Guo Xuan didn’t know whether to be devastated or relieved. In aristocratic families, the eldest legitimate son was valued because only he could inherit the title and family estate. His own title had only been granted four years earlier, and it wasn’t certain he had put in much effort to raise his son. Moreover, he didn’t know who had influenced his son to commit such a grave mistake, one that could even bring down their entire family. After initial grief, he was filled with intense hatred. Overwhelmed by these mixed emotions and utterly exhausted, he could no longer hold on. Everything went dark before his eyes, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.

As he fell, Cheng Jiu gave a subtle signal with his eyes, and immediately a eunuch stepped forward to help Guo Xuan up. Cheng Jiu then ordered, “Take good care of Marquis of Wuding and escort him home!”

After giving the order, he picked up the hem of his robe and hurried forward, bowing respectfully to the Princes of Zheng, Yue, and Xiang. Then he said, “Please follow me, Your Highnesses. The Empress Dowager is in the East Warm Pavilion.”

Seeing Cheng Jiu turn and leave after speaking, the three princes among them—among the few noble princes in the world—immediately felt uneasy. The King of Yue, who had been the most aggressive at first, couldn’t help but swallow hard, then glanced at the King of Zheng and the King of Xiang: “Second brother, sixth brother, it seems Mother is truly angry…”

The King of Zheng also showed an uneasy expression: “Whether she’s really angry or not, since she’s summoned us, can we just not go in?”

The King of Xiang glanced around before lowering his head: “I told you not to be so impulsive earlier… Just apologize properly to Mother, and that’s it. Aren’t we also worried about trouble in the palace?”

Zhu Gaochi had been the crown prince for nearly twenty years, and these brothers, along with Zhu Zhanji, had spent almost twenty years in the Eastern Palace. Though each of them had their own calculations, there was still a sense of loyalty among them. So they walked up the stairs to Renshou Palace and, guided by the leading eunuch, headed toward the Eastern Warm Pavilion, always walking side by side at the front, several steps ahead of the others. Along the way, they noticed there were few palace servants and eunuchs around, with only one eunuch standing straight in front of the warm pavilion.

“King of Zheng, King of Yue, King of Xiang…”

Before the word “Xiang” could be finished, a loud thud came from inside, followed by a female official’s soothing voice: “Empress Dowager, calm down. These three princes came with good intentions to visit; they didn’t mean to offend…”

Instantly, the three princes knelt down together. They certainly knew how strict Empress Dowager Zhang usually was. After causing such a fuss, it would have been fine on a normal day, but since the emperor was not there, if she punished them, there would be no one to intercede! But it was already too late to regret. Sure enough, the female official’s voice was quickly cut off by a loud slap on the desk.

All three princes felt a chill in their hearts. They exchanged glances, and finally, the King of Yue, relying on the fact that he was born to Empress Dowager Zhang, broke the silence and called out, “Mother…”

It seemed the person inside was angry. After a long pause, she said angrily, “Go back and recite the Huangting Scripture ten times!”

In the past, Emperor Zhu Di highly valued fine calligraphy, especially that of the Two Wangs. As a result, all the princes and grandsons grew up practicing the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi. Empress Dowager Zhang even used this as the best way to punish her sons—a tradition that had endured for many years. Hearing this, Prince Zheng looked at Prince Yue, who in turn looked at Prince Xiang. Prince Xiang, however, simply kept his head lowered, staring at the cracks in the floor tiles as if trying to count them all. Thus, Prince Zheng had no choice but to kowtow first with a sad expression, followed by the dejected Prince Yue, and finally Prince Xiang.

In the Eastern Warm Pavilion, Zhang Yue stood in front of the thick curtains and let out a deep sigh of relief. What he feared most was that the three princes might storm in in a fit of anger. It seemed that Empress Dowager Zhang still held great authority—her fierce anger had actually scared them away. Thinking of this, he felt his forehead become damp and uncomfortable, and his vest also felt sticky. He wasn’t sure whether it was due to the intense heat from the brazier in the room or his own nervousness.

“The three princes have left.”

When Fan Hong’s voice came from behind Zhang Yue, a sigh was heard from inside the curtains. Soon after, Zhu Ning stepped out, stared at Zhang Yue for a while, and then said, “The Empress Dowager said that you were very helpful this time. That last remark consumed too much of her energy, so now she no longer wants to see you.”

Hearing this, Fan Hong and Jin Ying both raised their sleeves to wipe their sweat. Jin Ying glanced toward the curtains and asked in a low voice, “Is the Empress Dowager doing well?”

“She has taken her medicine and gone to rest. Although she was angry just now, I’m sure no one will bother her again. She can rest and recover. Fortunately, Lord Zhang was vigilant and didn’t fail to follow the hint the Empress Dowager gave me.” Zhu Ning nodded at Zhang Yue, then asked Jin Ying, “Has Prince Zheng gone to see Concubine Li Xian?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good. Concubine Sun has caused quite a stir these past few days. If Prince Zheng hears from Concubine Li Xian, he will surely conclude that the Crown Prince is seriously ill.” Zhu Ning let out a long sigh and then said to Zhang Yue, “Only Grand Secretary Yang is aware of this matter among the officials. Lord Zhang is someone the emperor trusts deeply, which is why the Empress Dowager asked me to give you a hint—knowing you would handle it carefully. With the Empress Dowager ill, she can no longer focus on external affairs. Grand Secretary Yang must take charge of the cabinet, and you will be in charge of external matters.”

As he spoke, Zhu Ning took out a tooth tag from his sleeve—it was a gold token tied with a red thread, engraved with golden dragons and qilins!