Chapter 897: Hidden Concerns Must Be Addressed

Military households, guard units, and weapons—these were the three main matters on Zhang Yue’s mind at the moment. Of course, he didn’t completely neglect other matters, but with limited energy, he often offered suggestions rather than handling things himself. Since the beginning of the first month, he had not only visited his father-in-law’s house from time to time for meals and discussions but also started frequenting Yang’s residence, which he had visited less before. This was partly because he had helped Yang Ji greatly back in the twelfth lunar month, partly because Xiao Wu often went to Yang’s house to prescribe remedies for Yang’s wife, and also because the emperor had returned to the capital, leaving most military and political tasks to the Cabinet.

So, on this day, after seeing Zhang Qi off to take up his post, although Tian Ci mentioned Fang Rui to him, he merely sent someone to give Zhang Bu an extra instruction and didn’t pay it much attention. After work in the afternoon, since members of Yang’s family were waiting at the gate, he sent someone home to give a message and then headed straight to Yang’s residence.

It was only upon arriving there that he realized he wasn’t the only one present—his father-in-law Du Zhen was there, as well as Gu Zuo, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and the Shen brothers, Shen Du and Shen Can. If others had known, they would surely say it was nothing short of a gathering organized by Grand Secretary Yang.

Yang Shiqi loved to recommend people; Du Zhen and Gu Zuo were both his recommendations. Although the Shen brothers weren’t recommended by him to Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, their personal relationship had always been good. As for Zhang Yue, needless to say—his courtesy name was chosen jointly by Yang Shiqi and the Shen brothers. As for Gu Zuo, though he was usually strict and reserved, not fond of socializing, the gatherings at Yang’s house were among gentlemen, with no burdens between them, so he gradually got used to it. Although Zhang Yue visited Yang’s house often, this was his first time attending such a gathering.

Though everyone was seated, he felt somewhat uneasy. Du Zhen was already his mentor and father-in-law, and among those present, aside from the middle-aged Shen Can, everyone else was older than Du Zhen. So, as he looked around, he felt a bit awkward. However, when Yang Shiqi gently cleared his throat and began to speak, all his random thoughts vanished.

“The Crown Prince of Lu and the Prince of Xiangfu will return to their fiefs in three days. Starting from March, all princes will gradually return to their respective domains. Due to the petition regarding Yishan and the debates at the Hongwen Pavilion, there has been some discussion among the princes, but these matters have been suppressed because of what happened in the twelfth lunar month. After all, it’s only in a few days that the prince of Jin will be brought to the capital. These matters aren’t secret; the Cabinet simply learned of them one night earlier than you. Most importantly, it was the Empress Dowager who decided that the Prince of Yue would not return to his fief this time.”

In the eyes of both the court and the public, the Shen Du and Shen Can brothers were merely ministers who had earned the emperor’s favor through their calligraphy skills, not even truly considered scholars. Yet those present knew that they were simply honest and unambitious, unwilling to risk everything in competition. After a moment of silence, Shen Can was the first to ask, “Was it because of this incident that the Empress Dowager made such a decision?”
“Probably,” replied Yang Shiqi. He had dealt with Empress Dowager Zhang when she was still in the Eastern Palace and knew well her character. With a sigh, he nodded. “In the past, during the twenty years the Ren Emperor spent in the Eastern Palace, it was always the Empress Dowager who assisted him. The same was true after he ascended the throne. Thus, though the Empress Dowager does not seize power herself, she is still capable of providing support. As for the Emperor, he does not wish to be a passive ruler. Though he won’t go on military campaigns as frequently as the previous emperors, it is quite possible for him to leave the capital for inspections. Since there are matters to attend to while the Empress Dowager remains in the palace, she intended to keep one member of the royal family in the capital—after all, the Crown Prince is still too young.”
Since this was Empress Dowager Zhang’s idea rather than the emperor’s, Zhang Yue had not heard much about it beforehand, likely because the Empress Dowager had not shared it with others, and Yang Shiqi also kept it secret. After pondering for a while, ignoring his own status as the youngest and least experienced, he asked directly, “Elder Yang, then why the King of Yue and not the King of Xiang? After all, it is well-known that the King of Xiang is wise.”
“The Empress Dowager mentioned the King of Xiang, but ever since he learned about the King of Liang, he has blamed himself for having been friends with him since childhood without realizing his faults and failing to persuade him to return. So no matter what the Empress Dowager said, he refused to stay in the capital.” Yang Shiqi himself had been sent by the Empress Dowager to see the King of Xiang and found that he had lost weight in just a month yet still stubbornly refused to listen. So now he could only shake his head. “As for the King of Liang, he naturally isn’t included in this arrangement, as he was confined to the western palace for speaking rebelliously while drunk.”
No one would bother to inquire further about the reason for his confinement, as it was already an understood fact. Only upon hearing that the King of Xiang firmly refused to stay in the capital did everyone shake their heads and sigh. Even Zhang Yue, who had asked the question, felt some regret. At that moment, Du Zhen finally spoke up, “So, Brother Shiqi, you called everyone here today for this very reason. I know that my proposal regarding the succession of princes is still under debate, but there should be no precedent set with the King of Yue. If the King of Yue stays in the capital, other relatives might follow suit. After all, the King of Yue is not the King of Wei.”

Although the Empress Dowager’s illness was only now made public, and everyone knew that a doctor had been summoned to the palace, and on the Lantern Festival the emperor even took her to the city tower to watch the lanterns, those among the court officials who were well-informed already understood what had happened earlier. Moreover, Zhang Yue already knew everything; just the day before, he had sent people to investigate the doctor’s background.

After some discussion, Zhang Yue pondered for a long time before finally saying softly, “As far as I know, the Imperial Medical Academy was at a loss regarding the Empress Dowager’s illness. This Doctor He gained a modest reputation among the imperial relatives before being invited by various noble families and then recommended for entry into the palace.”

His words were extremely vague, but those seated here were highly skilled at deducing the truth from even the slightest clues. Even Yang Shiqi, who had convened the meeting, was deeply shaken. Du Zhen, who usually kept his emotions hidden, frowned slightly and said, “Yuanjie, such a major matter cannot be based on speculation.”

Zhang Yue helplessly shrugged and said, “Sir, there’s no need for speculation. Where else could I find evidence?”

“Yishan, Yuanjie is right. This single point alone isn’t enough to prove anything, but we must still be cautious.”

Yang Shiqi glanced at Du Zhen. Seeing that the others were also silent, he asked softly, “What do you all think?”

Gu Zuo was usually strict, but strict people aren’t necessarily immune to intrigue—after all, he himself had nearly fallen victim to one. Seeing that no one else spoke, he said, “We must be cautious. Since the crown prince is still young and the King of Yue is also the emperor’s legitimate son, staying in the capital could lead to exploitation by villains. It would be best to follow the original plan of Emperor Ren and enfeoff him elsewhere.”

Shen Du was the oldest. He usually refrained from giving advice in court affairs, and when he did, his suggestions were often spot-on, so he rarely expressed his opinions. However, in such a small gathering like this at Yang’s residence, he couldn’t maintain his usual silence. After much deliberation, he turned to Zhang Yue and asked, “Yuanjie, what do you plan to do?”

“After all, this is just an excuse. It’s not appropriate to discuss it either in front of the Empress Dowager or the emperor. Emperor Ren enfeoffed the King of Yue in Quzhou, which now seems a bit far away. But at that time, he intended to move the capital back to Nanjing. Quzhou is far from the capital but quite close to Nanjing. For now, it would be best to appease the Empress Dowager by relocating the King of Yue to a place slightly closer to the capital, with an annual visit every three years. Perhaps this will soothe her concerns.”

Hearing this, Yang Shiqi and Du Zhen exchanged a glance and smiled at the same time. Gu Zuo was somewhat hesitant but eventually nodded as well. As for the Shen brothers, there was no need to say more—Shen Can even said with a laugh, “Yuanjie’s idea is quite good. By placing the King of Yue closer by, the Empress Dowager won’t have so many worries, and the Emperor won’t face difficulties either. As for the initial steps, we don’t need to worry about them. With just a pretext, wouldn’t the Jinyiwei or Dongchang go investigate? If I had to suggest, Shandong would be the best choice.”

“A King of Han emerging in Shandong isn’t a good sign. It’s better to choose Henan instead.”

“Henan already has a King of Zhou, and now the King of Zhao has also been appointed there.”

“One is in Zhangde Prefecture, the other in Kaifeng Prefecture. Oh… isn’t there also Shunde Prefecture?”

As the others discussed back and forth, Zhang Yue sat quietly without saying a word. Yang Shiqi made up his mind and waved his hand to stop their discussion, saying with a smile, “Since this has been decided, we should report it to the Emperor for his final decision. We shouldn’t overstep our bounds. Speaking of which, although the Hongwenge lectures are good, listening to them constantly can be annoying. The Emperor will summon the ministers to Wenyuan Pavilion to appreciate paintings and calligraphy in a few days. You should all go back and prepare.”

Zhang Yue had actually heard of this before—thanks to his well-informed position at the yamen, eunuchs from the Secretariat often came there for tasks, to deliver messages, or for other purposes, so he had already known about it. Although his calligraphy skills were mainly in regular script, having dealt with a brush for so many years and being half a disciple of the Shen family, he could also handle running script and cursive script fairly well. As for painting, he could sketch landscapes, ladies, flowers, and plants in ink, so he was good enough to fill in as a substitute. Seeing the others eagerly asking for details, he couldn’t help but perk up and seek some guidance as well.

The group had dinner at the Yang family’s house and discussed literature and poetry for a while. Before long, it was time to leave. Yang Shiqi stood up and said with a smile, “We have to attend court tomorrow, so we should disperse early. We can gather again whenever we get time off.”

Since they were close friends, Yang Shiqi only saw them to the door of the study, while his eldest son, Yang Ji, saw each of them out. Although the weather was warming up a bit, it was still cold, so everyone took mule carts. The Du family lived close to the Yang family, so Zhang Yue took his father-in-law home on the way before heading back to his own home.

As soon as he entered the house, Liansheng, who had come back from the countryside to assist Gao Quan as a steward, rushed forward to greet him: “Young master, Young Master Fang arrived in the evening and has been waiting for you at home for quite some time. I originally wanted to go to the yamen to inform you, but he wouldn’t let me. It was only after our master intervened that he was brought here and given food to eat. Our master is still talking with him in the study right now.”

What time is it already? Fang Jing is still here?

Zhang Yue remembered that it was already the hour of Xu when he left Yang’s residence, long past the midnight curfew at three o’clock. Usually, when Fang Jing came, he would never stay until such a late hour—after all, despite not caring what others said, this honest boy didn’t want to let others speak ill of the Zhang family. So, after a brief thought, he began to suspect something bad and asked Liansheng a few more questions before quickening his pace. After entering the second gate, he sent someone to inform Du Wan first, then rushed to his father’s study.

Now that Zhang Yue was an official in the capital, the family no longer had to be separated as they used to, so Zhang Zhuo, who had retired, led a much more leisurely life. During the day, he would either visit friends, manage his properties, or tour the famous sights of the capital. He used his three study rooms less often and even gave them a very casual name—Xiaoyaoju—managing them with just four study assistants. When Zhang Yue arrived at the door, a study assistant wrapped in a thick felt cloak was standing under the eaves with clasped hands. Upon seeing him, the assistant quickly called inside.

“You’re finally back,” Zhang Zhuo said with a smile as Zhang Yue entered and sat down. “Xiaofang has been waiting for you for several hours. It took me a long time to persuade him to talk. I’ve already sent someone to inform your wife; she’s taken care of it, so nothing serious will happen.”

Nothing serious? Did that mean something serious could still happen?

Although his father spoke in a casual tone, Zhang Yue didn’t take it lightly. Thinking deeply, he looked at Fang Jing and asked directly, “Is it related to your elder brother?”

Fang Jing hesitated for a moment before nodding. “My elder brother arrived yesterday. He said he would leave the next day. This morning, he came to my house and said a few things. He even wanted to buy me a house, but I persuaded him not to. Then I hurriedly left to go to the small academy and asked him to wait at home until I returned with good news. But suddenly he left. Later, someone delivered four bolts of silk to our house and said some strange things…”

After listening to Fang Jing explain everything in detail, Zhang Yue gradually understood the situation. Seeing Fang Jing’s anxious and guilty expression, he said with a smile, “There’s no need to be so nervous. If your elder brother’s issue isn’t resolved, I won’t finalize your marriage to Jing’er. People like your great-uncle and aunt are so cautious—how could they step in to propose for you? If the details of that matter become known, it will only give others an opportunity to take advantage. Don’t worry, this won’t cause any problems.”

Since Zhang Zhuo had promised his daughter to Fang Jing, he naturally needed to find out the full story. So while others were unaware, Zhang Zhuo knew that Zhang Yue had already taken action to resolve things. Yet, seeing Fang Jing’s relieved and grateful demeanor, he felt both annoyed and amused.

That stubborn kid! He had said so much earlier, yet Fang Jing was still doubtful and worried. Now, after just one sentence from Zhang Yue, he completely believed him. Was he, as an elder, really that unreliable?

Already a grandfather, Zhang Zhuo, who now also aspired to be a father-in-law, coughed heavily, then stood up and said to Zhang Yue, “Since it’s already curfew, Fang, you shouldn’t go back. Have someone prepare a guest room for you outside. You can head to the small academy early tomorrow morning. Yue, be more careful with those matters and resolve them thoroughly at once—don’t leave any loopholes for others to exploit.”