Chapter 908: Hard to Find a Trusted Person; Familiar Words

Zhang Yue had always been strict in disciplining his children—interfering promptly whenever he remembered, leaving everything to Du Wan otherwise, as he fully trusted his wife in this regard. Not only him, but Zhang Zhuo and Lady Sun were also extremely satisfied with Jingguan, their eldest grandson. In Zhang Zhuo’s words, when Zhang Yue was Jingguan’s age, he was far inferior to him. Naturally, protective Lady Sun would refute this point at length, leading to small arguments between the now-aged couple, which only added to the liveliness of the household.

So when Zhang Yue returned that evening and heard about his son’s suggestion to his wife, he found it quite feasible. After all, as a civil official, his family couldn’t recruit over a hundred armed servants like Duke Yingguo Zhang Fucheng or Duke Guogong Zhu Yong could. His current situation already drew the attention of the Censorate; he didn’t want to create unnecessary trouble. Thus, he nodded at Du Wan, instructing her to borrow a few experienced men from the Duke Yingguo’s household to train the family’s strong young members and also teach the children martial arts.

Since it wasn’t a major issue, it quickly faded from his mind. At the moment, his greatest concerns were the affairs related to his father-in-law’s relatives, his own martial arts and imperial examination pursuits, and the task of surveying land in the south. The first two were imminent, with even minor oversights potentially leading to serious problems. Although the third was far away, the continuous letters from Nanjing and the frequent heated debates in court were also exhausting. It was then that he truly understood why Zhang Juzheng faced such strong resistance while handling these matters, with backlash continuing even after his death.

To manage such affairs, one must first be upright and honest, avoiding any vulnerabilities in the hands of others. Although the Zhang family owned more land than allowed by law, it was still limited, and all records were clearly documented in the local registers, with taxes paid annually—this was his strict rule. The subordinates were repeatedly instructed, monitored closely by Liansheng, and regularly inspected by his father Zhang Zhuo, so fraud was unlikely. However, the absence of problems in farming did not mean the family was completely clean. After all, the Taizu Emperor had banned officials from engaging in business, and the Zhang family had violated this rule—not only that, but they also partnered with many nobles in business dealings, most notably overseas.

So, after reading the excerpts of the letters written by Du Wan, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but frown. Even though letters weren’t as fast to send back then as they are now, the postal routes from Nanjing to Beijing were quite well-developed. Logically, those earlier letters should have arrived by now, and there should have been enough time for a round trip. Yet, from the letters sent by Li Qing and Zhao Jin, he couldn’t detect any sign that those letters had been received—it seemed as though they hadn’t arrived at all. He had asked them to observe reactions in the Nanjing government circles, spread information, and see if there were any sensible people among those officials whose futures seemed bleak. But the results were disappointing—whether it was because the letters didn’t arrive or for some other reason, it was unclear.

“Is there really no other news from the south?”

“The focus in Nanjing is currently on measuring land in places like Songjiang Prefecture; they probably don’t have the energy to deal with matters related to imperial relatives and military appointments. Perhaps we should send another letter to Minister Li and Minister Zhao. After all, they are both former officials from the Ministry of War. Since their letters contained many criticisms of military appointments, it would be good to hear their suggestions. Also, Minister Zhang has now been transferred to be the Minister of Rites in Nanjing. Since you sent Cheng Yi to him earlier, he should have arrived there by now. Why not send him a letter as well?”

“I’ll follow your advice.”

Though those three words were simple, Zhang Yue knew that writing those three letters later would certainly not be easy. After all, all three of them had once held high positions as ministers—meticulous in their thinking and with their own opinions. Any mistake could not only fail to persuade them but might even lead to ridicule. Moreover, the more critical the matter, the fewer people should be aware of it. Glancing at Du Wan’s already noticeably rounded belly, he awkwardly expressed his gratitude for her efforts, then sighed inwardly.

His two students were currently focused on preparing for the imperial examinations and couldn’t be expected to help with this matter. Fang Jing was busy managing the small academy; it was already good enough if he could keep it running smoothly. It wasn’t yet the era when private tutors were in high demand, but there were still many opportunists willing to attach themselves to powerful figures. Yet such people, who valued their own futures above everything, were unreliable. As for his own family… it wasn’t difficult to teach them to read, but it was extremely hard to train them to the level of writing letters on his behalf.

“I’ll definitely find someone to help you later.”

This time, Zhang Yue wasn’t just talking empty words. After leaving Du Wan’s place, he went straight to his parents’ main room. It happened that Zhang Zhuo and Lady Sun had another argument, and Zhang Zhuo came out of the east room helplessly. As soon as he saw Zhang Yue, he felt as if he had been pardoned. The father and son then went to Zhang Zhuo’s study, Xiaoyaoju, to talk. When Zhang Yue told Zhang Zhuo that he wanted to find a capable assistant and outlined the specific requirements, he noticed his father looking at him with a very strange expression.

“Someone who can think along with you, imitate your handwriting, and offer strategies to assist in major matters? Would such a person be willing to serve as a mere advisor?” Zhang Zhuo, now retired, had changed greatly in mindset. He preferred to idle around with a folding fan, pretending to be refined, regardless of the weather. He snapped the fan shut irritably and tapped it lightly on Zhang Yue’s shoulder. “Such people are hard to find. Be content with having a wife—where’s it easy to find another? As for ordinary advisors, I can help you find one or two. After all, there are important and unimportant letters to handle. You know many people, including civil and military officials. Just Wan’er and Hupo might not be enough. Well, I’ll take care of this. Don’t worry.”

Can’t solve the most important issue and still tell him not to worry? Zhang Yue gave a bitter smile. But seeing his father act as if it were obvious, he could only grumble inwardly. Of course, he knew his demands were too high, so he didn’t say anything more. Just as he was about to leave, Zhang Zhuo suddenly asked a question.

“Yue’er, now that you’ve reached the third rank in the imperial court, do you know where your greatest enemy lies?”

Faced with such a strange question, Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned. Then he seemed to remember something and said nonchalantly, “The greatest enemy? Although I face rejection and suspicion from many in the court, if we’re talking about a natural enemy…”

“A natural enemy isn’t innate. Just like in business, if you touch on someone else’s interests, even those who used to cooperate closely with you can instantly become your mortal enemies. Everything you do now offends people, and in no time, you might offend countless others. It’s never too cautious. Since you’re in the Ministry of War, your greatest enemies now are those officers. The situation isn’t good lately. You need to think carefully before taking every step.”

The situation wasn’t good lately.

Until the morning meeting ended and he returned to the yamen, Zhang Yue was still pondering his father’s words. He was now the highest-ranking official in the Ministry of War—with the spy agency on his left and Zhang Bu controlling the covert operations on his right, plus Yuan Fang’s loyal team at his disposal. As such, he had excellent access to information and knew that many junior officers were frequently meeting up and under constant surveillance. However, after investigating, he found no hidden forces manipulating them. Given this, it would be unwise for him to overreact. But since his father had said so, there must be a reason, and it would be inappropriate for him to ignore it any longer.

The major competition was coming up soon, so he decided to take Shi Heng to the martial arts school today!

With this decision made, as soon as he returned to the yamen, he ordered Shi Heng to be brought in, then went to Xu Kuo and entrusted all matters of the Ministry of War to this vice minister. Faced with this situation, the gray-haired Xu Kuo couldn’t help but tug at a few strands of beard on his chin. In other yamens, the younger officials wanted the older ones to retire and take care of themselves, so they could shoulder the responsibilities. But Zhang Yue had simply handed over the most crucial Military Selection Department to him and even dropped by from time to time!

“If I had known this, why did I do it in the first place… ‘The able should do more work’—that phrase is more fitting for him. Yet he just handed it to me… ‘The able should do more work’—why does it sound like there’s more to it than meets the eye?”

Zhang Yue giving Xu Kuo those words wasn’t simply to exploit this cheerful and somewhat endearing old man; some of his motives were better left unspoken. Now, with Shi Heng by his side, he visited the Central Military Command, obtained some men from Zhu Yong, and headed straight to the martial arts school in Lumi Cang Hutong. Turning into the hutong from Chongwenmen Street, he saw quite a few people at the entrance and quickly spurred his horse over.

“Let us in! We’ve already asked for leave in advance!”

“Why are the rules so strict? We’re not those poor scholars from the Imperial Academy who can just muddle along by studying. We still have military land to farm!”

“That’s right! If we spend so much time here, who will support our families?”

Hearing those chaotic voices, Zhang Yue’s expression gradually darkened. Behind him, the tall and burly Shi Heng, witnessing the turmoil, couldn’t help but grip his whip tightly. At that moment, the soldiers from the Central Army Command, sent there under Zhu Yong’s orders to provide protection, gathered around and shouted loudly. In an instant, the young officials who had almost clashed with the guards at the entrance to the martial arts school scattered, clearing a path—though their eyes still carried a hint of hostility.

Zhang Yue could see clearly that hidden hostility and enmity. At that instant, he suddenly understood what his father Zhang Zhuo and his great-uncle Zhang Fu had meant. He thought he had been proceeding cautiously with his reforms, step by step, but he had already touched upon significant interests. For those whose interests were threatened, even without any provocation, there was already a sense of crisis; once provoked, things could easily spiral into an unpredictable situation.

After some thought, he did not dismount and enter the martial arts school right away but instead observed these people more carefully. Like the Imperial Academy, the martial arts school also received a monthly subsidy of six dou of grain. Nominally, this was less than the salary of military officers, but since it didn’t need to be converted into cash, it was actually not a loss. So why did these martial arts students still look so indignant?

“Are you all martial arts students?”

Upon hearing this question, everyone fell silent. After a while, a voice came from the crowd: “We are martial arts students. Do you think we have violated the school rules and therefore want to punish us? If so, we are ready to accept the punishment.”

“After accepting the punishment, won’t you repeat your mistakes?” Zhang Yue asked coldly. Seeing no response, he raised his voice further and asked, “Or do you plan to go back and farm military land to support your families, as you just said?”

“We indeed have to go back and farm military land to support our families. Once we enter the martial arts school, none of these duties can be waived!” The same voice spoke again. Then, he pushed through the crowd, came to Zhang Yue’s horse, and knelt down straight, but kept his head held high. “We have also heard that originally, the court had set the monthly grain subsidy for martial arts students at three dou. It was you who argued forcefully to increase it to the same level as that of the students at the Imperial Academy. We know you value the martial skills of military officers, so the instructors you selected are very strict. But now that the country is at peace, what use is it for us to master martial arts?”

As soon as these words were spoken, before Zhang Yue could respond, a cold sneer came from the side: “The tax obligations for officials aren’t waived. You can just say it outright. If it were possible, Lord Zhang surely wouldn’t sit idly by while you train hard here, causing trouble for your families. Yet you still claim martial arts are useless? Pat your chests and ask yourselves—who are you? You’re not those military households; you’re military officers. How dare you say martial arts are useless when you bear the title of a warrior? You get six dou of grain per year, just like the students at the Imperial Academy. Even my tough soldiers would envy you, and yet you’re still not satisfied! Damn it, I’m even ashamed for you!”
Although Shi Heng was young, he had considerable experience. Rising to the position of commander at such a young age, his skills in leading subordinates were not yet flawless, but at least quite systematic. After cursing loudly, he saw Zhang Yue standing with his arms crossed, seemingly unreactive, so he grew bolder. He slapped his horse and stepped forward, pointing at the man kneeling on the ground: “You, get up!”
Though he didn’t know who Shi Heng was, since he had come with Zhang Yue, the burly young official hesitated for a moment before standing up. Shi Heng glanced at his height and asked, “You seem quite old. How old are you?”
“I turned eighteen this year.”
“Eighteen? Good!”
Shi Heng tapped his left hand with the handle of his whip, then raised his voice and said, “Lord Zhang once told me that one must be at least fifteen to inherit a military position. If one passes the martial arts test, they can take up the position ahead of time. Judging by your appearance, it seems you haven’t passed. Let me tell you, when I was your age, I was fighting in the north against the Oirats, battling back and forth among the three military factions! Do you know what the northern Tartars look like? Do you know what it’s like to chew on boiled leather bags? Do you know how cold the winds on the grasslands are? I tell you, they’re nothing but a bunch of wolves! Don’t think you’ll never have to go to war in your life. With your meager skills, you’ll just wait to die on the battlefield. If you must die, don’t drag your soldiers down with you!”
Hearing this, Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned, then began rubbing his chin with a strange expression—these words sounded so familiar, as if he had heard them somewhere before… Ah, hadn’t he said the same thing during last year’s martial arts selection?

He didn’t know if those people had ever heard such words before, but seeing their faces change one by one, he knew that this familiar rhetoric still had some effect. After all, these people were not pampered sons of nobles; they had to farm, perform corvée labor, and endure various hardships, so they surely understood suffering. Of course, some were also unwilling to be lectured by their peers.
Shi Heng was recalled not because he was good at training officers or anything of the sort, but because he was young as well. Someone of the same age who held a high position might be able to inspire these young officials. As for overcoming this challenge, experienced adults would naturally be needed.