Chapter 917: New Life and Aging

On the same day, the emperor had a son, and Zhang Yue had a daughter—both born before full term. Compared to Concubine Wu Xian, Du Wan was even weaker as she gave birth at just over eight months. Xiao Wu simply brought her son in to help her recover wholeheartedly.

Though the birth of the second prince did not draw as widespread celebration as that of the first, it was still a major event that brought joy to the court and the people. At the very least, executions were postponed; even those sentenced to immediate death had their sentences delayed, so as not to coincide with the second prince’s first month. As for the Prince of Jin, who had already been granted permission to commit suicide, it naturally did not pose any issue since it had happened earlier.

Zhang Yue’s new daughter also received many congratulations. Since Zhang Yue had announced in advance, instead of each official presenting a gift individually, they pooled their funds together. The gift was a set of pure silver necklaces, bracelets, and anklets—unexceptional in appearance, but the inscriptions on them were the result of careful thought by at least six-rank officials, ensuring they were original. By giving this gift, they did not need to spend more at the birthday celebration; instead, they could even attend the banquet. In the eyes of everyone, this showed the chief official’s consideration for his subordinates, motivating them to work harder.

Amidst the festive atmosphere of the nation celebrating the birth of the second prince, the Hongwen Pavilion’s lectures resumed. As usual, a selected lecturer delivered an hour-long lecture on The Book of Rites. Only then did the officials, whose legs had gone stiff from standing, turn their attention to the speaker. After all, this time it was not about free discussion as before. According to the emperor, it would not only introduce future topics but also summarize those from previous sessions. Yet, it was Yang Shiji who spoke.

In a court where promotions increasingly favored those with proper qualifications, Yang Shiji, who was not a graduate of the imperial examinations, was revered by many scholars. This was not only due to his demeanor but also because of his dedication to nurturing younger generations. During the Xuande era alone, more than a dozen or twenty people who had never met Yang Shiji but were recognized for their writings and character were given important positions. Thus, when he stepped forward, even those middle-aged officials who had been skeptical immediately became enthusiastic.

“…Princes of vassal states may not leave their fiefs without imperial permission. Descendants of lower rank who inherit titles are not included in the family registry unless they are born to concubines or wives… They may take the imperial examinations or engage in farming…”

“At the request of Zhang Yue, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, military examinations were established. These examinations are held every three years, with candidates recommended by local military units across the country. Examiners for these provincial examinations are appointed by the Ministry of War, and a quota is set for each province.”
“…Regarding the corruption cases related to land in Nanjing, Yu Qian was tasked with overseeing the investigation. Anyone found to be hiding land or population would have their assets confiscated by the government. Nanjing, Zhejiang, and Shandong were ordered to conduct land audits, with candidates recommended by scholars from various ministries, the Censorate, and the Wenyuan Pavilion for imperial approval…”
Yang Shiji’s prestige was unmatched at the time, and with his full confidence, silence fell among everyone after he finished speaking. Those who had supported him beforehand were overjoyed, while those who had opposed him were not overly disappointed; they simply pondered the changes these actions might bring to the country. However, when Yang Shiji slowly outlined the topics for future lectures at the Hongwen Pavilion, including those related to military households and taxes, everyone was shocked.
“The first topic is taxes. The common people suffer under heavy labor demands and dare not cultivate new land. Some even get attacked by bandits while transporting taxes to the capital. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider and determine new tax policies. Since the Maritime Trade Office began collecting commercial taxes, it has generated hundreds of thousands of taels per year, enriching the national treasury and eliminating shortages in funds for disaster relief. Back in the early Hongwu era, a tax rate of one in thirty was set for commerce, but it has remained ineffective over the years, so it must be reinstated.”
“The second topic,” Yang Shiji said slowly, bending his second finger, “is the status of military households, who are treated like slaves. The number of people registered as military households in the provincial registers is decreasing instead of increasing. In the long run, it will become difficult to replenish these ranks. Thus, the second topic concerns military households. As for the third topic… it is about foreign strategies, specifically those related to the West and Southeast Asia.”
Yang Shiji was cautious and somewhat conservative. Yet, faced with an ambitious emperor and with Zhang Yue’s support and persuasion behind him, he naturally chose the most suitable approach. After all, the Ming Dynasty was now richer and more stable than during the Yongle era—a fact undeniable. However, regarding the third topic, he debated it fiercely with the emperor for a long time. Last night, he even summoned Zhang Yue to his home and questioned him thoroughly along with Du Zhen. Only after Zhang Yue presented the sea charts obtained from Fang Rui did they become somewhat convinced. But at that time, deeply ingrained beliefs could not be changed immediately, so they merely agreed to discuss it further.

But just being able to bring such matters to the table for discussion already satisfied Zhang Yue greatly. So after leaving Hongwen Pavilion, he ignored the gossiping ministers and headed straight out of the palace back to the Ministry of War. Upon arriving at the entrance, a servant reported that Eunuch Wang was waiting in the front hall. Recalling having seen Eunuch Wang Jin from the Imperial Supervision Bureau by the emperor just now, Zhang Yue thought that even if this man was fast, he couldn’t have arrived before him. He was quite surprised, and only when he saw the person in person did he realize who it was.

“I thought I saw Eunuch Wang from the Imperial Supervision Bureau in the palace just now; I never expected it to be you! It’s my poor memory—this morning I heard that you and Eunuch Zheng returned together yesterday.”

Sitting in the guest seat was a robust man in his fifties. Compared to the pale eunuchs who lived in the palace, his face had a healthy bronze hue from years of exposure to the sun and rain at sea, giving him a more masculine appearance. He smiled and bowed to Zhang Yue, saying, “It’s not surprising that Lord Zhang isn’t expecting me back so soon. I’ve traveled far this time—adding many new locations to the existing sea charts, and even visiting several major countries in the far west. I originally planned to go straight to my residence, but since Lord Zhang has just had a daughter and his door is constantly being visited, I thought he might avoid me. So Eunuch Zheng told me to come directly to the ministry.”

The man was Wang Jinghong, who had sailed many times with Zheng He. He was originally from the seaside and was skilled in navigation and celestial observations. After briefly parting from Zheng He, he continued westward with several large ships. This time, he reunited with Zheng He in Siam before returning together. This voyage took him further than any of his previous trips, but it also yielded great rewards. With a smile, he joked and pointed to a bag on the table.

“This is my gift for Lord Zhang’s daughter.”

Zhang Yue was truly shocked upon hearing this. Although he had good relations with the eunuchs, he had only heard of officials secretly giving gifts to eunuchs, rarely hearing of eunuchs giving gifts to civil and military officials. But since he had once greatly helped the local military forces, his relationship with Zheng He and Wang Jinghong was different from that with ordinary eunuchs. After much thought, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse such kindness, so he could only say with a wry smile, “Eunuch Wang, your kindness is truly hard for me to accept. This is the ministry—if I take this leather bag out, censors will surely accuse me tomorrow.”

“That’s even better. I suppose Lord Zhang really wants those censors to suffer in silence, right?” Wang Jinghong used to be a strict man too, but now he was in high spirits and joked, “It’s not some trivial trinket like a gem. Lord Zhang might as well open it and take a look.”

Thinking that Wang Jinghong seemed rough-looking but was actually extremely meticulous, Zhang Yue hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to open the bag. Seeing various kinds of fruit seeds inside, his eyes lit up immediately, and he turned to Wang Jinghong, saying, “Could these be those plants from overseas?”

“That’s right! Didn’t Lord Zhang ask me to find these last time? Back then, in a hurry, I just found a soldier who was interested in this field. This time, I specifically sought out an expert. Along with these, there’s also an illustrated guide, which I’ll send to the mansion along with those boxes of seeds. These are just samples; they’re for novelty’s sake. But preserving those items took a lot of effort, after all, they’ve been at sea for so long. By the way, as for that vast island you mentioned, Lord Zhang, I don’t know if I’ve ever been there. There are many uncivilized barbarian kingdoms at sea, and it’s impossible to explore them all. We’ll have to wait until another time.”

Zhang Yue wasn’t sure if current technology could support long sea voyages to North and South America, but hearing Wang Jinghong say so filled him with excitement. He couldn’t help but thank this pioneer of navigation and also inquired about Zheng He’s condition. It was originally just a casual question, but to his surprise, Wang Jinghong hesitated for a moment before sighing.

“Eunuch Zheng fell ill at sea this time. It took him a great deal of effort to make it back. Yesterday, he barely managed to muster the strength to appear before the emperor, but then he collapsed again. The emperor sent imperial physicians to check on him, but his condition remains critical.”

Wang Jinghong had sailed with Zheng He many times. When the ship stopped in Guangdong, he even saw Zhang Qian, only to find that he too had aged greatly. So, although he himself was still strong, he couldn’t help but worry. Seeing Zhang Yue deeply shocked, he smiled and said, “It’s okay. This is how sea voyages always are. Many soldiers end up buried on those islands. It’s already remarkable that we’ve managed to stay safe all these times. Besides, he finally made it back.”

Zhang Yue had not met Zheng He on his own a few times, and even when they did meet, he could never associate Zheng He with the eunuch San Bao mentioned in historical records. Hearing Wang Jinghong’s words, he couldn’t help but think that Zheng He had passed away during his seventh voyage to the Western Seas; it was said that his body was even transported back to Nanjing for burial. As a result, his expression gradually darkened. History had long since changed completely; he could no longer predict future developments, so how could he know that Zheng He might not survive this time as well?

“After work ends, could Lord Wang take me to see Lord Zheng?”

Wang Jinghong did not expect Zhang Yue to bring this up. Back in Nanjing, Zhang Yue had come to see him because he was then the deputy magistrate of Ying Tian Prefecture, and both they and Zheng He were ordered to guard Nanjing, commanding troops there. Their interactions were all for official business, and the crown prince Zhu Zhanji was also involved at that time. But now… although civil officials might not harbor ill feelings toward eunuchs, there were very few interactions between them. Moreover, Zheng He was a cautious man, always afraid of being resented as a loyalist from the Yongle era.

“The imperial physicians have already examined him. If Lord Zhang were to go see him in person, it might arouse unnecessary suspicions. How about waiting another two days? Lord Zheng’s condition should improve by then…”

Under normal circumstances, Zhang Yue would have given in after hearing Wang Jinghong’s words, but this time he was stubborn. In the end, Wang Jinghong had no choice but to agree to meet him at the end of Dongjiang Rice Alley at the end of the Shen hour, then left in a hurry. Once he was gone, Zhang Yue glanced at the heavy bag, picked it up, and left, drawing many curious looks. Unperturbed, he called over a servant and instructed him to take the bag back to the mansion.

If this matter reached someone else’s ears, everyone would know about it quickly, sparing them the need to speculate wildly. At this point, even if the censors started making unfounded accusations, it would only cause trouble.

At the end of the Shen hour, the Ministry of War’s offices closed on time. Having learned that the ship from the Nurgan Commandery had arrived in Tianjin Wei, with Wan Shijie returning on the same ship, Zhang Yue stepped out with unusually light steps. It was not until he boarded Wang Jinghong’s carriage at the intersection of Dongjiang Rice Alley and Andingmen Street and saw the latter’s obvious worry that he subdued his earlier joy.

“Is something wrong with Lord Zheng?”

“When I went to check on him just now, he no longer had the strength even to sit. But when he heard that Lord Zhang was coming, he became very happy… I felt he was different from usual, so I was worried he might be delirious from illness. If he says anything wrong, please don’t take it to heart, Lord Zhang.” Wang Jinghong was well aware that officials changed with each new emperor, especially eunuchs, so his brows were tightly furrowed. “Moreover, the imperial physicians said his illness was the result of years of overwork and is difficult to treat.”

Although Wang Jinghong had warned Zhang Yue along the way, upon arriving at the Zheng family’s house and seeing Zheng He in such poor health, Zhang Yue was still shocked. Once a strong and energetic eunuch supervisor, he now had a gaunt face, sunken eyes, and clearly poor spirits. Yet he forced himself to sit up when he saw Zhang Yue arrive. Wang Jinghong couldn’t persuade him otherwise and could only support him by padding his back and shoulders firmly while standing beside him.

“Thank you, Lord Zhang, for coming to see me,” Zheng He said, speaking with some difficulty but still smiling. Seeing Zhang Yue sit down on the cushion, he asked about his illness. Zheng He shook his head and said, “It’s fine. I’ve faced worse conditions at sea before. This time, it’s not necessarily hopeless… Even if it is hopeless, it doesn’t matter. At least I’ve fulfilled my wish and spent a few more years at sea. Lord Zhang, it’s all thanks to you that this treasure ship became the Shenwei Fleet, and that the official troops can now be formally organized into the Shenwei Guard. There’s only one thing I’m worried about—that is the Shenwei Fleet and the Shenwei Guard… I hope they can be preserved forever!”

Zheng He suddenly raised his voice. Seeing that Zhang Yue was listening attentively without impatience, he felt a bit reassured. Then he firmly grasped Zhang Yue’s hand, which was resting on the bed frame. “Lord Zhang, you’re in charge of the Ministry of War. Now, with your military household status, military rank, and military achievements, I only hope the three Shenwei Guards won’t be disbanded or easily altered. All these people have put in countless efforts, from suffering from seasickness at sea to fighting in naval battles. If they’re disbanded, it will be as if the last thing left of me in this world is gone.”

Looking at Zheng He’s eager face, Zhang Yue nodded without hesitation. “Eunuch Zheng, rest assured. I may not be able to decide on other matters, but I will definitely strive to see this through.”