prosperous age

The officialdom of the Ming Dynasty was a complex web of interconnected networks.

Horizontally, this can be understood as officials' classmates or contemporaries, while vertically, it refers to teachers or mentors. Many officials, when they first enter officialdom, will actively choose a patron and send their "protégé letter" to the patrons they favor.

In addition, there is a more widespread form of community, which is a bond formed by people from the same hometown.

In the inner palace, eunuchs were divided into two categories from the moment they entered the palace: one was the beasts of burden who did rough work, and the other was the clever and quick-witted young children who would be sent to the inner study to learn to read and write.

Graduates from here will be selected by the chief eunuchs of the palace to serve under them.

Those among these people who had the opportunity were often taken in as adopted sons by these senior eunuchs. After these adopted sons became junior eunuchs, they would also select people from the Inner Study Hall, and thus the adopted grandsons of the senior eunuchs appeared.

Eunuchs who lived long enough could even have five generations living together under one roof.

Therefore, there was a network of relationships among the eunuchs, similar to those in the previous dynasty. Horizontally, they were classmates in the inner study hall, and vertically, they were "father and son" relationships.

In the palace, one's status is determined by the imperial family.

However, the power within the palace comes from one's own status and position.

A senior eunuch would attract junior eunuchs to flock to him, resulting in a large group of followers who could command a large following.

The impact of punishing a high-ranking eunuch in the palace is no less significant than that of the previous dynasty.

Pulling out a radish brings out the mud, often implicating hundreds of people, which shows how much it affects the balance of power in the harem.

Zhang Hong's concern was precisely this: no matter who fell, the harem would always be in chaos for a while, especially the punished chief eunuch, whose actions would be a disaster for the stability of the court in the short term.

He, Zhang Cheng, Chen Ju, and others are bound to compete for the vacant spot.

This is on the premise of winning the fight; if he loses, others will divide up his power.

Zhang Hong was kind and benevolent, and naturally wanted to do everything he could to avoid such a thing happening.

Unfortunately, having offended Feng Bao, he knew he had to find a way to protect himself.

However, Zhang Hong has no choice but to turn to any of the three noble ladies in the palace right now, and he doesn't know who to turn to for the time being.

His past relationships are long gone.

Speaking of which, during the Jiajing era, the eunuch Zhang Hong was a court attendant who "carried the sword" and his godfather was Huang Jin, who was the most powerful person in the inner court at the time.

However, after the Longqing reign, Huang Jin's connections in the palace were basically severed. Since the emperor was from the Yuzhi clan, he naturally favored people from the Yuzhi clan.

He was a classmate of Feng Bao and the same age as him, which is why Feng Bao valued him and he gradually rose to prominence in the last two years of the Longqing reign.

More than ten years have passed, and he has risen to the position of the second person in the inner court based on seniority.

Compared to Feng Bao, it has a natural disadvantage.

As for the things that Teng Xiang, Meng Chong, and his godson Zhang Jing did to curry favor with the emperor through their strange skills and tricks, he disdained to do them.

Just as Zhang Hong was anxiously wondering how to deal with Feng Bao's counterattack, Zhang Jing had already entered the main hall of the Qianqing Palace.

"Your Majesty, I've brought you some tea."

Having learned about the situation inside from outside the palace, Zhang Jing brewed a new pot of Fujian Wuyi tea, which was a favorite of Emperor Wanli.

He removed the tea, which had already gone cold, and stood beside the emperor.

Although Emperor Wanli did not allow anyone to disturb him, for some reason he treated Zhang Jing specially, so he did not reprimand him but let him be.

Zhang Jing, with his sharp eyes, naturally noticed the memorials placed on the imperial desk.

The document was sent by the Directorate of Ceremonial, but Emperor Wanli left it there untouched.

Seeing that the emperor was looking at the memorial but not making a move, Zhang Jing was actually getting anxious.

He understood his godfather's concerns. If he couldn't shake Feng Bao's position this time, his future days in the palace would be difficult.

Although the Emperor would protect him, he couldn't protect him all the time; there would always be times when things went wrong.

However, since the emperor didn't speak, he didn't dare to speak first; the emperor had to speak first.

Finally, Emperor Wanli suddenly spoke up, saying, "I never expected that old scoundrel Feng Bao would do so many things, and I was kept in the dark."

In fact, Emperor Wanli knew some things, but most of it was just hearsay.

After all, Feng Bao wouldn't proactively explain his actions to the emperor.

However, after receiving instruction from Wei Guangde and Zhang Juzheng, Emperor Wanli had come to a profound understanding of the principle that "no one gets up early without a reason."

Feng Bao must have done a lot of dirty and despicable things in private. Looking at the memorials, many of the things he did were things that even the emperor could not have imagined.

"Your Majesty, actually, what Eunuch Feng did is mentioned in this memorial."

I've heard rumors circulating in the capital that Eunuch Feng's family is incredibly wealthy, with so much gold and silver that they could fill several rooms.

Finally, when the emperor spoke, Zhang Jing couldn't wait to try and sow discord.

"These are just rumors, don't take them seriously."

The Wanli Emperor simply smiled.

"Wealthy enough to rival a nation? What a joke! Could a mere eunuch like Feng Bao really amass millions of taels of silver?"

Those are just ignorant country folk who think that since officials' families have mountains of gold and silver, the emperor should use a golden hoe to farm.

It's all because of their limited perspective; they have no idea what wealth really is.

"It's actually quite simple to verify this matter; we just need to check Eunuch Feng's residence in Beijing."

Zhang Jing offered a suggestion.

"How dare you! Do you think you can just raid Feng Daban's house like that?"

Upon hearing Zhang Jing's words, the Wanli Emperor immediately rebuked him.

"This servant is only thinking of Your Majesty's best interests, fearing that Your Majesty might be deceived by treacherous people."

Zhang Jing immediately put on a wronged expression and said.

However, his mind was racing, trying to figure out what to do next to break the deadlock.

Then, Zhang Jing suddenly whispered, "Your Majesty, just before I came in, I heard that Eunuch Feng went to the Empress Dowager's place in Cining Palace."

Zhang Jing's words indeed stunned Emperor Wanli.

Why go now of all times? Emperor Wanli knew exactly what Feng Bao was planning: to gain the Empress Dowager's protection.

From the beginning, I was the emperor.

In an instant, this thought appeared in Emperor Wanli's mind.

Whether Feng Baoyou was right or wrong should be decided by the emperor.

In order to protect himself, Feng Bao actually went to beg his mother, the Empress Dowager. How could the Emperor think of this?
Naturally, Emperor Wanli had already come to believe that Feng Bao was untrustworthy, just as the memorial stated, that he was deceiving the Empress Dowager and colluding with her to oppress the emperor.

The Wanli Emperor seemed to see flashbacks of those past events: because of Feng Bao's accusations against him, he was forced to kneel and beg for forgiveness by Empress Dowager Li, and was even threatened with being replaced as emperor, forced to issue an edict of self-reproach.
One by one, the events unfolded before his eyes as if they had happened yesterday, causing his blood to surge uncontrollably.

"Then what do you think we should do?"

Emperor Wanli may have lost his composure for a moment, or he may have deliberately refrained from bringing it up in order to maintain his imperial demeanor, instead passing the conversation to Zhang Jing.

"Your Majesty, you can issue an edict to confine Eunuch Feng to the Imperial Horse Stables, and then send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to thoroughly investigate Eunuch Feng's residence."

If a large amount of gold and silver is found in the mansion, it naturally means that Eunuch Feng has been corrupt and lawless, and his crimes are unforgivable.

If not, then naturally, more praise should be given, and the memorial should be returned. Officials could also be severely punished to uphold justice for Eunuch Feng.

At this point, Zhang Jing was determined to destroy Feng Bao at all costs.

Once you enter the Feng residence, you're bound to find something of value.

It is no exaggeration to say that Feng Bao's wealth is the envy of many.

"But what if he doesn't go?"

Emperor Wanli suddenly hesitated and said. Over the years, Feng Bao's accumulated power had instilled in Emperor Wanli a hidden fear of him.

"He dares not disobey the Emperor's decree."

Zhang Jing, however, spoke with complete confidence, showing no fear of Feng Bao defying the imperial decree.

What a joke, eunuchs, you live entirely by relying on your master.

You don't even listen to your master, what do you want to do?
Moreover, the words of her godfather Zhang Hong were still ringing in her ears: "Master Feng, the Director of Ceremonies, is a loyal and principled man. Keeping him around will bring many benefits."

The more loyal a minister is, the less likely he is to disobey the imperial edict.

Don't be fooled by Feng Bao's audacity in strictly disciplining the Wanli Emperor. It was only because he had the imperial edicts of the two empress dowagers, ordering him to teach the emperor, and the tacit support of Zhang Juzheng, that he dared to do so.

It can be said that the most powerful figures in the imperial court are all behind him, so he naturally has nothing to fear.

Unfortunately, he was the one who stood out, both instructing the emperor well and incurring his wrath.

The words that the godfather left behind for Feng Baohao had already been trampled on the ground by Zhang Jing.

If he wants to climb up, he has to defeat Feng Bao and step on him to get there.

He doesn't want to climb the ladder step by step like his godfather.

"Grinding ink."

Finally, it seemed that Emperor Wanli had made up his mind and gave instructions to Zhang Jing.

Zhang Jing was excited and hurriedly stepped forward, standing in front of the imperial desk to begin grinding ink, which he completed quickly.

Immediately, Emperor Wanli wrote an imperial edict on a piece of paper next to him, ordering Zhang Cheng to guard Feng Bao and imprison him in the Imperial Horse Stable.

He then wrote down orders for the Embroidered Uniform Guard on another piece of paper: search Feng's residence and report immediately.

After Emperor Wanli finished writing the two slips of paper and stamped them with his personal seal, he looked at Zhang Jing and said, "You personally deliver the one for Zhang Cheng."

"Have Liu Ruoyu deliver the document for the Embroidered Uniform Guard immediately, without fail."

"According to the order."

Zhang Jing was secretly pleased. He was still the most capable. He had accomplished what his godfather couldn't with ease.

As long as the emperor sends the Imperial Guards to search Feng's residence, Feng Bao will be finished.

Zhang Jing was confident that opening the Feng residence's storeroom would definitely surprise Emperor Wanli.

Yes, he bet that the emperor actually wanted to take action against Feng Bao, but didn't know how to do it, which is why he hesitated.

Therefore, he was the only one left to play the villain and give advice to the emperor.

Even if they were wrong, given the emperor's habits, he would definitely shift the blame and take all the responsibility upon himself.

At that time, I would definitely be doomed.

However, this is on the premise that Feng Baozhen is clean, or that it is not so unexpected.

In any case, Zhang Jing is determined to make a good impression on Feng Bao this time and not give him a chance to turn things around.

He came out with the imperial edict, called Liu Ruoyu aside, handed him the edict, and said, "You must leave the palace immediately and go to the Northern Garrison Command. Give it to Commander Liu Shouyou and tell him to act according to the imperial decree."

Liu Ruoyu did not yet know what the imperial decree was, but the emperor's decree must naturally be obeyed.

Eunuchs and imperial guards were not like those in the outer court; they could not defy imperial edicts. They had to obey them.

His subordinate immediately ordered him to leave, but he glanced back curiously on the way and was immediately startled.

At the palace gate, Liu Ruoyu summoned a eunuch, whispered something to him, and then strode out of the palace gate toward the Northern Garrison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Zhang Jing went to the room he had been in earlier, but didn't see his godfather. So he called his godson over and told him to go find his godfather. He briefly explained the situation before leaving the palace and heading towards the Imperial Horse Stable.

He was definitely not qualified to capture Feng Bao; only Zhang Cheng could take action and lead the Jing army to detain Feng Bao.

His own godfather would do, but the imperial edict was for Zhang Cheng, and he dared not disobey it, so he could only pass on the message.

A storm is brewing in the palace, but the court remains completely unaware.

Chen Ju was one of the first in the palace to know about the situation, since Liu Ruoyu told his godson the news and told him to immediately go and report to Chen Ju.

When Chen Ju learned that the emperor had ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to search Feng's residence, the news was enormous and terrifying.

Chen Ju was actually quite relaxed during this period because he posed little threat to Feng Bao, and there were several powerful eunuchs above him keeping him in check.

Feng Bao, out of consideration for Wei Guangde, did not offer him any special treatment.

However, he still knew that Feng Bao and Zhang Siwei were currently locked in a fierce struggle. Feng Bao wanted to increase his influence in the cabinet by fighting against Zhang Siwei and Wang Guoguang, and also to give Wei Guangde a warning.

The two were going to cooperate, and Feng Baoxian wanted to show Wei Guangde his strength.

This will make Wei Guangde understand that he can bring down Zhang Siwei, promote Wang Zhuan into the cabinet, and also bring down Wei Guangde, the chief minister.

No matter how bold Feng Bao was, he wouldn't dare to oppose the entire court.

By stabilizing Wei Guangde, he could stabilize the court. He then engaged in a power struggle with Zhang Siwei and other members of the Zhang faction who were unwilling to submit to him, using his influence to subdue them.

This was Feng Bao's plan: Zhang Juzheng had fallen, and he had to maintain his position, otherwise all his power would vanish like smoke in the wind.

It can be said that the greater his influence in the court, the more the emperor was wary of him and the less he dared to touch him.

The situation is incredibly complex and intricate, far more complicated than some people think—it's simply a matter of dealing with a servant. Only those involved truly understand.

Of course, to achieve all this, he had to accept Zhang Juzheng's disciples in their entirety.

At this time, Feng Bao also harbored some dissatisfaction with Zhang Juzheng.

Making arrangements for the future without consulting him shows a complete lack of understanding of the hierarchy.

But once the person is dead, there's nothing that can be done.

Zhang Jing naturally found Zhang Cheng first. In the Imperial Stables, Zhang Cheng was stunned for a while after seeing the imperial edict before he came to his senses after being reminded by Zhang Jing.

Zhang Cheng gave Zhang Jing a deep look before ordering his men to investigate Feng Bao's whereabouts.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Eunuch Feng has just come out of Cining Palace and has now returned to the Directorate of Ceremonial to carry out his duties."

Soon, the news came back.

Zhang Cheng immediately sent someone to the Directorate of Ceremonial, but instead of using force, he tricked Feng Bao into coming under the pretext that there was an important matter to discuss at the Imperial Horse Administration.

Inside the Imperial Horse Stable, Zhang Cheng and Feng Bao chatted idly, with Zhang Cheng constantly explaining the needs of the Imperial Horse Stable, which gave Feng Bao a real headache.

The Imperial Horse Administration was the most expensive government office in the inner court, supporting not only hundreds of eunuchs but also numerous personal guards. The pressure of feeding the horses and the people was immense.

At this moment, Feng Bao was still unaware of what was happening.

When he brushed off Zhang Cheng and tried to return to the Directorate of Ceremonial, only to be stopped by Zhang Cheng again, he finally realized something was wrong.

"Zhang Cheng, are you planning to lock me up here?"

His tone was very unfriendly, and as soon as he finished speaking, the two eunuchs who were with him stepped forward and stood between him and Zhang Cheng.

"Brother Shuanglin, I have no intention of being your enemy. Although we don't get along, at most we'll have a verbal argument, but there's no need for a fight to the death."

I had no choice but to keep you here.

Zhang Cheng was shrewd. Even though he knew the emperor intended to take action against Feng Bao, he was unwilling to break ties with Feng Bao before the matter was resolved.

"What do you mean?"

Feng Bao asked.

"The imperial edict is something that all scholars must obey."

Zhang Cheng feigned helplessness. (End of Chapter)