Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1122 The World's Number One Congratulatory Message
Inside the Qianqing Palace,

After the officials from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs carried numerous congratulatory memorials into the hall, the entire hall became quiet. The congratulatory memorials presented by the civil and military officials were as numerous as mountains. Looking at the mountain of memorials below the high platform, many people had different expressions.

It seemed that not a single civil or military official in the entire capital was missed. The Emperor Emeritus waved his whisk, slowly opened his eyes, and glanced at the officials below the steps before finally fixing his gaze on the congratulatory memorial in Chen Hui's hand. He nodded slightly.
"Read it!"

With a drawn-out, somewhat hoarse voice, Eunuch Chen quickly nodded, bowed, walked to the center of the hall, unfolded the first congratulatory letter, and began to read it aloud.

"Your subject, Duke Niu Qing, is filled with trepidation and humility. I kowtow and submit this memorial: Your Majesty's virtue is as high as the heavens, and your longevity is as great as the sun and moon. Your imperial grace extends to the earth, and your blessings have long been bestowed upon us by Heaven and Earth. On the occasion of His Majesty the Retired Emperor's birthday, all nations rejoice. All living beings look up to you with boundless admiration and fervent apprehension. I respectfully submit this memorial to offer my congratulations."

As soon as Eunuch Chen finished reading, Ma Fei took over and began to read it aloud.
"Your subject, Duke Liu Biao, bows deeply and offers his congratulations to His Majesty the Retired Emperor:"

I humbly believe that when a sage appears, the world is at peace; when supreme virtue prevails, blessings abound. Your Majesty, in the past, ascended the throne, practicing benevolence and benevolence, and pacifying the four directions with your wisdom: rescuing the people from dire straits and ushering in a golden age of peace; this is truly an unprecedented achievement since the Three Dynasties, a boundless grace shared by all subjects. Your Majesty, whose family has received the nation's favor and has been blessed by Heaven for generations, humbly offers your humble wishes: May Your Majesty live as long as Mount Song, forever upholding the universe; may your blessings be as vast as the ocean, eternally encompassing the sun and moon. Overwhelmed with trembling joy and gratitude, I respectfully submit this memorial of congratulations.

Another resounding call to action rang out as congratulatory messages were read aloud. This time, they were from several dukes' mansions, as well as from the ministers. The eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial were reading until their throats were dry, and Zhang Jinyu, sitting below, was also thoroughly bored and restless. Glancing at the pile of memorials on the steps, he wondered if they would all be read today.

"My lord, please don't be anxious. We'll just have a few senior officials read a few memorials. As for the rest, we don't know how to read them yet."

Marquis Bai Guangju of Xiangyang, standing behind him, looked at Marquis Luoyun sitting in front with some impatience. He lowered his head, leaned forward, and offered an explanation. Zhang Jinyu, with his hands behind his back, waved a couple of times, then turned to look at Marquis Bai Guangju. He saw a table full of dishes, but hardly anyone had eaten a single bite.
"Brother Bai, there's no need to explain. How could I not know? I simply didn't know that during this trip to offer congratulations to the foreign lands, I heard there were envoys from the Donghu people coming from the north, but I haven't seen them at all."

I heard that those people are staying at the Honglu Temple for the time being. Logically speaking, such an important event should not have been celebrated with these people at this birthday banquet. But now, apart from those foreign countries, even the people from the small countries in the south have not come. Oh right, there are also representatives of the Jurchens, but we haven't seen them at all.

"My lord, please refrain from further discussion. The Donghu envoys have come to the capital secretly, and their numbers are small. It is not appropriate to make any rash comments."

Bai Guangju looked somewhat embarrassed. He said he had come to the capital secretly, but all the officials and military leaders in the capital already knew.
Zhang Jinyu glanced back and saw that the Marquis of Xiangyang looked somewhat embarrassed, so she changed the subject and asked;
"Since the Donghu people can't speak, then aren't the Jurchens supposed to come to the capital to offer birthday wishes? Why haven't we seen any of them?"

What was going on with these Jurchens? They dared to send an envoy to the capital without informing him first. Did they have something else in mind? He pondered this for a while, but couldn't figure it out. Then, after waiting for a while without hearing any voice from behind, he turned around, somewhat puzzled.

"My lord, the Jurchens probably won't be able to come. I heard that the group was in a hurry and their boat capsized on the canal. These people can't swim, and after they were rescued, they were all dead. After the mastermind died, the deputy envoy fell into a coma, and the commander who was escorting them had no choice but to turn back, so they didn't come."

At this point, Marquis Bai Guangju of Xiangyang looked somewhat puzzled. How could such a coincidence happen? Could it be that Marquis Luoyun had secretly done this? The more he looked, the more suspicious he became.

Zhang Jinyu's expression turned strange under the scrutiny. This was too much of a coincidence. According to the official ranks of the Jurchen Eight Banners, the Banner Chief was the highest, followed by the Commander-in-Chief and Deputy Commander-in-Chief, then the Captain and the Zuo Commander, which were the lowest ranks, the "Niru Ejen." Yet, this delegation included a "Gushan Angbang" (Commander-in-Chief). It seemed that the Jurchen Khan, Huang Jitai, had something to ask of him.

"It's quite a coincidence. I really didn't know about this. If Brother Bai hadn't told me the truth, I would have been completely clueless about the situation. In that case, it's better that you didn't come. They're all barbarians from beyond the borders, what do they know?"

"The Marquis is right. They just want some benefits. How could these people who do not submit to the king's rule understand the etiquette of the Central Plains?"

Unable to discern whether Marquis Luo Yun was telling the truth or not, Bai Guangju could only nod and agree. The matter couldn't be investigated further; outside the pass, Marquis Luo Yun now held absolute power.

"We'll see."

Zhang Jinyu turned back, still thinking about the Jurchens. At this moment, Eunuch Chen in front had already read out several memorials, all congratulatory messages from high-ranking officials of the Six Ministries, praising the Emperor's good health and well-being. Hearing this, the Empress Dowager and the civil and military officials smiled frequently, especially the retired Emperor, who even showed a slight smile.
Only Ma Fei was counting the memorials on the side. As it was about to be Xu Changwen's turn, his palms were sweating. He stole glances at the expressions of the officials and saw that Grand Secretary Li was stroking his beard, and Grand Secretary Gu of the Ministry of Revenue was also unmoved. Perhaps no one had expected what the next memorial would contain.

Almost after reciting the last sentence, Chen Gonggong paused for a moment, then looked at Ma Fei, his eyes conveying a clear meaning. Ma Fei swallowed hard, walked to the memorial, and tremblingly took out Xu Changwen's thick memorial. He was unsure whether to open it or not.
After waiting for quite a while, the civil and military officials still saw no movement from the front. Most of them opened their eyes and went to look for it. The Emperor Wu's heart stirred. Looking at the dilemma of the eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial below the steps, he asked.
"What's going on? Why aren't you reading anymore?"

Eunuch Ma quickly prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed;
"Your Majesty, the congratulatory letter I just received was sealed with lacquer, and I really don't know how to open it to read it."

"Oh, that's interesting. Do you know who wrote it?"

The Empress was puzzled. It was merely a congratulatory memorial; why would it need to be sealed with lacquer? Although she asked in a soft voice, Ma Fei, kneeling on the ground, dared not speak carelessly.

"Your Majesty, this memorial is extremely thick and was bound by yourself. The cover reads 'Congratulatory Memorial from Xu Changwen, Principal of the Jiangnan Bureau of the Ministry of Revenue.' This man is the magistrate of Chunyang County, who ranked first in this year's imperial examination, and is also the plaintiff in the Jiangnan case. This servant dares not read it."

At this moment, Eunuch Ma also felt a pang of regret. If the court officials were to pursue the matter further, he would not be able to escape responsibility. But what's done is done, and he could only report it in court.

These words suddenly made the previously quiet hall noisy. After all, although the Jiangnan case was in the process of being retried, it had already implicated many officials in the capital, and countless people had been imprisoned. Even many palace eunuchs had been arrested, which was common knowledge.

Many officials from the Six Ministries were beaming with excitement. Yan Cong, sitting at the back, seemed lost in thought. Now that he had become a principal officer in the Ministry of Personnel, he knew the difficulties of holding a minor post in the Six Ministries. Such remonstrating officials were truly rare.
Even Cao Guangzheng now mostly just opened his mouth; his courage, like his official rank, diminished with each passing day.
"Let me see it,"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dai Quan responded, feeling somewhat puzzled. He walked up to Ma Fei, took the so-called congratulatory letter, which was indeed quite thick and made of hemp paper, sealed with lacquer – truly unconventional. He took the letter, walked to the dragon throne, and presented it with both hands. The Empress merely glanced at it, unable to discern anything amiss.

"Send it to the Emperor Emeritus for a look."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dai Quan agreed, and moved closer to the Emperor Emeritus, holding up the memorial once again. Although the Emperor Emeritus was suspicious, on such an auspicious day, with the memorial delivered, how could he not read it?
"No matter how thick it is, since it has been written, let's read it. Since this person is the top scholar in the special imperial examination, he must have extraordinary abilities. I will personally open it and let him continue to read it."

As he spoke, the Emperor Emeritus put away the whisk, held it in his arms, reached out, and forcefully tore open the seal before pulling his hand back. Although Dai Quan was curious, he also knew that something was amiss. He quickly walked down the jade steps, handed the memorial back to Ma Fei, gestured, and then retreated.

Only Eunuch Ma remained, kowtowing three times on the ground. He picked up the memorial, turned to face the civil and military officials, and the gold-embroidered cloud patterns on his sleeves trembled slightly. Having served in the palace for over thirty years, he was accustomed to the sycophantic faces, but he never imagined that in the end, he would be betrayed by his own people. Oh well.

Slowly opening Xu Changwen's memorial, his face turned deathly pale as he gazed at it. At that moment, even the sandalwood incense in the hall seemed to freeze.
"Xu Changwen, the chief clerk of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Revenue, respectfully reports: The Emperor Emeritus is in good health and has been on the throne for forty-five years since his ascension."

The opening words were fairly moderate and peaceful, and all the civil and military officials, as well as the cabinet ministers, breathed a sigh of relief. In particular, Song Zhen, the Minister of Justice, was afraid that this Magistrate Xu might commit a serious offense of disrespect regardless of the occasion.

Even Zhang Jinyu, sitting at the end of the table, suddenly felt a jolt in his heart, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably. He immediately sensed something was wrong. It's said that a twitching left eye means good fortune, while a twitching right eye means disaster. His right eye had just started twitching and hadn't stopped. Could it be that this student was causing trouble again? Or perhaps the people in the Directorate of Ceremonial were prepared all along. After all, who would be so lucky as to draw a congratulatory letter from a county magistrate? Just then, the tone abruptly changed: "Your subject, Xu Changwen, speaks frankly about the most important matter under heaven, to rectify the way of the ruler, clarify the duties of the ministers, and seek peace and stability for all generations: The ruler is the master of all subjects and things under heaven. Because he is the master of all subjects and things under heaven, his responsibility is extremely heavy. If anything is not done properly regarding the people's livelihood, benefits, or illnesses, then he will be deemed unfit for his duty. In the past, those who sought to please and flatter, resulting in disasters being ignored and the ruler remaining oblivious, are not worth mentioning. Those who schemed excessively also said: 'A wise man is concerned about the dangers of a wise ruler and worries about the well-governed world.'" "If the world is well-governed, yet we worry about its lack of order; if the ruler is wise, yet we endanger him with his lack of wisdom: Wouldn't this only lead him to seek further confusion and bewilderment, leaving him unsure of what to do? This is not a sound argument."

Upon hearing this, the courtiers were startled, and then suddenly spoke again;

"Your Majesty's initial vigor was short-lived, quickly succumbing to delusions. Instead, you misused your sharp intellect, believing immortality was attainable and focusing solely on metaphysical cultivation. You possess the wealth of the entire realm, yet fail to recognize it as the lifeblood of the people, indulging in extravagant construction projects. For over twenty years, you have neglected court affairs, and discipline has collapsed. Officials are corrupt, generals are weak, the people are destitute, floods and droughts are frequent, and rebellions by cults and sects are rampant. These problems existed in the early years of Your Majesty's reign, but were not as severe. Now, taxes and corvée labor have increased, and all regions follow suit. Your Majesty's extravagant spending on Buddhism has led to a situation where houses are practically empty, reaching its nadir in the last ten years. Consequently, the people, based on Your Majesty's abdication and the change of reign title, speculate that 'Tianbao' signifies that every household is destitute and lacks resources.'"

"presumptuous!"

A furious shout came from the high platform, and the retired emperor, dressed in an apricot-yellow Taoist robe, rushed out with rage. He held his whisk like a long sword, pointing it at Eunuch Ma, who was reciting scriptures. Ma Fei, terrified, immediately prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

The atmosphere in the entire hall froze instantly. The ministers, who had been bowing their heads, were now frozen in place, their eyes all fixed on Eunuch Ma, who was prostrate on the ground.

Although the Empress's face showed some shock, deep down she felt a sense of satisfaction. She hadn't expected that a mere minor official would dare to say what no one else dared to say, whether he was a loyal minister, an advisor, or even a henchman of the Marquis of Luoyun.

"He's just a lowly scholar in charge of affairs, yet he dares to make irresponsible remarks about state affairs."

A roar, accompanied by the sound of a wine cup shattering on the ground, brought everyone back to their senses. It was King Zheng, Zhou Changde, who angrily stood up, walked straight to Ma Fei, and kicked him flying. The congratulatory letter fell from Ma Fei's hand. King Zheng bent down to pick it up, only to find the writing on the back of it shocking.

"The retired emperor is far inferior to Emperor Wen of Han, and the people of the world have long been unaware of His Majesty."

This line of words was like a thunderclap, exploding in the sky above the Qianqing Palace. Lu Wenshan, the Minister of Personnel, coughed violently a few times. The censors and others subconsciously took a half step back, but were blocked by the people behind them.

"Arrest him! Quickly, arrest this man, this scoundrel who has no respect for the emperor, and throw him in prison! Don't let him escape!"

"Yes, Your Majesty,"

Chen Hui, the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, quickly responded and sent a junior eunuch to deliver the order to the Imperial City Guard.

"No, confiscate his property! I want to see for myself where this honest official came from. After the confiscation is complete, send his belongings to the Ministry of Justice in court. I want to see them for myself."

The Emperor Emeritus's eyes flashed with a terrifying look, and the eunuchs serving him scrambled out. Only Gu Yichen, the Minister of Revenue, remained calm and composed. He never expected that a decision made by the cabinet would cause such a huge mess. In the whole world, there was probably no other minister who could act like this.

Whether it was because the retired emperor was trembling with anger, at this moment, he turned around, sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, and called out to Prince Zheng.
"Second brother, bring me the folded document."

"Uh, this."

Prince Zheng's gaze was still fixed on the congratulatory memorial, his face filled with horror. Such treasonous words were actually written on a congratulatory memorial! How could he dare to show it to the Emperor Emeritus? But when he looked up and saw the Emperor Emeritus's murderous gaze, he was so frightened that he shuddered, lowered his head, and ran over to hand over the memorial.
The retired emperor snatched the memorial from the table, reading it word by word. His face turned from red to green, then from green to white. When he came to the line, "The people of the world have long been unhappy with their lives, therefore I risk my life to present this memorial for the retired emperor," he was enraged. He threw the memorial to the ground, and with the sleeve of his Taoist robe, he overturned the dishes and bowls on the table, shattering them on the floor.

"Xu Changwen, what a brave man Chen Zhi! Who is the Minister of Revenue?"

Gu Yichen could no longer avoid it this time, and he quickly stepped forward and knelt down;

"The Emperor Emeritus is easily angered. Although Xu Changwen's words were excessive, his heart is pitiful. He is just a mere scholar who does not know the rules of the court. He is not the same person the Emperor Emeritus wronged in the past, so it is understandable. Today is the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet. To execute a minister who remonstrates in the palace is probably not something His Majesty can tolerate."

Grand Secretary Gu wanted to explain further, but the Emperor Emeritus interrupted him with a cold laugh.
"Holy virtue, grace? This person criticizes me for being harsh and incompetent, yet he expects me to speak of holy virtue?"

Perhaps due to excessive excitement, the Emperor Emeritus suddenly began to cough violently. Xia Shouzhong, the chief eunuch beside him, quickly went over to offer him ginseng soup, but the Emperor Emeritus pushed him away.

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly and find out who instructed Xu Changwen!"

These words caused a stir throughout the hall. Only a few princes suddenly brightened up, their gazes turning to Marquis Luo Yun at the end of his seat, as if they understood. Just as they were about to speak, the Grand Secretary suddenly opened his eyes.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Retired Emperor, this old minister believes that this person's words cannot be taken seriously. He is probably implicated in the Jiangnan case, hence his words."

"Yes, Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Emperor Emeritus, I also feel that this matter should not be made a big deal out of nothing. How could a mere scholar and county magistrate know the difficulties of the court? It is truly inappropriate for him to use local corruption to foreshadow the court's problems. However, this man has encountered many major cases since arriving in Jiangnan, and we should consider this matter carefully."

Next, Lu Wenshan, the Minister of Personnel, stepped forward. He glanced at the princes, a hint of warning in his eyes. The Marquis of Luoyun's five thousand elite troops were currently within the palace. If a disturbance were to erupt, and His Majesty were to take a risky military action, how would the situation be resolved?
After all, the Imperial Guards and the Imperial City Guards had been mobilized just the day before, and there was also a large army outside the Meridian Gate. With the Imperial Guards stationed outside, what unexpected complications could arise?

With the two interrupting, the princes instantly understood and lost their courage. The situation was currently unclear and incomprehensible. Prince Zheng also backed down, giving the other princes a knowing look and gently shaking his head.
"Rebellion! Rebellion! What a fine Grand Secretary you are! You've said everything, but I want to see what you've written clearly. I, I've kept you all in the dark! The people of the land have perhaps been waiting for many years! They've been waiting for someone to come and scold me, to force me to relinquish my power of writing. Gu Yichen, who are you?"

"Your subject, Your subject, is Gu Yichen, Minister of Revenue and Grand Secretary of the Cabinet of the Great Wu Dynasty,"

Sweat beaded on Grand Secretary Gu's forehead as he knelt on the ground.

"Haha, oh dear, what loyal ministers! Were those in the cabinet just waiting for this day to come and scold me, the retired emperor, so they could let me live out my days in peace?"

The retired emperor's cold gaze suddenly swept over the emperor on the dragon throne, then over the several vassal kings before him, and even more so over the faces of the civil and military officials, flickering with light and shadow.

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you allow me to see Xu Changwen's congratulatory letter."

"Haha, a congratulatory message?"

(End of this chapter)