Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1136 Serving the Emperor and Cultivating the Duty of a Minister
Meanwhile, inside the main hall of the Ministry of Justice,
Many officials were restless, looking at Xu Changwen standing alone in the hall. Many of them had a look of shame on their faces. Although some matters of the court were confidential, the officials in the capital knew more or less about them.

The case of the Grand Canal transport investigated by the retired emperor back then caused quite a stir. Who would have thought that the punishment would be raised high but then fall lightly, leaving the court officials bewildered? Now that the Ministry of Revenue's Chief Clerk Xu has spoken of it so openly, who wouldn't be surprised?

Or perhaps the case in Jiangnan is shocking.

"My lords, waiting like this is not a solution. Should we continue the trial now, or wait a little longer?"

The one who was truly restless was Song Zhen, the Minister of Justice, who was so anxious that he had no choice but to ask again.

But no one answered. Zhang Jinyu glanced sideways, put down her teacup, and asked;

"Lord Song, since you are both the Minister of Justice and a Grand Secretary, I would like to ask you something. Leaving aside the current cases in Jiangnan, let's talk about the Grand Canal transport case from back then. So many officials were involved, so why were only a few minor officials and a thousand-household commander of the Imperial Guard executed in the end? Were the governors, councilors, and officials in charge of the Grand Canal transport, including the vice-prefects and the grain transport commissioners, all of them honest officials?"

He seemed to have a question, which concerned the Grand Canal transport sector. The current Grand Canal Transport Governor's Office was run by his older brother, Shen Xueshi, with whom he knew quite a bit. There were countless old cases, and the embezzlement was particularly shocking. Now that the cases from back then had been investigated, not to mention the people who were killed, the whereabouts of the confiscated silver remained a mystery.

Zhang Jinyu smiled enigmatically, or rather, if the retired emperor had taken this silver, then this Minister Song must know that he was the former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

This question, though asked casually, struck everyone like a thunderbolt. Could it be that Marquis Luo Yun wanted to overturn the case? Just as everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, Minister Song broke out in a cold sweat.
"Lord Luoyun, today's proceedings are about the case of Xu Changwen's treasonous memorial, which has nothing to do with these matters. I urge you not to create any unnecessary complications."

How could he not know about the case from back then? He had asked Minister Wang about it before, but Minister Wang kept his mouth shut and didn't reveal a single word. Considering the Emperor Emeritus's authority at that time, it must have been a variable in the inner court.

"Tsk tsk, Minister Song, Grand Secretary Song, this is not an unexpected complication. The Emperor and the Emperor Emeritus said that they want to thoroughly investigate according to the contents of the memorial, which includes the matter of the Grand Canal Administration. So I want to ask whether this matter is just Xu Changwen talking nonsense or if it is true. We need to verify it."

After reading the memorial, although he didn't remember much, his subordinates had already copied a copy of Xu Changwen's memorial and sent it to his residence. Among the memorials on public security was the matter of the Grand Canal. Historically, the Grand Canal was full of corrupt officials, and every investigation would uncover them.

These questions left Song Zhen trembling and speechless. Just then, Chen Hui, the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, couldn't stand idly by and spoke up.
“Lord Luoyun, there are too many things written in that memorial. How can we verify them one by one? Xu Changwen has repeatedly committed treason and disloyalty. All of this was witnessed by civil and military officials. If you, Lord Luoyun, keep pursuing the case of the Grand Canal, I wonder what your intentions are.”

His words were uncompromising, which somewhat reassured Minister Song.

"Hehe, what a joke. All the officials have seen that memorial. If you don't investigate and I don't investigate, then who can prove whether what is written in it is true or not? Or is it that Eunuch Chen wants to try to get the case decided by himself?"

He retorted with cold, unyielding words, showing no sign of backing down. Concerned about saving face, the already gloomy-looking Eunuch Chen trembled with rage.
"Marquis Luoyun is indeed powerful. He speaks for himself, but the court is not something you can control. There are priorities. The memorials should have some focus. Those old cases have already been closed. If we overturn the testimonies, it will implicate everyone. Have you thought about that, Marquis?"

His tone was threatening. He had also been involved in this old case. Although he was just a eunuch in the Directorate of Ceremonial at the time, he knew that the Prince Zhongshun's Mansion was involved. Otherwise, even the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner could not have misappropriated all the money for repairing the canal. The more so, the less this case could be investigated.

"It seems that Eunuch Chen also knew that the case back then was unusual, and perhaps he had already figured it out in his mind. If that's the case, then what's written in the memorial is true. Tsk tsk."

Zhang Jinyu clicked her tongue twice and smiled. She'd actually tricked him into telling the truth. It seemed this Eunuch Chen knew quite a bit.

"you"

Knowing he had misspoke, Eunuch Chen was about to say something more in anger when Grand Secretary Gu interrupted them.
"Alright, since this is a trial, let's not get too involved. It seems the palace will need more time to issue the decree. In that case, let's continue the interrogation. Also, summon Zhao Cheng, the military commander of the Northern Garrison of the Imperial City."

"Announce! Zhao Cheng, the financial officer of the Northern Garrison, enters the palace."

The shouts drew everyone's attention back. Eunuch Chen Gang had no choice but to snort and turn away. Zhang Jinyu didn't care. Since what was written in the memorial was true, then judging from what was written in the memorial, they were in an invincible position. In terms of words, they had guts.

As the summons was given, Zhao Cheng, accompanied by the Imperial City Guards, carrying several boxes, entered the hall and greeted them with clasped hands.
"This humble official, Zhao Cheng, of the Northern Garrison Command, pays his respects to the Grand Secretary and all Your Excellencies."

He stood there silently, dressed in his official robes, impeccably dressed. After Gu Yichen sized him up, he nodded slightly.
"You are Zhao Cheng. When you went to search Xu Changwen's house the other day, did you find any corrupt items?"

Holding their breath, everyone except Zhang Jinyu focused their attention on Xu Changwen and Zhao Cheng. The amount of money and grain donated for disaster relief in Jiangnan had been reported to the Ministry of Revenue in the capital, and it was almost too much to count. Jiangnan was indeed a wealthy and prosperous place. It would be impossible for the officials who handled it not to have embezzled a little. Even the silver bribes from their subordinates were not small.

Even those upright officials who dared to speak out would probably not remain unmoved. But Zhao Cheng, inside the hall, did not hesitate at all and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, we searched Lord Xu's residence three times, inside and out, but found nothing suspicious. We found some correspondence between students, a copybook of the classics copied at Tengshu Pavilion, account books from his life in Jiangnan, as well as Lord Xu's official robes, official seal, and imperial transfer documents. We also found about three taels and four mace of silver in his home. However, I noticed that Lord Xu still has an elderly mother at home who needs medicine. After discussing with my colleagues, we decided to only record this information and not confiscate it."

He turned around and waved his hand, and his subordinates quickly opened the three boxes in the hall. One box contained official robes and seals, another contained letters and manuscripts, and the third contained copied books.

At a glance,
He was hardly better off than a beggar. Almost everyone in the room gasped. They all knew that being an official in the capital was a hardship, with little to no reward. To find someone looking like this was probably a rare sight even in the entire Great Wu Dynasty.
Especially Chen Hui, the eunuch, looked on in disbelief. He stood up, walked down to the hall, and casually rummaged through the items, asking questions as he did so.

"Regarding Zhao Jian's matter, could it be that you didn't search carefully enough and missed something? If some silver notes were hidden, they would indeed be difficult to find."

Silver can be found if it's stored away, but if it's hidden as banknotes, they're small and easy to conceal—where would you find them?
Zhao Cheng's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, but he dared not contradict Eunuch Chen and quickly replied;

"In reply to Your Excellency, I was afraid of these things. I specially hired the best people in the yamen to search the house and the courtyard. I also sent someone to Lord Xu's hometown in Hedong. The people there said that Lord Xu's three acres of poor land had long been sold by his mother to raise money for Lord Xu's travel expenses for the imperial examination."

These things shouldn't have been discussed, but since Eunuch Chen didn't believe it, I had no choice but to tell him everything. After all, even a student going to the capital for the imperial examinations had to sell his family property to raise travel expenses, so how could he have any family wealth?

This explanation dispelled the officials' doubts, but it was rare to see someone living such a life. Still not giving up, Eunuch Chen searched through the letters, finding only ordinary greetings. Finally, he pulled out some IOUs at the bottom, revealing that they even owed money to the Marquis of Luoyun's mansion. Enraged, he threw everything back.
"Lord Xu is indeed incorruptible; I admire him greatly. Guards, record this truthfully."

Still angry, he turned and returned to his seat on the high platform.
Seeing Chen Hui's appearance, Grand Secretary Gu understood. It seemed this man hadn't embezzled in Jiangnan. But the more he acted this way, the more difficult the case became. If he were a corrupt official, finding silver would be enough to convict him; if he were a power-hungry official, even just one of his protégés or former subordinates could be turned against him, making him easy to arrest. But this man had neither wealth nor power—he couldn't use either.
"Xu Changwen, since you don't want the Minister of Justice to interrogate you, then I will ask you. Putting aside the matter of the Grand Canal, why are you keeping an eye on the tasks of the palace and the Imperial Household Department? In the case of the Jiangbei jade mine, it is true that jade was transported to the palace, but the Imperial Household Department also paid for it."

Although the amount spent was small, the account books showed that it was indeed purchased with silver. However, these words of comfort only elicited a hearty laugh from Xu Changwen.
"Haha, Your Excellency, it's not that I'm laughing so loudly on purpose, but rather that I'm mocking you for having been in the cabinet for so long, yet you still ask me about some schemes that even a discerning person like yourself could see through in the Imperial Household Department."

The words were somewhat presumptuous, causing many officials to look displeased. Shen Zhongxin, the Vice Minister of Revenue, rose and rebuked them from the crowd.
“Xu Changwen, this is the main hall of the Ministry of Justice. You must not be rude. Just say what you have to say.”

With someone reminding him, Xu Changwen stopped laughing and replied with a fist and palm salute;
“Alright, since it was Minister Shen of the Ministry of Revenue who asked, I will speak. I, Xu Changwen, am just a scholar who has no interest in fame or officialdom. However, since I am receiving the emperor's salary, I have the duties of a subject. In recent years, the national treasury of the Great Wu Dynasty has been depleted every year, but the retired emperor still undertakes large-scale construction projects. Officials at all levels pretend to comply but take the opportunity to plunder. For example, the construction of Hanyuan Hall is an example.”

He paused, pointed to the pillar in the hall, and said, “Grand Secretary Gu, do you know how much silver it costs the national treasury to cut down this pillar from Nanyun into fine timber and transport it to the capital? How many people die on the way? And how do we calculate that? As the Minister of Revenue, Grand Secretary, are you not derelict in your duties? This is just one example. Have you ever thought about it?”

Is it that he can't think about it, or that he doesn't want to think about it? Thinking of Eunuch Yang from the Textile Bureau, who is still imprisoned in the Water Court, which official present doesn't know these things? But how many civil and military officials in the entire court would question Grand Secretary Gu like this? Shen Zhongxin stood there, opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't say a word. How could he not know the price of those fine timbers that were transported? Not to mention the losses along the way, the official records show that a single piece of fine timber costs 50,000 taels of silver. Not to mention the officials who embezzled, even the Imperial Household Department was involved.

Grand Secretary Gu on the stage closed his eyes slightly and sighed inwardly. These words were indeed true. Seeing that Grand Secretary Gu remained silent, Minister of Justice Song Zhen, however, did not have such a good temper.
“Xu Changwen, you have no respect for your superiors. Even here, you still spout nonsense. The good timber was transported from the Emperor’s old forest in the south, which took a lot of manpower and resources. How can you investigate it one by one? I think you are just deliberately making trouble.”

"Lord Song, do not speak carelessly. What I have said is known to everyone in the Ministry of Revenue. This piece of fine timber, transported from the border of Nanyun, cost a staggering fifty thousand taels of silver. Along the way, more than a hundred laborers died or were injured. Minister Shen, you are in charge of the Ministry of Revenue. When have you ever calculated how many officials in the local government offices along the way colluded to embezzle how much silver? If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too. If no one in our Great Wu Dynasty speaks up for us, who will ask us questions?"

Xu Changwen stood ramrod straight. Although his sideburns were disheveled, his upright and righteous aura was overwhelming, inspiring awe in those who beheld him.
"you,"

Song Zhen's lips trembled, and he suddenly clutched his chest in anger, coughing violently as if he had injured his lungs. As for Shen Zhongxin, the Vice Minister of Revenue, his face was full of shame. He stood up and bowed deeply to Xu Changwen.
"Since I joined the Ministry of Revenue, I thought I had done great things for the court and the people. I had settled every account of the Ministry of Revenue, not even letting go of old accounts. I had also demanded repayment of all the loans from civil and military officials in the capital. I thought I had done something of great importance. But after what you said, I am ashamed. There are some things that I cannot investigate, or rather, I dare not investigate. In this respect alone, I am not as good as you."

He bowed again, then moved without pausing, staggering as he walked out of the Ministry of Justice's main hall. The room was utterly silent. The officials' expressions shifted from shock to silence, their emotions a complex mix. As for Eunuch Chen on the high platform, his face was deathly pale. He nearly broke the whisk in his hand, the ivory handle gleaming with sweat. Watching Vice Minister Shen's departing figure, Eunuch Chen swayed almost imperceptibly, a flicker of panic in his eyes, especially the gazes behind him, which made him feel as if he were being pricked by needles.

The Minister of Justice felt a churning, throbbing pain in his chest, as if a raging fire was burning him. The world began to spin before his eyes. He tried to yell and curse, but found that his throat was blocked and he couldn't utter a single word. In desperation, his eyes rolled back and he fainted, collapsing onto the table.

"My lord, my lord,"

Wang Ming, the head servant serving below, was the first to react. He cried out in alarm and rushed over, but he was still a step too late. He only saw his master's body go limp and slide off the table, collapsing to the ground with a "thud," motionless. This scene terrified everyone.

"Quickly, someone come here and carry the master to the side hall in the backyard to rest."

Wang Ming roared, his voice distorted.
"Go to the Imperial Hospital and summon the imperial physicians. Quickly, take the token and go. If you delay the master's treatment, you will all lose your heads."

The yamen runners serving around him were already terrified and turned ashen-faced. Only when they heard Lord Wang's order did they snap out of their daze and rush forward. Two strong and sturdy yamen runners carefully carried Lord Song to the back hall. In such a disheveled state, where was the dignity of the Grand Secretary?

After the person was carried away, the atmosphere inside the room became noticeably panicked.

At this moment,

suddenly,

A eunuch ran in from outside the hall, shouting;
"By imperial decree, the trial is suspended for today. Everyone should return home to rest and submit the interrogation records to the palace truthfully."

"Your Majesty, take the order."

All the officials in the hall knelt down to receive the imperial decree. Afterwards, Xu Changwen was still escorted back to the imperial prison. The officials wanted to ask questions, but did not know how to start. Afterwards, they performed the formalities and dispersed. As soon as they left, Zhang Jinyu did not linger. However, since Lord Song had encountered an accident, he could not ignore it. Seeing that Grand Secretary Gu had not moved, he stayed there as well.

"Gentlemen, since Song Zhen found out about this in court, we can't leave it unsaid. Let's go and take a look."

"I'll listen to the Grand Secretary,"

"We should go together."

The judges on the platform all nodded in agreement, though a strange feeling lingered in their hearts. Xu Changwen's words were as sharp as swords, and the outcome was unpredictable.

After entering the back courtyard from the main hall of the yamen, they saw a group of people gathered around a side hall in the east wing. Someone inside was weeping and wailing, the mournful cries causing everyone to freeze. Could the person be dying? Zhang Jinyu's eyes showed some surprise. With Lord Song's experience, what hadn't he seen? How could this be?
Thinking of this,

The group quickened their pace considerably.
"Make way, all of you make way!"

The attendants shouted sternly, dispersing the crowd. Once the officials entered, they saw Lord Song lying on the bed, his face deathly pale. He seemed to be barely breathing, on the verge of death.

"Send someone else to urge them on, why hasn't the imperial physician arrived yet?"

"Yes, sir, I will go and urge them immediately."

A moment passed, and still no one arrived. Everyone's hearts sank, and Elder Gu quickly spoke up.
"Quickly, go and fetch all the doctors in the vicinity!"

"Yes, Your Excellency, the person has already left."

Before the words were even finished, someone rushed in from outside the door.
"My lord, I have already summoned Physician Lin from Baolin Hall."

"Okay, okay, we'll reward you later. Doctor, come and take a look."

When Physician Lin saw the people in the room, he didn't even notice them. He found the person lying on the bed, who was barely breathing, obviously due to anger. He quickly took out his medicine box, took out silver needles, and started to apply them to the patient. After a long while, he stopped.

Looking at Lord Song on the bed, after this acupuncture treatment, his breathing was smooth and his complexion had returned to normal. The eldest son, Li Chaosheng, asked anxiously.
"Dr. Lin, how is Lord Song now?"

"Thanks to Your Excellency, Lord Song's life is out of danger. However, this outburst of anger may have left him with some health problems. He can only rest and recuperate. I will prescribe a calming and energy-boosting formula for him. He will also need acupuncture to regulate his meridians every day. It will take at least three months."

"what!"

(End of this chapter)