Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1138 The Martial Emperor's Internal and External Schemes
royal palace,

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation,

The setting sun shone through the carved wooden window, casting long, slanted silver shadows onto the gold bricks in the imperial study. The candles on the imperial railing had already been quietly lit by the eunuchs.

Emperor Wu had already finished his dinner. The bowl of lotus seed soup on the table was still warm. After finishing the bowl, Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong slowly straightened up and sat on the dragon throne in the imperial study. He sipped fragrant tea, holding the confession that had been delivered later. Although it was a truthful record, many things could not be said in court.
He then looked at the memorial sent by the Directorate of Ceremonial, which stated that Song Zhen of the Ministry of Justice had fainted from anger in the courtroom. How could this have happened?

The Emperor looked puzzled and placed the memorial on the imperial desk. The porcelain bowl and jade cup clinked together, making a crisp sound. Dai Quan, who was standing guard to the side, immediately stepped forward, bowed and took the empty cup. Just as he was about to pour tea from the silver teapot at his fingertips, he heard the Emperor speak. His voice was somewhat muffled and he asked.

"Song Zhen is almost fifty-eight years old this year, isn't he? At his age, he can still faint from anger. It has truly opened the eyes of me and all the officials."

Dai Quan paused, filled the teacup with tea, and presented it to the table with both hands.

"Your Majesty has a good memory. Lord Song has always been in good health. However, during today's interrogation, Xu Changwen's case involved many people. The Censorate and the Court of Judicial Review both had different opinions. Even Marquis Luoyun was still digging up old cases related to the Grand Canal. As a result, old cases were brought up, and Lord Song accidentally got so angry that he fainted."

With her eyes lowered and not daring to look up, she could clearly hear the rustling sound of the Empress turning the pages of a memorial—a secret memorial just submitted by the Directorate of Ceremonial, recording the details of the Ministry of Justice's interrogation that day.

Empress Wu picked up the secret memorial, her fingertip tracing the sentence, "Xu Changwen confessed that he refused to answer questions from the Ministry of Justice because the presiding judge harbored personal grudges, and it had nothing to do with him." She then made a heavy dot with her vermilion pen on the paper, leaving a dark red ink mark.

“The presiding judge harbors personal grudges. Song Zhen, as the Minister of Justice, has always been in the capital. How could he, a mere county magistrate, who only took office this year, have personal grudges?”

Looking up at Dai Quan, besides the question he asked, he was also thinking about the case in Jiangnan. So, Song Zhen was hiding something else from him.

"You've been by my side for twenty years, have you ever seen such a bold official?"

Dai Quan bowed and replied:

"Your Majesty, I have only ever seen Your Majesty personally handling state affairs. Even among the officials who dared to speak out, none were as bold as that one. Today, when Lord Xu heard that Lord Song wanted to interrogate him severely, he slammed his fist on the table and said, 'If you eat the emperor's salary, you should understand your duties as a subject.' He also said that Lord Song ignored the account books that were sent to him and did not understand his duties as a subject. It seems that these words hit Lord Song's sore spot."

He spoke frankly and without reservation, but why Song Zhen had such a contrasting image before and after was unknown. After all, his attitude was not like this when he came to the Imperial Study last time. Dai Quan muttered to himself.

"Hmph, force him?"

The Empress sneered, got up and walked to the window. Looking at the darkening sky outside, she saw that the pomegranate trees under the palace walls were laden with fruit and swayed gently in the evening breeze.

“Song Zhen was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) during the Tianbao era. He rose from the Hanlin Academy to a local prefect and eventually became the Minister of Justice. He has handled at least eighty to one hundred cases. Given that, why did he get angry when handling this case?”

Turning around, his gaze fell upon the stack of memorials piled on the table.

"The memorial from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs stated that when the house was searched, only three or four taels of silver were found. The rest were mostly books and debt documents. Furthermore, the letters searched were mostly about trivial family matters. One of them was about asking a classmate in the capital to help him gather firewood. A dignified county magistrate couldn't even afford to buy firewood. So this time, he was interrogating an honest official, or rather, a person who had nothing. He didn't know how to interrogate him."

The Empress was filled with complex emotions. She had seen corrupt officials, powerful ministers, and even those who claimed to be honest or were truly incorruptible, but she had never seen an official who couldn't even produce five taels of silver. Such a person was extremely rare. If this was the case, his talent and character would be unparalleled throughout history.

Dai Quan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He knew that this Lord Xu was incorruptible, but he hadn't expected it to come to this. It seemed that Lord Song had truly encountered a difficult situation. He lowered his head and said:

"Your Majesty is wise. When the investigation of Magistrate Xu's family was carried out, it was the Northern Garrison Commander and the Directorate of Ceremonial who went together, and they brought along a skilled connoisseur. I heard that they dug up the entire courtyard, but they did not find any hidden silver. Therefore, Magistrate Xu's disaster relief efforts in Jiangnan are not fake."

He replied cautiously, and after thinking it over, he realized that Xu Changwen wouldn't lie, so the person who was lying was obvious.

The Empress walked to the desk, picked up the memorial from the Ministry of Justice again, and paused for a moment on the words, "After being treated, Song Zhen gradually woke up, but his body was somewhat numb and he could not get out of bed."

"It's good that Song Zhen is awake. Tomorrow, have the head of the Imperial Hospital go to the Ministry of Justice to take a look and give him some ginseng to help him recover. Since he can't move now and can't go back, he can rest at the yamen."

He paused, his voice deepening slightly.

"As for Xu Changwen, the Emperor Emeritus is eager to interrogate him, but we can't rush things, so let's wait for now."

Dai Quan quickly agreed:

"This servant will immediately instruct the Ministry of Justice to take good care of Lord Song, and to make a copy of those account books from Jiangnan and send it to the palace for future use."

The Martial Emperor pondered for a moment, then shook his head:
"Let the Ministry of Justice investigate first. If they can't find anything, then let the Imperial City Guard get involved. Song Zhengang just woke up. There's no need for him to know about copying the account books. You can send someone to do it."

He picked up the vermilion brush and wrote the four characters "thorough investigation without delay" at the end of the memorial; the characters were so strong they seemed to penetrate the paper.
“The documents, files, and records of the canal transport case, as well as those kept by officials from various departments, should all be copied.”

Dai Quan looked at Empress Wu's profile. In the candlelight, the fine lines at the corners of the emperor's eyes concealed a hint of majesty. He had followed Empress Wu for many years and knew that although the emperor seemed gentle, he was never ambiguous when it came to politics. When dealing with the corrupt Vice Minister of Rites, the emperor did the same thing: first, he ordered the Ministry of Rites to conduct a thorough investigation, and then he personally reviewed the case. This gave the official face and also eliminated the possibility of favoritism. It seemed that the old case of the Grand Canal Administration was going to be difficult to resolve.

"Your Majesty is holy."

Dai Quan bowed and said,
"This servant will immediately convey the imperial decree, instructing someone to make a copy at the Ministry of Justice overnight, and to report back to His Majesty first thing tomorrow morning."

Emperor Wu nodded, sat down again, and picked up another memorial—a petition from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs requesting the replacement of the presiding official in the Ministry of Justice. However, after reading only a few lines, his gaze returned to the memorial from the Ministry of Justice on the table, his brow furrowing slightly.

"The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs submitted a memorial, saying that they wanted to replace Song Zhen, the presiding judge, with someone else. I disagreed. Song Zhen cannot be moved lightly. I let him enter the cabinet, and it has only been a few days. If there is really a shortage of people, we should draw people from the Ministry of Justice to fill the position."

Dai Quan replied:

"This servant has noted it down. If the Ministry of Justice is to replace someone, should we add Chang Zuo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice?"

Things are starting to get out of control at the Directorate of Ceremonial. Fortunately, Xiao Yunzi has already joined the Directorate of Ceremonial. But is Chen Hui really Xia Shouzhong's man? Considering what he's done these past few days without reporting to Chang Le Palace, it seems he's trying to sell himself to a higher bidder. Unfortunately for him, he's not going to be able to dance on an egg.

"Chang Zuo, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice"

The emperor's tone softened slightly.
"I remember him. He is very capable and talented. If Lord Song is willing, we can replace him with him. If not, we can wait for now."

He picked up the porcelain cup, took a sip of warm water, and then turned his gaze back to the memorial on the table.

Go and deliver the message.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dai Quan bowed and withdrew. As he reached the door, he glanced back at the figure inside the imperial study, where the candlelight flickered. He paused for a moment, then quickly walked out of the study. Once outside, he waved.
"Someone come here!"

"Your Majesty, this servant is here!"

Eunuch Li quickly stepped forward and knelt respectfully on the ground. Upon seeing that it was Li Dequan, who had been transferred to the inner courtyard, Dai Quan was also somewhat surprised and asked;

"If you weren't in charge of affairs at the Meridian Gate, why are you serving in the Hall of Mental Cultivation?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, this servant was promoted by Eunuch Yun for his meritorious service in delivering the congratulatory message at the Meridian Gate, and was allowed to serve in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. This servant has longed for Your Majesty for a long time, and now my wish has finally come true."

After saying this, she wiped away her tears with her sleeve and began to cry. If those present hadn't known the inside story, outsiders would have thought it was truly a gathering of ancestors.

"Alright, stop crying. Now that you're here to serve, you're considered one of us. I never mistreat my own people. In that case, I'll ask you to do something. Is that alright?"

Knowing that it was his godson Xiao Yunzi who brought them in, Dai Quan was relieved. As long as they weren't from Chang Le Palace, they could be used for the time being. With that thought in mind, Li Dequan, who was kneeling on the ground, was overjoyed and quickly kowtowed.
"Rest assured, Ancestor. I will fulfill your instructions, even if it means my death."

"Don't be so serious. Take the men from the inner court to the Ministry of Justice and have them copy all the records of the prefectural governments and land accounts in Jiangnan. Send them to the Hall of Mental Cultivation tomorrow. Be quick." Seeing that this man was fairly obedient, Dai Quan didn't find fault with him. Instead, he solemnly instructed him. Li Dequan, however, was somewhat puzzled. Copying account books to the Ministry of Justice—what was so important about that? As long as he had enough men, it could be done by midnight.

"Yes, Ancestor, this servant obeys. But Ancestor, is that all? The task of copying the account books can be done in the middle of the night."

"What do you know? Don't ask anything else. When you leave, take a troop of imperial guards with you. Don't let the Emperor's important business be delayed."

"Yes, slave, take orders."

Just as everything was arranged inside, a young eunuch rushed in from outside.
"Reporting, Ancestor, Ancestor, a secret message has arrived from Chang Le Palace!"

As the palace messengers dispersed,

Zhang Jinyu, who had returned to the Marquis of Luoyun's residence, was now sitting in the pavilion of Dongyun Tower, enjoying his dinner. The table was full of delicious food, and he was surrounded by his beautiful wife and concubines. He was very content. Although there was no sign of fatigue on his face, there was a lingering sense of melancholy deep in his eyes.

Perhaps because they returned late, Madam Wang and her entourage ate early and did not stay with them. Only Qin Keqing and Yang Hanyu remained to sit with them, while Yue Shu and the other two women accompanied Madam Wang down to the pavilion.

After a day of trial, I was already quite agitated, so I drank a few extra glasses of alcohol.

"My lord, you seem rather agitated today after drinking. Perhaps you've encountered some trouble? May I tell you about it?"

Qin Keqing, dressed in an exaggerated long gown, sat next to Zhang Jinyu, served food to him by Baozhu and Ruizhu, with a gentle smile on her face.

beside,

Yang Hanyu, dressed in a black silk dress, had skin as white as snow and a curious expression on her stunning face, as she subtly pricked up her ears to listen.

"What else could it be? It's just a case from the Ministry of Justice, a bunch of pedantic scholars who only know how to talk big."

Thinking of those old geezers, who couldn't even out-argue Xu Changwen, I couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.
"Oh, are you referring to the interrogation of Xu Changwen, young master? It's all over the capital these days."

As he spoke, he picked up the soup bowl, scooped out a spoonful of chicken soup, and handed it over. Zhang Jinyu took the bowl, took a sip, and felt the warm soup slide down his throat, but it did not dispel the irritation in his heart. He had finally experienced the mind of a civil official. No wonder that in the late Ming Dynasty of his previous life, even the emperor was just a mascot for the civil official group. It was a pity that he was killed in the end despite all his scheming.

"Yes, that's the matter. A single memorial has caused a stir in the court. The Emperor Emeritus is still furious, and some people want to use him as a pretext. How can I, the Marquis, ignore this?"

With most of the dishes on the table eaten, Yang Hanyu beckoned to her maids. Several maids came over to clear away the empty plates, while another maid carried in a food box to rearrange the dishes that had been brought to the table.
Once the dishes and bowls were placed, Yang Hanyu took out her hand, tore the meat from a plate of crystal pork knuckle into pieces, and handed it over.

"My lord, I have heard a lot of gossip. Many people say that Lord Xu is a rare upright official, comparable to that one in the palace, cough cough."

His eyes held a strange glint, and before he could finish speaking, Zhang Jinyu glared at him fiercely, causing him to immediately shut his mouth.
"What do you know, you woman? The ignorant people outside don't understand, yet you're joining in the fun. Do you think you can just call someone 'just and upright' like that?"

Looking at the somewhat eccentric and clever Yang Hanyu, Zhang Jinyu was a little surprised. She really came from the palace and dared to say anything. She even called herself "Upright Official." Zhang Jinyu wondered who was behind this. It seemed that no official who was called "Upright Official" had a good ending.

Yang Hanyu shut up immediately after being scolded, but the curiosity in her eyes only increased. Qin Keqing shook her head.
"My lord, please don't be angry. Hanyu has not gone out. She has only heard about the happenings outside. But I think that since the people in the city are talking about it, it means that someone is spreading the news. Some people are saying that Xu Changwen's house was confiscated and he only had three or four taels of silver. I have never seen such an official in the world. I don't know if it is true or not."

"Of course it's true. When I went there the other day, I ran into the people from the Imperial City Guard. After questioning them, I found that they had indeed confiscated less than four taels of silver. I never thought that the money they gave me might have been used for disaster relief."

Zhang Jinyu recalled Xu Changwen's appearance when he first entered the mansion. He was carrying a bag of pastries and wearing a faded, patched long gown with seams, clearly a poor scholar. Yet, every time he met Xu Changwen, he would do something unexpected, proving himself to be a capable person. Even in the end, he hadn't expected him to go this far. Looking at the braised pork knuckle on the table, with the aspic peeled back to reveal the tender meat underneath, Zhang Jinyu suddenly lost his appetite.

“If that’s the case, we won’t be able to make a living in the capital. Yesterday you sent someone back to the manor to give me an explanation, so I had Baozhu arrange for someone to send some silver to the Xu family. I also had the steward of the manor buy some grain and send it over to settle things temporarily. However, there are many people around outside the Xu family, so we couldn’t send much.”

Perhaps sensing that her husband was in low spirits, she softened her voice even more.

Zhang Jinyu frowned. With so many people around, what did this mean? Did someone else intend to cause trouble at the Xu family's house?

"What do you mean by saying that the Xu family has many eyes and ears?"

"I don't know either. The people I sent out said that there were many common people gathered there, and many scholars were talking big. I don't know why."

Qin Keqing shook her head slightly. She didn't know the specifics either, but the more she did, the more worried Zhang Jinyu became. Feeling annoyed, she put down her chopsticks and was about to get up when Yang Hanyu suddenly spoke up.

"Sister, why bother sending these things? It's too much trouble. Why not have the waiters from Youlai Restaurant deliver three meals a day? If the Xu family makes any moves, they can come directly to our residence to report it."

The words were meant for Qin Keqing to hear, but his gaze remained fixed on the Marquis. Qin Keqing was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then turned back to look at her husband's face, smiling and nodding.

"Alright, let's do as my sister says."

But at this moment,
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the attic.
Ningbian led his personal guards up to the pavilion and whispered;

"Master Marquis, someone is coming from the palace."

Zhang Jinyu's heart skipped a beat. It was just past dusk, and they hadn't even finished their meal when the palace servants became restless.
"What about people?"

"It's right in the front yard."

Ning Bian pointed to the front yard, where the person was still waiting. Zhang Jinyu reluctantly got up.
"Go to bed early tonight, no need to wait."

Without giving the two women a chance to speak, he led his men down from the pavilion and headed towards the front courtyard. Upon reaching the courtyard, he found two eunuchs dressed in bright-colored palace attire. The one in the lead was expressionless and appeared somewhat aloof. Only after Zhang Jinyu approached did he speak.

"By imperial decree of the Emperor Emeritus, Marquis of Luoyun shall receive the decree."

Upon hearing that it was an imperial edict from the Emperor Emeritus, Zhang Jinyu raised an eyebrow. No wonder the eunuchs in front of him were not only unfamiliar but also so arrogant. They were dressed in Suzhou brocade, unlike the eunuchs serving in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. These people were somewhat of an eyesore.

Since they were from Chang Le Palace, there was no need to be too polite. He cupped his hands in greeting.
"Your subject Zhang Jinyu receives the imperial decree,"

"The Emperor Emeritus decrees that Marquis Luoyun shall remain in the Imperial Prison tonight to receive the Emperor's instructions and to re-examine the case of Xu Changwen. This is the imperial decree."

"Sir, obey the order."

The two eunuchs didn't waste any words; one read the decree aloud, while the other waited quietly. Zhang Jinyu first clasped his hands in acceptance of the decree, his mind still filled with many questions. Was the Emperor Emeritus unwilling to accept the verdict at night, or did he feel that the interrogation by others was inadequate? He also wondered how many more people would be sent to investigate the case.

"May I ask, sir, who else is scheduled to go to the imperial prison?"

He casually handed over a few silver notes. Upon seeing them, the two eunuchs' expressions softened slightly. They reached out and took the notes, then replied.

"My lord, the Imperial City Guard has taken over the case at the Heavenly Prison. All the chief judges are required to be present. As for the Ministry of Justice, Vice Minister Chang will be going in place of Grand Secretary Song. My lord, now that the decree has been delivered, I will return to report."

Without further ado, having said all that needed to be said, the two took their leave.
"Alright, then thank you both very much,"

Zhang Jinyu then had the butler escort them one step ahead, watching the two eunuchs leave. Perhaps thinking of something, she immediately gave an order.

"Ningbian, prepare the cart frame and take some men to the Xu family to take a look."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

(End of this chapter)