Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1141 Sniping at the Middle Gate of the Imperial Prison
Inside the imperial prison,
Only the flickering candlelight on the wall, though there was light, resembled will-o'-the-wisps.

Inside the iron cage,
Xu Changwen put down his bowl of porridge, his emotions and expression unchanged. After drinking the porridge, he regained some energy.

The Emperor Emeritus remained silent for a moment, agreeing with the sentiment but also somewhat puzzled. Xu Changwen's congratulatory memorial contained many quotations; why was this? He asked in a low voice:

"Emperor Wen's virtue and the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing are praised by all later generations, and I have heard of them as well. Yet you, in your congratulatory message to the retired emperor, quoted the words of the eccentric Jia Yi, demanding perfection and being overly critical. You used the criticism of Emperor Wen to criticize the current retired emperor. Such a virtuous ruler is attacked in this way. Who is the virtuous ruler in your mind?"

Xu Changwen suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with determination and doubt, and sighed.

"Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang,"

"The Grand Secretary is asking about the three dynasties and below, not the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors."

The retired emperor loudly reminded him not to say anything else.

"Yes, Your Majesty. As I have already stated in my memorial, Emperor Wen of Han can be considered a wise ruler among those who came after the Three Dynasties."

Xu Changwen remained expressionless as he answered, and then the Emperor Emeritus chuckled and pressed on.

"Very well, if you acknowledge Emperor Wen of Han as a wise ruler, why do you criticize him for his leisurely retirement and neglect of state affairs? Is this an allusion to what happened when the retired emperor was in power?"

After pressing for an answer, Xu Changwen did not respond, which also puzzled them.

Why didn't you answer?

But then Xu Changwen picked up a steamed bun, took a big bite, and swallowed it.

"My lord, this statement is not worth refuting,"

"Hehe, is it not worth refuting, or is there simply no way to respond?"

The retired emperor smiled, feeling much more at ease. In the end, the Taoist was still one step ahead.

“They did not understand my memorial, nor could they comprehend it, and therefore they did not know how to refute it.”

Xu Changwen clenched his fists and remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking. If he had been interested in reading this, he wouldn't have asked these questions. He had no intention of seeking fame. If he hadn't presented his memorial in this way, the two emperors might not have seen it. The cabinet would have submitted it, but the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs wouldn't have been able to get through.

"Hmph, what a joke. It seems like a great subject of study, but there is an imperial decree that I must answer. I cannot refuse."

The Emperor Emeritus could not tolerate his silence. Seeing that his son seemed to have repented and perhaps admitted his guilt, he reached out and ladled a bowl of porridge for Xu Changwen from the jar. He also brought out the stewed meat that the Imperial Kitchen had brought and placed it there. The reason he hadn't brought it out beforehand was because he was unhappy about it.

Xu Changwen didn't speak at first, but after eating a piece of stewed meat, he answered solemnly.

"Emperor Wen of Han did not respect Confucius and Mencius, but instead revered the Huang-Lao philosophy, advocating a policy of non-interference. Therefore, he suffered from the shortcomings of being overly concerned with personal matters and neglecting state affairs. However, I still believe Emperor Wen was a wise ruler because he possessed the virtues of being close to the people, which exemplifies the virtues of humility and frugality. He cared deeply about the safety and well-being of the people, allowing them to recuperate and thrive. Emperor Jing succeeded him, further developing Emperor Wen's virtues, resulting in the historical era known as the Reign of Wen and Jing."

However, while the retired emperor was in power, he always thought he was emulating the actions of Emperors Wen and Jing. After his abdication, he controlled the government for nearly ten years without attending court, calling it "governing by inaction." He built temples and palaces, but in reality, he was engaged in large-scale construction projects, appointing officials like household slaves, treating the national treasury as his private property. He used his own will to control the hearts of the people, doing nothing to allow the people to rest and recuperate. As a result, the emperor was extravagant and the officials were greedy, exhausting the people's wealth, leading to chaos in the country and hardship for the people.

He paused, then looked up at the old man before him and said in a deep voice;
"Forgive my bluntness, but even the wise rulers Wen and Jing had the problem of neglecting governance. The current emperor has ambitions but cannot realize them. Although the retired emperor resides in Changle Palace, whether he is on the throne or not, he is far inferior to Emperor Wen of Han!"

"you!"

Upon hearing this, the retired emperor felt a tightness in his chest, finding it hard to accept. His eyes instantly turned cold, but his tone remained calm:
"Do you think you can get these words out?"

Xu Changwen raised his head and looked into the old man's eyes. Those eyes, in the dim light, exuded a chilling majesty.

"Whether it is handed over or not, I do not care. My Great Wu Dynasty has tens of thousands of officials, yet not one dares to speak to the Emperor Emeritus. If I do not speak, history will record it for posterity. If I do not speak, the entire court will be full of sycophants, how can the court be clear and just? If I do not speak, how will the people live? Only treacherous sects will take advantage of the chaos, and the country will cease to exist. Please ask my words to Grand Secretary Song and those officials who want to refute me. If they do not speak, but I speak alone, what is the meaning of insinuation? If I speak alone, but the officials refute me, do they want the Emperor Emeritus to be remembered with infamy for all eternity?"

The retired emperor slowly removed his felt hat, and his gray hair fell down, revealing his weathered yet still dignified face.
"Are you the only loyal, virtuous, and wise minister, and everyone else is not?"

Xu Changwen shook his head and replied,
"This humble official is merely an honest minister,"

Upon seeing this, the retired emperor's voice turned cold.

"A loyal minister who has no father or ruler!"

The words stung almost everyone in the prison. Even the eunuch recording the events in the next cell was trembling and shaking. All the Imperial Guards lowered their heads, almost covering their ears. They didn't want to hear a single word of these deadly words.

In the other corridor, the presiding officials were already dumbfounded. There was probably no one in the world who could speak to the Emperor Emeritus like that. Several Grand Secretaries slowly turned their gazes to Marquis Luo Yun. Zhang Jinyu forced a smile, his lips twitching. He had nothing to say. Fortunately, the Emperor was not here. This was treasonous. This was truly treasonous.

Not knowing how it would end, he looked at the young Grand Secretary beside him, his expression complicated, and asked;
"Young Master, what is the solution to this situation?"

He opened his mouth quietly, unaware that the eldest son, Li Chaosheng, had beads of sweat on his forehead. Now, Xu Changwen had said what he should and shouldn't have said, and the people here couldn't stop him. What could they do?
"My lord, please calm down and continue listening."

Zhang Jinyu's eyes were strange. He decided to remain calm for now. He knew Jia Yi, whom the Emperor Emeritus had just mentioned. Jia Yi was a minister during the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. He was a man of great talent and had written works such as "On the Faults of Qin." He had also written a policy on maintaining order that shocked the court and the public. Unfortunately, he was ostracized by the officials at the time and died in the south in depression. As a result, scholars of later dynasties all regarded him as a minister who offered advice and remonstrance.

Because everyone knows these things, no one can answer now.

A moment later, everyone pressed their ears against the wall again.

"My lord, could you please relay my words to the Emperor Emeritus?"

"Say!"

Xu Changwen, his eyes brimming with tears, choked out;
“I lost my father when I was four years old. My mother remained a widow and raised me alone. When I became an official, my mother taught me earnestly that although I had no father, I was still receiving the emperor's salary, so the emperor was my father. In fact, it is not only I, Xu Changwen, who regard the emperor as my father. All the people under heaven regard the emperor and the emperor emeritus as their fathers.”

Unfortunately, the current emperor, though ambitious, is unable to realize his ambitions. The retired emperor, residing in Chang Le Palace, does not regard the people as his subjects, favoring corrupt officials and eunuchs. From the twenty-four departments of the palace to officials at all levels, from the court to the prefectures, including the Imperial Household Department, all treat the people like fish on a chopping block. The retired emperor, secluded in Chang Le Palace, is preoccupied with his spiritual cultivation, never once investigating the suffering of the people. He has thought of the millions of people who, though they have a ruler, have no father; though they have officials, they are like thieves. From the capital to the south of the Yangtze River, there are only starving and freezing infants waiting to die, fish on a chopping block. Does the emperor and father know this?

Upon hearing this, the retired emperor turned pale and his heart trembled. He slowly rose, his expression ashen, opened the cage, and walked slowly out. As he approached the cell door, he coughed violently, his face turning deathly pale, and a trace of blood even trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Do you know, do you know?

Staggering out of the cell, he suddenly shouted.
"The Great Emperor!"

Upon seeing this, the crowd outside the iron prison exclaimed in alarm and rushed forward. Zhang Jinyu knew something was wrong and was the first to rush to the iron prison. He forcefully pushed open the iron door and supported the swaying Emperor Emeritus.

Following them were Eunuch Chen from the Directorate of Ceremonial, and Ma Fei and others. The Emperor Emeritus, supporting Zhang Jinyu's arm, was breathing rapidly and speaking weakly.
"Go back quickly!"

Before he could finish speaking, another mouthful of blood spurted out, splattering onto Zhang Jinyu's dark brocade robe in a shocking manner. Then, everything went black, and he fainted.

"The Emperor Emeritus!" Everyone exclaimed in unison, and the stone chamber instantly descended into chaos. Grand Secretary Gu immediately sent for the imperial physician, while the rest of the people stayed by the Emperor Emeritus's side, their faces grave.

After Chen Hui brought over a soft couch, Zhang Jinyu and the others helped the Emperor Emeritus sit down on it. Just as they were about to say something more, the Junior Grand Secretary Li Chaosheng, standing to the side, looked at the chaos with a complex expression. He slowly stepped forward and said to Marquis Luo Yun in a deep voice:

"My lord, the most urgent task is to send the Emperor Emeritus back to the palace for treatment. We can decide on the rest after he wakes up."

Zhang Jinyu nodded and took a deep breath.

"Quickly, send the Emperor Emeritus back to Chang Le Palace, and then send someone to inform the Emperor about what happened here."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Inside the imperial prison, chaos reigned. Fortunately, martial law had been imposed on the way there, and numerous eunuchs and palace attendants carried the imperial bed back to Chang Le Palace. Ma Fei, the Director of Ceremonial Affairs, remained behind to relay messages loudly.

"My lords, the Emperor Emeritus has decreed that all officials of the Six Ministries must write memorials refuting Xu Changwen before determining his guilt and making a decision. My lords, you may return now."

Without waiting for Zhang Jinyu and his group to ask any questions, he hurriedly left, leaving the adults staring at each other, at a loss. When they looked back at the prison, the gates were already locked, and they could no longer see him.

Even the usually composed Grand Secretary Gu looked worried. Things had come to this point, and many things were beyond repair. Moreover, the Emperor Emeritus was stubborn and had encountered a die-hard like Xu Changwen, so how could he persuade him? Turning back to look at the stunned Marquis Luo Yun, he sighed, "What an unexpected disaster."

"Lord Luoyun, Xu Changwen is your student. No matter what he has done, your reputation as your mentor will not change. In that case, could we persuade him to submit a memorial to plead guilty, and then work together to protect him so that he can go to the Hanlin Academy and the Imperial Academy for further studies?"

By retreating in order to advance, since the Ministry of Justice and the people in the palace are helpless in this interrogation, and the Minister of Justice is still lying in the ministry, and the retired emperor is so angry that he vomited blood, it is likely that no one in the entire court will dare to provoke this trouble again.

"Yes, Marquis Luoyun, we are both officials in the same court, following the way of the sages. However, most officials are only concerned with bringing glory to their ancestors and maintaining appearances. They want to be both officials and subjects. Although I am not aware of the inside story, today's conversation between the emperor and his subjects has really gone too far."

Chang Zuo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, looked somewhat shocked. He had rushed over only to encounter this situation. He recalled that Grand Secretary Song was still resting in bed inside the Ministry of Justice and thought it was a cover-up. However, after this conversation that evening, he realized that Grand Secretary Song was in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat. Perhaps, he should just give way a little.

Seeing that everyone in front of her was trying to persuade her, Zhang Jinyu couldn't help but wonder if Xu Chengwen had really gone too far. But when she thought of the coffin in the main hall of the Xu family, which clearly indicated that he was determined to die, she realized that a civil official who risked his life to remonstrate would surely be remembered in history. How could she allow someone who had shown her favor to tarnish his reputation? If outsiders found out, they would surely despise him.

His expression turned serious, and he bowed with his hands clasped.

“What you gentlemen say is all correct, and I am also reluctant to do so. But in all things in the world, there is always a reason. As Confucius said, ‘The commander of an army can be taken away, but the will of a common man cannot be taken away.’ There are countless ministers in the world, but only Xu Changwen is worthy of advice. If I were to offer advice, I would be a petty person.”

The words were clear and resonant, and the civil officials, whether upright or corrupt, cared most about their posthumous reputation. Moreover, this dialogue between the emperor and his minister would surely be remembered for eternity. No one would act rashly or use the favor to threaten others, thus becoming a petty person.

Marquis Luo Yun's words were deafening to everyone present. Even the eldest son, Li Chaosheng, who genuinely wanted to offer advice, couldn't help but feel moved and returned the greeting with a bow.
“My lord, we almost did something despicable. In any case, if such a day ever comes, we civil officials will certainly offer our advice. But now the Emperor Emeritus is unwell and we don’t know what the palace’s attitude is. It’s not good to guess. Brother, why don’t you be bold and go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to apologize now?”

Since the retired emperor is unwell, but the emperor has not appeared, if we go to apologize now, there might be a glimmer of hope.

The group exchanged glances, the most agitated being Feng Yongwen of the Dali Temple. His face was ashen. Xu Changwen was so upright that there was little hope of him surviving. What would become of his young daughter? He looked around blankly, as if pleading.

“My lord, at this point, I have no other requests, but I would like to leave with some dignity and preserve the friendship between our two families.”

Now that things have come to this, Xu Changwen's treasonous words have angered the Emperor Emeritus to the point of vomiting blood, leaving him with virtually no hope of survival. However, as the betrothed son-in-law, he should at least retain some dignity. The others suddenly realized that Xu Changwen had this connection to the matter.

Zhang Jinyu's heart softened. He was the one who arranged the marriage with the Feng family. Now that things had come to this point, it was time for the Feng family to leave. Every match they made involved him, which was incredibly tiresome.

"Lord Feng, rest assured, the Great Wu Dynasty has its own laws and regulations. We will act in accordance with the law and do what is right. If anyone tries to bypass these laws and resorts to private punishment, I will never allow it."

This can be considered a guarantee. As long as vigilante justice is not used, the most serious crime will be exile, and perhaps even less, since more than half of the presiding judges are implicated.

With Luo Yunhou's assurance, Feng Yongwen's expression improved considerably. He opened his mouth, wanting to say more, but with so many people around, he had no choice but to swallow his words. And so, the group slowly walked along the inner palace garden toward the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

As the leading eunuch stamped his foot, everyone knew that the Hall of Mental Cultivation was just ahead.

The night wind lifted the bright yellow gauze curtains, and the smoke of agarwood incense lingered in the air, as if frozen by the oppressive atmosphere inside the hall. The gilded crane lantern in front of the emperor, with three candles burning, cast a bright glow on the imperial desk inside the room.

"Your Majesty, the chief official of the Ministry of Justice has come from the imperial prison to request an audience outside the palace. Another servant said that when the Emperor Emeritus personally interrogated Xu Changwen, no one was there. Half an hour later, the Emperor Emeritus was so angry that he vomited blood. He has now returned to Chang Le Palace, and the imperial physician has gone to treat him. Fortunately, the Emperor Emeritus is not seriously injured."

Trembling and incredulous, Dai Quan spoke with a doubtful expression as he recounted the news he had just received: How could the Emperor Emeritus, so wise and powerful throughout his life, be so angered by a mere minor official that he vomited blood? Was he not like that Grand Secretary Song, narrow-minded and only just now waking up?

"What? He was so angry that he vomited blood!"

The Emperor Wu paused mid-air, his pen poised to review the memorials, feeling somewhat incredulous. He knew that the Retired Emperor had gone to the Imperial Prison to interrogate Xu Changwen tonight, and that he had informed several chief judges from the Ministry of Justice and reported to the Emperor Wu. He had originally thought that the interrogation tonight would be somewhat chaotic, but he never expected that it would end like this, which was quite unexpected.

Seeing that the emperor had not spoken, Dai Quan hesitated before adding a sentence.
"Your Majesty, perhaps we could have them come again tomorrow?"

"No, let them in,"

Empress Wu thought about many things. Although the imperial physicians had examined the patient, she didn't know if the retired emperor had done it on purpose at Chang Le Palace.

"Yes, Your Majesty. On his way back to Chang Le Palace, the Emperor Emeritus issued an edict ordering officials from the Six Ministries to write memorials refuting Xu Changwen. However, before leaving, he sent two words to the eunuchs of the inner court."

Dai Quan looked puzzled, placed the delivered note on the imperial desk, and seemed unsure how to interpret it.

"Two words, what words?"

Emperor Wu was taken aback. The retired emperor's actions seemed somewhat contradictory. He casually picked up the note, opened it, and saw that it contained the words "bright moon." Literally, it referred to the moon in the night sky, but according to Taoist sayings, the bright moon is also associated with a gentle breeze. He hadn't yet figured out the meaning. He put the note away and waved his hand. Dai Quan understood and sent someone to the outside of the hall to lead the people inside.

The beaded curtain was gently lifted by the eunuch, and six figures slowly entered the hall on golden bricks. At the front was Marquis Luoyun, Zhang Jinyu, dressed in a dark martial uniform with traces of blood on it. The jade belt around his waist was somewhat loose. After entering the hall, he deliberately followed behind the group. Leading the group was Grand Secretary Gu of the Ministry of Revenue. The rest of the group were scattered on both sides. Everyone entered the hall with heavy thoughts, still thinking about the fear they had felt in the prison. They knelt down and shouted to the heavens.
"Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live the Emperor!"

"Rise,"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

After everyone stood up, the Martial Emperor put down his vermilion brush, raised his head, opened his tiger-like eyes, scanned the crowd, and directly asked a question.
"Tell me, what happened in the prison? Is it because that Master Xu still refuses to back down?"

Since there was a question, it must mean that the Emperor already knew the inside story. However, no one had figured out how to explain it, so they could only stand there with their heads down. Only Gu Yichen turned pale and had no choice but to speak.

"Your Majesty, Xu Changwen has consistently claimed his innocence and asserted himself as an upright official. While the officials of the Great Wu Dynasty dare not speak out, he alone does. Some of his words are deafening and unorthodox, but upon closer examination, they may not be entirely without merit. Therefore..."

Instead of speaking up, Grand Secretary Gu deliberately avoided the main points, only mentioning the beginning and glossing over the details. The others remained silent, knowing that saying more would only lead to more mistakes, and saying nothing would be better than doing nothing. Being in the position of presiding judge was too risky, and they had no choice but to accept it.

(End of this chapter)