Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 156 The coffin lid is about to be nailed
Shang Jingying led the elite of the Imperial Stables out of the Qianqing Gate Hall, leaving only the emperor and three eunuchs in charge of ceremonies in the hall.

"Wei Zhongxian." Zhu Changluo called out.

"I'm here." Wei Zhongxian knelt down and waited for orders.

"I heard from Wang Chengen that you transferred the documents from the Northern Pacification Office?" Zhu Changluo lowered his head and looked at Wei Zhongxian.

"In reply to your Majesty, I have indeed transferred the documents from the Northern Pacification Office, and the matter has been reported to the Imperial Household Department." Wei Zhongxian was not surprised.

"What do you want to investigate? What did you find out?" Zhu Changluo glanced at Wang An, who nodded in affirmation.

"In reply to your Majesty," Wei Zhongxian thought for a moment and replied, "I have been reviewing the files of the Northern Pacification Office for two reasons: first, to analyze the files and investigate the interactions between the Imperial Guard and officials from the outer court. Second, it's because the Eastern Depot recently executed some people."

"The East Factory killed someone and you asked the West Factory to retrieve the case files from the Northern Pacification Office?" Zhu Changluo was not surprised by the fact that the East Factory killed someone.

"Yes. I want to understand Cui Wensheng's motive for the murder. Although the East Depot has become independent since its reconstruction and no longer has ties to the Imperial Guard, before that, the East Depot and the Northern Pacification Office shared a common file library. Even putting aside the 'sharing' issue, the Imperial Guard is the most comprehensive of all the government offices in terms of collecting personal information on officials," Wei Zhongxian stated bluntly. "Directly investigating the case would inevitably alert Cui Wensheng. So, I used the pretext of investigating the Northern Pacification Office to transfer their files. This way, the East Depot wouldn't suspect the West Depot was secretly investigating them."

"What are these cases? Who did he kill?" Zhu Changluo then asked about the details of the Dongchang's killings.

"Most of the people he killed were criminals who had been dismissed from their posts," Wei Zhongxian replied. "Our investigation is still short, and we've only discovered this one common point. As for other matters, we're still investigating."

"The only common point is 'dismissal'?" Zhu Changluo picked out a word.

"Yes. These individuals' places of origin, clans, and time of passing the imperial examinations are all unrelated, and the locations of the crimes are also different. Recently, Cui Wensheng's godson, Cui Yuan, left Beijing and is heading towards Nanjing. I don't know what he's up to, but I suspect he's going to kill someone," Wei Zhongxian explained. "So, the Western Depot sent a former scout to follow Cui Yuan and investigate who he was planning to kill."

"Master, do you want to call Cui Wensheng over for questioning?" Wang An asked with a frown.

Zhu Changluo glanced at Wang An, then turned his attention back to Wei Zhongxian: "Are these expelled officials related to the senior officials in the court? Will their deaths affect the court situation?"

This question sparked a flash of inspiration for Wei Zhongxian, who suddenly realized something. However, as he had no concrete evidence, he simply replied, "They were all dismissed officials. They wouldn't have had much impact. Besides, Cui Yuan did a great job and left no evidence."

"Let's leave it at that for now. Don't interfere. Report back once you've investigated thoroughly." Zhu Changluo slowly stepped down from the throne. He said to Wei Zhongxian, who was still kneeling on the ground, "Go back. You have nothing to do here."

"I obey your command." Wei Zhongxian kowtowed again, facing the emperor's back, and left the hall through the main gate. With that, the Qianqing Gate returned to its peaceful state, as if no one had been there.

"Wang An, what time is it?" Zhu Changluo asked, looking at the sunset that was about to end.

"It's almost 3 p.m." Wang An turned his head and glanced at the clock in the southern study.

After saying that, he deliberately added, "It's almost time to disband the government office."

In winter, the days are short and the nights are long. Besides the Forbidden City and Huanghuafang, few lanterns can be seen in the entire capital after dark. To prevent officials from returning home in the dark and encountering unexpected events, the time for dismissal of court sessions was accordingly advanced.

"The crowd in Wenhua Hall hasn't dispersed yet, so I won't either." Zhu Changluo withdrew his gaze and turned to go into the southern study. "Add some charcoal to the stove."

Wang An sighed silently upon hearing this. He then walked over to the stove and added some sandalwood and agarwood charcoal. He blew carefully twice, and the stove ignited.

After sitting for a while, the hall, which had lost its temperature, warmed up again. A cup of warm water was placed on Zhu Changluo's desk to warm his stomach.

Benedict! Benedict! Benedict!
Wei Chao walked over and opened the palace door that he had closed with his own hands not long ago.

"Xu Butang, you're here." Wei Chao greeted him warmly.

"Hello, Wei Bingbi." Xu Guangqi nodded in greeting.

"Come in." The emperor's voice came from deep in the hall.

Xu Guangqi walked into the hall and found a wooden stool in front of the imperial desk. He knew it was specially prepared for him, but he still knelt down and waited for the emperor's order to give him a seat.

"Please sit down. There won't be any other guests here today." Zhu Changluo said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Xu Guangqi kowtowed to express his gratitude, then lifted his robe and sat down.

"Just talk about the important things." Zhu Changluo gave instructions after Xu Guangqi sat down.

"Court meeting." Xu Guangqi was interrupted as soon as he opened his mouth.

"I already know about the court meeting." Zhu Changluo waved his hand and said, "Don't waste your breath."

"Yes." Xu Guangqi was stunned, but not for long. "After Li Maofu's heartfelt persuasion, the officials finally realized the emperor's grace. The matter should have ended there, but Zou Nangao died in the imperial prison after all."

Under Xu Guangqi's vivid description, time seemed to go back to when Zhang Yanshang left Wenhua Hall and rushed towards Qianqing Gate.

------

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister." Yuan Huazhong, who had initially challenged Cui Wensheng, was spared the blow. "We've heard that the cabinet's petition for the deceased's remains was rejected by the Imperial Household Department. Is this true?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the Wenhua Hall fell silent again, with only some very emotional officials still sobbing.

"That's true." Fang Congzhe thought that it was the Left Censor-in-Chief Zhang Wenda who leaked the news, so he glanced at him.

"Then can I understand this as the Imperial Household Department trying to cover up the real cause of Lord Zou's death in order to protect the Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Yuan Huazhong's words became more cautious.

"Why do you think so?" Fang Congzhe asked back.

"The Pacification Office is trying to cover up the truth and escape responsibility, while the Western Factory is in cahoots with them. At the same time, these two offices are under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Department. This is what is called the integration of the inner court," Yuan Huazhong replied.

"Your speculation is without evidence." Fang Congzhe shook his head calmly.

Yuan Huazhong defended his speculation, saying, "Nangao Gong died tragically in the imperial prison. How can we trust the conclusion of the imperial guards? And if he truly committed suicide, wouldn't he be worried about withstanding the investigation by the three judicial departments?"

"It's not surprising that he committed suicide." Zhou Chaorui stood up again.

"What do you mean?" Yuan Huazhong suddenly turned around and looked at Zhou Chaorui.

"We still demand severe punishment for the Jinyiwei!" Zhou Chaorui knew Yuan Huazhong had misunderstood him. He wiped the blood and tears from his eyes and explained, "Whether Nan Gaogong committed suicide or not, the Jinyiwei are inextricably linked to this!"

Although Zhou Chaorui was an unwavering radical on this issue, he wasn't one to simply act on impulse. Instead, he considered it thoroughly. In his view, even if Zou Yuanbiao truly committed suicide, it was because he couldn't endure the torture and didn't want to perjure those around him, leading him to choose a heroic and unwavering death. Rather than wasting time dwelling on the cause of death, it would be better to address it immediately and make the Jinyiwei who tortured him pay with their own lives. This would deter the Jinyiwei from their reckless behavior and provide comfort to Zou Yuanbiao's spirit.

"You mean as long as the Jinyiwei are severely punished, it doesn't matter what the truth is?" Shen immediately saw through Zhou Chaorui's idea and put it on the table in a very unpleasant way.

That being said, Shen himself didn't dislike this approach. For Shen, the truth wasn't what mattered, but the direction of the wind. If he could summon the wind, that was all that mattered. If he couldn't, he had to follow it. Going against it was a dead end. He believed that, at this point, the palace's cover-up itself was a form of wind direction.

If he were asked to help the Donglin Party in this matter, he would try his best to make Zou Yuanbiao commit suicide, because the Jinyiwei wanted a confession and would not impose a heavy sentence or even kill a prisoner without authorization.

Exposing the so-called truth would be disgraceful to the palace, and this would undoubtedly lead to severe backlash. If the palace insisted on protecting the Imperial Guard, what could the censors do? Would they force the palace to abdicate again? Dingcheng's suicide, allowing the palace to step down with dignity, would be the only way to force the Imperial Guard to pay the price. And with Zou Yuanbiao's death, the "Donglin Party Case" would be brought to an end.

"No, of course the truth is important!" In such a context, Zhou Chaorui could only answer no.

"Then you should investigate it carefully and get to the bottom of it." Shen smiled: Investigate it, and I will kill you with one stroke!
"How do we investigate?" Liu Yirong asked. "The Cabinet has already submitted a petition. But the palace has clearly stated that Zou Erzhan's remains will not be returned to his family until the matter is concluded. The Imperial Guards won't destroy the body, so let's wait and see." It seemed as if Liu Yirong had seen through Shen's tactics and was trying to salvage the situation.

"Let me go and ask." Xu Guangqi stood up.

"Zixian, why?" The expression on Liu Yirong's face was just right.

"I went to the study yesterday." Xu Guangqi laughed self-deprecatingly. "Maybe the emperor will see me."

"Okay!" Shen quickly finalized it.

Ye Xianggao glanced meaningfully at Liu Yirong, then at Xu Guangqi. He had a feeling the two were plotting something. "Zixian, I'm sorry to bother you with making the trip. If it doesn't work, the cabinet can find another solution. What do you think?" After a moment's thought, Ye Xianggao decided to go along with Xu Guangqi's advice and give him a hand.

Shen suddenly felt something strange, so he looked back at Ye Xianggao, but only saw a serious old face.

------

"Your Majesty, that's all." Xu Guangqi repeated the conversation word for word.

"Interesting." Zhu Changluo sighed and pushed the handwritten order to the edge of the imperial desk. "Wei Zhongxian has already informed him. He bought a nice coffin for Zou Yuanbiao, but he hasn't nailed the lid on yet."

Xu Guangqi picked up the order. "Your Majesty, there are priorities. You can hammer the nails first and pry them out later."

"Okay, go ahead. They're waiting for you at Wenhua Palace. I'm about to dismiss office." Everything had already been agreed upon, so there was no need to say more.

"Wang An." Zhu Changluo called out after Xu Guangqi closed the palace door again.

"The servant is here."

"Zou Yuanbiao committed suicide out of fear of punishment. You should hurry up and find the evidence." Zhu Changluo clenched his fists, his nails slightly digging into the flesh.

"As you wish." Wang An accepted the order and left the study.

Wei Chao noticed the emperor's fatigue and came over to ask with concern, "Master, where are you going to rest today?"

"I don't want to go anywhere. I'll just spend the night in the Qianqing Palace." Zhu Changluo shook his head.

"I will serve the meal right away."

"Go." After Wei Chao left, Zhu Changluo was the only one left in the Southern Study.

------

After leaving the Qianqing Palace, Wang An, accompanied by his eunuchs, headed directly north, exiting the Forbidden City through the Xuanwu Gate. Directly north of the Xuanwu Gate was Wansui Mountain, and after skirting Wansui Mountain and passing through the Shangyijian, he arrived at the Silijian headquarters.

Although the bell tower rang the 3:00-hour bell, the Imperial Household Department was still bustling with people.

"Ancestor." Seeing the ancestor coming, everyone in the yamen knelt down.

"Get up." Wang An did not stop, but walked straight to the main hall.

In the main hall stood several large braziers piled high with charcoal. As soon as the door opened, the bright red, steady flames were immediately stirred to dance left and right by the sudden cold wind.

In the entire imperial city, including the Forbidden City, there were only a handful of doors that Wang An could personally close. The main hall of the Imperial Household Department was obviously not one of them.

Before the door opened, Cao Huachun, who had heard the noise, had already stood up and was waiting. Beside him stood a little boy.

"Hello, godfather." Cao Huachun came before Wang An and knelt down and kowtowed before the door was closed and the fire was lit.

"Greetings, ancestor." Wang Chengen also knelt down and kowtowed.

"Everyone, get up." Wang An had been standing all day and was extremely tired. So as soon as his butt touched the chair, fatigue immediately washed over him.

"Cheng'en, go make Grandpa a cup of strong tea." Wang An liked this clever child who shared the same surname as him very much, so he always addressed himself as "Grandpa." However, Wang Cheng'en strictly adhered to the cold rules of the palace and did not dare to overstep his bounds.

"Yes, sir." Wang Chengen still clearly remembered the kick Wang An gave Cui Wensheng.

"Godfather, take a rest if you're tired. Your son is here to take care of you, and nothing will go wrong." Cao Huachun brought a small cashmere blanket and placed it on Wang An's thighs.

"The task that worries my master hasn't been resolved yet, and I can't rest in peace." Wang An rubbed his temples, forcing himself to be more alert. "Have you found a solution to convicting Zou Yuanbiao?"

"The child hasn't said anything yet, and you're here." Cao Huachun took the strong tea from Wang Chengen's hand and placed it in front of Wang An. "Godfather, be careful, it's hot."

"Did the Pacification Office get anything useful?" Wang An looked at Wang Chengen.

"To answer your father's question," Wang Chengen replied. "The Pacification Office's search for evidence is like a robbery, causing chaos. But they probably haven't found anything useful yet. It's another government office."

"Which government office?"

"East Office."

(End of this chapter)