Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 165 A Different Way to Die

"In that case, let the Jinyiwei hand Sun Ruyou over to the Censorate. Let Zhang Wenda of the Censorate preside over the trial, and Huang Kezan of the Ministry of Justice serve as the deputy judge. As for the Dali Temple, since it has no chief officer now, let Master He be the temple minister." Zhu Changluo spoke while Wang An lowered his head to take notes.

Wang An was one of the most accomplished eunuchs in the imperial court, highly educated and able to write quickly. However, even his handwriting could not keep up with his speech, so he would simply write down the general contents of the document in simple strokes on a piece of scratch paper, and only complete the sentences and orders after the emperor stopped talking.

"Master He?" Wang Anhui recalled and asked, "He Zongyan?"

"I remember he was summoned to the capital before." Zhu Changluo nodded, then asked, "Has he not returned yet?"

"Not really." Wang An thought for a moment and replied, "Master He still lives in Nanxunfang."

He Zongyan, courtesy name Junmei and pseudonym Kunzhu, was a native of Suizhou, Huguang. In the 23rd year of the Wanli reign, he achieved the title of Jinshi (Yiwei) in the imperial examination, later becoming a Shujishi (Scholarly Scholar) and entering the Imperial Household Department. In August of the 39th year of the Wanli reign, he was promoted to Zuo Shuzi (Left Assistant Minister) of the Zuo Chunfang (Left Spring Office) of the Imperial Household Department and concurrently a lecturer to the Crown Prince. In May of the 41st year of the Wanli reign, he was promoted to Junior Chancellor of the Imperial Household Department and held the seal of the Hanlin Academy. In other words, He Zongyan was also a teacher of the emperor, and his seniority was even greater than that of Sun Chengzong.

In August of the 42nd year of the Wanli reign, He Zongyan was promoted to Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and concurrently served as a Bachelor of the Imperial Academy, in charge of the affairs of the Ministry and acting as the Minister of the Secretariat. In July of the 43rd year of the Wanli reign, he was promoted to Left Vice Minister and, as before, was in charge of seal affairs.

He Zongyan was an official of "integrity and integrity, acting as the Minister of the Secretariat for six years, and making frank and forthright reports on matters, which greatly enhanced his reputation." If He Zongyan had not been ostracized by the Qi Clique, led by Qi Shijiao, in the 47th year of the Wanli reign, Sun Ruyou would not have been given the title of Right Vice Minister to temporarily take charge of the ministry.

In July of the 48th year of the Wanli reign, the emperor passed away. The new emperor ordered He Zongyan to come to Beijing, but did not specify in the edict what position he was to be given.

When He Zongyan arrived in Beijing, all the Nine Ministers had been filled. This caused Zhu Changluo to have a very difficult problem: he wanted to use him, but he didn't know where to put him.

If He Zongyan were to return to the Ministry of Rites, he would be working under the younger Xu Guangqi, which was clearly inappropriate. Even if the old man himself didn't mind, Xu Guangqi would still feel uncomfortable. Remember, when Xu Guangqi entered the Hanlin Academy, He Zongyan was his superior, and when Xu Guangqi entered the Imperial Household Department, He Zongyan was still his superior. This would be like being the leader of the old leader in a department where the old leader had once had the final say.

Allowing He Zongyan to enter the cabinet was still a bad idea. He Zongyan was from Chu, yet he was ostracized by the Qi Party and had good relationships with many Donglin Party members. More importantly, the person who initially ostracized He Zongyan was a student of Fang Congzhe, the cabinet's top official. Forcing He Zongyan into the cabinet would only lead to chaos.

In short, he had no position, an awkward identity, and a complete mess. So, until now, He Zongyan had lived in Beijing as an idler without a job. The old man himself was also very honest, saying nothing, not participating in anything, and even rarely receiving guests. It was as if he had come to Beijing to retire.

"Issue an imperial edict to promote He Zongyan to the rank of Junior Protector and appoint him as the Minister of the Dali Temple. He shall take up the post immediately and assist in handling the Donglin Party case." Zhu Changluo thought about it for a while and finally felt that it would be better to give He Zongyan a high-ranking honorary position. After all, the Minister of the Dali Temple was only a third-rank official.

"As you wish." Wang An added "Shao Bao" after "Zong Yan" and "Si Qing".

"Master. What about the palace? We have to send someone to look after it." Wei Chao returned to his seat.

"Let Cui Wensheng, a disgusting guy, go. After the incident at Qianqing Gate, he has offended the outer court." Zhu Changluo ordered.

"Yes." Wang An continued writing.

Just as Zhu Changluo was about to continue speaking, the door of the Southern Study was pushed open by Wei Zhongxian.

"Master, breakfast is here." Wei Zhongxian said with a flattering smile.

Zhu Changluo ignored him and continued, "Order the Imperial Guards to arrest Zhao Nanxing. Just arrest him, don't torture him, don't try him. His confession is no longer important."

"If he takes all the blame and removes Zou Yuanbiao, it will only make matters worse. I don't want to cause any more trouble. Keep him quiet." Zhu Changluo's voice was as cold as ice plucked from the Taiye Lake. "After the three courts have finished their investigation, they will convict him of treason and execute him."

The emperor's order reminded Mi Mengshang of the scene when she was captured by the Jinyiwei five years ago.

"Are you shaking?" Mi Mengshang's right hand was still held by Zhu Changluo, so he felt it immediately.

"I'm cold." Mi Mengshang looked up and smiled, trying her best to maintain her normal expression.

"No, you're afraid." Zhu Changluo gently stroked Mi Mengshang's face with his other hand. "Why should you be afraid? Besides, I don't really want to kill Zhao Nanxing. Xu Guangqi will plead for him." Zhu Changluo let go of Mi Mengshang's hand and gestured to Wei Zhongxian. "Serve the meal."

"Eat more! You're too thin. It's not ugly, but it's unhealthy." Zhu Changluo had already eaten breakfast, so Mi Mengshang was the only one eating. "How many memorials have been filed against the other Donglin censors? What is the cabinet's opinion?"

After Shen temporarily took charge of cabinet affairs, the three factions' attacks on Donglin became more frequent. Anyone who had studied at Donglin Academy was impeached at least once. This was a real problem for the transcribers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

"The mutual attacks between the two factions, and the impeachment memorials against the Embroidered Uniform Guard, are still as numerous as ever." While Wang An accompanied the emperor to the Imperial Palace for the inspection, Wei Chao remained in the study to sort out the first batch of memorials submitted that day. "But the cabinet has also been unanimous in requesting a ruling. I suspect this is still Ye Xianggao's interference. However, the wording has changed somewhat."

"What changes?" Zhu Changluo asked.

"It's become more biased." Wei Chao took out the summary manuscript, looked at it, and added: "The draft seems to imply that as long as the rumors can be confirmed, the officials involved in the impeachment should be arrested."

At present, the only thing that may confirm the rumors is the confession in the hands of the Jinyiwei.

"It seems that Shen has the upper hand. Very good." Zhu Changluo said with satisfaction.

"What exactly does Ye Xianggao mean?" Wei Chao was puzzled.

"He was the one who found Master Sun." Wang An hinted.

"Ye Xianggao and Fang Congzhe, though different in approach, share the same goal: to minimize a major issue. They're on the same page," Zhu Changluo explained more clearly. "But the ostensibly die-hard Donglin Party members, Liu Yirong and Han Yu, don't want to do that."

"Why don't we talk to Ye Xianggao and let him understand the attitude of the palace." Wei Chao suggested.

"There's no need. This way it looks more genuine. On the surface, Liu Yirong and the others still want to oppose the punishment of the Donglin Party, but their opposition is ineffective. It's reasonable for Ye Xianggao to take the lead." Zhu Changluo said.

"Are Elder Liu and Elder Shen working together?" Mi Mengshang was confused. In her mind, Liu Yirong and Shen should be completely opposite.

"No. Liu Yirong wants to replace the leader of the Donglin Party, while Shen wants to kill the Donglin Party. Their ultimate goals are completely different. But now, they both want to hit the Donglin Party on the head." Zhu Changluo explained.

"One is to beat him awake, and the other is to beat him to death?" Mi Mengshang put down the bowl of porridge, and Wei Zhongxian immediately brought a plate.

"Smart." Zhu Changluo nodded. He picked up the warm, damp handkerchief and "cleaned" Mi Mengshang's face. "Hurry up and leave after you finish eating. If you don't leave, I'll let them go." Zhu Changluo glanced at the red lips hanging on the handkerchief. "Then I'll leave." Mi Mengshang blushed and fled from the southern study. But before leaving, she turned back to glance at Wei Zhongxian, who was still standing in the hall.

After Mi Mengshang left, Wei Chao asked, "Master, which palace will you stay in tonight?"

"Exclusive favor leads to arrogance, and arrogance leads to pride. The harem, like the outer court, needs balance. I still have sympathy for women, and I can't always hold a sword to a woman's neck." Zhu Changluo said solemnly, then relaxed, pointing to the clock in the hall. "And don't you think it's a little early to ask this question now?"

"Your Majesty is not anxious, but I am." Wei Chao hurriedly smiled and laughed at himself.

"Tell me, what are you here to report?" Zhu Changluo said to Wei Zhongxian, but looked at Wang An. "Is there anything that must be told after she leaves?"

"Long live the master." Because he was being watched by the emperor, Wang An did not wait for Wei Zhongxian to reply and said directly: "Mi Jingwen is dead."

"Who?" Zhu Changluo looked puzzled at first, then suddenly came to his senses and looked towards the palace door. "Mi? What's his relationship with her?!"

"Mi Jingwen is Mi Cairen's father." The person who replied was Wei Zhongxian.

"What's going on?" Zhu Changluo suppressed Wei Zhongxian's words with a look. "Wang An, tell me."

"I'm not entirely clear on the specifics," Wang An replied, observing the Emperor's expression. If he showed any sign of displeasure, he would kneel immediately. "Yesterday, the Master came to the Western Depot, took away the Concubine Mi, and ordered me to take over the Inspection Bureau. On a list of deaths, I saw the name 'Mi Jingwen.' Since the surname Mi is uncommon, I immediately thought of Concubine Mi. After the Western Depot incident was resolved, I returned to the Imperial Household Department and, sure enough, found 'Mi Jingwen' in the records regarding amnesty."

"The death list submitted to the Western Depot." Zhu Changluo picked out a key word. "Jinyiwei or Dongchang?"

"Dongchang. It should have been done by Cui Wensheng." Wang An replied.

"Cui Wensheng killed Mi Mengshang's father." Zhu Changluo suddenly turned to Wei Zhongxian and asked, "Was the incident in Nanjing?"

Zhu Changluo thought that he had asked Wang An to find a place for the Mi father and son to live in Jiangnan.

"My lord is wise and enlightened. Cui Yuan went to Nanjing to kill people, and Mi Jingwen was one of them." Wei Zhongxian nodded cautiously in affirmation.

"Cui Wensheng can't be crazy, right?" Zhu Changluo felt it was absurd and inexplicable. "Explain the whole process clearly."

"As you wish." The emperor's face was clear of anger, but Wei Zhongxian still sank to his knees. "Mi Jingwen is most likely a remnant of Prince Fu's faction."

"What?" Zhu Changluo looked at Wang An with a puzzled look on his face.

"Mi Jingwen is indeed a remnant of Prince Fu's faction." Wang An didn't know why the emperor gave him such a questioning look. But since the emperor had asked, he explained the story again. "On the day of His Majesty's Dragon Birthday, the Zheng Palace sent eight beautiful women, all daughters of criminal officials of Prince Fu's faction."

After saying this, Wang An gave the emperor an escape hatch. "I reported this matter to the emperor that day. But my master is so busy with his affairs that he probably forgot."

It’s not that Wang An didn’t investigate, nor did he intentionally conceal it, but that “the emperor had known about it for a long time and didn’t care at all.”

"Ahem, I certainly forgot." Zhu Changluo coughed awkwardly twice and turned his gaze back to Wei Zhongxian. "Go on."

Wei Zhongxian gathered his thoughts and replied, "A few days ago, my master ordered me to investigate the circumstances surrounding Cui Wensheng's murders, and asked me if the deceased were connected to any high-ranking officials in the court. At the time, I immediately thought they might be remnants of Prince Fu's faction. However, without any concrete evidence, I didn't dare report this to the emperor."

Despite their divergent political views, the senior officials in the court were all staunch supporters of the Prince's Party in the protracted struggle for the throne. This commonality, that the deceased had no connection to the senior officials of the court and had no influence on the political situation, immediately gave Wei Zhongxian a clear path for investigation.

"Ha!" Zhu Changluo sneered. "So, this group of people were killed by Cui Wensheng because they supported Zhu Changxun's ascension to power?"

"To answer my master's question, that's it." Wei Zhongxian replied.

"Why?" Zhu Changluo still found it absurd.

"Perhaps he's trying to show his loyalty to his master," Wang An speculated. "Cui Wensheng is from there, after all. Killing people to block their path is the way to gain a reputation."

Hearing the word "surrender," Wei Zhongxian, kneeling on the ground, immediately thought of Ke Yinyue, whom he had strangled and burned with his own hands. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Wang An, only to find that Wang An was indeed staring at him with a smile.

"Assassination to show loyalty?" Zhu Changluo's intuition told him that Cui Wensheng's motives were more complex. "Or did he know the Western Factory was watching him, so he killed him to show you, and then you could tell me?"

"I have failed in my duty!" Wei Zhongxian also felt that there must be a deeper reason behind this, but what the emperor said had already happened once, so at this time he could only kowtow and admit his mistake.

Zhu Changluo knew that it was useless to ask Wei Zhongxian any more. He narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Go and call Cui Wensheng over to me."

"I'll go right away." Wei Zhongxian crawled away from this place where it was not suitable to stay for long.

After the palace door opened and closed again, Wang An spoke: "Master, I think it is best to keep this matter under control."

"So you interrupted Wei Zhongxian's words first, and then sent him to serve Mi Mengshang." Zhu Changluo raised his right hand to support his head.

"Yes," Wang An said. "And I think there's something fishy about Wei Zhongxian."

"Why?" Zhu Changluo asked.

Wang An replied, "If it weren't for the blessing of Heaven, the Western Factory, and the fact that I was ordered to take charge of the Inspection Bureau, I would have let Lady Mi know about Mi Jingwen's affairs first."

"Cui Wensheng killed her father. Shouldn't she know this?"

"Yes. But you should try to find another way to die first."

(End of this chapter)