Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 168 Review and Budget

"Prepare a sedan chair for Mr. He! Quickly." Zhang Wenda also agreed with this step.

Seeing this, Xu Guangqi no longer had any intention of trying to attract attention. He shifted his position and said nothing, as if he had never had such an idea before.

After the public hearing by the three judicial organs, the case was settled, and the prisoner's detention was just a matter of personal preference. No one wanted to overturn the verdict; the only question was whether the mastermind, Zhao Nanxing, would also face public trial.

The censors would inevitably demand a public trial, but the palace would certainly not agree, as this would only invite trouble. Xu Guangqi's only fear was that after the palace arrested Zhao Nanxing, they would simply arrange for him to commit suicide out of fear of punishment. With the reforms finalized and Sun Ruyou having "confessed his guilt and accepted punishment," the "suicide" of Zhao Nanxing, a commoner, would not cause much of a stir, at least not as much as the death of Zou Yuanbiao.

The Censorate, along with two other judicial offices, was located in the middle of Fucaifang. The shortest route to the emperor was, of course, to head east across West Chang'an Avenue, enter the Imperial City's salient corner via the Chang'an Right Gate, and then proceed through the southern gates of Chengtian Gate, Duanmen, and Wumen to enter the Forbidden City. If He Zongyan had walked at his speed, this journey would have taken him about five-quarters of an hour. However, the Censorate dispatched its fastest sedan bearers, who brought He Zongyan to the Chang'an Right Gate in just over a quarter of an hour.

Although he was the emperor's mentor, He Zongyan had not yet received the grace of "riding in a sedan chair in the Forbidden City", so the old man had to walk the rest of the way by himself.

As He Zongyan entered the Forbidden City through the familiar trail, he felt a strange sense of distance and a sense of being in another world. He Zongyan chuckled and shook his head: "I've only been away for a little over a year, so why do I feel this way?"

When He Zongyan entered the Southern Study of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he got the answer. It turned out that it was because his student had succeeded his father as emperor.

"Your servant He Zongyan kowtows to the emperor, wishing him long live, long live, long, long live!" Unlike the last time he met Zhu Changluo, this time, He Zongyan performed the etiquette between the emperor and his subject, which consisted of five bows and three kowtows, rather than the four-bowing ceremony which was one level lower and did not involve kowtow.

Zhu Changluo sat and waited until He Zongyan finished his last three kowtows. He then stood up, walked over to him with a friendly expression, and helped He Zongyan up: "Master He, please stand up."

When He Zongyan stood up, Zhu Changluo stepped back and took Wang An, the Eastern Palace tutor, with him, bowing as a student greets his teacher. "Greetings, Master He."

Seeing that the emperor still treated him with the same respect as before, He Zongyan's mouth unconsciously curled up into a relieved arc. He tried his best to control his expression, but the more he tried, the more his eyes became sour.

"Master He, please sit down." After paying his respects, Wang An brought a wooden stool to He Zongyan as usual.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the opportunity to sit down." He Zongyan thanked the Emperor first, then Wang An. "Thank you, Eunuch, too." Even when facing Wang An, a eunuch, He Zongyan never put on airs. Everyone is a student.

After a few pleasantries, Zhu Changluo got to the point: "Master He, you're here to discuss the results of the trial, right?"

"Yes and no." He Zongyan always spoke concisely.

"Then let's talk about the 'yes' part first." Zhu Changluo put on a puzzled expression.

"The trial has ended. The results of the interrogation are consistent with the confession, and there are no signs of torture on Sun Ruyou's body, which can rule out torture. Therefore, the confession is confirmed and Sun Ruyou is guilty." He Zongyan is the kind of person who does not have any additional information, so his answer is only based on appearances.

After saying that, He Zongyan changed the subject: "But a single piece of evidence is not enough to prove anything. Whether Sun Ruyou is implicating others, whether the others are guilty, whether Zhao Nanxing is the mastermind, whether Sun Ruyou is an accomplice, whether Sun Ruyou is shielding others, and other questions still need further investigation."

"What does Master He mean?" Zhu Changluo asked with his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Investigate thoroughly. Arrest Zhao Nanxing and conduct another joint trial. If his confession differs from Sun Ruyou's, we will confront him in court." He Zongyan threw out the answer he had prepared long ago without hesitation.

"If it involves too many people, it will inevitably affect the court. Now that the northern border is in danger, I think it is better to postpone the investigation." Zhu Changluo said.

"Your Majesty understands the righteousness of the cause. However, the case of forcing the emperor to abdicate is different from ordinary cases. If we don't investigate thoroughly and punish severely to serve as a warning to others, it's inevitable that someone will commit further acts of disloyalty." He Zongyan knew from the beginning that someone must be instigating such a commotion. And in stark contrast to Sun Chengzong's conciliatory attitude, he was a staunch believer in "truth."

His attitude is clear: as long as the evidence is conclusive and the person is not innocent, he will punish whoever is implicated.

The essence of truth is the collection of all undistorted facts. Zhu Changluo already had a pretty good grasp of the truth of this case through various channels. However, he didn't want to disclose the truth publicly. Instead, he wanted to partially disclose it, or even fabricate and distort it, to achieve his political goals. "Master He, I understand what you mean. Please tell me more about the 'not' part."

"Okay." When He Zongyan heard the word "I understand," he immediately realized that the emperor was not going to accept his advice. He was a little disappointed, but that was all.

He Zongyan said, "The East Depot and the Ministry of Justice had a major disagreement over the issue of detaining criminals. The East Depot believed that the Imperial Guard should continue to detain criminals according to the rule of 'the East Depot and the Ministry of Justice should investigate the case, and the Ministry of Justice should not interfere.' However, the Ministry of Justice believed that the Metropolitan Censorate should take over the custody of criminals according to the rule of 'the court should investigate the case and the Ministry of Justice should take over the custody of criminals."

He Zongyan's position on this issue was delicate. He was both the chief official of the Dali Temple and the mentor of Cui Wensheng's master. Therefore, when discussing the issue, he mentioned the yamen instead of the names, and neglected to mention that the two sides had nearly drawn swords over the issue. "The two sides are at loggerheads. Therefore, I have no choice but to come here to seek your judgment."

"Master He, do you have any suggestions?" Zhu Changluo respectfully asked He Zongyan for his opinion first.

"After all, the case is in the hands of the judicial department." He Zongyan said tactfully.

Zhu Changluo understood He Zongyan's hint and replied calmly: "Then let's do as Master He says." Since Sun Ruyou did not change his confession in court, it means that Luo Sigong did a good job.

"Your Majesty is wise." He Zongyan didn't understand what was going on and just thought that the emperor was giving him face, so he quickly praised him.

"I'll take my leave." He Zongyan wanted to talk more about government affairs with the emperor's students, but they were still waiting.

"Prepare a sedan chair for Master He." Zhu Changluo ordered Wei Chao.

He Zongyan was stunned for a moment, then he understood. He kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

In this way, He Zongyan officially became the third person after Fang Congzhe and Li Ruhua to have the honor of "riding in a sedan chair in the Forbidden City".

After Wei Chao took He Zongyan away, Wang An finally spoke: "Master, what should we do with Zhao Nanxing?"

"What else to do? Let the Jinyiwei arrest people. Shen is still waiting for this signal. As long as the cabinet votes to approve it, let the Jinyiwei arrest people according to the impeachment order immediately, and arrest as many as possible. Then pick out the ones who jump the most violently and beat them up. In this way, after they are rescued, they will be more grateful to the people who rescued them. But don't beat them to death. The loss will outweigh the gain." Zhu Changluo followed the topic and arranged everything in one breath.

After Wang An finished writing it down in his memorandum using shorthand, he brought the topic back to the topic and hinted in a way that was almost explicit: "Master, this is not what I meant by the treatment."

"Do you want to kill Zhao Nanxing?" Zhu Changluo asked.

Wang An didn't answer directly right away, but said, "I suspect there are many people who, like Master He, want to get to the bottom of this matter."

"Just ignore them." Zhu Changluo said.

"To have a trial and then not a trial is hard to believe. It would be better to let him commit suicide out of fear of punishment. There's already a precedent." Wang An said again. "Wait a little longer. There's no rush." ​​Zhu Changluo waved his hand. "Besides, I said I wouldn't kill him."

"Yes." Wang An raised his eyebrows, as if thinking about something.

The silence lasted only a moment. "It's almost 3 p.m." Wang An glanced at the clock and asked, "Master, are you going to Yongshou Palace tonight?"

"Is it done?" Zhu Changluo asked back.

"Don't worry, my lord. All letters sent to the palace will go through the Imperial Household Department, unless Wei Zhongxian dares to disobey the order." Wang An replied.

"You should take care of this matter personally and keep an eye on it." Zhu Changluo instructed.

"Yes." Because Zhu Changluo had not answered the question of where to rest at night, Wang An did not look away.

"Which palace is Concubine Li in?" Zhu Changluo suddenly thought of the woman who would always answer "Yes, Your Majesty" in a serious manner even when asked to smile.

"Isn't Consort Li in the west room?" Wang An was puzzled.

"I'm talking about Dongli."

"Dong Li?" Wang An was even more confused.

The distinction between the Eastern and Western Li dynasties came into being after Zhu Youjiao, who changed the reign title to Tianqi, appointed a concubine on behalf of his father.

"Zhu Youjian's adoptive mother." Zhu Changluo really couldn't remember Dong Li's name for a moment.

"Oh!" Wang An suddenly realized. "In Jingyang Palace."

"Jingyang Palace? Why did you arrange for her to go there?"

"Ah?" Wang An felt aggrieved.

He remembered clearly that when he asked his master what to do with Li Qinfang, his master's original words were: "Throw this dead-looking woman to Jingyang Palace."

Jingyang Palace, one of the six eastern palaces of the inner court, lies east of Zhongcui Palace and north of Yonghe Palace. Completed in the 18th year of the Yongle reign, it was initially named Changyang Palace and renamed Jingyang Palace in the 14th year of the Jiajing reign. Its previous resident was Consort Wang Gong, who died of illness at the hour of You on September 13, the 39th year of the Wanli reign.

Concubine Wang Gong was the mother of the eldest prince Zhu Changluo.

After Concubine Wang Gong passed away, it became an uninhabited cold palace until Zhu Changluo, after ascending the throne, ordered Wang An to "throw" Li Qinfang to Jingyang Palace.

Wang An was not surprised when he received this order. After Concubine Wang Gong's death, the master never visited Jingyang Palace again, clearly considering it a place of sorrow that he would never set foot on again. Furthermore, the master had always been extremely cold and indifferent to the selected concubine Li Qinfang, and had almost no luck with her.

"I am guilty." Wang An decided to take the blame for the emperor's forgetfulness.

"We'll go to Jingyang Palace tonight. But before that, send Zhu Youjian to Ciqing Palace so the two brothers can get closer. It's only natural for an elder brother to lead his younger brother." Zhu Changluo concluded, "Also, do a good job with the Yongshou Palace mission. I don't want to be so harsh."

"According to the order."

------

Imperial City, northeast direction, Silijian.

Cao Huachun, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, was sitting at his desk. Standing before him was Wang Tigan, the fourth-rank eunuch in charge of the Imperial Kitchen and the Imperial Household Department. Wang Tigan and Cao Huachun were of the same rank, but if Cao Huachun, nearly twenty years his junior, asked him to kneel, Wang Tigan would not dare stand.

Generally speaking, the Guanglu Temple was responsible for purchasing food for the entire imperial city. However, before the imperial meals reached the imperial family's mouths, they had to go through two additional steps: cooking by the Shangshenjian and serving by the Shangshi Bureau. After the Jiajing reign, the Silijian took over overall management, and thus all three departments came under the Silijian's control.

"This is the budget reported by the Guanglu Temple. The Shangshenjian has completed the verification." Wang Tiquan placed a long scroll in front of Cao Huachun.

The meat, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products supplied to the imperial court largely came from the "Nanhaizi," also known as the "Shanglin Garden." In the 12th year of the Yongle reign, Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di issued an edict centered on the 40-hectare "Xiaohaizi," the site of the Yuan Dynasty's "Xia Ma Fei Fang Bo" (a place known as "Xia Ma Fei Fang Bo"). The area was expanded, and the gardens were named "Nanhaizi." When the various agencies at "Nanhaizi" were unable to procure sufficient supplies, the Guanglu Temple would resort to compradors from private businesses in the capital.

The purchase budget had to be submitted to the Shangshanjian in the winter of the previous year. The Shangshanjian would then review the budget before the twelfth lunar month and submit it to the Silijian for approval. Once the Silijian had approved the budget and issued a receipt with its seal, the Shangshanjian could then take the receipt to the Neichengyunku to withdraw cash and deliver it to the Guanglu Temple.

"Sit down and wait." Cao Huachun pointed to the bench by the window and then unfolded the scroll.

"Yes."

There are two bases for Guanglu Temple to report its budget: one is the categories and quantities of food purchased last year, and the other is the current prices in the capital.

During the reign of Emperor Taizu, the Guanglu Temple's maximum annual expenditure was set at 240,000 taels, but by the time of Emperor Jiajing, its normal annual budget had climbed to over 300,000 taels.

In the 47th year of the Wanli reign, the budget reported to the Imperial Household Department for approval was 398,952 taels of silver, almost exceeding 400,000 taels.

However, this amount was not the actual expenditure of the Guanglu Temple. This was because the Shangshenjian would increase the budget reported by the Guanglu Temple by about 10% during the verification process. This was a common practice.

But how could the Shangshenjian eat up the extra money alone? Sure enough, when the scroll was unfolded to the end, "the picture was exhausted and the dagger was revealed", and twenty huge Xuanchang silver notes worth one thousand taels were exposed in front of Cao Huachun.

This money wasn't a gift from Wang Tiqian to Cao Huachun, but rather a gift from the Imperial Household Supervisor to the entire Imperial Household Department. Cao Huachun merely collected it on his behalf. The distribution of this money could only be done by the eunuchs in charge of the Imperial Household Department's seal. There were both big and small heads, both high and low. If this money had been distributed normally, the eunuchs in charge would have probably received one.

Seeing Cao Huachun openly accept the banknotes, Wang Tiqian breathed a sigh of relief. He had heard that the East Depot seemed to have been tasked with rectifying the inner court. But even if it wasn't a rumor, it was likely more talk than action. As long as the Imperial Household Department continued to accept bribes, no amount of rectification would matter.

(End of this chapter)