Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 208 Political Brokers in the Southern Officialdom

"Do you know what the Zhang family of Longhu Mountain is?" Zhu Changluo served himself a bowl of soup. In an era without MSG, he was surprised that the chefs in the palace could make the soup so delicious.

"What is this? The hereditary patriarchal family of the Zhengyi Sect of Taoism." Zhu Youxiao replied.

"It's not that simple." Zhu Changluo blew gently, and the oil film floating on the liquid surface was driven to the other side of the soup bowl.

"Is there any problem?" Zhu Youxiao put down his chopsticks and asked.

"Wait until I finish this soup."

Zhang Tianshi is the title given to successive generations of descendants of the Dragon and Tiger Sect of Taoism. Zhengyi Dao was founded by Zhang Daoling, who was later called the "Ancestor Tianshi," his son Zhang Heng the "Successor Master," and his grandson Zhang Lu the "Senior Master," collectively known as the "Three Masters" or "Three Zhangs." His descendants inherited the title and were later called "Tianshi."

Among the various Taoist sects, only Zhang Daoling's lineage adhered to the practice of passing down positions to relatives. This so-called "passing down positions to relatives" meant that only males, not females, first legitimate children, then illegitimate children, first the eldest, then the youngest, and only sons, not younger brothers, and only nephews, not uncles.
Official recognition of the title "Heavenly Master" began with Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty. In the 13th year of the Zhiyuan era, the emperor granted Zhang Zongyan, the 36th Heavenly Master of the Dragon and Tiger Sect of the Zhengyi Daoist school, the title of Chonghe Zhenren, in charge of Daoist affairs in Jiangnan. The decree also referred to Zhang Zongyan as the "36th Heavenly Master of the Han Dynasty." Prior to this, the title "Heavenly Master" had been a self-proclaimed title by Zhang Daoling and his descendants, and had never been officially recognized.

Starting with Zhang Zongyan, the "36th Celestial Master of the Han Dynasty," the Zhang family gradually came to dominate Daoism in Jiangnan. In the mid-to-late Yuan Dynasty, they combined various talisman-based Daoist schools to form the Zhengyi Dao. Afterward, nearly a hundred sub-sects continued to flourish among the people, but these were not independent. As the saying goes, "If you don't belong to Quanzhen, you're attached to Zhengyi." These minor sects are like branches of a main branch, each with independent decision-making authority.

Although the Yuan Dynasty officially granted the Zhang family the title of "Heavenly Master," they were not loyal to the Yuan court. In the first year of the Hongwu reign, Zhang Zhengchang, the 42nd Heavenly Master, traveled to Nanjing to congratulate the emperor on his accession to the throne. Taizu retorted, "Does Heaven have a Master?" He instead granted them the title of "Zhengyi Successor of the School of Religion," bestowed them with a silver seal, and granted them the rank of second rank.

However, after Taizu, except for the documents of conferring titles from the Ministry of Rites, both civilians and officials were accustomed to following the titles of the Yuan Dynasty, calling the head of the Zhang family "Tianshi" or "Guoshi".

"To be honest, when I first learned that Zhang Xianyong was feigning illness and absent from court, I hadn't considered taking action against him. I just wanted to teach him a lesson. But when Wei Zhongxian's men went to Nanjing to do something, they took the opportunity to get a glimpse of the Zhang family's background." Zhu Changluo put down his soup bowl and said, "They discovered that rather than the Zhang family being the patriarch of the Zhengyi sect, it would be more accurate to say that Longhushan was acting as a broker for the southern officialdom."

"Official broker?"

Zhu Changluo nodded and said, "The so-called pursuit of immortality and the way to enlightenment is essentially a political game that's three-tenths true and seven-tenths false. If you pass the imperial examination and are sent to the south by the Ministry of Personnel to serve as an official, you'll be facing difficulties and want to find a superior to rely on. However, you're unfamiliar with the area and don't know who to turn to. At this time, it's a good idea to take some money to Longhu Mountain and try to connect with the Zhang family. Since the Hongwu era, the Tianshi Zhang family has remained remarkably strong. This is their strength and the hallmark of Longhu Mountain."

During the reign of Emperor Shizong Jiajing, the emperor's penchant for practicing Taoism and alchemy led to a surge in the prominence of Taoism as a whole. However, the Zhang family continued to adhere to the so-called "strategy of seclusion." Therefore, the figure favored by the emperor in Beijing, often by his side, was not Zhang Yanqi or Zhang Yongxu, but Shao Yuanjie, who had resided at the Shangqing Palace on Mount Longhu. Since the Shangqing Palace was built by Zhang Yanqi, it's not surprising that Shao Yuanjie had a deep connection with the Tianshi Temple.

After Shao Yuanjie's death, his disciple Tao Zhongwen succeeded him as the emperor's favorite. The emperor was extremely fond of Tao Zhongwen. "When he met the emperor, he would sit on the same embroidered platform with the emperor. When the emperor and his ministers greeted and saw him off, they would shake hands at the gate before saying goodbye." He was promoted to Guanglu Dafu Zhuguo, Shao Shi, Shao Fu, Shao Bao, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, Gongcheng Bo, and received the salary of a Grand Secretary.
At Tao Zhongwen's suggestion, the emperor even resorted to the destruction of Buddhism: "He scraped off 1,300 taels of gold from the Buddha statue cast during the Zhengde reign. In his later years, he used the advice of Tao Zhongwen and others to burn 20,000 jin of Buddha bones."

There were even rumors that Tao Zhongwen instigated the emperor to use the menstrual blood of young girls as raw material to create the "Yuanxing Pure Red Pill," an elixir that promised immortality. Even more outrageous was the unofficial history that claimed that the Minister of War, Tan Lun, learned the art of controlling women from Tao Zhongwen, and later passed it on to Zhang Juzheng. As a result, Zhang Juzheng "became increasingly emaciated and died before his time."

After the Jiajing Emperor's death, the successor, Longqing, immediately launched a comprehensive purge of alchemists in Beijing. He issued an edict handing over palace alchemists to the court for trial, stripping Shao Yuanjie, Tao Zhongwen, and others of their titles and gifts. He also imprisoned and executed Daoists like Wang Jin and Liu Wenbin, both favored by the previous emperor, on the charge of "alchemists harming the state." However, the Zhang family, who "controlled Daoist affairs throughout the country," remained unscathed due to their "strategy of seclusion."

Zhang Yanqi's title and honor were preserved, and the incense offerings at Longhu Mountain remained.

"From the eunuchs in the palace..." Zhu Changluo pointed to the sky, then tapped the ground with his wrist. "Down to the seventh-rank county magistrate. As long as they weren't figures like Hai Rui, they all had some connection with the Zhang family or the Zhengyi Taoist priests. If we take this to the extreme, investigate and punish them thoroughly, and turn it into a major case to cleanse the entire southern bureaucracy, there's no problem."

Zhu Changluo's tone was calm, but Zhu Youxiao's hair stood on end. "Wash it once" was just three words, but in practice, it would be a bloody storm. He chewed the rice in his mouth, but he felt a strange sweetness of eating raw meat and drinking blood. "Father, are you going to take action against the Zhang family and destroy this signboard?"

The emperor needed to rely on civil servants to govern the world, so it was impossible for him to be an enemy of the entire bureaucratic system. However, until the fall of Chongzhen, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty had absolute authority over the life and death of a specific official or a local group of officials.

"Things are different now. The Ming Dynasty is in turmoil both internally and externally, and can't withstand this kind of turmoil for the time being. I'm using this as an opportunity to stir up trouble, but I'm keeping the situation at bay, letting the matter sit there. This is to alert the officials in the south, to let them know that the Taichang Dynasty is different from the Wanli Dynasty." Zhu Changluo saw Zhu Youxiao also put down his chopsticks, so he waved to Wang An, signaling him to clear the table. "I don't want to take action against the Zhang family, at least not yet, but some people can't wait."

"Who is it?" Although it was his father who was talking, Zhu Youxiao still felt his lips dry.

"Who else could it be? Of course, it's those officials who are connected with each other through the Zhang family, the political broker. The eunuch Lu Xian'an, who is guarding Nanjing, is the first. The Duke of Wei Xu Hongji, who leads the Rear Army Governor's Office to assist in guarding Nanjing, is the second." Zhu Changluo said: "Lu Xian'an's impeachment letter arrived before the New Year, and Xu Hongji's impeachment letter arrived yesterday. Lu Xian'an's impeachment letter has been transferred to Zhang Shirui. After the government office makes a copy, Zhang Shirui will receive Xu Hongji's copy." There are people on duty at the Tongzhengshisi all year round, but no one will be on duty after the Daolusi is sealed.

"No wonder she's so agitated," Zhu Youxiao muttered. "The contents of these two letters of impeachment are quite gentle. They only accuse Zhang Xianyong of deceiving the emperor, but they don't mention how the Zhang family will be dealt with. Of course, at their level, they don't need to say much; just express their stance. Someone will speak for them about the solution. I'm afraid it won't be long after the New Year before someone starts clamoring for retribution. To them, the Zhang family isn't that important. Having this intermediary is naturally best, but without it, they still have other ways to interact."

Zhu Changluo stood up, walked over to Zhu Youxiao, grasped his shoulder, and asked, "If you hadn't met Zhang Shirui, you wouldn't know what I said before. At this time, the civil servants in the south are unanimously attacking Zhang Xianyong and his family. What will you do?"

"Your son, your son." Zhu Youxiao looked up at his father, not knowing how to answer.

Zhu Changluo saw Zhu Youxiao's pupils flickering with hesitation. "Let me help you. You will follow 'public opinion' and order the punishment or investigation of Zhang Xianyong's family for deceiving the emperor. If you choose to punish them harshly and quickly, and directly order the death penalty for this family, no one will object to Zhang Xianyong being sentenced to death by slicing, and it will simply be a side job to support a new leader. The civil servants involved will breathe a sigh of relief, but secretly accuse you of tyranny. But if you order a strict investigation of the Zhang family and do not pursue the harsh and swift approach, I'm afraid someone will take action themselves."

“Will they kill to silence the witnesses?”

"There's always a replacement. After the incident, the most important thing is to die cleanly and without blame. But even if they want to take action now, they can't. Wei Zhongxian's men have replaced the Nanjing Jinyiwei in controlling the Tianfei Palace, and the Tianfei Palace's food and clothing are all purchased by the Western Depot." Zhu Changluo released Zhu Youxiao and said with a rather amused smile, "Ha. If the Western Depot hadn't taken over the Nanjing Jinyiwei's work, I'm afraid Lu Xian'an and Xu Hongji wouldn't have submitted this petition."

"How does your Majesty want to deal with this matter?" Zhu Youxiao stood up and asked.

"As you can see, dragging him." Zhu Changluo walked to the gate of the tower, and Wang An immediately followed and put a fleece cloak on him. "Killing him would satisfy those people, and I won't do it. Releasing Zhang Xianyong is also impossible. The court will be embarrassed, and Zhang Xianyong may not be able to return alive. It's not the right time to use this incident to launch a major investigation. Keeping him under house arrest without investigation or questioning will also help to keep those people alert. They will remain worried until the boots hit the ground."

"What about Beijing?" Zhu Youxiao asked.

"You mean Zhang Shirui? Since Zhang Shirui is involved in this matter, she is no longer just herself. This is a question of posture. She was imprisoned in the past for the world to see. The purpose was to let the world know what the consequences of pretending to obey the court will be. The same reasoning applies when sending the Nanjing Jinyiwei to Tianfei Palace to imprison Zhang Xianyong and his son. I originally wanted to imprison him for a year or two, and then cancel Zhang Yingjing's marriage, so that they and their son will remember this lesson. I will not accept Zhang Xianyong's surrender."

Zhu Changluo glanced at Zhu Youxiao imperceptibly and added, "But don't worry, I won't kill Zhang Shirui. Without a good name, without good words, nothing can be accomplished. If I have to kill someone, I'll kill Zhang Xianyong first. As for 'taking the blame for my father and dying to fulfill my filial duty', when did her life become so important?"

"Since you, Father, don't want to kill her, let her go." Zhu Youxiao licked his lips. He felt that if this dragged on, Zhang Shirui would eventually hang herself.

The Zhang family's situation reached this point through a series of events. Zhang Xianyong, drawing lessons from the events of the Jiajing and Longqing reigns, had adopted the "strategy of seclusion" of Zhang Yanqi and Zhang Yongxu. However, the new emperor took an unconventional approach. Not only did he not accept his tactics, he also used him as a warning to others. He simply imprisoned his entire family, denying them any opportunity to submit.

Moreover, Zhang Xianyong had committed many crimes, so why would he choose Nanjing as his final stop? After Cui Wensheng's resurgence, he went on a killing spree. Wei Zhongxian, looking for trouble, sent people to Nanjing to investigate Cui Yuan, and instructed them to try to uncover any major crimes.

This kind of broad investigation usually yields little. However, the Western Factory's officers unexpectedly discovered that the Tianfei Palace, supposedly guarded by the Nanjing Jinyiwei, was bustling with people daily. This was a stark contrast to the deserted Zhang Mansion in Beijing, where Zhang Shirui lived in constant fear, suffering from insomnia and hair loss.

After Wei Zhongxian was informed of the incident, he immediately dispatched additional personnel to Nanjing and, in accordance with established procedures, requested that the emperor temporarily grant the dispatched Western Depot the authority to rein in the Nanjing Imperial Guard, allowing for a thorough investigation. After much deliberation, Zhu Changluo decided to control the situation and hold back, only requesting the Western Depot's officers to detain Zhang Xianyong at the Tianfei Palace instead of the Nanjing Imperial Guard.

Then, Lu Xian'an and Xu Hongji submitted a memorial to impeach Zhang Xianyong.

Throughout this process, Zhang Shirui was in a state of ignorance and naiveté, and what she suffered was also a kind of undeserved misfortune similar to being implicated by others.

To Zhu Changluo, Zhang Shirui herself was unimportant. Publicly, Zhang Shirui, the daughter of Zhang Xianyong, served as a bellwether for the court's attitude toward the Zhang family. Privately, Zhu Changluo and Zhang Shirui were selfless. Zhang Shirui was a proper lady of a prominent family, well-mannered and reserved. After their first encounter, Zhu Changluo could barely recall what she looked like.

From the beginning to the end, Zhu Changluo's attitude towards her was indifferent, barely showing any sympathy. This was a stark contrast to his devotion to Mi Mengshang. He only let her out for the New Year after Lu Wenzhao's meritorious service and promotion, then linked it to Ding Baiying, and finally to the Zhang family.

But Zhu Changluo could not care about Zhang Shirui's feelings, but he could not ignore Zhu Youxiao's emotions.

"You have compassion, which is a good thing. A wise ruler cannot be without compassion." Zhu Changluo squatted down slightly, as usual. "If you insist on letting her go, I can immediately have Wang An give her the travel expenses and let her leave Beijing tomorrow. But son, what she wants, or what can relieve her worries, is just leaving Beijing? Do you really want me to give her what she truly wants?"

(End of this chapter)