Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 212: Uncovering the Unknown Sense of Security
Zhu Changluo stared at Zhang Shirui in silence for a moment. Seeing that Zhang Shirui had no intention of changing her mind, he chuckled helplessly and nodded, "Never mind. If you want to listen, then listen. Clear the room."

"Okay." Zhang Shirui stood up and looked around at the servants who were kneeling with her in the living room. "You all can go down." Since Zhang Shirui knelt for the first time, they had not stood up again.

"Miss Ding, please step aside." Zhu Changluo turned his head and looked at Ding Baiying, saying, "She wants to hear about her family's affairs, but her family's affairs have nothing to do with you. You can leave Beijing at any time and go wherever you want. I can promise you that."

In fact, at the beginning, Zhu Changluo was much more interested in Ding Baiying than Zhang Shirui. If the two of them hadn't left that day, Zhu Changluo would have to ask this girl where her teacher was.

"Miss Ding, please go sit in your room for a while," Zhang Shirui said. "You don't have to be imprisoned behind the walls of Beijing because of the Zhang family's dirty deeds."

"Okay." Ding Baiying gave Zhang Shirui an encouraging look. "I'll come back later."

"Please." Zhang Shirui escorted Ding Baiying out of the living room, then closed the door and returned to her original seat to sit down.

"Your Excellency, please speak. I'm the only one here." After settling down, Zhang Shirui noticed a few strands of hair blocking her eyes. She reached out to brush them away, only to find they were clotted with blood. Although she knew that if she didn't adjust her hairstyle, the strands would eventually return to obscure her eyes, Zhang Shirui endured the pain and uncovered the wound, tucking the strands behind her ears.

"If I'm not mistaken, the thing that's been bothering Miss Zhang the most lately is probably Lü Xian'an's impeachment," Zhu Changluo said, sitting upright and tapping his forehead with his index finger. Zhang Shirui understood and wiped away the fresh blood with the handkerchief Wang An had given her.

"Yes." Her answer was as simple as one word. But in reality, she had never had a full night's sleep since the day she received the impeachment letter.

"Then let's start with Lu Xian'an's impeachment and tell you everything I know." After his doubts were removed, Zhu Changluo's tone became gentle.

"Thank you, Your Excellency." Zhang Shirui smiled slightly. The extreme devastation added a sense of beauty like a banished immortal to the Zhuo Hua who was trying hard to hold on.

"Although you were bound to lose, when Lu Wenzhao brought you back to Beijing, the two sides in the chess game were still the imperial court and the Zhang family. But when Lu Xian'an's memorial was released, the Zhang family ceased to be players and became mere pawns." Zhu Changluo put aside his serious scrutiny and said with a hint of pity, "In fact, it's not just Lu Xian'an, there's also Xu Hongji. You should have heard of him."

"Is it the Duke of Wei?" Zhang Shirui widened her eyes.

"That's him. As far as we know, Xu Hongji's memorial has already arrived in Beijing. However, it's been sealed by the Ministry of Registrarship, so this impeachment letter hasn't yet been delivered to you. Tomorrow, the various government offices will make copies, and you'll receive it. And this is definitely not the last one." Zhu Changluo asked, "Do you know why?"

Zhang Shirui looked at the deep red on the handkerchief and sighed, "We've severed our ties."

"It seems you're just a bit blunt, but not stupid. That's good." Zhu Changluo nodded and continued in a relatively tactful manner, "Severing ties is the most basic thing. Only when the Zhang family is completely overthrown will they truly feel at ease. They're just political brokers, no matter how important they are. What the emperor wants to do is not just to strike at the Zhang family, but to thoroughly overhaul the administration in the south through their influence."

"Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the north has always deployed troops to defend against the enemy, while the south has collected taxes to support the army. The south is the country's most fertile and important land, but since the Wanli period, taxes on salt, and commerce have been decreasing year by year. If I were to discuss the problems in detail, it would probably take two days to finish. But in short, it is nothing more than hidden farmland, escaped people, and excessive collection and insufficient payment. This is known to all knowledgeable people in the court and the public. It is easy to know, but difficult to change, because reforms always need people to implement them. If the government is not governed properly, no matter how good the strategy is, it will only turn into a mess when it is implemented at the local level. Take your Zhang family for example..."

Having said that, Zhang Shirui lowered her head, not daring to meet the envoy's gaze.

"The court doesn't know how much land your Zhang family has, so it doesn't know how much tax to levy on them. Imperial edicts are easy to issue. They're simply drafted by the cabinet, reviewed by the Imperial Household Department, and used by the emperor. If he wants, he can issue them to the entire country tomorrow. But what happens after that? The edicts might land in Jiangxi or Yingtan, but the officials who carry them out are honored guests of your family. If the land measurement can't be pushed through, the edicts are worthless."

"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words!" Zhang Shirui suddenly raised his head and advised.

Zhu Changluo was not angry at being interrupted. Instead, he said, "Let's talk behind closed doors. It won't get out."

"Even if the envoy is a senior official of the Imperial Guard, it's best to be careful with your words." Zhang Shirui shook her head slightly. She also suspected that this envoy surnamed Zhu was a senior official of the Imperial Guard, and perhaps even had a gift of a Qilin or flying fish.

"Okay, I'll be careful with my words." Zhu Changluo shrugged and continued, "In short, the lack of proper governance not only affects the country's normal tax collection, but also makes reform difficult. With the country in such a critical situation, the governance of the southern government must be rectified. Frankly speaking, the Zhang family, as political brokers, is a great tool. Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand. I understand." Zhang Shirui clenched her fists and nodded painfully. The so-called "good starting point" meant that the Zhang family would be severely punished.

"I'm glad you understand." Zhu Changluo said sympathetically.

"You said you wanted to see the light of day, and I'm willing to believe you." Zhu Changluo stared at Zhang Shirui's face as she spoke. If that mixture of sadness, fatigue, and unwavering pain was all a facade, then her acting was exceptional. "But neither we nor the Emperor want to, at least not right now."

"Why?" Zhang Shirui sighed and shook her head, and the messy strands of hair floated in front of her eyes again.

"Following the clues is the court's strategy. But now is not the time to do so. The court's major policy is to govern the north and maintain peace in the south. The north is at war, and the south cannot be in chaos. Otherwise, the entire country will be shaken. The Zhang family's affairs can only be kept secret. If your memorial were to see the light of day, it would confirm the fact that Zhang Xianyong was 'faking illness to avoid court.' Those censors in Beijing who know the facts but not the reasons behind them would put pressure on the emperor. The south would respond and exaggerate the crime."

"The entire officialdom is accusing the Zhang family of 'deceiving the emperor and deceiving superiors.' Unless His Majesty follows the example of the previous emperor and bears the accusation of 'protecting the Zhang family,' and keeps all the memorials regarding this matter, His Majesty will either accept the charge of 'deceiving the emperor and deceiving superiors' and punish the Zhang family, or dig up the matter in the south before the north is settled."

Despite this, Zhu Changluo certainly wouldn't investigate further. He would accede to the South's wishes and swallow his anger. But he would also resort to the "killing the chicken to scare the monkey" tactic, sentencing Zhang Xianyong's branch to death and finding a distant branch to succeed him as the "leader of Daoist affairs throughout the land."

Although this would prevent them from following the Zhang family's clues further, it would allow the southern and Daoist sects to see the court's attitude. It would at least make the southern officials more obedient, and at the very least, it would let those political brokers or those who wanted to be political brokers see the risks involved.

The Zhang family is a valuable card; it would be a shame to lose it, but it's not essential to hold onto it. "Miss Zhang, I'm sorry. Your family has been put on the chessboard, a pawn, and its fate is no longer in its own hands. To the South, the Zhang family has become a discarded pawn. To the Emperor, the Zhang family has been captured and will become a key piece in the future."

In fact, Zhang Xianyong's lineage itself was a collateral lineage that inherited the ancestral lineage. Zhang Xianyong, the 51st Heavenly Master, was the eldest son of Zhang Guoxiang, the 50th Heavenly Master. However, Zhang Guoxiang was not the son of Zhang Yongxu, the 49th Heavenly Master. Instead, he was the son of Zhang Yongxu's cousin, Zhang Yongshao. Zhang Yongxu was to Zhang Xianyong what Zhu Houzhao was to Zhu Yijun.

"I understand." Zhang Shirui closed her eyes, raised her head slightly, and wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. Although no tears fell, the redness and swelling in her eyes never subsided.

"You don't understand yet, or you don't understand enough." Zhu Changluo shook his head and gave his final advice: "I'll say it again. The Zhang family is the Zhang family, and you are you. There's no need to lump the two together. You are a smart person, so I'll tell you the truth. No one in the court really cares about your life or death. You can't protect your life, and it would be in vain if you die. No one can save you. It may even accelerate the development of the situation like that memorial did." His advice was as hard as a rock. It was a rational analysis from beginning to end, without even a word of comfort.

"Don't you care?" She was overwhelmed with emotions and didn't know how to express herself.

Although he felt some appreciation for Zhang Shirui, this emotion was not enough to prompt Zhu Changluo to change his decision on how to deal with the Zhang family.

Zhu Changluo thought about it, neither nodding nor shaking his head. "That's fine if you insist. I'm here to advise you not to make things difficult for yourself. The Zhang family's affairs have nothing to do with you, and nothing to do without you. I can guarantee that no matter how things develop, the knife won't reach your swan neck."

"Your Excellency, no, Mr. Zhu. Did you come all the way here today just for me?" Zhang Shirui finally understood. It was impossible for an envoy to visit someone else's home just to chat and not announce anything.

Zhu Changluo met Zhang Shirui's gaze and said affirmatively: "Anyway, the government has sealed it, and there is nothing to do. I'm idle at home anyway, so I might as well take some time to go there."

"What do you want?" Zhang Shirui felt something strange that made her feel relieved but difficult to explain.

"I want nothing, and you can't give me anything. My son thinks you look bad, and asked me to help you as much as I can." Zhu Changluo felt the atmosphere ease a little, and nodded with satisfaction. "I happen to have some connections up there and know a few things, so I came to give you some advice. Now that you've heard the court's national policy, don't even think about leaving Beijing anytime soon."

Zhu Changluo was willing to tell her the story because he didn't think Zhang Shirui would go out and make a fuss. After all, exposing this matter would only bring harm to the Zhang family father and son, not good.

"You're truly a comforting person." Under Zhang Shirui's gaze, Mr. Zhu stood up. Just when she expected him to take further action to "repay a favor," she heard, "Miss Zhang, Xu Hongji and the subsequent impeachment memorials will still be forwarded to you as usual. But don't dwell on it, don't even read them. Sleep when you need to, eat when you need to. The Emperor doesn't want to kill you, nor will he force you to death. As long as you don't commit suicide, you can live on."

Zhang Shirui was startled, suddenly understanding the source of that strange feeling that had soothed her, yet so difficult to explain. It was a very unusual sense of security. This sense of security wasn't like the warm water in a bathtub, enveloping every inch of her skin and dispelling the chill that had gathered. Rather, it was like the sun on a winter morning, offering no warmth but illuminating an unknown barrier she couldn't break, or even reach, laying bare the cruelty and helplessness of the world before her.

An instinct arose in Zhang Shirui's heart, an instinct to get closer to the sun for warmth. But unfortunately, she didn't take that step. Because when she came to her senses and stood up, the figure, who had changed drastically, had already walked to the door of the reception room.

At the last moment before leaving, Zhu Changluo stopped. She inexplicably hoped he would turn back, but he didn't. He just said, "This is all I have to say. Miss Zhang, take care of yourself."

After saying that, Zhu Changluo left Zhang's house without looking back.

"Sir, take care."

------

By the time Zhu Changluo and Wang An crossed the threshold and arrived at the Zhang residence, the sedan chair bearers, clad in patched cotton robes, had been waiting for nearly an hour. Aside from a slightly hunched figure, they hadn't changed much. Upon seeing the emperor and the eunuch in charge of the seal, the bearers straightened their backs professionally.

"What are you standing there for? You are sedan chair bearers." Wang An rolled his eyes and sighed.

This trip was a very low-key one. Apart from Wang An and Han Benyong, and the elite guards transferred from the Imperial Stables to serve temporarily as sedan chair bearers and household servants, no one else knew that the emperor had left the Forbidden City.

After the sedan bearers arrived, Wang An walked to the sedan door, pulled up the curtain, and said, "Master, please come in."

"Okay." Zhu Changluo bowed and walked in, then turned around and sat down.

There was only one sedan chair, so Wang An could only walk by the left window. As soon as the sedan chair got out and he hadn't taken a few steps, Wang An called out through the curtains: "Master, you finally got out, do you want to go to the Lantern Festival?" Zhu Changluo just mentioned it casually, but Wang An kept thinking about it.

"No. I'll be busy tomorrow with the official photocopying." Zhu Changluo pulled aside the curtain and asked, "How are the preparations for the imperial finance meeting on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month going?"

"The Imperial Household Department has been working overtime to complete the palace's expenditure bill for last year, this year's expenditure budget, and the summary of income other than fines and confiscations of property," Wang An replied.

"What about the various departments? Have they reported it?" Zhu Changluo asked again.

"Only the reports from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice have come in. They are currently under review." Wang An thought for a moment and replied.

"Send people to urge them. Especially the Ministry of War." Zhu Changluo ordered.

(End of this chapter)