Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 324 Wei Zhongxian's Ancestral Hall
In the Southern Study, Qianqing Palace, Liu Heqing, the Director of the Imperial Hospital, had just finished performing the solemn ceremony before the Emperor and was kneeling on the ground, awaiting his question.

After Zhu Changluo finished reviewing the memorial in front of him, he put down his pen, raised his head, and pointed to the wooden stool in front of the imperial desk. He said to Liu Heqing, "Envoy Liu, please sit down and talk."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the seat." Liu Heqing kowtowed again.

Zhu Changluo didn't get down to business right away. Instead, he asked, "Envoy Liu, have you exchanged the notes I gave you last time for silver?"

"Ah" Liu Heqing's vigorous white beard trembled slightly.

Liu Heqing's family was simple, and their population wasn't particularly large. The salary of a court official and the occasional extra income were enough to support a fairly stable life. Furthermore, he hadn't had any urgent needs recently, so he hadn't yet exchanged the two hundred taels of silver for cash. "To answer the Emperor, it was a gift from the Emperor, and it's still being offered," he said, choosing to be pleasant.

"It's just a vulgar thing, don't offer it as an offering." Zhu Changluo asked, "I remember you lived in Mixiang, Dongjiang, right?"

Liu Heqing nodded and said, "Yes, that is the Liu family's ancestral property. We have lived there since our ancestors moved from Nanjing to Beijing."

"Your ancestral home is in Jiangxi. Does your family have any ancestral property in Jiangxi?" Zhu Changluo asked again.

Liu Heqing thought these questions were nonsensical, but he answered honestly, "No, this branch of my family followed the rebels after Emperor Taizu defeated Chen Youliang. After the capital was moved, we followed Emperor Chengzu to Beijing. We are now many generations removed from our ancestral line in Jiangxi. If it weren't for Governor Liu's painstaking efforts to revise the Liu family tree, I'm afraid we wouldn't even be able to trace our roots back to this branch."

"I see." Zhu Changluo picked up the teacup and used the lid to skim off the floating tea leaves on the water. He asked Liu Heqing casually, "Has Liu Yirong been in touch with you often lately?"

Liu Heqing suddenly became alert, his voice trembling. "We do have some interactions, but we're just casual acquaintances!"

"Hey. Why are you so nervous?" Zhu Changluo took a sip of his tea. "Didn't I tell you to get closer to him? How come we're still just casual acquaintances?"

"We were already close," Liu Heqing said. "After that, Lord Liu rarely came to talk to me. Even during the holidays, he never talked to me about what happened behind the red walls."

"Liu Yirong is a brilliant man. And so are you, Liu Yuanshi," Zhu Changluo exclaimed. "You should have taken the imperial examination. At your age, you might even have made it into the cabinet."

"Haha." Liu Heqing laughed awkwardly. "I'm a piece of rotten wood, and I'm not cut out to learn the knowledge of a sage. I'll be content to use the medical skills I've learned to serve my royal family."

"That's quite comforting, Envoy Liu." Zhu Changluo put down his teacup and changed the subject. "The Sun and Moon Bank near Zhengyang Gate has opened. You can exchange your money there. They'll exchange it on sight. Since this is a local bill, there's no fee."

"Yes." Liu Heqing replied.

"Tell me." Zhu Changluo's expression became more serious. "What happened to Li Hubu? When will he recover?"

"In reply to the emperor's words." Liu Heqing's eyes flashed, and he stood up and bowed, saying, "Auspicious people will be blessed by heaven."

"It's a sign of heaven," Zhu Changluo said dejectedly, "So, human intervention is no longer possible?"

"Oh." Liu Heqing sighed, which was considered as his agreement.

"You checked him earlier, and he was fine then, wasn't he?" Zhu Changluo asked, "Why did he suddenly become like this?"

"Your Majesty," Liu Heqing said, a puzzled look on his face. "It wasn't good then. I prescribed some warming medicine for Li Bu Tang, telling him to rest and recuperate. It would be best if he went to the south, where the water is plentiful and the temperature is warm, to recuperate. He shouldn't overwork himself, and perhaps Heaven would lend him some more time. But..." Liu Heqing came to his senses and stopped talking. Although he hadn't participated, he had heard about the Imperial Finance Meeting. Now it seemed that Li Bu Tang had ignored his words.

"Oh. Why didn't you tell me?" Zhu Changluo frowned, and his eyes showed real compassion which was rare.

Liu Heqing immediately knelt down. "I am guilty."

"Forget it, Envoy Liu, get up quickly." Zhu Changluo shook his head. "It's not your fault. I forgot to ask. I thought he could go to the yamen and handle affairs as usual, so I didn't think much of it."

"Wei Chao." Zhu Changluo called out.

"I'm here." Wei Chao stood up immediately.

Zhu Changluo gestured for him to sit down and said, "Draft an imperial decree to promote Li Ruhua to the rank of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, allowing him to retire and return home, with travel expenses granted by the palace. Order Wang Ji, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, to take charge of the Ministry's seals from today onwards, and order the Cabinet to work with the Ministry of Science and Technology to recommend the position of Minister of Revenue."

"Yes." Wei Chao hurriedly pulled out a piece of white paper and wrote the emperor's words on it.

"Envoy Liu." Zhu Changluo looked at Liu Heqing again.

"I'm here." Liu Heqing replied.

Zhu Changluo said: "From now on, when the doctors of the Imperial Hospital visit the ministers according to the imperial order, they must report the ministers' conditions in a timely manner."

"Your Majesty is wise and benevolent, and I, your humble subject, will faithfully follow your instructions." Liu Heqing accepted the order.

"Okay, you can go back." Zhu Changluo picked up another memorial from the pile of memorials.

"I'll take my leave." Liu Heqing knelt down and kowtowed, then retreated in front of the emperor.

Zhu Changluo had just opened the memorial, but before he began to read, he suddenly remembered something and called Liu Heqing again. "Wait."

Liu Heqing returned to the desk and stood with his head bowed. "Your Majesty."

"Before, the Imperial Household Department went to the Imperial Hospital to find a female doctor for Zhang Xianyong's daughter. It was your family who took on this task, right?" Zhu Changluo asked.

"Your Majesty, it was my granddaughter who accepted the assignment," Liu Heqing replied.

"Let her enter the palace." Zhu Changluo ordered.

"Enter the palace!?" Liu Heqing was shocked. "May I ask, Your Majesty, what are you doing?"

"Of course I want to be an official. How can I be a palace maid?" Zhu Changluo said, "The servants in charge of the palace medicine are all useless. Even a fool like Cui Wensheng, who only knows how to prescribe excessive amounts of rhubarb, can be in charge of the imperial pharmacy. Shao in Jingren Palace is about to give birth, and I really don't want to let them take care of her. You saved my life, I trust you and your family. Since there is a precedent for women serving as medical officials in our ancestors' dynasty, I will follow the ancestral system and give her an official position. Let her go to Jingren Palace to take care of Shao personally."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Liu Heqing kowtowed to express his gratitude.

--------

Liu Heqing left the Qianqing Palace with mixed feelings.

The Imperial Hospital was located next to the Ministry of Rites, near Daming Gate. Following the central axis, exiting from Wumen Gate and then passing Chengtian Gate was the shortest route. Naturally, Liu Heqing wasn't going to go the long way around. He headed south, and just as he passed Wenzhao Pavilion, he bumped into Wang An, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, who was heading north from Hongzheng Gate.

Liu Heqing hurried forward, bowing deeply and saying, "Your humble servant greets Seal Holder Wang." Seeing Liu Heqing, Wang An's frown softened slightly. "You're welcome, Master Liu," Wang An returned the greeting with a deep bow, and the eunuchs accompanying him followed suit. Because Liu Heqing had cured the emperor, Wang An held him in a special respect.

In the past, even if Wang An had nothing to say, he would still chat with Liu Heqing for a few minutes, and if he had time, he would ask him to feel his pulse and give him some health advice. But this time, Wang An didn't have the heart to exchange pleasantries, not even to inquire about Li Ruhua's condition.

"Master Wang, please stay!" Liu Heqing took the initiative to call Wang An.

Wang An was anxious to return and report to the cabinet, but he finally stopped and looked at Liu Heqing with a smile, "Is there anything I can do for you, Envoy Liu?"

"I would like to ask you for a favor." Liu Heqing said.

"You don't have to be polite to me, Mr. Liu. Just tell me directly." Wang An agreed without asking any questions.

"I would like to ask Master Wang to help look after my granddaughter Liu Yun." Liu Heqing said with a bow.

"How do you want me to take care of Miss Liu?" Wang An asked.

"I just ask you to protect her and not let anyone bully her." Liu Heqing said.

"Can you explain it more clearly? Who bullied her?" Wang An felt confused.

Liu Heqing explained, "The emperor wants her to enter the palace as a lady-in-waiting to take care of Empress Shao in Jingren Palace."

"Oh? Is that true?" Wang An shook his head, pulling his thoughts away from the cabinet affairs. To him, no matter how important the affairs of the outer court were, they were nothing compared to the affairs of the imperial court.

"The emperor just said it himself." Liu Heqing said.

"All right," Wang An replied. "I promise you, as long as she does her job well, no servant in this palace will dare to touch her."

"Thank you, Master Wang." A happy and relaxed smile spread across Liu Heqing's face. "I'll come to thank you someday."

In the early Ming Dynasty, female officials and eunuchs were two separate professions. Female officials were directly selected from decent women in the society and had considerable independence and high status.

But two hundred years later, eunuchs came to power, senior eunuchs became tentacles of imperial power, and the Imperial Household Department became a cardinal office alongside the cabinet. The entire eunuch group was upgraded to a completely different entity from the eunuch group in the early Ming Dynasty.

The power originally reserved for female officials was gradually usurped by eunuchs, leading to the decline of the six bureaus and twenty-four departments, and the female officials were reduced to vassals of the eunuchs. Wang An was the pinnacle of the eunuchs, and if Liu Heng could have secured his protection, her time in the palace would have been much easier.

"It's just a small favor, just a greeting. There's no need to be so polite, Envoy Liu." Wang An said, "Miss Liu comes from a medical family and has been trained by you for a long time. She is much better than those slaves who have come from unconventional backgrounds. It will be a good thing for the boys if she can come to the palace to serve as a pharmacist." The pharmacists who have served in the palace for a long time must not only be ready to serve the royal family members at any time, but also provide basic medical care to ordinary palace people.

"Thank you very much, Master Wang." Liu Heqing said.

"It's a small matter." Wang An waved his hand and said, "Envoy Liu can just send Miss Liu to the Imperial Household Department. I will arrange everything."

"There's no need for this, Wang Zhangyin."

"Alright!" Wang An interrupted Liu Heqing when he saw he was about to speak. "I have something important to attend to, so I won't say any more. Don't worry."

"Okay. You're busy." Liu Heqing had no choice but to bow and say goodbye.

After a while, Wang An entered the Southern Study. Just as he was about to kneel, the emperor stopped him and said, "No need to kowtow. Just sit down and talk. Has the cabinet's decree been drafted?"

"Hiss!" Wang An's mind went blank. Shen's abnormal behavior had confused him, and he had even forgotten to supervise the cabinet's drafting of the imperial edict. "I think it should have been drafted."

"What do you mean by 'should'?" Zhu Changluo wrote the last word, threw down his brush, stared at Wang An and asked, "Have you drafted it yet?"

Seeing the emperor's irritation, Wang An knelt down and kowtowed. "The story is a bit complicated. My lord, please allow me to tell you from the beginning."

"explain."

"That's right." Wang An recounted his experiences in the cabinet and Shen's reaction from beginning to end. Zhu Changluo remained silent, his expression barely changing until Wang An mentioned Shen's betrayal. He then asked, "You said Fang Congzhe seemed hesitant, but Shen advised Fang Congzhe not to be lenient?"

"Lord Shen said, 'The country is in danger, and all the towns are in decline, but the censors and minor officials are manipulating public opinion and impeaching border officials at will.'" Wang An only listened to it once, but he remembered Shen's words almost perfectly.

Wei Chao instinctively speculated, "Could it be that Fang Shoufu is really pretending to obey but secretly disobeying, clearly receiving the order but not carrying it out?"

Liu Ruoyu also chimed in at this point, "I remember that Qi Shijiao, who is about to be demoted and transferred, is a student of Prime Minister Fang, right?"

Zhu Changluo did not comment, but asked, "What do you think, Wang An?"

"I still think that Prime Minister Fang is not the kind of person who dares to go against one's will. Moreover, the recent report submitted by the Embroidered Uniform Guards did not mention that he or the Fang family's family had any dealings with those censors and minor officials. On the contrary, Lord Shen had many banquets and interactions with them." This was the reason why Wang An was willing to speak for Fang Congzhe before and now.

Wang An paused for a moment, then continued, "Furthermore, if Prime Minister Fang received the imperial decree, he could explain to the public that it was an imperial decree that could not be disobeyed and that his attempts to negotiate were fruitless, thus preventing him from losing his standing among the people of Zhejiang. However, if Elder Shen's words were to get out, he would be actively breaking ties with his faction of censors. Elder Shen is a smart man, and he wouldn't have failed to consider this."

"Could it be that he wants to defect to Donglin?" Wei Chao continued. "These people are his token of allegiance."

"I can't vote for him," Zhu Changluo said. "Donglin is based on political views and integrity. Even if Shen breaks away from our faction, he can't vote for us."

"So what does he want to do?" Wei Chao murmured.

"Master, why don't we just call Lord Shen over to ask him?" Liu Ruoyu suggested.

Zhu Changluo was silent for a long moment, then suddenly laughed, looking delighted. "Hahaha! Perhaps Wei Chao was right. He really is surrendering."

"I am a stupid servant. Didn't you just say that I couldn't make it?" Wei Chao said with a wry smile.

Zhu Changluo ignored him. "Well, Wang An, you..." Zhu Changluo paused. "Let Wei Zhongxian or Cui Wensheng go. Wei Zhongxian is better, as he's been in more contact with Shen recently."

"What are you going to do?" Wang An didn't understand what the emperor was talking about.

"Send someone to contact Shen and ask him to build a shrine for Wei Zhongxian." Zhu Changluo ordered.

(End of this chapter)