Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 384: One Body, Many Faces

"So what's the result?" Qian Qianyi leaned forward slightly on the table, and he looked like he was about to reach out and push Wen Zhenmeng, who was sitting in the middle, to the side.

But Wang Zheng poured cold water on him. "I'm not sure," Wang Zheng shook his head.

Qian Qianyi cast a slightly skeptical look at Wen Zhenmeng. Wen Zhenmeng had previously described Wang Zheng as not only a learned scholar "well-versed in Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Western philosophy," but also someone who "knew the inside story and understood the pros and cons."

Without waiting for Qian Qianyi to speak again, Wang Zheng began to explain: "As far as the letters and articles I've translated are concerned, I haven't found many texts related to court politics. Even if there are a few descriptions, they are mostly fragmentary and often inaccurate. For example, a Western Confucian scholar named Fu equates cabinet ministers with supervisors, believing that eunuchs are also cabinet members. What's more, this Western Confucian scholar named Fu even believes that "all cabinet members", including eunuchs, govern the country every day in "an extremely ornate hall", sitting on twelve chairs made of gold and silver. Each chair has the so-called royal family crest on it, and I guess he is referring to the dragon pattern."

Qian Qianyi listened with great interest. When Wang Zheng finished speaking, he raised his glass and followed up the topic with a smile, "There are six elders in the cabinet and five eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department. How did the 'Twelve Chairs' come about?"

"This Western Confucian scholar named Fu wrote in his notes that the emperor would also go to that 'extraordinarily ornately decorated hall' every day to conduct government affairs. So, doesn't that make twelve chairs?" Wang Zheng laughed at this. "And they also believe that the chair, 'made of pure gold, inlaid with many gems, and adorned with several dragons,' can be occupied by others. If the emperor doesn't attend this so-called 'governing assembly,' the cabinet's chief academician can sit in it and preside over the 'governing assembly' on his behalf."

"There is no two suns in the sky, no two kings on earth, no two masters in the family, and no two superiors." Qian Qianyi couldn't help but smile. "The foreigner who wrote this article must not have read the Book of Rites."

Wang Zheng nodded in affirmation, but then added, "But these words are at best just the ignorant imagination of a foreign nation about our Celestial Empire. They are far from being slanderous to the emperor, defamatory to the government, or misleading to the public. Even the Grand Secretary-General agrees."

"Even these erroneous texts are mostly based on a simple admiration." Wang Zheng's smile gradually faded as he spoke. "This is even more true in other articles. For example, there was a priest named Jin who returned to the West and toured the Western countries twice. According to his diary, during his time there, he often appeared in public places like academies and academies in Confucian robes, promoting and recommending the rituals, systems, and customs of our Celestial Empire to local scholars. His articles are often filled with extremely accurate descriptions."

"The Western Confucian scholars imprisoned in Zhengxifang and the untranslated Western books were mostly brought by this priest surnamed Jin when he left his homeland and returned to China two years ago." Wang Zheng took a sip of bitter wine and sighed.

"According to his own diary, these Western Confucian scholars were almost all inspired by him during his travels, and they yearned for our dynasty and admired the king's influence, so they volunteered to come. During this extremely dangerous ocean voyage, seven Western Confucian scholars fell ill and died, including Father Jin's younger brother. Father Jin's younger brother died on the ship, and his body was not buried until it began to decay. It was not until their ship arrived at a place called Goa that Father Jin buried his brother there." After saying this, Wang Zheng sighed again.

"So," Qian Qianyi pondered for a moment and asked, "the Xiantai believes this case is a false accusation?"

"No!" Wang Zheng, seemingly drunk, spoke twice as loudly. "These are just the letters and articles I translated. Even if they're all true, they're only partial facts, and don't reflect the full picture of this case and the Western Church. Twenty-seven people applied to translate for the Xiantai. I don't know if their translations contain any rebellious or even seditious content. Furthermore, the Grand Chancellor hasn't disclosed the Xiantai's overall assessment of the case to us. After our last meal of the day, he simply announced the disbanding of the 'Translation Office' and sent us back. That's why I said before that I didn't know the outcome of this case."

Wen Zhenmeng, who sat between them, didn't interrupt, but he nodded repeatedly and occasionally responded to the toasts. What he admired most was Wang Zheng's straightforward, unbiased nature.

Qian Qianyi nodded slightly, his eyes turning to Wang Zheng with a touch of respect. He poured wine while he started a new conversation. "I heard that the Western official surnamed Tang from the Imperial Observatory is also working as a translator at the Xiantai, and that Brother Liangfu is quite familiar with him?"

"Brother Shouzhi is incredibly well-informed." Wang Zheng couldn't help but glance at Wen Zhenmeng again. Wen Zhenmeng was already a bit drunk, but far from apologizing or trying to evade the question, he grinned at Wang Zheng through his drunken mouth.

Qian Qianyi couldn't help but notice the teasing in this. He laughed along, then said, "As the saying goes, a smooth road leads to smooth sailing. After all, the Imperial Observatory is right next to the Hanlin Academy, just two turns away. Brother Liangfu, please." Qian Qianyi toasted again.

Wang Zheng had nothing to hide. He accepted the toast and said, "I've been coming back with Tang Guanzheng these past few days. So, I've developed a bit of a superficial friendship with him."

"Tang Guanzheng also lives in this area?" Qian Qianyi asked.

Wang Zheng nodded and said, "It's right by the Paozi River."

Although Sun Yuanhua and Wen Zhenmeng both rented residences in Mingshifang, Wen Zhenmeng's was between the Armory and the Imperial Examination Hall, while Sun Yuanhua's was south of the Armory, near the Paozi River. The two locations were not particularly close. If Wang Zheng hadn't been recruited to the Censorate to handle a case, he wouldn't have even known that Johann Adam Schall von Bell lived in Mingshifang. Wang Zheng was deeply interested in Schall von Bell, and the two enjoyed a lively conversation on their return trip. If the case hadn't been finalized and the results of the imperial examination were about to be announced, Wang Zheng would have been compelled to pay him a visit.

"I see, it's truly fate." Qian Qianyi picked up a bean fried with salt with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth. After chewing and swallowing it with his wine, Qian Qianyi said, "There's a rumor that it was Tang Guanzheng who caused trouble at the entrance to the Imperial Examination Hall after the examination. I don't know if it's true, but I don't think it's just a rumor."

"It's not a rumor. It was indeed Tang Guanzheng," Wang Zheng said. "But he wasn't trying to cause trouble. He just heard his family was surrounded and his fellow villagers were imprisoned. He was anxious, so he went to the Imperial Examination Hall to seek advice from the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan. That same day, the Imperial Guards arrested him and took him to Zhengxifang, but he was released the next day. Tang Guanzheng himself said that it was Chief Wei of the Imperial Household Department who personally came to release him."

In order to create momentum and guide public opinion, whenever Tang Ruowang talked about this matter with others, he would emphasize that it was Wei Chao who rescued him from the Jinyiwei who were arresting people indiscriminately the next day.

"And the Emperor has already punished me for this." Wang Zheng also reached out his chopsticks to pick up some beans, but because the dish of beans was in front of Qian Qianyi and a little far from Wang Zheng, he tried twice with the tip of his chopsticks, and the beans fell out. Seeing this, Qian Qianyi simply pushed the dish toward Wang Zheng.

But at that moment, Wen Zhenmeng reached out his chopsticks and stopped the plate mid-sentence. He picked up a bean and put it into his mouth. While chewing, he asked, "How was the punishment?"

"Brother Wen Qi, if you're drunk, go take a rest." Wang Zheng turned his head to look at Wen Zhenheng, who was sitting on the other side. Wen Zhenmeng added, "I'm not drunk. If you want to eat, I'll give it to you." With that, Wen Zhenmeng used the two chopsticks in his hand to move the plate in front of Wang Zheng.

Wang Zheng chuckled and shook his head, and said to Qian Qianyi: "The penalty is a one-month salary deduction, and the salary rank has been reduced by two levels." Although the penalty has been implemented for some time, it is still far from being known to everyone.

Qian Qianyi picked up the wine pot and prepared to pour more wine. However, after several rounds of toasts, there was little wine left in the pot. He only poured half of it when the wine flowing out of the pot changed from a thin column to a drop.

Given the Wen family's financial resources, they certainly wouldn't be short of wine for their guests. Without anyone saying anything, Qian Qianyi had just put down his wine jug when a servant standing behind him brought a fresh jug of wine. While that servant was serving the wine, another servant tactfully added a dish of salt-fried beans to the table.

Qian Qianyi filled his glass with wine and respectfully asked, "Does that mean Tang Guanzheng will remain in his original position?" In terms of severity, a salary deduction and reduction in rank was a relatively light punishment, only slightly less severe than a simple salary deduction. This penalty would automatically be rescinded if the official was promoted or transferred.

"Yes, that's right," Wang Zheng responded. "It's just that recently, Tang Guanzheng has been working at the Censorate and not at the Imperial Observatory."

"Among those letters and articles seized by the Jinyiwei, there should be some from Tang Guanzheng himself, right?" Qian Qianyi had a good alcohol tolerance. Even Wang Zheng, who joined the drinking party later, started to feel a little tipsy and blushed, but his mind was still clear, only his heart rate was slightly increased due to the effect of alcohol.

"Yes," Wang Zheng said. "Tang Guanzheng himself said he kept a diary and a notebook he'd taken while studying Chinese in Macao in Xiangshan, in the house the Jesuits rented. Besides the diary and notebook, there were only a few scattered research articles."

"Brother Liangfu, have you seen these things?" Qian Qianyi asked.

"No." Wang Zheng shook his head. "I didn't get any of Tang Guanzheng's writings. But I don't think there were any taboos, otherwise Tang Guanzheng wouldn't have walked out of the Censorate in one piece."

"That makes sense." Qian Qianyi savored the process and soon came to his own understanding. He stopped delving into the case and turned to Western scholarship: "I've heard that Tang Guanzheng is compiling a new calendar according to Western methods. I wonder how the progress is going?"

Wang Zheng's eyes, which had been dimming for a moment, suddenly brightened. He was also quite interested in astronomy and had recently consulted Johann Adam Schall von Bell on this very subject. "Before the incident, Officer Tang, with the support of the Grand Master of Ceremonies, was working with a priest named Deng to draft principles for calculating the calendar."

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As Qian Qianyi and Wang Zheng gradually shifted the topic from the case to academics, in his study in a small courtyard near the Paozi River, Sun Yuanhua was sullenly reviewing a draft of a petition. His client, Johann Adam Schall von Bell, stood beside him, occasionally prompting him to add details.

"Alright." After correcting the last typo, Sun Yuanhua gently placed the nearly-empty brush on the pen holder. He blew a few more times, waiting until the heaviest stroke was completely dry before handing the manuscript over. "Daowei, take another look at it yourself. If there's anything wrong, revise it." After spending some time together, Sun Yuanhua no longer referred to Tang Ruowang as "Tang Guanzheng," but simply referred to him by the name Tang Ruowang had given him.

"Thank you." Johann Adam Schall von Bell took the draft and read it through. Meanwhile, Sun Yuanhua propped up his chin, staring at the last embers of the setting sun through the open window.

Time slipped by quietly, the embers quickly burned out, and darkness rolled in. Sun Yuanhua turned his head to look at Johann Adam Schall von Bell, who happened to be looking back at him. They exchanged a wry smile, which faded in the next instant. "Anything else that needs to be added or deleted?" Sun Yuanhua asked solemnly.

"That's all. It's very well written, so well that I don't understand many parts of it." Johann Adam Schall von Bell wanted to make fun of himself, but Sun Yuanhua didn't seem to want to laugh at all.

"Are you sure you want to submit this memorial?" Sun Yuanhua asked.

"Now that I've seen it, I can't remain silent." Tang Ruowang put down his manuscript and let out a long sigh. "Besides, even if I didn't submit a memorial, the Censorate would definitely reveal all these things in its report."

Unlike Wang Zheng, the evidence Tang Ruowang encountered was almost entirely negative. This was not accidental, but the result of deliberate effort by Zhang Wenda, the Left Censor-in-Chief.

Zhang Wenda divided the thirteen censors handling the case into several groups, each of which was assigned several temporarily recruited translators.

During translation, each team receives a random set of materials and translates them independently, without any communication. Each document is cross-translated by two or more teams. Only when the different translations of the same document agree on the general meaning will the translated content be recorded and used as the basis for the case classification. Otherwise, if the cross-translation results disagree, the original document will be given to another team for retranslation.

Through this design, the Censorate screened out many letters and articles related to Father Mendoza, as well as unrelated but truly rebellious texts. Therefore, Johann Adam Schall von Bell was always given special treatment in the group. In addition to the randomly assigned materials, this group also translated all the "rebellious texts."

(End of this chapter)