Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 460: The Father is Unkind, the Son Shows Filial Piety

"The case of intercepting the military payroll transport team..." Wei Chao was silent for a few breaths, then a sudden smile returned to his face. "They can follow up on this case and ask further questions!" The three judicial officials had come up with a plan to conduct a trial without disobeying the emperor or embarrassing important figures in the palace.

"That's it." After finishing his first bowl, Wang An used his serving chopsticks to serve himself a final bowl of noodles. Wang An was in relatively good health. Although he was busy and ate a lot, his mind was still active.

"Did they find out anything during the interrogation?" Wei Chao was completely relieved, and his appetite improved a lot.

"The results are in," Wang An's expression grew slightly more serious. "Before the court was dismissed, the Ministry of Justice presented the signed interrogation record. Young Master Li confessed that he wasn't trying to stop you, nor was he trying to intercept the military payroll. The target he was waiting for was actually Prime Minister Fang. He simply happened to see your dragon robes, and that's when he acted. He stopped you to confess a crime."

"I remember he said he killed a man named Li Youcai, and Wuqing Hou was completely unaware of it." Wei Chao took the initiative to join in when Wang An took another bite of noodles. "But who is this Li Youcai?"

Wang An said, "Li Youcai was the one who tipped off Shen Caiyu. He was also the one whose body was found by the Southern City Military Command after the case was reported back to the capital."

"So it's that person." Wei Chao nodded, but then realized something was wrong. "But that's not right! How could Marquis Wuqing not know about this?"

"The order to kill was given by Marquis Wuqing," Wang An said more directly, "Young Master Li, who surrendered himself, was at best an executor."

"Then he is making a false confession?" Wei Chao said.

"It's a false confession, easily exposed." Wang An chewed the noodles slowly, savoring them. "But why did he do that?"

Wei Chao speculated, "How can you conceal the faults of your father when you are hiding them from your relatives?"

"No. To Li Guochen, Marquis Wuqing is definitely not a kind father." Wang An swallowed the noodles, shook his head and said, "The East Factory later found out that although Li Guochen is the eldest son of the Li family, he is a bastard born to a maid. Marquis Wuqing didn't recognize this son at the beginning and said he was a bastard. It was okay when the old marquis was alive, but after the old marquis died, Marquis Wuqing almost didn't regard Li Guochen as his son. This time, Marquis Wuqing returned to Tsinghua Garden outside the city, but did not take Li Guochen with him, but left him here alone. Such a son who has suffered grievances all his life would actually run out to help his father take the blame. I don't think things are that simple." Somehow, the more Wang An spoke, the more he felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

"Could it be that the intelligence from the East Factory is wrong?" Liu Ruoyu did not read the report from the East Factory, but this was the first time he heard of these things.

"No," Wang An said, "The East Factory came to these conclusions after extensive investigations. After the criminals in Beitang were escorted to Beijing, the East Factory also conducted more than one interrogation of the Li family. The status of the Sihou and Li Guochen in the Li family is well known to everyone."

"If a father is not kind, a son must be filial. If a father is not kind, a son will show his filial piety even more." Cao Huachun said: "This is a truly filial son."

"Filial son? I understand!" Just this one sentence connected all of Wang An's doubts. "Haha, I understand everything! This kid is really interesting. Wei Chao." Wang An turned his head and looked at Wei Chao.

"I'm here." Wei Chao quickly put down his chopsticks.

"You were used by him."

"Huh?" Wei Chao was confused again, but to make himself look less foolish, he pretended to understand and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I shouldn't have had him sent to the Ministry of Justice."

"No, no, no." Wang An, having figured it out, was in a good mood. Even as he shook his head, he was still smiling: "Going to the Ministry of Justice is just a bonus. Even if you didn't send him there, he'd still succeed. This kid, haha, is so interesting." Judging from Wang An's expression, if he could castrate Li Guochen and make him his godson, he might actually protect him with the emperor.

Wei Chao smiled awkwardly, glancing around at Cao Huachun and Liu Ruoyu. Seeing their bewildered faces, he felt a little relieved. "I don't understand." Wei Chao's gaze paused on Liu Ruoyu's face, his bewilderment growing even deeper.

"Then don't try to understand it for now, because you'll understand it eventually." Wang An didn't intend to explain yet. He slurped down the last of his noodles, put down his bowl and chopsticks, turned around and walked straight to the main table to sit down. Seeing Wang An leave, the eunuchs also put down their chopsticks.

After settling down, Wang An picked up the official document that needed his review, but before he even began to read, he looked up at Wei Chao. "Let me remind you again, if you encounter this situation again, just have someone take him home. Don't waste time talking to him."

Wei Chao didn't understand what was being said, but still responded: "This slave will remember the teachings of our ancestors."

"You guys continue eating, don't bother me." After saying this, the eunuchs who had stopped eating with Wang An started eating again.

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"Why did Ruoyu come to our headquarters as well? Aren't you on duty to serve the emperor today?" Wei Chao asked the new question while adding noodles to himself.

"Haha." Liu Ruoyu laughed awkwardly twice and glanced at Wang An inconspicuously. "Cui Dongchang has given me some free time."

This afternoon, Cui Wensheng personally went to the Qianqing Palace and presented the Emperor with the East Factory's final report on the forged disappearance case, along with a complete and signed confession. Even after completing the report, he refused to leave, lingering there, saying he wanted to remain close to the Emperor as he had before, at His Majesty's beck and call.

"Cui Wensheng, will this work?" Wei Chao also looked at Wang An.

"Since the master has agreed, I have to do it no matter what." Wang An sighed, and his mood, which had just improved, became worse again.

When Cui Wensheng suggested the appointment of a personal attendant, Wang An naturally objected immediately. He hadn't forgotten how it was this bastard who had given the emperor an aphrodisiac, nearly causing his master, the Emperor, to nearly die. However, Wang An couldn't bring himself to mention the "aphrodisiac" in front of the emperor, saying it would confuse him and damage his health. He could only offer subtle words of advice, such as "I'm afraid he won't serve me well enough." But subtle opposition always lacked strength.

What's more, Emperor Zhu Changluo himself had no grudges. In Zhu Changluo's view, Cui Wensheng's request was the same as a hunting dog wagging its tail in front of its owner with prey in its mouth. At this time, unpleasant words should not be said, and one should stroke the fur in the right direction, and it would be better to stroke the fur of his puppy. Only then will the hunting dog be happy and at ease, and will work harder in the future. Therefore, in the end, the emperor not only agreed to let Cui Wensheng serve as a close attendant, but also hinted that he would reward him after Cui Yuan returned to Beijing. After the emperor expressed his position, Wang An had no choice but to shut up. "How about I go and say hello to the Imperial Hospital?" Wei Chao suggested, "Let them make preparations."

"Why are you preparing anything? Just enjoy your noodles!" Wang An rolled his eyes at him.

Of course, Wang An wouldn't fail to take any precautions. He sent a message to Shi Fuming, asking him to keep a close eye on Cui Wensheng and prevent him from using any unusual or inappropriate tricks. If Cui Wensheng did, and the emperor couldn't be persuaded, he was to go to Jingren Palace and call the female physician to stay on duty overnight to prevent any accidents. Furthermore, preparations were also made outside the palace. As soon as the Forbidden City opened the next day, if word got out that the emperor had taken an aphrodisiac and was bedridden, someone would immediately go to the Imperial Hospital and bring in Liu Heqing and other experienced physicians. But before that, sending someone to the Imperial Hospital to make a statement was essentially creating a fabricated narrative that "the emperor needed his physician to be constantly prepared for prevention." If this information leaked out, who knows what kind of bizarre rumors would spread.

"Yes." Wei Chao retracted his head again.

However, Wei Chao and Wang An were clearly overthinking things. Even if Cui Wensheng hadn't considered it, even if he'd pulled out some exotic elixir to invite his favor, Zhu Changluo wouldn't have been so foolish as to take it. If Wei Chao had bypassed Wang An and brought the red pill presented by Li Kezhuo, the Minister of Rites, directly to the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Changluo would have undoubtedly just laughed it off and thrown it away. Just kidding, he knew the basic common sense that alchemists used cinnabar in their elixirs, and that cinnabar contained mercury, which was poisonous.

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On March 13th of the first year of the Taichang reign, two vice ministers were recommended by the Ministry of Personnel and approved by the emperor for appointment: Bi Ziyan, the right vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, who was in charge of Liao military supplies, and Li Tengfang, the right vice minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Li Tengfang, a native of Xiangtan County, Changsha Prefecture, Huguang Province, achieved the rank of Jinshi (244th place in the third class of the Renchen Imperial Examination) in the 20th year of the Wanli reign. He was later promoted to Shujishi (Scholarly Scholar). He served in the Hanlin Academy, the Zhanshi Palace, and the Imperial College, earning a high reputation as a scholar. In the 37th year of the Wanli reign, he was demoted to the rank of Eighth-Rank Taichang Doctor due to an incident. In the 39th year of the Wanli reign, he was exiled to Jiangxi Province for his impetuous behavior during the imperial examination. After several transfers, he was finally promoted to the rank of Fourth-Rank Taichang Shaoqing (Second-Minister of the Imperial College) in the 48th year of the Wanli reign, overseeing the Imperial College's affairs.

To date, Li Tengfang has achieved no notable success. However, one thing cannot be denied: he served the emperor well. In the 21st year of the Wanli reign, while serving as a Hanlin Academy student, Li Tengfang persuaded the then-chief minister, Wang Xijue, to submit a memorial of self-impeachment, requesting the abolition of the proposal to "jointly draft two titles and confer titles on three princes." This indirectly facilitated the eldest son of the emperor to go to the imperial court to study. Although the emperor's imperial edict explicitly instructed the Ministry of Rites to conduct the eldest son's marriage ceremony not with the ceremonies of the crown prince, but with the ceremonies of a prince, the eldest son was still the first of Emperor Shenzong's sons to go to the imperial court to study. The issue of the nation's foundation, which had been debated for a long time but had no results, was a good start.

On March 14, the first year of Taichang, at dawn, Bi Ziyan, the right vice-minister of the Ministry of Revenue who was in charge of Liao's military pay, left Beijing on horseback, and Li Tengfang, the newly appointed right vice-minister of the Ministry of Rites, also came to the Ministry of Rites.

When Li Tengfang arrived at the Ministry of Rites, Xu Guangqi, the Minister of Rites who was three years older than him but had passed the imperial examination twelve years later, was already waiting in the open space in the front yard with the doctors and principals of the four departments.

Li Tengfang was a subordinate, so naturally he was the first to greet Xu Guangqi. "The subordinate Li Tengfang pays his respects to the Grand Master Xu."

"Master Li, there's no need to be so polite." Xu Guangqi replied.

"Your subordinate greets Master Li Shaozong!" A group of doctors and officials behind Xu Guangqi bowed to Li Tengfang.

"No need to be so polite, everyone." Li Tengfang replied.

After the ceremony, Xu Guangqi dismissed the officials from the Four Departments and walked over to Li Tengfang, holding his arm. "Xiangzhou, I've been waiting day and night for you, and finally you're here." Xiangzhou is the ancient name of Li Tengfang's hometown, and it's also the name he used to call himself.

Li Tengfang was stunned. "Why does Grand Master Xu say that?" Although he was very pleased that Xu Guangqi and the officials from the four departments came to greet him, to say that he had been looking forward to it day and night was a bit exaggerated.

"Xiangzhou, there's no need to be so polite. Just call me Zixian." Xu Guangqi said with a friendly smile.

"That's not good." Xu Guangqi's friendliness made Li Tengfang feel a little dangerous. He even began to have wild thoughts, thinking that this Grand Master Xu might have caused some disaster that he needed to take the blame for, which was why he was being so friendly.

"There's nothing wrong with that." Xu Guangqi insisted, "Xiangzhou passed the imperial examination twelve years before me. It's not an exaggeration for me to call you sir."

Li Tengfang quickly waved his hand and said, "There is a difference between superiors and subordinates. Sir and young man are not that important. I dare not call the Grand Master of the Imperial Household by his courtesy name."

"Alas!" Xu Guangqi sighed. "Since that's the case, I won't force it. Let's leave it this way for now."

"That's great." Li Tengfang said with a smile.

Xu Guangqi led Li Tengfang to the lobby of the Ministry of Rites and pointed to the desk on the left side of the lobby, to the right of the main desk, and said, "In the future, Xiangzhou will work here. The second hall has also set up a special signing room for you."

"Okay." Li Tengfang nodded slightly, looking around. This wasn't his first time at the Ministry of Rites, but he'd never been so overwhelmed with emotion. "Grand Master, if there's anything you need me to do for you, please let me know."

"These are state affairs, why bother giving orders!" Xu Guangqi seemed to be waiting for this. After a few polite words, he immediately picked up a leaf-folded memorandum from his desk and handed it to Li Tengfang with both hands: "Xiangzhou, take a look at this first."

"What is this?" Li Tengfang took it with both hands.

"These are the matters that the Ministry of Rites needs to address in the near future. I've sorted them by priority." Xu Guangqi then pulled out another booklet and handed it over. "This is the budget booklet drawn up at the beginning of the year. But for now, it can only be used as a reference."

Li Tengfang took the budget booklet again. "Why?"

"Your Majesty is wise and has added many tasks to the Ministry of Rites. Some of these tasks require only following procedures, sending letters, and assigning personnel, while others require additional funding." Xu Guangqi gave an example. "Take, for example, the establishment of a Western Classics Translation Institute. We are currently recruiting fifty scholars fluent in European languages ​​to lead the translation efforts, and we are also selecting one hundred students from the Imperial Academy to study Western languages ​​and assist with the translations. Each scholar will be paid two taels of silver per month, and each student will receive five cents. This means that the annual cost of manpower alone is 1,800 taels of silver. Furthermore, there are additional expenses for writing materials, and the Guanglu Temple will also have to provide additional food. Roughly speaking, the Translation Institute will cost at least four thousand taels of silver per year."

(End of this chapter)