Huangming

Chapter 154 Qingli tells the story, Jinzheng cuts Jie
January 23rd, the first year of the Tianqi reign.

As the snow melts, the Jinshui River begins to flow, reflecting the red walls and yellow tiles.

The white jade railings in front of the Qianqing Palace gleamed slightly in the sunlight, and a few sparrows hopped around on the eaves.

The eunuchs removed the heavy cotton curtains and replaced them with light gauze curtains.

In the Imperial Garden, withered branches sprout new buds, and the Imperial Kitchen begins preparing seasonal tributes such as bamboo shoots and fresh fish.

On the open ground outside the Wenhua Hall, Hanlin scholars took advantage of the fine weather to air their books, and the faint scent of ink mixed with the smell of earth wafted through the air.

Zhu Youxiao held a lecture on the classics early in the morning.

Listening to Fang Congzhe and the others chant scriptures once every three days wasn't entirely without benefit.

At the very least, Zhu Youxiao's classical Chinese proficiency had improved significantly.

The daily lectures at the imperial court were considered important occasions for civil officials to instill orthodox Confucian thought into the emperor.

The Hanlin scholars quoted classical texts, attempting to shape the emperor's mindset with the words of sages.

However, Emperor Tianqi (Zhu Youxiao) made this brainwashing ritual particularly subtle.

His mindset was already set in stone, even carrying a touch of craftsman-like pragmatism and rebelliousness.

When the white-haired lecturers were nodding and explaining that "the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed," Zhu Youxiao might suddenly interrupt: "If the well-field system is truly feasible according to Mencius, why did Emperor Hongwu promote the fish-scale register?"

When scholars praised "governing by doing nothing," he would directly refute them:

"To govern by doing nothing? I have read history books and found that Emperor Wen of Han allowed the people to rest and recuperate, and even personally plowed the imperial field to encourage agriculture and sericulture; Emperor Taizong of Tang, during the reign of Zhenguan, would often put on his clothes at midnight and discuss politics with Fang Xuanling and Du Fu until dawn. The so-called inaction is not really doing nothing, but rather not acting recklessly and not disturbing the people."

"Now the national treasury is empty, the borders are plagued by frequent troubles, and refugees are everywhere. Yet you all advise me to sit high in the palace and sit idly by? If the world could be governed by idle talk, why would we need to set up the Six Ministries and appoint hundreds of officials!"

These unconventional questions often leave even the most learned scholars speechless.

They discovered that this young emperor often found unconventional approaches in his debates, able to dissect classics with the logic of a craftsman and peel away the outer shell of moralistic preaching with the sharpness of a plane.

Rather than saying that the ministers taught the emperor the art of being a ruler, it would be more accurate to say that the emperor brainwashed his ministers about the way of being a minister.

For Zhu Youxiao, the essence of the Imperial Lectures was not lecturing, but responding to questions.

This young emperor knew perfectly well that sitting on the throne at the imperial lectures was the perfect opportunity to grasp the trends of the court.

As the Hanlin scholars recited the classics from memory, his eyes were constantly observing the changes in the expressions of the officials below—who was listening attentively, who was just going through the motions, and who was harboring secret thoughts—none of these escaped his notice.

More importantly, the questions that arose when reviewing memorials a few days ago can now be raised in court.

When cabinet ministers and heads of the six ministries gather together, they can often clarify unresolved political matters in just a few words.

Face-to-face political discussions are far more efficient than written correspondence.

After the imperial lecture, Zhu Youxiao proceeded to the Qianqing Palace.

Just as he picked up the memorial in the East Warm Pavilion, ready to review it, a eunuch from the Yellow Gate came to report to him.

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Weixian, and his son have submitted a petition requesting an audience with you!"

Zhu Youxiao was stunned for a moment before he remembered that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had sent a message this morning that the Duke of Yingguo had led 8,000 well-trained soldiers of the Beijing Garrison back to the capital from Kaifeng.

"Let them in!"

Not long after, the door to the East Warm Pavilion opened, and Zhang Weixian, dressed in the robes of a duke, and Zhang Zhiji, dressed in the flying fish uniform of the Imperial Guard, slowly entered the East Warm Pavilion.

"Your humble servant, Zhang Weixian, Duke of Ying (Zhang Zhiji, Commander of the Imperial Guard), respectfully wishes Your Majesty good health!"

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said, "Rise, and have a seat."

The eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs brought over small stools, and the two men sat down with straight backs, displaying extreme humility.

"The Duke has made great contributions in training troops and reorganizing the Beijing Garrison."

"This is all my duty; how dare I claim to have worked hard and made great contributions?"

Zhang Weixian's delayed return to the capital, even more so than the 300-pound carriage of Prince Fu, was actually due to the training of the new army along the way.

This Duke, accompanied by his personal guards, traveled from Kaifeng to the capital region, recruiting able-bodied young refugees along the way to fill the ranks, managing to fill almost all the vacancies on the roster of the capital garrison, finally reaching a total of eight thousand men.

As for such a thing as receiving a salary without working?
Even if Zhang Weixian were to borrow a hundred lives, he wouldn't dare to touch it in the slightest.

Since he was ordered by the emperor to reorganize the Beijing garrison, he has dealt with several marquises in succession, thus forging a deep-seated enmity with the nobility.

Those eyes lurking in the shadows are waiting to find his fault.

At this moment, the lonely Duke straightened his python robe and turned his gaze toward the throne.

Under heaven, only the emperor before him is his last resort!

Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "I am fair in rewarding and punishing, and those who have made contributions will be rewarded. What kind of reward does the Duke want?"

Zhang Weixian shook his head and said, "It is my duty to share Your Majesty's burdens, and I dare not ask for any reward."

Zhu Youxiao chuckled and said, "You don't want a reward, but I can't refuse. You and your son are loyal and diligent, which pleases me greatly."

He pondered for a moment, then turned to the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial beside him and said, “Issue the imperial decree—to bestow upon Duke Zhang Weixian a python robe and a jade belt, increase his stipend by two hundred shi of rice, and grant him ten thousand mu of land; his son Zhang Zhiji shall be promoted to Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Commander of the Noble Camp, and be granted a brocade spring knife and two fine steeds from the Imperial Horse Administration.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Weixian immediately rose and kowtowed: "Your Majesty's grace is boundless, and your father and I are unworthy of it! Training troops in the capital is our duty, how dare we accept such a generous gift?"

Zhu Youxiao raised his hand in a gesture of support and said gently, "Your Excellency is too modest. Reorganizing the nominal number of soldiers in the capital garrison and recruiting able-bodied men along the way requires both courage and insight. I heard that you even took out your own money to help the refugees along the way?"

Seeing Zhang Weixian's surprised expression, the emperor smiled meaningfully: "The secret reports from the Embroidered Uniform Guard contain more than just evidence of the nobles' crimes."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Weixian's heart tightened.

Fortunately, he behaved himself well throughout the journey; if he had done anything else, it would probably have been reported to the emperor long ago.

Zhang Zhiji was secretly delighted, thinking that being promoted to the position of Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was already a good job with several promotions.

But when the words "Commander of the Noble Camp" came out of the mouth of the eunuch delivering the imperial decree, the smile on his face instantly froze.

'Your Majesty is trying to kill me!' he wailed inwardly.

He just helped deal with a lot of nobles, and now he's going to turn around and take charge of their sons and nephews?
This isn't a promotion, it's a death sentence!

Zhang Zhiji secretly glanced at the throne, only to see the emperor looking at him with a half-smile, his eyes clearly saying: 'My dear minister, I love seeing you looking like you want to die but dare not.'

Although Zhang Zhiji was inwardly complaining, he had no choice but to prostrate himself in gratitude.

Zhu Youxiao looked at his tight-fitting flying fish robe and suddenly said, "Zhang Zhiji, I have high hopes for you. I hope you will not let me down!"

Zhang Zhiji immediately kowtowed three times.

dong dong dong~
Then, somewhat dejectedly, he said, "This humble servant will certainly not fail Your Majesty's great kindness!"

Zhu Youxiao looked at Zhang Zhiji's grief-stricken appearance and couldn't help but smile with amusement.

How could he not know what this tough guy was thinking?
The Duke of England has indeed lost his reputation among the nobility these days, having stained his hands with the blood of many nobles.

but.
"Commander Zhang, please think it over carefully."

The emperor lightly tapped the imperial desk and said meaningfully, "In the current camp of nobles, how many people should have been denied titles? It is precisely because the Duke of Ying killed those who held titles that they have had their chance to rise in the ranks."

Zhang Zhiji was taken aback upon hearing this, and a glint of light gradually appeared in his eyes.

"These people will not hate you; on the contrary, they will thank you for giving them the opportunity."

Zhu Youxiao slowly rose and stood with his hands behind his back.

"Moreover, with me backing you up, if you can't even keep these noble sons in check, then I don't think you can really hold onto this position as commander."

Upon hearing the emperor's words, Zhang Zhiji immediately declared, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly bring the Noble Camp under my complete control!"

Seeing Zhang Zhiji's stance, Zhu Youxiao nodded in satisfaction.

"Your Majesty, would you like to order lunch?"

Outside the warm pavilion came the voice of a eunuch from the Imperial Kitchen requesting permission to serve the meal. Zhu Youxiao took the opportunity to stand up: "Let's stay for dinner today. It's a good opportunity to discuss the new regulations for the Beijing Garrison's firearms drills with you all."

He pointed at Zhang Zhiji and said with a smile, "Your father always praises your riding and archery skills. Let me see them at the training ground later."

"Yes!"

Now that Zhang Zhiji's confidence has increased and his worries are gone, he is at ease, but his eyes are glancing around the East Warm Pavilion.

Where is that scoundrel Luo Yangxing?

Where did they run off to?

The privilege of the Duke and his son dining with the Emperor was the envy of everyone in the court.

Exquisite imperial dishes were laid out on the table, but the three of them only touched their lips with their chopsticks. This imperial lunch was not meant to fill their stomachs.

Zhang Weixian took a small sip of soup and put down his silver spoon. Under the guise of presenting a memorial, he explained in detail the important matters of reorganizing the Beijing garrison.

Zhang Zhiji barely touched his ivory chopsticks, completely absorbed in remembering every word the emperor uttered. The eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial, standing nearby, saw it clearly: the imperial food in the bowls was almost untouched.

But what does it matter?
The value of today's lunch lies not in the delicacies, but in the cup of Jinhua wine that the Emperor personally poured for the Duke of England, and in the respect he showed during the conversation.

After all, when the emperor bestows a banquet, those who eat are always the emperor's favorites; who would really care about the food on their plate?

After lunch, the emperor's carriage went directly to the inner training ground.

It was mid-spring, and dust filled the air on the training ground.

Three hundred sons of nobles were practicing military formations according to their instructors' commands, with the sounds of clashing swords and spears ringing out incessantly.

Suddenly, three cracks of the whip were heard. Everyone turned to look, and saw:
Under a bright yellow curved umbrella, the emperor, dressed in a crimson military uniform and with a Longquan sword at his waist, rode in, surrounded by the Imperial Guards.

The sunlight shone on the cloak embroidered with golden dragons, so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes.

The eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs announced in a hoarse voice, "His Majesty has arrived!"

With a sharp shout from the instructor, the training ground, which had been filled with shouts of battle, fell completely silent.

All the nobles knelt on one knee in unison, the clanging of their armor like a torrential downpour.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome your arrival! Long live the Emperor!"

The sound waves shook the willow branches on the sidelines, startling a few sparrows into flight.

Zhu Youxiao reined in the reins, his gaze sweeping over the young faces of these military families, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

Zhu Youxiao dismounted from his imperial horse and said to the crowd, "Get up, everyone."

After everyone stood up, Zhu Youxiao pointed to Zhang Zhiji behind him and said, "From this day forward, Zhang Zhiji is promoted to Commander of the Noble Camp, in command of the elite troops of the Noble Camp. All of you must train hard. In ten days, I will be on a spring hunt in the South China Sea. At that time, I will see the results of your training!"

After the emperor finished speaking, Zhang Zhiji stepped forward with a stiff upper lip, and immediately several hostile gazes were directed at him.

Zhang Zhiji grinned at the hostile gazes, clasped his hands in greeting, and looked around at everyone: "Brothers, from now on we're comrades sharing the same food!"

He deliberately patted the newly bestowed embroidered spring knife at his waist, the scabbard striking the gold thread of his flying fish robe with a crisp sound.

"His Majesty said that the real test will be taken at the Spring Hunt in Nanhai in ten days. I, Zhang Zhiji, am a rough man, and I only believe in one thing: those who have made contributions, I will personally ask His Majesty for their rewards; those who have dragged us down, I will not tolerate them either! As you all know, I, Zhang Zhiji, am a regular at Zuixianlou, and I am quite skilled at beating people!"

Several young nobles in the crowd couldn't help but sneer, but Zhang Zhiji suddenly stopped laughing, his voice turning cold: "Of course, if anyone thinks I'm not qualified to be the commander..."

He suddenly turned around, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute towards the imperial carriage, and said, "Your Majesty is right here. Come out now and compete with me in archery and horsemanship! If you win, I will give him the position of commander!"

The training ground fell into a deathly silence, and even the hostile gazes that had been there moments before flickered with fear.

After a long while, no one answered.

Zhang Zhiji cursed these cowards inwardly, but put on a warm face: "Since no one objects, let's work together from today onwards!"

He deliberately patted Xue Zhao, a newly emerging nobleman who might inherit the title, heavily on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Brother Xue, if you can hone your skills in the Noble Camp, wouldn't your title of Marquis of Yangwu be a sure thing?"

These words clearly reminded everyone that half of your titles were obtained by my father through killing people.

After Zhang Zhiji unleashed a series of punches, even those in the noble camp who harbored grievances against him dared not openly express them.

After being reminded by Zhang Zhiji, Xue Zhao immediately knelt down on one knee, clasped his hands in greeting to Zhang Zhiji, and said, "This humble servant, Xue Zhao, greets the Commander!"

Upon seeing this, Zhu Guodong, the younger brother of Marquis of Funing Zhu Guobi, and Guo Zhen, the son of Guo Peimin, a popular candidate for Marquis of Wuding, also knelt on one knee, clasped their hands in greeting to Zhang Zhiji, and said: "Your humble servant Zhu Guodong (Guo Zhen) greets Commander!"

With these three leading the way, the others, though unwilling, had no choice but to kneel on one knee to show their obedience.

"We pay our respects to the Commander!"

Zhang Zhiji smiled and said, "Get up, all of you!"

Zhang Zhiji stepped forward three times, his rhinoceros-hide boots making a dull thud as they stomped on the rammed earth.

His gaze was sharp as a knife, slowly sweeping over every face present, whether arrogant or defiant.

"I know that you all have something on your mind!"

As he said this, he drew his embroidered spring knife with a clang in his right hand, the gleaming blade reflecting a blinding cold light in the spring sun.

"So you think I rose to power because of the Emperor's favor? Today, without His Majesty's presence, we'll follow military rules: horsemanship, archery, swordsmanship, and firearms—choose yourselves! Whoever can truly convince me will take the commander's position."

He suddenly grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "I, Zhang Zhiji, will personally bestow the official hat upon him!"

Seeing Zhang Zhiji's words, the group of men were skeptical and immediately stepped forward to ask, "Commander Zhang, do you keep your word?"

Zhang Zhiji snorted coldly and said, "With the Holy Emperor before me, how dare I deceive him?"

Zhu Youxiao stood with his hands behind his back at the sidelines, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

Although Zhang Zhiji's actions may seem reckless, he is well-versed in the art of establishing authority in the military.

He smiled slightly and spoke at the opportune moment:
"In that case, let's have a contest. The winner will be the commander of the Noble Camp!"

With the emperor's golden words, these people immediately became restless.

"I want to have a match!"

"I want to come too!"

Zhang Zhiji chuckled and said, "Don't rush, take it one at a time!"

soon.

Three archery targets were erected on the west side of the training ground, about a hundred paces apart, with the bullseye only the size of a fist.

Zhu Chengzong mounted his horse, drew his bow and nocked an arrow, spurred the horse's flanks, and galloped off.

He fired three arrows in quick succession, each hitting the bullseye. Although he didn't hit the bullseye every time, he still drew cheers from the nobles' camp.

When it was Zhang Zhiji's turn, he did not rush to mount his horse. Instead, he cupped his hands to Zhu Youxiao and said, "Your Majesty, I request two more targets, so that all five arrows can be fired at once."

The crowd was in an uproar.

With five targets in a row, even the best archers in the army would find it difficult to hit all of them, let alone draw the bow while on horseback.
A hint of interest flashed in Zhu Youxiao's eyes: "Approved."

Zhang Zhiji mounted his horse, holding the reins with one hand while drawing five arrows from his quiver with the other, tucking them between his fingers.

As his warhorse galloped, he suddenly drew his bow to its fullest extent and fired five arrows at once:

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Five arrows shot through the air and struck the bullseye almost simultaneously!
The training ground fell silent for a moment, then erupted in gasps of amazement.

Zhu Youxiao clapped his hands and laughed: "Excellent! The Duke of Yingguo is indeed adept at educating his son!"

Zhu Chengzong's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth as he stepped back.

Seeing this, how could the others dare to lose face?
Another nobleman's son, Xu Yunzhen, son of the Duke of Dingguo, stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, I request to compete with Commander Zhang in spear fighting!"

He had practiced martial arts since childhood and was an expert marksman, so he was confident that he could turn the tables.

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "Alright."

In the center of the training ground, the two men each held a white waxwood spear.

Xu Yunzhen struck first, his spear moving like a dragon, aiming straight for Zhang Zhiji's throat.

Zhang Zhiji remained calm and composed, sidestepping the attack. With a flick of his spear shaft, he skillfully pressed the tip of the opponent's spear towards the ground.

Xu Yunzhen forcefully pulled back and thrust at the lower body again, but Zhang Zhiji seemed to have anticipated this. He flicked the end of his spear, using the force against Xu Yunzhen, and knocked Xu Yunzhen back three steps.

After three moves, Xu Yunzhen's forehead was covered in sweat, and his offensive became increasingly chaotic.

Zhang Zhiji suddenly changed his move, his spear tip striking the opponent's wrist, shoulder, and chest in quick succession, before finally sweeping across, sending Xu Yunzhen's spear flying from his hand and clattering to the ground.

The nobles were dumbfounded.

Xu Yunzhen blushed and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "Commander Zhang's spear skills are superb; I am completely convinced."

Zhu Youxiao nodded in satisfaction: "Commander Zhang has indeed lived up to my expectations."

He surveyed the crowd, his voice slightly deep: "Ten days from now, during the spring hunt at Nanhaizi, I want to see a truly elite force, not a rabble. If anyone disobeys my orders..."

Zhu Youxiao paused, his gaze sharp as a knife, and said coldly, "I don't mind replacing them with another group of people."

The nobles in the camp remained silent, not one daring to express any dissatisfaction.

Zhang Zhiji clasped his hands in acceptance of the order and said, "Ten days from now, His Majesty will surely see a new elite corps!"

At the same time, Zhang Zhiji chuckled inwardly: 'These spoiled brats have finally behaved themselves.'

Zhu Youxiao nodded in satisfaction. At this moment, Wei Chao suddenly stepped forward to report.

"Your Majesty, Zhao Shuaijiao, former military commander of Yansui, Zu Dashou, guerrilla commander of Jingyi Camp, and Huang Degong, guerrilla general, have arrived at Qianqing Palace awaiting your summons."

(End of this chapter)