Huangming

Chapter 95 A Shocking Change in the Pavilion, Eunuchs and Officials Confront Each Other

October 19th, the first year of the Taichang reign.

early morning.

The emperor summoned Xu Yingyuan, the commander of the Right Guard of Wuxiang and Marquis of Yongkang, Zhu Chunchen, the commander of the Left Guard of Tengxiang and Duke of Chengguo, and Zhang Qingzhen, the commander of the Right Guard of Tengxiang and Earl of Huian, to the palace.

The three stepped down from the sedan chair, and were all startled when they saw each other's faces.

"Dong Cheng?"

Xu Yingyuan wrapped his fox fur cloak tighter around himself, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with worry. He muttered to himself, "This urgent summons so early in the morning, could it be that something serious has happened?"

"Marquis Yongkang, Earl of Huian, have you also been summoned by His Majesty?"

Duke Zhu Chunchen of Chengguo nodded slightly, his expression solemn. He gently stroked the jade pendant at his waist, trying to calm himself down, but his slightly trembling fingers betrayed his inner unease.

All three are nobles who command the Four Guards. His Majesty summoned them all at the same time. Could it be that something big is about to happen?

Before long, the palace gates slowly opened, and a eunuch strode in, shouting in a shrill voice, "Marquis Yongkang Xu Yingyuan, Duke Cheng Zhu Chunchen, and Earl Huian Zhang Qingzhen, enter the palace immediately for an audience!"

The three exchanged a glance, straightened their clothes, and followed the eunuch into the palace.

Walking through the long palace corridor, the palace lanterns around us emitted a faint light in the mist, the flickering light and shadow adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

No one spoke along the way; only the sound of footsteps echoed on the stone path.

Upon arriving at the Qianqing Palace and entering the East Warm Pavilion, the three knelt and bowed, proclaiming, "Your subject, Zhu Chunchen, Duke of Cheng and Commander of the Left Guard of Tengxiang (Xu Yingyuan, Marquis of Yongkang and Commander of the Right Guard of Wuxiang, and Zhang Qingzhen, Earl of Huian and Commander of the Right Guard of Tengxiang), pays respects to Your Majesty and humbly wishes Your Majesty peace and prosperity!"

After the three men paid their respects to the emperor, they did not hear a response from him. The words "I am at peace" were not uttered for a long time, and everyone felt uneasy.

They furtively looked up and glanced around, and their pupils instantly contracted, as if someone had grabbed their necks; they all forgot to breathe.

In the East Warm Pavilion, the antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and exquisite utensils that were originally displayed have been removed. In their place, gleaming weapons are neatly arranged along the wall, reflecting a chilling light, as if they could be drawn at any moment for killing.

The emperor on the throne was not wearing a dragon robe, but military armor. The scales on the heavy armor shimmered with a metallic luster in the candlelight, and the jewels on the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist were dazzling, yet they exuded a chilling aura.

The three men were terrified at the sight, and their legs trembled slightly involuntarily.

The emperor, his face filled with murderous intent, swept his piercing gaze over the three men. He cut to the chase, speaking coldly:
"I appointed you to manage the Four Guards, and you've managed to create so much trouble! Embezzling salaries, selling military ranks, destroying military equipment—these shady dealings have caused an uproar. Do you really think I'm blind and deaf? You're drawing salaries from the court, yet you engage in such petty theft and despicable acts. Aren't you afraid of the law?"

The emperor's voice was deep yet full of authority, echoing in the East Warm Pavilion and making the three people's eardrums buzz.

Xu Yingyuan was the first to react. He crawled forward three steps, his face filled with fear, and hurriedly said:

"Your Majesty, you are wise! Although I hold the nominal title of Commander of the Right Guard of the Martial Guard, I am nothing more than a figurehead, a mere figurehead who does nothing but occupy a position. The camp's accounts, military pay, weapons, and provisions are all controlled by the supervising eunuch. I only receive a salary each year and know nothing else. Now that the corruption scandal in the camp has become so serious, it is truly beyond the ability of someone as dull-witted as me to have foreseen it!"

He secretly glanced up to observe the emperor's expression, and saw that the emperor's face was becoming increasingly gloomy, causing his heart to skip a beat.

Knowing that he had done something wrong and fearing that the emperor would hold him accountable, Duke Zhu Chunchen kowtowed and said:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me! Although I hold the position of Left Guard of Tengxiang, my daily affairs are numerous and I can only go to inspect once or twice a month. Matters such as military registration, distribution of rations and pay, and weapons training are all handled by the officers and clerks in the camp. It is indeed not something that someone as dull as me could have noticed in advance."

These despicable people dare to disregard the law and engage in such corrupt practices to such an extent; they have truly betrayed the Emperor's trust!

His forehead was red and swollen from banging on the ground, and his voice was tinged with a sob.

Zhu Youxiao, however, remained unmoved by his performance.

They dare to do things, but dare not admit them?
Push the pot clean.

snort!
Zhu Youxiao snorted coldly, his eyes full of displeasure.

That cold snort sent a chill down the spines of the three of them.

The emperor remained silent, but threw the case file detailing the sordid affairs of the Four Guards in front of them.

With a "smack," it struck the hearts of the three like a heavy hammer.

Zhu Youxiao questioned, "These pieces of evidence are irrefutable and clearly written in the case file. How can you shirk your responsibilities? I have often heard that 'military generals should die on the battlefield, and civil officials should die for their country.' But now you are like foxes and rats hiding in their holes. Don't you feel ashamed?"

The three men looked at the case files on the ground, their faces turning deathly pale.

They exchanged a glance, both their eyes filled with struggle.

To admit guilt or not?

After a long while, Marquis Yongkang, Xu Yingyuan, gritted his teeth and decided to deny it to the death:

"Your Majesty, please be wise! This must be a frame-up by treacherous officials, fabricating charges to smear our innocence. Those people have long coveted the power of the Four Guards, and now they are imitating Qin Hui with their fabricated charges, hoping to use your imperial authority to seek personal gain. We implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"

Zhu Chunchen echoed, "Your Majesty, listen carefully! We have received the court's favor for generations, and even if we were to be shattered to pieces, we could never repay it. How could we dare to betray our integrity and fail to live up to the emperor's grace? This must be the work of treacherous people, using rumors to frame loyal officials!"

Marquis Huian Zhang Qingzhen, as if he had suffered a great injustice, cried out:
"Your Majesty, I am willing to die to prove my innocence and cut out my heart as proof! I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly, find the mastermind behind this, and make these wicked people appear in broad daylight!"

Emperor Wu thoroughly investigated the witchcraft case and ultimately executed the mastermind, Jiang Chong; Emperor Xianzong investigated the assassination of Pei Du and eventually captured Li Shidao. Now, treacherous officials are forming cliques and framing loyal ministers. If Your Majesty were wise enough to investigate thoroughly, we would rather die ten thousand deaths than suffer unjust humiliation!

In the end, the three of them burst into tears, actually feeling wronged.

Gee tut.

Sure enough, those with good acting skills are all in politics.

How can someone spout nonsense without batting an eye, and even act so righteously?
If it weren't for the conclusive evidence, Zhu Youxiao would have believed these people.

Seeing that they were still stubborn, a hint of anger flashed in Zhu Youxiao's eyes, and he clapped his hands.

Following the crisp clapping, a flurry of footsteps approached from afar.

Eight eunuchs, including Liu Yingkun, the eunuch in charge of the Left Guard of Wuxiang, Wang Chaofu, the eunuch in charge of the Right Guard of Wuxiang, Ji Yong, the eunuch in charge of the Left Guard of Tengxiang, and Li Shi, the eunuch in charge of the Right Guard of Tengxiang, were brought in by the "Great Han General".

The eight men were disheveled, their hair was messy, and some had bruises on their faces, clearly indicating that they had been subjected to severe torture.

They staggered as the soldiers led them to the emperor, where they knelt down with a thud, heads bowed, not daring to look at the emperor, but glaring angrily at the three nobles.

Xu Yingyuan, Zhu Chunchen, and Zhang Qingzhen were nearly scared to death by the sight. Zhu Youxiao's disgust deepened as he looked at their disgraceful behavior.

how?

Are you scared now?

He said coldly, "Didn't you say you knew nothing about it? Didn't you want me to investigate thoroughly? Now, I'll let you hear who's behind this!"

As he spoke, he gestured for the eunuchs to speak.

Liu Yingkun raised his head, his face filled with pain and fear, but he still stammered:
"Your Majesty, please allow me to risk my life to report: the misdeeds of the Right Guard of Wuxiang, such as embezzling military pay and misappropriating military rations, were all instigated by Marquis Yongkang, Xu Yingyuan!"

He forced us to falsify accounts and falsely report troop numbers. Every year when pay was distributed, he would use the excuse of subsidies, discounts, and replacement of old weapons to embezzle 30% of the military pay, which he would then secretly transport to the Yongkang Marquis's residence in the middle of the night.

"I used to fear his power and was forced to do bad things for him. Now that I see Your Majesty is wise, I dare not conceal the whole truth!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yingyuan's face turned ashen, and he roared, "You're talking nonsense! You're framing me! How could I do such a thing?"

But his voice was clearly lacking in confidence, and his eyes were somewhat evasive.

The emperor noticed all of these subtle expressions.

The eunuch Ji Yong, the commander of the Tengxiang Left Guard, kowtowed repeatedly, like a vengeful ghost trying to drag others down with it before its death, and loudly proclaimed:
"Your Majesty, please allow me to report! The scheme of Tengxiang Left Guard reselling military registers and falsely registering quotas was orchestrated by Duke Zhu Chunchen of Cheng! He ordered us to forge military registers and sell the vacant quotas to the sons of wealthy merchants, charging one thousand taels of silver for each quota, and then accumulating wealth to fill his private treasury."

The Zhu family also colluded with Shanxi merchants like Wang Dengku to secretly sell military equipment beyond the Great Wall, resulting in empty military camps and a decline in military preparedness. This servant, in the past, fearing his power, was forced to participate in the corruption; now, seeing Your Majesty's wisdom, how dare I not reveal the truth?

Zhu Chunchen trembled with rage, pointing at Ji Yong and cursing, "You dog of a lackey! How dare you slander me! I think you're being manipulated by someone else to frame me!"

Li Shi also said, "Your Majesty, please investigate! The illegal sale of military equipment by the Tengxiang Right Guard was orchestrated by Zhang Qingzhen, the Earl of Huian! He colluded with unscrupulous merchants to secretly sell armor and firearms."

The weapons sold, such as the breech-loading cannons, armored vehicles, and three-barreled guns, were resold to various Mongol tribes, with the illicit gains amounting to no less than 50,000 taels of silver annually.

This has left our garrison poorly equipped. Our soldiers can only use wooden sticks as weapons during training. How can we possibly defend ourselves in a real battle? I implore Your Majesty to immediately dispatch the Imperial Guards to search his villa in the Western Hills; the stolen goods and incriminating evidence must be there!

The other eunuchs also spoke up, recounting the crimes of the three men one by one.

With each remark, the hearts of the three grew colder.

They never expected that these eunuchs, who were usually in cahoots with them, would reveal everything at this moment.

In an instant, the entire East Warm Pavilion became incredibly noisy, even more bustling than a vegetable market.

The four guards' commanders, the supervising eunuchs, and the three nominal nobles blamed each other and shirked their responsibilities, behaving like shrewish women arguing in the street, almost to the point of a full-blown brawl in the East Warm Pavilion.

"enough!"

The emperor slammed his hand on the throne, and with a loud thud, no one dared to utter a word and they all knelt down.

The emperor sneered and said, "Even now, you're still passing the buck. The Four Guards Camp has been corrupt to this day. If it wasn't you who did it, then who was?"

"Now that the evidence is irrefutable, do you still want to deny it?"

The murderous intent in Zhu Youxiao's eyes intensified.

"Three thousand Zhejiang soldiers, together with the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, the Censorate, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, have already gone to the four garrison locations. When the time comes, the Ministry of War will verify the names, the Ministry of Revenue will verify the salaries, and the garrisons will verify the weapons. Do you think your dirty deeds can be kept secret?"

The emperor coldly looked at the nobles and eunuchs kneeling on the ground and said, "I summoned you today to give you a chance, but I didn't expect you to treat me like this. Do you really think I am a foolish ruler who doesn't understand anything?"

The emperor's words sent chills down everyone's spines.

At this point, if you continue to stubbornly resist, you might really be dragged to the market and beheaded.

Xu Yingyuan kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead bleeding and blood streaming down his face. He cried out, "Your Majesty, have mercy! I know my crime! It's all my fault for being greedy and failing to live up to Your Majesty's grace and violate the laws of the court. I am filled with remorse. Please, Your Majesty, forgive me this time, considering how I have served you like a beast of burden all these years!"

Zhu Chunchen also kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to sell my property, return all the embezzled silver to the Ministry of Revenue, and offer three estates outside the city and five shops in Tongzhou to make up for the military pay deficit. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and spare my life!"

Zhang Qingzhen crawled over, grabbed Zhu Youxiao's leg, and cried, "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!"

The other eunuchs simply kowtowed.

They wept bitterly, looking utterly pathetic.

Zhu Youxiao looked at these people, and his anger subsided slightly, but he still said coldly, "You have committed such heinous crimes. If you are not severely punished, how can we win the hearts of the people? How can we reorganize the Four Guards Camp? How can we convince the people of the world that I am a wise and virtuous ruler?"

The emperor's unspoken message was simple: Your acting skills are passable, but how can you atone for your sins so that I will forgive you?
Xu Yingyuan raised his head, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes, and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to atone for my crimes with meritorious service! The Four Guards Camps are in complete chaos, and I am willing to assist Your Majesty in restoring order."

Zhu Chunchen and Zhang Qingzhen quickly replied, "Your Majesty, we are also willing!"

Zhu Youxiao pondered for a moment, then slowly sheathed his sword and said, "Your crimes are unforgivable, but considering that you still have a shred of remorse, I will spare your lives for now. However, you must atone for your sins through meritorious service."

The emperor's words brought a sigh of relief to everyone, but his next sentence changed their expressions again.

"First, return all the money you've embezzled over the years. If you're short even a penny, I'll make you pay with your lives."

Zhu Chunchen, Xu Yingyuan, and Zhang Qingzhen looked ashen-faced as if they had eaten excrement, but dared not say anything and could only kowtow in agreement.

Looking at the three disheveled figures, Zhu Youxiao said with a warning tone:
"From this day forward, all three of you will go to your respective garrisons to assist in the reorganization. If you fail to rectify the situation properly, or if I discover any instances of embezzlement or rebellion, I will not let you off lightly. You will all face execution!"

With the ultimatum issued, how could the three dare to harbor any other thoughts?
They kowtowed repeatedly, expressing their gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing our lives! We will do our utmost to assist Your Majesty in reorganizing the Four Guards!"

A hint of relief at surviving the ordeal appeared on their faces, but more so, worry and unease.

Cutting losses to make up for the deficit, and also helping His Majesty reorganize the Four Guards Camp, I don't know how many people he offended.

However, they also realized that offending more people was still better than having their homes raided.

They had no choice!

(End of this chapter)