Chapter 221: Old Zhu: Young People Always Need Tempering! Seeking Monthly Tickets
Inside the Huagai Hall, the candlelight stretched and shortened Old Zhu’s silhouette.
Jiang Huan bowed his head and reported on Zhang Biao’s movements after leaving the capital:
“Your Majesty, after Zhang Biao received the additional funding, his subordinates Zhou Tong, Li Gui, and others have been quite active in various parts of the capital recently.”
“They are not only extensively recruiting informants and buying so-called ‘witnesses,’ but have also had several verbal altercations and conflicts with the Canal Transport Office, causing considerable stir.”
“Judging by their posture, they are indeed planning to make a big fuss about the Grain Transport and related Prince matters.”
Old Zhu listened, letting out a noncommittal snort from his nostrils, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the imperial desk.
【 After taking the money, they know how to put on a show for us. 】
【 Good, let him flail in the murky waters of Grain Transport and draw the attention of those people. 】
He could naturally see that Zhang Biao’s ‘grand display’ had elements of performance, but he was happy to see it.
Because it wasn’t just Zhang Biao who was ‘openly building a plank road, while secretly crossing the Chencang,’ he was actually doing the same.
He outwardly let Zhang Biao attract firepower, but secretly ordered the Imperial Guard to investigate the clues Zhang Biao had uncovered.
After all, the Imperial Guard had greater power and could investigate more deeply.
In this way, he would know exactly how much money Zhang Biao had obtained from combating corruption, which would then make it convenient to take care of Zhang Biao all at once.
However, he never dreamed that Zhang Biao would not thoroughly investigate the Grain Transport corruption case as he had expected.
Not only he, but even Song Zhong, who had accompanied Zhang Biao, had not yet discovered Zhang Biao’s true objective.
In other words, both emperor and minister were playing ‘the light under the lamp.’
It remains to be seen who is darker.
“Let him stir things up. Tell Song Zhong to keep a close eye on him. I want to see what kind of tricks he can put on for us.”
Old Zhu’s tone was calm, with a hint of detached indifference of ‘controlling the overall situation.’
“Yes.”
Jiang Huan acknowledged, then shifted the topic, his expression becoming more solemn: “Your Majesty, the investigation at Prince Zhou’s Mansion in Kaifeng… has encountered obstacles.”
“Speak.”
“Currently, all clues pointing to the leakage of ‘Red Lead Elixir’ and Grain Transport corruption, after several turns, ultimately… vaguely point to Prince Zhou’s Heir Apparent, Zhu Youdun.”
Jiang Huan’s voice carried a hint of hesitation:
“Moreover, that crucial Liu Dianbu was found dead yesterday in an adjoining room outside the Heir Apparent’s study. Preliminary examination suggests… he hanged himself, leaving a will, stating he was ashamed to have wronged the Heir Apparent and died to atone.”
“Bang—!”
Old Zhu slammed the table violently, his eyes erupting with wrath:
“Suicide? Atonement? What utter nonsense! This is murder to silence a witness! Framing! That brat Zhu Youjian, his methods are indeed ruthless!”
He immediately understood the truth behind it.
Because this kind of trick was too common, for him, Zhu Yuanzhang, it was like children playing house.
He was so angry his chest heaved, never expecting his grandson to resort to such a vicious act of framing his elder brother to escape blame.
“What about Li Mo?”
Old Zhu asked, suppressing his anger: “Has he woken up?”
“Replying to Your Majesty, Censor Li’s injuries are too severe and he has not yet woken. The Imperial Physician says… it will still take some time.” Jiang Huan replied.
Old Zhu’s eyes turned sinister, and after a moment of silence, a cold smile suddenly curled up on his lips:
“Since all the evidence ‘points’ to the Heir Apparent, then we shall comply with their wishes!”
“Issue an imperial decree! Prince Zhou’s Heir Apparent Zhu Youdun, suspected of colluding with external officials, embezzling Grain Transport grain, and conniving at his subordinates, leading to the ‘suicide’ of a key witness, is hereby stripped of his title as Heir Apparent and taken into custody pending trial!”
Jiang Huan was stunned at first, then immediately understood Old Zhu’s intention.
This was to turn the tables and lure the snake out of its hole!
“Then… who will temporarily manage affairs at Prince Zhou’s Mansion?” Jiang Huan asked cautiously.
“Let Zhu Youjian temporarily take charge!”
Old Zhu said without hesitation.
【 You want to splash mud on Heir Apparent Zhu Youdun and stir up trouble? We’ll do as you wish and arrest Zhu Youdun! 】
【 But we absolutely won’t let you successfully throw the fiefdom into chaos; instead, we’ll let the problematic Zhu Youjian take temporary charge! 】
【 If Zhu Youjian is truly part of the mastermind, he will either become arrogant and reveal his hand upon suddenly gaining power, or he will be more tightly controlled by the mastermind, or even… ‘discarded’ after he is no longer useful. 】
【 If Zhu Youjian is innocent, this will also be an opportunity to observe his behavior. 】
Old Zhu’s eyes flashed with a cold light: “That brat wants to be the Heir Apparent, doesn’t he? We’ll give him the chance! Let’s see if he can hold onto it!”
“Your Majesty is wise! This plan is excellent!”
Jiang Huan praised sincerely, this move of taking the initiative was simply brilliant.
After dealing with the troublesome affairs of Prince Zhou’s Mansion, Old Zhu rubbed his temples, his tone turning cold: “What about Consort Lü’s side, how is the investigation going?”
Mentioning Consort Lü, Jiang Huan’s spirit lifted, and he lowered his voice:
“Replying to Your Majesty, as per your instructions, we have investigated the ‘unimportant’ individuals in the Eastern Palace during the Crown Prince and Imperial Eldest Grandson’s tours in the Hongwu 15th year and Hongwu 25th year, before and after the Crown Prince inspected Shaanxi, and indeed we have made discoveries!”
“Oh?”
Old Zhu narrowed his eyes: “Tell me about it!”
“Yes!”
Jiang Huan reported in detail:
“We investigated the clues from the Hongwu 15th year. Consort Lü had no substantive issues, other than ‘suggesting’ that His Highness the Crown Prince go out to relax, there were no other anomalies.”
“But the Hongwu 16th year is peculiar.”
“In the year Consort Lü was officially elevated to Empress, on her first birthday, Fu Youwen presented a Guanyin statue made of mutton-fat jade under the guise of congratulations.”
“This matter was recorded when Zhang Biao audited the accounts, but was not deeply investigated.”
“We re-examined the old archives and found that about half a year later, a palace maid responsible for cleaning Consort Lü’s storeroom ‘accidentally’ broke this jade Guanyin and, in a panic, drowned herself in a well. It was treated as an accident at the time.”
Old Zhu’s brow furrowed gradually: “Jade Guanyin…”
Jiang Huan continued: “I interviewed former palace servants who handled the remains of the jade Guanyin at the time. An old eunuch vaguely recalled that while clearing the fragments, he saw some red powder residue in the hollow base of the Guanyin, similar to… incense ash.”
“But he remembered that Consort Lü had never worshipped this jade Guanyin, so there shouldn’t have been any incense ash residue.”
“Incense ash? Incense ash?!”
Old Zhu suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing with terrifying brilliance.
He instantly recalled that Consort Lü had been personally making ‘calming incense’ for Zhu Biao for a long time during his illness.
When he had investigated the death of Crown Prince Zhu Biao, the Shaanxi corruption, the Red Lead Immortal Pill case, and the ‘abnormal Eastern Palace expenditures’ provided by that iron box, he had suspected Consort Lü. He had even asked Consort Lü to make ‘calming incense’ for him.
But Consort Lü’s subsequent behavior proved she was not problematic, and he felt she had no reason to harm Zhu Biao, so he cleared her of suspicion.
But now, hearing Jiang Huan’s investigation, he suddenly realized that Consort Lü indeed had no reason to harm Zhu Biao, but she had a reason to harm Zhu Xiongying.
“Heh… heh heh…”
Old Zhu let out a chilling low laugh, his facial muscles contorted, filled with bone-deep hatred:
“A vicious woman! A Fu Youwen! So the root is here!”
That jade Guanyin was not a birthday gift at all, but a ‘container’ for conveying messages.
Fu Youwen, through this method, or rather, someone using Fu Youwen, contacted Consort Lü through this method. The incense ash was likely the key for them to identify each other.
Because Consort Lü was a master of making incense, she could identify which ‘incense ash’ was hers.
As he understood this, a bone-chilling coldness and immense killing intent swept over Old Zhu.
He could barely restrain himself from immediately ordering Consort Lü to be arrested and severely interrogated.
But he forced himself to hold back.
“Can it be confirmed?” Old Zhu asked hoarsely.
Jiang Huan shook his head: “The time is too long, the physical object is destroyed, and based solely on the memories of palace servants, it is difficult to use as concrete evidence.”
“Moreover, Fu Youwen is dead, and Consort Lü can also argue that she was framed by others. I infer that there might have been secret letters or something inside the jade Guanyin, but it is now impossible to verify.”
Old Zhu’s face was as dark as water, and he paced back and forth in the hall.
With only these vague clues, he truly could not touch Consort Lü, whose position was now stable, and who had the Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen.
Suddenly, he stopped and looked at Jiang Huan: “What is your opinion?”
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Jiang Huan’s eyes, and he bowed: “Your Majesty, since evidence is difficult to find, why not… beat the grass to startle the snake!”
“Oh?”
“I believe that since there are almost no overt clues, we might as well do the opposite. Let the bait take the hook itself.”
“Tell me directly how to do it.”
Old Zhu commanded calmly.
Jiang Huan pondered for a moment, then continued:
“My idea is to quietly spread rumors in the marketplace, saying that some petty criminals attempted to slander Consort Lü, accusing her of colluding with the traitor Fu Youwen and using wicked incense to harm… to harm the late Imperial Eldest Grandson!”
“This information must be vague and its source unknown.”
Old Zhu’s eyes moved: “Continue.”
“After the news is released, the Imperial Guard will immediately, with thunderous methods, high-profile arrest several ‘rumor-mongers,’ and publicly declare this to be baseless nonsense, that Your Majesty firmly believes in Consort Lü’s innocence, and anyone who dares to discuss the Imperial Family or slander the Crown Prince’s widow will be severely punished!”
“Thus, the rumors will be quelled.”
Old Zhu instantly understood Jiang Huan’s calculation:
“You mean… to suppress openly and observe secretly? To see who will jump out to care about these rumors, who will rush to distance themselves from Consort Lü, or… who will try to contact her?”
“Your Majesty is wise!”
Jiang Huan said: “If Consort Lü truly has a guilty conscience, or if her accomplices are still around, upon hearing this news, they will surely make a move!”
“As long as they move, we won’t be afraid of not catching their tail!”
Old Zhu pondered for a moment, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
Consort Lü was, after all, the Crown Prince’s widow and Zhu Yunwen’s birth mother. Without irrefutable evidence, moving against her involved too much.
Although Jiang Huan’s plan was somewhat risky, it was indeed the best way to break the current stalemate.
“Approved!”
Old Zhu said decisively: “Proceed as you said! The news must be spread cleverly, and the suppression must be realistic!”
“Keep your eyes sharp for us, and see what monsters and demons are hidden beneath this still water!”
“Your servant obeys the decree!”
“Anything else!”
Old Zhu pondered for a moment, then continued:
“The fifth of next month is Xiongying’s death anniversary. Have your people watch closely and do not miss any details!”
“I understand.”
Jiang Huan bowed respectfully, his eyes flashing with the light of a hunter, then quietly withdrew from the Main Hall.
Old Zhu stood alone in the hall, gazing at the deep night outside the window, his face as if covered by a layer of frost.
After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly shouted towards the hall: “Yun Ming, go find Wu She!”
“Yes!”
Yun Ming replied, vaguely feeling a sense of unknown crisis, but still quickly brought Wu She.
“Your servant. Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Old Zhu dismissed the attendants, leaving only Yun Ming and Wu She.
He leaned back on the Dragon throne, half-closing his eyes, his fingers habitually tapping the armrest, and asked casually:
“Speak, whom did Yunwen meet today at the Grand Ceremony? What did they discuss? Tell us everything, do not omit anything.”
Wu She knelt on the ground, not daring to lift his head.
But his voice was clear and steady, reporting in detail how Zhu Yunwen encountered Hu Guang, Yang Shiqi, Xie Jin, and Yang Rong, and finally had a long private talk with Fang Xiaoru in a bamboo grove pavilion.
He even described the expressions and tones of Zhu Yunwen when talking to each person, and the general reactions of the other party, quite thoroughly.
Old Zhu listened quietly, his expression unreadable.
When he heard that Zhu Yunwen had only had a general conversation with Hu Guang, Yang Shiqi, and others, and had not formed deep friendships, he nodded slightly.
When he heard that Zhu Yunwen discussed poetry with Xie Jin, saw Xie Jin’s wild demeanor, and they parted unhappily, the corner of his mouth curved downwards almost imperceptibly.
When he heard that Zhu Yunwen and Yang Rong probed each other with veiled words, and in the end, both maintained their reservations, a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.
Finally, when he heard that Zhu Yunwen and Fang Xiaoru in the pavilion, discussed everything from classics and current affairs to treacherous officials in court, and finally even touched upon the ‘national root’ and the ‘successor position,’ as well as Fang Xiaoru’s earth-shattering declaration of ‘even if I am executed ten times over, what is there to fear?’ and Zhu Yunwen’s fearful plea for restraint and hasty departure…
Old Zhu’s fingers tapping the armrest suddenly stopped.
A strange silence fell upon the hall.
Wu She prostrated on the ground, not daring to even breathe heavily, feeling an invisible pressure pressing down like a mountain.
After a long while, Old Zhu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as deep as a cold pool, its bottom indiscernible.
“Fang Xiaoru… ten clans, what is there to fear…”
He repeated these words in a low voice, his tone flat, yet it made Yun Ming beside him shiver involuntarily.
【 Well said, Fang Xiaoru! What spirit! What a backbone! 】
【 For the ‘righteous path’ in his heart, for Yunwen’s ‘legitimacy,’ he is not afraid of being executed ten times over? 】
【 This man’s uprightness is almost pedantic! He can be used as an upright official, to uphold court order, but if used improperly, he can also lead to disaster! 】
Old Zhu understood Fang Xiaoru’s character.
He was learned, upright in character, and highly respected; he was one of the potential cornerstone officials Old Zhu had prepared for the future Crown Prince.
However, he also knew deeply that the current Fang Xiaoru was too sharp, too full of sharp edges, lacking experience and tempering, like an uncarved piece of jade. Although good material, it could easily hurt others and himself.
Placing him directly in a high position would by no means be a good thing.
However…
Old Zhu’s thoughts raced.
After Liu Sanwu was forced into retirement, the Civil Official Group in court, especially the pure stream faction, was indeed somewhat without a leader.
The last time they tried to establish Yunwen as the Imperial Grandson, there were few responses in the Imperial Court, far less ‘universally supported’ than when Liu Sanwu was in office. This made him, the Emperor, lose face and deeply feel the need for new pillars to control the civil official system.
Fang Xiaoru appeared precisely at this time.
With his prestige in the scholarly world and this fearless righteousness, if he could be used.
Perhaps, on the stage of the ‘Literary Grand Ceremony,’ which attracted everyone’s attention, by publicly supporting and endorsing Yunwen, he could greatly influence public opinion, rally the hearts of the civil officials, and create an aura of ‘destiny’ and ‘universal endorsement by the scholarly world’!
This might… be an opportunity?
An opportunity to both smoothly establish the Crown Prince and to reintegrate and control the civil official group!
As for Fang Xiaoru’s overly upright and potentially disobedient nature…
A cold glint flashed in Old Zhu’s eyes.
【 As he is used, perhaps his sharp edges will be smoothed out, and he may be of great use. If he remains stubbornly unyielding… 】
【 Hmph, if we can use him, we can naturally discard him! ‘Ten clans’? Who is he trying to scare? 】
【 In front of me, if you’re a dragon, you must coil, and if you’re a tiger, you must lie down! 】
A plan to use Fang Xiaoru to build momentum for ‘establishing the Crown Prince,’ and then decide whether to ‘temper and use him’ or ‘discard him like worn-out shoes’ after the matter was settled, rapidly took shape in Old Zhu’s mind.
“What do you think of that Hu Guang, Yang Shiqi, Xie Jin, and Yang Rong?”
Old Zhu suddenly asked Wu She again, his tone returning to calmness.
Wu She quickly gave his brief evaluations of their talents, temperaments, and responses, based on his observations.
Old Zhu listened without expressing approval or disapproval, merely stating calmly: “Hmm, they all have some talent. Especially Yang Shiqi, he sounds like someone who does things diligently.”
He already had a plan in mind.
Since Zhu Yunwen had interacted with these people, regardless of the depth of their interactions, they had entered the imperial family’s view.
If they demonstrated true talent and ability in the Grand Ceremony, he would not mind promoting them exceptionally.
This was not only to select talented individuals for the country but also to pave the way for Zhu Yunwen’s future and to gauge his judgment in selecting and employing people.
Of course, the prerequisite was that these people must understand their limits and know whom they should be loyal to.
“Yun Ming.”
“Your servant is here.”
“Convey my imperial decree to the chief examiners!”
Old Zhu said sternly: “This ‘Literary Grand Ceremony’ must be fair and just, promoting based on talent alone!”
“Especially for Fang Xiaoru, Hu Guang, Yang Shiqi, Xie Jin, and Yang Rong, examine them carefully!”
“If their talent and character are truly outstanding, do not be bound by usual regulations; you may report them directly to me, and I will make arrangements.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Yun Ming bowed in acknowledgment.
He understood that His Majesty intended to use the Grand Ceremony not only to select talented individuals but also to focus on evaluating these individuals, especially Fang Xiaoru.
Old Zhu waved his hand, letting Wu She and Yun Ming withdraw.
In the empty Main Hall, he pondered alone.
Zhu Yunwen’s performance today, in his opinion, showed improvement; he understood how to restrain himself, how to find support, and especially how to find someone like Fang Xiaoru, indicating he was not without schemes and foresight.
However, the deliberately cultivated benevolence and the final haste still appeared somewhat immature and contrived in the eyes of this old fox.
But, it doesn’t matter.
Young people always need tempering.
And what he needed to do now was to pave the way for this tempering, clear obstacles, and at the same time, firmly control everything.
Zhang Biao was investigating the Grain Transport corruption case, implicating several Princes, and possibly related to Biao’er’s death.
Yunwen was secretly befriending scholars, planning for the successor position.
The Civil Official Group needed a new leader and a focal point.
The Princes were restless, each with their own calculations…
The chessboard of the Great Ming Dynasty appeared exceptionally complex at this moment.
But Old Zhu sat in the position of the chess player, his eyes cold and sharp.
He would not only use Zhang Biao as a ‘knife’ to remove the rotten flesh but also use Fang Xiaoru as a ‘banner’ to stabilize the court, and even watch his grandson grow amidst these storms.
All the pieces were under his control.
The next step, how should he play to make this game ultimately lead to the result he desired?
His gaze once again fell outside the hall, as if piercing through the palace walls, seeing the bustling ‘Literary Grand Ceremony’ site, and also seeing the heavy fog hidden behind the Grain Transport corruption.
“Jump out, all of you… let me see, how capable are you…”
Old Zhu muttered to himself, a deep and unfathomable curve forming on his lips.
“Zhang Biao, Fang Xiaoru, don’t disappoint me!”
Requesting monthly tickets~
