Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 719 Coolness
"May I ask Your Majesty," Zhu Changhao asked with an awkward yet expectant smile, "how long will it take to complete the Three Feudatories' residences?"

"I don't know either." The Emperor put down his teacup and shook his head helplessly. "So far, the Three Feudatories' residences probably only have a foundation. Moreover, the matter of enfeoffment is not simply a matter of expanding the residences. There are many troublesome things, such as appointing officials, settling guards, and the long journeys, all of which require careful planning and huge expenditures. The country is currently facing many difficulties, the crisis in Liaodong has not been resolved, money is needed everywhere, the national treasury is empty, and expenditures are difficult. Shaanxi, Huguang and other places have also suffered repeated natural disasters."

Zhu Changhao understood the emperor's unspoken meaning perfectly. Suppressing his disappointment, he echoed, "Your Majesty's considerations are thorough; I understand. However…" Zhu Changhao paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and cautiously asked in a probing tone, "As far as I know, since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have acted swiftly and decisively, confiscating the homes of Zheng Guotai, Li Mingcheng, and those corrupt mining tax eunuchs who plagued the regions. The spoils from these confiscations must have been quite substantial, haven't they? I wonder if they can alleviate our immediate crisis?"

"Generous? Hahahaha!" The emperor was taken aback at first, then suddenly burst into laughter. The laughter echoed in the empty hall, carrying a hint of mockery: "Fifth brother, fifth brother, you don't know the cost of firewood and rice when you're not in charge of the household!"

As the laughter subsided, the Emperor, noticing Zhu Changhao's slightly embarrassed expression, suppressed his smile and began to calculate for him on his fingers: "Zheng Guotai's assets seem substantial, but after paying off the back wages owed to officials in the capital and the arrears owed to the soldiers on the nine borders, there was nothing left. No, not nothing left, but not enough. Far from enough! Later, a large portion of the assets confiscated from the mining tax eunuchs were added to barely plug the hole in the nine borders."

"Isn't there any surplus at all?" Zhu Changhao couldn't help but ask.

"Ha." The emperor chuckled. "It's like cutting flesh to mend a wound; there's no way we can talk about a surplus. The situation in Liaodong is far from over. I intend to keep the remaining silver, along with the assets of Li Mingcheng, Chen Qi, and others that haven't been tallied yet, to fill the gap that appeared after the Liaodong tax was halved."

Zhu Changhao listened with a somber expression, his heart sinking lower and lower. He didn't care about the arrears of salaries owed by officials in the capital, nor did he want to know how much the nine border regions had accumulated over the years, and he didn't see anything wrong with levying additional taxes on Liaodong. He only wanted his elder brother, the Emperor, to contribute some money to repair the Prince's residence so that he could take up his post as soon as possible. But the Emperor had already brought up the reasons of an empty treasury and disasters in the princely lands.
Zhu Changhao hesitated for a moment, his lips moved, and he blurted out unconsciously, "The one my father left behind..."

The emperor's gentle expression vanished instantly, his eyes turning icy. Zhu Changhao felt a chill run from his feet to the top of his head, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He quickly shut his mouth.

However, the coldness on the emperor's face quickly melted away like spring snow, and a helpless smile returned, though the smile did not reach his eyes.

“Yes, Father…” The Emperor continued, following Zhu Changhao’s words, but cleverly veered away from what Zhu Changhao wanted to say: “It was only after I sat on this throne that I truly understood how heavy the burden left by Father was! The nine borders were in turmoil, and Liaodong was in ruins. In order to save national resources, I even had to carefully plan my own affairs after my death.” His tone was heavy, as if carrying a sense of “we are both in the same boat.”

Zhu Changhao immediately realized that the emperor was referring to the repair of the dilapidated tombs to be used as a mausoleum for his father's death. He had heard far too many praises and accolades about this matter in recent days.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Having said this much, even if Zhu Changhao had the thickest skin, he simply couldn't bring himself to urge the matter of taking up a fiefdom any further. He forced a smile that was more like a grimace, rose from his seat, and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty's concern for the country and its people is truly a blessing for the world!"

The Emperor smiled, nodded, and rose to walk to Zhu Changhao. He raised his hand and gently patted Zhu Changhao's shoulder, feigning intimacy, and said, "Alright, Fifth Brother. I will keep the matter of your enfeoffment in mind. I have many other matters to attend to. Since you rarely come to the palace, why not visit Consort Duan at Renshou Palace before returning to the Tenth Prince's residence? No matter how much I serve her, it can never compare to you, her own son, going to see her."

After saying this, the emperor stopped looking at Zhu Changhao and turned to walk towards the front of the palace.

Zhu Changhao stood frozen in place, his forced smile quickly crumbling, leaving only deep disappointment and a hint of barely perceptible resentment.

Although their relationship as brothers had never been particularly good before, Zhu Changhao now felt that the crown prince, now emperor, seemed even more cold-hearted than before.

"Your Majesty," Zhu Changhao said, slowly and heavily kneeling as he watched the emperor's figure gradually disappear. "Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty."

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Zhu Changluo walked very fast, as if afraid that Zhu Changhao would chase after him.

"Your Majesty," Shi Fuming stopped near the South Study, bowed, and took his leave from the Emperor, "This servant will go and keep an eye on things at the Qianqing Gate."

The emperor did not stop walking, nor did he respond; he simply nodded slightly.

Shi Fuming stood still, and only after the emperor led Yang Songquan to the door of the South Study did he straighten up and turn to walk towards the Qianqing Gate.

The doors of the Southern Study were wide open. Wang An, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and Wei Chao and Liu Ruoyu, the Eunuchs in charge of writing, stood bowing in the open space in the center of the hall.

"This servant respectfully greets Your Majesty!" As soon as the emperor appeared, the three knelt down in unison, offering their first greeting of the day. "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

In every corner of the South Study, the eunuchs on duty that day also knelt down silently.

Zhu Changluo walked without stopping, passing through the group of eunuchs prostrate on the ground, and headed straight for the large rosewood imperial desk at the deepest part of the study. When he arrived, he casually said, "Get up, all of you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The three rose as instructed and returned to their respective desks to sit down.

Yang Songquan also walked to his seat. Before sitting down, his gaze briefly met that of Liu Ruoyu, the chief eunuch. With just one glance, the handover of the duty eunuch was completed, and for the rest of the day, Liu Ruoyu would serve as the emperor's personal attendant, dispatched by the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Zhu Changluo took his seat behind his desk. The memorials from this morning were neatly arranged around the desk, while in the center of the desk, as always, sat the solitary daily report. This report covered the daily affairs of the various bureaus and offices within the inner court, summaries of yesterday's memorials from the outer court, and the latest developments on matters of particular concern to the emperor.

The emperor reached for the report but did not open it immediately. As if suddenly remembering something, he looked up at Wang An, who had just sat down and was about to pick up a pen.

"Wang An".

"This servant is here!" Wang An's hand froze for a moment, then she immediately stood up again.

"What do you think of what happened yesterday?" Zhu Changluo asked.

The emperor's words were abrupt and unrelated, leaving Wang An visibly taken aback. "This humble servant is foolish; may I ask which matter Your Majesty is inquiring about?"

"That's it. Never mind, you can see for yourself." Zhu Changluo turned to look at Yang Songquan. "You should still have that memorial to the emperor with you, right?" "Yes, Your Majesty, I have it with me." Yang Songquan immediately picked up the memorial he had just taken out of his pocket from the side of the desk.

"Take a look at Wang An." Zhu Changluo nodded his head toward Wang An.

"Yes." He quickly walked to Wang An's desk and presented the document with both hands. "Grandfather Wang, please take a look."

Wang An quickly stood up and respectfully accepted the memorial. Just as he took the memorial, the emperor's voice came again: "This memorial was personally delivered by Xu Guangqi yesterday afternoon after the court session. After you have read it, pass it on to Wei Chao and Liu Ruoyu."

"Yes," Wang An answered subconsciously, his heart tightening instinctively. The words "appeal to the emperor" made it hard for him not to be nervous.

Wang An glanced up at Yang Songquan, his eyes filled with obvious inquiry.

Yang Songquan maintained a respectful smile, met Wang An's gaze, and shook his head very slightly. Wang An felt somewhat relieved, realizing that the matter mentioned in the memorial was unrelated to the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Wang An slowly unfolded the memorial, his old eyes coldly scanning it.

Yang Songquan went back and sat down. Wei Chao and Liu Ruoyu both kept an eye on Wang An's expression out of the corner of their eyes. They both wanted to see something from Wang An's expression, but they were also afraid that Wang An would suddenly look up at them at this moment.

A slight ripple appeared on Wang An's face. At first, he seemed surprised, then he appeared to be deep in thought. When he turned to the last page, his old face, etched with the marks of time, calmed down once more, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Wang An closed the memorial. Wei Chao immediately came over and respectfully extended both hands to Wang An. Wang An did not get up, but silently placed the memorial flat in Wei Chao's palms.

Wei Chao held the memorial and returned to his desk to read it.

"Wang An." The emperor's voice reached Wang An's ears the moment Wei Chao sat down: "You have already read the memorial, now tell me your thoughts."

Wang An hesitated briefly, then spoke calmly: "Your Majesty, I believe this memorial has arrived at the perfect time. To kill one's brothers is a violation of human ethics. The accusations made by Li Qingquan in his memorial are truly appalling. If they can be substantiated, it would be irrefutable proof that Li Hui's ascension to the throne was illegitimate and that he has committed extreme immorality. If we seize this opportunity, we can not only give the world an explanation, but also take the opportunity to completely depose Li Hui's royal lineage."

Zhu Changluo listened without any expression or reply, simply shaking his head noncommittally. "What about Wei Chao? What do you say?"

Wei Chao had just finished reading the memorial and was about to hand it to Liu Ruoyu, who was walking over, when he suddenly heard the emperor's abrupt call, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

The tone of his voice rose sharply, and Wei Chao quickly lowered it. "Your Majesty, this servant believes that what the Ancestor said is absolutely right. This is indeed a good subject to explore. But..." He paused, carefully observing the expressions of the Emperor and Wang An, "...is it a bit too early to take it out now?"

Zhu Changluo slightly raised his chin, signaling him to continue.

Encouraged, Wei Chao continued, "Currently, the guardianship system is just beginning, and the situation in Joseon is still unstable and the people are restless. When His Majesty issued the decree appointing Crown Prince Yi Yeok as regent, his intention was to quickly calm the people and ensure a smooth transition. If we were to use this memorial as a pretext to depose and install a new emperor again... it would likely cause widespread suspicion and unrest in Joseon."

Zhu Changlu remained noncommittal, then turned his gaze to Liu Ruoyu, the last to receive the memorial. "And you, Liu Ruoyu, what do you have to say?"

Liu Ruoyu quickly scanned the contents of the memorial, his mind racing. In a flurry of activity, Wang An and Wei Chao had said everything they could. Liu Ruoyu, not wanting to simply echo their sentiments, had to find a different approach, starting from a different angle.

Liu Ruoyu closed the book and did not immediately express his opinion. Instead, he respectfully placed the memorial back on the corner of the imperial desk before bowing and saying, "Your Majesty, what the Ancestor and the Great Ancestor said makes sense. However, I have a question in my mind."

"What's your doubt?" Zhu Changluo asked.

“This servant remembers that the Korean delegation stationed in the South Hall of the Huitong Hall was being monitored by the Embroidered Uniform Guard,” Liu Ruoyu said slowly as she thought. “So, logically speaking, this person’s memorial should have been delivered to the Embroidered Uniform Guard in charge of the monitoring first, and then presented to the Emperor by the Directorate of Ceremonial or by Commander Luo himself. How could it have been Minister Xu who delivered the memorial?”

“Have you forgotten?” Wang An interjected, “When Grand Secretary Fang came yesterday, the Emperor ordered the Ministry of Rites to send people to expel those Koreans. They must have received it at that time.”

“Your Majesty is right,” Liu Ruoyu nodded. “But as long as the Embroidered Uniform Guard is still there, they can’t possibly be unaware of this. Since they know about it, they should report it to the palace. But a whole night has passed, and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs hasn’t heard a word of it. It was only when His Majesty had Senior Brother Yang bring out the memorial that we first learned about this matter.” Liu Ruoyu then looked at the Emperor. “So, in my humble opinion, shouldn’t we summon Commander Luo and ask him about the ins and outs of this matter?”

“Luo Sigong went to the cabinet yesterday, so he doesn’t need to come today.” After briefly explaining this to Luo Sigong, Zhu Changluo turned his head and looked to the side. “Wang An, send someone to inform him. Tell him to move those Koreans elsewhere as soon as possible. Before the new decree is issued, they are not allowed to see any outsiders, including people from the Ministry of Rites.”

"Yes, this servant understands." Knowing that the emperor had made a decision, Wang An immediately bowed and accepted the order: "I will send someone to inform Commander Luo immediately."

"Furthermore," Zhu Changluo continued, "send some of your close associates to the residences of the cabinet ministers to sound them out. See what their opinions are on what Li Qingquan has said."

"Should we guide them?" Wang An asked proactively.

“No need for that. The palace doesn’t have an opinion on this matter yet. When the time is right, officials will naturally step in to guide public opinion. However,” Zhu Changluo paused, then added, “the matter of monitoring Korea shouldn’t be kept secret for much longer. We can let the Embroidered Uniform Guard release them voluntarily.”

"Yes. This servant understands."

(End of this chapter)