Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 720 Choosing a Bride, Being Granted Death, and the Audience

Having given his instructions regarding matters in Korea, Zhu Changluo said no more. He withdrew his gaze and picked up the daily report on his desk to read again. The four chief eunuchs present also went about their own business, quietly busying themselves. The Southern Study fell into silence for a moment, with only the soft sounds of turning pages and hushed conversations remaining.

Zhu Changluo's gaze swept quickly across the items in the briefing. Most of them were routine reports from various supervisory bureaus and government offices, or summaries of memorials from the outer court. There were no particularly important matters, nor were they complicated. He read very quickly, his fingers occasionally lightly tapping the punctuation marks between paragraphs.

The silence lasted for a while until the emperor suddenly said, "Have the ladies from Henan been selected as well?" The emperor's voice was not loud, but it was particularly clear in the quiet study.

The question was vague and the voice was so soft it sounded like a dream, yet Wang An dared not take the emperor's words as a soliloquy. His hand moved faster than his mind, and he almost immediately put down his pen.

The report contained a considerable amount of information, and it took Wang An a short while to roughly understand what the emperor had just been talking about. "Your Majesty, yesterday afternoon at the end of the Shen hour (3-5 PM), Liu Kejing's report was delivered to the Directorate of Ceremonial. According to his report, the selection of the virtuous ladies from Henan has been finalized, and they are being escorted to the capital. If all goes well, Liu Kejing should be able to send them to the capital for examination in about half a month."

At the same time that the Korean army was marching south to Shandong, the eunuchs dispatched to various regions to select marriage partners for the Crown Prince also began their journeys, accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Rites. So far, the eunuchs stationed in the capital, as well as those heading to Beizhili and Shandong, have completed their missions; only those who traveled to Nanjing, Nanzhili, and Zhongdu Fengyang have yet to be heard from.

"Liu Kejing?" Zhu Changluo had almost no recollection of this person, but felt that he should have seen his name somewhere before.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, Liu Kejing originally worked in the Directorate of Palace Attendants, but was transferred to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs during the major reshuffle at the beginning of the year. He is now working in the Ceremonial Office, responsible for selecting brides in Huai'an, Fengyang, Xuzhou, and the Henan area,” Wang An explained.

"Hmm," Zhu Changluo still couldn't remember, so he simply stopped thinking about it. "Where is his report now? Did you bring it over?"

"Your Majesty, the original report is kept in the archives of the Directorate of Ceremonial. If Your Majesty wishes to view the original report in person, this servant will send someone to retrieve it immediately." Wang An never expected that the emperor would suddenly decide to read the report on the selection of eunuchs for marriage. Previously, when the reports from Beizhili and Shandong were sent, the emperor hadn't even bothered to ask about them.

"Never mind." Zhu Changlu waved his hand, his gaze returning to the briefing. "Have you seen that report?"

“I have seen it. This report was recorded by me personally,” Wang An replied.

"Then you should still remember what was written on it." Zhu Changluo turned to the next page.

Wang An looked at the emperor, remained silent for a moment, and then cautiously replied, "This servant dares not say that I have a photographic memory and can recite every word, but I do remember the general content of the report."

"I don't need you to memorize it word for word." Upon hearing this, Zhu Changluo's lips seemed to twitch into a very faint smile. "Just tell me, from which places did Liu Kejing select several people?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty," Wang An replied without hesitation, "Liu Kejing selected two ladies during this business trip. One is from Huai'an Prefecture, and the other is from Kaifeng Prefecture in Henan."

Zhu Changluo nodded, then asked, "What are the names of these two people?"

"Uh," Wang An replied somewhat hesitantly this time, "The report only recorded the father's and mother's names. As for the lady's given name, according to custom, it needs to be verified after the lady arrives in the capital before the scribes secretly reveal and report it."

"Then tell me their father's name and mother's surname," the emperor pressed. This surprised Wang An.

But after a moment's thought, he replied, "The woman from Huai'an is surnamed Xiao, her father is named Xiao Yixue, and her mother is surnamed Li. The woman from Henan is surnamed Zhang, her father is named Zhang Guoji, and her mother is surnamed Chen."

Wang An kept his eyes on the emperor and clearly noticed that the emperor paused for a moment as he turned the page. There seemed to be laughter coming from behind the report. However, the emperor gave no further instructions or questions, simply saying softly, "Understood."

Wang An's gaze did not leave the emperor. As the chief author of the briefing, he clearly remembered the position of each item on the document. He had a premonition that the page the emperor had just turned to contain something crucial.

Sure enough, not long after, the emperor suddenly raised his head, looked past the briefing, and stared intently at Wang An: "Has all of Li Mingcheng's property been confiscated?"

“Reporting to Your Majesty,” Wang An’s heart tightened slightly, but his expression remained calm: “All of Li Mingcheng’s fields, houses, shops, warehouses, and other assets in the capital and Beizhili have been confiscated and put into storage. However,” he paused slightly, “there are still some hoards of gold and silver, as well as some properties in other provinces, estimated to be worth about thirty to forty thousand taels of silver. Due to their hidden locations or remote locations, they have not yet been fully discovered and confiscated.”

"Is there anything else they can explain?" Zhu Changluo asked, his face expressionless.

“Reporting to Your Majesty,” Wang An replied cautiously, “Cui Wensheng hasn’t submitted any new statements for quite some time. He must have already vomited everything he could.”

"Then..." The emperor, expressionless, closed the report in his hand and casually tossed it back onto the center of his large desk. The report slid a short distance across the smooth rosewood surface, making a slight scraping sound. "Don't let him live any longer."

Wang An felt a chill suddenly rise from the soles of his feet. He subconsciously swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, and with a hint of tension, he asked, "Does Master really intend to... order Li Guorui to commit suicide?"

"Hmph," the emperor let out a very soft snort, "Does this greedy, corrupt, and disrespectful fellow expect me to grant him special treatment?"

Wang An shrank back, stung by the coldness in the emperor's eyes. He dared not hesitate or question again, and immediately lowered his head deeply, replying in a deep voice, "Yes! This servant understands."

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In the right-hand side room of the Huiji Gate, light shines through the wooden window lattice carved with cloud patterns, casting a clear geometric light and shadow on the ground.

Wang Yingjiao sat upright on a hardwood stool, his back straight, his hands folded on his knees, his official tablet pressed against the inside of his forearms. His breathing was even and deep, as he tried to suppress the barely perceptible ripples in the depths of his heart.

Yesterday afternoon, shortly after Zhang Sixiu left with Shi Fangyi, a messenger from the Office of Transmission finally delivered an official document to Wang Yingjiao, informing him that he would be attending the palace for an audience the following morning.

Wang Yingjiao was on high alert. He spent the whole night calming his mind and composure. Before dawn, he changed into a scarlet official robe with a rhinoceros horn belt, a right-fastening collar, and a single flower pattern. Carrying an ivory tablet, he went to the Forbidden City to verify his identity.

At 1:45 AM, a series of light but swift footsteps sounded outside the door. Then, a young eunuch with a fair complexion and wearing a blue undergarment silently entered, a slight smile playing on his lips beneath his hat. He was none other than Shi Fangyi, who had summoned Zhang Sixiu to the palace the day before.

“Minister Wang,” Shi Fangyi said with a smile as he walked up to Wang Yingjiao and bowed respectfully. “We meet again.”

"You're too kind, Eunuch Shi." Wang Yingjiao returned the bow and asked, "Eunuch Shi, has His Majesty come to see me?"

“That’s right.” Shi Fangyi nodded with a smile. “His Majesty has issued an imperial edict summoning Minister Wang to the Hongde Hall for an audience.”

Upon hearing Shi Fangyi's words, Wang Yingjiao immediately stood up and meticulously straightened the hem of his robe. "Thank you for leading the way, Eunuch Shi." "Please don't rush, sir." Shi Fangyi did not turn around, but instead made a downward gesture: "Minister, please sit for a moment longer. His Majesty has another decree; perhaps I could go to the Grand Secretariat to summon Grand Secretary Fang and Vice Grand Secretary Ye for an audience. Minister Wang, please wait here for a moment; I will be right back."

“Okay.” Wang Yingjiao’s eyes narrowed slightly, but then returned to normal. He stopped as instructed, but did not sit down. Instead, he stood upright, like a javelin.

Shi Fangyi said no more, turned around and passed through the Huiji Gate, his figure disappearing into the shadows of the gate.

Inside the cabinet office, the six cabinet ministers were engrossed in their documents, their pens moving swiftly, the only sounds being the soft rustling of pages turning and ink dripping from their brushes. Shi Fangyi opened the door, immediately shattering the harmonious silence.

"I, Shi Fangyi, greet you all, gentlemen." Shi Fangyi bowed to the group inside the hall.

The six people in the duty room all paused, almost simultaneously putting down their pens, looking up, and staring at Shi Fangyi.

"Is Eunuch Shi here to deliver an imperial edict?" Han Kuang, who was closest to the door, put down his pen.

"No, it's an audience." Shi Fangyi shook his head at Han Kuang, then turned his gaze precisely to Fang Congzhe, who sat at the head of the table: "Prime Minister Fang, Second Prime Minister Ye. His Majesty has decreed that you two gentlemen be summoned to the Hongde Hall for an audience."

Fang Congzhe's heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly stood up, his crimson robe sleeve knocking over a document on the desk. He quickly straightened it, and as he stepped out of his seat, he asked in a deep voice, "Does Eunuch Shi know why His Majesty has summoned me here?"

Ye Xianggao had also left his seat and followed closely behind, his gaze calmly falling on Shi Fangyi's face.

Shi Fangyi's lips curled into a very faint smile as he stepped aside to make way, his voice neither loud nor soft: "Minister Wang of the Ministry of Revenue is waiting at the Huiji Gate right now. Doesn't the Grand Secretary know that?"

Fang Congzhe paused slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes, and his tense shoulders relaxed a little. "I've been busy with paperwork today and haven't had a chance to go to Huiji Gate yet." He walked to Shi Fangyi's side and gestured for him to go. "I'll trouble you to lead the way, Eunuch."

The other cabinet ministers in the office quickly glanced between Shi Fangyi, Fang Congzhe, and Ye Xianggao before withdrawing their gazes. Each, lost in their own thoughts, returned to the documents before them, as if the commotion had never occurred.

Hearing footsteps approaching from afar, Wang Yingjiao looked up and saw Shi Fangyi leading Fang Congzhe and Ye Xianggao through the doorway. He immediately stepped forward, crossed the threshold, and bowed deeply, performing the salutation of a subordinate official: "Your humble servant Wang Yingjiao greets Chief Minister Fang and Vice Minister Ye."

"Mr. Wang, there's no need for such formalities." Fang Congzhe and Ye Xianggao didn't possess the power of Yan Song or Zhang Juzheng, who used their positions to suppress ministers, and their personalities were relatively mild. Since Wang Yingjiao addressed himself as an official, they treated him as a junior.

“It’s getting late,” Fang Congzhe said to Shi Fangyi. “Let’s not keep His Majesty waiting any longer, let’s go now.”

"This way, gentlemen," Shi Fangyi said readily. He strode ahead, leading the way, with the three old men following closely behind. Under the shade of the corridors, they walked towards the Qianqing Palace, facing the increasingly intense sunlight.

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The small courtyard of Hongde Hall in Qianqing Palace.

The sun hung high in the sky, its yellow glazed tiles reflecting a blinding white light. The air was hot and stagnant.

In the distance, a rhythmic, slightly muffled "thump...thump..." sound reached my ears.

Shi Fangyi did not enter the small courtyard where Hongde Hall was located. He only escorted the three people to the courtyard gate before bowing and taking his leave, and returned to Qianqing Gate to await orders.

Upon entering the courtyard, the three immediately noticed the source of the earlier sound.

It turned out to be two servants dressed in brown short shirts, struggling to chisel ice from a huge, square ice block that was emitting a chilling white vapor, under the sloping corridor in front of the hall. Ice shards flew everywhere, shimmering with iridescent light in the sunlight.

The arrival of the three men caused the servants in short shirts to pause slightly, but they quickly resumed their work under the urging of the head eunuch.

Upon reaching the courtyard, the three simultaneously slowed their pace and quickly adjusted their formation—Fang Congzhe stood in the center at the front, Ye Xianggao stepped back half a step to the left, and Wang Yingjiao stepped back another half step to the right. A neat triangular formation was thus silently formed.

The three walked together to the tightly closed doors of the Hongde Hall. The eunuch guarding the door immediately announced loudly inside: "Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe, Second Grand Secretary Ye Xianggao, and newly appointed Minister of Revenue Wang Yingjiao are here to pay their respects by imperial decree!"

"Come in." A steady and clear voice came from inside the hall.

Wang Yingjiao's heart immediately jumped. Although the old man was seventy-one years old this year and had been an official for more than thirty years, this was the first time he had been summoned by the emperor in person in such a small place.

The palace doors opened, letting in light that illuminated the dark gold-brick floor and the gilded screen behind the throne. Before the screen, the emperor, dressed only in a plain gauze robe, leaned against the armrest of his throne, a faint smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the old minister who had entered the palace.

Fang Congzhe, Ye Xianggao, and Wang Yingjiao held their breath, their eyes fixed straight ahead, and stepped into the hall. They stopped about three steps from the throne, their movements perfectly synchronized. They knelt down, their foreheads touching the ground. "Your subjects Fang Congzhe, Ye Xianggao, and Wang Yingjiao pay their respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" the three chanted in unison, their voices echoing in the empty hall, mingling with the intermittent sound of ice being chiseled outside.

After the ceremony, the three remained kneeling on the ground, awaiting further instructions.

"Get up, all of you." Before long, the emperor's voice rang out again from above.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The three of them thanked the Emperor in unison, slowly rose, and stood with their heads bowed in solemn respect.

The emperor's gaze swept over the three men, lingering briefly on Wang Yingjiao's insignia, before turning to Fang Congzhe and Ye Xianggao: "Give Fang Qing and Ye Qing seats."

The eunuchs standing guard at the two doors immediately sprang into action, silently bringing over two brocade stools and placing them on the open ground below the throne.

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty!" Fang and Ye exchanged a glance and cautiously sat down on half of the stool. Wang Yingjiao, on the other hand, remained standing, quietly listening to the sound of ice being chiseled outside the hall.

(End of this chapter)