Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 180, "A Gift to Zhang Ji Upon His Exile to Lingnan," describes him eating three hundred lychees a day!
"Sent to the Ministry of Personnel overnight? Zhang Ji doesn't want me to get involved in this matter!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Lie maintained the dignified demeanor of the Imperial Censor, but his eyes twitched slightly.

anger!
But I also breathed a sigh of relief.

The memorials submitted by the censors could be sent to three different places, depending on the format of the memorial and its urgency.

The Censorate—the memorials submitted by the various censors were first compiled and reviewed by the Grand Censor, who then selected the most important ones to present to the emperor during the court assembly. This was the usual practice, like a stream flowing into the sea, perfectly smooth and orderly.

The memorials from the Ministry of Personnel bypassed the Censorate and circulated directly through the Three Departments and Six Ministries. They were then submitted level by level by the Three Departments before finally being presented to the Imperial Court! Of course, this process was extremely delicate, as the memorials could be blocked at any stage by the Ministry of Personnel's imperial edicts, the Secretariat's refutations, or the Chancellery's deliberations. Any one of these hurdles could cause the memorial to disappear without a trace.

Delivered directly to the emperor's desk—only in cases involving impeachment of princes, nobles, generals, and ministers could the censor, carrying a golden fish tally, knock on the palace gates at night to present his case to His Majesty in person. Years ago, when he served as the Vice Censor-in-Chief, he once carried a blood-written letter through the pouring rain at Danfeng Gate.

The memorial submitted by Censor Zhang Ji was sent to the Ministry of Personnel, following the procedures of the three ministries!

Instead of presenting it directly to His Majesty!
Did Zhang Ji think that the "case of imperial poetry usurpation" was not enough to alarm the emperor?
Do not!
"The fact that this memorial has been sent to the Ministry of Rites means that they want to initiate the 'Great Confucian Scholars Debate'!"

Pei Lie suddenly chuckled, but his five fingers inside his sleeve had already clenched angrily into his palm. "This is to force Jiang Jieyuan to debate the classics with him in court in front of the great scholars and Confucianists of the Hundred Schools of Thought!"

When the sun rises tomorrow, the entire capital city of Luoyang will be filled with praise for the outspoken and honest remonstrances of the upright censor Zhang Ji.

Jiang Jieyuan of Jiangnan was to become the stepping stone for Zhang Ji to become famous.

Imperial Censor Wang Hao was puzzled as to why Pei Lie was so furious about Zhang Ji's actions.

It was not uncommon for imperial censors' memorials to bypass the Censorate.

It wasn't that he disrespected his superiors, but rather that he wanted to distance himself from the matter and take full responsibility for the consequences of "reporting rumors," so as not to implicate his colleagues in the case.

"Come with me!"

Pei Lie turned and went back to his study, where he picked up his pen and began to write rapidly.

Wang Hao followed closely behind, his gaze inadvertently sweeping across the desk—a letter signed "Pei Jingyi" was prominently displayed there.

The contents of the letter were clearly visible!
Pei Jingyi, a Hanlin scholar and tutor in the private school of the Duke of Xue, was also Jiang Xingzhou's mentor. He wrote to his cousin Pei Lie, saying that Jiang Xingzhou, the top scholar of the Jiangnan region, was going to the capital to take the imperial examination, and asked his cousin to take care of Jiang Xingzhou in the capital.

Wang Hao caught a glimpse of the letter, his heart skipped a beat, and suddenly everything became clear!

Jiang Xingzhou was Pei Jingyi's disciple, and Pei Jingyi was Pei Lie's cousin. In a sense, Jiang Xingzhou could be considered one of the Imperial Censor's "own people".

No wonder Zhang Ji wanted to bypass the Censorate!
If Zhang Ji's memorial had gone through the Censorate, would Pei Lie have stood by and watched as the Censorate impeached Jiang Xingzhou?
Zhang Ji probably already knew about this—Pei Lie would definitely suppress the memorial and would never allow it to be submitted!
"The Ministry of Personnel will certainly review Zhang Ji's impeachment memorial first thing tomorrow morning."

Pei Lie put down his pen and said coldly, "Take this letter to the Ministry of Personnel and say only that the Censorate was unaware of and did not participate in Zhang Ji's impeachment of Jiang Jieyuan's poetry case!"

"Yes!"

Wang Hao accepted the letter with both hands, bowed deeply, but his heart was already churning with turmoil.

Once Lord Pei makes his statement, none of the nearly one hundred censors in the Censorate will participate in the impeachment of Jiang Xingzhou!
Only Imperial Censor Zhang Ji was left, "fighting alone!"
The following day, the Ministry of Personnel.

On the rosewood desk, the memorial, still damp with morning dew, stood out starkly against the rising smoke from the gilded incense burner.

Minister of the Imperial Secretariat Wei Min sat at the head of the table, with the Left and Right Vice Ministers Lu Qinwang and Wei Juyuan on either side.

The six ministerial-level officials were: Li Qiao (Ministry of Personnel), Yang Sizhi (Ministry of Revenue), Wei Shili (Ministry of Rites), Tang Xiujin (Ministry of War), Zhang Jianzhi (Ministry of Justice), and Yao Zhen (Ministry of Works).

Even the vice ministers and adjutants of each department were present.

Such a spectacle is something only seen during grand festivals and imperial courts.

Left Minister Lu Qinwang presided over the meeting, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, the jade thumb ring striking the sandalwood, producing a dull sound.

"Gentlemen."

He slowly unfolded the memorial in his hand, "Imperial Censor Zhang Ji impeached Jiang Yuanjiang, the Circuit Intendant of Jiangnan, for violating the prohibition against imperial poetry with his poem 'Viewing the Sea'."

Today, I invite all of you to discuss this matter.

The words trailed off.

Minister of War Tang Xiujin sneered, "What a grand display! Although censors have the power to report based on hearsay, they are not to believe everything they hear! This impeachment is pure nonsense!"

Minister of Rites Wei Shili's expression changed.

He knew all too well the weight of the words "poem of imperial usurpation"—if this poem were condemned, it could lead to the bloodshed of half of the Jiangnan gentry.

Suddenly, the ambergris in the incense burner burst into flames.

Wei Min looked up at the outside of the hall. The morning light was shining obliquely into the vermilion threshold, making the golden plaque of the Ministry of Personnel dazzling.

The Ministry of Personnel was completely silent, except for the ticking of the water clock.

Xu Shiheng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, lowered his eyelids and unconsciously stroked the jade belt at his waist with his fingertips.

He had already memorized the poem "Watching the Sea" three days ago—"The sun and moon seem to rise from within it; the starry sky seems to emerge from within it." Such a grand vision that encompasses heaven and earth is no exaggeration to describe as the aura of an emperor.

Can be biased.
He glanced at the assembled nobles and officials out of the corner of his eye.

These old foxes, who would usually argue fiercely over the word "dragon," were surprisingly silent at this moment, their mouths agape.

The thunder that should have exploded in Luoyang long ago only arrived with a lone memorial from Imperial Censor Zhang Ji!
"interesting."

Zhang Jianzhi of the Ministry of Justice suddenly sneered, "Of all the officials in the court, only a lowly censor speaks? Are the others blind to it? Or are they keeping quiet to protect themselves? Or are they afraid of his reputation as the top scholar in the Jiangnan provincial examination?!"

That's not how you say it!
Is it possible that Zhang Ji is making a mountain out of a molehill, or fabricating something out of nothing?

Do you really think you can bring down Jiang Xingzhou, the Jiangnan Circuit Intendant, with just this impeachment memorial?!

That's wishful thinking!

Minister of Revenue Yang Sizhi coughed softly, the beads of the abacus in his sleeve making a faint sound.

This Minister of Revenue, who was in charge of the nation's finances, was extremely astute—in the past three days, this poem, "Viewing the Sea," had spread throughout Luoyang!
Countless scholars, high-ranking officials, and even great Confucian scholars have read this national treasure!

However, apart from the hotheaded censor Zhang Ji, who belatedly presented an impeachment memorial!
Not a single additional impeachment memorial appeared in the memorial boxes of the Three Departments, Six Ministries, and the Censorate!
Is it that others lack discernment?

Did Zhang Ji fabricate this out of thin air?
Or is it that the entire court dares not provoke this Jiang Jieyuan, a scholar from a humble background who rose to prominence in Jiangnan?

With the situation so unclear, who would dare to easily provoke Jiang Jieyuan, who possesses unparalleled fighting prowess?!
Perhaps, it's all of those!

The incense smoke curled upwards, weaving an invisible net before Wei Min's eyes.

The old Minister of State suddenly remembered that this morning when he passed by the Imperial Academy on Tianjie Street, he saw several students excitedly discussing the poem "Viewing the Sea".

"correct!
What is the attitude of the Censorate?

The elderly and frail Minister Wei Min spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, yet it silenced the entire hall of officials.

Right Vice Minister Wei Juyuan pulled a plain note from his sleeve. The four characters "Imperial Censor Pei" were boldly written on the note, and he reported: "Last night at midnight, Imperial Censor Wang Hao personally came to the Ministry of Personnel and presented a letter from Imperial Censor Pei—'Regarding Zhang Ji's impeachment of Jiang Xingzhou's poetry case, neither the Imperial Censorate nor anyone else was aware of it and did not participate!'"

"Oh!"

Wei Min slammed the teacup down on the table, the celadon base making a dull thud as it struck the sandalwood.

His expression darkened slightly.

Unaware?
The Imperial Censor Pei Lie sent this letter overnight, and the meaning was very clear: he was already aware of the impeachment against Zhang Ji, but he was very dissatisfied with it!

The statement by Grand Censor Pei Lie meant that no other censor in the Censorate would participate in the impeachment!
Whether the Ministry of Personnel will accept the impeachment memorial submitted by Censor Zhang Ji and continue to impeach Jiang Xingzhou, the Circuit Intendant of Jiangnan, depends entirely on the Ministry of Personnel's own attitude!
Anyway, everything that followed had nothing to do with the Censorate!
"What an ignorant person!"

Zhang Jianzhi of the Ministry of Justice suddenly laughed, "Pei Lie is quite good at playing dumb. He's completely absolving himself! He's dumped Zhang Ji's impeachment memorial, this hot potato, on our Ministry of Justice!"

Vice Minister Xu Shiheng's heart skipped a beat.

The Censorate isn't involved?!
The Censorate, with its strongest fighting force and hundreds of low- and high-ranking censors, will no longer get involved in the case of impeaching Jiang Xingzhou for overstepping his bounds in imperial poetry?!
There was only one memorial from Imperial Censor Zhang Ji!
This means that Pei Lie has kept all the storms and tempests outside the Censorate!

Outsiders can no longer use the censors to impeach Jiang Xingzhou for his presumptuous poetry case!

The ashes in the incense burner suddenly collapsed, and Wei Min stared at the remaining embers.

The old Minister Wei Min slowly raised his head. The morning light shone through the carved window lattice, tracing lines of light and shadow on his face: "Gentlemen, let's draft a vote to express our opinions."

Should we directly reject Zhang Ji's impeachment and reprimand him?
Or should we accept the impeachment memorial and hold a "debate among great Confucian scholars"? — Let the world see right from wrong!

Once rejected!
Then we must reprimand the censor Zhang Ji, denouncing him for "making trouble out of nothing and spreading rumors!"

Depending on the severity of the matter, he might even be punished—exiled to Lingnan, a malaria-ridden region, with no chance of ever recovering. If the impeachment memorial were accepted, the process of "debating the classics among great scholars" would have to be followed: inviting one great scholar and four grand secretaries—five literary giants—to the Imperial Academy's debate platform to analyze the words and phrases!

Let's work together to determine whether this poem, "Viewing the Sea," is truly an imperial poem and whether it constitutes a crime of usurpation!
—But will this fire burn Zhang Ji to death, or will it burn the top scholar of Jiangnan?
No one dared to speak.

The ministers and vice ministers all took up their pens to draft their proposals, the vermilion ink spreading across the plain paper like blood.

The results of the vote were presented to Minister Wei Min.

The old Minister of Justice paused slightly – four ministers advocated for a direct rejection of the impeachment, but only Zhang Jianzhi of the Ministry of Justice and Wei Shili of the Ministry of Rites, with only two votes remaining, supported a thorough investigation.

The Left and Right Vice Ministers and the Six Ministries all unanimously condemned Censor Zhang Ji for "spreading false accusations about governing the country and disrupting the government."

Before this impeachment could even cause a ripple, it had already sunk into a deep abyss.

"A meeting was held in the Ministry of Personnel—"

Wei Min's voice was like rusty iron grinding together, "Reject Zhang Ji's memorial impeaching Jiang Xingzhou's poems and essays! The Ministry of Personnel shall issue a reprimand to him!"

The gavel struck, and the dust settled.

Minister of Personnel Li Qiao's wolf-hair brush was already saturated with ink: "Censor Zhang Ji has made false accusations against the emperor regarding the poem about governing the country!"

He was demoted to the position of Military Advisor in Qujiang County, Jiaofu Prefecture, Lingnan Circuit.

The pen, sharp as a knife, sliced ​​down the figure of the censor who once wore the crown of the mythical beast Xie Zhi, bringing him to the dust of a ninth-rank official.

Censor Zhang Ji has been abandoned by the Censorate!
No one will protect him!

Nobody wanted him!
He was simply demoted to Lingnan, thus creating a vacancy for a seventh-rank censor, which was then given to someone who would succeed him.

"Next, we will discuss the autumn grain collection in Jiangnan Province."

Minister Wei Min dusted off the dust from his sleeves, as if he had just crushed nothing more than an ant.

After the meeting in the Ministry of Personnel ended, sunlight had already bathed the vermilion corridors in its glow.

Several vice ministers walked slowly, their official boots treading on the blue bricks. Their voices were kept very low, but they could not hide the sharpness in their words.

"It's a one-sided situation. It's somewhat unexpected!"

Someone shook their head, tapping their fingers lightly in their sleeve. "However, let's be honest! A mere censor like Zhang Ji impeaching the top scholar of Jiangnan Circuit for his masterpiece? It's like a firefly trying to shake the bright moon—laughable!"

"Without five or ten joint memorials, how could we possibly move that Jiang Xingzhou?"
Unfortunately, not a single official in the entire court dared to second the impeachment motion.

Another person sneered, "You ministers, you've all calculated this clearly."

"Once the 'Great Confucian Scholars' Debate' is launched, thousands of students from the Imperial Academy will gather to listen to five literary masters critique 'Viewing the Sea'—"

"If even a great Confucian scholar cannot refute Jiang Xingzhou in a debate, wouldn't that just be making him famous for nothing?"

"Even if the great Confucian scholars' debates are unfavorable to Jiang Xingzhou, he still has one last resort—to appeal to the 'Confucian Temple for judgment'!"

Upon hearing this, everyone paused in their tracks.

"How could a sage of literature care about any poem that secretly contains the aura of an emperor?"
If it really comes to that, will the Emperor side with Jiang Xingzhou, the man of great literary talent who safeguards the nation, or with an insignificant censor?

"After much thought, Zhang Ji has absolutely no chance of winning this battle. The bigger the commotion, the more it will only enhance Jiang Jieyuan's literary reputation!"

Some people sighed, "When the imperial examinations come next spring, Jiang Jieyuan's reputation will probably be even greater."

"Who can't see through this scheme that's just giving away reputation for free?"

The last person sneered, "You gentlemen didn't even give Jiang Xingzhou a chance to 'debate among great scholars,' thus cutting off his opportunity to leverage the situation!"

The ministers exchanged knowing smiles, their scheming understood each other perfectly.

The night wind swept through the corridor, scattering the whispers, leaving only the soft ringing of the copper bells on the eaves, as if mocking Censor Zhang Ji for his game that was lost before it even began.

Among the crowd, Vice Minister Xu remained completely silent.

Zhang Ji's impeachment memorial was like a stone thrown into an abyss; it didn't even cause a ripple. The entire situation made him uneasy.

When Imperial Censor Wang Hao stepped into Zhang Ji's residence, it was already dark.

Living in Luoyang is no easy feat.

A dignified seventh-rank imperial censor, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), could only live in a cramped two-room detached house in the heart of the capital city, where land is incredibly valuable.

The blue bricks are mottled, and moss grows on the eaves. Only an old plum tree leans out of the wall, adding a touch of elegance to this humble dwelling.

Wang Hao pushed open the wooden door to the main room with a creak—

But Zhang Ji had already taken off his official robes and was sitting cross-legged in a plain white dress in front of the table.

The official robe of a seventh-rank censor embroidered with the mythical beast Xie Zhi was folded neatly and placed in front of him, resembling a small tomb.

"Brother Zhang, what's going on?"

Wang Hao choked up.

The flickering candlelight cast Zhang Ji's face in alternating light and shadow.

"Brother Wang!"

Zhang Ji raised his hand, poured a cup of cold tea, and pushed it to the table: "Last night, after delivering the memorial to the Ministry of Personnel, I sat there until dawn, pondering for a long time!"
For three days, none of the court officials impeached Jiang Xingzhou.

What right do I, Zhang Ji, have to shake his reputation as a poet who governs the nation with just a single memorial to the throne?

He suddenly laughed, but the laugh was colder than the tea: "Last night, I was bewitched by Vice Minister Xu, and a few words from him stirred my blood to the point of madness. Now that I think about it, how could my dull knife be qualified to test the edge of Scholar Jiang?!"

His fingertips traced the xiezhi pattern on the official robe's insignia. The legendary beast, said to be able to distinguish right from wrong, now had eyes as dull as if covered in dust.

Zhang Ji handed a plain letter to Wang Hao, his knuckles trembling slightly: "I wrote a letter last night to apologize to Jiang Jieyuan. I'd like to trouble you, Brother Wang, to deliver it for me. I have no face to see him."

Wang Hao silently accepted it, then turned and disappeared into the deepening night.

An hour later, the wooden door opened again.

"Brother Zhang, the letter has been delivered."

There seemed to be a faint glow of fireflies in Wang Hao's sleeve.

"The imperial decree of reprimand and demotion should be arriving by now, shouldn't it?"

Zhang Ji looked out the window. A flock of grey starlings was flying over Luoyang, their wings cutting through the evening clouds. He sighed, "Fortunately, the lychees from Lingnan are quite delicious. The nobles in the palace are quite fond of them!"

He suddenly chuckled self-deprecatingly, "It can be considered a blessing in disguise."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hao's expression immediately turned strange, and he hesitated to speak.

"how?!"

Zhang Ji asked.

"This is Jiang Jieyuan, replying to you!"

Nothing else is offered, only a poem by [Mingzhou]!

Wang Hao sighed, took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, and the room was instantly filled with light—it was a [Mingzhou] poem paper with a solid literary style!

Zhang Ji accepted it with both hands, and saw that the poem paper shimmered with light, and the ink was dripping wet:
[A poem presented to Zhang Ji upon his exile to Lingnan!]
Springtime reigns all year round at the foot of Mount Luofu, with oranges and bayberries ripening in succession.

I'd eat three hundred lychees a day, and gladly remain a southerner forever!
"This poem of exile!"

Zhang Ji's fingertips trembled; he was completely stunned and slowly closed his eyes.

Terrifying indeed, Jiang Jieyuan!
Jiang Jieyuan doesn't even bother writing articles on [leaving the county or reaching the prefecture], yet he casually composes a satirical poem that is [Mingzhou]!

He served as an imperial censor for five years, but did not make a name for himself by impeaching powerful officials, nor was he recorded in history for his integrity and upright character.

He will likely be remembered in the annals of the Great Zhou Dynasty for this poem of exile from Mingzhou: "I would eat three hundred lychees a day, and gladly remain a Lingnan native forever!"

(End of this chapter)