Di Ming

Chapter 397 "Please, Lord Hai, go to your death!"

Tang Yangyang frowned, her eyes fixed on Fan Yi'an's calm face. "I understand the reasoning, and I know what you did was beneficial to the teacher. But you shouldn't have acted on your own. Has Senior Brother Fan forgotten the rules of our family, or does he simply not care about the family rules? What is the ninth rule? Do you want to be punished by the family rules?"

“I haven’t forgotten, and I dare not forget.” Fan Yi’an shook his head calmly. “Article Nine of the Family Rules states that one must not disobey the orders of superiors, act on one’s own initiative, or do things arbitrarily. But what are the orders of superiors? Does it only count as orders if they are explicitly stated by superiors and written down in black and white?”

At this point, Fan Yi'an revealed a smile that was hard to decipher, "Junior sister, why does the ninth rule of the family use the word 'instruction' instead of 'command'? The word 'instruction' is rarely used. What does 'instruction' mean?"

"Of the eighteen family rules, instructions and commands appear eleven times, but the underlying meaning only appears once, in the ninth rule. Why did the teacher use the underlying meaning instead of instructions or commands in the ninth rule? Do you dare say there's no deeper meaning behind this?"

Tang Yangyang pondered the meaning behind the words and immediately understood, but she still said dismissively:
"But if we do that, wouldn't that be presumptuous and presumptuous to try and guess what the superiors want?"

"Shouldn't we try to figure out what the superiors want?" Fan Yi'an retorted. "To conform to the superiors' wishes is loyalty. Only to go against their wishes is it considered acting on one's own initiative. There are some things that the superiors can't say, but that doesn't mean there are no intentions."

"Back when our teacher taught us, he repeatedly emphasized one phrase: 'subjective initiative.' Do you remember?"

Tang Yangyang nodded. "Of course I remember. That was something the teacher emphasized many times. It meant that in order to complete the task, we must think proactively, act flexibly, and adapt to changes."

Fan Yi'an laughed and said, "The word 'intention' plus the phrase 'subjective initiative' is the basis for my actions. Do you still say that I am acting on my own initiative?"

“Our counterparts, the Japanese ninjas and the imperial guards, all know how to read their superiors’ minds and act proactively. Why are we Tiger Fang so rigid? True loyalty is not just about simply obeying orders. If that were all, who couldn’t be competent?”

"Do you know how Luo Yan operated in Beijing, Li Xuancheng in the Northwest, Le Zhengyuan in Liaodong, and Li Hanqiu in Japan? Let me tell you, they all did it this way. Did the family rules ever punish them? On the contrary, their teacher and his wife trusted them very much."

"Take the matter of Hai Gong leading scholars to the capital to petition, for example. If we don't take advantage of it, it would be a dereliction of duty. If we handle this matter well, the emperor will lose all popular support, and it will be difficult to wash away the infamy of being a tyrant. Moreover, the righteous spirit of the world will be promoted, and it can also encourage and inspire the increasingly decadent social morality. It's a win-win-win situation, so why not do it?"

“When Hai Gong arrives in Beijing, what will Senior Brother Luo Yan do? Junior Sister, if you don’t believe me, let’s make a bet and see what Senior Brother Luo does. I’m sure he’ll make a big fuss, escalate things, kill more people, and shed more blood. I estimate that Senior Brother Luo might cause Hai Gong to perish in Beijing.”

"What?" Tang Yangyang's voice was icy. "He dares! It's one thing if he wants to escalate things further, but he even dares to lay a hand on Lord Hai? The Lord and Lady will skin him alive!"

"Senior Brother Fan, please write a letter to Senior Brother Luo and warn him."

Fan Yi'an shook his head indifferently, "Don't put it so harshly. What do you mean by taking action against Hai Gong? Hai Gong got what he asked for; it's actually his good fortune. I won't write a letter to warn Senior Brother Luo. I advise you not to write one either."

"You get what you ask for? Good fortune?" Tang Yangyang gritted her teeth. "How can you say that so easily? Hai Gong is respected by all, how dare you lay a hand on him? Do you have any conscience?"

Fan Yi'an sighed and shook his head, saying, "Junior sister, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but you've been acting on emotion. Life expectancy is short, and seventy is a rare age. Master Hai is already eighty years old this year. How much longer can he live? This time, Master Hai was overcome with anger and excessive worry. He's currently clinging to life by sheer willpower, and I'm afraid he's nearing the end of his life. Even if he returns south, he will most likely die on the way, or at most he'll live another year or two before passing away on his sickbed."

"Which of these two ways of dying is more glorious, more worthy of the world's admiration, and more magnificent in the history books, compared to falling in the capital or dying while remonstrating at the palace gates?"

"For Hai Gong, what would be the best way to die? Do you think he would want to live another year or two and die on his sickbed? No!"

"Why did Lord Hai bring a coffin to the capital at this time? It means he was prepared to die. This was his wish. He was burning his last flame with his old body to illuminate people's hearts and persuade the emperor to pull back from the brink and change his mind! Alas, what a loyal minister who would sacrifice his life!"

"If you truly care about Hai Gong, admire Hai Gong, and genuinely care about him, then you should grant his wish and ask him to die!"

"Please, Lord Hai, go to your death?" Tang Yangyang's lips parted slightly, tears streaming down her face in a daze.

Fan Yi'an sighed deeply, his eyes slightly moist. "Junior sister, this is the best ending for Hai Gong, for the world, and for our lord. You want to save Hai Gong, but you are actually harming him. You can't save him. Junior sister, you are so intelligent, you should understand. Let's give Hai Gong the peaceful end he desires most."

Tang Yangyang said, "Is it possible that Hai Gong's death really awakened the emperor, made him change his mind, and made him have a change of heart?"

Fan Yi'an said, "Of course, that's a possibility, and that's also Hai Gong's goal. But the possibility is not high. The emperor will probably feel ashamed for a while, but he will continue to do as he pleases and act recklessly. But given Hai Gong's personality, even if the emperor has little chance of changing his ways, he will still try."

Tang Yangyang looked at the white clouds in the sky with tears in her eyes, and after a long while, she said:
"Alright, then let Lord Hai... go to his death!"

.........

"What?!" Zhang Jing, who had just received the latest report, was both shocked and furious in the office of the Directorate of Ceremonial. "The bandits have ruined everything! Hai Rui and the others have already arrived in Cangzhou?"

Qiu Li knelt on the ground, his face pale. "It was my fault for misusing Zeng Zheng and ruining everything. I beg you, Your Excellency, to punish me. This was my idea, and it was all my fault."

Zhang Jing's face was ashen; he hadn't expected things to turn out this way. It was an unexpected turn of events that a mysterious figure among the bandits had deliberately sabotaged the situation.

The problem is that Hai Rui has now arrived in Cangzhou and is almost at the capital. Everyone in the court and the country is watching. With the world's attention focused on him, should we send troops to suppress him?

The emperor's reputation has already been affected by this incident; if troops are sent to intercept him by force, it will be even more detrimental to his reputation.

What should I do?
Even with Zhang Jing's deep cunning and shrewdness, he was at a loss for what to do at this moment, finding the matter extremely troublesome.

The thought of the emperor's wrath sent a chill down Zhang Jing's spine. He had to get past his grandfather first, and protect himself no matter what.

Consort Zheng! Only Consort Zheng can help me get through this difficult time and prevent my grandfather from holding me accountable for my dereliction of duty.

Thinking this through, Zhang Jing felt much more at ease. Suppressing his anger, he asked, "You must leave the capital immediately. Where do you want to go?"

Since Qiu Li took the initiative to take responsibility, he should naturally give Qiu Li a chance and spare his life.

Be kinder to your own people!
Qiu Li looked up in astonishment, "Lord Eunuch, I don't have to die?"

"Die what?" Zhang Jing sneered. "If you want to die, I won't stop you."

"Thank you for your great kindness, Governor!" Qiu Li kowtowed twice. "I have committed a crime and am willing to accept punishment. Go to the Nanjing Imperial Palace to guard the tomb of Emperor Taizu."

Zhang Jing nodded. "Then write a secret report to Grandpa, pinning all the blame on Zeng Zheng. He's definitely not going to live. Within three days, you'll go to Nanjing to atone for your crime. Next year, I'll transfer you back to Beijing."

"Yes! Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Zhang Jing made arrangements for the aftermath and immediately rushed to Consort Zheng's Yikun Palace.

Yikun Palace was the head of the Western Six Palaces. Although it was the residence of Consort Zheng, it was actually built to the standards of an empress. The height of the platform, the number of phoenix patterns, and the number of door studs were the same as those of the empress's Kunning Palace. This demonstrated Consort Zheng's transcendent status as an "uncrowned empress," possessing the power of an empress without the title.

At this very moment, Consort Zheng was burning incense in the small Buddhist hall in the north courtyard, cursing Empress Wang, Consort Wang, and Zhu Changluo to die young and violently.

On the prayer mat next to her sat a middle-aged nun, holding a blood-red wooden puppet with Zhu Changluo's birth date and time written on it. Seven needles were stuck in the puppet's body.

Consort Zheng was a woman of unparalleled beauty, but her heart was completely different from her appearance, far less radiant than her stunning looks.

"Bodhisattva." Consort Zheng looked coldly at the seated statue of Guanyin, "I have prayed to you a thousand times, yet my wish remains unfulfilled. Are you truly so ignorant and unfeeling?"

"Your Majesty," the nun beside her smiled, "Your Majesty is the Empress, your destiny is so noble that no woman in the world can match it. Your fate is so great, and your karma is so profound, that even Guanyin Bodhisattva cannot easily grant Your Majesty's wish. This matter cannot be rushed. But Your Majesty, rest assured..."

At this point, the nun did some calculations and said, "This humble nun has already predicted that the Third Prince will definitely be made Crown Prince within three years, and Your Highness will be formally made Empress."

Consort Zheng narrowed her phoenix eyes. "Is this really true?"

"Amitabha." The nun solemnly clasped her hands together. "I am a nun, how could I presume to seek favor? If the Third Prince is not made Crown Prince and the Empress is not made Empress within three years, I am willing to take off my robes, return to secular life, and suffer. I will have no face to continue being a disciple of Buddhism."

Consort Zheng said, "Master Jingkong, you flatter me. I'll take your kind words with a grain of salt and hope it's true."

Jingkong said solemnly, "However, even within a predetermined destiny, there are hidden variables. This is the law of cause and effect, which must be carefully observed and treated with utmost caution."

Consort Zheng asked, "Then how should I respond?"

"Amitabha!" Jingkong said with a profound expression, "Why is it that His Majesty and the Empress Dowager are so well-matched and deeply in love? It is because His Majesty was Emperor Wu of Han in his previous life, and the Empress Dowager was Empress Wei Zifu. Emperor Wu of Han wronged Empress Wei, so in this life he wanted to make amends to the Empress Dowager and let her son inherit the throne to settle their karmic debt from their previous lives."

Consort Zheng was taken aback, staring with her large, dark phoenix eyes and exclaiming, "Is this really true?"

“Indeed. This humble nun does not speak falsehoods.” Jingkong nodded solemnly. “Although Empress Wei’s surname is Wei, she took her mother’s surname. Her father’s name was Zheng Ji, so Wei Zifu should actually be called Zheng Zifu. Your Majesty’s surname is Zheng, which happens to be the same as Wei Zifu’s.”

"Emperor Wu of Han's childhood name was Zhu (Pig), which sounds the same as the imperial surname of the Ming Dynasty, and His Majesty is also born in the Year of the Pig. Both emperors ascended the throne when a celestial alignment of five planets occurred. How could this be a coincidence?"

Consort Zheng had always believed in such unfounded things, and after hearing Jingkong's far-fetched words, she couldn't help but be skeptical, hoping that it was true.

But then the nun Jingkong continued, "This is destiny, ordained by the will of Heaven. That is why Your Majesty and His Majesty are so harmonious and loving. But destiny alone is not enough; we must also guard against unforeseen changes."

Consort Zheng asked, "How can we prevent a change in the situation?"

Jingkong answered without hesitation, "Use the right people, the right protectors. The so-called protectors are those who safeguard Your Majesty's destiny, protecting you and the Third Prince, shielding you from harm, and charging into battle for you. With the right protectors, everything will be successful, and all uncertainties will be resolved." Consort Zheng then asked, "And who are these protectors?"

Jingkong didn't answer immediately, but instead calculated with her fingers for a while before saying in a deep thought:

“Although I have served Your Majesty for many years, I still cannot determine who the true protector is. But I am certain that this person has appeared and has opened up a new situation for Your Majesty.”

Upon hearing this, Consort Zheng immediately thought of someone.

Zhang Jing!

Since Zhang Jing became the Grand Eunuch and Director of the Eastern Depot, he immediately used ruthless methods to deal with the officials. In just a few months, he subdued the court officials and helped the emperor accomplish the great task of conferring titles on three princes, which was a big step towards making Chang Xun the Crown Prince.

Since Zhang Jing seized power, although the officials were full of criticism, Chang Xun was indeed getting closer and closer to the position of crown prince.

Just as Consort Zheng was thinking of this, a palace maid came to report: "Your Majesty, the Grand Chancellor Zhang Jing requests an audience."

Consort Zheng's eyes lit up, thinking to herself, "Speak of the devil, and he appears! Zhang Jing must be the protector."

Therefore, we should continue to rely on and make good use of Zhang Jing.

"Have Zhang Jing wait in the West Warm Pavilion," Consort Zheng said in a gentle tone.

"Yes!"

As soon as the palace maid left the Buddhist hall, Jingkong's expression changed drastically, and he said as if suddenly enlightened:
"Your Majesty, upon hearing the name Zhang Jing just now, this humble nun felt a sudden, profound realization, as if she had been given a revelation. This humble nun has already deduced that the protector of the Dharma is none other than Zhang Jing!"

"Your Majesty!" Jingkong leaned forward slightly, her expression solemn. "Your Majesty must treat Zhang Jing well and give him an important position."

……

"This servant Zhang Jing greets Your Majesty, may you live a thousand years!"

Zhang Jing, who was waiting in the West Warm Pavilion of Yikun Palace, immediately prostrated himself on the ground when he saw Consort Zheng.

"Please rise, Lord Zhang, no need for formalities." Consort Zheng was Zhang Jing's benefactor and the two were allies, but she usually showed no respect to Zhang Jing. Today, however, she was unusually friendly.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Zhang Jing stood up, took the initiative to support Consort Zheng's arm, and led her to sit down on the soft couch. He then personally poured her tea, just like a little eunuch by her side.

Consort Zheng smiled and said, "Lord Zhang is the head of the inner ministers, and now he holds immense power in the court. He is busy with important military and national affairs all day long. How come he has lowered himself to be a fire starter when he comes to my Yikun Palace?"

Zhang Jing laughed and said, "No matter how important the military or national affairs are, they can't compare to Your Majesty's affairs. Besides, my wealth and status are all bestowed upon me by Your Majesty. Your Majesty is my master. It is not that I am lowering myself to serve Your Majesty, but that I am doing so out of the proper sense."

At this point, Zhang Jing took out a land deed from his sleeve, placed it on Consort Zheng's jade table with both hands, and said with lowered eyes, "This month is the birthday of the Grand Uncle, and I have nothing to offer as a gift. This is five thousand mu of fertile land in Tongzhou, which I would like to express my gratitude."

Seeing this, Consort Zheng was even more pleased with Zhang Jing.

The area surrounding Beijing is densely populated, and fertile land is expensive and hard to come by. Tongzhou is also very close to Beijing, where one mu (approximately 0.16 acres) of fertile land is worth more than ten taels of silver. These five thousand mu of fertile land in Tongzhou would be worth fifty thousand taels of silver.

This servant was incredibly generous. In just over six months since his reinstatement, he had already given the Zheng family and himself a substantial gift of 200,000 taels of silver.

"Speak," Consort Zheng said, already knowing what was going on. "Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Zhang Jing knelt down again, "Your Majesty's phoenix eyes are like lightning, discerning the truth beyond measure. This servant dares not conceal anything..."

Then he reported the current predicament to Consort Zheng in detail.

"I see." Consort Zheng's face was frosty, her starry eyes cold. "What did you do? You handled the task so carelessly. Isn't this a disgrace to the Emperor? If word gets out, what will people say about the Emperor? Those scholars are the most insidious and vicious; you've given them a handle to use against you."

Zhang Jing kowtowed repeatedly, choking back tears, and said, "In heaven and on earth, only Your Majesty can save this servant! If Your Majesty had not intervened, Grandfather would not have spared this servant. This servant has long since disregarded life, death, honor, and disgrace, but this loyal dog cannot bear to leave home, fearing that it will no longer be able to serve Your Majesty and Grandfather."

Consort Zheng's expression softened slightly, and she said with a relaxed brow, "His Majesty will surely be furious, but don't worry, I'll go and speak to him. In the future, we must not make such a mistake again. You go to the Qianqing Palace to report to His Majesty first, and I will follow shortly."

Zhang Jing felt a sense of relief. "This servant thanks Your Majesty for saving my life! Long live Your Majesty!"

Zhang Jing felt a great sense of relief as he left Yikun Palace, his whole body radiating comfort. He had expected to have to do some persuasion, but to his surprise, the Imperial Concubine agreed so readily without hesitation.

It seems that the nun Jingkong worked; the money wasn't wasted.

Since Her Majesty values ​​me so highly, I must work even harder to help Her Majesty win the throne!

When Zhang Jing arrived at the Qianqing Palace, he heard the sound of mahjong coming from inside the hall and immediately knew that the emperor was playing mahjong.

Gao Huai, who had recently returned from Goryeo, was on duty in the front hall.

"Master Zhang has arrived." Gao Huai quickly stepped forward and greeted Zhang Jing.

He was a disgraced official, yet the emperor did not pursue his crimes. Upon returning to the capital, he directly presented the emperor with 20,000 taels of gold, a bushel of pearls, ten coral trees, 100 catties of top-grade Korean ginseng, and 300 sable pelts—worth hundreds of thousands of taels of silver!
Thus, although he caused many Ming soldiers to die in Goryeo, he was unharmed after returning to the capital and remained a favorite of the emperor.

As for Hao Jie, the military commissioner who was also a criminal, he has been dismissed from his post and imprisoned, and his fate is uncertain.

"Is Grandpa happy?" Zhang Jing asked.

Gao Huai laughed and said, "Replying to Zhang Gong, Grandpa is very happy. He played from Chen Shi to Wu Shi and won more than 10,000 taels from Gao Cai and the others."

Zhang Jing was uneasy, so he deliberately chatted with Gao Huaidong for a few minutes, saying he would wait for Consort Zheng.

Only when he heard the sound of the whip of the Imperial Concubine's carriage outside the Qianqing Palace did Zhang Jing enter the inner hall unhurriedly, habitually sliding to his knees with a practiced and smooth motion.

"This servant, Zhang Jing, greets Grandfather. I have important matters to report, and I beg you to punish me!"

Huh? The emperor, who was in high spirits and beaming with joy, suddenly raised his chubby white face, his expression full of disappointment, and was about to throw out a 'Wu Yong' card.

"What is it? What crime have you committed?" the emperor said impatiently, slamming down his cards. "Wu Yong, six points!"

Taking the opportunity, Zhang Jing said, "Reporting to Grandfather, this servant messed up the job. I failed to stop Hai Rui and those scoundrels even revealed the truth. Now Hai Rui and his men have arrived in Cangzhou..."

"What?!" Upon hearing this, the emperor flew into a rage. He grabbed the card he had just played, "Wu Yong," and hurled it fiercely at Zhang Jing.

"Useless lackey! You even managed to botch this! What has become of my dignity?!"

The domino hit Zhang Jing's nose, causing it to bleed profusely.

The emperor, still furious, stood up and kicked Zhang Jing in the head again, sending him sprawling backward. Blood splattered all over his face, but he didn't dare wipe it away.

The Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the head of the Inner Council, whose power was even greater than that of the Grand Secretary, was now treated like a dog, being beaten and scolded at will by his master, who showed him no respect whatsoever.

"You dog slaves!" the emperor gritted his teeth. "What use are you to me! What use are you all! You're nothing but troublemakers!"

Zhang Jing quickly scrambled to her feet, knelt down again, and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Grandpa, please calm your anger. This servant deserves to die. Grandpa, please don't upset your health..."

Eunuchs Gao Huai, Gao Cai, and Zong Qin knelt down together and said in unison, "Grandfather, please calm down. Don't upset the Emperor."

Just as the emperor was about to fly into a rage, someone outside the palace shouted, "The Empress has arrived!"

Immediately, all the palace servants in the front hall knelt down.

Immediately afterwards, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and a beautiful woman in palace attire gracefully approached, walking with a smile on her face, and said, "Old nanny, who has made you angry this time?"

Upon seeing the woman, the emperor's anger immediately subsided by three-tenths. He raised his chubby hand and pointed at Zhang Jing, "Him!"

...

P.S.: The story of the petition to Beijing will be almost over tomorrow. Please be patient, everyone! Please vote with your monthly tickets and help the book review charts! Also, the nun's claim that she was a "poor nun" is completely unfounded; there's no historical record of a nun referring to herself as such. So, many people are just spreading misinformation. It's like how an empress wouldn't refer to herself as "this palace"—that's also nonsense.

(End of this chapter)