The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the Carpenter Prince!

The seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, at Chen hour (7-9 AM).

Snow stopped.

The snow under the eaves was frozen solid, crunching underfoot. Zhu Youxiao pushed open the door to the side hall, where a new charcoal fire was quickly lit in the brazier.

He took the note from his sleeve and spread it out on the table.

"The Imperial Pharmacy has recently transferred two new eunuchs, both from Hejian Prefecture in Zhili Province. One of them is surnamed Wei."

Zhu Youxiao stared at it for two breaths, then folded it up and pressed it back to the bottom of the letter box. The letter box itself didn't move; it was the lock that was moved.

"Liu Shun".

"This servant is here."

Where did I put the lock cylinder I replaced the other day?

"Your Highness, it's placed in the wooden box in the side room."

"Let's get another one."

Liu Shun raised his eyes.

"Change it today?"

"Replace it today. Don't throw away the old one; wrap it in cloth and put it in the drawer."

Liu Shun acknowledged and withdrew.

Changing a lock cylinder is usually done once every six months, and once a month is considered frequent. Changing it twice in two days means that there is a crack in the outside door.

Fifteen minutes later, Liu Shun returned. The new lock cylinder was installed, and the latch clicked three times with a crisp sound.

"It's locked."

"Um."

Zhu Youxiao did not raise his head.

"There's one more thing."

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

"How many of the eunuchs who used to deliver osmanthus cakes are there outside the Imperial Pharmacy?"

Liu Shun thought about it briefly.

"There was a gatekeeper surnamed Chen, who was about fifty years old. He had collected cakes twice the previous winter."

"Is he still alive?"

"Yes, it was here half a month ago."

"Summon him through the side gate without alerting anyone else. Don't say I summoned him; just say you want to exchange a few pleasantries with him."

Liu Shun bowed and withdrew.

Zhu Youxiao took out an elm wood from his sleeve and casually whittled it twice, the blade was unsteady and the wood chips were of different thicknesses.

He put down the knife.

Today, the knife doesn't move straight.

…………

About half an hour later, there was movement at the small side gate, and Liu Shun led an old eunuch into the hall.

The old eunuch was in his early fifties, thin, and wearing a faded blouse. He knelt as soon as he entered the room, his forehead almost covered with gold bricks.

"This servant, Chen Lu, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"Stand up and speak."

Chen Lu's knees loosened by half an inch, but he still dared not straighten up, his hands clenched inside his sleeves.

"I'll ask you about the Imperial Pharmacy. Once I've finished, I'll leave. Don't say anything more."

"This servant wouldn't dare."

"Two new eunuchs arrived at the Imperial Pharmacy yesterday."

Chen Lu lowered his head even further.

"Yes, it arrived yesterday afternoon."

"Where were you transferred from?"

"Hejian Prefecture, Zhili Province"

Zhu Youxiao showed no outward reaction.

"What are their names?"

"One was named Liu Er, a poor man from Hejian Prefecture, and the other," Chen Lu paused, "was named Wei Liangqing."

Wei Liangqing.

The three words fell on the desk like pebbles dropped into a well.

"Age?"

"Judging from their tone, twenty-one or twenty-two."

"Appearance".

"Fair-skinned, without a beard, of medium height," Chen Lu said in a very soft voice, "with delicate features and a Beijing accent mixed with a Zhili accent. Anyone familiar with accents can tell just by listening."

"Which route did you take to enter the Imperial Pharmacy?"

"This servant dared not ask any further questions. I only heard the steward say that it was a document from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs that filled the vacancy for Zhao Laifu."

Zhao Laifu.

These three words were also left unsaid.

Zhu Youxiao kept his hand on the table without moving.

"Which eunuch did he become close to when he entered the Imperial Pharmacy?"

Chen Lu shuddered.

"This servant dares not speak presumptuously. However, on the day Wei Liangqing entered the house, Eunuch Li went to the tea room to find him and said a few words to him. This servant has been working at the door for many years and knows how to tell whether someone will talk to her or not."

Li Gonggong, Li Jinzhong.

"I understand. Go back now, and do not mention this to anyone today."

"This servant dares not." Chen Lu kowtowed three times and crawled back to the door before getting up and lifting the curtain to go out.

Liu Shun escorted him to the side gate and then returned to the palace, where Zhu Youxiao was already standing by the window.

Snow lay still under the eaves outside, while the sun climbed up to the corners of the roof.

He was fair-skinned and beardless, in his early twenties, speaking with a Beijing accent mixed with a Zhili (Hebei) flavor.

The people of Hejian Prefecture are surnamed Wei.

Zhu Youxiao lightly tapped the window with his knuckles.

Li Jinzhong's original surname was Wei. Ke Shi was a sworn brother of Wei Chao. Li Jinzhong's old friend was also from Wei Chao. Now, the Imperial Pharmacy has a new eunuch surnamed Wei, whose place of origin happens to be Hejian Prefecture.

A word surfaced in my mind—a network of kinship.

There's no need to dredge up old grievances now; the few things we've pieced together are enough.

Previously, it was thought that Madam Ke and Li Jinzhong were merely errand runners in the palace, and that their connection was just a hidden thread. Now it seems that the word "emergence" can be removed.

Li Jinzhong had left a contingency plan in the Imperial Pharmacy; this was a thread, a thread that was being laid out towards his own people.

Zhu Youxiao turned around and sat back down behind his desk.

"Liu Shun".

"This servant is here."

"Go to the Imperial Hospital again to see Chief Physician Liu. Go in person, without going through Eunuch Wang."

"Your Highness."

"The rules for the weighing officials who were in charge of dispensing medicine, which were established last month, have been supplemented with another one."

"Your Highness, please speak."

"The list is changed every half month. The list is determined by the court judge and submitted to the emperor for review. It does not go through the imperial pharmacy."

Liu Shun was taken aback.

Last month, the rule was that the Imperial Hospital would send someone to the Imperial Pharmacy to supervise the weighing and make a signature for record-keeping. Now, a new rule has been added that the person will be replaced every half month. This means that the Imperial Pharmacy will have to put up a futile effort to bribe the person supervising the weighing, as the person will be replaced after half a month.

"This servant will go right away."

"Wait a minute. Tell Imperial Physician Liu to seal the list with his private seal after it is completed and hand it to me before opening it. This rule is a self-imposed rule by the Imperial Medical Academy, without going through the Crown Prince's Palace or the Directorate of Ceremonial."

"That saves me the trouble."

Liu Shun went out.

…………

Less than half an hour later, Liu Shun returned, his expression unusual.

"Your Highness, there is one more thing that I dare not delay."

"explain."

"Eunuch Wang is ill this morning and has not reported for duty."

Zhu Youxiao casually nudged the carving knife next to the elm wood on the table.

"What illness?"

"The Director of Ceremonial Affairs, Xiao Su, has relayed that Eunuch Wang's cough has worsened since the onset of winter, and he developed a fever last night. The doctor prescribed a medicine for him to rest, and the Director of Ceremonial Affairs has arranged for Deputy Secretary Zhang to temporarily take over his duties."

Zhang Yun.

Zhu Youxiao repeated the name to himself.

Zhang Yun was an old man who had served in the Directorate of Ceremonial for more than 20 years during the Wanli reign. He had no major grudges or affections with the Crown Prince, and he handled official business but ignored all personal matters.

Such impartial and unbiased people guarding the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs cannot be found to have any faults on the surface.

However, he was ultimately not the eyes of the Crown Prince.

Wang An is the one.

Zhu Youxiao's fingers, resting on the table, tightened slightly for a moment, then relaxed.

Wei Liangqing entered the Imperial Pharmacy yesterday, and Wang An reported illness this morning.

The timing of the two events colliding was just too good to be true.

It's said that nine out of ten old eunuchs get a cough in winter, and Wang An has indeed been sick and had to take several breaks in the past few months, which is quite reasonable.

But it just so happens that today is the day someone is calculating and planning to rest.

"Liu Shun".

"This servant is here."

"Go to Eunuch Wang's outer residence this afternoon to pay your respects."

"What will Your Highness bring?"

"A letter of greeting from a lonely relative, two packets of common ginseng rootlets, and a pound of mint," Zhu Youxiao paused slightly, "Upon entering, you will only see Wang An himself. If he is unable to get up from his bed, you will only say a few words and leave, asking only how bad his cough is and what medicine he is taking, and nothing else."

"Aren't we going to talk about other things?"

"Not mentioning anything."

Liu Shun responded and left.

…………

In the afternoon, the Cabinet was on duty.

Fang Congzhe held up the official documents but didn't move them; the charcoal brazier and kettle were bubbling.

Footsteps outside the curtain were extremely light.

"Grand Secretary."

Xu Yiqing lifted the curtain and entered, clutching another strip of paper in his hand, a narrow strip that seemed to have been cut from the corner of a file.

"Some clues have been found regarding Sun Chengzong's case."

Fang Congzhe did not look up.

"speak."

"According to the records of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the order for Sun Chengzong to enter the lecture hall was issued on the 29th of July, and he was to wait for his turn at the Wenhua Hall on the 1st of August," Xu Yiqing paused slightly, "However, when I went to the Eastern Palace to inquire, I found that Sun Chengzong was already meeting with the Crown Prince in the side hall at 7:00 AM on the 2nd of August."

"Did you not go to the Wenhua Hall for an audience, nor did you receive an audience with the Court of Imperial Sacrifices?"

"Yes."

"According to the regulations, is this trip considered the legitimate route?"

"It's not the proper way," Xu Yiqing replied in a low voice. "According to the rules, new lecturers must first wait in the Wenhua Hall to be introduced by the Grand Secretary, then have an audience with the Crown Prince, and finally begin their lectures. The meeting on the second day of the eighth month was a private one, and there is no record of it."

"Start work on the first day of the Lunar New Year and meet people on the third," Fang Congzhe read slowly, "with only one day off in between."

"Yes."

Fang Congzhe finally raised his eyes.

"One day."

He didn't reply, took out a key from a hidden compartment in his sleeve, and got up to go behind the screen.

The cabinet was open, but the tattered copy was still there. He placed the narrow paper he had presented that day on top of the tattered copy, closed the cabinet, and locked it.

"continue."

"This humble official would like to investigate further."

"No need," Fang Congzhe waved his hand, "The third one will come to us on its own, there's no need to look for it."

Xu Yiqing bowed with his hands clasped and withdrew.

Fang Congzhe returned to his desk and sat down.

The branches of the old locust tree outside the window were damp.

Three lines.

The first one has similar handwriting.

The second one did not take the right path.

The third one has not yet appeared.

He's not in a hurry.

Having served as prime minister for seven years, he still has the patience to wait for the knife to come to him.

…………

Side hall of the East Palace.

When Zhu Youxiao entered the training institute, his younger brother was writing at his desk.

Two scholars were copying the ten-day report at a side table, while the clerk was busy checking yesterday's purchase accounts. Chen Wenju, as usual, kept his head down and tapped the abacus without saying a word.

Only the sound of abacus beads remained inside the hall.

Zhu Youxiao walked behind his younger brother and stood for a moment.

Zhu Youjian looked up and grinned, "Brother."

"Keep writing."

The younger brother lowered his head and continued writing.

Zhu Youxiao's gaze fell on his notebook. Today, three more lines were written, saying that the two scholars had quarreled again in the third column, and Chen Wenju still hadn't spoken. At the end, seven more words were added to a new line.

"Brother didn't eat lunch today."

The seven characters, crookedly arranged at the bottom of the page, looked like something jotted down on a whim.

Zhu Youxiao looked down for a couple of breaths.

She reached out and patted her younger brother's head.

He remained silent.

Zhu Youjian did not look up, paused for a moment, and then continued writing.

The abacus beads clicked a few more times.

Zhu Youxiao turned and left the hall without asking anyone to see him off.

…………

As night fell, a single oil lamp shone on the table in the side hall.

Liu Shun returned from Wang Gonggong's outer residence.

Upon entering, he brushed the remaining snow off his shoulders before stepping forward to speak.

"Your Highness, Eunuch Wang's illness is real."

"How can it be true?"

"When I went in, Eunuch Wang was sitting on the couch with three quilts on his back. He was coughing so hard his face was red. The prescription was a proper one for treating winter cough, written by Imperial Physician Lin from the Imperial Hospital. It had not been approved by the Imperial Pharmacy."

"What did you say?"

"Eunuch Wang only asked about His Highness's well-being, without mentioning anything else."

Zhu Youxiao nodded.

Wang An is a sensible person, even when he is sick.

"Is there anything else?"

Liu Shun paused for a moment before lowering his voice.

"Your Highness, when I came out of Eunuch Wang's residence, the gatekeeper muttered a few words, saying that since the news of Eunuch Wang's illness spread, there have been two unfamiliar guests at the gate today."

"What kind of new customer?"

"Same person."

"What does it look like?"

"Fair-skinned, beardless, and in his early twenties."

Zhu Youxiao kept his hand on the table without moving.

"Did you say anything?"

Without saying a word, he stood outside the door for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea on both occasions before turning around and leaving without handing over an invitation.

"Where did you go?"

Liu Shun paused slightly before answering.

"Your Highness, I went to the Imperial Pharmacy."

Zhu Youxiao's carving knife stopped on the elm wood.

For a moment no one spoke.

The north wind outside the window howled and whistled as it lashed against the windowpanes.

The flame of the oil lamp flickered twice before finally settling down.

Zhu Youxiao slowly put down the carving knife.

"Liu Shun".

"This servant is here."

"The gatekeeper should not whisper to you again, nor to anyone else."

"This servant understands."

Which route did you take on your return today?

"We took the official road outside Dong'an Gate."

"Change to a different route every other day, don't take the same route twice."

"I've got it."

Zhu Youxiao remained silent, staring at the elm wood on the table for a long time.

The elm wood has clear, continuous grain patterns.

Suddenly, he picked up the carving knife and smoothly made a cut along the unfinished texture. The blade was extremely steady, and thin shavings fell onto the table.