Chapter 205: The Curtain Falls on a Hero

After the shift ended.

The memorial from Zhang Juzheng requesting to retire due to old age was submitted to the Emperor. In an instant, it swept through the officialdom of the capital like a tornado.

There were those who rejoiced, and there were those who grieved.

But for most, it was likely a sense of relief.

That "Iron-Faced Prime Minister," who held the world in his hands and possessed thunderous methods, ended his official career in such a manner.

In a flash, many officials felt a sense of loss, as if they were dreaming.

Outside the Forbidden City, there was chaos, and inside the palace gates, the atmosphere was tense and fearful.

Inside the East Warm Pavilion.

The Wanli Emperor looked at Zhang Juzheng's memorial requesting retirement, feeling as if in a dream.

Once, how he had hoped to take charge of the world quickly, but during the half-year that Zhang Juzheng had been seriously ill, he had governed personally.

This governing of the world did not seem to have much meaning after all.

Feng Bao stood behind the Emperor, his face dim and lusterless. Zhang Juzheng's request to retire had been discussed with him beforehand.

Ten days ago, Zhang Juzheng had summoned him to his residence to talk.

The two met in the study, and as soon as they sat down, Zhang Juzheng's first words were: "Eunuch Feng, you have aged so much."

Feng Bao, a shrewd man, naturally knew the meaning behind these words.

So he gave a dry laugh, stretched out his wrinkled, withered-wood-like palms, and mocked himself: "Indeed, I am nearly seventy; I have grown old."

"The Grand Tutor has also aged. When I first met the Grand Tutor, the Grand Tutor had a full head of black hair; it is nothing like now, with hair turning gray."

The two were comrades of many years; toward Feng Bao, Zhang Juzheng felt both fondness and wariness.

He was wary of his absolute authority within the palace, always accompanying the young Emperor, yet he was also fond of him for allowing every one of his own Drafting of Rescripts to become an imperial decree.

Now that he had thoughts of retiring, he naturally had to discuss it with this comrade.

Firstly, he worried that this old friend would not meet a good end, and secondly, he feared that if he were not there, some change might occur within these palace gates.

After much thought, this conversation today took place.

Stroking his long gray beard, Zhang Juzheng stared at Feng Bao and said lightly: "I intend to resign from office after the New Year."

Although he had been prepared in his heart, hearing Zhang Juzheng bring it up suddenly still startled Feng Bao.

After a few seconds of silence, Feng Bao gave a bitter laugh and replied: "I have long had the intention of retiring to seclusion. Since Grand Tutor Zhang has this intention, if I were to linger here any longer, it would appear that I do not know my place."

"The future is, after all, the world of the young."

"Indeed, we are both old."

The two sighed with emotion, suddenly feeling like high-ranking monks who had attained enlightenment in Buddhist law.

"Big Companion, Big Companion, tell me, how should I annotate this?"

While Feng Bao was lost in thought, the Wanli Emperor looked at the memorial and called out twice, but Feng Bao did not respond. The Wanli Emperor turned back to look and, seeing him absent-minded, raised his voice and shouted: "Big Companion!"

"Ah?! This old servant is here." Feng Bao woke as if from a dream and stepped forward, bowing his body.

The Wanli Emperor rubbed his chubby little face, looked at the bewildered Feng Bao, and said quite helplessly: "Grand Tutor Zhang requesting to retire, I am heartbroken."

"But I see that Grand Tutor Zhang's intention to leave is firm. I will urge him to stay three times; if he still has this intention, then I can only painfully let Grand Tutor Zhang return to his hometown."

"What the Emperor says is very true." Feng Bao gave a fawning smile and echoed.

Watching Feng Bao hunched over with gray hair, the Wanli Emperor felt a sting in his nose and waved his hand: "That is enough, that is enough, you go down and rest; having Wei Qing here to serve is enough."

"This old servant... this old servant obeys the decree." Feng Bao replied tremblingly, as if all his strength had been drained away.

"Wei Qing, you go and see off Big Companion."

"Yes."

Cining Palace. Li Taihou had also long since learned of Zhang Juzheng's request to retire.

She had wanted to urge him to stay, but upon thinking of his health, she dismissed the thought and began to consider letting him leave.

At midday on this day, she summoned the Wanli Emperor to the palace.

The Wanli Emperor first bowed to his mother, then, under the guidance of a palace maid, sat opposite Li Taihou. As mother and son met, Li Taihou looked at her son who had already reached adulthood.

Her heart was filled with both joy and sorrow.

"Jun'er, the Grand Tutor is leaving." Li Taihou said softly, and after speaking, a look of indescribable grief suddenly appeared on her plump, fair cheeks.

"Yes." The Wanli Emperor nodded, rubbed his small hands, and replied respectfully, "I intend to wait until the Grand Tutor submits another memorial before granting his retirement, so as to manifest the court's courtesy."

Li Taihou let out a long sigh and said with deep emotion: "In the second year of Longqing, you were only five. It was Grand Tutor Xu, Gao Yi, and Grand Tutor Zhang, those few Assistant Ministers, who personally submitted a memorial to the Muzong Emperor to name you Crown Prince. Later, when the Muzong Emperor passed away, he personally appointed four Ministers Appointed to Assist the Young Emperor, and Grand Tutor Zhang was among them."

"Now, of those who named you Crown Prince, only Grand Tutor Zhang remains in this world. Of the four Gu Ming Ministers personally appointed by the Late Emperor, only Eunuch Feng and Grand Tutor Zhang are still alive."

Having said this, Li Taihou paused, looked at her son who was listening patiently, and reminded him: "Jun'er, the Grand Tutor is a great loyal minister."

"I know." The Wanli Emperor smiled and added, "On the day the Grand Tutor leaves the capital, I will order a banquet to be held at the outskirts of the city, and have all officials in the capital of the fourth rank and above go to see the Grand Tutor off."

Such grandeur was unmatched in the history of the dynasty.

Li Taihou was also extremely satisfied with this arrangement; if not for the sensitivity of her own status, she would have liked to go and see him off herself.

It is just a pity that from now on, the two would be worlds apart, and it is feared they would never meet again in this life.

Thinking of this, Li Taihou clutched her chest, her pair of elegant brows knitting into a tight knot.

"Mother!" The Wanli Emperor cried out in alarm.

"I am fine." Li Taihou shook her head, forced a smile, and said in an extremely relaxed tone, "You go now, Mother wants to be alone and have some peace."

"Yes."

The Wanli Emperor rejected Zhang Juzheng's first memorial requesting retirement. Soon, Zhang Juzheng submitted a second one, the Wanli Emperor rejected it again, and then came the third.

This time, the Wanli Emperor granted it.

Everyone knew the procedure for this.

After receiving the approval, Zhang Juzheng did not linger; he packed for only seven days before hurriedly leaving the capital with his family and books.

That day, the Emperor ordered Zhang Siwei to host a banquet, personally seeing Zhang Juzheng off at the Long Pavilion in the suburbs of the capital.

Every official of the fourth rank in the capital was present without exception.

The grandeur of the scene was unprecedented.

Amidst the chorus of congratulations, Zhang Juzheng wore a spring-like smile as he boarded his carriage, embarking on the journey back to Jiangling.

Forty years ago, in the spring of the 26th year of the Jiajing reign, he had arrived in the capital by carriage from Jiangling, stumbling along the way to take the imperial examinations.

At that time, he was merely a destitute Scholar from Jiangling.

His clothes were tattered, and his face bore a look of poverty.

Facing the prosperity of the capital and the wealthy nobles in their brocade robes, he felt not the slightest inferiority regarding his own poverty.

Instead, he made a bold vow to become a Grand Secretary.

Forty years later, he returned to his hometown in glory, accompanied by a beautiful woman.

He had witnessed too many ups and downs in the official world.

From Xia Yan to Yan Song, then to Xu Jie, Li Chunfang, and Gao Gong.

Now, the era that belonged to him had also come to an end.

(End of this chapter)