Chapter 26: No One Asked While Alive, Known to the World After Death

Deep in the night.

Inside the study of Zhang Jianxiu's residence, an old man sat opposite Zhang Jianxiu.

The old man appeared to be sixty-three or sixty-four, with fair skin, full cheeks, a nose like a dragon's, and eyes like a hawk's; just sitting there, he commanded respect without needing to be angry.

He was none other than the Minister of Justice, Wang Zhigao.

He was also Zhang Jianxiu's father-in-law.

As for why he came here in the dead of night, there was a significant reason behind it.

More than ten days ago, after Feng Bangning beat Zhao Lin, he received a report and immediately stormed over to Zhang Jianxiu's, demanding he hand the man over.

Zhang Jianxiu knew he was Feng Bao's nephew and, thinking it was a minor matter, made an excuse to brush it off.

This time it was different; the man was dead.

As Minister of Justice, Wang Zhigao had never been able to tolerate any sand in his eyes.

This matter was truly too vile; if it were not dealt with according to the law, who would be willing to enforce justice impartially and work hard for the imperial court in the future? "Where is he?!" Wang Zhigao demanded.

"I don't know."

"He is a Vice Thousand-Household of the Northern Suppressing Faction; as a Assistant Regional Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, how could you not know?" Wang Zhigao gave a cold laugh, stared into Zhang Jianxiu's eyes, and said, "Jianxiu, you have truly disappointed me."

"Father-in-law..." Zhang Jianxiu wanted to defend himself, but Wang Zhigao waved his hand to interrupt him, mocking: "Yes, your Zhang Family enjoys extreme wealth, so how could you be willing to offend Feng Bao for a mere Eighth-Rank petty official?

I fear you have long forgotten that you, too, were born of humble origins."

"Father is not the kind of person you think, Father-in-law. He did this... there must be his own reasons." Zhang Jianxiu whispered in persuasion.

Wang Zhigao did not answer; he clasped his hands behind his back, paced to the window lattice, and gazed at the night sky.

With sparse stars and a pale moon, the sky clear for ten thousand miles, and the cool night breeze hitting his face, Wang Zhigao could not help but have tears well up in his eyes.

He had known Zhang Juzheng for over thirty years; at the time when Yan Song held power, the two of them vowed to cleanse the world and return a bright and clear universe to the common people.

Later, Yan Song fell, Xu Jie rose to power, and Zhang Juzheng was appointed Prime Minister and entered the cabinet. Still later, the Longqing Emperor passed away, and the Wanli Emperor ascended the throne. Zhang Juzheng managed the hundred officials externally and connected with Feng Bao internally.

He organized border defenses, eliminated corrupt policies, reformed tax laws, and measured land; the entire Great Ming Empire was flourishing.

But he discovered that Zhang Juzheng had changed, becoming stubborn and self-opinionated, becoming fond of grand achievements, and only willing to listen to words of praise.

Regarding those voices of opposition, he would frequently use the authority of the Senior Grand Secretary to suppress them.

In the early years of Wanli, he was surrounded by enemies, and the people he employed were mostly shrewd and capable talents. Now it was different; those who fawned and flattered could also ascend to high positions.

Thinking of this, Wang Zhigao cried out in pain: "Shuda, you have truly disappointed me."

Two lines of turbid, hot tears flowed down his cheeks.

"Father-in-law, Father has his own hidden difficulties. The implementation of the New Policy cannot be separated from Feng Bao's support. Compared to the common people of the world, one Zhao Lin is truly too insignificant." Zhang Jianxiu hurriedly defended his father.

"It is cold at the heights; I understand this." Wang Zhigao wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and smiled bitterly, "I will submit a memorial tomorrow to request retirement from the Emperor; I am old and no longer useful."

"Father-in-law..."

"Jianxiu, you are still young. I hope you can have more of a young person's hot blood and less of an old person's twilight gloom."

"Jianxiu understands." Zhang Jianxiu's throat choked up, and two pools of hot tears filled his eyes.

Wang Zhigao nodded, pushed open the door, looked at the night, and murmured: "I thought he was a Zhong Kui who would strike down ghosts, but I never expected that in the end, he would also turn into a ghost. There are too many ghosts in this world; no matter how you strike, you can never finish them off."

Having said this, he wrapped himself in the stars and moon and disappeared into the night.

Early the next morning, Minister of Justice Wang Zhigao submitted a memorial requesting retirement.

The Wanli Emperor did not grant it and pleaded with him to stay with deep affection.

For the high officials of the Six Ministries, unless the Emperor detested them extremely, the Emperor would always plead three times before letting them go, to show respect.

Wang Zhigao's mind was made up, and he submitted two more memorials in succession.

The Emperor had no choice; he bestowed silver and gold and personally arranged for the hundred officials to hold a banquet to see him off, which counted as respect for this old Minister. Now, the entire capital was in complete chaos.

In teahouses and wine shops, on street corners, and in brothels, everyone was discussing Zhang Juzheng's lack of grace and his cold-heartedness.

This Wang Zhigao was his fellow townsman, his relative by marriage, and his friend, yet he actually approved his retirement.

Inside a teahouse, four or five officials gathered together, discussing in low voices.

"Tsk tsk, our Senior Grand Secretary is truly cold-blooded enough."

"Isn't that so? Otherwise, why is he called the Iron-Faced Prime Minister?"

"Heh, that's nothing yet. There are nine-headed birds in the sky and Hubei fellows on the ground; the fierce part is still to come," a lean official said mysteriously.

A companion on the side asked in shock: "Could it be that he really intends to let that Feng Bangning go?"

"Letting him go is impossible; this is also the brilliance of our Senior Grand Secretary," that person laughed and continued, "However, I estimate it will just be a painless punishment, at most an exile!"

At this, the few people in the private room immediately became filled with righteous indignation.

"The traitor Zhang colludes with the Eunuch Faction; it is truly a disgrace to us scholars!"

"Poor County Assistant Zhao, with such unyielding integrity, was actually harmed by a ruffian. I heard that when County Assistant Zhao died, even the money for his coffin had to be scraped together by colleagues and relatives, so that he wouldn't be left without a place to be buried."

"An Eighth-Rank official, with his whole family living like beggars; this is truly a great misfortune for the nation!"

"Everyone!" One of them suddenly gathered his courage and shouted, "County Assistant Zhao had a spine of iron and refused to cling to the powerful even in death; we cannot let him die without an explanation. Those with hot blood, follow me to County Assistant Zhao's home to pressure the Eunuch Faction together!"

"Right, make the eunuch traitors pay their blood debt!" Everyone stood up together, waving their fists and roaring, their voices shaking the clouds.

The same scene was repeated in the streets and alleys of Beijing.

Carriage after carriage poured out of Beijing, heading straight for Wanping County. For a time, dust billowed and yellow sand filled the sky.

It was lively indeed.

After entering Wanping County, the officials made inquiries and headed straight for County Assistant Zhao's home.

It was a two-courtyard, three-room brick-and-tile house; not only did County Assistant Zhao live there, but so did his elderly mother, his wife, and a pair of children.

Five people, three rooms; no matter how you looked at it, it seemed a bit crowded.

The mother occupied one room, and with the daughter grown up, County Assistant Zhao was actually squeezed into one room with his fifteen-year-old son.

Living in such poverty, he was not even as well off as some lictors who were skilled at lining their pockets.

At this moment, a white coffin was placed in the small courtyard, covered in white paper money. Funeral couplets and wreaths filled the courtyard to the brim.

A middle-aged woman, holding her children by the hand, knelt on the ground and wailed at the top of her lungs.

The sound was sorrowful, enough to soften anyone's heart and make their nose sting.

The guests were all officials from the capital who, in the past, would not have even glanced at this County Assistant.

Yet today, they lowered their status to call this deceased County Assistant their brother and opened their purses generously. One person took out five taels of silver, while another took out more than ten taels.

The woman choked on her sobs, unable to speak.

Wanping County Magistrate Lin Cheng thanked them one by one, then invited these officials to go to a restaurant in the city to rest.

It was not until evening that the crowd thinned out; Lin Cheng saw this clearly, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said to the woman, "Sister-in-law, I am also very saddened by what happened to your husband, but the dead cannot come back to life."

As he spoke, he looked at the boy and girl behind her and said, "Xiao Yue and Xiao Yong still have to live, don't they?"

"Take the silver and keep it well, and live your lives well."

"I want my father! Give me back my father... Wuwu, I want revenge!" Zhao Yong immediately roared with a flushed face.

Lady Zhao hugged her son, wiped away her tears, and shook her head repeatedly, saying, "Forget it, forget it, we cannot fight them, we cannot fight them."

"Magistrate Lin, rest assured, once I finish handling my husband's funeral arrangements, I will take the children and return to our hometown."

(End of this chapter)