Chapter 30: The More You Oppose Me, the More It Proves I Am Doing the Right Thing!

Time flows like a stream, and as the days pass, the blink of an eye has seen seven days go by since the burial of County Assistant Zhao. During these seven days, not only Beijing, but the entire Great Ming has been in a state of treacherous, shifting clouds.

Five days ago, Hanlin Academy Compiler Feng Qi, joined by his fellow student Zhao Wen and Ministry of Works Director Wang Yong, submitted a joint petition requesting severe punishment for the culprit.

The Wanli Emperor kept the memorial in the palace without issuing a response, so the three men submitted another.

At the same time, they knelt in protest before the Meridian Gate of the Imperial Palace.

The Emperor sent men to disperse them several times, but the three men stood firm against the Emperor, insisting he provide an explanation. The Emperor grew furious and had each of the three men given fifty strokes of the bamboo rod, beating them until they were a bloody mess.

The smell of blood drifted over the Meridian Gate and did not dissipate for a long time.

This act not only failed to frighten these hot-headed youths, but instead made them exceptionally excited.

For several days in a row, people came to kneel in protest at the Meridian Gate.

Just past the hour of the dragon today, the Wanli Emperor heard the shouting and, frowning, arrived at the Five Winds Tower above the Meridian Gate.

Looking down through the lattice windows, he saw five or six officials already kneeling there, wailing and crying for their parents.

The Wanli Emperor was annoyed by the crying and could not help but curse: "Hmph, this bunch of poor, pedantic scholars, devoid of lord or father—I have already ordered the Three Judicial Offices to investigate this case, why must they come here to annoy me!"

"These people do it all for the sake of a 'reputation'," Wei Qing, standing to the side, said in a low voice.

"For the sake of reputation, they can coerce their sovereign?"

Wei Qing was already at odds with these official scholars, and hearing the dissatisfaction in the Emperor's words, he fanned the flames: "These poor, pedantic literati love to pride themselves on being the teachers of the Emperor, and they take pleasure in finding fault with the Emperor at every turn."

"Your Majesty would do best to ignore these fellows, lest they climb all over you."

The Wanli Emperor was lost in thought, then suddenly raised his eyes and asked Wei Qing: "Was Zhao Lin truly so weak and sickly that he ate poison and poisoned himself to death?"

"Your subject is not certain." Wei Qing shook his head and added, "However, a full half-month passed between Feng Bangning beating the man and the County Assistant's passing; to say it was his doing is a bit far-fetched."

The Wanli Emperor did not speak. He paced to the other side with his hands clasped behind his back, remained silent for a few seconds, then gritted his teeth and said: "Even if he is not the murderer, Feng Bangning's opposition to the New Policy and his beating of a court official are also grave crimes!"

He had originally intended to punish Feng Bangning severely, but with these civil officials forcing his hand, he was now determined to do the opposite.

If I am told to punish him severely, I must do so? Wouldn't that make me lose face? Thinking of this, he asked again: "By the way, Wei Qing, where has my foster father been these days? I haven't seen him for several days."

"Eunuch Feng has been bedridden with anger at his nephew and is currently recuperating at home," Wei Qing replied in a low voice.

"Ah?! My foster father is ill?" Wanli exclaimed, then asked excitedly, "Is his illness serious? Why didn't he tell me? I could have sent a few imperial physicians to give him a proper examination."

In that expression, three parts of concern were mixed with seven parts of secret joy.

Wei Qing knew that Feng Bao was suffering from a sickness of the heart, so he said, "It is nothing serious," and the Emperor gave an "Oh" and stopped asking about the matter.

The two watched for a while as the sun climbed over the Meridian Gate square, forming patches of light on the white marble floor.

The Wanli Emperor felt bored, so he strode toward the Qianqing Palace.

Once he arrived at the Qianqing Palace and sat down.

The Wanli Emperor thought of Feng Bao's absence, and a thought stirred: he wanted to leave the palace again.

"By the way, where is Zhang Yunxiu? Why haven't I seen him these past few days?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, Director Zhang is also ill and is recuperating at home," Wei Qing replied hurriedly in a low voice.

"Very well, I saw him full of vigor just a few days ago, how could he be ill?!" The Wanli Emperor slapped the table and shouted, "Go and send an imperial decree at once; even if you have to carry him, you must bring him to the Qianqing Palace."

"This..." Wei Qing looked hesitant.

"What are you still standing there for? Go! Do you expect me to go and carry him myself?" The Wanli Emperor waved his hand, urging him.

"Yes." Wei Qing dared not defy the decree and led several young eunuchs out of the Qianqing Palace.

The residence of the Wuqing Earl was located in Yangliu Alley on Wealthy Street, formerly the residence of the great treacherous official Yan Song.

After the Longqing Emperor ascended the throne, he bestowed this luxurious residence of Yan Song upon his father-in-law.

Yan Song held power for over twenty years; the beauty of this residence was such that, aside from the Imperial Palace, one would be hard-pressed to find another like it in the entire capital.

This alone shows the extreme wealth of the Wuqing Earl's family.

At the transition between the hour of the dragon and the hour of the snake, Wuqing Earl Li Wei sat up slowly from his bed.

He appeared to be about fifty-eight or fifty-nine years old, his hair as messy as a chicken coop, his skin dark, and the wrinkles on his forehead like gullies, a shocking sight.

He shouted toward the outside, and several maidservants pushed the door open to enter and dress their master in his python robe and jade belt.

Immediately after, the maidservants brought in a meal.

It was not extravagant: just two bowls of millet porridge, two pancakes, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

Wuqing Earl Li Wei ate with great relish; he was originally a mason by trade and was used to poverty, so even after becoming an Imperial Brother-in-law, he did not change his peasant habits.

He squatted on the chair with both feet, slurping the millet porridge from the bowl and making "slurp, slurp, slurp" sounds.

The maidservants to the side wanted to laugh but dared not, so they had to turn their faces away.

At this moment, the steward Qian Yu strode in. Li Wei raised his eyes, wiped his mouth, and asked: "What is it?" Qian Yu bowed and said excitedly: "Master, the son of the Senior Grand Secretary is here to see you, saying he has a way to make money to offer you."

"Who?" Li Wei thought he had misheard.

"The fifth son of Grand Secretary Zhang, Zhang Yunxiu," Qian Yu said again.

Now Li Wei heard clearly. He remembered how Zhang Juzheng had repeatedly made things difficult for him and snatched his silver, which was like digging up his ancestral graves, so naturally, he had no good expression for his son.

"I won't see him. Just say that I am ill and won't see anyone!" Li Wei shook his head and waved his hands repeatedly as if shooing away flies.

Qian Yu had received benefits from Zhang Yunxiu, so how could he not put in the effort? He pondered for a moment and said in a low voice: "Master, I think you should see him. He is the Senior Grand Secretary, after all, and he has shown great sincerity."

"How many gifts did he bring?" Li Wei stretched his neck and asked.

"You will know when you see him." Qian Yu smiled and shook his head, holding up five fingers, and said, "In any case, it is at least this much."

"Good, then we shall see him. Take him to the parlor and have him wait for me." Upon hearing there were benefits, Li Wei's attitude did a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.

Soon, Zhang Yunxiu was brought to a parlor and seated.

He rolled his eyes and glanced around; in the large parlor, aside from a few simple tea sets, tables, and chairs, there were almost no decorations.

If he hadn't confirmed it repeatedly, he would have thought he had come to the wrong place.

Just as he was thinking this, a hearty laugh reached his ears: "I am sorry, I am sorry, I have kept you waiting, nephew."

The voice arrived before the person.

Zhang Yunxiu followed the sound and looked over, seeing an old man walk out with a smile.

The man was wearing a python robe and a jade belt, yet he could not hide the rustic air about him; in particular, there was even some sticky substance clinging to his graying beard.

It was none other than the Wuqing Earl, Li Wei.

The two exchanged a glance and sat down according to the etiquette of host and guest.

The Wuqing Earl squatted on his chair and got straight to the point: "I heard from Qian Yu that you want to offer me a great stroke of fortune?"

"That is correct."

"The Empress Dowager is my daughter; what could I possibly want that I cannot get? Do I need you to offer it to me?" The Wuqing Earl curled his lip, looked at Zhang Yunxiu's young face, and shook his head repeatedly.

"You are still just a Count, right? Do you not want to move up?"

"You can do it?!" Li Wei jumped down from the stool at once.

Zhang Yunxiu did not answer directly, but instead asked with a smile: "Whether I can or not, let us set aside for now; it depends on whether you, my Lord Count, want it."

"I want it, how could I not? I dream of turning this Count title into a Marquis title. If it weren't for that old..." He suddenly remembered that Zhang Yunxiu was that man's son, so he changed his words: "The state regulations state that relatives of the imperial family can be enfeoffed as a Count at most."

"I am the father of the Empress, and my daughter is the Empress Dowager, but this world is not for me to decide."

"Then did the Shouning Marquis not also receive the title of Marquis?"

"That was a rule set by the Jiajing Emperor," the Wuqing Earl Li Wei muttered.

Those two brothers did not have a good end later on either.

"Li Taihou was able to be enfeoffed as Empress Dowager alongside Empress Chen; did that not also break the rules?" Zhang Yunxiu leaned toward him and lowered his voice, "Some rules are meant to be broken."

"Right! My grandson is the Emperor, my daughter is the Empress Dowager, why can I not be a Marquis?!" Li Wei's eyes lit up, and he shouted loudly.

After saying this, his gaze toward Zhang Yunxiu softened by a few degrees.

This kid is better than his old man.

Zhang Yunxiu continued: "You go and beg the Empress Dowager now."

"How do I beg?" Li Wei asked.

"Play the victim."

"Play the victim?" Li Wei was stunned.

Zhang Yunxiu explained with a smile: "You go and tell the Empress Dowager first that you are old and do not have many years left to live. Say you are afraid you will never see your daughter and grandson again; talk more about your feelings, and remember, absolutely do not mention the matter of being enfeoffed as a Marquis."

Li Wei was full of confusion and was about to ask, when Zhang Yunxiu smiled and said: "This matter is best spoken of by someone else."

"Who?"

"Grand Secretary Shen; as long as the Empress Dowager has the intention, he will just go with the flow and do a favor."

"That is good, but..."

"Rest assured, this matter can be done," Zhang Yunxiu patted his chest and guaranteed.

(End of this chapter)