Chapter 35: The Grand Eunuch Shows True Feelings

After a long while, Empress Dowager Li sat on the embroidered couch, looking angrily at her son who stood with his hands hanging down.

"Emperor, were these lewd paintings all sent by Zhang Jing?"

"Yes," the Wanli Emperor glanced at Zhang Jing and answered timidly.

"Such immense audacity, to debauch the inner palace and present the Emperor with such filthy things." Empress Dowager Li's phoenix eyes swept across, looking at Feng Bao, and pointing at Zhang Jing on the ground, she said, "Feng Bao, you tell me, according to the rules of the palace, how should this dog be punished?"

Feng Bao smiled respectfully; he had long since heard that the young Emperor had a conflict with Zhang Yun over the paintings.

Early this morning, seeing Zhang Jing leave and return with something in his hands, he concluded that this bad seed Zhang Jing had no good intentions.

Thus, he quietly went to Cining Palace to request the Empress Dowager, preparing to remove Zhang Jing in one fell swoop, but upon catching a glimpse of the Emperor's expression, he changed his mind and replied, "Zhang Jing is also an old servant of the palace; it would be better to give him thirty strokes as a lesson."

"Right, give him thirty strokes." The Wanli Emperor cast a grateful look at Feng Bao, and fearing the Empress Dowager might change her mind, he urged, "Someone, drag this fellow out and give him thirty strokes!"

Zhang Jing let out a long sigh of relief, not knowing what Feng Bao's true intentions were.

A short while later, two young Eunuchs burst into the great hall and dragged Zhang Jing out of the great hall.

Empress Dowager Li did not dwell on this matter any longer; she pulled the Emperor over and sighed, "Emperor, I am getting older and older. Now that the Empress and Gongbin are pregnant, you must not neglect them."

"This son understands." The Wanli Emperor was absent-minded.

Although the Empress and Gongbin were pregnant, both were too dull and followed the rules too strictly; they did not like to make love with him according to the positions in the picture books.

Shupin was better; only with her was he truly at ease.

Empress Dowager Li continued, "Emperor, since Gongbin is pregnant, she should be promoted to the rank of Consort."

"But she is a palace maid."

"What of it if she is a palace maid?!" Empress Dowager Li was so angry she stood up from the embroidered couch and shouted, "I was also a palace maid, did I not give birth to you, and did you not become the Emperor all the same?"

"This son... this son obeys," the Wanli Emperor realized he had spoken out of turn and apologized hurriedly.

Seeing that the Emperor did not like that woman, Feng Bao's mind raced, and he smiled as he suggested, "There is no need to be so hasty. If Gongbin gives birth to a royal son, her promotion to Consort will naturally be a matter of course."

"That is also fine." Empress Dowager Li nodded, looked at the Emperor, and pointing at Feng Bao, said, "Jun'er, Eunuch Feng is your close companion. Over these ten years, Eunuch Feng has managed the entire inner court in an orderly fashion. Tell me, does he have merit?"

"He does."

"This old servant dares not speak of merit; I likely do not have many years left to live and only wish to stay by the Emperor and Empress Dowager's side for a few more years." Feng Bao's voice choked with emotion, and two hot tears welled up in his eyes.

"This servant still remembers when the Emperor was young, one night you were coughing severely and calling out to ride a big horse.

In the middle of the night, where could this servant find a horse for you? I could only kneel on the ground and let you, Emperor, ride me. Once you rode, the illness was cured."

Perhaps infected by Feng Bao's atmosphere, the Wanli Emperor could not help but redden his eyes and call out, "Close companion!"

"This servant is here," Feng Bao hurriedly replied.

The two, monarch and subject, revealed their true feelings, and Empress Dowager Li saw it clearly, valuing this old Eunuch even more.

She remembered how arrogant and despotic Meng Chong and Gao Gong were when the Longqing Emperor passed away.

It was Feng Bao who joined forces with her to first remove Meng Chong and then topple Gao Gong.

Only then did the prosperous times of the Wanli reign come to be.

"Mother, it is almost time for lunch. Please have a meal with this son; it has been a long time since I have dined with you." Seeing the atmosphere was somewhat stifling, the Wanli Emperor proposed.

"Very well, let Eunuch Feng eat something as well." Empress Dowager Li nodded slightly.

While they were dining, the news of Zhang Jing being beaten spread rapidly through half of the inner court.

Some said Zhang Jing had fallen out of favor, while others said he had angered the Empress Dowager and was to be sent to Nanjing to grow vegetables.

Zhang Yunxiu received the news early, but he did not believe a word of these rumors.

The Emperor's trust in Zhang Jing was even higher than his trust in Feng Bao; how could he be toppled so easily? To fell a large tree, one must chop from left to right, one stroke at a time; when the time comes, it will naturally fall. It was fortunate that Feng Bao did not deal a lethal blow, otherwise, if the Emperor thought of it later, he would surely hold a grudge.

Just as he was lamenting this, Zhang Fu walked in and said respectfully, "Young Master, Han San requests an audience."

"Quick, bring him in," Zhang Yunxiu shouted excitedly.

He had previously sent Han San to investigate the death of the Wanping County Assistant; Han San had already discovered that Zhao Lin died of poisoning, and now that he had returned, he must have even more direct evidence.

Zhang Fu understood and walked out, returning shortly after, followed by a man covered in the dust of travel, carrying a black cloth on his back with something hidden inside.

Seeing Zhang Yunxiu, Han San bent his knees and bowed, "Han San greets the Young Master."

Zhang Yunxiu steadied his descending body and urged, "Quick, tell me, how did the investigation of that matter go?"

Han San's expression was heavy; he untied the bundle on his back and spread it out on the stone table in the pavilion. Zhang Yunxiu looked closely and saw that inside were none other than three long bows of different sizes.

"What are these?" Zhang Yunxiu asked curiously.

"Long bows," Zhang Fu replied.

"I know that, I am asking Han San why he brought these things here!"

Zhang Fu smiled awkwardly, and Han San took a deep breath, staring into Zhang Yunxiu's eyes as he said, "The death of County Assistant Zhao is related to these three bows..."

"So you mean he was shot to death by someone with a bow?!"

Zhang Fu exclaimed, but Zhang Yunxiu glared fiercely at Zhang Fu, turned back to look at Han San, and ordered, "Continue."

Han San prepared his words for a moment and continued, "These three bows are not used for killing, but they are more formidable than killing! Not a single commoner who sees them does not tremble."

"What is their purpose?"

"Measuring land," Han San spat out the four words, then introduced them one by one, "The small bow on the left, three feet two inches, is used to measure land for the common people; the one in the middle, three feet five inches, is the size stipulated by the Ministry of Revenue; the one on the far right, four feet, is used to measure land for the powerful and wealthy."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunxiu felt his scalp tingle.

According to the court's rules, one bow is one pace, and 240 paces make one mu of land.

For the common people's land, each pace is three inches short; for the powerful and wealthy, each pace is five inches long.

In this way, the burden on the ordinary commoners was not reduced, but rather increased.

Zhang Juzheng also used the quota of measured land as a standard for assessment; whoever measured less land would certainly not have a high assessment.

Thus, the officials below, trying to guess the intentions of their superiors, used the small bow for the common people.

For those powerful and wealthy families who paid silver, they used the large bow.

What those above love, those below will surely do even more!

The entire Great Ming is likely using this method.

"Young Master, this matter is of great importance and is not something you or I can control; it would be better... not to cause trouble for the Master," Zhang Fu said, having realized the implications, as he glanced at Zhang Yunxiu's expression to offer a reminder.

"Indeed, Young Master, in my humble opinion, let's just stop the investigation here," Han San nodded and chimed in, "The land survey is nearing its end, and there are three million qing of land newly discovered across the empire, most of which belongs to powerful and wealthy households."

"Making the common people suffer a little is no big deal."

Zhang Yunxiu remained silent.

Zhang Fu looked up and continued to persuade him: "Young Master, this is a pile of dung; if you let it stay buried underground, it won't stink. If you dig it up, the one who will stink is yourself."

After a long silence, Zhang Yunxiu took a deep breath, looked at Han San, and asked: "What did you mean just now when you said the death of the County Assistant Zhao was related to this bow?"

Han San gave a bitter smile and began to tell the two of them the ins and outs of the matter.

(End of chapter)