Chapter 11: The Mastermind Behind the Scenes Surfaces

The earliest documented instances of handwriting analysis date back to the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, beginning with Guo Yuan, the Administrator of Wei Commandery under Cao Cao. By the Tang Dynasty, it had been formally incorporated into criminal investigation methods, such as in Zhang Chujin's ruling on the case of Jiang Chen falsely accusing Inspector Pei Guang, Cheng Hao's case of the interrogated old man, and Xie Shiyuan's judgment on the land and housing dispute.

The Ministry of Justice, the Northern Division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Eastern Depot all kept groups of clerks specialized in authenticating written evidence. The clerks from the Ministry of Justice and the Northern Division both identified the handwriting as a forgery. Only the agents of the Eastern Depot had yet to reach a conclusion, though it was essentially certain that the handwritten note was fake.

The Eastern Depot agents knew that their Superintendent wished for nothing more than for Gao Gong to die. Even though Gao Gong had already returned to his hometown to live in retirement, the agents could not immediately call a stag a horse and insist the note was genuine.

They still had to wait for instructions from the Grand Eunuch. When the time came, whether it meant forging another note or arresting a few of Gao Gong's dismissed family members to testify against him, it would be no difficult task for the Eastern Depot agents.

It was difficult for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to forge documents in the Outer Court, but the Eastern Depot agents had far fewer scruples.

Zhu Xixiao hesitated slightly before taking the written evidence to the back hall. By dusk, the sun was slanting to the west. Although it was already difficult to see clearly, the errors in the handwriting comparison pointed out by the clerks were still easy to spot; it was indeed a forgery.

After comparing the handwriting of several characters, it was entirely consistent with Gao Gong's script from before he entered the Grand Secretariat.

Zhu Yijun glanced at Feng Bao before saying to Zhu Xixiao, "The day is late. The Empress Dowager ordered Us to return to the palace before the palace gates are locked. We shall discuss this case again tomorrow."

By this point in the case, Zhu Yijun actually already knew who the mastermind behind the scenes was.

"Dismiss the court!" Zhu Xixiao gathered all the physical and written evidence, ordered all the suspects to be taken into custody, and then struck the gavel to conclude the day's joint trial.

"Your subjects respectfully see off Your Majesty." A crowd of court officials stood before the gate of the Northern Division, bowing to bid farewell to the Emperor's carriage.

Zhu Yijun walked in front, while Feng Bao followed closely beside him with his waist bent. This posture was actually quite uncomfortable, but he performed it with great reverence.

"Grand Eunuch Feng, do you know who the mastermind behind the scenes is?" Zhu Yijun asked with a smile.

Feng Bao shook his head and said, "This subject is dull-witted."

"We know," Zhu Yijun said as he walked. "Chen Hong is so bold and reckless that a single letter was enough to deceive him. That is not surprising."

"If a person has never held power, they only envy and guess at it. But to have it and then lose it—that longing for the hope of regaining what was lost, the disparity of falling from the clouds to the ground—is like a cat's claws scratching at one's heart. Once there is the slightest motive, they will stop at nothing."

"What a disparity that is. When a person loses power, not even a ghost will come knocking at their door."

"It is only Ge Shouli who is genuinely worried about Gao Gong's fate, which is why he is anxious about everything. As soon as Chen Hong made the accusation, he brought out Gao Gong's achievements. Ge Shouli is afraid."

Feng Bao was suddenly startled and asked, "Afraid?"

Zhu Yijun said with a complex expression, "What Ge Shouli fears most is that Gao Gong is not the Gao Gong he holds in his heart."

Feng Bao was skilled at dealing with civil officials and understood them well. Hearing this, he was quite in agreement. These scholars all liked to set up a standard or role model in their hearts, and Gao Gong was that role model in Ge Shouli's heart. He knew Gao Gong's achievements by heart.

Feng Bao asked, somewhat uncomprehendingly, "Your Majesty, who is the mastermind behind the scenes? Even if that dog thief is at the ends of the earth, this subject will capture him for Your Majesty and have him sliced into a thousand pieces!"

"You truly didn't see it?" Zhu Yijun asked, greatly astonished.

The little Emperor's gaze made Grand Eunuch Feng feel truly wounded; His Majesty's look was as if he were watching a fool.

Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said, "You, oh you, you are truly dense. People change, and calligraphy changes too; there is no reason for it to remain unchanged. That handwritten note today was almost indistinguishable from the real thing; it was Gao Gong's handwriting from after he became the Senior Grand Secretary during the Longqing years."

"Let Us ask you."

"Ever since this Grand Secretary Gao entered the Secretariat and became a public figure, a piece of his calligraphy has been worth a thousand pieces of gold. Although Gao Gong was overbearing, he was always incorruptible in his conduct and would not leave behind such a handle as selling his calligraphy. Is that correct or not?"

Feng Bao pondered. Gao Gong was overbearing, yes, but he was indeed an incorruptible official. Even after his downfall, no one pointed to Gao Gong for corruption, unlike that Xu Jie, whose downfall led to an investigation revealing that half of Songjiang Prefecture belonged to his family.

If Gao Gong had been corrupt, Feng Bao would have hunted him down long ago; would he have waited until now?

Feng Bao hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is wise and insightful, seeing through everything like a torch!"

Zhu Yijun continued, "The written evidence contains hundreds of characters, the vast majority of which are in the handwriting from after he entered the Secretariat. After Grand Secretary Gao entered the Secretariat, his calligraphy was mostly in the form of draft rescripts. Let Us ask you: who could have had access to Grand Secretary Gao's calligraphy to trace and forge it?"

Feng Bao suddenly realized. He struck his left fist into his right palm and said, "Zhang Juzheng! It must be that Zhang Juzheng, fearing Gao Gong's return to power, who framed him! It all fits!"

"The Senior Grand Secretary is so busy he doesn't know whether he's coming or going. If he were to set a trap to relentlessly pursue Gao Gong, he has plenty of ways to do it. The minds of scholars are filthy; where would he need to take such a huge risk?" Zhu Yijun flicked his sleeve and asked in return.

Seeing Feng Bao's foolish appearance, Zhu Yijun felt a surge of anger. How could he be the Grand Eunuch of the palace, possessing a heart of seven apertures, yet fail to grasp the point in this matter?

As the Senior Grand Secretary of the Secretariat and the head of all officials, if Zhang Juzheng really wanted to arrange for Gao Gong—who had lost all power and not even a ghost would visit—wouldn't it be as easy as pinching a snail with three fingers?

Must he be like Gao Gong, pointing fingers at imperial power and gesturing wildly, only to end up ruining himself?

Feng Bao hurriedly said, "The Directorate of Ceremonial also has Grand Secretary Gao's draft rescripts. That means the Directorate of Ceremonial... doesn't that mean this subject is the most suspicious?"

Feng Bao's eyes widened, his cheeks swollen high, looking exceptionally comical. After all this guessing, he had become the prime suspect.

Could the true culprit behind the scenes be myself?

Zhu Yijun walked briskly with his hands behind his back, saying with utter disdain, "Grand Eunuch Feng, why don't you stop being the Grand Eunuch? You get sold by someone and still help them count the money. We are truly worried for you."

Could those eunuchs in the Directorate of Ceremonial, for all their reading, really imitate Gao Gong's handwriting?

Those scholars spend their whole lives writing. When they take the imperial examinations, their 'pavilion-style' script is more upright than printed type. Not to mention that after Gao Gong entered the Secretariat, his spirit and energy changed again. If the eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial had such talent, and the eunuchs and civil officials were fighting to the death, the Secretariat would have been toppled long ago. What need would there be for a Senior or Junior Grand Secretary?

Feng Bao chased after him, helplessly saying, "I beg Your Majesty to instruct this subject."

Zhu Yijun couldn't be bothered to let Feng Bao keep guessing, so he gave him the answer he wanted to know. He shook his head and said, "The person who forged the handwritten note is Gao Gong himself."

To be more precise, whether Gao Gong was willing or not, this note could only have come from his hand. No matter how far the investigation went, it would only ever lead back to Gao Gong.

Once a person loses power, not even a ghost will visit. Sending someone into the palace is simple for some, but for others, it is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Chen Hong was just a eunuch who had lost power and lived in the servants' quarters, while Gao Gong was the 'former' Senior Grand Secretary living in Xinzheng, Henan.

Neither Chen Hong nor Gao Gong had the ability to send Wang Zhanglong to the Qianqing Palace.

Who, then, was the mastermind behind the scenes?

Someone within the Shanxi Faction, or perhaps the collective consciousness of the Shanxi Faction.

But this case could only be pursued to this point, because if the investigation continued, the only conclusion the Embroidered Uniform Guard could reach would be Gao Gong. It could only be him.

All clues would only point to Gao Gong.

"Hah!" Feng Bao immediately understood everything. With a ferocious expression, he said, "It really is that dog thief! So insidious and cunning, actually forging his own handwriting to escape like a cicada shedding its skin! Your Majesty, send troops to Gao Gong's hometown! Capture him! This is no longer just an ordinary rebellious subject, Your Majesty!"

After going in a circle, it was still this dog thief!

First, he spoke disrespectfully before the late Emperor's coffin, saying that a ten-year-old ruler could not govern the world. Then, he submitted a memorial to seize the power of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and even said that the Emperor had no sense of respect for not issuing draft rescripts before making internal decisions. Now, he had actually orchestrated such a grand scheme. Feng Bao was beyond furious. In the case of the assassination attempt, he had been only one step away from death.

Gao Gong was a subject who had lost his sense of respect; he was the most suspicious.

But in this court, was Gao Gong the only one who had lost his sense of respect?

Had Feng Bao really not guessed it, or was he cooperating with the Ming Emperor's performance? When it was time to cooperate with the Emperor's performance, Grand Eunuch Feng could not turn a blind eye.

Life is like a play, all depending on acting skills.

"Let Us ponder this slowly." Zhu Yijun stopped and deliberated. He had already walked to the front of the Chengtian Gate. Under the sunset, the three large characters 'Chengtian Gate' shone brilliantly. This was the personal calligraphy of the founding Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, which had been brought to the Northern Capital by the Chengzu Emperor.

From the moment the handwritten note was identified as a forgery, the case had become clear.

Did Gao Gong know about this? Whether he knew or not, he was no longer the Senior Grand Secretary. Gao Gong dying in the assassination case was his final remaining value; someone was squeezing out his last bit of utility.

Once the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, the Directorate of Ceremonial, and Zhang Juzheng decided to deal with Gao Gong, wouldn't the Shanxi Faction in the court turn the world upside down?

Apart from Ge Shouli, the Shanxi Faction was not trying to save Gao Gong at all; they were using the name of saving him to continue seizing power.

Wang Chonggu still commanded the Beijing Garrison, the Minister of Personnel Yang Bo was still the 'Heavenly Official,' and the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate Ge Shouli was the head of the outspoken officials, leading the 'Pure Stream.' Military power, personnel appointments, and the winds of public opinion in the court—all these were in the hands of the Shanxi Faction.

Zhu Yijun looked at the Chengtian Gate, plated with a layer of sunset glow, and finally said, "Wait."

"Wait?" Feng Bao was puzzled, looking blank. His Majesty already knew the mastermind behind the scenes was Gao Gong, so why wait? Bringing the man to the capital and slicing him to death to restore imperial prestige would be the thing to do.

Zhu Yijun walked into the Chengtian Gate, and the gates of the Ming Imperial Palace creaked shut, completely isolating the inside from the outside.

The Emperor had not walked far before he saw the locked iron box placed at the palace gate. This was a task the Emperor had entrusted to Feng Bao, and it had been completed before nightfall.

Zhu Yijun looked at the suggestion box and said, "There was an assassin in the palace. Grand Eunuch Feng, besides the method We taught you, do you have any other ways?"

Feng Bao immediately said, "Yes. There are eight rules for palace security: first, regulate the markets; second, prohibit unauthorized passage; third, control access passes; fourth, strictly rotate shifts; fifth, clear out squatters; sixth, emphasize rewards and punishments; seventh, investigate internal staff; and eighth, consolidate authority. This 'regulate the markets' refers to the palace's procurement. Until the palace gates are opened, no one will know who is leaving the palace..."

"Hmm, you handle it." Zhu Yijun interrupted Feng Bao, waving his hand to indicate he didn't need to explain in detail. He looked at the iron box and asked, "Do you think this iron box method is useful?"

Feng Bao bowed and said, "This subject believes it is useful. Rules are rules, but this iron box tests the human heart. As long as this box is placed here, everyone in the palace will be in a state of panic, fearing for themselves. Everyone will have to guard against those around them, wondering if they will sell them out to secure their own future."

The human heart cannot withstand testing, and this iron box is a tool to test the human heart.

As for false accusations, is there any shortage of such things in this palace?

Zhu Yijun headed toward the Qianqing Palace and continued, "You know the story of Shang Yang moving the wooden pole to establish trust, right? When this iron box was first placed, no one dared to report anything. You should do this: arrange for a 'water monkey'—no, arrange for an inside man to report something, then reward and promote them heavily. Once someone starts, others will follow."

"This subject has already done so," Feng Bao hurriedly replied. His Majesty had already provided the method; if he couldn't even handle this task, what kind of Grand Eunuch was he?

The little Emperor's words still made Feng Bao feel a sense of trepidation. What kind of monster was his master? He could speak of such devious tricks as arranging inside men so calmly and naturally, as if it were only right and proper.

It seemed as if it should have been that way.

Zhu Yijun nodded with great satisfaction and said, "You have some wisdom. The Outer Court has mixed quite a bit of sand into the palace gates. Use this matter to clear out the sand in the palace, but don't clear it all out. Leave a few unimportant spies; otherwise, the ministers of the Outer Court won't know what's happening in the palace and will start getting suspicious again."

"These few spies must not be in important positions. They should be able to hear news but not see the whole picture. The news that gets out should be a mix of truth and falsehood, shrouded in mist, unclear—that is the best way. They should know, but only know a little bit."

Feng Bao was not stupid; he had just become the Grand Eunuch and didn't know how to correctly exercise the power in his hands.

The Qianqing Palace was right in front of them. Feng Bao no longer had duties in the Qianqing Palace, so he had to stay at the gate, bowing deeply and saying loudly, "This subject obeys the decree."

"Mother, your child has returned." Zhu Yijun put on a sunny, cheerful smile and walked into the Qianqing Palace.

In front of the two Empress Dowagers, he was the sunny, cheerful little Emperor. ===== CHAPTER 12 =====