Chapter 254: Coming and Going (Part 2)

The Palace Censor-in-Chief Moqi Xie became famous! And he became extremely famous!

Some of his words of admonition to His Majesty, after being polished by an unknown close minister, were sent through the Eunuch Directorate to Hu Quan, the Compiler, and then rushed into the next day's official gazette.

According to the description above, when Zheng Yinian returned south, His Majesty believed this man was likely a Jin spy. But Censor Moqi argued forcefully, analyzing everything from His Majesty's own previous edicts on conviction and pardon to public sentiment in the north, pointing out that Zheng Yinian's southern journey this time had merit and no fault, and His Majesty should not suspect him.

As a result, His Majesty, angered by Censor Moqi, immediately said, "Even if the spy matter is unclear, it can still be called 'might have had.'" And Censor Moqi, removing his cap and standing tall, replied, "How can 'might have had' convince the realm? How can 'might have had' govern the realm?"

Hearing this, His Majesty suddenly came to his senses. He stepped forward, personally took Censor Moqi's hand, expressed shame, and praised Censor Moqi's remonstrance as a model of loyal ministers.

Regarding this matter, Compiler Hu Quan, before publishing it in the gazette, could not help but personally add a comment. He said that Censor Moqi was certainly worthy of respect, but one must consider that this incident occurred in the inner palace and was originally unknown except to a few close attendants. Yet His Majesty, disregarding his own face, took the initiative to have a close minister send the matter to the gazette to promote Censor Moqi as a "model of loyal ministers." This in itself was an act of great magnanimity...

In short, with the ever-increasing circulation of the official gazette, Moqi the Model was destined to become famous throughout the land. In fact, on the very day he rode his donkey home, countless people, whether they knew him or not, clasped their hands in greeting on the street, leaving him both elated and somewhat apprehensive... He hadn't expected His Majesty to have this move, had he?

Of course, His Majesty also received much praise, because since ancient times, an emperor willing to accept remonstrance seemed to be the best kind of emperor.

However, aside from this, one person suffered a "calamity of the pond fish," momentarily frightened out of his wits... That's right, this person was Zheng Yinian, who had returned with a loyal heart, bearing personal letters from the Two Emperors and Empress Dowager Ningde.

The previous "model of loyal ministers," Zheng Yinian, who had been lively and active just two days prior, visiting old friends everywhere and even wailing at the homes of several high ministers while recounting stories of the northern kingdom, now, as soon as today's gazette came out, claimed illness that very evening and refused to leave his old family home.

Think about it: if not for Censor Moqi's backbone, His Majesty would have long since treated him as a Jin spy with a "might have had." The Son of Heaven's likes and dislikes were crystal clear; how could he still dare to show his face? Only, Censor Moqi had become a model again, and His Majesty had admitted his mistake, so he couldn't just hide away stiffly... Thus, his elder brother, Zheng Xiunian, who had just returned from Yangzhou and found a post in the Central Secretariat, had to continue running around everywhere, handling all those troublesome affairs for his younger brother.

Two days later, a formal document indeed arrived from the Chongwen Institute, where the Central Secretariat and the Privy Council were located, ordering Zheng Yinian to provide an explanation regarding the documents from the Two Emperors and the Empress Dowager. Zheng Xiunian had no choice but to steel himself and go to that place to deal with it on behalf of his brother, who had "long endured the northern winds and frosts" to the point of being "too ill to leave his bed."

He was gone for an entire day.

After dark, Zheng Xiunian, around forty years old, returned to the old residence, already showing signs of exhaustion. Yet he forced himself to go directly to see his younger brother. After dismissing the maids and closing the door, he couldn't help but stamp his feet repeatedly:

"Once His Majesty's likes and dislikes towards you were revealed, even though there was a hard-boned Censor Moqi, it didn't stop others from targeting you early!"

"Need you say that? Since ancient times, people like Censor Moqi have been rare; those who try to guess the imperial will are the majority."

By the candlelight, it was Zheng Yinian himself who answered his elder brother. The man, around thirty-five or thirty-six, was sitting on the couch, covered with a blanket, but his complexion was ruddy and his speech was smooth—where was the slightest sign of a "serious illness"? "I just wonder who is so impatient, disregarding reputation and suspicion, to target me like this?"

"It's Privy Councilor Zhang Jun, Lord Zhang." Zheng Xiunian came to a stool by the bed and sat down, shaking his head even more. "He almost believes you were sent back by the Jin to discuss peace... In my opinion, don't even think about taking office for several years."

"Just several years?" Zheng Yinian smiled bitterly. "I'm afraid it will be difficult to take office for the rest of my life... In the end, it's not Lord Zhang looking at me coldly, but His Majesty suspecting me! And how old is His Majesty?"

Zheng Xiunian was silent by the bedside for a while, then suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "Second Brother, tell me the truth. How did you actually come back? Did you escape on your own, or did the Jin give you some instructions and let you go?"

Zheng Yinian hugged the blanket over himself and remained silent.

After a moment, Zheng Xiunian couldn't help pressing further: "We're brothers; could I possibly sell you out... If this matter is confirmed, do you think I can escape? Or, while you were up north, did you take His Majesty's deeds from the Huai River to Yaoshan as false?"

"How could that be?" Zheng Yinian, seeing he couldn't avoid it, said somewhat dryly. "It's just that the suffering one endures up north is beyond what you, brother, can imagine. So, having had the chance to return this time, what's there to say about whether it's real or fake? Even if the Jin really did give me instructions, as long as I stop here and don't get involved anymore, can the Jin cross the river to testify? I'll just stay in the old residence and be a wealthy gentleman..."

"That's true, but you still need to be careful." Zheng Xiunian's voice also turned dry. How could he not tell that his brother had essentially admitted it? The only saving grace was that this matter was at most a "might have had." "But don't think too much about being a wealthy gentleman... Our family is from the real Bianjing. After the Jingkang Rebellion, our family wealth was reduced by seventy or eighty percent. After returning from Yangzhou, we only have some small businesses we set up elsewhere that still bring in a bit of income..."

"What about the estates?" Zheng Yinian couldn't help asking. "The estates in Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Yingchang, and Chenzhou?"

"They were all taken by His Majesty for military farming," Zheng Xiunian admitted frankly. "At that time, we were all in Yangzhou, His Majesty was up north, and the Central Plains had suffered several military campaigns. No one could object to using that land for military farming, and indeed, there was no way to argue."

"That's true... But can't we really get them back? After all, they were our family's legitimate property?"

"Two months ago, when we returned from Yangzhou, we happened to see Xu Jingheng distributing the military farmlands to meritorious and fallen soldiers. At that time, someone tried to curry favor with Lady Pan, hoping to use her connection to gain favor with His Majesty and get the land back." Zheng Xiunian twisted his beard bitterly. "But as soon as His Majesty returned, he threw all the gifts Lady Pan had accepted back to the respective families. Everyone was trembling in fear, not daring to breathe too loudly, afraid that this His Majesty would casually shoot them like a gyrfalcon... Do you know about His Majesty shooting the gyrfalcon?"

"How could I not?" Zheng Yinian shook his head repeatedly. "That story has been passed around among the Jin up north like something divine. It was Wanyan Loushi. Actually, to be honest with you, brother, life up north was worse than a dog's or a pig's. And strangely enough, after the Battle of Yanling last year, we knew it was a great victory, but our treatment didn't improve; in fact, it became harsher. But this year, after the Battle of Yaoshan, the Jin treated us much more politely, and our food and supplies were more than a little better..."

"These two battles were quite different," Zheng Xiunian nodded. "In any case, you've suffered a lot to get back. Don't think too much. Even if the family is not what it used to be, isn't it still better than the north?"

"True," Zheng Yinian nodded, but then frowned slightly. "It's just that I feel a bit sorry for my cousin. I received a lot of care from my cousin and her husband during my many years up north."

Zheng Xiunian also nodded, but then suddenly frowned: "Which cousin up north is that?"

"The elder sister from Fourth Uncle's family, the one who married Brother Huizhi..." Zheng Yinian hesitated, but finally spoke again. "Actually, my return this time relied on Brother Huizhi's efforts. He is very useful under Wanyan Talan, and he can also speak with the puppet Qi, Nianhan, and Wushu. The so-called family servant by my side was actually arranged by him... According to his intention, I was to come back and test the waters for many people. If it worked, I was to send this man back to Jinan to report, but I never expected His Majesty's resolve to be so absolute."

Zheng Xiunian was stunned for a moment, then immediately got up and left. Soon, a commotion arose in the courtyard.

But after a short while, Zheng Xiunian rushed back, pale-faced, and said to his brother a sentence that also terrified the latter: "That trusted servant from your cousin's family you brought, he disappeared this afternoon!"

The two were panicked and at a loss, but could only continue to wait anxiously for two more days. Still, there was no news, and they couldn't stop worrying.

However, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. After a couple of days, Zheng Xiunian went to another cousin's house, that of Li Qingzhao, and sought out another cousin-in-law, Zhao Mingcheng. Using the excuse of their awkward position, he asked Zhao Mingcheng to help make inquiries at various government offices to see if there was any "news regarding the handling of his younger brother, Zheng Yinian."

Now, Zhao Mingcheng had an extremely poor opinion of His Majesty... because whenever His Majesty wrote poetry, he always used his wife as a foil, causing the thirty-year relationship between the couple to gradually become discordant. But in reality, Zhao Mingcheng should have been extremely grateful to His Majesty, because if His Majesty hadn't personally handled many matters, then in another timeline, this grandson-in-law of Wang Gui would have died of malaria in the chaotic south last year.

And now, he was living comfortably in Bianjing with a leisurely official post, without being bitten by any mosquito carrying the pathogen.

Of course, Zhao Mingcheng was destined to be unaware of this immense grace. On the contrary, he had long known that his own in-law had also been poisoned by the willful His Majesty, and was already filled with righteous indignation. As soon as Zheng Xiunian opened his mouth, he immediately patted his chest and promised to be his "information gatherer."

However, this act of information gathering caused His Majesty, who had originally been ready to let the matter drop, to pay a little more attention. But this His Majesty did not have the keen awareness of a famous detective, able to see through layers of appearances to spot the flaw. On the contrary, as an ordinary college graduate, he was immediately drawn in by some kind of gossip.

"Zheng Yinian is the cousin of Yi'an Jushi?" Zhao Jiu, who was reviewing memorials by a dilapidated pond in the inner palace, paused and asked with a curious look.

"Yes. Their mothers are sisters, both daughters of the former Grand Councilor Wang Gui." As His Majesty's information gatherer, Yang Yizhong didn't even need to investigate such things; he knew them by heart.

"I remember..." Zhao Jiu couldn't help but laugh. "Han Xiaozhou's grandmother is the aunt of Lord Lu Gong?"

"Yes!"

"Ye Mengde's mother is the younger sister of Chao Buzhi, one of the Four Scholars of the Su School?"

"Yes."

"Are there any other similar connections?"

"Your Majesty, such things are endless... Cai Jing is also related to Prince Shu, Wang Anshi. And the children of famous families like the Cheng brothers are even more widely connected." Yang Yizhong replied helplessly.

"I see." Zhao Jiu shook his head and laughed again. "It's nothing more than 'finding a son-in-law from the list of successful candidates' and 'matching family status'..."

"Exactly." Yang Yizhong quickly nodded.

"If it weren't for the Jingkang Incident, and this had continued for another hundred years, they might have become hereditary aristocratic clans." Zhao Jiu suddenly sighed. "Zhao Mingcheng is currently working in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices?"

"Yes." Zhao Jiu's latter half was actually directed at Lan Gui on the other side. The latter's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly responded.

"Please, Chief Eunuch Lan, go to the Central Secretariat and convey an oral decree to send this man away." Zhao Jiu said unhurriedly.

Lan Gui was stunned for a moment, but immediately bowed and responded, then went to carry it out.

Zhao Jiu turned back to look at Yang Yizhong: "Have Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun had any private conflicts these past few days?"

Yang Yizhong quickly shook his head: "Both councilors can discuss matters on their merits."

"Meaning there are plenty of conflicts, but they haven't reached the point of mutual denunciation?" Zhao Jiu looked thoughtfully at the document in his hand. "They don't agree on a single thing, from internal to external, from south to north..."

Yang Yizhong did not speak again.

"The Imperial City Office needs to be expanded a bit." Zhao Jiu basically said whatever came to mind. "Once the Dongting Lake rebellion is suppressed, the court's finances will be completely relaxed. I've already asked the councilors to approve funds and staffing for you... Not to mention that Dongjing City is getting more and more lively, and our manpower may not be sufficient. Once the Hebei direction calms down, people will be able to come and go freely, so that area also needs to be secured."

Yang Yizhong slowly clasped his hands in a bow but did not respond.

"What?" Zhao Jiu looked over curiously, clearly not understanding for a moment.

"Your subject fears his strength may not be sufficient," Yang Yizhong answered earnestly. "Your Majesty, since the times are not what they were, it would be better to restore some old systems..."

"There are some old systems I do not wish to restore," Zhao Jiu naturally understood the other's meaning, but he set down the memorials and sighed as he gazed at the scene of dilapidation before him. "Once I start something here, many things will become unstoppable... but more crucially, I still cannot trust them. A broken-down palace, with a few hundred people living spaciously enough in makeshift fashion—that's actually fine. I am not uncomfortable."

Yang Yizhong remained silent.

And Zhao Jiu continued to sigh without stopping: "I roughly understand what you and many others are thinking. You always think that I say this, but in reality, people inevitably drift toward comfort. For instance, right now you are all waiting for Consort Pan to give birth, and I am waiting too. You all think that whether Consort Pan bears a prince or a princess, I will have to add more staff, won't I? My temperament will have to change a bit, won't it? This is an opening, and then the opening will sooner or later grow larger and larger... The logic is correct, and I don't have the confidence to say I won't soften later, but for now it hasn't reached that point... Have someone tell those outside the palace who have castrated themselves that there is no way out for them here—at least not for now. This kind of matter requires a firm heart."

Yang Yizhong could only lower his head.

And Zhao Jiu also lowered his head, preparing to continue reading the memorials, but then set them aside for a moment and continued to sigh: "Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun haven't started quarreling—perhaps they too are waiting for news from Consort Pan's belly, unwilling to act rashly at this time. Even among the Jin, some with ideas might also be waiting for this moment to negotiate with me."

Yang Yizhong this time did not remain silent: "Your Majesty, the others are not waiting for news of the imperial heir; rather, they all know that Your Majesty is waiting for news of the imperial heir, so they are waiting for Your Majesty's news."

Zhao Jiu nodded heavily, then could not help but laugh as he looked at the withered yellow scene before him: "Anyway, it's only a few more days."

Now, on the twenty-second day of the tenth month of the fourth year of the Jianyan era, the Yellow River had frozen early. Imperial Consort Pan, having reached full term, gave birth to a daughter. The Emperor, overjoyed, disregarded protocol and directly named her Yiyou.

Lu Haowen, the Grand Councilor for Military and State Affairs, led the various councilors of the Capital Secretariat and the Bureau of Military Affairs in a joint petition. Citing the princess's birth, the great victory at the end of summer, and the gradual stabilization of the state, they requested a general amnesty for the realm.

Emperor Zhao Jiu gladly granted it, but also issued a special decree stating that those who had served the Jin as traitors to Song were not included.

PS: Thanks to the 109th ally, just a sticky rice classmate... I went out to take care of business during the day today, thinking I could come back in the afternoon and finish writing. I was delayed a lot in the afternoon, and by six o'clock sleepiness kept surging up. I thought I'd take a nap, but when I opened my eyes it was already eleven... Truly awkward. But I'm also drunk that I get this tired after just a few steps—a dead fat otaku can't do it.