Chapter 128: The Pure Stream's First Defeat

Feng Zhu appeared in Zhu Xu's study holding Zhou Yingqiu's memorial, his expression both respectful and puzzled.

Zhu Xu looked at Zhou Yingqiu's "personal letter," his expression strange.

Wei Zhongxian had originally become Director of the Eastern Depot this very year, launching his frenzied attack on the Donglin Faction, and it was then that he revealed the mighty Donglin Faction to be outwardly strong but inwardly weak, utterly unable to withstand a single blow — which was why he struck with deadly force, and in the space of just four years cut the Donglin Faction, once filling the court with worthies, to pieces, nearly wiping them out entirely.

And now, having come full circle, he had returned after all.

Only, Wei Zhongxian had fallen once; those who had once flocked to him had either not yet had the chance, or had been taken in by Zhu Xu, or had already climbed to high positions and no longer needed him now.

So, unwilling to fall again, he had to find allies for a counterstrike as quickly as possible.

Seeing His Highness Prince Hui holding the memorial with a strange, half-smiling expression and no response for a long while, Feng Zhu stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, regarding this matter, how should this servant reply?"

"Cooperate fully!" Zhu Xu raised an eyebrow and said decisively, "If he wants men, give him men; if he wants money, give him money. Let him stir up whatever trouble he pleases. Tell Zhou Yingqiu, while protecting ourselves, let Wei Zhongxian do as he will."

Zhu Xu had previously been unable to control him, hence his myriad worries; now he was no longer afraid. First, Zhu Xu had begun to possess real strength; second, Wei Zhongxian was no longer the Wei Zhongxian of history; third, Zhu Xu also needed him to muddy the waters — a court filled with worthies was truly not what he wanted.

Feng Zhu did not know what His Highness Prince Hui's expression meant, but he acknowledged the order and bowed as he withdrew.

Thump, thump, thump—

Suddenly, a dense series of pounding sounds came from outside.

Curious, Zhu Xu rose and walked toward the outside.

Yao Qingqing came in from outside lifting her skirt, wiping off water as she blocked Zhu Xu, saying, "Your Highness, don't go out — it's hailing."

Zhu Xu was startled. These past years had been all drought, with little rain, and hail had been even rarer.

This was probably the first time since he could remember.

"Fine, move the tea table to the doorway — let's watch the hail." Zhu Xu, now interested, rolled up his sleeves and said to Yao Qingqing with a smile.

Yao Qingqing also smiled with pursed lips and went inside to move the tea table.

Zhu Xu sat side by side with Yao Qingqing, fanning himself with a fan as he watched piece after piece of hail smash onto the ground; to his ears it had a distinct rhythm, and he tapped his hand on his thigh, beating time carelessly.

Yao Qingqing busied herself with the tea table, pouring the cold tea back and forth, and said with a soft laugh, "Your Highness, you seem in an especially good mood today?"

Zhu Xu's face had been all smiles the whole time; at this he turned his head to glance at her and said, "Sister Qingqing, I think your good business with that surnamed Bi is probably about to come through."

Zhu Xu truly could not commend Bi Maokang in matters of the heart, so in the palace he always referred to him as "that surnamed Bi."

Yao Qingqing's expression shifted slightly, then she said calmly, "Your Highness, you needn't worry about this matter; I know what I'm doing."

Zhu Xu said nothing more, watching the hail filling the sky with a mysterious smile on his face.

The Emperor setting aside the memorials impeaching Wei Zhongxian did not mean the remonstrance officials and the full court of ministers would stop there.

At this moment, at Zhou Jianzong's residence, a crowd had gathered, indignantly denouncing Wei Zhongxian.

Hanlin Senior Compiler Wen Zhenmeng, a murderous glint in his eyes, said darkly, "Gentlemen, the eunuch Wei has made a comeback — we absolutely cannot endure this, or sooner or later we will be fish on his chopping block, at his mercy!"

Man Chaojian, Junior Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud, also wore a furious expression and slammed the table, saying, "Exactly right — Wei Zhongxian's misdeeds are legion; how many colleagues have been forced to resign, how many stripped of rank and had their families seized? We absolutely cannot sit by and do nothing!"

Zhou Jianzong had toppled Wei Zhongxian before, and since then had gradually taken on the bearing of a leader among the remonstrance officials. He too was burning with rage — the previous two times, he had exhausted every effort to bring Wei Zhongxian down, and if the man made a comeback, it would likely not be long before retribution reached him.

Zhou Jianzong's face was ashen as he looked up at the hail pounding down outside with its thump, thump, thump; his heart stirred suddenly, and he turned to look at the crowd, saying with a grim expression, "Gentlemen, this hail — it comes at an inopportune time, does it not?"

Wen Zhenmeng and Man Chaojian were taken aback, not understanding.

Zhou Jianyu's eye twitched slightly, and he sneered, "This hail coming at such an inopportune time must surely be caused by Wei Zhongxian's slanders and evil deeds!"

Hearing this, Wen Zhenmeng and Man Chaojian's eyes also began to move, and then they suddenly understood and quickly added, "Brother Zhou speaks truly — when a man commits evil, Heaven will surely make it known. Today we shall submit a memorial in open court, so that all may know, and we will surely have Wei Zhongxian thrown into prison and punished!"

The three put their heads together, and immediately took up brush and ink, drafted the memorial, and submitted it openly.

Submitting openly meant everyone would know of it — like the Capital Gazette, proclaimed to all under Heaven.

Once the memorial came out, Wei Zhongxian flew into an uncontrollable rage. After mulling it over again and again, he went straight to the palace and arrived at Zhang Yanyao's Xian'an Palace.

Wei Zhongxian and Zhu Youxiao were no longer what they had been; without Madam Ke's assistance, his influence over Zhu Youxiao was not what it once was, and he could only influence the Emperor through Zhang Yanyao.

Wei Zhongxian and Zhang Yanyao conferred for a while, and then Zhang Yanyao nodded softly and went to Jingyang Palace.

Zhu Youxiao had by now also seen the memorial from Zhou Jianzong and the others, and as he looked at it, his brows knit tightly.

His heart too was somewhat shaken — this hail really had come at an inopportune time. Could it truly be connected to Wei Zhongxian? Was the man a bringer of calamity?

Zhang Yanyao enjoyed privileges similar to Madam Ke's, and without being announced she came to Zhu Youxiao's side and said softly, "Your Majesty, you must be tired — have some sour plum soup to cool off."

Zhu Youxiao knew of Zhang Yanyao's relationship with Wei Zhongxian; he laughed once, took the bowl of soup, and took a light sip. Feeling the stifling tightness in his chest ease somewhat, he then handed the memorial to Zhang Yanyao, saying, "Take a look — they're all impeaching Minister Wei."

Zhang Yanyao's expression did not move as she picked it up and flipped through a few pages, and then her brows furrowed.

Seeing this, Zhu Youxiao said, "What is it? Is something amiss?"

Zhang Yanyao pursed her lips, looked at Zhu Youxiao, and said hesitantly in a soft voice, "Your Majesty, Uncle is only a eunuch — what ability does he have to make Heaven warn men? These people are probably pointing at something else."

Zhu Youxiao's face changed the moment he heard this. Zhang Yanyao's words were all too true — since Dong Zhongshu of the Han dynasty, all had upheld the unity of Heaven and man; a warning from Heaven was not meant to warn a eunuch, but the Son of Heaven!

It was him, the Emperor Zhu Youxiao!

Zhu Youxiao's face darkened, and the eunuchs below all fell silent as cicadas in winter.

Such matters depended entirely on the Emperor's will — if he took it seriously, having a family's property seized and clan exterminated was a matter of a single sentence.

Liu Shimin watched from below, his brow furrowing slightly. His mind felt somewhat dazed — it was as if everything had returned to the beginning of Tianqi; he remembered that the Lady of Fenger had also first spoken to the Emperor in such gentle, soft tones, so calm and unruffled.

And yet inside and outside the palace, who knew how many families had their property seized and clans exterminated, heads rolling on the ground.

"Liu Shimin!" Zhu Youxiao suddenly stood up and shouted, "Zhou Jianzong, Wen Zhenmeng, and Man Chaojian are to be stripped of all their offices immediately and thrown into prison for strict interrogation!"

Liu Shimin's heart jolted, and he stepped forward, saying, "Your will be done."

These three were no simple figures — one was a standard-bearer among the remonstrance officials, one a Hanlin Junior Compiler, one a Junior Minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud. Setting aside how many colleagues they had befriended, their reputations alone sent more than a hundred memorials pleading for them flying into the Imperial Study from inside and outside the court.

Zhu Youxiao naturally paid them no heed, and the ministers all over the capital began linking up with one another, determined to argue their case at the court conference, to make the Emperor revoke his order and uphold justice.

Zhu Xu had been keeping watch on Wei Zhongxian's movements the whole time, and along with him, so too were his enemies.

Watching this scene that was both familiar and strange, true and false, he felt quite moved — these pure-stream officials probably still had not realized that Wei Zhongxian was different from Wang Zhen or Yan Song; he was the one with the greatest influence and destructive power in the entire Ming dynasty!

And the one who had killed the most people!

Sure enough, at the court conference the next day, a host of ministers moved to protect these three men.

Whether it was Chief Grand Secretary Ye Xianggao or Minister of Personnel ** Xing, Minister of Justice Wang Ji and others, all spoke with fervor, declaring outright that the three were upright ministers, while Wei Zhongxian's evil was so complete it overflowed, and it was he who ought to be thrown into prison for interrogation.

His Majesty should distinguish right from wrong, punish the wicked and eliminate evil, and must never favor petty men while spurning gentlemen.

Zhu Youxiao flew into a rage—in his heart, these ministers were ostensibly targeting Wei Zhongxian, but in truth they were targeting him.

In his fury, he had four high-ranking officials of the third grade beaten with rods, but in the end he could only strip Zhou Jianzong and the other two of their posts and salaries, unable to do much more.

When Zhu Xu heard of this outcome in Jinghuan Palace, he could only shake his head helplessly.

Throughout the generations of Zhu emperors, apart from the founding Taizu, Chengzu, and the final Sizong, none were particularly fond of killing—Zhu Youxiao himself did not like to kill either—but this time he was truly provoked. These ministers actually dared to so blatantly accuse him of being muddle-headed and incompetent, saying that heaven had sent warnings to admonish him; and yet every official in the court was united in spirit and voice, speaking with one accord, and the principle that the law cannot punish the many left him utterly powerless to fight back.

In the end, however, such anger would only be added to his trust in Wei Zhongxian.

The more the courtiers pressed him, the more he felt they were targeting him personally, and at the same time, the more he trusted Wei Zhongxian.

At this moment, Wei Zhongxian also breathed a sigh of relief, but he hated these pure-stream critics all the more bitterly.

Wei Zhongxian's residence outside the palace.

Li Yongzhen, Liu Chao, and a host of other eunuchs gathered together, all with smiles on their faces. They had previously been exiled, and this time Wei Zhongxian had summoned them back.

Liu Chao looked at Wei Zhongxian and said with great satisfaction, "Your Excellency, this time we have truly vented our anger!"

The others all chimed in with their own comments. This was indeed a hard-won victory for them—the previous few times, especially Zhou Jianzong's two memorials, had cast them into the abyss, nearly unable to turn things around. Even now, thinking about it made them feel cold all over!

Wei Zhongxian sat there with a calm expression. He knew very well in his heart that the reason this attempt succeeded was that the one inside the palace had watched from the sidelines and not intervened.

He glanced at the noisy crowd, coughed once, and only after they had all quieted down did he speak: "We have three matters before us now. The first is to let His Majesty see our loyalty. The second is that the mine supervisors, military supervisors, and tax supervisors in every region must be held in our hands. The third is—make money!"

When the crowd heard this, especially the last item, they were overjoyed, and like boiling kettles, they poured out every kind of method one after another.

Wei Zhongxian listened and noted things down as he went. He was now Director of the Eastern Depot, lacking no manpower, and the Emperor was very concerned about the military situation on the Nine Borders and also wished to increase the privy purse—this conveniently gave him his pretext.

None of his three points mentioned how to deal with the pure-stream critics at court, especially the Donglin Faction. In truth, at this moment he still had no intention of dealing with the Donglin Faction, of thoroughly beating them down and crippling them.