Chapter 7: Carrot and Stick

Zhu Xu nodded with satisfaction and followed the household retainers inside.

"This humble official pays respects to His Highness Prince Hui." At the door of the main hall, Zhang Wenda, dressed in casual clothes, clasped his fists and bowed to Zhu Xu.

Zhu Xu's eyes narrowed slightly as he sized up the man before him.

His features were well-proportioned, his skin fair and clean, with a goatee beard; his expression was calm yet carried a faint sharpness—restrained but slightly leaking through.

For a moment, Zhu Xu's thoughts drifted.

Speaking of the early years of Tianqi, among all the civil and military officials at court, the one Zhu Xu admired most was not Ye Xianggao, the Grand Secretary who strained to hold the overall situation together, nor Wang An, known as the "Inner Chancellor," and certainly not Wei Zhongxian—but this Zhang Wenda.

Zhang Wenda, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was the handler and even the mastermind behind the Three Great Cases of the Tianqi era! Had he not retired early, becoming Chief Grand Secretary would have been only a matter of time, and he would not have been driven to ruin by Wei Zhongxian.

Cao Wenzhao saw Zhu Xu staring blankly at Zhang Wenda, and Zhang Wenda also remained silent, maintaining his posture, so he couldn't help but whisper in Zhu Xu's ear, "Your Highness."

Zhu Xu raised his head, snapping back to his senses. Looking at Zhang Wenda before him, he smiled slightly and said, "Pray forgive me, Minister Zhang. This is my first time meeting you, so I'm inevitably a bit flustered."

Zhang Wenda straightened up. He was just past forty this year, in the prime of his vigor, so he didn't mind the extra time spent bowing. Hearing this, he looked at Zhu Xu with an expression that said "business is business, and if there's no business, please leave," and said: "May I ask what instructions His Highness Prince Hui has for coming to this official's humble home today?"

He did not mention the Empress's verbal decree at all.

Zhu Xu had only used that as an excuse to get through the door. Seeing that Zhang Wenda was tactful enough not to ask, he clasped his hands behind his back and said with feigned casualness: "I came in haste and haven't eaten. Won't Minister Zhang invite me to share a meal?"

Zhang Wenda's expression did not change; he still wore that same look and said, "Pray forgive me, Your Highness. This official's home only has plain fare, unworthy of Your Highness's notice. If Your Highness has any instructions, this official will immediately send someone to carry them out."

Zhu Xu pressed his lips together—he was genuinely hungry. But this Minister Zhang before him had a keen mind and was cunning as a fox, not so easy to handle as Luo Yangxing. After a brief silence, he said with a somewhat disdainful look at Cao Wenzhao: "Well said. Go to Drunken Immortal Tower and pack up a few of their best dishes. Today this prince will dine together with Minister Zhang."

Having said this, he ignored Zhang Wenda entirely, walked around him, and headed straight for the main hall.

Zhang Wenda's expression flickered slightly, then his right index finger began to feel the thumb ring on his thumb, his brows twitching slightly. He then followed Zhu Xu inside.

Zhu Xu walked to a chair inside the main hall and sat down. He said warmly to the approaching Zhang Wenda: "Minister Zhang, don't stand on ceremony—please sit anywhere."

Zhang Wenda's index finger paused, then he said: "Thank you, Your Highness." He then sat across the table to Zhu Xu's right.

Zhu Xu sat down, placed his left hand on the table, and tapped the surface with four fingers, producing a sound like horse hooves that rang out again and again in the quiet hall.

Zhang Wenda was a jinshi by examination. In terms of official rank, he was the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, said to be the head of the Six Ministries. In terms of status, even the position of Chief Grand Secretary would be his after two years of waiting. In literary circles, his reputation was resounding—he was called a master.

He sat upright to one side, his expression unmoving, but his peripheral vision occasionally swept toward Zhu Xu as he privately speculated.

Now the villain Wei's misdeeds grew ever greater yet could not be stopped. Many court officials had already submitted impeachments to no avail—those who resigned resigned, those who were exiled were exiled. Even he, the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, was under tremendous pressure and had no choice but to consider resigning as well.

This Prince Hui was no more than ten years old. Who had sent him here today as an advocate?

The Emperor, the eunuch Wei, the Donglin Faction, the Zhejiang faction, the Suzhou faction?

Thoughts flashed through Zhang Wenda's mind, yet his expression did not move in the slightest.

Zhu Xu's stomach growled on one side while he pondered on the other. Although he had already thoroughly investigated this Minister Zhang's character and preferences beforehand, now that they met face to face, he felt things were not as simple as he had imagined—it was very thorny.

'Getting him to stay in office is probably already impossible.' Zhu Xu muttered to himself.

Zhu Xu was silent for a moment, brewing a slightly more serious atmosphere, then said: "I hear Minister Zhang intends to resign and return to his hometown?"

Zhang Wenda showed not the slightest contempt or disrespect toward Zhu Xu. Hearing this, he immediately bowed slightly and said: "To answer Your Highness, my mother is gravely ill. This official wishes to return home to fulfill my filial duty."

Filial duty—this word was all-powerful and invincible in this era. No matter how great your reason, once these two words were mentioned, everyone had to fall silent and make way.

Zhu Xu had already seen this reason in his memorial. He deliberately pretended to think for a moment, then said: "I have already petitioned my imperial brother on your behalf to have the elder lady brought to the capital, where imperial physicians will treat her specially. I imagine the old lady will be even more moved by your filial devotion."

Zhang Wenda shook his head and said: "Thank you for Your Highness's kindness, but my mother is advanced in years and cannot endure the hardship of such a long journey."

Zhu Xu said: "My imperial brother said the same thing. He has already dispatched imperial physicians to Minister Zhang's hometown of Jingyang, so you need not rush back."

Zhang Wenda's carefully prepared rebuttal was immediately struck down. The Emperor's care was manifest—surely he couldn't be so ungrateful as to defy the imperial will over this?

"Your Highness, the food has arrived." At that moment, Cao Wenzhao strode in carrying a box.

Zhu Xu looked at Zhang Wenda's expression, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. He said to Zhang Wenda: "Come, Minister Zhang, have a little something together."

Zhang Wenda used this to dodge Zhu Xu's pressing pursuit. Hearing this, he said: "This official will simply keep Your Highness company."

Zhu Xu did not stand on ceremony further and wolfed down his food.

Zhang Wenda sat to one side, glanced at Cao Wenzhao, and mentally flipped through all the information he had on Zhu Xu. There wasn't much—besides the relationship with Her Majesty the Empress, who was like both sister-in-law and mother to him and looked after him especially, there was only his fondness for carpentry, the same as the current Emperor's younger brother.

But recalling Zhu Xu's several remarks earlier, even if someone behind him had coached him, it couldn't have been timed so perfectly as to leave him speechless.

Zhang Wenda took the opportunity to re-examine Zhu Xu, his fingers once again unconsciously feeling the thumb ring on his thumb.

Zhu Xu ate with the speed of a whirlwind, finally letting out a burp and wiping his mouth. Looking at Zhang Wenda, he got straight to the point: "Old Sacrificial Wine Xie of the Imperial Academy wants to retire and return to his hometown. The Emperor has already approved it. Is Minister Zhang interested?" Since he couldn't keep him as Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, at least he couldn't let him leave the capital.

The Imperial Academy was roughly equivalent to the head of an administrative council in later ages—it was no exaggeration to say its students filled the world.

But this held little appeal for a Minister of the Ministry of Personnel who controlled the fate of all officials under heaven. Zhang Wenda shook his head slightly and said: "Thank you for Your Highness's kindness. This official dares say I am adequate at governance, but my scholarship is insufficient to serve as Sacrificial Wine of the Imperial Academy."

Zhu Xu naturally hadn't been aiming at that either. He smiled slightly and said: "Minister Zhang is too modest. I should have begun my studies long ago, but Her Majesty the Empress couldn't bear to part with me and kept putting it off. The day before yesterday, the Emperor and Her Majesty discussed it and let me choose a teacher for myself. The first person I thought of was Minister Zhang."

Zhu Xu spoke with such sincerity that he nearly knelt to take him as a master on the spot. And with several "this prince" in one sentence, he was deliberately asserting his status.

Zhang Wenda's expression shifted slightly. He hadn't considered this possibility. While privately speculating on the intentions of the person behind Zhu Xu, he said aloud: "This official dares say my scholarship is mediocre. Whether within the court or outside it, there are countless great Confucians and renowned masters. Why has Your Highness taken a liking to this official?"

He just won't take the bait—old fox! Zhu Xu cursed inwardly.