Chapter 124: The Eastern Depot

Not far south of the Donghua Gate leaving the palace lies the Eastern Depot. Before the main hall in the courtyard stands a stone stele bearing four large characters written by the Ancestor's own hand: "Flow Through the Ages."

Entering the main hall, one immediately sees a large portrait of Yue Fei—a reminder to the Eastern Depot's mounted agents to handle cases without wrongful conviction or undue leniency, and on a deeper level, a warning that each man must never forget to serve the nation with utmost loyalty.

Since Chongzhen ordered the Eastern Depot reopened, Luo Yangxing—already promoted to Commissioner-in-Chief of the Left—has cooperated fully, providing men when men were needed and supplies when supplies were needed. Within a mere half month, the Eastern Depot had already taken initial shape.

At this moment, in the second hall of the Eastern Depot, the freshly appointed Imperial Commissioner and Eunuch Director of the Eastern Depot, Wang Cheng'en, was lecturing his own nephew, Wang Shiqin, the newly appointed Chiliarch of Punishments for the Eastern Depot.

"His Majesty has charged me with overseeing the Eastern Depot—this is immense trust placed in me, and also great expectations. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is currently reviving with remarkable speed, and the major cases they've handled have won considerable favor with His Majesty. Whenever any new institution is first established, everyone is of one mind and handles duties diligently and earnestly. But as time wears on, slackness and favoritism are bound to arise."

Wang Cheng'en spoke unhurriedly.

Wang Shiqin stood respectfully before his uncle, listening to his instruction.

After taking a sip of tea, Wang Cheng'en continued: "Luo Yangxing is obedient and loyal, true enough, but the Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is after all an external official. Living long outside the palace, who knows what other thoughts he might harbor—no outsider can tell. His Majesty ultimately cannot be completely at ease with him."

Wang Shiqin couldn't help interjecting: "Uncle, thanks to your good offices, your nephew has been in the Guard for over a year now. From what I've seen, from Commander Luo on down, few in the Embroidered Uniform Guard are heavily self-serving. Truly, Uncle need not overthink this!"

Wang Cheng'en glared and scolded: "What do you know?! In my eyes, apart from His Majesty's own family, no one at all can be trusted! Those who are sweet as honey to you today may well turn around and sell you out tomorrow! I've been in the palace for decades—I've seen plenty of this sort of thing!"

Wang Shiqin immediately put on his best obedient look, his face wearing an expression of respect, though inwardly he remained unconvinced.

Wang Cheng'en knew he was young and had spent most of his life in the countryside. Though he had studied books and knew propriety, he had ultimately seen too little of the world and had no deep understanding of how fickle the human heart can be.

Many things can only be truly understood through personal experience. His nephew was clever enough—he trusted that after a few hard knocks, the boy would come to understand the pains he had taken today.

He changed the subject and continued: "Xiao Wu, you've been in the Guard for over a year. Though you've handled several assignments well and get along passably with your colleagues, you must understand that this is all because Luo Yangxing and the other hall officers in the Guard look after you for my sake. This time, His Majesty has personally selected you as Chiliarch of Punishments for the Eastern Depot—this is an immense favor! It is also His Majesty's intention to elevate our Wang family. If you perform well, our family can rise with the tide. You must act with utmost caution and never make a misstep. Remember: His Majesty is the sky over our Wang family! His Majesty's family are our masters! So long as it benefits His Majesty's household, you need not fear offending anyone else—do you understand?!"

Wang Shiqin replied solemnly: "Rest assured, Uncle—your nephew sees things clearly! We are the imperial hounds and falcons. Anything that threatens His Majesty may be destroyed!"

Wang Cheng'en nodded with satisfaction and said: "Good that you understand! Now that the Eastern Depot is newly established, the first priority is to establish its authority! The target has already been set up—this first strike you must handle perfectly! Otherwise, you might as well go home and farm!"

Wang Shiqin smiled: "Uncle, don't underestimate your nephew! Everything has been arranged! We need only await your command!"

After a busy day in the mansion, Zhu Gui, the chief steward of the Duke of Cheng's household, attended Duke Zhu Chunchen to the courtyard of his third concubine. Seeing the candles in the room extinguished and carefully instructing the inner household stewards, he then found an excuse to leave the mansion and personally drove the carriage toward the eastern part of the city.

Zhu Gui's own home was a sizable courtyard within the duke's mansion, where he lived with his wife, a son, and a daughter. His daughter had married the son of the steward of the Earl of Xiangcheng's household; his son, sixteen years old, was currently learning stewardship under Zhu Gui, preparing to one day take over his position.

By all accounts, life like this was already quite good. But having witnessed so many sordid and filthy affairs among the noble households, Zhu Gui had kept a card up his sleeve.

After obtaining his wife's consent, several years ago he purchased a woman named Liu Xu from among the refugees who had fled to the capital. Liu Xu's family was from Datong; after years of drought ruined their fields, she had followed her family begging all the way toward the capital. On the road, her mother and younger brother successively fell ill and died, leaving only her father to bring her to the capital.

Unfortunately, shortly after arriving in the capital, her father also contracted a terrible illness and soon passed away. From that time on, she had no close kin left in this world.

When Zhu Gui was returning from handling business outside the city for Zhu Chunchen, he saw Liu Xu weeping prostrate over a corpse outside the city gate. Having long harbored such intentions, Zhu Gui's heart stirred. He sent a servant forward to inquire, and upon learning what had happened, he felt genuine compassion. He then ordered the servant to buy a coffin, had Liu Xu's father encoffined and buried in a plot outside the city, settled Liu Xu in a humble inn outside the walls, left her some silver for food and lodging, and then returned to the mansion.

Zhu Gui told his wife of his intentions. Zhu Gui's wife had always obeyed him without question, so that very day Zhu Gui personally drove the carriage out of the city and met Liu Xu.

Liu Xu was of middling-to-good looks, but her youth was her greatest asset—she was only fifteen. Zhu Gui, a man in middle age, was naturally overjoyed, and he told her of his intention to take her as a concubine.

For a young girl of barely fifteen, arriving in a strange place with no kin in sight and her family gone, she was in the depths of grief and fear. Added to that her deep gratitude toward Zhu Gui for the righteous act of burying her father, she shyly and bashfully agreed.

What followed proceeded naturally. Zhu Gui bought a small two-courtyard residence in the eastern part of the city, then, leveraging the duke's mansion's influence, obtained household registration for Liu Xu from the Shuntian Prefecture. He then went to the human market and bought a solitary middle-aged woman to attend to Liu Xu. From then on, Liu Xu finally had a place to call home and someone to rely on.

All of this was handled personally by Zhu Gui—no one knew anything about it. The servant who had helped bury Liu Xu's father that day merely thought it was a momentary act of charity by the chief steward and never imagined there was more to it.

The following year, Liu Xu bore Zhu Gui a chubby son, filling the man—who had gained a child in his old age—with extraordinary joy. At his age, he should have been holding grandchildren. In his heart, this youngest son gave him a feeling of doting across generations, and he cherished him even more than his eldest son.

From then on, Zhu Gui visited the outer residence every few days, doting on Liu Xu all the more. Apart from advising her to go out less, he bought her only the finest foods and clothing. The little family lived in harmony and joy.

By the time Zhu Gui arrived at his eastern outer residence it was already the hour of You. On the way he encountered patrol officers of the Five Wards Troops and Horses Office; after flashing the waist token of the duke's mansion guards, he passed through unimpeded.

After several knocks, the old woman came and opened the gate. The master usually came at this hour. Though she didn't know exactly what business her master was in, he was certainly no ordinary person. The master never spoke of it, and she never asked. She was a lone old widow—that the master deigned to give her meals was already a heaven-sent kindness.

Entering the inner courtyard, Zhu Gui saw, silhouetted against the candlelight through the paper window, Liu Xu holding their two-year-old son in her arms. A warm feeling welled up within him.

He quickened his pace to the door and pushed it open. Looking at Liu Xu, who was nursing the baby in the side room, he laughed: "We didn't name the boy wrong—Fuge'er is two years old and still nursing from his own mother! I told you long ago we should hire a wet nurse, but you wouldn't listen!"

Liu Xu looked at the son nursing contentedly in her arms, her eyes full of doting affection. She replied: "When my mother was alive, she told me that a child raised on its own mother's milk grows up sturdy! My milk flows plentifully—Fu'er can nurse as long as he likes!"

Zhu Gui took off his robe and laid it on the wardrobe, then sat on the bed and asked with concern: "Is Mistress Pan serving you well enough? I'm thinking of buying a young maidservant to attend you and keep you company. Mistress Pan spends most of her time in the front courtyard—it won't do for you to be alone!"

Liu Xu sat on the edge of the bed holding the child, glanced at Zhu Gui, and replied: "I appreciate your kindness, Master. Buying someone is fine, but I think it'd be better to get someone a bit older—younger than Mistress Pan would be just right!"

Zhu Gui understood her thinking—she feared that if he bought back a young maidservant, he might develop other ideas. He smiled and said no more. He was content now: he had the charming and artless Liu Xu and his precious babbling young son. These two were the most treasured possessions in his heart. If anyone dared touch them, he would truly fight to the death.

After some idle chatter, Fu'er fell asleep. The two washed up, enjoyed a bout of passion, and then fell asleep in each other's arms.

Around the hour of Zi, Zhu Gui suddenly felt a cool sensation on his face in his sleep. It seemed someone had entered the room—he immediately moved to turn over and sit up.

"Don't make a sound! You'll frighten the child!" A soft voice came from the darkness. In the next instant, his throat tightened—a sharp blade pressed against it. Zhu Gui dared not move.

"Let's talk in the outer room. There are more of us—Steward Zhu, don't do yourself harm!" the newcomer continued in a low voice.

Zhu Gui's neck stiff, he nodded slowly. The blade against his throat was then withdrawn. Zhu Gui gently moved aside Liu Xu's arm draped over him, then slowly sat up and shifted to the edge of the bed. Feeling for his boots with his feet, he slipped them on halfway, rose, and crept quietly into the outer room. Liu Xu and Fu'er continued sleeping soundly.

As the candle was lit, two figures appeared a few paces before Zhu Gui's eyes. One was around thirty, with an honest, simple look, but holding a short blade that gleamed coldly; the other was younger, with utterly unremarkable features, arms crossed as he looked Zhu Gui up and down.

The knife-wielding man sheathed his short blade and tucked it into his boot, walked over to a chair, sat down, and then gestured with respect: "Please sit, Steward Zhu. We two have come on orders—we have matters to discuss with you!"

Zhu Gui was a man who had seen grand occasions. He knew that since these men had openly spoken up, they were confident he wouldn't dare raise an alarm.

He sat down side by side with the middle-aged man across the low table and said composedly: "Since you know my identity, the two of you had best not go too far, or the duke's mansion will certainly not let the matter rest! If you two seek money, I have some savings—how about I offer you five hundred taels of fine silver?"

The middle-aged man smiled and shook his head: "We truly are short on silver, but we must first attend to business! To be frank, we two belong to the Northern Provost's Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, now transferred to serve under Eunuch Wang of the Eastern Depot. We've come about matters concerning the duke's mansion. Please cooperate as much as possible, Steward Zhu—otherwise, your mistress and young son... tsk tsk!"

At the mention of the duke's mansion, Zhu Gui's heart jolted. He immediately made his decision: someone wants to harm the duke—I, Zhu Gui, will never be a traitor who betrays his master!

When he heard the final words, Zhu Gui broke out in a drenching sweat, and his whole body went limp as noodles as he collapsed into the chair.