Chapter 142: When the Rabbit Dies, the Fox Mourns; Facing Peril on a Treacherous Path

The Chu Yueyang Wangfu is hosting a banquet for the Imperial Envoy!

Precisely when the rebellion case has implicated the Yueyang Yueyang Wangfu, making it blatantly clear that royal kin are involved.

Precisely when the Imperial Envoy, roaring with authority, led troops into the city and just now stripped the three provincial officials of their official caps.

While everyone was desperate to stay far away, the Chu Yueyang Wangfu dares to throw a banquet to welcome the Imperial Envoy!?

Zhu Zhu Changwen, on his way to the Chu Yueyang Wangfu, could not fathom it.

Night had fallen, and lanterns glowed brightly.

Though it was the rainy season, the long street leading to the Chu Yueyang Wangfu remained bustling.

Zhu Zhu Changwen lifted the carriage curtain, glancing absentmindedly at the pretty women along the road: "Has the Envoy arrived yet?"

An hour had passed since the Envoy's display of power at the dock—exactly the time for evening meals.

Given the rank of the Chu Yueyang Wangfu, the Envoy would hardly dare to refuse such an invitation.

Judging by the hour, he ought to set out soon.

The Chief Secretary recounted the news he had just gathered: "It's said only Imperial Son-in-Law Wu Wu Jinghe went."

"The Chu Yueyang Wangfu tried to invite Hai Rui too, even invoking the Dowager Princess, claiming they had long admired him."

"But… that man gave them not an ounce of respect, declaring he never accepted banquets, and threw them out."

"Li Li Zaiting also politely declined the Chu Yueyang Wangfu 's invitation."

Zhu Zhu Changwen snorted coldly upon hearing this.

He muttered under his breath: "Never accepts banquets…? Is he the only upright official, the only sage in the world!?"

"A fame-seeking hypocrite!"

If he weren't a lesser-born and his own record weren't tainted, he'd have gone to beat that man senseless right now.

After mocking him, he turned to serious matters: "Chief Secretary Zhou, what does the Chu Yueyang Wangfu truly intend?"

The Chu Yueyang Wangfu 's situation is now complicated, with no heir designated and fierce infighting ongoing.

Under these circumstances, one ought to stay far from such turmoil.

Yet it has instead stepped forward.

Chief Secretary Zhou pondered, then said: "General, the Yueyang Yueyang Wangfu is still part of the Chu clan, having split off but still entangled."

"If forcibly dragged into this, they'd gain nothing—right now they're likely fearful of the Envoy's harsh stance and wish to test the waters."

Here he paused, his tone speculative: "Moreover…"

"Since the Chu Yueyang Wangfu 's regicide and usurpation scandal, it has acted with extreme caution; the Dowager Princess has even scaled back the mansion's holdings."

"If we consider the entire Huguang region, the one with the least suspicion after rising to high office is surely this Dowager Princess."

"She is now the only viable intermediary between the Envoy and Huguang."

Zhu Zhu Changwen suddenly understood.

He murmured: "They're trying to negotiate terms and draw boundaries with the Envoy."

"No wonder he refused to see you—but sent you to the banquet. He doesn't want trouble, yet must appear."

"Many royal kin must have approached the Chu Yueyang Wangfu recently…"

The Chu Prince, enfeoffed as a son of the During Hongwu Emperor, holds a status no descendant of the Yingzong or Renzong Emperors can match.

Moreover, the Chu fiefdom enjoys a uniquely advantageous location, seated in the provincial capital of Huguang, with extraordinary ties to the Three Provincial Offices and the Provincial Governor's Prefectural Yamen.

In short, among all royal clans in the realm, Huguang leads; among Huguang's clans, the Chu Yueyang Wangfu stands first.

Under these conditions, with the Yueyang Yueyang Wangfu exposed and the Envoy arriving, the Chu Yueyang Wangfu 's pressure must be immense.

Once he grasped this, Zhu Zhu Changwen's mood lightened slightly.

Now it's a matter of how far the Chu Yueyang Wangfu and the Envoy will negotiate.

Thus, the carriage arrived at the southern foot of Gaoguan Mountain, where the Chu Yueyang Wangfu stood.

The Chu Yueyang Wangfu faced south, backed by Gaoguan Mountain, stretching two li east-west and four li north-south—nearly half the size of Wuchang City.

Built in imitation of the former imperial palace in Nanzhili, its scale was naturally grand.

Beyond the eight hundred-plus palaces and halls, its high city walls alone defied mere description of grandeur.

The walls stood twenty-nine feet high, encircled by watchtowers, with a single vermilion gate flanked by armored soldiers, radiating formidable authority.

Zhu Zhu Changwen's carriage halted at the palace gate, and he dismounted as protocol demanded.

The Chu Yueyang Wangfu 's Chief Clerk immediately stepped forward: "Assistant Prince!"

Zhu Zhu Changwen snorted: "You're the one sent to greet me?"

Not even a Crown Prince or Prince? At least send a Chief Secretary!

The Clerk immediately begged: "General, today's guests are overwhelming. The Imperial Envoy alone is enough, and even the Min Prince has come in person—we simply can't spare anyone."

Zhu Zhu Changwen's face darkened further.

Didn't this prove he was the lowest in status!?

He was about to explode.

A voice came from behind: "You're Zhu Zhu Changwen?"

Zhu Zhu Changwen flew into a rage—who dared call him by name!

He turned, ready to roar, then saw a tall, bearded, handsome middle-aged man stepping down from a carriage.

Zhu Zhu Changwen deflated, forcing a strained smile: "Lord Zongzheng."

Wu Wu Jinghe nodded: "You still recognize me. Not wasted the time I spent personally recording your name in the imperial genealogy."

"Come, walk behind me—I have questions for you."

With that, he led several Embroidered Uniform Guards straight through the gate.

Zhu Zhu Changwen's face twisted like a bitter melon as he trudged reluctantly after him.

…

Discussing matters with royal kin naturally fell to Imperial Son-in-Law Wu Wu Jinghe.

But if one merely wished to attend the banquet and feast, it was too noisy—not everyone wanted to go.

Just as Hai Rui said, it wasn't a place for meals, so he didn't go, eating simply at the Provincial Governor's Prefectural Yamen.

Likewise, Li Li Zaiting deemed it no place for sincere toasting and bluntly refused the Chu Yueyang Wangfu 's invitation.

The mighty Yangtze flows eastward.

To mourn a loved one, raising a toast across the divide of life and death—there was no better place than the Yangtze's banks.

Li Li Zaiting poured a cup of wine and casually spilled it into the river.

Then he poured another for himself, raised it into the air, and drank it down.

He had stood here in the river wind for half an hour, the wine jug empty, his face flushed with slight intoxication.

Just then, a voice came from behind.

"If you wish to mourn Zhang Zhang Chengqing, why not toast him face-to-face at the coroner's office, instead of coming alone to the riverbank?"

Li Li Zaiting turned to see Feng Feng Shiyu holding up a wine jug, raising it in greeting.

The former waved his hand, signaling the Embroidered Uniform Guards to let him pass.

He removed his hat and placed it on the ground beside him, without looking back: "They acted too ruthlessly—over ten charred corpses in Linxiang County, unrecognizable."

"Better to pour wine into the river than guess blindly and misidentify the dead."

His words made clear he had already visited the coroner's office at the Surveillance Commission and seen Zhang Zhang Chengqing.

Alas, his face was utterly unrecognizable.

His fellow examination graduate, who had merely taken a provincial posting, had met such an end.

Feng Feng Shiyu stepped forward, removed his hat, and placed it between them, beside Li Li Zaiting's.

Then he spoke slowly: "I arrived in Huguang after Zhang Zhang Chengqing. I hoped, as fellow examination graduates, to meet him before he returned to Beijing, to hear his insights from his inspection of Huguang."

"I never imagined… sigh."

Feng Feng Shiyu, Li Li Zaiting, and Zhang Zhang Chengqing all passed the imperial examination together in Emperor Longqing 2.

Even before the exam, they had studied together in the same academy, so their bond was real.

But after passing, the latter two both studied under Gao Yi, deepening their bond further.

Feng Feng Shiyu poured a cup, sighed: "But if identity can't be confirmed, he'll never return home to rest."

The corpses from the Linxiang case remained unclaimed not only awaiting the Envoy's investigation, but also for this reason.

Could the families be expected to guess and claim them?

Li Li Zaiting shook his head: "Before I departed, the central court anticipated this. The Emperor specifically instructed me: if he can't be returned home, bring him to Beijing and bury him in Babao Mountain, under state rites."

Feng Feng Shiyu nodded—he wasn't surprised.

For officials who die in service, the court never stinted on posthumous honors and sacrifices.

The two fell silent.

Without speaking, each poured himself another cup and lightly clinked them.

Li Li Zaiting spoke again: "I heard you've done well in Huguang—allocated funds to repair dikes, organized teams to rescue rice seedlings, distributed porridge and clothing to disaster victims. People along the way have praised you."

"It seems governing the land hones a man more than serving in the censorate."

After the great Huguang case, the Provincial Administration Commissioner lost interest in governance, just as a great flood struck.

Along the way, I heard it was this fellow graduate who pushed Chen Rui into action, preventing a true catastrophe.

Feng Feng Shiyu heard this, not with pride, but with a bitter smile: "When I was demoted to Huguang, I was bitter, furious, lost in darkness."

"But seeing the people displaced and destitute, how could I remain unmoved?"

"Now I see—the Emperor's rebuke was piercingly true."

He was from Nanzhili.

After the fire at Ciqing Palace, Hu XIAO was sentenced to death; Feng Feng Shiyu repeatedly submitted memorials, pleading with the Emperor to show leniency.

Even days before Hu XIAO was executed, he still rejected the Emperor's edict.

This enraged the Emperor, who rebuked him harshly and demoted him to Huguang.

Had it not been for this, he wouldn't have been reduced to merely a fourth-rank Assistant Commissioner—officials from the Censorate assigned to local posts typically held third-rank positions.

Thinking of this, Feng Feng Shiyu's bitter smile deepened.

He poured himself a cup of wine and sipped it slowly.

He suddenly remembered something and added, "Today, Hai Rui stripped the black caps from the three provincial offices; their colleagues' resentment is written plainly on their faces."

"Even if Xu Xu Xuemo was later promoted as Provincial Administration Commissioner to soothe them, it likely won't be enough."

No one likes feeling their life and death controlled by others—especially local officials accustomed to wielding power.

If the Imperial Envoy had merely come for a ceremonial visit, to collect bribes, they could have maintained a facade of harmony.

But if he shows no mercy, local officials will inevitably obstruct him—no need for direct confrontation; mere passive noncooperation is enough to make even the most powerful hesitate.

The river wind blew, lifting Li Li Zaiting's robes.

He turned his head toward Feng Feng Shiyu: "So, Hua Zhi has come as a mediator?"

"To urge us to retreat in the face of difficulty? Or to advise us to stop while we're ahead?"

Li Li Zaiting understood Feng Feng Shiyu's meaning perfectly.

Local officials had countless ways to obstruct—let alone the matter of repairing dikes, if done strictly by procedure…

Plainly put, if Feng Feng Shiyu hadn't taken the initiative and irregularly diverted confiscated silver for repairs, the dikes would have already collapsed, flooding farmland and causing a major disaster.

Yet such matters could never be traced to anyone—everyone was merely following procedure.

After all, they weren't like Chen Rui, the chief official; mid-level bureaucrats were hidden within the system, often unnoticed, making it impossible to even retaliate.

Once the entire bureaucracy reached a consensus to use systemic decay as leverage, the Imperial Envoy truly had no recourse.

And Feng Feng Shiyu, the one raising this issue—what was his true stance? Li Li Zaiting had to be wary.

The other shook his head: "Yingfeng is overly cautious. I merely urge you: strike swiftly and finish quickly!"

"Delay too long, and the common people caught in the middle will suffer… sigh."

He sighed again.

It was heartbreaking how the people became pawns in such times.

Li Li Zaiting studied Feng Feng Shiyu closely but said nothing.

He was no longer the naive newcomer from a year ago; he knew how to listen, how to judge for himself.

Li Li Zaiting poured another cup of wine and spilled it into the Yangtze.

He spoke calmly: "To conclude this case swiftly, we must rely on the united will of all in Huguang."

Now holding the initiative, he spoke with ease, confident in every Shitan.

Feng Feng Shiyu nodded in full agreement: "Who among officials with rank wouldn't share outrage at the idea of attacking county offices or burning down an Imperial Envoy's residence?"

"Before the Envoy arrived, the Three Offices and the Provincial Governor's office had already begun investigations; any suspect—like Qiao Qiao Qiao Qiao, Garrison Commander of Dongting; Chen Xiao, River Patrol Commander; Ji Ji Ruzhi, Assistant Military Commissioner—were all arrested and imprisoned without waiting for imperial approval."

"As for the Yueyang Prince's household, Huguang's officials showed no hesitation—they immediately mobilized troops and went to the door."

"Their sincerity is evident to heaven and earth."

"But… colleagues' fear that the Envoy might punish the innocent is only natural."

In this age, who could claim to be entirely clean?

Even if you aren't afraid of him investigating this case, you have other cases you'd rather keep hidden—you can't possibly lay your heart bare before the Envoy.

And with him stripping the caps of the Three Offices' heads from the start—who doesn't have thoughts?

Li Li Zaiting finally grasped Feng Feng Shiyu's meaning and shook his head with a wry laugh.

At this point, he couldn't fault his fellow graduate; the words were indeed those of a seasoned, prudent official.

Li Li Zaiting had no objection to making his position clear.

He said: "Hua Zhi, don't test me. I'll speak plainly—you may relay this to your colleagues in the Three Offices."

"Although Hai Hai Yushi tolerates no corruption, he is a capable, hardworking official."

"As long as you have no connection to the Zhang Chucheng case, and don't provoke us deliberately, we won't trouble you."

Upon hearing this, Feng Feng Shiyu no longer concealed his relief; he exhaled deeply and bowed in thanks.

The official matters were settled.

The two fell into long silence.

Li Li Zaiting tilted his head curiously: "Hua Zhi, is there more?"

Huguang's bureaucracy, shaken by Hai Rui's display of authority today, had sent this fellow graduate to test his stance—this Li Li Zaiting could tolerate.

But if they pushed further, he would discard their alumni bond and turn hostile.

Fortunately, Feng Feng Shiyu had said nothing to provoke him.

Instead, his face darkened with sorrow: "Zhang Zhang Liqing and I were fellow graduates; seeing you drinking alone in tribute, how could I remain unmoved?"

He poured himself a cup and drank it down in one gulp: "When the hare dies, the fox grieves—how hard it is to be an official!"

This was pure mourning.

Li Li Zaiting fell silent.

He chewed over the eight words: "When the hare dies, the fox grieves—how hard it is to be an official."

If anyone understood "when the hare dies, the fox grieves," it was he.

He and Zhang Chucheng had been fellow graduates, fellow disciples, deeply influenced by Gao Yi.

Both had vowed to achieve fame and glory, to leave a bold, lasting mark in the annals of the Great Ming.

Especially… when they had first been recommended to the Emperor by Gao Yi, and heard Gao Yi praise the Emperor as a sage beyond compare.

Their minds had brimmed with visions of wise sovereigns and loyal ministers, destined to be remembered through history.

They believed history's stories would repeat: a virtuous ruler, upright ministers, and the Great Ming would be renewed—they too would be enshrined in glory.

But this year, what Li Li Zaiting witnessed, what he endured, slowly taught him what "the path is hard" truly meant…

Wealth corrupted his family.

His hometown faction undermined his principles.

Rumors slandered his reputation.

Subordinates resisted his orders.

Countless such things.

All these hardships were bearable.

He had thought himself strong enough to carry the burden, his resolve hardened.

Until he heard the news of Zhang Chucheng's death.

This fellow graduate, this brother in the Dao, seemed to be screaming with his life: reforming the old and establishing the new truly meant many would die!

One must die, the other must live—no truce, no mercy!

Today it was Zhang Chucheng; tomorrow it could be Li Li Zaiting!

Thinking of this, Li Li Zaiting felt his throat tighten, his vision blurring.

Suddenly, Li Li Zaiting seized the wine jug, stood, and drank straight from the bottle!

The river wind blew, tousling his hair; wine spilled half into his mouth, half down his neck, soaking his robe.

He took a deep swallow and chanted toward the Yangtze: "A golden goblet holds clear wine worth ten thousand coins…"

The road ahead was so hard—and he was so powerless.

In Nanzhili's salt administration, he could only raise his banner and shout; in the northwest's border threats, he understood nothing; in the Shanxi faction's collusion, he was helpless.

Even when writing to Zhang Chucheng about Huguang's problems, he had believed any deep-rooted illness could be cured by a single imperial decree.

Beside him, Feng Feng Shiyu was moved.

Li Bai's "The Road is Hard…"

As soon as Li Li Zaiting spoke, Feng Feng Shiyu understood: this fellow graduate had resonated with the phrase "how hard it is to be an official."

Above him, his talent was insufficient.

Among friends, he was separated by heaven and earth.

For himself, he had achieved nothing.

Feng Feng Shiyu felt this far more deeply than Li Li Zaiting—this was precisely what he had agonized over, night after night, after his demotion.

In the capital, he saw only intrigue and shifting power, overwhelming and inescapable.

In the provinces, he saw only entrenched decay, suffering people, and no solution.

How hard it is to be an official! How hard it is!

Feng Feng Shiyu rose, opened his mouth, then fell silent.

Li Li Zaiting, in full scholar's fervor, raised his voice louder: "The road is hard, the road is hard—so many forks—where now is the path?"

He had once raged: why, as fellow graduates, did Shen Shen Yiguan, He Weiyi—those ranked low in the third class—get chosen as Imperial Secretaries and groomed for the Grand Secretariat, while he, ranked higher, was passed over?

He had once prided himself on his talent, believing Shen Shen Yiguan and others owed their rise to factional patronage, while he, Li Li Zaiting, was the pearl lost in the sea, unappreciated.

But now, finally granted the chance to act, as a close minister of the Son of Heaven, he realized how childish, how foolish he had been.

Now, with "when the hare dies, the fox grieves," he saw his own fate reflected in Zhang Chucheng's death.

With "how hard it is to be an official," he realized: he was too weak—still far too weak!

Behind him, the Embroidered Uniform Guard edged closer, tense, fearing some second Yan Song might stumble into the river after too much wine.

Many paths diverge… Feng Feng Shiyu savored the word, his expression complex.

He wished to comfort him, lips slightly parted, but finally dissolved into a sigh.

Feng Feng Shiyu silently raised his wine jug, pouring it all into the river, murmuring: "Ying Feng, on your official path, you will go farther than any of us—your road is long and fraught with obstacles; walk slowly…"

Li Li Zaiting finished reciting that line, and fell silent for a long while.

Hearing Feng Feng Shiyu's words now, he shook his head: "Kuafu chased the sun, exhausted to death—the road was too long; I may not have the strength to reach it."

Of the three who took the exam together, one now lay beyond the divide of yin and yang, another exiled.

Precisely because of this, there is the saying: official service is hard.

Li Li Zaiting, the only one still moving forward, feared most his own lack of talent.

Feng Feng Shiyu shook his head: "You're only thirty-eight…"

Saying this, he fell silent.

Li Li Zaiting froze, then understood Feng Feng Shiyu's meaning; he picked up the wine jug, intending to take another sip.

Remembering he had duties tomorrow, he stopped.

Then he thought of pouring some for Zhang Zhang Liqing, yet feared too much wine might disturb the departed.

He fell silent again for a long while.

Li Li Zaiting suddenly laughed: "Hua Zhi is truly at the pinnacle—truly astonishing."

He remembered how Feng Feng Shiyu had once been sluggish, empty of substance, despised by the Emperor.

Yet now, after only half a year in local office, every word struck straight to the heart.

Moved by this single remark, Li Li Zaiting met Feng Feng Shiyu's gaze, nodded, and murmured: "Yes—I'm only thirty-eight!"

"The Grand Secretaries have taught me, His Majesty favors me, even time itself cherishes me…"

Li Li Zaiting's tone grew increasingly earnest: "From now on, I will walk this path to show Zhang Zhang Liqing what I'm made of!"

He opened his arms wide, baring his chest.

Facing the Yangtze, he cried out: "There will come a time when the wind breaks the waves—I'll hoist my sail and cross the sea!"

Though the road ahead is hard, he presses forward without hesitation!

The court all say he is another Yan Song, fawning on superiors without scruple.

Then he would show them all what "astonishing" truly means, what "rising from general to chancellor" truly means!

Beyond waving banners and watching from afar, he too can strategize from behind the scenes and brave fire and water!

Li Li Zaiting hurled the wine jug into Feng Feng Shiyu's arms, turned, and walked away without looking back: "We took the exam together—Hua Zhi, since you mourn like a fox grieving the rabbit's death, your heart is heavy…"

His expression turned fierce, teeth clenched: "Then watch me make heads roll, to properly honor his spirit above."

(End of Chapter)