Chapter 766

The tactic seemed underhanded, but it was highly effective. Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe, implicated in the Red Pill Case, had already been unable to hold his ground under the relentless attacks. The several men who filled the vacancies afterward were all members of the Donglin faction, or else closely tied to Donglin figures. At court, they now called it "a court filled with righteous men"—though that was, of course, the Donglin's own phrasing. For officials of other factions, these were hardly good days. Some resigned and retired from office; others struggled bitterly to hold their posts, terrified of being linked to the Three Cases.

Wang Youshan's letter also recounted what followed. The Palace Removal Case had concluded, and the whole court believed justice had triumphed utterly. No one expected that, mere days after the "removal," the Yiluan Palace would catch fire. Only after desperate rescue efforts were Consort Li and her daughter pulled out. At the time, some already denounced the Donglin for going too far: "The Eighth Princess fell into a well—who pitied her? The widow hanged herself—no chance to plead her case." The whole affair reeked of foul play inside and out. True, ever since the Yongle Emperor, fires in the Forbidden City were nothing rare, but this blaze was far too conveniently timed, carrying a strong whiff of murder to silence witnesses. Yet Wang Youshan only dared write such things in a letter; even throughout the capital, no one dared speak too plainly on the matter. The most direct anyone got was to say the Donglin faction had bullied the orphaned widow and her child far too harshly.

Reading through letter after letter like this was enough to make one's head spin. But Zhao Jin handled things decisively—he simply sent someone to summon Ma Chonghao. Ma Chonghao's men had all been dispatched on assignments, but Ma Chonghao himself had remained here at the He Estate. He had not been involved in any confidential matters of the Internal Guard, merely leading a dozen or so patrolmen each day on rounds and sentry duty in the vicinity of the He Estate.

"... I truly wouldn't know the details. I won't deceive you, Master Jin—back in the capital, if my patron didn't assign me to handle a matter, I was certain not to know of it. Affairs touching on secrets were never broadcast for all to hear. Still, I have pondered this myself. If the Zheng family patrons truly wished to act, wouldn't it have been better to send men with blades? Who knows how many desperate, skilled fighters there are in the capital? Why go looking for some madman like that..." Ma Chonghao, to his credit, held nothing back.

Regarding the Red Pill Case and the Palace Removal Case, Ma Chonghao had his own views and analysis: "... Taichang's health was poor to begin with—everyone inside and outside the capital knew that. It was fine while he was still in seclusion at the Eastern Palace, with little to trouble him. But once he ascended the throne, ten thousand affairs pressed in on him, and his constitution simply couldn't bear it. Even if he hadn't taken the red pill, sooner or later he would have died from some bowl of medicine—poisoned or not..."

As for the Palace Removal Case, Ma Chonghao's account was even more colorful: "There's a pack of idlers in the Imperial Guard—useless at their duties, but they love to gossip about the imperial household. According to them, that Consort Li was exceptionally beautiful, but her wits weren't quite clear... In a place as treacherous and turbulent as the rear palace, who knows if some eager soul whispered a few provocative words, and Lady Li simply leapt forward on her own..."

After this speech, both Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing fell silent for a long moment. Wang Zhaojing merely let out a helpless laugh, while Zhao Jin shook his head repeatedly. He flicked the letter paper in his hand and said, "Is this what the court is fixated on now? Why does no one speak of Liaodong? They act as if all under heaven is at peace. Don't tell me the Jianzhou Jurchens have stopped fighting because of these Three Cases?"

Hearing this, Wang Zhaojing tapped his forehead. He reached into a wooden chest beside him, rummaged for a moment, and drew out a sheet of letter paper, which he handed over. "That was my oversight," he said. "There is a passage here that mentions it. I was only thinking the Three Cases were the most critical matter."

Zhao Jin frowned as he took it. This exchange between the brothers greatly puzzled Ma Chonghao, who stood to the side. In his mind, men like Zhao Jin, who harbored grand ambitions, ought to care most about the factional strife at the court's center, keeping constant watch on the shifting currents of high policy. Why, then, did they care so much about affairs in the remote border territory of Liaodong? The Jianzhou Jurchens might be troublesome, might be a grave threat, but surely they did not warrant greater concern than the political shifts at court.

After all, the Three Cases were riddled with inexplicable doubts, yet they implicated every faction. The future composition of the Grand Secretariat, the Six Ministries, and even the provincial governors would all shift because of them. For the Zhao Camp, surviving in the heartland of the Great Ming, this was of paramount importance. Far too many high officials and power-holders had ties to the Southern Metropolitan Region. Given the Zhao Camp's methods and conduct, conflict with the authorities and the local gentry was inevitable. If such conflicts ever entangled those high officials and power-holders, and no groundwork had been laid beforehand, disaster would surely follow.

"... Tingbi possesses courage and strategic vision, understands military affairs, and excels at defending the frontier. Yet his nature is rigid and proud; he is prone to insult and mockery. During his time as a censor, he served alongside Yao Zongwen and Liu Guojin on the remonstrance circuit. When Tingbi later assumed command in Liaodong, the two men had expectations of him. When those expectations went unfulfilled, they joined forces to attack Xiong Tingbi. Yao Zongwen, returning from an inspection of Liaodong's troops and horses, submitted a memorial declaring the territory shrinking by the day, slandering Xiong Tingbi for discarding collective strategy in favor of lone wisdom. He further incited his associates to attack, determined to drive him out. Censor Gu Zao was the first to impeach Tingbi, charging that more than a year after his deployment beyond the pass, he had produced no coherent plan; that the loss of Puhe had been concealed and not reported; that soldiers bearing pikes were wasted on digging trenches; and that the imperial sword was brandished to flaunt power and intimidate. As court affairs grew ever more chaotic, debate over the frontier command arose. Censor Feng Sanyuan impeached Tingbi on eight counts of incompetence and three counts of deceiving the throne. An edict was issued for court deliberation. Tingbi, enraged, submitted a defiant memorial arguing his case exhaustively and requesting dismissal. Then Censor Zhang Xiude further impeached him for undermining Liaoyang. Tingbi grew even more furious, submitted another memorial to vindicate himself, and strenuously sought dismissal. Supervising Secretary Wei Yingjia impeached him as well. On the fourth day of the tenth month, the court resolved to permit Tingbi's departure, replacing him with Yuan Yingtai..."

Zhao Jin could now read relatively simple classical prose, and Wang Youshan had been careful to keep his letters to that level. Though Ma Chonghao was inwardly puzzled, he still observed Zhao Jin closely. He watched as Zhao Jin frowned and read the letter with deep concentration. When Zhao Jin had listened to the talk of the Three Cases, his manner had been quite relaxed. Now, however, he was utterly solemn.

"Madness. Xiong Tingbi had nearly stabilized Liaodong. Swapping commanders so casually now is bound to bring trouble." Zhao Jin handed the letter back to Wang Zhaojing. Ma Chonghao stole a glance, then lowered his head again, thinking to himself: shouldn't Zhao Jin be pleased by the deterioration of Liaodong's frontier affairs? Why this attitude? Wang Zhaojing, however, showed no surprise at all. He simply took the letter and said, "My father writes that Xiong Tingbi's temperament is far too rigid and explosive; he cannot endure the slightest grievance. Yao Zongwen and Liu Guojin have already thrown in their lot with the Donglin, while Xiong Tingbi, far off in Liaodong, never paid the Donglin any particular courtesy. This time, he was certain to be attacked. Given Xiong Tingbi's nature, he could not bear it—his dismissal was only to be expected."

Zhao Jin shook his head and gave a cold laugh. "A hundred thousand troops destroyed at Sarhu, the Jianzhou Jurchen savages so mighty—and yet, in the eyes of all under heaven, it still cannot compare to these pointless squabbles at the court's center. Truly, truly..."

He spoke a couple more sentences, then glanced at Ma Chonghao and stopped. Ma Chonghao understood—Zhao Jin was wary of speaking too openly in his presence. Some words could not yet be said plainly. But Ma Chonghao did not take it to heart. How much time had passed? If he were accepted so easily, that would be naive. What still puzzled Ma Chonghao, however, was Zhao Jin's reaction to Liaodong. The response seemed somewhat excessive. Was he not confusing priorities? Living in the Great Ming's heartland, harboring such grand ambitions—no matter how much one worried for the state and the people, one still had to understand what mattered most. If Zhao Jin was merely driven by hot-blooded passion, then had Ma Chonghao made the wrong choice?

A hundred thoughts churned in Ma Chonghao's mind. But at this point, he laughed inwardly at himself—he was truly overthinking things. The fact was, he had nowhere else to go. Only this place would take him in. He had best not be picky.

Zhao Jin, however, did not let his emotions show too much. He merely patted the armrest of his chair and said, "So much news—what else is there? Your father has long been in the capital; what he sees and hears is naturally different from us. What he deems important may very well be important. What I just said was merely a lament."

These words were, in truth, an explanation to Wang Zhaojing. His earlier lament could easily be misunderstood as criticism of Wang Youshan for confusing priorities. Wang Zhaojing, however, shook his head with a smile and said, "We're brothers—why say such things?" With that casual remark, he drew out another sheet of letter paper and began to read aloud. The letters from the capital, along with the copied gazettes, were punctuated so that Zhao Jin could read them himself. Yet, by a habit formed at some unknown point, it was always Wang Zhaojing who read them to Zhao Jin, explaining as he went along for convenience.

"... Conferred upon Madam Ke the title of Fengsheng Furen, with her son Hou Guoxing and her younger brother Ke Guang both granted hereditary entry into the Brocade Guard as chiliarchs. Bestowed hereditary honors upon Wei Zhongxian, with his elder brother Wei Zhao granted entry into the Brocade Guard as a chiliarch. The assembled ministers argued strenuously against it, but the Son of Heaven would not yield. My father's letter also says that the Tianqi Emperor trusts Madam Ke more than he does the empress dowager. He says the Tianqi Emperor's nature is quite gentle and compliant, and with a new monarch just ascended, he would not normally dispute much with his ministers. But on the matter of enfeoffing Madam Ke, the Tianqi Emperor was very insistent..." Wang Zhaojing read with a smile.

Zhao Jin also shook his head, laughing. "Whatever lies behind the Palace Removal Case, the court ministers did help Tianqi secure the throne. With that bond of cause and effect, for Tianqi to still insist on rewarding Madam Ke—that shows the depth of his trust."

After these brief comments, both Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing looked toward Ma Chonghao. Compared to their own superficial speculations, Ma Chonghao, having spent so many years in the capital, surely knew far more of the inside story. His earlier explanation had been quite incisive; he could likely offer some analytical insight into the bestowal of honors upon Madam Ke and Wei Zhongxian as well.

Ma Chonghao smiled and stepped forward. He did not dislike such work. As a subordinate of the Zhao Camp, to be able to explain the inner workings of court politics to Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing—countless men would envy and covet such a role.

Just as he was about to speak, Zhao Jin's brow suddenly furrowed. He turned to Wang Zhaojing and asked, "What was that name you just said—Wei something?"

Both Wang Zhaojing and Ma Chonghao were momentarily taken aback. Wang Zhaojing promptly handed the sheet of letter paper to Zhao Jin and said, "Wei Zhongxian. He has always served at the Tianqi Emperor's side. With Tianqi's ascension this time, he was bound to be given important duties. To receive such honors this early shows his weight in the Son of Heaven's regard."

Zhao Jin looked toward Ma Chonghao. Ma Chonghao understood and explained, "In the Imperial Guard—no, in the Brocade Guard—this man is known. His original surname was Li, from somewhere around Cangzhou, I believe. He gained favor by managing the meals for Taichang Emperor's mother. Later, he ingratiated himself with the Tianqi Emperor's wet nurse, Madam Ke. It's said the two have already become 'tablemates.' He was always in charge of the meals, but by now, he should have entered the Directorate of Ceremonial, shouldn't he?"

Thanks to "Quan Eryao Jiaqile, Desert Road, Yeyu Xie Chenfeng, Chou Xiaotian," friends who tipped on Qidian.

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