On the tenth day of the fourth month, grand morning court.
Zhu Bowen rode on horseback along the road to court, his expression more grave than it had ever been. He had not slept a wink the night before, because of the message Zhi’er had sent through the night.
Something had happened inside the palace. This news was almost too staggering to take in.
“Minister Zhu.”
Zhu Bowen turned and clasped his hands in greeting. “Duke of National Security.”
Given the dealings between them in recent times, and the fact that his grandson and Zhu Bowen’s granddaughter were now close, the Duke had long ceased to treat him as an outsider. He drew close and lowered his voice. “I hear that the young miss has returned.”
“She has — they say she was so exhausted she fell asleep mid-sentence.”
Thinking of the rumors circulating in the capital, the Duke could only shake his head and sigh. “Those who know understand exactly what happened. Give her some comfort. More people remember her for the good she has done than not.”
“Even if it weighs on her, she is not someone who would change her principles because of those kinds of words.” Otherwise she wouldn’t have sent that message last night. Zhu Bowen looked casually back over his shoulder, then leaned toward the Duke and dropped his voice further. “The Emperor has not made an appearance for several days now. Yesterday, the Sixth Prince brought the silver and requested an audience — he never saw the Emperor. No instructions have come down either.”
The Duke’s brow drew together. “No appearance, and no word?”
“That is correct. I think the situation is wrong. If the Emperor still does not appear at today’s court session, I would ask you to come forward and have several people contest with me over where the silver should go — make it heated, if you like. In the end, we will petition the Emperor to make the final ruling and see whether he can be drawn out.”
The Duke felt a jolt pass through him. “You suspect — but he may simply be resting. His health, after all…”
“Yesterday, both the Sixth Prince and the Office of Seven Lodges tried separate channels and still saw no one — and the Office of Seven Lodges was barred from entering the palace as well.”
“Even the Office of Seven Lodges was turned away?”
“Yes.”
The Duke understood the gravity of it. The Office of Seven Lodges — who were they? They held the right of direct audience. Their offices were stationed within the palace grounds. If even they could not gain access…
The two men exchanged a look. The Duke gave a nod in agreement.
At the hour of mao, the palace gates slowly swung open. Zhu Bowen and the Duke exchanged a glance, both of their hearts heavy as stone.
The civil and military officials entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony and arranged themselves according to rank. The Emperor had not yet arrived. The ministers conversed in low voices, and the question on most lips was the same: would the Emperor appear today?
After a short wait, there came at last a stir — but just as Zhu Bowen’s heart lifted with hope and he prepared to kneel and offer the ceremonial salute, he caught from the corner of his eye that it was not the Emperor who emerged, but the head eunuch Chang who had been keeping close to the Emperor’s side these past days.
“His Majesty has issued a decree: the ministers shall conduct today’s court session independently. Once court affairs have been deliberated, the results are to be recorded in memorials and submitted.”
Xiao Liu clenched his hands into fists. He instinctively glanced at his Third Imperial Brother and Fourth Imperial Brother, saw that both wore furrowed brows, thought for a moment, and in the end said nothing to either. He did not trust them.
The eyes of the assembled officials settled on the two highest-ranking figures present — the Duke of Founding Nation and Duke Lu. Duke of Founding Nation gave a light cough and said, “If any ministers have matters to memorialize, you may speak and we shall deliberate first.”
“Yes.”
Someone offered the opening remarks and raised two matters, both of which were settled with almost no debate. Then Zhu Bowen stepped forward. “What this minister wishes to raise concerns the silver brought back from Jinyang by the Office of Seven Lodges yesterday. His Majesty previously issued orders that military provisions must not be delayed, and the treasury has been strained, already feeling the pressure greatly — this silver, by any reckoning, should be deposited into the national treasury.”
“Minister Zhu speaks out of turn,” said the Minister of Works, He Lianjie, stepping out of line. “His Majesty has already instructed this minister to make preparations for opening the canal, and has given his word that this silver would be allocated to the Ministry of Works. Having Minister Zhu say this now — is the Ministry of Works to proceed or not?”
The Minister of War, Chen Yuanqing, stepped forward as well. “The Chao Li people are pressing forward with increasing ferocity. His Majesty summoned this minister privately and ordered the forging of a new batch of weapons for our soldiers — this, too, is a costly undertaking. If this matter is delayed, who shall be held responsible?”
Eyes were on the silver from all directions. Even those whom the Duke had not previously coordinated with came pushing forward, eager to claim a share. The wrangling went back and forth — yet in the end, the Ministry of Revenue’s claim was the most legitimate by far.
At this point, someone said, “This minister believes we ought first to address the matter of Hua Zhi. She is the daughter of a convicted criminal, yet she interfered in the affairs of Jinyang. Who, this minister asks, granted her that authority?”
A hush passed through the clamorous hall. Zhu Bowen looked coldly at the man who had spoken. “Might I ask, Minister Liu — what consequence has come from my granddaughter’s interference in this matter?”
“Whatever the consequence, Hua Zhi’s overstepping is a fact.”
“Oh? So what Minister Liu is saying is that my granddaughter ought to have stood by with folded arms, allowed Jinyang to descend into chaos, allowed the silver of Jinyang to flow out, allowed the people there to live in terror and unrest?”
Minister Liu could hardly answer that directly, so he only said, “Jinyang has its own officials. There were those there to manage matters.”
“Has Jinyang ever lacked for officials? Yet the Chao Li people have used it as a base for years, seized its wealth for themselves, and turned nearly the entire city into a den of gambling. Every one of you here has spent years in officialdom. Can any of you honestly say Jinyang’s officials were without fault? I put one question to you all: if you had been in Jinyang in her place, could you have handled it better? Could any of you have shown the courage and the resolve to act as she did? If she had done nothing and Jinyang had fallen to disorder, would you then say she was guilty of being capable yet choosing not to act? Minister Liu — where were you when she was fighting the Chao Li people with her life? Where were you when she was spending every night devising plans for Jinyang’s future? You open and close your mouth and call for her to be tried, but what crime has she committed? Where does that leave her toil? Where does that leave her wholehearted loyalty to Da Qing?”
The anger he had been holding back for days poured out with each mounting accusation. Zhu Bowen did not stop there. “Hua Zhi has no standing to appear in court. You can speak ten thousand wrongs against her and she has no platform on which to refute a single one. But Minister Liu — is your conscience clear? Your granddaughter lives in this prosperous capital, enjoying every comfort, never setting foot outside the gate, surrounded by servants, wanting for nothing. My granddaughter had to go out there and withstand the blows of the Chao Li people with her own body. Whose interests was she protecting? Does she not know how to live well? Is it that she didn’t know how, and went out there to suffer by choice? Even if the Hua family falls, the Zhu family stands — the Zhu family can still see to it that she has servants aplenty and wants for nothing!”
“As can I.” Another voice rose — it was Xiao Liu. He lifted his chin, proud even in his indignation. “She is my Shifu. I too can ensure she has servants aplenty, and wants for nothing.”
That was the reminder everyone needed. Only now did the assembled officials think to recall that Hua Zhi was also the teacher to whom the Sixth Prince had formally offered tea and performed the bow of discipleship. What Minister Liu was attacking was a prince’s teacher — she could no longer be considered a mere commoner in any simple sense.
Besides, who among those present did not know the full truth of this matter? Examined fairly, not only was there no wrongdoing — there was merit. It was only those with conflicting loyalties who could find any grounds to pin a charge against Hua Zhi.
Minister Liu glanced sideways at the Fourth Prince, wanted to retreat but found himself with no way down, and so pressed on: “Even so, it remains a fact that Hua Zhi has violated Da Qing’s laws!”
Zhu Bowen shook his sleeve back sharply and dropped to his knees facing north. “Then let His Majesty be the one to decide. Does anyone else have matters to raise?”
Some shook their heads. Others kept their silence. Zhu Bowen swept back the hem of his robe, knelt, and called out, “This minister asks Eunuch Chang to convey a message: this minister requests an audience with His Majesty.”
The Ministers of Works and War both dropped to their knees in unison. “We ask Eunuch Chang to convey a message: we request an audience with His Majesty.”