1390 AD, Imperial Palace of Yingtian Prefecture

Zhu Yunwen slowly emerged from the Grand Study Hall. After passing through the left and right gates and crossing Huagai Palace, he waited for a while beside this pavilion-like hall with its four-sided eaves and gold-inlaid circular dome, finally seeing the main gates of Fengtian Hall open wide as the nobles and ministers who had just finished morning court filed out.

Seeing their expressions of fear and trepidation, relief at surviving disaster, or mental confusion, Zhu Yunwen sighed inwardly.

Imperial Grandfather had recently disposed of Li Shanchang on charges of treason. Though Zhu Yunwen was only fourteen, he knew that the seventy-seven-year-old man had been keeping a low profile and peacefully enjoying his retirement since stepping down from the position of Chancellor, and would absolutely never harbor treasonous thoughts. Yet not long ago, Li Shanchang was executed after being reported by a household slave. Several high-ranking marquises were implicated, and after investigation by the Brocade Guard, this case spiraled out of control. By now, over thirty thousand officials had been implicated.

It was said that several executioners’ blades had been dulled, the blood flowing in the execution grounds had stained the stone bricks so deeply that no amount of washing could clean it, and even the pristine white snow falling from the sky couldn’t cover the carnage – it turned dark red upon touching the ground.

The entire Ming Empire’s court was as silent as cicadas in winter. This wasn’t without precedent – ten years ago, the influential Hu Weiyong case had resulted in fifteen thousand deaths, and now the Li Shanchang case implicated even more. No one knew how long the emperor’s thunderous wrath would continue. It was said that ministers coming to court each day would bid farewell to their families – perhaps once they left home, they would never return.

Zhu Yunwen had been carefully educated by Zhu Biao since childhood, learning to emulate his father in all words and deeds, believing that benevolence was the means to govern the realm. He truly could not approve of Imperial Grandfather’s actions in his heart.

His father naturally could not approve either. He had heard that yesterday in the Imperial Study, his father had contradicted Imperial Grandfather over the Li Shanchang case. He had not wanted to become involved, but today several students were missing from the Grand Study Hall, including his friend Cheng Cong, which he simply could not ignore.

After the court ministers departed for their various offices, Zhu Yunwen confirmed that no ministers had been executed in morning court due to the emperor’s displeasure, determining that Imperial Grandfather was in good spirits today. Relieved, he turned and took a path toward the Imperial Study. Along the way, all the eunuchs and palace maids he encountered bowed respectfully to him, and not one guard dared obstruct him. These people walking in the palace seemed to feel the turmoil in the outer court even more acutely – when even high officials and nobles lived in constant fear, what more these lowly servants?

Zhu Yunwen proceeded unobstructed to the Imperial Study. Guarding the door was Er Nei, Imperial Grandfather’s most trusted eunuch. Zhu Yunwen greeted him in low tones, and the latter was quite pleased with his attitude, gently having him wait in the warm chamber first while he hurried in to announce him. Zhu Yunwen stood outside the red lacquered screen inlaid with precious stones, vaguely hearing Imperial Grandfather’s voice. Soon Er Nei emerged and nodded at him.

Reading expressions and gauging moods, Zhu Yunwen saw that Er Nei’s expression was peaceful, confirming that Imperial Grandfather was indeed in good spirits today. Only then did he confidently enter to pay his respects.

Zhu Yuanzhang was already sixty-three this year, an age knowing the mandate of heaven, but he still appeared vigorous and handled everything personally. After Zhu Yunwen finished his greetings and raised his head, he found his father was indeed in the Imperial Study, while Imperial Grandfather sitting behind the imperial desk still held that fan of his, never letting it leave his hand despite the current freezing weather.

“Yunwen, your timing is perfect.” Zhu Yuanzhang slowly waved the folding fan in his hand, the breeze making his beard flutter gently. His eyes were slightly closed, appearing calm and peaceful. But those familiar with him knew that this master of the Ming Empire was far from as harmless as he appeared. He said slowly: “You’re already fourteen this year. Having studied in the Grand Study Hall for so long, you should understand court matters. What do you think of the Li Shanchang affair?”

This was an extremely difficult question to answer, but since Zhu Yunwen had come here voluntarily, he was prepared to be asked about this matter. Meeting his father’s worried gaze, Zhu Yunwen replied calmly: “Imperial Grandfather’s actions naturally have their reasons, but so many people are implicated that it may violate heavenly harmony.”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s hand waving the fan paused slightly, his half-closed eyes slowly opening a crack, his mood unclear.

At this moment, Zhu Yunwen noticed something on the imperial desk that shouldn’t be there.

This was the most luxurious palace in the Ming Empire, with exquisite bracket sets and gold-inlaid coffered ceilings above, golden dragons coiled around the round pillars supporting the double eaves, Persian long-haired carpets underfoot, Jiangzhou clay inkstones on the desk, Peng family Huzhou brushes, and newly fired Hongwu blue and white porcelain brush holders among countless priceless objects. Yet in such an environment, a thorn branch lay on the imperial desk, appearing particularly out of place.

Why would this object appear here? Naturally because Imperial Grandfather had sent people to find it. And why would Imperial Grandfather send people to find this object? Naturally to illustrate some point.

Zhu Yunwen was quite intelligent and naturally wouldn’t think Imperial Grandfather wanted someone to bear thorns and plead for forgiveness. After brief consideration, he reached his conclusion.

Zhu Yuanzhang had been watching Zhu Yunwen’s expression closely, and seeing this, asked: “Do you see the deeper meaning of this object?”

Crown Prince Zhu Biao felt nervous. He and father emperor had just left court and hadn’t yet discussed this matter. He could naturally see father emperor’s intentions, but his son was still young, and he feared he might answer incorrectly.

He heard Zhu Yunwen say gently and elegantly: “The thorn branch Imperial Grandfather chose should represent the Ming Empire. Now that the empire is newly established with unstable foundations and thorns everywhere, Imperial Grandfather’s meaning should be to pluck all the thorns from this branch so father can hold it more easily without injury.” The unchanged voice of the youth sounded somewhat childish but was incredibly pleasant to hear.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao’s worried heart settled back in his chest as he stood and said respectfully: “Father Emperor’s painstaking care fills this son with trepidation.”

Zhu Yuanzhang at this moment paid no attention to Zhu Biao’s attitude but closed his fan and pointed across at Zhu Yunwen: “Yunwen, do you have something else you want to say?”

Zhu Yunwen lowered his eyes, clenching his fists to give himself strength through pain. He heard his slightly trembling voice echo in the great hall: “Imperial Grandfather, but how can you confirm that what you’re cutting away are all thorns, and not future possible branches, or even what might become future trunks?”

Crown Prince Zhu Biao was shocked, then his mood became complex, containing both worry and pride.

After all, only a fearless young calf unafraid of tigers could speak such words.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn’t become angry but looked appreciatively at his grandson standing in the center of the hall. Without answering his question, he asked another: “Your coming here today – is it for your father? Or for those officials? Or some other purpose?”

Zhu Yunwen’s body stiffened slightly. He could naturally say it was from worry that father had angered Imperial Grandfather, or that he couldn’t bear Imperial Grandfather’s excessive killing violating heavenly harmony. He could even use long passages from the Four Books and Five Classics to refute him. But he suddenly remembered something his father had once told him.

Never lie in front of your Imperial Grandfather.

So Zhu Yunwen lowered his head and honestly admitted: “My classmate Cheng Cong didn’t come to the Grand Study Hall today…”

Zhu Yuanzhang gently opened his folding fan, seeming very satisfied with his grandson’s answer. He slightly raised the corners of his mouth and nodded: “I understand. Let him return to class tomorrow.” Pausing here for a moment, he said solemnly: “As for your question about how to distinguish thorns from branches – someday I will let you know.”

Zhu Yunwen was shaken by these words, immediately grasping the unfinished implication in Imperial Grandfather’s words. He looked up helplessly to meet his father’s eyes, and both father and son saw the same gleam in each other’s gaze.

1398 AD, Imperial Study

Zhu Yunwen sat behind the imperial desk with quite complex emotions. He knew that someday he would sit in this position, but he hadn’t expected this day to come so quickly.

Father Zhu Biao had yearned for this chair for twenty-five years but died of illness six years ago. Imperial Grandfather had insisted against all opposition on making him Crown Prince Imperial Grandson. After Imperial Grandfather’s recent death, the throne of this great Ming Empire had fallen to him.

Twenty-one-year-old Zhu Yunwen felt his shoulders extraordinarily heavy. So young, how could he manage this empire as Imperial Grandfather had?

Zhu Yunwen stared at the folding fan lying quietly on the imperial desk. Before his death, Imperial Grandfather had told him all about this fan’s origins and mysteries. This also made him understand why Imperial Grandfather was certain that those he killed were all thorns on the branch, not shoots.

However, he didn’t really want to use this Wu Ming Fan.

Having grown up in the imperial palace, he had seen too much scheming and deception.

People here had made lying an instinct, because sometimes, not lying meant not surviving at all.

Moreover, sometimes even when speaking truth, people would take it as lies.

And knowing whether others spoke truth or lies, knowing all the truth – was this happiness or misfortune?

Zhu Yunwen thought of Imperial Grandfather and felt he hadn’t lived a happy life.

“Mingzhe, do you want to know whether others speak truth or lies?” Zhu Yunwen looked up at Cheng Cong, who was accompanying him in reviewing memorials. Mingzhe was his courtesy name, taken from the Zhonglun: “The wise and intelligent are called Cong.”

Cheng Cong was about the same age as Zhu Yunwen. His father had been Assistant Administrator of the Ministry of Personnel and was implicated in the Li Shanchang case. If not for Zhu Yunwen’s courage in pleading for him that time, he and his family would probably have become wronged souls long ago. After Zhu Yunwen’s ascension, he was appointed as Imperial Academy Attendant. Though not a high position, he could serve directly before the emperor. This honor didn’t make Cheng Cong lose his composure but made him even more cautious. He pondered for a moment, put down the memorial in his hands, and said respectfully: “Your Majesty, setting aside that waters too clear have no fish, how are lies to be judged? If this subject knows of drought in Hebei but reports all is well, that’s a lie. But if this subject doesn’t know of drought in Hebei, while officials below report all is well, and this subject presents this memorial to Your Majesty, is this a lie or truth?”

Cheng Cong’s words were somewhat convoluted, but Zhu Yunwen was stunned, suddenly enlightened. No wonder Imperial Grandfather had killed so many people – in reality, not that many people would dare deceive the emperor. Apart from Imperial Grandfather’s desire to eliminate different-surnamed founding ministers by making examples, most others died unjustly. Moreover, deceiving superiors and concealing from inferiors was an unspoken rule of officialdom.

It was just that Imperial Grandfather, due to his impoverished youth, harbored bone-deep hatred for corrupt officials and natural distrust of all officials. This hadn’t changed even after becoming emperor. Monthly salaries were a mere seven and a half dan. Zhu Yunwen had once curiously inquired – one dan of salary rice equaled five qian of silver, meaning two dan equaled one tael of silver, pitifully little. Not to mention officials all had large families to support, including servants and attendants. Reaching such a state in officialdom, one couldn’t survive without taking risks.

Even with Imperial Grandfather’s unprecedented harsh punishment of corrupt officials – under such cruel penalties as flaying and stuffing with grass – corrupt officials still sprang up endlessly like weeds. Why was this?

While Zhu Yunwen’s mind wandered, Cheng Cong didn’t approve of his distraction under such circumstances. Straightening his robes, Cheng Cong respectfully advised: “Your Majesty, regarding Prince of Yan’s matter, a decision should be made.”

A bitter smile played on his lips as Zhu Yunwen thought how Imperial Grandfather had wielded his butcher’s knife against different-surnamed ministers while extensively enfeoffing princely vassals. Of the twenty-five vassal princes Imperial Grandfather had enfeoffed during his lifetime, twenty-four were his uncles. Because meritorious ministers and veteran generals had all been executed, military power had fallen into the vassal princes’ hands. Almost every vassal prince commanded his own army, wielding great power and becoming lords of small empires. He was like a weak lamb surrounded by a pack of wolves – no matter how high and solid the walls of Yingtian Prefecture were built, it was useless.

Fourth Uncle Prince of Yan Zhu Di was enfeoffed in Yanjing Shuntian Prefecture, but his three sons remained in the capital Yingtian Prefecture, ostensibly to study at the Grand Study Hall but actually as hostages. Recently, Prince of Yan Zhu Di had submitted a memorial claiming serious illness and begging Zhu Yunwen to let his three sons return to the fief to see him one last time before death.

Whether to agree to Fourth Uncle Zhu Di’s request was also debated at court. Vice Minister of War Qi Qin strongly advocated detaining the three sons of Prince of Yan as hostages to restrain his actions. But the Minister of Imperial Sacrifices believed that detaining his three sons would give Zhu Di a pretext for rebellion. Now Cheng Cong was reminding him that the time for decision had come – delaying further would only make things worse.

Zhu Yunwen looked at the memorial Cheng Cong placed before him and smiled ironically.

He hadn’t previously understood why Imperial Grandfather chose him as heir. In all respects, Fourth Uncle Zhu Di was more like Imperial Grandfather – decisive in both military command and governance. Yet Imperial Grandfather had directly passed the throne to him, even when logic dictated that Fourth Uncle should inherit after Second and Third Uncles’ deaths.

Later, learning of the Wu Ming Fan’s existence, he understood Imperial Grandfather’s choice – Imperial Grandfather must have known Fourth Uncle was insincere. Moreover, thinking back now, it was strangely coincidental that the two uncles senior to Fourth Uncle had died in their prime before Imperial Grandfather’s death.

The more Zhu Yunwen thought, the more he sighed. Imperial Grandfather having this Wu Ming Fan might have been like adding wings to a tiger. But this Wu Ming Fan in his hands could distinguish that Fourth Uncle’s claims of serious illness were lies, yet no one could tell him what he should actually do.

“Mingzhe, help me draft an edict saying I agree to let the three cousins return to attend the sickness, then send Beiping Left Commissioner Zhang Bing and Military Commissioner Xie Gui to inquire after the illness on my behalf.” Zhu Yunwen’s face showed a mocking expression, thinking of his usually serious Fourth Uncle having to pretend illness, he couldn’t help feeling secretly pleased. But immediately he suppressed his smile – he could only manage such childish pranks, while facing the situation of being surrounded by wolves, he was at a complete loss.

When his gaze fell again on the Wu Ming Fan on the imperial desk, Zhu Yunwen thought to himself:

Imperial Grandfather! A fan that can distinguish truth from lies may be icing on the cake, but it cannot provide help in dire need…