Chapter 21: Zhu Di’s Thunderous Fury (Please Keep Reading)

Zhu Di had never been this furious. He could tolerate a high-ranking official neglecting state affairs to go drinking at the Qinhuai River; he would simply have them punished according to the law. But to go seeking out the concubines of Qi Tai?

Back when you were all colleagues in the imperial court, and now that Qi Tai and his ilk have been executed, their families implicated and enslaved, and their remaining kin cast into brothels—you go and seek out their concubines? Truly elegant, how very elegant indeed!

"Arrest him! Arrest Ru Chang at once! I want his head!"

Zhu Di was beside himself with rage, but Yao Guangxiao remained calm. "Your Majesty, remnants of the rebel faction still hide in the city. You are traveling incognito—do not reveal your identity. Let us handle this matter at tomorrow morning's audience. Please, return to the palace immediately."

"No! I cannot endure this. The Ming court cannot tolerate such vermin, not even for a moment!" Zhu Di stood up abruptly, intending to make the arrest himself.

At this moment, Xu Jingchang said softly, "Your Majesty, I believe this must not be done. Otherwise, there is no telling what rumors might spread—people might say Your Majesty and Minister Ru were fighting over a woman..."

"Bullshit!" Zhu Di glared, his eyes bulging. "Xu Jingchang, you little brat, you’re asking for a beating! I’m going to kill you!"

Zhu Di raised his massive, sandbag-like fist, ready to strike Xu Jingchang.

"Your Majesty, public opinion is a fearsome thing, as it has always been. This matter can be handled formally. At tomorrow's court, I shall impeach the officials, accusing them of misconduct."

After Xu Jingchang finished speaking, Yao Guangxiao was delighted. "Your Majesty, the Administrative Assistant's plan is excellent. It is most appropriate for him to lead the impeachment. Return to the palace quickly, lest the gates close and the news leaks, alerting the enemy."

Zhu Di had no choice but to agree.

Thus, he returned to the palace, his heart full of fury, followed by Ji Gang and Yao Guangxiao. Only Wu Shan and Xu Jingchang remained.

Wu Shan’s face had gone pale, his voice trembling. "My Lord, with His Majesty in such a thunderous rage, I fear tomorrow will see the streets running red with blood?"

Xu Jingchang rolled his eyes. "It will at least provide the Qinhuai River with plenty of new stock."

Wu Shan froze, finally understanding Xu Jingchang’s meaning. His face withered like a steamed bun that no one wanted. "My Lord, your counter-attack is truly ruthless!"

Xu Jingchang scoffed. "Only just realized? Go and search for evidence of their crimes. If you perform well tomorrow, you might even be promoted three ranks, who knows?"

In an instant, it was as if Wu Shan had been injected with adrenaline; he let out a strange cry and rushed off to work.

Xu Jingchang, however, remained calm. He had a good night’s sleep to restore his energy.

Before dawn, Xu Jingchang took his carriage to the Meridian Gate. Jian Yi, Xia Yuanji, and the others had already arrived, including Ru Chang, who was prominently among them.

Xu Jingchang glanced over and noticed that the man looked full of vigor, showing no signs of fatigue.

Good heavens, out drinking last night and still looking like this today—one has to admit, he is truly vigorous for his age!

Xu Jingchang stood with the civil officials. There were seven people ahead of him: the Ministers of the Six Ministries, plus the Censor-in-Chief of the Left. This meant he ranked eighth among the civil officials, with the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review behind him.

On the side of the military generals, Qiu Fu had called in sick, and Prince Han, Zhu Gaoxu, had not come. The leader was now the Duke of Cheng, Zhu Neng. Xu Jingchang did not know if it was his imagination, but when he looked in that direction, he saw the Duke baring his teeth in a smile at him.

Is he trying to show goodwill?

Xu Jingchang did not know what to make of it, just as Yao Guangxiao arrived. Having accepted the title of Duke of Rong from Zhu Di, he stood with the military nobility. With the old monk there to hold the line, Xu Jingchang felt relieved.

The old monk arrived right on time. Shortly after, led by officials from the Court of Ceremonial Guests, they entered the palace to pay homage to the Emperor.

Zhu Di’s face was as dark as water, his eyes bloodshot; it was clear he could no longer suppress his anger.

"Your Majesty, I wish to impeach the officials," Xu Jingchang said, stepping forward with a sharp voice.

At his words, everyone present was stunned, especially the group that had just been accusing Xu Jingchang; their faces turned ugly. You little brat, you are too arrogant—we impeach you, and you retaliate immediately? We are all upright and honest officials; false accusations against court officials carry consequences.

Zhu Di could not wait. "What are you impeaching them for?"

"I impeach the Minister of the Ministry of War, Ru Chang, and fifty-two other officials for frequenting brothels, indulging in debauchery, and corrupting national decorum. Their crimes are grave. In particular, Minister of War Ru Chang sought out the concubine of Qi Tai—this matter is truly unspeakable!" Xu Jingchang declared loudly.

Hearing this, Ru Chang’s face changed slightly, but he possessed enough composure to remain calm.

Zhu Di looked at him, his voice deep. "Minister Ru, what say you? Have you visited a brothel?"

To everyone's surprise, Ru Chang replied frankly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, I have, and it was indeed yesterday."

This answer left even Zhu Di dumbfounded. You actually have the nerve to admit it!

"And for what reason?" Zhu Di pressed.

"To check on the families of the convicted officials," Ru Chang replied honestly.

This left Zhu Di completely bewildered. "Minister Ru, those traitors were your former colleagues. To lay your hands on their female relatives is surely going too far, is it not?"

Ru Chang replied calmly, "Your Majesty, your humble servant has no intention of taking advantage of others, nor would I kick a man while he is down. As you know, when I served as Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, it was Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng who framed me and had me demoted out of Yingtian. Your Majesty is well aware of this."

Zhu Di paused. "Indeed, I am aware of this, which is why I promoted you to Minister of the Ministry of War."

Ru Chang smiled. "Your Majesty’s grace is boundless. It is well known that I was at odds with the likes of Qi and Huang. Now that they have been executed and their families implicated, their remaining concubines and kin have been relegated to the register of entertainers. I went to the Qinhuai River because I heard that base villains were taking the opportunity to abuse them, forcing some to throw themselves into the river and die. While they are lowly servants, they should not be left to the mercy of brothels—where does that leave the law of the land? I went only to discipline these villains, with no other ill intent. This act was also meant to demonstrate Your Majesty’s benevolence. I hope the Holy Emperor will see the truth."

After Ru Chang finished his explanation, Zhu Di was left speechless.

He had already pardoned Sheng Yong, declaring that only a few, such as Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng, were truly guilty. Continuing the hunt for Jianwen’s old officials was indeed inappropriate. Even better, Ru Chang had a conflict with Qi and Huang; he was not of their faction, so his visit to the Qinhuai River had a perfectly legitimate excuse.

Of course, it was merely an excuse.

But it was enough. Many officials looked at Xu Jingchang with malice—you ignorant little brat, you’ve kicked an iron plate, haven’t you? You want to fight us? You still have decades of rice to eat before you’re ready for that!

Xu Jingchang smiled slightly. "Minister Ru, you are truly righteous and upright. I had thought you went to seek revenge!"

Ru Chang flew into a rage. "Administrative Assistant Xu, you are smearing me! You are framing me. Even if your status is extraordinary, I will never accept this."

As he spoke, Ru Chang turned to appeal to Zhu Di.

Zhu Di was in an awkward position. To catch a thief, one needs the stolen goods; to catch an adulterer, one needs two witnesses. If he had rushed in yesterday and seized Ru Chang, the man could not have argued, but now it had become a game of "he said, she said." What was to be done?

He glanced at Xu Jingchang and saw him smiling, completely unperturbed.

Does this boy still have an ace up his sleeve?

"Minister Ru, one month ago, when His Majesty arrived in the capital, you were in charge of renovating the Imperial Way. That is correct, is it not?"

Ru Chang froze. "That is true. I worked on it with the Ministry of Works. But what does that have to do with you slandering me?"

"Not much, except that some people took the fine stone intended for the Imperial Way and used it to pave the roads of the Qinhuai River, leaving the Imperial Way uneven. When our Emperor ascended the throne, the road he walked upon was not as good as the road leading to a brothel... Minister Ru, would you say this constitutes great disrespect, or even the crime of deceiving the Emperor?"

Ru Chang’s face changed abruptly. "You, you are spouting nonsense! You are framing me!"

Xu Jingchang smiled. "As I said, I have witnesses."

"Witnesses? Who are your witnesses?"

Xu Jingchang laughed. "Naturally, His Majesty. Your Majesty, do you remember the two stones I submitted?"

Zhu Di suddenly realized. He had been so focused on his anger toward Ru Chang and how to deal with the officials that he hadn't realized there was a deeper issue.

"Go, fetch the stones."

Before long, a eunuch brought the two stones.

Zhu Di stood up himself, grabbed the better one, and chuckled. "This is the stone from the road leading to the brothels." Then, he picked up the other, broken, weathered stone and said with self-mockery, "And this is the road I walked upon to offer sacrifices to my ancestors. Good, very good!"

In the next second, Zhu Di raised the stone and hurled it fiercely at Ru Chang.

"Eloquent but deceitful, you are the most shameless of all!"

Zhu Di cursed through gritted teeth. Ru Chang collapsed to the ground, and the court officials gasped in horror...