During this period, Zhang Er, seeing how Prince Yu was repeatedly humiliated by the Yan family using the same tactics, proactively pledged his allegiance. Prince Yu, recognizing him as a capable individual, entrusted him with important matters. At this very moment, Zhang Er’s words naturally reminded Prince Yu of the vexing events in Jiangnan some time ago; both were equally insidious and malicious, which naturally caused Prince Yu to lose his composure.
Indeed,
Prince Yu’s chest heaved for a while, and he feigned nonchalance, saying,
“And what about Song Yin’er?”
Zhang Er replied,
“She was the daughter of the disgraced official Song Da Shiao. Song Da Shiao was a Jinshi from seventeen years prior and served as a minister in the Ministry of Justice. He impeached Yan Song along with a Censor, and was retaliated against by Yan Song, accused of slandering the court. After a hundred strokes of the court rod, he was banished to Guangxi, and his family members were all sent to the Jiaofangsi (a government institution for entertainers). Yan Shifan was incredibly cruel; not only did he patronize his daughter, but he also brought out Song Yin’er, turning her into a whore for the official circles, and used her to curry favor with many court officials… Later, Yan Shifan gifted this girl to Prince Jing. At that time, Prince Jing was only seventeen or eighteen years old and cherished her like a treasure…”
Upon reaching this point,
He subtly glanced at Prince Yu. Seeing his immense indignation, he immediately stopped speaking.
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Prince Yu sighed, grumbling,
“You are the second in command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Knowing these events were so cruel and wicked, why didn’t you report them?”
Zhang Er also felt genuine regret, sighing,
“Your Highness, your humble servant is merely an executor. Although I am a chiliarch of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, how could I dare to offend someone with the surname Yan? Throughout history, civil officials have always detested our kind. Moreover, with the Yan father and son being so powerful, who would dare to report them… Alas, after being dismissed from office, I slowly came to understand that if the Great Ming continues like this, it cannot endure. If the Yan family is not eradicated, the Great Ming will surely fall!”
Prince Yu and Yin Tai couldn’t help but sigh in response—
He was the second in command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, possessing such immense power! He was someone everyone feared. Even he feared Yan Shifan, which showed how great the Yan family’s power was.
However, Prince Yu, having experienced setbacks, viewed matters with much more coldness. While the Yan family was indeed detestable, he still needed to utilize their father and son first. Even if he intended to eliminate them, it had to be done without them realizing it. Moreover, the most crucial matter at present was to secure his own position and prepare for any unforeseen changes.
With this thought, he continued,
“What about Prince Jing? What did Xu Jiu say after he went?”
Zhang Er replied,
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“Old Ninth went to Anlu and did not see him upon his return. He went to the palace alone to face the Emperor. What he said to the Emperor, I do not know… When he went, I had placed an informant there. That informant reported that he personally saw Prince Jing, who was going mad in the courtyard of the Tianxiang Tower! Old Ninth did not allow him to enter. He interrogated Prince Jing alone for a long time. I don’t know what there is to question a madman about?
In my humble opinion, Prince Jing was under house arrest at the time, and that case also had its issues, because the testimonies accusing Prince Jing of vying for the throne were from his retainers and several officials of the Yan family. However, the case was handled by Chen Hong, and after it was concluded, it was sealed. Without Duke Lu’s directive, no one could look at it…”
Prince Yu listened intently, thinking: The rumors from back then were mostly true. Prince Jing was framed by Yan Shifan, and the Emperor, in a moment of oversight, placed him under house arrest. And after being confined, he somehow went mad…
“Zhang Er, how did Prince Jing go mad?”
Zhang Er pondered for a moment and then, throwing caution to the wind, said,
“Your Highness, these are imperial secrets. I should not speak of them, but since Your Highness has asked, and we are in a time of crisis, I will speak plainly—
Once, while a guest at Lu Bing’s house, I overheard Yan Shifan let slip a sentence, saying that Prince Jing ‘was bound to go mad’… Lu Bing and I pretended not to have heard, and Yan Shifan didn’t say anything further. Later, I questioned my subordinates, and someone said that several of Prince Jing’s retainers had long since been replaced by Yan Shifan’s people.
Your Highness, there is a thread to this matter. Prince Jing was either harmed or driven mad by Yan Shifan. With so many people watching him, anyone would go mad!”
Hiss!
Yin Tai heard this and was chilled to the bone, thinking that imperial affairs were indeed as mysterious as ever. A dignified Prince Jing could also be treated so miserably…
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Prince Jing was, after all, Prince Yu’s own brother. Experiencing such a turn of events, Prince Yu couldn’t help but sigh. But such is life in the imperial family; if you don’t contend, you will die.
With this thought,
He said gravely,
“Zhang Er, you must send people to Anlu to investigate again. Is Prince Jing truly mad, or is he feigning madness? Will it be possible for Yan Song to put him forward to vie for the succession?”
Zhang Er suddenly stood up and said,
“Your humble servant obeys!”
Prince Yu waved his hand, signaling him to sit down. He himself stood up, paced for several rounds, and then said gravely,
“I am already the Crown Prince. If there are no accidents, enthronement should be no problem. At least, the chances of success are not small… Currently, I have encountered some setbacks, and there are also some hidden dangers. Moreover, the situation is complex and ever-changing. I must also be prepared to deal with it… Do you understand?”
The two men stood up and bowed, saying,
“We understand.”
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Prince Yu continued,
“There are three matters at hand. First, we must ascertain Prince Jing’s true condition, whether he is feigning madness or truly mad. Second, since ancient times, no coup has ever succeeded without manpower. I need a group of loyal retainers. Chongji, take my jade pendant these few days and go to see Duke of Ying Zhang Rong and Marquis Gongshun Wu Ji Jue, and ask them to select a group of loyal retainers for me. They will be housed at the Zhihua Temple east of the city… Third, Zhang Er, you send people to monitor the Yan family and also pay attention to the movements within the palace. Report any slightest disturbance immediately.”
The two men said in unison, “We obey!”
Prince Yu let out a long sigh and then said,
“Zhang Er, has that Zhu Mo’s background been clarified?”
Zhang Er also shook his head and said,
“This person is truly strange; no matter how we investigate, we can’t clarify it… However, Your Highness, a few days ago I found Tao Zhongwen, and he said that during the Qingci case, the Emperor had Wu Feng find an old Daoist priest. It is highly likely that this was the same Taoist who raised Zhu Mo. However, he has since disappeared without a trace…”
Prince Yu had also heard this rumor and had pondered it for a long time. He roughly guessed that the Emperor had likely arranged for him to stay in some imperial Taoist temple. But there were so many imperial Taoist temples in the realm; where could he search? Even Tao Zhongwen did not know, so others would be even less likely to. However, how could Zhu Mo’s background not be clarified?
He finally took out a stack of silver notes from his怀 and handed them to Zhang Er, saying,
“That old Daoist priest must be thoroughly investigated, no matter the cost. Here is five hundred thousand taels of silver. Take it first, spend it liberally, and even if you have to buy the information, do so!”
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Zhang Er immediately gained confidence. In this world, money can make the devil do its work. With enough money, one could truly find out anything. He immediately nodded and said,
“Your Highness, with this money spent, there should be news.”
Prince Yu nodded, looked at the sky that was beginning to darken, and sighed,
“I don’t want to do this, but can I afford not to?”
Zhang Er and Yin Tai exchanged glances, both feeling a sense of fear. After all, they were getting involved in the imperial succession struggle. One could not afford to lose, and losing meant the extermination of one’s clan!
But these two men were also filled with resentment. Zhang Er still had some wealth, and only feared that the Yan family would eventually silence them. Yin Tai, on the other hand, had lost everything and endured endless injustice over the years; he was now no different from a desperate fugitive.
After a slight hesitation, the two men became resolute.
…
Hangzhou,
The Ci Ren Temple.
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Under the supervision of Yin Shidan and Zhao Zhenji, the reformist cavalry had all been disbanded, and the屯垦 (túnkěn - land reclamation) volunteers had returned to their respective garrisons. After their busy efforts, the two men finally felt a weight lifted from their hearts.
On this day,
The two of them, along with Tan Lun, deliberated in the Governor’s mansion and decided to implement four of the five reform measures, excluding the disbandment of the reformist cavalry. Yin Shidan was only there to oversee things, and since the Crown Prince and Grand Secretary Chen did not oppose these policies, he had no objections. Zhao Zhenji, having received a secret letter from Xu Jie, also decided to maintain the Yan family’s established strategies, as Yan Song was still the largest shareholder in the Great Ming, after all.
However, according to the Crown Prince’s decree, Zhu Mo could also participate in state affairs. Although he could not make major decisions, he had to be kept informed, as Zhu Mo was backed by the Emperor.
After a brief discussion, the two men sent for Zhu Mo.
Yin Shidan had been in Hangzhou for a long time and had met Zhu Mo twice. Moreover, he had heard of Zhu Mo’s reputation in the capital. During his travels through many prefectures and counties recently, although the attitude of local officials, gentry, and common people towards Zhu Mo varied, their admiration was unanimous. Furthermore, Yin Shidan was very intelligent. Thinking about how difficult Zhu Mo was to deal with, what if he became aggressive? Kuaishu Ge
He immediately asked,
“Meng Jing, if Zhu Zixuan objects, what should we do?”