Wanli Emperor Chapter 115 Part 2

Chapter 115 Part 2: Echoes Beyond the Grave, the Great Matter of Life and Death

The incident occurred at the Residence of the Prince of Jing in Qizhou, but the vortex of a political event is never at the epicenter; it is at the center of power.

The greatest vortex in Huguang was naturally Wuchang Prefecture—the location of the Offices of the Three Provincial Commissions, the seat of the Chu Princedom, the head of the Imperial Clansmen, and the station of the Imperial Commissioners and the Touring Censor.

Almost immediately after the news reached Wuchang Prefecture, the Office of the Governor felt the impact.

That very day, several hundred vicious clansmen swarmed the city, brandishing blades and surrounding the gates, gathering outside the Office of the Governor, shouting and demanding an explanation for the Prince of Jing.

After nightfall, they grew even more brazen—each carrying a weapon, they burst into the Governor's courtyard, binding the officials.

Fortunately, the Embroidered Uniform Guard within the Office of the Governor had long been lying in wait and immediately arrested all the vicious clansmen.

Although the situation did not escalate, it was clearly hanging by a thread, having reached a critical juncture.

It was at this very moment that the new Governor of Huguang, Liang Menglong, arrived at his post.

He tightened the coarse linen clothes he wore—he had changed into them intentionally, fearing he would be attacked outside the Office of the Governor.

Just before, when he had arrived outside the Governor's yamen, he had seen a scene of utter chaos!

The main gates of the yamen were smashed, as if they had been stormed by bandits.

Outside, shifty-eyed men watched, their gazes practically murderous toward anyone entering or leaving the Office of the Governor.

For safety's sake, he had changed his clothes, only revealing his seal of office when he reached the gate to gain entry.

The moment he stepped into the Office of the Governor, he was struck by the faint smell of blood, leaving him stunned.

Liang Menglong stroked his beard anxiously, accidentally pulling out two hairs, though he paid it no mind.

He, Governor Liang, had been sent to Huguang in a time of crisis and had been prepared to take over a mess.

He had done the same when he was sent as Governor to Henan.

In the fifth year of the Longqing era (1571), Henan suffered a series of natural disasters and crushing taxes. As the pressure to collect taxes mounted, farmers lost their means to make a living, and banditry broke out across the province.

The people staged small-scale rebellions every year, yet the officials, rather than thinking of governance, were happy to arrest "rebels" to claim merit.

Added to that, the White Lotus Society was stirring up trouble, making a complete mess of Henan.

Liang Menglong had faced that situation and still managed to put out the fire.

The fire in Huguang could not possibly be worse...

But as soon as he set foot in Huguang, news reached him about the Commandery Prince’s self-immolation and the unruly clansmen besieging the government office. The chaos and disgrace he saw there were far beyond anything he had imagined.

The situation in Huguang was far more complex than he had imagined!

How could this be handled by a mere Governor with the rank of Right Vice Censor-in-Chief?

Without the authority of a Vice Minister of War, those several hundred Imperial Clansmen outside might just storm in and cut him down!

Fortunately, unlike in Henan, he did not have to bear this alone.

Those Imperial Commissioners were likely more anxious than he was.

He kicked aside a piece of wood splinter at his feet, took a deep breath, and hoped those Imperial Commissioners would not wipe their feet and run, leaving this mess for him, the Governor.

...

The sky was clear, with sharp stars scattered and only a thin crescent moon. It should have been a peaceful night, perfect for rest.

Unfortunately, in this situation, sleeping on time was a luxury.

With such a mess falling upon him, Liang Menglong naturally could not rest. He had barely arrived when he was summoned by the Imperial Commissioners.

It was now the middle of the night, but the main hall of the Office of the Governor was still brightly lit.

Liang Menglong sat in the Governor's main seat, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

He glanced at the four expressionless Imperial Commissioners in the hall, wanting to speak but hesitating.

A sense of unease filled him—to give him the main seat at a time like this, could it be they truly intended to make him take the fall while they ran?

The more Liang Menglong thought, the more apprehensive he became. He finally could not resist probing, "Honorable Imperial Envoys, the people of Chu are volatile and prone to chaos; they are difficult to govern."

"Furthermore, the Chu and Jing clans have multiplied. In Wuchang City and its surroundings, there are over five thousand. Though many are good, the violent are numerous indeed."

"These men fear neither the Governor nor the Censor, nor even the Imperial Commissioner. What restraint do they have?"

"The Governor is not a military commander; I have no troops to command. During the suppression of the Bozhou rebellion, a temporary post of Regional Commander was established at Pianqiao, but it was abolished after the matter was settled. Thus, the people have nothing to fear, and chaos is frequent!"

"Now, the Governor's yamen is in peril. You, esteemed Envoys, are men of great value. Perhaps you should be cautious and avoid this place."

The Huguang Imperial Clansmen were in an uproar. His Office of the Governor, in any case, had no proper soldiers; it was relying only on the Embroidered Uniform Guard to hold the line.

If the Imperial Commissioners intended to slip away, they had best say so now. If they left without a word, they would be sacrificing him to save themselves, deliberately harming him.

To speak from the heart, Liang Menglong had been transferred from Henan to Huguang, and he was not truly clear on the current situation in Huguang, nor how it had developed to this point.

Was it that the Imperial Commissioners were overeager for merit and had implicated the innocent, or was it that certain people, like cornered dogs, had struck this vicious blow?

He could only speak with veiled words.

Everyone present was a seasoned official; they naturally understood.

Among the Imperial Commissioners, Li Zaiting was slightly younger and less senior, so it fell to him to explain and offer reassurance.

Li Zaiting shook his head. "If this matter is not brought to light, the sagely virtue will be lost amid slander and rumor. How will the truth ever be known by future generations?"

"What are our paltry lives worth? As ministers, if we bear the name of greed, obscurity, and forbearance, how can we assist in the heavenly task?"

These words were extremely heavy—anyone who slipped away now was a disloyal minister, a traitor to the emperor.

It was practically a sworn oath.

Liang Menglong received these words and set his mind at ease.

Since the general direction was not wrong, he ceased his probing and finally turned to proper business.

Liang Menglong opened a dossier and brought up a matter he had noted earlier. "This great fire at the Jing residence—the Prince of Taining sprinkled the ground with water, then with his own blood, dressed in his full regalia, and walked into the fire, his entire palace household following him. The first person to take control of the princely residence was the Heir Apparent of Jing, Zhu Changling."

Zhu Changling had sealed off the scene, allowing no outsiders in.

Even the palace servants who came to fight the fire were delayed for some time.

Fortunately, he did not have the support of the people. After the various Commandery Princes arrived one after another, he slipped away in disgrace.

But immediately afterward, the various Commandery Princes rescued two living people from the fire!

Although the people had not awakened, this, on the contrary, made the Heir Apparent of Jing appear highly suspicious.

Zhu Xizhong sat in his wheelchair, looked up at Liang Menglong, and shook his head, his face expressionless. "We already sent men to the Jing residence. The survivors are unconscious. Zhu Changling himself has vanished without a trace. But... regardless, the key does not lie here."

"Even if we have ironclad proof that it was this Heir Apparent of Jing who did it, and not the Prince of Taining who self-immolated, it will be of no use."

These words were somewhat obscure. Liang Menglong heard them and frowned, uncomprehending.

After thinking for a long moment, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him, and he understood.

This was a case that shook the very heart of the empire—a matter for the Central Government, not some ordinary local investigation he was used to handling.

The latter was about presenting facts and reasoning for the people and the gentry to see.

The former... was not about the facts, but about the influence!

Even if they arrested the true culprit, outsiders would suspect it was a deliberate act to quell the disturbance.

Worse, they might even say—“Just as everyone suspected! They drove the administrator to his death, then blamed the Heir Apparent. It’s clear—they wish to cut off the Jing line entirely. The Emperor’s heart is truly cold.”

In a political case, all parties already have their positions. They only believe what they want to believe.

In other words, the moment this incident occurred, the emperor's sagely virtue was inevitably going to be questioned!

Small wonder, then, that the four Imperial Commissioners appeared so troubled, as if carrying a heavy burden that offered no simple solution.

Just then, Wu Jinghe suddenly looked at Hai Rui and Li Zaiting. "Censor Hai, Supervising Secretary Li."

The two men met his gaze.

Wu Jinghe paused, then spoke slowly. "This matter is of great importance. Why do you two not return to the capital first, report to His Majesty in person, and then we shall plan further?"

Hai Rui and Li Zaiting exchanged a look.

How could they not understand Wu Jinghe's meaning?

He wasn’t truly suggesting they return to the capital to make a report—such a journey would take two months, by which time the matter would be long past.

This Commandery Prince wanted to protect them, to handle this himself with Zhu Xizhong!

Hai Rui, almost without hesitation: "It is precisely because this matter is of great importance that this official cannot betray the imperial grace and allow the sagely virtue to be damaged."

Li Zaiting was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Commandery Prince, let us not speak of this again. It is better to speak of proper business."

"The most urgent task now is that we cannot allow His Majesty's sagely virtue to be damaged, to bear the name of persecuting his own kin."

"Tomorrow, I will personally go to the Jing residence to offer condolences to the Prince of Taining."

Even if the effect was minimal, it was a necessary gesture. They couldn’t simply hide behind the idea that taking no action meant making no mistake.

Wu Jinghe's kind intention was refused, so he naturally did not press the matter. He nodded. "I will go with you to bestow grace upon the Jing clansmen."

Although this had not been forced by them, from the perspective of Wu Jinghe's mission, with the Prince of the Blood and the heir apparent both absent, it was a good time to handle affairs.

It was also a good time to "bestow grace" upon the majority of the low-ranking Imperial Clansmen and recover some reputation.

Of course, this was still not enough.

In a political case, the influence of the incident itself was far less than the aftershocks it created.

The aftermath could be seen in the unrest among the Imperial Clansmen outside the Governor’s office, the troublemakers in the prison who had drawn their blades, signs that the Huguang Imperial Clan was rallying together, and the subtle maneuvers of local officials who sought to use the chaos as an excuse to expel the Commissioners.

If any one of these was handled poorly, all their previous efforts would be wasted.

The men went back and forth, discussing countermeasures.

Zhu Xizhong seemed to be in a world of his own, not saying a word.

After a long time, he finally returned to his senses, raised his head, and scanned the hall. He spoke, "It is still not enough."

The moment he spoke, he drew everyone's gaze.

Zhu Xizhong said coolly, "We must also borrow my head."

Want to read ahead? Join as a Pledge Member on Patreon to access content before anyone else.

If you are enjoying the story, please leave a 5 rating on Novel Updates!

[Dossier]

[Index]

[Prev] || [Next]