The Lonely City Closed

Chapter 50

Consort Zhang had previously sent a eunuch to spy on the palace from behind, so she already knew about Bao Zheng's outspoken remonstrance. She hurriedly came out to greet him and apologize to the emperor and his entourage. Only then did the emperor wipe his face with his sleeve and rebuke her, saying, "Just now, Bao Zheng rushed forward to speak and spat in my face. You only cared about the Imperial Envoy, the Imperial Envoy, but didn't you know that Bao Zheng was an imperial censor?"

These words, once uttered, became a famous saying that spread throughout the land. The Emperor subsequently dismissed Zhang Yaozuo from his posts as Commissioner of the Southern Court of the Xuanhui Palace and Commissioner of the Jingling Palace, further illustrating his reputation for readily accepting advice. Besides, this incident also provided the ladies with another source of amusement when discussing Consort Zhang.

But at that moment, in the Yifeng Pavilion, Zhang Chengzhao said two more words that instantly froze the smiles of the ladies: "Lady Yu may have guessed correctly. When I went to the Chuigong Hall just now, I heard the ministers in the hall repeatedly mention 'Xuanhui Southern Court Envoy' when I was near the screen of the main hall. It seems that some people were also talking about Zhang Yaozuo. Perhaps His Majesty is bringing up the matter of promoting Zhang Yaozuo to Xuanhui Envoy again."

The Lonely City Closed (The Princess Who Fell in Love with a Eunuch) The Pearl Pavilion is deserted, the summer days are long. 40. Court Dispute

Chapter word count: 3524 Update time: 08-08-21 16:15

40. Court disputes

Miao Shuyi was quite surprised and asked Zhang Chengzhao, "The matter of the Xuanhui Envoy last time caused such a big fuss, why would His Majesty bring it up again?"

Zhang Chengzhao pointed in the direction of Ninghua Palace and said, "Someone must be whispering in his ear."

Miao Shuyi asked again, "Was it this time that all the officials in the entire court went to the palace to oppose it?"

Zhang Chengzhao shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I also wanted to help you, but as soon as I entered the back door of the main hall and approached the screen, I was reprimanded and driven away by the head eunuch guarding there... But the eunuch sent by Consort Zhang is still there..."

Miao Shuyi thought for a moment and said to the princess, "Huirou, take Huaiji and Chengzhao to the Chuigong Hall and bring your father over after court."

The princess agreed and asked me to go out with her. Miao Shuyi gave Zhang Chengzhao a wink, and the latter nodded knowingly, bowed, and withdrew.

As they walked into the courtyard, they could still hear the woman behind them complaining, "We hope she doesn't really get her way this time. If her uncle becomes the Xuanhui Envoy, won't we have to depend on her for everything, from choosing who to serve to who to transfer or who to keep?"

The Chuigong Hall had doors at both the front and back, a screen wall behind the throne, and screens on the left and right. The emperor and the palace eunuchs entered and exited the forbidden area through the back door. The princess led me and Zhang Chengzhao to wait behind a screen. The head eunuch there, seeing that it was the princess, did not stop us. However, the princess was annoyed to see that Consort Zhang's eunuch was still standing there. She lowered her voice and scolded him, "What are you doing here? Are you trying to find out what's going on in court?"

The eunuch was horrified and repeatedly said he dared not, then quickly retreated.

Suddenly, someone in the hall raised their voice: "Your Majesty! Zhang Yaozuo has only been dismissed as Xuanhui Envoy for less than half a year, yet he still sits in the capital, receiving a generous salary, and is already condemned by thousands. Now that Your Majesty has reinstated him to the Xuanhui position, public opinion is boiling and contempt is increasing. If the decree is implemented, it will surely damage Your Majesty's virtue. If Your Majesty does not heed my loyal and patriotic request and follows the precedent of Yaozuo's unjust reward and usurpation, I beg Your Majesty to demote me and send me out of the capital, as a warning to those who are ignorant of taboos and foolishly straightforward."

He spoke these words aloud, seemingly implying that he was belittling himself in relation to the emperor. Upon hearing this, the princess immediately approached the screen, peeked through the gap, and then turned to us, saying, "Who is this person? He really took off his official hat."

Zhang Chengzhao and I also went to see him. We saw that the man was over forty years old and dressed in the robes of the Censor-in-Chief. He must be Wang Juzheng. At this moment, he was kneeling in the hall, having removed his turban, which he held high above his head, with his eyes closed and head bowed, waiting for the Emperor to express his opinion.

The Emperor maintained a gentle tone, reassuring him, "I know you are virtuous and upright. If you have any advice, please speak calmly. Why be so formal? I have already explained the matter of Yao Zuo repeatedly. Although I have appointed him as the Commissioner of the Southern Court of Xuanhui, I have also sent him to govern Heyang. The so-called removal of the Commissioner of Xuanhui is merely a nominal position to reward his achievements. While he is away, he will not be able to interfere in the affairs of the court or the palace. You can rest assured."

No sooner had he finished speaking than another official stepped forward, holding his tablet and bowing respectfully. He said solemnly, “Your Majesty, the position of Xuanhui is second only to the two ministries, regardless of whether it is inside or outside the capital. Zhang Yaozuo, relying on the great favor bestowed upon him, disregards the laws of our ancestors and makes unwarranted demands. He has repeatedly asked Your Majesty for a position and rewards. Even if he is removed from his post as the Southern Court Envoy of Xuanhui, although he is currently in charge of an outlying region, he will surely seek an audience with Your Majesty in the future, aiming to serve in this court and eventually attain the important position of Envoy or Chancellor. Your Majesty must be wary of this.”

The man was dressed in a green official robe, clearly of low rank and young age, and appeared to be a minor official in the Censorate. Zhang Chengzhao had just introduced Wang Juzheng to the princess in a low voice, but now that the princess was asking about this official in green, Zhang Chengzhao didn't recognize him either. So he turned to ask the head eunuch standing nearby, who hesitated for a moment before answering, "That is Tang Jie, the Palace Attendant Censor."

The princess sized up the officials in the hall and asked, "Who is Bao Zheng?"

The head eunuch replied, "Nowadays, the Censorate cannot all attend the court without the Emperor's decree from the Secretariat. They can only attend in shifts on a daily basis. Therefore, Bao Zheng was unable to attend the court together."

The Emperor pondered for a moment, then replied to Tang Jie, "I discussed this transfer with the Secretariat beforehand, and the Chancellors also felt it was acceptable."

Tang Jie then stepped forward and said, “Zhang Yaozuo was promoted beyond his station due to personal favors and personal connections. This position is already excessive. If it is not stopped, I fear that the country will suffer the same fate as Guo Zhong and Yang Fei in the future. If the promotion was at the behest of the prime minister, it shows that he has not taken the weight of the ancestral foundation seriously and is suspected of currying favor and clinging to power. He should be punished and held accountable.”

Seeing that the Emperor did not answer immediately, Tang Jie took out a memorial from his sleeve, presented it with both hands, and said: "Previously, we petitioned the Secretariat to allow the entire court to be brought before the Emperor, but Chancellor Wen Yanbo refused. I then requested to be demoted and exiled, but Yanbo did not respond. Such deception of Your Majesty in order to protect yourself is a clear indication of your treachery. I have drafted a memorial for Your Majesty to review."

The Emperor gestured to Zhang Maoze, who was standing beside him, to go and take the letter. Zhang Maoze presented it to the Emperor, who unfolded it and immediately became furious. He threw the letter on the ground and refused to read it any further.

Tang Jie remained calm. He picked up the letter, unfolded it, and read aloud: "Wen Yanbo abused his power for personal gain, forming a faction of evil. When he was the governor of Yizhou, he swindled rare gold and brocade into the palace, thus gaining promotion to chief minister. After the rebellion in Enzhou was quelled, he joined forces with Emperor Gaozong and became prime minister. He plotted to curry favor, publicly employing the emperor's advisors while secretly colluding with the imperial concubine to frame His Majesty for having an affair with the empress. In reality, he was plotting to secure his own safety..."

The Emperor raised his voice to stop him, but Tang Jie ignored him completely and continued reading: "Since Yanbo monopolized the major powers, most of the appointments and appointments have not been made in accordance with public opinion. The bestowal of favors and rewards is all based on personal connections. From the Three Departments, Kaifeng, the Censorate, the Court of Judicial Review, the Two Directorates, the Three Halls, and other important positions, all have come from his faction. They pass the torch to each other, relying on his influence and power. He controls everything himself, so that no one dares to criticize his mistakes..."

The Emperor slammed his fist on the table again and shouted, "Shut up!" Tang Jie seemed not to hear him and continued to read aloud the memorial: "Your subject begs to dismiss Yanbo and replace him with Fu Bi. Your subject and Fu Bi are strangers, and I dare not presume to have any personal relationship with him..."

"Lixing" means internship. The Lixing position of Palace Attendant Censor is of very low rank, even lower than that of a seventh-rank Palace Attendant Censor. Tang Jie's low rank and insignificant position, yet he dared to defy the emperor's authority and openly offend him. This behavior left everyone in the hall speechless. Even the palace eunuchs outside the screen, who were used to the strange words and deeds of the censors, could not contain their curiosity and gathered around, vying to peek into the hall.

The Emperor was so angry that his hand, which was resting on the table, trembled. Suddenly, he flicked his sleeve and pointed directly at Tang Jie, saying, "You, a lowly official, were only transferred to the capital from another region a year ago. How dare you act so recklessly, attacking ministers and roaring in the palace? Aren't you afraid of being demoted and exiled?"

Tang Jie showed no fear whatsoever. He looked up and slowly read the last few sentences, then calmly closed the letter before saying to the Emperor, "I am filled with loyalty and indignation. Even if I were to be executed by boiling oil in the future, I would not shirk my duty. How could I possibly refuse the punishment of being demoted and exiled?"

The Emperor immediately summoned several prime ministers and officials to step forward, looked at Tang Jie, and said to them, “I can tolerate Tang Jie’s opinions on other matters, but now he says that Yanbo only got his position because of the Consort. What kind of talk is this!”

Before the prime minister could respond, Tang Jie pointed to one of the ministers, who was wearing a purple robe, a gold belt, and a gold fish pendant, and said, "Yanbo should reflect on his actions. If what I said is true, he should explain it to the emperor himself. He must not deceive the emperor!"

That minister was Wen Yanbo. He had a dignified appearance and a dark complexion, and had previously enjoyed a good reputation in politics; he certainly didn't seem like a treacherous villain. Now, being rebuked by Tang Jie, he didn't respond for a moment, but simply bowed to the emperor with his tablet in thanks.

Liang Shi, the Vice Privy Councilor, couldn't stand it any longer and rebuked Tang Jie, saying, "How can you spout nonsense in the imperial court! Does the position of prime minister have to be recommended by you, the censor? You should leave the court immediately to reflect on your actions!"

Tang Jie, however, insisted on standing in the hall and instead turned around to confront Liang Shi aggressively: "I speak frankly and out of respect for the country. You villains are in cahoots with Yanbo, colluding to curry favor with the emperor. If the emperor's virtue is damaged and the country is in turmoil, can you bear such a crime?"

The princess gasped in astonishment and whispered to me, "Father must be thinking of banging his head against the dragon pillar again right now."

Just then, a crisp sound came from the hall. We were surprised and turned our heads to look – it turned out that the Emperor had knocked over the celadon brush holder on the table in front of him.

"Guards," he said, his anger subsiding, his voice cold, "take Tang Jie away and send him to the Censorate for impeachment."

Two imperial guards who were waiting outside the hall responded and entered, approaching Tang Jie and attempting to seize him and take him out of the hall. Tang Jie flicked his sleeve to avoid them, gave a slight cold laugh, and strode out the door himself.

Wang Ju, who was in the hall, seemed to want to defend him, but as soon as he opened his mouth and called out "Your Majesty," the Emperor raised his hand to stop him and ordered, "You get out too!"

Wang Juzheng remained silent, placed his official hat on the ground, bowed, and withdrew.

After the two men left, Wen Yanbo bowed to the Emperor again and said, "It is the duty of officials in the Censorate to speak out. I hope Your Majesty will be lenient towards Tang Jie and Wang Juzheng and not punish them for this matter."

The Emperor refused, and looked around and said, "Who is the Imperial Secretary who is drafting the edict today? Summon him quickly to draft the edict for me: Tang Jie, the Palace Attendant Censor, shall be appointed as the Prefect of Chunzhou."

Chunzhou is located in Lingnan, a poor and desolate place. Many officials who were exiled there died in office.

At this moment, the emperor's expression was resolute, and his anger was unpredictable. None of the ministers dared to offer any further advice. After a short while, the official who was recording the emperor's daily life and the words and deeds of his ministers, who had been sitting in a corner of the hall, put down his pen, stood up, and slowly walked into the hall.

This man was tall with a beautiful beard and a gentle demeanor. I recognized him immediately as Cai Xiang, whom I had met many years ago. After being sent to a post outside the capital for several years due to the new policies, he, like most of the scholars who had been expelled in the case of the Imperial Academy, was recalled to the capital.

“Your Majesty,” Cai Xiang bowed and said, “Tang Jie is indeed arrogant and outspoken, and his words and actions today were extremely rude. However, it is a great virtue of an emperor to accept the heartfelt advice of his subjects. Your Majesty has always been open to advice and kind to officials who speak out. Therefore, I dare to ask Your Majesty to be lenient towards Tang Jie and to punish him lightly.”