Chapter Forty-Three: Thunderous Wrath

Zhu Changluo listened to Zhu Hao's words, sighed softly, and spoke with an uncharacteristic note of sentiment, “This time, the officials are not to blame. I know well who is responsible! Yet this fall of mine has awakened me greatly, made me see things with much more clarity. Let this matter end here. It is I who have wronged her; let this be Heaven’s punishment for me.”

At this, Zhu Changluo’s expression hardened, and he looked sternly at Zhu Hao. “Release those officials immediately, treat them well, and ensure they come to no harm. Do you understand?”

Zhu Hao, hearing his father’s unaccustomed severity, realized just how much the emperor cared about the safety of his ministers. This brought to his mind the Minister of Works, already slain by Hua Rong, and for a moment he was at a loss for words, unsure how to confess this to his father.

Seeing Zhu Hao’s hesitation, Zhu Changluo’s heart grew heavy. He questioned sharply, “You unfilial child, tell me honestly—have you already acted against them?”

Zhu Hao thought to himself, whether he tried to hide or not, it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. He gritted his teeth and confessed, “Father, please do not be angry. I had no choice. In order to get to the truth behind the incident, I issued a decree on behalf of my elder brother, sealing off the royal hunting grounds. But the officials voiced all manner of opposition and refused to comply. I was left with no alternative but to declare that any unauthorized departure would be punishable by death. Yet one man, undeterred, not only defied the decree himself but also incited the others to do the same. I had no choice but to order his execution by arrow, after which the unrest subsided.”

Pain clouded Zhu Changluo’s face, but confronted with his own son, what could he say? He sighed and asked, “You have killed a minister. Tell me truthfully, who was it? I will do my utmost to protect you, but you must take this as a warning!”

Seeing Zhu Hao’s continued reluctance, Zhu Changluo’s anger only grew. He snapped, “You unfilial child! At a time like this, you still can’t speak plainly? Are you trying to drive me to my grave? Out with it—now!” As he finished, Zhu Changluo was seized by a violent fit of coughing.

Zhu Hao immediately knelt, head bowed. “Father, please calm yourself. I was not trying to hide anything. The truth is, I do not know the man’s name. He claimed to have served three reigns and was the Minister of Works.”

At these words, Zhu Changluo’s eyes widened in shock, forgetting even to cough. “You mean Minister Cui Shi? You killed Cui Shi? You—are you truly determined to be the death of me?”

Crown Prince Zhu Youjiao, seeing his father vent his wrath on Zhu Hao, hurried to intercede. “Father, please restrain your anger. My brother only wished to uncover the reason behind your fall, and acted out of filial piety. Now that he knows his fault, I beg you not to further distress yourself and harm your health.”

Zhu Changluo glared at Zhu Youjiao. “You are the Crown Prince and heir. How could you stand by while your brother did such a reckless thing? Cui Shi was not just the Minister of Works and a senior minister of three reigns, but the very leader of the Donglin Faction. Even I fear his influence and treat him with the utmost respect. Now your brother has killed him—how am I to answer to the Donglin Faction? Do you think they will let this pass?”

When Zhu Changluo spoke of Cui Shi as the “leader of the Donglin Faction,” Zhu Hao was filled with dread. Now he fully realized the magnitude of his crime, one even his father might not be able to shield him from.

Zhu Hao knew from his study of Ming history what the Donglin Faction truly was—not merely a political group, but the embodiment of the interests of all the scholars who entered government through the imperial examinations. The Ming bureaucracy, shaped over generations by this system, had essentially become the domain of the Donglin Faction. If they collectively went on strike, the very government would collapse. The Donglin Faction represented not only the current officials but all aspiring scholars who might one day enter government. To offend them was to offend the entire educated class of the realm. Even with an emperor for a father, Zhu Hao saw he could not escape the consequences.

As Zhu Hao reeled from these thoughts, Zhu Changluo struggled to master his anger and asked in a measured tone, “Who carried out the execution of Cui Shi? And do not tell me you did it yourself—I want the truth!”

With matters now so grave, Zhu Hao dared not conceal anything. “Father, it was my guard, Hua Rong, who acted on my command and shot Cui Shi.”

Zhu Changluo nodded grimly. “Very well. Surrender this guard of yours. Let him be executed in retribution for Cui Shi, and perhaps that will appease the Donglin Faction enough that they will not trouble me further.”

At this, Zhu Hao stiffened. “No! I do not agree!”

Zhu Changluo had not expected such defiance. His expression darkened. “Unfilial child! What did you say? Say it again!”

Zhu Hao looked his father in the eye, ignoring his brother’s attempts to tug at his sleeve, and answered fearlessly, “I said, I do not agree. This cannot be done.”

Zhu Changluo, enraged to the point of laughter, barked out a hollow laugh. “Good! Very good! To think I have raised such a loyal son. Since you refuse to give up your subordinate, then you shall answer for Cui Shi’s death yourself! Hmph!”

He shouted toward the tent entrance, “Guards! Where are the Imperial Guards?”

The commander of the Imperial Guards, Xie Gang, who had been waiting outside, entered at once and knelt before the emperor. “Your Majesty, this humble commander of the Imperial Guards greets you!”

Zhu Changluo fixed Zhu Hao with a long look, noted the absence of any sign of remorse on his son’s face, and snorted coldly. He pointed at Zhu Hao. “Xie Gang, take this unfilial son who has slain a high minister, and deliver him to the Embroidered Uniform Guard for strict questioning!”

Xie Gang, hearing he was to apprehend his own master, was momentarily torn. After a moment, he bowed low. “Your Majesty, could there be some misunderstanding? The Fifth Prince...”

Zhu Changluo cut him off with a cold snort. “Xie Gang, have you grown reckless? Did you not hear my command clearly? Or do you mean to defy the imperial will?”

Zhu Hao, unwilling to make things difficult for Xie Gang, interjected, “Commander Xie, you have always been loyal to my father. Do not let your loyalty be shaken because I am his son. Do as my father commands.”

At this, Xie Gang saluted Zhu Changluo once more. “I obey, Your Majesty!”

Before leaving, Zhu Hao bowed deeply to Zhu Changluo. “If I go now, perhaps we father and son shall never meet again. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years!” With those words, he kowtowed, then rose and left the tent with Xie Gang.

After leaving the tent, Zhu Hao quietly asked Xie Gang, “Commander, what happened to make His Majesty so angry as to send me to the prison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?”

Zhu Hao shook his head slightly, at first unwilling to speak. But after a moment’s thought, he changed his mind—perhaps telling Xie Gang the truth might bring unexpected benefit. He explained that his father had wished to execute Hua Rong to atone for Cui Shi’s death, but he could not bring himself to let a subordinate take the blame. “Commander Xie, do you think I could be the kind of beast who, when trouble comes, casts his subordinates to the wolves? Even if my father means to execute me to placate Cui Shi’s death, I cannot let Hua Rong shoulder the blame. My conscience would never be at ease!”

As he spoke, Zhu Hao’s chest heaved with emotion. Xie Gang was deeply moved. In the depths of the palace, he had seen many masters who, at the first sign of trouble, offered up their followers as scapegoats. Though Xie Gang despised this, he had resigned himself to it as the fate of servants. Over his years in the palace, he had pledged loyalty to no one and heeded no one’s orders but the emperor’s. Had it not been for the extraordinary system Zhu Hao possessed, Xie Gang would not have bothered with him at all.

But today, Zhu Hao’s words struck a chord. Here was a master who treated his men as equals and would never let them take the fall in his stead.

This was the kind of master Xie Gang had always dreamed of serving. After a moment’s thought, he dropped to one knee, overcome with emotion. “Your Highness, your righteousness inspires me. Xie Gang vows to follow you unto death, through fire and water, without regret!”

As Xie Gang finished speaking, the system’s notification sounded in Zhu Hao’s mind:

“Ding!”

“Xie Gang has been moved by the host’s benevolence; loyalty increased by 10 points!”

“Xie Gang’s current loyalty: 60 points!”

Zhu Hao was secretly delighted. As he had hoped, there was surprise good fortune in this turn of events. But he did not let his pleasure show. Instead, he wore a grave expression and helped Xie Gang to his feet. “Commander Xie, I have always regarded you as a brother. It is a pity that I am now half a step into the underworld, and cannot share brotherhood with you any longer. It is a deep regret.”

Xie Gang, hearing Zhu Hao’s words, was filled with sorrow as well, yet at a loss for what to do. He asked, “Your Highness, is there anything Xie Gang can do for you?”