That evening, as dusk settled over the capital, large snowflakes began to fall, marking the third snowfall since the start of the twelfth lunar month.
“Snow heralds a bountiful year, a good omen, I’m sure the emperor has seen the Suzhou victory report by now, gentlemen, proceed as planned tomorrow,” Yan Shifan said as he escorted Yan Maoqing and the others out of the room, giving instructions at the door.
“Don’t worry, we understand,” Yan Maoqing and the others nodded repeatedly.
“See the lords off on my behalf, hold umbrellas for them, and help them into their sedans,” Yan Shifan directed the steward.
“Donglou, we’ll take our leave, please pass our regards to the Grand Secretary,” Yan Maoqing and the others bid farewell and departed.
As they left the Yan residence, the Western Garden was already blanketed in snow.
In the Western Garden, eunuchs and palace maids clutched brooms, sweeping snow inside and outside the palace halls, all of them silent as cicadas in winter, barely daring to swing their brooms too hard, lest they disturb Emperor Jiajing, who had just lost his temper.
“These fools don’t know how to ease my burdens, they only know how to add to my troubles! What’s the point of me keeping them?! I’d be better off raising a pack of dogs—at least dogs guard the house for their master! These people only make things worse for me!”
Emperor Jiajing, dressed in thin robes, stood in a hall with wide-open windows, furiously hurling one memorial after another to the ground.
He had just taken an elixir and was in the process of dispersing its effects.
Beside him, Huang Jin was dressed rather extravagantly in thick cotton robes, a stark contrast to the emperor’s light attire.
Seeing Jiajing’s outburst, Huang Jin hurriedly shuffled forward to soothe him, “True Lord, calm your anger, it’s not worth harming your dragon body over them.”
As he comforted the emperor, Huang Jin waved a hand at a nearby eunuch standing at attention, signaling him to pick up the scattered memorials and place them with the stack under the table—all of which addressed the same issue.
The young eunuch, quick on his feet, caught Huang Jin’s gesture and bent over to gather the memorials, placing them with the pile under the table while keeping his posture low.
“How can I not be angry?!”
“Private minting of shoddy coins among the populace—reduced in size, lightened in weight, cutting corners—two of their trash coins barely equal one official coin, these shoddy coins are flooding the market, driving up prices day by day, the factory guards reported to me that what used to cost one wen for a bun has now doubled at least, outside the city it’s two wen per bun, inside it’s even three wen, to address this, I ordered the Ministry of Works to mint coins bearing the reign names of Hongwu, Yongle, Hongxi, Xuande, Zhengtong, Tianshun, Chenghua, Hongzhi, and Zhengde—nine dynasties, one million ingots each, solid official coins to circulate across the land, banning the shoddy private coins to stabilize prices, and to speed things up, I decreed that taxes must be paid in official coins, salaries for civil and military officials issued in official coins, all to get them into circulation quickly.”
“Tell me, wasn’t I thinking of the common people’s welfare?!”
“But look at what these ministers are saying—they claim my policies have caused a shortage of money among the people, not enough for daily trade, and want me to allow the shoddy coins to circulate?!”
“They say my actions will lead the populace to counterfeit official coins, passing off fakes as real, which will still result in shoddy coins flooding the market.”
“And some even dare to use this to criticize my fasting and immortal pursuits, saying I neglect court affairs and the people, causing the spread of bad money, soaring prices, and misery for the masses!!! He dares to slander me like this! I toil day and night in fasting and prayer—for what? For the people of the realm, for all under heaven!”
The more Jiajing spoke, the angrier he became, finally ripping open his shirt entirely, baring half his chest to the cold wind blowing through the window, cursing nonstop.
“They don’t understand Your Majesty’s painstaking efforts, just like when you sent Lord Zhao Wenhua to Jiangnan for the sea sacrifice, many officials misunderstood you then too, but on the very day of the sacrifice, with Lord Zhu Ping’an’s cooperation, Zhao Wenhua achieved the first great victory against the Japanese pirates in Jiangnan, wiping out thousands of them and saving tens of thousands of people, I believe in time, they’ll come to see Your Majesty’s good intentions.”
Huang Jin bowed his head, offering consolation.
“Hmph, if they were going to understand, they’d have done so already! They’re stubborn as mules, blind to the good, and quick to blame every fault on me!”
Jiajing snorted, flinging his sleeves as he cursed.
Huang Jin didn’t know how to comfort him further, so he wisely chose the safest option—lowering his head and playing mute.
After a while, as twilight deepened outside, Huang Jin reminded the emperor, “True Lord, it’s getting late, shall we have dinner?”
“No appetite, I’m not eating,” Jiajing waved a hand dismissively.
“True Lord, you didn’t eat lunch, if you skip dinner too, how will your body hold up? Please, at least have a little.”
Huang Jin hurriedly urged.
“I’m already stuffed with anger from them! How could I have an appetite? Forcing myself to eat would only harm my health.”
Jiajing waved his hand again, his face dark as he spoke.
On one hand, those memorials had truly soured his mood, leaving him with no desire to eat, on the other, having just taken an elixir and still dispersing its effects, the drug’s stimulation dulled his interest in food.
Huang Jin tried to persuade him again, but Jiajing stubbornly waved him off, a flicker of anger in his eyes, so Huang Jin didn’t dare press further.
“Report, Your Majesty, ten memorials from the Hall of Non-Repose,” a young eunuch entered, holding a stack of memorials, to report.
Huang Jin shot an annoyed glare at this tactless eunuch—what a way to stir the pot! The emperor was already fuming over memorials, so mad he’d skipped dinner, Huang Jin had been hoping to wait until the emperor calmed down to coax him into eating.
And now this fool brought more memorials!
Wasn’t the emperor angry enough already?! Wasn’t he hungry enough?!
Great.
Once the emperor read through this batch, forget dinner—he wouldn’t even have an appetite for tomorrow’s breakfast!
You clueless little brat, I’ve got your number now, just wait and see how I deal with you later!
Huang Jin glared at the eunuch again, still hoping to salvage the situation, and said expressionlessly, “Can’t you see the True Lord is refining his elixir? Take the memorials back to the Hall of Non-Repose and present them tomorrow for His Majesty’s review.”
Why’s the chief glaring at me? Why’s he scolding me?
The emperor himself had ordered that any memorials from the Hall of Non-Repose’s duty officers be delivered for immediate review!
The young eunuch felt wronged but didn’t dare show it, bowing awkwardly, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
“Bring them here, I want to see how they’re slandering me now, what, are they going to blame this snowfall on me too?!”
Jiajing beckoned, ordering the eunuch to present all the memorials—he was determined to see what else these ministers had to say.
Huang Jin, his rescue attempt failed, pressed a hand to his forehead and shot another glare at the eunuch—damn it, you little brat, this is all your fault!
