No wonder the Emperor was so delighted—Little Lord Zhu had achieved such a glorious victory in Suzhou.
He’d wiped out nearly 40,000 Japanese pirates!
No surprise the Emperor’s gloom had lifted and his appetite had returned. With such a splendid triumph, the Emperor would likely have a good appetite for at least a month.
I’ll need to instruct the Imperial Kitchen later to seize this chance and nourish the Emperor’s dragon body—everything that flies in the sky, swims in the water, or runs on land, prepared in all sorts of creative ways.
Little Lord Zhu’s stunning victory also silenced those who criticised the Emperor’s fasting and rituals.
Think about it: the Sea Sacrifice Victory happened on the very day of the ritual—wasn’t that the merit of the fasting and prayers?!
If you insist it was a coincidence, a one-off, then what about now?!
Barely half a month after the Sea Sacrifice, Little Lord Zhu achieved this magnificent victory outside Suzhou, annihilating 40,000 pirates, killing the pirate leader Hōjō Dōsan, capturing Chen Dong alive, and leaving only Xu Hai and Ma Ye fleeing in disgrace with a few hundred defeated remnants, barely clinging to life.
Isn’t this also the merit of the Sea Sacrifice rituals?! Without Heaven’s protection, how could such a glorious victory be achieved?
Let’s see which blind, treacherous minister dares to criticise the Emperor’s rituals now!
Without the Emperor’s fasting and prayers, without him beseeching the Heavens, could the Great Ming have been so blessed? Could we have won so many victories?!
Little Lord Zhu had truly vented a great deal of frustration for the Emperor. This intangible merit might even outweigh the tangible achievement of wiping out 40,000 pirates in the Emperor’s heart. Little Lord Zhu’s future was boundless.
No wonder the Emperor was so pleased.
Huang Jin noticed with his peripheral vision that the Emperor had eaten a full bowl of tribute rice, sampled every dish, and drunk about two taels of wine. This one meal alone matched his usual intake over two days.
Then, his glance met the Emperor’s smiling gaze.
Huang Jin nearly dropped to his knees.
“Heh, you old thing, tell me—does this great victory from Suzhou Prefecture and Zhu Ping’an have any exaggeration?” Emperor Jiajing chuckled, downed a cup of wine, set it down, and asked Huang Jin with a smile.
By now, Huang Jin had completely shed any notion of a eunuch not meddling in politics.
“Replying to the True Lord, this old servant knows little of Shang Weichi, the Prefect of Suzhou—only that he’s said to be a rational, upright, and outspoken veteran official. But I know Little Lord Zhu well. I’ve dealt with him many times. He’s honest and loyal, a man who speaks the truth and does real work—never one to fabricate or lie.”
“So, I believe that with the upright reputation of veteran official Shang Weichi and the honest loyalty of Little Lord Zhu co-signing this memorial, there shouldn’t be much exaggeration. Though the victory’s brilliance is almost unbelievable, I think this triumph is a solid, genuine one.”
“Under Little Lord Zhu and Shang Weichi’s leadership, Suzhou Prefecture must have secured a thrilling, soul-stirring victory.”
Huang Jin half-knelt, holding the memorial, and after a moment’s thought, replied with full confidence in the Suzhou victory report.
“Hm, Shang Weichi is a seasoned and steady official. Across his tenures, he’s been consistently prudent and just. As for Zhu Ping’an, I’ve watched that lad rise in his career. He’s honest, yet not rigid or stuck in old ways—a fine talent.”
Emperor Jiajing gave a soft “hm,” briefly commenting on Shang Weichi and Zhu Ping’an before issuing further instructions to Huang Jin.
“However, this matter is of great importance. We can’t rely solely on their word. Quickly send someone to verify it and report back promptly.”
“If it’s a true victory, I’ll not stint on generous rewards to encourage others to emulate them and earn merits for the nation and the people.”
“But if the victory is false or too inflated, I’ll have to give them a proper reprimand—especially Zhu Ping’an. He’s young, at the prime age to serve the court. He mustn’t learn bad habits or stray from the path.”
Emperor Jiajing ate as he instructed Huang Jin to dispatch the factory guards south to confirm the Suzhou victory.
Clearly, he wanted to believe Zhu Ping’an and the others. The Great Ming desperately needed this victory right now. But it was so grand—almost too grand to believe—that he had to be cautious.
Verify it, then decide.
Still, judging by the Emperor’s hearty appetite and good mood, he likely believed the Suzhou victory was mostly true.
Even if it were half-exaggerated, it’d still be an undeniable, once-in-a-century triumph—the greatest in Jiangnan.
“I’m full. Clear it away. I’ll continue reviewing memorials,” Emperor Jiajing said after eating for about half an hour, letting out a satisfied burp and waving his hand to signal the young eunuchs to clean the table.
He reread the Suzhou victory report once more, reluctantly setting it down on the table and pressing it with a jade qilin paperweight, keeping it within reach.
Then, he moved on to the remaining memorials.
“Chaozhou Prefecture reports: Heavy rain fell continuously in the twelfth month. That night, a sudden surge of mountain water flooded the city, washing away eight or nine out of ten public offices and homes. Goods and provisions were swept away by the waves, decades of stores destroyed in an instant. The people urgently need relief.”
This memorial reported a flood in Chaozhou Prefecture.
After reading it, Emperor Jiajing instructed Huang Jin to draft a response: “Order the Guangdong Administrative Office to dispatch grain for relief from nearby stores. Decree a one-year tax exemption for Chaozhou Prefecture to help the people recover.”
The next few memorials weren’t good news either, except for one reporting a sweet spring emerging after an earthquake. The rest were grim—especially one accusing a certain Taoist temple of making talismans to harm the people.
That seemed to cast a shadow on the Emperor’s own Taoist practices.
Huang Jin’s hands trembled as he heard it, worried it might spoil the Emperor’s good mood and appetite.
Fortunately, Emperor Jiajing was in high spirits. The insinuation didn’t anger him. He merely said calmly to Huang Jin, “Order the factory guards to secretly investigate the involved temple and report its actions in detail to the authorities. If it’s hiding crimes, show no leniency. If not, hold the submitting official accountable.”
After finishing the last few memorials, Emperor Jiajing reread the Suzhou victory report again, his mood still buoyant.
Finally, he set it down and said to Huang Jin, “I’m usually swamped with duties and难免 neglect the palace consorts. Today, I’ve rare free time—bring the name tablets for me to choose.”
Huang Jin was overjoyed. Heavens, the Emperor wanted to favour a consort—how rare!
Truth be told, Emperor Jiajing was devoted to Taoist cultivation and immortality. In his early years, he’d been keen on women too, but after the Renyin Palace Incident, his interest waned, and he’d reduced his visits to the harem by more than half.
This past month, with his mood sour, he’d only favoured consorts twice.
Seeing him in such good spirits now, Huang Jin was thrilled and quickly arranged for Feng Bao to bring the green-headed name tablets.
