Several Yan faction officials took turns, launching a barrage of creative impeachments against Zhu Ping’an from every angle, as if he were some heinous, unforgivable villain.
“Just now, the gentlemen impeaching Zhu Ping’an left me with a question. I’d like you all to clarify it for me.”
Censor Guo Kui interrupted the next Yan faction official preparing to speak, seizing the moment to pose his query.
“Please, Censor Guo, ask away. We’ll answer fully and honestly,” the named Yan faction officials had no choice but to step up and respond.
“Why do you impeach Zhu Ping’an but not Jiaxing Prefect Zhao Chong?! I genuinely can’t wrap my head around it.”
“Over forty thousand pirates ambushed Suzhou, yet Suzhou’s officials, with Zhu Ping’an’s coordination, nearly wiped them all out, achieving a glorious victory! Only four hundred-odd stragglers slipped into Jiaxing, and yet Jiaxing fell. Isn’t that the responsibility of the Jiaxing Prefect?! How does this become Zhu Ping’an’s fault?! The prefect has a duty to defend his territory. If he’d done even a halfway decent job, those four hundred fleeing pirates would’ve been a gift-wrapped merit delivered to his doorstep!”
Censor Guo hurled his soul-piercing question at them.
The Yan faction officials froze on the spot. This was the question they dreaded most. They’d anticipated it might come up, but there was no good way to answer it.
The Jiaxing Prefect was the primary person responsible for Jiaxing City. When it fell, he couldn’t escape blame no matter what.
If he was the chief culprit, why target Zhu Ping’an instead of him?
The real answer, of course, was that the Jiaxing Prefect was one of their own and had sent them bribes, while Zhu Ping’an was an enemy.
But they couldn’t possibly say that.
So how should they respond?
For a moment, they were stumped.
But soon, another Yan faction official stepped forward—Lord Wang, the head of the Office of Transmission.
The Office of Transmission, the Ming Dynasty’s vital conduit for official communications, had long been a stronghold of the Yan faction. Controlling it meant controlling eighty percent of the dynasty’s official information. Thus, the Yan faction clung tightly to this key department, placing trusted allies in critical roles.
From the previous head, Zhao Wenhua, to the current Lord Wang, they were all senior Yan faction members deeply trusted by Yan Song.
Lord Wang stepped up, pulling a blood-stained cloth from his robe. Holding it with both hands, he unfolded it. The front was covered in blood-written characters, while the back faintly revealed a black “prisoner” character.
“Your Majesty, Censor Guo mentioned Jiaxing Prefect Zhao Chong. This morning, my Office of Transmission received this blood-stained cloth sent by Zhao Chong from prison. I was just about to report it to Your Majesty.”
“This is a plea for battle, written by Zhao Chong. He bit his finger and tore this cloth from his prison garb to pen it.”
“Zhao Chong’s blood oath states that he fought the pirates valiantly but was overpowered. As the city fell, he broke through the encirclement, risking his life to scale the walls and seek aid from Zhejiang Governor Li Tianchong, hoping to rally reinforcements to retake Jiaxing before the pirates could settle in. Yet, to his dismay, not only did he fail to secure aid, but he was thrown into jail.”
“Now, he submits this blood oath, staking his head on the promise that, as Jiaxing’s prefect, he knows the city best and is confident he can reclaim it within ten days. If he fails, he offers his life in atonement!”
“This is Zhao Chong’s blood cloth, every word written in his finger’s blood, brimming with true sentiment. I present it for Your Majesty’s review.”
Lord Wang held up the blood cloth, addressing the emperor.
Huang Jin stepped down, took the cloth, and presented it to Emperor Jiajing. The emperor glanced at it—bloody, reeking, and repulsive—then waved it away with distaste, “Take it down, let them pass it around.”
So Huang Jin carried the blood cloth to Yan Song and the others for review.
Soon, everyone had seen it.
“Your Majesty, Jiaxing Prefect lost the city and should be harshly punished. Yet, unbowed by defeat, he remains unbroken. Now, staking his head and submitting this blood oath to retake Jiaxing in ten days, he shows he can correct his mistakes. I believe there’s nothing greater than recognizing and amending one’s errors. I suggest we grant his plea, ordering him to reclaim Jiaxing within ten days.”
“I second that. We should allow the Jiaxing Prefect to atone with merit, as his plea requests, within ten days.”
“I second.”
Several Yan faction members promptly stepped forward, voicing support for Zhao Chong’s chance to redeem himself by retaking Jiaxing in ten days.
“What do you think?” Emperor Jiajing looked to Yan Song, Xu Jie, and Li Ben.
“It’s only ten days. Why not let him try? Permit him to atone with merit. If he retakes Jiaxing in ten days, that’s cause for celebration, and his loss of the city can be leniently handled. If he fails, then tally his old and new sins together and punish him severely as a warning,” Li Ben spoke first, catching Yan Song’s glance and understanding his intent.
Since joining the cabinet, Li Ben had been cowed by Yan Song. Afraid to cross him, he followed his lead obediently.
Though he harbored no malice, his compliance had aided the Yan faction in many misdeeds, earning him a share of bitter credit under Yan Song’s command.
Just like today.
“There’s nothing greater than correcting one’s mistakes. I too believe he should be allowed to redeem himself through merit,” Xu Jie chimed in.
Yan Song cast Xu Jie an imperceptible glance.
“Atone with merit” versus “redeem through merit”—the terms seemed similar, but “atone with merit” emphasized the merit, often leading not just to forgiveness but rewards, while “redeem through merit” focused on atonement, with merit merely canceling the sin.
“And you, Weizhong?” Emperor Jiajing turned to Yan Song.
“Your Majesty, no one is infallible but the sages. I believe we should give the young some leeway to err and correct themselves. For those who promptly admit and amend their mistakes, we can be lenient. For those who correct errors and achieve merits, we can offer suitable rewards to encourage the young to take responsibility and act boldly. For Jiaxing Prefect Zhao Chong, I suggest giving him a chance to rectify his errors. Order him to retake Jiaxing within ten days. If he fails, punish all his crimes together without mercy.”
Yan Song bowed and replied.
With all three cabinet ministers in favor, Emperor Jiajing tapped his chair, settling the matter.
“The cabinet will draft the edict. First, give him a good scolding for me. Suzhou faced forty thousand pirates and stood firm as a mountain, nearly wiping them out. And Jiaxing? A mere four hundred stragglers took it!”
“I thought Zhao Chong was a pig!”
“But now, seeing his blood oath plea, it seems he knows remorse and might still be salvageable. So give him a chance to redeem himself through merit.”
“Order him: from the day he receives this edict, retake Jiaxing within ten days. Otherwise, new and old accounts will be settled together!”
