Emperor Jiajing tossed Luo Longwen’s memorial to the floor, then picked up another one and opened it.
“Another impeachment of young Zhu.” Emperor Jiajing flipped it open and glanced at it, discovering it was yet another memorial impeaching Zhu Ping’an.
“Let’s see what the impeachment is this time. Oh, unauthorised killing? How so? Hmm, Zhu Ping’an has recently swept away Japanese pirate strongholds along the Zhejiang coast one after another, repeatedly reporting victories, beheading Japanese pirate heads in numbers from over a thousand to several thousand. Are all the heads he beheaded those of Japanese pirates? No, many are treacherous civilians engaged in smuggling who resisted arrest and were killed, not Japanese pirates. Their crimes do not warrant death. Zhu Ping’an, in order to claim merit, killed them without authority. His crime is unforgivable. Nonsense! This Zhu is not that Zhu!” Emperor Jiajing scanned it quickly, finished reading the memorial, then chuckled coldly, tossed the memorial in his hand to Huang Jin, and with a displeased expression issued an order, “Send someone to investigate him thoroughly. If he is honest and capable, then fine. If he is corrupt, bending the law, mediocre, and incompetent, hand him over to the authorities for severe punishment!”
“As you command.” Huang Jin took the memorial, retreated several metres backward, turned, and walked out of the hall.
Outside the grand hall, Huang Jin opened the memorial to see who had submitted it. To impeach Zhu Ping’an for unauthorised killing? Impeaching others for unauthorised killing might be acceptable, like Lu Tang or Yu Dayou and such, but impeaching Zhu Ping’an for unauthorised killing?!
Ridiculous. Young Master Zhu is close to the emperor’s heart. His Majesty’s not unaware of young Master Zhu’s character. Moreover, every time young Master Zhu reports a victory, he presents heads and captives for verification. Those heads are genuine Japanese pirates, with no elderly, weak, women, or children among them, and the proportion of true Japanese is not low. Impeaching young Master Zhu for unauthorised killing, what is this if not slander.
Zhang Heng.
Huang Jin looked at the name and had an impression. This was a censor, from a prominent family in Taizhou, Zhejiang.
If he remembered correctly, three years ago Zhang Heng was transferred from outside to the capital. It coincided with the Laba Festival, and he even shipped a boatload of sea fish from Jiangnan to give to his colleagues and friends in the capital.
This inevitably makes one suspect whether Zhang Heng’s family has maritime business interests?!
Then his motive for impeaching Zhu Ping’an for unauthorised killing.
Huang Jin then hurriedly skimmed through the memorial again. Zhang Heng impeached Zhu Ping’an because during this period, Zhu Ping’an had victory reports every few days, eradicating one Japanese pirate stronghold after another along the Zhejiang coast, killing and capturing one thousand after another. Zhang Heng claimed that among the Japanese pirates Zhu Ping’an killed, many were not Japanese pirates but coastal treacherous civilians engaged in smuggling who resisted arrest. Although these treacherous civilians were wrong and guilty, their crimes did not warrant death. Zhu Ping’an, to claim merit, killed them and counted them as Japanese pirate heads. This is unauthorised killing!
Wait, this tone of impeachment sounds so familiar?!
He remembered.
Back then, Zhu Wan was impeached with this very tone!
At that time, many officials from Jiangnan impeached Zhu Wan for this reason, leading His Majesty to dismiss Zhu Wan from office and order the Board of War’s supervising secretary Du Ruzhen to investigate. Zhu Wan was upright and had a strong temperament, leaving words, “I am poor and have no bribes, unfit for prison; ill with haemorrhoids, unfit for prison; proud and unable to endure insults, unfit for prison. Even if the emperor does not wish to kill me, the ministers will; if the ministers do not, the people of the two Guangs will surely kill me. I will decide my own death, not hand it to others,” and in anger drank poison to commit suicide. After Zhu Wan’s death, Du Ruzhen reported to the court, convicting Zhu Wan of unauthorised killing.
Last time they succeeded, now they are using this reason again to impeach Zhu Ping’an!
No wonder His Majesty said this Zhu is not that Zhu!
Zhu Ping’an is not Zhu Wan!
Zhu Wan might have committed unauthorised killing!
But young Master Zhu would absolutely not commit unauthorised killing!
The Japanese pirate scourge in Jiangnan has been intensifying, adding so much worry and trouble to His Majesty. Now young Master Zhu has achieved successive victories, reducing His Majesty’s worries and troubles considerably, improving his mood a lot, and even his appetite. Now you impeach young Master Zhu for unauthorised killing, saying he killed the wrong ones, which implies the Japanese pirate scourge in Jiangnan has not improved, has not been curbed. What, do you think His Majesty’s days are too good?!
“You two little monkeys, come here.” After Huang Jin left the grand hall, he beckoned to two young eunuchs not far away.
“Godfather, your orders.” The two young eunuchs trotted over eagerly, saluted, and asked.
“See this name? You two lead the factory guards to secretly and carefully investigate him. See if he is honest and capable, or corrupt, bending the law, mediocre, and incompetent. Investigate well for us, thoroughly, in detail. Even if it’s about him wetting the bed at three or lifting skirts at four, find out everything clearly.” Huang Jin covered the memorial, revealing only the name and position for the two to see.
“Godfather, why investigate this person? Is it better if he’s honest, or corrupt? Give us a hint, old man.”
The two young eunuchs exchanged glances, and one stepped forward ingratiatingly.
“Why ask so much?! Don’t you know in this palace, the less you know, the better?” Huang Jin glared at them.
“Yes, yes, godfather’s lesson is right.” The two young eunuchs shrank their necks involuntarily, smiling awkwardly.
Huang Jin let them stew for a few seconds, then laughed and cursed, beckoned them close, and whispered, “Little monkeys, no need to inquire about other things. Just know this person has just impeached young Master Zhu. His Majesty ordered to investigate him. Now do you understand?”
The two young eunuchs immediately understood, “Godfather, we get it. Rest assured, we’ll investigate thoroughly and in detail.”
“Don’t add unnecessary touches. Nothing escapes His Majesty’s eyes. You just need to investigate him thoroughly and factually. Black can’t turn white, white can’t turn black. If unclean, no matter what, it’s unclean.”
Huang Jin instructed them again.
“Godfather, rest assured. We know the importance. We guarantee a factual investigation.” The two young eunuchs assured.
Finally, the two young eunuchs leisurely said, “We’ve yet to see an official who withstands our investigation.”
“Stop chattering. Hand over your serving duties to little Linzi and little Zhuozi. You two immediately take people to investigate. His current post, past posts, his hometown, his subordinates, his family, all to be investigated well, don’t miss anything. Give this token to you. During the mission, you can dispatch factory guards in various places, up to thousand households and below.”
Huang Jin explained to them, then took out a token and handed it to them.
“Thank you, godfather, for your consideration. We will not disappoint your trust. We guarantee to handle the mission well.” The two young eunuchs were thrilled at seeing the token. Godfather’s support was immense. This token could mobilise factory guards up to thousand households in various places, with great authority. After receiving the token, they repeatedly assured to handle the mission well and not disappoint Huang Jin’s trust.
“Go on.” Huang Jin waved his hand.
The two young eunuchs saluted and hurried away.
Huang Jin returned to the grand hall. At Emperor Jiajing’s feet, several more memorials had accumulated. No need to look, they were surely also impeaching Zhu Ping’an.
One memorial was open. Huang Jin glanced at it. Uh, this memorial actually impeached Zhu Ping’an for corruption, claiming that after eradicating Japanese pirate strongholds, Zhu Ping’an embezzled the seized Japanese pirate assets and did not submit them to the court.
