Chapter 54: Father and Son Heart-to-Heart, I Wish to Visit the Pleasure Houses and Listen to Music

No one could blame Zhang Yi for being so bewildered; after all, he had left home because Zhu Biao had personally invited him to visit their residence. But now, halfway there, it seemed as though he was being abandoned.

After instructing his attendants, Zhu Biao turned to Zhang Yi and said, “Brother Zhang, forgive me. After hearing your words, I was reminded of my argument with my father today, and I am overcome with shame! I wish to speak with my father. For abandoning you today, I owe you an apology as your elder brother. I shall come to your home to make amends another day!”

Zhang Yi was dumbfounded. My friend, isn’t this rather unbrotherly of you?

“Little Daoist, if you please...” Before he could recover, Zhang Yi had already been helped out of the carriage by the servants. He watched as Zhu Biao, regretful, drove away, leaving him disheveled and alone in the wind.

“Huang Mu, you...” Zhang Yi wanted to curse Huang Mu, but the words caught in his throat and he swallowed them. He knew why Huang Mu had chosen to return, and in truth, he envied the father-son bond between him and Uncle Huang.

“To have a son like that is a blessing earned in a past life. Someday, I, too, want a son like that...” Having taken advantage of Zhu Biao just now, Zhang Yi felt a fleeting satisfaction at playing the father for a moment. When he turned, he found the servant eyeing him with a peculiar expression.

“What are you looking at? I’m a Daoist who lives among the laity—I can have a son...” The servant looked as though he wanted to laugh but dared not. Zhang Yi’s irritation grew, but his protest had little effect; the servant took a deep breath, suppressing his amusement.

“Little Master, my young lord has ordered me to show you about the capital. Wherever you wish to go, just say the word, and I shall take you there!”

“Your master is rather unbrotherly. Fine, today I’ll make him pay handsomely for it... You say you can take me anywhere? Then I want to visit the pleasure quarters to hear some music—can you take me there?”

He had spoken in a fit of pique, but the servant bowed his head and replied, “If you insist, I can.”

“Very well, let’s go see!” Zhang Yi had only meant it as a jest, but since the servant agreed, his curiosity was piqued. Perhaps seeing some lovely ladies would lighten his mood. Now, it was the servant who grew uneasy as Zhang Yi showed genuine interest.

...

Meanwhile, after parting from Zhang Yi, Zhu Biao hurried back to the palace without pause. He arrived at the imperial study, only to find the emperor had dismissed everyone—even the eunuchs had been sent away.

Zhu Biao knelt in silence.

The emperor paid him no mind, treating him as if he were invisible. Zhu Yuanzhang held a sheet of paper, reading it with great relish.

“To gain the throne by the most righteous means—only the Han and the Ming!” Zhu Yuanzhang was reading the transcript of the conversation recorded by the inspector. Among the words that pleased old Zhu most, this line stood out.

When he had finished the transcript, Zhu Yuanzhang set the paper aside.

“This is clearly a saying from the future. It seems that young man has again glimpsed some fragment of our Ming dynasty’s fate. Very good! What do you think of these words?”

Zhu Biao remained silent.

“I never imagined that the judgment of our Ming in later ages would be so. Zhang Yi was right—it was the era that made Zhu Yuanzhang. Had I died at the hands of Chen Youliang, all these honors would have belonged to him... Yet, heaven favored me and gave me the realm, so I accept this glory.

“In truth, I never thought so far ahead in those days. All I wanted was to survive, to fill my belly. After marrying your mother, I thought that since a noble lady had married me, I had to give her a good life. Then, once I had you children, I didn’t want you to endure the suffering I had known since childhood. Later still, I had to secure the future for my old brothers in arms...

“To tell you the truth, after ascending the throne, I never truly felt at ease. No, not even now. The Mongols in the north are not yet vanquished, pirates plague the eastern seas, and unrest remains to the west and south... Each of these troubles forces me to strive harder. Yet, even now, I cannot say if my efforts will truly make this family, this nation, better.

“But now I know—the later generations will give me a verdict, and that is comfort enough.”

“Whether I am remembered as a ruler for the ages or a name in history, these are but judgments from those who come after. I may not care for those, but what I truly care for is whether this family prospers, and whether this land will flourish under the rule of our Zhu family! I dare not claim to be a loving emperor, but, through all my struggles, I have never forgotten my people. And as for this family...”

“Do you know why, even aware that you dislike my methods, I never confronted you about it?”

Zhu Biao shook his head.

“Because an emperor must have his own ideas. I can see your thinking is naïve, but that’s no matter. A man must sometimes dash himself against the wall to learn it is hard. I had planned to let you meet the Duke of Sage Descent, to see what the so-called descendants of the Sage are truly like...

“Unfortunately, your friend Zhang has already convinced you.”

Feeling the deep affection behind the emperor’s sternness, Zhu Biao’s shoulders began to tremble.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked over, glanced around to be sure they were alone, and then kicked Zhu Biao flat onto the ground.

“Are you mourning your ancestors, you brat? Crying for nothing...”

At the sound of that fatherly rebuke, Zhu Biao’s tears and snot turned to laughter.

“Father... your son is unworthy!”

Wiping his nose with his sleeve, Zhu Biao knelt solemnly before the emperor.

“When I was your age, I was no better. Don’t belittle yourself. I know you feel the pressure, but that’s all right! Between father and son, there’s nothing we can’t say. If you’re wrong, I’ll beat you. If you think you’re right, you can run—and if I can’t catch you, you win...”

“Yes, Father!”

“And don’t feel burdened. When the day comes that I hand you the empire, it will be clean and untroubled. I have suffered too much in this life, and I will not let you go through it again!”

“That’s enough—enough sentimental talk. Now, tell me, how much truth was there in Zhang Yi’s words? How much was his own thought, and how much from his visions of the future?”

Suppressing his emotions, Zhu Biao carefully recalled everything Zhang Yi had said. There were two core ideas in Zhang Yi’s speech; one was the relationship between religious and secular authority, a point that clearly explained why Kong Kejian and Zhang Zhengchang had ended up at the mercy of the emperor.

That part was straightforward, nothing to ponder deeply. Zhu Biao realized what Zhu Yuanzhang truly cared about was the other point.

Expel the barbarians, restore the Middle Kingdom!

Zhang Yi had said that this phrase summed up Zhu Yuanzhang’s life in both civil and military achievements. If expelling the barbarians was the military feat, then restoring the Middle Kingdom was the civil achievement—but what did that restoration require? Was all that the emperor had done not enough to fulfill those four words?

“Father, I cannot understand it fully. Perhaps only Zhang Yi can answer this... And I do feel guilty for abandoning him halfway. Who knows what he’s doing now? I’ll make it up to him another day, and take the opportunity to ask.”

“Never mind, we’ll ask Zhang Zhengchang when he comes to the capital. By the way, your Uncle Xu is returning soon. As crown prince, you’ll represent me in welcoming him and the Duke of Sage Descent. Once we’ve dealt with that old man, I have important matters to discuss with your Uncle Xu.”

“Yes, Father!”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Xu siblings as well,” Zhu Biao said with a gentle smile.

As the two spoke in the study, a battered carriage had just stopped at the gates of the Chang residence. A little girl poked her head out, curiosity shining in her eyes as she gazed at the grand household.