Chapter 119: It Really Was That Boy Behind the Scheme

"Your Majesty..."

Zhu Biao had not expected the Emperor to act so decisively and hurried forward to plead for Kong Ne. However, Zhu Yuanzhang’s mind was made up; he waved a hand, signaling Zhu Biao to remain silent. Kong Ne, left in a daze, offered no plea for mercy and was led away just like that.

Once only the two of them remained in the Imperial Study, Zhu Biao asked, "Father, even if Kong Ne’s words were offensive, he should not have been thrown into prison. Furthermore, I feel there was some truth to what he said. You once told me that the officials are the mouth, tongue, eyes, and ears of the Emperor, as well as his hands and feet. If an official is unfit for his position, the limbs become useless; if an official acts with selfish motives and bends the law, the monarch becomes like a blind man with eyes or a mute. The Emperor is the architect of the court’s decisions, while the officials are the executors of the monarch's commands. Master Xu’s concern that your reforms to the imperial examination might affect the future of the Great Ming is not without merit. If we select a group of people who are capable only of empty talk, it would surely not be a blessing for the Empire!"

The same words, when spoken by Zhu Biao rather than an outsider, carried an entirely different weight. Zhu Yuanzhang understood that the fundamental disagreement between him and Xu Cunren was that he believed this method of selection would satisfy his requirements, while Xu Cunren believed it would not. As for whether it would work, no one could foresee the outcome; they could only wait and see. Yet, in his heart, he knew that by offering advice, Xu Cunren was merely fulfilling his duty as a subject. Even if the man had pointed out a hidden motive that caused Zhu Yuanzhang to react with shame and anger, from the perspective of a subject, Xu Cunren remained a loyal official. Hearing this, his desire to kill had already faded, though he kept Kong Ne in prison for his own calculated reasons.

...

When Kong Ne was tossed into the cell, he was still in a daze. He did not cry, nor did he make a scene or beg for mercy. His life had undergone such drastic shifts—from initial caution to being persuaded by Zhang Yi to meddle in these murky waters, to kneeling before the Imperial Study and witnessing the subtle change in the officials' attitudes, and finally, to speaking his mind before the monarch. Now, reduced to a prisoner, his young heart struggled to process such rapid change. The jailer threw him to the ground, and the cold floor brought him back to his senses. He looked around, wanting to plead for mercy, but did not know where to begin.

"Are you..."

Just as Kong Ne was about to weep, a familiar voice drifted from the adjacent cell. It was his master.

"Master, is that you? It is I, your student, Kong Ne. Greetings, Master!"

In truth, Kong Ne had only met Xu Cunren a few times, but because Xu treated him differently than others, he held his master in high regard and could recognize his voice even in the darkness.

"Is it really you, Kong Ne? How did you end up here?"

Even in prison, Xu Cunren’s voice remained as composed as ever.

"Master, I was sent here by His Majesty because I pleaded on your behalf!"

Kong Ne’s response took Xu Cunren by surprise. He had not thought their acquaintance deep enough for the young man to stick his neck out for him, yet that was exactly what Kong Ne had done. In the darkness, Xu Cunren sighed.

"I have taught so many students, yet at last, there is one willing to speak for me. You are a good man, but it was unnecessary. When I went to see the Emperor, I was already prepared for his thunderous wrath!"

Kong Ne replied, "I knew that. That is what Zhang Yi told me!"

"Zhang Yi? He was involved in this? No, wait—was it Zhang Yi who orchestrated your plea to the Emperor?"

Compared to Kong Ne, Xu Cunren understood Zhang Yi better. Strictly speaking, if not for that boy, he might never have found the courage to speak those words to the Emperor. Upon hearing this, Kong Ne nodded.

"That is correct. My audience with the Emperor today was Zhang Yi’s idea. Since he could not reach the high-ranking officials, he had me petition the Crown Prince, who then took me to see the Emperor!"

Kong Ne recounted parts of his conversation with Zhang Yi to Xu Cunren. The latter listened in silence, and once finished, a heavy sigh echoed through the cell.

"You are both good children, but you are too impulsive. Now you are trapped in this prison, likely suffering on my account. But do not worry; you are, after all, a descendant of the Duke of Yansheng. His Majesty should not make things too difficult for you. If you ever get out, please thank Zhang Yi for me. And thank you, my student."

Listening to Xu Cunren’s voice, Kong Ne’s anxiety began to fade. He nodded and leaned against the cell wall, just as Xu Cunren was doing, and the two began to chat. Neither of them knew that every word of their conversation would soon be resting on the desk in the Imperial Study.

Zhu Yuanzhang leafed through the transcript, his blood beginning to boil. "I knew something felt wrong. It was that boy indeed... That style of rhetoric is certainly not something a simple, honest child like Kong Ne could have conceived!"

Zhu Biao took the transcript sent by the intelligence officers and chuckled. Zhang Yi’s shadow was everywhere. It was no wonder the Emperor was fuming; to be fair, Zhang Yi’s rhetoric had indeed struck at Zhu Yuanzhang’s soft spot. If anyone truly understood Zhu Yuanzhang, the Zhang brother was likely one of them. However, Old Zhu did not care for such a "soulmate," and his demeanor bordered on the shame-induced rage of a man caught in a trap.

Zhu Biao understood his father’s temperament. If he realized that Zhang Yi had designed this strategy, he might just spitefully execute Xu Cunren. "Father, you must not forget the talents of the Zhang brother. If he says there is a problem with your imperial examination reforms, there likely is one..."

Zhu Yuanzhang’s anger, once held high, faltered in mid-air. Old Zhu was well aware of Zhang Yi’s capabilities. He retrieved the essay Kong Ne had submitted and remained silent for a long time.

"This essay, I suspect, also came from the Zhang brother!"

With this confirmation, Old Zhu scrutinized the document even more carefully. After a long while, he set the examination paper down and sighed softly. The future was unpredictable, and even the wisest monarch could not guarantee the impact of his decisions. If someone had simply tried to persuade him, it would have been incredibly difficult. But with Zhang Yi’s influence added to the mix, even Zhu Yuanzhang began to doubt himself. Could he really be wrong...?

"Father, you know the Zhang brother’s temperament. Even if he sees through something, he is not necessarily willing to speak of it. Furthermore, we approach him as the Huang family, so he would not bring up such topics voluntarily! In this matter, Master Xu is not only blameless but actually meritorious. Without him, how would you know the impact of your own decisions? If these reforms truly lead to the selection of superficial officials, as Zhang Yi suggests, would that be what you truly desire?"

Seeing the Emperor remain silent, Zhu Biao continued, "In selecting officials, you are choosing your own limbs, tongue, and ears. You fear they may gain too much power and undermine the throne, but this world must be governed by them. If you select incompetent men, it would be better to keep the system as it was!"

"Your Majesty..."

Just as the Emperor and his son were speaking, a eunuch reported, "The Secretariat, the Six Ministries, and other officials have submitted memorials, all begging Your Majesty to spare Kong Ne’s life!"

Kong Ne had barely been in prison for long before the memorials from the officials arrived like falling snow. Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the documents in silence.

"Father, you kept Kong Ne in the capital hoping that, through exposure to our ways, he would come to support the Great Ming. But the human heart is unfathomable—what constitutes true devotion? I believe that by having the courage to stand up for Master Xu in such an environment, he has already shown the heart of a Ming subject. I implore you, Father, to reconsider..."

After saying this, Zhu Biao knelt down and prostrated himself. Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, then finally let out a cold snort and issued an imperial decree.

"Father!" Zhu Biao was overjoyed upon receiving the decree.

"For your sake, go to the prison and retrieve him yourself!"

Zhu Yuanzhang left it at that and ignored his son. Zhu Biao knew his father was giving him a graceful way to handle the situation, and he knelt and kowtowed three times in gratitude.

...

"Master Xu!"

Xu Cunren and Kong Ne were chatting in their cell when they heard movement outside. They looked up to see the Crown Prince, Zhu Biao, walking toward them.

"Your Highness!" Kong Ne and Xu Cunren hurriedly bowed.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Zhu Biao smiled warmly and said, "I have come to take you both out of here. His Majesty acknowledges your hard work and contribution, Master. Though you defied the Emperor, your original intent was for the sake of the country and the people. Thus, he has pardoned your crimes. However, you are to be stripped of your title as Chancellor of the National Academy and demoted to a Doctorate, and your salary will be docked for a year."

"I thank His Majesty; he is truly wise!"

Xu Cunren had thought he would surely die, but he had found life in the face of death. Not only was he spared, but he also retained his scholarly status. Being demoted from Chancellor to Doctorate mattered little to him; he was a scholar at heart, and the title made no difference.

"His Majesty also sent an oral decree! Master, listen well..."

Xu Cunren and Kong Ne quickly knelt to receive the message. Zhu Biao cleared his throat and, with a smile in his eyes, imitated Zhu Yuanzhang’s tone from earlier:

"Tell them all: stop just talking and start doing! If Xu Cunren has the skill to point out problems, then he should provide me with a proper solution! If all he can do is pick faults, what do I need him for? If the solution he proposes is worse than my own, I will have him beaten, even if he is an old man!"

"Your Majesty!"

Hearing this, Master Xu’s eyes turned red. Zhu Yuanzhang’s grumpy words had stirred memories of the decade they had spent together. Looking back to when Old Zhu had personally invited him, it felt as though a lifetime had passed. The Emperor might have changed, but some things remained the same.

"This subject accepts the decree! If I fail to live up to His Majesty’s expectations, I shall offer my head!"

Zhu Biao was very satisfied with Xu Cunren’s response. Zhu Yuanzhang had provided a way out, and Xu Cunren had taken it perfectly. This matter could now be considered resolved.

Zhu Biao’s gaze then shifted to Kong Ne. He was very pleased with the young man’s composed demeanor. "The blood of the Kong family has not lost its spirit; I am very pleased. Kong Ne, do you know..."

Zhu Biao paused intentionally. "When you were thrown into prison, the Left Chancellor of the Secretariat Li Shanchang, the Censor-in-Chief Liu Bowen, the Assistant Chancellor Yang Xian, the Minister of Personnel Teng Yi... they all pleaded for you! Aside from these high officials, the bureaucrats of the capital did everything in their power to run about on your behalf..."

Kong Ne was stunned. Was this the Yingtian he had imagined? Although he had not been in the capital long, he had felt its indifference. This lonely hell forged from people's alienation had once driven him to despair, until he met Zhang Yi and Xu Cunren, which gave him a connection to the "outside world." Now, Zhu Biao was telling him that this wall had been shattered.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Kong Ne did not know what else to say, and he could only bow respectfully.

Zhu Biao patted him on the shoulder. "I do not have such great influence that I could make all these officials help you. Everything you achieved today was won by your own kneeling in the palace; it is an honor you deserve. Including the fact that you and your master were able to walk out of prison today—that, too, is your own merit."

Kong Ne wanted to say something, but stopped. He thought of Zhang Yi, who was waiting for news at the Taoist temple. The man seemed to smile at him, making a gesture for him to stay silent. Then, the little Taoist turned and walked away, hiding his achievements and fame deep within.

Kong Ne’s lips trembled, but in the end, he did not mention Zhang Yi.

"This commoner is humbled!"