Chapter 71: Warning the Monkey and Roasting the Eagle

  The Hongzhi Emperor stood up in shock and anger, pointing at Yang Ling, so furious that he couldn't speak for a moment.

  He actually has a high opinion of Yang Ling. A few days ago, Yang Ling's insights on military matters were mentioned by Hong Zhi to Liu Da Xia, and although Liu Da Xia felt that there were still many details that needed to be refined and discussed, he also held a positive view of his insights, believing them to be independent and original, with unique perspectives, and thus was not stingy with praise.

  Yang Ling served as the reader for the Crown Prince, but he didn't teach him the Four Books and Five Classics. Instead, he taught him about mountains, rivers, customs, and even things from foreign lands. The Hongzhi Emperor already knew all this through his informants. However, the Hongzhi Emperor himself was quite fond of music and painting, and his ministers often spoke to him about it, worrying that he would neglect state affairs because of these pursuits. Each time, the Hongzhi Emperor just smiled and dismissed their concerns, thinking they were the views of pedantic scholars. Therefore, he didn't think much of the Crown Prince's broad and miscellaneous learning either.

  In his opinion, Yang Ling was the first scholar of Xuanfu, and his knowledge was naturally not bad. Now he doesn't talk about the words of saints, but instead starts from unconventional methods, it seems that he also knows the prince's temperament, so he abandoned 'reading ten thousand volumes' and used 'travelling ten thousand miles' to teach the prince, which is also quite painstaking, so he was extremely impressed with him.

  But today he is teaching the prince the way of being a ruler, and there are some tricks that are not suitable for outsiders to know. Now they have been overheard by Yang Ling hiding in the dark, even if Hongzhi has always been generous to others, he can't help but feel annoyed and ashamed.

  He coldly glanced at Yang Ling and suppressed his anger, saying: "Yang Shidu, did you just startle the imperial carriage?"

  Yang Ling hesitantly said: "Your Majesty, I...I don't understand your meaning."

  "Hongzhi slammed his hand on the desk, his words clear and direct: 'Yang Ling, did the Crown Prince leave the palace yesterday? Where did he go? And today, Li Dongyang's impeachment of Zhang Heling, was it at your behest?'"

  Yang Ling felt a chill in his heart: "This matter was done so secretly, how did the Emperor find out? Is there an imperial informant among the Eight Tigers? No, it can't be. If it were one of the Eight Tigers who informed on us, the Emperor would have stopped the Crown Prince from sneaking out of the palace earlier, not after the fact. So who leaked the information? The Eastern Depot? The Imperial Guards? They wouldn't undermine their own authority, so who could it be?"

  Yang Ling's body shook as he suddenly thought of the Western Depot, which was rumored to have been secretly re-established. Could it be that this person was a spy from the all-pervasive Western Depot? The re-establishment of the Western Depot was extremely secretive and had not yet been officially announced. It was still unknown who the supervisor of the Western Depot was, and most of its members were also shrouded in mystery. Was this person from the Western Depot?

  He knelt down, thinking wildly, and Hongzhi angrily said: "You are so bold and daring, inciting the crown prince to leave the palace and enter the brothel, beating up the Hou Mansion's family members. This is not enough, as a minister, when impeaching others, you cannot be open and honest, directly reporting to the emperor, but instead use cunning tricks, manipulating officials, using the emperor, this is truly a heart that should be punished!"

  The emperor grew angrier with each passing word, slamming his hand heavily on the desk. Yang Ling couldn't help but tremble. What emperors detest most is their subjects overpowering them and manipulating power in front of them. Although it was said that Hongzhi thought he was seeking justice for the people by opposing the corrupt officials who exploited the people's interests, he believed that he had deceived the young crown prince and used him as a pawn in his schemes. This was indeed an offense against the emperor's taboos.

  It is often said that serving a king is like serving a tiger. If Emperor Hongzhi were to get really angry, would he hesitate to behead his own small servant? Yang Ling was getting more and more frightened, and he knelt on the ground, not knowing how to explain himself. Zhu Houzhao wanted to plead for him, but seeing his father's furious face, he didn't dare to speak up easily either.

  Just then, Miao Kui's voice came from outside the door: "Madam Jin, the Emperor is checking the Crown Prince's homework. You'd better go to the back palace first and wait for the Emperor to return to the palace. He will definitely see you."

  Then only a woman's voice said: "Get out, I want to see the emperor now. Your Majesty, I am wronged! Your Majesty, do justice for me!"

  "Hong Zhi angrily said: 'What's going on?'"

  Miao Kui opened the palace gate and said with a sincere and fearful tone: "Your Majesty, Jin Furen she..."

  Before he could finish speaking, a woman of about fifty years old rushed in and saw Hongzhi kneeling on the ground, crying and saying: "Your Majesty, I am wronged. Hualing has always been obedient and never dared to do anything improper. How can she be accused of occupying people's houses, privately selling official salt, and forcibly marrying a woman from Qinglou? It was all because Li Dongyang was jealous of Your Majesty's favor towards Hualing that he slandered her. Please, Your Majesty, do justice for me... That child has grown up so big and has never been to prison before, Your Majesty..."

  Hongzhi frowned and said in a warm voice, "Madam Jin, please get up. Shouning Hou was rude to me in the Golden Temple, I just lightly punished him. I've already told the Empress that I'll pardon him and release him from prison after a few days, don't worry."

  Yang Ling glanced at the woman kneeling beside him and thought, "Is this really the empress dowager? Great, I hope she interrupts and the emperor forgets to punish me."

  Madam Jin cried and pleaded, "Your Majesty, Li Dongyang was chasing He Ling in the Golden Temple, he couldn't take it anymore, that's why he snatched the hammer and hit him. It's not He Ling's fault at all! If you want to punish someone, you should severely punish Li Dongyang instead. Please spare He Ling!"

  Hongzhi's face turned iron-green, his stout body panting heavily due to excitement. Zhu Houzhao saw this and quickly supported him, worriedly saying: "Your Majesty, please calm down and sit for a while, don't get too excited."

  Hongzhi sat on the couch, seeing Madame Jin crying and making a fuss, his anger grew even more. He turned his eyes to see Yang Ling kneeling there, and at the door, Gu Dajiu was also peeking in, he couldn't help but point at Gu Dajiu with hatred and scolded: "You good-for-nothing, get in here!"

  Madam Jin was crying loudly, but was suddenly startled by his loud roar and immediately stopped her crying. Gu Dazhong rushed in on his knees and kowtowed to the ground. Emperor Hongzhi's face was stern as he shouted: "You few daredevils, how dare you instigate the Crown Prince to leave the palace? The Crown Prince was injured by the servants of the Shouning Marquis' manor! I'll have your hearts cut out and used as sacrifices if anything happens to the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince is not well, I will exterminate your nine clans!"

  Kowtowing heavily, Gu Dajun exclaimed: "Your Majesty spare my life! Your Majesty spare my life! The Crown Prince left the palace to inspect the people's sentiment, who would have thought that there would be such a daring slave... This old slave deserves death. For the sake of the Crown Prince, I fought forward with all my might and was also beaten by the Hou Mansion's slaves, Your Majesty!"

  He lifted his face for the emperor to see the bruises on his face, and Madame Jin heard that the crown prince was beaten by her own son's housekeeper, and she was also frightened and didn't dare to make a sound, kneeling stupidly beside him.

  Hongzhi saw that Jin Furen was not present, and he secretly let out a sigh of relief. He glared at Gu Dajun and said, "Hmph! If it weren't for you people inciting the Crown Prince to sneak out of the palace in disguise, how could such a thing have happened? I won't punish you this time, but who knows what other big troubles you'll stir up in the future. Miao Kui, how many people were involved in instigating the Crown Prince to leave the palace?"

  Miao Kui hastily stepped forward, bowed and said: "I report to Your Majesty, the attendants Yang Ling, Liu Jin, Zhang Yong, Gu Dajiu, Ma Yongcheng, Wei Bin, Luo Xiang, Gao Feng, and Qiu Juguang nine people followed the Crown Prince out of the palace yesterday and returned only in the evening!"

  "Hongzhi shouted: 'Take these nine people out of the Wu Gate...'"

  Yang Ling's ears perked up at this, and he heard Hong Zhi take a deep breath before continuing: "Each person will receive thirty lashes as a warning to the rest."

  Miao Kui hastily said: "Yes, Your Majesty!" He waved his hand and several small eunuchs came in to seize Yang Ling and Gu Dajiu. Gu Dajiu wailed loudly like a dead mother: "Your Majesty spare my life, Your Majesty spare my life! I will never dare again, please spare my life, Crown Prince save me!"

  Yang Ling was a bit puzzled, just hit him, it's only thirty boards, at most he would be exempt for two days, the emperor didn't cut off his head, he had already let out a breath. Gu Dajun used to work in the East Factory, but he knew well that the Jin Yiwei's prison guards' board skills were not the same as those in the government offices, those people had received special training, usually only those who had practiced to put a piece of paper on a brick and hit it with a board without breaking the paper could execute the punishment.

  So they carried out the punishment entirely at the emperor's discretion. If the emperor did not want someone to die, dozens of boards would be used to beat them until blood and flesh flew everywhere, looking extremely miserable. In reality, a little bit of golden wound medicine would be applied and they would recover in two days with no issues. If he did not want him to live, when the rods were used, it looked very light, the skin was not broken, but the pain was heart-wrenching. With just thirty rods, the blood vessels under the skin would rupture inch by inch, the muscles would rot and be impossible to heal, and they would inevitably die soon, with no medicine able to save them.

  Gu Dajun didn't know what was on the emperor's mind, but seeing Hongzhi's face turn iron-green, he thought this time he was dead for sure, so he cried miserably.

  Zhu Houzhao felt a bit uneasy, he always thought that whether to leave the palace or not was his own decision, Yang Ling and Gu Dajiu were just following orders. Now that he had nothing to do with it, they were beaten up, and he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. He muttered to Hongzhi: "Father Emperor, they......"

  With a wave of his sleeve, he said: "The prince is the country's heir, they actually dared to take the prince out of the palace privately, causing the prince to be injured. This is a great rebellion and unfilial act, not cutting them off would already be showing mercy beyond the law, there is no need for the prince to say more!"

  Mrs. Jin felt a chill in her heart, and she wanted to ask for the immediate release of Zhang Heling and severe punishment of Li Dongyang, but she didn't dare say another word. If taking the prince out of the palace privately was considered a great sin, then what kind of crime would it be if the servants at her son's residence beat the prince? This matter had never been mentioned by any family member before, when did they beat the prince?

  "Empress Jin, please rise and do not kneel again. My decision is made. Let the decree be passed down: Li Dongyang, for his improper behavior in front of the palace, shall be penalized three months' salary as a warning. Shou Ning Hou, for his exploitation of the people's interests, with solid evidence, shall be detained for three days and penalized half a year's salary. Order him to restrain his family members and return the ill-gotten gains."

  "As for the Crown Prince being beaten...", he took a deep look at Madame Jin, who had lost all her arrogance and didn't dare to speak recklessly again, relying on her daughter's favor. She looked nervously at the Emperor, only to hear Hongzhi say slowly: "The Marquis of Shouning was not aware of this beforehand, otherwise such a thing would not have happened. Let's just forget about it, after all, it's a shameful thing for the imperial family, don't spread it out."

  Madam Jin hastily said: "Yes, yes, Your Majesty is wise and benevolent, Your Majesty's kindness is boundless!"

  Hongzhi hummed softly and said, "If Madam Jin has no other matters to attend to, she can go to the rear palace to see the Empress and comfort her. I still need to review the Crown Prince's homework."

  "Madam Jin listened and hastily said: 'Yes, I will withdraw, I won't disturb the Emperor.' The woman quickly wiped away her tears and retreated with a sullen expression. She saw that the usually good-tempered Hongzhi was furious this time, and she felt a little afraid in her heart. Originally wanting to leave the palace immediately, but thinking again that the Empress might still not let up and provoke the Emperor's anger once more, she hastily rushed back to the rear palace."

  Zhu Houzhao saw everyone leave, and he couldn't help but wipe his face and grab Hongzhi's arm, pleading: "Father Emperor, it was my idea to leave the palace yesterday. Yang Ling and Dai Yong are all people by my side. You've disabled them all. Who will dare follow me in the future?"

  Hongzhi burst out laughing and slowly sat down, staring at his son and saying: "Do you know how to protect people? Hmph! Do you think I don't know about your nonsense? If it weren't for those people inciting you, I think you wouldn't have come up with so many absurd ideas. People like Gu Dajiu and Liu Jin only know how to fawn on you, coming up with some unseemly childish pranks to play around with; teaching them a lesson is also necessary."

  Zhu Houzhao listened to his father's calm tone and knew that he was just pretending for Jin Furen, so he couldn't help but laugh with relief. He also sat down beside Hongzhi and patted his shoulder, asking: "And... Yang Shiren? He is a scholar without any martial skills, a delicate and tender bottom that can't withstand beating. What if Father Emperor beats him crippled?"

  Princess Yongfu heard her brother say something about a white and tender butt behind the screen, and she couldn't help but blush on her jade face, lightly making a hissing sound. The young and inexperienced Princess Yongsun couldn't help but look at her strangely with two eyes, Princess Yongfu saw her looking at herself, couldn't help but feel both shy and annoyed, fiercely staring back at her. Princess Yongsun stuck out her tongue, not knowing why her sister looked strange, completely different from usual.

  The stories Yang Ling told, those Arabian Nights tales, had a pull on Zhu Houzhao no less than Liu Jin's juggling and acrobatics, it was a world he had never come into contact with before, even in his dreams he couldn't imagine that outside of the Great Ming there were so many colorful places. Although they hadn't known each other for long, he now had strong feelings for Yang Ling and couldn't bear him coming to harm, thus taking the opportunity to plead on Yang Ling's behalf.

  "Hong Zhi hummed: 'Yang Ling... This man is indeed a talented and versatile individual, don't underestimate him just because he's a scholar. A true great general doesn't need to personally wield a sword on the battlefield. His insights into military affairs are even praised by old generals like Liu Da Xia.'"

  He smiled lightly: "This young servant is brave enough to oppose the king and marquis with loyalty, and is indeed a loyal minister. Moreover, he knows his own insignificance and understands how to use Li Dongyang and you, the Crown Prince, to remonstrate in a roundabout way. He's not a foolish and arrogant youngster, I quite like him."

  Nowadays, the six Shangshu of the court are all old and venerable, and several university scholars are even older. The emperor thought that if this person was tempered again, he would be a strong arm for my son in the future.

  He saw that his son was still somewhat perplexed, and couldn't help but smile wryly, saying: "You're wondering why I want to punish him? Heh heh, this person is young and reckless, too young and impulsive, acting without considering the consequences. If he doesn't go through some tempering, a young man who achieves success will inevitably become arrogant and look down on others. At that time, a good pillar of talent will become an overbearing and tyrannical official. Do you understand?"

  Zhu Houzhao nodded and said, "I see... Father Emperor wants to temper him, just like... just like I let people stew eagles. The more you want to use him, the more you need to torture him well, haha, only... This tempering starts from the buttocks, I find it a bit strange."

  Hongzhi was delighted when he heard his son's parable, but after hearing the rest of his words, he couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. This son still doesn't understand things.

  Princess Yongfu let out a sound, and Yang Ling had to go out to take the blame. Listening to him being punished made her feel very uneasy in her heart. After hearing Father Emperor's words, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Princess Yongchun raised her thumb at her sister, blinked her eyes, and the two sisters exchanged a smile.