Chapter 29: Blue Jade Is About to Die

Liu Liu had to stop using the incense once he was told not to. Having received a modicum of dignity from Zhu Yunxun, he began to withhold certain reports from Dongqing. He felt that Zhu Yunxun was actually quite decent—far better than Zhu Yunwen—and he preferred to conceal things whenever possible.

Time flew by, and soon it was dinnertime.

Just as Zhu Yunxun was pondering his plans for the following day, Liu Liu entered to announce that Xu Xingzu had arrived once again. Only then did Zhu Yunxun notice the fading light; evening had already fallen.

"Send him in," Zhu Yunxun said.

Xu Xingzu had returned to deliver dinner. Ever since that day, he had been doing his utmost to curry favor with the Imperial Grandson. As soon as he entered, he smiled warmly and said, "Your Highness, the Third Imperial Grandson, I, Old Xu, have come once again to offer my apologies. I have already had a portion sent over to Consort Hui’s quarters. I prepared all of this at my own expense for Your Highness."

He placed a large pot of stewed soup on the table and added, "I am but a cook; I have nothing else to offer but my culinary skills. Please, Your Highness, forgive my past transgressions."

It was clear his sincerity was genuine, and perhaps he was even signaling a desire to pick a side.

"Old Xu," Zhu Yunxun said, not one to refuse a meal. "His Imperial Grandfather has told you not to take sides. You ought to be more cautious."

His attitude toward cooks mirrored that of Old Zhu: they were not to be trifled with lightly. After all, who knew if they might decide to add a little something extra to your food? Cooks like Xu Xingzu were useful to have around, and Zhu Yunxun felt it prudent to offer him a gentle warning, thinking he might find use for the man later.

"No sides, no sides at all!" Xu Xingzu quickly replied. "If I were to pick a side, it would only be His Majesty’s. I truly only came to apologize."

"I have already forgotten about what happened before," Zhu Yunxun said with a smile.

"Forgetting is good!" Xu Xingzu was finally at ease. He knelt and said, "Many thanks to Your Highness for your magnanimity. I... I do not know how else to thank you. Please, just tell me if there is anything you wish to eat." Beyond cooking, he really had no other talents.

"Very well, that will be all," Zhu Yunxun said, signaling that he could leave.

His thoughts, briefly interrupted, returned to the matters of the following day. In truth, issues like arrogance or the influence of foster sons were manageable. As for arrogance and resting on one’s laurels, Zhu Yuanzhang had already meted out punishments for those. Even transgressions like sleeping with a Northern Yuan princess or allowing troops to destroy a pass had been addressed by the Emperor; to a certain extent, these could be set aside. The foster sons were indeed a knotty problem, but not an impossible one to resolve.

The only real difficulty lay in the remnants of Hu Weiyong’s faction. Zhu Yunxun had not conspired with Lan Yu on how to handle this, because any collusion would surely be reported to Zhu Yuanzhang by the Imperial Guard. He would have to see how Lan Yu responded on his own, and then step in to assist him, using the opportunity to win his loyalty.

Lost in these thoughts, Zhu Yunxun finally realized how hungry he was. As before, he set aside a portion of the meal for Liu Liu.

"Many thanks, Your Highness!" Liu Liu was so moved that he knelt and kowtowed. "I am content with whatever is left over; you need not provide a separate portion for me, Your Highness. Besides... there is something I wish to tell you."

"What is it?" Zhu Yunxun asked.

"Just now, Dongqing, who serves the Crown Princess, came to ask me about your current state of mind," Liu Liu said, not daring to hide the truth and revealing the inside information.

Zhu Yunxun pondered this for a moment. He was certain now that he had successfully flipped Liu Liu. It turned out that turning a eunuch was quite simple: treat him well, grant him a measure of dignity, and let him feel genuine sincerity.

"You may tell Dongqing that I am feeling anxious and nervous," Zhu Yunxun decided. He would give Zhu Yunwen a glimmer of hope, just to see his disappointment the following day.

"This servant understands," Liu Liu said, nodding repeatedly before withdrawing.

The message was soon relayed via Dongqing to Lady Lü and Zhu Yunwen.

"Is it true?" Zhu Yunwen asked.

Dongqing nodded. "That is what Liu Liu said."

Lady Lü felt reassured. "Liu Liu is our man; he would never dare to betray us!" She remained confident, believing she held a firm grip on the eunuch and that nothing in the Eastern Palace could escape her control.

"Tomorrow, Lan Yu will be a dead man," Zhu Yunwen said. "The three teachers have also promised to assist me. We will work together to make the charges against Lan Yu stick, and perhaps even root out those Huai-Xi men entirely!" He was exhilarated, as if he could already see the depths of Zhu Yunxun’s despair. This was a trial, and they all knew Zhu Yunxun had no choice but to accept it. If he didn't, he would have no chance at all.

"Tomorrow, let them do the talking," Lady Lü cautioned, keeping a sharp eye on things. "You must not speak rashly. If something goes wrong, it will be the fault of the civil officials; if you speak, it becomes your fault."

Such matters required caution. After the setbacks of the past two days, Lady Lü had learned to be careful. Zhu Yunwen, still in a state of high agitation, nodded repeatedly to show he understood.

***

Morning arrived quickly. After waking up, Zhu Yunxun was about to go see Zhu Yuanzhang, but was told by the Emperor's men to wait for further notice.

"His Imperial Grandfather does not intend to hold the trial in the main court," Zhu Yunxun realized. He stayed in the Eastern Palace and waited.

It was nearly noon before someone came to tell Zhu Yunxun that he could proceed to the Dali Temple. This was to be a joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices: the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Censorate. The interrogation was to be conducted by the Left Censor-in-Chief, Zhan Hui, with Zhu Yuanzhang merely observing. As the one who had personally apprehended Lan Yu and the subject of the trial, Zhu Yunxun had to be present.

When he arrived at the Dali Temple, he saw that Lan Yu and his three foster sons were already there. Chang Sheng, Fu Youde, and other military generals were in attendance as well. All the civil officials of the court had gathered. Zhu Yunwen was watching the main hall with excitement, looking forward to how Lan Yu would be destroyed, how the Huai-Xi generals would be purged, and how this would bolster his own claim to the throne.

When they saw Zhu Yunxun arrive, everyone turned to look at him.

"His Majesty arrives!" The high-pitched voice of the eunuch Jixiang rang out through the hall.

They all knelt to welcome Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Rise!" Zhu Yuanzhang strode in, sat to one side, and said, "Enough, let us begin immediately!" He didn't waste words, eager to settle the matter. He was curious to see if Lan Yu would die today, and how Zhu Yunxun would manage to save him. This, too, was a test of ability.

Zhu Yuanzhang added, "If you have anything to say, speak freely, but do not turn this into a chaotic mess. Begin!"

As he announced the start, the atmosphere in the room turned formal and somber.

"His Majesty says we may speak our minds. Before the interrogation begins, I wish to ask the Third Imperial Grandson a question," said the Hanlin Academician Liu Sanwu, who stood up and posed his question without any pleasantries toward the Emperor.