All Under Heaven

I will give you even better things in the future.

When Zhu Yijun saw Zhao Su, he had wanted to jump on him but with Zhang Juzheng in the way，he didn’t forget his manners and upbringing and just reluctantly held himself back but his longing gaze was on Zhao Su the whole time.

With someone as formidable as Zhang Juzheng present, the little kid felt immense pressure, so he had been looking forward to Zhao Su coming to placate him.

Zhao Su thought it was very funny, in reality, in front of Gao Gong and Chen Yiqin, Zhu Yijun had never ever been that well behaved, it was just that Zhang Juzheng hadn’t been there for that long, so Zhu Yijun was unsure of what his character was like, neither he did dare to be too brazen in front of him. It was important to know that in this era, one had to respect one’s teacher. Once your teacher, always your teacher1. Even Emperors were no exception to this rule, even the famously unruly Zhengde Emperor back then treated his teacher with the utmost love and respect. 

 

Zhang Juzheng didn’t notice what Zhu Yijun was doing, he was thinking how to tell Zhao Su: “Shao Yong, I just heard something from teacher.” Zhao Su had an ominous feeling in his gut.

“There was an urgent report from the border, Liaoyang was attacked. Yang Zhao, the Commanding General of Liaodong2 personally led the attack but was killed in ambush, your teacher went out to help Yang da-ren,” Zhang Juzheng paused for a moment，“……and was also killed in battle.”

Zhao Su was stunned.

He suddenly thought back to six or seven years ago and the first time that he had met Dai Gongwang. 

 

That man that had stood between the County Magistrate and the Zhao Clan Leader, that extraordinary man.

You want to study, why?

Are you willing to be my student?

At that time, he would never have thought that the decision he made that day would change his entire destiny.

According to Zhao Su’s background, he had long developed his own views on the world and life but it was Dai Gongwang who made him see everything that this place had that the future materialistic world he was from did not.

The strength of character and moral integrity of a scholar.

This kind of person, how could he have suddenly died?

Zhao Su came back to his senses, his first thought was disbelief.

Zhang Juzheng looked at him with sympathy: “Restrain your grief, accept fate3.”

“Wasn’t teacher only there as an Imperial Censor, why would he take to battle?” Zhao Su’s voice sounded a bit hoarse.

Zhang Juzheng sighed: “In our Great Ming, Civil Officials can also lead troops, this you should also know. At the time General Yang set off first, your teacher and another General departed separately to aid him. As a result, both Lord Yang and your teacher were ambushed and fell into a deep siege.”

His emotions were a mess but he hadn’t completely lost reason but he immediately picked out something fishy: “Then who was the other general, was he also killed in battle?”

“No, he wasn’t familiar with the territory so he got lost. When he finally arrived, it was too late. Nothing could be done.”

“Well is this person being escorted back to the Capital to face his punishment?”

Zhang Juzheng paused for a moment: “No, he has just lost one year’s salary without a guilty conviction.”

Zhao Su became more alert: “Why?”

Zhang Juzheng walked a few steps closer and lowered his voice slightly:“His name is Gao Qigong, he is the Head of the Ministry of War, Xu Jiang’s brother-in-law.

And Xu4 Jiang was an avid follower of the Yan family.

Zhao Su’s mouth twitched, his voice was cold: “There is something that Shao Yong doesn’t understand. Although teacher had a lot to say about the Yan family, he had already been transferred to the border and had no interest in them, so why did this happen to him?”

Zhang Juzheng sighed:“There are many things in the imperial court that you don’t quite understand when you first arrive. I know only a little from my teacher. Apparently this Gao Qigong5 and Yang Zhao had old quarrels and many disputes but merely left matters unsettled but the situation this time, there is no clear evidence that it has anything to do with him.”

Zhao Su clenched his fists.

There is no way to prove that it was linked to him but he can’t get away with it, can he?

That a general who had been stationed at the border for so long could lose his way in the nick of time and not be questioned about it afterwards simply begs the question.

“Shao Yong, in one’s lifetime, there are many things that are bound to occur against one’s will. My teacher and I are both very much aggrieved about what has happened to your teacher. But we can only say – while the green hills last, there’ll be wood to burn6.” Zhang Juzheng reverted back to his usual elegant flair. He was afraid that Zhao Su would do something impulsive, like rattle the snake and spoil his teacher’s long term plan.

Zhao Su naturally understood what he meant. He was enraged, but in the end, he was not really an impulsive teenager at all.

Although Yan Shifan was not in the Capital now and Yan Song was also being treated coldly by the Emperor, but even a starving camel was bigger than a horse7. The Yan family and their faction members covered the entire imperial court; it couldn’t be taken down completely for a while. With Zhao Su’s current status, it was easier for the Yan faction to destroy him than squashing an ant.

“I understand, thank you da-ren” Zhao Su really had little interest in exchanging any more pleasantries, and Zhang Juzheng knew he was in a bad mood, so he didn’t say much and soon left.

During this time period, cremation was not popular, his teacher died in battle and was bound to have been buried on the spot and would not be able to return to their hometown during their lifetime. It is even less likely that his bones would be welcomed back. Why should a man who served his country so faithfully end up like this?

The anger he felt was followed by a strong sense of sadness.

Zhao Su looked at the still blue, clear sky and closed his eyes.

Teacher, please rest in peace.

He felt the corner of the robes being tugged.

He looked down and his eyes met with a pair of round, dark eyes and remembered that he had been so absorbed in silence that he had forgotten that there was also Zhu Yijun present.

“Susu, are you crying?”

Zhao Su froze for a moment: “No.”

“Yes, you are.” Standing on tiptoes, his small hands tried to touch his eyes, and Zhao Su had to bend down to let him reach them. “You look so sad.”

Zhao Su stroked his head: “My teacher died, so I’m sad.”

Zhu Yijun cocked his head: “Is that the one Tutor Zhang was just talking about?”

“Yes.”

“You once told me that those who die for their country are loyal officials so your teacher is a loyal official.”

Zhao Su said softly, “Yes, he was a loyal official.”

Dai Gongwang was usually playful and open-minded, not as serious as the average teacher, but at heart, he was still a traditional civil official.

To do something you know you cannot accomplishment is a great foolishness and a great courage. — This is what he said about Yang Jisheng back then, and now he has done it himself.

“It’s a good thing that he died for his country.” Zhu Yijun said seriously. As he had grown by leaps and bounds from the time he first met Zhao Su two years ago, he could now understand many things he did not understand before.

However, because Zhao Su taught him differently from others, when Zhang Juzheng saw Zhu Yijun’s calligraphy, he thought that Zhao Su did not dare to be reckless because of Zhu Yijun’s status, and he indulged the little princely heir a lot in his daily life.

“You’re right, my teacher sought benevolence and received benevolence8 and died a meaningful death. It’s better to die in battle than to be framed in the imperial court, but he was my teacher, just like in the future when I die, Jun’er will be a bit sad, right?” Zhao Su did not give him a perfunctory explanation just because he was a child, but instead squatted down and explained to him very seriously.

Zhu Yijun retorted loudly, “If I don’t allow you to die, you won’t die!” At this moment, the child was a bit of an overbearing, saying one and meaning just that, no one who saw him would not think he was a descendant of royalty.

“You wait here!” Zhu Yijun seemed to think of something and turned around and ran, but after running a few steps, he turned back and explained uneasily, “Just stand here, don’t go away!”

Zhao Su didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Okay.”

Zhu Yijun bounced away as he ran, but returned a moment later with a box in his arms.

He ran as fast as he could, with the two maids chasing after him.

“Here, it’s for you!”

“What’s this?” Zhao Su, baffled, opened the box and was almost blinded from the dazzle.

The box is overflowing with gold and silver. It was piled high with trinkets made from gold, silver and precious stones, and other ornaments carved from coral agate.

Although, Prince of Yu Manor was poor, it still had a little bit of money, not to mention the fact that the Prince of Yu had only one son, Zhu Yijun, and the palace would occasionally bestow this royal grandson with gifts, so over time, Zhu Yijun had saved up a lot of “private assets”. As a boy, he was not particularly interested in jewellery and precious gems, so this box was kept by Consort Li. Who knew that this box would be taken out of storage by Zhu Yijun and turned into a gift to comfort Zhao Su.

Zhao Su was puzzled: “……”

Zhu Yijun mysteriously whispered into his ear: “My mother is happy every time she sees these, so if you take them home and look at them often, you won’t be sad.”

The gold and silver jewels inside the box were worth half of the Prince of Yu’s family’s fortune.

Zhao Su felt that if he went home with such a box of things, he would probably be eaten alive by the Prince of Yu tomorrow.

He smiled bitterly: “Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness, it’s just that I can’t accept these things.”

The child, Zhu Yijun, was not happy: “Why?”

Zhao Su felt it was necessary to talk to him about the concept of money and the issue of the country’s state treasury and taxation system in his next lesson.

“This is the beloved possession of the Prince and Princely Consort, and a gentleman does not take the belongings of another.”

“So………” Zhu Yijun scratched his head, remembering his mother taking a box out to look at it from time to time, a bit distressed: “Well then, but don’t be sad, I will give you even better things in the future!”

Zhao Su looked at him, such a lovely child, how could he grow up to be the dim ruler who only favoured his concubines and indulged in the royal harem for more than twenty years without attending the morning court. Would history still go in its original course if there was a variable like himself?

With this in mind, he was feeling a bit mixed up, he opened his arms: “Cuddle?”

The tiny figure did not hesitate to jump into his arms and wrap his arms around Zhao Su’s neck, fragrant and soft, the little bun was brimming with smiles. Like all the other countless times he had been coaxed in this way, this had long since become a habit.

“I like Susu the best!” said the little child.

In the seventh month of the 42nd year of Jiajing, Xu Jie, Senior Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, and Yan Ne, the Head of the Ministry of Personnel, jointly submitted a memorial, saying that civil officials around the country were arbitrarily and indiscriminately punishing citizens and demanding money and property, deceiving their superiors and concealing it from their subordinates, emptying the state treasury and making the people to suffer. Please order strict punishment according to the Ming ancestral law.

The Emperor agreed and issued an imperial edict ordering the officials of the Capital and all of the officials across the regions to comply, anyone found to recklessly plundering money from the people will be impeached and punished in accordance with the law.

This kind of decree, appeared very harsh, was actually a loud thunderclap with tiny raindrops9, most likely just like the regular anti-corruption campaigns in modern day, people had long been used to it, dead pigs were not afraid of boiling water10, they will still do what they want to do.

But in the eyes of someone who was resolute, this was nevertheless a very clear sign.

When the Yan faction was in power, Secretary Xu attitude’s was ambiguous and dubious. In many matters, he either did not ask questions and let Yan Song and his son take charge, or he went with the flow and did not try to stand out from the crowd. But this time, he flagged up his own ideas and viewpoint for the first time, and even if it was the same old story, it was very much like a new official who had just taken up post and threw out his idea with passion.

Most importantly, combined with the earlier resignation of Yan Song, it was evident to see that this was clearly a move made against the Yan Faction, and those who were closely attached to this faction.

Whilst some people were frightened, others were naturally happy.

Those who had been suppressed and persecuted by the Yan faction for years were all clapping their hands and eyes wide open to see who would be the first to fall.

No one expected that the day after the decree was sent out, another memorial impeaching an official was submitted.

Only, the impeachment was directed at Xu Jie’s students from an early time.