Hongzhi Year 18, Fourth Day of the Second Month.
That paper from Wang De, we flipped through all night.
Names checked one by one, like peeling fish scales. Liu An, Wang De, Chen Zhonghe from Henghe Hall, Zhao Cheng from Imperial Hospital—these already in files, all small fish. Further up, Vice Minister of Revenue Zhou Wen, Director of Imperial Hospital Fang Ming, Vice Minister of War Zheng Hong. These three, considered medium.
Zhu Houzhao spread paper on table, stared at last name for long time.
"Zheng Hong," he said. "Wang Chang's man."
"Also Wang Chang's above man?" I asked.
"No." He folded paper, tucked in sleeve, stood up. "Above Zheng Hong, still more."
"Who?"
He didn't answer. "Go, find someone."
I thought he'd go find Yang Tinghe. But he led me through back palace, winding seven twists eight turns, to Grand Secretariat duty room door. Yang Tinghe approving memorials, seeing us, put down brush, stood up.
"Your Highness."
"Above Zheng Hong, who is it?" Zhu Houzhao cut to chase, didn't even turn a corner.
Yang Tinghe silent for instant.
"Your Highness investigated to Zheng Hong, naturally will know who above."
Zhu Houzhao looked at him, suddenly took that paper from sleeve, slapped on table.Pa sound, ink in inkstone splashed out few drops, falling on memorial Yang Tinghe just finished approving.
"I don't like guessing games." he said.
Yang Tinghe looked down at that paper, then at ink spots on memorial. He didn't wipe, didn't frown.
"Your Highness," he said. "Some matters, not faster is better."
"Then how slow?" Zhu Houzhao asked. "Slow to let few more people die?"
Yang Tinghe didn't speak.
Zhu Houzhao stared at him three seconds, turned and walked away. I trotted to follow.
"Where to?" I asked.
"Li Dongyang's place."
I paused. "You suspect him?"
Zhu Houzhao didn't answer, strides bigger.
Li Dongyang's residence we came once. Those two stone lions at door still same, squatting there, baring teeth, like wanting to bite people. Butler seeing us, didn't block. He seemed to know we were coming.
Li Dongyang in study. Table spread with a memorial, ink still wet. Seeing Zhu Houzhao, didn't stand, didn't bow. Just looked up at him, then looked down to continue writing.
"Your Highness, sit."
Zhu Houzhao didn't sit. He walked to table, slapped Wang De's paper on table. This time no ink splash—inkstone put away.
"These names, you know all."
Li Dongyang put down brush, looked at that paper. Didn't pick up.
"Know."
"When did you know?"
"When first batch medicine sent to Jingying Camp."
Zhu Houzhao didn't speak. He stared at Li Dongyang, fingers tapping table edge twice.
"Then why not act?"
Li Dongyang silent for while. He stood up, walked to window, pushed open window sash. That old locust tree's branches in yard creaking in wind, like about to break.
"Your Highness," he said. "You think, how many people on this court?"
"Get to point."
Li Dongyang turned, looking at him. Those ancient well-like eyes suddenly had something else—not guilt, nor fear, but a kind of "I didn't expect you to be so direct" surprise.
"Your Highness wants to hear point?" he asked.
"Mm."
"Then I will speak point." Li Dongyang walked back to table, pushed that paper back. "This batch fake medicine, source at border. Border army change guard, old medicine not returned to warehouse, directly sold to merchants. Merchants and Ministry of War people联手 (joined hands), refurbished then sold back. Ministry of Revenue people took benefits, turned blind eye. Imperial Hospital people took kickback, wrote conclusion 'epidemic'."
He paused.
"Ministry of War, Ministry of Revenue, Imperial Hospital, three families联手 (joined hands). These people Your Highness found, merely runners. Zheng Hong, merely Ministry of War's front."
"Behind front, who?" Zhu Houzhao asked.
Li Dongyang looked at him, didn't answer.
Zhu Houzhao pulled that roster Yang Tinghe gave from sleeve, flipped to last page, slapped on table. That name facing up, small characters beside clear: If this person moves, court shakes.
"It is you." Zhu Houzhao said.
Not a question.
Study quiet enough to hear old locust tree branch breaking sound outside window,ka cha one sound, like bone broken.
Li Dongyang looked down at that name, silent for long time.
"Your Highness," he said. "You think, if I wanted to block you, could you investigate to today?"
Zhu Houzhao didn't speak.
"I help you investigate, not because I want self-preservation." Li Dongyang looked up, at him. "Because I want see, how far you can investigate."
"Now seen?"
"Seen." Li Dongyang nodded, picked up that just written memorial from table, handed to Zhu Houzhao. "This I wrote this morning. Please Emperor issue decree, thoroughly investigate Jingying Camp fake medicine case. From top to bottom, investigate to end."
Zhu Houzhao took it, opened. Inside wrote fake medicine's ins and outs, from Henghe Hall to Liu An, from Liu An to Wang Chang, from Wang Chang to Zheng Hong. Every stroke clear. Above Zheng Hong, wrote three characters: Li Dongyang.
Zhu Houzhao closed memorial.
"You write yourself?"
"I supervised poorly, inexcusable." Li Dongyang's voice very flat, like talking about something unrelated to himself.
Zhu Houzhao looked at him. Long time.
"You are not the person above." he said.
Li Dongyang paused.
"You are helping person above take blame." Zhu Houzhao put memorial back on table. "Above Zheng Hong still someone. That person, you dare not write."
Li Dongyang looked at him, mouth corner moved—not smile, but indescribable expression.
"Your Highness," he said. "You investigate further, good for no one."
"Good for who not?"
"For Emperor. For court. For world."
"For those four dead?"
Li Dongyang didn't speak.
"Chen Er. Zhang Da. Wang Wu. Li Si." Zhu Houzhao named one by one, voice not high, every word like nail. "And one more, I don't know his name. He died, no one recorded his name. But his fingernails were black."
He paused.
"For them good?"
Li Dongyang silent for long time. Wind gusted in from window, blowing papers on table rustling. That old locust tree's branch broke another,ka cha sound, fell to ground.
"Your Highness," Li Dongyang said. "I am old."
"I know."
"I stood in this court thirty years. Seen too many people, too many matters. Some should die, some shouldn't. Should or shouldn't die, I don't decide."
He looked up, looking at Zhu Houzhao.
"But Your Highness decides."
Zhu Houzhao didn't speak.
Li Dongyang took another memorial from sleeve, handed over. This one much thicker than previous, cover no characters.
"This is what I recorded these years." he said. "Who did what at which position, took how much, harmed how many people. All inside."
Zhu Houzhao took it, opened first page. Densely packed, all names. Some he knew, some didn't.
He closed memorial, tucked in sleeve.
"Why take out now?" he asked.
Li Dongyang silent for while.
"Because before, no one could catch it."
Zhu Houzhao looked at him, suddenly smiled. Not that polite smile, but another—like person standing on cliff edge half day, finally waited wind stop.
"Catch or not, is my business." he said. "Take out or not, is your business."
He turned to walk out. I followed behind. Walking to door, he stopped.
"Grand Secretary Li."
"I am here."
"You just said, investigate further good for no one." He didn't turn back. "But you don't investigate, fair for no one."
He left.
I followed him out of Li Residence main gate. Sky already dark, street lanterns lighting up one by one. He stood on steps, looking at people coming and going on street, silent for long time.
"Lizi," he suddenly said. "You say, if person knows what he does will kill people, but still does it. What is he?"
"Depends what for."
"For power."
"Then that's murder."
He nodded. Didn't speak.
We walked back. Moonlight stretched two people's shadows very long, overlapping.
Walked few steps, he suddenly took that small porcelain bottle from sleeve—the one he paid me back—waved before my eyes.
"This," he said. "You finish using tell me, I mix again."
"Didn't you say熬 (熬) ed till late, eyes became rabbit?"
"Rabbit is rabbit." He tucked bottle back in sleeve, continued walking. "Anyway you also said I am rabbit."
I followed behind, couldn't help laughing.
"Right," he didn't turn back, said. "Last time you said use me to mix medicine, mix what medicine?"
"Cure brain."
"My brain what wrong?"
"Not working well."
"Where not working well?"
"You seen who investigates case till investigating himself Grand Secretary?"
He stopped, turned back to look at me. Lantern light on his face, mouth corner upturned, eyes bright.
"Before today none." he said. "After today have."
He turned back, continued walking. Pace lighter than before.
I held that bottle, followed behind. Thinking, this person mouth no serious, but deeds done efficiently. Just courage too big—big enough to flip whole court over.
But, following him flip, seems not that scary.
(End of Chapter 22)