Chapter 166: Suicide
Gu Dezhao stared gravely at the letter in his hand, then looked at his daughter with disbelief.
Gu Jinchao took a sip of tea and said, "Father, please don't ask why. It's not convenient for me to explain clearly. You must take this letter immediately to Tongzhou and find Granary Supervisor Ding Yongmo—he'll know what to do."
Gu Dezhao frowned again. "Chaojie, this concerns your father's life... How did you obtain this letter? What does it say?"
Jinchao sighed. It was understandable that her father was uneasy. After all, the letter's origins were highly suspicious.
After hesitating for a moment, she decided to explain its source. If her father didn't understand the letter's importance and accidentally revealed information to others, the consequences would be disastrous.
When Gu Dezhao heard Jinchao's explanation, he was astonished. "It was actually Lord Chen... You're saying he wants to help me because of his connection with Lord Wen?"
Jinchao replied, "Father... if others were to find out about this, our Gu family could face utter ruin."
Gu Dezhao nodded to show he understood. He usually had no interactions with Lord Chen—they merely exchanged greetings when they met, with Lord Chen usually just nodding in acknowledgment without saying a word. Though he felt relieved that there might be a way out regarding the famine relief grain, he was mostly puzzled.
Seeing that it was already late, he didn't ask further questions. After speaking briefly with Second Master Gu, he hitched the horses and set off for Tongzhou.
The granary was to open the next day.
After paying her respects to Madam Feng, Jinchao returned to the Beautiful Embroidery Hall and prepared some snacks for her father.
Gu Dezhao stayed awake all night. After completing his task, he returned to Daxing and went straight to Jinchao's Beautiful Embroidery Hall.
He took a sip of Cassia Twig Boiled Water and said to Jinchao, "There were no issues... Supervisor Ding burned the letter immediately after reading it. Then he arranged for the grain to be transported overnight—thirty thousand dan this time, enough to cover the famine relief. The remaining hundred thousand dan will be transported in batches." Even thirty thousand dan of grain had kept them busy all night. Fortunately, the men Ding Yongmo had found were all tight-lipped and focused on their work.
Gu Dezhao didn't mention that after reading the letter, Ding Yongmo had said something to him.
"Lord Chen is taking a great risk by helping you. I never realized you and Lord Chen were so close."
It had sounded like an attempt to ingratiate himself.
Gu Dezhao felt something was off. Even with Lord Wen's connection, it was unusual for Third Master Chen to help him to this extent. The grain in Tongzhou's granary was of utmost importance, and Ding Yongmo was no ordinary man—transporting thirty thousand dan overnight was no simple feat. If word got out, Third Master Chen could easily fall under Lord Zhang's suspicion.
He suspected Jinchao was still hiding something from him, but after some thought, he decided not to press her.
His eldest daughter was a woman of strong will. If she chose not to speak, she must have her reasons.
After eating the snacks, he quickly changed into his Official Uniform and took a carriage to Daxing's granary to oversee the grain transport.
The heavy snow had started again.
Chen Yanyun looked up through the Lattice Window—snowflakes swirled thickly, blanketing the sky and earth.
A servant brought him a cup of Big Red Robe Tea. Chen Yanyun took a sip and asked, "Has the Seventh Young Master come by?"
The servant replied respectfully, "He came once, but seeing you were asleep, he left. He said he would return in the afternoon to consult you about the Eight-legged essay."Chen Yanyun had discussed matters with Second Master Chen late into the night and only retired at the hour of Hai (9-11 PM).
Chen Yanyun gave a slight hum. "Tell him there's no need to come. For matters regarding the eight-legged essay, he should consult his Third Uncle. Also, send him that white fox fur cloak. Though his study doesn't have a brazier, he should still keep warm." Children of the Chen Family must not be coddled. He himself never used a brazier either, sleeping on a cold brick bed with only a thin quilt in winter.
The servant acknowledged and went to carry out the orders.
Outside the lattice windows, the north wind howled, carrying heavy snow, while inside the study, only the sound of the clepsydra could be heard.
Third Master Chen set down the scroll and stood up, walking to the lattice window to quietly watch the swirling snow.
The heavy door curtain was lifted by Chen Yi, who stepped inside and whispered into Third Master Chen's ear, "Master, someone from the capital has sent word."
Zhang Ju Lian had summoned him to the Grand Secretariat.
Chen Yanyun smiled faintly. "Prepare the carriage."
As the most powerful institution, the Grand Secretariat appeared rather unremarkable. It was located inside the Left Shun Gate, west of the Hall of Literary Glory, with the Directorate of Ceremonial further in.
The main hall held a long desk, flanked by six black lacquered Grand Tutor chairs. Brown dark-patterned cocoon silk curtains hung on the walls, and above them was a plaque inscribed with "Virtuous and Classic." Four hexagonal everlasting lamps adorned with the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea pattern illuminated the space.
All four lamps were now lit.
Third Master Chen braved the snowstorm and stepped into the Grand Secretariat hall. The guards promptly closed the doors behind him. After exchanging greetings with two ministers, he took the first seat on the left, next to Wang Xuanfan, whose face was ashen, and across from Liang Lin, the slightly plump Grand Secretary of the Hall of Canopy, dressed in an official green right-closure robe.
The man standing before the long desk spoke, "Yanyun, you really ought to buy a residence in the capital. The snow is heavy, and commuting from Wanping is too inconvenient."
This man wore a crane-patterned right-closure round-collar robe, fastened with a jade leather belt reserved for first-rank officials. Of average height, his eyes were narrow yet bright, giving the impression of an ordinary elderly scholar. Yet his thick eyebrows and piercing gaze commanded authority without the need for anger.
Chen Yanyun smiled. "This official prefers quieter places. The capital is too noisy—Wanping is more peaceful and livable."
Lord Zhang remarked, "Your temperament is too reserved. Your surroundings are far too quiet."
With that, he casually extended his hand, and a compiler immediately placed a vermilion brush into it.
Feng Chengshan, the Writing Brush Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, had been sipping tea nearby. Seeing this, he set down his cup and said with a smile, "...His Majesty's intentions have been made clear. If Lord Zhang has no further business, we shall take our leave to attend to our duties."
Lord Zhang glanced up at Feng Chengshan, applying the vermilion endorsement to the memorial unhurriedly. "Kindly inform His Majesty that this old tutor will visit him tonight." Lord Zhang had once served as the emperor's tutor before joining the Grand Secretariat, where Chen Yanyun later succeeded him.
Feng Chengshan's smile stiffened before he cupped his hands and departed.
Only then did Lord Zhang set down the vermilion brush, his expression unreadable. "The Daxing granary has been opened. Twelve thousand shi of grain have already been transported from the Baodi Canal to Shanxi. The disaster relief funds from your Ministry of Revenue should be disbursed immediately—relief efforts take priority." He then turned to Wang Xuanfan. "The Ministry of Works' river dredging project can wait. Last year's poor harvest led to tax reductions, and the treasury is now depleted. This is no time for water conservancy projects."Wang Xuanfan promptly stood up and cupped his hands, saying, "This humble official... Sun Shitao is still at my residence. If Lord Zhang requires it, I can have Sun Shitao lying dead at home immediately."
Lord Zhang replied indifferently, "Sun Shitao must naturally die. The manner of his death is no longer important. Since the relief grain for Shanxi has already been transported, an insignificant old man from the Gu family is hardly worth my attention."
Even eliminating the Gu family would be of no consequence to the Marquis Changxing's household.
Wang Xuanfan lowered his voice, "This matter is unusual. It must be that the Marquis Changxing's household secretly aided the Gu family; otherwise, the deficit of two hundred thousand dan of grain from Daxing could never have been covered. This official was careless and failed to monitor the movements of the Daxing granary..."
Lord Zhang cast a cold glance at him, "How could Marquis Changxing help the Gu family? Could they conjure two hundred thousand dan of grain out of thin air? Moreover, they wouldn’t deplete the grain from the Thousand Household Garrison Guard Granary just for the Gu family. This is indeed your mistake. There’s no need to rush your apology. With the New Year approaching, stay at home and think carefully before speaking again."
Wang Xuanfan repeatedly assented, wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
Liang Lin also stood and cupped his hands, "Lord Zhang, this matter is not without room for maneuver. This humble official has a crude plan."
At that moment, Jiang Yan had a guard announce that he had urgent news to report to Chen Yanyun.
Chen Yanyun stepped out of the Grand Secretariat hall. Outside, the sky had darkened, and snow continued to fall without end.
Jiang Yan handed Chen Yanyun a letter. "Third Master... something has happened."
Chen Yanyun opened the envelope and, after reading its contents, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Yuan Zhongru had committed suicide.
Inside were not only the Coroner's Autopsy Record but also Yuan Zhongru’s suicide note.
"It happened this morning. A maid entered the study to clean... and found Lord Yuan hanging from the beam. By the time he was taken down, his body was already stiff. He must have hanged himself late last night. He left a suicide note. Our people in Shanxi relayed the news immediately, and a copy of the note was sent as well."
Yuan Zhongru knew he had to die. Even if he escaped this time, he wouldn’t escape later. It was better to die cleanly and decisively.
In Shanxi, famine had left the people destitute, with selling children becoming commonplace. In his suicide note, he expressed profound grief and despair, stating that Lord Zhang wanted him dead. His actions had inadvertently harmed hundreds of thousands in Shanxi. He had tried to transfer grain from charitable granaries in Shaanxi and Shandong, but it was far from enough to solve the crisis. As the famine worsened, grain prices soared, reaching a hundred times the normal rate.
A man’s death may be as weighty as Mount Tai or as light as a feather.
If he had to die in political strife, he would rather die for the people.
"It’s said that before his death, Lord Yuan drank with his aides and remarked, ‘Better to die, at least then Zhang Ju Lian might spare Shanxi...'" Jiang Yan’s voice dropped to a whisper. "After Lord Yuan’s death, the people of Taiyuan, Shanxi, wept upon hearing the news. The entire city even donned mourning attire voluntarily, with elders and children alike coming out to mourn him. Sending soldiers to disperse them was futile..."
He had once thought Yuan Zhongru was just another scheming, cowardly official. But it turned out even such men could act with righteousness.
Chen Yanyun said nothing. He placed the letter back into the envelope and turned to re-enter the Grand Secretariat hall.
Liang Lin was still speaking, "...Once the waterway connects to Yongqing, we can intercept and halt the shipment, as the damaged vessel will cause delays..."Chen Yanyun walked to Lord Zhang's side, whispered a few words, and handed him the letter. Lord Zhang frowned slightly but said nothing as he opened the envelope. Liang Lin and Wang Xuanfan both watched Chen Yanyun, unsure of what had happened.
After reading the letter, Lord Zhang closed it, his expression still unreadable, but he turned to Liang Lin and Wang Xuanfan and said, "You may leave now. There's no need to discuss this further."
Liang Lin and Wang Xuanfan exchanged glances before finally withdrawing from the Grand Secretariat hall.
Lord Zhang, however, called Chen Yanyun aside to speak: "Since he is already dead, we should halt the Grain Transport and Transfer Grain to Help the People—it will be faster than shipping via the canal. Additionally, swiftly allocate treasury silver from Shandong, Henan, Huguang, and Jiangxi to purchase grain and deliver it to the governors of Suzhou and Zhejiang to Stabilize Grain Prices and curb the rise in food costs. As for the body, have it transported back to the capital so his family may see him one last time. Regarding Yuan Zhongru's suicide, we must find a narrative that will reassure the public."
Chen Yanyun responded, "This official understands." He turned to leave.
Lord Zhang called out to him, "...Yanyun."
Chen Yanyun looked back. Lord Zhang's gaze lingered on him for a long moment before he finally said, "I have always intended to promote you. You should understand everything."
Chen Yanyun smiled faintly. "Naturally."
In his heart, he knew very well—Zhang Ju Lian still suspected him.
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