Chapter 350: Ascending Heights
At the court assembly the next day, Chen Yanyun reported the assassination attempt on Li Ying.
Zhu Junan, still young, couldn't suppress his anger, his hands clenched into fists.
Zhang Ju Lian stood at the forefront of the officials, appearing neither surprised nor feigning surprise. His gaze remained steady ahead, aware that many eyes were upon him, yet no one dared to speak against him. The young emperor, however, seemed agitated, his lips trembling slightly—not from fear, but from hatred.
Having been Zhu Junan’s tutor for years, Zhang Ju Lian knew the boy was far from weak or easily bullied.
In truth, Zhu Junan was strategic, detested evil, and deeply concerned about the suffering of the common people.
Zhang Ju Lian had never intended to target Zhu Junan—after all, he was of legitimate imperial blood. If Zhang were to die one day, power would naturally return to Zhu Junan, so long as the foundations he laid ensured the Zhang family’s prosperity for generations. Otherwise, with so many opportunities to kill the emperor, why hadn’t he acted? Zhu Junan’s greatest mistake was his unwillingness to submit.
His claws and fangs were not yet fully grown, yet he already sought to challenge Zhang Ju Lian.
Did he truly believe Chen Yanyun’s assistance would be enough? Chen Yanyun thought Zhang wouldn’t dare touch Li Ying—yet he had.
Let him see who in this court still dared to openly oppose him!
Anyone who valued their life would think twice.
"Whoever committed this atrocity must be thoroughly investigated... Minister Chen, you will oversee this matter. I will have the Shuntian Prefecture assist you," Zhu Junan said quietly. "Is there anyone else willing to assist Lord Chen?"
No one stepped forward. He asked again.
The officials silently observed the frail figure of the young emperor seated high upon the dragon throne.
Some even felt a pang of sympathy.
Many veteran ministers lowered their eyes to the gold-tiled floor, while others glanced at Zhang Ju Lian.
The one above was the emperor. The one below was the uncrowned king, wielding absolute power.
The choice between them required no deliberation—they already knew where their loyalties lay.
Zhang Ju Lian stepped forward, knelt, and cupped his hands. "Your Majesty, since no one has volunteered, this minister will appoint a few individuals. Though this matter concerns me, I believe my conscience is clear, and I trust Your Majesty will not mistake loyalty for treachery or wrongly punish the innocent. If Your Majesty has faith in this humble official, I propose entrusting the investigation to the Censorate."
Zhu Junan tensed. He hadn’t expected Zhang Ju Lian to say such a thing—nor had Chen Yanyun forewarned him.
He glanced sideways at Chen Yanyun.
Chen Yanyun sighed inwardly and stepped forward, kneeling as well. "The decision rests entirely with Your Majesty. Lord Li’s grievances must be addressed, but I implore Your Majesty not to wrong virtuous ministers."
Zhu Junan grew uneasy. What did Chen Yanyun mean? Was he agreeing or disagreeing?
Leaving it to him to decide... He certainly didn’t want Zhang Ju Lian in charge. But if the goal was to avoid wronging Zhang Ju Lian, what should he do?
Steadying himself, Zhu Junan said, "Then let... the Shuntian Prefecture and the Censorate handle the case jointly. Lord Chen is occupied with Grand Secretariat affairs, so the Censorate will report their findings to him, and he will relay them to me."
The appointed officials knelt in acknowledgment.Zhu Junan finally felt a bit more at ease. Seeing that neither Zhang Julian nor Chen Yanyun spoke further, he thought he must not have misspoken.
After the court session, Chen Yanyun walked alone towards the Wenyuan Pavilion.
Zhang Julian slowly caught up, followed closely by two guards. Without even glancing at Chen Yanyun, he asked gently, "Nine Balance, Li Ying's incident was quite peculiar. Why didn't you inform me beforehand? It caught me off guard."
Chen Yanyun smiled in return, "Since you already knew, Teacher, what need was there for me to tell you?"
Zhang Julian raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "Are you implying suspicion of me? After all our years as teacher and student, to think we've grown so distant..."
"How could you say that, Teacher? How could I ever suspect you?" Chen Yanyun replied softly. "You've never been close to me, so how can we speak of growing distant? When you had Chen Si deliver the Buddhist beads to me, you should have told me first. Had you done so, I would have surely shared everything with you today."
Zhang Julian laughed, "Oh? Did I not tell you? Back when you first began believing in Buddhism, I warned you that it would soften your resolve and harm you. But you didn't listen to me then. Was it Chen Si who told you about the beads? He's an honest man—does whatever I ask without hesitation, more obedient than a dog... wouldn't even hesitate to frame his own brother. You two truly are brothers."
When it came to the art of bloodless verbal sparring, Zhang Julian was slightly superior.
Chen Yanyun maintained his refined smile, "Whatever skill I have in this, I learned from you, Teacher. I dare not boast!"
"The student has surpassed the master. I am getting old," Zhang Julian sighed. "Nine Balance, I once told you that you are indeed a good man, but you have a fatal flaw. Do you remember?"
"You've given me much guidance over the years, Teacher. I'm not sure which you're referring to."
Zhang Julian paused, "You are still too indecisive."
Chen Yanyun listened with a smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"Even if I am no longer of much use, I've spent over a decade in the court. I know exactly what you and our young emperor are up to." They had reached the steps of the Wenyuan Pavilion. Zhang Julian stopped and gazed into the distance where the Huangji Hall was no longer visible.
The sky stretched vast and high, making the imperial city seem low, as if bowing in submission to him.
He loved gazing afar—it made him feel as though everything was in his grasp. The vast land, the countless subjects, all beneath his feet, as insignificant as ants.
The sensation of power was intoxicating; few would willingly let it go.
"Chen Yanyun, what do you truly hold in your hands?" Zhang Julian said coolly. "If I wanted Li Ying dead, he would die. After I kill him, not a single soul in the court would dare stand with you. What could you possibly do? If I were you, I would stake everything, risk my life to fight to the death with my opponent. Yet you cling to your life. Tell me, aren't you indecisive?"
Chen Yanyun remained unperturbed and asked softly, "Teacher, standing so high, what do you see?"
Zhang Julian frowned.
What could he see? Naturally, the land and its people.
"There is much you can no longer see," Chen Yanyun smiled. "Perhaps you never will."
With that, he took his leave.
The wind whipped at his robes as he walked away.Zhang Ju Lian actually felt a bit uneasy. What exactly was Chen Yanyun saying... What did his words even mean?
The discussions at the Wenyuan Pavilion had concluded. Feng Chengshan came to see him.
"I heard Li Ying is dead," Feng Chengshan spoke first. "Lord Zhang acted quite swiftly!"
"What do you want from me?" A maidservant was massaging his legs as Zhang Ju Lian reclined on the Dongpo chair, resting with his eyes closed.
Feng Chengshan chuckled softly. "If Lord Zhang finds my presence unwelcome, I simply won’t come again."
Zhang Ju Lian shot him a cold glance.
This was exactly how eunuchs were—sinister and shady. Not only were they unfit for proper society, but they also harbored too many ulterior motives in private.
"I know what’s troubling Lord Zhang," Feng Chengshan said bluntly. "Isn’t it just about Third Master Chen? You’ve purged so many of his faction, yet he hasn’t uttered a word of protest. He didn’t even defend his own people—such a heartless man. And yet, those who were executed because of him kept their mouths tightly shut, not a single word could be pried from them. You can’t touch Chen Yanyun, and the men you sent after him in secret never returned. It must be getting unbearable."
Feng Chengshan smiled slyly. "But that’s not all. I know something rather amusing."
Zhang Ju Lian frowned and sat up. He dismissed the maidservant with a wave and called for an advisor. "Summon Advisor Zhu."
Only then did he ask, "What is it?"
"Ye Xian might be colluding with Chen Yanyun," Feng Chengshan didn’t beat around the bush. "There’s a palace maid by the Emperor’s side who’s Ye Xian’s informant. I saw her secretly passing a letter to Jiang Xia’s disciple."
Zhang Ju Lian’s brows furrowed. "Jiang Xia is Chen Yanyun’s man? Why have you never mentioned this before?"
Feng Chengshan replied, "I wasn’t certain before. It was the maid’s suspicious behavior that confirmed it for me."
How could Ye Xian possibly be working with Chen Yanyun?
Zhang Ju Lian doubted the validity of this claim. If they were to turn on each other, the one who stood to gain the most would be the Marquis Changxing’s family. Besides, Ye Xian and Chen Yanyun had always held grudges against each other—their discord was no recent development.
"Not that it’s a big deal," Feng Chengshan flicked his fingernail. "The Iron Cavalry Battalion may be formidable, but it’s no match for the Capital Guards. And the military authority of the Chief Military Commission is in the hands of your men. I’m just here to inform you. Grand Preceptor, decisive action must be taken."
"Grand Preceptor also knows the quickest way to resolve this issue."
Zhang Ju Lian naturally knew. It wasn’t that he didn’t dare to act—it was that doing so would strip him of his moral standing.
How many usurpers in history had met a good end?
"Once that little ancestor is dead, everything will be resolved," Feng Chengshan said with a smile. "Even if you don’t wish to don the imperial robes yourself, you could always find another candidate. Prince Rui’s eldest grandson is still wandering among the common folk—fetch him back and make him Emperor. That would suffice."
Zhang Ju Lian shook his head. "Don’t act recklessly! Focus on your duties as the Memorials Eunuch. I have my own plans for this matter..."
These rootless creatures were venomous and short-sighted. If left to their own devices, chaos would surely follow.
Feng Chengshan was displeased. He had come all this way to advise Zhang Ju Lian, only to find him stubbornly unmoved.
"Well, I’ve said my piece. It’s up to Lord Zhang to decide."
As Feng Chengshan stood to leave, Zhang Ju Lian added a final warning, "Think twice before you act."Feng Chengshan sneered coldly, "If I didn't think twice before acting, I would have already taken a rope and done it myself."
Seeing Feng Chengshan leave, Zhang Julian lay back down and closed his eyes to rest. A while later, when Mr. Zhu arrived, he had the servants bring tea and said to him, "If we can't strike at Chen Yanyun directly, then we'll strike where we can. He seems to value his wife greatly—he's done many things for her in secret over the years... You must find me something to hold over him!"
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