Chapter Seventeen: Public Sentiment and Zhu Yang

The results of the Metropolitan Examination were announced, drawing the attention of both the court and the common folk. When news spread that Zhu Yang had taken the top position, the onlookers could hardly contain their excitement, as if they were about to witness a true rags-to-riches legend unfold before their eyes.

Yet, before this anticipation could reach its climax, a rumor quietly swept through the capital: Zhu Yang was the illegitimate son of the Crown Prince. The onlookers were stunned. They had been waiting to see Zhu Yang claim the title of Number One Scholar, enter officialdom, rise swiftly through the ranks, marry the third daughter of the Duke of Wei, become a high minister, and ultimately possess both beauty and power. When they grew old, they would proudly tell their grandchildren: “Look at Zhu Yang, now a top-ranking minister. When he first came to the capital for the exam, he was but a poor youth, cast aside by his betrothed, humiliated by the Duke, and insulted at every turn. Yet he persevered, studied diligently, and rose to glory as the brightest literary star in the capital. The woman who broke off the engagement regretted it, the haughty Duke vied to marry his own sister to him, and even the emperor respected him. You must work hard too; if you can’t marry a Duke’s sister, then at least aim for his daughter.”

Now, however, such tales could no longer be told. One could hardly say to a child, “Because your mother wasn’t beautiful enough to catch the Crown Prince’s fancy, you’re not his illegitimate son, so you’re destined to be a farmer.” The unexpected turn of events left those following the matter seething with anger, feeling as though they had been toyed with and dealt a crushing blow, their bodies and spirits shattered.

Under the guidance of certain interested parties, the onlookers and scholars began to suspect that Zhu Yang’s success was also due to his supposed royal connection. In their minds, the chief examiners must have known Zhu Yang's identity beforehand and, unwilling to offend the Crown Prince, conveniently awarded him the top rank after reading his papers. Imagination and conjecture led them to dismiss Zhu Yang’s achievements.

Controversial “tricky questions” and the violent incident involving Yuan Cheng were reinterpreted: the odd questions were said to be the Crown Prince’s scheme to unsettle the candidates, and Yuan Cheng’s attack was recast as an act of desperation—upon discovering Zhu Yang’s collusion with the Crown Prince and fearing his own chance at victory lost, Yuan Cheng tried to kill Zhu Yang in the examination hall.

Gossip on the streets now painted Yuan Cheng as a hero who dared to resist the powerful, while Zhu Yang was vilified as a villain who could do no right. The fermenting public opinion fueled growing outrage.

Finally, some hot-headed individuals began to take to the streets. Where there is a leader, there will always be followers. Soon, both failed scholars and common people began to gather and protest outside the Examination Hall. The scholars demanded that the exam papers be reviewed, convinced that Zhu Yang’s skills were overrated and that their own failures resulted from him taking their rightful places.

Faced with the protests, the officials responsible for the examinations and for maintaining order chose silence. They dismissed the protestors as nothing more than troublemakers, certain that if they said nothing, the crowd would eventually lose interest and disperse, and these groundless rumors would fade from memory.

But events did not unfold as the officials had hoped. On the third day of protests, a portion of the crowd outside the Examination Hall turned violent—looting shops and attacking civilians. Although the City Guards quickly arrested these rioters, their actions failed to deter others; instead, they became a model for venting frustration.

More people followed suit. Local hoodlums joined in, and some even became ringleaders, leading mobs to plunder the wealthy shops near the Examination Hall. Heinous crimes, including murder and the abduction of women, occurred amid the chaos.

The unrest spread throughout the capital, flames lighting up the night sky. Despite their best efforts, the City Guards could not restore order.

In the imperial study, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang sat calmly on the dragon throne, his fingers rhythmically tapping the table. Kneeling before him were the ministers of the Six Boards, the Chief Justice, the Commandant of the City Guards, the heads of the Secretariat, the Censorate, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Hanlin scholars who had participated in the examination review. Their faces were beaded with sweat; some were even trembling.

The fate of Hu Weiyong seemed but yesterday’s memory. Although Hu had been executed for treason, was he truly guilty of that crime? None of the officials present were naïve. Since Zhu Yuanzhang had executed Hu in the thirteenth year of Hongwu, and continuing up to the twenty-third year, the emperor had used Hu’s name as a pretext to eliminate any minister he disliked. Some chroniclers had calculated that, in just ten years, over thirty thousand people had been executed in connection with the Hu Weiyong case alone.

Now, rumors ran wild in the capital, and, even more alarming, the Crown Prince Zhu Biao was implicated. Zhu Biao had been designated heir since Zhu Yuanzhang was the Prince of Wu and had been acting as regent in recent years.

If these rumors threatened the Crown Prince’s position, Zhu Yuanzhang would not hesitate to wield the executioner’s blade to clear the way for a new heir. If the rumors failed, he would slaughter all who stood in the Crown Prince’s way.

The ministers knew bloodshed was inevitable. The only question was whether they would be among the victims or mere witnesses, but the choice was not theirs to make.

“Which scoundrel started these rumors? If I survive today, I’ll have him torn apart by five horses!” the ministers cursed inwardly as they knelt.

Zhu Yuanzhang ceased his tapping and gazed at his officials. “Speak—how do you propose to resolve this?” he demanded.

“Your Majesty, we should post an official notice to refute the rumors, pursue and punish those responsible for spreading them, and deal harshly with the rioters!” Yang Jing, Minister of Justice, replied with the best solution he could muster.

“Your Majesty, we could also make the examination papers public. That way, the merits and shortcomings will be plain for all to see, and the rumors will collapse on their own!” Ren Hengtai, acting Minister of Rites, added.

“Very well. See to it. I will have the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the City Guards cooperate with you, and if necessary, I will deploy the Imperial Guards or the Capital Garrison,” Zhu Yuanzhang said.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” The officials helped one another to their feet, unconsciously wiping the sweat from their brows.

They understood their lives were spared only for the moment. Should the unrest not be quelled swiftly, Zhu Yuanzhang would show them just how many ways there were to die—beheading, flaying, and worse.

“Jiang Huan, what have your Embroidered Uniform Guards uncovered?” the emperor asked.

“Your Majesty, the rumor that Zhu Yang is the Crown Prince’s illegitimate son was spread by the Duke of Cao,” Jiang Huan replied, head bowed. “He bore a grudge against Zhu Yang after his proposal to Miss Xu was rejected, so he sought to damage Zhu Gongzi’s reputation. He never anticipated it would lead to riots.”

“Li Jinglong?” Zhu Yuanzhang frowned. “Is he trying to kill by proxy?”

The emperor knew that if Zhu Yang were not his grandson, he would have to execute him first to appease the public, followed by the chief examiners and reviewers.

But now that Zhu Yang was confirmed as his grandson, the emperor would not harm him.

“If my grandson cannot be touched, then…” Zhu Yuanzhang rose to his feet and ordered Jiang Huan, “Go to Xu Huizu and Xu Zengshou. Have them proceed to the Capital Garrison and await my command!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Jiang Huan was deeply shaken; he had never expected that Zhu Yuanzhang would consider deploying the Capital Garrison to massacre the protesting populace.

He wanted to intervene, but he knew he was merely a blade in the emperor’s hand. When Zhu Yuanzhang no longer needed him, the blade would be reforged.

Jiang Huan always understood what he should and should not do.

“Let the civil officials try to stop him, then,” Jiang Huan thought with a sigh, as he left the imperial study to deliver the order.