The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 055 Finding Amusement
In early May, Emperor Zhao Fu of the Kaiping era suddenly fell ill with a severe migraine and collapsed on the dragon bed.
Zhao Fu had long suffered from migraines. More than a decade ago, he had a serious illness because of it, and after recovering, he became devoted to seeking immortality. Zhao Fu's migraines had recurred every year, and perhaps due to his advanced age, this time the migraine came on with a vengeance. He canceled the morning court and handed over the affairs of the court to the Secretariat while he rested in the Funing Palace.
Tang Shen, being the chamberlain, did not get a day off because of this.
Every day, the chamberlain and the junior chamberlains had to stand guard outside the Funing Palace. They couldn’t record much, but they had to keep watch. By evening, they were required to report to the Secretariat on what they had observed that day. Tang Shen would report, explaining any significant events, whether the emperor’s condition had worsened, whether the emperor had anything to say to the ministers, and what the emperor planned to do the next day—whether he would continue to cancel court sessions or come up with other ideas.
After guarding outside Funing Palace all day, Tang Shen and the two junior chamberlains left. The other two left the palace through the side gate, but Tang Shen took a detour to Qinzheng Hall.
Qinzheng Hall was where the ministers from the Secretariat would stay when they were in the palace.
The daily affairs of the court were first sent to Qinzheng Hall, where the officials from the Secretariat would review them, write their suggestions, and then submit them to Emperor Zhao Fu. After Zhao Fu reviewed them, he might provide his own responses and send them back to Qinzheng Hall. If the ministers had no objections, the documents would be passed on. If they had other suggestions, the documents would be resubmitted for Zhao Fu’s further review.
Tang Shen arrived at Qinzheng Hall, entered through a curtain flower door, and looked up to see a palace door adorned with four plum blossom door nails.
After entering, Tang Shen was led by a junior official to the room of Left Vice Chancellor Chen xianggong.
"Lower official Tang Shen, pays respects to Chen xianggong."
Chen Linghai was reviewing a document when he heard the greeting and looked up to see Tang Shen. The junior official bowed and then left the hall. Chen Linghai, holding the document in one hand, looked at Tang Shen with great interest. He smiled and said, "Tang daren is here."
Tang Shen bowed and said, "I have come to report on my duties."
Tang Shen then explained what had happened in Funing Palace that day. In fact, there wasn’t much to report; Zhao Fu had lain in the palace all day, not meeting with any officials or moving around. By evening, he had instructed Tang Shen to inform the Secretariat to continue handling the court affairs and then took the medicine prepared by the imperial physician and fell into a drowsy sleep.
After listening, Chen Linghai said, "Tang daren, you’ve worked hard."
Tang Shen was slightly surprised. This was his first time meeting Chen Linghai, yet Chen Linghai seemed oddly familiar with him.
The Secretariat had four chancellors: the Left Chancellor, the Right Chancellor, the Vice Left Chancellor, and the Vice Right Chancellor. The two chancellors were the top-ranking ministers, while the two vice chancellors assisted them. Chen Linghai was one of the vice chancellors. They were the true ministers of the Song dynasty. Apart from them, the heads of the six ministries of the Department of State Affairs were also respectfully addressed as “ministers.” Wang Zhen was one of these "lesser ministers."
Tang Shen was puzzled but said, "I am merely doing my duty."
After finishing his report, Tang Shen took his leave from Chen Linghai and prepared to exit the palace. However, just as he stepped out of Chen Linghai’s room, he encountered a middle-aged man with a small mustache, dressed in a second-rank official robe, walking from the opposite covered walkway. The man looked surprised to see Tang Shen. At this moment, Chen daren came out and greeted, "Meng daren."
The newcomer turned out to be Meng Lang, Minister of Rites.
Meng Lang looked at Tang Shen, his gaze more direct than Chen daren’s. He scrutinized Tang Shen for a long time, even though it had been he who had read Tang Shen’s name at the imperial examination, announcing him as the third-place scholar of the Kaiping 27th year. But now, he pretended not to recognize him and deliberately said loudly, "Chen daren, who is this? Why have I never seen him at Qinzheng Hall?"
Chen daren replied, "This is Chamberlain Tang Shen, Tang daren."
Minister Meng played along, "Oh, so it’s Tang daren. What brings Tang daren here?"
Tang Shen: "..."
"In response to Meng daren, His Majesty is unwell, and I have come to report on my duties."
Minister Meng stretched his words, "Come to the Secretariat to report, but only report to Chen daren? What about the rest of us?"
Tang Shen: "..."
Minister Meng: "Tang daren, you mustn't favor one over the others. We all care about His Majesty’s health. So, you should start by reporting to me, and after you’re done, I’ll take you to report to Ji daren, Xu daren... and the others."
Tang Shen: "..."
What kind of people are these?!
At first, Tang Shen thought Meng Lang was intentionally making things difficult for him.
However, Minister Meng eagerly took Tang Shen to see the current Left Chancellor Ji daren, but he wasn’t there. He then tried to find Wang daren, and coincidentally, Wang daren wasn’t there either. Thus, two of the most powerful officials, the first-ranked ministers, were absent. But Vice Chancellor Xu daren was in. Xu daren was an elderly man with graying hair and a kindly smile. After learning who Tang Shen was, he smiled warmly and stared at him for a moment, saying, "What about the heads of the six ministries? Don't forget to visit the Ministry of Revenue last."
Minister Meng smiled slightly, "Indeed."
The heads of the six ministries were second-ranked officials, and unlike the four chancellors, they didn’t each have their own office; they shared. Minister Meng was quite mischievous, taking Tang Shen to the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of War, before finally arriving at the shared office of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites.
Minister Meng pushed the door open, and Wang Zhen looked up, raising an eyebrow when he saw Tang Shen following behind Meng Lang.
Minister Meng said, "Wang daren, an official from the palace has come to report."
Wang Zhen stood up, walked over to Tang Shen, and smiled, "Junior Brother."
Minister Meng was astonished, "So Wang daren and Tang daren are actually fellow students? I’d almost forgotten."
Tang Shen: "..."
I see your thick skin matches the official robe of your second rank!
Wang daren leisurely said, "Since you’ve come to report, let’s hear it."
Tang Shen respectfully recounted Zhao Fu’s condition once more. His tone was gentle, his expression calm, neither servile nor arrogant, composed and poised. However, the more humble his attitude was, the more he cursed inwardly.
After hearing this, Wang Zhen said, "His Majesty is unwell, and we, the officials, have failed to relieve his worries; this is indeed a dereliction of duty. Minister Meng, I’ve heard that during the Zhou dynasty, there was an ancient ritual where a platform was built in the palace for reciting sutras for nine days to pray for the emperor’s health. This was traditionally performed by the High Priest, but now, it seems only you, Minister Meng, are suitable for this role. I’ll write a memorial to submit to His Majesty tomorrow, asking for his approval to let Minister Meng pray for His Majesty’s health. Such a good deed, I’ve always kept it in mind, but alas, I don’t manage the Ministry of Rites; it’s your fortune, Minister Meng."
Meng Lang was stunned, "I’ve never heard of such a ritual in the Zhou rites."
Wang Qin replied seriously, "There is, it’s in 'The Erya'." (TN: the earliest surviving Chinese dictionary or thesaurus, dating back to around the 3rd century BCE. It is an ancient reference work that explains and categorizes words in Classical Chinese. The name can also be translated as "refined" or "elegant" in a more general sense, emphasizing sophistication and clarity.)
Meng Lang: "Really?"
Wang Zhen: "Really."
Meng Lang: "..."
Meng Lang: "I just remembered something at home, so I’ll take my leave now. I won’t disturb Wang daren and Tang daren’s conversation any longer."
Minister Meng turned and left immediately. Tang Shen had never seen a high-ranking official change face faster than turning a page in a book.
Wang Zhen tidied up his things and said, "Let’s go."
Tang Shen didn’t react immediately and looked at him blankly.
Wang Zhen smiled, reached out, and brushed back a strand of hair stuck to Tang Shen’s forehead from sweat, saying, "The palace gates will soon be locked. I’m not on duty tonight. Unless, little Junior Brother, you want to stay at Qinzheng Hall?"
Tang Shen: "..."
"Let’s go, let’s go." He had long wanted to leave!
Riding in Minister Wang’s carriage, Tang Shen hitched a ride, and the carriage clattered away from the palace.
Wang Zhen explained, "The Qinzheng Hall isn’t as busy as you might think all day. Last month, the hall was preoccupied with the construction of three official roads to the north. It wasn't until May that the workload decreased. Among the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Rites is the least busy. Before you came, whenever you are responsible for drafting memorials to convey the Emperor’s decrees to the Qinzheng Hall, if Meng daren happens to see you, he will deliberately bring you over to show me.”
Tang Shen asked, "Ah, why?"
Wang Zhen looked at Tang Shen, his eyes smiling, "You don’t understand?"
Tang Shen thought for a moment and said, "Is it because I’m your junior brother?"
"It's because our handwriting is somewhat similar," Wang Zhen sighed. "It's been more than a year since you passed the imperial examination, yet Meng daren, with nothing better to do, still remembers! Normally, when you don’t come to the Qinzheng Hall, it’s fine, but today you came, so he deliberately wanted to play a trick on you. Actually, it wasn't to trick you; he was teasing me and just happened to involve you."
This statement directly pointed out that a year ago, the reason Tang Shen was able to place third in the imperial examination was largely due to Wang Zhen’s efforts behind the scenes.
Tang Shen remained silent for a moment and then said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Zi Feng."
Wang Zhen looked at him for a while before asking, "Have you had dinner?"
"Not yet."
"Then come to the Minister Residence and join me."
After having a meal of Jiangnan delicacies at the Minister Residence, Tang Shen returned home. He calculated his future days of serving in the palace and realized that about every three days, he would have to go to the Qinzheng Hall!
Ah, what a troublesome affair!
Tang Shen was already mentally prepared that whenever he went to the Qinzheng Hall to report, he would likely be teased by Minister Meng and other high-ranking officials. But three days later, when he went to the palace for duty, he heard from Li Shu that Meng daren of the Ministry of Rites had actually gone to the Temple of Heaven to chant scriptures and pray for Zhao Fu!
Li Shu said, "I heard that Minister Wang mentioned an ancient Zhou ritual. Originally, Minister Meng didn’t take it seriously, thinking it was just Minister Wang’s nonsense. But who would have thought that the next day, Minister Wang actually brought an ancient book and showed it to Minister Meng. Minister Meng was so astonished that without a word, he went to the Temple of Heaven that very afternoon."
Tang Shen responded, "…I see."
There was no way that anything Minister Wang said could be wrong.
Three years ago, Liang Song had once told Tang Shen that in his lifetime, he had only met one person with an eidetic memory, and that person was Wang Zhen.
With the troublesome Meng daren gone, when Tang Shen went to the Qinzheng Hall to report, the most he would face were a few glances from the powerful officials, but no one would deliberately tease him to amuse themselves with Wang Zhen.
Half a month later, Zhao Fu's health gradually improved.
That afternoon, Tang Shen and the junior chamberlains waited outside the Funing Hall, when they saw a young figure in a deep red official robe approaching from a distance. The Junior Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Su Wenyun, was summoned into the Funing Hall by Zhao Fu, and the two of them talked inside for nearly half an hour.
Before Su Wenyun came out, the chief eunuch Ji Fu exited the hall and said, "Tang daren, the Emperor requests your presence."
Tang Shen immediately entered the hall.
Zhao Fu was lying on the bed, his cheeks thin and his complexion weak. When he saw Tang Shen enter, he said, "Jing Ze, you served in the Hanlin Academy for a long time and are quite familiar with it. Fei Ran needs to go to the Hanlin Academy to fetch a book for me. Would you accompany him?"
Tang Shen’s heart skipped a beat. He bowed and said, "I accept the order."
Zhao Fu smiled, "Fei Ran, you may go with him."
Tang Shen raised his head, and his gaze happened to meet Su Wenyun’s.
A flash of light passed through the man’s bright and radiant eyes as he looked at Tang Shen. Hearing Zhao Fu’s words, Su Wenyun smiled gently and said, "Yes."