Volume Two: The Great and the Small, Chapter Sixty-Three: The Emperor Grants Me a Backdoor Favor

It was past noon when Huang Ming finally returned home.

Although he had spent another sleepless night and exhausted himself the day before while working to ensure Liao Kui was convicted, he felt no fatigue. On the contrary, he was brimming with excitement. The matter at hand was of such monumental significance that countless thoughts swirled through his mind, leaving him in a state of high agitation.

As soon as he stepped out of his carriage, a servant reported, "Young Master, the Master has returned. He requested that you see him immediately upon your arrival."

How typical. It seemed that whenever he stayed out all night, his father would suddenly return home. The last time this had happened was during the first lunar month; he had barely left Yueqing House when he was snatched up by the night patrol and spent the night in the Garrison Command. Months had passed without his father returning, yet after one night of frantic activity on his own part, his father had actually left the palace to come home today.

Complaints aside, Huang Ming dared not delay. He went straight to the backyard, where he found Huang Jin in the study, reviewing his daily schoolwork. The room was cooled by four basins of ice, offering a refreshing chill that blocked out the summer heat as effectively as modern air conditioning. On the desk sat a platter of fruit; Huang Ming greeted his father and casually snatched a slice of watermelon to munch on.

Huang Jin did not mind his son’s casual demeanor. Their relationship was quite different from the conventional father-son dynamic of the time; there were few rigid rules between them.

Once Huang Ming finished his melon, Huang Jin looked up. "Where were you last night, and what were you doing?"

This question finally pulled Huang Ming out of the relaxed mood he had felt upon returning. His expression shifted, and he hesitated, wondering if he should disclose the truth of such a massive case to his father. In truth, from the perspective of avoiding unnecessary trouble, he should not let more people know about this, especially someone who served as close to the Jiajing Emperor as his father did, as it could lead to unfathomable consequences.

But if he didn't say anything, would he leave the Jiajing Emperor in danger?

He knew better than to dismiss his concerns as mere杞人忧天 (unfounded worry) based on historical facts. Even Huang Ming himself couldn't guarantee that his own transmigrated presence hadn't already triggered a butterfly effect, steering history onto a different path. Who could guarantee that Yang Shen wouldn't let his gambling nature take over and attempt to assassinate the Emperor again? After all, from what he could see, the Jiajing Emperor was not necessarily any more capable than the Zhengde Emperor.

Huang Jin was unaware of the life-or-death matters weighing on his son's mind, nor did he intend to pursue the reason for his son's night out. "You are sensible and clever, and since I am often away from home, you must be the one to decide what should and should not be done."

Huang Ming could only nod in agreement. He was about to say something when his father added, "My return from the palace today is actually at the Master's behest."

"Oh? Is this related to the court officials pressing the Emperor to recognize the Xiaozong Emperor as his father?"

The Xiaozong Emperor was the Ming Dynasty's Hongzhi Emperor, Zhu Youtang—the father of the Zhengde Emperor and the uncle of the Jiajing Emperor.

Huang Jin’s expression turned solemn, his brows knitting together. "That is one part of it. In recent months, the Master has been under immense pressure. You have no idea—every day, officials submit memorials urging the Master to make a decision, to recognize the Xiaozong Emperor as his father and demote the Prince of Xing to the rank of uncle... It has caused the Master great distress."

Seeing that Huang Ming wanted to speak, he continued, "The Master has indeed followed your advice, keeping those memorials in the palace without issuing a response, just dragging it out. However, the longer this goes on, the more intense the reactions from the ministers will become. Even I can sense the rising tide of hostility from below. But the ministers you predicted would come forward to speak for the Master have yet to appear. So, the Master wants me to ask you: how much longer must we wait?"

Huang Ming felt the pressure, but he could only reply, "Soon. The court officials have never been a monolithic bloc. What the Emperor must do is wait for those who are not in league with Grand Secretary Yang and the others to gather their courage! In fact, I believe that as long as those people realize the Emperor has the determination and strength to contend with Yang Tinghe and his faction, someone will naturally step forward. The exile of the Ministry of Rites official Gu Yunxiao and the removal of Vice Minister Wu from his post as Chancellor of the Imperial Academy have already set the stage. Perhaps, with just one more shift in officialdom, someone will emerge!"

Huang Jin cast a knowing look at his son. "Is that why you stirred up the Liao Kui case?"

Huang Ming realized immediately that this must be another reason his father had returned today. It seemed that the news in the palace traveled quickly, and the Jiajing Emperor's response was indeed swift.

"What game are you playing? You actually went head-to-head with a Censor from the Censorate! Don't you know that the Censorate is a pack of mad dogs, and even high-ranking officials in the Grand Secretariat avoid provoking them?"

"I know, but this was out of righteous indignation! You have no idea what evils Liao Kui has committed over these years... Moreover, his past is highly questionable. Once it is investigated, the Censorate will only be too eager to distance themselves from him; no one will blame us." Huang Ming then recounted the grievances between Liao Kui and Zheng Qian, leaving Huang Jin in a long silence.

After a while, Huang Jin sighed, "If that is truly the case, then Liao Kui deserves to die! Colluding with a scoundrel like Qian Ning to persecute fellow officials and seizing the property, wives, and daughters of his friends—he is no better than a beast!"

Huang Ming added, "These charges are already confirmed. I also heard that Liao Kui submitted a memorial to the Emperor just a few days ago regarding the recognition of the Xiaozong Emperor as his father. Perhaps that can be put to use!" These details, naturally, had been gathered by the Jinyiwei.

Huang Jin nodded in deep agreement. "You have been thoughtful. And as for the Prefect of Shuntian, since he has shielded this villain, the court will naturally strip him of his post and investigate him strictly!"

Huang Ming was stunned, realizing that this Prefect must have also just submitted a memorial and happened to be targeted as a result. It seemed his father really was acting as the Emperor's "black glove."

As a son, he naturally offered his support. "Father, if you have any doubts regarding these two, I am willing to serve as a witness. Even if I must go to the Court of Judicial Review or the Ministry of Justice, I will not shrink back!"

"Good, then it is settled. It was not in vain that the Master holds you in high regard and even specifically instructed me to give you this!" Huang Jin reached into his sleeve, took out a piece of paper, and handed it to Huang Ming.

Huang Ming took it and opened it, seeing only two simple sentences. He was startled for a moment, and then his expression changed. "This is... an examination paper?"

"Correct. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Master will hold an extraordinary imperial examination specifically for students like those in the Imperial Academy who have benefited from hereditary privileges. Do you understand what I mean?"

Huang Ming was dumbfounded, yet he felt a surge of gratitude. The Jiajing Emperor was truly being very kind to him. This was the Emperor using his power to cheat, opening a back door just to give him a chance to enter officialdom!

With this gratitude, the last of his hesitations vanished. The Jiajing Emperor was of vital importance to both him and his father, and therefore, he could not allow anything to go wrong!

"Father, there is one more thing I must tell you, but it is of great consequence, so you must steel yourself. As for whether or not to report it truthfully to the Emperor, I will leave the decision to you!"