Chapter 055: Speaking Without Basis

Before Xue Rui answered the question, he had already considered the attitude of Prince Cheng. Prince Cheng had sent Cheng Jing to inquire, likely somewhat agreeing with Xu Cheng's statement and wanting to have Hu Zhong and his apprentice confirm once more whether the interpretation of the celestial phenomena was accurate.

Yet when Xu Dun and the others tried to probe, Cheng Jing lashed out at them, clearly unwilling to let them speculate about Prince Cheng Zhu Qiyu's thoughts. Coupled with Xue Rui's understanding of Cheng Jing's character, he dared to take a clear stand and express his opposition. Now it seemed Cheng Jing had not disappointed him.

With this solution, Cheng Jing was greatly pleased and continued to ask, "Since Scholar Xu's deduction is not accurate, but the celestial sign of Mars encroaching upon the Purple Palace did indeed occur, if it should not be manifested in the capital, then where should it manifest?"

Upon hearing this question, Xu Dun and the others were at a loss for words. Xue Rui had only been in the Bureau for a month and had not even learned the basics; for him to answer this question was sheer nonsense.

Gao Mian, who knew Xue Rui best, was about to step forward to explain, but Xue Rui cupped his hands and said, "Replying to your lordship, in my opinion, this celestial phenomenon should manifest in the southeast!"

"The southeast?"

Cheng Jing was taken aback.

Xu Dun and the others’ faces changed dramatically. Divining celestial signs was the foremost duty in the Bureau; how could they let a mere novice speak carelessly? Any mistake could cost lives.

Even Hu Zhong, when faced with such situations, would only dare to give ambiguous answers, never speaking too boldly. Yet Cheng Jing had asked casually, and Xue Rui had declared it would manifest in the southeast—was he not courting disaster?

Seeing Xue Rui about to speak again, Xu Dun hurriedly ordered the clerk nearby, "Drag him out at once!"

The clerk, aware of the gravity of the situation, quickly pulled Xue Rui away. Refusing to squander this chance to make a mark, Xue Rui shouted, "Lord Cheng, to be precise, this celestial sign will manifest in Guangdong! May the court act swiftly to prevent..."

Before he could finish, the clerk covered his mouth.

Xu Dun wiped the sweat from his brow and apologized to Cheng Jing, "Lord Cheng, please pay no heed to Xue Rui's nonsense. He has only been in the Bureau for a month and has not even mastered the simplest principles; as for the most esoteric arts of celestial divination, there is no way he could understand them. We beg your discerning judgment!"

Cheng Jing came to his senses and, upon hearing Xu Dun's explanation, nodded in agreement. He had been considering the possibility of Xue Rui's deduction, but now that he knew the young man was merely speaking at random, he dismissed it.

Yet the question of where the celestial sign should manifest could not be avoided, so he said, "Since Xue Rui’s words are unreliable, you gentlemen must give me a credible answer."

If the capital was not to be moved, many different explanations could be offered.

After some discussion, Xu Dun and the others replied to Cheng Jing, "Lord Cheng, Mars encroaching upon the Emperor’s seat—Mars refers to the Wala Grand Minister, Yesen, and the Purple Palace refers to His Majesty. It indicates that Yesen harbors rebellious intentions and may offend the imperial majesty, thus Heaven sends this sign as a warning."

"This explanation is reasonable," Cheng Jing said, feeling this account should suffice to persuade the court officials.

Xu Cheng’s interpretation had expanded Mars to represent the entire Wala, and the Purple Palace naturally referred to the national capital; Mars encroaching upon the Purple Palace meant there would be war within the capital, and only relocating the capital could avert disaster.

Xu Dun and the others, however, interpreted Mars and the Purple Palace as specific individuals—Yesen as the disloyal subject, who would offend Emperor Zhu Qizhen—thus avoiding any implication of danger to the capital itself.

In short, the interpretation of celestial signs depended entirely on how the Bureau officials spun their narrative: so long as it was plausible and free from error, and if not, a vague answer would suffice. If mistakes occurred in the future, no blame could be placed on them, just like the tricks used by street fortune-tellers.

Hu Zhong had managed to remain the chief official of the Bureau for so many years because he was skilled in this art and seldom erred in celestial divination.

Satisfied with their answer, Cheng Jing took his leave from the Bureau.

Released by the clerk, Xue Rui regained his freedom and was promptly lectured by Xu Dun and the others, warned never to speak recklessly again.

Now that the officials had assessed the situation, with Bureau Chief Peng Deqing missing, even if he returned safely, without a powerful patron, he would likely lose his authority over the Bureau. Once Xue Yuanhao was released from prison, given his current reputation, securing a minor post would be easy; then they would all be colleagues, so there was no need to trouble Xue Rui further—the previous incidents would be left behind.

After the officials departed, Xue Rui, annoyed, muttered under his breath, "Just for my father’s sake, I tried so hard to earn him some reputation, and they accuse me of spouting nonsense? I’d believe your grandmother’s legs before I believe you!"

...

Meanwhile, Cheng Jing returned to the palace, and the morning court session had already ended.

The civil and military officials were gathered under the corridors, eating the midday meal prepared by the Imperial Catering Bureau.

On that note, one must mention the capital’s four great disappointments.

Which four? They are: the literary works of the Hanlin Academy, the weapons of the Armory, the tea of the Imperial Catering Bureau, and the prescriptions of the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Despite being served to high-ranking officials, the food from the Imperial Catering Bureau was of mediocre taste, often not even as good as that prepared by ordinary household cooks.

After a morning of heated debate, the officials were famished and could only make do with the cold, unappealing dishes.

As they ate, a commotion suddenly erupted among the officials beneath the eastern corridor, evidently quite agitated.

Xu Cheng, seated farther away, looked up toward the group.

As expected, several faces he recognized were among them—those who had opposed relocating the capital during the morning session, including Left Assistant Minister of War, Yu Qian.

"Hmph, no matter how eloquent you are, as long as I cling to the interpretation of celestial signs, you’ll be left helpless!"

Xu Cheng was deeply pleased with himself.

The Hanlin Academy was a place of austerity; to stand out, one could not rely solely on seniority but had to constantly assert one’s presence, so as to gain favor in the emperor’s eyes.

Over the years, Xu Cheng had devoted himself to this task, racking his brains to offer advice and suggestions to the court, even more zealously than the imperial censors.

The recent disastrous defeat at Tumubao made Xu Cheng realize his opportunity for advancement had finally arrived.

His chance lay in the proposal to relocate the capital!

As the saying goes, virtue attracts support while lack of virtue leads to isolation. When he observed the celestial signs earlier, he intended to use the fulfillment of the prophecy by Huangfu Zhonghe as corroboration, lending credibility to his proposal.

Yesterday, while chatting with colleagues, he overheard Xue Yuanhao warning the Duke of England.

The speaker was oblivious, but the listener was attentive.

After his shift, Xu Cheng investigated Xue Yuanhao’s background.

Unexpectedly, Xue Yuanhao turned out to be the last apprentice of Hu Zhong, chief official of the Bureau!

Others might not know Hu Zhong, but as an amateur enthusiast in celestial studies, Xu Cheng was well aware of Hu Zhong’s reputation for divination, and had long wanted to exchange ideas with him.

Yet, due to status restrictions, he could not approach an official like Hu Zhong and so had to give up.

Xu Cheng surmised that Xue Yuanhao’s visit to the Duke of England’s residence was likely prompted by Hu Zhong, who had glimpsed Heaven’s secrets and thus instructed his disciple to warn the Duke.

If that was the case, then both Huangfu Zhonghe and Hu Zhong—titans of the astronomical world—had confirmed the credibility of the celestial signs, so Xu Cheng could use their successful examples to bolster his own argument, making it even more convincing.

Unfortunately, while his plan was sound, reality was rather harsh.

What awaited him was no longer metaphysics countering metaphysics, but an asymmetric blow.