Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 4 How Can I Entrust the Country to You? (Please Collect and Read)

On the bed, the emperor who had been so majestic just a moment ago, was now holding Zheng Mengjing and speaking softly like a loving and affectionate man.

"It's really inconvenient to delay it any longer, so I resorted to this desperate measure. I didn't expect these servants to be so bold just after I eased the pressure. Now, everyone in and outside the palace knows that I am still the one in charge!"

Zheng Mengjing leaned on him, pinching his leg while choking with sobs, saying: "Your Majesty is no longer like an old nanny! Since your Majesty has broken up with you, you should also know that people tend to follow the trend of the times. Poor us mother and son, we don't know what will happen in the future. I went to visit Concubine Gong today with good intentions, but my elder brother gritted his teeth and said to me, "Your Majesty, I have been doing you many years of kindness..."

"This rebellious son is so rebellious and unfilial!"

Zhu Yijun's dissatisfaction with Zhu Changluo suddenly increased, and then he said: "Don't worry. I have said it before, put the imperial edict aside for now. Besides, moving to Ciqing Palace first is not something that can be done quickly. The queen's health is..."

Having said this, perhaps because he felt that he was hoping the queen would leave sooner, he stopped talking.

It seems like he has to save face, but not much.

Zheng Mengjing shook her head and wiped away her tears. "If it weren't for His Majesty's love, I wouldn't have had such a foolish dream. But now, because of me, His Majesty is always insulted by foreign officials. How can I rest in peace with my conscience?"

Then she shed more tears: "My eldest brother has already harbored resentment towards me, Your Majesty, please just calm down. When Changxun's country is established, I will serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly, and there will be no more criticism from inside and outside. I am a weak woman, how could I want to leave a bad reputation? Even if mother and son cannot see each other in the future, I will..."

Zhu Yijun immediately started to make fun of them: "How could they know that you are so considerate? Don't cry, don't cry... Don't you understand my feelings? That rebellious son was okay in the past, but now he is so rebellious and unfilial, how can he be entrusted with the country?"

"Tell me more, what was the name of that Western barbarian you just mentioned?" He also knew how to change the subject.

"My name is Matteo Ricci, Your Majesty." Zheng Mengjing seemed to be coaxed suddenly, with a face full of longing, "I heard that the last time we entered the capital, there were Western sacred objects presented to Your Majesty, but in the end, they were seized by that servant Ma Tang."

"Is this happening?"

"Why not? My brother has just heard that there are some exquisite items among those sacred objects. They can be considered excellent gifts for His Majesty's birthday or the Queen Mother's birthday. Could it be that Ma Tang didn't offer any?"

Zhu Yijun felt a little embarrassed.

He is just a tax inspector in Tianjin, but there are more and more daring slaves who even dare to withhold gifts from foreign envoys.

The eunuchs sent abroad are all under the management of the Imperial Household Department!
In Yikun Palace, the pillow wind was howling violently.

In the 14th year of Jiajing, Emperor Shizong changed the names of many places in the Forbidden City, and Wan'an Palace became Yiku Palace.

Yi means to assist.

The Queen resides in Kunning Palace. The two words "Yikun" are self-explanatory, meaning assisting the Queen in managing the six palaces.

In the ninth year of the Wanli reign, "virtuous women were selected to serve as imperial attendants." In the tenth year of the Wanli reign, Zheng Mengjing was named Shupin because of her outstanding appearance. In the eleventh year, she was promoted to Defei. In the twelfth year, she was named Guifei and gave birth to the emperor's second son.

In the 14th year of Wanli's reign, the third prince was born and she was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort, whose status was second only to Queen Wang.

The weight of pampering and the speed of promotion are perfect for the heroine of a harem drama.

Although the first son she gave birth to Wanli died young, the birth of her second son Zhu Changxun marked the beginning of the dispute over the country's foundation.

The third son Zhu Changxun and the seventh daughter Zhu Xuanhuan also lived in the Yiku Palace.

Zheng Mengjing gave birth to three sons and three daughters for Zhu Yijun, but only these two are still alive.

But she became pregnant six times in just ten years, which shows that Zhu Yijun was almost always attached to this.

How could it be like spending another lonely night in Jingyang Palace?
The next morning, Zhu Changluo got up and asked, "Wang An, are you still unwilling to ask Eunuch Chen for his well-being?"

"Oh, Your Highness..." Wang An bent down and advised with a bitter face, "Walls have ears... I was recommended by Eunuch Chen to be Your Highness's study companion, so how could I not be anxious? But now is the time to stay still..."

Zhu Changluo could only shake his head.

Empress Dowager Li was devoted to worshipping Buddha, and even Queen Wang was cautious and prudent. Almost all the eunuchs and maids in the palace regarded Concubine Zheng as the queen.

It was no secret that the emperor disliked his eldest son, and Concubine Zheng had been powerful in the harem for eighteen years.

It is the consensus of everyone that it is better to be still than to move.

As for the throne, you can only wait.

If the emperor doesn't give it to you, you can't steal it.

But now, Wang An, who firmly believed that it was better to be still than to act, suddenly encountered a disaster.

Today was cloudy, but the spring breeze was moist. Shen Yikuan was still anxiously waiting for the emperor's reply to the draft edict. Several memorials and the Ministry of Revenue's memorial on how to temporarily borrow money from Nanjing, Henan and other places for the Bozhou campaign had just been sent to the palace. Zhao Zhigao was at home preparing the 37th letter of resignation, while Chen Ju led his men to Jingyang Palace.

Letting him, the eunuch who had recommended Wang An as the eldest prince's tutor, deal with Wang An was a reflection of the emperor's will: in the palace, everyone can only be loyal to one person, and no one can have two minds.

Chen Ju came here when the eldest prince was seriously ill, for fear that people in the palace would neglect him and cause a scandal that the prince would die of illness.

In Chen Ju's opinion, the eldest prince's temperament used to be too cowardly, and for some reason he suddenly changed yesterday.

However, according to the ancestral laws, since he is the eldest son and there is no heir to the empress, the position should be his, so Chen Ju will do his best to protect him.

The Ningxia Campaign, the Korean Campaign, the Bozhou Campaign, the imperial court had been waging wars for years, and the Ming Dynasty could not afford any more chaos.

So when they arrived at the gate of Jingyang Palace, Chen Ju looked up and there was more resentment in his eyes.

How could he say something like "If you can't even clean up your own house, how can you clean up the world?" He even stabbed the imperial concubine in the face and showed off his sharp edge.

When Chen Ju came in person, Zhu Changluo was looking for an opportunity to talk to him in private, but he didn't expect that the news Chen Ju brought would be like this.

Wang An knelt in the front yard of Jingyang Palace with a pale face.

Wei Gang and others, who had just experienced the "power" of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince yesterday, looked amused.

Just one day had passed, and the emperor's wrath had finally arrived.

It is not known whether it was the "merit" of the imperial concubine or the fact that the Crown Prince was too bold and reckless yesterday.

Zhu Changluo took a step forward slowly amidst a mix of complicated looks.

"My son, you can't..." Concubine Wang Gong stretched out her hand under the eaves.

Zhu Changluo did not stop, his steps were steady and his expression was calm.

Wang An, whose body was already limp and powerless, saw the figure in front of him. The wind that came in from the palace gate corridor could only slightly blow the corners of His Highness's clothes when it reached here.

He raised his head and could only see the silk sac that bound His Highness' hair at the back of his head.

Your Highness's back is very straight.

"Father has decided to execute Wang An?"

Chen Ju looked at Wang An with some regret, then looked at Zhu Changluo's young face, half admonishing and half reminding him: "Your Highness, it is an imperial decree."

"Okay." Zhu Changluo said without hesitation, "Please tell my father that I want to disobey the order."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the courtyard was stunned, even Chen Ju was no exception.

The eldest prince disobeyed the order?
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Concubine Wang Gong was so frightened that she no longer cared about her manners and ran down quickly to pull him back.

Even though her son had given her a long period of "psychological preparation" last night, she was still shocked beyond her limits by his reaction.

"Mother!" Zhu Changluo shook his head, causing Concubine Wang Gong to stop, and then he said to Chen Ju, "If you want to capture him, I will definitely stop you, so you have to fight me. Wang An is innocent, and my words and actions were not taught by him. If you want to execute him, you should execute me as well. If you are in trouble, you should report the truth to my father and then make a decision."

"Your Highness! Your Highness! I am not worthy of this, my life is worthless..." Wang An crawled over crying bitterly, kowtowed repeatedly to Zhu Changluo, and then kowtowed to Chen Ju, "Eunuch, I will go with you, I will go with you..."

"No!" Zhu Changluo said decisively, and stretched out his hand to press Wang An's shoulder. Then he stepped forward and turned to look at Chen Ju, "I am the eldest son of the Ming Emperor. I will not listen to the instigation of those around me. If I want to disobey the order, will anyone dare to instigate me? Everyone saw it with their own eyes, and Eunuch Chen also reported it truthfully."

"...Your Highness, why do you have to embarrass me?" Chen Ju really didn't understand, and asked back in dissatisfaction.

Can you just say something like "disobeying the emperor's order"?

Is there still respect between the emperor, his subjects, and his sons in your eyes?
Zhu Changluo looked at the palace wall, and then looked directly at Chen Ju after his eyes returned to him: "Although he is called the eldest son of the emperor, he is actually like a prisoner. If your father is in trouble, why don't you let me come to relieve your worries. The eldest son of the emperor disobeyed the emperor's order, was rebellious and unfilial, how can he be entrusted with the country? If your father doesn't believe it, please come here. Your father is in trouble, and Wang An is guilty or not. We will see for ourselves!"

He spoke with certainty, but Chen Ju was shocked.

Why do you want to stir up trouble like this? Do you really want to cause chaos in the world and destroy the country?
People outside the palace don’t know about this incident yet, but they will eventually know about it.

Just at this moment, spring thunder suddenly sounded.

The wind also picked up.

(End of this chapter)