Inside the court room, the three cabinet elders, the six ministers, and the ministers on duty were anxiously waiting for news from the Eastern Warm Pavilion. The torrential rain was like whips lashing the earth, making their hearts twitch incessantly.
Most of these old ministers had white hair. Inside the court room, they could only hear the wind and rain outside, the lightning flashing and the thunder roaring, but they were silent, only looking in the direction of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, their faces full of worry.
All of a sudden, a sudden clap of thunder shook the heavens and shook the earth, causing the few elders who were caught off guard to shiver. Following another flash of lightning, a figure flashed into the room and announced in a loud voice, "His Majesty has an oral order!"
Hearing this, the old ministers suddenly stood up. The Minister of Appointments, Ma Wensheng, was so excited that his beard and hair were trembling. He repeatedly said, "Zhang Gong-gong, His Majesty has woken up? How is His Majesty? "
Liu Jian and the others were also excited. As the head of the ministers, he forced himself to suppress his emotions. He bowed to the eunuch of the Department of Rites, Zhang Gong-gong, and said, "We receive the imperial decree."
Only then did the ministers come to their senses and bowed together. Zhang Gong-gong said, "His Majesty has an oral decree. Zhen is well, my beloved ministers do not need to worry. My beloved ministers are the pillars of the country, you must not tire yourself too much. Go back to your manors to rest, the Imperial Horse Supervisor will send you a carriage. Tomorrow the court meeting will be adjourned, all matters in the court will be decided by the three Grand Scholars. "
Zhang Gong-gong passed down the imperial decree and turned to leave. Liu Daxia was anxious. He jumped up in fright to block Zhang Gong-gong and said, "Zhang Gong-gong, how is His Majesty's Dragon Body? Did the imperial doctor say anything?"
Liu Daxia was a beloved minister of the Hongzhi Emperor. Although Zhang Gong-gong was one of the four chiefs of the Department of Rites, he did not dare to offend him. But this matter was not something he could casually say. Zhang Gong-gong had no choice but to say, "Official Liu, don't make things difficult for me. Don't you understand these rules?"
Liu Daxia was startled and sadly let go of the hand that was tugging on his sleeve. It seemed that the Emperor's illness was not light. Otherwise, why would he not see them once before ordering them to return to the fu to rest and seal the news so tightly?
Seeing that Zhang Gonggong had left the court room, Ma Wensheng heavily stamped his feet and said to the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Appointments, Jiao Fang, who was on duty that day, "Old Jiao, you must wait for news from the Eastern Warm Pavilion at all times tonight. If His Majesty … His Majesty has an urgent matter to summon you, you must not delay."
The Hongzhi Emperor liked to use old officials. This right assistant minister of the Ministry of Appointments, Jiao Fang, was a seventy-one year old white-haired man. However, he was hale and hearty and his body was very healthy. He understood the meaning behind Ma Shang Shu's words and also understood the importance of this matter. Hearing his order, he hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Official, please do not worry. This lowly official will wait for you at all times and will not dare to be negligent."
Ma Wensheng nodded. At this time, the carriage of the Imperial Horse Supervisor had already driven to the door. The Emperor had sent a carriage to send them off. This favor was something that these old officials had never received before. Seeing it now, they felt no joy in their hearts. As they boarded the carriage in the rain, Li Dongyang stood on the shaft of the carriage and raised his head to look in the direction of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. In the distance, he saw that the lanterns were as bright as day. The palace maids and eunuchs walked in and out. The atmosphere was very tense. He couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Empress Zhang, Crown Prince Zhu Houzhao, and the two princesses, Yongfu and Yongchun, were guarding outside the Eastern Warm Pavilion. Although it was only a door away, they could only find out a little information about the condition of their closest and most important relative inside through the mouths of the eunuchs and imperial doctors. Without being summoned by Hongzhi, even they were not allowed to enter.
Inside the Eastern Warm Pavilion, Hongzhi leaned on a pillow, listening to the sound of heavy rain in a daze. Wang Yue, Miao Kui, and Fan Ting were kneeling in front of him, their foreheads pressed tightly against the ground, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Hongzhi had been seriously ill before the New Year and it took him more than a month to recover. This time, he suddenly fainted in court and only woke up after a whole day of resuscitation. He knew that his body was like a lamp that had run out of oil. This time, his time was really not far away.
He was a very superstitious person. Now, after the great drought in the capital, there was a sudden rainstorm, and it happened not long after he fainted. In his view, this was the most obvious sign that the Heaven had given him: I am the Son of Heaven. The Heavenly Duke shed tears, the storm raged. Isn't this the sign that I am going to die?
He sighed, thinking about his son that he was worried about. When he inherited the throne, he was not old. But now, although his son was 15 years old, he was still jumpy and not steady enough. That was not the image of a qualified king in the eyes of the courtiers.
This son was energetic and intelligent, but like a wild horse, he could not stand the slightest restraint. He thought that his son would be steady when he grew older, and now it was time to give the world to him. Could he … do it?
He glanced at the three most favored internal officials kneeling in front of him. They were all loyal to him, but if it was the young Crown Prince, could they still be so loyal? Or would they gradually rely on power to suppress the Emperor? They were in charge of the Great Ming Dynasty's three most elite battalions in the capital as well as the largest secret intelligence organization.
Hongzhi could not help but worry. Even though the vassals had already been stripped of their three guards, it did not mean that they had no ambition. A few days ago, Yang Ling presented him the account book of General Bao's embezzlement, which made him even more alarmed. The court treated the generals of the capital camp very well. A level three official was willing to break the military law for a small profit. If the vassals were given jewels and beauties, wouldn't some of them be bribed?
Moreover, the production of the capital's firearms and ammunition was a top secret in the army. At this time, not just any craftsman could produce the finest firearms and ammunition. The local tyrants who claimed to have bought firearms and ammunition to fight bandits and protect themselves were all discovered by the Brocade Guards to be false. The whereabouts of the ammunition were unknown. That small number of firearms was not a cause for concern. What they feared was that someone had hired craftsmen to copy them.
Firearms were not a match for cavalry in the north, but in the paddy fields, jungles, and mountains in the south, they were excellent weapons. They were also the best choice for the princes who had been removed and could not openly train their troops. Who would buy firearms? Was it King Chu, King Ning, or King Wu? These must be guarded against.
Hongzhi was lost in thought. After a long sigh, he tiredly said: "Draft the edict."
The eunuch from the Department of Rites who was waiting behind the small red sandalwood table hurriedly answered and picked up a weasel's brush. He heard Hongzhi's breathing rapidly for a while before he said: "The first edict, Duke of Wei Xu Chi has been in charge of the Shenji Battalion for twenty years. But he is not strict, the military discipline is lax, and the high-ranking officers in the army sold military resources privately, corrupting the discipline. Today, he is removed from his position as the Battalion Officer of the Shenji Battalion as punishment. The two Deputy Generals of the Shenji Battalion will each serve as a staff officer. Duke of Britain Guo Xun will temporarily be in charge of military affairs."
He calmed down and said: "The second edict, the Imperial Horse Supervisor Wuxiang, Tengxiang, Left Guard, and Right Guard Battalions will be transferred out of the palace to guard the nine cities. The Three Thousand Battalions will patrol the capital. The Five Military Battalions and the Shenji Battalion will be stationed on the left and right sides of the capital. The Shenji Battalion Left Sentry Army will be stationed in the palace."
When Miao Kui heard this, he shivered and his body bent even lower. The Emperor suddenly transferred the defense, obviously because the Imperial Horse Supervisor Battalions have been stationed in the palace for a long time. This is a precautionary measure. But the Emperor gave this edict in front of him, and obviously still trusts him personally. For a moment, Miao Kui's heart was in turmoil, and he could not say what he was feeling.
Hongzhi felt a burst of dizziness and wanted to vomit. He forced himself to say: "The third edict, instruct all the garrisoned troops to strictly guard the passes and the entire army to be on guard. All vassal kings are not allowed to leave their fiefs without permission, and are not allowed to enter the capital without an edict. Otherwise, they will be punished with treason!"
When he said this edict, the eunuch who was holding the brush kowtowed and then picked up the brush to stop writing. When Hongzhi heard the eunuch finish writing, he hurriedly read the edict and said: "That's it. Go and put the seal on it."
As Hongzhi said this, he waved his hand and said: "All of you can go first. Call the Crown Prince in, Zhen wants to talk to him."
* * *
Yang Ling walked into the court room. This court room was a long room, and the light inside was dim. Because the Emperor was critically ill, the court meeting had been suspended, and the court room was now deserted. There was only a listless civil official dozing off on the table with his back facing him.
Yang Ling did not disturb him. He walked to a chair in the corner and sat down. He leaned back on the chair and felt his back ache.
That day when he came out of the Imperial Bodyguard, Yang Ling wanted to go home to take a look. When he arrived at Hu Guo Si Street, he saw that the lights in the courtyard had been extinguished. He did not want to disturb Young-niang, so he rushed back to the mountains overnight. Fortunately, he did not delay, and the edict of the court was not delayed. The moment he stepped into the commander's tent, the imperial edict arrived.
Yang Ling, who did not rest at all, immediately led the army back to the capital. The journey was even more arduous and much slower than his wild galloping alone. The five thousand soldiers traveled for three days and one night before returning to the capital today.
Outside the court room, Yang Ling had already read the imperial edict. But after waiting for a while, the eunuch who delivered the edict had not summoned him. Yang Ling remembered the Emperor's current illness. It seemed that he did not know when he would be able to see the Emperor, so he hid in the court room to rest for a while. Yang Ling straightened his two legs and let out a long breath. He closed his eyes and rested in a daze.
He did not know when he heard the sound of footsteps. The half-asleep Yang Ling opened his eyes and saw a few unfamiliar people walking in. There were about five or six of them, and they were all third or fourth-grade civil officials. Yang Ling saw that it had nothing to do with him, so he closed his eyes and rested.
In the last few days, the three Grand Scholars were still working in the Imperial Palace. Whenever there was something that needed to be decided, they would come to the Imperial Palace. The few civil officials had just submitted some official documents to the Grand Scholar. Because some of the documents needed urgent approval, they came to the Imperial Palace to wait.
These officials' eyesight was not good enough, so they did not see clearly that there was a military official sitting in the dim corner of the wall. They sat down on the long bench and started to talk about official business. The Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Appointments, Wang Yan, said worriedly, "His Majesty's dragon body is not well, the imperial court and the public are in a state of panic. He has not gotten better these past few days. There are many matters that the three Grand Scholars cannot decide on their own. What should we do?"
Zhan Shi, Yang Fang, comforted him, "Lord Wang, don't worry. I heard that the Emperor has issued an edict for the Eastern Palace to discuss politics with the Three Chancellors. The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne. At this moment, there are some matters that can be decided on behalf of His Majesty."
Wang Yan sighed, "The Crown Prince is still young, he does not know the suffering of the common people. If the decree is issued a little later, I don't know how many more victims will suffer."
Hearing the voice, the official on duty woke up. He turned around and saw that it was Wang Yan. He could not help laughing and said, "Turns out it is Ji Zhi. I was wondering why the voice sounded so familiar."
Only now did Wang Yan see clearly that the official on duty who was dozing off on the table was the Right Assistant Minister, Jiao Fang. She quickly cupped her hands and said, "Turns out it is Jiao daren on duty. How is His Majesty's dragon body?"
Jiao Fang shook her head and sighed. She opened her mouth and was about to speak when an old eunuch carrying a pile of memorials walked in. This eunuch was the eunuch of the Bell and Drum Department, Liu Jin, who served the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince was ordered by the Emperor to perform his duties on behalf of his father and discuss politics with the Three Chancellors, so he had brought several of his capable eunuchs with him. Of course, they were only responsible for delivering the signed memorials and summoning the officials who needed to be consulted. It was not a big deal.
But Liu Jin had originally only been at the Bell and Drum Department banging the Jingyang Bell and beating the Si Chen Drum. He was an unremarkable eunuch. Now, he was holding the court's edict and summoning the officials of the court. Although he worked as an errand boy, the people he came into contact with were all first-rate people. He could not help but sigh in his heart, "I was born to be useful."
Especially now that the Emperor was critically ill and the ascension of the Eastern Palace to the throne was only a matter of time. As someone the Crown Prince trusted, his future prospects were limitless. Thinking of this, Liu Jin's enthusiasm for work immediately soared. He did not feel tired running back and forth between the Hall of Virtue, the Hall of Literary Glory, and the offices of the three Grand Scholars.
Right now he was holding the memorials from two officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Justice. The two of them accepted the memorials and expressed their thanks to him. Liu Jin accepted the memorials with a giggle, as if he was the one who approved the memorials; his expression was quite radiant.
Wang Yan asked, "Eunuch, has the memorial for the flood in Xinyang still not been approved?"
Liu Jin said, "I only received the memorials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Punishments. I think the three Grand Scholars have not read them yet."
Wang Yan stamped her foot and said, "I added the word 'urgent.' Why hasn't it been approved yet? Xinyang is flooded, and the people have no food or clothing. The court should promptly exempt taxes and provide disaster relief. What good would it be if the people revolt?"
Liu Jin suddenly remembered hearing a few eunuchs in the palace discuss the local officials lying about the disaster year and evading taxes. He could not help but smile and say, "Don't be anxious, sir. It is only the fifth month. How could there be an announcement so early? Perhaps it is a false report of a famine year. Perhaps the local officials and the court officials from Xinyang are in cahoots with each other to buy a good place and gain fame. Sir, you have to find out for yourself. "
Coincidentally, Assistant Minister Wang Yan was from Xinyang. When he heard Liu Jin's words, how could he bear it? He immediately flew into a rage and slammed the table. "Eunuch, don't slander me. The flood in Xinyang has long been reported. Do you think the disaster is fake? What do you know about the affairs of the court? Don't make irresponsible remarks! "
Liu Jin was reprimanded by him until her face turned red. She could not help but laugh coldly and angrily, "What I said was the usual methods of corrupt officials. If it is, then it is. If it isn't, then it isn't. Daren is not that kind of person who colludes with villains. Why must you be so angry? If others see it, they will think that you are guilty."
Zhan Shi Yangfang, who was standing to the side, was also a scholar from Xinyang. Hearing this, he immediately laughed coldly and said, "If you want to cheat, then you should bring out the evidence. Don't tell me you're just relying on your silver tongue to slander others?"
Liu Jin was angry. "Damn it, I'm reminding you not to be tricked by the local officials. All of you have one foot in the grave and are a few years older than me. Why are you all so rash? Did I offend you?"
For a moment, he forgot his seniority and said unhappily, "If I were to find evidence, then why would the court need you people? I only said it might be collusion between the officials. I didn't say it was for sure. If you did not have a guilty conscience, then why did it seem like I stepped on your tail? Who do you think you are? "
The old man Yang Fang was furious. He stood up and shouted, "I am a third-rank official of the court. Who do you think you are, a eunuch who doesn't even know the books of saints, to speak in the court?"
Liu Jin was called a eunuch in front of his face, and it touched a taboo in his heart. His face turned purple, but he did not care about how powerful he was. He stepped forward and hit old man Yang's face with his palm. Yang Fang let out a strange cry and leapt forward. He stretched out his five fingers and scratched Liu Jin. Five finger marks immediately appeared on Liu Jin's face. An old scholar and an old eunuch roared and wrestled with each other.
When Wang Yan and her friends saw that this eunuch dared to beat up an official of the court in the court, they immediately rushed over to fight. There were also those who were not familiar with Yang Fang, but they were all civil officials, so they could not help but feel the same hatred for the enemy. They pretended to persuade him, but their hands grabbed Liu Jin's arm and did not let go. Yang Fang found an opening, and Liu Jin immediately received two more punches.
Yang Ling, who was sitting in the dark, had long been awakened by their quarrel. He had also seen their quarrel. Although the historical Liu Jin was an evil person who could not be any worse, he had not said anything excessive today. Xinyang might have indeed suffered a flood, but it was not unheard of to falsely report a famine year and buy a good place to get promoted. If he was wrong, he could just ignore him. There was no need to get so angry.
Over such a small matter, so many aggressive old men had started a group fight. It was really boring. Yang Ling was both angry and amused. He rushed over and forcefully pulled Liu Jin out of the crowd.
When the officials saw that the person who had rushed out to rescue him was a military official, they could not help but be angry. "Who are you? This eunuch has sinister intentions. He spoke irresponsibly and slandered the officials of the court. How dare you interfere and save him?"
Hearing this, Yang Ling was a little angry. He furrowed his brows and said, "Gentlemen, there is no need to put such a label on such a small matter, right? Today's matter was only because of his careless words. If everyone takes a step back, then everything will be fine. Why must you be so overbearing? "
Liu Jin had been pulled until his hair was disheveled. At this moment, he saw that the person who had saved him was Yang Ling. Immediately, as if he had seen a relative, he raised his voice and said, "Sir Yang, look, look. What kind of words are these? What did I say? They are bullying people too much. "
While they were quarreling, a little eunuch stood at the door and called out, "Which one is Sir Yang Yang Ling? His Majesty summons you!" Finished speaking, he saw the situation inside the imperial court room. The little eunuch also stared blankly.
Yang Fang and the others had long heard of Yang Ling's name, but they did not recognize him in person. Right now, as they heard that this person was Yang Ling, they could not help but stare blankly. Yang Ling seized this opportunity to pull Liu Jin, whose face was covered with five lines of blood, out of the imperial court room. After comforting him for a while, Liu Jin took his leave, sobbing, and went to complain to Zhu Houzhao.
Following behind the little eunuch, Yang Ling entered the Qian Qing Gate and went straight to the rear palace. He had just turned a corner on a curved corridor and a moon gate when a young girl wearing a palace dress hurriedly rushed out from behind a rattan shelf. Without any time to react, the young girl unexpectedly fell head-first into his bosom.
Yang Ling hastily supported her. The young girl cried out 'aiya' and jumped away from Yang Ling's bosom with a very red face. Rubbing her sore nose, she met the man's gaze in front of her eyes and the beautiful young girl suddenly froze.
She stared wide-eyed at Yang Ling. Suddenly with a face full of pleasant surprise, she rushed over and grabbed his arm. She excitedly called out, "Turns out it is General Yang. Quick, quick, come with me to save him. Imperial Brother is chasing after Imperial Brother-in-law."
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