Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 102 The New Emperor Who Lets Himself Go

The emperor passed away three days ago. At that time, Zhu Shenzhui was still on his way back to Pingyang.

After receiving the news, all the clan members went to the general's mansion to mourn for the late emperor. According to etiquette, they no longer had to stay in the general's mansion and could mourn at home. This was also the rule of the clan members.

After three days, Zhu Shencui took Zhang and Qiaoer back home. Zhu Shencui and Zhang were fine, as they were adults, but Qiaoer was still young. Although the General's Mansion had made arrangements, it was far less convenient than at home. In addition, the heavy atmosphere and depression at that time made Qiaoer fall ill with a fever when she returned home. Zhu Shencui was so scared that he hurried to invite a doctor. He examined the symptoms, gave her decoctions, and used the experience of later generations to reduce Qiaoer's fever. After a few days of tossing and turning, Qiaoer finally stopped.

In the following days, the city remained white as the whole country mourned for the emperor.

This situation will last for a full twenty-seven days before it ends, but this is only true for ordinary people. It is not that simple for members of the royal family. According to the royal family's rules for national mourning, at least nothing can be done in the first year, and the same applies to the first month of the second year. During this period, let alone weddings, even drinking and eating meat are not allowed.

Because of this reason, Zhu Shenzhui's wedding originally scheduled for October 15th could not take place. After returning home from the general's mansion, he wrote a letter to his sister and the Xu family, and sent it urgently through the post station, explaining the situation.

This was something he couldn't change, and it happened so suddenly. Because of the national mourning, the wedding had to be postponed, and it would take place at least by the end of next year.

If the Xu family agrees to delay, then they can postpone it. If the Xu family feels that this delays their daughter, then it is okay to cancel the engagement. After all, this matter is force majeure, and no one can be blamed. It is understandable that the Xu family did this.

After receiving the letter through the post station, Zhou Anmin and Zhu Xiuer personally went to the Xu family to explain the situation. The Xu family was very reasonable and knew that the requirements for the royal family during the national mourning period were strict, and it was not Zhu Shenzhu's fault. In addition, the Xu family was very satisfied with Zhu Shenzhu. Since he was the son-in-law they had chosen, it didn't matter if they waited another year. Anyway, their daughter was only 28 years old this year, and she was not too old. Instead of looking for another marriage, it would be better to postpone it.

When the reply came, Zhu Shenzhu felt relieved. Originally, this marriage was not in his plan, and Zhu Shenzhu was caught off guard because of his sister. But he couldn't go against his sister's kindness. Besides, the Xu family was also a kind family. The marriage that his sister had finally arranged for him was not bad, so Zhu Shenzhu agreed.

The national mourning now gave Zhu Shencui a chance to ease the situation. Although the wedding was postponed to next year, Zhu Shencui did not need to worry about this matter in this year.

When his sister-in-law Zhang found out, although she didn't say anything, Zhu Shenzui saw a hint of relief in her eyes. Perhaps in her heart, she was unprepared for such a sudden marriage, and delaying it now was actually a good thing.

Because of the national mourning and the postponement of the wedding, the previously mentioned matter of Zhang and Qiao'er moving out of the main house was also put on hold. Life seemed to have returned to the past, and when Qiao'er's illness got better, Zhu Shenzhu went to the business and met Kang Youfu and Zhang Xijun.

Many shops in the city are closed these days, but many things still need to be done, and it is already autumn. Zhu Shenzhui thought that after the first month, there would be no need for him to stay at home any longer, so he took this opportunity to go to the grassland again. If he didn't go this time, he would have no time this year, and the next time would have to be in early spring next year.

Time passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye it was August.

In this month, the posthumous title and temple name of the late Emperor Wanli were determined. His posthumous title was: Emperor Fan Tianhe Daozhe Sudun Jianguang Wenwen Wu Anren Zhi Xiaoxian, and his temple name was: Emperor Shenzong. (According to the Ming History, some say it was determined in September, while others say it was determined in October. However, considering that Zhu Changluo was the emperor for only one month after he succeeded to the throne, ascended the throne on the first day of August, and died on the first day of September, the author thinks it is more accurate to say it was determined in August.)
After Wanli's death, Crown Prince Zhu Changluo succeeded to the throne and became emperor.

After Zhu Changluo ascended the throne, he named the reign Taichang. According to the rules, this year is the first year of Taichang, but the reign title of the 48th year of Wanli is still used.

After Emperor Taichang ascended the throne, he began to make use of civil servants and changed the political structure of the court.

Originally, Wanli did not like this eldest son, and was even more reluctant to make him the crown prince. In Wanli's mind, Prince Fu, born to Concubine Zheng, was the most suitable candidate for the crown prince. However, because this matter later became a dispute over the foundation of the country, Wanli fought fiercely with the civil service group over the issue of the crown prince. In the end, it was Wanli's biological mother, Empress Dowager Li, who stood on the side of the civil service group and forced Wanli to submit. He had no choice but to make Zhu Changluo the crown prince, which led to the current Emperor Taichang.

From this point of view, Taichang's ascension to the throne was supported by the civil service group from the beginning. In addition, Wanli disliked the prince who was appointed by force, and the relationship between father and son was not good, so Zhu Changluo was closer to the civil servants who had done him a favor. The edict dictated by Qian Suo before Wanli's death had long been destroyed in private. The edict that was now announced to the world was the result of private discussions among the civil service group and was completed by Sun Ruyou.

Sun Ruyou has always been a staunch supporter of Zhu Changluo. After Taichang ascended the throne, under the persuasion of the civil service group, he overturned all the systems implemented by Wanli and implemented the policy according to their wishes.

These included but were not limited to the mining and tax supervision systems implemented before Wanli, the suppression of cabinet and ministry members, and a series of other measures. When a leader dies, the government dies. Out of trust in civil servants, Taichang gave almost all the power to them. Sun Ruyou also got what he wanted from the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites to the minister of the Ministry of Rites, and entered the cabinet as a cabinet elder.

When the new emperor ascended the throne, everyone else also benefited. There were so many vacant positions in the court, and this feast lasted only a few days before it was divided up among these people according to what had been agreed upon before.

After occupying important positions in the court, they began to attack Xiong Tingbi of Liaodong.

As the current cabinet ministers and important figures in the court, they naturally would not come forward themselves. However, they had plenty of ways to mess with Xiong Tingbi. A few days after Wanli's death, Yao Zhongwen, the former official of the Ministry of Revenue, was promoted. This man had a lot of selfishness when he worked with Xiong Tingbi in Liaodong. In order to seek an official position, he once found Xiong Tingbi, hoping that Xiong Tingbi could say a few good words for him in front of Wanli.

But this request was sternly rejected by the straightforward Xiong Tingbi, who also scolded him severely. As a result, Yao Zhongwen began to resent Xiong Tingbi.

After Wanli's death, Yao Zhongwen joined the new bigwigs who came to power, and the first thing he did after returning to the court was to act as a pawn to deal with Xiong Tingbi.

He wrote to the emperor to impeach Xiong Tingbi, attacking the fact that Xiong Tingbi had been out of seclusion for more than a year without any plan; when Puhe was lost, the news was concealed and not reported; the soldiers with weapons were not used for fighting but only for digging trenches; he held the imperial sword in his hand but did not seek to help the state affairs but only to abuse his power...

Lin Lin fabricated dozens of charges and criticized Xiong Tingbi for nothing. Following Yao Zhongwen's impeachment, other people in the court who disliked Xiong Tingbi and had ulterior motives also jumped out one after another. For a time, impeachment memorials against Xiong Tingbi were flying everywhere, and Xiong Tingbi became the target of public criticism.

Emperor Taichang did not care about the changes in the court. In his opinion, with the help of these "gentlemen", it would be easy to reform the government. He was absolutely relieved to leave the important affairs of the court to the gentlemen, and doing so also saved him the trouble of governing the country.

Zhu Changluo was not a wise ruler to begin with, and even the position of crown prince was forced upon him by a group of civil servants.

Having served as the crown prince for so many years in fear and trembling with trepidation, Zhu Changluo has always been shrouded in the shadow of his father Emperor Wanli, fearing that something unexpected would suddenly happen one day and his position as crown prince would be abolished.

Especially the previous case of the beating with a stick in the 43rd year of Wanli, when the crown prince Zhu Changluo was almost beaten to death by a madman with a jujube wood stick in Ciqing Palace. Such a thing has never happened in all dynasties, and this case vaguely points to Concubine Zheng. The madman who broke into the palace with a jujube wood stick and wanted to kill Zhu Changluo was most likely the work of Concubine Zheng, and the purpose was also very simple. Once Zhu Changluo had an accident, the position of crown prince would belong to Prince Fu.

After the assassination, Zhu Changluo, who was originally not very timid, became even more timid, fearing that he would die unclearly that day.

Now, the dark clouds that had been shrouding him have finally dissipated, his father, who had been suffocating him, has passed away, and he has finally ascended from the position of crown prince to the coveted throne of emperor.

Without the pressure from above, Zhu Changluo felt more secure and had no worries. He was now the supreme emperor in the world. Moreover, the original will of Wanli, which honored Concubine Zheng as the empress dowager, had been erased. Now Concubine Zheng had not even been given the title of the dowager concubine. Zhu Changluo had no worries in the Forbidden City.

Those gentlemen helped him govern the country, but he was the real master of the Forbidden City. After living in fear for decades, Zhu Changluo finally got through it. He began to let himself go. No one cared about him anymore, and he could do whatever he wanted. He finally became the emperor, so couldn't he relax and enjoy himself? His father had been willful for so many years, and he got through it all fine, didn't he?
Before he officially ascended the throne, Zhu Changluo had no restraints. After the coronation ceremony on August 1, Zhu Changluo completely let himself go. As an emperor, he performed well at the coronation ceremony. After returning to the harem, he let himself go. In addition to drinking and having fun, he also had sex with eight women in one night. These unprecedented pleasures made Zhu Changluo indulge in them and never tired of them.

As well-behaved as he was when he was the crown prince, he is now as indulgent as the emperor. The civil officials had no intention of dissuading the emperor from these actions. They wished that the emperor would ignore state affairs. As long as the power was handed over to them, what would it matter if the emperor drank a little and played with a few women in the harem? Wouldn't it be better for him to be a mascot?
(End of this chapter)