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

Chapter 408 King Xin
Wei Zhongxian's persistence ultimately prevented Tian Ergeng from achieving his goal. Although Tian Ergeng felt that Wei Zhongxian trusted the promise of Emperor Tianqi too much and it was inappropriate to pin all his future on Prince Xin, whom he did not know very well, Wei Zhongxian's firm attitude also made Tian Ergeng helpless.

Although Tian Ergeng was the commander of the Jinyiwei, he could not do this by himself. It was not difficult to find a few women waiting to give birth, but to send them to the palace, and then use the children born as the heirs to the throne, and block the news in the palace, only Wei Zhongxian had the ability to do this.

If Wei Zhongxian didn't agree, no one could accomplish it. Moreover, Cui Chengxiu also opposed the plan. Among Wei Zhongxian's sons, Cui Chengxiu had a very high status, and his importance in Wei Zhongxian's heart was even higher than Tian Ergeng, so it was even more impossible to accomplish it.

Since the Emperor Tianqi had made arrangements, Wei Zhongxian also decided to follow them. On the one hand, he instructed his followers to stabilize the government and avoid unrest. On the other hand, he paid attention to the Emperor Tianqi's condition and prayed to God that his illness would get better.

In addition, Wei Zhongxian also sent people to Prince Xin's mansion to show goodwill to Prince Xin Zhu Youxiao. After all, Emperor Tianqi had already decided to pass the throne to Prince Xin. Once Emperor Tianqi passed away, Prince Xin would be Wei Zhongxian's future master. As the most loyal servant of Emperor Tianqi, he had to get closer to his future master and become close to him.

"Sir, please take care..."

At Prince Xin's Mansion, the eunuch Wang Chengen beside Prince Xin Zhu Youjian smiled and escorted a eunuch out of the mansion. This eunuch was a subordinate of Wei Zhongxian. He came to Prince Xin's Mansion today to give Prince Xin a gift and also to visit His Highness Prince Xin.

Although Wang Cheng'en and the other party had the same rank, their identities and status were very different. You have to know that the other party was a eunuch in the palace and held real power, while he, Wang Cheng'en, was a eunuch in Prince Xin's mansion. The eunuchs around the prince were usually marginal figures. Generally speaking, once they left the palace and went to the prince's mansion, that would be the end of their lives.

"Eunuch Wang, Duke Wei asked me to bring a message to you. Do not let His Highness Prince Xin go out these days. Stay patiently in the palace. If there is any news, Duke Wei will send someone to inform His Highness. Remember, remember!" Before getting into the sedan chair, the eunuch suddenly remembered something, stopped, turned around and whispered a warning to Wang Chengen.

Wang Chengen nodded repeatedly and said that he understood and would definitely do as Wei Zhongxian instructed and keep Prince Xin well.

Seeing this, the other party was completely relieved and turned to get on the sedan chair. After the sedan chair gradually went away, the smile on Wang Chengen's face disappeared. Then he went straight back to Prince Xin's Mansion, told the servants to close the door and refuse visitors, and then hurried to the backyard.

In the backyard, Prince Xin Zhu Youjian was waiting for Wang Chengen.

Zhu Youjian's appearance is 70% similar to that of his brother, Emperor Tianqi, but because of his age, he appears more heroic.

The sixteen-year-old Prince Xin sat there with a calm demeanor and looked more mature than his actual age. He held a bowl of tea in his hand and was concentrating on something. When the footsteps of Wang Chengen were heard from outside, Zhu Youjian came to his senses and looked forward.

"Sent away?" Zhu Youjian asked directly.

"My Lord, I have sent the person away. Before he left, the person asked me to tell you not to leave the palace for the next few days, and not to contact anyone. Please wait patiently for news in the palace..."

Just as he said this, Zhu Youjian's hand suddenly trembled, and the teacup in his hand made a clanging sound. His face also changed abruptly, and his calmness just now instantly turned into panic.

"Your Highness, in my opinion, Wei Zhongxian doesn't seem to have any ill intentions. This is probably the emperor's intention." Having accompanied Zhu Youjian for many years, Wang Chengen knew what Zhu Youjian was thinking now. It was nothing more than that Zhu Youjian was worried that Wei Zhongxian was targeting him.

Ever since Emperor Tianqi became seriously ill, various theories suddenly emerged inside and outside the court. Since Emperor Tianqi had no children, once Emperor Tianqi passed away, according to the ancestral system, the throne would be passed to the younger brother.

Although Emperor Tianqi had many brothers, most of them died young, and only Prince Xin Zhu Youjian grew up and survived.

Emperor Tianqi treated his brother Zhu Youjian well. Not only did he confer the title of Prince of Xin on him early on, he also built a palace for him in the capital. He also never allowed Zhu Youjian to leave the capital to become a fief, and kept him in the capital.

Now that Emperor Tianqi is critically ill, anyone with a discerning eye can see who will be the next emperor. For this reason, the Xinwang Mansion, which was originally deserted, suddenly became lively. Many officials and nobles came to visit Xinwang under various banners. What is the purpose of their doing so? Zhu Youjian knew it very well. To be honest, Zhu Youjian's mood these days is very complicated. On the one hand, it is because of Emperor Tianqi's illness. As a brother, Zhu Youjian is still very grateful to his brother. The two brothers have a good relationship. Emperor Tianqi is seriously ill, and Zhu Youjian naturally hopes that his brother, Emperor Tianqi, will recover soon.

On the other hand, Zhu Youjian also had a little expectation in his heart, because once the Tianqi Emperor died, the Tianqi Emperor, who had no offspring, would definitely pass the throne to him. The royal family of the Ming Dynasty was different from that of other dynasties. Even a prince like Zhu Youjian had to live a humble life.

Zhu Youjian never thought that he would ascend the throne. He was neither the eldest son nor the legitimate son. His elder brother, Emperor Tianqi, had been on the throne for seven years, and his elder brother was not very old, only in his twenties. It stands to reason that Emperor Tianqi, who had always been in good health, could live at least ten or twenty years, or even longer.

Besides, although the three princes of Emperor Tianqi all died young, the young Emperor Tianqi still had plenty of opportunities to have sons. As long as the harem gave birth to a few more princes, the throne would never fall on Zhu Youjian's head.

The best ending for Zhu Youjian would be to become a fiefdom when he was older, live a stable life as a prince like his royal family predecessors, eat and wait for death, then have a bunch of children and pass on the throne until he lives a dull life.

Isn't this the case for all the princes of the Ming Dynasty? Zhu Youjian had been prepared for this. But he never expected that his brother, Emperor Tianqi, would suddenly fall ill and never get up. As time went by, he actually had the possibility of ascending the throne.

It would be a lie to say that I am not excited. Who wants to be a prince when they can be an emperor? The princes of the Ming Dynasty are no different from raising pigs, but being an emperor is different. This is the highest authority, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty!

In fact, Zhu Youjian had received the news from his sister-in-law, Queen Zhang Yan, two months ago. To this day, Zhu Youjian still remembers what Zhang Yan said to him in private.

Zhang Yan secretly told Zhu Youjian that the Tianqi Emperor's illness might be difficult to recover, and once the Tianqi Emperor was critically ill, then Zhu Youjian might inherit the throne and become the next emperor. But Zhang Yan also reminded Zhu Youjian that this matter was known only to heaven and earth, and you and I, so he must not tell anyone, especially to be careful against Wei Zhongxian's party.

With the favor of Emperor Tianqi, Wei Zhongxian's power grew stronger and stronger over the years, and he was even given the title of "Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Year Old". Not only in the court, but even in the harem, although Zhang Yan was the queen, she could not compare to Wei Zhongxian's power.

It would be fine if Emperor Tianqi was safe and sound, but once there was a problem with his health and the heir to the empire was involved, no one could guarantee whether people like Wei Zhongxian would be desperate and do something terrifying.

Zhang Yan reminded Zhu Youjian that he must be careful to guard against Wei Zhongxian and the eunuch party, and must not give them any handle on him. He must not contact outsiders at will, so as not to bring himself into trouble.

In addition, as the illness of Emperor Tianqi worsened, Wei Zhongxian would certainly contact Zhu Youjian, test Zhu Youjian's attitude, and even send him some gifts. At this time, you must be very careful, think twice before answering, and never touch the food sent, because no one can guarantee that Wei Zhongxian will not do anything to the food. Moreover, you can't trust Wei Zhongxian and the eunuch party. These villains can do anything. Only by protecting yourself can you have the possibility of succession, and you must not be careless.

Zhu Youjian was touched by Zhang Yan's kind warning, and he became deeply concerned and wary of Wei Zhongxian and the eunuch party. Although Zhu Youjian did not deal with foreign officials while living in the palace, he was not completely unaware of the power of the eunuch party. Although Zhu Youjian did not have much contact with Wei Zhongxian and had not even met him a few times, he had heard of his name a long time ago.

For this reason, Zhu Youjian told Zhang Yan that he must be careful and never give Wei Zhongxian any handle. In addition, Zhu Youjian also humbly asked Zhang Yan, if something really happened, who can he rely on? After all, Wei Zhongxian's power was too great, and the eunuch party was all over the court. Even if he really became the emperor, his power would be restricted by Wei Zhongxian. In this case, wouldn't he become a puppet like Emperor Xian of Han? Zhu Youjian was not stupid. He wanted to find a way out, a political force that he could truly trust and rely on.

Zhang Yan also gave an answer to this question. She told Zhu Youjian that the eunuch party was naturally untrustworthy, and the only trustworthy people in the court were the gentlemen of the Donglin Party. In recent years, the Donglin Party has been brutally suppressed by the eunuch party, and the core members of the Donglin Party have been persecuted by the eunuch party. The entire court was controlled by the eunuch party, making the Ming Dynasty a mess.

These were all because Emperor Tianqi favored Wei Zhongxian. After Zhu Youxiao ascended the throne, the best way to deal with Wei Zhongxian was to use the Donglin Party, relying on the Donglin Party to suppress Wei Zhongxian and the eunuch party in turn, thereby restoring order and cleaning up the court.

Zhang Yan told Zhu Youjian that the Donglin Party members were reliable, the civil service group was reliable, and that these people were the political forces he could trust and rely on in the future. There was no doubt about that. The young Zhu Youjian remembered these words firmly in his heart and believed them deeply. After returning to the palace, he continued to stay at home and wait patiently until today.

(End of this chapter)