Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 72: Concubine Zheng De's influence

In the afternoon, after returning from Liang's house, Emperor Wanli locked himself in the East Warm Pavilion and expelled all the people.

Zhang Yunxiu and Wei Qing stood outside, not daring to make any sound, just waiting for the emperor's final decision.

Suddenly, a sound of footsteps was heard, and a young lady in a white gauze dress walked into the hall surrounded by a crowd of people.

Zhang Yunxiu and Wei Qing looked back together and happened to see the bright and charming Concubine Zheng De approaching. They both lowered their heads and bowed quickly.

Waving her hand to let the two of them off the stage, Concubine Zheng De opened her red lips and asked with concern, "Zhang Sicheng, Eunuch Wei, what happened to the emperor? When I came in, I saw all the palace maids and eunuchs were blocking the way here."

Wei Qing smiled bitterly and shook his head, then told her the whole story.

"Well, that bastard has such a guts!" Concubine Zheng De twisted her eyes and cursed with hatred, then said, "Don't worry, I will go in and persuade the emperor to severely punish the traitor."

As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Zhang Yunxiu, and Zhang Yunxiu just turned his gaze away.

The two looked at each other, Zhang Yunxiu smiled slightly, and said respectfully: "Empress Defei is willing to eliminate this evil for the palace, Eunuch Feng and Eunuch Wei will definitely remember your kindness."

Concubine Zheng De said nothing, she lifted her skirt and walked into the east warm room.

Looking inside, she saw Emperor Wanli sitting on the ground with lifeless eyes, and no one knew what he was thinking about.

Perhaps he heard the footsteps outside, the Wanli Emperor became furious, pulled his neck and angrily cursed: "You bastards, who let you in? Get out!"

Concubine Zheng De was startled. It was the first time she had seen the emperor like this. After brewing her emotions for a while, Concubine Zheng De's eyes were red, and she said softly, "Your Majesty."

"Ah?!" Emperor Wanli was startled and turned around suddenly. When he saw that the person coming was Concubine De, his heart almost melted.

He stood up and trotted to Concubine De's side, apologizing, "My beloved, are you okay? I didn't know it was you just now. Did I scare you? Was I too fierce just now?"

"No, I just saw that Your Majesty was sulking, so I thought of coming to make you happy." Concubine Zheng De smiled delicately and pecked the emperor on the cheek.

Emperor Wanli was intrigued by this little trick and his mood improved immediately.

"Your Majesty, if you have anything bothering you, just tell me. I promise to make your worries go away." Concubine Zheng De grabbed the emperor's big hand, pulled him to sit on the embroidered couch, and then said softly.

"It's all because of that bastard Zhang Jing." Emperor Wanli said hatefully.

"Ah, what happened to him?" Concubine Zheng De pretended to be surprised and asked, "Isn't he someone you trust, Your Majesty?"

"This bastard has wasted my trust. I really want to skin him alive!" Emperor Wanli said angrily, and then told Concubine Zheng De the whole story.

Although she knew it beforehand, she still covered her lips with a look of surprise when she heard what the emperor said.

"How could he do this? Isn't this pushing Her Royal Highness the Princess into the fire pit?"

"Hmph, this beast has deceived me. Now I don't know how to explain to my mother and Yongning." Emperor Wanli was very angry. When he thought of Zhang Jing's flattering face, his face was full of disgust.

The key now is not to let the Queen Mother know that I have chosen a tuberculosis patient for my sister.

If he dealt with Zhang Jing, once the matter was exposed, he would be blamed as well. If he didn't deal with him, he would be unable to sleep or eat, and he felt a surge of anger in his heart.

Also, the wedding is imminent, will it be successful?
After glancing at the emperor for a few times, Concubine Zheng De lowered her head and thought for a while before saying, "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, a hero needs three helpers. It's useless for you to be anxious alone now. Why not call in Zhang Sicheng and Eunuch Wei to discuss together."

"Okay." Emperor Wanli nodded, and soon, Zhang Yunxiu and Wei Qing walked in.

Seeing the two, Emperor Wanli was the first to say, "Now that this piece of dung has been picked up by you, you can do whatever you want."

What is crusty shit?
If you don't choose this, your sister will just have to eat this shit.

Zhang Yunxiu complained in his heart, and then he offered an idea: "Your Majesty, I think that now we have to protect both your reputation and the princess's reputation, so we can only let Eunuch Zhang suffer for the time being."

"He's not feeling wronged! Just tell me how to solve this problem."

"Your Majesty, I heard that Eunuch Zhang has two lovers in the palace." Zhang Yunxiu said indifferently.

In the deep palace, the eunuchs were cut with a knife and could not do that thing, and their twisted psychology made them extremely yearn for that thing.

If the palace maids are not favored by the emperor, they will be as fierce as wolves and tigers.

So the palace maids and eunuchs simply paired up together, commonly known as "Dui Shi".

Except for completing the last step, everything else is fine.

"What do you mean?" Emperor Wanli asked with a frown.

"Your Majesty, Emperor Hongwu has already established a rule that palace maids and eunuchs are not allowed to have private affairs. Eunuch Zhang is committing a serious crime. He should be beaten with a hundred boards and sent to Nanjing to grow vegetables." Zhang Yunxiu pointed out.

That's a good reason.

Suddenly, Emperor Wanli thought of the wedding again and asked Zhang Yunxiu: "What about my sister? Are you really going to let her marry a tuberculosis patient?"

"Well, the princess is almost sixteen this year, and her body is not yet fully grown. If she gives birth too early, it will be bad for her health. Your Majesty should cancel the selection of a son-in-law on the grounds that Zhang Jing manipulated the selection of a son-in-law."

"Wait a few years, and Your Majesty will personally choose a husband for the princess."

Emperor Wanli was somewhat tempted, but then he thought that without Zhang Jing, when Feng Bao came back in the future, wouldn’t he be left without anyone to talk to?

"Your Majesty, although Eunuch Zhang is loyal to you, he has made a serious mistake this time. Your Majesty has spared his life, which is already a mercy beyond the law." Seeing the emperor's hesitation, Concubine Zheng bit her lip and whispered, "Besides, besides Eunuch Zhang, the emperor also has loyal people like Zhang Sicheng and Eunuch Wei."

"Your Majesty should be most aware of Eunuch Wei's loyalty."

"Right, Eunuch Wei?"

At the end, Concubine Zheng De smiled at Wei Qing.

"Ah, yes." Wei Qing hurriedly knelt on the ground, crawled forward on his knees, touched his forehead to the ground, raised his buttocks high, and said respectfully: "Whatever your majesty asks me to do, I will do it. I will never do anything to deceive the emperor like Zhang Jing did."

"Zhang Yunxiu, are you also a loyal minister?" Emperor Wanli glanced at Wei Qing and then asked Zhang Yunxiu.

"I am a loyal minister. I will do whatever Your Majesty asks me to do." Zhang Yunxiu answered word by word.

"Okay, then I order you to bring people to bring Zhang Jing to justice!"

(End of this chapter)