I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 155 The Daily Records of the Imperial Household! The Struggle Among the Eunuchs of the Inner Court

June 24th, afternoon.

The sun was scorching, baking the earth like a raging fire.

In the capital, all government offices of the fifth rank and above were equipped with ice chests, folding fans, and bamboo mats, and the official kitchens were stocked with refreshing drinks such as mung bean soup, plum juice, and lotus leaf tea.

Of course, the treatment varied from one government office to another.

Apart from the ban on China.

The cabinet will certainly receive the best treatment.

Secondly, there were the Hanlin Academy, the Six Ministries, the Court of State Ceremonies, and the Office of Transmission, while the treatment of military officials such as the Five Military Commissions and the Embroidered Uniform Guard was relatively worse.

this moment.

The rear hall of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Wearing a light silk casual robe, Feng Baozheng, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, was taking a nap on a bamboo chair.

Inside the forecourt.

Several young eunuchs, braving the scorching sun, were watering six large locust trees with curled and wilted leaves.

They moved very quietly, afraid of waking Feng Bao, but they had no choice but to water the plants at this time.

The locust tree, revered as the orthodox tree, was planted in various government offices during the Ming Dynasty; hence, government offices were also known as locust tree offices.

Feng Baoxi, a man of refined tastes, particularly believed in the proverb, "If there is a locust tree in front of the door, one will be promoted and become wealthy."

After he wakes up.

If they see that the locust tree leaves are wilted and the roots are dry, each of these eunuchs will receive ten slaps.

at this time.

Xu Kang, an eunuch and one of Feng Bao's most favored adopted sons, strode into the back hall.

Then he stood in front of the door waiting for Feng Bao to wake up.

As soon as he stood still, Feng Bao opened his eyes and turned to look at Xu Kang at the door.

"Why are you walking like you've lost your parents, disturbing my peaceful sleep? What's wrong?" Feng Bao asked with a dark face.

Because he had always been doing the job of serving others.

Feng Bao has always been a light sleeper, especially when he hears hurried footsteps, he will instantly lose all sleepiness.

Xu Kang strode into the hall, picked up a towel from the side, soaked it in water, wrung it out, and presented it to Feng Bao with both hands.

"Godfather, I have something important to report, great news!" Xu Kang said excitedly.

After wiping his smooth, fair face, which was completely free of stubble, Feng Bao threw the towel aside and sat up.

Xu Kang excitedly said, "Godfather, yesterday I accidentally discovered that Zhang Jing secretly went to the Inner Warehouse and took a set of colorful erotic porcelain plates that the late Emperor had used to His Majesty. He only secretly put them back this morning."

Emperor Longqing (Emperor Muzong of Ming) was extremely lustful.

He once ordered the imperial workshops to depict intimate scenes between men and women on cups, plates, and teacups when firing porcelain.

After his death.

These porcelain bowls and ceramics were then sealed in the internal transport warehouse.

Feng Bao slightly pursed his lips.

"I thought it was something serious. His Majesty will be married early next year, and palace maids are already instructing him on matters of the bedchamber. There's nothing wrong with him looking at these items in private. Although the Empress Dowager has never liked them, she won't say anything even if she finds out!"

"You wouldn't want to use this incident to get rid of Zhang Jing, who's been making headlines lately, would you?"

Feng Baoquan knew exactly what Xu Kang was planning.

However, this matter was the emperor's private affair.

As an inner court eunuch, even if he knew, he should have helped to conceal it.

If you go to Empress Dowager Li to file a complaint.

Although Empress Dowager Li detested Emperor Longqing's perverse tastes, for the sake of the royal family's reputation, and because the young Wanli Emperor was at the age of enlightenment, she would never punish him. Instead, she would severely punish the eunuch who exposed the matter.

Feng Bao felt that it was highly likely that the young Wanli Emperor had requested to see it privately.

Because the young Wanli Emperor saw the Longqing Emperor using these porcelains many times, and the latter made no attempt to conceal it, Empress Dowager Li tried to admonish him, but was severely scolded several times.

Xu Kang's eyes darted around.

“It’s not a big deal that my son knows about this, but… but Zhang Jing… he didn’t record this in the ‘Daily Records of the Imperial Censor’! Godfather, that’s a serious crime!”

"How did you know that it wasn't recorded in the 'Daily Records of the Inner Palace'?" Feng Bao asked in confusion.

The "Daily Records of the Emperor's Activities" was a special record of the emperor's private life and affairs within the inner court.

Currently, the main focus is on recording the young Wanli Emperor's diet, health, daily sleep, and some leisure activities. In the future, the focus will be on recording his visits to his concubines.

Currently, the person in charge of the "Daily Records of the Inner Court" is Zhang Hong, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Zhang Hong was an old resident of the Prince Yu's mansion. He was unassuming and had a fairly good relationship with Feng Bao.

The records specifically document Zhang Hong's two godson, Zhang Cheng and Zhang Jing.

These two men were too sharp-tongued, which displeased Feng Bao.

The records of daily life kept by officials such as Shen Nian and Wang Jiaping will be partially made public as original materials for later compilations of the Veritable Records and the Collected Statutes.

The "Daily Records of the Inner Court" was completely kept secret and not accessible to officials outside the court; it was sealed in the Imperial Archives by the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Its greatest function.

It served as official proof of the imperial bloodline and the emperor's health.

At present, only the two empress dowagers are qualified to read the "Daily Records of the Inner Palace".

It was not considered a crime for the eunuch Zhang Jing to allow the young Wanli Emperor to play with the polychrome erotic porcelain plate in private.

However, failing to record it in the "Daily Records of the Inner Court" is a serious offense.

Even if the young Wanli Emperor requested that the records not be kept, the eunuchs responsible for recording the "Daily Records of the Emperor's Activities" still had to record them. Otherwise, if the young Wanli Emperor were to have relations with a palace maid and that maid were to become pregnant with his child, it would be a serious matter.

Without the record in the "Daily Records of the Emperor's Reign," there is no evidence to prove the authenticity of the dragon's offspring.

This record concerns royal legitimacy and must not be concealed in the slightest.

Xu Kang replied, "Godfather, I spent a thousand taels of silver to get Zhang Cheng to tell me the contents of yesterday's 'Daily Record of the Imperial Household.' As long as we conduct a surprise inspection of the 'Daily Record of the Imperial Household,' we can make Zhang Jing confess!"

Although Zhang Cheng and Zhang Jing share the same godfather, they do not have a good relationship.

In their eyes, Zhang Hong was their godfather, and Jin Yin was their biological father.

now.

Xu Kang was extremely excited.

He spared no expense, spending a thousand taels of silver to investigate the matter.

On the one hand, Zhang Jing's recent excessive favor displeased Feng Bao; on the other hand, Zhang Jing was a stumbling block in his career as an eunuch.

Zhang Jing is guilty of this crime.

Even if they weren't exiled, they would still be assigned to do menial tasks in the laundry department or the vegetable garden.

Until then.

He could no longer serve the young Wanli Emperor in this lifetime, and his opportunity came.

Feng Bao thought for a moment and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. After some time, I'll go to Zhang Hong and ask him to transfer Zhang Jing elsewhere."

"Huh? Just transferred elsewhere?" Xu Kang looked incredulous.

"Godfather, this...this is a golden opportunity for us to get rid of Zhang Jing! Once he becomes too powerful and His Majesty can't do without him, it will be too late!"

Feng Bao said irritably, "How do we get rid of him? By exposing His Majesty's shortcomings and letting the whole world know that His Majesty is watching pornography?"

"Godfather, we...we can report this to the Empress Dowager. As long as the Empress Dowager knows, His Majesty will have no choice but to severely punish Zhang Jing. Zhang Jing has violated etiquette and ancestral rules! This matter can be resolved within the inner court, and it certainly won't alarm the outer court!"

"How could I have such a stupid son like you? Kneel here and slap yourself ten times to reflect on your actions!"

Say it.

Feng Bao stood up and strode towards the front courtyard.

In the past, whenever the young Wanli Emperor made a mistake, Feng Bao would always report it to Empress Dowager Li.

But now, the situation has completely changed. The fifteen-year-old Wanli Emperor has gradually come to power, and if Feng Bao wants to consolidate his position in the Directorate of Ceremonial, he must prioritize the interests of the young Wanli Emperor.

If we report this to Empress Dowager Li, we can indeed get rid of Zhang Jing and punish Zhang Hong, but it will also damage the reputation of young Wanli and make him despise us.

Once a close eunuch is disliked by the emperor, his good days are over, even if he doesn't make any mistakes.

At the entrance to the back hall, two young eunuchs looked at Xu Kang.

If Xu Kang doesn't slap the lips loudly enough or draw blood, he'll be considered unqualified and forced to slap them again.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
Xu Kang looked helpless and started slapping himself in the face.

He came here to claim credit and reward, but unexpectedly he ended up having to slap himself ten times.

Him at this moment.

I still can't figure out why Feng Bao wasted this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A moment later, Xu Kang left the Directorate of Ceremonial with a swollen face.

The more he thought about it, the more upset he became.

"No, I can't let this thousand taels of silver go to waste. I have to earn it back!" Xu Kang had another idea.

He planned to extort money from Zhang Jing.

……

It was near dusk, inside a washroom where eunuchs rested.

Only Xu Kang and Zhang Jing remained.

They were about the same age and were old acquaintances, but their temperaments clashed.

They had several arguments, but as Zhang Jing had more and more opportunities to serve the emperor, he no longer thought highly of Xu Kang.

"Xu Kang, what's the matter? I've been busy lately!" Zhang Jing said impatiently.

"Humph!"

Xu Kang snorted coldly and said, "Zhang Jing, yesterday you secretly went to the Inner Treasury and took a set of polychrome erotic porcelain plates that the late emperor had used to His Majesty, and did not record this in the Inner Daily Record. Do you know what crime this is?"

“If my godfather finds out, he can have you beaten to death!” Xu Kang raised his voice when he said the word “beaten to death.”

At present, yesterday's "Daily Records of the Inner Court" has been sealed and stored away, and Xu Kang has sent his trusted confidants to guard it.

It's completely impossible for Zhang Jing to replace or modify the content.

Hear this.

Zhang Jing narrowed his long, narrow eyes into slits. After pausing for a few moments, he asked directly, "What do you want?"

Zhang Jing quickly held up five fingers and said, "Simple, give me five thousand taels of silver, and I'll pretend I know nothing!"

"Five thousand taels of silver? You're really asking for the moon. Do you think I print money?"

"Zhang Jing, don't think I don't know. Ever since you started serving in front of the Emperor at the beginning of the year, all the assignments you've received have been lucrative ones, plus there are some officials who have bribed you. How could you not come up with a mere five thousand taels of silver?"

Zhang Jing thought for a moment.

"Alright, you can go back to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs first, and I'll send it to you later!"

"It's good that you're sensible!"

Xu Kang walked up to Zhang Jing and subconsciously wanted to pat Zhang Jing's head, but the latter quickly dodged it.

Immediately, Xu Kang hummed a little tune and walked towards the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Zhang Jing stared at his retreating figure, muttering to himself, "What a fool who's asking for trouble!"

……

Less than half an hour later.

Xu Kang, who was in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, did not receive the silver notes. Instead, he received a message from a junior eunuch sent by Feng Bao.

"Ignorant fool, extorting your colleagues, slap yourself twenty times!"

And so, under the supervision of two young eunuchs.

Xu Kang slapped himself hard across the face twenty more times.

After fanning.

His mouth was bloody and his cheeks were swollen and bruised, as if four eggs had been stuffed into his mouth.

He couldn't understand why he had been slapped thirty times when Zhang Jing had broken the rules.

……

late at night.

Xu Kang got out of bed, getting angrier the more he thought about it.

He felt he had been greatly wronged, and he decided to expose the matter.

"Forging the 'Daily Records of the Imperial Censor' is a capital offense. If the Empress Dowager or the four Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet find out about this, they will definitely order the Directorate of Ceremonial to have Zhang Jing flogged to death!"

"Old Feng is protecting Zhang Jing, clearly waiting for Zhang Jing to take over his life so he can take care of him in his old age. I'm not going to let him have his way!"

“Once this matter is exposed, I will not only be innocent, but I will also have rendered meritorious service. It will only displease His Majesty somewhat. This action is not a crime!”

“Shen Shidu once said in the Inner Study Hall that during the Song Dynasty, there was Bao Zheng’s remonstrance by spitting in the face, and Tang Jie’s remonstrance by blocking the imperial carriage. I… I want to be the Bao Zheng, Tang Jie, and Hai Rui among the eunuchs. Yes, I want to become the Hai Rui among the eunuchs, to expose the crimes of the eunuchs in the inner court, and for the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the ancestral rites, I am willing to offend the emperor!”

"I believe His Majesty is wise, and he will surely make good use of a eunuch like me. Zhang Jing, you will die!"

……

June 25th, near noon.

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

The young Wanli Emperor is reviewing memorials.

Feng Bao stood aside assisting with the approval of the imperial edict, while Zhang Jing stood below him to serve.

Shen Nian, serving as the recorder of the emperor's daily activities, stood on the right and occasionally answered questions posed by the young Wanli Emperor.

at this time.

The eunuch Xu Kang strode into the main hall through the back side door.

As a close attendant eunuch, he was qualified to come to the Wenhua Hall, but not to report directly to the young Wanli Emperor; instead, he would report to Feng Bao.

However, Xu Kang suddenly quickened his pace after entering the hall through the back door.

The moment he caught the attention of Feng Bao and Zhang Jing, he knelt down with a thud and shouted, "Your Majesty, this servant has important matters to report!"

That shout was quite loud.

Not only did it startle Xiao Wanli and Shen Nian, but it also made the four Grand Secretaries waiting to be summoned in the side hall stand up and walk to the side door of the main hall, looking at Xu Kang kneeling on the ground.

Feng Bao immediately guessed what Xu Kang wanted to do and said, "Xu Kang, how can you make a scene here when His Majesty is reviewing memorials? Whatever it is, you must report to me first. How can you disturb His Majesty? Leave immediately!"

Xu Kang straightened his back and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the matter I am reporting concerns the secrets of the inner court and Your Majesty's daily life. Please allow me to finish reporting!"

Xu Kang practiced this sentence more than thirty times last night, and it was not only fluent but also completely devoid of any effeminate quality.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Xu Kang imitated the way some officials in the past had died remonstrating with the emperor, and kowtowed vigorously on the stone slab.

The young Wanli Emperor's expression turned serious, and he said, "Speak!"

Hear this.

A look of helplessness appeared on Feng Bao's face. He thought to himself: You little brat, you're asking for death. Why did you drag me into this?

Some things recorded in the "Daily Records of the Emperor's Reign" are insignificant and unknown to anyone, but if recorded in the "Daily Records of the Emperor's Reign," they become important and may appear in the "Veritable Records of the Emperor" later.

Upon hearing these crucial words from a junior eunuch, the four Grand Secretaries emerged from the side door and stood below the main hall.

And this moment.

A fleeting smile appeared on Zhang Jing's face.

The most skilled hunters often need to disguise themselves as prey first, and everything Xu Kang did was within his expectations.

(End of this chapter)