Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 766 A Visit, A Disappointment

The temperature in the left side room of the Zhaoren Hall in the Forbidden City was so cool it didn't feel like summer. This was all thanks to the ice chest at the entrance of the side room, which was constantly being filled with ice and water, and the two eunuchs who took turns fanning it from the side.

Emperor Zhu Changluo woke up naturally at the appointed time. He yawned and sat up.

A young palace maid, about fifteen or sixteen years old, quickly stepped forward, knelt directly at the emperor's feet, and then moved the emperor's two boots closer to him.

Zhu Changluo didn't pay much attention to the palace maid at first, and didn't even look at her directly. He just casually put his calf on the palace maid's thigh while stretching, and let the palace maid put on his socks and shoes.

"Water," Zhu Changluo said casually, without any specific meaning.

The palace maid trembled, thinking the emperor was speaking to her, but soon two eunuchs trotted over from the main room. One carried a cup of warm boiled water, and the other carried a clean spittoon.

The palace maid then realized she had misunderstood, and continued to put on the emperor's socks with trembling hands.

Zhu Changluo took the teacup, took a small sip of warm water, and gulped it down to clean his slightly bitter mouth. He then spat the mouthwash into the spittoon and finally drank the remaining warm water in the cup.

Normally, after the emperor finished drinking water, the palace maid who was supposed to help him put on his shoes would crawl to the other side to put on his right shoe. But today, the palace maid hadn't even tied the sock ties properly.

"Are you new here?" Zhu Changluo handed the teacup back, then looked down at the palace maid.

"Reporting to Your Majesty!" The palace maid shuddered, as if she had been greatly startled. "This servant is new here!"

"Hehe." Zhu Changlu chuckled. "No wonder you're so clumsy."

"Please, please forgive me, Your Majesty!" The emperor showed no sign of reprimand, but the palace maid was still so frightened that she put her head on the floor.

"What are you afraid of? I don't eat people." Zhu Changluo looked at the palace maid who was almost curled up in a ball and shook his head helplessly. "Just kidding." Zhu Changluo felt that the palace maid looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen her before.

The palace maid was stunned, unsure how to respond. Finally, she managed to utter only, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Thank you and keep going. Practice makes perfect." The emperor gently nudged her, stepping on her shoulder. "You'll get the hang of it after a few more times." Zhu Changluo wasn't incapable of putting on socks properly, but that was the maid's job. If Zhu Changluo did it herself, Shi Fuming would kick the maid out of the Qianqing Palace.

"Yes." The palace maid quickly straightened up, picked up the emperor's leg, and continued to put on his socks.

After putting on his socks and shoe covers, the emperor stood up, yawning.

"You can get up now. What are you still doing lying on the ground?" Zhu Changluo twisted his neck, stomped his feet, and straightened his slightly crooked boots.

The palace maid instinctively shrank back, then stood up shakily and returned to her previous position. This position had only one task: to greet the emperor and help him put on his shoes when he finished his afternoon nap. Dressing and tying his hair were handled by others, and the racks for hanging outer garments and the emperor's dressing table were located in the right side room.

Zhu Changluo walked towards the right side room, but as soon as he entered the main room, he suddenly stopped, then took a few steps back to the left side room and came to the palace maid's side. "You, look up."

"Huh?" The palace maid was stunned. Her first reaction was not to look up, but to take a step back.

Her step back caused her to bump into the tall display stand behind her. The vase on it trembled violently from the stand, threatening to topple over. Fortunately, Zhu Changluo reacted quickly and grabbed the neck of the vase, preventing it from crashing to the ground.

"Oh! Slave!"

"It really is you." Zhu Changluo released the vase, grabbed the palace maid by the collar, and prevented her from kneeling down again. "When did you arrive?"

"It's me...this servant...I am..." The palace maid stammered for a while before finally managing to speak. "I came the day before yesterday."

"Is your injury healed?" Zhu Changluo released the palace maid and asked gently.

“Originally,” the palace maid nodded repeatedly, “it wasn’t seriously injured.”

"Do you often get beaten?" Zhu Changluo reached out and smoothed the collar that he had been pinching. "Back in Qixiang Palace."

“Not often. Her Majesty treats us very well,” the palace maid’s mood gradually calmed down by the emperor, and she spoke less stammering. “The day I was beaten, she even came to feed me jujubes.”

"Oh?" Zhu Changluo raised an eyebrow. "Then why were you crying so bitterly back then?"

“This is just my nature; I can’t stand being frightened, and I tremble at the slightest thing,” the palace maid said, biting her lower lip. “And I always find myself crying.”

"Hehehe." The emperor was amused by her, and held up two fingers to lift her chin. "So, I was the one who scared you to tears back then?"

The palace maid didn't know how to respond, nor did she dare to meet the emperor's gaze, so she turned her head away and looked away.

The emperor's gaze towards her seemed to have changed. "What's your name?"

"You Xi," the palace maid began, then immediately corrected herself, "Wei Xi, You Wei Xi."

"Wei Xi. Wei Xi," the emperor took a deep breath, his gaze growing increasingly aggressive. "The reeds are lush, the white dew has not yet dried. Good, a good name indeed."

The palace maid felt a sudden tightness in her chest, as if she had realized something, and her cheeks burned like fire.

The two eunuchs serving the ice chest in the left side room were perfectly aware of the situation. They exchanged a knowing glance, tiptoed down from their work, and quietly withdrew.

"Why did you all come out?" the eunuch who had been carrying the spittoon asked curiously.

"What do you think?" Another, slightly older eunuch raised his hand and pressed it to his mouth, then gestured for silence to be made near his own mouth. "Let's go."

"Oh!" The eunuch holding the spittoon suddenly realized, a subtle smile quickly spreading across his face. He strode to the door of the right side room, raised his hand, and quietly beckoned to the two palace maids who were preparing to change the emperor's clothes. "Let's go, let's go!"

"Hmph!" The two palace maids exchanged a glance, both seeing envy and even jealousy in each other's eyes.

The eunuchs and palace maids all retreated to the door. As soon as the door was opened, they saw the solemn old face of Wang An, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

"Has Master gotten up yet?" Wang An asked somewhat anxiously.

"Your Majesty, the eunuch who is a little older immediately showed an embarrassed and troubled expression on his face. "Your Majesty, the eunuch inside is very..."

Wang An was taken aback at first, but quickly understood. Without hesitation, he immediately took a step back and beckoned to the palace servants inside the gate. "Come out quickly!"

"Come in!" The voice, clearly carrying some kind of emotion, shot out like an arrow, making Wang An stiffen.

"Yes." Wang An sighed inwardly, lowered his head, and hunched over the threshold.

Wang An knew that the emperor wouldn't do anything to him over such a trivial matter, but it was still not good to spoil the emperor's enjoyment.

Wang An moved slowly to the left side room. At this moment, the emperor was sitting casually on the couch, his expression as usual, while You Weixi was slumped on the floor, her face flushed. "This servant greets Your Majesty with longevity." Wang An stopped by the door, lifted his robe, and knelt down.

"What is it? Why are you in such a hurry?" The emperor's voice was devoid of any particular emotion.

"Your Majesty, there's a commotion in the cabinet!" Wang An kowtowed. "It's quite a commotion; they almost came to blows."

"Ah!" Zhu Changluo exclaimed in surprise, jumping to his feet. "A fight broke out? Why?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it's still about the matter of Marquis Wuqing." Wang An glanced at You Weixi, who was slumped on the ground, and said carefully, "After Grand Secretary Fang returned, he discussed countermeasures with the Grand Secretaries. Grand Secretary Han suggested returning the imperial edict, and Grand Secretary Shen immediately exploded, pointing his finger at Grand Secretary Han and telling him to draft it himself. Then he rushed to the Grand Secretary's desk, grabbed the imperial edict pardoning Marquis Wuqing and his son, and shoved it into Grand Secretary Han's hand, forcing him to draft a draft to return it on the spot."

"And then?" Zhu Changluo nodded slightly.

Wang An licked his lips and continued to relay what he had heard: "Grand Secretary Han was forced into a corner, so Grand Secretary Liu came out to help. He said that the return of the imperial edict 'appeared to be disobedient, but was actually out of loyalty and love.' Grand Secretary Shen retorted that they were 'seeking fame and currying favor,' trying to provoke the emperor. Later, as they were talking, Grand Secretary Shen suddenly changed his tune, directly accusing Grand Secretary Han of deliberately leaking the secret edict! His purpose was to provoke the censors and officials, anger the emperor to demote upright officials, then force the Grand Secretary to return the imperial edict to add fuel to the fire, and finally provoke the wrath of the emperor so that he could overthrow the Grand Secretary and take his place."

“To replace him.” Zhu Changluo looked down at him, his face completely darkening. “He really said that in public?”

"The two maids who were on duty in the cabinet at the time are still waiting at Qianqing Gate. That's what they said, and they said it with absolute certainty," Wang An replied.

"And then what? Did they make a move?" Zhu Changlu crossed his arms, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Almost," Wang An said, "the maid on duty said that Grand Secretary Han, unable to withstand Grand Secretary Shen's provocation, threw two memorials at someone. Fortunately, the memorials unfurled in the air and didn't hit anyone. When Grand Secretary Shen saw Grand Secretary Han get angry, he also shouted a few words in his local dialect. The two maids said they didn't quite understand, but they were probably mocking Grand Secretary Han for 'daring to do it but not daring to admit it.' So Grand Secretary Han became even angrier and immediately rolled up his sleeves and ran out from behind his desk, looking like he was about to hit someone. Grand Secretary Shen was not to be outdone and also rolled up his sleeves to meet him. Fortunately, Vice Minister Ye and Grand Secretary Shi stepped in in time to stop them, and the people from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices happened to come and deliver food, which calmed down both sides." Wang An described the scene in increasing detail, as if he were there himself.

"And now?" Zhu Changluo asked. "How is the cabinet doing now?"

"Uh," Wang An thought for a moment. "It's quiet now. At least it's quiet for now."

"Tsk! What a nuisance." Zhu Changluo strode past You Weixi and around Wang An, casually tossing out, "Come on."

"Yes." Wang An immediately stood up and hurriedly followed.

The emperor walked to the right side room and spread his arms out in front of the clothes rack. Wang An immediately understood and silently took down a light, plain-colored Taoist robe with a dark dragon pattern and put it on the emperor.

"You can have him later," Zhu Changluo paused, then changed his words, "Never mind, you go to the cabinet yourself and issue an imperial edict. You can decide what to say, but whatever you want, give Shen a good scolding and tell him not to overthink things or be suspicious of his colleagues. Also, fine him a month's salary as a punishment."

Wang An paused, thinking the emperor wanted him to go to the cabinet himself. "Yes."

"Don't use too harsh a word, or you'll scare him," Zhu Changluo continued.

"Yes, I understand, I will definitely handle things carefully." Wang An slowed down. "Your Majesty, perhaps you should continue to rest. There's nothing urgent right now except for matters concerning the Cabinet."

"I've lost interest." The emperor immediately understood Wang An's implication. "You've ruined it all."

"This servant has been presumptuous; please punish me, Master." Although she said this, Wang An did not kneel down in fear like You Weixi. Instead, her hands quickened their movements again.

"Did you transfer her here?" After getting dressed, the emperor sat down at the dressing table again, picked up a sandalwood comb, and handed it to Wang An.

"Yes. It was this servant who instructed Shi Fuming to transfer her here." Wang An took the comb and carefully combed the emperor's hair. "After that incident, she couldn't stay in Qixiang Palace any longer. So this servant took it upon herself to find her a way to survive."

"Find a way to survive? I doubt it." Zhu Changlu smiled. "They just said it themselves, that Empress Guo is very kind to them, even giving them dates after hitting them."

"This..." Wang An chuckled awkwardly. The "that matter" he was referring to was completely different from what the emperor had mentioned. However, since the emperor had misunderstood, Wang An couldn't explain it. He couldn't very well tell the emperor directly that You Weixi couldn't stay in Qixiang Palace because the emperor had severely punished Consort Guo.

"Does the master not like her?" After tying up the emperor's hair, Wang An put a net cap on him.

"Not really. At least I quite liked it just now." The emperor turned his head and looked towards the left side room. He happened to make eye contact with You Weixi, who was also secretly glancing in his direction.

You Weixi only dared to steal glances, and when she saw the emperor looking over, she quickly looked away.

"Then," Wang An chuckled, "I'll have someone clean her up?"

The emperor withdrew his gaze, remaining noncommittal. "Where were we originally planning to spend the night?"

"Xianfu Palace." Wang An presented the emperor with a black gauze winged crown.

"Has the notification been given?" The emperor didn't want to wear a hat in the sweltering heat, so he waved his hand.

"It's not time to give the notification yet." Wang An put away the winged crown and placed it on the tray.

"Then let's leave it at that." The emperor nodded and stood up.

"Yes!" Wang An replied readily, as if he were giving a friend a gift that would please the recipient.

The emperor walked out of Zhaoren Palace with his sleeves flowing, and looked up at the sky: "Dark clouds are pressing down on the city, it really looks like it's going to rain."

"It's been so stuffy for days, it's about time it rained." Wang An immediately followed.

"Then send someone to make the trip, make sure they don't get wet," the emperor said.

"Send someone to the cabinet?" Wang An asked.

"No, you should go to the cabinet yourself." The emperor shook his head.

"Where does Master want me to send someone?"

"Eastern Depot. Greet Cui Wensheng." The emperor strode towards the Southern Study.

"The Eastern Depot." Wang An's heart skipped a beat. "What does Master mean?"

"It's just as you think," the emperor said calmly as he walked slowly.

“But that’s different from what we said before,” Wang An reminded him.

“The situation has changed, we can’t wait any longer.” The emperor shook his head. “If we delay any longer, the situation will get out of control.”

"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to say something," Wang An first dismissed the eunuchs who were following behind him with parasols with his eyes, then whispered in the emperor's ear, "If we make a move now, everyone will think it's the palace's doing."

The emperor walked silently through the entire Qianqing Palace, and just before stepping onto the steps, he suddenly smiled: "Wang An, don't you think this is better?"

(End of this chapter)