Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 275 A Happy Life
The twelfth year of the Jiajing reign.

October 21st.

The emperor returned to the capital.

If it weren't for some unexpected events along the way, this southern tour would have lasted only two months.

Now, a concubine and a high-ranking official are missing, causing a delay of more than ten days.

From the beginning of August to the end of October, nearly three months later, the emperor finally returned to the Forbidden City.

Grand Secretary Zhang Cong led his officials in a respectful welcome, and all the officials prostrated themselves in worship, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" Their voices shook the heavens.

The officials in the capital felt at ease.

The emperor has finally returned safely.

As expected, the prince who had just turned one year old in the palace did not actually have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of overseeing the country.

The officials who accompanied the southern tour were eager to return home.

Unfortunately, a court assembly still had to be held.

As dusk settles, the eaves of the Forbidden City are bathed in a golden glow under the setting sun.

Haiyue finally made it to the end of the court session. Without even returning to the Hanlin Academy, she spurred her horse and headed straight for Dongjiang Rice Lane.

When he left, his wife, Zhu Yuying, was nine months pregnant and close to giving birth.

These days, production is truly a matter of life and death.

Especially the first child.

He really wanted to stay by her side, but unfortunately, he couldn't wait.

Fortunately, on his way home, the British Mission sent a letter informing him that the mother and child were safe and sound, which put his mind at ease.

From afar, I could see several familiar figures standing in front of my house.

Zhu Yuying wore a light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), looking as elegant as ever.

She held the swaddled baby in her arms, gently coaxing him, her eyes filled with tenderness.

Haiyue felt a surge of warmth in her heart, dismounted, and quickly stepped forward.

She looked up at the sound, her eyes instantly lighting up with a smile, like spring water melting: "Husband..."

Before she could finish speaking, Haiyue had already reached out and pulled her and the child into her arms.

The little one in the swaddling clothes was startled. He let out a soft cry, opened his big, dark eyes and looked over, his little hands flailing about as if trying to grab his father's clothes.

Haiyue lowered her head and saw that the little guy's eyebrows and eyes resembled her wife's, but his lips and nose resembled hers. Her heart softened, and she gently stroked the child's delicate cheek with her fingertips: "He looks just like us!"

Zhu Yuying leaned on his shoulder and said softly, "This child is unusually well-behaved today; he probably knows his father is coming back."

Haiyue said, "Thank you for your hard work!"

She shook her head, her smile gentle: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back..."

After saying that, she blushed slightly and added, "My parents are still here!"

Haihao and Zhu Lin stood side by side, their faces beaming with undisguised joy at their son's return.

"Finally back in the capital. This southern tour wasn't to any far-off place, so why did it take three months?"

Haihao couldn't help but nag a little. Zhu Lin stepped forward to look at her son, touched his cheek, and said with heartache, "You've lost weight. You must not have eaten properly on the way..."

Haiyue smiled and said, "Being away from home is not the same as being at home. How are you all feeling?"

"It's okay!"

Zhu Lin patted his hand, then looked at her grandson with loving eyes: "Come inside quickly, this child is strong, but he can't stay in the wind for too long!"

The family walked into the house with smiles on their faces, where hot tea and snacks had already been prepared in the courtyard.

Haiyue, holding the little one, sat beside Zhu Yuying, listening to her recount the trivial matters of the past few days—

When did the child start smiling? When did he start grabbing things? When did he start making noise at night and keep her awake?

Every ordinary word, when heard, becomes the most moving poem in the world.

He listened quietly, occasionally lowering his head to tease the blood vessel in his arms.

The child giggled and waved his little hand, grabbing his finger.

Haiyue, feeling playful, lifted her son high in the air and then carefully pulled him back into her arms: "Good boy, you're quite strong!"

Zhu Yuying looked at the father and son with tender eyes and said softly, "He has been waiting for you for a long time."

Haiyue reached out and took his wife's hand, his fingertips tracing her slightly thin wrist: "From now on, we won't have to be apart."

Outside the window, dusk had fallen and the city lights were just coming on.

This little world is filled with warmth, surpassing all the splendor of the world.

He now has a firm anchor point in this world and in this era.

With both parents alive and well, and a happy wife and children, it truly is a wonderful life.

Therefore, after Zhu Yuying and her son went to sleep, Haiyue and her parents came to the front room and immediately told them about the major events that had occurred during their southern tour.

"The leader of the Liyuan Society, 'Yuan Tianzi,' is actually a woman from the imperial harem?"

Haihao was incredulous upon hearing this: "How could this possibly succeed?"

Zhu Lin pondered, "For a mere palace concubine to stir up trouble across the land, her status is both her weapon and her shackles..."

It is indeed possible to spy on court affairs and subtly influence the emperor's will by taking advantage of the position of imperial concubine.

However, her every move was under the watchful eye of the palace, and any slight misstep would lead to utter ruin. It was indeed unexpected that Li Yuanshe would place its leader in this position.

Haiyue said, "So her goal is to support her son to ascend the throne and wield power as Empress Dowager..."

"Keep dreaming!"

Hai Hao scoffed, "A woman's body can never amount to much. Throughout history, how many women who interfered in politics in the harem have had a good ending? Does she think she's Wu Zetian?"

"We must not underestimate them!"

Zhu Lin shook her head and said, "She was able to lie low for so many years without revealing anything; her cunning is extraordinary. Moreover..."

She paused, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes: "Are you sure the body hasn't been found?"

Haiyue said, "I'm sure."

Zhu Lin looked over, her expression inquiring: "In your opinion, would the Emperor...?"

"meeting!"

Facing her closest relatives, Haiyue spoke frankly: "If Consort Du Kang reveals the secrets of the Liyuan Society to the Emperor in order to save her own life, he really will choose to grant amnesty to these traitors!"

Haihao, with his perspective from the martial arts world, was quite puzzled: "Why would the emperor, who controls the entire world, need this secret society?"

Zhu Lin's thinking was different: "The Liyuan Society can supplement the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and it's impossible to guard against it..."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had been established for over a hundred years, and had long since lost its secrets. It had also gradually lost its function of monitoring the entire country, which it had during the reign of Emperor Taizu.

At best, they can only investigate the secrets of powerful figures in the capital and even in Beizhili. They might not even be able to cover Nanzhili, let alone the thirteen provinces of the whole country.

To put it bluntly, the Embroidered Uniform Guard is now more like an executor, having lost its ability to conduct espionage.

If we include Liyuan Society.

Then everything would be different.

At least he can better monitor his officials.

"The Liyuan Society is divided into the Three Enclosures Hall and the Twenty-Eight Mansions. It is said that high-ranking officials of the imperial court are involved in the Purple Palace Enclosure. The late Commander-in-Chief Wang Zuo once suspected the former Grand Secretary Yang Tinghe!"

Haiyue said, "The manpower of Taiwei Enclosure and Tianshi Enclosure is also related to local gentry and powerful families. This could originally be seen as some officials joining forces with powerful figures in the martial arts world to restrain the emperor's power..."

Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the position of prime minister and achieved an unprecedented concentration of imperial power in Chinese history through various institutional reforms. However, his extreme design also sowed the seeds of political imbalance in later generations.

The current cabinet is merely a supplementary function. No matter how much power the Grand Secretaries wield, they can never get close to the prime minister, let alone challenge the imperial power.

Therefore, secret societies like the Liyuan Society came into being, and were an emergency product that arose under the current rules and regulations, after the imperial power acted arbitrarily.

However, compared to the ever-changing and iterative imperial system, the secret society like Liyuan Society, which cannot be brought to light, is difficult to adjust in time even if it encounters problems, and its fate is basically destruction and extinction.

But there is another possibility.

Merging and annexing.

This is likely how things will develop now.

The rebel leader, whose ambitions were sky-high but whose fate was as fragile as paper, fell into the hands of the emperor he originally intended to overthrow, and was transformed from a tool of anti-imperial power into an extension of imperial power.

Quite ironic.

But upon closer examination, it also aligns with the characteristics of centralized power.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is the outward facade, while the Liyuan Society is the inner workings, tsk!"

Hai Hao's expression also turned serious, and he frowned: "It is indeed terrifying, but will the Liyuan society obediently follow orders? From rebels against the court to henchmen of the court, I'm afraid most people will find it hard to accept, right?"

Haiyue said, "It certainly won't be that easy, especially since the Sanyuan Hall was already divided and its internal conflicts were difficult to resolve. Now that the Ziwei Yuan has turned against them, their internal divisions will become even more serious."

"But it cannot be denied that imperial power has its own attraction, and some people who were already wavering will be drawn into the emperor's camp."

As the night wind picked up, it rustled the fallen leaves in the courtyard. Haiyue concluded, "The struggles in the court are still in the open, and they have their own rules and regulations. However, the Liyuan Society acts insidiously and will stop at nothing. We must take precautions as soon as possible. The Yinglue Society can start moving its forces."

"It's time to move around!"

Haihao laughed.

Thanks to Sun Weixian's efforts in developing the southern region, Yinglue Society has opened branches in several areas, including Southern Zhili and Jiangsu and Zhejiang, in just over a year.

They were involved not only in intelligence gathering but also in the canal transport system.

Haihao was already familiar with the affairs of the martial arts world. He had been forced to leave home by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but now that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had become his son's follower, he was free to do as he pleased and had grown rapidly.

Zhu Lin looked at Hai Yue, pursed her lips, and had a strange expression.

Logically speaking, someone who was the second-highest scorer in the imperial examination and a member of the prestigious Hanlin Academy should have been a staunch supporter of the imperial court.

But now, based on a clue that is still uncertain, they are treating the emperor like a thief?
She didn't know the reason, but upon careful consideration, she wondered if it was because of her background that her son was too wary, leading to the current situation.
But in the imperial court, is there really any chance of winning against the emperor?
"The example of Wang Zuo should serve as a warning to all those who are not blindly loyal..."

Haiyue noticed his worry and smiled calmly: "Even if one has no lofty ambitions, but only seeks peace and stability in this world, one should still plan ahead!"

"it is good!"

Zhu Lin said no more, and the family discussed the specific details for a while before dispersing.

Haiyue returned to the house, looked at her son sleeping soundly in the crib, gently hugged her wife, listened to her even breathing beside her, and drifted off to sleep.

The last two months of the twelfth year of the Jiajing reign passed peacefully.

Until New Year's Day is approaching.

A major event shook the imperial court.

Zhang Cong, the iron-fisted chief minister who led the newly rich and powerful during the Great Rites Controversy and whose authority suffocated his ministers.

He submitted a memorial requesting to retire!
(End of this chapter)