Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 303 The Only Official Who Could See the Emperor
"Little brother~ Little brother~!"

Hai Zhongcheng tiptoed around the cradle.

Sometimes she would lean closer to smell the baby's milky scent, and sometimes she would be afraid of waking him up, her shoes making a soft rustling sound as they rubbed against the blue bricks.

Haiyue watched this scene with a smile from not far away, while Zhu Yuying, who had just finished her postpartum confinement, came to her side and said, "If it were a girl, my husband would be even happier!"

"Having both a son and a daughter is the best, but the two boys are a bit too much trouble."

Haiyue held his wife's hand: "But Zhongcheng is so sensible, it won't be bad if he takes care of Zhongyue."

"How can you do this? You've already chosen a name for the baby the moment it's born..."

Zhu Yuying smiled as she looked at her husband and son, feeling content and at peace.

Suddenly, the image of the Emperor's狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) expression before the Empress Dowager's death flashed into his mind, and his body trembled involuntarily.

Haiyue immediately turned her head: "What's wrong?"

Zhu Yuying hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Husband, do you think there's anyone in the world who wouldn't like their own child?"

"Very few, but there must be some..."

Haiyue's eyes flickered slightly: "Who did you think of?"

Zhu Yuying looked towards the Forbidden City.

Haiyue understood immediately: "That involves a power struggle, so it's different now."

Zhu Yuying said softly, "But His Majesty's expression at the time... it's really hard to imagine. Why would a father regard his child as... as..."

Haiyue continued: "Regard them as enemies?"

This is actually quite normal.

Other emperors might face pressure from all sides; just dealing with court officials alone would be enough to cause them a lot of headaches. Family ties became a way to relieve stress.

Those who could control the court and wield great power often had very weak family ties, because their sons became a threat to the imperial power.

Emperor Jiajing valued imperial power highly and indeed controlled the court very well, which made the princes a hidden threat.

Tao Zhongwen, a historical figure, came into close contact with the Jiajing Emperor through his Taoist practice and noticed this mentality, thus proposing that the two dragons should not meet.

Tao Zhongwen's thinking may have been to flatter the emperor, or he may have hoped that the emperor would become more superstitious about Taoism. However, he did inadvertently create an outlet for the pressure on Zhu Houcong's highly sensitive nature.

Father and son never see each other; a cold and detached life of cultivation.

So much so that when his grandson Wanli was born, Longqing dared not report it and concealed it with trepidation.

To outsiders, this is an inhumane act.

But for the emperor, there might still be a bottom line.

At least there was no bloodshed.

"Tsk!"

'Thinking about it this way, this one is developing into another emperor...'

Haiyue originally thought that Emperor Jiajing resembled Emperor Huizong of Song.

He was manipulative, favored treacherous officials, revered Taoism, and indulged in pleasure.

Cai Jing and Yan Song, even in the afterlife, probably still feel a deep sense of kinship, even sharing a similar experience of letting their sons govern in their later years and then being to some extent betrayed by them.

The biggest difference between Emperor Jiajing and Emperor Huizong of Song is that the Mongol invasion during Jiajing's reign was far less militarily powerful than the Jin Dynasty, which had just risen to prominence at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Therefore, the Gengxu Incident was merely a disgrace, not as devastating as the Jingkang Incident, which led to the downfall of the nation.

The current Jiajing Emperor wouldn't dare to insult Emperor Huizong of Song, after all, his achievements in conquering Jiaozhi and recovering the Hetao region already made him an undisputed restorer of the dynasty.

Looking at it this way...

He's like another emperor who died too late.

Just then, laughter came from not far away.

However, it was Hai Zhongcheng gently pushing the cradle, and the little brother inside had woken up, gently moving his little hands and giggling happily.

"Don't think about those upsetting things. As long as we don't get involved in the power struggle within the imperial family, what does the strength of family ties have to do with us?"

"I understand. Now that Mother is gone, I will visit the palace less often in the future..."

The couple looked at each other and smiled, just like always.

The family was enjoying a happy time when the pageboy Gonghao hurriedly entered the inner courtyard and reported behind him, "Young master, someone from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has arrived..."

"Superintendent of Ceremonies?"

Zhu Yuying's expression immediately changed: "What are they doing here?"

Haiyue raised an eyebrow and said thoughtfully, "I'll go greet them."

Under Zhu Yuying's rather worried gaze, he calmly walked towards the front hall.

Half an hour later, the pageboy Gong Hao returned: "Madam, the young master has entered the palace."

Zhu Yuying pursed her lips and asked, "Why?"

Gong Hao said, "The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has come to inform you that the lectures will proceed as scheduled this afternoon, and you have come to the palace for this reason..."

"what?"

Zhu Yuying was stunned at first, then her eyes lit up unconsciously.

Although my impression of that person is no longer what it was at the beginning, he is still the supreme ruler, and as everyone knows, since the Empress Dowager passed away, the emperor has suspended court for nearly two months.

When he was not seen by other officials, he suddenly resumed lecturing, and his own husband was able to meet the emperor...

What an incredible opportunity!
After coaxing his younger brother, Hai Zhongcheng ran over to him, looked up, and asked, "Mother! What did Father go about?"

"Your father has gone to take care of something important!"

Zhu Yuying gently rubbed her son's head, saying with a complex mix of joy and worry, "I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse!"

"Scholar Hai!" "Scholar Hai is here!"

As soon as Haiyue crossed the Jinshui Bridge, her path was blocked by court officials who had rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.

"If His Majesty doesn't attend court soon, the grain transport accounts for Southern Zhili will rot at the Tongzhou dock!"

"The Japanese military reports have been piling up for more than half a month, and the soldiers at the front can't wait any longer!"

"Fifty-seven memorials have piled up from the Northwest, all of them urgent matters, and we absolutely cannot delay any longer..."

"Your Majesty is a wise ruler; we must never repeat the mistakes of Emperor Wuzong!"

Not to mention the group of high-ranking officials from the Six Ministries spitting as they spoke, the Censorate held the crumpled memorial, and even the most composed old ministers were red with anxiety.

The crowd surged forward like a tide, their anxious voices buzzing around us.

No wonder they panicked.

Emperor Zhengde was unwilling to meet with his court officials, indulging in pleasure and playing in the Leopard Chamber. He was surrounded by eunuchs and treacherous officials, which led to the turmoil of the country.

Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has implemented new policies and vigorously eliminated corrupt practices. The world is now in a state of peace and prosperity. Furthermore, he has accomplished the great feats of recovering Jiaozhi and reclaiming the Hetao region, leading to the revival of the nation and the submission of all directions.

Unexpectedly, after the Empress Dowager passed away, the Emperor, in his grief, repeatedly suspended court sessions, showing signs of neglecting his duties.

Upright officials in the court must work together to offer honest advice and remonstrance, and must not allow His Majesty to become complacent.

As a result, someone suggested going to Zuoshunmen, and everyone immediately fell silent.

Think about it.

In the end, I didn't dare.

In fact, Jiajing did not completely isolate himself from the outside world; he still conveyed his intentions to the outer court through the Directorate of Ceremonial.

The cabinet may handle important state affairs as appropriate.

However, those who have reached the position of Grand Secretary, not to mention Yan Song, even Xia Yan knew that the emperor was extremely suspicious, so how could he really dare to deal with them?

Moreover, they really did take the lead, but things don't always go smoothly, and they'll be the ones to take the blame, their fate is self-evident.

Therefore, unless an official imperial edict was issued, the two Grand Secretaries would pretend not to know.

Haiyue was surrounded by her ministers in the center, but she did not rush to respond to any of their requests. Instead, she looked towards the periphery.

Sure enough, their eyes met those of Yan Song and Xia Yan.

His Majesty does not attend the morning court session or hold court discussions, yet the lectures on the classics continue as usual.

'However, there were several lecturers and reading scholars, but only Haiyue was specifically chosen to enter the Wenhua Hall…'

"There's only one person here!"

A complex look flashed across Yan Song's eyes.

Having served as Grand Secretary for many years, he believed he had a deeper understanding of Jiajing's thoughts than any other court official.

His Majesty's sudden decision not to attend court was completely unexpected. However, the fact that the first person His Majesty saw after his absence was not Yan Song or Xia Yan, but Hai Yue, a mere fifth-rank Hanlin Academician, was surprisingly not surprising to Yan Song.

Looking across the court, no one could be more composed and indifferent to fame and fortune than this person.

He was granted a courtesy name by the emperor himself, founded the Yixin Society during his time at the Imperial Academy, and was later betrothed to the empress dowager. He married the favored adopted daughter of the emperor. All of these things were things that ordinary officials could only dream of, and Jian was in the emperor's heart.

However, after entering officialdom, he continued to work diligently in compiling and editing books, just like other Hanlin scholars who longed for the emperor's favor. He stayed in the Hanlin Academy for eight years.

Although during this period, he voiced his opinions on the Annam war and the recapture of the Ordos region, and his insights proved to be profound.

But precisely because of this, he could easily be appointed to a substantive position in one of the Six Ministries and wield real power.

He is probably the most powerful person under the six ministers by now.

Unfortunately, the other party gave up such a great opportunity, and to this day, his official rank and power are still inferior to those of the other Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) of the same period.

Wasn't he afraid that Yixin would get out of control, and that the group of members who held real power in the local three departments would not submit to this leader?

Rationally, Yan Song knew that by cultivating his reputation as a Hanlin scholar and accumulating experience, his future position would only be secure, and he would be the one everyone hoped for.

But when it came to actual action, not only Yan Shifan couldn't resist, but even Yan Song himself found it difficult to resist the temptation of power.

But this one seems to be able to persist. Now His Majesty wants to choose the most favored minister to meet. Who else could it be but him?
Knowing that the emperor's plan to neglect governance was impossible, after much thought, the only possible outcome was an unexpected and positive result...

"Give way!"

Compared to Yan Song's deep contemplation, Xia Yan disregarded these concerns and approached Hai Yue, solemnly declaring, "Scholar Hai, the affairs of the Northwest cannot be delayed. The Hetao region has just been recovered, and there are countless matters to be addressed; all must be decided by His Majesty!"

The conquest of the Hetao region is a monumental achievement, a feat that will be remembered throughout history. Now that it's finally nearing completion, Xia Yan can't wait any longer.

Haiyue replied without hesitation, "Please rest assured, Grand Secretary Xia, I will do my best to offer my advice!"

He immediately looked at Yan Song, his expression seeking instructions.

Yan Song felt reassured. He thought that if someone else had taken the throne, this person would have been far superior: "Scholar Wanghai can request an imperial edict from His Majesty!"

Haiyue nodded, then bowed to the assembled officials before stepping forward.

"We implore Your Majesty to attend court as soon as possible!"

However, some officials still refused to step aside, and some even stepped forward, trying to tear Haiyue's robe sleeves.

Seeing that something was wrong, Yan Song suddenly slammed his wooden cane heavily on the bluestone slab: "Stop!"

His imposing gaze swept over the assembled officials, finally settling on Haiyue: "Go! Do not miss the auspicious time for your audience with the Emperor!"

"Yes!"

Haiyue cupped her hands in greeting once more, and only then did the assembled officials disperse completely, all watching with complex and indescribable expressions as this figure with flowing sleeves headed towards the Wenhua Hall.

(End of this chapter)