Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 333 Three-Month Crown Prince Trial Card
"The emperor is destined to be carried by heaven, and the edict says:"

"I have received the mandate of Heaven to inherit the great foundation, and I am diligent day and night, always mindful of the importance of the nation's foundation. My eldest son, Zaiji, is exceptionally talented and blessed with outstanding qualities."

"Establishing the eldest son as heir is to stabilize the people's hearts and secure the state. Now, in accordance with ancestral rules and public opinion, the eldest son of the Emperor, Zhu Zaiji, is hereby appointed as the Crown Prince to establish the position of heir and to appease the people."

Along with the imperial edict appointing the crown prince, the court also promulgated numerous ceremonial regulations.

He bestowed upon the Crown Prince a golden book and jade seal, to signify the transmission of the divine regalia;

The Ministry of Rites selected an auspicious day to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth and to the ancestral temples, and issued a proclamation both domestically and internationally.

Select Hanlin scholars to serve as lecturers in the Eastern Palace, teaching them classics and history;
The Ministry of Works was ordered to repair the Eastern Palace in preparation for the Crown Prince's residence and studies.

In the original Prince's residence, Zhu Zaiji knelt on the ground, listening to his father's edict: "...Although the Crown Prince is young, he should reflect on the hardships of Emperor Taizu's founding of the dynasty and Emperor Xiaozong's benevolent virtue. If he is diligent and cautious in the future, and stays close to the virtuous and keeps away from the wicked, then I and the world will truly rely on him..."

"My son, I accept the decree!"

Zhu Zaiji raised his hands high, accepting the imperial decree and expressing his gratitude.

He also had a deep understanding of his father, the emperor.

The key to this imperial edict lies in a single sentence in the middle.

Be diligent and cautious, and be close to the virtuous and keep away from the wicked.

Now that he's the crown prince, he has to be honest and dutiful.

Never entertain thoughts you shouldn't have, and never associate with officials you shouldn't associate with.

Zhu Zaiji was well prepared for this. He was indeed extremely afraid of that person and had no intention of using the position of crown prince to usurp power.

However, another thought was that I had been longing for this day and night for so long.

Zhu Zaiji suddenly stood up, grabbed the sleeve of the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial who was delivering the imperial edict, his fingertips turning white from the force: "Eunuch Chen, when can I move into the Eastern Palace?"

"what?"

The eunuch was startled by his sudden action, hunching over with fear on his face: "Your Highness, please understand, the repairs to the Eastern Palace are not yet complete. We must wait for the Ministry of Works to inspect it… I truly do not know the specific date!"

This is true.

After all, the Eastern Palace has been empty since the reign of Emperor Wuzong, and it has been forty years now.

Emperor Zhengde had no son, so the Eastern Palace had to remain empty. When Emperor Jiajing had an heir, the Eastern Palace should have been completed under normal circumstances so that the Crown Prince could move in. However, everyone in the palace knew that the Emperor was averse to this, so no one dared to bring it up, and the Eastern Palace remained dilapidated.

The renovations only started now that the Crown Prince has been officially appointed. It will probably take at least several months before His Highness the Crown Prince moves there.

This also dealt a heavy blow to the Crown Prince's authority.

Zhu Zaiji didn't care about that; what he longed for was something else entirely: 'I want to see my mother! I must see my mother!'

Zhu Zaiji was also willing to become the crown prince.

It wasn't because he was the crown prince, but because with this position, he finally had the opportunity to see Consort Yan, who was imprisoned in the cold palace.

Even now that he's become the crown prince, he still can't return to the Forbidden City and has to wait some more.

He wandered aimlessly into the backyard of the Prince's mansion, slowly sat down, and waited until Granny Du came to his side: "Your Highness!"

"Mommy..."

Zhu Zaiji's eyes were red-rimmed, and he naturally nestled in Du Mama's arms, whispering, "Do you have any way... to let me see my mother?"

Granny Du was initially overjoyed that the prince she was so close to had become the crown prince, and her future seemed bright. However, upon hearing this, her expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please be careful! The Cold Palace is a forbidden area. His Majesty has already issued a strict decree that no one is allowed to visit it. If the people from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs discover this, then things will be very bad..."

"I know I know!"

Zhu Zaiji closed his eyes, his voice slightly hoarse: "My mother has been imprisoned for many years, her fate unknown. Now that I am the Crown Prince, am I not even allowed to inquire about her?"

Granny Du carefully examined the young man in her arms, her eyes flickering. After hesitating for a long time, she finally leaned close and whispered, "This old servant knows an old eunuch who works in the Imperial Household Department. Perhaps he can pass on some information. But Your Highness must not act rashly. Those people are watching you closely these days!"

"Good! Good!"

Zhu Zaiji's spirits lifted, and he straightened up abruptly, his eyes filled with anticipation: "Granny, please go ahead and do it. I'm willing to do anything as long as I can see Mother!"

……

Prince De's Mansion.

The Second Prince, Zhu Zairi, stood with his hands behind his back under the corridor, gazing in the direction of the Eastern Palace, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Brother, you probably never imagined that the servants closest to you are people arranged by my mother!"

On the night of the palace coup, Consort Wang and Consort Yan both lost power.

It's a huge injustice.

Because the palace coup was indeed unrelated to her.

But he wasn't entirely wronged.

In order to vie for the position of crown prince, Consort Wang did indeed plot a lot, especially by planting people among the maids in the harem.

Granny Du was a pawn she had placed in Zhaoyang Palace long ago.

However, the original Consort Yan was no pushover either, and getting close to the eldest prince wouldn't be so easy.

As a result, on the night of the palace coup, all the staff in Zhaoyang Palace were purged. The trusted maids and nannies arranged by Consort Yan were all dealt with. Finally, it was Nanny Du's turn to get close.

In fact, Granny Du had her moments of hesitation.

She genuinely wanted Zhu Zaiji to be the crown prince, after all, this eldest prince was very kind to her, almost like a mother, and she listened to his every word.

If this can help him rise to power, why bother with the Second Prince and risk being branded as a traitor?

However, Zhu Zaiji's affection for her ultimately stemmed from his view of her as a substitute for Consort Yan. Now that he was determined to bring Consort Yan back, it was something that Du Mama could not accept.

In the end, the secret letter was delivered to the Prince of De's residence.

"Brother, you really have been thinking about Lady Yan in the Cold Palace all along..."

Zhu Zaiyi stroked the jade thumb ring in his hand, his eyes filled with longing for his mother, but even more so with a thirst for desire and malice. He sneered, "Get ready to leak the news to him on the day he takes over the Eastern Palace!"

The Eastern Palace underwent renovations at a leisurely pace for three months.

Under the repeated urging of the senior officials, the Ministry of Works inspected the work and confirmed that it was up to standard, finally allowing His Highness the Crown Prince to take over the throne.

"Long live the Crown Prince!"

"Gentlemen, you may rise!" Seeing the officials of the Eastern Palace bowing down to him in unison, their respect and obedience seemingly heartfelt, Zhu Zaiji felt a strange sensation.

This tastes really good.

No wonder Father was so vigilant...

However, Father Emperor eventually grew old.

The emperors of the Ming Dynasty did not live long lives.

While my father was alive, I had absolutely no chance. But once my father passed away, I became the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the sovereign and father of all the people of the land.
Then, when I want to do something, no one will be able to stop me anymore?
"Mother... Mother, you must wait until that time!"

"I...I will hold on until then!"

However, on the very night he entered the Eastern Palace, a torrential downpour began.

Amidst the thunder and lightning, Granny Du arrived at the palace without hindrance and stood before the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Zaiji initially showed tenderness, as if he were looking at his mother and wanted to hug her.

Seeing Du Mama's expression, his face stiffened again, and he asked in a trembling voice, "Mama, what happened?"

Du Mama's eyes held a hint of reluctance, but she finally took a deep breath and whispered, "That old eunuch in the palace has sent word that I'm going to the Cold Palace."

"Is there any news from Mother?"

Zhu Zaiji rose in ecstasy.

"That old eunuch also found out about it from someone else..."

Granny Du patched up a hole first, then whispered, "Your Highness... Lady Yan... she... she already..."

"what!"

Zhu Zaiji was stunned at first, then grabbed Du Mama's collar, his eyes wide with fury: "Speak! Explain yourself!"

'In the end, she can't compare to my own mother!'

Seeing this, Granny Du's eyes turned cold, and she sobbed, "Her Highness couldn't bear the torment any longer, and long ago... long ago she hanged herself..."

After saying that, she lowered her gaze, leaned close to the other person's ear, and added the most heart-wrenching sentence: "The body was wrapped in a straw mat and thrown into a mass grave!"

Zhu Zaiji released his grip, staggered backward, and knocked over the table.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out; only a few broken sobs escaped from his throat.

A thunderclap boomed outside the window, and the pale flash of lightning illuminated his ashen face.

He swayed slightly.

crashed down.

That night.

The palace servants then discovered that the Crown Prince had developed a high fever and was constantly muttering incoherently, repeatedly saying the same thing: "Mother, I can't hold on any longer... I can't hold on any longer!"

……

"Is the Crown Prince seriously ill?"

When this news spread, the imperial court was shaken.

It had only been a little over three months since the crown prince was appointed.

But it took a full three months before the Crown Prince moved into the Eastern Palace.

As a result, he fell ill on the very day he moved in, suffering from a persistent high fever and falling into a coma.

The fact that this news was leaked by the Imperial Medical Academy basically means...

This is an impending death!

"I never imagined the Crown Prince would be so unlucky!"

Yan Shifan felt a pang of pity upon hearing this.

He was born into a noble family, the best possible reincarnation, but now it seems too oppressive to be that person's son.

It could even be described as utterly tragic!

Yan Song sighed softly: "Originally, with the crown prince's return to the throne, the country would be prosperous and the people at peace, but now there are bound to be unexpected complications."

Not only Hai Rui saw it, but also important officials like Yan Song realized that His Majesty was willing to establish a crown prince only because the eldest prince was weak and posed no threat at all.

But if the eldest prince dies, the remaining princes will not be so easy to control.

Now that a crown prince has been appointed, he cannot remain idle without a reason.

Yan Shifan thought so too. He subconsciously turned his gaze towards the direction of the Prince De's residence and clicked his tongue, saying, "Father, we should keep our distance from the Prince De from now on, so as not to arouse His Majesty's suspicion!"

However, he immediately shook his head, a mocking look on his face: "There's no need to worry so much. Things are not what they used to be. Just keep His Majesty in the dark."

"We must not be careless!"

Yan Song shook his head, showing no sign of slackening, but his gaze never fell upon the Prince of De's residence. Instead, he calmly made his judgment: "The Prince of De is in danger; he will not become the crown prince!"

Inside the Prince of De's residence.

Zhu Zaiyi walked around the inner hall with his hands behind his back.

He wanted to enjoy some tea and calm his mind, but he just couldn't sit still; his brows were furrowed with excitement.

There might be a fleeting moment of reluctance, but it was quickly discarded.

"Brother...please don't blame me...please don't blame me!"

"It was originally just a design project, but I never expected you to be so incompetent that you collapsed so easily!"

"It's time for me to sit on the throne!"

Just as he was overjoyed, a servant suddenly rushed in, tumbling and scrambling, shouting hoarsely, "Your Highness! Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Embroidered Uniform Guard... the Embroidered Uniform Guard has stormed into the Prince's residence!!"

(End of this chapter)