Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 332 A Clear Sword Heart: Little Sister Sun; The Emperor and Consort, Entangled by Inner Demons

The fifth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign was by no means a pleasant one for Zhu Youjian. In that year, he tested the boundaries of his power as the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and also attempted to explore the limits of his own abilities. The conclusion was: he had virtually no real ability.

In terms of strategic planning and decisive victories, he was inferior to those old officials in the court, and those officials didn't really listen to him; instead, they worked hard to make him obey! As for the boundaries of power, there were no boundaries; he had simply drawn a circle around himself, trapping himself in it. As long as he was willing to pay the price, he could do almost anything.

But he was unwilling. He wasn't a peasant rebel who could boldly say that he had nothing left to lose.

He despairingly discovered that it was extremely difficult for people to reach a consensus, and that he himself was a stubborn person, and all the people under his command were stubborn people! The only solution seemed to point to the most terrible outcome: to physically eliminate the opponents, so that no one would oppose him anymore.

Even more terrifying was that Zhu Youjian discovered he was fully capable of doing just that. He was like an emperor sitting on a sacred throne, holding the switch to the planetary coordinates that would allow him to perish alongside the Trisolarans. He had to make people believe he dared to press that switch, but he couldn't actually press it!
He believed that daring to kill was not the mark of a strong person; true strength lay in possessing a weapon and being able to reason with others. He considered himself incredibly brave!
The exceptionally brave Zhu Youjian felt he was invincible again. He paced back and forth three times outside the walls of Chuxiu Palace, too embarrassed to go in. After the Sun sisters entered the palace, they lived in Chuxiu Palace. His Empress Zhou and his brother's Empress Zhang lived together in Kunning Palace, Zhang Yan in the West Warm Pavilion, and Zhou Yufeng in the East Warm Pavilion.

The thoroughness of a revolution can lead people to question its legitimacy. A skilled warrior doesn't necessarily achieve great feats; Zhu Youjian's ability to eliminate potential threats before they arise often makes him seem incompetent. His conflict with Sun Wanwan lay in his desire to exploit her labor while simultaneously showing distrust towards her.

Sun Shiwan was his concubine, not his subject. Her interests lay in warfare, not in governance. She did not have a strong desire for power, so she could not, like a minister, simultaneously bear the emperor's suspicion and try to climb the ranks.

Zhu Youjian's wariness stung Sun Shiwan, so she gave him a subtle rebuff, saying that she had been exhausted from reviewing imperial edicts every day for the past six months and needed to take a vacation, suggesting that the emperor find someone more capable.

In fact, even when Zhu Youjian was in the palace, Sun Shiwan's workload was much greater than that of the lazy Zhu Youjian. A few times was fine, but over time, it was inevitable that he would feel resentful. Zhu Youjian was now in a dilemma, feeling like he had made a harsh promise to lay off staff and then cut them off completely. Now he wanted to ask Sun Shiwan to come back to work, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Whether someone is talented or a key member can be determined by how much their work is affected after being laid off. Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the prime minister system, which had existed for over two thousand years, so he had to work tirelessly day and night to govern, but in the end, he still messed things up and had to resort to drastic cuts. Judy established a cabinet, and the great grandson further implemented eunuch approval and approval.

By the time of Zhu Youjian, he had reclaimed the power of eunuchs to participate in politics and cracked down on the cabinet, forcing it back to its proper functioning. Power was taken back, but so was the workload. Sigh, another day of envying Liu Shan (Adou).

Sun Xiaomei's work is diverse, including but not limited to raising cats, arranging flowers, playing with a toy gun, gossiping, reading popular novels, and making her son cry. This little green tea b*tch is now firmly established; whether she's a "green tea" or not depends entirely on her mood. If her older sister has extremely high intelligence, then she possesses extremely high emotional intelligence.

She made others feel comfortable while never causing internal strife herself. A woman born at the right time, her life was vibrant and fulfilling; even Zhu Youjian envied her spirit. Sun Shiwan, on the other hand, was more like a female version of Zhu Youjian himself—broad-minded, but sometimes genuinely stubborn, just as headstrong! Sometimes, looking at Sun Shiwan, Zhu Youjian would think, "Such a perfect woman, is she someone I could marry?!" But other times he'd think, "Damn it, what is this woman? How can she be so feudal?"
What has marriage brought Ji Shuai? Why does this woman control everything? Did he marry a wife or a mother? He's furious and cold!
Sun Shiwan's impression of Zhu Youjian was also quite peculiar. Well-versed in history, she knew very well that regardless of external opinions, in the inner palace, a good emperor as carefree as Zhu Youjian was truly hard to find even after searching through countless historical records. Although she possessed some martial arts skills, she was still somewhat apprehensive before entering the palace, because the rumors about the inner palace were somewhat demonized, and the infamy of Wei Zhongxian was so great.

When she arrived, she found the inner palace peaceful and harmonious. Even the palace maids and eunuchs were doing quite well, and they were not arbitrarily bullied, beaten, or even beaten to death. Therefore, Sun Shiwan cherished Zhu Youjian very much. However, affection often breeds suspicion, and love can also be a source of deep hatred. The deeper the love, the more intense the hatred. Sometimes, she hated Zhu Youjian so much that her teeth itched.

She knew it was wrong; he was the emperor, and she was just a concubine. She knew what it meant to be arrogant because of the emperor's favor, and she was afraid that the emperor would lose his temper. But sometimes, people are like that; it's hard to control themselves. That's just her personality; she couldn't possibly please the emperor without any limits.

But after this battle, Zhu Youjian was so exhausted that he kept saying he was no good; and Sun Shiwan's life was not easy either. She did not have the same rich entertainment life as her sister, and she felt a little uncomfortable when she suddenly had free time.

She found it hard to concentrate on reading books and studying sand table models. Hobbies are hobbies, but there has to be some feedback. Without anyone to discuss with, she didn't know what she was studying!

To be fair, Sun Xiaomei had high emotional intelligence. She had already noticed that something was off between her older sister and the emperor, but she didn't want to get involved. She just let these two stubborn people suffer, and she found it hilarious!
My sister was sitting inside reading "The Spring and Autumn Annals of Zuo," but she was so restless; the emperor was pacing outside the courtyard wall like a thief scouting the place!
"Sister, His Majesty hasn't summoned us for three days. I climbed over the wall and went into the Cold Palace when I was strolling around. It's cold and damp. What do you think about us trying to move in after we fall out of favor? Or should we sneak some food and clothing in before the Emperor issues an edict? Sister, do you think I'll be forced to give up my mother and keep my child?!" Sun Shixiu said softly, leaning on the back of Sun Shiwan's chair.

Sun Shiwan originally didn't want to pay attention to her younger sister's antics; this girl was always causing trouble if she wasn't disciplined for three days. However, what she said was truly outrageous. Sun Shiwan raised her eyebrows and, unable to bear it any longer, blurted out, "His Majesty is not that kind of person."

"But I heard that Consort Chen is pregnant recently. Li Qiu Niang looks so pitiful, and her figure is no worse than ours, right? My dear sister, do you think His Majesty lacks beauties? Then why did you become a Virtuous Consort? Just because you gave His Majesty a princess? Or because of our fathers who are far away in Guanzhong?!"
"Alas, I am just a concubine's daughter. Even if I am banished to the cold palace, I can still live a decent life. It's just that I feel sorry for you, elder sister!" Sun Shixiu said, pretending to wipe away her tears.

"What exactly are you trying to say! If you're bored, why don't we sisters go practice in the yard?!" Sun Shiwan said with a sneer.

“Oh, sister, what I actually wanted to tell you is that His Majesty has been squatting there waiting for you for a long time,” Sun Shixiu pointed, “Sister, are you sure you still want to put on airs here?!”

(End of this chapter)