Di Ming

Chapter 292 You're still the most loyal and affectionate!
The emperor did not expect that the empress dowager would come to the Qianqing Palace in person for Tian Yi's sake.

Could it be that this old dog Tian Yi is actually one of the Empress Dowager's men? Wanli's expression darkened at this thought. The Emperor and Empress Dowager are said to be mother and son, inseparable. But in reality, a faction belonging to the Empress Dowager does exist within the palace.

This "Empress Dowager's faction" consisted of a group of trusted eunuchs and female officials whom the Empress Dowager had promoted and appointed when she was involved in politics. Although these people were loyal to the Emperor, they were even more loyal to the Empress Dowager.

After all, the Empress Dowager only relinquished power for ten years, which is not a very long time.

Despite his displeasure, the emperor still bowed his head and respectfully said:
"I did not mean to disturb the Empress Dowager. I am so sorry. Please do not be angry, Empress Dowager. I do not blame Tian Yizhou for his actions at Jingyang Palace. The Empress Dowager is right. Changluo is also my son. Tian Yizhou has done nothing wrong."

"However, Tian Yi is suspected of colluding with foreign officials to force the emperor to install Changluo as crown prince, which constitutes treason. Therefore, your son..."

Empress Dowager Li coldly said, "Oh? I thought Tian Yi was an honest and reliable man, but I didn't expect him to be such a treacherous minister. Is it so easy for treacherous ministers to emerge from our Ming Dynasty? Zhang Juzheng was a treacherous minister, Feng Bao was a treacherous minister, and now Tian Yi is also a treacherous minister? Are you so proud to be the emperor if all these ministers are treacherous ministers?"

She didn't really care about Tian Yi, but this morning, the Marquis of Wuqing had sent a letter to the palace, asking her to plead for Tian Yi. She naturally knew that her brother had received a great benefit from the Tian family.

She had always doted on her younger brother, and for the sake of her family, she decided to help Tian Yi this once. After all, Tian Yi was definitely not a treacherous official, so she should help him anyway.

Little did she know that this was all a scheme orchestrated by Zhu Yin to rescue Tian Yi.

At this point, the emperor also believed that Tian Yizhen was acting on the orders of the Empress Dowager, which was why the Empress Dowager spoke up for him.

With a simple trick, Zhu Yin managed to manipulate the Zheng family, the Li family, and the emperor, leaving them completely unaware.

As the saying goes, no one knows a child better than their mother. The Empress Dowager knew perfectly well why the Emperor was targeting Tian Yi. It wasn't just because he listened to Consort Zheng's slander; he also coveted Tian Yi's wealth!

He's addicted to confiscating property.

Who doesn't love money? She loved it too. But for the emperor, this was going too far.

Ignoring the emperor's embarrassed expression, the Empress Dowager continued:

"Tian Yi has been in the palace for decades. You appointed him as the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and you were the one who heavily relied on him before. Over the years, he has always been respectful and diligent, a fact known both inside and outside the palace. Even I have heard that His Majesty has a discerning eye and has made the right choice in employing Tian Yi. How did he suddenly become a great traitor? Do you have any real evidence for these charges you've made? Has Tian Yi confessed to his crimes? Show me his confession!"

"This..." The emperor hesitated, "He's clinging to hope and hasn't confessed yet. But soon..."

"Soon?" Empress Dowager Li was even more furious upon hearing this. "How can the emperor be treated like a child's play? How can the word 'soon' convince anyone!"

"You wouldn't expect the Embroidered Uniform Guard to torture you into confessing, would you?!"

The Empress Dowager was initially only half-angry, but now she was truly furious. The Emperor's frivolous words made her feel that they violated the dignity expected of an emperor.

This son might truly be unsuitable to be emperor. If it had been the Prince of Lu back then…

The emperor was extremely frustrated and could only smile bitterly, saying, "Mother, please calm down. I was too hasty. Tian Yi's crime is probably untrue."

He dared not disobey the Empress Dowager for this, and could only bow his head before filial piety.

“Of course it’s not true!” The Empress Dowager said with a long face. “Even if he confessed under torture, that’s not evidence! Since he’s been wronged, then issue an edict to pardon him. Everyone is watching, don’t let your ministers down.”

"Although Tian Yi is merely a household servant, whose life and death are entirely at the discretion of the imperial family, he is, after all, an old man of over forty years. Even if he has not rendered meritorious service, he has certainly served with hard work. What does Your Majesty think?"

The Emperor nodded. "What the Empress Dowager says is quite right. However, Tian Yi's crime of embezzlement is formidable and irrefutable; there is no way to deny it. If I were to let this go unpunished, the state of officialdom would be..."

Empress Dowager Li couldn't help but roll her eyes. Are you concerned about governance? You're only concerned about money!
It's true that Tian Yi embezzled funds; how many Hai Ruis are there in the world? If embezzlement were always punished, the imperial court would be empty. Is this just Tian Yi's problem?

However, even though she knew it was the emperor's excuse, the empress dowager couldn't refute it because of the powerful pretext of corruption. She couldn't very well say that everyone was involved in embezzlement, so no one should be punished, could she?
As the Empress Dowager, she found it difficult to utter such words.

"Then so be it," the Empress Dowager couldn't completely disregard the Emperor's dignity. "Issue an edict to pardon his death sentence and release his entire family. Remove him from his post as the Director of the Imperial Household Department and let him return to his hometown to live out his days."

"According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, there are only three crimes punishable by confiscation of property. The Emperor should know what those three are, right?"

The emperor nodded blankly: "The crimes punishable by confiscation are only three: treason, rebellion, and being a member of a treacherous party."

The Empress Dowager said, "The Emperor just said that apart from the crime of embezzlement, the other charges against Tian Yi are unfounded. Since it is not treason, rebellion, or being a member of a treacherous party, his family property should not be confiscated. In that case, we should only recover the embezzled silver and put it into the treasury, and dismiss him from his post."

The Empress Dowager did this to prevent Tian Yi from having his family property confiscated and to ensure that he would retain a considerable amount of wealth, preventing him from ending up with nothing.

If the Tian family has surplus wealth, they can fulfill their promises to their younger brother. However, if the Tian family's assets are confiscated, they will be unable to fulfill their promises to the Li family.

The emperor could only give a wry smile, "Then recover the 500,000 taels of embezzled silver, and leave the rest untouched."

The Empress Dowager's influence was indeed effective. The Emperor had no choice but to spare Tian Yi's life, demanding only 500,000 taels of silver.

Otherwise, the emperor would have taken one million taels. And since the crime was confiscation of property, Tian Yi would certainly not have survived.

Now, Tian Yi has only lost his official position and half of his family's wealth, but he has saved the lives of his entire family.

The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction. "Very well, then the Emperor may issue the decree. I am tired, I will return to Cining Palace."

The emperor said, "Your subject respectfully sees off the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager turned and took two steps, then suddenly turned back to look at Consort Zheng, saying in a somewhat stern tone:
“Zheng, you are an Imperial Noble Consort, of noble birth, and should set an example in the harem. You should often advise the Emperor not to indulge in pleasure these days. Although playing cards and watching plays are entertainments in the palace, you should still exercise restraint. For a woman, being a good wife and mother, doing needlework and raising silkworms are the most important things.”

"Your Majesty's teachings are correct." Consort Zheng bowed respectfully and said solemnly, "Your subject will follow Your Majesty's instructions."

Although she appeared respectful, she was indifferent and showed no reverence for the Empress Dowager.

The Emperor dotes on her exclusively, declaring her to be his true wife. With the Emperor around, as long as she outwardly acts like a daughter-in-law and avoids serious transgressions regarding filial piety, what can the Empress Dowager do?

Now, she's the one who calls the shots in the palace.

The Empress Dowager knew that her daughter-in-law was two-faced and always outwardly obedient but inwardly defiant. However, since Zheng had the Emperor's backing, she was powerless to do anything about it. In any case, Zheng could maintain the appearance of filial piety, so she just went along with it.

The emperor has been ruling in his own right for ten years. Things are different now than before, and she can no longer reprimand the emperor as she did when Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao were in power.

Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager suddenly felt a little uneasy and couldn't help but say to the Emperor again:
"Your Majesty, our ancestors did not have an easy time establishing this dynasty. The Ming Dynasty, which has lasted for more than two hundred years, has been handed over to you. You must take it to heart!"

She pointed to the mahjong tiles, "These are games for women and idle people to play. They are used for gambling outside the palace. Although they can be entertaining, they cannot cultivate one's character. Even gentlemen should not indulge in them, let alone a king. If you have nothing to do, you might as well practice calligraphy and read books. That will also cultivate your refined taste."

"Alas, in my opinion, the Emperor's calligraphy is not as good as it used to be; it has actually regressed. I'm afraid the ministers will also feel somewhat lax after seeing the Emperor's calligraphy."

The Empress Dowager respected her son most of all, a learned and refined scholar. However, this son had never liked studying since childhood, and even after becoming emperor, he did not make much progress. Instead of developing a gentle and scholarly demeanor, he developed a vulgar and mercenary air.

He's really not as good as Prince Lu.

At this point, the Empress Dowager recalled some of her earlier feelings, and her tone became somewhat stern:

"The emperor is the Son of Heaven. He should see his ministers more often and hold banquets. It's not proper for him to stay in the harem all day. Has Your Majesty forgotten Mr. Zhang's teachings from back then?"

When the Empress Dowager mentioned Zhang Juzheng, she suddenly felt it was inappropriate. Seeing the Emperor's displeased expression, she didn't bother to give him any more instructions.

"Alright, I'm returning to the palace now. Take care, Your Majesty." The Empress Dowager stopped arguing. "The imperial decree to pardon Tian Yi should be issued sooner rather than later."

Suppressing his anger, Wanli cupped his hands and said, "Take care, Your Majesty. I respectfully see you off!"

After seeing off the Empress Dowager, Wanli was extremely irritable, and his rebellious spirit resurfaced.

The emperor, like a trapped beast, paced back and forth among the pillars in the hall. He was obese and his legs were a little unsteady, so he soon became panting.

He paced around the pillar furiously, shouting:

"Zhang Juzheng treated the young emperor like a child, deceived the emperor, abused his power, and was a treacherous minister! The Empress Dowager still wants to mention him! I am over thirty years old, yet I am still a child!"

"And they say my calligraphy has declined! I used to love calligraphy the most, and I had my ministers find famous calligraphic works to copy, but what did Zhang Juzheng say? He was afraid I would become addicted to calligraphy, so he forbade me to practice!" "Now, they say my calligraphy is not as good as it used to be! Whose fault is it? Whose!"

At this point, he suddenly kicked over the mahjong table.

With a "whoosh," ivory pendant cards were scattered onto the gold brick floor.

The palace servants on either side were trembling with fear, not daring to utter a sound. Who among the eunuchs of the Qianqing Palace didn't know that their grandfather had a violent temper?

If you were to offend someone at this time, you could very well be dragged out and beaten to death!
Only Consort Zheng dared to step forward and advise, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Majesty is a benevolent and filial ruler. It is only natural for you to suffer some grievances in front of the Empress Dowager. Anger is harmful to your health. Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance. Your Majesty's calligraphy has long possessed the true essence of the Jin and Tang dynasties. How has it regressed? The Empress Dowager was just being polite and modest on behalf of Your Majesty."

The emperor often acted like a child, prone to sulking and getting angry. He would either rage in public or sulk in silence. She was used to it and had long since developed the skill of calming the emperor down.

After Consort Zheng finished speaking, she took the emperor's hand, rubbed his chest to help him catch his breath, and ordered, "Quickly apply some longevity ointment to His Majesty!"

The emperor, as expected, did not continue his rampage, but instead spoke with fervent anger:
"I wish I could dismantle Zhang Juzheng's coffin, mutilate his corpse, and scatter his ashes! He deceived me for ten years, always treating me like a child! I wanted to hold the Aoshan Lantern Festival, and all I asked for was 100,000 taels of silver, but he wouldn't give it to me! He said this was not allowed, that was not allowed, and he would scold me at the drop of a hat. What kind of life did I live for those ten years!"

"So I confiscated his property, ensuring that the Zhang family would never rise again! But the Empress Dowager still wants to bring him up! She still wants to use this man who has been dead for ten years to teach me, the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty for twenty years, a lesson!"

Before the emperor's anger had subsided, Consort Zheng had already lit a white jade opium pipe and presented it to him.

The first man in the world to use a pipe immediately took it and took a satisfying puff, his brow relaxing completely.

The anger in my chest seemed to dissipate with the smoke.

Under the beauty's gentle touch and the smoke of the opium, the emperor's mood improved considerably.

Consort Zheng changed the subject with a charming smile, "That old dog Tian Yi, it turns out he's on the Empress Dowager's side. He's gotten off easy this time. Old nanny, who do you want to appoint as the Grand Eunuch?"

When the emperor was in a better mood, she resumed addressing him as such.

The emperor smiled, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow from opium. "What does my wife think? You know all the palace officials. Who do you suggest as the Grand Eunuch?"

If Wang Xijue and other cabinet ministers were to witness this scene, they would likely be so angry that they would resign. The Grand Eunuch, who is essentially an inner minister who works alongside the Grand Secretary, holds supreme power over the approval of imperial edicts in the Directorate of Ceremonial. Such an important appointment—and you're asking a mere concubine about it?
You really don't take national affairs seriously.

Consort Zheng was already used to this kind of question, and of course, she already had someone in mind. Without hesitation, she replied:

"I've already thought of everything for you, my lord. With an old acquaintance as an example, you're sure to be satisfied."

"Oh?" The emperor took a puff of his cigarette and blew it onto his wife's delicate face. "The person you're referring to, my wife, could it be that servant Zhang Jing?"

"Hehe!" Consort Zheng covered her mouth with a delicate laugh. "My husband is truly a wise and discerning ruler. He guessed it right away. It was none other than that servant Zhang Jing! My husband and I are of one mind."

Unlike other imperial concubines, Consort Zheng preferred to refer to herself as "this humble servant" in front of the emperor, rather than "your humble servant." She was also less particular about how she addressed the emperor. Of course, this was a privilege unique to her.

"It really is him." The Emperor smiled amiably. "We're truly on the same wavelength. Zhang Jing was originally a eunuch in the Directorate of Ceremonial, so his reinstatement is perfect. Has he already seen his wife?"

Consort Zheng nodded. "As soon as Tian Yi got into trouble, he came to me for help, saying he was willing to offer 300,000 taels of silver as a tribute, just to share my grandfather's burdens."

Upon hearing the figure of 300,000 taels, the emperor's mood improved considerably.

"Then grant his request! Tell him to come see me tomorrow!"

In just a few words, Zhang Jing was appointed as the new Grand Eunuch.

Zhang Jing was actually a very senior official, and was once a trusted confidant of Emperor Wanli. He made significant contributions to Wanli's downfall of Feng Bao, the abolition of Zhang Juzheng's reforms, and the accumulation of wealth for the emperor.

After Feng Bao's downfall, Zhang Jingsheng was appointed as the Grand Eunuch and Director of the Eastern Depot. Later, he was impeached by ministers for his misconduct, and because there were too many people impeaching him, the emperor had no choice but to dismiss him.

It has been several years since Zhang Jing left the Directorate of Ceremonial.

However, Zhang Jing was not a prudent, honest, and virtuous eunuch like Tian Yi, who considered the overall situation. He was adept at manipulating power and was treacherous and ruthless. If he were to regain control of the Directorate of Ceremonial, it would likely cause a lot of trouble for the court.

……

On September 14th, just two days after Tian Yi was imprisoned, the emperor issued another imperial edict:
"The charge of treason against Tian Yi is unfounded, but his crime of embezzlement is undeniable. Considering his minor contributions, his ill-gotten gains are confiscated, he is dismissed from all his posts, and ordered to retire to his hometown to live out his retirement. He must leave the capital immediately and is not permitted to linger..."

Many people breathed a sigh of relief when the emperor issued the decree to release Tian Yi.

Although Tian Yi was dismissed and sent back to his hometown in Guanzhong, he ultimately managed to save his life and property. His home was not confiscated; only the "embezzled funds" were recovered, preventing him from falling into dire straits.

This result is already very good!
But they didn't know who had saved Tian Yi.

Tian Yi received the imperial decree to express his gratitude in prison. After leaving the prison, where he had only spent two days, he felt as if he had been in another world.

His hair had turned completely white, and he no longer possessed the dignity and respectability of the former chief eunuch.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger.

At this moment, dusk was like wine, the setting sun like blood, and the autumn wind swirled up fallen leaves, creating an endless desolation. Tian Yi, having just emerged from the imperial prison, was like a fallen leaf in this wind.

The Tian family, now free, were already waiting in front of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's office. Madam Ning, her adopted son, daughter-in-law, and others were all present.

"master!"

"father!"

When everyone saw Tian Yi, they couldn't help but burst into tears.

Lady Ning's hair was almost completely white. She quickly stepped forward and covered Tian Yi with a cloak, saying with tears in her eyes, "My husband has suffered so much."

Tian Yi took his cousin's hand, "Madam, you've been frightened."

Several officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard at the gate of the imperial prison couldn't help but mock this scene:

"See that? That's the eunuch's wife. What a waste of her time!"

"Haha! This is unnecessary! It seems like they really do have a sense of loyalty and righteousness, quite convincing indeed."

"Hey, hey, don't talk nonsense! If this gets back to the ears of other fathers-in-law who are getting married, you'll lose your heads!"

The Tian family members glared angrily at the mockery of the Jinyiwei officers.

Two days ago, even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn't have dared to say such a thing.

But the head of the family had just been dismissed from his post and returned to his hometown, and they dared to be so rude!

The world is so cold and indifferent!
"What are you looking at!" a captain shouted. "Did you think you were from the Grand Eunuch's family? Get out of here!"

"Shut up!" The words had barely left his lips when a clear voice rang out, "No disrespect is permitted before Lord Tian!"

As everyone looked, they saw a young minister dressed in the robes of a third-rank civil official leading a large group of officials to the front of the imperial prison.

Zhu Yin!

As soon as Tian Yi saw Zhu Yin, he immediately realized that Zhu Yin had saved him!
Otherwise, I would never have been able to leave the imperial prison alive!

Young Tiger, I knew I hadn't misjudged you; you're still the most loyal and affectionate!
P.S.: Tian Yi is returning to Guanzhong, and we won't see him for a long time. Please see him off. Also, according to historical records, Wanli Emperor had a bad temper and was rather impatient. Although he was easygoing and overweight, he wasn't a very cultured person.

(End of this chapter)