Di Ming

Chapter 298 Audience with the Emperor
Along with the imperial edict of appointment, the emperor also bestowed upon the envoy a python robe and a jade belt.

When the edict was issued, most people were surprised. However, a few, including Zhu Yin, had known all along that the emperor would issue this edict.

Zhu Yin himself was preparing to set off, and he had also secretly made many arrangements with Ning Caiwei.

Of course, this was only an edict appointing the envoy, not a formal imperial decree announcing the official departure.

It was extremely rare for a Vice Minister of War to be sent as an envoy to an enemy country. Usually, it was officials from the Ministry of Rites or the Court of State Ceremonial who were sent on such missions.

The Ming court did this to subtly convey to Japan that the Ming Dynasty was not solely seeking peace, but rather offering a reward for peace, and that it was entirely possible to proceed with diplomacy before resorting to force.

The emperor's edict clearly stated that although Zhu Yin was an "imperial envoy with full powers," one sentence greatly limited his authority.

This statement means: "The national dignity of the Celestial Empire must not be compromised! The majesty of the Imperial Ming Dynasty must not be diminished! The resources of China must not be compromised!"

It means that neither face nor substance should be compromised.

Neither his reputation nor his interests could be harmed. How could this be considered a "plenipotentiary ambassador"? The imperial edict contained that statement; Zhu Yin had absolutely no authority to decide anything.

It sounds tough, but such rigid and inflexible principles can't even be used for diplomatic deception, let alone to mislead enemy countries through diplomatic means. It would be a miracle if this could be negotiated.

It is evident that the diplomatic capabilities of the Ming Dynasty had declined significantly compared to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

However, the emperor and many ministers still clung to the hope that a deal could be reached, believing that the arrival of the Ming envoy would surely make the Japanese king tremble with fear. They genuinely thought that the Ming Dynasty could still project its national power throughout the world.

Little did they know that without significant concessions, Japan would not withdraw its troops.

When Zhu Yin returned to his residence, it was already dusk, and Xu Wei was already waiting for him.

"Oh, Mr. Wenchang!" Zhu Yin, beaming with joy, trotted forward, overjoyed. "It's been four years! I've missed you so much!"

Xu Wei was over seventy years old, but he was still in high spirits and looked even better than he had a few years ago.

It's true that officialdom can be beneficial; power can even make people look younger.

"It's been years since we last met. My lord, you are so handsome and your demeanor is unparalleled!" Xu Wei chuckled, his eyes slightly moist. "As soon as I landed, I heard of Mr. Zhihu's great reputation. I am very happy for my lord and extremely pleased."

The two were very happy to see each other, as if they were family.

Ning Caiwei smiled and said, "The food and drinks are ready. Let's drink and chat."

After everyone took their seats and exchanged a few words of farewell, Xu Wei reported on his achievements in Jingzhou.

In recent years, Jingzhou has been well-governed. This time alone, it can provide over 100,000 shi of military rations, enough to feed 20,000 troops for a year. It can also supply dozens of new ships and 40,000 jin of gunpowder.

In addition, they can also deploy 8,000 completely subjugated native soldiers and more than 300 war elephants!
It can be said that Jingzhou could handle the supply of provisions and auxiliary troops for the Jinghai Army's attack on Japan.

Moreover, in recent years, Jingzhou's commerce has become increasingly prosperous, with more and more merchant ships coming and going, making it a major trading town in Southeast Asia.

In the first half of this year alone, more than 30,000 taels of silver in commercial taxes were collected!
In recent years, tens of thousands of Han Chinese babies have been born in Jingzhou, increasing the Eight Banners population to over 60,000. It is estimated that in another ten years, the Han Chinese population in Jingzhou will exceed 100,000.

The Han Chinese population was the most important resource for the Eight Banners overseas.

Xu Wei laughed and said, "My lord, Shangyang has really gotten a great deal. The Jingzhou he took over is a huge piece of meat with the bones removed."

Shang Yang is the newly appointed governor of Jingzhou, but his situation is much easier than when Xu Wei took office.

Take Xu Wei, for example. He served as the governor of Jingzhou for several years and was assassinated three times by local assassins.

"Mr. Wenchang, you have made great contributions!" Zhu Yin raised his wine glass. "This glass is a toast to you, sir!"

"The reason we invited you back this time is to have you participate in the important matter of the invasion of Japan."

Xu Wei said, “My lord has received an imperial edict today and will be going on a mission to Japan this month. I am willing to accompany my lord on the voyage and assist him in planning and execution.”

"Excellent!" Zhu Yin clapped his hands. "With you accompanying us, sir, the mission to Japan will be much safer. However, before we go to Japan, there are a few things we need to do!"

The group discussed things until very late before Xu Wei returned to the refined residence arranged by Zhu Yin to rest.

Over the next two weeks, Zhu Yin issued one secret order after another. Every day after finishing his shift at the Ministry of War, he would return and secretly discuss matters with Xu Wei, Ning Caiwei, and others.

Soon, news of Zhu Yin's shift to the pro-peace faction spread like wildfire.

However, this didn't surprise anyone. There were already quite a few pro-peace factions in the court, and negotiation was one of the court's strategies. Zhu Yin's change of attitude to become a pro-peace advocate was actually quite normal.

……

On the 29th day of the ninth month of the 20th year of the Wanli reign, the emperor officially issued an edict for the mission to Japan, ordering them to depart on the first day of the tenth month.

Once the imperial edict was issued, there were no further changes. Zhu Yin's mission was a done deal.

Zhu Yin and his entourage were already prepared and were just waiting for the departure date.

On the morning of September 30th, the day before his departure, Zhu Yin finally received the imperial edict summoning him!

"This edict orders Zhu Yin, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, to have an audience with the Emperor at the Qianqing Palace at 8:45 noon today. This is the edict!"

Zhu Yin was not surprised at all when he received the imperial edict summoning him.

According to Huya's intelligence, the emperor had wanted to summon him for the first time before, but it had been delayed until today.

Not easy.

That gold-digging otaku has finally summoned me.

……

After receiving the imperial decree summoning him, Zhu Yin first went to the Ministry of Personnel to retrieve the imperial edict and seal for his audience with the emperor.

Then they went to the Court of State Ceremonial, where they circled and registered the names of the imperial edicts for entering the palace. Afterwards, officials from the Court of State Ceremonial rehearsed the etiquette for meeting the emperor.

That wasn't all; Zhu Yin also wrote a memorial requesting an audience, indicating that he had been ordered to see the emperor.

At the same time, he also submitted reports to the Ministry of War and the Cabinet, stating that he would enter the palace for an audience on a certain day and at a certain time.

This was a newly established rule during the Wanli reign: any civil official entering the palace had to undergo dual verification by the Ministry of Personnel and the Court of State Ceremonies, and also submit a memorial requesting an audience. If the official was a military officer, the Ministry of War also had to verify and register the application.

This actually complicated the audience procedures, revealing Wanli's reluctance to receive foreign officials.

After a busy morning in various departments, having completed all the tedious procedures, Zhu Yincai, dressed in a python robe and bestowed with official attire, arrived at the Meridian Gate in a sedan chair at noon.

Haha, it's really not easy to see the face of the money-worshipping emperor.

He took out his ivory waist token and summons warrant at the Left Gate and handed them to the eunuch on duty guarding the palace gate. Although the eunuch on duty recognized Zhu Yin, he still took the ivory token with the engraved seal script and verified it against the official seal with the Ministry of Personnel's vermilion approval.

Following protocol, Zhu Yin took out a gold ingot weighing one or two ounces from his sleeve and said with a smile, "You've worked hard, Your Excellency."

This has been a rule for over a hundred years, called "road ticket." From the Meridian Gate to the Cloud Terrace, there are five palace gates in total. All foreign officials and noblewomen who wanted to enter the palace for an audience had to pay money to get through, hence the name "road ticket."

Can I not give it to you? Of course you can.

However, the gatekeeper on duty will deliberately make things difficult, not only conducting various checks but also intentionally leading you astray to places you shouldn't be.

Therefore, even a young upstart like Zhu Yin, who was famous throughout the land, could only obediently pay for his "travel ticket" and dared not offend these spineless palace officials.

"Have a safe journey, sir!" Upon receiving the gold, the official on duty at the Meridian Gate immediately beamed with joy, bowing and scraping as he waved for him to pass.

Four eunuchs serving in the Imperial Academy led the way, and Zhu Yin, following regulations, changed his ivory token to be tied to his waist and followed them step by step.

After crossing the Golden Water Bridge and arriving at the Imperial Gate, the palace guards checked the talisman again. Suddenly, they stuck a gilded magnet to his official hat and body, and only nodded when they saw that it did not stick.

Zhu Yin then took off his official hat and turned around to show that he was unarmed.

This is a method of testing iron with a magnet to check if the person entering the palace is carrying any iron weapons. Of course, if the person entering the palace is carrying bronze, gold, or silver items as weapons, it would be very difficult to conceal them.

After completing this procedure, Zhu Yin took out a "travel ticket" containing one or two gold ingots.

There are only two gates; there are three more that require "passes," which is like plucking feathers from a passing goose.

"Civil officials, enter from the west wing!" The eunuch's shrill voice rang out, leading Zhu Yin through the west wing.

Next, we passed through the Zhongji Gate and the Jianji Gate, and then through the three main halls before entering the even more heavily guarded Qianqing Gate.

This is what is called a gimbal.

In fact, the emperor should have summoned his ministers to the Wenhua Hall in the outer court, or the Jianji Hall, one of the three main halls, rather than to the Qianqing Palace.

Because the Qianqing Palace was both the inner palace and the emperor's sleeping quarters, it was rarely entered by officials from outside the palace.

However, because the emperor was lazy and did not want to leave the inner palace, he directly summoned Zhu Yin to the Qianqing Palace for an audience.

Just as Zhu Yin passed through the Qianqing Gate, he suddenly heard the eunuch leading the way shout, "A distinguished guest has arrived! Make way facing the wall!"

It turned out that a concubine was passing by. According to etiquette, when an official from outside the capital entered the palace to pay homage and encountered the carriage of an empress or concubine, he should step aside and face the palace wall to avoid it. Zhu Yin immediately turned to the side and stood facing the wall, hearing the tinkling footsteps as a group of palace maids glided past with their jingling ornaments. He didn't know which concubine it was; judging from the procession, she wasn't a noble consort, but rather an ordinary concubine.

Whoever it was, it certainly wasn't Consort Wang. Because Consort Wang was under house arrest in Jingyang Palace, a place akin to a cold palace; the emperor disliked her, and she had no right to be there.

Once the concubine had gone far away, Zhu Yin turned around and continued forward.

The palace gates were heavily guarded, and the halls were numerous, displaying the solemnity and grandeur of the imperial palace.

However, the absurdity of having to pay for "tickets" to connect the five palace gates reveals a kind of dark humor, like an absurd farce, which is completely out of place with the solemnity of the Forbidden City.

After being given one last ticket in gold, Zhu Yin was finally led to the magnificent Qianqing Palace.

The guards stood in rows before the Qianqing Gate, motionless like nails. The bronze tortoise spewed out water to mark the fifth quarter of noon, and the sundial had long since passed noon.

The imperial edict stated that the audience time was at 8:45 noon, which should be the time when the emperor woke up from his afternoon nap.

He arrived three-quarters of an hour early, which was actually just right. Because he had to arrive early; he could only wait for the emperor, not make the emperor wait for him.

“Zhu Shao Sima, please kneel here and wait for an audience,” said the supervisor of the Imperial Academy. “My grandfather is taking a nap. He will be able to see you when he wakes up.”

Zhu Yin took out a two-ounce gold ingot and discreetly slipped it to the supervisor, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, sir."

The supervisor skillfully collected the gold and said with a smile, "Mr. Zhihu, you are too kind. This servant does not deserve such praise."

Turning to the Fireman beside him, he said, "Are you blind? Bring Mr. Zhihu a brocade stool!"

The young eunuch acknowledged the order and quickly brought over a brocade stool, placing it on the ground.

The difference between kneeling here and waiting with and without a brocade cushion is vast.

Zhu Yin immediately knelt down at the third dragon-carved pillar on the east side of the platform, waiting for the emperor to wake up.

In the early years of the dynasty, those waiting outside the palace did not actually need to kneel. However, later on, unless they were ministers or senior officials who received special treatment, everyone was required to kneel outside the palace.

Immediately, the Vice Minister on duty at the Court of State Ceremonial came over with the "Record of Court Ceremonies" and whispered a reminder:

"Young Sima, today during the audience with His Majesty, the questioning and answering shall not exceed three-quarters of an hour, unless His Majesty requests that you stay. Does the Young Sima remember this?"

Zhu Yin nodded and said, "I'll remember that, Xie Shaoqing."

The Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies immediately recorded in the "Record of Court Ceremonies" that a certain person had an audience with His Majesty the Emperor at a certain time in a certain year.

However, Zhu Yin knelt for half an hour, until the sundial reached the second quarter of the hour of Wei (1-3 PM).

But the emperor still hasn't summoned him! It's been more than a quarter of an hour past the appointed time.

Even the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial was a bit dumbfounded.

"Has His Majesty not yet woken up?" the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies couldn't help but ask.

The chief supervisor said helplessly, "Grandpa is very busy with many affairs of state. He must be tired. He needs to sleep a little longer. Let's wait a bit longer."

Zhu Yin remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was furious.

Fuck you! I knelt for an hour! You bastard!
He looked up at the majestic Qianqing Palace, his gaze clouded with a leaden gray.

He knelt for a full quarter of an hour, his legs going numb, before he finally heard the supervisor say:
"Mr. Zhihu, please rise and come to the palace to pay your respects. Grandpa has woken up."

Suddenly, the clear sound of jade chimes came from inside the hall, and the twelve carved dragon doors of the hall opened one after another.

This was not to welcome Zhu Yin, but rather to open the palace gates as soon as the emperor woke up.

Zhu Yin stood up with some difficulty, and with his sore and numb legs, he climbed onto the cloud platform with some effort. Suddenly, he heard a few sneers.

He turned his head and saw two eunuchs dressed in python robes laughing in the corridor.

It was none other than Gao Huai and Gao Cai, who often served in the emperor's presence.

Zhu Yin glanced at Gao Huai with a cold look in his eyes, a sneer running through his mind.

This Gao Huai is about to go to Korea to supervise the army, but he still has this kind of petty and smug character. The emperor is giving such a person an important position, and the situation in the Korean War is extremely precarious!

As Zhu Yin stepped onto the platform, a palace attendant announced, "Summon Zhu Yin, Vice Minister of War, Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, and Imperial Envoy to Japan, to enter the palace for an audience—"

Upon entering the vast palace, they heard someone chanting in a drawn-out voice, "Come—"

Zhu Yin immediately bent down, cupped his hands between his chest and abdomen, and jogged forward to follow the guide, his eyes fixed on the polished floor covered with gold bricks.

At this time, you must not look up.

After passing a large pillar with a coiled dragon, they heard a jade chime ring out, and someone shouted, "Kneel—"

Following the etiquette taught by the Honglu Temple, Zhu Yin used the momentum of his steps to kneel down, his knees sliding a full three feet across the smooth ground.

This is the standard sliding kneeling motion. Nowadays, when entering the palace to kneel before the emperor, people often use the sliding kneeling motion to show respect.

After kneeling down, Zhu Yin then cupped his hands and pushed them up, then prostrated himself on the ground, placing his hands on the ground and then touching his head to his hands. This was the kowtow.

At the same time, he said, "Your subject Zhu Yin pays respects to Your Majesty the Emperor. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Having said that, he had completed the three bows.

Then he rested his head on his hands, his eyes fixed on the mirror-like ground. The ground reflected a young man's face, his expression sinister and his gaze cold.

Only Zhu Yin himself could see this reflection.

The ambergris in the Qianqing Palace, mixed with the sour smell of wine from the Western Regions, made people dizzy.

The surrounding curtains moved swiftly without wind, and the palace servants standing between the pillars and screens all looked at the renowned Mr. Zhihu with curiosity.

Most of them were thinking: Everyone says that Mr. Zhihu is the reincarnation of the God of Literature, but when this God of Literature enters the Qianqing Palace, doesn't he still have to pay great respects to the Emperor?
"Rise," a languid voice, as if just waking up, rang out.

Emperor Wanli leaned against a soft couch inlaid with lacquer and gold, while two young palace maids with their hair in double buns massaged his legs.

Newly arrived jacquard velvet opera costumes from Suzhou were scattered across the scarlet carpet, and gilded incense balls lay scattered everywhere. Clearly, the emperor had just enjoyed himself.

Intelligence indicates that the emperor has recently lost interest in the Hu women and has switched to female entertainers.

Half a month ago, after drinking, the emperor suddenly took a liking to a female opera singer and slept with her. The female officials of the Imperial Bedchamber were so flustered that they quickly made up the record and asked to be fined.

No wonder I knelt outside the palace for so long; it turns out that Emperor Baijin was practicing horseback archery in the Qianqing Palace in broad daylight!

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zhu Yin kowtowed again, then raised his face with a look of trepidation, clearly that of a gentle and humble subject.

Immediately, Zhu Yin carefully stood up, stood with his hands at his sides, his back slightly bent, and his head slightly lowered.

He couldn't look up at the emperor; he could only see the emperor's lower body, clearly noticing that the emperor's legs were thick and trembling slightly.

They say men who shake their legs are poor, and women who shake their legs are cheap. The emperor liked to shake his leg—was he poor? No wonder he loved money so much.

Found the answer.

Zhu Yin also saw many play scripts on the table, including "The Story of the Lute," which clearly showed he loved watching plays.

"Has Zhu Qing eaten?" the emperor suddenly asked, toying with a string of dzi beads presented as tribute by a Tibetan monk.

Zhu Yin never expected that the emperor's first question would be about this.

Are you going to treat me to a meal?
Zhu Yin answered honestly, "Your Majesty, I have come to the palace to pay my respects by imperial decree and have not yet had lunch."

However, the emperor's words were merely polite small talk. When Zhu Yin said he hadn't eaten, he didn't offer any refreshments and instead abruptly changed the subject:
"Zhu Qing is a child prodigy, and it's said he's the sixth reincarnation of the God of Literature?"

Zhu Yin adopted a cautious demeanor, staring at his feet as he said:
"Your Majesty, these are all just rumors and exaggerated praises circulating outside. I dare not accept such praise."

"That's not necessarily true. Raise your head." Wanli's voice was as if veiled by a layer of silk.

He made Zhu Yin raise his head, not so that Zhu Yin would look at him, but so that he could see Zhu Yin's face clearly.

This was the first time he had met Zhu Yin; he had never met him before.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhu Yin raised his head slightly, and only then could he see the emperor's face clearly.

I had seen it from afar before, but because of the distance, I could only get a general idea of ​​what it looked like.

This time, I saw it clearly!
What did the emperor actually look like?

P.S.: How does the Emperor look? Handsome? Thank you, goodnight!

(End of this chapter)