Di Ming

Chapter 429 The Crown Prince oversees the state, and the Zheng family acts as regents!
Consort Zheng was extremely anxious and in a dilemma when several imperial physicians arrived together, looking distressed.

These imperial physicians were, in name only, top-notch medical officers from the Imperial Medical Academy. However, in the Ming Dynasty, where "all other professions were inferior, only studying was superior," these technical officials were considered "fake" with very little real power and were not actually regarded as true officials.

"You've come at the perfect time!" Consort Zheng said with a frosty expression. "No need for formalities, get straight to the point. Tell me honestly, what will His Majesty do if he hears really bad news?"

"Don't hide anything, don't be shy, I want to hear the truth!"

Several imperial physicians knelt tremblingly on the platform, one of them reporting in a panic:

"Your Highness, we have examined His Majesty several times recently. His pulse is wiry and rapid, and his radial artery pulse is like a newly taut bowstring. This is a critical sign of liver and kidney yin deficiency and wind-yang overacting. If he were to suffer further anger, we fear he might become paralyzed at best, and die at worst..."

Another old imperial physician said, "Your Majesty's feet are weak and unsteady, and his tongue is crimson and trembling slightly, indicating that blood and qi are rushing upwards. This is a sign of a major stroke... Remember to avoid anger, for anger will bring great misfortune!"

The third old physician said, "In our consultation, His Majesty is most averse to anger and worry. The best medicine right now is nothing more than calming the mind, taking walks, and resting. His Majesty's health is severely compromised, and his blood and qi are stagnant. He should not remain in the palace for many years."

"We suggest that Your Majesty should refrain from interfering in state affairs for the time being, and instead follow the example of Emperor Shizong, go to the Western Garden to recuperate, spend an hour outdoors every day, bask in the sun, look at the flowers and trees, and fish and shrimp. That would be the best course of action."

Consort Zheng thought for a moment, seemingly having made up her mind. Now that things had come to this, she had no better choice.

For the sake of His Majesty's health, we can only keep it from him for now.

Otherwise, what would happen to her and her son if something really happened to the Emperor? The people of the world were already dissatisfied with Chang Xun as the Crown Prince. If the thirteen-year-old Chang Xun were to ascend the throne, how could he maintain order? Who knows how many people would defect to Nanjing, and how many more provinces would support that damned Zhu Changluo!
Your Majesty must not be harmed!

She handed the report to Gao Cai and said, "Go to the cabinet and tell the ministers and chancellors that these important military matters should be handled jointly by the Directorate of Ceremonial and the cabinet, and the emperor should not be alarmed for the time being."

"We will obey Your Majesty's decree!" Gao Cai knew that the matter was of great importance and that his grandfather could not be informed for the time being. Otherwise, if his grandfather were to die in anger, what would they do?
Consort Zheng did not enter Qianqing Palace again, but said to several imperial physicians, "You will come with me to Cining Palace and Ciqing Palace to see the two empress dowagers!"

She couldn't make the decision on her own; she needed the two empress dowagers to come forward together.

Consort Zheng first went to Cining Palace and then went directly to the Buddhist hall to pay her respects to Empress Dowager Li.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty! May Your Majesty be blessed with ten thousand years of happiness and peace!" Consort Zheng was unusually attentive today.

"This is not the time for greetings, is it? Why come to see this old woman at this time?" Empress Dowager Li opened her eyes calmly, fiddling with her prayer beads, like an ordinary old lady from a wealthy family.

Her gaze sharpened immediately. "Has something bad happened again?"

Empress Dowager Li was a shrewd and experienced woman, and she immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Although she was the Empress Dowager, she had devoted herself to vegetarianism and Buddhist chanting for years, detached from worldly affairs. Moreover, Zheng Shi was extremely powerful, becoming the de facto ruler of the harem, to which even the Empress Dowager had to give way.

But today, Zheng came to visit me with excessive deference. Something is amiss.

Consort Zheng took a deep breath and forced a smile, saying, "Your Majesty is the Bodhisattva Guanyin incarnate. The Buddha Mother is all-encompassing and will not even blink if the sky falls. That is why I have come to Cining Palace to ask Your Majesty for a decision."

After speaking, he handed over the memorial in his hand, saying, "Please take a look, Your Majesty."

Empress Dowager Li put on her ceremonial hat, took the report, and examined it carefully. Her expression slowly changed, becoming one of indescribable astonishment and gloom.

Even Consort Zheng felt a little nervous when she saw the Empress Dowager's expression.

"How did things get like this?" Empress Dowager Li's tone was relatively calm, but her tinted eyes contained endless fear and anger.

"Five provinces have joined the rebellion..." Empress Dowager Li's originally kind and gentle appearance turned cold and stern. "How can this be allowed? I thought it was just Nanjing, but I didn't expect it to become such a force so quickly."

"Emperor, oh Emperor, how did you manage to turn the country into this state? It's a division between North and South... Jiangnan is gone, what will happen to our money and grain?"

She took off her shawl, her eyes already filled with tears, "You are a sinner against our ancestors!"

"You shouldn't have deposed the eldest son in favor of the younger one. Since you disregarded the officials, you should have gone all the way and simply ordered the death of Consort Gong and her son. But you not only deposed the eldest son in favor of the younger one, but also sent Changluo to his fiefdom. This is a grave mistake!"

"And then there's that traitor Zhu Yin. Either don't touch him, so he doesn't leave a bad reputation like 'discarding the bow after the birds are shot down' or 'not rewarding merit.' Or go all the way and kill him. But you! You let him become a county magistrate!"

Upon hearing this, Consort Zheng couldn't help but burst into tears. "Mother, things have come to this point. All the blame lies with me. Please don't upset yourself. Now that things have come to this, I need you to make a decision."

"I want to inform Your Majesty that this report is so terrible that I dare not let the Emperor know. It was about to be presented to His Majesty, but I stopped it."

Empress Dowager Li's worry deepened. "The Emperor doesn't know yet... I'm afraid his body won't be able to withstand it?"

Consort Zheng said, "The imperial physicians who are treating His Majesty are outside. I will call them in, and Your Majesty will know as soon as you ask."

The Empress Dowager's heart skipped a beat, and she said dryly, "Summon her."

Several senior imperial physicians then entered the Cining Palace, knelt on the ground, and reported to the Empress Dowager one by one, all conveying similar messages: the Emperor is most susceptible to anger and worry; at best, it can lead to paralysis, and at worst, death. For now, the only option is to suspend state affairs and allow him to recuperate in the Western Garden for three years before his condition can improve.

They are all veteran experts from the Imperial Medical Academy; if they all say so, then it must be true.

The Empress Dowager grew increasingly frightened as she listened, and couldn't help but shed tears, saying, "Alas, the late Emperor only lived to be thirty-six years old, and the current Emperor is thirty-five this year, and will be thirty-six next year... The late Emperor was too fond of wine and women, and his son is the same. I have advised him so many times, saying that women are like knives and aphrodisiacs are like poison, but he will not listen."

Consort Zheng waved for the imperial physicians to leave, and said tearfully, "Your Majesty, I am in a terrible predicament. This is such a momentous matter, concerning the fate of the nation; how could I dare to conceal it from you? But if Your Majesty were to find out, what if Your Majesty…"

Empress Dowager Li closed her eyes in anguish. "I am already over fifty years old, and you won't even let me rest in peace. If this continues, how can I face the late Emperor? How can I face the ancestors of the Zhu family?"

"At present, the only option is for the Crown Prince to oversee the country. You, as the Crown Prince's mother, will make decisions behind the scenes, working with the Cabinet and the Directorate of Ceremonial to control major affairs. The Crown Prince will be in front, you behind, the Cabinet on the left, and the Directorate of Ceremonial on the right."

“You and your son are one, and you can represent the emperor as regent.”

"As for His Majesty, nothing is more important than the health of the Emperor. It is absolutely unacceptable for anything to happen to him at this critical juncture. His Majesty can only temporarily go to the Western Garden to recuperate and should no longer concern himself with state affairs. He is only allowed to report good news and not bad news."

Consort Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right. This is also what I thought. I'm sure the Grand Secretariat and the Nine Ministers agree with it."

Empress Dowager Li sighed, "Things have come to this point. What can we do if the cabinet and the nine ministers disagree? The crown prince is young and has no prestige. His position as heir apparent is already met with discontent in the court and among the people. There's nothing we can do."

“This matter still requires the support of the Cining Palace. With the two empress dowagers and you joining forces, the three of us women can surely persuade the Emperor to go to the West Garden for quiet recuperation.”

After saying this, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law left Cining Palace together and went to Ciqing Palace to see the emperor's stepmother, Empress Dowager Chen.

Empress Dowager Chen had been ill for several months and was on the verge of death, so Empress Dowager Li had no choice but to take the initiative to visit her at Cining Palace.

When the two arrived at Cining Palace, they saw the frail and sickly Empress Dowager Chen personally embroidering a Dharani Sutra quilt.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty..." Consort Zheng bowed from a distance of more than ten feet, as if afraid of catching the illness. "Is Your Majesty feeling any better?"

“Elder sister.” Empress Dowager Li stepped forward and sat down in front of Empress Dowager Chen’s bed. “Something terrible has happened.”

She handed over the report, looking at Empress Dowager Chen with a worried expression, truly afraid that Empress Dowager Chen would simply pass away after learning about it.

"My sister looks so pale, what happened?" When Empress Dowager Chen saw Empress Dowager Li's appearance, her heart jumped into her throat.

She had known Empress Dowager Li for nearly forty years and rarely saw her like this. Even when the late emperor passed away, her expression was not solemn.

Empress Dowager Chen picked up the report, stared at it blankly for a while, then her face suddenly flushed red, then turned deathly pale, and a layer of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

"Elder sister..." Empress Dowager Li grasped her hand, "Don't be so anxious! The sky won't fall. The Emperor doesn't know yet, but the imperial physician said that the Emperor must not get angry again..."

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Chen coughed violently, her face streaked with tears.

"How did it come to this... the ancestral land... how can I face the late emperor... Heaven!"

"This is no longer a puppet dynasty, it's turning into a Southern dynasty! The Ming Dynasty is now divided between North and South, with father and son standing side by side!"

At this point, he couldn't help but feel a sweet taste in his throat, and with a "pfft," he spat out a mouthful of blood, leaving the sutra covered in blood.

"Older sister!"

"Mother!"

"Send it to the doctor quickly!"

Empress Dowager Chen waved her hand, her gaze like a flame about to be extinguished, "No need to summon the imperial physician. We know our own affairs. I am not going to make it. I am going to meet the late Emperor in the afterlife. My dear sister, I'm sorry, I must go first."

"But before going to see the late emperor, there are two things that need to be done first."

"First, please ask the Emperor to go to the Western Garden to recuperate. The Emperor does not need to attend to state affairs, but the world must know that the Emperor is fine! The Emperor is still the Emperor! The Emperor is just devoutly meditating. This pillar of the nation must not be harmed."

"The Crown Prince must shoulder the heavy responsibility of overseeing the country, and the Crown Prince's mother must take charge of major affairs and make decisions on behalf of the Grand Secretariat and the Directorate of Ceremonial."

"The second most important thing is money!"

Empress Dowager Chen coughed a few times and continued, "I've heard that the national treasury is empty, and the Emperor is unwilling to use the imperial treasury, yet he wants to increase taxes on military campaigns. Given the current situation, can he really increase taxes?"

Empress Dowager Li looked bitter. "The puppet regime has already gained power. How can we impose additional taxes to suppress it? Wouldn't that force the people to join the rebellion? Wouldn't that be like drinking poison to quench thirst?"

Empress Dowager Chen nodded. "My sister is right. The puppet dynasty has already seized the capital and five provinces. The entire south might join the rebellion. If we impose further taxes to suppress them, we'll be pushing the people's hearts southward—that's absolutely unacceptable." "But without money, how will we recruit a new army? Without a new army, how can we suppress the puppet dynasty? We can't exactly send the elite troops from the nine border regions south, can we? Otherwise, once the Mongols come in, they'll march on Beijing and wipe us out!"

"What if we run out of money? Use the imperial treasury! If the emperor is reluctant to spend it, we'll use it secretly without telling him! As long as we don't tell the emperor, he won't know if we use the money from the imperial treasury. Once the situation is stable and the south is pacified, we can use the spoils to replenish the imperial treasury."

"Since I won't live much longer anyway, I'll just write an imperial edict to use the imperial treasury! When the emperor finds out, you can pin the blame on me. The emperor is a filial son, so he probably won't hold it against his deceased stepmother..."

Empress Dowager Li choked back tears, saying, "Elder sister, you..."

Empress Dowager Chen said, “I have over 500,000 taels of silver in my private treasury, which was originally intended for my maternal family. Now, let’s hand it over to the national treasury. My sister, Zheng, silver is a small matter, but the nation is of utmost importance. You must not be stingy with the money right now.”

Consort Zheng said with tears in her eyes, "What the Empress Dowager says is true. Zheng is willing to give 500,000 taels to the national treasury."

"But there's still the Qing rebels in the west. What if all the money is spent and both sides are still not pacified?"

"The money's all spent?" Empress Dowager Li's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "First, use the imperial treasury to pay for the soldiers' wages and supplies. With enough money and provisions, the soldiers will naturally be willing to die for the court. When the money runs out, with troops in hand, can't we just rob them?"

"Whom should we rob?" Consort Zheng was taken aback.

Empress Dowager Li coldly said, "Whom should we rob? Naturally, we should rob whoever has money and grain! It's useless to rob the common people who have no money or grain; it will only force them to join the rebellion."

Empress Dowager Chen looked at Zheng Shi and said, "When the money runs out and we can't collect any more, we can't just wait for the south or west to attack Beijing, can we? Of course we can't just sit and wait to die. When it comes to that, who cares about anything else? Naturally, whoever has money will be made to pay. If they don't pay, they'll be killed! If we're really pushed to that point, with a knife in hand, we won't be afraid of running out of money."

Empress Dowager Li gritted her teeth and said, "Southern soldiers are not as good as northern soldiers. As long as there is money and food, we can have all the elite troops in the north! Once the imperial treasury is spent, we will not be able to take care of the wealthy and powerful."

Empress Dowager Chen struggled to her feet. “Let’s go to the Qianqing Palace to see the Emperor! Don’t tell the Emperor the bad news from the south. Only report good news, not bad. Let’s agree on a story: Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces have been ordered to advance on Nanjing.”

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, along with several imperial physicians, arrived at the Qianqing Palace. Such a grand procession astonished even Emperor Wanli, who was watching the opera.

Why did the two empress dowagers and the lady arrive together, and with so many imperial physicians?
Wanli could only stand up lazily, bow and say, "Your subject greets Your Majesty, may both Your Majesties enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

"Your Majesty," Empress Dowager Chen insisted, "more than one imperial physician has reported that Your Majesty's health is severely compromised and that you must go to the Western Garden to recuperate for two years, and you must no longer concern yourself with state affairs. The Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain also told me that Your Majesty's 36th birthday is a critical age, and you must be extremely cautious. The late Emperor also only lived to the age of 36, and I am very worried."

Empress Dowager Li stated unequivocally, “Your Majesty, the imperial physicians and the Heavenly Master are both correct. You cannot attend to state affairs for the time being. For the sake of your health, you must recuperate in the Western Garden for two years. Let the Crown Prince oversee the affairs of state, while the Zheng family manages everything behind the scenes. You should be at ease.”

Consort Zheng stepped forward to support Wanli, her eyes brimming with tears, and said, "My husband fainted last time, and has almost fainted several times since then. I have been living in fear every day, and now even the two empresses are worried. Please, my husband, go to the West Garden to recuperate for two years. Your health is of utmost importance."

Emperor Wanli did not expect that the three women coming to the Qianqing Palace together meant that he should no longer concern himself with state affairs and should temporarily go to the Xiyuan Garden to recuperate.

He was also very afraid of death, and when he heard what the three of them said, his first concern was about his own lifespan.

My father only lived to be thirty-six!
And he's thirty-five this year!

The emperor felt a chill run down his spine and looked at the imperial physicians, asking, "Is my illness really that serious?"

Several imperial physicians knelt down together, "Your Majesty, your health is currently in grave danger. It is truly unwise for you to continue to worry about your court officials. We beg Your Majesty to rest..."

Empress Dowager Li stamped her foot and said, "The Celestial Master said that only by going to the West Garden to recuperate and temporarily refraining from important matters can you avert disaster!"

"Your Majesty, please go to the Western Garden today and issue an edict appointing the Crown Prince as regent. Otherwise, I will be too worried to sleep at night."

"Your Majesty," Empress Dowager Chen said solemnly, "go to the Western Garden to recuperate immediately. It's not too late to return to the Qianqing Palace after two years when your health has recovered. As for important state affairs, with Consort Zheng, the Crown Prince, the Grand Secretariat, and the Directorate of Ceremonial, there will be no problem. You can live like an immortal for two years."

The emperor thought for a moment, and finally, his desire to save his life prevailed, and he said:
"Very well, I will issue an edict to appoint the Crown Prince as regent, with the Lady in charge of important matters. I will go to the Western Garden to recuperate for two years."

"However, you must still let me know about news from the south and the west."

Consort Zheng breathed a sigh of relief and forced a smile, saying, "Of course, any further news will surely be good news. Once Qi Jiguang marches south, Nanjing can be destroyed in the blink of an eye."

Wanli was relieved. "Alright, let's do it that way. You and the Crown Prince should visit me at the Western Garden often. I'll leave the administration of the court to you."

"And also, my imperial treasury..."

Consort Zheng said, "My lord, rest assured, the Empress Dowager and I will keep a close eye on the imperial treasury. The accounts will be checked once a month."

Emperor Wanli shook his head and said, "No, the accounts must be checked twice a month. Once at the beginning of the month and once in the middle of the month."

Consort Zheng could only nod and say, "Alright, then twice a month."

Emperor Wanli, unaware of the bad news from the south, casually remarked, "My lady, perhaps one day I'll have a sudden urge to personally inspect the Imperial Warehouse."

Consort Zheng felt bitter inside, but could only force a smile and say, "My husband can come and see anytime he wants; the accounts are infallible."

Empress Dowager Li said angrily, "Alright, stop joking around, hurry up and go to the West Garden, the sooner the better."

Emperor Wanli immediately issued an edict, under the pretext of resting and praying for blessings at the Western Garden, to move the emperor's residence to the Western Garden, allowing the Crown Prince to temporarily oversee the state affairs while Empress Zheng served as regent in the inner palace.

When the news spread, all the officials knew what was going on.

The cabinet, on the contrary, breathed a sigh of relief. Right now, it was most appropriate for the emperor to go to the Western Garden. Otherwise, if the emperor were to die in a fit of rage and the crown prince were to ascend the throne, the situation would become even more complicated.

Upon receiving the imperial edict, the emperor departed from the Qianqing Palace and headed to the Xiyuan Garden.

The thirteen-year-old Crown Prince Zhu Changxun began to oversee the state.

The first thing Zheng did was to secretly allocate three million taels of the imperial treasury to replenish military funds, without the emperor's knowledge while he was at the Western Garden.

Then, another five million taels of silver were allocated from the imperial treasury to recruit 100,000 brave men from Shanxi, Shaanxi, Zhili, and Shandong to form the Loyal and Brave Battalion.

She promoted her "younger brother" Zheng Guowang to Vice Minister of War and Imperial Commissioner for Military Training in Shaanxi, Zhili, Shandong, and Henan, responsible for selecting and training elite troops.

The greatest advantage of the Northern Dynasties was its manpower. At least, that was the view of the rulers and ministers of the Northern Dynasties.

They then dispatched envoys to the Mongol tribes, the Jurchen tribes, and Goryeo. The Northern Dynasties unanimously agreed that it was essential to appease the northern barbarians, especially the Mongol tribes. They also sought to establish contact with Goryeo. Having been restored to power for several years, Goryeo's grain production had recovered considerably, and it had enjoyed two exceptionally bumper harvests in two years. They could provide the court with a batch of grain; one million shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain was not out of their reach.

At this critical moment, for the sake of her son's throne and to defeat Zhu Changluo's Southern Dynasty as soon as possible, Lady Zheng showed a much more decisive approach than Emperor Wanli! She was also not as concerned about saving face as Emperor Wanli, and even sent people to ask Goryeo for grain!

The Northern Dynasty, which was in a state of panic after receiving the bad news, was greatly encouraged by the eight million taels of silver from the imperial treasury, and the people's hearts were immediately calmed down.

...

Before long, it was August. Emperor Wanli of Xiyuan was worried and couldn't help but send someone to inquire about news from the south and the west.

What he didn't know was that by August, the Southern Dynasty already had one capital and six provinces.

Guangxi Province has been added!

But as of today, the information he has is still from early July: the traitors only have Nanjing! They haven't even taken over the surrounding prefectures like Suzhou and Songjiang.

Isn't this just like being trapped in an isolated city? A rabbit's tail can't grow long.

When Gao Cai went to the former court, he received only bad news: "Guangxi Province has sided with the rebels, and Chongqing Prefecture has also sided with the rebels. Many tax supervisors have been arrested by local officials and sent to Nanjing in prison."

Zheng instructed Gao Cai: Under no circumstances should you tell the emperor the truth. Just say that the rebel army is still besieging Nanjing, and no province has submitted to the rebellion. It is only because Nanjing is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the rebel army has tens of thousands of troops under its control, while the southern provinces are weak, that they have been unable to take it.

Gao Cai reluctantly went to the West Garden to report to Wanli, but could only pretend to be happy and lie to cover it up.

Emperor Wanli was fishing when he heard the news. He was overjoyed, took a big drag on his steroids, and laughed heartily.
"As expected, they are traitors and rebels, who have lost the support of the people and are powerless! What did I say? The Yin and Xin rebels are extremely rebellious, and all they can do is occupy Nanjing. Even the prefectures of Suzhou and Songjiang are unwilling to submit to them. How long can they hold out?"

"Although Nanjing is a major city with abundant resources and prosperous people, they are trapped in an isolated city and cannot hold out for more than half a year!"

"The moment Qi Jiguang's army arrives, the city will fall!"

Gao Cai tried his best to feign joy, "Grandpa is the true Emperor of Ming. No matter how capable your rebellious son is, he can't turn the world upside down. How can Sun Wukong escape the Buddha's palm?"

Wanli nodded, "Tell Qi Jiguang that once Nanjing falls, he should try his best to capture Zhu Yin's family alive and bring them to Beijing to be executed by slow slicing!"

Just then, the fishing rod next to us suddenly moved.

Wanli quickly put down his opium pipe, picked up his fishing rod, and cast it!
With a "thud," a carp crashed to the ground, struggling on its own.

"Hahaha!" Wanli laughed heartily. "This carp is Zhu Yin. Let's see how you struggle! You want to leap over the Dragon Gate, but you've still fallen into my hands!"

When Gao Cai and the others saw the fish on the ground, although they showered them with flattery, they felt extremely bitter inside.

They discovered that at that moment, Grandpa was smiling like a child!

...

P.S.: Many readers speculated that the Money-Worshipping Emperor would be paralyzed from anger, but little did they know it was a trap I set. The Money-Worshipping Emperor won't be paralyzed from anger for now, but he's been trapped in an information cocoon, haha. Thank you for your support, goodnight, please vote and leave a review!
(End of this chapter)