The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Chapter 91 Chaos in the Palace

Zhu Di nodded upon hearing this, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

"Your suggestion of banknotes has some merit, but the credibility of paper money in the private sector has already declined. How can we convince the people?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue's spirits lifted, and he quickly said, "Your Majesty, the key to this matter lies in anchoring the physical object!"

With the profits of Liulichang as collateral, the silver notes could be exchanged for silver at any time, supplemented by...

"Wait a minute." Zhu Di raised his hand to interrupt him, "The matter of silver notes and paper money cannot be explained in just a few words."

Tomorrow is the day for the daily lecture, so go back and prepare the procedures carefully. We will then discuss them in detail at the Wenhua Hall and have everyone review them thoroughly.

In the Ming Dynasty, both the Imperial Lectures and the Daily Lectures were lectures held before the emperor. The Imperial Lectures were national ceremonies, emphasizing "more admonitions than formal lectures," using the principles of classics and history to advise the monarch and cultivate his virtue. The Daily Lectures, on the other hand, had simpler ceremonies, were held daily in the Wenhua Hall, and focused more on daily studies and political consultations.

Lin Yue heard this and felt it was nothing. It didn't matter when he talked about it; it was just another excuse to delay.

Seeing him nod, Zhu Di changed the subject and started talking about other things.

"Another matter: Wang Qin, a retired commander of the Imperial Guard, recently filed a complaint against Sheng Yong, the Marquis of Licheng, alleging that he was secretly raising assassins and harboring resentment and treacherous intentions. What is your opinion on this?"

Lin Yue was surprised and couldn't understand why Zhu Di asked him about this, but he still answered truthfully.

"If Sheng Yong has truly committed any misconduct, he is undoubtedly a major threat. This matter concerns the safety of the nation and must be thoroughly investigated to the end, his associates must be brought to justice, and there must be absolutely no leniency!"

Sheng Yong was a former official of the Jianwen Emperor. He had repeatedly defeated the Yan army during the Jingnan Campaign. Although he had surrendered and resigned, he was still a thorn in Zhu Di's side.

When Zhu Di saw that Lin Yue was determined to punish him severely, he thought that Lin Yue understood his intention to crack down on dissidents.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Emperor Yongle's eyes, and he clapped his hands and laughed, "Well said!"

"What I desire is this decisive and impartial approach to handling affairs. Now that the position of Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture is vacant, I hereby appoint you as acting Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture to personally investigate this case thoroughly and bring the truth to light."

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Lin Yue readily accepted the order.

During Lin Yue's aimless conversation, the two discussed many things.

Before we knew it, it was getting dark outside the window, and we needed to light lamps to see inside the hall.

Lin Yue looked out the window, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, it is getting late and the palace gates will soon be locked. It would be inconvenient for me to leave the palace at this time. I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to stay in the side hall for the night."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di suddenly revealed a mocking smile.

He deliberately dragged out his words, speaking with great emotion.

"Minister Lin is indeed loyal to the country and devoted to its affairs, neglecting even his family for the sake of the nation! As the Emperor, how can I allow my trusted minister to be unable to return home at night?"

After saying this, Emperor Yongle raised his hand to summon a eunuch, took a gilded gold plaque engraved with the words "Free to enter and exit the palace," and handed it to Lin Yue.

"With this token, the palace guards shall not stop you. You may leave or stay as you please."

Lin Yue accepted the gold medal, but was speechless for a moment and could only remain silent.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Di laughed heartily and waved his hand.

"A true man should have ambitions beyond his hometown, but you are the opposite, spending all your time worrying about your children and their affections. You are truly ignorant!"

"Fine, take the gold medal and find the side hall yourself."

Lin Yue quickly bowed and expressed his gratitude: "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"

Clutching the gold medal, Lin Yue strode out of the main hall.

Who could resist a beautiful woman with a heart that embraces the world? Lin Yue, for one, certainly couldn't.

Not everyone is like Emperor Yongle, who ascended the throne at the age of 42 and never had another child, even being mocked by palace maids for his perceived impotence, a claim he could hardly clear. (Note follows)

Lin Yue followed the eunuch, walking briskly and trotting all the way to the side hall.

As soon as I stepped into the palace, I saw Kuai Yue looking through a medical book by the window.

Lin Yue stepped forward slowly: "Kuai Siyao, look what I brought you."

Kuai Yue looked up and saw him holding a black lacquered wooden box. Curiosity flashed in her eyes, and she put down her book and stood up: "What is this, Lord Lin?"

"Didn't I tell you about the microscope before? I recently made one for him." Lin Yue smiled and opened the wooden box.

He took out the utensils and placed them on the table.

"This is a microscope that can magnify tiny objects four hundred times. You can see bacteria in the water and the veins of plants clearly. It will definitely be of great benefit to your medical studies."

Kuai Yue's face lit up with joy as she stood before the microscope and asked, "Such a miraculous device exists? How do I use it?"

"I'll teach you." Lin Yue naturally stood behind her, wrapped his arms around her sides, and gently placed his hands on the back of her hands to adjust the height of the lens barrel and the angle of the reflector.

"Look, first place the slide, turn this knob to focus, then use petroleum tar to illuminate it, and you'll be able to see clearly."

Kuai Yue's cheeks flushed slightly, but she was drawn to the scene in the mirror. Following his instructions, she leaned over and looked down. She saw countless tiny objects swimming around in a drop of water on the table, and she couldn't help but gasp.

"Are there really tiny organisms like that? Are these the bacteria you're talking about?"

Lin Yue stood behind her, his palm slowly sliding down her body as she leaned forward. The millstone felt delicate and soft to the touch, making it irresistible.

Kuai Yue felt a fine shiver run through her body, her neck flushed crimson, and her breathing became rapid and her heart pounded. She tried to struggle slightly, but when that didn't work, she simply remained limp and motionless.

The candlelight flickered inside the hall, creating a romantic atmosphere that made the two of them reluctant to part.

Meanwhile, inside the West Palace, Zhu Di and Empress Xu were sitting idly by the window, with newly harvested pre-rain tea laid out on the table.

Zhu Di took a sip and smiled at Empress Xu, saying, "Miaoyun, do you know that Lin Yue is truly a remarkable person?"

(Like Empress Ma, Empress Xu's full name is not recorded; here we assume she was Xu Miaoyun.)

Empress Xu picked up her teacup, smiled slightly, and asked, "Is Your Majesty referring to Scholar Lin, who has repeatedly offered ingenious strategies? What extraordinary feat has he accomplished this time?"

"I'm talking about him." Zhu Di put down his teacup, his tone carrying a hint of approval.

"This man is exceptionally talented, skilled in glassmaking and machinery manufacturing. He even dares to privately punish foreign envoys, and is extremely arrogant."

I originally thought that such an unruly person would be the most difficult to subdue, but who knew that he would value affection for his children so much, and be so preoccupied with sending things to Kuai Siyao.

.

Upon hearing this, Empress Xu was about to reply when she suddenly frowned, feeling dizzy and her vision seemed to spin. Her cheeks flushed instantly.

Her hand holding the teacup trembled slightly, her body swayed, and she collapsed onto the table.

"Miaoyun! Miaoyun, what's wrong with you?" Zhu Di was shocked and quickly got up to help her. Seeing that her face was flushed and her breathing was rapid, he panicked and shouted sternly to the outside.

"Summon the imperial physicians immediately! Summon the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy to the palace at once!"

Upon hearing the commotion, the eunuchs and palace maids outside the palace were thrown into chaos and rushed to summon the imperial physician.

Zhu Di held Empress Xu's hand tightly. Seeing that she was dizzy and sweating, he was extremely anxious and urged her again and again.

"Quickly summon the imperial physician and bring Dai Sigong here."

Chaos erupted in the palace, with everyone making a racket, the noise reaching even the distant palace gardens.

Lin Yue and Kuai Yue, who were in the side hall, were immersed in the wonderful world of medicine when they suddenly heard urgent calls coming from afar, which included words such as "Imperial Physician" and "Empress". Both of them were startled.

Lin Yue was the first to react, her expression grave: "Something urgent must have happened in the palace. Could it be that the Empress has fallen seriously ill?"

Kuai Yue also suppressed her smile and listened intently.

The two exchanged a glance, and the romantic atmosphere from before vanished instantly.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yue, who was always bold and lawless, simply walked directly out of the hall.

"I'll go check on the situation. You wait here."

Having said that, he rushed out of the side hall amidst Kuai Yue's greatly shocked gaze.

Night had fallen, and lanterns flickered along the palace path. Lin Yue, dressed in the everyday clothes of a civil official, walked briskly alone in the Forbidden City without any eunuchs to guide him or any personal guards to accompany him. He was extremely conspicuous.

Before long, a young eunuch noticed his strange behavior and rushed to report to the guards on night duty.

Before long, a group of Imperial Guards arrived, led by Liu Zhong, the Right Commander of the Imperial Guards, who was wearing a robe with a unicorn emblem and a sword at his waist.

This Liu Zhong was none other than the Jinyiwei commander who had accompanied Lin Yue on his investigation trip to Jiangnan. He was favored by Zhu Di for his competence and was promoted to the position of commander of the Twelve Imperial Guards, in charge of the Right Guard of the Feathered Forest Guard, responsible for guarding the western side of the imperial city and patrolling the capital. He could be considered a trusted confidant of the emperor.

Liu Zhong frowned as he sized up Lin Yue, who was surrounded by soldiers, and asked in a stern tone, "Scholar Lin? What are you doing wandering around here in the dead of night?"

Surrounded in the middle, Lin Yue remained calm and took out a gilded gold medal from his pocket, showing it to Liu Zhong.

"This is a golden token bestowed by His Majesty upon the palace, granting free access. Hasn't Liu, the Signatory, seen it before? Oh, no, it should be Commander Liu now."

He tapped the gold medal and asked in return, "Just now, there were urgent calls from the palace, urging for the imperial physician. What exactly happened?"

Liu Zhong glanced at the gold medal, his expression unchanged, but he shook his head and remained silent.

Palace secrets should not be spread lightly. If he revealed them in public, he would surely lose his head.

Seeing that Liu Zhong was still uncooperative as always, Lin Yue began to take initiative.

He glanced at the crowd, ignored the soldiers' attempts to stop him, and sprinted towards the Qianqing Palace.

Forget about this and that, just go find Zhu Di, that's the right thing to do.

"Halt!" Liu Zhong exclaimed in alarm, immediately ordering, "Take him down!"

The Imperial Guards rushed forward and subdued him in an instant, but Lin Yue struggled to resist.

This time, Liu Zhong had learned his lesson. He knew that Lin Yue was a silver-tongued man, so instead of arguing and getting entangled with him, it was better to take direct action.

He waved his hand coldly and spoke of Ji Gang's advanced experience.

"Guards, tie Scholar Lin up and take him away!"

The soldiers immediately took ropes and tied Lin Yue's hands tightly behind his back. No matter how much he struggled and cursed, they ignored him and led him out of the palace.

Just as they reached the outside of Chengtian Gate, they heard a rapid clatter of hooves approaching.

In the darkness of night, a troop of imperial guards, mounted on horseback, escorted a man at high speed.

Lin Yue had excellent eyesight and recognized Zhu Di at a glance, and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Your Majesty! I am here. What has happened in the palace?"

"With my sincere heart, I am determined to share Your Majesty's burdens."

There was nothing Lin Yue wouldn't dare to do in this world. If he hadn't had to die for his country, he would have shown Zhu Di what a "ghost hand" was.

Zhu Di was extremely anxious when he suddenly saw a group of people blocking the main road. He was instantly enraged and shouted, "Who dares to stop me? Get out of the way!"

Upon seeing that the one bound was Lin Yue, she was even more enraged and pointed at him, cursing, "You, Lin Yue! I gave you the gold medal so that you could carry out your duties more easily, not so that you could act recklessly in the palace and roam around at night!"

How dare you be so arrogant, so utterly lawless!

He roared at Liu Zhong, "Get this brat away right now! Get out of the main road and don't block my way out of the palace!"

Liu Zhong quickly agreed, then reached out and covered Lin Yue's mouth, dragging him toward the side path.

As Zhu Di watched Lin Yue being dragged away, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Lin Yue is a very knowledgeable young man who has even created a microscope. Perhaps he also knows some unorthodox medical techniques?

The Yongle Emperor abruptly pulled on the reins and shouted, "Wait! Lin Yue, I ask you, are you proficient in medicine?"

At this point, Zhu Di was completely panicked.

Dai Sigong, the Imperial Physician, is nearly eighty years old and does not usually reside in the palace. Even if he is summoned overnight, it will probably be difficult for him to enter the palace in a short time.

Other imperial physicians, such as Han Shuang and Jiang Yongwen, were all renowned doctors of their time, but they were no match for Empress Xu's sudden illness of "dizziness and red eyes."

He was helpless to treat the empress's "chest pain" and could only watch as her condition worsened.

Zhu Di had no other choice but to desperately seek help from Lin Yue, this eccentric and unpredictable man, hoping that he could provide him with some assistance.

Liu Zhong was taken aback upon hearing this and subconsciously released his hand from covering Lin Yue's mouth.

Lin Yue took a breath, his mind racing, and then said loudly and shamelessly, "Your Majesty! How could I be anything but a little novice?"

"In the field of medicine, I am extremely proficient. From the most difficult and complex diseases to the smallest lesions, I can diagnose and treat them all!"

"Good, excellent!" Zhu Di exclaimed with delight upon hearing this, as if he had found a treasure.

"Quickly, untie Lin Aiqing!"

The Imperial Guards dared not delay and immediately untied the bonds.

Zhu Di rode forward and showered Lin Yue with rapid praise.

"As expected, Minister Lin has lived up to my expectations. He stepped forward at the critical moment and is truly my pillar of support!"

The Empress is now gravely ill; you must go and treat her immediately. A great reward awaits you upon your success!

After saying this, Zhu Di waved his hand, and Lin Yue was quickly sent to the West Palace by two eunuchs on horseback.

After seeing Lin Yue off, Zhu Di whispered to his trusted eunuch, "Quickly go to the side hall and find Kuai Si's pharmacopoeia. Have her bring that microscope along as well! There's no time to lose!"

Zhu Di has been doing everything in his power, and the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital are helpless. Lin Yue is currently the only hope.

He didn't understand how microscopes were used in medicine, but since he had heard that it was the latest medical instrument created by Lin Yue, he thought that the more prepared he was, the more hope he would have. Regardless of whether it was useful or not, he brought it with him first.

The sound of horses' hooves was like drums all the way. As soon as we stepped into the West Palace gate, we felt an astonishingly oppressive silence in the palace.

Upon learning from Zhu Di that the seriously ill person was Empress Xu, Lin Yue was initially somewhat surprised, but quickly recovered.

.

For him, curing Empress Xu would surely make Zhu Di trust and rely on him even more, and his authority would definitely increase greatly when he went on missions to Korea and to conquer cannibal tribes in Liaodong. This was a great thing.

Even if he can't be cured, at worst he'll be beheaded, which would be considered dying for the country, a great thing.

Moreover, Lin Yue remembered that Empress Xu did not die until the fifth year of the Yongle reign in history. This was just a false alarm and there was no danger to her life. Even if he, a quack doctor, were to take action, he would not kill anyone.

As a result, not long after he stepped into the inner hall, he caught sight of Kuai Yue being led in by a palace attendant.

Kuai Yue's palace attire was disheveled, and her face was deathly pale. She was clearly terrified after learning that she was to treat Empress Xu.

Lin Yue immediately regretted his actions. If he accidentally killed Empress Xu, Zhu Di might be furious and kill Kuai Yue as well.

After all, they had been husband and wife for only a few days, so there was still some gratitude between them.

No, Empress Xu cannot die; we must do everything we can to save her!

For reasons that are well known, Lin Yue himself is not afraid of death, but he does not want Kuai Yue to die for this reason.

Kuai Yue was innocently dragged into this. If he lost his life because of his reckless words, he would feel guilty. After all, he wasn't a bad person and his values ​​were quite upright.

>