The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the Carpenter Prince!

Three days after the investiture, the list of rewards was sent to the Crown Prince's palace.

Emperor Taichang used silver from the imperial treasury to reward the six palaces. The investiture of the heir was a joyous occasion, and everyone, from top to bottom, benefited. The list was drawn up by the Directorate of Ceremonial, and silver was distributed to each palace and hall according to rank, with every palace maid and woman receiving a share.

Wang An delivered it personally, placing it on the table and patting it.

"Your Highness, please take a look."

Zhu Youxiao opened it. The Crown Prince's share of the reward was two hundred taels of silver, and the reward for the eunuchs and palace maids was calculated separately, along with a certain amount of colored silk.

He turned to the last page and glanced at the actual call count.

One hundred and twenty taels.

Zhu Youxiao turned back to the previous page, which read 200 taels. He then turned to the last page, which read 120 taels.

My finger paused for a moment between the two numbers.

"What about the Qianqing Palace?"

Wang An's expression turned slightly sour. "Full amount."

No need to ask anymore.

Emperor Taichang resided in the Qianqing Palace, and no one dared to reduce his allowance. Even Consort Li's food, lodging, and clothing all came from the emperor's and his concubines' accounts, without any reduction.

The Crown Prince's Palace received a 60% discount, while the Qianqing Palace received the full amount. The missing eighty taels wasn't a matter of whether the Taicang silver was tight or not, but rather a matter of whose hands it passed through.

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs allocates the silver, which is then distributed by the Imperial Treasury, passing through the Qianqing Palace in between.

Li Xuanshi's hand.

There is no Empress in the Qianqing Palace. Empress Xiaoduan passed away this April, and her coffin is still lying in state, not yet buried in the mausoleum. The Crown Princess Guo, wife of Emperor Taichang, passed away seven years ago, and Consort Wang, the birth mother of Zhu Youxiao, also died last year. She went blind in the Jingyang Palace and only saw the Crown Prince once before she died.

When Emperor Taichang moved into the Qianqing Palace, he didn't even have a proper concubine to manage his household affairs. His daily needs, such as food, clothing, and the dispatch of eunuchs and maids, all needed to be taken care of. When Consort Li moved in with the Eighth Princess, she conveniently took over this whole responsibility.

The eunuchs didn't care about rank, they cared about real power. Whoever controlled the food supply was the boss. If the Crown Prince's share passed through her territory, eighty taels would be missing. They even took the bonuses.

Zhu Youxiao folded the form and stuffed it into the drawer. He used a bit of force when he folded it, and a crease appeared on the corner of the paper.

"Daban, let's not talk about that for now. One hundred and twenty taels should be enough."

Wang An hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Don't tell Father Emperor," Zhu Youxiao added. "Father Emperor is ill; it's not worth bothering him with eighty taels of silver."

The previous owner had ready-made lessons in his memories. During the Wanli era, Emperor Taichang was still the Crown Prince. The monthly allowance for the Eastern Palace was intercepted several times by Consort Zheng's people. The Crown Prince went to complain to Emperor Wanli. Emperor Wanli asked Consort Zheng a question, and Consort Zheng started crying and making a scene.

In the end, Emperor Wanli got annoyed, paid half the money back, and the Crown Prince received an extra scolding for being too stingy.

The technical barrier to filing a lawsuit is not high, but if you end up losing face and not getting your money back, you won't do that.

Swallow it, and put it in the account.

Before leaving, Wang An mentioned that Emperor Taichang had not seen his ministers again this morning, as he had taken a break after getting a headache halfway through reviewing the examination papers.

…………

In the afternoon, Liu Shun returned from Qianqing Gate with an extra bundle in his hand.

"Your Highness, this is a congratulatory gift from the Duke of England's residence, a token of investiture."

The two bolts of fabric were laid out on the table and opened. One was Huzhou silk and the other was Hangzhou gauze, both of excellent quality and smooth to the touch. They would be hard to find in any shop outside.

However, compared to the pomp and circumstance of the Duke of England congratulating the Crown Prince on his investiture, the two bolts of cloth seemed rather shabby and deliberately stingy.

Zhu Youxiao picked up the bolt of silk and weighed it in his hand, running his fingertips along the grain of the fabric. Everyone in the palace knew how wealthy Zhang Weixian's family was; their fortune had been hereditary for two hundred years. Anything they could give him would be more respectable than two bolts of cloth, yet he insisted on giving them two.

The Crown Prince's household is strapped for cash; they don't even have enough decent clothing fabric for the changing seasons. They learned their lesson about osmanthus cakes once—the Crown Prince's kitchen couldn't even bake a proper pancake. Not many people outside know this.

Zhang Weixian knew.

The Duke of Yingguo's family held a position in the Five Military Commands and had been rooted in the Beijing Garrison for generations. They had dealt with the eunuchs who made purchases for the Imperial Treasury for over a hundred years. The extent to which the Crown Prince's kitchen was short of supplies was known to the Duke of Yingguo as soon as it passed through the eunuchs' mouths.

After kneeling in the passageway during the investiture ceremony, two bolts of cloth arrived. They weren't carrying gold, silver, or antiques, but simply the things the Crown Prince desperately needed. A gesture of goodwill hung between them—Xun Gui's patience was greater than that of the civil officials; what was the rush?

Zhu Youxiao put the fabric down. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes." Liu Shun leaned closer. "Old Zhao said that yesterday, the Consort sent a young eunuch to the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. He didn't go through the main gate but through the back side gate. He went in and stayed for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before coming out carrying a bundle."

He entered the Directorate of Ceremonial through the back door, and after burning an incense stick, came out carrying a bundle. It's hard to say what he was carrying, but going through the back door was definitely not official business.

The matter of the reward money has a source. The Imperial Treasury dared not deduct the Crown Prince's share on its own initiative because someone had put in a good word for it.

Zhu Youxiao's gaze fell on the two bolts of fabric on the table.

On one hand, there was the Duke of England's special gesture of goodwill, while on the other hand, there was the eighty taels that the foster mother had obtained through connections. Both were acts of kindness, but the methods were worlds apart.

The nobles and the civil officials took different approaches. The civil officials relied on choosing sides; choosing the wrong side meant being added to the purge list, which is why the people in the Six Ministries were scrambling to express their opinions. The nobles, on the other hand, relied on hereditary succession and marriage alliances. Emperors came and went, but the Duke of Ying's family remained the same. They would extend a gesture of goodwill, waiting until the Crown Prince truly needed help from the outer court before taking any action.

This favor isn't heavy, but it's just enough for the moment.

Zhu Youxiao made a note of it.

Half a month after the osmanthus cakes were sent out, Old Zhao's connection stabilized. Every now and then, he would pass on some fragments of information about things coming in and out of Qianqing Gate. It wasn't deep, but it was better than knowing nothing at all.

…………

In the evening, Consort Li sent Granny Liu to invite her.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty said she hasn't seen you for many days, so she has prepared some side dishes and would like to invite you to come and sit down."

Zhu Youxiao put down his carving knife. "Coming right now."

The side hall behind the East Warm Pavilion of Qianqing Palace is still the same room.

Consort Li changed into casual clothes and leaned against the kang table, flipping through a Buddhist scripture. She didn't know when she had picked up this mannerisms; in her predecessor's memories, she had never touched such things. Women in the harem were always shrewd when it came to establishing a persona.

"Your Highness has arrived, please have a seat."

The form of address has changed; instead of "Your Highness the Crown Prince," it's simply "Your Highness," acknowledging the official title without being too far off. The skill in manipulating titles is no less than the skill in manipulating rewards.

The dishes arrived, two levels above those at the Eastern Palace, including fish, meat, and soup. Zhu Youxiao didn't stand on ceremony and picked up a piece of steamed shad with his chopsticks.

The small kitchen in the Qianqing Palace was run by the emperor and his concubines, using the same silver from the Imperial Treasury. While they ate shad here, they ate osmanthus cake in the East Palace, which was quite a sight.

"Your Highness has lost weight." Consort Li picked up her chopsticks and cut off a piece of fish belly for him. "I heard from the servants that they don't seem to care much about the food at the Eastern Palace. I'll have someone send some dishes over there later."

Concern. Every time this foster mother handed something over, it was wrapped in concern. It was wrapped in bird's nest porridge, wrapped in white fungus soup, even when she pleaded for Cui Wensheng. What was inside? Let's open it and see.

"No need for Your Highness to trouble yourself. Although the Eastern Palace is a bit simple, it's enough to fill our stomachs."

"That's just your temper. If others don't care about you, you don't care about yourself either." Consort Li sighed, her face full of maternal affection.

Normally, we'd get to the point after a couple of brief introductions, but today we weren't in a rush. We chatted for a bit about the Eighth Princess's new clothes and how many bowls of porridge Emperor Taichang had eaten that day, rambling on about everyday matters for a while.

Not in a hurry? It's more urgent if you're not in a hurry. Last time, when I pressed for the title in person, Emperor Taichang didn't respond, and I lost face. This time, I've changed my approach. I'm not pressing you anymore. Instead, I'm building relationships by chatting with you casually to get closer to you before I start talking about other things.

really.

Consort Li put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and spoke casually.

"Your Highness has been staying in the warm pavilion with your father these days, so you probably haven't heard much about what's happening outside."

"I'm not quite sure," Zhu Youxiao mumbled, his mouth full of fish.

"It's nothing serious." She tilted her head. "It's just that things haven't been very peaceful in the Six Ministries' Hall lately. I heard that a few people are making a fuss about the things in the edict for the appointment of the heir apparent, and they can't figure out what's going on. It's quite a disturbance."

Under the Six Section Corridor.

Zhu Youxiao kept eating with his chopsticks, his face remaining expressionless.

"The Six Departments' Corridor" plus "the matters in the Edict of the Crown Prince" plus "pointing and gesturing"—what else could it be but a combination of these? Qi Shijiao and his gang are causing trouble by "carefully investigating the notification documents."

Wang An didn't mention this news, and Liu Shun didn't hear Lao Zhao mention it either.

News of Consort Li had reached the Six Ministries' corridors. The Crown Prince's network of intelligence, at most, covered only the gates of the Qianqing Palace. Living in the same palace, this foster mother's intelligence radius was much larger than his.

"His Highness opened a way for Yang Lian in the imperial edict that day," Li Xuanshi sighed, "but doing good deeds requires gratitude. These censors are always making trouble."

What a clever way to "pave the way for Yang Lian." With just one sentence, the Crown Prince and the Donglin faction are tied together—you helped Yang Lian, so you're on the same side. The deeper the Crown Prince's entanglement with the Donglin faction, the more embarrassed he will be to refuse her request for a title in the future.

The matter of bestowing a title upon the foster mother was blocked by Sun Ruyou of the Ministry of Rites. Since the main gate was blocked, he changed his approach, stopped urging her, and instead focused on accumulating favors.

Zhu Youxiao swallowed the fish and said in a simple voice, "I don't quite understand what Your Majesty is saying. What does it have to do with me if the edict says that it was decided by Father Emperor?"

Consort Li glanced at him, smiled, and didn't expose him.

"Indeed, Your Highness, you should just stay in the warm pavilion and keep your father company. The Grand Secretary and the cabinet ministers will take care of the matters outside." She picked up her teacup and took a sip. "If Your Highness feels that the Eastern Palace lacks anything, just tell me."

He added a sentence at the end, speaking softly.

"We're family after all."

family.

Three words, neither too heavy nor too light, placed perfectly at the end of the shad feast. Last time, she was too eager to get the title and got a setback, so this time she learned her lesson. She didn't mention the title or make any requests, but simply offered "family" as a gesture of goodwill. She wasn't in a hurry to redeem herself.

People who aren't in a hurry are harder to deal with than those who are.

Zhu Youxiao nodded. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

After sitting for a while and chatting about the Eighth Princess, they took their leave. Granny Liu saw them to the door, smiling as she handed them a small oil-paper package. "Her Majesty said His Highness loves fish, so she packed some up for him to take home as a late-night snack."

Zhu Youxiao accepted it and thanked him.

She wouldn't even let you leave empty-handed; this foster mother did her favors without leaving a single gap in the process.

…………

The night breeze blew into the passageway, and the weather turned cool at the end of September.

Zhu Youxiao wasn't thinking about the favor owed to Consort Li, which he could settle later. What he was thinking about was her earlier remark, "The Six Ministries' corridors aren't very peaceful."

Wang An didn't know this news, Liu Shun didn't know it, and Lao Zhao knew even less about it.

The osmanthus cake network was so extensive that it covered the entire Qianqing Gate.

What about Consort Li? She continued to use the secret agents left behind by Consort Zheng over the past thirty years, pieced together the fragments chewed up by the eunuchs who came and went in the Qianqing Palace, and even used the threads that seemed to have sprouted from some unknown crack, reaching all six ministries.

The Crown Prince's access to information was actually inferior to that of a concubine of the lowest rank.

Wang An was a legitimate courier, but he was in poor health and often had to stay home to recuperate, which meant he lost contact with everyone during his free time. Liu Shun's rank was too low; he was good at running errands but couldn't get information. Old Zhao guarded the Qianqing Gate; he could see who went in and out, but he couldn't see what was being said inside.

There were still gaps when the three lines were pieced together, and he had no idea what the officials in the Six Ministries were thinking or doing.

How do I repair the outer layer?

…………

Upon returning to the East Palace, Wang Anhou was waiting in the corridor.

"Your Highness, Yang Lian has handed over another question."

Zhu Youxiao paused in his steps.

"What kind of workbook?"

"The imperial edict stipulated a detailed investigation of the notification documents, and Yang Lian continued to pursue the matter further." Wang An lowered his voice, "This time, it's not just Cui Wensheng who's being impeached, but the entire chain of medicine procurement—how did Cui Wensheng get into the Imperial Pharmacy, who approved the transfer order, and are there any regulations for the Imperial Pharmacy to inspect the medicines it procures."

Zhu Youxiao stopped.

Yang Lian truly lives up to his name. Stopping halfway through an investigation is as good as not investigating at all in his eyes; give him a crack, and he'll find a tunnel.

Now the imperial edict clearly states in black and white that "the documents to be informed will be thoroughly investigated," which is equivalent to opening a path for him. He followed this path and traced the entire chain of drug procurement from Cui Wensheng alone.

This actually aligns with what Zhu Youxiao himself wanted to do.

Cui Wensheng is gone, but the path to obtaining medicine remains open. Emperor Taichang's health is poor, his condition fluctuates, and as long as there's no one guarding the imperial pharmacy, another Cui Wensheng could emerge at any time.

Red lead pills and Sanyuan pills, elixirs obtained from old temples deep in the mountains, they dare to send anything to the emperor's mouth. Last time, it was luck that they managed to stop one red pill. Luck is something that can only be used once.

Yang Lian's proposal brought the question of "whether the medicines have been inspected and approved" to the forefront, thus creating a window of opportunity.

"Has the exam paper arrived at the warm chamber yet?"

"Not yet. I'm afraid Elder Fang will try to stop us."

Fang Congzhe naturally tried to stop them. The notification document investigated his personnel chain, and Yang Lian traced it further down to the drug procurement process. The next step was "who is in charge of this matter," with the focus shifting to the cabinet.

However, when Li Xuanshi mentioned that "there is no peace under the Six Ministries' corridors," and compared with Yang Lian's memorial, the situation became clear. Qi Shijiao wanted to withdraw the "detailed investigation of the notification document," but Yang Lian added a memorial to expand the investigation. One side wanted to suppress the other, while the other wanted to overturn it, leaving Emperor Taichang caught in the middle.

Zhu Youxiao stood under the corridor, the lantern swaying twice in the wind.

"Osama."

"This old servant is here."

"Tomorrow we'll go to the warm pavilion, but we won't talk about Cui Wensheng or Qi Shijiao."

Wang An looked at him.

"Let's talk about one thing," Zhu Youxiao said, closing the window. "The rules for administering medicine from now on."

Wang An pondered for a moment, "Yang Lian's question book..."

"Let's not talk about it."

Yang Lian's memorial is useful, but borrowing it means he's in cahoots with the Donglin faction. Li Xuanshi's words about "paving the way for Yang Lian" are still fresh in everyone's mind. Whether to investigate the notification documents or withdraw Qi Shijiao's petition is a matter for the court officials; the Crown Prince won't get involved.

The old man's sharp tongue was enough; he could talk to his father about the rules of medicine administration without needing to borrow anyone's reference book.

…………

After Wang An left, Zhu Youxiao whittled the third leg of the wooden horse twice, but the blade was not steady and left a stubble.

He put down the knife and started thinking.

There were footsteps outside the door.

Ms. Ke pushed open the door and came in, carrying a bowl of white fungus soup, which she placed on the corner of the table.

"Your Highness, midnight snack."

"Um."

Zhu Youxiao picked it up and took a sip. It was warm and delicious, and it even had goji berries in it, showing a rare level of care in Ke's cooking.

This bowl of white fungus soup would normally be just a bowl of white fungus soup, but today it carries a deeper meaning. She couldn't possibly be unaware of the reward that morning; the Crown Prince had been cheated out of eighty taels of silver. Couldn't someone as astute as her, who had managed the kitchen for fifteen years, have noticed that?

This bowl of soup wasn't meant to comfort the prince, but to test his intentions: what are you planning to do?

"Thank you, Grandma."

Mr. Ke stood there for a while, as if waiting for him to say something.

Zhu Youxiao didn't say anything. After finishing the white fungus soup, he put down the bowl, picked up the carving knife, and continued carving the wood.

Mrs. Ke took the bowls and went out.

As the door closed, Zhu Youxiao caught a glimpse of her pausing for a moment under the corridor, pulling a slip of paper from her sleeve, glancing at it a few times, then walking to the lantern at the end of the corridor and burning the paper.

The flame flickered briefly before going out, and the ashes fell onto the floor tiles, where they were scattered by the night wind.

Madam Ke glanced back at the gate of the East Palace; the gate was closed, but the lamp was still on.

She turned and left.

Zhu Youxiao paused for a moment while carving with his carving knife.

What is Ms. Ke burning? Who handed her the note?