The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

The Eastern Palace.

Zhu Yunwen was accompanying his mother, Lady Lü, to admire the flowers in the garden.

A palace attendant trotted over: "Your Highness, the Young Duke and Eunuch Wang request an audience."

"I won't see you!" Zhu Yunwen said coldly.

Madam Lü frowned slightly: "We should still meet him. Eunuch Wang is someone close to your imperial grandfather."

Zhu Yunwen's gaze darkened: "Li Jiujiang's arrival is never good news."

"This is the Eastern Palace, what can he do?" Lady Lü chuckled and waved for the eunuch to lead people in.

The eunuch withdrew and soon led the two men in.

"Greetings, Crown Princess." The two bowed.

Lady Lü slightly raised her hand: "No need for formalities. What brings you to the Eastern Palace?"

"They're not looking for you." Li Jinglong's gaze swept around. "Where's Eunuch Liu?"

A young eunuch stepped out from behind Lady Lü, bowed slightly, and said neither servilely nor arrogantly, "This is my servant."

Li Jinglong was stunned for a moment.

So young? And quite handsome.

It's a stereotype; people always think that eunuchs are all old guys with high-pitched voices.

"You and Miss Xiao Huan from Zhiluo Palace are quite familiar with each other, aren't you?" he asked.

A flicker of panic crossed Eunuch Liu's eyes, but he nodded slightly: "Yes."

"Li Jiujiang!" Zhu Yunwen roared, "What do you mean? You're interrogating me like a criminal the moment you walk in? Do you think you can boss around people from my Eastern Palace?"

"Children shouldn't interrupt adults," Li Jinglong glanced at him. "Didn't your grandfather teach you that?"

Lady Lü and Zhu Yunwen were so angry that they stood up together, about to lash out.

Wang Jinghong stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "The Duke of Shao is handling the case by imperial decree."

The mother and son were taken aback, then sat back down, their expressions complex.

Li Jinglong looked at Eunuch Liu with a cold gaze: "Xiao Huan is dead. She was murdered."

Eunuch Liu was shocked, his body trembling slightly: "We don't know anything about this!"

"Tell me everything you know," Li Jinglong said coldly. "You know His Majesty's temper and what the consequences will be if it's discovered."

Eunuch Liu knelt down with a thud: "I really don't know anything. Xiao Huan came to me on her own initiative. She said she wanted a man to rely on in the harem."

What the hell!

Young girl and eunuch, are you having a pure love affair in the harem?

"And then?" Li Jinglong pressed.

Eunuch Liu said with a pained expression, "We have many palace maids to choose from, such as Chunlan, Qiuxiang, and Xiahe..."

Li Jinglong waved his hand speechlessly: "Do you think you're Tang Bohu? Why don't you pair up with Dongmei?"

"Dongmei was released from the palace last month," said Eunuch Liu.

Li Jinglong: "..."

Eunuch Liu continued, "Xiao Huan sees us with them and always argues with us, wanting us to only be with her."

Li Jinglong opened his mouth.

I'm actually a little envious of that eunuch.

"How could that be!" Eunuch Liu shrugged. "We can't let another girl down!"

Scumbag!

No, you're a eunuch, and you're running a harem here?

No wonder men from outside the palace aren't allowed in. Even a eunuch is so attractive to girls. If my face, Li Jinglong's, were to be seen in the palace every day, what would become of me?

How lonely the palace maids must have been.

"And then what? Get to the point." Li Jinglong got angrier and angrier as he listened.

Old Master Liu shuddered in fright: "She had another big fight with us the day before yesterday. We couldn't take it anymore, so we told her not to come to us again. Hesa'er was there at the time; she was the one who pulled Xiaohuan away."

Hesaer?

Hai Li's maid was captured and brought to the palace along with Hai Li.

Li Jinglong seemed to be deep in thought.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

When Zhu Biao returned from outside, everyone bowed to him.

"Oh, it's so lively here?" Zhu Biao said with a smile.

Lady Lü greeted him warmly, and Zhu Yunwen followed behind her obediently.

"Your Highness has returned. Jiujiang is investigating a case on imperial orders and is currently questioning people."

Zhu Biao nodded: "Jiujiang, did you find out anything?"

Li Jinglong bowed and replied, "Your Highness, it's almost done."

"Oh?" Zhu Biao looked up at Eunuch Liu, who was kneeling on the ground. "If any of the people from my Eastern Palace make a mistake, you may deal with them as you see fit."

Li Jinglong pointed at Eunuch Liu: "This Eunuch Liu should not be involved in the murder case."

"Oh? It's confirmed already?" Zhu Biao raised an eyebrow.

Li Jinglong shrugged: "He's a scumbag, just like me. He likes to fool girls and has affairs everywhere, but he definitely doesn't have the guts to hurt them."

"We love them dearly, how could we possibly harm them?" Eunuch Liu added softly.

Li Jinglong waved his hand: "Alright, alright, I'll call you in for questioning later, so be ready anytime."

"No," Eunuch Liu said seriously. "I need to help His Highness the Crown Prince organize documents, so I can only do it after noon."

Li Jinglong glared at him: "You're trying to negotiate with me?"

Zhu Biao smiled and said, "Jiujiang, I do need him to organize the documents. When I deal with memorials at night, the comments I write and the documents I draft are often piled up on the table in a mess. Among the eunuchs, only he is literate and can organize all my messy things into a neat and orderly manner."

Li Jinglong suddenly realized: "Alright then."

Eunuch Liu bowed and withdrew.

"Jiujiang, accompany me for a walk." Zhu Biao walked deeper into the garden.

Li Jinglong had no choice but to follow.

Lady Lü and Zhu Yunwen stood there, watching their backs.

"Your father values ​​Li Jiujiang highly," Madam Lü said in a low voice.

Zhu Yunwen snorted coldly: "Hmph, he's just a piece of trash."

……

Li Jinglong followed behind Zhu Biao along the path, still pondering Xiao Huan's matter.

"I've been thinking, could we set up an inner academy and select some intelligent eunuchs to study and learn to read and write?" Zhu Biao said as he walked. "In that case, they could help me a lot, just like Eunuch Liu."

Li Jinglong blurted out, "No way!"

"Why not?" Zhu Biao asked.

Smoking is harmful to your health!

Your fourth son's grandson, Emperor Zhu Zhanji of the Ming Dynasty, established the Inner Academy, thus initiating the path of eunuchs interfering in politics.

Later, Emperor Zhu Qizhen of the Ming Dynasty, along with his beloved concubine Wang Zhen, led an army of 500,000 to personally lead an expedition, which resulted in the annihilation of the Ming Dynasty's elite forces.

"Eunuchs who are educated tend to go astray," Li Jinglong said. "Like Eunuch Liu, he's no good."

Zhu Biao retorted irritably, "What bad things could a eunuch do? Eunuchs are educated; they can deliver imperial edicts accurately."

"Didn't His Majesty issue an edict that eunuchs cannot read? There must be a reason for that," Li Jinglong said, citing Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Biao stopped and sighed softly, "Since the abdication of the prime minister, Father has been so exhausted."

Li Jinglong's expression was strange.

Wasn't that something he did himself? The emperor directly commands the six ministries.

Who can handle such a huge workload?

After Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yunwen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, disappeared after only a few years on the throne.

Zhu Di, who usurped the throne from the Ming dynasty, spent his time fighting wars outside the capital, leaving all political affairs to his son, Zhu Gaochi.

Emperor Zhu Gaochi, the fat emperor of the Ming Dynasty, died before he could last a year.

When Zhu Zhanji, the Ming emperor, came to power, he decisively opened an inner academy and went off to fight crickets himself.

"Your Highness, the eunuch is studying. This matter requires careful consideration," Li Jinglong said earnestly. "Eunuchs interfering in politics has been a common occurrence throughout history."

Zhu Biao nodded slowly: "I was just mentioning it casually."

……

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