The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Chapter 138 Fainting

As Jiajing looked at the boy kneeling on the ground, smiling with his face upturned, he suddenly felt a little dazed. This face resembled his own, and it also resembled Lady Lu.

If these words, "father and son through countless lifetimes," had come from anyone else, Jiajing would have felt disgusted. But coming from this brat's mouth, coupled with that grinning face, it made Jiajing's heart soften for once.

"Alright, stop kneeling." Jiajing's tone softened slightly. "Get up and speak."

"Thank you, Father Emperor." Zhu Zaizhen stood up briskly, then looked straight at the chair where Yan Song had just sat.

Jiajing laughed and said, "You can sit when you're seventy."

Zhu Zaizhen grinned and said, "Father, long life is not in a hurry, but how many more years will I have to stand here?"

Time flies like an arrow, and decades pass in the blink of an eye.

"Your Majesty's vision is so high, I fear that I will not have the longevity and good fortune of Grand Secretary Yan."

Emperor Jiajing's expression hardened, but he was neither angry nor annoyed by the unlucky words he had spoken. He simply said softly, "I wish you a long and healthy life."

Zhu Zaizhen also suppressed his smile, sensing the genuine blessing in those words.

"Father is the Son of Heaven, whose words carry the law and are lawful. Your son thanks you, Father."

Jiajing was still not used to such tenderness, so he changed the subject, asking, "Have you visited your mother recently?"

Zhu Zaizhen shook his head: "When I have little free time, I don't want to disturb my mother's peace and quiet."

Lu was a simple person, and Zhu Zaizhen didn't want her to worry about him. Besides, it wasn't a good thing for both mother and son to be too competitive.

"Yes, your mother is a person whose mood is always up to her. She's like a little fairy when she's not doing anything. She's a person with good fortune and affinity for Taoism, but it's a pity that she's too lazy and can't get into Taoist scriptures."

As they talked, Jiajing suddenly became interested: "Could it be that this aligns better with the teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi?"

Zhu Zaizhen thought about it seriously and replied, "As the saying goes, a sage does nothing, therefore he is not defeated; he does not cling, therefore he is not lost. My mother never forces things that do not belong to her. Gains and losses do not disturb her mind, and honor and disgrace do not bind her to her form."

"Being free from desires brings tranquility; being free from strife brings peace; being content with one's lot—this state of mind is indeed closer to the Tao."

Jiajing was quite surprised, never expecting that this brat could actually discuss philosophy with him.

"Your mother is naturally clear-minded, which is the greatest blessing. She is not attached to worldly desires, and she lets everything come and go as it may. When there is nothing to do, she stays at peace with her true self, and when there is something to do, she remains calm. Among the thousands of people in this deep palace, she alone has attained true freedom."

He paused, then changed the subject slightly, a hint of disdain in his eyes: "You grew up with her, influenced by what you saw and heard, yet you haven't learned a single thing about her calm and docile nature."

Zhu Zaizhen never expected that this would be brought up in such a roundabout way, so he could only complain, "With Father Emperor's protection, Mother Consort can live a peaceful and carefree life and enjoy her retirement. As a prince, I have to do things for Father Emperor and share his burdens. In the future, I may have to go to my fiefdom. I also have children and grandchildren to take care of in the future. Where can I find a carefree life?"

"You're thinking far ahead." Jiajing raised his hand and made a hand seal, thinking to himself, "Am I going to be a grandfather too?"

"Go, tell your mother that she doesn't need to come to express her gratitude these next few days. She can come after she is officially appointed on an auspicious day. She should also handle the final arrangements for the disaster relief work outside the palace, and then she should not leave the palace again."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I take my leave."

They were having a good chat just now, but suddenly they kicked me out without warning. It was so inexplicable.

In Zhongcui Palace, just as Prince Yu had expected, Consort Kang, née Du, turned pale with anger upon receiving the news, her chest heaving uncontrollably.

"what!"

She suddenly stood up, instinctively wanting to smash things in anger, but was firmly stopped by the head eunuch and her personal maid.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't act impulsively!"

"Even if you don't think of yourself, you have to think of His Highness. Both thunder and rain are blessings from Heaven, so you shouldn't complain. Next time—next time it will be your turn to be promoted."

"Why—why? How can Lady Lu become a Noble Consort? Why doesn't His Majesty simply make her Empress and order our deaths—"

Mother and child!

"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words."

Hearing the sounds inside, Prince Yu showed a pained expression. The fear of his father's stern reprimand still lingered in his heart, and at this moment, his mother's uncontrollable screams made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles. Cold sweat soaked through his inner clothes.

Knowing he couldn't escape, he closed his eyes briefly, then gently pushed open the palace door.

The inner palace was in a mess. Just now, Du Shi intended to smash the objects, but was stopped by the palace servants on her left and right. Although the tea set and furnishings on the table were preserved, the brocade cushions were lying crooked on the ground, and the curtains were also torn crooked.

Consort Kang, née Du, stood in the hall, her hair slightly disheveled, her usual carefully maintained demeanor completely gone, her eyes wide open and her chest heaving violently, filled with resentment and anger.

"Mother Consort—"

"Didn't you also perform meritorious service? Why did your father only promote Zhu Zaizhen's mother to the rank of Consort? What did you lack!"

Prince Yu knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles: "It is your son's incompetence."

"Of course you—"

"Your Highness!" The head eunuch couldn't bear to watch any longer and mustered his courage to step forward. "His Highness has suffered greatly outside the palace. Look how thin and dark he has become—"

Du stopped talking and felt a pang of regret. She shouldn't have said that, but she always did it when she got angry.

Seeing this, the personal maid advised, "The matter is not yet beyond repair. His Majesty has only promoted her to the rank of Imperial Concubine."

"What do you know!" Consort Kang gritted her teeth. "Today she's a Noble Consort, tomorrow she'll be an Imperial Noble Consort, and the day after tomorrow she'll be the Empress. By then, Zhu Zaizhen will be the legitimate son, and my son and I will just have to wait to be banished to some remote and impoverished place to be enfeoffed!"

Prince Yu said in a low voice, "I am not afraid of any remote or impoverished place. As long as I can live a peaceful life with my mother, there is nothing wrong with that."

"You—you good-for-nothing, how could I have given birth to such a good-for-nothing? I knew I couldn't count on you."

Consort Kang suddenly paced back and forth in the hall, muttering, "No, this can't go on—I have to think of a way—"

Yes, submit a memorial to the emperor!

"Have the censors submit a memorial! If Lady Lu can donate silver, why can't I? Bring out all my jewelry, and those bolts of imperial brocade—donate them all!"

"Your Majesty!" The head eunuch was so anxious he wanted to slap himself. "This is unacceptable! His Majesty just issued a decree in court that the concubines of the six palaces should be rewarded according to their rank. If you make such a big show of donating now, wouldn't that be blatantly defying His Majesty?"

Consort Kang was taken aback, then her expression turned even more unpleasant: "Then what do you suggest we do? Are we just going to stand by and watch Lady Lu ride roughshod over me?"

No one dared to answer the question; their confidence in Prince Yu's ability to successfully assume the throne had been gradually waning over the past few months.

From being ignored at the beginning, King Jing is now a prominent figure both inside and outside the palace. Everyone talks about him in their spare time, some praising him and others criticizing him.

But when it comes to Prince Yu, if someone starts talking, everyone just says that His Highness Prince Yu is a good and honest person, and that's it.

Prince Yu finally raised his head, his voice hoarse: "Mother, Father told me today that it was wrong of you to reprimand me."

.

"What did you say?" Consort Kang turned around abruptly.

Prince Yu swallowed hard and mustered his courage to say, "Father said that I was born into the imperial family, read the books of sages and received teachings from my teachers. How can I be considered foolish? Even if I am unruly, I am still Father's son and it is not my mother's place to discipline me."

He spoke faster and faster, feeling a sense of satisfaction mixed with guilt.

"Father said that if Mother still doesn't understand, then she won't even have the title of concubine—"

Before he could finish speaking, Consort Kang staggered back two steps, as if she had been slapped in the face, and all color drained from her face.

"Your Majesty—Does Your Majesty truly say so?" The voice was extremely soft, a murmur, Du's original voice, which was very pleasant to hear.

Prince Yu nodded, and then saw his mother fall straight backward. If it weren't for the palace servants supporting her, she would have already fallen to the ground.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please wake up!"

The personal maid trembled with shock, clinging tightly to Consort Kang's limp body. The head eunuch also panicked, disregarding etiquette and shouting urgently, "Quickly! Summon the Imperial Hospital! Immediately summon the on-duty imperial physician to the palace for treatment!"

Inside the hall, the palace staff were in complete chaos. Some rushed out of the hall to deliver the imperial decree to the Imperial Hospital, while others quickly tidied up the crooked curtains and scattered brocade cushions on the ground, but their hands and feet trembled, and they made mistakes repeatedly.

Prince Yu, Zhu Zai, knelt frozen in place, his body ice-cold. The faint sense of pleasure he had felt earlier vanished, leaving only endless panic and regret.

He tried to stand up to check on his mother, but as soon as he stood up, everything went black, and he collapsed. The head eunuch's shrill cries rang out again.

Prince Yu had been running around in the wind and snow for some time, and given his health, he was bound to fall ill. Now, with all the stress, he suffered from both internal and external ailments, and soon after he collapsed, he began to have a fever.

"Quickly, His Highness Prince Yu has also fainted! Summon the imperial physicians on duty!"

If the imperial physician is not summoned, the matter can still be kept secret. At most, it will only be based on rumors, and without solid evidence, no one will dare to say anything.

Now that they have both fallen, there is no room left to cover it up. The news spread like wildfire along the palace roads, reaching Yongshou Palace in the West Garden in less than half an hour.

Emperor Jiajing was sitting quietly on a prayer mat, his eyes closed as he regulated his breathing. The hall was filled with the fragrance of incense and was very peaceful. The eunuch Huang Jin tiptoed in, his face solemn. He leaned down and whispered the details of Consort Kang's fainting and Prince Yu's high fever.

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiajing slowly opened his eyes, all the calmness in them vanished. He raised his hand and waved it, and the celadon teacup on the table fell to the ground with a crash, shattering and scattering tea leaves all over the floor.

The fact that the two fell ill together led outsiders to speculate that Prince Yu and his mother were resentful of the unequal distribution of rewards and that their illness stemmed from their anger.

Isn't this clearly sending a signal to the court and the public that the emperor is unjust and that the princes are dissatisfied?

"A mother and son together are trying to force me to abdicate?"

Huang Jin knew that he must not kick someone when they were down, so he knelt down and cleaned up the broken teacups to avoid cutting the emperor's body.

He knelt on the ground, carefully gathered the last shard of porcelain into his sleeve, kowtowed, and whispered, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This servant dares to say something I shouldn't have."

Consort Kang may have made some mistakes, but His Highness Prince Yu was genuinely exhausted from his travels and fell ill. The Imperial Hospital reports that His Highness caught a cold, indicating that his illness has a real cause and is not due to anything else.

Now that both mother and son are ill, if His Majesty were to unleash his fury at this time, it would only confirm the unfounded speculations circulating outside.

Jiajing knew Huang Jin was right, and his tone still carried a hint of lingering anger: "Send imperial physicians, send Taoist priests, treat the sick, and exorcise the evil!"

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