The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Chapter 143 The person

Zhu Zaizhen likes determined people; if used well, such people can play a role far beyond their inherent abilities.

He didn't say anything more to Shen Lian. A seventh-rank official was too low a position, and besides, Shen Lian was Lu Bing's man.

The banquet began naturally, without Zhu Zaizhen needing to say anything. Everyone was an expert, making it very lively, and there were people paying attention to his mood at all times, with flattery being delivered at just the right moment.

At first, it was fine, but later everyone got a little carried away. However, this was something they deliberately wanted to show; by drinking to their hearts' content, they wanted to prove that what they said was from the bottom of their hearts and how much they admired His Highness.

Zhu Zaizhen naturally couldn't keep a straight face, so he started to smile and be very friendly to everyone. However, after several rounds, not a single drop of wine was left in his glass.

If someone speaks eloquently, even to the point of tears, he might raise his glass to touch his lips; to him, that is the greatest honor.

No one was foolish enough to actually persuade King Jing to drink.

Yan Shifan drank the most, probably because he had to quit drinking recently due to his illness. He drank heavily and got drunk quickly. He was also a bad drinker, and his voice was as loud as thunder.

He stood up unsteadily, carrying a wine pot in one hand and a wine cup in the other, and began to pour wine for everyone at the table.

"It is a great honor for all of you to be able to sit at this table with His Highness Prince Jing today, so how can we not drink?"

Zhao Wenhua and the others were already used to it. After being forced to drink a few cups, they began to beg for mercy. Some were even knocked out. Soon it was the turn of the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

Lu Bing accepted all invitations. Although his face was flushed, he clinked glasses with Yan Shifan several times, emptying each glass completely, showing no sign of being outdone.

Zhao Wenhua and the others quickly stepped in to help, but the Imperial Guards were naturally unwilling to back down either. However, they still had some sense and first checked whether His Highness was displeased.

Zhu Zaizhen was naturally displeased, but on the surface he was encouraging. "It's not me who's drinking, and it's not me who's suffering. It's a good opportunity to see his character after he's drunk."

Seeing this, everyone's last reservations disappeared. To Zhu Zaizhen's surprise, even the usually serious Lu Bing showed a different side after getting drunk, which surprised him.

That's normal, though. Without being tactful, loyalty alone won't last long in front of the emperor.

Moreover, as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, this face might also be for the purpose of gathering information.

It was precisely because Lu Bing was there that he was willing to come; otherwise, meeting Yan Song and then Yan Shifan would have been a bit excessive, even though it was with the Emperor's tacit approval.

But with Lu Bing present, things wouldn't get out of the Emperor's control. On the contrary, it would prove that they had nothing to hide from the Emperor; everything was under his watchful eye, and he could stop things at any time.

Poetry, dance, and music—a microcosm of life, which is quite interesting to look at, but it's unclear how many of them are actually useful to him.

As for Shen Lian, he clearly disliked Yan Shifan, Zhao Wenhua, and the others. He was drinking alone in silence, but as he drank, he became happy again. He stretched out his legs, sat on the ground, and laughed heartily, oblivious to everyone around him.

Yan Shifan was already somewhat angry that he hadn't managed to get Lu Bing drunk, but seeing Shen Lian like this made him even more unhappy. The domineering spirit that had been fueled by the alcohol surged up in his heart.

He staggered up to Shen Lian, carrying a wine jug, and looked down at the lowly Imperial Guard sitting on the ground.

"Shen Jingli, what's the point of sitting there drinking alone like this? Come on, have a drink with me!"

The fact that he accompanied Yan Shifan instead of showing respect reveals his contempt, but it's not surprising. The qualification to accompany the young Grand Secretary for drinks is not something an ordinary seventh-rank official could have.

Shen Lian raised his head and glanced at Yan Shifan. There was no fear in his eyes, only an undisguised disdain.

But he still picked up his glass, drank it all in one gulp, then turned the glass upside down to show it to the eye before looking away again.

Yan Shifan's expression stiffened. He subconsciously glanced at Prince Jing, but Zhu Zaizhen just kept his head down and ate his meal, seemingly unconcerned.

When Yan Shifan turned his head again, his gaze and expression had turned dangerous: "Impressive drinking capacity! Someone, bring a larger bowl!"

Zhao Wenhua, who was still drinking with Lu Bing, immediately looked nervously at Lu Bing's blood-red face, but was relieved when he didn't react in any particular way.

It's not worth offending Lu Bing for some random thing.

Soon, a servant brought a large bowl. Yan Shifan filled it and looked at Shen Lian. Shen Lian slowly got up. He was a head taller than Yan Shifan, with a strong frame. Although not burly, he had the sharpness and strength unique to people who traveled around all year round.

He drank the whole bowl without saying a word, without even pausing.

Yan Shifan's expression softened considerably upon seeing this, but Shen Lian spoke up, "Young Master Yan, you are the host and I am the guest. There's no reason for only the guest to drink."

If Lu Bing had said this, it would have been a joke, but for this Shen Lian to say it was a provocation.

But Yan Shifan didn't threaten him; that would be too undignified. Drink!

The two drank bowl after bowl. The wine was spicy and hot as it went down their throats. Yan Shifan choked halfway through his drink, and the wine sprayed out, splashing all over him. He was in a sorry state.

He forced himself to finish the remaining half bowl, slammed the empty bowl on the table, and was about to speak to save face when he saw Shen Lian had already filled two more bowls and pushed one of them towards him without changing his expression.

Yan Shifan also got drunk, and drank with red eyes.

"Brother Donglou—" Zhao Wenhua tried to step forward to smooth things over, but Lu Bing pulled him away to drink.

Zhu Zaizhen leaned back in his chair, holding a wine glass, watching the scene with a leisurely air. It was quite interesting to see Yan Shifan get the short end of the stick.

Yan Shifan soon couldn't take it anymore and stumbled outside to vomit. Shen Lian picked up the remaining jar of wine, didn't even need a bowl, and sat down to drink it all by himself.

"Good capacity for alcohol." Zhu Zaizhen muttered to himself. At least this person could be one of the leaders of the team going to repair Gubeikou. He was tough, could drink a lot, was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), and was Lu Bing's confidant. Such a person would be well-connected at the border.

When Yan Shifan returned, he avoided Shen Lian. Although he was arrogant and unscrupulous, he was still somewhat wary of Lu Bing and there was no need to ruin the harmony for such an insignificant person.

The ability to bring down Xia Yan was due to the unity of both families, and the ability to maintain the protection of the emperor in the two capitals and thirteen provinces was also due to their cooperation.

Of course, all of this was done with the Emperor's tacit approval.

Seeing this, Zhao Wenhua quickly stepped in to smooth things over, changing the subject in a few words to talk about recent interesting stories in the capital, which temporarily livened up the atmosphere at the table.

"The orchestra, come up here!"

Suddenly, the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, and a group of dancers dressed in thin gauze and light silk swirled and danced, rising and falling gracefully.

Zhao Wenhua didn't even look at the dancers; he was only paying attention to whether His Highness had truly come to his senses. If he had, then things would be much easier to arrange.

Zhu Zaizhen had long since figured it out; he was naturally willing to look at beautiful things. But look at these wicked clothes—they were so vague, it would have been better not to wear them at all.

However, he didn't lose his composure; when something is readily available, it loses its absolute charm.

Therefore, Zhao Wenhua could only conclude that he had grasped the concept, but it seemed that he hadn't fully grasped it yet.

After the lively event ended, before returning to the palace, Zhu Zaizhen looked at Shen Lian, whose eyes were still clear but whose steps were slightly unsteady, and said to Lu Bing, who was about to leave with him, "There is something that may require Shen Lian to make a trip."

Lu Bing's tongue slurred a little, but he still asked respectfully, "Can't Chen Zhao handle it?"

"reluctantly."

Lu Bing nodded: "Then I have no objection. Shen Lian has just joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard and hasn't been assigned any duties yet."

Everyone respectfully saw Zhu Zaizhen off to his carriage. Everyone felt that His Highness treated them as his own people, and that His Highness was not pedantic.

"Your Highness?"

"Go to Mr. Wan's place."

Yan Shifan's test of Zhao Wenhua was nothing more than to see if he could have a child.

He was also curious about this question. Logically speaking, it was possible, since the signs of puberty were already showing.

Seeing that the Prince Jing's carriage was not returning to the palace, a group of Imperial Guards and secret police officers had appeared beside it at some point.

Upon arrival, Zhu Zaizhen was greeted by the Wan family and entered the hall, where red charcoal was burning—a privilege reserved only for concubines in the palace.

After Zhu Zaizhen sat down, he asked with a smile, "Has the revision of 'The Heart Method of Smallpox Physicians' been completed? It should be ready for publication by now, right?"

One of the reasons the Lu family invited Wan Quan to the capital was to help him publish his medical books.

Wan Quan smiled and said, "It's almost done. After reading the medical books and classics sent by His Highness, I'm thinking of refining them before printing to avoid misleading students."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while and explaining their purpose, Wan Quan ordered the others to leave, leaving only Ma Dezhao to serve him. He then reached out to take his pulse and examined his lower body.

"Your Highness is well-developed and full of energy, but it is still a bit too early for you to have a child. If you force it, it will not only damage Your Highness's health, but the child born will also be prone to congenital deficiencies."

"I have a secret tonic formula. Taking it for a year should strengthen Your Highness's vital essence. Your Highness can have a trusted imperial physician examine the formula to ensure it won't harm your health. Afterwards, abstain from sexual activity for a year, meaning you must not have intercourse with women, nor engage in masturbation."

Zhu Zaizhen thought so too, but it was still a bit early, so he asked Wan Quan to write down the prescription and take it back to Judge Zhou for a look.

"Sir, could you please take a look at my wife? She doesn't look too well lately."

"Your Highness, I'm alright."

"Look what you're afraid of. Your husband is getting old and needs to take care of his health in the future."

Ma Dezhao was moved by what he heard, and Wan Quan was also happy to see this. This showed that His Highness Prince Jing was born with the heart of a healer. If he did not even care about the people around him, how could he be expected to care about the common people?

After examining Ma Dezhao's pulse, I said that his liver qi was somewhat stagnant due to his busy work and stress, which was not a big deal. I prescribed a medicine for him as well. The wolf-hair brush moved across the plain paper, and the handwriting was neat and steady. The two prescriptions were completed in a short time.

Ma Dezhao folded the two prescriptions and put them into his sleeve, then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Wan Quan.

"Thank you for your trouble."

Wan Quan laughed and said, "It is only right to be loyal to the emperor when you are paid by him; there is no need to thank me."

He hoped to continue treating patients in his hometown, but as a father and grandfather, he couldn't help but think of his children and grandchildren, especially his younger ones who didn't want to study medicine and wanted to enter the Imperial Academy.