The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Chapter 160 Arrival at the Residence

On the third day of the second lunar month, an auspicious day for the two princes to leave the palace and reside in the capital, Zhu Zaizhen got up early, changed into his court robes, met with Prince Yu, and rushed to the West Garden. Unsurprisingly, his father did not receive them.

Therefore, the two princes could only perform the ritual of five bows and three kowtows outside Yongshou Palace, then go to Fengxian Hall to kowtow to their ancestors, and finally bid farewell to their mother.

Zhu Zaizhen was somewhat reluctant to part with her, but he still wore a smile. The Imperial Concubine, needless to say, simply gave him a few words of advice.

As for Prince Yu, things were much worse. In Zhongcui Palace, Consort Kang's face was ashen, her cheeks were deeply sunken, and the sharp, competitive spirit that once filled her eyes had vanished, leaving only a deep, deathly silence.

She lay on the brocade couch, too weak to even lift her hand. The thick quilt covering her felt like a coffin lid.

Prince Yu knelt beside the couch, "Mother Consort—"

"I am no longer a concubine."

"Mother—you are my mother, have you abandoned me?"

Prince Yu was already in tears. Ever since his father punished him that day, his mother had been ill and never recovered. Even though he went to plead guilty and asked his mother to stay in Zhongcui Palace, she still completely collapsed.

Consort Kang's eyes revealed a hint of emotion when she heard her son say this.

"I—I can't control you anymore."

"Your Majesty!" Zhao Cheng couldn't bear to listen any longer and choked up, "How can His Highness leave the palace with peace of mind if you say that?"

Consort Kang showed no reaction. She had always been competitive, but His Majesty had made her a laughingstock that day. Not to mention that her hopes were now slim, even if she really became Empress Dowager, the humiliation of that day would never be forgotten.

Zhu Zaikong held his mother's hand, his shoulders trembling, tears streaming down his face. He had tried to comfort her for days, but she was getting weaker day by day. The imperial physician said that if this continued, something unspeakable might happen.

The palace servants around her also silently shed tears. The Empress's condition fluctuated greatly. Sometimes she would become hysterical and faint, and other times she would not move at all for a whole day.

After a long while, Zhao Cheng helped Prince Yu to his feet: "Your Highness, we cannot miss the auspicious time."

Prince Yu left with tears in his eyes, and only then did Consort Kang watch his departing figure, weeping.

At the palace gate, Zhu Zaizhen saw Prince Yu with red eyes. He couldn't say anything about it, since showing concern for Consort Kang seemed a bit hypocritical.

At the auspicious hour, the Court of State Ceremonies and the Embroidered Uniform Guard prepared a full entourage for the princes, including flag bearers, drummers, musicians, parasols, axes, and officers in golden armor, who escorted the two princes out of the palace.

Amidst the sounds of ceremonial music outside the palace gates, they boarded the prince's carriage and proceeded in a grand procession towards the capital residence.

This was the first time in the Ming Dynasty that two princes had left the palace and returned to their residences on the same day. The streets had already been cleared by the Five City Garrison, and the bluestone streets were spotless, with imperial guards standing on both sides, their armor gleaming.

The Imperial Guards, clad in golden armor, stood in formation, their axes and halberds gleaming, their banners fluttering. The prince's ceremonial guard, adorned in blue and red, stretched for miles, exuding a solemn and magnificent aura.

Two vermilion carriages from the Prince's Mansion traveled side by side, much to the amazement of the common people, who watched from afar and occasionally whispered among themselves.

Inside the carriage, Prince Yu was still thinking about his mother, his heart heavy. He was very afraid. Although his mother always scolded him, he knew that she loved him and would discipline him.

If his mother passes away now, he will have no mother.

Father Emperor—Father Emperor won't care about him.

Inside Prince Jing's carriage, Zhu Zaizhen showed neither joy nor sorrow. He was only thinking about the southward journey. Another letter had arrived from Gubeikou that day, saying that the provisions and supplies could only last for another half a month.

Before leaving, I still need to go to the Ministry of Revenue to get at least another month's worth of supplies and food. The salary can be delayed for now, since everyone is used to it.

The convoy drove through several streets and alleys before finally coming to a stop in front of two adjacent mansions.

On the left is the Prince Yu's Mansion, and on the right is the Prince Jing's Mansion. The two mansions are of the same design and were newly built according to custom. The vermilion gates are towering and the black tiles are neat. Pairs of stone lions squat on both sides in front of the gates.

The officials of the Prince's residence were already lined up at the gate to welcome him. When the carriage arrived, they all knelt down to pay their respects. These people were the Prince's official subjects.

Upon entering their respective residences, the two kings would first offer sacrifices to their ancestors and then settle into their residences, in order to comfort their forefathers and establish their own reputations. The ancestral sacrifice ceremony was solemn and simple, involving offering incense, kneeling, making prayers, and concluding the ceremony, with every step meticulously followed.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites and the chief secretary of the Prince's residence, carrying the Prince's golden seal, the Prince's official seal, and the talisman, officially opened the office of the chief secretary's office. The Prince was in charge of the daily affairs of the residence, but only major matters were reported to the Emperor.

After the Ministry of Rites officials left, Chief Secretary Zhao Bichang presented a thick booklet listing the various regulations of the Prince's Mansion, the roster of his officials, the rules for allocating funds and grain, and the details of the ceremonial guards. It was dozens of pages long, and this was the entire estate of the Prince Jing's Mansion.

Zhu Zaizhen stood inside the Chengyun Hall, his bright red court robes neat and dignified, his jade belt hanging still, his expression calm and undisturbed.

The annual salary was 10,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), the estate was 1,000 hectares, the government was fully staffed, and the ceremonial guards were well-organized. The Chief Secretary was in charge of the government affairs, the Trial Division was in charge of criminal cases, the Records Division was in charge of teaching and moral conduct, the Records Division was in charge of documents and accounts, the Guard Division was in charge of ceremonial guards, the Attendant was in charge of the palace attendants, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had a fixed number of captains on duty.

"Let each of the officials in charge of the prefecture perform their respective duties."

Zhao Bichang was no stranger to Prince Jing. He was originally an official of Shuntian Prefecture and served under the prince during the disaster relief efforts.

Therefore, they understood His Highness's style of doing things better and knew that he did not need flattery or service at this time.

"promise."

With His Highness's command, the Chief Secretary began to manage the entire Prince's residence. At first, there was some chaos, but it quickly became smooth.

After all, most of the officials in the Prince's Palace were members of Yan's faction, and Zhao Bichang was a disciple of Grand Secretary Yan. For both public and private reasons, no one would cause trouble at this time.

Everyone was busy getting familiar with the palace, while Zhu Zaizhen had nothing to do but look around his main hall.

The main hall of the emperor is called Fengtian Hall, while the main hall of the prince's mansion is called Chengyun Hall, meaning to receive the mandate of heaven.

The most important thing is naturally the throne. The platform is six feet nine inches long, with a Sumeru pedestal in the center. The throne on top is made of a whole piece of nanmu wood, with red lacquer as the base and gold outlines.

The backrest features a relief carving of a four-clawed dragon coiled amidst auspicious clouds and a precious pearl. The dragon's head is in the center, flanked by flowing clouds and the Eight Auspicious Symbols. The tops of the armrests are adorned with dragon heads holding ribbons in their mouths. The outer walls are shallowly carved with sea and cliff patterns, symbolizing a protective barrier for the country.

Behind the throne stood three large vermilion and gold-painted screens, nearly ten feet tall, with a nanmu frame, a silk base with gold leaf applied, and dragons rising on the left and right, and descending in the middle, amidst swirling auspicious clouds.

Zhu Zaizhen slowly walked up to the throne and gently touched it; he didn't receive this treatment in the palace.

He smiled and sat down gently. The cushion was a bright red brocade rug with cloud patterns, and there was a footrest underneath. He rested his hands on the armrests. How comfortable!

Looking down, you see an overhead view; soon, all the officials of the Prince's Palace will come to kowtow in worship.

Zhu Zaizhen gently raised his head. Above him was a red silk canopy with gold-embroidered dragons, supported by four gilded bronze pillars, resembling a small imperial canopy.

The curtains could be drawn back for routine affairs, but were lowered for grand ceremonies and when officials paid homage to the prince, making it difficult for his subjects to see his face.

To be honest, our great-grandfather was really good to his own family.

"Your Highness." Ma Dezhao knelt down below at some point, but this time he did not bow his head. Instead, he looked up at the boy he had carefully raised with tears in his eyes.

Seeing him sitting upright on the throne in his court robes, with a dignified expression, he couldn't help but feel happy.

"Daban, this chair is quite comfortable, but it feels empty when you sit on it."

Zhu Zaizhen's voice was loud and resonant, with a slight echo, which was obviously an effect deliberately created by the craftsmen.

Ma Dezhao wiped away his tears and smiled, "I wasn't used to it the first day, but I'll get used to it after sitting here for a while."

Zhu Zaizhen walked down briskly and laughed, "Why are you crying?"

"This servant is delighted."

Zhu Zaizhen didn't say much. He knew that with Daban's temperament, he would soon regain his composure.

Sure enough, once his tears were wiped away, Ma Dezhao's face returned to its usual calm and indifference: "Your Highness will have to endure this for the next few days."

"You must be careful with your diet until I have completely settled things in the inner quarters."

"Okay, I'll listen to you, Daban."

Being inside the palace is different from being outside the palace. In the Prince's mansion, there are people from all walks of life, and it takes time to weed them out little by little.

A moment later, the officials of the Prince's Palace with official rank all arrived outside Chengyun Hall. Zhu Zaizhen sat back on the throne, and as the eunuch at the door called out, a group of people dressed in green official robes walked in in an orderly and respectful manner.

The chief secretary, Zhao Bichang, was dressed in a dark blue fifth-rank round-necked robe with a white pheasant embroidered on the chest. His black gauze hat had three neat bars, and a silver-embroidered jade belt was tied around his waist. He stood at the head of the group with a steady gait.

Standing below the steps, Zhang Xing's voice was high-pitched: "Bowing!"

The crowd knelt down in unison, their hats touching the ground, their voices in unison: "Your subjects pay homage to Your Highness Prince Jing, and congratulate Your Highness on establishing your new residence and wishing you a long and prosperous life!"

Zhu Zaizhen nodded slightly: "No need for formalities."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Zhao Bichang stepped forward half a step and bowed: "Your subject, Chief Secretary Zhao Bichang, along with the officials of the Prince's Palace's departments of trial, record-keeping, record keeping, and food service, have been appointed by His Majesty and selected by the Ministry of Personnel to serve in the Prince's Palace."

"From now on, we, your humble servants, will strictly abide by the regulations of the princely government, manage all affairs of the government, including criminal matters, finances, education, and ceremonial guards, and wholeheartedly assist Your Highness."

"good."

At night, Zhu Zaizhen returned to his bedchamber. Although it was an unfamiliar environment, everyone was familiar. His wet nurse, Zhang Xingzhou, was upright and cautious in her words and actions.

Of course, the kittens were kept in the side room of the East Wing; they were quite mischievous at night.

Zhu Zaizhen washed his feet. The wet nurse was busy all day, and the chief attendant was also arranging affairs outside the palace. It seemed that he would be personally on night duty for the next two days.

"Your Highness, these pillows and cushions are the ones you use every day, so you won't have trouble sleeping."

Zhu Zaizhen nodded with a smile. Indeed, many of the items looked familiar; they were brought from the palace.

Although he doesn't have a problem with choosing a bed, this is definitely more comfortable and reassuring for him.

Lady Liu was much happier than Ma Dezhao. She felt it was good to leave the palace, as His Highness was now in charge of the household. Although there had been no Empress in charge of the palace for the past few years, the rules were still in place. These were the established laws of our ancestors, and some of them were indeed quite troublesome.

She said happily, "Tomorrow, I will lead the people to prepare the inner chamber. The princess will be staying there in two years."

The Prince's Mansion was a smaller version of the Imperial Palace, mainly consisting of three main halls in the front and three sleeping quarters in the back. The Chengyun Hall was only used for important events, the Huan Hall was used by Zhu Zaizhen to change clothes and wait, and the Cunxin Hall was where he conducted his daily business.

Of the three inner chambers, the front chamber was his living quarters, the middle chamber was the princess's, and the rear chamber was not occupied by a fixed person. It was mostly used to store the seasonal court robes, the prince's formal attire, the imperial edict, the ceremonial brocade, and valuable confidential documents.