I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 491: The Third Year of Longqing
In the cabinet inside Zuoshunmen, the clerks walking back and forth were in high spirits.

The officials from the six ministries and temples who came to the cabinet to do business also had smiles on their faces. When they saw people, whether they knew them or not, they smiled and nodded, and greeted each other.

According to the decree passed down from Xiyuan, the cabinet, six ministries, temples and other government offices can take a holiday on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, and will not reopen until the 16th day of the first lunar month of the next year, after the Lantern Festival.

Except for the "leaders" who take turns on duty, most officials are on holiday.

In two days, I can go home for vacation and prepare for the New Year's Eve celebrations with my family.

This year the Crown Prince was getting married, and imperial decrees came down from the palace and the Western Garden. In addition to the Shaofujian taking money out of the inner treasury, large amounts of money were distributed to reward civil and military officials.

Banknotes from the four major banks, Wells Fargo, Huijin, Tongshang and Huimin, and shopping coupons from the six major businesses, Xingruixiang, Deshengmao, Lianshengxiang, Hengyuansheng, Fengfusheng and Dalianfa. Just take the shopping coupons and buy whatever you want.

From food to clothing to daily necessities, you have bought everything from the six major stores. Unless you want to buy muskets and armor, you really can't buy them from the six major stores.

After the reform of the official system in the second year of Longqing, the treasury was rich and began to issue annual rewards. This year, they issued them as usual. With the bonus for the prince's wedding, everyone can have a prosperous year this year.

Thinking of this, everyone felt happy and couldn't hide the joy on their faces.

The atmosphere in the attic was solemn.

Gao Gong, the cabinet minister and the minister of revenue, sat on a chair, while Ge Shouli, the minister of rites, and Zhang Siwei, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, sat on either side. The three of them looked anxious.

Ge Shouli asked anxiously: "Su Qing, don't you know how bad the emperor's health is?"

"After the wedding ceremony, I tried to pay my respects to the emperor, but was called up after just a few minutes." Gao Gong said solemnly, "The emperor's health is far beyond our expectations."

"How did the emperor's health deteriorate to this extent?"

As soon as Ge Shouli finished speaking, Gao Gong and Zhang Siwei's eyes all fell on him.

He was startled and realized that he had said the wrong thing. He quickly explained, "I meant that the emperor's health was deteriorating beyond our expectations."

"The emperor's health was not necessarily very good when he was in the palace. It was almost the same as that of Prince Jinggong. However, the late emperor was watching from above, and the Yan Party was watching closely, so the emperor had to act carefully."

Gao Gong spoke obscurely, but everyone understood.

Zhang Siwei added, "Prince Jinggong was ordered to go to De'an Prefecture in Huguang in the 41st year of Jiajing, and died of illness in the 44th year. He was in power for less than four years. The emperor has been on the throne for three years.

There were fifteen concubines and twenty-six imperial concubines in the palace. The rest, including Zhaoyi, Jieyushi, Meiren, Cairen, Xuanshi, and Shunu, totaled sixty or seventy.

Even a man of steel and iron will have to go through three years of bone scraping with a bone scraper."

Ge Shouli said bitterly: "Why doesn't His Royal Highness the Crown Prince persuade the Emperor?"

Gao Gong did not say anything, but Zhang Siwei defended Zhu Yijun, "How can Your Highness persuade him? A son persuades his father, a minister persuades his monarch, can they persuade him? Only respect and obedience are the etiquette of a minister."

Gao Gong, Ge Shouli and Zhang Siwei looked at each other tacitly, and all three of them understood what was going on.

Why does the prince want to persuade?

The emperor was famous for his love of beauty, good food and good wine. He hid in the Forbidden City, caring about the three good things and three beauties, not caring about government affairs, and entrusted all of them to the crown prince.

The prince did not try to persuade him and tried his best to meet the emperor's needs.

Father and son live in peace, ruler and ministers get along well, and everyone gets what they need. How wonderful!

The room suddenly fell silent for several minutes. The atmosphere was a bit weird. Zhang Siwei spoke to break the silence.

"It seems that the Crown Prince's wedding to bring good luck has no effect."

Gao Gong rolled his eyes at him, "Young Master Feng Pan is lying here with open eyes. This is buying time for the Crown Prince. It seems that the Queen and the Crown Prince are aware of the Emperor's health.

The Emperor must be fully aware of his own health."

Ge Shouli finally couldn't help but speak out what was in his heart: "Mr. Su, if the emperor dies, how can you gain a foothold in this court?"

Gao Gong stood up suddenly, opened the window, and let the cold wind blow in. It seemed that only this could calm his restless heart a little.

"Gao Suqing, close the window, close it! We are freezing. You are not afraid of the cold, but we are."

"Gao Suqing, close it quickly! How can we talk with the window open? How can we discuss important matters?"

At the urging of Ge Shouli and Zhang Siwei, Gao Gong angrily closed the window, and the room suddenly became much warmer.

Ge Shouli stood up, squatted in front of the iron stove, opened the stove door a little wider to make the fire burn more vigorously.

"When the Emperor first ascended the throne, I was full of confidence and thought I could realize my ambitions. But I never expected that the third year of Longqing would only be the third year of Longqing!"

Ge Shouli, who was squatting there, was so frightened that he sat down on the ground. He said to Gao Gong in panic, "Is the emperor's health so bad?"

Gao Gong then told the truth: "The Crown Prince got married, and all the civil and military officials came to congratulate him. I saw that the emperor's face was not right in Huangji Palace. I requested to see him, and finally met him in Yangxin Palace with the elders the day before yesterday."

Ge Shouli and Zhang Siwei held their breath and listened nervously to what Gao Gong had to say next.

"At that time, I clearly saw that the emperor's face was actually..." Gao Gong had already burst into tears before he could finish his words.

"Su Qing, what's going on? What happened to the emperor?" Ge Shouli asked anxiously after struggling to stand up.

"I actually saw a look of death on the emperor's face!"

There was a loud bang and a firecracker exploded in the air not far away, scaring the three people in the room so much that they jumped up all over!
The thunder came quickly and went away quickly. In just a few breaths, it disappeared into the distant sky, as if it had never been there.

Ge Shouli's face turned pale, "Death color on your face?!"

Zhang Siwei muttered quietly: "Winter thunder brings summer rain and snow! Such a loud thunder in the cold winter is an ominous sign!"

The room was filled with silence, so quiet that it made people feel eerie.

"Master!" Someone was calling anxiously outside the door. It was Gao Gong's clerk.

"What's the matter?" "Someone is coming from the palace."

"Boom!" Another winter thunder suddenly exploded, this time it was closer and louder, scaring the three people out of their wits.

"Mr. Gao, there is an imperial decree from the palace, asking all the cabinet ministers, the Minister of Military Affairs, the Five Military Commanders, the Minister of State Affairs, the Left and Right Censors-in-Chief, and the Left and Right Imperial Envoys to wait in the duty room at the Huangji Gate."

Gao Gong, Ge Shouli and Zhang Siwei felt a sense of tightness in their hearts for no apparent reason.

The thing I was most worried about happened. How come it came so suddenly?
Gao Gong and Ge Shouli, feeling anxious, met up with Li Chunfang, Zhao Zhenji, Zhang Juzheng and Chen Yiqin at the door of the Cabinet. They went out of Zuoshun Gate, entered Wumen Gate from Quezuo Gate, turned right into Huiji Gate, and walked through the alley beside the wall of the East Palace.

When passing by the Imperial Pharmacy, palace maids and eunuchs were coming in and out, all with anxious expressions. This place was changed into the Imperial Physician's Office, and the Imperial Hospital would send imperial doctors to take turns to work here every day.

After passing the Imperial Pharmacy is the gate of Ciqing Palace.

Ciqing Palace was usually where the Empress Dowager lived.

If Zhu Yijun ascended the throne and Queen Chen became the Empress Dowager, this would be where she would live permanently.

At the entrance of the main hall, a group of imperial doctors gathered, led by the genius doctor Wan Quan and the king of medicine Li Shizhen.

Li Chunfang went up to him and asked softly, "How is the emperor's health?"

Wan Quan and Li Shizhen looked at each other, sighed, and shook their heads.

Chen Yiqin's face was covered with tears. He was too panicked to believe it. He grabbed Wan Quan's hand and asked, "Why is the emperor like this? Why don't you imperial doctors think of a solution?"

Wan Quan looked around and said softly, "Since the beginning of winter, the emperor has been in a serious condition. After our consultation, we asked the emperor to give up drinking and sex. He was doing fine before.

A few days ago, the Crown Prince got married. The Emperor was so happy that he secretly drank a few times. He was discovered by the Crown Prince and severely punished the eunuch who accompanied him.

But this body is making things worse."

Listening to Wan Quan's hesitant words, the ministers all knew in their hearts that the key to asking the emperor to quit drinking and sex was for him to control himself, otherwise it would be useless to severely punish the eunuchs and palace maids who served him.

Apart from the prince, who dares to control him?

But the prince couldn't stay by his side day and night.

Alas, Your Majesty, if you had one third of the self-discipline of the Crown Prince, you would not have ended up like this!
Chen Yiqin knelt on the ground, facing the main hall, and wailed in a suppressed voice: "Your Majesty, why don't you know how to cherish your dragon body!"

Wanfu was wearing a plain shirt and walking in front, while Zhu Yijun was wearing a green casual shirt and walking behind. They saw Li Chunfang and others.

"All the old gentlemen are here, and Minister Ge is here too."

Zhu Yijun's voice was hoarse, his eyes were bloodshot, and his face was full of fatigue.

"My father suddenly fell ill last night. Several doctors worked hard to save him. After several consultations, the situation is not optimistic. To be on the safe side, I would like to ask all the important officials to come to the palace and be on standby."

He looked at Gao Gong's face and said, "Mr. Gao, after my father woke up, he kept saying that he had something to tell you. He just drank a bowl of ginseng soup and he is feeling a little more energetic. You can go in with me."

"Yes."

Looking at Zhu Yijun's back, all the ministers sighed in their hearts.

Li Chunfang, Chen Yiqin and other officials of the two dynasties still remember the figure standing at the gate of the Qianqing Palace on the night of December 14, the 46th year of Jiajing.

At the beginning, he sent off his royal grandfather, the late Emperor Jiajing, as the Crown Prince. He never expected that so soon, he would have to send off his father, the late Emperor Longqing, as the Crown Prince.

His time is coming.

Gao Gong followed Zhu Yijun into the depths of the left hall of Ciqing Palace, which was wrapped in layers of curtains and curtains, making it airtight. There was not a trace of cold wind inside, but it was freezing cold.

Gao Gong saw Empress Chen sitting in front of a bed, wiping away tears. When she saw Gao Gong coming, she stood up and said, "Master Gao is here. The emperor has been talking about you."

Gao Gong could no longer hold back, and fell to his knees, crying out in tears: "Your Majesty!"

Emperor Longqing, lying on the bed, stretched out his left hand and motioned Gao Gong to come closer.

She moved on her high knees, came to the bed, and carefully held the Emperor Longqing's left hand, which was cold and thin.

"Master Gao," Emperor Longqing said weakly, "When I was in the palace, you protected me from the wind and rain. I am ashamed that I cannot protect you from the wind and rain."

Gao Gong couldn't hold back any longer and burst into tears, but he didn't dare cry loudly, so he could only open his mouth and cry hoarsely. He lowered his head, held Emperor Longqing's left hand, put it on his forehead, and tears fell to the ground.

"Master Gao,"

"I'm here!" Gao Gong could hardly utter a word. He raised his head and saw the look in Emperor Longqing's eyes. The tacit understanding developed between teacher and student over the years made him immediately lean forward and put his ear close to Emperor Longqing's mouth.

"After I leave, you go back to your hometown. We won't get involved in this mess anymore."

After finishing speaking, Emperor Longqing squeezed Gao Gong's fingers vigorously with his left hand, then pointed at Gao Gong and said to Zhu Yijun: "Prince, take good care of Master Gao for me."

Gao Gong knelt on the ground, his body shaking constantly. He was extremely sad but couldn't cry out.

Looking at the skinny Emperor Longqing and seeing the look in his sunken eyes, Gao Gong knew that this was Emperor Longqing's last protection for him.

Zhu Yijun looked at his father on the bed, and at Gao Gong, who was kneeling on the ground and crying bitterly, and said, "Father, please rest assured. I will take good care of Master Gao for you."

Soon, the Minister of Military Affairs, the Five Military Commanders, the Shangshu Zhengqing, the Left and Right Censors-in-Chief, the Left and Right Xuanhui Envoys, as well as royal family nobles, hurriedly arrived one after another.

At about seven in the evening, Wan Quan and several imperial doctors went into the palace to check the pulse of Emperor Longqing again, and came out and said, "Your Highness, I suggest that you move the emperor to the Qianqing Palace."

Zhu Yijun closed his eyes and was silent for a while, tears silently flowing down his face. After opening his eyes, he sniffed and said, "No need, let's just wait here."

At around nine o'clock in the evening on December 24, the third year of the Longqing reign, the sound of bells came from the Forbidden City. The sounds of four bells formed a group, floating melodiously over the capital.

Emperor Longqing passed away!

(End of this chapter)