Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 97 Dying
Wanli's life has entered the countdown.

These days, his condition has become worse. He was thought to be getting better, but instead of getting better, his condition has gotten worse.

Wanli has been eating very little since a week ago. He has not been able to eat normally in the past two days and has been relying on ginseng soup to stay afloat.

Today, after taking the ginseng soup, Wanli felt that he was in better spirits, and his head, which had been groggy some time ago, became a little more alert.

"Your Majesty!"

"What time is it now?" When he opened his eyes, everything in front of him was blurry. It took him a while to gradually see who was serving in front of the bed. Wanli asked Ma Rong weakly.

"Your Majesty, it's just 3 p.m...."

"Hel me up!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Help me up!" Wanli insisted, and Ma Rong had no choice but to go forward and help the emperor up from the bed. However, Wanli was too weak to sit still, so Ma Rong went to get a pillow to cushion him, and only then did Wanli barely sit up.

"What's happening in the court these days..." Wanli took a few breaths and asked Ma Rong.

"Your Majesty, there is nothing important in the court. It's just that Lord Fang submitted a memorial yesterday."

"Fetched."

"Yes..." Ma Rong replied, and hurriedly went to get Fang Congzhe's memorial. Wanli took it and opened it to read it, but he felt dizzy after just a few glances. The words on the memorial were like dancing little figures and he could not make them out clearly.

"read……!"

Wanli threw the memorial to Ma Rong.

Ma Rong took it and read it word by word to Wanli. Wanli listened to what Ma Rong read with his eyes slightly closed. This memorial only stated that the Prime Minister Fang Congzhe was concerned about the emperor's illness and comforted the emperor to take good care of his illness. At the same time, it brought up old matters again and mentioned the matter of adding cabinet ministers and filling vacancies in various departments.

In addition, regarding the arrangements for Liaodong, Fang Congzhe still maintained his original opinion, saying that it was not in accordance with the rules for Xiong Tingbi to lead Liaodong alone, and that an additional governor of Liaodong must be sent. The emperor had already verbally agreed to it last time, but it was unknown when it could be implemented.

Ma Rong finished reading and closed the memorial. Wanli did not speak, but remained sitting quietly. After waiting for a moment, Ma Rong could not help but slightly raise his eyes to look at the emperor, wondering if the emperor had not reacted or had fallen asleep. At this moment, Wanli suddenly spoke.

"Tell my oral instructions to Lord Fang, saying that I have not recovered from the injury to my spleen and stomach, and that I was a little tired yesterday. Recently, I have suffered from heatstroke and dampness, and my previous illness has recurred. I am taking medicine to regulate my body and my mind is not in good condition. As for the important documents, they will be issued as soon as I recover a little..."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ma Rong responded quickly. This was the emperor's instruction, and he would pass it on to Fang Congzhe later.

After finishing speaking, Wanli seemed to have finally regained his spirits after hearing these few words, and his face looked a little ugly. Just as Ma Rong was quietly asking the emperor if he wanted to lie down and rest, Wanli spoke again.

"Ma Rong!"

"The slave is here!"

"Pass my oral instructions to Xiong Tingbi, and tell him not to worry about other things and just do his job in Liaodong."

"The slaves obey the orders!"

"Go down. I'm tired, I'm tired..." Wanli's body tilted, and Ma Rong hurried forward to help the emperor lie down again. Listening to the emperor's mumbling, Ma Rong felt extremely uncomfortable. As the eunuch beside the emperor, he had served Wanli for so many years and knew Wanli better than anyone else. He knew what Wanli was thinking at this moment.

At the same time, as the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department and also the "Prime Minister" of the Ming Dynasty, Ma Rong understood better what the officials in the court were planning.

Wanli had been dragging his feet on these matters, and each time he found various excuses to appease Fang Congzhe. His purpose was to worry that the civil service group would take advantage of his serious illness to become more powerful and seize power from the emperor.

Especially the arrangements for Liaodong, Wanli has entrusted it all to Xiong Tingbi. At present, Xiong Tingbi is doing a very good job. With the support of Wanli, the situation in Liaodong has improved greatly, and everything is developing in a good direction.

The situation in Liaodong was bad before, and it was caused by the court and the hands of those civil servants.

Wanli had long seen through that these civil servants had no real ability to do anything except being good at talking. If he listened to them and set up a governor in Liaodong to divide Xiong Tingbi's power, then all his previous arrangements would be impossible to carry out, and the situation in Liaodong would once again return to the previous situation of discord and conflict between the civil and military officials.

After the defeat at Sarhu, Wanli no longer believed the words of the civil officials. He wanted to use his own people and methods to solve the Liaodong issue and avenge this disastrous defeat. However, as Wanli's condition became more and more serious, Ma Rong knew that the emperor who had sat on the throne for 48 years might not have many days left. Once the emperor passed away, what would happen to the Ming Dynasty?
Crown Prince Zhu Changluo? Ma Rong was not optimistic about this crown prince of the Ming Dynasty. In his opinion, Zhu Changluo was nothing except the crown prince, and even his position as crown prince was accepted by Wanli with a pinched nose. If it were not for the coercion of the civil service group and the empress dowager, which caused a dispute over the national foundation that lasted for several years, Zhu Changluo would not have been the crown prince at all.

Even though he became the crown prince, Zhu Changluo was not favored by Wanli. If there was no other way, Wanli would not want him to be the crown prince. In Wanli's heart, Zhu Changxun, the Prince of Fu born to Concubine Zheng, was the real candidate Wanli wanted to make the crown prince.

As the chief eunuch of the inner court, Ma Rong was not unfamiliar with the crown prince Zhu Changluo, on the contrary, he was very familiar with him. However, Ma Rong was not optimistic about this crown prince.

Compared with Wanli, Zhu Changluo's ability was far inferior. Even though many civil officials praised the prince for his long-standing virtue, his popularity, and the appearance of a benevolent monarch, Ma Rong knew that the prince was just a mediocre person and was no match for those civil officials. Once Wanli died and the prince succeeded to the throne, all the efforts Wanli had made before would be completely changed.

A prince who had been suppressed by the old emperor for many years and was praised by civil officials. Moreover, this prince was just ordinary in terms of talent and scheming. It is easy to imagine what the consequences would be if such a prince became emperor.

Thinking of this, Ma Rong couldn't help feeling sad.

But what could a mere eunuch like him do? Eunuchs were just slaves of the royal family. After the emperor passed away, the prince succeeded to the throne, which he was powerless to change.

Now he could only pray to the heavens, hoping that the heavens would love the Ming Dynasty and Emperor Wanli, and give Wanli some more time, even if it was five years... three years or even one year! Once the Liaodong Jiannu were completely resolved, the Ming Dynasty would have no worries, and even if the prince ascended the throne, the country would not be in turmoil again.

After leaving Hongde Hall, Ma Rong went to the cabinet to convey the emperor's oral instructions. After meeting Fang Congzhe, he asked a young eunuch to send someone to deliver the words that Wanli had instructed Xiong Tingbi as soon as possible.

After doing all this, Ma Rong once again returned to the Hongde Hall and continued to serve the sleepy Wanli, praying in his heart that the gods and Buddhas would bless the emperor and make him get better soon.

Unfortunately, Wanli was already at the end of his life, and he fell into a coma for several days without waking up. Ma Rong and the imperial doctors of the Imperial Hospital could only force the emperor to drink decoctions and ginseng soup. During this period, Concubine Zheng came to see the emperor several times. When she saw the emperor lying on the bed with his last breath, she cried like rain.

While in a coma, Wanli seemed to have returned to his youth, back to the time when Zhang Juzheng was teaching him.

The master was still as serious as ever. His stern look made Wanli tremble with fear, especially when he was teaching without any regard for relatives. Sometimes, Wanli would be distracted and accidentally mispronounce a word, and Zhang Juzheng would dare to hit his palm with a ruler.

But the strange thing is that Wanli at that time respected and feared Zhang Juzheng, but when Wanli returned to that moment in his dream, he did not feel that kind of fear in his heart. On the contrary, he felt a strong sense of closeness and relief, and also an incomparable sense of security.

Even though there were tears in his eyes and his hands were red, swollen and painful from being beaten, Wanli still had a smile on his face and was happy in his heart.

Because the person in front of him is his master, the only person he can truly trust and rely on as an emperor.

Suddenly, everything burst like a bubble, the scene in front of me became fragmented, Zhang Juzheng's figure disappeared, and the hall became empty.

Another flash, and I was sitting on the emperor's throne. Looking down, I could not see the faces of officials in the distance, but they were smiling and bowing to me. They were telling me in a bewitching voice, "Your Majesty, you are the emperor! You are the real master of this world! You are a benevolent monarch, you are a sage monarch, and who is Zhang Juzheng? He is just a powerful minister. Your Majesty, you have been deceived by him, Your Majesty! Be close to gentlemen and stay away from villains, this is what a wise monarch does! Your Majesty! Zhang Juzheng is such a villain! We are the real gentlemen!"

These voices came and went, echoing in Wanli's ears, and then scenes flashed before his eyes. The young emperor had grown up, but he had thought he could realize his ambitions, but it ended up being an outcome he didn't want to see. He was deeply shocked, and he tried to resist but was powerless. At this time, he looked up, hoping that the tall and reliable figure who had stood behind him would appear by his side again, but it was too late.

The king also called himself a lonely man. Wanli did not understand it when he was young, but now he understood it all. When he became a lonely man, he was powerless to make any changes. His master would never come back, and his master's hard work was destroyed by his own hands. What was lost could never be recovered.

Two lines of tears fell uncontrollably. Wanli stretched out his hand and shouted loudly his master's name. How he wished that time could go back!
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" The voice in my ear was hazy, but gradually became clear.

Wanli finally woke up from his coma.

"I...what's wrong with me?" He saw the face so close to him. It was his most beloved woman, Concubine Zheng, and next to her was Ma Rong.

"Your Majesty, you have slept for four full days..." Seeing the emperor wake up, Concubine Zheng cried with joy.

"It's been four days. It's been so long?" Wanli said in a daze. He looked at Concubine Zheng's face, which was no longer youthful. He smiled and raised his hand, but his hand was weak as soon as he raised it. Concubine Zheng quickly held the emperor's hand and gently placed Wanli's palm on her face, as if the emperor loved to touch his face like this in the past.

"You've suffered a lot these years..." Wanli looked at Concubine Zheng and sighed.

"Your Majesty..." These words made Concubine Zheng feel sad and tears fell from her eyes.

For couples who have been together for many years, there are some things that don’t need to be said much, and one action can understand each other’s thoughts. Unfortunately, although Wanli was the emperor, there were some things he could not do and was powerless.

After looking at Concubine Zheng for a while, Wanli suddenly said to Ma Rong beside him: "Announce...Announce Duke of Ying Zhang Weixian and Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe to enter the palace!"

(End of this chapter)