Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 132: Buds Bloom, East Forest Trees Fall

When it was almost dusk, the emperor walked to the spacious and quiet Chuxiu Palace.

"The Emperor has arrived!" Zhu Changluo walked through the courtyard gate amid the eunuchs' loud singing.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, two ancient cypresses stood tall and vigorous. According to the eunuchs accompanying him, these two ancient cypresses were planted here when Emperor Chengzu Yongle established the capital but did not move.

"Your humble concubine pays homage to the emperor." Pu Yi and Pu Yi, who were standing at the door of the main room, knelt down together.

"Come here and let me take a look." Zhu Changluo waved his hand, and the eunuchs who followed him dispersed, leaving only the palace maids working in Chuxiu Palace and the eunuchs who delivered the imperial edict.

"I obey your command." The two sisters tried their best to look respectful, polite and calm.

"Look up." Zhu Changluo leaned forward and was much taller than Pu Yi, the taller of the two sisters.

Pu Mi raised her head, her gaze meeting the emperor's. She quickly looked away, leaving only her face flushed with shame and trembling slightly. Both the principles of etiquette and the rules of the brothels clearly prohibited looking directly into the eyes of a respected person.

Zhu Changluo gently hooked two fingers under Pu Mei's chin. The trembling touch revealed the girl's suppressed anxiety. He gently stroked her hair, which was still wet and even a little frozen. "It's cold outside. Don't stand here. Come in."

Pu Yi felt a warm and powerful hand grasp her cold little hand. She was somewhat at a loss and just let this force lead her into the palace gate.

The interior of Chuxiu Palace is exquisitely decorated. A throne with a floor screen stands in the center of the main hall, with a red sandalwood screen inlaid with characters placed behind it. On the east and west sides, there are rosewood skirts with carved bamboo patterns and glazed partitions, separating the east and west secondary halls from the main hall.

In the main room, a wooden table was placed for dinner. As soon as the emperor and the two concubines sat down, the eunuch who was in charge of the instructions immediately called out, "Serve the dinner!"

Soon, the entire table was filled with the imperial meal that was supposed to be non-toxic.

"Don't stand there, have your meal." While waiting for the meal to be served, the two concubines did not speak a word. They just lowered their heads silently, and no one knew what they were thinking.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Pu Mei picked up the chopsticks, but her hands were shaking so much that she could hardly pick up anything.

"I'm eating, not cannibalizing people." Zhu Changluo shook his head and chuckled. Then he picked up a piece of perfectly cooked goose meat with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth along with the rice.

"Can you cook Korean food?" Zhu Changluo still remembered that the two girls were sent to Beijing in the name of chefs.

"In reply to the emperor, I can only cook some rustic dishes that are not presentable." Pu Mei replied.

The prostitutes in the brothels would be taught how to feed men, but they would not be taught how to cook for them. This was because even if a prostitute was redeemed by a wealthy man one day to become a prostitute, she would not be responsible for housework. From the moment she entered the brothel, the only work for these girls for the rest of their lives was to charm men with their beauty and entertain them with their bodies.

"Do you miss home?" Zhu Changluo tried to find something to talk about while eating. He really didn't like the feeling of a hot meal and a dull atmosphere. But the question was meaningless. Regardless of whether the two sisters missed home or not, they would never return to North Korea.

"No, I don't want to." Park Yi spoke for the first time.

Zhu Changluo was a little surprised. "Why?"

"This is a good place. We can eat well and we won't be beaten. Will you hurt us?" Park Mi asked softly, tilting her head. Her gentle voice stirred a desire to protect us, but also unleashed a fire of evil.

"Of course. It will bleed." The lovely sisters and Zhu Changluo, who had been abstaining from sex for a long time, felt a surge of desire in their lower abdomen.

How could the sisters not understand the emperor's hidden meaning? A fiery red blazed from their toes to the tips of their hair, their cheeks flushed with shyness like a wintersweet bud about to open. A strong sense of shame washed over them, but it also slightly dispelled the fear within them.

The room was filled with powder and perfume, like a mysterious fragrance leaking out from the gaps between flower petals, sweet but not greasy.

Zhu Changluo sensed the primal human desires within this body, truly strong. "Eat quickly, eat your fill." He stopped talking and sat silently, waiting for the two buds about to bloom to absorb their final nutrients.

Half a quarter of an hour later, the two sisters almost simultaneously used the tip of their tongues to roll the last grain of rice in the bowl into their mouths. When they finished chewing, the attendant palace maid immediately brought them mouthwash and a warm, wet silk scarf.

"Everyone, get out." After Pu Yi and Pu Yi finished their final wash, Zhu Changluo waved his hand to dismiss all the palace servants.

"Ah!" Park Miu was picked up by the waist.

"Follow me." Zhu Changluo waved to Pu Mei, then carried Pu Mei straight to the west room which served as a warm room. It was both a place to sleep and a place to have sex.

Pu Yi shyly turned her face to the side, so the emperor could only kiss her right cheek before putting her down. "Take it off, except for your underwear, nothing can be left on." The emperor picked up Pu Yi and placed her on the bed like a doll.

Then the emperor brought himself a cushion and sat in front of the two sisters, watching with interest as they took off their protective clothing piece by piece, from shoes and socks to hair bindings.

"This pair of jade-like works of art needs a touch of red to be even more beautiful." When the last piece of clothing in front of the undergarments fell to the ground, the emperor stood up. He met the two pairs of shy eyes and walked over. "Undress me."

------

On the thirteenth day of the winter month in the forty-eighth year of the Wanli reign, after a night of heavy snow, Beijing welcomed a rare moment of fine weather. The sky was cloudless, the air clear and bright. It seemed as if the oppressive effects of haze, rain, and snow were no longer present.

With the emperor's approval, the Jinyiwei could issue the imperial edict. The rules of the Western Factory had not yet been passed on to the Jinyiwei, so Luo Si prepared a "special edict" for each person on the "Dianjianglu".

"Let's go to the Criminal Department." Luo Sigong signed and stamped the last letter of invitation.

"What if he comes back at us?" Tian Ergeng asked. "I'm worried this little leverage isn't enough."

"It has to be done. The arrow is on the string, it has to be shot." The Imperial Guards didn't have the ability to see through the eyes of the gods, and with limited time, the information they had was rather partial. They only knew that Fu Li was wealthy and had several concubines in his house, but they had no idea where the money came from.

But Tian Ergeng was obviously worrying too much. When he took the imperial edict to the Ministry of Justice to find the Chief Censor Fu Li, Fu Li didn't even ask any questions. He just smiled and approved each edict.

After receiving the joint signature, Tian Ergeng, holding the rank of Third-Rank Associate Magistrate and concurrently serving as the Northern Pacification Commissioner, arrived at the Northern Pacification Commissioner's office, accompanied by a strong man carrying a square tray. "Xu Xianchun!" A dense mass of Jinyiwei (Emperor's Uniform Guards) stood before Tian Ergeng.

"Here I am," Xu Xianchun clasped his fists and stepped out. He was a fifth-rank deputy captain, a rank higher than Lu Wenzhao, who had just been promoted to a centurion. Hereditary succession essentially meant reaching the end of the line; without a fortuitous encounter or extraordinary achievement, Lu Wenzhao would never have been able to reach this level in his lifetime.

"Go to the Dali Temple and get the temple minister Zou Yuanbiao." Tian Ergeng took the imperial edict on the top of the plate and handed it to Xu Xianchun.

"I obey your orders!" Xu Xianchun took the imperial edict with both hands and turned to mobilize his troops. "Luo Yangxing!" Tian Ergeng took the second imperial edict.

"I'm in low office." Luo Yangxing is Luo Sigong's eldest son, but because his father is still in charge of the guards and has not passed away nor resigned, Luo Yangxing has not inherited the Luo family's hereditary title of a thousand households. He is just a seventh-rank general flagman who has been selected into the guards through normal procedures and promoted for his merits.

"Go to the Ministry of Rites and get Sun Ruyou, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites." Tian Ergeng handed the imperial edict to Luo Yangxing.

In fact, Luo Yangxing did not work in the Northern Pacification Office. His actual position was an experience officer in the seventh-rank experience office.

The Jinyiwei Experience Department was responsible for keeping the confidential documents of the guard, so it was usually managed directly by the guard chief or by the person the guard chief trusted most.

The post of Experiencer was an important one, but it was by no means a lucrative one, with little opportunity for profit or merit. However, Luo Yangxing was still the son of the Chief Guardian, so whenever a major case arose, the Northern Pacification Division would routinely request personnel from other yamen, citing a shortage of personnel. Regardless of the adjustments made to the yamen, the Experiencer Division would always be among them.

"I obey your command!" Luo Yangxing's face was filled with eagerness. He had already learned from his father, Luo Sigong, that the Donglin Party case had passed the emperor's approval. Regardless of the outcome, as long as it was successfully implemented, he would be guaranteed a position of meritorious service. For a high-ranking official like him, promotion or not was irrelevant; what mattered was his loyalty to the emperor. When the opportunity arose, these sown seeds would help him soar to the sky.

"Sun Guangxian!" Tian Ergeng continued to assign tasks.
A quarter of an hour later, all the imperial edicts were sent out, and almost the entire Northern Pacification Office was in action.

Imperial City, near Daming Gate, Ministry of Rites.

Xu Guangqi was sitting hunched over the main seat in the main hall, handling a mountain of official business. He knew that hunching over was unseemly and a loss of official authority, but he had no choice.

Although he only stood at Qianqing Gate for a few days before six cabinet members, along with the other nine ministers, petitioned the emperor for mercy, the accumulated administrative work during those few days had already overwhelmed the Ministry of Rites. From then on, Xu Guangqi toiled through the entire office from dawn to dusk every day, but the mountain of work never lessened.

"Sir, this is the document sent by the Ministry of Public Security." The doctor in charge of receiving and sending documents placed a four-leaf folded book on Xu Guangqi's desk.

"Okay." Xu Guangqi reached out and picked up the teacup on his right hand, only to find it was empty. "Someone come!"

"Sir, what do you want me to do?" Simply shouting "Come here" without calling the name or courtesy name is like calling an officer.

"Give me a cup of new tea." Xu Guangqi pointed to the teacup.

"Okay." The officer left with the cold, dry teacup.

"Give me one too." Sun Ruyou put his index and middle fingers together and pushed the teacup to the edge of the wooden table.

"Okay." The officer's job was to serve tea, pour water and wipe the floor.

Xu Guangqi didn't notice the little incident to his right. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, then picked up and unfolded the four-leaf folding scroll, discovering it was an order from the cabinet: the emperor ordered the Atlantic envoys, Long Huamin, Guo Jujing, and Johann Adam Schall von Bell, to come to the palace for an audience in the middle of this month. He instructed the Ministry of Rites to prepare the gifts and convey the instructions to the envoys.

The confusion in Xu Guangqi's mind suddenly cleared up.

He had always been very concerned about the Jesuit pilgrimage, but now he did not need to spend too much energy on it, because he had already prepared the necessary letters and orders, and he only needed to sign the names of the invitees and the chosen date on the blank, and then he could have the officials deliver it immediately.

But just as Xu Guangqi stood up and prepared to look for the prepared letter, his sight as he crossed the main hall and reached the courtyard screen caught sight of several soldiers approaching aggressively.

Luo Yangxing, dressed in a green embroidered robe, with the imperial edict in his arms, swaggered into the main hall of the Ministry of Rites. "Jinyiwei is on duty!"

"May I ask who you are and what mission you are on?" Xu Guangqi was an official in the Ministry of Rites. Regardless of whether the matter was related to him or not, he would go over to greet and inquire.

"I'm Luo Yangxing, an officer of the Jinyiwei Experience Department, currently on secondment to the Northern Pacification Department." Luo Yangxing was very polite to this second-rank official who wasn't on the list. "Mr. Xu, this is my badge."

Xu Guangqi knew at a glance that the man was genuine. "Is your last name Luo?"

"My father is Luo Sigong, the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard." Luo Yangxing understood what Xu Guangqi was asking.

Xu Guangqi didn't need to know the content of the mission to know that something big was happening!
As expected, Luo Yangxing immediately asked, "Who is the Right Vice Minister, Mr. Sun Ruyou?"

"I am!" Sun Ruyou stood up. His lips trembled and his face was as pale as paper. "I am."

"Go and fetch the person." Luo Yangxing handed the letter to Sun Ruyou with one hand. "Sir Sun, please come with us."

"There must be some misunderstanding." Sun Ruyou shook his head.

"The Jinyiwei will investigate whether there's any misunderstanding." Luo Yangxing took another step forward. "The imperial edict and signature are both above. If you don't accept it, don't blame us for using force." With that, Luo Yangxing bowed to Xu Guangqi and said, "I hope you won't be offended when the time comes."

Sun Ruyou had no choice but to accept it, as the documents were in place. Not accepting it would be treason, and the case could not be determined without further investigation. He opened it and saw three striking names: Jinyiwei Chief of Staff Luo Sigong, Criminal Affairs Department Chief Censor Fu Li, and the suspect, Sun Ruyou.

It’s complete, with all the necessary signatures and seals.

Sun Ruyou looked at the charge following his name, and his brain suddenly filled with blood. He felt dizzy and could barely stand. The charge the Jinyiwei had used to arrest him was: conspiracy to disrupt the government!

Conspiring to disrupt the government was a serious crime. Once proven, the penalty could range from demotion to beheading, property confiscation, and the punishment of three generations of the family.

"Who else?" It's impossible to arrest only one person in a conspiracy.

"Sir Sun, you'll soon see your accomplices in the Imperial Prison." Luo Yangxing sneered. "For now, it's best to save your energy and not worry about this."

Xu Guangqi didn't borrow the imperial edict, but from listening to the conversation, he could guess what was going on: this was a party case, not an individual case. And it was obvious which party or faction Sun Ruyou belonged to.

Despite his nervousness, Xu Guangqi also breathed a sigh of relief, because "seeing his accomplices in the imperial prison" meant that, at least so far, the Ministry of Rites had only arrested Sun Ruyou.

Shortly after Sun Ruyou was taken away by Luo Yangxing, an officer came over with a tea tray. "Where's Minister Sun?"

"Don't ask. Pour out this tea," another officer walked up to him and whispered in his ear.

(End of this chapter)