Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 261 Luo Sigong's Resignation
Jingren Palace, one of the Six Eastern Palaces, was originally named "Chang'an." Its current name was changed in the 14th year of the Jiajing reign. From the Yongle reign to the present day, the most famous resident of Jingren Palace was Hu Shanxiang, the deposed Empress of Emperor Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji.

In the 15th year of the Yongle reign, Hu Shanxiang was chosen by Emperor Chengzu as the Crown Prince's Consort. During the Hongxi reign, Emperor Renzong appointed her the Crown Princess. After Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne, Hu Shanxiang was naturally made Empress, ushering in her third major advancement in life.

But the good times didn't last. In March of the third year of the Xuande reign, Emperor Xuanzong ordered Hu Shanxiang to submit a petition to resign, citing the empress's "childlessness and frequent illness." Hu Shanxiang's defense proved fruitless, and she was forced to retire to the Chang'an Palace to practice Taoism. Emperor Xuanzong bestowed upon her the title "Jingci Xianshi." However, the consensus among the court and the public was that the emperor's dethronement wasn't due to the empress's "childlessness and frequent illness," but rather to her "considerable criticism," which had led the emperor to grow tired of her.

Now, one hundred and ninety-three years have passed. The residents of Jingren Palace have also changed from the "Jingci Immortal Master" of the Xuande Dynasty to Zhao Xianshi, Fu Xianshi, and Shao Shi of the Taichang Dynasty.

All three were former members of the Ciqing Palace's imperial court. Consort Zhao was the oldest, the same age as the Eastern Li, but she had no children. Consort Fu was slightly younger, the same age as the Western Li, and had given birth to two living princesses: the Sixth Princess Zhu Huiyan and the Seventh Princess Zhu Huijing. And Consort Shao was the youngest, less than twenty years old, and currently six months pregnant, with the birth date imminent.

Long before the Emperor arrived, Jingren Palace had learned of this momentous news. At 1:00 PM, the Emperor arrived. Consort Zhao and Consort Fu, along with Princesses Huiyan and Huijing, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately stepped forward and kowtowed before the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, your concubines Zhao Yuxian and Fu Xueqian pay their respects to you." If Shao had not been informed in advance and was not asked not to kneel to greet her, there would have been one more person kneeling before the emperor.

"Your sons, Zhu Huiyan and Zhu Huijing, pay their respects to your father, the Emperor." These two princesses were of similar age to the ninth daughter, Zhu Huiti. However, because their mother, Consort Fu, was far less favored than Xi Li, they were also less favored. The two princesses dared not act presumptuously in front of the Emperor, even addressing him with the formal formality of "Your Majesty, Father."

"Everyone, stand up." Zhu Changluo wanted to treat all the concubines equally as much as possible, but because the harem was too large, there were more than ten concubines who came out from the Prince's Eastern Palace, so he simply couldn't do it.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, Your Majesty." The four men stood up from the ground. Then they stood there with their heads bowed, not saying a word.

Zhu Changluo hesitated for a moment. Then he walked over to the two princesses, squatted down, and put on a fatherly look. Smiling, he gently kneaded their little cheeks and asked in a gentle voice, "Did you eat well?"

"In reply to His Majesty, Father. Yes." This wasn't Zhu Changluo's first time here. But the two little girls were still very reserved. The younger Zhu Huijing blushed even more. If her mother, Madam Fu, hadn't warned her in advance, she would have already fled behind her sister.

"Okay." Zhu Changluo didn't know how to deal with such children, so he just patted them on the head twice and stood up again.

"How are the expenses at Jingren Palace?" Zhu Changluo had already paid at least one visit to the concubines from Ciqing Palace. However, when it came to individuals, the frequency of his attention varied significantly. Therefore, he didn't have a deep impression of the two women before him, only vaguely remembering their names.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. There is nothing missing." Zhao Yuxian was promoted to the position of selected concubine first, and her status was higher than Fu Xueqian, so she was the one who came out to answer.

"Are these servants serving you wholeheartedly?" Zhu Changluo looked around and asked.

If the emperor neglected or ignored harem affairs, eunuchs and palace maids were likely to mistreatment the disfavored concubine. While they wouldn't be punished, embezzlement, indifference, or even arrogance were common. Zhu Changluo's mother, Consort Wang, for example, suffered repeated disrespect from palace servants during the period before his succession to the crown prince was confirmed. If Consort Zheng was secretly instigating this, the situation could have worsened.

However, if the emperor was willing to ask, such incidents would be much less common. If the Empress or even the Queen wanted to punish a servant, I could pay a fortune to seek help from a high-ranking eunuch. But if the Emperor wanted to punish a servant, no one would be of any use.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. They are doing their best." The emperor's favor was the most valuable luxury in the palace. The fact that the emperor took the unusual time to visit them, and asked them questions every time, touched Zhao Yuxian and Fu Xueqian deeply.

Zhao Yuxian, in particular, had briefly suspected she was dreaming when the emperor summoned her to the Qianqing Palace for his night intercourse. The lines from "Fu on the Afang Palace," "Standing and gazing into the distance, hoping for favor," meant more than just words to her. It had truly been a long, long time since the emperor had touched her.

"Come in, don't stand here in the wind." Zhu Changluo returned to the two princesses, holding one hand each, and led them into Jingren Palace.

The main hall, with its plaques hanging on it, is five bays wide in the front courtyard of Jingren Palace. Its roof features a yellow glazed hip roof with five beasts at the corners. Beneath the eaves, single-curved, single-raised, five-stepped brackets are decorated with dragon, phoenix, and imperial seal patterns. Doors open to the front and rear eaves of the main hall, while the secondary and side rooms have sill walls and windows, and the doors and windows utilize double-intersecting, four-bowl, diamond-shaped lattice panels.

Currently, the residents of the main hall in the front yard are the pregnant Shao and Concubine Fu who temporarily moved in to take care of her.

The main hall in the front courtyard was supposed to be the residence of Zhao Yuxian, the most prestigious concubine in Jingren Palace. However, with her title conferred on her, Zhao Yuxian had no children, and unlike Dong Li, she was not fortunate enough to raise an orphaned prince. She even didn't have a single child who died young.

Zhao Yuxian knew that neither the emperor nor the Ministry of Rites would ever place her above the Fu and Shao families. After all, the former had two daughters, while the latter was about to add a son or daughter to the emperor's family. In the end, she would most likely not even be able to obtain the title of concubine, but would most likely be a concubine.

So when she moved out of Ciqing Palace and into Jingren Palace, she consciously chose the eastern side hall in the backyard, not even the main hall. If the emperor had a new lover of higher rank and also moved into Jingren Palace, she would have to make room for her. Zhao Yuxian still had a bit of pride in her heart. Rather than suffer such humiliation later, it would be better to make arrangements in advance. At least she wouldn't be kicked out of the side hall.

When entering the main hall, Shao Sishen had already sat up, served by the palace maids. Seeing the emperor enter, she immediately stood up and saluted. "Your Majesty, I, Shao Sishen, pay my respects to you."

But the emperor was half a step faster than her. When Shao Sishen moved to get out of bed, Zhu Changluo supported her shoulders and said, "Come on. You should just rest there and don't get up. Take good care of your baby."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Shao Sishen wasn't particularly favored; she was simply lucky. "I'll try to give Your Majesty another child."

"It's not up to you to decide whether to have a son or a daughter." Zhu Changluo smiled and touched Shao Sishen's head, saying, "But whether it's a boy or a girl, you are a meritorious official of the emperor."

"Yeah." Shao Sishen smiled sweetly at the emperor.

Zhao Yuxian watched, a sour feeling rising in her heart. This man had become better, gentler, but it seemed to have little to do with her. She had her period again after the emperor's last visit, and Zhao Yuxian considered it a misfortune. She silently raised her head, moistening her dry eyes with a few tears, then lowered it as if nothing had happened.

"Wei Chao, please serve the meal. Our family of six will eat on this bed." Zhu Changluo turned around and waved to Zhao Yuxian and Fu Xueqian.

Zhao Yuxian was stunned for a moment, then her eyes turned slightly red and she nodded heavily.

--------

That night, Luo Yangxing, who felt that he had taken control of the situation and had reported to the emperor, finally returned home.

"Where's my father?" As soon as Luo Yangxing entered the house, he went straight to the backyard to look for Luo Sigong. Luo Sigong's life was very regular. If he didn't have any social engagements or entertainment activities, then at this time, he would be lying in the backyard enjoying the cool air. However, Luo Yangxing didn't find him. "Master, the master is in the study." The servant who was stopped by Luo Yangxing lowered his head and answered respectfully.

"What is he doing in the study?" Luo Yangxing asked.

"I don't know. The master didn't say anything. He went there directly after dinner." The servant shook his head.

"Okay. Go ahead." Luo Yangxing waved his hand, then turned and walked towards Luo Sigong's private study.

Not long after, Luo Yangxing came to the study and found that his father was holding a pen, staring at the table intently, and didn't even notice him coming in. It was not until Luo Yangxing came closer that Luo Sigong looked up at him.

"You're back. Have you eaten?" Luo Sigong asked subconsciously.

"I ate." Luo Yangxing found a small stall to eat before going home. "What are you writing?"

"Someone impeached me, and the emperor ordered me to write a defense in red." Luo Sigong's article was almost finished.

"Who is it?" Luo Yangxing was horrified. "Why?"

"Zhao Yanqing. An Imperial Censor." Luo Sigong handed the rubbing of the impeachment letter to Luo Yangxing. "He said I was old. Not only was I plagued by age and illness, but I was also living in extravagance. I shamelessly clung to the Emperor and refused to leave. He urged me to take my own retirement. As for why he impeached me, I don't know."

"Did this damn bastard eat too much? Have we ever provoked him?" Luo Yangxing felt a surge of anger after reading it.

Zhao Yanqing's memorial of criticism was written in a very sharp tone, with words like "poor and cunning", "tail-wagging", "lewd", and "useless" being obvious insults.

Luo Yangxing couldn't stand being insulted by his father, but Luo Sigong himself was quite open-minded. "Aren't all censors like this? This is nothing. A while ago, someone even dared to publicly accuse Prime Minister Fang of 'fawning over the emperor.' Don't bother with them. A memorial is just a formality. Look, I've already written it."

To be fair, Luo Sigong felt the letter was quite accurate. If anything, he truly came from a poor and cunning background. The Luo family had prospered during the Jiajing reign, but decades later, by the time he came of age, it had declined. With no support from the court, he had only the salary-bearing title of Chief Thousand Household Officer to inherit.

In the Jinyiwei system, officers were as numerous as dogs, and commanders were everywhere. A captain without a position was really nothing. With an annual salary of 20 taels of silver and 12 dan of rice, this little income was extremely tight to support a large family. If something happened to the country and the court couldn't provide the money, even this small salary might not be enough. Later, when they became rich and had tens of thousands of silver in their homes, wouldn't they have to "keep their concubines and ministers singing and dancing"? Besides, what's wrong with celebrating the New Year, hosting banquets, and enjoying themselves? It didn't interfere with their work.

As for requesting retirement due to old age and illness, that wasn't wrong either. In the last years of the Wanli Emperor's reign, Shenzong's health was declining. Luo Sigong feared the same fate would happen to him, with the emperor's ministers changing with his reign, and that he would end up in disarray. So he submitted several petitions, citing illness as the reason for his departure. But Emperor Shenzong ignored them all. Luo Sigong didn't have the nerve to follow the example of a "temple keeper" and simply pack up and return home, so he just had to bite the bullet and continue working.

"How are you going to argue?" After his anger subsided, Luo Yangxing immediately connected the impeachment with recent events. He swallowed and asked, "Can you show me?"

"I won't argue. I'll just submit my resignation." Luo Sigong leaned back, making room. He waved his hand, indicating that Luo Yangxing was free to do as he pleased. He was quite satisfied with this petition.

"Biaoci! Are you serious?" Luo Yangxing was shocked.

"Of course," Luo Sigong nodded. "Since I've been impeached by the censors, I have to express my opinion according to the rules."

Luo Yangxing didn't want to leave, and he couldn't. He was the one who signed the military order in the Southern Study. If he didn't hand over anything before leaving office, he would definitely be torn to pieces after he stepped down.

"You can't refuse!" Luo Yang said impatiently.

"Don't worry." Luo Sigong's eyes were full of indifference. "This drama of the Jinyiwei internal judge has only just begun. The emperor won't let me step down at this time. This is just a formality."

The so-called process is that the censors impeach, the official resigns, the emperor tries to retain the official, and reprimands the censors. Finally, everything goes back to normal.

"Dad! This isn't that simple!" Luo Yangxing walked around to the table, leaned against it, and looked directly at his father. "You can't go through any formalities at this time!"

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Luo Sigong asked, "Did you cause any trouble outside?"

Luo Yangxing took a deep breath and said straight to the point: "The Tianjin case was most likely done by the Wuqing Marquis Li family. I'm 90% sure!"

"What!" Luo Sigong jumped up from his chair. "Why are you telling me this now? Where have you been these days and what have you been doing?"

"Someone was following me, so I didn't come back to trouble you." Luo Yangxing replied.

"Someone from the Western Factory?" Luo Sigong reacted quickly.

"It should be. If I don't come back, you can just say you didn't know about this." Luo Yangxing glanced at the copy of the impeachment letter and sighed, "But now it seems that it's useless. Even if this impeachment letter doesn't involve the Tianjin case, you must not resign at this time. The emperor might agree for the sake of the Li family."

　supplement:
　　Concubine Zhao. Concubine Zhao was Guangzong's concubine during his reign as crown prince. She had no children. Due to a feud with Xizong's wet nurse, Keshi, and Wei Zhongxian, she was executed by a forged imperial decree issued by Keshi and Wei after Guangzong's death. Before her death, Concubine Zhao placed the pearls, jade, and gold gifted to her by Guangzong on the table, bowed twice, wept bitterly, and then hanged herself. Her attendants, the eunuchs who served her, were severely beaten and exiled to Nanjing.

　　Fu, a concubine, was initially a lady of honor and later a concubine of honor. She gave birth to the sixth and seventh daughters of the emperor. After Emperor Guangzong ascended the throne, he ordered her to be canonized as a consort, but the request was unsuccessful during his death. After Emperor Xizong ascended the throne, he forcibly moved her to another palace. In the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, she helped Chongzhen paint a portrait of Empress Dowager Liu, who was also a lady of honor and lived with him as a concubine. In March of the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen reign, the Jiashen Incident occurred, bringing the Ming Dynasty to its knees. Fu fled to the countryside of Baiyangdian and died the same year at the age of fifty-seven.

　　Shao was not a concubine and had a posthumous child when Emperor Guangzong died.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)