Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 265: Wu Qing Hou Retires

The coachman from Nuanxiang Pavilion drove a luxurious carriage loaded with expensive gifts, almost across the entire city of Beijing from Huanghuafang to Mingyufang, where Shen Lian's home was located.

Specifically, Shen Lian's residence was a small quadrangle courtyard nestled between the Imperial Temple and Guangji Temple. This quadrangle was the smallest of the four courtyards, and the houses were all single-story. Entering through the street gate, one could directly enter the courtyard. The courtyard, formed by the main house, the back house, and the side rooms, was traversed by a central axis. From the threshold, one could get a general overview of the courtyard.

Beijing was densely populated with few houses, making rent relatively high. To share the rent, the Jinyiwei and other lower-ranking officers of the various imperial guards often shared housing. This small courtyard housed three Jinyiwei families and a shared household of servants. The monthly rent for the courtyard was two taels and four qian of silver, distributed to each household, totaling eight qian of silver per month.

Brothers Lu Jianxing and Shen Lian were considered one household, living together in the main house facing south. The two brothers took turns paying the rent.

After the carriage stopped at the courtyard gate, Luo Yangxing, who had been sitting outside with the driver, jumped out first. He casually pulled out a piece of silver, weighing an unknown amount, and tossed it to the driver, saying, "Take it. Here's your reward."

The driver's driving skills were very steady, and neither the passengers inside nor outside suffered any harm, but the driver's eyes and hands were not very sharp. He instinctively jumped over to catch the silver, but the silver still fell to the ground. He staggered out of the car and bent over to pick it up. After picking up the silver, the driver's face immediately broke into a satisfied smile. He came to Luo Yangxing, knelt down and kowtowed smoothly, and thanked him loudly: "Thank you for the reward, sir. I wish you good luck and many children."

Luo Yangxing nodded with satisfaction and said, "You wait here. I'll go in and see if anyone has returned."

"Yes. Yes. I'll follow your orders, sir." The driver kowtowed again, and only stood up when Luo Yangxing turned and walked towards the door did he return to the carriage, sit back down, and hold the reins.

Luo Yangxing came to the door, raised the corners of his mouth, and put on a friendly smile. After he felt that his expression was in place, he gently knocked on the door of the courtyard.

"Excuse me, sir, who are you looking for?" A slightly stooped old man answered the door. He was the landlord's servant, responsible for guarding the house and doing laundry for the tenants. His food was provided by the landlord, and his wages were paid from the rent. His family earned four taels of silver per month, considered a net income. If a family rented the entire house and brought their own servants, they could dispense with the servants living in the back room, and the rent would be correspondingly lower.

"Is General Shen here?" Luo Yangxing asked with a smile.

"Yes. Master Shen has returned." The old servant nodded and asked, "Are you also an official of the Jinyiwei?"

"I am his superior." Luo Yangxing lifted the corner of his clothes, revealing the iconic ivory badge of the Jinyiwei.

"Please come in, sir. Please come in, sir." The old servant was very knowledgeable.

The old servant was a military household in the Beijing Guard. Like most military households, he failed to pass the imperial examinations for either the internal examinations at the guardhouse or the imperial military examinations. He spent his entire life in the Qianhu Regiment as a mere soldier. In his youth, his most common job was repairing houses for high-ranking officials and relatives of the nobility. When he couldn't continue, he retired and worked as a housekeeper for a noble relative, earning a living.

"Which room does General Shen live in?" Luo Yangxing asked after entering the room.

"General Qi Shen and General Qi Lu live in the main house, but General Qi Lu has been on a business trip recently. Only General Qi Shen is at home." The old servant knew the basic situation of the residents in each room.

"Okay. I understand. You go on with your work." Luo Yangxing waved his hand.

"I'm leaving now." The old servant said goodbye and left.
Luo Yangxing walked to the main door and stopped, knocking on it while calling out, "Mr. Shen."

Shen Lian had been lying in bed, resting his mind and digesting his food, when he heard the familiar voice, he immediately stood up, walked to the door and opened it. After opening the door, he found that the person who came was indeed the eldest son of Luo Zhangwei.

Surprised, Shen Lian didn't even bother to dress. He immediately knelt on one knee and saluted, "Your humble servant greets Admiral Luo. I beg your forgiveness for not being able to come and greet you."

"Haha." Luo Yangxing walked over and helped Shen Lian up. "General Shen, why are you being so polite?"

"Commander Luo, you have come to my humble home. Is there anything important you need me to do?" Although Shen Lian stood up, he still kept his head down.

"There's no need for so many instructions." Luo Yangxing took Shen Lian's arm and said affectionately, "You've been working hard recently. I just came to see you."

"It is my duty to obey orders. I am really honored by your courtesy, Admiral! Please come in and take a seat. I will make you some tea." Shen Lian was moved, but at the same time, he couldn't help feeling panic and doubt in his heart.

"Don't keep the beauty waiting for too long. I won't go in." Luo Yangxing said something that Shen Lian couldn't understand. Then he exerted a little force with his arm and guided Shen Lian to the door. "Come with me."

"Admiral, what are you doing?" Shen Lian was puzzled, but he could only follow him.

"You'll know when you get here." Luo Yangxing led Shen Lian all the way to the carriage at the door and asked, "Guess what's inside?"

The carriage had curtains drawn all around, and the dim evening sunlight wasn't enough for Shen Lian to see clearly what was going on inside. But the familiar aroma immediately made Shen Lian realize it was the carriage from Nuanxiang Pavilion.

"Is this the car from Nuanxiang Pavilion?" Shen Lianxin looked at Luo Yangxing in disbelief.

"You are worthy of being my right-hand man!" Luo Yangxing released Shen Lian's arm and patted his shoulder. He then slowly walked to the front of the carriage, gently lifted the door curtain, and said, "Since ancient times, swords have been given to heroes, and beauties have been paired with heroes. Brother Shen, from today on, Miss Zhou is officially no longer a slave."

"." Shen Lian stood there in a daze, not moving.

Luo Yangxing hooked his arm towards Zhou Miaotong, then turned to Shen Lian and said, "Don't just stand there, we're already at the door, hurry up and help Miss Zhou down."

"Okay." Shen Lian's mind was about to shut down. He mechanically walked to the front of the carriage and extended his hand to the girl inside. At this time, Luo Yangxing also politely stepped aside to avoid physical contact with Zhou Miaotong.

"Master Shen," Zhou Miaotong shrank back subconsciously, then extended her hand for him to hold.

"A good night is worth a thousand gold. I won't bother you any more." Luo Yangxing adhered to the principle of showing favor without saying too much. Before Shen Lian could thank him or ask any questions, he returned to sit next to the driver and said, "Let's go."

"Yes."

"Admiral Luo!" Shen Lian shouted as he came to his senses, but all he saw was a waving right hand. He looked at Zhou Miaotong and asked, "Miaotong, what's going on?"

"I don't know either." Zhou Miaotong shook her head slightly. "Aunt Xue suddenly found me and said someone had paid off the ransom debt. Then I was taken into a car and sent here."

Shen Lian held Zhou Miaotong's slender hand, which was slightly sweaty due to nervousness. He looked at the carriage gradually moving away and silently remembered Luo Yangxing's feelings.

Unlike Shen Lian, who spent the night in the rain and spring breeze, early the next morning, Li Mingcheng, who had endured a night of torture, sent a messenger to the Qianqing Palace to request an audience with the emperor. Within an hour, Li Mingcheng received a reply, inviting him to the palace immediately for a brief chat.

Li Mingcheng entered the Forbidden City with a nervous mood, and then, under the guidance of the eunuchs, walked to the meeting place selected by the emperor, the left side room of Qianqing Gate.

After entering, Li Mingcheng found that the only people in the side room were the emperor sitting in a chair and Wang An standing beside him. At this time, even if he was stupid, he knew that this would be a relatively private conversation.

"Your servant Li Mingcheng kowtows to the emperor, Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long, long live the emperor!" Li Mingcheng was fat and could not even kneel down and kowtow properly.

"Marquis Wuqing, please stand up." Zhu Changluo said to Wang An, "Please take a seat."

"Lord Li, please take a seat." Upon hearing this, Wang An immediately brought a cushioned wooden stool to Li Mingcheng.

The emperor's courtesy made Li Mingcheng feel a little relieved. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

Li Mingcheng kowtowed in thanks, then rose and sat down. Gazing at the emperor's figure, his newly relaxed mood returned to tension. In Li Mingcheng's memory, the former crown prince was a stout man with a similar appearance and physique to the previous emperor. But the current emperor, aside from the basic outlines of the Sejong Emperor's lineage, bore no resemblance to the original.

Li Mingcheng also noticed that the difference between Crown Prince Wanli and Emperor Taichang lay not only in their physical appearance but also in their temperament. Crown Prince Wanli's eyes were often filled with panic and helplessness. He clearly remembered that in the forty-second year of the Wanli reign, when Empress Dowager Li passed away, the Crown Prince, then over thirty, wept like a child, while Prince Fu, standing nearby, was much calmer. But now, the panic had completely vanished, replaced by a composure that Li Mingcheng could not fathom.

"Marquis Wuqing is still so wealthy, which makes me very happy." Zhu Changluo greeted casually.

"Thanks to the Empress Dowager's blessing, the late Emperor's care, and the Emperor's grace, I am able to continue living in this world at an old age." As if to remind him, Li Mingcheng mentioned the Empress Dowager and the late Emperor right from the start.

"I often recall the old empress dowager's kind face." Zhu Changluo pretended to reminisce, and after a moment, tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. He sniffed, then raised his sleeve to wipe away the tears.

These tears were certainly not from reminiscing about the Empress Dowager Li, whom he had never met, but were squeezed out from the forced recollection of his past life. Wang An and Li Mingcheng had no ability to see into the depths of the soul, and both believed that the emperor had fallen in love with the old empress dowager.

The two men reacted very differently to this scene. The eunuch who accompanied the funeral felt the same pain, a look of sorrow on his face. Li Mingcheng, on the other hand, showed no similar emotion; he simply breathed a sigh of relief.

After a while, Zhu Changluo pulled himself out of his memories, exhaled a long breath, and asked, "What did Marquis Wuqing want to ask for in the palace today?"

Li Mingcheng coughed lightly, his expression changing to one of sincerity. "Your Majesty is diligently governing the country, and the Ming Dynasty has a bright future. I am old and frail, and cannot be relied upon. I fear that I will be a burden to Your Majesty, so I beg for a piece of my old body, and return home to spend the rest of my life there."

Zhu Changluo raised his lips slightly, a mixture of sadness and forbearance appearing simultaneously on his face. "Marquis Wuqing, please do not underestimate yourself. As the saying goes, an old horse in the stable still aspires to run a thousand miles. I remember yesterday, or the day before yesterday, a newly appointed censor in the Censorate impeached Luo Sigong, saying he was old and useless, practically useless, and advised him to submit a petition to retire." Zhu Changluo paused, then looked at Li Mingcheng with a scrutinizing gaze and asked, "Marquis Wuqing, do you know what my general Luo said?"

Li Mingcheng had a smile on his face, but his heart began to beat wildly. The emperor's mention of the Jinyiwei was not a good thing for him. "I am deaf and hard of hearing, and I have little knowledge of foreign affairs. I am not very clear about this matter."

"Guess." Zhu Changluo raised his head slightly.

"I am too stupid to guess." Li Mingcheng stood up and bowed, saying, "I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

"General Luo has argued that he wants to challenge the censor in a duel to prove his age." Zhu Changluo gestured for Li Mingcheng to sit down. "Marquis Wuqing, you and General Luo are of similar age, and his fighting spirit is so fierce. How can you claim to be old? You have been a pillar of the imperial court for many years, and the country and the court still need your support."

"Your Majesty, thank you for your compliment." Li Mingcheng bowed again. "I am a foolish man, and my decisions are often flawed. I have been trusted by the Empress Dowager and the late Emperor for many years, and how dare I claim to be their pillar? I beg Your Majesty to select a worthy official for your appointment."

"Marquis Wuqing, you are truly too modest." Zhu Changluo changed the subject and said with a dumb smile, "Everyone is different. Since you insist on resigning according to the precedent, I will not try to persuade you to stay."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for allowing me to return home and take care of you." Li Mingcheng immediately lifted his robe, knelt, and kowtowed in thanks. He thought to himself: It seems that the rebellious son was right.

After Li Mingcheng finished knocking his head hard and prostrating himself on the ground, waiting to be excused, Zhu Changluo said, "It's understandable that you're leaving based on precedent. However, you have to wait a little longer."

"Wait?" Upon hearing this, the smile that had just appeared on Li Mingcheng's face froze.

"Yes. The Tianjin fugitive case isn't yet fully investigated." Zhu Changluo remained seated, his gaze shifting downwards as he looked down at Li Mingcheng. "Although I doubt the Marquis of Wuqing is implicated, citing this case at this time will inevitably lead to criticism. If someone impeaches you, you won't be able to retreat in peace, will you?"

The emperor's words struck a chord with Li Mingcheng. His temperature began to rise, his thoughts becoming chaotic, yet he dared not vent his pent-up resentment on those around him, as he did at home. Unable to vent his internal heat, it transformed into sweat, seeping through his pores and quickly soaking through Li Mingcheng's clothing.

"Marquis Wuqing, why are you silent?" Zhu Changluo pressed on.

Li Mingcheng was now forced to answer, but he could not offer any words of defense. Finally, he could only respond by praising His Majesty: "Your Majesty's thoughtful considerations are profoundly appreciated."

"Hmph." Zhu Changluo felt that he had said almost everything he needed to say, so he said, "That's it for now. You can go back now."

"I'll take my leave." Just as Li Mingcheng was about to stand up, the emperor spoke again.

"Wang An," Zhu Changluo called softly. Li Mingcheng, whose legs were still stretched, knelt down again.

"The servant is here."

Zhu Changluo stopped looking at Li Mingcheng. "Escort Marquis Wuqing out of the palace. Meanwhile, go to the Imperial Guards and ask them how the investigation is going. If they're almost there, let them close the case. I think Master Sun should be in Tianjin by now. There's no need to bother with Beijing anymore."

"Yes." Wang An was overjoyed, but his expression remained unchanged. He had been suppressing the news. If the emperor summoned Luo Sigong or Luo Yangxing to the palace for questioning, his misunderstanding of the emperor's will would likely be exposed. This was something he was unwilling and afraid to face.

Wang An walked over to Li Mingcheng and held onto his fat arm. "Lord Li, shall we go?"

"Trouble you, Master Seal Wang." Li Mingcheng felt that there was something else the emperor said, but he couldn't ask any further.

(End of this chapter)