Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 486: Breaking the Old and Establishing the New
Mi Mengshang was the first to wake up. She carefully turned over and looked at the emperor's thin face. Her heartbeat began to accelerate again.

"What time is it?" Zhu Changluo still felt the disturbance. He blinked his eyes, and his consciousness was obviously not very clear.

"I don't know. But it shouldn't be the hour of Mao yet, right?" After the kiss of love, Mi Mengshang removed the word "cheap" that was self-deprecating and self-pitying.

"Didn't I give you a pocket watch?" Mi Mengshang was the second person to receive a modified gold watch, the first being Wang An. Zhu Changluo couldn't remember the exact date. Anyway, one day, the old tutor came over with a tray of pocket watches as a tribute, and Zhu Changluo casually gave one to him, which made the other two eunuchs sitting in the hall envious. But envy was pointless; the emperor didn't need a reason to reward Wang An; rewarding them did.

"The gold watch awarded by the emperor was in the pouch of the robe I wore. Now I don't know where the robe has gone." Mi Mengshang said timidly.

"Oh! In the warm room!" Zhu Changluo woke up. "I threw it away yesterday. Your hat should be there too."

Love can eliminate the barriers of power and status, making people bolder. Mi Mengshang, certain she had the emperor's love, no longer felt reserved. "Hehe," she smiled, and simply sank into the emperor's arms.

"Don't cling to me for now. There should be a silver watch in that cabinet. Go and check the time." Zhu Changluo kissed her forehead and pointed to an exquisite small wooden cabinet.

"Hmm!" Mi Mengshang responded softly. She got out of bed barefoot and skipped to the place the emperor pointed.

"Up there, the little one on the table." Seeing that Mi Mengshang was about to pull the wrong locker, Zhu Changluo reminded her.

"Got it!" Mi Mengshang responded crisply, straightened up, and quickly found the pocket watch. "Your Majesty, it will be the morning of the 11th in less than two quarters of an hour."

"Hmm." Zhu Changluo rubbed his eyes, threw back the quilt and got out of bed. "Help me change my clothes."

"Yeah." Mi Mengshang nodded obediently.

However, before Mi Mengshang could move, she paused again. "Your Majesty, where is your imperial robe?"

"Aren't those hanging there?" Zhu Changluo pointed in the direction where there were two clothes hangers. On the left and right were placed the male and female crowns and robes that the eunuchs on duty had taken the time to put in.

"But that's casual clothes." Mi Mengshang knew the emperor's habits very well and knew that the emperor would wear special casual clothes for morning exercises every day.

"This morning's morning exercise has been cancelled. I will wear that set." Zhu Changluo said.

"Yes." Mi Mengshang was about to go over.

"Wait a moment." Zhu Changluo called her.

"Your Majesty, do you have any other instructions?" Mi Mengshang turned around.

"Put it on yourself first." Zhu Changluo looked Mi Mengshang up and down as if he was admiring a rough jade.

Mi Mengshang noticed the emperor's strange behavior, chuckled and tapped her lips.

"Goodbye." Zhu Changluo waved his hand slowly, but his eyes became less and less determined.

"Forget it if you don't want it. I will help the emperor change his clothes right away." Mi Mengshang muttered and turned around. Just as she was about to take the women's clothing, she suddenly felt a huge force picking her up from behind.

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Just when the emperor broke the precedent he had set for himself for the first time, the unicorn-lion-tiger carriage carrying Luo Sigong, the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, arrived at the gate of Xi'an.

By this time, the Xi'an Gate had already opened. Cao Huachun, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, was quietly sitting in the left-hand corner room, which served as the gatehouse on duty, waiting. Seeing a carriage with a lantern from the Jinyiwei approaching, he immediately left the room with several eunuchs accompanying him.

"Is that General Luo?" Cao Huachun was still ignorant. Having never been in the Imperial Guard, he didn't recognize the car in front of him that had been repaired and used for two hundred years.

Luo Sigong heard the familiar voice and immediately drew aside the curtains. Seeing that the person coming was Cao Huachun, he got out of the car directly. "As expected, it's Admiral Cao! How dare you come to greet me in person!"

"General Wei, you're really embarrassing me," Cao Huachun said, not giving Luo Sigong a chance to exchange pleasantries or inquire. After completing his greetings, before he even stood up straight, he immediately said, "General Wei, the palace originally prepared a carriage for you, but since you came here by yourself, please get in and go straight." After saying this, Cao Huachun waved to a eunuch beside him. "Take General Wei to Xihua Gate."

"Yes."

"Commander Cao," Luo Sigong said, stubbornly refusing to get in the car. "May I ask what this summons is for?"

"You'll know when you enter the palace." Cao Huachun chuckled and simply grabbed Luo Sigong's arm and led him to the car.

Luo Sigong had no choice but to get into the car with even more trepidation.

About a quarter of an hour later, Luo Sigong's car arrived at the gate of Xihua.

"General Luo, we've arrived. Please get off the carriage." The eunuch leading the way gently knocked on the frame of the Qilin Lion Tiger carriage. When Luo Sigong lifted the curtain and leaned out, the eunuch extended a hand to Luo Sigong. "Please go slowly."

With Luo Sigong's agility, he could easily have jumped off the carriage in one step without making any noise. However, accepting someone's kindness is itself a way of expressing friendship. So Luo Sigong took the eunuch's hand and used it to get off the carriage.

"Thank you, Eunuch Wu." According to past custom, Luo Sigong would have paid after getting off the carriage. In previous years, the price at the palace gate was usually five to ten taels. But this time, Luo Sigong made no move to pay, and Eunuch Wu made no move to ask for money. "General Wei, there's no need to be so formal," the eunuch said.

"Let's go straight back to the yamen. I'll go to the headquarters through the Meridian Gate later." Luo Sigong first instructed the coachman, then looked at Eunuch Wu.

Eunuch Wu did not say anything. He just said hello to the eunuch on duty in front of Xihua Gate and left. This made Luo Sigong quite disappointed.

"General Luo, come with me." The eunuch on duty in front of Xihua Gate came forward.

"Okay," Luo Sigong took a step forward, and only after following the eunuch into the Forbidden City did he ask with a smile, "Are you also a steward under the name of the Chief Eunuch Shi of the Qianqing Palace?"

"No," the eunuch shook his head. "I am also from the Imperial Household Department."

"I see. My apologies." Although Luo Sigong was smiling, his mood became heavier.

Yesterday, the false prophecy of "the apparition of the Nine Lotus Bodhisattva" was reported to the emperor by civil officials. The governor of the Western Depot was publicly caned, and the governor of the Eastern Depot, though ordered to take over three cases, was also implicated. It was Wang An who announced the decree. The atmosphere was so tense, and the people who had brought him here were from the Imperial Household Department. Luo Sigong's mind raced, and he even began to suspect that he had been summoned to the palace to take the blame for the Imperial Household Department's misdeeds.

But if the emperor really wanted to hold him responsible for being deceived, he would not be able to escape. The Jinyiwei Commandery had the power to report directly to the emperor, but Luo Sigong did not do so. After he reported the matter to the Silijian, he was blindly awaiting orders, and even arrested people without waiting for the emperor's letter. How foolish! Luo Sigong sighed in his heart and continued to greet: "What is your name, eunuch?"

"No need to tell me your surname is Qin," the eunuch replied.

"So it's Eunuch Qin," Luo Sigong smiled even brighter. He added a greeting and asked enthusiastically, "Which branch of the Imperial Household Department does Eunuch Qin hold a high position in?"

"It's not a high position," Eunuch Qin said modestly, "just a menial job preparing pens and ink for the teachers in the inner study."

"Is the eunuch Wu just now also the manager of the inner study hall?" Luo Sigong asked.

"Yes, he is the leader of the second hall. This second hall now teaches arithmetic and accounting. Those who can enter the second hall are all smart kids." Eunuch Qin was very willing to chat with Luo Weishuai, an old handsome man with a solemn, majestic and friendly appearance.

He had no idea that with just these few seemingly insignificant words, Luo Sigong had already extracted the information he was looking for: the confidentiality level of this memorial was so high that only the Neishutang (Inner Book Hall) was responsible for it, and the Neishutang (Inner Book Hall) was usually directly managed by the eunuch superintendent. Judging from Cao Huachun's reticent attitude, the minor eunuchs who participated along the way probably only knew that they had been temporarily assigned the task of leading the way.

There was no need to ask further questions, just walk the distance perfunctorily. "Is there a third hall?" Luo Sigong's perfunctory response made it hard to tell he was being perfunctory.

"Yes! The current Third Hall is the former Second Hall, led by our young master," Eunuch Qin enthusiastically introduced, speaking as if he had never spoken to an outsider in his life. "We only accept those who are intelligent and ambitious. In addition to teaching 'The Great Learning Expanded on the Meaning,' 'Zhenguan Zhengyao,' and 'The Heart of Sage Learning,' we've recently added 'Zuo Zhuan,' 'Guoyu,' and 'Guoce.' If you can graduate from the Third Hall, you can stay at the main academy or become a tutor for a young master."

As they talked, they came to the end of the road, the inner right gate.

Someone was already waiting at the inner right door. Compared to Eunuch Qin, the eunuch was noticeably more reserved. He simply bowed before turning and walking away.

After entering the Inner Right Gate, heading directly north leads to the final gateway to the West Six Palaces, the Jinguang Right Gate. Because of the arrival of an external official, the Jinguang Right Gate was locked as usual. Meanwhile, the Yuehua Gate, the western entrance to the Qianqing Palace, was also closed. The only gate open in the entire corridor was the Zunyi Gate, which led to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

After passing through Zunyi Gate and Yangxin Gate, Luo Sigong entered the courtyard of Yangxin Palace. This was his first time here.

"General Luo, please go to the east side hall and wait for a while. There is food and drink, no need to be formal." After passing the wooden screen wall in front of the Yangxin Gate, the eunuch leading the way stopped moving forward.

"Has Master Wang arrived?" Luo Sigong was asking whether the emperor had arrived.

The eunuch leading the way understood Luo Sigong's meaning and said directly, "The emperor and the old ancestor have not arrived yet. However, three adults have arrived."

"Who are you, three?" Luo Sigong's eyes changed slightly.

"You'll know when you go in. There are still many adults who haven't arrived. I have to go and welcome them. Excuse me." The eunuch who led the way bowed to Luo Sigong and left on his own.

Luo Sigong knew very well that the composition of the participants would directly determine the nature of the meeting, but when Luo Sigong stepped over the threshold and walked into the east side hall, he was still stunned.

Completely different from what Luo Sigong had expected, the people sitting in the hall eating breakfast were not the officials from the Three Law Departments, but the Secretary of Rites Xu Guangqi, the soldier Cui Jingrong, and the Junior Silver Administrator Yuan Keli.

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Regular exercise is still very useful. At least breaking the habit occasionally won't make you feel sore in the back or weak in the body, but it will only slightly increase your morning hunger.

Half an hour later, Mi Shenpin, neatly dressed and with a rosy face, served her emperor, wearing the low-key crimson four-dragon emperor's uniform.

"Your Majesty," after tying the emperor's belt, Mi Mengshang held up the black gauze cap with the dragons playing with a pearl, folded it over the cap, and knelt before the emperor, presenting it. "Your Yishan crown."

Zhu Changluo took the crown and put it on his head, then asked, "Is it correct?"

"It's a little slanted." Mi Mengshang shook her head.

"Then help me adjust it." Zhu Changluo said.

"Yes." Mi Mengshang stood up, tiptoed, and raised her hand to help the emperor adjust his hat. This was the first time she had touched the Yishan crown on the emperor's head.

"Why didn't the emperor do morning exercises this morning?" Mi Mengshang asked with a smile. But the next moment, she regretted it.

"You want to know?"

"I don't want to know! I'm just being rude." Mi Mengshang shook her head repeatedly. An emperor wearing dragon robes and an emperor without clothes are two different people. She was being too proud and crossing the line!
Mi Mengshang was about to kneel down when the emperor hugged her. "Alright, alright. I was angry yesterday and said so many hurtful and cold words. I know that I can't take back what I said, and you will always be thinking about what happened yesterday. I feel bad too. But Mi Niang, there's no need to be so tense. I promise you," the emperor paused and looked deeply into her eyes. "As long as you listen to me, don't let your imagination run wild, and don't hide things from me, I will never be mean to you again."

"Your Majesty, please don't say this," the emperor warned Mi Mengshang, but to the girl, whose heart was full of romantic desires, these words were nothing more than sweet talk. She immediately felt ashamed and on the verge of tears. "How could I, a humble woman, deserve such kindness from my husband?"

"Really? You cry no matter what I say." The emperor tried to wipe Mi Mengshang's tears with his wide sleeves.

Mi Mengshang held the emperor's hand. "Why is the emperor so kind to me?"

"Look, you're just imagining things again." The emperor reached out and lifted Mi Mengshang's chin. "Does a man need any reason to love his woman?"

Mi Mengshang couldn't stand this direct statement that was almost a declaration of love, and didn't know how to respond. She could only lower her head and timidly responded. "Yeah."

"What I'm about to do today will soon be known throughout the world." The emperor let go of Mi Mengshang and looked down at her condescendingly. "I can tell you now, but before I announce it to the world, you must keep it secret and not say a single word to anyone."

"I don't want to." Mi Mengshang changed her mind and nodded solemnly. "Okay, I won't say anything."

"I will depose Li Hun, this double-faced and ungrateful fellow," the emperor said casually. "And appoint a new ruler."

"Li Hun?" Mi Mengshang was stunned for a moment, then her eyes suddenly widened and she gasped. In her eyes, the man in front of her seemed infinitely distant and towering.

　Originally, there was a naturally romantic passage at the beginning, further demonstrating the Emperor's control over Concubine Shen and her love for him. I thought I had written it quite subtly, but it still couldn't be included. Therefore, I edited it down to this point.

　　You can imagine it yourself.

　　As for whether the emperor loved Concubine Shen, I can only say that even if he did, it was very unequal.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)