Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 341 What exactly does Haiyue want?
The 25th year of the Jiajing reign.

1546 AD.

New Year.

More than two months ago, the Crown Prince passed away, and court was suspended for seven days, with all officials wearing mourning clothes.

Four more princes observed the mourning rites of filial sons.

Since then, Zhu Houcong has lived in seclusion in the Qianqing Palace, rarely seeing officials or even his concubines.

However, the furnace in the alchemy room burned brightly every day, with wisps of blue smoke rising. Palace servants and maids kept entering, and some were soon carried out, vomiting and having diarrhea.

On the second night of the New Year's Day grand court assembly, presided over by Grand Secretary Yan Song.

Lu Bing was summoned to the palace.

Upon entering the hall, the strong scent of cinnabar wafted up like a venomous snake to the tip of one's nose. In the distance, Zhu Houcong was seen leaning against a couch, his wide Taoist robe hanging loosely on his body, making his sallow face appear even more gaunt.

"His Majesty!"

Lu Bing knelt down on the ground, his throat bobbing, unable to help but reveal a look of reluctance.

"Wenfu..."

Zhu Houcong's voice was as fleeting as a wisp of smoke: "Do you still remember the fragrance of osmanthus at the Prince Xing's residence?"

Lu Bing was taken aback.

The image flashed into my mind.

Two young children chased crickets across the corridor, startling a tree full of sparrows.

The sparrows under the eaves are still there, but the young man's temples are now streaked with frost.

"I have already investigated the matter of the secret guards..."

After recalling the old stories of the Prince of Xing's Mansion, Zhu Houcong slowly straightened up, his Taoist robe slipping down to reveal his bony wrists: "Wang Zuo's crimes should be dropped, and his eldest grandson, Wang Yan, should be appointed as a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

Lu Bing trembled violently, knelt heavily on the ground, his tiger-like eyes reddening, and said loudly, "Your subject... on behalf of the royal family, kowtows to thank Heaven for its grace!"

Zhu Houcong was actually very clear about the desires of every minister, every concubine, and even every palace maid and eunuch around him.

But in the past, it was ignored.

Let alone those inhuman objects in the palace, what are even subjects in the eyes of the supreme ruler?
Everything naturally revolves around him.

That's no longer possible.

Of course, not just anyone can force him to compromise.

After much deliberation, Zhu Houcong finally chose Lu Bing. He first recalled their childhood brotherhood and then helped Lu Bing resolve his greatest regret, thus winning him over.

As for the results...

The two sides clearly had different feelings.

Whether justice delayed is justice at all is a matter of opinion.

But a belated feeling of being moved is clearly not a feeling at all.

At this moment, Lu Bing felt a mix of emotions.

Wang Zuo's unwavering loyalty brought him no reward, but instead resulted in his own downfall and the shame of his clan.
When the ministers gathered to remonstrate, His Majesty had no choice but to back down, and only then did he receive the treatment he deserved.

Isn't that absurd?

Zhu Houcong thought Lu Bing should be content, but instead of getting to the point immediately, he inquired about matters concerning the previous dynasty.

Lu Bing spoke frankly and without reservation.

Because there were no fundamental changes in the previous dynasty.

Over the years, the emperor has not attended court, and the people have become accustomed to it. However, in the past, everyone tacitly agreed that the decision-making power of the court was still in the palace, and the cabinet was only there to assist in governing.

The fact that this is a hollow shell exists only among the highest-ranking officials.

But ever since the Crown Prince died, and the Emperor wanted to punish the princes but was stopped by his ministers, the atmosphere changed.

More and more officials realized that His Majesty's words no longer seemed to carry any weight.

Grand Secretary Yan's residence became increasingly crowded, and Xia Yan's residence was also frequently visited, while Hai's residence remained unchanged.

Because this person ultimately did not join the cabinet, he lacked considerable influence in the court compared to the previous two leaders.

Therefore, there are changes.

But there has been no fundamental change.

Zhu Houcong listened silently, then suddenly asked, "Wenfu, do you think... he might rebel?"

Lu Bing was stunned: "Who?"

Zhu Houcong said, "It is Haiyue. Would he rebel?"

Such a shocking question would inevitably startle anyone, and Lu Bing was no exception. His voice rose as he exclaimed, "Your Majesty, this will never happen!"

"Well……"

Zhu Houcong remained noncommittal, then asked, "Would he commit regicide?"

"No! No way!"

Lu Bing repeatedly said, "Your Majesty, Vice Minister Hai has never had such a treasonous thought!"

"Then why does Haiyue oppose me?"

Zhu Houcong's withered fingers traced the seal on the table as he murmured, "I bestowed upon him a courtesy name and granted him a bright future! I personally reviewed his essays at the Imperial Academy and promoted him exceptionally in the Hanlin Academy! Before he even reached forty, he was already a third-rank official, with a multitude of capable ministers under his command..."

He suddenly gripped the seal tightly, the veins on his hand bulging in stark contrast to his dull beard and hair: "Ten years! At most ten years! Once Yan Song and Xia Yan retire, the position of Grand Secretary will be within our grasp!"

"This broad road has already been paved, why is he in such a hurry to show up?"

"Doesn't he know that by doing this, he will be feared by the new emperor in the future, and may even lead to his death?"

After listening, Lu Bing remained silent for a moment, then could only sigh: "Your Majesty, Minister Hai has absolutely no selfish motives!"

"Selfless...selfless..."

"So you really want to speak out for the prince?"

Zhu Houcong gave a cold laugh.

For the past two months, he has seemingly retreated to the inner palace, as if he has given up.

But in reality, they are always plotting a counterattack.

The key is that he's waiting for Haiyue's next move. Having finally managed to manipulate the court officials and defeat himself, she's bound to reveal her true colors next.

At the very least, they should reveal their true intentions.

But nothing happened.

The outer court remained a three-way power struggle between Yan Song, Xia Yan, and Hai Yue.

The more this is the case.

Zhu Houcong became increasingly vigilant.

"This person's ambitions must be enormous! Absolutely enormous!"

"Wenfu, you must keep a close eye on him for me, and absolutely cannot let him bring ruin to the Ming Dynasty!"

……

"What exactly does Mingwei want?"

Meanwhile, inside the Yan residence.

Yan Song and his son Yan Shifan sat facing each other, enjoying the festive atmosphere of the New Year while discussing the current situation. As they talked, they came up with similar topics.

Yan Shifan has been quite powerful lately.

His father, Yan Song, was previously close to being a prime minister, and now he is a true powerful minister!
The courtiers made way for him, and he was treated with utmost courtesy by all officials!
Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, very few people have held such power, and after the abolition of the prime minister, it became a unique case.

Yan Shifan was naturally overjoyed.

Despite their elation, the father and son also had some reservations.

Because the memorial on maintaining order was entirely led by Haiyue.

Even Yan Song was forced to act, to some extent being pushed along by Hai Yue.

Ultimately, the biggest beneficiary was him, the Grand Secretary of the time.

What is this picture for?

Was it truly to protect the prince from being misunderstood and driven to madness by suspicion, thus preventing the emperor from harming him?
"It seems that Mingwei truly has no other desires, so Father need not be suspicious..."

Yan Shifan thought it over and over, but shook his head, feeling there was no need to worry unnecessarily. He then offered a suggestion: "Indeed, we should share some of the current trend of the court currying favor with Xia Yan. The moon wanes when it is full, and water overflows when it is full!"

"good!"

Yan Song stroked his beard gently, quite approving of these words: "I am very pleased that Qing'er has such insight!"

The candlelight cast the shadows of the father and son onto the wall. The towering black shadows were several times larger than their actual size, as if they could summon wind and rain and were omnipotent.

"In the Ming Dynasty, there was only one person who could command the wind and rain, and that was the emperor..."

Yan Song gazed at his enormous projection, his voice lowering as he traced lines on the table with his finger: "Remember this, so that when the reckoning comes, someone will stand in your way!"

He is now treated as a powerful minister, but he still needs to take precautions to ensure that the emperor's most hated target is not himself.

If His Majesty were to launch a counterattack and purge the court, and he were not in the lead, he could gracefully retire and protect himself.

It must be said that the imperial power of the Ming Dynasty was deeply ingrained in people's hearts, and even now, Yan Song still harbors a sense of apprehension.

Yan Shifan was also wary, but naturally he didn't want his father's days as prime minister to last only a few months. He rolled his eyes and said in a deep voice, "There is one person we need to be careful of."

"Who?"

"Second prince!"

Yan Shifan said coldly, "Since the end of his mourning period for the Crown Prince, this Prince De has been quite active lately, jumping around and making quite a stir!"

Zhu Houcong wanted to depose his three sons in one day, following the example of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, but was stopped by his ministers, and all three princes were pardoned.

The third and fourth princes were innocent; they were victims of a completely undeserved calamity.

But the second prince was different.

The incident involving Granny Du was related to the bribery by Consort Wang back then, and there was detailed witness testimony and physical evidence. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for any ordinary nanny to directly implicate the prince.

However, things often go to extremes; either everything is abolished or everything is exempted.

Having escaped danger, the Second Prince became more resourceful. He is now hosting a grand banquet at the Prince of De's residence and sending invitations to the Yan and Xia families.

To date, neither Yan Song nor Xia Yan has responded.

But this matter cannot be delayed, after all, the other party is indeed the eldest prince, what if he really becomes the crown prince in the future?

"He won't make it."

Yan Song wasn't worried about this, and shook his head slightly: "One person has been released from the Cold Palace."

"Who?"

Yan Shifan was initially surprised, then realized what he meant and his eyes widened: "Could it be..."

"Not bad!"

"Consort Yan has been released from the Cold Palace!"

Emperor Jiajing, who paid particular attention to the movements of his princes, did only one thing.

Consort Yan, the birth mother of the late Crown Prince, was released from the Cold Palace.

Yes, Consort Yan did not die.

Although Zhu Houcong banished the two imperial concubines to the cold palace, he secretly arranged for the Directorate of Ceremonial to take care of them.

This is not out of lingering feelings or pity, but rather to wait for what comes next.

After all, the mother of a prince is also a key figure in controlling a prince.

Moreover, Zhu Houcong also considered that when his eldest son succeeded to the throne, he would be weak-willed, and his birth mother, Consort Yan, could also become a Dowager Consort. At that time, she could form a check and balance with his stepmother, Empress Wang, and prevent the Dowager Empress from becoming too powerful.

These considerations were undoubtedly far-sighted and prudent, but Zhu Houcong did not expect that his eldest son would mistakenly believe that his mother had died young, causing his heart to snap and him to die.

Releasing Consort Yan now is undoubtedly a targeted move against the Second Prince, allowing her to avenge the loss of her son.

"That's good..."

Yan Shifan's spirits lifted slightly, and he immediately said, "I observe that the Third Prince is kind and intelligent, and has the appearance of a wise ruler. Consort Li is gentle on the outside but firm on the inside, and is most adept at scheming for her children! Father, the century-old foundation of our Yan family may depend on this son..."

"That's fine!"

Yan Song hesitated for a moment, but after weighing the pros and cons, he nodded and said, "I will use the Imperial Study as an opportunity to test you. You should prepare in advance to gain the favor of the Third Prince!"

(End of this chapter)