The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 161 The National Capital War is Coming

Emperor Wanli was overjoyed when he learned that Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan was pregnant.

He even seemed to be ignoring the affairs of state.

Every day he accompanied Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan, taking great care of her and being careful and attentive, fearing that any accidents would happen.

Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan was not like Concubine Zheng in history, who was arrogant because of her favor and asked Wanli not to worry about state affairs and just stay with her.

Early that morning, around noon, when Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan saw that the sun had already risen and Wanli was still clinging to her in the bedroom, not reviewing the memorials, she carefully advised, "Your Majesty, it's getting late. You should go review the memorials."

Wanli shook his head repeatedly and said, "There's no need to rush the memorials. I'll have Bingzhong sort them out and just send the important ones over."

Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan said helplessly, "Your Majesty, state affairs are more important. It's still early for me. There's nothing to worry about. I can even fly over the wall now."

Upon hearing this, Wanli couldn't help but said nervously, "You must not dare to practice martial arts again, and don't fly over the wall. Don't go anywhere, just stay here."

Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan was at a loss for words and said, "How boring is that?"

This is true too.

There is nothing in the Qianqing Palace, it's so boring that it can make people feel suffocated.

Wanli looked at the rising sun outside, and suddenly said nervously: "It's too hot in this palace in summer, we must go to the Summer Palace.

The problem is, you're pregnant now and you definitely can't ride a horse, and riding in a carriage isn't safe either, so what should I do?"

This is getting more and more outrageous.

Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan rolled her eyes and said, "I'm not that delicate. I can't even ride in a carriage. I can just run over there."

Wanli shook his head repeatedly and said, "No, how about I order people to build another summer resort on the south bank of the Wenyu River? It's close by, and you can get there in a sedan chair in no time."

Why build a summer resort when it’s so close?

Aren't you just wasting money?
Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan reminded him, "Your Majesty, don't you say every day that we don't have enough money? We don't need to waste that money on building a summer resort. If we can't take a carriage, we can take a boat. We can just take a boat from Datong Bridge Wharf."

Yes, there is no problem taking a boat.

Wanli nodded repeatedly and said, "Oh, you are really smart. It is indeed no problem to go there by boat. Originally, warships of 800 tons could be rowed directly from the Tonghui River and the moat into the Taiye Lake in the imperial city. It's just that the moat and Taiye Lake have not been dredged, so now they can't sail.

How about I order the moat to be cleared of silt and the Jishuitan to be re-dug, so that we can take a boat directly from the Imperial City to the Mountain Resort."

Why are you wasting money again?

Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan repeatedly shook her head and said, "Your Majesty, forget it. Clearing the silt and digging the river is a waste of money and manpower. It's spring plowing time now, and the soldiers in the Beijing camp have all gone back to farm. Wouldn't it be a waste of time to recruit people to dredge the river?"
Besides, the Imperial City is not far from the East Gate. I can take a sedan chair there when the time comes, okay?"

Everything you said is right.

At this moment, Wanli obeyed every word of Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan.

He immediately ordered someone to summon Yongnian Earl Wang Wei to come for an audience.

Yongnianbo Wang Wei is currently busy building a waterwheel, constructing a spinning workshop, and making a loom.

He thought Wanli wanted to know how these things were made.

Who would have thought that Wanli would actually call him directly into his bedroom and solemnly ask him, "Father-in-law, can you build a sedan chair?"

what?
Of course he knows how to do this. In the past, the Wensi Academy of the Ministry of Works was specifically responsible for making royal utensils. He can also make dragon chariots. This can be said to be his forte.

The question is, why did His Majesty suddenly want to build a sedan chair for no reason?

Yongnianbo Wang Wei was stunned for a moment, then said carefully: "This humble official is wondering what kind of sedan chair His Majesty wants to build."

Wanli pointed directly at Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan and said, "You should have heard that Xiaolan is pregnant. The palace is too hot in the summer, so I must take her to the Summer Palace.

The problem is that she is pregnant and cannot ride a horse or a carriage, so I want to take her to the East Gate in a sedan chair and then take a naval warship to the Summer Palace."

Oh, so it was Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan who was sitting there.

This one is simple.

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei pondered, "Your Majesty, if there are only one or two people traveling, a sedan chair carried by eight men will be enough. A sedan chair that is too large is difficult to carry and inconvenient to travel on. A sedan chair carried by eight men can pass unimpeded and can be carried all the way from the Imperial Palace to the East Gate without any problem."

It seems that this sedan chair really doesn't need to be made too big, because two people can lift a sedan chair that can accommodate one person, and a sedan chair with eight people carrying two people is definitely enough.

Wanli nodded slightly upon hearing this and said, "Well, fine then, let's make a sedan chair with eight men. Put some wool blankets and mattresses inside to cushion the impact. Xiaolan, don't let her get hurt by accident."

Uh, can you get hurt while riding in a sedan?
You are just too concerned. Besides, you are so young and an emperor, how can you take care of a pregnant woman?

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei thought for a moment and then carefully suggested, "Your Majesty, why don't you take Xier and the others with you? They've given birth before and know how to take care of a pregnant woman. When we were in the countryside, it was usually the elderly mothers who took care of their daughters-in-law or pregnant daughters."

Well, Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan’s mother has passed away a long time ago. If she were still alive, we could just send a navy speedboat to pick her up.

Upon hearing this, Wanli nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, then make three sedan chairs with eight bearers each and take Xier, Concubine Gong and the others with them."

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei quickly bowed and said, "Your humble servant obeys your order."

Wanli pondered again, "Also, the Miyun Palace needs to be renovated. Plant more flowers, plants, and trees there so it can be cool and you can look at it when you're bored."

Yongnian Earl Wang Wei bowed repeatedly and said, "Your humble servant understands."

Wanli thought about it carefully again, then asked, "Xiaolan, how about calling Banghan over to take care of you?"

Upon hearing this, Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry and said, "That brat is so strong and brave, yet he's still taking care of me. I'm almost taking care of him."

forget about it.

Wanli was wholeheartedly thinking about how to take good care of Imperial Concubine Qin Lan, but rumors suddenly spread in the capital.

When Luo Sigong received the news, he did not dare to delay. Early in the morning before noon, he ran to the Qianqing Palace to ask for an audience with Wanli.

As usual, Wanli stayed in the palace with Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan.

He did not avoid suspicion and directly recruited Luo Sigong.

After the emperor and his ministers exchanged greetings, Luo Sigong said cautiously, "Your Majesty, someone is spreading rumors again."

What the hell are these guys trying to do?

Upon hearing this, Wanli couldn't help but frown and said, "What rumors?"

This one.

Luo Sigong secretly glanced at Imperial Noble Consort Qin Lan, then gritted his teeth and said, "Rumor has it that His Majesty favors the Imperial Noble Consort and dislikes Consort Gong. His Majesty wants the Imperial Noble Consort to give birth to a prince to inherit the throne."

The battle for the national capital is coming!
These guys couldn't help but attack him.

Historically, the excuse these guys used was that he favored Imperial Noble Consort Zheng and wanted to make Prince Fu the crown prince.

Moreover, these guys spoke in a very concise manner, saying that when Prince Fu was just born, he and Zheng secretly swore an oath in Taixuan Palace that Chang Xun would be made the crown prince in the future. He also wrote a letter with his own handwriting, put it in a jade box, and asked Consort Zheng to keep it for him.

This is bullshit.

According to the Ming Shilu, Emperor Wanli at that time said that Queen Wang was still in her prime and might give birth to a legitimate son, and it had nothing to do with Concubine Zheng!

The involvement of Concubine Zheng in the dispute over the national foundation was purely her own scheming. Those civil servants with ulterior motives spread rumors that Emperor Wanli wanted to make Prince Fu the crown prince, and she followed suit.

She asked her uncle Zheng Chengen and brother Zheng Guotai to print "Guifan Tushuo" in an attempt to influence the selection of the crown prince.

Historical records have recorded that Imperial Noble Consort Zheng also had sinister plots and tried to interfere in politics to seize the throne. She relied on the emperor's favor and love to sneak into the "Illustrated Book of Guifan" and win over the concubines in the palace, and then requested the enthronement and marriage ceremonies.

In short, the struggle for the foundation of the country was not actually for the foundation of the country. All the forces were fighting for imperial power.

These guys were not trying to stabilize the country, but to replace him, the rebellious and disobedient emperor.

Historically, the dispute over the crown prince began in the 14th year of Wanli's reign. At that time, the eldest prince Zhu Changluo was only four years old, and Queen Wang was only 23 years old. The ministers forced him to establish a crown prince, which meant they had ulterior motives.

This is not a joke. In history, he was almost killed.

In October of the winter of the 29th year of Wanli's reign, he could no longer withstand the pressure from all sides and finally appointed his 19-year-old eldest son Zhu Changluo as the crown prince, and named his third son Zhu Changxun as Prince of Fu, his fifth son Zhu Changhao as Prince of Rui, Zhu Changrun as Prince of Hui, and Zhu Changying as Prince of Gui.

Then, he fell ill.

In February of the 30th year of the Wanli reign, he was so ill that he was almost dying, so he quickly summoned the Prime Minister Shen Yikuan and immediately issued an order to abolish the mining tax in the country, stop weaving in Jiangnan, release prisoners, and restore the power of the cabinet ministers to make suggestions at will.

As a result, the next day, his condition miraculously improved.

Those civil servants thought that it was not right for him to send mining supervisors and tax collectors to rob money everywhere. He agreed to dismiss the mining supervisors and tax collectors, and agreed to listen to the cabinet ministers. Naturally, there was no need for those civil servants to risk being exposed for regicide and kill him, the emperor who ignored state affairs.

In history, he was able to save his life because he ignored the affairs of state and let the civil officials do whatever they wanted.

Otherwise, he would have died in the 30th year of the Wanli reign.

(End of this chapter)