The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 258 Wake up
Before the sickbed, palace maids held up candles, their flames held straight by glass covers, illuminating the silver needles in the imperial physician's hands until they shone like mirrors.

Everyone in the hall held their breath. The emperor's sickbed was placed under the west window of the side hall, which was made of rosewood. The window was inlaid with moon gauze, a tribute from Goryeo, woven with glittering gold plum blossoms. The candlelight flickered on the emperor's pale face.

Li Xianmu stood with his hands clasped beside the table, his gaze never leaving the emperor. He seemed to hear the wind outside the palace, raising the iron clappers on the eaves, making a clanging sound, one after another, like shattered ice and falling jade, crashing into the depths of the red steps, then turning back to the eaves and scattering into the depths of the palace.

The imperial physician had already inserted needles into acupoints on the emperor's face and head. Before long, a trace of blood oozed from the corner of the emperor's lips. Upon seeing this, the imperial physician quickly checked the emperor's pulse and said with delight, "It's effective; the pulse is steady."

The palace maid quickly wiped it away with a handkerchief.

Empress Zhang, Zhu Zhanji, and Li Xianmu were captivated by the imperial physician's words. After the physician removed the silver needles, the three of them immediately stepped forward. Li Xianmu raised his hand and placed his fingertips on the emperor's neck to feel the emperor's pulse.

When a person is about to die, their pulse is like a fish swimming or a shrimp swimming. If it goes on for a while, it becomes like a leaky roof or a stone being thrown. When that moment truly arrives, even if Bian Que were to be reborn, all that would remain is the saying, "Do your best and leave the rest to fate."

The imperial physician was reporting the emperor's condition to Empress Zhang. "I have done my best to administer acupuncture, and Your Majesty's pulse is now quite stable. However, the art of medicine is vast and profound, and I am but a person of limited knowledge and skill."

Empress Zhang ignored him, waved for him to wait aside, pursed her lips, and looked up at the emperor. Her eyes reflected the candlelight, like a pool of golden blood.

In the lamplight, Zhu Gaochi's finger suddenly twitched, so slightly as if a breeze were brushing against the tips of a blade of grass. Li Xianmu's eyes lit up instantly, and he called out softly, "Your Majesty!"

Empress Zhang and Zhu Zhanji were both startled. Before they could ask, Li Xianmu said, "His Majesty's finger twitched just now."

As soon as he finished speaking, a large crowd swarmed around him. The movement of the emperor's fingers was clearly visible to everyone, and even his lips began to tremble slightly.

"What is Your Majesty saying?"

Li Xianmu and Zhu Zhanji leaned in to listen, but they couldn't hear it clearly, only intermittently—"benevolence...goodness..."

Li Xianmu felt a surge of bitterness welling up in his heart.

The night was as dark as a rock, and the candlelight as faint as a reed.

Time passed by, and the emperor's breathing became more and more steady. He no longer seemed to be unconscious, but rather as if he were asleep. Empress Zhang went to rest in another side hall, leaving only Li Xianmu and Zhu Zhanji to guard this side hall.

As dawn broke, a sliver of pale golden light quietly crept up the eaves of the palace.

Its daybreak.

Both Li Xianmu and Zhu Zhanji looked tired from not having slept all night, and Zhu Zhanji had faint dark circles under his eyes.

Just as Li Xianmu was about to advise Zhu Zhanji to rest, he heard a noise from the sickbed. Turning his head, he saw that the emperor had woken up and was sitting up unsteadily with obvious confusion on his face.

Zhu Gaochi looked around and immediately recognized that this was the sleeping quarters of a side hall of the Huagai Hall. This puzzled him greatly. The intense discomfort he felt made him uneasy and gave him a sense of foreboding.

Then, when he looked up, he saw the Crown Prince and Li Xianmu standing on either side of his bed, their faces filled with anxiety. The Crown Prince was shouting loudly, "Go and invite the Empress Dowager here, Father has woken up."

These words instantly made Zhu Gaochi realize what had happened. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Did I fall into a coma last night?"

Zhu Zhanji was silent for a moment, and then told his father, the Emperor, everything that had happened the night before. Zhu Gaochi listened and fell silent, his face turning pale again.

He could clearly feel the discomfort in his body.

Most importantly, he had a premonition of death approaching. A huge fear and darkness swept over him, and even his throat felt dry. His eyes swept over Li Xianmu and Zhu Zhanji, and he saw the deep sorrow hidden in their eyes.

He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. After a long while, he said softly, "You've all stayed up all night. Once the Empress arrives, go and rest. I'm awake now, so I should be alright for the time being."

Before she finished speaking, the sound of tinkling pendants suddenly came from outside the hall. Empress Zhang had already strode in, the pearls and jade on her phoenix crown swaying in disarray.

Her face and eyes were filled with eagerness and joy, and the hem of her phoenix robe was slightly disheveled from her haste.

Upon seeing the Empress arrive, Zhu Zhanji and Li Xianmu bowed and slowly withdrew from the hall.

As Li Xianmu stepped out of the palace gate, he looked up and saw the sun gradually rising, the morning glow dyeing the sky into a magnificent brocade, which was spread over the thousands of palaces and domes of the imperial city. Under the Huagai Hall, the white marble railings that descended the steps were plated with a layer of white gold.

The silhouette of the palace wall in the distance is sharp and angular, as if carved by a knife and axe. The bluestone pavement beneath the steps still seems to retain the coolness of the night.

"Father has woken up, and I am relieved."

Zhu Zhanji also stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sunrise. Li Xianmu nodded slightly as well, "Yes, the Ming Dynasty has a backbone again."

Unbeknownst to either of them, just as they turned to leave the hall, the emperor felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood. The blood splattered into specks, falling onto the empress's phoenix robe. The gold, red, and slightly black hues blended together, creating a striking yet blood-stained majesty.

"His Majesty!"

Empress Zhang was horrified at the sight. She swayed and almost fell to the ground, the joy in her eyes vanishing, replaced by panic. "Your Majesty, don't panic!"

After spitting blood, Zhu Gaochi's mood changed. He could clearly feel something slowly flowing out of his body.

At that moment, he realized that his time was up!
Although he felt intense resentment, he also felt a sense of peace. At least he still had time to make arrangements instead of simply dumping all the mess on the Crown Prince.

Thinking of this, Zhu Gaochi grasped the Empress's hand and said in a deep voice, "Empress, I'm afraid my days are numbered. While I'm still lucid, there are some things I need to tell you."

Empress Zhang felt as if she were in a glacier that had stood for millennia, and the cold was terrifying.

There were many empresses Zhang in the Ming Dynasty, but many people believe that the empress of Emperor Renzong was the most outstanding, even praising her as "a female Yao and Shun".

However, Empress Zhang was a woman without ambition. During the Zhengtong era, she held a high position as the Grand Empress Dowager. When ministers requested that she rule from behind the curtain, she refused, saying, "Our ancestors established a law that the empress dowager should not interfere in politics. We should not break this law."

All that is needed is to abolish all non-urgent matters, constantly encourage the emperor to learn from his predecessors, and appoint capable ministers to assist him.

Empress Dowager Zhang still effectively held power, and the regents all sought her advice, yet she did not cause any infighting in the court.

This strategic retreat is something not everyone can do. If Wu Zetian had such a sense of when to advance and when to retreat, the prosperous Tang Dynasty would not have fallen due to frequent internal strife.

Zhu Gaochi was naturally very clear about his empress's abilities, and when his time came, he had to give instructions to the empress and the crown prince.

"Go and summon the Crown Prince," Zhu Gaochi said weakly, patting the Empress's hand.

The two men were gazing out from the railing outside the palace when they heard Zhu Zhanji being summoned in. Their expressions changed drastically, as they hadn't expected the emperor to go so far as to give his final instructions.

After Zhu Zhanji entered the hall, only Li Xianmu remained outside. He pursed his lips tightly and gripped the black wooden railing with his fingers, not letting go for a long time.

Zhu Zhanji rushed into the palace and immediately saw the bloodstains on his mother's body. His expression changed drastically, and he asked urgently, "Father, why didn't you call the imperial physician?"

Zhu Gaochi raised his hand to indicate, "I know my own body well; it is beyond the help of medicine, and Heaven is already calling my name."

Empress, Crown Prince.

"After my passing, the Crown Prince will naturally ascend the throne. I will write my will shortly and summon all my ministers to the palace to announce this matter to the public."

The succession to the throne of the Ming Dynasty could not possibly change at this time, and Zhu Zhanji had never worried about losing his throne. He was just sadly half-squatting in front of his sickbed, unable to say a word.

Zhu Gaochi straightened up slightly and said solemnly, "After I leave, the Prince of Han will definitely not give up."

My younger brother is good at fighting on the battlefield, but in reality he is a useless person. He is afraid of risking his life when it comes to great things, and he forgets righteousness when it comes to small gains. He is fierce in appearance but cowardly in reality, and he is good at scheming but indecisive. You don't need to worry about him too much.

Of course, we can't really ignore him, after all, he is really good at fighting. Just like Xiang Yu, even though he didn't have the ability to be an emperor, he was determined to destroy Qin, so we have to be wary of him.

"Now, in the court, as long as two people are given important positions, there is no need to worry about the Prince of Han. One is Zhang Fu, the Duke of Ying, and the other is Li Xianmu."

Zhu Gaochi felt a little tired after saying so much in one breath, but he still continued: "Although Zhang Fu is a meritorious military official, he is knowledgeable about righteousness, honest and trustworthy. If I pass away, let him temporarily take control of the Beijing Garrison, so that we don't have to worry about the Prince of Han."

However, Zhang Fu was only a transitional figure. He was getting old, and someone needed to be found to gradually take over his actual military power, and he should be used like a civil official.

He was given advice on military affairs and consulted on important matters of state, but was not allowed to actually lead troops.

This is good for the Ming Dynasty and also a way to protect meritorious officials. Zhang has made great contributions to my family; he deserves a good ending.

Zhu Di and his son Zhu Gaochi were indeed good to their meritorious officials. If it were Zhu Yuanzhang, he would have found a pretext to kill the Duke of Yingguo and exterminate his entire family long ago.

"Only the wise and virtuous can win people's hearts." Zhu Gaochi said softly, "Don't be like the founding emperor. Killing is easy, but trust between the ruler and his subjects is not easy to build."

You can use both kindness and severity to inspire awe in your subjects, but you cannot be all severity and no kindness, lest your subjects hate you.

Everything in this world requires human intervention, and humans are resourceful; they have many ways to deliberately make things worse. You must remember this to earn the trust and respect of your subjects.

"I know, I know." Zhu Zhanji listened to his father's earnest teachings and truly felt that his father's days were numbered.

He recalled his childhood, when he was still the grandson of the crown prince and his father was still the crown prince.

Their family was repeatedly cornered by the King of Han, and even faced life-or-death disasters.

He had always felt that his father was too cowardly, but now, looking back, he realized that no matter how dangerous the moment, there was always a group of people around his father who were unwavering in their loyalty to him.

Such personal charisma cannot be obtained through mere tolerance.
(End of this chapter)