The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 43 Prelude
A gentle spring breeze caressed the railings, and the sun shone brightly in the west. In the Ming Dynasty's Yingtian Prefecture, the weather was warm and sunny, and the golden-red palace still appeared majestic and orderly under the afterglow of the setting sun.

This is the perfect time to go on a spring outing and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan, where the river flowers are as red as fire.

But in reality, it's not like that at all!

Officers and soldiers were stationed at the docks north and south of the Yangtze River, and all passing ships were inspected. The main roads from Yingtian Prefecture to the capital were patrolled by the Imperial Guards. Fully armed soldiers patrolled the capital. The city and its surroundings were orderly and heavily guarded. Under such a tense atmosphere, who would have the mind to travel?

Moreover, ever since the Crown Prince assumed regency, the people of the Ming Dynasty knew that the emperor, who had ruled the country for thirty-one years, was probably really not going to make it this time. If it weren't for the fact that imperial relatives and high-ranking officials were still being summoned to the palace from time to time, rumors would probably have already spread that the emperor was dead and that his death was being kept secret.

With each new emperor comes a new court, and at this time of transition, the officials in the capital are naturally filled with anxiety, fearing that the emperor's health may suddenly improve and he may once again rule the country.

"Some time ago, His Majesty summoned the Marquis of Wuding, the Marquis of Changxing, the Duke of Cao, and the Duke of Wei to the palace."

After the court session ended, the officials walked out of the palace in twos and threes. Chen Ying walked to Li Qi's side and whispered, "It seems that he is about to entrust important military affairs. His Majesty ultimately values ​​meritorious relatives and nobles, and Jing He is among them."

Li Qi listened quietly. In the latter half of his life, Zhu Yuanzhang massacred meritorious officials and was deeply wary of the power of maternal relatives. However, when it came time to pass on the throne, he still listed meritorious officials and maternal relatives as his first choice for succession. This was the essence of imperial power: the wealth and status of the imperial family, maternal relatives, and meritorious officials were all tied to the monarch.

There are gains and losses in everything.

Since the end of the aristocratic era at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Song Dynasty explored the civil service system for three hundred years. The Ming Dynasty combined the Song and Yuan Dynasties, and the model of "civil officials holding power and frequently changing positions, while military merit was idle and their titles were inherited" gradually dominated the Ming Dynasty. If you wanted a stable and wealthy life for generations, you had to give up power. If you wanted to reach the pinnacle of power, you had to be prepared to be purged.

How to choose?
Li Qi said he wanted them all!
As the two were talking, they had already passed through the first inner palace gate. As they passed through the gate, their voices echoed. Li Qi suddenly asked, "When the Crown Prince was in court today, he asked about the Hu-Lan Party case, saying that it was something His Majesty valued. Then he talked about the affairs of the powerful families in Jiangnan. What do you think, Ji Ying?"

Chen Ying frowned deeply, then sighed, "Even the transfer of the throne is so hesitant. Now that His Majesty is still alive, the Crown Prince still has some concerns. If His Majesty were to pass away, my position as Minister of Justice would change hands in an instant."

Li Qi knew that Chen Ying had understood Zhu Yunwen's deeper meaning in court. Although Zhu Yuanzhang was dying, he was still fixated on the Hu-Lan Party case and had even executed a group of people involved just a few days ago.

But everyone in the government and the public knew perfectly well that it was just a frame-up and a miscarriage of justice. If the Hu and Lan factions could really implicate so many people, the position of the emperor in the Forbidden City would probably no longer belong to Zhu!

The Crown Prince brought up the case of the escaped clerks together with the case of the Hu-Lan faction, intending to bring them to a close at the same time.

As the head of the Ministry of Justice, Chen Ying personally handled the Lan Yu case and the previous case of the corrupt official who became emperor. Since he was from the north, the new emperor wanted to get rid of him first.

Chen Ying was naturally somewhat unwilling. "I wonder how His Majesty's health is now?" He knew that Li Qi had been summoned back to the palace by the emperor, so he must know something about the situation.

When the mighty Hongwu Emperor was unable to attend to state affairs, his former subjects, whom he had once treated like slaves or dogs, dared to discuss his life or death in private, and even spy on his body in order to seek their own interests.

How sad!

The thought flashed through Li Qi's mind, but then he recalled the time of Zhu Yuanzhang's death in history, and after considering Zhu Yunwen's actions, he thought, "The emperor has probably been in a coma for far longer than when he was conscious, otherwise the grandson of the crown prince would not have made such a big move."

Chen Ying sighed helplessly and said no more.

For a minister like him, the situation was even more complicated. Once the emperor died, he, as a replaceable veteran minister of the late emperor, was destined to have a short life. But as long as the emperor lived, he was also afraid.

After much deliberation, I couldn't decide whether to hope the emperor lived or died.

Both of their carriages stopped outside the palace. Li Qi paused and said, “Jiying, I have a word of advice for you. The world is constantly changing. How many ministers have been able to maintain their power for a single dynasty throughout history?”
For example, during the Song Dynasty, when the emperor was determined to reform, the Qingli Party and the New Learning Party, who supported the reforms, were appointed prime ministers. However, once the emperor no longer wished to change things, they were immediately demoted to local posts, while the Old Learning Party members rose to high positions in the court. The Crown Prince is still young; even if he gains power in Jiangnan for a time, who can predict the future? He should preserve his abilities and wait for the right time!

Chen Ying paused as he stepped onto the carriage. He had known Li Qi for many years, and Li Qi never spoke empty words; these words did not seem like words of comfort.

He was about to ask something else when he saw that Li Qi had already gotten into the car.

A stream of people emerged from the palace. With so many eyes and ears around, it was not appropriate to ask any more questions, so he could only suppress his doubts.

……

After court, Zhu Yunwen would go straight to the Qianqing Palace, and on such days, he would serve the emperor even more.

Compared to the relatively relaxed or even pleasant atmosphere of the imperial court, the inner palace was filled with constant anxiety, and those who had been close to the emperor were especially fearful.

Eunuchs, palace maids, and even imperial concubines!

Especially the imperial concubines!
When the emperor died, they were to be buried alive with him. After the emperor fell seriously ill, the sound of weeping from the concubines could often be heard in the palace. The palace was a gloomy and terrifying place, and for a time, talk of ghosts and spirits even became popular in the palace.

Zhu Yunwen was terrified that these remarks would reach Zhu Yuanzhang's ears and cause unpredictable consequences. Therefore, he repeatedly reprimanded them severely and even had palace servants beaten to death, but he still could not stop these remarks from spreading like wildfire.

Few things in this world can stop people from fearing death and yearning for life, especially for women who live in seclusion.

The footsteps of the palace servants in Qianqing Palace were extremely slow, almost as if they were floating on the ground. The prayer flags that were hung high to pray for blessings had lost their sacred meaning by the time the sun set.

"Cough cough."

The sound of Zhu Yuanzhang coughing came from inside the room. Zhu Yunwen quickened his pace and said happily, "Grandpa, you're awake."

The torment of illness over the past few days had made Zhu Yuanzhang's face terribly thin, with deep-set eyes and little flesh left on his cheeks. Even so, he still exuded a strong imperial aura.

Even a dying tiger is not something a petty person can ignore, let alone a dragon soaring through the heavens.

"Yun Wen."

Upon seeing Zhu Yunwen enter, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled slightly. He felt a surge of strength returning to his body. As the sun began to set outside, his eyes darkened. "Go and summon all the dukes, marquises, earls, civil and military officials of the third rank and above, as well as the Grand Secretaries, from the capital to the palace."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen's heart skipped a beat. He looked at his grandfather in disbelief, only to find that the emperor's face had an unnatural flush.

Like a bolt from the blue, a word involuntarily appeared in his mind—

Back to the light!

(End of this chapter)