Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 36 Be Refined and Single-Minded, Hold Firm to the Mean (Second Update)
The sedan chair swayed gently as Zhu Youjian closed his eyes, letting his thoughts churn in his mind.

Only at this moment did he finally connect the title "Old Lady Liu" with the specific person from the depths of the original owner's jumbled memories.

Consort Liu was a concubine of the Wanli Emperor.

He is an old man who outlived Wanli, Taichang, and Tianqi, and is now nearly seventy years old.

Zhu Youjian felt somewhat helpless.

In the few days since his ascension to the throne, he has been handling everything personally, relying entirely on his knowledge from his later life and the instinctive memories of this body to manage state affairs.

Only when encountering something incomprehensible will they consult the original owner's memories, like flipping through a book.

Unexpectedly, today's events turned into a misunderstanding.

He thought that the one who held the Empress Dowager's seal in the palace was his sister-in-law Zhang Yan, but he forgot that as long as Consort Liu was still alive, it would not be Zhang Yan's turn to live in Cining Palace.

No wonder Zhang Yan moved to Cining Palace after her elder brother's death.

However, in my memory, this Old Lady Liu was cautious throughout her life, unassuming and rarely interfered in any political affairs.

Why summon me today, at this crucial moment when he has just bypassed the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions to establish the new army "Warriors Battalion" by imperial decree?
Who reacted so quickly?

As I pondered, the sedan chair slowly came to a stop; we had arrived at Cining Palace.

He composed himself, straightened his clothes, and, guided by the palace eunuch, entered the hall.

The hall was quiet, with only a faint scent of sandalwood.

An old woman was lying in a recliner by the window, wrapped in a thick brocade quilt, seemingly asleep.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on her aged face.

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, signaling those around him to be quiet, and then found a place to sit down quietly and wait.

The waiting time was boring.

Zhu Youjian's thoughts began to wander, and he thought about the list of those to be reinstated that he would receive the day after tomorrow.

Xu Guangqi, Sun Chengzong, Yuan Chonghuan... these names that will resonate throughout history will all return to the political stage of the Ming Dynasty.

This is way more exciting than Huang Liji or Shi Fenglai.

He is about to compete on the same stage with these names that shine brightly in history books, and together they will turn the tide.

Who else?

He tried hard to search his mind for the few memories he had gleaned from his fleeting readings of history in his previous life.
Oh, right, Li Zicheng! I know he was a postman at the Yinchuan post station!

But where is Yinchuan? Is it in Ningxia? It seems there was no Ningxia during the Ming Dynasty, only Shaanxi!

He could hardly contain his excitement and wanted to immediately issue an imperial decree to find this person.

This man is comparable to Huang Taiji, the gravedigger who personally buried the Ming Dynasty!

As for the materialist conception of history, what about the idea that if Li Zicheng hadn't existed, there would still have been Zhang Zicheng?
Who cares? Let's just treat it as collecting a legendary SSR card!
"Ding--"

In his excitement, he made a slightly larger movement, which stirred the jade pendant at his waist, making a soft sound.

The old lady Liu, who was reclining on the chair, twitched her eyelids and slowly opened her eyes.

Zhu Youjian immediately stood up, quickly stepped forward, and bowed.

"Your Majesty, I, the Emperor, respectfully inquire after your well-being."

Old Lady Liu's eyes were slightly confused, but they quickly cleared. She looked at Zhu Youjian in front of her and showed a kind smile.

"It's Djokovic."

Her voice was a little hoarse, with the slowness characteristic of the elderly, "Please sit down, how long have you been waiting?"

She then turned to the palace maid beside her, with a hint of reproach: "The emperor has arrived, why didn't you wake me up?"

The palace maids just smiled, showing no fear. One of them cleverly stepped forward to tuck the blanket around her.

With the help of palace maids, Empress Liu slowly sat up straight from her recliner.

She looked at Zhu Youjian carefully and sighed, "In the blink of an eye, you've grown up so much. In my memory, you're still that quiet little child who followed behind the late emperor."

Zhu Youjian replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, I have always remembered your kindness. I am still drinking the tea you bestowed upon me last year."

Old Lady Liu smiled, a smile that deepened the wrinkles around her eyes.

"Your aunt summoned you here today only because she was asked to do so by someone else." Zhu Youjian's heart skipped a beat. He straightened up and looked at the old woman who had served four dynasties with great care.

The afterglow of the setting sun slanted in through the window, falling into his pupils, making them appear deep and unfathomable.

Old Lady Liu didn't continue speaking; instead, she let out a long sigh.

"It's so similar."

Zhu Youjian was somewhat puzzled.

“You and your imperial grandfather looked exactly alike when you were young.” Old Madam Liu’s tone was wistful, as if she were lost in distant memories. “I’m not talking about appearance, but about that aura.”

"A gentleman's transformation is astounding, as is his refined manner. You have only been on the throne for a few days, yet you have easily eliminated the traitorous Wei clan."

"What's even more remarkable is that he burned books in the palace to win people's hearts, combining leniency and severity to win people's hearts."

"This kind of grandeur and method is even more impressive than that of your imperial grandfather back then."

As she grew older, she had to take a breath before continuing.

"At that time, Zhang Taiyue had just left, and he was eager to make his mark and thought about becoming a wise and virtuous ruler."

"When the capital suffered a severe drought, he fasted and bathed, and personally walked from the palace to the Temple of Heaven to pray for rain. At that time, throughout the Ming Dynasty, who did not believe that a sage ruler had descended to earth?"

"But you know what happened next."

Old Lady Liu stretched out her hand, which was covered with brown spots and had dry skin, and gently grasped Zhu Youjian's hand.

“My child, the human heart is perilous, the moral heart is subtle; only by being refined and single-minded can one truly hold fast to the mean.”

"This spirit today is a blessing for the world. But we must remember that no matter how many setbacks we encounter in the future, we must hold on to this original intention and persevere."

Zhu Youjian was deeply moved; he could feel the sincerity and expectation in the old man's words.

He rose again and bowed solemnly, saying, "I, Your Majesty, will remember your teachings."

After the formalities were completed, he was still unsure of the reason for today's meeting, and tentatively asked, "I wonder... who entrusted you with this request, Aunt?"

Upon hearing this, Old Lady Liu suddenly winked mischievously.

"It doesn't matter who put it on; it's just that group of nobles who have been living in peace for too long. They're just uneasy because you're making such big moves."

"I've already invited you here, so they can't say that this old woman didn't do her job. They shouldn't bother my peace and quiet again."

She took a slight breath and said with a hint of relief, "Our Zhu family has finally produced another prodigy."

After chatting for a few more minutes about everyday matters, Zhu Youjian got up to take his leave.

At this moment, Old Lady Liu suddenly spoke up: "If there are any obstacles in the future, you might as well go and have a chat with the Duke of England."

Zhu Youjian froze.

She continued, "When he was young, he wasn't like this at all. He used to have... a strong spirit."

Having said that, the old woman lay back down in the recliner in the dimly lit room and closed her eyes.

The maids, one on each side, pushed the chaise lounge so that it swayed back and forth.

Zhu Youjian remained silent for a moment before a gentle smile appeared on his face: "Aunt, I understand."

　I hate myself. I knew I had to start the second court assembly as soon as possible, then quickly reinstate all the famous figures and get to the climax.

　　But I just can't help writing about these random people...

　　[Historical Materials in this Chapter]

　　1. As mentioned in the text, Consort Liu is the current "Empress Dowager" in the palace. She holds the Empress Dowager's seal. Zhang Yan is not the Empress Dowager, but only the "Emperor's sister-in-law".

　　2. Empress Zhou, Zhou Yu, also known as Changqiu Baobao, was chosen by Consort Liu during the initial selection of concubines. Zhang Yan initially felt that Zhou Yu was unsuitable because she was the youngest and frail. Consort Liu said, "Although Zhou is weak now, she will surely grow up in the future." Thus, she personally selected Zhou Yu as the Princess Consort of Xin.

　　3. Historically, Emperor Chongzhen once went to pay his respects to the emperor and unknowingly fell asleep. Consort Liu was not surprised, told the palace maids not to disturb him, and brought a robe to cover Chongzhen.

　　4. Emperor Chongzhen awoke with a start shortly afterward and apologized, saying, "These days are filled with hardship. I have been reviewing documents for two nights without closing my eyes. Before the Dowager Empress, I was so exhausted that I could not control myself." The Dowager Empress wept upon hearing this. — *History of Ming*, Volume 114

　　5. You asked me what plot development was involved in writing this chapter, but there was really only a tiny bit. I just wanted Zhu Youjian to quietly wait for Consort Liu to wake up once more.

　　So many regrets in history, all gone in the past. Alas.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)