Huangming

Chapter 109: Peep into the secrets of Xuanfu, and prepare for heirs in the forbidden palace

The Ming Dynasty had two imperial palaces where the empresses and concubines could reside: Cining Palace and Renshou Palace.

These two palaces comprised many other buildings.

For example, Huiluan Palace was an attached palace of Renshou Palace. Similarly, there was Jiefeng Palace, which was a place for low-ranking imperial concubines to retire.

now.

Huiluan Palace.

Inside the warm pavilion.

Consort Li listened as her trusted maidservant recounted Consort Zheng's current predicament.

A palace maid whispered, “Your Majesty, I have just learned that Consort Zheng’s situation is truly heartbreaking. She has offended His Majesty and has been stripped of her esteemed position in Cining Palace and sent to Renshou Palace. Although it is the main palace, she is not living a good life there.”

She paused briefly, lowering her voice even further: "I heard that the Inner Palace Administration has replaced all the old staff, and the newly assigned palace maids and eunuchs are all opportunists who change their allegiance at the slightest provocation. When Consort Zheng asked for a bowl of hot tea, those servants dared to make excuses and refuse."

The other day it snowed heavily, and I made a special trip to Renshou Palace to take a look. There wasn't even a wisp of heat coming from the chimneys, and the snow in front of the palace gates was half a foot thick and no one had cleared it. Thinking back to how glorious she was when she was in charge of the six palaces, now…”

After hearing this, Consort Li felt a wave of fear wash over her.

In the dead of winter, how can people in the palace endure it without burning some charcoal?
Moreover, Consort Zheng is used to a comfortable life, and it's uncertain whether she can withstand such hardship.

Fortunately, she was quick-witted that day and did not agree to Consort Zheng's request; otherwise, she would probably have been punished by His Majesty as well.

"Fortunately, I am quick-witted."

She patted her heaving chest and exhaled a heavy breath.

"Otherwise, I'm afraid we won't even be able to stay in the Huiluan Palace."

Li Jinzhong said from the side, "The Empress is now the highest-ranking woman in the harem. How could she not even be able to live in the Huiluan Palace? I'm afraid that she will have to move to the Cining Palace soon."

Flattered by Li Jinzhong, Consort Li raised her head slightly, like a noble white swan, and said with a smile, "I'm not in a hurry, but I don't know if Your Majesty is."

She would never make any demands that would displease the new emperor.

Even someone as powerful as Consort Zheng was suppressed by the emperor with a mere glance.
She has no real power base in the palace. If she angers the emperor, her fate will probably be even worse than that of Consort Zheng.

After all, although Consort Zheng had committed many offenses, she was still the mother of Prince Fu.

A mother's status rises with her son's, so when the emperor dealt with Consort Zheng, he also had to consider Prince Fu's feelings.

She only had one daughter and no son to rely on.

of course
If Consort Li knew that Consort Zheng's fate was largely due to Prince Fu, she probably wouldn't think this way.

At this time.

A palace maid rushed in from outside the door.

Although it was winter, the palace maid was panting heavily and covered in a fine sweat.

"Your Majesty, Wei Dadang from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has arrived."

Wei Dadang?
The color drained from Consort Li's pretty face, and she even began to tremble.

"Wei Zhongxian is here? Is he coming to the Huiluan Palace to demand answers?"

Wei Zhongxian is now not only infamous outside the palace, but also feared by those within the palace.

A few days ago, he ransacked Consort Zheng's Cining Palace.

"Your Majesty has misunderstood. It is Wei Chao, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial."

Consort Li immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good that it's not Wei Zhongxian.

She looked at the maid with a hint of reproach and scolded, "Speak more clearly next time. Are you trying to scare me to death?"

Upon hearing this, the palace maid was so frightened that she knelt down.

"My Queen, please spare me, my Queen, please spare me!"

Fortunately, Consort Li's mind was not on her at the moment.

"What brings the Wei dynasty here at this time?"

She looked at Li Jinzhong and asked.

Li Jinzhong's eyes darted around, and he immediately said, "A few days ago, His Majesty took the Eighth Princess to the Imperial Garden. It couldn't have been to interrogate her. If it wasn't to interrogate her, then it must have been to bestow a reward. Since Her Highness is already discussing the title of Imperial Concubine Dowager at the Ministry of Rites, it would be somewhat inappropriate for her to continue residing in the Huiluan Palace. I'm afraid she will have to move to the Cining Palace."

Consort Li's eyes suddenly lit up.

Cining Palace, that's a wonderful place!

"Quickly prepare some brocade pouches."

This brocade pouch was not the kind Zhuge Liang gave to Liu Bei; it was filled with gold and silver jewels and was specifically used to bribe eunuchs.

Soon, Wei Chao arrived at the Huiluan Palace.

His fat, old face was adorned with a smile, but he lacked the humility he displayed before the emperor; instead, he stood upright.

"This servant greets Your Highness the Empress Dowager."

Wei Chao was a senior eunuch serving the emperor, and even if the greetings were casual, Consort Li dared not blame him.

Instead, her eyes lit up when she heard the words "Empress Dowager".

"Wei Da Dang actually has the leisure to come to my cold palace today. Could it be that the matter of the Imperial Concubine Dowager has been settled by the Ministry of Rites?"

Wei Chao shook his head and said, "The Ministry of Rites is always slow in handling matters. Even if His Majesty urges us, it will still take some time. However, His Majesty thinks about the Consort Dowager day and night. The Consort's move to Huiluan Palace was originally just a temporary measure. Now that there is a place available in Cining Palace, His Majesty is thinking of letting the Consort move there."

Consort Li was deeply moved upon hearing this.

His Majesty
They were so good to her.

Consort Li's eyes reddened slightly as she said with emotion, "Your Majesty is truly filial. If the late Emperor knew, he would surely be very pleased." After speaking, she waved her hand, and Li Jinzhong took a heavy brocade pouch and stuffed it into Wei Chao's hand.

"How does this work?"

Wei Chao weighed the brocade pouch in his hand, his eyes lighting up.

"This is just a small token of my appreciation. I hope you won't think it's too little."

Wei Chao declined repeatedly, but finally accepted the brocade pouch with great reluctance, saying with a smile, "How could this servant dare to refuse the Empress Dowager's reward? If I did, wouldn't I be ungrateful?"

After receiving the money, Wei Chao became much more agreeable.

Consort Li also knew that now was the time to ask questions.

Her beautiful eyes darted around, and after a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Wei Dang, I sent quite a few palace maids to Qianqing Palace. Apart from Zhang Yun'er, has His Majesty accepted any others?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao nodded, then shook his head.

This action confused Consort Li.

"What does this mean?"

Looking at the brocade pouch in the bag, Wei Chao slowly explained, "The palace maids you sent over are all beauties among palace maids, but after His Majesty saw them, he didn't react at all. He didn't say to keep them, nor did he let these palace maids return to the Western Six Palaces. I'm afraid His Majesty is focused on state affairs and has no interest in matters of men and women. This matter is very worrying for me."

Consort Li's eyes lit up. She seemed to have grasped something and asked, "What is Wei Dang worried about? If I can help, please speak freely."

Wei Chao glanced at Consort Li, his old eyes suddenly lighting up.

Consort Li, being His Majesty's foster mother, certainly has the authority to speak on such matters.

The old eunuch pondered for a moment, then said to Consort Li, "This matter must not be heard by outsiders."

When Consort Li heard that it was a secret, her heart pounded with excitement.

She immediately said to those around her, "All of you, get out of here."

The eunuch Li Jinzhong's eyes showed resentment, but he could only obediently leave.

With a bang, the door to the warm pavilion closed, leaving only Wei Chao and Consort Li inside.

"Da Dang, isn't it time to speak now?"

Wei Chao glanced around and nodded immediately, then whispered, "Your Majesty is still a young man. When the late Emperor was his age, he was already chasing after palace maids and couldn't sleep at night without holding one. But Your Majesty..."

Wei Chao's eyes flickered as he said, "However, His Majesty shows absolutely no reaction to those beauties. This servant is deeply worried!"

Consort Li opened her mouth, never expecting that this secret was about His Majesty.

She immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that His Majesty is impotent?"

"Shh~"

Wei Chao glanced at the door with some alarm and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please be careful what you say!"

Consort Li immediately realized that she had said the wrong thing.

"Whether Your Majesty is capable or not can only be determined by trying. Perhaps Your Majesty is simply not perceptive enough?"

Not getting it?
After thinking it over, Consort Li felt it was very likely.

After all, when the emperor was under her command, he often played with wood and had little interest in the palace maids.

She also seems not to have taught the emperor about matters related to men and women.

"Now that you mention it, there's some truth to it."

Wei Chao nodded and said, "How could I, as a servant, say such things? That's why I've kept putting it off until now. The Ministry of Rites and the Palace Attendants are already preparing for the Emperor's wedding. If His Majesty still doesn't understand these things by the time of the wedding, then it will be my fault."

There are three kinds of unfilial piety, and no one is the greatest.

As an emperor, the continuation of his descendants was not only a matter of his own bloodline, but also of the very foundation of the nation.

What if the emperor had no descendants?

Who would dare to pledge allegiance to him?
"Is the palace preparing to give His Majesty his early education?"

Wei Chao nodded.

"The eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department have already selected eight palace maids to serve as bedchamber attendants, but no one dares to expose this matter."

Zhu Youxiao has accomplished so many great things in the month or so since he ascended the throne.

When the inner court was purged, countless heads rolled in the slaughter. Even the Wei Dynasty feared the emperor's might, let alone the other eunuchs.

"Does Your Majesty mean that I should be the one to speak?"

Wei Chao nodded and said, "The selection of the empress can be completed in three months, and the empress will probably be decided in March or April next year. If His Majesty is not enlightened now, it may cause a major problem."

If the emperor doesn't even know the basics of sex during his wedding night, how can he possibly father an heir?

If the emperor had no offspring, these eunuchs would likely be punished.

"I see." Consort Li nodded slightly.

This is something that only she is truly suited to do.

She pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, "Very well, after all, I am His Majesty's foster mother. His Majesty respects me so much and regards me as his mother, so I should naturally do the same for him. Now, let's go to Qianqing Palace!"

Consort Li is truly decisive and efficient!

Wei Chao immediately said, "There's no rush now, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

Although Consort Li had questions in her heart, she could only nod.

Even after being persuaded by Consort Li, Wei Chao was still uneasy. He planned to go to Fang Congzhe and the others and ask them to try to persuade them as well.

(End of this chapter)