Huangming

Chapter 2 Cabinet Relocation, First Cry of the Successor

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Wang An walked quickly all the way. Only after leaving the Qianqing Palace did he dare to slow down, fearing that Consort Li might change her mind and prevent the imperial heir from leaving the Qianqing Palace.

As soon as Bu Yi left the palace, he saw three officials dressed in red court robes with bird-patterned badges on their chests pacing anxiously back and forth at the bedroom door.

"Eunuch Wang"

When Wang Anfang appeared, Grand Secretary Liu Yiju, Censor Yang Lian, and Imperial Censor Zuo Guangdou immediately stepped forward.

"Emperor's heir!"

Yang Lian, with her sharp eyes, caught a glimpse of Zhu Youxiao's figure inside the palace gate and was immediately overjoyed.

"Your subject Yang Lian greets Your Highness!"

Yang Lian bowed to Zhu Youxiao, and Liu Yizhu, Zuo Guangdou, and others followed suit.

"Your subject Liu Yizhu (Zuo Guangdou) pays his respects to Your Highness!"

Zhu Youxiao was about to say there was no need for such formalities, but Yang Lian didn't give him the chance. Instead, he stepped forward, took Zhu Youxiao's arm, and said anxiously:
“Consort Li plotted to hold His Highness hostage in order to control the officials. Emperor Taizu said: ‘The empress must not interfere in politics!’ If we had not seen the imperial heir in person, we would have forcibly stormed the palace to save His Highness!”

Yang Lian beat his chest and stamped his feet, his face filled with agitation.

"To see Your Highness so well is truly a blessing for our Great Ming Dynasty and for all the people of the land! Your Highness, please proceed to the Wenhua Hall immediately to ascend the throne and meet with all the officials!"

As he spoke, his withered, middle-aged body suddenly found strength and began to drag Zhu Youxiao toward the Wenhua Hall.

Zhu Youxiao's face remained calm, but he was cursing inwardly!
I came out of the Qianqing Palace. What help did you, Yang Lian, have?
It's as if you saved an orphan from dire straits.

If you were to escort me to the Wenhua Hall, the officials would truly believe that you had accomplished something extraordinary!

"Minister Yang, why do you do this?"

Zhu Youxiao silently broke free from Yang Lian's grasp, a look of displeasure on his face.

Yang Lian was surprised that Zhu Youxiao was not worried or afraid at all. Instead, his face showed displeasure. Yang Lian's heart trembled and he quickly turned to Wang An for help and doubt.

Wang An quickly turned to Zhu Youxiao and said with a fawning expression, "Your Highness, the Censor was just in a hurry. His loyalty is commendable, so please don't blame him. The most important thing now is to go to the Wenhua Hall as soon as possible! Don't keep the officials waiting."

Yang Lian behaved improperly before the emperor, which is usually punishable. How can you, Wang An, let it go with just a casual remark?
This elbow... I don't know where it went!

snort!
I'll remember this grudge!

Instead of being angry, Zhu Youxiao laughed and slowly walked out of the palace gate, asking, "Where is the Grand Secretary?"

In the 48th year of the Wanli reign, Fang Congzhe was the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, and Liu Yiju, the Vice Grand Secretary, was also present, but the Grand Secretary was nowhere to be seen.

"Your Highness!"

Liu Yiju immediately stepped forward and said earnestly, "Grand Secretary Fang is in charge of the overall situation in the Wenhua Hall, so we dared to come. If Your Highness wishes to see Grand Secretary Fang, you may go to the Wenhua Hall today."

Once outside the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Youxiao was no longer in a hurry.

He walked forward step by step, and Liu Yiju and Yang Lian quickly made way for him.

"The matter arose from within our own ranks, and the details are still unclear. I wish to see the Grand Secretary, the Duke of Yingguo, and the Minister of Rites to discuss the matter before proceeding to the Wenhua Hall!"

Now, if you go to the Wenhua Hall, you'll be completely lost and at the mercy of others.

Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe was a member of the Zhejiang faction and was at odds with Donglin Party members such as Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou. Duke of Ying, Zhang Weixian, was a descendant of a noble family. Although he was not very capable, he was able to introduce a new force.

Although Zhu Youxiao currently has no one to rely on, his experience as a civil servant in his previous life has taught him how to be a leader.

If you don't have any trusted subordinates, you can use the discord among them to check and balance each other, thus achieving a certain equilibrium.

Only a leader like him can maintain his dignity, stabilize the situation, install his cronies, and win over those who want to "advance" to form an initial team, and finally completely take control of the situation.

Zhu Youxiao appeared completely harmless.

"Furthermore, with the late Emperor passing away, how could it be proper for me to be dressed in the Crown Prince's everyday attire?"

According to the ancestral rules of the Ming Dynasty, when the emperor died, the crown prince was required to wear mourning clothes.

Don't you Donglin Party members like to say that the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed?
Do you want to follow this rule now?
"Go to Cining Palace first, then Wenhua Hall!"

Zhu Youxiao's words seemed to define the matter, and Wang An and Yang Lian exchanged a glance and shook their heads slightly.

Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou immediately stopped in their tracks, ceasing their aggressive advances.

Wang An flattered with a fawning smile, "Your Highness is wise and decisive, and your consideration is correct. It was our oversight. Let's go to Cining Palace to change into our mourning clothes first, for the ancestral laws cannot be changed!"

Although Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou were unwilling, they found that they had no reason to refute it.

The imperial heirs use rules to suppress people; how could they possibly break ancestral laws? Meanwhile, Liu Yizhu, the Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, looked at Zhu Youxiao's retreating figure with mixed feelings.

The imperial heir was raised by women, and there were even rumors that he had never received any formal education, was illiterate, and had a penchant for unusual skills and crafts, particularly carpentry. However, it now appears that this was not the case.

If the rumors were true, how could the Crown Prince have subdued Yang Lian and Zuo Guangdou with just a few words?
The previous rumors seemed more like a show of weakness during a period of dormancy.

If that is true, then the Crown Prince's profound wisdom and foresight are truly astonishing.

Everything is unclear, everything is unclear!

Liu Yiju tucked his hands into his sleeves, lowered his head, and bent over. After Wang An, Yang Lian, and Zuo Guangdou moved, he followed and protected them in front of him as they slowly made their way to Cining Palace.

now.

Inside the Wenhua Hall.

The entire hall was filled with hypocrites and beasts.

Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe paced back and forth in the hall, looking anxious.

Out of the corner of his eye, he unconsciously glanced at Liu Yijing's position.

In the 46th year of the Wanli reign, the Grand Secretariat had only one member, the Ministers only four, the Vice Ministers only four, the Censors only seven, and the Censors in the capital only ten. The staffing was severely lacking. After Zhu Changluo ascended the throne, he promoted and appointed many virtuous officials to the Grand Secretariat, bringing the number of members in the Grand Secretariat to seven.

However.
Of the seven, three are not in the capital. Currently, there are four cabinet members in the capital. The fact that one is missing is too obvious.

Fang Congzhe was deeply worried.

The Donglin Party members are utterly despicable!

They collude with eunuchs, and the imperial heir is still young and ignorant of the ways of the world. What if he is deceived by them?

"Your Excellency, His Majesty has passed away without seeing the Crown Prince. I fear he may have been held hostage by treacherous individuals. I request that all officials enter the palace to meet the Crown Prince!"

"The imperial heir is in the hands of a woman. Xi Li previously requested the appointment of an empress. If the imperial heir is not returned, there may be a disaster similar to that of the Wu Zhou dynasty!"

"Please, Your Excellency, make a decisive decision!"

The court officials were in uproar, but Fang Congzhe glanced at them out of the corner of his eye and knew that most of the people speaking were members of the Donglin Party.

Fang Congzhe remained calm and said, "Everyone, just wait for orders. Isn't Chong Gong plotting a rebellion?"

Grand Secretaries Han Kuang and Zhu Guozuo of the Dongge Pavilion closed their eyes and pretended to sleep. In the Wenhua Hall, which resembled a marketplace, they were almost asleep.

"Eunuch Wei has arrived!"

Someone shouted, and Han Kuang and Zhu Guozuo suddenly opened their eyes. Fang Congzhe also quickly walked towards Wei Chao, the eunuch in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

"Eunuch Wei, what is the situation in the palace now?" Fang Congzhe asked immediately.

Wei Chao, a man of Wang An, glanced at Fang Congzhe and said expressionlessly, "The Crown Prince has arrived at Cining Palace. Summon Grand Secretary Fang, Duke of Yingguo, and Minister of Rites to the palace for an audience."

what's the situation?
Han Kuang originally thought that with the arrival of the Wei Dynasty, there would be the Crown Prince and Liu Yiju and others. He also planned to take advantage of the Crown Prince's shock to gain the trust of the future new emperor, suppress dissidents, and revitalize the court.

Now that he was told this, his face immediately turned gloomy.

"Eunuch Wei, why doesn't the Crown Prince go to the Wenhua Hall first, and then to the Cining Palace?"

Seeing Han Kuang lose his composure, Fang Congzhe's eyes lit up.

Something seems to have gone wrong in the palace!
Before Han Kuang could react, Fang Congzhe grabbed Wei Chao and headed out of the hall.

"This matter is extremely urgent. You will find out when you arrive at Cining Palace. There is no need to ask any further questions. Let us go and meet with the Crown Prince!"

Fang Congzhe hurried out of the hall and headed towards Ciqing Palace.

Han Kuang, Zhu Guozuo, Minister of Rites Sun Ruyou, and Duke of Yingguo Zhang Weixian dared not keep the imperial heir waiting any longer. They had no time to inquire about the details of the Wei Dynasty and immediately hurried after Fang Congzhe.

The cabinet reshuffle has left court officials bewildered.

The initiative had unknowingly returned to Zhu Youxiao's hands.

PS:

Regarding address:

The Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty states in the section on etiquette: "The Crown Prince refers to himself as 'I, the Lord,' and refers to himself as 'this Palace' to outsiders."

(End of this chapter)