Huangming

Chapter 22: Childish Daozhen, alone at home

These five palace maids are really something else.

If the palace maid was sent by Consort Zheng, Zhu Youxiao would absolutely not have dared to accept her.

But Li Xuanshi
She might really have just sent a few palace maids to serve him, hoping to receive the title of Empress Dowager from the Ministry of Rites.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that there were informants among them monitoring him.

"Your Majesty's kindness is too much for me to refuse."

Zhu Youxiao ordered his personal eunuch to take them away.

Accepting these five palace maids does not mean they will be used immediately.

Zhu Youxiao would only allow them to come and serve him after the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had thoroughly investigated their identities and backgrounds to ensure they had no ulterior motives.

Furthermore, they are absolutely not allowed to interfere with matters such as food and daily necessities in the short term.

Seeing that Zhu Youxiao had accepted her, Consort Li finally smiled.

It seems Consort Zheng was right; no matter how much the Crown Prince changes, he is still a man.

Every man has a way of being manipulated by women.

"As long as the Crown Prince is happy, that's fine. If they do something wrong, the Crown Prince can deal with them as he sees fit, and there's no need to give me face."

Zhu Youxiao nodded, then looked down at the eighth princess, Zhu Huiti, who was hiding behind Consort Li, hugging her legs, looking timid.

"Huiti, what's wrong? You don't even recognize your imperial brother?"

Consort Li quickly pushed Zhu Huiti forward, saying with a smile, "Why haven't you paid your respects to the Emperor yet?"

Zhu Huiti clasped her hands at her waist and squatted slightly, performing a family bow to Zhu Youxiao.

"May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."

Although Zhu Huiti was only seven years old, having grown up in the inner palace, her manners were already impeccable.

Zhu Youxiao stepped forward, picked up Zhu Huiti, and asked, "You silly girl, are you afraid of your imperial brother?"

Zhu Huiti stared intently into Zhu Youxiao's eyes, then suddenly said, "You are not my elder brother."

These words terrified Consort Li.

"Your Highness, the girl is still young and these are the words of a child; they should not be taken seriously."

In Zhu Youxiao's memory, the original owner had almost no friends in the deep palace, which led to his dependence on Madam Ke. When he was doing carpentry, the eighth princess Zhu Huiti would also play around beside him, so their relationship should have been quite good.

"It's alright, it's just a child's joke. Besides, I am indeed not the same as before."

Zhu Youxiao wouldn't be angry at a child.

This little guy has an even sharper eye than Wang An.

Zhu Youxiao pinched her rosy cheeks.

If Wang An could have seen the change in him, he wouldn't be in the situation of guarding the late emperor's tomb now.

"What kind of candy do you want?" Zhu Youxiao put the little princess down, and she immediately jumped behind Li Xuanshi, looking at Zhu Youxiao with a terrified expression.

The look in his eyes was as if he were looking at some strange old man.

"Your Highness, please don't be offended. There have been too many changes these past few days, and Hui Ti has been frightened."

As she spoke, tears welled up in Li Xuanshi's eyes, clearly indicating that she was about to try to gain Zhu Youxiao's sympathy again.

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said, "Then let Huiti come more often. If she needs anything to eat or use, she can go to Wei Chao."

Consort Li nodded and chatted about everyday matters, but ultimately she was still afraid of Consort Wang's memorial tablet. Having achieved her goal, she took her leave.

Zhu Youxiao was left alone in the west wing of Ciqing Palace, staring blankly at the memorial tablet of his birth mother, Consort Wang.

After leaving the west side hall, Consort Li slowly exhaled.

She turned to look at Zhu Youxiao's back, but couldn't find any trace of the Zhu Youxiao from before in his eyes.

A realization dawned on me.

After leaving Cining Palace, Consort Li sat in a palanquin carried by six eunuchs.

He was attended by four palace maids and eight eunuchs, who carried red gauze lanterns and whisks to light the lamps as they walked at night.

This pomp and circumstance is that of an imperial concubine.

But after seeing the heir apparent today and hearing about the fate of the Crown Prince's wet nurse, Madam Ke, Consort Li felt a sense of lingering fear.

"Jinzhong."

"This servant is here." Li Jinzhong, the trusted eunuch of Consort Li, hurriedly went to the sedan chair to speak.

Of course, this Li Jinzhong is a completely different person from the current eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

"There's no need for such ostentatious displays when we travel in the future."

Li Jinzhong was taken aback for a moment, then immediately said, "This servant obeys."

now.

The sleeping quarters of Ciqing Palace.

Zhu Youxiao was about to rest.

Lying in bed, Zhu Youxiao's heart remained restless for a long time.

Perhaps it's because he's going to ascend the throne as emperor tomorrow.

But he didn't feel happy; instead, he felt somewhat lost.

Just as he came into this world bewildered.

Fate has placed such a heavy burden on him:
To save the ailing Ming Dynasty.

But does he really have that ability?

The Ming Dynasty lasted for 250 years, but accumulated problems had become severe. The tax system was on the verge of collapse, land annexation was rampant, and princes and gentry occupied more than 40% of the country's arable land, turning farmers into tenants or vagrants, resulting in a sharp decline in the tax base.

Commercial taxes accounted for only 10% of fiscal revenue (wealthy merchants in Jiangnan avoided taxes through "donations"), and the national treasury relied on agricultural taxes, while agriculture suffered reduced production due to natural disasters.

From the late Wanli period onwards, additional taxes were levied on Liaodong, suppression, and training, resulting in annual taxes exceeding 2000 million taels of silver. Farmers were forced to "demolish their houses and sell their children, with starving corpses littering the roads."

Tens of thousands, or even more, of bankrupt farmers have gathered outside Beijing, hoping for a benefactor to provide them with porridge to save their lives.

Selling children and exchanging offspring for food were commonplace.

Not long ago, the Yellow River breached its banks, and the number of displaced people increased even more.

At this moment, the Ming Dynasty is like a powder keg; one spark could ignite a prairie fire.

There are countless people like Li Zicheng on the land of the Ming Dynasty.

The fiscal deficit spiraled out of control; the Ningxia campaign, the Bozhou campaign, and the war against Japanese aggression and aid to Korea cost 1200 million taels of silver, emptying the national treasury.

Today, the annual deficit between income and expenditure reaches millions, and this figure is still expanding.

The court was rife with factional infighting, and the palace was rife with deceit and treachery.

"A clean prefect for three years can amass 100,000 taels of silver," highlighting how official corruption has become commonplace.

Military defeat, parasitism of the royal family, and privileges of the gentry
What kind of hellish difficulty would it take to save the Ming Dynasty?
Zhu Youxiao closed his eyes tightly.

Who can lend him a helping hand? Who is the person he can truly entrust with his life?

Zhu Youxiao pondered for a moment, then could only shake his head.

No.

not a single one.

Once he ascended to this position, he was all alone.

A truly lonely person.

but.
Zhu Youxiao suddenly opened his eyes, and his eyes shone with divine light.

"Fate has dealt me ​​a difficult situation, and I will use my pieces to break it! Even if the road ahead is fraught with peril, I will forge ahead with overwhelming force!"

Zhu Youxiao suddenly got up from the bed.

"This corrupt bureaucracy is the tempering stone! This empty treasury is the forging furnace!"

"The mess left by Emperor Wanli, I will clean it up! The schemes of the Donglin Party, I will shatter them! The iron cavalry of the Jurchens, I will crush them!"

"Let history record this: In September of the 48th year of the Wanli reign, the tyrant Zhu Youxiao held a torch and set the heavens ablaze! Either burn away the decay and restore the sun and moon, or become the most magnificent fuse!"

Once his thoughts were clear, Zhu Youxiao was no longer confused.

He was all alone.

Then I shall be the lonely one who saves the Ming Dynasty!
Having been given a second chance at life, I'm determined to live it to the fullest!

When I am not even afraid of death, who can stop me?

Who dares to stop me?
(End of this chapter)