Huangming

Chapter 8: Ruling the Palace, War is Paramount

Wei Chao shook his fat body and immediately said, "Your Highness, please give the order. Even if it means going through fire and water, as long as you need me, I will risk my life to do the job well!"

Zhu Youxiao smiled slightly and said, "I've heard that among the Twelve Directorates, the chief eunuchs of the Directorate of Seals and the Directorate of Imperial Horses often commit illegal acts. Is that true?"

Illegal activities?

Wei Chaogang wanted to say that he had not heard of this matter.

But the person quickly realized what was happening.

If you want to add a crime, why don't you have any trouble?
The chief eunuchs of the Imperial Seal Office and the Imperial Horse Office were Wang An's confidants and held crucial positions. His Majesty wanted to take them down before the old patriarch Wang An could react.

Wei Chao immediately said cleverly, "The eunuchs in charge of the Imperial Seals and the Imperial Horse Administration have been doing illegal things. They have been having affairs in the palace and often sell palace treasures outside the palace to support their stepsons. I have solid evidence!"

Zhu Youxiao greatly admired intelligent subordinates.

No need for excessive chatter, and it's very easy to understand.

He nodded and said, "Very good. Take my edict and find a few trustworthy people to replace all the eunuchs in charge of the Imperial Seals and the Imperial Horse Administration, including the chief eunuch, the supervising eunuch, and the adjutant eunuch. You will concurrently serve as the chief eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration."

Wei Chao was overjoyed, but also somewhat doubtful.

"Your Highness, what about the Bureau of Imperial Seals?"

Zhu Youxiao narrowed his eyes, and Wei Chao felt a cold sweat break out on his back. He immediately started slapping Wei Chao's face with both hands.

Bang bang bang~
The sound kept coming.

"This servant deserves to die; this servant has misspoke."

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand, looking at Wei Chao's comical appearance, and simply said, "I have my own arrangements."

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao felt a sense of crisis.

I originally thought that His Majesty only had me as a capable person, but now it seems that there is another competitor.
It seems that only by doing a good job can one gain His Majesty's trust.

While the opportunity for advancement is indeed very precious, how can one bear such immense wealth and power without the ability to do so?
"Go and do it!"

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and immediately ordered the young eunuch who had been following him to accompany Wei Chao on his mission.

After Wei Chao left, Zhu Youxiao closed his eyes and pondered for a moment.

The reason for taking over the Imperial Seal Office and the Imperial Horse Administration so quickly was because of the issue of military power.

Military power in the empire was primarily managed by two institutions.

One is the Ministry of War.

It is responsible for the nation's military administration, such as the selection, training, pay, and logistics of the army.

The head of the Ministry of War was the Minister of War, who was directly responsible to the emperor.

One was the Five Military Commissions.

The Five Military Commissions were responsible for the management of the army, including the appointment of military officers and the mobilization of troops, but they only had the power to command troops, not the power to mobilize them.

The power to deploy troops was in the hands of the Ministry of War, while the military tally was controlled by the Imperial Seal Office and the Imperial Horse Office, which were related to the Ministry of War.

This is why Zhu Youxiao wanted to put these two prisons in the hands of someone he trusted.

He naturally wanted to firmly grasp the military power in the Forbidden City.

If you don't have military power, what good is it even if you're the highest-ranking emperor?

"Your Highness, it's time to eat."

Just as Zhu Youxiao was deep in thought, Wang Tiqian, the chief eunuch of the Imperial Kitchen, was waiting outside the palace gate to ask him questions.

thump~
The sound of the copper bolt of the Xuanwu Gate being lowered in the distance broke through the twilight.

At this moment, Zhu Youxiao realized that the sun was setting and it was getting late.

"Serve the meal!"

Soon, the palace servants brought the meal. After being reprimanded by Zhu Youxiao, Wang Tiqian's evening meals became much simpler.

The main dishes include stir-fried bean sprouts, braised shiitake mushrooms, and mixed vegetarian dishes, while the staple foods include porridge and steamed buns.

Although the dishes were simple, they were made exceptionally delicious by the imperial chefs.

After finishing his meal, Zhu Youxiao looked at Wang Tiqian, who was serving him, and asked, "Whose idea was this lunch?"

Thump~
Wang Tiqian suddenly knelt down on the ground, his whole body trembling.

"Yes, this servant is getting senile. The recipes sent by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were prepared without any thought and then served to the Crown Prince."

"That's a capital offense!" Zhu Youxiao said coldly.

Wang Tiqian slapped his withered, twig-like fingers hard onto his sallow face, the sound of the slap as crisp as tearing silk.

Thick saliva mixed with blood spurted from the corner of his gap-toothed mouth, leaving dark plum blossom-like marks on the blue brick floor.

"This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to..."

His hoarse apology was punctuated by the dull thud of teeth falling out, and his knuckles were bruised from the excessive force.

Even in Wang Tiqian's miserable state, Zhu Youxiao remained indifferent and showed no intention of letting him off the hook.

"You've been in charge of the Imperial Kitchen for many years, how could you make such a mistake? In special circumstances, the Imperial Household Department has a precedent of interfering and modifying recipes sent by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Or are you trying to kill me?"

Wang Tiqian was stunned.

The crime of regicide is punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

He wasn't the only one who died.

He can't take the blame for this.

Wang Tiqian cried and said, "Even if Your Highness gave me a hundred lives, I would not dare to do such a thing!"

Seeing that Wang Tiqian's psychological defenses were gradually weakening, Zhu Youxiao asked patiently, "So, did you do this, or was someone instructing you to do it?"

Wang Tiqian opened his mouth, his eyes darting around, but he dared not say anything more.

Zhu Youxiao snorted coldly, waved his hand to leave, and said, "It seems you won't shed tears until you see the coffin."

Wang Tiqian panicked immediately. He quickly grabbed Zhu Youxiao's leg and said with a resolute expression, "It was Wang An who persuaded me. He said that the Crown Prince is young and if vegetarian food is served, it will definitely displease the Crown Prince. Therefore, that's why I served the meal according to the Guanglu Temple's menu."

Why not just implicate Wang An?

Zhu Youxiao finally smiled, and in Wang Tiqian's eyes, that smile was like a ray of light in the darkness, causing him to burst into tears.

"Was it persuasion, or instigation?"

"It was Wang An who instructed me." Wang Tiqian was terrified by Zhu Youxiao's methods and only wanted to survive.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel resentment towards Wang An.

These eunuchs were originally dependent on the imperial power for their survival. Instead of being loyal to the emperor, they were colluding with the Donglin Party members. Weren't they courting death?
You're already hurting yourself, why are you trying to hurt me too?

Then don't blame me, Wang Tiqian, for being ruthless.

"Okay! Get up."

Zhu Youxiao's smile gradually brightened.

However, Wang Tiqian simply lowered his head and got up, not daring to confront the successor.

Although the heir was young, he was able to outmaneuver the court officials in the Wenhua Hall.

Even the ancestor Wang An was clearly no match for him.

What can Wang Tiqian do?
All that matters is to serve faithfully.

From this day forward, there is only one sun in Wang Tiqian's heart!
That's the new emperor!
(End of this chapter)