The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Chapter 119 Auspicious Snow

At the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, Mai Fu remained calm, while Gao Zhong looked rather grim. He hadn't expected Prince Jing to be so bold as to allow a mere eunuch to openly lead away a top-quality imperial horse.

The Imperial Stables Secretary who came to report also seemed very angry: "Even His Highness Prince Jing should request permission before using imperial items. If members of the imperial family all act so recklessly, where are the laws of the palace and the rules of the court?"

He was filled with righteous indignation, but he never mentioned that he had watched Tao Ze lead away the imperial horse.

McFee coughed twice: "Alright, it's just a horse, you can go now."

"Yes, this servant will take her leave."

Gao Zhong's anger subsided slightly: "The horse is a minor matter, but Prince Jing—"

"What, you want to appeal to the emperor?"

"I wouldn't dare," Gao Zhong said, his spirits immediately deflated.

"That's right, we wouldn't dare. We're just servants, how could we report our young master to our master?"

The key question is, what can be done if a lawsuit is filed? There's a saying among the common people: a son stealing from his father isn't considered a thief. Can the emperor really punish his son for taking a horse from the palace?

If the punishment is truly severe, then the root of the problem definitely won't be that horse.

All they could do was add a note to their monthly reports to let the emperor know about the matter.

Mai Fu's intention was certainly not to attack Gao Zhong; Prince Jing, though young, was too domineering.

This is why they hinted some time ago that they wanted to get closer to Prince Yu.

Historically, the imperial court has generally been dominated by three forces: the emperor, the cabinet, and the directorate of ceremonial. These three forces check and balance each other, influencing the course of the court.

If His Majesty joins forces with the eunuchs, it will be like the time of Emperor Wuzong of the previous dynasty, when Liu Jin seized power, held immense influence over the court, suppressed all officials, and no one could stop him.

If the Emperor were to join forces with the civil officials, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs would be nothing more than a tool for issuing imperial decrees, powerless and ineffective, which is the situation we are in now.

If civil officials and eunuchs secretly join forces and collude internally and externally, they can also sideline the emperor and control the government in a short period of time.

They reached this position only for money, power, and prestige; they have little hope in this dynasty.

However, Prince Yu is timid by nature. If he were to inherit the throne in the future, he would most likely need them to check and suppress Xu Jie and others.

Even if it's not as good as it was under Liu Jin, it's still better than it is now.

In contrast, Prince Jing is resolute and decisive, acting without the slightest hesitation or fear. A prince with such a temperament will surely rule alone after ascending the throne and will never rely on eunuchs to check and balance civil officials.

This is all there is to Mai Fu's life, and Gao Zhong doesn't want to remain a mere figurehead.

"Why."

Both of them had a worried look on their faces. As people from the palace, they knew all too well that His Majesty's heart had begun to waver.

At this moment, someone came in to report that Qi Jiguang had ridden the imperial horse into the alley, along with his identification information.

Commander of Dengzhou Guard, military officer of Jizhou, and a newly promoted martial arts graduate.

The two were completely baffled. This was an unknown nobody with no real power or outstanding achievements. It was uncertain whether he could even pass the military examination.

Gao Zhong thought for a moment and said, "If His Highness is just leaving the Imperial Horse, then there's nothing anyone can do. But we could use it to befriend military officers. Would that be—?"

Mai Fu shook his head: "If it were given to befriend the generals of the Beijing Garrison, it would be a serious taboo. But if it were just given to a martial arts graduate who came to the capital alone, it would be nothing to mention."

Take Xu Wei, whom Your Highness recruited some time ago, for example. He's quite pitiful. One is a scholar, the other a warrior; one a county-level scholar, the other a provincial-level scholar. His Majesty even felt sorry for his son after all the complaints they filed.

Upon hearing this, Gao Zhong felt even more distressed about his prized horse. He had originally planned to give it to Duke Xu Yande, but now it was truly a waste of talent.

"So, considering what happened last time and this time, it seems this is a warning from His Highness Prince Jing. Are we going to ask Xu Jie to write the inscription for the stele again?"

Maifu shook his head: "Originally, we wanted to participate in the balance of power, but now His Majesty himself has started to show favoritism. What else can we do but go against His Majesty's will?"

"I don't dare, do you?"

"Your Highness, it would be best if you didn't leave the palace again."

Ma Dezhao presented each of the warm, red copper hand warmers. Zhu Zaizhen leaned against the soft couch, a black fox fur coat draped over his knees, his body swaying gently with the movement of the carriage.

Although the request had been made, once the censors found out, they would inevitably submit several more memorials requesting stricter palace regulations.

"Okay, I'll do as my husband says."

He reached out and took the hand warmer. The body of the warmer was as smooth as unpolished jade, with an oval belly and a deep, dark bronze color. It was a finely forged red copper from the Imperial Palace.

"Otomo, do you think it's going to snow?"

When I left the palace this morning, the sky was quite clear, but now, just past noon, the sky has completely darkened, with layers of lead-gray clouds piling up, shrouding the world in gloom.

-

The north wind suddenly turned fierce, whipping up withered leaves from the roadside and swirling them wildly, rattling against the carriage windows with a whooshing sound, while a chill seeped in through the cracks.

"The weather has changed abruptly, the clouds are hanging low, and the cold is biting. In my opinion, it is likely that the first snow of winter is about to fall."

Zhu Zaizhen smiled and said, "Then Father's month-long fasting and prayers have finally worked, and Grand Secretary Yan and the others can finally take a break."

Snowfall signifies that the Emperor's sincerity has moved Heaven; delayed snowfall indicates that the officials' virtue is lacking and the court and the country are not yet cleansed of impurities.

Recently, all the civil and military officials in the court have been living in fear and unease. Yan Song, who is in charge of the cabinet, has been reflecting on his mistakes and asking for forgiveness every day. The officials of the Nine Ministers and Six Ministries have followed suit, submitting memorials one after another to admit their faults.

Xu Jie, in particular, had just made a mistake and submitted memorials for days on end, repeatedly stating that his virtue was shallow and he was not qualified to assist the wise ruler, which led to divine retribution and delayed winter snow. He even submitted memorials several times requesting to be dismissed from his post and to retire.

And these past two days, Yan Song has also been begging to retire. Surely it couldn't be that the Emperor made a mistake during the ritual?

It must be their fault that the snow isn't falling; they deserve to die!

If a heavy snow falls, the swirling snow becomes the best proof that the emperor has attained enlightenment and reached the heavens. All the memorials of self-reproach and requests for resignation submitted a few days ago instantly become a timeless tale of the ministers' ignorance and fear, and the emperor's sincerity moving the heavens.

"Chen Zhao".

Zhu Zaizhen's voice wasn't loud, and it carried through the carriage curtain.

"Your subject is here."

A loud and steady reply immediately came from outside the car, as if the person had been waiting for those words.

He rode alongside the carriage as a guard, dressed in a light green official robe with a straight sash, the fabric thick and durable, over which he wore a black felt cloak. At his waist was a gilded belt, neatly fastened, with a thousand-household badge and a long-handled sword hanging from it.

"What did Governor Lu say? Has he agreed to let you serve as my chief of ceremonial guard?"

"The Governor commands me to obey Your Highness's every command."

Lu Bing was indeed much more sensible than the likes of Mai Fu and Gao Zhong. But that was normal. Lu Bing had to consider the future of his children and grandchildren. Those eunuchs didn't need that, so he did things that only cared about the present.

It's not that it's wrong, it's just a different perspective.

"Alright, arrange for some people to guard that alleyway, and prevent any idlers from getting in and causing trouble."

"promise."

Not far away, Gao Zhen, the head of the Eastern Depot, reined in his horse and rode slowly, always keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far from the carriage. He lowered his eyes, his expression was uncertain, and his heart was full of hesitation.

The superiors' attitude was ambiguous; they neither clearly sided with him nor ordered him to actively curry favor with them. They only instructed him to secretly observe the situation. Now, he saw that Chen Zhao, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was already implicitly following the lead of Prince Jing.

He was caught in the middle, not daring to step forward to make a friendly gesture, yet afraid of neglecting his duties if he retreated. He was caught in a dilemma and at a loss.

Just then, he suddenly felt a coolness on his face, followed by a snowflake landing on his brow bone, which instantly turned into a cool, damp substance.

"It's snowing! It's snowing!"

Shouts suddenly came from the surrounding streets and alleys in the distance. Some were happy and some were sad. It is true that a good snow promises a good harvest, but with heavy snow and freezing cold, how can we get through the winter without enough firewood, charcoal and cotton clothes?

Zhu Zaizhen naturally heard the commotion as well. He slowly extended his hand from the carriage. His slender palm was smooth and clean, without a single callus or wound. His knuckles were not thick. It was clear that his hands had never worked and had always been pampered.

Upon seeing this, Chen Zhao immediately ordered in a deep voice: "Slow down!"

The entire escort team reined in their horses, slowed the wheels, and gradually quieted the hoofbeats, coming to a steady stop in the middle of the road, deliberately allowing a moment for the people inside the carriages to feel the falling snow.

Fine snowflakes drifted down gently, landing on my palm. The cool snowflakes touched my warm skin and melted into light water droplets that slowly spread along the lines of my hand.

"Father's sincerity moved Heaven, and auspicious snow fell."

These words, as if on command, caused the Imperial Guards and Eastern Depot agents on horseback to dismount and bow in unison towards the West Garden, shouting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The shouts were loud and clear, carried by the wind and snow into the depths of the streets and alleys, their sound reverberating around them.

Apart from a few scattered voices echoing the sentiment, the streets and alleys were completely silent, and the children who had just run out to play were immediately pulled back inside.

The snow continued to fall, the snowflakes gradually turning into flakes that swirled and danced in the air, soon accumulating a thin layer of white on the road, rooftops, and even on the heads of the guards.

Zhu Zaizhen slowly withdrew his hand, the coldness of the snow still lingering on his fingertips. Ma Dezhao immediately took out a handkerchief and wiped it clean.

He pulled his sleeves tighter and gripped the red copper hand warmer in his arms again, the warm sensation enveloping his limbs once more.

The convoy started again and headed towards the palace.

"Send someone to inform the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to prepare food and wine, so they can have a good time when they return."

"promise."

One of the people the Imperial Concubine left him was the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, who was incapable of handling major matters but could manage minor ones.

Immediately, a guard rode off, and soon cheers erupted from the crowd.

Ma Dezhao said softly, "This auspicious snowfall is a perfect omen for the Western Garden Festival. Before long, people inside and outside the palace will be sending congratulatory messages."

Zhu Zaizhen tightened his black fox fur coat: "For a month, we prayed to Heaven, and the hearts of the people were filled with anxiety. Now, the heavy snow has arrived as promised. Grand Secretary Yan..."

Xu Shilang and his entourage, whose previous self-criticism memorials were lying on the emperor's desk, now seized the opportunity to turn their worries into joy and expressed their utmost obedience.

Fortunately, I had prepared a congratulatory letter in advance, and my aunt delivered it to the West Garden when I got back.

"Your Highness, won't you go yourself?"

"I suppose Grand Secretary Yan and the others have already gone to offer their congratulations, so I won't disturb Father Emperor. Let Father Emperor rest well. Grand Secretary can just convey my message to General Huang."

"promise."

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