The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Yan Song softly called out to his son. His son was exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted, and he owed his success to his son's help.

Unfortunately, he was born with physical defects, which destined him to never rise to the highest ranks of officialdom. As a result, he became arrogant, domineering, extravagant, and now he doesn't even respect the princes.

Ordinary vassal kings are indeed not worth mentioning. They have no power or troops and can only bully ordinary people. For powerful officials in the court, vassal kings are objects of management and materials for boosting their political achievements and reputation, not opponents.

But that only applies to the princes who have already been enfeoffed and have no hope of inheriting the throne. Prince Yu and Prince Jing still have some hope.

After all, no matter how secure a crown prince's position is, he may not necessarily live to inherit the throne. There is the precedent of Crown Prince Yiwen, who lived to ascend the throne. If he had no son, there was also the example of Emperor Wuzong.

Yan Shifan snorted and looked away, while Zhu Zaizhen calmly exchanged a glance with Yan Song. Yan Song and his son were the emperor's dogs. Dogs can bite outsiders, but they cannot bite their masters. At most, they can only bark and make a show of force.

If a dog dares to bite its young master, it means that it has the intention to kill its master, which is something the emperor absolutely cannot tolerate.

Yan Shifan might not understand, but Yan Song certainly did.

After a short while, the emperor still did not appear, but instead ordered the Grand Master of Ceremonies to give him a reprimand: "I have inherited the imperial order and rule over the world. Now I bestow upon you the crown and place you in the Eastern Palace. You shall listen attentively to my wise instructions."

Our ancestors braved wind and rain to establish the foundation and establish the dynasty, which will last for ten thousand generations. You should be respectful and reverent day and night, mindful of the weighty trust entrusted to you by Heaven and the difficulties in ensuring the continuation of the nation. You must take reverence for Heaven and the ancestor as your heart, and be diligent in governing and loving the people as your duty.

Filial piety is the foundation of all virtues. You should serve your parents with utmost sincerity and propriety, visit them regularly and respectfully, and never be negligent. Be friendly to your brothers, maintain harmony within the clan, and broaden the scope of kinship.

Learning is for understanding principles, and principles are for governing affairs. You should respect your teachers and mentors, study and recite the classics and histories, and thoroughly investigate the way of governance. Do not present anything other than the ways of Yao and Shun, and do not keep in mind anything other than the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. Distinguish between loyalty and evil, understand gains and losses, and know safety and danger. Only then can you be both cultured and martial.

The heir apparent is the foundation of the nation; he must be upright in character, govern his subordinates with benevolence, distance himself from the pleasures of music and women, and be free from the allure of frivolous pursuits. He must be frugal in his spending and uphold simplicity, accept loyal advice and reject slanderous accusations, regard the people as if they were wounded, and understand their suffering. He must learn from the past and observe the present, discerning the key to order and chaos.

"Only through wisdom and sincerity, diligence and prudence, can one fulfill one's virtues to the end, and forever safeguard one's ancestral homeland. Respect this and do not neglect it!"

"Your subject Zhu Zaiyi respectfully listens to Your Majesty's instructions!"

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's loud reply from outside the hall, Emperor Jiajing showed no expression; he had no dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince.

However, as the crown prince grew up, the ministers gradually shifted their focus to that young man, and a chilling sense of unease and fear began to spread from his tailbone.

For someone who aspires to immortality, the concept of an heir is meaningless, even a curse, constantly reminding him that mortals must die and fathers must succeed sons—something he desperately wants to escape.

The Crown Prince and his ministers outside were somewhat disappointed that the Emperor had not appeared, but on this joyous day, it was obviously nothing, after all, the Emperor's strange behavior had been going on for quite some time.

"Clang~"

A clear, melodious chime emanated from within the hall, instantly silencing the previously noisy sounds. All the nobles, adorned in crimson and purple, listened intently to the fading echoes.

At that moment, everyone was speculating about what emotions His Majesty was conveying through that chime, and how they should react to please the Emperor.

Yan Shifan reacted the fastest. With a quick glance, he signaled to his father beside him. The tacit understanding between father and son was self-evident.

In Taoist rituals, the sound of the chime is used to communicate with the gods. A clear chime symbolizes that the sound of the chime can shake the heavens and earth, reach the heavenly court, comfort the gods, and also cleanse the altar of impurities, creating a sacred and pure space, which is most likely to suit the emperor's current mindset.

Yan Song immediately said, "Since His Highness the Crown Prince has already received the imperial instructions, then we should not disturb His Majesty's peace and quiet."

The officials had no objections. Although the Crown Prince was somewhat disappointed, his exhaustion from the past few days made him want to go back and rest as soon as possible, since he would be receiving the audience and banquet from the officials the next day.

Prince Yu was somewhat disappointed. He had not seen his father for a long time, and he had come today with a hope that the Crown Prince and Prince Jing would remember to grant him a pass if his father saw him today.

As Zhu Zaiji walked, he was still hoping that his father would suddenly send an eunuch to summon him to an audience…

Zhu Zaizhen walked out without hesitation. It was clear that today was not a good day to offend his father, the Emperor. If the Emperor were in a good mood, he would not have been so disrespectful to the Crown Prince as to not even show his face.

As they approached the palace gates leading out of the West Garden, Prince Yu couldn't help but say, "Zaizhen, since we've come all this way to the West Garden, why don't we go and pay our respects to Father Emperor?"

Zhu Zaizhen was speechless upon hearing this, and turned to look at Prince Yu for a long time. Zhu Zaiji, feeling somewhat embarrassed and annoyed by the gaze, asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just that today isn't a good day."

Having a rival like Prince Yu is fortunate, but his real rival has never been Prince Yu, but rather the national laws and regulations that establish the legitimate heir as heir and the eldest son as heir.

The group escorted the Crown Prince back to the Eastern Palace. Along the way, they saw that the palace was filled with joy, as if the palace had welcomed its new master. Even the lowly servants who swept and cleaned stood up straighter.

Away from the emperor, the palace is like a cold palace, with no chance to climb up the social ladder. But now that the crown prince has come of age and the Eastern Palace is rising in power, they can finally find a chance to stand out.

Amidst this festive atmosphere, Prince Yu and Prince Jing found themselves in an awkward position. All eyes were on the Crown Prince, and despite their high status as princes, they seemed to be nothing in the eyes of the crowd.

Zhu Zaizhen couldn't help but sigh, no wonder the struggle to become emperor was so intense throughout history. They were all of noble birth, who would truly be willing to be a wealthy and idle person?

Only those who have never tasted or seen power will easily give it up. Those who truly understand the taste of power will fight for it even if they know they may be shattered to pieces. How can a great man be without power for a single day?

The next morning, Zhu Zaizhen got up early to stretch his muscles and bones. He inhaled the damp, cool air and slowly exhaled it, feeling refreshed and happy both physically and mentally.

"Your Highness, after breakfast, you must change into your court robes and proceed to Fengtian Gate to join the court officials in congratulating His Highness the Crown Prince."

Ma Dezhao carefully observed Prince Jing's complexion and saw that he looked radiant and much better than before. He was overjoyed and felt that he should pay more attention to that old imperial physician.

Zhu Zaizhen changed into a pale white undergarment, consisting of a cross-collar short shirt and trousers. The fabric was delicate and soft, making it the most comfortable to wear in private.

The wet nurse, Liu, had already arranged the meal: rice porridge, red date porridge, steamed buns, side dishes, chicken soup, and a serving of honey-flavored cheese tart.

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