The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Ma Dezhao was more concerned with the immediate problem, and pondered for a moment before saying, "The items are certainly good, but they are also useless; they are nothing more than some refined trinkets."

Zhu Zaizhen nodded. If he wanted to be a wealthy and leisurely prince, these would naturally be useful. But if he really wanted to be a leisurely prince, people wouldn't give him these things.

Tomorrow morning, I will venture into the Western Garden. I must let my father and the court know that it was Yan Shifan who offered himself up to us, not that I, the prince, am ambitious and colluding with my cronies to plot something treacherous.

As for the consequences, Yan Shifan was nothing more than gritting his teeth. He couldn't really be a glamorous puppet pushed to the forefront by that one-eyed man.

The next day, Zhu Zaizhen got up early and went straight to the West Garden, but as expected, he was stopped at the palace gate. His usual pass token was no longer valid.

"Your Highness, no one is allowed to pass without a written order. Moreover, His Majesty has already begun his seclusion for cultivation. Even if I let you in, you wouldn't be able to see him. Why don't you wait until His Majesty comes out of seclusion and then I will inform him on your behalf?"

Zhu Zaizhen, clutching a letter in one hand and carrying a Xuande incense burner in the other, slammed straight into the palace gate: "Get out of the way! I have urgent business to discuss with my father!"

The general guarding the gate dared not make a move, and could only bow and persuade the guards. The guards dared not do it either, but they could not do nothing, so they could only stand tall with their hands behind their backs and their heads down, silently acting as human stakes.

After much persuasion, seeing that King Jing was still determined to enter, they had no choice but to send someone to inform him and find someone who could make the decision, as they had no other options.

"Go and invite Eunuch Huang over."

It wasn't that they couldn't stop him, but seeing that Prince Jing had been making a scene for so long and was starting to pant heavily, they were afraid that the young master would faint, and then no one would be able to take responsibility for such a huge incident.

The general grabbed Zhu Zaizhen and said, "Your Highness, please forgive my rudeness, but you need to rest."

Zhu Zaizhen tried to struggle a couple of times, but felt that those two big hands were like cast iron, and he couldn't break free at all. Moreover, seeing that he had achieved his goal, he really couldn't struggle anymore.

"Huff..." Zhu Zaizhen slowly calmed down: "Such strength, who are you?"

Seeing that King Jing had finally spoken, the general hurriedly replied, "This humble general is Zhao Cheng, Commander of the Left Guard of the Golden Guard."

Zhu Zaizhen nodded, glanced at him a few times, and then remained silent.

A moment later, Huang Jin hurried over and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that His Highness Prince Jing was sitting quietly.

"It's been over a month, and His Highness has grown even taller." Huang Jin then frowned and reprimanded Zhao Cheng, who was standing beside him, "Let go! How dare you touch His Highness!"

Zhao Cheng immediately released his hands and bowed, saying, "This humble general begs for forgiveness."

"Never mind." Zhu Zaizhen had no objection to Zhao Cheng; it would be truly strange if he let him in.

"Huang Ban, I want to see my father, the Emperor."

Huang Jin lowered his head and cheerfully coaxed him, but in reality he was carefully observing what Prince Jing was holding. The Xuande incense burner was nothing special; there were many in the palace. The letter was his main focus.

He vaguely saw Yan Shifan's seal, a discovery that surprised him. The Yan family was about to make their move; they were truly decisive.

But what is Your Highness doing here with this letter to His Majesty?

"Hmph, they clearly bestowed a token, saying it would grant unrestricted access to the West Garden, so how come it's been invalidated in less than half a year? Father's words are law, clearly..."

"Oh dear, Your Highness," Huang Jin quickly interrupted, "You're all grown up now; your words carry immense weight."

Upon hearing the first few words, Zhao Cheng led his guards to retreat to a distance.

"His Majesty has indeed decreed that no one is allowed to enter the West Garden. If you have any urgent matters, please inform this servant first, and this servant will relay the message after His Majesty leaves the pass."

Zhu Zaizhen hesitated for a moment before leaning closer and whispering, "Yan Shifan sent gifts and a letter, which made me uneasy. I came here specifically to ask for Father's instructions."

Huang Jin's eyes flashed, and she bowed, replying, "This servant understands and will certainly report the truth to His Majesty."

"Huang Ban," Zhu Zaizhen handed over the small stove and letter, placing the letter casually over the gift list, "Will Father Emperor see me again?"

Huang Jin naturally wouldn't accept the offer, because if he did, it would be tantamount to the Emperor knowing, which would put the Emperor in a passive position. He could only make a gesture of support, saying, "Your Highness is too kind."

While debating, he quickly glanced at the contents of the letter and memorized them. He wouldn't speak unless the emperor asked, but he couldn't say he didn't know if he was asked.

After a moment, Zhu Zaizhen had no choice but to give up and turn to leave, but suddenly turned back to Huang Jin and said, "If Father still refuses to see me, then please ask Huang Ban to ask for my blessing so that I can leave the capital and take up my fief as soon as possible."

Huang Jin was taken aback upon hearing this. He suddenly looked up and saw that His Highness's eyes were slightly red and glistening. If he blinked again, tears would roll down his cheeks.

"This... well, I understand." His throat tightened slightly.

Zhu Zaizhen reached out and gently grasped Huang Jin's sleeve, his voice as soft as a sigh: "Over the years, I've been so grateful for Huang Ban's care and guidance... I'm leaving now."

The faint force coming from his cuff made Huang Jin feel a pang of sadness. He had always known that Prince Jing's mischievousness was merely a way to attract attention, especially from His Majesty.

Huang Jin's eyes welled up with tears, but what could he do? He was just a servant, and in the end, he had to do what his master wanted.

Zhu Zaizhen casually tossed the Xuande incense burner aside, glanced longingly at the place where his father had secluded himself, and then turned and left.

Watching Prince Jing's still somewhat frail figure gradually disappear into the distance, Huang Jin could only sigh inwardly. This child was indeed more endearing than Prince Yu.

Deep within the palace gates, as dawn broke, his almost inaudible sigh was quietly swallowed by the heavy shadows of the vermilion walls.

...............

It was already time for morning classes, but Prince Yu was restless and unable to concentrate.

The scholars sitting below also looked anxious. The news that Prince Jing had rushed straight to the West Garden early in the morning was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, and the ripples it created were enough to make all those involved uneasy.

Whether one sees or not, the difference is as small as a single word, yet as vast as heaven and earth. If Prince Jing were to truly step through that door, the situation would be entirely different.

A moment later, news finally arrived. The scholar's tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly. He looked up at Prince Yu, slowly shook his head, and whispered, "Your Highness, Prince Jing was not even able to enter the West Garden Gate. He has been persuaded to return by Eunuch Huang."

Upon hearing this, Prince Yu closed his eyes briefly, his heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, slowly returning to its place. However, a layer of sticky cold sweat seeped out from his back. He looked at the book again; the words on it were still blurry, but a feeling mixed with relief and deeper exhaustion slowly enveloped him.

Because he knew that his father's failure to see Prince Jing didn't mean anything; if he went, the result would be the same.

By lunchtime, more news had spread, including what Prince Jing had taken when he went to the West Garden. Although no one could see the contents of the letter clearly, many people could clearly see the bright "East Tower" seal at the end of the letter.

...