The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

No one around Prince Jing was surprised by his sudden display of his unruly nature. Old habits die hard, and it was already a pleasant surprise that he could be a little more sensible now.

Huang Jin smiled and said obsequiously, "His Majesty has been in seclusion for a long time this time, and it is precisely because of his affection for his children that he sent me to visit the princes. If Prince Jing goes to pay his respects to His Majesty, it will be in His Majesty's favor. If he has any requests, His Majesty will most likely grant them."

This was exactly what Zhu Zaizhen wanted, and he immediately nodded and was about to head to the West Garden when the Crown Prince quickly stopped him: "To see Father Emperor, Huang Ban needs to ask for His Majesty's permission. Let's have our meal first, and Father Emperor will grant you permission to see him before you go."

Huang Jin glanced at the silent Prince Yu, then bowed to the Crown Prince and asked, "I wonder if Your Highness and Prince Yu will also go to pay their respects to His Majesty?"

The Crown Prince's expression darkened slightly: "I am unwell and will not be going. Please have Huang Ban apologize to my father on my behalf."

The scene became somewhat solemn, and no one dared to make a sound for several breaths until Huang Jin waved his hand, at which point faint footsteps could be heard.

Soon, the meal was ready, and the Crown Prince led the two princes to their seats to begin the formal meal. Huang Jin stepped forward to serve them personally, while the other eunuchs and palace maids consciously withdrew.

While serving, Huang Jin whispered, "Your Highness, you haven't sent anyone to inquire about my well-being since winter. Forgive my bluntness, but how can a father and son let their relationship be strained by outsiders?"

Xia Ge... Xia Yan was guilty after all. In any dynasty, it is an unforgivable crime for an important official to have too close a relationship with a border general.

This is a rare opportunity, Your Highness should definitely go. Once we meet, everything will be easier to discuss.

The crown prince wanted to say something, but he didn't, though his displeasure was obvious.

Zhu Zaizhen simply buried himself in his meal as if he hadn't heard anything, while Prince Yu was even worse, wishing he could cover his ears and hide in a side hall to eat by himself.

Just a few months ago, Xia Yan, who had served as the Crown Prince's tutor for ten years, was beheaded in the West Market. His wife was exiled to Guangxi, and his relatives and nephews were all dismissed from their posts and reduced to commoners.

Regardless of the reason, Xia Yan's death was a major blow to the Crown Prince, especially since the turmoil continued to spread.

Many officials promoted by Xia Yan during his tenure have been demoted and exiled by the current Grand Secretary Yan Song. A considerable number of these officials were originally intended to be included in the Crown Prince's inner circle, but now they are either dead or scattered.

However, this alone was not enough to make the Crown Prince so upset. More importantly, when the Crown Prince was nine years old, the court officials, led by Xia Yan, repeatedly petitioned the emperor to allow the Crown Prince to leave the palace to study in accordance with ancestral rules.

However, the emperor has consistently rejected these proposals, even going so far as to severely punish several officials who dared to speak out, which has dragged on until now.

Leaving the palace to study is not just about reading books; more importantly, it signifies that the crown prince is growing up and can come into contact with more officials, and even begin to learn about current affairs of the dynasty, rather than just learning from the classics of the ancients from Hanlin scholars.

The official offices of the Eastern Palace will also be officially put into use, and the Crown Prince's team will be built up from the time he leaves the palace to study. However, this matter has been delayed for five years.

As the crown prince grew older, he naturally became very dissatisfied with his current situation.

In fact, according to Zhu Zaizhen, the Crown Prince's situation was already very dangerous. Xia Yan was framed and killed by Yan Song and Lu Bing, two men who held immense power in the court.

One was the Grand Secretary, and the other was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Both were men of great wisdom and foresight. How could the teacher who killed the Crown Prince not be wary of the Crown Prince's future reckoning and revenge after he ascended the throne?

Therefore, at this time, the crown prince should cling to the emperor's coattails to see if he can get some compensation, rather than throwing a tantrum.

That's normal, though. The crown prince is young and hasn't experienced any setbacks. He was born and the position of heir apparent was handed to him shortly after. His two younger brothers have been well-behaved and of average talent since they were old enough to understand things, so they don't have much competitive ability.

Moreover, the position of the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty was as secure as Mount Tai, which was no joke.

Thus, even with outstanding talent, one cannot help but be somewhat naive.

Seeing the Crown Prince's reaction, Huang Jin decided not to offer any further advice. He shouldn't have said those few words in the first place, as saying more would be taboo.

"Would His Highness Prince Yu wish to accompany His Highness Prince Jing to pay respects to His Majesty?"

Prince Yu hesitated for a moment, but fear prevailed. He said, "I have not made any progress in my studies, so I will not disturb Father's meditation. Please convey my regards to Father on my behalf."

"promise."

After serving the three young masters their meal, Huang Jin returned to the West Garden. The journey from the East Palace to the West Garden was quite long, but fortunately, except for the areas where walking was necessary, Huang Jin could travel by horse or boat.

After returning to the West Garden and asking around, they went straight to the Temple of Heaven, where they saw the emperor burning Qingci (a type of ceremonial paper). In addition to Yan Song, Xu Jie, and others, Hanlin officials who were skilled in Qingci, such as Li Chunfang and Yan Ne, were also present. Everyone watched the burning Qingci in silence.

Huang Jin quietly walked to the side to observe. Whether the flames were strong and straight, whether the smoke rose and dispersed into auspicious clouds, and whether the ashes swirled lightly, were all regarded as signs of whether Heaven would accept the offerings.

A successful burning signifies that the sincerity of the emperor or the minister who wrote it has been recognized by Heaven. The petition that was burned this time must have been written by Xu Jie. Huang Jin glanced at him and noticed that the official's hand was trembling slightly.

Xu Jie was undoubtedly lucky; the breeze did not make things difficult for him. The flames were shaped like three mountains, and auspicious clouds could be vaguely seen drifting and dispersing amidst the swirling smoke. The ashes of the paper fell almost straight down.

Jiajing nodded in satisfaction. In his view, this was Heaven's recognition of the merits praised in the petition, which was also his own merit.

As the supreme monarch of the Ming Dynasty, he did not need anyone's approval, but as the Son of Heaven, he especially needed the approval of Heaven and hoped to receive the blessing of longevity.

After the ceremony was over, Huang Jin reported to the emperor on the recent situation in the palace. Naturally, he started by mentioning the good things, talking about Prince Jing's recovery, academic progress, and steady temperament.

Jiajing was naturally even more delighted, as these were all auspicious omens. Huang Jin quickly recounted Prince Jing's request to pay homage to the emperor, but as for the crown prince's attitude, that was beyond his purview.

"Summon them." The Jiajing Emperor had barely opened his mouth when he suddenly sensed something was amiss. Only one of his sons requested an audience. It was understandable that Prince Yu would be timid and unwilling to come, but why was the Crown Prince not requesting an audience either?

If it wasn't a physical ailment preventing him from seeing the emperor, then it was a deliberate act of resentment. The emperor made a swift judgment and then quickly ruled out illness. The crown prince was the foundation of the nation, and if he was even slightly unwell, the imperial physicians would immediately report it; they would never dare to conceal it.

Then there is only one possibility left: the emperor's smile vanished without a trace, and he harbored resentment.

Huang Jin didn't dare to raise his head, and none of the people present were stupid, so they didn't dare to say anything either.

In such an atmosphere, everyone was speculating whether the emperor would punish the crown prince, but no one expected that the emperor would indifferently say: "Order the crown prince to perform the sacrificial ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple on my behalf, and then perform the coming-of-age ceremony. The Ministry of Rites shall expedite the preparations."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Unexpectedly, but before they could speculate on the Emperor's intentions, the Emperor continued: "Draft an edict for the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony. The Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, Imperial Son-in-Law, and Marquis of Jingshan, Cui Yuan, shall hold the imperial insignia and oversee the capping ceremony. The Junior Tutor, concurrently serving as the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, Minister of Personnel, and Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Glory, Yan Song, shall assist in the capping ceremony. The Minister of Rites, Xu Jie, shall proclaim the imperial edict and admonitions."

"After the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony was completed, all civil and military officials performed the five-bow and three-kowtow ceremony at Fengtian Gate!"

"Your Majesty, we obey."

The emperor's act of offering sacrifices to the ancestors on behalf of the emperor, ordering high-ranking officials to preside over the coming-of-age ceremony, and commanding all officials to pay homage with great ceremony, undoubtedly served to clarify the crown prince's status and position, and to announce to the court and the public that Xia Yan's affair would not and could not shake the foundation of the nation.

Yan Song's expression was somewhat somber, while Xu Jie was overjoyed, for the position of Minister of Rites was now within his grasp.

.........