The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

The Lü family mansion is a three-courtyard residence with blue brick walls, gray tile roofs, vermilion doorposts, and two small stone drums in front of the gate, with lotus scroll patterns carved on the drum surfaces.

An old locust tree grows in the front yard, its branches and leaves lush and verdant. Several pots of orchids are placed on both sides of the path, and the moss under the stone steps has been cleaned up.

Lu Fu hurried back to the backyard, where his wife, Lady Lu, who was embroidering, was also surprised, as it was rare for her husband to return home so early.

"Why are you back so early, my lord?"

Lu Fu drank half a pot of warm tea before speaking: "I heard that Your Highness left the palace, and I was thinking that you might come here, so I asked for leave and came back first."

Lady Lu cried out in pain as the needle pricked her hand, drawing a few drops of blood. But she didn't care and stood up, somewhat incredulous: "Your Highness is so old, how could His Majesty allow him to leave the palace?"

No…could they have snuck out?

Lü Fu said irritably, "How could that be? I heard they're also accompanied by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Guard."

"Well... I need to change my clothes, sir, please leave!"

Lü Fu couldn't help but rub his forehead: "We've been husband and wife for twenty years, why would I go out again?"

And who knows, he might not even come. His Highness rarely leaves the palace; he's probably just looking to see what's going on in the streets.

Lady Lu said irritably, "If that's the case, why did you come back? If you didn't prepare in advance, you can't expect His Highness to wait for me to get ready when he arrives, can you?"

My lord!

"Okay, okay, I'll go out, I'll go out."

Lu Fu retreated to the door in a disheveled state, pacing back and forth in the corridor like a donkey grinding a millstone, even more nervous and anxious than when he was waiting here for his wife to give birth.

He had been quite uneasy lately, and was even more cautious about accepting tributes. In previous years, he had only thought that if his sons were unable to continue serving in the lucrative Ministry of War, he would send them to Prince Jing's fiefdom.

They are relatives after all, so we should at least protect the property accumulated by our ancestors over generations. We should also try to find a way to establish a hereditary household registration to make do, and see if there are any capable descendants in the future who can bring the family back to its original position.

But now that the Crown Prince has passed away, His Majesty has yet to make Prince Yu his successor. Instead, rumors in the city are growing louder that His Majesty will make Prince Jing his successor.

This elevated his status as Prince Jing's uncle, but he was not happy about it. The struggle for the throne was no small matter, and failure would implicate a large number of people.

This made Lü Fu, who was focused on stability, quite resistant. His family had no more chances to make mistakes. The favors passed down from their ancestors had basically been exhausted by his generation. If they failed and got involved, there would probably be no way to recover.

So he secretly hoped that Prince Jing would not come, but in the deepest corner of his heart, he was clamoring, what if it happened?

A junior commander? At the very least, he's a commander!

Even a real noble title is not impossible. He dares not hope for a duke or marquis, but an earl would be fine. Then Lü Fu's achievements would far surpass those of his ancestors, bringing glory to his ancestors and benefiting his descendants.

"Someone, clean up the courtyard immediately. Lü Zhong, go and call the three young masters back. Cui Fang, go and tell the two young ladies that distinguished guests are coming."

He had two sons and a daughter with his first wife, one son and one daughter with his concubines, and three other concubines who had not yet borne him any children.

At his command, the servants and maids sprang into action, none daring to bluff in the face of their master's expression.

He had twenty or thirty servants in his household. According to regulations, a sixth-rank official like him was not entitled to keep servants, but the law had long been lax.

Officials and relatives of the emperor in the capital generally exceeded the limit, and they all used the names of adopted sons and daughters or family members to circumvent the ban, so their servants all took the surname Lü.

However, most of the other sixth-rank officials couldn't afford to support so many people. Each one of them needed to eat, wear clothes, and receive a monthly salary. With the salary given by the imperial court, it was difficult to even support themselves...

Half an hour later, the entire Lü family was dressed in their finest attire and sat properly in the main hall. They seemed more like they were in someone else's house than at their own, and all looked restless and uneasy.

"How about we wait inside the main gate?"

After the eldest son, Lü Jin, spoke, there was a moment of silence. Then the whole family got up and walked to the front gate of the courtyard, anxiously waiting under the sun for a distinguished guest who might not even come.

…………

Zhu Zaizhen originally planned to go to his aunt's house first, but he was stopped by a man who claimed to be the steward of Prince Jing's villa.

"Since the completion of Wenyuan, Your Highness has never visited it in person. I dare to humbly request Your Highness to come and visit. If there is anything that does not meet your expectations, I will be able to make repairs."

The newcomer was quite courageous; it was already quite remarkable that he could speak coherently even with a Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) sword at his neck.

But Yan Shifan was even bolder than him; he was incredibly audacious. Knowing full well that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Imperial Guard would report back, he still dared to openly invite him.

However, considering the historical records of this person's life, it's not so surprising; he was a lawless individual to begin with.

He even dared to withhold Prince Yu's annual salary from the Ministry of Revenue for three years, leaving the Prince's residence so poor that it was in dire straits. Prince Yu had no choice but to bribe him with 1,500 taels of silver before the Prince's annual salary was finally paid.

Even after Yan Song lost power and Yan Shifan was sentenced to exile in Leizhou, Guangdong, he still dared to return to his hometown on the way and extensively expanded his mansion to raise ruffians for pleasure.

A few cold killing intents flashed in Zhu Zaizhen's eyes, but he quickly suppressed them, and curiosity and interest emerged instead.

He said in a light tone, "Okay, let's go take a look."

Wenyuan was located in a remote area in the west of the city, not near the government offices of the imperial city, nor near the mansions of the nobles. It was mostly inhabited by poor families who had been scholars for generations. The streets and alleys were narrow and there were few carriages and horses.

No one investigated the movements of Zhu Zaizhen and his party; everyone kept their doors tightly shut, and the place became quiet and secluded instead of bustling and noisy.

Upon arrival, Zhu Zaizhen remained seated in his carriage. Gao Zhen, the head of the Eastern Depot, led the guards through the red gate and carefully inspected the carriage before welcoming Prince Jing alighting.

Zhu Zaizhen stepped into his mansion with great interest, and indeed, it was a hidden paradise inside.

A stream of fresh water, its source unknown, meanders around the entire garden. Though only a few steps wide, the water is crystal clear, with smooth pebbles lining its bottom, and the sound of the water is melodious.

Some lake stones were stacked along the water, not as exquisite and complicated as those in the gardens of Jiangnan, but they were more natural.

Several clumps of wild orchids grew out of the cracks in the rocks, as if they had always been there.

The garden was not large in Zhu Zaizhen's eyes, but it was given a spirit by the flowing water. The winding corridors followed the water's edge, and several exquisite palace lanterns hung under the corridors.

The main hall is located behind the open pavilion, facing south. Its five-bay layout is significantly wider than the main hall of an ordinary official's house.

A plaque hangs under the eaves, bearing the three characters "Wenlan Hall" without a signature, but Zhu Zaizhen happens to recognize it as Yan Song's handwriting.

Upon entering the main hall, one is greeted by a deep, rich sandalwood scent, not the strong, ambergris-infused kind found in the palace, but a light and subtle fragrance, as if it were seeping directly from the wood itself.

The floor is paved with clear water square bricks transported from Suzhou. The bricks are bluish-gray in color and polished to a mirror shine. They make no sound when you step on them. Four large nanmu pillars in the hall firmly support the beams. The bases of the pillars are carved from white marble with lotus petals that are plump and full.

Zhu Zaizhen had only one thought in his mind: Heshen has fallen...

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