The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Qi Jiguang sighed, put down his pen, stood up, picked up a rough porcelain bowl from the table, strode to the side room, forcefully pushed aside the people in front of him, then scooped a full bowl of yellow wine from a slightly steaming wine jar, blew on it to cool it down, and gulped down half the bowl without complaining about the heat.

"Alright then." He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, slammed the bowl on the table, and said, "Even if it's not as fragrant as Man Dian Xiang, the yellow wine from our hometown is strong enough!"

"Hey kid, you drank such a big bowl right off the bat! You're forbidden from drinking any more after this!"

"Who's farting?"

"Hahaha! Old Liu, shut up your farts, don't stink up our General Qi!"

Qi Jiguang was undoubtedly the youngest among this group, but no one looked down on him, because they all knew very well that they were just living off this hereditary official position for the rest of their lives.

But this kid is different; he's like a general!

It's not the kind of armor they wear, though they can wear that too. The key is the kind of spirit they don't have.

That's why this group of men, some even two generations older than him, insisted on squeezing into this dilapidated house to drink.

They all come from similar backgrounds, first as fellow villagers, and in fact, their ancestors were just like them now, leaving their hometowns to gather together to guard the border, drink, and curse.

With this connection, if even one of them seems promising, the others will do their best to help him.

After a lively drinking session, the men's eyes fell on Qi Jiguang, whose face was flushed.

"So? Have you made up your mind?"

Qi Jiguang slammed the bowl on the table, his eyes shining brightly, unlike someone who had been drinking.

"I have already consulted with General Luo. I will set off in a few days to return to Shandong to participate in the military examination. If all goes well, I will go to the capital for the metropolitan examination next year."

The group exchanged glances and suddenly burst into laughter. The laughter was so loud that it made the oil lamp in the side room flicker.

*Slap!* A large hand slapped heavily on Qi Jiguang's shoulder, almost knocking back the half-bowl of wine he had just drunk.

Zhao Guang held the bowl steadily in one hand, not caring that the spilled wine had splashed all over him. His face was flushed red in the firelight, and his voice was so loud it sounded like he was going to lift the roof off:

"A salute to Qi Yuanjing of Shandong!"

"A toast to Qi Yuanjing of Shandong!" Several rough porcelain bowls clattered together, splashing wine everywhere.

"Once you've made the decision, get out of here! Get to the capital! And if you actually pass the exam, don't you dare forget to send us a few jars of good wine!"

"Send wine? Send my ass! If I really pass the exam, I'll be General Qi in the future! Wouldn't General Qi find good jobs for us old brothers?"

"I've had enough of this lousy place!"

"You? Look at your belly, you can't even get on a horse, what kind of job could you possibly get!"

"Get lost! I can mount a horse, and I can even mount two!"

There was another burst of laughter.

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

Zhu Zaizhen got up in the morning and practiced his stance training as usual. After completing one round of stance training, he was slightly sweaty. He took a handkerchief and wiped his forehead twice before sitting down to prepare for breakfast.

Ma Dezhao returned at this time. He had gone out to inquire about the news early in the morning. After all, there had been no cover-up yesterday, and after one night, probably everyone already knew about His Highness's departure from the palace. The officials of the Six Ministries would probably come up with some reasoning and rules to tear him apart.

"Several officials from the Six Ministries have been impeached." Ma Dezhao stood to the side, carefully choosing his words. "As for the others, there's been no movement yet."

When Ma Dezhao said this, there was a hint of confusion in his tone. Last time, Yan Shifan had only sent some gifts over, and the court and the public were in an uproar.

This time, they actually met in person, but surprisingly, no one paid any attention to them, which was really strange.

Zhu Zaizhen remained calm, picked up a bowl of milk, and continued listening to his attendant recount the news from inside and outside the palace that night.

"His Majesty just summoned the cabinet ministers and the Nine Ministers... In addition, former Minister of Personnel Wen Yuan officially set off for his hometown this morning... Princess Chang'an is ill..."

As the weather gets hotter, Zhu Zaizhen's breakfasts become lighter and more cooling. On the table are stir-fried shredded chicken with water chestnuts, crystal pork trotters, milk, white mung bean and lily soup, vegetarian braised bamboo shoots in clear broth, cold cucumber and eggplant salad, and several snacks, lotus seed cake and candied plum ginger.

Zhu Zaizhen picked up another piece of vegetarian bamboo shoots, chewed and swallowed slowly before saying, "Since Wen Yuan has already left the capital, they are probably all busy vying for the position of Minister of Personnel. As for leaving the palace, it was Father Emperor who gave his approval."

They dared not displease their father at this crucial moment, lest they lose this vital position.

In fact, he didn't care about the impeachments from the court officials. What worried him the most was that his father would punish him like this. He always felt a chill run down his spine until the knife came down.

At the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Zhu Zaizhen arrived at the study hall and met Prince Yu at the door. He stood there alone, and the two looked at each other with different expressions.

Zhu Zaizhen was curious. What was wrong with his elder brother, who had been avoiding him lately? Could it be that he had been provoked by Zhu Zaizhen's trip out of the palace?

Prince Yu was filled with anger, fear, and helplessness. He did as his mother instructed, and with great difficulty, he managed to save face for his teachers, who then began to work together to offer him advice.

Zhu Zaizhen was able to swagger out of the palace and even go to the Hanlin Academy to play, which was more than just falling behind.

Has Father really made up his mind to establish Zaizhen as emperor?

He was unwilling and afraid, fearing that his mother would be disappointed, but deep down he also felt a sense of relief.

"What's it like outside the palace?" Prince Yu finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

Zhu Zaizhen looked at him earnestly and replied, "Very good, very interesting. Brother Wang should also go and see it."

Prince Yu paused, then shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his lips: "Take a look? I'd like to, but who's going to let me out?"

Zhu Zaizhen looked at him and smiled, "Father didn't say it was forbidden, but there's a price to pay for going out."

"What price?" Zhu Zaiji found it hard to understand. Wasn't it just an opportunity he got by throwing a tantrum in the West Garden because his father favored him more?

"I don't know yet."

"Oh."

Zhu Zaizhen waved his hand, dismissing the surrounding maids, and sat on the steps, patting the spot beside him.

After all, they grew up together. Although Zhu Zaizhen didn't particularly like his older brother, he never really thought of doing anything to him.

Otherwise, we could learn from Emperor Taizong of Tang and carry Prince Yu's head into the Western Garden; wouldn't that solve everything?

Zhu Zaiji, having recently experienced great ups and downs, has become much more stable in his mindset. He no longer feels the elation he had when Crown Prince Zhuangjing passed away, nor does he harbor strong hostility towards Zhu Zaizhen.

After all, they were just twelve or thirteen-year-old boys, and they were brothers who grew up hand in hand. The conflict had only lasted a few months, and it wasn't a deep-seated hatred.

Zhu Zaiji sat down next to Zhu Zaizhen, but deliberately kept a certain distance. Moreover, he straightened his back more than Zhu Zaizhen, so that from a distance, he would appear to be a little taller than Zaizhen, because he was the elder brother!

…………