The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

When the crown prince was ten years old, he had a riding and archery instructor, who was the son of the Marquis of Zhenyuan. However, after teaching him for less than two months, he was impeached and sent to the frontier.

During the reigns of King Jing and King Yu, he had only ridden a horse twice and practiced archery a few times, without even having a proper instructor.

Emperor Jiajing was not afraid to bring up old grievances, after all, he had Yan Song, his newly trained good dog, but he was too lazy to argue with them, lest he get angry and delay his important cultivation.

Besides, he only had three sons, and riding and archery were inherently risky. Rather than worrying about it, it was better to simply refuse.

Zhu Zaizhen feigned a timid yet stubborn demeanor, refusing to admit his guilt. Huang Jin quickly stepped forward to ease the tension: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Highness is young and at the right time to enjoy archery and horsemanship."

Upon hearing this, Jiajing slowly recited the calming mantra, but Zhu Zaizhen spoke again: "Father is the Son of Heaven, and his words are golden and precious. How can he break his promise?"

Upon hearing this, the Jiajing Emperor felt annoyed, but since he didn't have many sons, he could only think that he should summon this boy less often in the future.

Zhu Houcong patiently said in a cold voice, "After you get married and are enfeoffed, I won't care what you do as you please, but since you're still in the palace, you should behave yourself."

Upon receiving the emperor's signal, Huang Jin hurriedly went to persuade him, "Once Your Highness is older, His Majesty will no longer be so restrictive. Why not change the reward for now?"

Zhu Zaizhen didn't expect Jiajing to agree anyway. Princes and nobles liked archery and horsemanship, and no one, inside or outside the palace, would want to see that.

Moreover, compared to archery and horsemanship, it's better to practice swimming skills first, since swimming is easier to dissolve in water.

Zhu Zaizhen turned to look at the cat licking its paws with its eyes half-closed and said, "Then please, Father, bestow upon me Frosty Eyebrows."

Upon hearing this, even the Pure Heart Sutra of Lao Tzu could not quell Zhu Houcong's rage.

"presumptuous!"

"Father has broken his promise again."

The word "again" made Jiajing so angry that he clutched his chest and coughed. Huang Jin quickly crawled forward on his knees to pat his back and soothe him.

Prince Jing obediently knelt down, pouting and remaining silent. Jiajing, having recovered, asked, "What exactly are you plotting?"

"Your Highness, you can speak frankly with His Majesty and even your own flesh and blood. You must never speak insincerely or say things out of anger."

Zhu Zaizhen lowered his head slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing as if he were trying to hold back a sob. After a moment, his voice trembled as he said, "Since that serious illness, I have thought about it day and night... Although I have been cured thanks to the Emperor's grace, I am getting older. In three or four years, I will have to leave the capital to take up my fief."

"According to ancestral rules..." Zhu Zaizhen took a deep breath, his voice becoming increasingly choked with emotion: "After a prince takes up his fief, he is not allowed to leave his fief without permission, nor is he allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict. Your son... Your subject truly does not know when or how long it will be before I can see my father and mother again after this departure."

Emperor Jiajing, who had been sitting upright, leaned forward slightly, a hint of emotion flashing in his dragon eyes. Upon seeing this, Zhu Zaizhen quickly knelt down and took two steps, raising his tearful eyes to continue, "Father is the chosen one, destined to live forever and reign over the world. But your son is of mediocre talent and is just an ordinary person."

"I fear..." His voice trailed off, "I fear that when I look back on my life, the days I will be alone and lonely will be long, while the days I will be able to enjoy the company of my father will be short."

The air was thick with the scent of sandalwood, and Zhu Zaizhen's sobs were all the more distinct: "That's why I thought of taking advantage of my swan-browed appearance to frequently visit the Western Garden these past few years, so that I could see Your Majesty's face often. This would give me something to remember after I was enfeoffed, and I also hope that Your Majesty will live a long and healthy life and remember my voice and appearance more often."

The last sentence was almost squeezed out through a sob. Zhu Zaizhen's thin body trembled slightly on the gorgeous lichen, making him appear exceptionally fragile.

For a moment, Jiajing was at a loss for words, but a long-lost warmth welled up in his heart. Since the passing of his parents, he had been alone between heaven and earth, with few relatives and friends who cared for him like this anymore.

However, Jiajing still carefully observed his son's tears, especially the subtle expressions on his face, trying to figure out whether it was a genuine childlike heart or some other ulterior motive.

The Zaizhen before me was completely different from the mischievous boy I remembered. If it were before, this child would never have uttered such emotional words, much less have worried about parting in the future.

Jiajing scrutinized every change in his son's expression, trying to find a flaw. However, the red eyes, trembling lips, and tears falling onto the lichen were all undeniably real.

"Could it be..." Jiajing pondered to himself, recalling the saying in the Taoist scriptures that "only after a great illness can one achieve great enlightenment."

Zaizhen's serious illness a few days ago seemed like an enlightenment after experiencing a calamity. At such a young age, he had already tasted the pain of life and death, and it is understandable that he only has longing for his parents in his heart.

He couldn't help but recall his childhood circumstances—his father died young, he was frail and sickly, and his children died one after another. It was the impermanence of this world that made him determined to cultivate immortality and achieve eternal life.

The air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Jiajing's gaze softened, and he rose to walk to his son, gently stroking his head: "You child, you've thought long-term."

Huang Jin, standing to the side, said, "His Highness is extremely filial."

"Alright, I will have Huang Jin give you a token, so you may come and go to the West Garden at any time... You and I, father and son, will spend many more days together."

Emperor Jiajing couldn't help but think that if even a person's chickens and dogs can ascend to heaven after attaining immortality, he should find a way to prolong the life of this child after he becomes an immortal, so as not to betray the father-son relationship of his lifetime.

Zhu Zaizhen wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve and deliberately turned his head away: "Father won't go back on his word again, will he?"

"Hmph." The breath he had just exhaled choked back down, and Jiajing withdrew his hand, thinking to himself, "You unfilial son."

"My words are as precious as the Emperor's and would never deceive a mere scoundrel like you."

"Thank you, Father. I will return now and come to see you again in a couple of days."

He said his piece and then ran off in a flash, as if he were truly afraid that the emperor would go back on his word.

After wiping away his tears, Huang Jin asked, "Your Majesty, what about the token?"

Emperor Jiajing laughed in exasperation: "You also think I would break my promise?"

"This servant dares not, it's only for His Highness Prince Jing..."

"Isn't the Crown Prince coming to pay his respects tomorrow? Let's give him a ride too."

Giving it to Prince Jing is a minor matter, but giving it only to Prince Jing and not to the Crown Prince is a major matter.

As Zhu Zaizhen walked back to the palace, he suddenly rubbed his face hard. He had never tried so hard to please anyone in either of his lives, and he felt a little embarrassed when he thought about it now.

Fortunately, things went relatively smoothly. This impression may not seem like much now, but it will become invaluable in the future when Jiajing realizes that immortality is hopeless.

"Your Highness, someone is coming from behind. The one leading them is Eunuch Gao, the Director of the Imperial Household Department," the attendant whispered a reminder.

Zhu Zaizhen stopped and looked back to see a group of eunuchs catching up, carrying palanquins and surging towards them.

Leading the group was Gao Zhong, a tall, handsome man dressed in a python robe. He strode over with a confident air, his demeanor more like that of a nobleman or powerful minister than a eunuch.

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