Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

Prince Cheng's Mansion.

Zhu Qiyu sat in the hall, with Wang Lingshu beside him.

"My lord, things happened so suddenly, and this is all the information your father could gather," Wang Lingshu said helplessly, even with a hint of self-blame.

"No, that's enough!"

Zhu Qiyu looked at the information on the paper and indeed there were reports of people migrating south, although the group was not very large.

There are insightful people in the court. Once the capital is moved south and Hebei is indefensible, the events of the Song Dynasty will repeat themselves. Then the Central Plains will be lost, and the north will be indefensible, leaving the country isolated in a corner.

Emperor Taizu had finally managed to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, so how could he easily give them up? Moreover, although the Ming Dynasty had suffered heavy losses in its elite troops, its core territory still existed, so it was unlikely to surrender without a fight.

Upon hearing Zhu Qiyu's reply, Wang Lingshu breathed a sigh of relief and then asked about another matter.

"My lord, why has no news of the imperial edict been issued yet?"

Speaking of this matter, Zhu Qiyu also had a hidden worry in his heart.

Logically speaking, the imperial edict should have been finalized as soon as it was light, since there was no one in charge at court, and the longer it was delayed, the greater the chances of something going wrong.

The capital is in complete chaos. If an imperial edict is not issued soon to give the court a leader, the country will be doomed sooner or later.

It was almost noon, and there was still no news. This made Zhu Qiyu suspect that there was a problem in the palace, most likely that the person in the palace had gone back on their word.

"Wait a little longer. If there is still no news, send Chief Clerk Yi to investigate."

Yi Ming also held the position of Hanlin Lecturer, so even if he went out to investigate, he could keep a low profile and not attract attention.

Wang Lingshu could only nod at this moment, grasping Zhu Qiyu's hand, as if this could ease her husband's emotions.

Fortunately, Zhu Qiyu didn't have to wait too long before Cheng Jing arrived.

"Your Highness, there is an imperial decree!"

A flash of joy crossed Zhu Qiyu's eyes. He turned to Wang Lingshu and said, "Lingshu, restrain the palace servants. I'll go first."

Wang Lingshu nodded slightly in response.

Inside the Chengyun Hall.

The person who came was Xing'an, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial (Note 1), who was one of the top eunuchs in the Directorate of Ceremonial and ranked below Jin Ying, the Supervising Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial (Note 2).

Historically, this person was Zhu Qiyu's trusted eunuch, who held the position of Directorate of Ceremonial and wielded immense power.

As soon as Zhu Qiyu entered the hall, Xing'an hurriedly came to greet him.

"This servant greets Your Highness." Unlike Li Yongchang, Xing'an bowed respectfully to Zhu Qiyu, not daring to be presumptuous.

"No need for formalities, Eunuch Xing. May I ask what brings you here?" Zhu Qiyu asked knowingly.

"The Empress Dowager has decreed that all civil and military officials be summoned to the Meridian Gate to receive the imperial edict. The first purpose is to inform His Highness of the edict of regency, and the second is to establish the eldest son of the Emperor as the Crown Prince. This morning, a dispute arose between the officials in the palace and the court over the edict of regency. Minister Wang and Minister Hu went to the Wenhua Hall to remonstrate, which led to the issuance of the edict of regency in accordance with the draft of the Cabinet. Your Highness is ready and will proceed to the Meridian Gate immediately."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qiyu finally understood why the imperial edict had been delayed; it turned out that Empress Dowager Sun was indeed causing trouble.

At this moment, Zhu Qiyu stared intently at Xing'an, bewildered and uncertain, completely unable to fathom Xing'an's thoughts. The two had never interacted much before, and these were not things a eunuch should say; too much talk could be fatal.

"Thank you for informing me!" Zhu Qiyu replied calmly, which pleased Xing'an.

"This servant has another matter. Last night, His Highness summoned the ministers for a meeting. What was the matter, and how should this servant report back to the Empress Dowager?"

Zhu Qiyu's heart skipped a beat; Xing'an's question contained a great deal of information.

Xing'an's trip was on the Empress Dowager's orders to test Zhu Qiyu. The Empress Dowager remained wary, after all, Zhu Qiyu was now a person who could directly threaten her son's throne.

Another reason is that the Prince's residence was under the supervision of Empress Dowager Sun, and the eunuchs in the inner palace should be officials of the Prince's residence. If they were officials of the Prince's residence, they would not be unaware of the content of last night's meeting, so why ask such a question?

Zhu Qiyu looked at the person in front of him, wondering why he was being so friendly for no reason. Did he have something else in mind, or was it just fate?

However, the palace needs such a person as an inside agent right now, so we can accept his goodwill this time. We'll know whether it's a trap or not after we get through. For now, we just need to be careful.

After calming down, Zhu Qiyu said in a composed manner: "In my panic, I did not know how to oversee the country, so I summoned my ministers to discuss matters and seek their advice."

Xing'an bowed and said, "Your Highness, this servant has noted it down. I will return to the palace to report back to Your Highness. Please make your preparations and enter the palace immediately."

Zhu Qiyu, trying to be friendly, said, "Thank you for your company!"

Upon hearing this address, Xing'an smiled visibly, bowed to Zhu Qiyu again, and strode away.

As Xing'an stepped out of the palace gates, he looked back and made a decision.

Today, the court officials rejected Empress Dowager Sun's decree. Xing'an holds the power to approve the decree, but he witnessed the entire process. This means that many affairs of the court may fall into the hands of Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, and the court officials.

If the times change and a new emperor brings a new court, Xing'an, as a powerful eunuch in the Directorate of Ceremonial, knew his fate would not be good if he were to be purged.

It's better to take a gamble. Even if I lose, it won't matter. This matter should be kept secret. Besides, I'm acting on the Empress Dowager's orders.

After Zhu Qiyu finished tidying up, he told Cheng Jing what had just happened, wanting to hear Cheng Jing's opinion, because at this moment he was not sure what Xing'an was up to.

"What are your thoughts, Simu?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jing dared not give a careless reply, for he feared that the slightest mistake might plunge his lord into an abyss.

"Your Highness, the political situation may be undergoing a major upheaval, and the eunuchs may be seeking alternative paths. Ultimately, eunuchs depend on the imperial family for survival; whoever is in power in the imperial family, that's who they will serve. They can be trusted, but not entirely!"

When Zhu Qiyu heard Cheng Jing's words, they were almost exactly the same as his own guesses.

Now that Zhu Qizhen has been captured, these people have become rootless duckweed. Those who can become eunuchs are the best among eunuchs. Under such circumstances, their own emperor may not be able to return.

They needed to find a way out quickly. One option was to take care of the young crown prince and accompany him as he grew up, just like Wang Zhen accompanied the current emperor as he grew up. After years of lying low, he would wield immense power. However, this path was not suitable for the powerful eunuchs of Xing'an.

The most reliable option is to take the second path: find someone readily available to rely on, maintain your current position, and then move forward.

Having figured out the key point, Zhu Qiyu felt a rare sense of relief. Since this person had given him a favor, he might as well reciprocate.

"Simu, your insight is truly profound."

Cheng Jing replied respectfully, "Your Highness is too kind!"

Zhu Qiyu then asked, "Simu, do you feel any fear?"

"I have already died once, and I am willing to give my life to follow Your Highness on this journey."

Zhu Qiyu smiled with satisfaction and glanced at Cheng Jing: "If things go well, you will serve as a eunuch in the Directorate of Palace Attendants."

"Here you go!"

Cheng Jing was overjoyed upon hearing this. In the palace, the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Directorate of Imperial Horses, and the Directorate of Palace Attendants were known as the "Three Horse-Drawn Carriages." In the past, the Directorate of Palace Attendants was the head of all the directorates. However, now the Directorate of Ceremonial holds a high position and great power, the Directorate of Imperial Horses controls military power and is second in rank, and the Inner Study Hall within the Directorate of Palace Attendants has also been transferred to the Directorate of Ceremonial, resulting in a significant reduction in its power and relegation to third place.

Cheng Jing was happy because Zheng He, a model among eunuchs, had served as a eunuch in the Directorate of Palace Attendants.

Even if it had been successful, Zhu Qiyu would not have wanted to appoint Cheng Jing as the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Cheng Jing was good in every way, but he still maintained the integrity of a scholar. Such a person in the Directorate of Ceremonial would not be able to control the court.

"Let's go, let's head to the Meridian Gate together!"