Chapter 8: Waiting in wait, accumulating

"I heard that you caused some trouble in front of the palace?" Concubine Li mentioned another matter.

Zhu Yijun was just about to make a fuss about this matter in order to interfere in personnel matters, but Concubine Li brought it up on her own initiative and he naturally answered.

He waved his hands to the left and right and ordered, "All of you go down."

Concubine Li nodded, and the palace maids and eunuchs retreated.

Only then did he tell Concubine Li what had happened in the palace.

Finally, he added: "I was upset because I saw that my mother was a little angry with Gao Gong, and I wanted to ask him for an explanation, but I didn't know it would turn out like this."

As for women, if you do something extraordinary for her, she will be more touched.

Concubine Li glared at him and said, "What Gao Gong? He's called Yuan Fu!"

Although he was glaring at people, the smile on his face did not fade at all.

She continued, "According to your opinion, it is this little eunuch who is causing discord between the upper and lower classes, isn't it Gao Gong who is overbearing?"

Yes, from this title and the tone, Zhu Yijun immediately heard the feelings that Concubine Li had for Gao Gong.

He also confirmed in his heart that the day his mother became the empress dowager would be the day for Gao Gong to leave the cabinet.

"Mother, even if there are other versions of this matter, Gao Gong must be a domineering and arrogant person, otherwise how could he make me lose face outside the palace."

His mother was also a go-getter. Even if she decided to give Gao Gong a change of heart and allow him to retire with dignity, she had to be careful about the method and approach.

As expected, Concubine Li snorted softly, obviously touching her heart.

The ice is three feet thick and it didn't freeze overnight. Gao Gong's arrogance is not just a single incident. She has a deep prejudice against him.

She reached out to help Zhu Yijun straighten his clothes and said casually, "You are embarrassing your elder brother. The eunuch who is in charge of the Imperial Household Department is his godson."

The favor expressed in these words is not too obvious. It is much better than what Gao Gong said.

Zhu Yijun took advantage of the situation and went behind Concubine Li to pat her shoulders: "Mother, it's not that I want to embarrass you."

"Firstly, whether that young eunuch is trying to sow discord between the superiors and the subordinates, or is afraid to speak the truth because of Gao Gong, he is a person who deceives the emperor and has no respect for his emperor or his father."

"This kind of person is in charge of the confidential affairs of the Wenhua Palace. The Imperial Household Department is also responsible for some negligence. It is the duty of the emperor to promote or punish him. I dare not forget it."

"Besides, Gao Gong seems to be in the right, but he won't let go. I can only deal with him once or twice, so as not to delay the important matter of persuading him to ascend the throne."

Concubine Li looked at her child in surprise.

My son has really changed his personality today. He speaks in an organized and intelligent manner. No wonder all the officials praise him so much and think he has the potential to be a great ruler.

She watched Zhu Yijun undergo such a huge change in such a short period of time and found it incredible.

I thought about what happened in the East Palace this morning... Could it be that the late emperor is really blessing me?
She suppressed her grumbling, but couldn't help but praise him, "Well, it's pretty thorough."

After that, she asked curiously, "Then let Feng Daban choose another person to take over. You already have the face and the money, why do you have to kick the ball to your mother?"

Zhu Yijun paused his shoulder-pounding hand at the right moment, and then started pounding again without saying a word.

Concubine Li was very perceptive and asked, "We are mother and son, so what can't we say?"

Zhu Yijun blushed: "Mother, it's not that I can't say it, it's just that it's a little difficult to say it at the moment."

Concubine Li waved her hands and was too lazy to speak.

Zhu Yijun then said, "Mother, Feng Daban is the commander of the Eastern Depot and is also in charge of the Imperial Horse Guards, which is an important position in the inner court."

"A few days ago, my mother promoted him to the position of eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department. He is in charge of all the secrets of the inner court and is very busy."

"Just like after the court was dismissed, my dear companion went to deal with memorials and could not serve me. I have tried to find him many times in the past few days but could not find him."

"So, I would like to take this opportunity to ask my mother to assign me another eunuch to serve me during my lifetime."

After saying that, he rubbed Concubine Li's shoulders and neck in a flattering manner.

Who doesn't know how to slander their leader?

Feng Bao can use the threat theory against Gao Gong and smear him as being naughty, so naturally he can follow suit!
The head of the Silijian holds the seal and is called the Internal Prime Minister, while the second in command supervises the Eastern Depot, and the two check and balance each other.

Concubine Li is a woman in the deep palace and doesn't understand the ins and outs of this, so Feng Bao now has to take on two jobs at the same time. Of course, he needs to wake up Concubine Li.

As for the effect, it depends on how much trust Concubine Li has in Feng Bao. At worst, she can just come a few more times.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Concubine Li frowned and seemed to be thinking about something.

After a while, he added absentmindedly: "So who do you want to ask me for?"

Zhu Yijun lowered his head and said respectfully, "It's all up to my mother to decide."

He paused and said, "However, I dreamt about my father today, and I miss him more and more. Mother, can you please choose someone from the old time of Prince Yu's Mansion to tell me more about my father's past to ease my grief?"

Prince Yu's Mansion was the residence of the previous emperor before he ascended the throne, and it is also where Zhu Yijun was born and grew up.

He didn't name anyone, so there must be another reason.

There are many eunuchs in this palace, but if you add the two restrictions of Prince Yu’s residence and the chief eunuch, there are not many.

There are only five or six people in Prince Yu's Mansion who have the qualifications to be senior eunuchs.

Chen Hong and Meng Chong, eunuchs from Prince Yu's Mansion, became eunuchs in charge of the Imperial Household Department after the late emperor ascended the throne. Now they are both hated by Concubine Li.

There are also those who have a deep affection for the late emperor and volunteered to build a tomb for him. They can only accompany the late emperor for the rest of their lives.

Excluding those who are already old and enjoying their retirement.

There are actually only two people who can be used now.

One is called Chen Suan and the other is called Zhang Hong.

But Zhu Yijun knew in his heart that Concubine Li could only choose the latter.

Why? Because the former was serving Empress Chen.

So, he gave the leader a multiple-choice question with no choice.

Selecting within a limited range and giving the leader the power to decide is a win-win situation.

Based on his performance today, he believed that Concubine Li would agree to this request.

As for Zhang Hong himself.

This person served my predecessor for a period of time when he was young. In my memory, he was very respectful and helpful.

The late emperor had rewarded him several times, praising him as a loyal and good servant.

What's even more interesting is that this person was unwilling to follow Meng Chong and Feng Bao and was repeatedly suppressed. The position of Admiral of Eunuchs is neither big nor small, and it is somewhat of a favor. It also makes it easy for him to control the position, so it is just right.

Concubine Li didn't think about it, but nodded as if she was in a trance: "Well, I can save myself the trouble."

It was originally an insignificant matter. She was still considering whether Feng Bao had taken too much power, so she agreed to the matter without any concern.

Zhu Yijun breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his goal had been achieved.

Concubine Li waved her hand and said, "Okay, go back to the palace and study the classics. The cabinet has added more burdens to you."

Zhu Yijun bowed and replied, "My son will remember this."

After that, he suddenly mentioned it casually, "By the way, mother, a lot of things were discussed in the palace today. I don't know how to deal with them in the end. Can mother give me some pointers and explanations to learn from them?"

Concubine Li said unhappily, "How can it be so fast? The Queen has seen it before I will ask about it."

Zhu Yijun was surprised and asked, "Doesn't the Queen Mother never care about these things?"

Concubine Li shook her head: "Although the Queen is too lazy to deal with it, she always sends it to me, but I can't mess with the etiquette. After all, she is the Queen."

"Okay, I'll explain it to you tomorrow after I've seen it. Go back and review your lessons."

Concubine Li drove people away again.

Zhu Yijun had no choice but to get up and leave.

……

There was also archery training to be done in the afternoon, but as it was the mourning period, this was temporarily cancelled.

Zhu Yijun was somewhat unhappy. How could he skip the physical education class?

The remains of Emperor Wanli were discovered in modern times, but it turned out that he had a leg disease.

Now that he doesn't feel any discomfort in his legs, it can only be acquired.

Either he loves sweets and has bone problems caused by diabetes. After all, his predecessor had a mouthful of cavities, which shows how much he loved sweets. Or it is gout, which is not without basis. In his daily notes, Emperor Wanli always said that he had several pimples on his legs.

He is now planning to eat less sweets, but he cannot miss his physical education class.

Since riding and shooting had stopped, he simply exercised in the Ciqing Palace and performed a simple set of Five Animal Exercises - this was originally prepared for his retirement.

After sweating a little, he stopped and asked someone to help him take a bath. He took a bath at this time because after dinner, he still needed to go to the Qianqing Palace to kneel in front of the late emperor.

Although it is just a formality and one can leave after a while, bathing is an inevitable procedure, which is an indispensable part of the mourning period.

It is still early now, a good time to review lessons.

After he left the palace, he only studied two subjects: "The Great Learning" and "The Book of History".

Because his previous life had average talent and could only read and recite sentences, his handwriting, on the contrary, was quite good.

He ordered the eunuch to move the table to a sunny place. Facing the sunlight, he leisurely opened a copy of "The Great Learning". Hmm, it was brand new. He was indeed a poor student.

He shook his head and began to read.

Zhu Yijun was not averse to the Four Books and Five Classics. After all, they were the teachings of the sages.

How can you go public through a backdoor listing if you don’t familiarize yourself with it?

It is time to put new wine in the old bottle of Confucianism.

……

"Godfather, I haven't even gotten used to the position of eunuch admiral yet!"

A eunuch knelt at Feng Bao's knees, offering him tea in a flattering manner and complained.

When eunuchs entered the palace, they always had to rely on a senior eunuch. If they were appreciated, they could become his godfather.

The godson had many godsons, and as time went by, the eunuch was finally called the ancestor.

"Shut up!" Feng Bao suddenly got angry and kicked him away. "If you say another word, you won't be allowed to go to the Weaving Bureau!"

The godson in front of him was naturally the eunuch admiral who was removed from office today under pressure from the Crown Prince and the cabinet.

He was in a bad mood and would never listen to anyone talking nonsense.

The godson was so frightened that he quickly rolled and crawled out.

At this time, another eunuch trotted in from outside the house and the two passed each other.

The young eunuch who had just come in knelt down in front of Feng Bao and said, "Grandfather!"

"After lunch, the Crown Prince went to the Royal Concubine."

"Then the Imperial Concubine asked her attendants about the eunuchs in Prince Yu's mansion!"

Feng Bao's face changed.

His predecessor, Meng Chong, was the eunuch in Prince Yu’s mansion!
Could it be that Gao Gong really bewitched the Crown Prince in an attempt to allow Meng Chong to make a comeback?
This morning, when he suffered a loss in front of Wenhua Palace, he had this thought, and now it seemed to be confirmed.

Feng Bao paced back and forth in the room, frowning.

He seemed to have thought of something, his face suddenly became ferocious, and he turned around and said, "Go, call Feng Lin over."

Feng Lin is the most capable of his godsons.

He was in charge of the Imperial Household Department and was too busy to handle everything, so the East Factory was left to this godson to manage.

After a while, a eunuch with a somewhat feminine face walked in.

"Godfather, you're looking for me?"

As he spoke, he bent over to Feng Bao's side and supported Feng Bao's arm.

Feng Bao suddenly grabbed his hand and asked coldly, "What is Meng Chong doing today? Is there anyone communicating with him?"

He was afraid that Meng Chong would die but his heart was still hot, so he had already arranged people to keep an eye on him.

Feng Lin reported Meng Chong's behavior today in detail, even how long he spent in the toilet.

He added, "As for whether he has communicated with others... Godfather, this old man Meng Chong has had people come to visit him these past few days. Some came to handle matters between the two palace ladies, and some came to pass on messages to the cabinet. We couldn't stop them."

Feng Bao's eyes became more and more hostile, and he murmured, "Okay, it turns out that the evil intentions are still there. The cabinet is Gao Gong's people, right? "

Meng Chong was recommended to the late emperor by Gao Gong for the position of Chief Seal of the Imperial Household, and the two had always had close contacts.

Feng Lin lowered his head: "It should be Yuan Fu."

His godfather could call Gao Gong by his name, but he didn't dare to.

Feng Bao was supported and sat back on the couch, without saying a word for a while.

A quarter of an hour passed and the only sound in the room was the breathing of the two people.

Finally, Feng Bao suddenly chuckled and said in an inexplicable manner: "Let Meng Chong fall into the water."

The tone was light, yet chilling.

The struggles among eunuchs were several times more naked than those in the outer court.

Especially for eunuchs who have lost power, it is normal for them to die in some corner.

Feng Lin was stunned and prostrated himself: "I'll do it right away."

Just as the two were talking, there was a knock on the door again.

The young eunuch who received the approval reported as soon as he entered the room: "Grandfather, the Imperial Concubine has chosen Zhang Hong to take over the position of the eunuch superintendent of the Imperial Household Department."

Feng Bao was startled and murmured, "Zhang Hong?"

Feng Lin hesitated and said, "Godfather, should I still do this?"

Feng Bao waved his hand and said, "Go ahead and do it. This will save me from having to worry all day."

The latter understood and went out immediately.

The young eunuch had not yet finished reporting something, so he quickly got up and leaned close to Feng Bao's ear: "Grandfather, there is one more thing. The person in the outer court has passed on the message."

"It is said that the Prime Minister wants to impeach you and is writing a memorial. You should be on guard. If it takes a few days, the situation will become clear."

Feng Bao was shocked: "Gao Gong is writing a memorial to impeach me!?"

He repeated it subconsciously.

What a Gao Gong! Before he even made a move, this person was already planning to plot against him!

This is no small matter. He was temporarily appointed to hold the seal by Concubine Li, and it was not conferred by the late emperor himself. As long as Concubine Li is involved, no one will pursue it. But if people take it seriously, it will be troublesome.

Only Concubine Li can suppress this matter.

However, now is the time when the new emperor has not yet ascended the throne, and he is afraid that Concubine Li will abandon him to avoid any complications.

Feng Bao’s mind was in a state of confusion.

It is impossible to kill Gao Gong with one blow at the moment.

Only after the new emperor ascended the throne and Concubine Li had a firm footing in terms of etiquette and law could Gao Gong be deposed.

This is also the reason why he has not taken any action yet - how can a ten-year-old emperor rule the world? He is still waiting for the right time to give advice to Concubine Li!
The so-called delay of a few days until the situation becomes clear means waiting for the new king to ascend the throne.

As for how to delay for a few days... Feng Bao immediately had an idea.

He wanted to understand the connection between the two, and could not help but say in hatred: "Gao Gong, I will make you pay!"

He turned around and told the young eunuch: "Go, reply to the letter and tell me that Gao Gong made the memorial as soon as possible, and I will find a way."

Since Gao Gong was going to report to the two palaces to impeach him, he would certainly not go through Huijimen to Silijian, but would find other ways. From this perspective, it was right to kill Meng Chong.

In addition, he had to know the timing for Gao Gong to submit the memorial, and this required the cooperation of the outer court. Otherwise, if he lost the opportunity and shook Concubine Li, it would be bad.

The young eunuch retreated and said, "I will pass on the message right away."

Only Feng Bao was left in the hall, his expression changing from gloomy to bright.

……

Zhu Yijun had just finished dinner and was about to go to the Qianqing Palace when a eunuch came in to report.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine sent someone to say that she has chosen Zhang Hong to serve you. You should come to Ciqing Palace tomorrow morning to pay your respects."

Sure enough, as he expected, Zhang Hong was chosen in the end.

Zhu Yijun nodded.

He thought for a moment, then told the eunuch, "Don't do it early tomorrow morning. I'm going to the Qianqing Palace to kneel before the spirit. Ask him to come and see me in front of the spirit of the late emperor immediately."

Time is not on his side. Now he has no eyes and ears of his own and can hardly move forward. He cannot wait even a moment.

Furthermore, there are other considerations for the late emperor to meet this eunuch in front of his spirit.
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Note 1: On the rd, Dingchou, Grand Academician Shen Yikuan wrote: "The clerk Lu Shou orally conveyed the imperial edict: 'I have several heat lumps on my legs and cannot walk. Please send an official and issue an order to come here.' I respectfully submit this report and await your decision. It is the height of summer and the heat is sultry. Your Majesty is very concerned and has transferred Yizhou. I am shocked to hear your words. I am here to attach my sincere greetings and report my daily life. I hope you can be harmonious and lead the way to the auspicious wishes. I hope you will receive the blessings of heaven. The people and the people will look forward to your support. I am here to inform you." - "Wanli Daily Notes"

(End of this chapter)