Chapter 20: Empress Dowager Li

It had just passed the hour of Chen, and the Wanli Emperor, having finished his morning meal, came to sit in the Western Warm Pavilion.

Ever since that day he issued a Central Edict and snuck out of the palace, the Wanli Emperor had tasted the sweetness of it. All day long, his mind was filled with thoughts of how to go back out and take a look at the colorful world beyond.

He was the Emperor; the world was his, so who would dare say the word "no"?

Thinking of this, the Wanli Emperor unconsciously revealed a smile.

He glanced at the surrounding eunuchs and palace maids, and seeing that no one had noticed, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He picked up a memorial as usual, flipped it open, and felt his teeth itch with anger, shouting: "Zhao Ning has such huge guts, he actually dares to curse Us!"

If they say Master Zhang is a treacherous official, then if We employ a treacherous official, does that not make Us a great, muddled ruler? The Wanli Emperor was furious, and the surrounding eunuchs hung their heads, not daring to even breathe loudly. Just at this moment, the Managing Eunuch of the Cining Palace, Wan He, arrived, saying that the Empress Dowager wanted the Emperor to come over.

His first reaction.

The Wanli Emperor thought it was about the matter of leaving the palace, that it had been discovered.

However, upon second thought, seven days had already passed; if the Empress Mother had known, she would have known long ago, so it certainly was not for this matter.

Then it must be for the matter of his issuing the Central Edict and this Zhao Ning.

After having a sense of the situation in his heart, Wanli straightened his clothes and rushed toward the Cining Palace.

The Cining Palace was not too far from the Qianqing Palace, separated by only four or five palace walls; coming here every day to pay his respects was a mandatory course for him.

Therefore, the Wanli Emperor arrived at the Cining Palace with practiced ease.

Before entering, he saw from afar that Feng Bao, looking all smiles, was standing outside the palace. The Wanli Emperor smiled, took a few steps forward, and called out with a laugh: "Big Companion, did the Empress Mother call you here too?"

Feng Bao's smile was radiant, and he replied: "Yes, Your Majesty, please go in quickly; this old servant will wait for you outside."

The Wanli Emperor gave a reply and strode into the palace.

Upon entering the hall, there was a screen wall; after bypassing the screen wall, one reached the reception hall.

Inside the hall, colorful paintings wound around the beams, the decorations were elegant, and the scent of incense lingered; several pots of gorgeous peony flowers were placed under the window lattice, blooming with particular allure.

Perhaps having heard the footsteps, someone walked out from the side screen.

One saw that the person was about thirty-one or thirty-two years old, tall, with an oval face, a pair of phoenix eyes with triangular corners, two willow-leaf eyebrows that slanted upward, and vermilion lips with white teeth.

Her figure was slender, her neck white and smooth, her breasts full. It was precisely the Wanli Emperor's biological mother, Li Taihou.

At thirty-eight years old this year, although she had given birth to several children, her figure had not gone out of shape at all, and she looked to be in her early thirties.

Her skin was smooth and moist, and the wide palace robes could hardly conceal her voluptuous figure.

Li Taihou smiled and called out: "Jun'er."

"Empress Mother!" The Wanli Emperor knelt to perform a salute.

Li Taihou's face was as bright as a flower as she pulled her son to sit on a chair to the side.

Looking her son up and down, seeing that he had grown up, she felt both joy and heartache in her heart.

Thinking back to when the Longqing Emperor had just passed away, the little Emperor was only ten years old. That old man Gao Gong had usurped power and bullied the widowed mother and orphaned son. Fortunately, she had joined forces with Feng Bao, and only then did they remove Gao Gong.

Later, Zhang Juzheng took power and carried out a series of reforms with bold strokes.

In over ten years, the country had flourished; who would not praise her son? But there were also conflicts between the two of them; just take his father, for instance—he wanted three thousand mu of land, and Zhang Juzheng could refuse to give it.

Or choose a compromise method.

To refuse so directly made her, the Empress Dowager, have no authority at all.

Furthermore, the Zhang brothers could both be enfeoffed, one as a Marquis and one as a Count, and Zhang Heling was even enfeoffed as the Changguo Duke, while her own father only begged for a Marquis title.

This was unacceptable, right? Therefore, when the little Emperor issued that Central Edict, she knew about it but was not in a hurry to express her stance. She neither supported nor opposed it; she just wanted to make this Iron-Faced Prime Minister, Zhang Juzheng, anxious! As a result, some people took advantage of the situation, believing the Senior Grand Secretary had lost power, and actually began to attack the Senior Grand Secretary openly.

This was something she could not tolerate.

Thinking of this, Li Taihou looked at her son and asked softly: "Jun'er, I heard that Master Zhang's youngest son, Zhang Yunxiu, is serving as your study companion?"

"Ah?! Yes." Upon being asked this, Wanli showed panic on his face.

"What are you panicking about? An Emperor must have the bearing of an Emperor!" Looking at her son's timid appearance, Li Taihou felt anger welling up; she knitted her brows, and her voice rose by several degrees.

Having said this, Li Taihou felt she had lost her composure, so she carefully urged: "Jun'er, I didn't scare you just now, did I?"

The Wanli Emperor shook his head repeatedly.

Li Taihou felt slightly at ease and asked again: "Tell me, if the Wanli reign were without Master Zhang, could there still be the current situation where the people live in peace and work in contentment, and the four seas are in awe?"

"No."

"That is correct," Li Taihou nodded, then suddenly gritted her teeth and said, "Now, some people are taking advantage of the situation to attack Master Zhang; tell me, what should be done?"

"Beat him with the rod!" the Wanli Emperor ventured.

"Not enough." Li Taihou shook her head.

"Then what does Empress Mother mean?"

"Strip that Zhao Ning of his office, exile him three thousand li away, and never employ him again," Li Taihou said through gritted teeth.

"This son understands."

Wanli stood up, and Li Taihou signaled for him to sit back down, saying half-jokingly and half-seriously, "That Central Edict you issued a few days ago caused Master Zhang quite a bit of trouble."

"I, I, this, this was all Zhang Yunxiu's idea." The Wanli Emperor stammered for a long time before spitting out Zhang Yunxiu's name.

"Ah? How is it him?" Li Taihou was startled.

The Wanli Emperor nodded and told her the whole story of that day exactly as it happened.

After listening, Li Taihou burst into laughter and sighed: "What a 'he fights his fight, we play our game.' I never expected that Master Zhang, known as the Iron-Faced Prime Minister, would actually have such a thick-skinned son."

"Empress Mother, what does 'thick-skinned' mean?"

Li Taihou smiled without answering, feeling that Zhang Yunxiu's words actually had some merit.

An Emperor indeed needs some authority; the thunder and the dew are all the grace of the ruler. To win over the world with benevolence and add awe to the four seas.

Combining grace with power is what makes an Emperor! Li Taihou asked with a smile: "What official rank does Zhang Yunxiu hold now?"

"He is a Director of the Seal Office, rank 6a. However, he still has to participate in the Autumn Examination this year," the Wanli Emperor said cautiously.

"Rank 6a, that is too high."

Li Taihou saw her son was puzzled, so she explained, "He is only eighteen by nominal age, yet he is already a sixth-rank official. Others study hard for twenty years and might not even pass the examinations; even if they do pass, they might not necessarily climb to a sixth-rank official position."

"That is nothing; I was able to appoint the top scholar at eleven," Wanli snorted lightly.

"Hehehe," Li Taihou laughed until she swayed back and forth, then added, "Jun'er, you are different; you are of the dragon's seed, while he, Zhang Yunxiu, is a mere mortal. With such favor, I fear he cannot bear it."

"Then I shall grant hereditary rank to another son of Master Zhang."

"This method is good; firstly, it shows care for the Senior Grand Secretary, and secondly, it can deter those petty villains," Li Taihou nodded slightly.

After the mother and son talked for a while, Li Taihou felt a bit weary and was about to let the Emperor leave, but suddenly thinking of something, she advised: "Jun'er, next month you are to appoint the Nine Concubines. The imperial lineage is not flourishing; you must put in more effort."

"Your son obeys your decree."

(End of this chapter)