Chapter 72: The Influence of Zheng Defei

In the afternoon, after returning from the Liang residence, the Wanli Emperor locked himself in the East Warm Pavilion and drove away all personnel.

Zhang Yunxiu and Wei Qing stood outside, not daring to make a single sound, waiting only for the Emperor's final decision.

"Thump, thump, thump"—suddenly, a series of footsteps rang out, and a noble young woman dressed in a long, thin white gauze gown walked into the great hall, surrounded by a crowd.

Zhang Yunxiu and Wei Qing turned their heads to look in unison, happening to bump into the charming and moving Zheng Defei as she approached; the two lowered their heads and hurriedly performed a salute.

Waving her hand to excuse them from the salute, Zheng Defei parted her vermilion lips slightly and asked with concern, "Minister Zhang, Eunuch Wei, what has happened to His Majesty? When I came in, I saw all the palace maids and attendants blocked up here."

Wei Qing shook his head with a bitter smile, then told her the ins and outs of the matter.

"Goodness, that dog of a servant, what immense gall!" Zheng Defei's phoenix eyes narrowed, and she cursed with hatred, then added, "Rest assured, I will go in and persuade the Emperor; I will certainly make the Emperor severely punish that traitor."

As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Zhang Yunxiu, and Zhang Yunxiu happened to shift his gaze over.

Their eyes met, and Zhang Yunxiu smiled slightly, saying respectfully, "If Defei is willing to rid the palace of this pest, Eunuch Feng and Eunuch Wei will surely be grateful for this favor."

Zheng Defei did not speak; she lifted her skirt and stepped into the East Warm Pavilion.

Glancing inside, she saw the Wanli Emperor sitting on the floor, his eyes vacant, not knowing what he was thinking about.

Perhaps hearing the footsteps outside, the Wanli Emperor's expression changed violently, and he stretched his neck to roar angrily, "You dog, who let you in? Get out of here!"

Zheng Defei was startled; it was the first time she had seen the Emperor like this. After brewing her emotions for a moment, Zheng Defei's eyes turned red, and she coquettishly chided in a soft, sweet voice, "Your Majesty..."

"Ah?!" The Wanli Emperor was startled and turned around abruptly; seeing that the person who had come was Defei, his heart nearly melted.

He stood up at once, trotted to Defei's side, and apologized, "My beloved consort, are you alright? I didn't know it was you just now. Did I scare you? Was I too fierce just now?"

"No, this concubine just saw Your Majesty sulking alone, so I thought I would come to make Your Majesty happy," Zheng Defei smiled charmingly, and as she spoke, she pecked the Emperor on the cheek.

The Wanli Emperor was tickled by this little trick, and his mood improved instantly.

"Your Majesty, if you have any worries, just tell this concubine; I guarantee I will make Your Majesty's troubles vanish," Zheng Defei grabbed the Emperor's large hand, pulled him to sit on the embroidered couch, and then said in a soft voice.

"It's all because of that dog Zhang Jing," the Wanli Emperor said bitterly.

"Ah, what happened to him?" Zheng Defei feigned surprise and asked in return, "Isn't he the person you trust, Your Majesty?"

"This dog of a servant, he wasted the trust I placed in him! I hate that I cannot skin him and pull out his tendons right now!" The Wanli Emperor said this with hatred, then told Zheng Defei the whole story from beginning to end.

Although she had known beforehand, upon hearing the Emperor finish, she still covered her lips, her face full of surprise.

"This... this... how could he do such a thing? Isn't this pushing the Princess into a pit of fire?"

"Hmph, this beast even deceived me. I don't know how to explain this to the Empress Dowager and Yongning now," the Wanli Emperor was furious, and thinking of Zhang Jing's fawning face, he was already filled with disgust.

The key now is that the Empress Dowager cannot know that he chose a consumptive for his younger sister.

If he deals with Zhang Jing and the matter is exposed, he will be scolded along with him. If he doesn't deal with him, he cannot eat or sleep in peace, feeling only a surge of anger blocked in his chest.

Also, the grand wedding is imminent; can this wedding still go ahead? Glancing at the Emperor a few times, Zheng Defei lowered her head to ponder for a while before saying, "Your Majesty, as the saying goes, one good man needs three helpers. It is useless for you to be anxious alone right now. Why not call Minister Zhang and Eunuch Wei in together to discuss it."

"That will do," the Wanli Emperor nodded, and soon, Zhang Yunxiu and Wei Qing stepped inside.

Seeing the two, the Wanli Emperor took the initiative to attack: "It's fine now; this piece of shit that had already crusted over has been picked up by you all. You can handle it yourselves."

What is meant by "crusted shit"? If this isn't picked, your sister will have no choice but to eat this lump of shit.

Zhang Yunxiu muttered to himself, then offered an idea: "Your Majesty, I believe that if we want to ensure your reputation and also protect the Princess's reputation, we can only wrong Eunuch Zhang for now."

"He's not wronged at all! Just tell me, how can this matter be solved?"

"Your Majesty, I have heard that Eunuch Zhang has two lovers in the palace," Zhang Yunxiu said in a flat tone.

In this deep palace, eunuchs are castrated and cannot perform that act, so their psychological distortion makes them yearn for it all the more.

The palace maids who do not receive the Emperor's favor are also like wolves and tigers.

Thus, the palace maids and eunuchs simply pair up, commonly known as "palace marriages."

Except for completing the final step, there is no difference.

"What do you mean?" the Wanli Emperor asked with a frown.

"Your Majesty, the Hongwu Emperor long ago set the rule that palace maids and eunuchs are not allowed to have private affairs; this is a great crime for Eunuch Zhang. He should be given one hundred strokes and sent to Nanjing to grow vegetables," Zhang Yunxiu pointed out.

This reason is not bad.

Suddenly, the Wanli Emperor remembered the wedding again and asked Zhang Yunxiu, "Then what about my sister? Can it be that I really let her marry a consumptive?"

"Well... the Princess is just sixteen this year, and her body has not yet fully grown; if she gives birth too early, it will be detrimental to her health. Why doesn't Your Majesty use the excuse that Zhang Jing manipulated the selection of the Imperial Son-in-law to cancel this selection?"

"Wait a few more years, and Your Majesty can personally select a husband for the Princess again."

The Wanli Emperor was somewhat moved, but thinking that without Zhang Jing, when Feng Bao returns in the future, wouldn't he be left without even someone to talk to?

"Your Majesty, although Eunuch Zhang has been loyal to you, he has committed a great mistake this time; for Your Majesty to spare his life is already an act of grace beyond the law," seeing the Emperor hesitate, Zheng Defei bit her lip and said in a low voice, "Besides, besides Eunuch Zhang, there are loyal subjects like Minister Zhang and Eunuch Wei by your side."

"Your Majesty should know Eunuch Wei's loyalty best."

"Right, Eunuch Wei?"

At the end, Zheng Defei smiled at Wei Qing.

"Ah, yes," Wei Qing hurriedly knelt, crawled forward on his knees, touched his forehead to the ground, and stuck his rear end high up, saying respectfully: "Whatever Your Majesty commands me to do, I will do; I will never have any act of deceiving the Emperor like Zhang Jing."

"Zhang Yunxiu, are you also a loyal subject?" The Wanli Emperor glanced at Wei Qing and then continued to ask Zhang Yunxiu.

"I am a great loyal subject; whatever Your Majesty commands me to do, I will do," Zhang Yunxiu answered word for word.

"Good! Then I order you to take men and bring Zhang Jing in to be punished!"

(End of chapter)