[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties":3,"chapter-i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-3":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Really Am Not Neglecting My Duties",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2363272,4622,"Chapter 3: Chapter Three: The Emperor Learns Martial Arts, Neglecting His Duties","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-3",3,"\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li looked at Zhang Hong, leaned her head to whisper to a maid, then spoke: “Hmm, Zhang Hong risked his life to capture the criminal—loyal and brave, truly commendable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From now on, report to Qianqing Palace as a eunuch, serve His Majesty. If any villain dares intrude again, you must protect the Emperor with your life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank Your Majesty’s grace, thank Empress Dowager’s grace! From now on, this servant will spill his blood and brains to safeguard His Majesty!” Zhang Hong knew he had won—he had refused bandaging and rushed to appear before the Emperor, worsening his wound, all for this monumental opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not done so, how could he have risen from a lowly corridor eunuch to become a senior eunuch of Qianqing Palace?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From now on, he need no longer call himself “this slave” or “this humble one”; when facing the Emperor, he could now say “this subject.” The eunuchs of Qianqing Palace were ranked officials with the right to call themselves “subject.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li had whispered to the maid because Zhang Hong looked vaguely familiar; she asked her attendant, and confirmed that Zhang Hong was indeed an old retainer of the Prince of Yu’s household.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Jiajing reign, when the Longqing Emperor was still Prince of Yu, Zhang Hong, then nine years old, had already served in the Prince’s household. When the Prince ascended the throne, Chen Hong and Feng Bao grew powerful, not only neglecting the old servants of the Prince’s household but repeatedly suppressing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Zhang Hong, a former retainer of the Prince’s residence, had ended up living among the lowly corridor eunuchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li’s decision was prompted by Zhu Yijun’s request for reward, and also because she had sensed that Feng Bao’s power had grown far too great—if this assassination attempt was truly Feng Bao’s scheme to eliminate rivals by framing the Emperor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the palace, Chen Hong still lived in the corridor quarters; outside, Gao Gong remained—both were Feng Bao’s mortal enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An adult wielding a weapon tried to assassinate a ten-year-old child—and failed? Was it truly a failure… or was it never meant to succeed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the young Emperor as a pawn was something Empress Dowager Li would never allow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong had been severely wounded capturing the criminal, was an old retainer of the Prince of Yu’s household, and was perfectly suited to guard the Emperor closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong kowtowed in thanks, his arm wound needing urgent treatment; he followed the imperial physician to the side hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stitching will hurt—bite this cloth. If it hurts too much, scream.” The imperial physician handed Zhang Hong a cloth and warned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial physician had no anesthetic; the needle pierced flesh directly—this was no ordinary pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the entire stitching process, Zhang Hong bit down on the cloth, sweat soaking his body, teeth nearly grinding through the fabric, yet not a single cry escaped him—he knew this was no time to beg for sympathy; the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were speaking in the inner hall, and he must not disturb them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong understood clearly when to play the victim and when not to intrude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao had regained consciousness; his face was grim. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor still had not ordered him to rise, so he remained kneeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this palace, who held the highest status was not determined by seniority, but by closeness to the Emperor. The eunuchs of Qianqing Palace were the closest to the Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong, blood dripping from his arm, had appeared before the Emperor and instantly become a Qianqing Palace eunuch—how could Feng Bao not hate him?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Feng Bao could not retaliate—not yet. Zhang Hong was but one man; was he harder to handle than Chen Hong? Once the assassination case was settled, he could take his time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun’s attention was split between Feng Bao and Zhang Hong—this man’s ruthlessness rivaled Feng Bao’s, and that dripping, bloodied arm was truly chilling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, hearing no cries of pain, Zhu Yijun knew: Zhang Hong possessed superior character, skill, and patience—and above all, he understood priorities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commandant, who is this criminal?” Empress Dowager Li’s frailty vanished; her gaze sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li had once been a mere palace maid of the Prince of Yu’s household; within years, she had clawed her way to become Empress Dowager Ci Sheng of the Great Ming. After Longqing Emperor’s death, she had been emotionally shattered; now, with her child nearly assassinated, her composure had broken—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, she had regained her composure, and assumed the dignity of the Empress Dowager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, she was not a mother—she was the Empress Dowager of the Great Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xixiao hesitated, then bowed: “I arrived hastily and questioned him briefly. He claims to be from the Qi Army, under General Qi Jiguang. But… I do not believe him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun frowned. Soldiers of the Qi Army infiltrating the palace to assassinate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Commandant and noble, Zhu Xixiao occupied an awkward position: the nobility had long declined; with the Beijing garrisons decaying, authority of the Five Military Directorates had shifted to the Ministry of War, leaving nobles with little voice at court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Commandant of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, his power had been steadily eroded by the Eastern Depot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xixiao’s status was double-awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, Zhu Xixiao had no intention of speaking further—the criminal was captured, his duty fulfilled; by convention, the case belonged to the Eastern Depot for interrogation. As a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, his responsibility was done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as the last shred of noble dignity, he still voiced his opinion: the assassin was not from the Qi Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li asked: “Why do you not believe him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xixiao bowed: “The Qi Army does not crawl through dog holes. Had the assassin been a true Qi soldier, the eunuch Zhang Hong would already be dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qi Army’s martial prowess was famed across the seas; during Jiajing, Longqing, and Wanli reigns, they were the stabilizing pillar of the empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qi Army swept pirates from the south and repelled barbarians from the north; their discipline was renowned. Any soldier who disturbed civilians was executed without mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were, without doubt, the finest army of the age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such valiant men, true heroes of heaven and earth, would not crawl through dog holes, wrestle with a eunuch, and fail to kill him—such cowardice, such incompetence—Zhu Xixiao refused to believe the assassin was from the Qi Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li did not believe it either. In the final years of Jiajing and during Longqing’s reign, the Qi Army’s glorious victories reached court—her husband had smiled with rare joy. She remembered clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Qi Army were such trash, how could they have pacified pirates or repelled barbarians?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then this case shall be entrusted to the Commandant for investigation.” Empress Dowager Li nodded. The Chengguo Duke’s family was one of the Great Ming’s five hereditary dukes, long known for loyalty. Since Zhu Xixiao had captured the criminal, the case rightfully belonged to his Embroidered Uniform Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant obeys!” Zhu Xixiao glanced at Feng Bao, still kneeling on the floor, then accepted the order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao was always cautious, polished, and adroit. But now, with the palace incident, the Empress Dowager had finally lost her usual trust in him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mother, I wish to learn martial arts.” Zhu Yijun stared at the burly Zhu Xixiao, his big eyes pleading earnestly at Empress Dowager Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li stroked Zhu Yijun’s head: “Do you know how grueling martial training is? Can you endure such hardship? Better not learn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun spoke with certainty: “Mother, I have heard that our Great Ming’s founding Emperor seized the realm from horseback, and the Chengzu Emperor, too, was an emperor on horseback—five times he personally led campaigns against the Tartars, mighty and heroic. As successor to the throne, I must follow the example of my ancestors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If such an assassination happens again, I do not ask to kill the enemy—only to protect myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am not afraid of hardship!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor learning martial arts—neglecting his proper duties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, Zhu Yijun’s request to learn martial arts would have drawn Empress Dowager Li’s reprimand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today, Zhu Yijun invoked ancestral precedent—the highest political correctness of the Great Ming—and added the assassination attempt, where the young Emperor had been helpless. His request now came naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun truly wished to learn martial arts—not merely for self-defense, but to tear open a small crack in the fog of secrets and information silos, to grasp the reins of military power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does the Son of Heaven have a divine lineage? Only the strong and well-armed hold the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li paused, then looked at Zhu Xixiao: “Commandant, will you teach the Emperor martial arts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xixiao did not want to—absolutely not!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swords and spears have no eyes. If the Emperor were injured, sprained, bruised, or bumped—even if the Emperor did not blame him, and the Empress Dowager understood—the court ministers would drown him in spittle, and even the Chengguo Duke’s household would suffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The honor of the Great Ming nobility had long sunk into the mud; anyone could trample on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor wished to neglect his duties—Zhu Xixiao did not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, I beg your pardon: Your Majesty’s decree and Empress Dowager’s command are binding, but I am Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, burdened with heavy duties and the assassination case demanding my attention. I fear I may fail and am unfit for this task.” Zhu Xixiao chose to decline politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mother, do not trouble the Commandant,” Zhu Yijun shook his head, offering a faint, bitter smile, gazing at Empress Dowager Li with eyes brimming with sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li looked into Zhu Yijun’s innocent eyes, then at the wound on his forehead—how terrified must her son have been when facing that criminal?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had the child not been quick-witted, had he not opened his eyes before the assassin struck, would the Great Ming’s newly enthroned Emperor—barely seven months on the throne—not have perished?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li looked at Zhu Xixiao with grave seriousness: “Commandant, court ministers have seized power, monopolized imperial authority, and barred the Emperor from governing. We, mother and son, live in constant fear. Now even the Emperor has been attacked. The nobility have received imperial grace for generations—can you now refuse such a simple duty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xixiao’s face changed color; he dropped to one knee and shouted: “Your servant dares not!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dared not refuse—not because he did not wish to, but because he had made his position clear: military nobility had long declined; such matters, as a younger brother of the Chengguo Duke, he wished to avoid. But the Empress Dowager had directly questioned him—he could no longer refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To refuse again would invite the civil officials’ accusation of disloyalty, filial impiety, and indifference—and the Chengguo Duke’s household would be ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then from tomorrow, the Emperor shall train under the Commandant. This is settled.” Empress Dowager Li considered, then issued her order—if the child faced another villain, at least he would have a chance to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xixiao could only accept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xixiao departed with his Embroidered Uniform Guard. The imperial physician bandaged Zhang Hong again, gave further instructions, and left with them. Within Qianqing Palace, only Empress Dowager Li, Zhu Yijun, Zhang Hong, and the kneeling Feng Bao remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li leaned back in her chair, stared at Feng Bao for a long while, then said: “Eunuch Feng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This assassination attempt is a grave crime. The palace is heavily guarded—every five steps a sentry, every ten steps a post, walls high and deep. How did this criminal make his way into Qianqing Palace? There must be a traitor within. Who is he? As Director of the Eastern Depot and head of the Northern Commandery, you need not go to the Northern Commandery for interrogation. Your duty is to uncover this traitor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once the traitor and the assassin are compared, we shall know the assassin’s true identity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think, Eunuch Feng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the Empress Dowager mention the case, Feng Bao felt as if released from death’s grip; he knelt, gritting his teeth: “Your words are wise, Your Majesty. I shall spare no effort to investigate—even if I dig three feet into the earth, I shall unearth these traitorous dogs and give you and His Majesty justice!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Go. If you delay further, this traitor may die before you find him.” Empress Dowager Li nodded, waved her hand, dismissing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun remained silent, chewing over the phrase “die before you find him.” The meaning was clear: Feng Bao must ensure the traitor lived—if the traitor died, Feng Bao would bear full blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if he failed to solve the case, could Feng Bao still live?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Her Majesty Ren Sheng arrives!” A young eunuch shrieked in a shrill voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun turned to the door—Ren Sheng Empress Dowager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Ming now had two Empress Dowagers: the young Emperor’s birth mother, Empress Dowager Li; and his stepmother, Empress Dowager Chen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen was the second consort of Longqing Emperor; after his ascension, she became Empress Chen. After Longqing’s death, per Ming custom, she was honored with the title Ren Sheng and elevated to Empress Dowager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen was harmless: though beautiful, she was unloved; she had been banished from Kunning Palace for advising Longqing Emperor, and moved to a separate residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, Empress Chen had no children—this was the bedrock of peace between the two Empress Dowagers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bow to the Empress Dowager!” The palace maids and eunuchs hurried to kneel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Chen hurried in, her robes swishing, rushed to the young Emperor, examined him closely, then sighed in relief: “Besides the wound on your forehead, are you hurt anywhere else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, has the Emperor been seen by the imperial physician?” Empress Dowager Chen asked Empress Dowager Li, her face anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li smiled: “Sister, he has. He is unharmed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Chen exhaled deeply: “Good, good. Heaven protects the Emperor, Heaven protects the Great Ming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The forehead wound is nearly healed—just a bump,” Zhu Yijun stood straight. “The Commandant has captured the assassin. Mother has ordered Eunuch Feng to find the traitor. The case will soon be clear. Mother need not worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Chen, the stepmother, was called “Mother”; Empress Dowager Li, the birth mother, was called “Mother.” This was Ming practice—centuries earlier, in the Song, imperial sons could only call their birth mothers “sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun briefly explained the situation. The two Empress Dowagers began discussing, speculating who might be behind the plot—Gao Gong? Zhang Juzheng? Feng Bao?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or who else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who else?\u003C\u002Fp>",2455,"2026-06-21T07:55:54.218Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","a0a2b0e01b46143287c65789e1299a411bda513d2b8cc9c2f0fbaf9e15a34479","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-4","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-2",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-cover.jpg"]