[{"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-5":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},2363274,4622,"Chapter 5: Chapter Five: The Emperor","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-5",5,"\u003Cp>Defying the imperial decree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the institutional design of the Ming imperial system, defying the imperial decree meant abandonment by heaven and earth; the emperor could invoke extraordinary punishments and charge the offender with treason, and no official in court dared to plead for Zhu Xixiao, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, on grounds of defiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this token held by Zhang Hong was indeed the imperial token of the Ming emperor Zhu Yijun; even if the emperor did not take the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard as his teacher, Commander Zhu Xixiao was still obligated to mobilize troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I must go with you.” Zhu Xixiao made his decision to mobilize troops within five breaths, but he must accompany them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I dare not lead the Embroidered Uniform Guard alone—that would be suicide. Thank you, Commander, for your indulgence.” Zhang Hong’s face, moments ago flushed with rage, instantly softened into a smile; the earlier confrontational demeanor vanished as if it had never been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Zhu Xixiao had not volunteered to go, Zhang Hong would have demanded the commander’s presence; a eunuch commanding troops would be dead by the next day, drowned in some well—that was an absolute taboo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many disasters had arisen from eunuchs holding military power in the middle and late Tang dynasty?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a senior eunuch of the Qianqing Palace, Zhang Hong was a man of restraint—he knew precisely what he could and could not do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eunuchs changed their faces faster than turning a page; Zhu Xixiao had seen it often enough—Zhang Hong and Feng Bao turned on each other with equal speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of monsters infest this Ming imperial palace!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong, accompanied by two adopted sons and fifty Embroidered Uniform Guards, began clearing the Qianqing Palace; a chorus of wails and howls erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the magnitude of the incident, Empress Dowager Li had not slept; she was discussing the assassination attempt with Empress Chen. When she heard the wailing from outside the palace, she inquired of her maid what was happening—and gave no order to stop it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had just ordered Zhang Hong to enter the Qianqing Palace; she intended for him to utterly alienate Feng Bao. The presence of a powerful eunuch who threatened Feng Bao’s position would serve as a whip to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong had feared the Empress Dowager might intervene; her lamp was still lit, but no one came to stop him. Emboldened, he expelled every palace maid and eunuch serving the emperor who belonged to Feng Bao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This purge did not involve throwing anyone into wells—only sending them all to the Langxiajia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong left Empress Dowager Li’s people untouched, for the emperor had already defined the scope of the purge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li resided in Cining Palace, where court ministers had placed her to oversee the young emperor; her attendants were all Cining Palace servants. Zhang Hong, a Qianqing Palace eunuch, if he reached beyond his station, would be guilty of overstepping—and the emperor would never defend him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong was a man of restraint; he was, after all, a Langxiajia eunuch. Though he was a master, the number of adopted sons and daughters in the palace was limited; the emperor’s personal attendants had been reduced from nearly a hundred to just six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three eunuchs, three palace maids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhang Hong!” Feng Bao arrived with a retinue of fanzi, his face dark and menacing, teeth clenched, pointing at him: “What do you intend to do?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.” The cry made the wounds on Feng Bao’s face throb painfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Xixiao’s brow knotted—he must not provoke conflict; otherwise, Zhu Xixiao and the Embroidered Uniform Guards, who had come under orders, would be caught in an impossible position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong swept his wide sleeve aside, revealed the imperial token, and demanded sharply: “What do you intend to do? The emperor’s token is before you—do you dare defy the imperial command? Even if we take this to the Empress Dowager, you will have no justification!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You failed your mission—that’s all there is to it! The Empress Dowager and the emperor, out of old affection, did not drown you in a well—yet you still come whining? Do you truly wish to die?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong was somewhat fearful; Feng Bao’s roots in the palace ran deep and thick, with his men everywhere—but facing Feng Bao, Zhang Hong stood firm, forcing his voice to ring out sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him stood the emperor; this mission was ordered by the emperor, tacitly approved by the Empress Dowager!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held the emperor’s token.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had every right to be bold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as Zhang Hong looked at Feng Bao, he wondered: could this token truly subdue the old patriarch of this palace?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao’s brow furrowed at the token.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recognized it well—it was one of a full set of seals and cords cast by the Yinshou Jian in June last year, after the late emperor’s death; Feng Bao himself had retrieved them, presented them to the Empress Dowager, who then passed them to the emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty!” Feng Bao bowed respectfully to the token before rising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With so many witnesses, if Feng Bao showed even the slightest disrespect, word would reach Empress Dowager Li—and not only would he lose his position as senior eunuch, he might not even live to see tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, very good!” Feng Bao clapped his hands repeatedly, watching Zhang Hong, his expression gradually softening as he smiled: “We both serve the emperor. You must serve him diligently. Should you make even the slightest mistake, you’ll regret it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao had shown fear!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong keenly sensed Feng Bao’s timidity: first, Feng Bao had failed his mission; second, he feared this token—was this merely a token?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was imperial authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This token was a thousand, ten thousand times more potent than Zhang Hong had imagined. Without it, if Feng Bao had clashed with him, a hundred Zhang Hongs would not have been his match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong raised an eyebrow and smiled: “Old Patriarch, how can you say such things? We’re all just trying to earn our bread. If I make a mistake, why would you need to act? I’ll find my own well and jump in—so as not to trouble the emperor or the Empress Dowager.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This remark was a barbed taunt: allowing a villain into the palace and right up to the emperor’s presence was a grave crime. Even heaven itself could not excuse Feng Bao’s failure. If he were blameless, whose hands had struck his face? Whose hands had forced his head against the wall to cause that wound?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao was speechless, choked by the words. Zhang Hong pressed his advantage—he hated it, but he hated the traitor who had betrayed them even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blame the emperor for his lack of mercy? Blame the Empress Dowager for forgetting old ties? Blame Zhang Hong for his sharp tongue? Blame Feng Bao for incompetence? There are no thieves who can steal for a thousand days without being caught—nor can one guard against thieves for a thousand days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emperor’s token was here; imperial authority reigned above. Feng Bao was in the wrong—he could only endure the attacks, unable to reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More than twenty eunuchs and over thirty palace maids had been expelled from the Qianqing Palace. Feng Bao arrived at the palace gate with a dozen fanzi. Though they stood silent, watching the two senior eunuchs argue, their private calculations were beyond the ken of outsiders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Patriarch, the Empress Dowager ordered you to catch the traitor inside—how did that go? Tomorrow, if the emperor asks, I’ll have something to say, won’t I?” Zhang Hong pressed further, seizing his advantage to question Feng Bao’s mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who in this palace is truly the old patriarch?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever is closest to the emperor, whoever is closest to the Empress Dowager—that is the old patriarch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I caught him—it was Chen Hong and his sons and grandsons!” Feng Bao snapped back, flinging his sleeve, unwilling to say more. Zhang Hong now held the upper hand; staying longer would only bring further humiliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See Old Patriarch off.” Zhang Hong knew when to stop. He had already used the emperor’s authority to trample Feng Bao once—enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only do this because Feng Bao had made a mistake. Had Feng Bao done nothing wrong, Zhang Hong would not have dared, even if given a hundred lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spring days are dim and deep, clouds thin yet profound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most spring mornings were overcast, clouds thin yet distant. Zhu Yijun rose at the fifth watch, yawning. Zhang Hong had finished his mission and returned to the Qianqing Palace’s sleeping quarters. Hearing movement inside, he entered, opened the door, and signaled the two maids waiting outside to enter and attend to the emperor’s dressing and washing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll do it myself.” Zhu Yijun sat down, motioning the maids not to approach; he dressed himself in the Yanbian crown and robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Yanbian crown and robe were the emperor’s everyday attire, instituted by the Jiajing Emperor, grandfather of Wanli, during the Great Rites Controversy—the very robe Jiajing had once lamented as having only four sets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five-colored jade clouds adorned the front of the crown, symbolizing the Five Elements; four mountains lined the back, symbolizing the Four Directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The robe was black, edged in blue at the collar, sleeves, and front opening. A coiled dragon embroidered in a round patch adorned the chest; two coiled dragons in a square patch adorned the back—three dragons total, symbolizing the Three Powers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cost of this robe was immense; the gold thread for the three dragons and the embroidery work were priceless. Putting it on was not difficult—Zhu Yijun had hands and feet, and he preferred not to have others too near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ceremonial robe was too complicated—he could not put it on himself; he needed palace attendants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong knelt respectfully, and when the emperor had finished dressing and washing, he raised the token above his head and declared loudly: “Your servant has completed the mission. I humbly request the return of the token.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.” Zhu Yijun walked to Zhang Hong, took the token, and hung it at his waist before speaking: “Rise and speak. From now on, if you have something to say, say it—no need to kneel constantly. Did Feng Bao give you trouble?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong rose and bowed: “Senior Eunuch Feng knew of the purge and came once. He said nothing, only reminded me to serve the emperor diligently and not to slack off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, he said nothing?” Zhu Yijun continued. “How did you fare in catching the traitor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong paused briefly, then bowed: “Senior Eunuch Feng arrested Chen Hong, claiming he and his remnants were responsible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hong, former head of the Office of Eunuch Secretariat, was notoriously treacherous, cunning, and cruel, fond of administering potent and dangerous drugs. Empress Dowager Li held him in deep contempt; after the Longqing Emperor’s death, she immediately stripped him of all posts and banished him to live in the Langxiajia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Hong made as if to kneel again, but the emperor had just forbidden kneeling; he ventured cautiously: “Your servant is guilty, Your Majesty. Though I am a master, I have only three adopted sons and three adopted daughters—I can only assign so many to serve you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun dismissed it with a smile: “Fewer is better. Fewer are easier to manage. Keep these seven—no more, no less. If you need more later, add them. Too many only bring trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more bloated the organization, the more rigid it becomes; excessive personnel breed endless scheming. Seven truly is not few.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within three zhang, the more people, the more trouble. Fewer means peace and safety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond three zhang?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond three zhang, imperial authority is invincible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After breakfast, Empress Dowager Li reiterated her instructions regarding the Jingyan sessions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Ming ancestral law, the imperial harem must not interfere in state affairs. She could not even enter the Wenhua Hall, let alone hold court behind a curtain, much less rule in her own right. Every time the young emperor went to Wenhua Hall for Jingyan, Empress Dowager Li grew deeply anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is called Jingyan also included the regular court deliberations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wenhua Hall was where Ming court deliberations took place, attended by twenty-seven civil and military ministers—also known as the Nine Ministers’ Round Review, which decided much of the empire’s governance. Fengtian Hall was for grand audiences, primarily to announce the decisions of these deliberations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young emperor was still a child. Empress Dowager Li feared he would be bullied in Wenhua Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Eunuch Feng’s face is injured. Today, let Zhang Hong accompany the prince to Wenhua Hall.” Empress Dowager Li carefully checked the young emperor’s attire, found no breach of protocol, and announced her decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun smiled: “Zhang Hong won’t do. Let Senior Eunuch Feng come. Otherwise, the outer ministers will start speculating again—it’ll only cause trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Major personnel changes must not be abrupt; otherwise, they invite chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ming palace was like a sieve—news of yesterday’s assassination attempt had already spread outside. If Feng Bao failed to appear at Wenhua Hall, even with Zhang Juzheng suppressing them, the outer ministers would stir up trouble again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Feng Bao’s support, Zhang Juzheng could not guarantee control over the outer court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Juzheng, Feng Bao, and Empress Dowager Li formed an interdependent triad. Lose any one, and the Ming court’s fragile balance would twist into chaos again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demons and monsters, all dancing wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun knew clearly: his own power was far too weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao—or eunuchs in general—were the dogs the emperor kept to tear at the outer court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao’s facial wounds were no great matter. As long as he appeared at Wenhua Hall, the outer ministers would keep their heads bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very well.” Empress Dowager Li was deeply hesitant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should Feng Bao go to Wenhua Hall?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t, the outer ministers would stir up trouble. But if he did, she feared he might be conspiring with Zhang Juzheng to trap the young emperor. Her doubts multiplied, her anxiety deepened—and sleep eluded her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had not slept all night, pondering the identity of the assassin. But she could not even enter Wenhua Hall; she had to rely entirely on Feng Bao—and now even he seemed unreliable, leaving her utterly lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At twenty-seven, not yet thirty, Empress Dowager Li had little experience. Since her son insisted Feng Bao accompany him, let Feng Bao accompany him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Wenhua Hall, surrounded by ministers, if her son felt safer with Feng Bao beside him, then let Feng Bao stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun did not ride in a palanquin—he walked toward Wenhua Hall. Feng Bao followed step by step, each pace identical, precisely one body-length behind the emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun suddenly stopped and spoke: “Senior Eunuch Feng, you once trampled on me to establish your authority. I knew. I let you. There were so many in the palace—I had just ascended the throne; you needed some prestige to act.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But after you established your authority, you let a villain into the palace to harm me? Is this how you serve as old patriarch?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your servant deserves death!” Feng Bao, holding the Wanli Seal, immediately knelt, hands trembling as he raised the seal above his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun turned to face him, calmly: “Look at me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.” Feng Bao raised his head, gazing through the seal’s cord at the Ming emperor—the slightly plump young sovereign, now higher than heaven itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One word from him, and this old patriarch would be cast into the Jinshui River.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power of eunuchs came entirely from imperial authority. The man before him was the emperor. The Wanli Seal before him belonged not to the Empress Dowager, not to Zhang Juzheng, not to Feng Bao—but to the man standing before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun stared at Feng Bao with perfect calm: “My mother is a woman. Do not deceive her. Now that Chen Hong has fallen and Gao Gong has fallen, what is inside and outside is what it is—do not embellish or distort things, and do not make her worry needlessly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun did not make Feng Bao do anything more difficult; he strongly disliked how Feng Bao deceived Empress Dowager Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li was merely a woman, prone to extreme anxiety; the Great Ming trembled on the brink of collapse, the Longqing Emperor had died too early, and if Feng Bao spoke foolishly again, she would often wake in terror at midnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao kowtowed respectfully and said solemnly: “Thank Your Majesty for your great grace!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, the political alliance of Feng Bao, Zhang Juzheng, and Empress Dowager Li—the iron triangle—was Zhu Yijun’s greatest obstacle to ruling in his own right, yet also his greatest shield as a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao was still useful, but not as before, relied upon in every matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come, to the morning court!” Zhu Yijun strode forward toward the Wenhua Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take the seat!” Feng Bao hurried forward into the Wenhua Hall, placing the Wanli Imperial Seal upon the imperial table on the dais.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four young eunuchs carried the dragon throne and placed it behind the imperial table; after each morning court, the throne was carried away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Summon the civil and military court ministers to enter the hall!” Feng Bao flicked his fly-whisk; the Ti Shuai stood at the door and cracked the cleansing whip three times, shouting loudly: “Enter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The giant guards at the door searched the civil and military ministers for concealed weapons; the ministers filed in one by one, and when they had taken their places, Zhang Juzheng led the twenty-seven court ministers in five prostrations and three kowtows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun raised his hand slightly and said: “Rise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun studied the man standing at the center, who was none other than the Chief Grand Secretary of the Neiji Palace, Zhang Juzheng.\u003C\u002Fp>",2994,"2026-06-21T07:55:54.218Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","c4d307a581d4e8ebb3294355d617063c4e5f9f6ff1a9f863c6d27aef1176b131","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-6","i-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-chapter-4",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-really-am-not-neglecting-my-duties-cover.jpg"]