Chapter 35: Hold Fast to the One, Keep Faithfully to the Mean

(Second watch of the night)

(Second watch of the night)

The sedan chair swayed gently. Zhu Youjian closed his eyes, letting his thoughts churn freely in his mind.

Only at this moment did he finally match the title "Old Consort Dowager Liu" with a specific person, dredged from the chaotic depths of the original host's memories.

Consort Zhao of the Liu clan — a consort of the Wanli Emperor.

A four-reign elder who had outlived Wanli, seen off Taichang, and now bid farewell to Tianqi, nearing seventy years of age.

Zhu Youjian felt a touch of helplessness.

In these few days since his enthronement, he had handled every matter personally, relying entirely on his knowledge from the later age and this body's instinctive memory to manage the affairs of state.

Only when he encountered something he did not understand would he consult the original host's memories, like flipping through a book.

He had not expected to make such a blunder today.

He had assumed that the one currently holding the Empress Dowager's seal in the palace was his imperial sister-in-law Zhang Yan, forgetting that as long as this Consort Liu Zhao was still alive, the Ciqing Palace was not Zhang Yan's to occupy.

No wonder Zhang Yan had moved to Ciqing Palace after his imperial brother's passing.

Yet, in his memories, this Old Consort Dowager Liu had been cautious all her life, kept aloof from worldly strife, and almost never interfered in any political matter.

Why, then, on this very day — the critical juncture when he had just bypassed the Ministry of War and the Five Chief Military Commissions with a direct palace edict to establish the new army, the "Brave Warriors Battalion" — did she summon him?

Who had reacted so quickly?

As he pondered, the sedan chair slowly came to a halt. They had arrived at Ciqing Palace.

He gathered his thoughts, straightened his robes and cap, and followed the eunuch's guidance into the hall.

The hall was very quiet, with only the faint scent of sandalwood in the air.

An elderly woman lay in a reclining chair by the window, wrapped in a thick brocade quilt, seemingly already asleep.

Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows upon her aged face.

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, signaling those around him to be silent, then found a seat for himself and sat down quietly to wait.

The waiting was tedious.

Zhu Youjian's thoughts began to wander. He thought of the reinstatement list he would receive the day after tomorrow.

Xu Guangqi, Sun Chengzong, Yuan Chonghuan — these names that thundered like lightning in later ages would all return to the political stage of the Great Ming.

Compared to the likes of Huang Liji and Shi Fenglai, this was far more exhilarating.

He was about to share the stage with these names that shone brilliantly in the history books, and together they would reverse the tide.

Who else was there?

He racked his brain, searching for fragments of memory left from his previous life's cursory reading of history.

Right, Li Zicheng! I know he was a courier at the Yinchuan post station!

But where is this Yinchuan? Is it in Ningxia? The Ming dynasty doesn't seem to have a Ningxia now, only Shaanxi!

He could barely contain his excitement and almost wanted to issue an edict immediately to seek out this man.

This was the gravedigger who, alongside Hong Taiji, personally buried the Zhu Ming dynasty!

As for what the materialist conception of history says — without Li Zicheng, there would have been a Zhang Zicheng?

Who cares! Just think of it as collecting a historical legend SSR!

Ding—

In his emotional agitation, his movement was slightly too large and jostled the jade pendant at his waist, producing a soft sound.

The Old Consort Dowager Liu on the reclining chair stirred her eyelids and slowly opened her eyes.

Zhu Youjian immediately rose, stepped forward quickly, and bowed in salute.

"Imperial Aunt, your kind grace beholds me. Your subject, the Emperor Youjian, respectfully inquires after your well-being."

Old Consort Dowager Liu's eyes held a trace of confusion, but they quickly cleared. She looked at Zhu Youjian before her and revealed a kind smile.

"So it is Deyue who has come."

Her voice was somewhat hoarse, carrying the deliberate slowness of the elderly. "Sit down quickly. How long have you been waiting?"

She turned to the palace maids beside her with a hint of playful reproach. "His Majesty has arrived. Why did none of you wake me?"

The palace maids merely smiled, showing no fear. One clever among them stepped forward to tuck in the corner of her quilt.

Supported by the palace maids, Old Consort Dowager Liu slowly sat upright in her reclining chair.

She studied Zhu Youjian carefully and sighed with emotion. "In the blink of an eye, you have grown so much. In my memory, you are still that quiet child who followed behind the late Emperor, not fond of talking."

Zhu Youjian replied respectfully, "Your subject Youjian has always remembered Imperial Aunt's affection. The tea you graciously bestowed last year, I am still drinking it now."

Old Consort Dowager Liu smiled, a smile that deepened the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

"The reason your aunt called you here today is, in truth, nothing more than doing a favor for someone who asked."

Zhu Youjian's heart tightened. He straightened his body and looked seriously at this elder who had lived through four reigns.

The slanting rays of the setting sun streamed in through the window, falling into his pupils and making them seem deep and unfathomable.

Old Consort Dowager Liu did not continue. Instead, she let out a long sigh.

"So alike."

Zhu Youjian was somewhat puzzled.

"You and your imperial grandfather, in his youth, are practically identical." Old Consort Dowager Liu's tone was distant, as if she had sunk into a faraway memory. "Not in appearance, but in this very spirit."

"A noble man changes like the leopard, his patterns becoming glorious. You have been enthroned mere days, yet you have already swept aside the traitor Wei and the harlot Ke with ease."

"Even more rare was burning the documents in the hall to win hearts, tempering severity with leniency, and mastering the art of swaying men's minds."

"This manner and these methods of yours surpass even your imperial grandfather's back in his day by a few degrees."

Being old, she had to pause for breath before she could continue.

"At that time, Zhang Taiyue had just departed. He was wholeheartedly determined to spread his wings and spent his days thinking of becoming a sage and enlightened sovereign."

"When the capital suffered a great drought, he fasted, bathed, and walked on foot from the palace to the Temple of Heaven to pray for rain. At that time, who in all the realm did not believe a sage sovereign had descended upon the world?"

"But what happened after that — you already know."

The old Consort Dowager Liu extended her hand, covered in brown spots and with skin dried and withered, and gently took hold of Zhu Youjian's hand.

"Child, the human heart is precarious, the heart of the Dao is subtle; be refined, be single-minded, hold fast to the mean."

"This keen spirit you show today is a blessing for all under Heaven. But you must remember — no matter how great the setbacks you face in the future, you must guard this original heart of yours and persevere."

Zhu Youjian felt a tremor in his heart. He could sense the sincerity and expectation in this old woman's words.

He rose again and bowed solemnly: "Your subject Youjian shall engrave the Imperial Aunt's instruction upon his heart."

The formalities concluded, yet he was still uncertain of the reason for today's meeting. He probed cautiously: "Might this subject ask... whom the Imperial Aunt is acting on behalf of today?"

At these words, the old Consort Dowager Liu suddenly gave a mischievous wink.

"Who asked me is of no importance. It's just that group of nobles who have enjoyed peace for too long — they see you making such bold moves and feel uneasy in their hearts, that is all."

"In any case, I have called you here and had you sit a while. They can hardly say this old woman did not do her part, and they will not come disturbing my peace again."

She paused to catch her breath, then added with a touch of gratification: "Our old Zhu family has, after all, brought forth another qilin child."

The two exchanged a few more words of family talk, and then Zhu Youjian rose to take his leave.

At that moment, the old Consort Dowager Liu suddenly spoke: "If in the days to come you encounter obstacles, you might go and have a word with the Duke of Ying."

Zhu Youjian's figure stiffened.

He heard her continue: "When he was young, he was not the way he is now. He too once... had a certain fire in him."

With these words spoken, in the dim room, the old woman had already lain back in her reclining chair and closed her eyes.

The serving maids, one on each side, set the reclining chair rocking gently back and forth.

Zhu Youjian was silent only a moment before a warm smile appeared on his face: "Imperial Aunt, Youjian understands."