Chapter 1641: I Am an Emperor with Nothing to My Name

The twenty-second day of the eighth month, the seventh year of Tianqi, Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youjian, who had already wept himself nearly unconscious, had been supported out of the bedchamber of Qianqing Palace by the two great eunuchs Xu Yingyuan and Wei Zhongxian, one on each side. Once they reached the main hall, they made to seat him on the imperial throne. How could Zhu Youjian be willing to sit down? He was no unruly son who would seize the throne and sit on it himself, with no one below daring to call him a fatuous ruler. Zhu Youjian had to show humility — even though he clearly longed to be emperor, he had to put on an act of being utterly unwilling to rule the realm. Though no one believed it, this was the rule handed down by the ancestors.

"No, no! We will not sit on the dragon throne — waaah!"

"Your Highness, this dragon throne is now yours alone to sit upon. Please do not decline any further!" Wei Zhongxian wept as he urged, and together with Xu Yingyuan he tried to press Zhu Youjian down onto the dragon throne!

In truth, Wei Zhongxian did not want Zhu Youjian to become emperor either. Setting aside the question of where Zhu Youjian's loyalties lay, the mere fact that he was a vigorous seventeen-year-old made him an emperor who would not be easy to control!

But the problem was, if Zhu Youjian did not take the throne, who else could? The plan he and Madam Ke had arranged — planting pregnant palace women for the late emperor — had already fallen through. And even if it had not, there was no time; the bastard child had not yet been born!

They could not simply snatch some child from outside the palace and make him emperor, could they? Wei Zhongxian, the "Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Years," had not yet sunk to that level!

Though most of the civil and military officials had thrown in their lot with Eunuch Wei's eunuch-faction camp, most of them were sycophants and flatterers, not men truly willing to stake their heads on following Wei Zhongxian in usurping the throne.

Moreover, within the eunuch faction that filled the court, there were few officials who actually held military power. Throughout the Tianqi reign, control of Beijing's defenses had always rested with the Duke of Ying, Zhang Weixian, Governor-General of the Capital Camps. This Zhang Weixian was the seventh Duke of Ying, descended from Zhang Fu, who had followed Zhu Di in the Jingnan campaign to win the realm.

Zhang Weixian had held the post of Commander for many years, serving continuously since the Wanli era. Furthermore, the Ming capital camps had always been controlled by the Beijing military nobility — from top to bottom, inside and out, they were all their people! Wei Zhongxian simply could not touch the Capital Camps, and the Tianqi Emperor had never shown any intention of handing the Capital Camps over to Wei Zhongxian.

Although the Capital Camps of the Tianqi era had long been neglected into uselessness and could no longer fight, that was only relative. Compared to the Nanhaizi Purified Army in Wei Zhongxian's hands, the Capital Camps' fighting strength was far superior!

In addition, the Directorate of the Imperial Horses, one of the twelve inner-court directorates of the Ming, also commanded a palace guard force of several thousand men, divided into three camps: the Braves, the Four Guards, and the Loyal-and-Brave. This force still had some fighting ability, but it was not in Wei Zhongxian's hands. Instead it was controlled by the great eunuchs of the Directorate of the Imperial Horses system — Tu Wenfu, Liu Yingkun, Tao Wen, Ji Yong, and others. Among them, Tu Wenfu did side with Wei Zhongxian, but he was Wei Zhongxian's ally, not his lackey. Joining Wei Zhongxian in fleecing money and sharing the spoils was all well and good, but following Eunuch Wei in rebellion was out of the question!

As for Liu Yingkun, Tao Wen, and Ji Yong — these great eunuchs were military eunuchs long seasoned in the ranks, and all of them were currently at the Ji-Liao front, not in Beijing.

But even if they had been in Beijing, they would not have helped Wei Zhongxian rebel. So Wei Zhongxian had no choice but to climb up the ladder Zhu Youjian had extended to him.

Yet Zhu Youjian still refused to sit on the dragon throne, as though the throne might bite him. He continued to wail: "No, no! We are not the late emperor's son — how dare We take the imperial throne?"

"Your Highness, the late emperor left no son, and he long ago issued a clear testament proclaiming it to the realm. We beg Your Highness not to decline further."

Huang Liji, Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, led the civil and military officials who had rushed over upon hearing the news. In unison they urged again that Zhu Youjian must take the throne!

"No, no! Our virtue is meager and Our talents shallow. We fear We cannot bear so great a charge. You should seek someone more worthy!"

Zhu Youjian still refused. Since ancient times, no one who became emperor had ever mounted the throne happily. It was always weeping, wailing, and threatening to hang oneself — adamantly refusing until forced up by those below.

"Wuwuwu—" At that moment, someone came out weeping. Everyone looked and saw that it was the Empress, supported by several palace maids, emerging from the rear hall.

Zhu Youjian hastily shook off Wei Zhongxian and Xu Yingyuan, then strode forward and bowed deeply to his sister-in-law Zhang Yan.

Empress Zhang was now extremely satisfied with Zhu Youjian. Zhu Youjian had offered his own unborn eldest son — that was Zhu Cilang — to her as her son, and moreover he was going to make this son, adopted by Empress Zhang, the Imperial Heir-Nephew! Given the average lifespan of Ming emperors, Empress Zhang might well have a chance at regency!

So when she heard Zhu Youjian decline twice, she decided to come out in person.

Wiping her tears, she said to Zhu Youjian: "The late emperor left his testament here. The Imperial Uncle cannot shirk this duty. The matter is urgent, and We fear some mishap may occur. Please decline no further."

Zhu Youjian gave a long sigh, then bowed all the way down to Empress Zhang and said: "An elder brother is as a father, an elder brother's wife as a mother. The command of Our Imperial Sister-in-Law — this younger brother dare not disobey!"

Ah, Zhu Youjian was truly ill-fated! It was not that he wanted to be emperor — he simply did not dare refuse. Those below were practically forcing a good man into the throne.

The ill-fated Zhu Youjian first asked his "mother-like" sister-in-law to be seated on a chair that several eunuchs had carried over, and only then did he reluctantly sit on the dragon throne. He did not dare sit fully, resting only half his rear on the seat. In the great hall, the Grand Secretaries, the censors and supervising secretaries, the Commander of the Capital Camps, and the great eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Directorate of the Imperial Horses all stood in ranks — the transfer of power in the Great Ming was a massive undertaking, and it had only just begun! Although Zhu Youjian had been placed on the dragon throne, he was not yet the true emperor — merely the heir-sovereign. There were still many steps before the formal enthronement. How these steps were to proceed, how to ensure a smooth transition of power, how to balance the interests of all sides — all of this had to be settled immediately in the great hall of Qianqing Palace.

To put it bluntly, what this informal court session decided today was the power structure of the Ming court until Zhu Youjian had fully secured his hold on the realm.

Because of the existence of Wei Zhongxian's faction, Zhu Youjian's power base at the time of his enthronement was even weaker than that of previous Ming sovereigns.

For previous Ming sovereigns might not have been able to control treacherous ministers in the outer court, but they could at least always command the eunuchs of the inner court.

But Zhu Youjian was an emperor with nothing to his name!

The outer court could not be relied upon, and the inner court had Wei Zhongxian, whose hand blotted out the sky — just as difficult to control. What he truly held in his grasp were only the few eunuchs who had followed him from the Prince of Xin's household.

In addition, there was his mother-like sister-in-law Zhang Yan, who counted as Zhu Youjian's one reliable ally — without Zhang Yan, Zhu Youjian very likely could not have become emperor.

This great favor, Zhu Youjian had to remember. Therefore he had to stand together with Empress Zhang against Wei Zhongxian and Madam Ke!

As for the possibility of cooperating with Wei Zhongxian — there was simply none at all!

Because cooperation would require Zhu Youjian to acknowledge Wei Zhongxian's standing in both the inner and outer courts, and it would also strip Empress Zhang of all her power. In that way, Zhu Youjian would become a true emperor with nothing to his name.

Therefore, rooting out Wei Zhongxian was imperative!

And it was also achievable!

Because Wei Zhongxian's operation looked vast, but its foundations were hollow. Unless Zhu Youjian was willing to become Wei Zhongxian's puppet and let him continue to grow, rooting out Wei Zhongxian would not be difficult.

However, Wei Zhongxian's power had originally belonged to Tianqi — that is, it belonged to the emperor! When Zhu Youjian rooted out Wei Zhongxian, he would inevitably deal a heavy blow to the forces attached to Wei Zhongxian, thereby weakening the strength of the "imperial faction."

In Zhu Youjian's previous life, he had suffered greatly from exactly this!

Fortunately, he had now studied "emperor lessons" under that unfilial son for more than fifty years, and he now had a way to root out Wei Zhongxian while greatly strengthening his own power at the same time!

In the end, the struggles of the court come down to real strength!

At that thought, Zhu Youjian sighed and spoke: "Our virtue is meager and Our talents shallow, and We have never been much of a reader — truly We cannot manage this. We can only appoint Companion Xu as brush-holder, Companion Zhou to manage Qianqing Palace, and Companion Shang as Superintendent of the Directorate of the Imperial Horses. Sister-in-Law, Factory Minister, what do you think?"

(End of Chapter)