Chapter 1642: Sister-in-Law, Wei Zhongxian Is Truly Formidable!

The morning court session at Qianqing Palace on the day the Tianqi Emperor died of illness finally came to an end.

This court session did not last long, but it was absolutely critical — in the eyes of Zhu Youjian, Wei Zhongxian, and Empress Zhang, it was absolutely critical!

Each of them believed they were the winner of this court session, one that would very likely determine the direction of the political situation for a long time to come!

Right — all three sides won, so who was the loser? That was the question!

Zhu Youjian certainly could not be the loser — he had studied under that wicked sage of a son for over fifty years, so how could he possibly lose?

At today's court session, his people secured the posts of brush-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, managing eunuch of Qianqing Palace, and supervising eunuch of the Directorate of the Imperial Horses. Of course, apart from the managing eunuch of Qianqing Palace, the other two posts appeared to carry no real power.

That was also why Wei Zhongxian did not obstruct him, and why Empress Zhang did not take it too seriously.

The post of managing eunuch of Qianqing Palace had to be given — otherwise what sort of emperor would Zhu Youjian be?

As for the brush-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, as long as it did not come with command of the Eastern Depot, it was of little use. And the supervising eunuch of the Directorate of the Imperial Horses — heh, what could Shang Fuming do with his meager foundations in the Loyal and Brave Camp, the Four Guards Camp, and the Braves Camp? It would be one thing if he held an office like "Commander of a certain camp." But did he? An empty supervising eunuch title was worth absolutely nothing.

Because Zhu Youjian's people had not obtained any "useful" posts, Wei Zhongxian was also a winner of today's meeting at Qianqing Palace. Add to that the fifty thousand taels of gold he had presented to Zhu Youjian early on, and Zhu Youjian's guarantee, made in the presence of the late emperor, of the safety of the Lady of Fengsheng, and Wei Zhongxian felt he was now fairly secure.

Empress Zhang also felt she was the winner, because she had become the legitimate mother of the future imperial nephew!

With this status, her position in the inner palace immediately changed — she was no longer a "former empress" with no future, but a woman who might become empress dowager!

In the inner palace, who would dare show disrespect to a future empress dowager?

Moreover, Zhu Youjian had shown extreme deference to Empress Zhang, very much with the air of treating her as a stepmother and showing her filial respect. After the court deliberations at Qianqing Palace ended, he even personally escorted Empress Zhang back to Kunning Palace, like a dutiful son.

Kunning Palace was the residence of the empress of the central palace. Zhu Youjian had not yet formally ascended the throne, and his wife, Lady Zhou, was still only a princess consort, so Empress Zhang could continue to reside in Kunning Palace for some time.

The brother- and sister-in-law, one in front and one behind, left Kunning Palace, passed through the Hall of Union and Peace between Qianqing Palace and Kunning Palace, and then entered Kunning Palace — this was a place where Empress Zhang had the final say, and even the eyes and ears of Wei Zhongxian and Lady Ke found it very difficult to penetrate.

"Uncle, stay for a cup of tea before you go." After entering the main hall of Kunning Palace, Empress Zhang, now a young widow, paid no heed to the gossip that might arise at a widow's door, and asked Zhu Youjian to stay for tea.

Zhu Youjian understood what his young widowed sister-in-law was planning — she wanted to discuss with him how to bring down the treacherous villains. Empress Zhang would never let Wei Zhongxian and Lady Ke go!

Because in the young widow's eyes, Wei Zhongxian and Lady Ke were the great villains who had murdered Zhu Youjiao. Even death by a thousand cuts could not quell the hatred in her heart — how could she let them go?

And the young widow also knew that Zhu Youjian likewise would not let Wei Zhongxian and Lady Ke go. The reason he had been so timid and restrained lately was surely that he saw how powerful Wei Zhongxian and Lady Ke were, and so he was afraid — this child had lost his own mother when he was little, and she had been beaten to death by order of his father, the Guangmiao Emperor! So he had always had a hard time in the palace, and it was only because his imperial brother, the emperor, doted on him that he had enjoyed a few good years. But that timid, cowardly nature had probably become ingrained. That was not good at all!

Looking at Zhu Youjian sitting bolt upright before her, hands resting on his knees, looking like a child who had done something wrong, the young widow could not help sighing: "Uncle, please sit at ease. Uncle is now the heir to the throne; you must not appear so ill at ease before others."

"Sister-in-law's instruction is correct," Zhu Youjian said. "This younger brother only feels that his virtue does not match his position, and that he will fail sister-in-law and the late emperor. My heart is deeply uneasy."

Empress Zhang nodded gently. Hearing Zhu Youjian mention "the late emperor," she felt sorrow in her heart, and again took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. "Uncle is worried that the eunuch Wei is too powerful to control, is that not so? In truth, Uncle worries too much. The reason that treacherous eunuch was able to run wild before was that he deceived the late emperor! It was the late emperor who protected him. Now that the late emperor is gone, Wei Zhongxian is nothing but a drowning dog!

Whether it is the loyal civil and military officials at court, or the eunuchs in the palace who genuinely do their duty, all wish to be rid of him before anything else!"

When Zhu Youjian heard this, tears glistened in his eyes as well, and he looked especially pitiful. He wiped his tears. "Sister-in-law, this younger brother also knows that Wei Zhongxian is no good man — but, but Wei Zhongxian is very formidable! Most of the high officials at court are Wei Zhongxian's partisans! The eunuchs supervising the armies in the field are all Wei Zhongxian's trusted confidants. Through these eunuchs sent out as army supervisors, Wei Zhongxian is in turn connected to the regional commands. And the palace is even more thickly planted with Wei Zhongxian's eyes and ears!

In particular, Wei Zhongxian also has the Purified Army at Nanhaizi. Those military eunuchs are well armed and well provisioned — not easy to deal with!"

Hearing Zhu Youjian speak this way, Empress Zhang also began to feel somewhat uncertain.

She was no great statesman either — merely a woman who had long lived deep within the palace. Her hatred of Wei Zhongxian was half due to society's contempt for eunuchs, and half due to the relationship between Wei Zhongxian and Lady Ke. Compared to Wei Zhongxian, she hated Lady Ke even more! Because Lady Ke was not only Tianqi's wet nurse, but also Tianqi's woman! Though that relationship in itself was no great matter — if she had been willing to be like Wan Zhen'er and become a Noble Consort, that would have been fine. But this woman could not bear children for Tianqi herself, and yet she was jealous of those consorts who could bear children for the Tianqi Emperor!

In Tianqi's palace, no matter who bore children, or who might possibly bear children for Tianqi, all met with persecution or secret harm from Lady Ke. Empress Zhang's own miscarriage was very likely also connected to Lady Ke — at least, that was what Empress Zhang herself believed.

Therefore Wei Zhongxian and Lady Ke had to die!

"Uncle!" Empress Zhang clenched her silver teeth, her powdered face dark. "The Duke of Ying, Commander of the Capital Camps; the former Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Luo Sigong; and Grand Secretary Li Guo — all are loyal and righteous men, and all can be used!"

This Wei Zhongxian was truly skilled at drawing hatred, having offended not only many "upright civil officials," but also many of the ennobled families. Among them was Luo Sigong, who came from a family of Embroidered Uniform Guard officers and whose family had held high office in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for five generations — the Luo family's founding ancestor had been a "founding Chiliarch" of the dynasty, and by the fifth generation, when Luo An followed the Jiajing Emperor into the capital, the family rose rapidly and he became Guard Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. From then on, the Luo clan had put down roots in the Embroidered Uniform Guard system, and had grown ever larger. By Luo Sigong's generation, it had long since become deeply entrenched, forming a vast web.

So Wei Zhongxian had only dared to force Luo Sigong into retirement, not to secretly harm him — that was an Embroidered Uniform Guard family! Not a Donglin Faction scholar-official!

Zhu Youjian of course knew how formidable the Duke of Ying, Zhang Weixian, and the former Embroidered Uniform Guard commander Luo Sigong were. With the Capital Camps and the Embroidered Uniform Guard working together, what did Wei Zhongxian's bit of power amount to?

But in this life, Zhu Youjian could not allow the Capital Camps and the Luo Sigong faction of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to play too large a role in the process of executing Wei Zhongxian.

Because the Capital Camps and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were, by and large, the territory of the ennobled families — and those ennobled families had long since become utterly corrupt!

They could not be allowed to swell up yet again on the strength of the merit of executing Wei Zhongxian! If that lot swelled any further, the harm would be no less than Wei Zhongxian himself!

"Sister-in-law, it must not be done!" Zhu Youjian wiped his tears forcefully, and his voice dropped to its lowest. "Wei Zhongxian's eyes and ears are numerous, spread throughout every corner of the capital. If we wish to move against him, we must prepare in secret and then strike with sudden thunder. We must on no account make contact in all directions, lest the news leak! Once the traitor Wei gets wind of it, this younger brother's death would be a small matter, but the ancestral realm would be lost at this younger brother's hands."

When Empress Zhang heard this, her spirit rose as well. She looked at Zhu Youjian and asked, "Uncle, what do you plan to do?"

"Sister-in-law," Zhu Youjian said, "this younger brother will make thorough preparations on his own. When the time comes, I will ask sister-in-law to raise the call together with this younger brother. There will naturally be loyal and righteous men to rid the nation of the traitor!"

(End of Chapter)