Chapter 45: Extraordinary

Since sending Madam Ke to the Laundry Bureau, Zhu Youxiao had not been any happier. He sat on the dragon throne, staring blankly into space.

He had no mind for memorials, no mind for carving, and even less mind to see anyone.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

A young eunuch from outside came tumbling in, soaked through, frantic and flustered.

Zhu Youxiao furrowed his brow slightly and looked at him without expression.

The young eunuch knelt on the ground, trembling as he said, "Your Majesty, it's terrible, it's terrible—the house of the Lady of Imperial Favor has caught fire..."

Zhu Youxiao's expression shifted, then he said flatly, "How is she?"

The young eunuch trembled even harder, his voice shaking as he said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, she... she didn't—didn't come out."

Zhu Youxiao shot to his feet, his face drastically changing as he said, "You say—she didn't come out?"

"Y-yes..."

Before the young eunuch could finish, Zhu Youxiao had already rushed over, shouting loudly, "Take me there."

The young eunuch hastily scrambled to his feet and led the way.

"Your Majesty, shall we summon the palanquin?"

The Emperor's travels were always the most troublesome—a huge crowd following along. A eunuch holding an umbrella over him asked while jogging.

Zhu Youxiao's pace was unusually fast, nearly breaking into a run. As he walked, he said coldly, "What palanquin? Have a carriage prepared."

"Yes!"

The Emperor leaving the palace was naturally a major affair. Rows of imperial guards, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and soldiers all began jogging through the rain.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

Zhu Youxiao sat in the carriage, burning with anxiety. Though he hated Madam Ke's betrayal, he did not want her dead. Deep in his heart, he still held a strange, faint hope.

"It's His Majesty!"

The carriage driver cracked his whip, the sound cracking sharply through the rain.

Two rows of guards ran alongside, holding long spears, their faces drenched with rain, paying it no mind.

"What's going on?"

"Who is that? With such grand authority?"

"What happened? Is someone rebelling?"

With the rain so heavy, very few people were on the streets. They all watched Zhu Youxiao's procession from their doorways and windows, murmuring among themselves.

"Make way, make way!"

A row of the Embroidered Uniform Guard burst through the Laundry Bureau's main gate, shoving aside those blocking the way.

Zhu Youxiao was soaked through, water streaming from his head. He strode rapidly into the Laundry Bureau. At this moment he thought of nothing else—he only wanted to know whether Ke Yinyue was still alive.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

Eunuch Li of the Laundry Bureau came rushing over to meet Zhu Youxiao.

Behind him were not only people from the Laundry Bureau, but also the Ministry of Justice, the Shuntian Prefecture, the Ministry of Works—nearly every department involved had been summoned by him, so as to spread out his own culpability.

"Get out of my way!"

Zhu Youxiao bellowed in fury, shoving several people aside as he charged forward.

The rain poured down in torrents, and not far away flames still blazed fiercely. Eunuch Li had ordered people to erect a rain shelter in the middle of the courtyard, where a crowd had previously gathered in a huddle.

Zhu Youxiao charged straight over and saw at a glance Madam Ke's body, part of it already scorched black, the ligature marks on her neck glaringly conspicuous.

He stood there stock-still, his expression blank, staring fixedly at Madam Ke's corpse on the ground.

In front of Madam Ke's body, a middle-aged man who looked like a coroner was still examining her. He hadn't heard that the Emperor had arrived, nor did he recognize the Emperor. Thinking he was some high official from a ministry, he stood up, bowed, and said, "Reporting to Your Excellency, this one has already examined her. There are no other wounds. It should be death by hanging—suicide."

The crowd behind Zhu Youxiao all breathed a sigh of relief—this way, their culpability was that much lighter.

Near the rain shelter, there was not a sound besides the rain. Everyone watched Zhu Youxiao, but Zhu Youxiao stared at Madam Ke's still relatively intact head, dazed and lost.

The coroner glanced at the people behind him, then turned back to Zhu Youxiao and said, "Your Excellency?"

Pfft—

Suddenly, Zhu Youxiao spat out a mouthful of blood, then collapsed straight backward.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

The crowd scrambled to catch Zhu Youxiao, but he was already half-unconscious, completely unaware.

In the end, on Eunuch Li's suggestion, Zhu Youxiao was sent back to the palace.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, an imperial physician took the unconscious Zhu Youxiao's pulse, frowning from time to time.

Empress Zhang, Zhu Xu, and a crowd of eunuchs and palace maids stood not far away, all watching the physician with intense gazes.

After a long while, the physician withdrew his hand, rose, and walked toward Empress Zhang.

Empress Zhang did not wait for the physician to speak, asking directly, "Physician Han, how is His Majesty?"

Physician Han hastily said, "Reporting to Her Majesty the Empress, His Majesty's condition is caused by rage attacking his heart combined with external wind-cold. As long as he takes a few doses of medicine and rests for a few days, he will be fine."

Empress Zhang let out a slight sigh of relief, looking at him and saying, "Mm, then I'll trouble Physician Han."

"It is this humble official's duty." As Physician Han spoke, he went to the side and began writing a prescription.

Empress Zhang walked to the bedside, looked carefully at Zhu Youxiao, then turned to Zhu Xu and the others, saying, "Alright, His Majesty has merely caught a slight chill. Everyone, leave now."

The Emperor's health had always been tied to the fate of the court. Though Zhu Youxiao was still young, quite a few Ming emperors had died all of a sudden. Empress Zhang said this also out of fear that rumors would arise and stir up trouble.

Zhu Xu and the others naturally acknowledged the order and took their leave one by one.

Zhu Xu left the Qianqing Palace and walked toward his own Jinghuan Palace, inwardly clicking his tongue in amazement.

Almost every Ming emperor had been an oddity—one fell in love with his aunt, one had only a single empress his whole life, one doted on a consort over twenty years his senior. As for Zhu Youxiao, he had doted on his wet nurse.

Though all of this was related to their backgrounds and childhood experiences, as emperors, such behavior indeed had an enormous impact, especially on court politics.

"I hope my sister-in-law bears a son, so I can properly mold and train him."

Zhu Xu walked along, muttering to himself—while disciplining the princes was impossible given his status, exerting some influence was still well within reach.

"Come on, let's head back and sleep for three whole days!"

Zhu Xu waved his hand and strode back with Cao Huachun in tow. He had poured tremendous effort into this matter, and now he finally felt sleepy.

Cao Huachun also breathed a quiet sigh of relief and followed along, saying, "Yes, Your Highness."

"Her Ladyship's methods are truly extraordinary."

Inside the Zhou residence, Zhou Yingqiu sipped his tea and let out an admiring sigh.

From the mere fact that Zhu Xu had them write several memorials, he had deduced that everything was the design of 'Her Ladyship the Empress.'

Ni Wenhuan nodded in respectful agreement and said, "Her Ladyship remained silent for three years, then shocked the world with a single cry."

Wei Liangqing sat on the other side with a rather complicated expression. Things now appeared fairly straightforward—everything was Her Ladyship the Empress's counterstrike to eliminate the two people who had intended to shake her position.

Those two people were his uncle and aunt. Now one was locked in the heavenly prison, and the other was dead.

Zhou Yingqiu glanced at the two men, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. He considered himself the one who understood Her Ladyship best—in the future, the only person she could rely on in the court was him! What Grand Secretariat? His day of ascending to Chief Grand Secretary was well within reach!

Zhou Yingqiu raised his teacup and took a gentle sip, then looked at Ni Wenhuan and said calmly, "Brother Ni, is there any news from Manager Zhou?"

Ni Wenhuan replied, "Manager Zhou said that Her Ladyship does have a plan, and it is currently being prepared."