[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor":3,"chapter-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-1":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Wanli, the Enlightened Emperor",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":18,"prevChapterSlug":19,"totalChapters":20,"novelImage":21},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":12,"translator":16,"content_hash":17},2321823,4542,"Chapter 1","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-1",1,"\u003Cp>The Great Ming, first day of the sixth month in the sixth year of Longqing (June 1, 1572), morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ciqing Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The heavenly dog devours the sun! The heavenly dog devours the sun!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do not panic! Each man to his post! Guard the Eastern Palace!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loud clamor and chaos outside Ciqing Palace persisted without ceasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the hall, Shi Yue lay half-reclining on the bed, hand pressed to his forehead, his expression dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two eunuchs stood bowing beside him, awaiting his dressing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Yue ignored them, eyes tightly shut, sorting through the chaotic memories flooding his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered clearly he had been conducting field research and attending meetings in various districts, when suddenly a solar eclipse occurred, and he lost consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he awoke, he found himself inexplicably here, and a flood of disordered memories surged into his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ming Dynasty… Longqing sixth year… Zhu Yijun… Crown Prince…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long moments passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Shi Yue begin to untangle the chaotic memories in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Yue stretched out his hands with a strange expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By candlelight, he gazed at his own youthful body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So… I’ve been reincarnated…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Ming was the dynasty in which his current body existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crown Prince Zhu Yijun was his present identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What an extraordinary identity, Shi Yue thought, pressing hard on his temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had climbed his way up from nothing in his past life—he knew the basics well: Zhu Yijun was none other than the personal name of the Wanli Emperor!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention, he had heard of the Wanli Emperor who sat idle for thirty years, never attending court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he only learned of this history because of Zhang Juzheng; his impression of the Wanli Emperor himself was far from favorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even later generations often claimed the Ming Dynasty truly collapsed under Wanli, for merely twenty-four years after his death, the Ming fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether true or not, it didn’t matter—he wasn’t a historian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, this was undeniably the reign of a late imperial emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which dynasty’s end wasn’t riddled with deep-rooted corruption? The Ming at this time was rife with all five poisons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Official corruption spread unchecked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>State finances were depleted and unsustainable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The military was weak and ineffective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people’s livelihoods were desolate and miserable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Foreign tribes harassed the borders incessantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this thought, he suddenly recalled: hadn’t the Jian Nu  grown powerful during Wanli’s reign?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting through the discomfort of his sudden reincarnation, he strained to recall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once confirmed, Shi Yue let out a meaningless grunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This beginning—holding the throne yet burdened with immense responsibility—was surely some great being’s test of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Yue gave a self-deprecating smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was the perfect test!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who was Shi Yue?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Born into poverty, he climbed through primary and graduate school, passed rigorous selection and probation, and rose through tax, township, municipal industry bureau, and provincial science and technology departments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he surged forward like a storm, his path unimpeded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emperor? What’s so hard about that? Just another central seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late imperial dynasty? Then it’s even more my duty to rescue the collapsing empire—I am a true man, and this is what true men do!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun gradually calmed his emotions, pondering his current situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the twenty-sixth of last month, the late Emperor died in Qianqing Palace; today is the first, only a few days later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That means the throne is vacant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Zhu Yijun had been named Crown Prince four years ago, securing his succession; before and after the late Emperor’s death, edicts, handwritten orders, and verbal decrees all designated him as heir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His two elder brothers had died young; only a younger brother remained, still a child with no beard, posing no threat of upheaval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the throne was merely a matter of procedure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But everything has a “but.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The greatest position in the realm is nothing but name and instrument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having lived two lives, versed in ancient and modern affairs, he had seen countless men who held the name but lacked the instrument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many chief officials couldn’t even speak up in a life meeting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same applied to the imperial throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being called Emperor did not mean possessing imperial authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like now—even if he ascended, he could only observe governance, with no right to intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was only ten years old!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was by lunar age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun was born in September 1563; in actual age, he was only eight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly too young to rule personally, and no minister would entrust state affairs to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a later-generation observer, he also knew that when the late Emperor Longqing died, some Grand Secretaries had sighed: “How can a ten-year-old emperor govern the realm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How audacious! Yet that was the attitude of a Grand Secretary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for divine mandate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fool the common folk and women, fine—but every official here was a shrewd man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does a ten-year-old child look like? Didn’t they all know?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention the Ming political atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the palace caught fire, it was because the Emperor lacked virtue, and Heaven punished him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was unwell, it was because he indulged in wine, lust, wealth, and pride, reaping what he sowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the people rebelled locally, it was because the Emperor demanded too much and oppressed the masses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Emperor tried to argue, “Don’t you officials share responsibility for governing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inspector Tan Yao would reply, “Why was it smooth before, but not now?”—the Ming was fine before, why did it fail under you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, all these were events the Wanli Emperor actually endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short: it was always the Emperor’s fault!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if the Emperor truly tried to govern well? Sorry—the imperial edicts would be ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just the officials—even his own mother, Lady Li, treated him as a child, scolding and punishing him at will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The former body had endured countless sessions of kneeling punishment and verbal abuse after ascending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had even been forced to have the Grand Secretariat draft a self-censure edict in his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, everyone inside and outside the court were rebels treating the Emperor as a child!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he was a child—treating him as one was reasonable, they were merely being practical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But wasn’t it true that perspective changed with position? Zhu Yijun consciously adopted the proper standpoint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was as it was—in other words, he lacked any “popular foundation” for personal rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he thought this…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His temples throbbed violently!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun frowned and immediately halted his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just reincarnated, still in the body of a ten-year-old child—deep thinking caused unbearable headaches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rubbed his temples for a long while before his brow finally relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>an old eunuch rushed in holding a candle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness! Why are you sleeping again? The ministers are still waiting in Wenhua Hall—hurry with me, or the Noble Consort will come and scold you again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhu Yijun still half-reclining on the bed, he spoke urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the old eunuch invoke Lady Li, Zhu Yijun’s heart leapt—he instinctively panicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately understood: this was the former body’s instinct, the fear of a ten-year-old child toward his mother, who constantly scolded him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun took a deep breath, suppressing the former body’s instinct, slowly raised his head, and carefully studied the old eunuch before him—bowed in humility, yet with a shadow of cunning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Superintendent of the Eastern Depot, and overseer of the Imperial Stable Affairs, Feng Bao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He easily found the corresponding person in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this long list of titles, one knows he’s a person of consequence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, he truly is a person of consequence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao is no ordinary man—he is a famous eunuch of the Ming dynasty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What makes him famous?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He is an eunuch worthy of being recorded in the biographies!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the ten years when Zhu Yijun had not yet assumed personal rule, this man presided over the Office of Eunuch Supervisors, allied with Empress Dowager Li and the Grand Secretariat, forming a triad that jointly controlled state affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empress Dowager Li exercised imperial authority, the Grand Secretariat handled governance, and Feng Bao held the power of veto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This great eunuch was one of the three men at the peak of power during those ten years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, an emperor who has not assumed personal rule doesn’t count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this period, this great eunuch was Zhu Yijun’s Daban, responsible for supervising and restraining the young emperor’s daily routines; should the young emperor act foolishly, Feng Bao would report it to Empress Dowager Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wanli Emperor suffered many punishments because of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, Feng Bao often used Empress Dowager Li’s slightest favor as a license to command, constantly threatening Zhu Yijun with her name and lecturing him at every turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was bad enough, but he went further—he would create opportunities where none existed, secretly setting traps for Zhu Yijun, then reporting to Empress Dowager Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He portrayed the Wanli Emperor as a wicked, eternally immature child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made the Wanli Emperor walk on eggshells and intensified Empress Dowager Li’s view of Zhu Yijun as a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historically, the Wanli Emperor must have harbored deep resentment, even uttering the words: “Feng Bao has deceived the sovereign and corrupted the state—his crimes are profound.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun squinted silently at the great eunuch before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around the time of the late emperor’s death, this man had read the intentions of both imperial courts, persuaded Imperial Consort Li to expel Meng Chong—who had daily presented the late emperor with beauties and potent aphrodisiacs—and seized the position of Chief Eunuch of the Office of Eunuch Supervisors from Meng Chong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also took charge of the Eastern Depot and the Imperial Guard, rising to become the most prestigious figure among the palace eunuchs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, this great eunuch, with anxious and concerned expression, urged him on, as if truly worried for his welfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmph, truly excellent acting, Zhu Yijun silently praised in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was an old hand at scheming; his acting was naturally no less skilled. Having absorbed Zhu Yijun’s memories, he mimicked his tone and demeanor well enough—eight or seven tenths—without revealing any flaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowly sat up: “Daban, you’ve worried yourself too much. I shall change into my mourning attire at once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was currently in mourning, so he must wear mourning garments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spoken, Zhu Yijun firmly placed his feet on the ground, rose, and spread his arms, summoning palace maids to dress him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calm, unhurried, composed in bearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, the solar eclipse still persisted; inside, the candlelight shone brightly. Feng Bao secretly lifted his head, glancing at Zhu Yijun with surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, this crown prince seemed different from usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, upon hearing that Imperial Consort Li was coming, Zhu Yijun would panic, rush about, terrified of being scolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, he was calm and meticulous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could the prospect of ascending the throne truly transform a man so completely?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao felt an inexplicable discomfort, a prickling sense that things were slipping from his control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He himself had not even realized it—perhaps he refused to admit it—the power vacuum left by an emperor who never assumed personal rule was simply too tempting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Personal rule? He’d rather remain a child forever, handing imperial authority over to the Office of Eunuch Supervisors to manage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhu Yijun was changing into his mourning attire, sounds came again from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jun’er! Why are you still dawdling!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A noble lady entered through the door, followed by two rows of palace ladies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noble lady was beautiful, about twenty years old, with a full, plump figure, fair and smooth skin, yet her expression was clearly displeased—she frowned as she strode into the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering, all palace maids and eunuchs knelt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Bao stepped forward: “Your servant greets Your Imperial Highness, Consort Li.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun gave the old eunuch a silent glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He boasts of his status and calls himself your servant before me, but before my mother, he calls himself a household slave, is that it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mentally noted this man down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he looked up at the newcomer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was none other than his birth mother, Imperial Consort Li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had not yet ascended the throne, so she was still merely a consort, not yet Empress Dowager.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for this Lady Li, she was the very model of a strict mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She demanded extremely high standards from Zhu Yijun—every gesture and behavior had to conform to ritual propriety; every Confucian classic had to be thoroughly mastered. Any failure brought immediate scolding and punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She even threatened to depose him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Ming institutions, Lady Li had virtually no power to depose an emperor, let alone over minor behavioral infractions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was just like his mother in his past life, warning a child that disobedience would lead to being taken away by an uncle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse still, after the Wanli Emperor ascended the throne, Lady Li moved directly into the Qianqing Palace where the young emperor resided, solely to oversee Zhu Yijun’s daily life—she did not leave until after his marriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her severity and harshness were evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the late emperor had died only recently, and affairs were in chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun must follow proper procedures to ascend the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three formal petitions for ascension were indispensable; today was the second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to receive the officials’ petitions for ascension in the Wenhua Hall, then formally decline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after the third time could he smoothly ascend the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a momentous matter was being delayed and dragged out within the palace—Lady Li’s displeasure was plainly evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was before he had even ascended! How could this be tolerated!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lady Li’s anger was ready to burst forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Yijun had just prepared his speech.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He merely adjusted his belt, straightened his posture, and bowed with solemn precision: “Your servant greets Your Imperial Highness, Mother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Lady Li could react, he continued: “There is a reason for this delay. Mother, allow me to explain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Note 1: The Ming crown prince, residing in the Donggong, refers to himself as “Ben Gong” in public.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Note 2: Regarding the solar eclipse: “On the first day of the sixth month of Longqing Sixth Year, a solar eclipse occurred from the third quarter of Mao to the third quarter of Si, with residual obscuration lingering in the Jing constellation”—《Ming Shenzong Shilu》\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Note 3: Gong said: “How can a ten-year-old emperor govern the empire?”—《Ming Shi·Biographies·Volume 193》\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Note 4: In April of Wanli Thirteenth Year, the Wanli Emperor walked to the southern altar to perform sacrifices. After the rites, he summoned his Grand Secretaries and the Nine Ministers and issued an edict: “Now, the heavens are parched and dry… Though this is due to my lack of virtue, it is also because officials throughout the realm are corrupt, break the law, cruelly oppress the people, and refuse to care for or nurture them, thus disturbing the harmony of heaven…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Imperial Censor Tan Yao submitted a memorial directly accusing the emperor of first disciplining himself and his inner court before governing the state. In his memorial, he particularly noted the emperor’s insufficient self-reflection, urging him to ponder: “Why were state affairs once orderly, yet now are in disorder?”—《Ming Shenzong Shilu》\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Note 5: Regarding the problems of the edict not being enforced and other issues, I have discussed them in a response on Bilibili. On the Wanli Emperor’s circumstances after assuming personal rule, and why he refused to attend court for decades, interested readers may look it up. (Search keyword: “Because Wanli was a god”)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Note 6: This novel is based on historical research but includes artistic embellishment and free invention in historical gaps. Readers may refer to the notes and historical records to discern fact from fiction.\u003C\u002Fp>",2644,"2026-06-20T16:31:33.303Z","Qwen3-Next 80B","f0bfca4da10922f66dba89dca29775411382299b83db80db3ede9fefc208802f","wanli-the-enlightened-emperor-chapter-2",null,375,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwanli-the-enlightened-emperor-cover.jpg"]