Chapter 213

Since an imperial consort in the harem is pregnant, the Emperor naturally cannot continue to linger in the military camp.

But even so, Zhu Yijun still waited until the rewards in the several large boxes in front of him were distributed before waving goodbye and leaving calmly.

Until he left the Beijing Garrison, he changed into a beaming expression, walked with a spring in his step, and hurried back to the palace.

Clearly, the Emperor himself is not the only one happy about this.

On the way back to the palace, court officials frequently stopped the carriage to offer congratulations, which was annoying.

Especially when they reached inside and outside the Great Ming Gate, which is where the offices of various ministries are gathered; I don't know who started it, but the officials of the ministries, courts, and departments swarmed forward to submit congratulatory memorials.

Following that, they encountered the court officials returning from the morning court, coming face to face.

The entire Thousand-Step Corridor was directly packed to the point of being impassable.

Helplessly, Zhu Yijun had to leave the eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Secretariat Drafters behind to collect the memorials, while he squeezed out a smile to deal with Shen Shixing and others returning from court, then slipped away to the West Garden.

After entering the Wumen, things finally calmed down a bit.

"With this formation, I'm afraid someone will cry to the heavens and call for Zhu Kaka; one by one, they are more excited than if they had added a son to their own family."

Zhu Yijun wiped the sweat from his forehead, recalling the scene just now, and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Sun Long followed the Emperor step by step; although he didn't understand what the first half of the sentence meant, he still leaned toward the Emperor and congratulated him: "This all relies on Your Majesty's virtue as vast as the heavens."

"If the hearts of the people inside and outside the court were not attached to Your Majesty, this servant fears I would never have the chance to see such a scene in this life."

This could be called flattery, or it could be called heartfelt words.

The Empress Dowager keeping the King of Lu by her side to serve her, only to be disturbed by the Ministry of Rites all day; the Prince of the King of Zheng being personally invited to the capital by the Emperor, yet still frequently threatened in private by court officials; and now the harem being pregnant, and the court officials being so ecstatic—aren't these all the results of the people's hearts being attached to the Emperor?

Zhu Yijun smiled.

He naturally understood the thoughts of these people; the Emperor having an heir is not just a family matter, but also a state matter.

The Emperor's reproductive situation might not affect the time he is on the throne, but it will certainly affect the duration of his political life.

And now that Imperial Consort Wu is pregnant, it at least shows that Zhu Yijun's reproductive ability is not a problem.

The court officials are whispering about the heir in Imperial Consort Wu's womb, but in reality, they are excited about the further consolidation of the New Party's position—a seventeen-year-and-four-month-old Emperor with normal reproductive ability, barring accidents, will have at least twenty or thirty years.

"When did Imperial Consort Wu become pregnant? What did the imperial physician say?"

Thinking that traditional Chinese medicine pulse-taking might not be accurate, Zhu Yijun confirmed again.

Sun Long blurted out: "Imperial Consort Wu's last period came on the thirteenth of the tenth month, and it hasn't come since throughout the entire eleventh month; she sought the imperial physician to take her pulse last month, and only today was the pulse clear."

Zhu Yijun listened carefully and nodded silently.

In the latter part of the tenth month, he had intercourse with Imperial Consort Wu.

If the pregnancy is forty or fifty days along, pulse diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine is relatively accurate.

"Give the imperial physician who took the pulse an extra ten taels of silver," Zhu Yijun ordered Sun Long, "Also, tell the Imperial Academy of Medicine not to prescribe those soothing and qi-tonifying decoctions for Imperial Consort Wu."

Medicine is three parts poison, especially medicine without double-blind testing and unclear efficacy, and especially for the fetus.

It is naturally best not to use it if possible.

Sun Long just thought the Emperor was suspicious and didn't trust the Imperial Academy of Medicine, so he didn't think otherwise.

After he replied "yes," he thought for a moment and asked: "Your Majesty, what about medicinal meals?"

Zhu Yijun shook his head immediately: "Dietary supplements are enough."

Sun Long silently noted it down.

Zhu Yijun was very reassured by Sun Long.

Unlike eunuchs like Zhang Hong and Li Jin, Sun Long was more thoroughly Confucianized.

He was not only "well-learned and good at writing" but could also be called "self-disciplined and upright."

In the past few years, when he served as the Jiangnan Textile Bureau official, he rarely engaged in corruption, and whether in the scholarly circles or among the people, his reputation was very good, even earning the reputation of "calm and elegant, handling affairs without disturbing the people."

It can be said that his moral articles were read with deeper conviction than those of some scholar-officials.

Zhu Yijun gave some more instructions on related matters.

The group walked and talked, and soon arrived at the West Garden.

"Are the two Empress Dowagers at the Qian'guang Hall?" Zhu Yijun asked casually.

Sun Long hurriedly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, the two Empress Dowagers are currently with Imperial Consort Wu at the Qingfu Hall, burning incense and praying for blessings."

As he spoke, he walked quickly to the Emperor's side and led the way from the side.

……

West Garden, Qingfu Hall.

The Qingfu Hall was built in the West Garden during the Jiajing years and was used by Emperor Shizong to worship the Daoist ancestors.

After Emperor Shizong passed away, it was mostly dismantled until the Longqing years, when Emperor Muzong, doting on the current Empress Dowager Li, made slight repairs and added worship of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, etc.

By now, it had become a dedicated place for the imperial consorts, who could not frequently leave the palace, to seek Daoist and Buddhist blessings.

When Zhu Yijun arrived, the hall was filled with Buddhist chants and smoke.

Imperial Consort Wu was kneeling on a prayer mat in front of the Buddha statue, her hands clasped together.

Empress Dowager Li was holding a willow branch in a vase, sprinkling sweet dew on Imperial Consort Wu's head.

Empress Dowager Chen was burning scriptures to the Zhenwu Great Emperor, bowing and making obeisance.

The imperial officials and palace maids, seeing the Emperor enter the hall, hurriedly saluted.

"Your Majesty."

"Long live."

Zhu Yijun reached out and fanned the air in front of him, letting everyone rise while brushing away the incense smoke.

He walked to the two Empresses, bowed respectfully to the two Empress Dowagers who had their backs to him, and asked for peace: "Child asks for peace from the Empress Dowagers."

The two Empresses ignored him.

It wasn't until Empress Dowager Chen finished bowing to the Daoist deity that she turned her head to look at the Emperor.

She smiled, reached out to help the Emperor up, and nodded: "I am well."

Empress Dowager Li had also finished sprinkling the sweet dew and put down the vase in her hand.

She walked to the Emperor's side and complained: "I should be the one asking for the Emperor's peace; such a big event as an assassination, yet you didn't return to the palace to report your safety to your mother."

As she spoke, Empress Dowager Li reached out and rubbed the Emperor's arms everywhere: "How is it? Are you hurt? Do you want the imperial physician to take another look?"

Seeing this, Zhu Yijun couldn't help but feel a trace of warmth—Empress Dowager Li didn't understand what it meant to take advantage of the situation to reorganize the system, she only cared about whether her son's body was okay.

He held down Empress Dowager Li's hand, which was pinching him painfully, and said warmly: "Mother, set your heart at ease; I am fine."

Empress Dowager Li still wouldn't let go, insisting: "No, you must call the imperial physician to take a look."

"I heard that Emperor Wuzong also kept saying he was fine after falling into the water..."

Zhu Yijun was helpless; Wuzong was coughing up blood, could it be the same?

But he didn't argue hard, and followed the advice: "Fine, fine, fine, I will summon the imperial physician tomorrow to take a good look."

Empress Dowager Li then let go.

At this time, Imperial Consort Wu also came to greet him, bowing softly to the Emperor: "This concubine greets Your Majesty."

Zhu Yijun turned to look.

After four years, Wu's appearance had not diminished in the slightest; her eyebrows were like green mountains, her wrists like frost and snow.

When her eyes looked at him, it was as if there were rippling autumn waves, soul-stirring.

Truly never tiring of looking at her.

Zhu Yijun didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

He hurriedly reached out both hands and gently supported Imperial Consort Wu: "If you are pregnant, you should move slower."

He almost said directly not to move so vigorously, just do it for show.

Empress Dowager Chen's smile did not diminish: "The Emperor has been married for over four years; conceiving the first heir is truly a great fortune for the country."

"To ensure a safe birth, the Emperor should also pay respects to the Buddha and Daoist ancestors."

Empress Dowager Li, hearing this, also nodded, then turned her head to call someone to take the incense used for worship and handed it to the Emperor personally.

Zhu Yijun, who knew that opposing his parents on traditional customs would not end well, showed no rejection, took the incense neatly, and bowed respectfully.

Muttering to himself: "Old Buddha Taizu Gao Emperor, Zhenwu Cheng Zhu Wen Emperor, Feixuan Shizong Su Emperor..."

Praying, offering incense, bowing.

Zhu Yijun fluently and meticulously went through the motions to appease the two Empress Dowagers.

Only then did he turn his head and say softly to Wu: "The hall is filled with smoke; Consort, go outside and get some air first."

Imperial Consort Wu had been in the palace for several years and naturally understood the situation.

Knowing that the Emperor had serious business to discuss with the two Empresses, she bowed gracefully and retreated silently.

"I intend to donate 5,000 taels of silver to the Ministry of Works to build the Niangniang Temple in Zhuozhou, to pray for blessings for the child in Imperial Consort Wu's womb."

"Mother, last year, Zhao Canlu, Supervising Secretary of the Household Department, knelt at the gate for this matter, saying that spending silver to build temples to worship Buddha and pray for blessings is all nonsense; northern barbarians and southern bandits are breaking the provinces, taxing the rivers, and selling wives and children—who is warding off disasters? In my opinion, it is better to build bridges and pave roads; the bridges in Huliang River and outside the North Pass are in disrepair..."

"... The sacrificial announcement is naturally too early; I am just letting the Imperial Son-in-Law Xu Congcheng go to the Heaven and Earth Altar to pray."

"It is inconvenient for Imperial Consort Wu to be by your side, Mother; let her move to the Suyu Palace..."

As Imperial Consort Wu walked slowly out of the hall, the voices inside became smaller and smaller.

She paused at the hall door for a while.

It wasn't until a eunuch came over to put a cloak on her that she came back to her senses, stepped down the stairs, and silently looked at the snow scene.

Snow scenes are always appreciated by both refined and popular tastes, beautiful beyond compare.

In a while, she became lost in thought.

I don't know how long passed.

"What are you looking at?"

A voice sounded in her ear, and Imperial Consort Wu suddenly came back to her senses.

Only then did she discover that the Qingfu Hall doors were wide open, and the two imperial processions had disappeared.

Only the Emperor stood beside her, looking along her gaze.

She subconsciously wanted to salute.

But her body was hugged by the Emperor.

"I just said, Consort, move slower."

Zhu Yijun supported Imperial Consort Wu's waist and said softly: "The two Empress Dowagers just agreed with me that from now on, you will move to the Suyu Palace to live and don't need to serve by their side anymore."

"You will follow me back to the Wanshou Palace first, until the Suyu Palace is tidied up."

Imperial Consort Wu's eyelashes trembled slightly: "Green forests and emerald canopies are deeper than the bath; it is always the imperial dew and cream, it is all the Emperor's great grace, this concubine is truly ashamed to receive it."

"Moreover, serving the Empress Dowager Cisheng is actually not bad, and it saves a lot of trouble."

Zhu Yijun, hearing this, couldn't help but smile.

He called out to the accompanying imperial officials and walked hand in hand with Wu toward the Wanshou Palace: "There is nothing to be ashamed of; feelings are feelings, grace is grace—the former only needs you to experience, the latter needs outsiders to see."

"If I don't reward you, it would make outsiders gossip."

"And your parents, I will also have rewards for them."

Hearing this, Imperial Consort Wu's face visibly showed a trace of tenderness.

The Emperor's mouth, no matter when, is hard to handle. The two walked extremely slowly, and Imperial Consort Wu leaned against the Emperor: "Your Majesty, this concubine is not retreating to advance; it is truly that the sudden great grace is added to my body, and I fear I will forget myself and lose the imperial favor."

Speaking of this, Zhu Yijun realized something.

He frowned and asked: "Did your family commit a crime?"

Imperial Consort Wu was silent for a moment and nodded slowly.

The complex expression of exposing her own clan was vividly displayed on her exquisite face, truly pitiful to behold.

Zhu Yijun, seeing her like this, couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Fortunately, with the Count of Wuqing dragging his feet all year round, his resistance to such things had improved quite a bit.

Zhu Yijun didn't have much of a reproachful expression and still asked warmly: "Consort, tell me first."

Imperial Consort Wu bit her lip: "Last month, when my period didn't come, besides calling the imperial physician to take my pulse, I also complained to my mother."

"Who would have thought that after my father heard this, he went back and told everyone that I must be pregnant with the dragon seed."

Zhu Yijun hugged Imperial Consort Wu's shoulder and listened quietly.

"The day before yesterday, my mother entered the palace and told me that the mansion had been crowded with visitors recently, with gifts of fields and silver coming one after another."

"Even the Duke Yansheng's family came to visit and surreptitiously registered part of the land in Shuntian Prefecture under our family's name."

Imperial Consort Wu said, carefully observing the Emperor's expression.

Zhu Yijun was well-informed and had no anger on his face.

He just rarely showed a trace of astonishment: "The Kong family also has land in Shuntian Prefecture!?"

He naturally knew about the Kong family annexing land.

In the past few years, the Prince of De had sent people to the capital every year to complain that Kong Shangxian had occupied 9,000 mu of the Prince's mansion and refused to return it.

In the fourth year of Wanli, the Prince of Lu also memorialized, accusing Kong Shangxian of instigating powerful families to invade fields in Qufu, Yuncheng, Yanggu, and other places.

There was also the Supervising Secretary Xu Sansheng, who memorialized that the Kong family and powerful families had an armed conflict over the fields in Zouxian, resulting in the deaths of seven personal guards and outlaws.

Kong Shangxian, as the Magistrate of Zouxian, turned black into white, used public office for private gain, punished his opponents, and invaded their fields.

Because of this pile of messes, Wang Xielie, the Grand Coordinator of Shandong, requested the removal of the Kong family's hereditary position as Magistrate of Zouxian and ordered the Vice Prefect of Yanzhou to manage county affairs, with the magistrate only in charge of the forest temple.

It was precisely because of this that Wang Xielie, even after dying in office, was still smeared beyond recognition in Shandong.

Zhu Yijun had long wanted to take a knife to these demons of the Kong family.

There is no better time to overthrow the Kong family shop and rescue Confucius than now when measuring fields.

Moreover, this time measuring fields, the Kong family was the top priority.

It's just that he originally thought the Kong family was only rampant in Shandong.

He didn't expect them to have annexed land all the way to Shuntian Prefecture!

No wonder the fields that Li Zicheng distributed to tenant farmers in history were actually the Kong family's!

Imperial Consort Wu carefully responded to the Emperor's words: "Your Majesty, I don't know about the other counties in Shuntian Prefecture; the Duke Yansheng's family only entrusted 14,300 mu in Wuqing County to my father."

"I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!"

Zhu Yijun snorted from his nose.

The Count of Huairou annexed a thousand mu and was beaten to death in the county office; now it seems he probably felt wronged to death.

No wonder Liu Shiyan spoke up for Shi Guangzu.

It was truly a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Seeing Imperial Consort Wu's anxious look, Zhu Yijun put away his thoughts: "I know; that you can tell me this shows that husband and wife are one body, more so than your maiden family—how could I blame you?"

"Don't worry, I have my own plans for this."

The Emperor stroked Imperial Consort Wu's head in his arms, speaking softly.

But he turned his head and cast a look at Sun Long behind him.

Sun Long, who was following, saw the Emperor's slightly narrowed eyes, understood, and retreated silently.

……

Night fell.

The Wanshou Palace was brightly lit.

Zhu Yijun was still writing furiously at his desk.

Having spent a few days in the military camp, there were naturally many memorials accumulated.

Even sitting from after lunch until nightfall, the pile of memorials on the desk was still as high as a small mountain.

Grand Secretary Shen Shixing, having completed his three-year assessment, was granted a title for one son.

Added: Wang Guoguang, Minister of the Household, was made Junior Preceptor of the Crown Prince.

Added: The late Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion, Ma Ziqiang, was made Grand Preceptor and granted a memorial archway.

Approved the memorial of Zhang Cheng, the writing eunuch of the Imperial Horse Bureau, to transfer to the Court of Imperial Stud and select another 3,000 castrated horses to be sent to the bureau for training in preparation for protecting the Emperor.

Granted Zhu Junzhuo, Prince of Shanyin, one set of the Four Books and Five Classics; the academy he built was granted the name "Leshan"; granted Zhu Yunhua, Lieutenant of the State, one set of Algebra and Elements of Geometry; the iron-smelting blast furnace he built was granted the name "Anshan."

Granted funeral rites for Yang Lie, the late Pacification Commissioner of Bozhou, as requested by his son Yang Yinglong.

Ordered Zhu Shitai, Earl of Jinghai, stationed at the Longjiang Shipyard, to protect the Ministry of Works and the Grain Transport Office, and test ocean-going ships.

All of the above were matters that the Grand Secretariat could not handle and had to be personally reviewed by the Emperor.

As each item was reviewed, time passed quickly.

Hmm?

Zhu Yijun was flipping through a memorial and subconsciously made a sound of doubt.

He looked at Zhang Hong, who was holding the lamp on the side, and asked: "Is the King of Lu going to leave the palace for his fief?"

Zhang Hong kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart: "He was talking about it the day before yesterday; it should be that the memorial was just drafted today."

Zhu Yijun paused.

A moment later, he sighed: "Did Mother agree?"

He didn't really mind this younger brother attending a few more years of classes at the Imperial Academy; he is not Jianwen, nor is he Dai Sect, and the King of Lu, this obedient younger brother, has no qualifications for a coup.

It's just that the people under his command are all thinking about sharing the ruler's worries, so he shouldn't be stubborn about such things.

Zhang Hong nodded: "After learning that Imperial Consort Wu is pregnant, Empress Dowager Cisheng agreed."

Zhu Yijun glanced at Zhang Hong silently.

This is the chronological order, but not necessarily the causal order.

Since Zhang Hong could say this, it can only be said that he, the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, probably didn't exert little effort in this matter.

Zhu Yijun knew it well, but didn't expose it, just picked up the vermilion brush and made a light check on the memorial: "Let the Ministry of Works choose a site for the mansion."

Zhang Hong hesitated: "Your Majesty, is the silver still coming from the palace?"

"Yesterday, for the King of Lu's mansion and the marriage of Princess Shouyang, Empress Dowager Cisheng went to the Ministry of Household to ask for 200,000 taels of silver, but was blocked by the Ministry of Household."

Princess Shouyang, the third imperial sister Zhu Yaoe, will be sixteen next year and is approaching the age of marriage.

Coupled with the King of Lu's mansion, these are all money-burning items.

Zhu Yijun was stunned: "Isn't there still 1.9 million taels in the palace?"

Zhang Hong was speechless for a moment.

A moment later, he carefully pointed out: "Your Majesty, in the sixth year of Longqing, there were still 3.7 million taels in the palace..."

1.8 million taels spent in eight years...

Zhu Yijun scratched his neck.

A moment later, he waved his hand: "For the case of Liu Shiyan's rebellion, don't let outsiders share the confiscated property; use it to cover these two items."

Zhang Hong then breathed a long sigh of relief.

"And for Princess Shouyang's marriage, Daban, have the Ministry of Rites start looking for a husband tomorrow."

Only then did he hear the Emperor's order again.

This is what should be done, and Zhang Hong naturally responded respectfully.

It was at this moment.

There was movement outside the hall.

Zhang Hong apologized and retreated.

Zhu Yijun didn't care and continued to review the memorials.

Before long, Zhang Hong led Jiang Keqian back.

"Your Majesty."

Zhu Yijun didn't raise his head and asked: "Has the matter been investigated clearly?"

Jiang Keqian didn't drag his feet: "It has been investigated clearly; what Imperial Consort Wu said is indeed true."

Zhu Yijun looked up and stopped his vermilion brush.

Jiang Keqian paused and continued: "Moreover, besides Imperial Consort Wu's family, the Kong family also approached the Empress's family, half-gifting and half-selling 30,000 mu of fertile land in Shuntian Prefecture to the Liu family."

"This is Kong Chengde's confession."

After speaking, he took out a stack of documents from his sleeve.

Besides fingerprints and signatures, there were also some bloodstains, indicating the physical pain Kong Chengde had suffered.

Zhang Hong walked over with small steps, received the confession, and presented it respectfully to the Emperor.

Zhu Yijun looked at it silently for a moment and didn't take it.

"Sigh."

Zhu Yijun sighed leisurely.

No wonder they say every ruler has his strengths and weaknesses.

Zhu Yijun, who had no concept of harem fighting, only then realized what it meant to be caught off guard.

He asked Jiang Keqian softly: "Does Imperial Consort Wu know that the Empress's family received the land?"

Jiang Keqian hesitated for a moment and replied in an uncertain tone: "Perhaps not, but according to Kong Chengde's confession, the two families should have been able to guess a thing or two about each other."

Zhu Yijun nodded slowly, and after having a count in his heart, he didn't continue to entangle himself in the harem matters.

"What about the Yan and Meng families?"

Sage families are generally not allowed to enter the capital at will.

Even if they want to enter the capital to handle affairs, they must be approved by the court.

The three families entered the capital this year at the invitation of the Ministry of Rites—"The time for the study is approaching; Duke Yansheng Kong Shangxian, Five Classics Doctor Yan Sishen, Meng Yanpu, and five Kong clan members, and two Yan and Meng clan members each, should all be summoned to the capital by relay."

Jiang Keqian nodded: "I don't know the specifics."

"But according to Kong Chengde, the Yan and Meng families also have some land in Shuntian Prefecture, but not much."

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but click his tongue.

Otherwise, why would measuring fields never get public support?

These powerful families wearing the skin of sage families are leading the annexation; how could they support measuring fields?

Zhu Yijun turned to look at Zhang Hong: "Where is He Xinyin now?"

Having been left out for so long, it is time to see him.

Zhang Hong thought for a moment and replied: "Still under trial in Shuntian Prefecture; does Your Majesty want to summon him?"

Zhu Yijun pondered for a moment and nodded: "Let him enter the palace to see me tomorrow."

(End of chapter)