Huangming

Chapter 1: Transcending the Apocalypse, Revitalizing the Ming Dynasty

The 48th year of the Wanli reign.

The first day of the ninth month in autumn, on the day of Yi Hai.

Eight quarters past the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).

As dawn approached, the Forbidden City, the heart of the Ming Empire, was still shrouded in darkness.

It was a quiet morning, but in the Forbidden City, the palace servants were hurrying along and looking flustered.

In the Palace of Qianqing.

The sound of whimpering and crying could not be heard.

The East Warm Pavilion was bustling with people.

On the imperial couch, Emperor Taichang, Zhu Changluo, who had been on the throne for only a month, lay motionless.

His face was pale, his eyes were closed, and his magnificent dragon robe had lost its majesty, hanging empty on his body. His hands hung limply at the edge of the bed, his fingertips slightly bent. The bedding beside the bed was in disarray, and there were still some unused herbs on the side of the imperial couch.

"Your Majesty, you've left, leaving me and my child alone. How can we possibly find peace? Waaah~"

Before the Emperor, a woman in her late thirties dressed in palace attire wept softly, tears streaming down her delicate face.

Her eyes were red and swollen, and her shoulders were trembling, as if she were enduring unspeakable grief. Her pitiful appearance evoked pity.

Unfortunately, the only person in the world who would pity her was already lying on the imperial couch.

"Your Majesty, the late Emperor has passed away. He has already informed all civil and military officials at the Fengxian Hall. The officials entered the palace to pay their respects, and upon hearing the news, they wept. Before the ceremony, they requested an audience. The eldest prince should return to Cining Palace. We urge Your Majesty to consider this matter!"

Wang An, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, said expressionlessly.

As soon as Wang An spoke, Consort Li's crying stopped abruptly. She turned to look at Wang An, a hint of malice flashing in her eyes.

You old codger, are you trying to intimidate me with the officials?

Consort Li was not the biological mother of the eldest son Zhu Youxiao and the fifth son Zhu Youjian, yet she managed to wrest custody from Consort Wang and Lady Liu. Even when Zhu Changluo was alive, she coerced the emperor to make her empress. When the court officials disagreed, she was demoted to Imperial Noble Consort.

It's a pity that Zhu Changluo died too quickly; her position as Imperial Noble Consort was still in the process of being formalized and had not yet been officially granted. This shows that her greed for power was extraordinary.

Their palace intrigue skills are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

It wouldn't be unreasonable to call her the "Nie Kulu Zhen Huan" of the Ming Dynasty.

Upon hearing what Wang An said, Consort Li immediately felt that her position was in grave danger.

She immediately snorted coldly and said, "The late emperor's body is barely cold, and you, a mere servant, are already thinking of seizing power? Does Wang Daban intend to follow in the footsteps of Zhao Gao?"

Faced with such a heavy accusation, Wang An frowned slightly and immediately retorted, "In the twenty-second year of the Wanli reign, Emperor Shenzong appointed me as the late emperor's study companion. More than twenty-six years have passed since then. My loyalty is as clear as day and as known to all. How could it be changed by the words of one person?"

After speaking, Wang An immediately knelt down and said, "This old servant begs the Imperial Heir to ascend the throne in the Wenhua Hall and return to the Cining Palace!"

The direction Wang An knelt in was neither the already dead Zhu Changluo, nor the Li Xuanshi whose face was contorted with rage, but the young man in the corner wearing the crown prince's robes—the eldest son of the late emperor, Zhu Youxiao, the first in line to the throne of the Ming Empire.

The future master of the Ming Empire, Crown Prince Zhu Youxiao, was completely bewildered at this moment.

At first, he thought he had woken up and found himself on a film set.

But there wasn't a single camera or a single staff member dressed normally on this so-called 'film set'. Just as he was about to ask someone for help, a jumble of memories flooded his mind.

Ming Dynasty
The 48th year of the Wanli reign
Two emperors died in one month
Crown Prince Zhu Youxiao
and many more!

How did I become the Apocalypse?
Zhu Youxiao had read too many time-travel novels, so much so that he quickly accepted the fact that he had traveled through time.

But accepting it is one thing, feeling unhappy about it is another.

In his previous life, he entered the government with a doctorate and was selected through a targeted transfer program. After his probationary period, he was directly appointed as a deputy director. Then he was sent to work in a county or district for two years. When he was transferred back, he was directly appointed as a director. A director at the age of thirty, can you imagine?

Originally, he wanted to make great strides and build a successful career, but on the night before he was transferred back, he had a few too many drinks with his colleagues at a dinner party, and when he woke up, he found himself transported to 1620.

Zhu Youxiao was now on the verge of tears.

Time travel is one thing, but could you at least make the difficulty level a little lower?
As the fifteenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the penultimate emperor, Zhu Youxiao faced an extremely difficult situation both inside and outside the court.

Facing inwards:

Within a month, two emperors of the Ming Dynasty died in succession, the court was almost paralyzed, power shifts were chaotic, factional strife was rampant, and very few people were doing anything productive; everyone was busy fighting for power and profit.

Less than a month after Zhu Youxiao was appointed Crown Prince, his court was practically empty, and he could not trust any of the cabinet ministers.

In the palace, Wang An, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, who was in charge of the inner court, sided with the Donglin Party, and the Directorate of Ceremonial was not one of Zhu Youxiao's people.

If the Grand Secretariat and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs cannot be controlled, even if he becomes emperor, he will be nothing more than a puppet ruler who does nothing!
Even now, Li Xuanshi, a mere woman, can act arrogantly and domineeringly towards him, relying on the late emperor's favor, and prevent him from going out to meet the court officials.

outward:

The Ming Empire was plagued by intensified land annexation, excessive taxation, impoverished people, financial difficulties, invasions from surrounding foreign tribes, and official corruption.
In short, the Ming Empire at that time was a rotten mess.

Damn you, God! If you're going to time travel, couldn't you at least choose a better time?
Even being a Fortress Master is better than being an Apocalypse Master!
If you don't do a good job as an Apocalypse, you'll really have to go to Coal Hill and hang yourself from that crooked tree.

If you do a good job, it might affect the interests of some people, and you might even "accidentally" fall into the water, since the Ming emperor was known to be easily soluble in water.

Zhu Youxiao was in a daze. Wang An thought he was afraid of Consort Li, so he immediately said, "Your Highness need not worry. Grand Secretary Liu Yiju, Censor Yang Lian, and Imperial Censor Zuo Guangdou are all waiting for Your Highness at the palace gate. All the officials are in the Wenhua Hall, eagerly awaiting your arrival. Please, Your Highness, move to the Wenhua Hall!"

"Wang An, I am the Crown Prince's legal mother. This Qianqing Palace is not your place to speak!"

Consort Li's eyebrows furrowed, her face fierce. She glared at Wang An, then stared intently at Zhu Youxiao.

If it were the previous Zhu Youxiao, being stared at like that by Consort Li, he would probably have been terrified and completely lost his composure.

But he is no longer the Zhu Youxiao he once was.

I am the heir to the throne, the master of the Ming Empire. Why should I be afraid of a shrew like you?

“Mother, the late Emperor has passed away, and the court and the country are in turmoil. Your son must go there to appease the people.”

Upon hearing this, Consort Li was so shocked that her mouth gaped open.

The eldest prince who used to fear her like a tiger now dares to disobey her?
Wang An was overjoyed to see this. The Crown Prince was weak and controlled by Xi Li. When the court discussed selecting a concubine for Li to become the Imperial Noble Consort, the Crown Prince was just like Xi Li's puppet, manipulated by a woman. The officials were all disappointed.

Unexpectedly, after the passing of the late emperor, the crown prince suddenly became enlightened.

Wang An, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, bowed repeatedly and said, “Your Highness is absolutely right. A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and a family cannot be without a head of state for a day. Please, Your Highness, come to the Wenhua Hall to meet with the ministers!”

"you dare!"

Consort Li was furious. She was the Crown Prince's nominal mother and had originally intended to use Zhu Youxiao to gain power and see if she could win the position of Empress Dowager and rule from behind the curtain.

But Zhu Youxiao's reaction made her both anxious and angry. At this moment, her teeth were clenched so tightly that they were grinding together, and her eyes were flashing with an uncontrollable rage, like an enraged lioness.

She walked step by step toward Zhu Youxiao, as if trying to intimidate him with her power.

When Consort Li was in Cining Palace, she acted with impunity thanks to Zhu Changluo's favor, casting a huge shadow on Zhu Youxiao's young mind. It was a pity.

This tactic is no longer effective against Zhu Youxiao at this point.

Zhu Youxiao's eyes remained calm, showing no fear of the enraged Consort Li. Instead, he looked directly into Consort Li's eyes.

Why isn't he afraid of me?

The closer she got, the more flustered Li Xuanshi became. When she stood in front of Zhu Youxiao, she could no longer tell whether she was angry or afraid.

Consort Li tried her best to make her tone more even.

“My son, you are still young and do not understand the affairs of the court. The officials outside the palace appear to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, but there are many intricacies involved. Listen to your mother for now. The waters inside are very deep and you cannot grasp them. Stay in the palace for now and let your mother negotiate with them. What is yours will eventually be yours.”

Consort Li wanted to use the pretext of Zhu Youxiao's ascension to the throne to negotiate with the ministers in order to achieve her goal of interfering in politics.

“Mother, the officials in the outer court are all loyal and devoted to the country. When the late Emperor was on the throne, he promoted virtuous officials to the court. Now the court is full of upright officials. How can there be any talk of intrigue? Besides, do you really think that by detaining me, you can coerce the officials?”

Those officials outside are certainly not good people.

But your political skills, Xi Li, are no match for those ministers.

Not to mention that within the palace, the Donglin Party members also had Wang An as an inside agent.

Consort Li thought that by hiding Zhu Youxiao, she could negotiate with the court officials. However, she did not expect that those officials would not negotiate with her at all, nor would they care about the etiquette between the emperor and his subjects. Historically, after Wang An opened the palace gates, the officials rushed in and searched the entire Qianqing Palace before finally finding Zhu Youxiao.

After finding him, the ministers didn't care whether Zhu Youxiao agreed or not. They immediately carried Zhu Youxiao on their backs and ran out of the Qianqing Palace, forcibly holding him as they went.

At that time, did he, the future emperor of the Ming Dynasty, have any dignity?

Instead, it gave the Donglin Party members the credit for their support and the opportunity to grow stronger.

"Mother will always be my mother, and that will never change. If Mother insists on going her own way, the officials in the court will not agree, the common people will not agree, and neither will I."

Zhu Youxiao's voice was very soft, but to Li Xuanshi, it sounded as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"You, you, I think you've grown too big for your britches."

Enraged, Consort Li glared and gritted her teeth, raising her hand to slap Zhu Youxiao.

While in Cining Palace, she beat Zhu Youxiao countless times, always under the guise of admonishment, and Zhu Youxiao didn't even dare to dodge.

However, this time, something unexpected happened.

Zhu Youxiao acted swiftly and grabbed Li Xuanshi's hand.

"Fine, fine! You even dare to dodge your mother's admonitions. Have you forgotten the sage's filial piety?"

Thinking she had been falsely accused, Consort Li ordered her attendants, "The Crown Prince is disrespectful of filial piety. Quickly send him to the side hall and punish him by making him copy the Classic of Filial Piety ten times!"

"Let's see who dares!"

Zhu Youxiao shouted loudly, and the eunuchs and palace maids who were about to step forward looked at each other and stopped in their tracks.

One was the future emperor, and the other was a concubine who had lost her patron.

The people in the palace are all shrewd. In her previous life, Consort Li was able to detain Zhu Youxiao and occupy the Qianqing Palace by manipulating him so that he dared not resist.

But the situation is completely different now.

"Our Great Ming Dynasty has collapsed, and today is a day of national mourning. I earnestly hope that Mother Consort will think twice before acting. The matter of bestowing the title of Imperial Noble Consort is still under the cabinet and no decree has been issued. Mother Consort should think more about the matters after her death."

After speaking, Zhu Youxiao slowly lowered Li Xuanshi's hand, then took a step back and solemnly bowed to her.

Consort Li stared blankly at Zhu Youxiao, completely at a loss.

"Wang Daban, go to Ciqing Palace."

Although he managed to silence Li Xuanshi, Zhu Youxiao remained uneasy.

Because his opponents were never Consort Li, but those hypocritical and treacherous people.

Whether to be a puppet or a powerful emperor remains to be seen, and a decision can only be made after a confrontation with his officials.

"His Majesty."

Wang An, who was watching the show from the sidelines, was stunned.

He served Zhu Changluo in Cining Palace for many years and had a good understanding of the eldest son, Zhu Youxiao.

How come the eldest son of the emperor today is completely different from before?
He originally thought it was a good thing that the Crown Prince had become enlightened and was no longer afraid of Consort Li.

But now it seems that this realization, though perhaps not a good thing.

Looking at the calm-faced, unwavering-eyed Crown Prince, Wang An saw a resemblance to the late Emperor Shenzong in him.

He had a premonition that being the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs wouldn't be so easy.

"Your Highness, this way."

Wang An bowed deeply, displaying extreme flattery, and led the way.

Zhu Youxiao slowly walked out of the East Warm Pavilion, breathed in the fresh air outside the palace, and looked at the red bricks and golden tiles of the Forbidden City. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

Since I've taken on the role of Apocalypse, I must make something of myself, otherwise wouldn't I be letting down this damned God's test?

He kicked the pedantic Confucian scholars embroiled in factional strife and punched the wild boar skin of Jianzhou.

It was his five-year plan.

Reforms and reforms eradicated deep-seated problems; opening up the seas and colonizing the world spread Chinese methods.

This is the only way to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Ming Dynasty.

As the rising sun slowly ascended, Crown Prince Zhu Youxiao clenched his fist beneath his robes.

It is our inescapable duty to restore the glory of the Ming Dynasty!
PS:

Here are some points to report to the readers regarding this book:
This book was approved for internal review in May 2024, but it's only being published now because there's just too much information to research.

I read books for several months and consulted a lot of information before I dared to start writing.

The author has tried to make the content of the book as historically accurate as possible. Of course, I am writing a novel, not a history book, so there will definitely be adaptations and deviations from history. Readers are kindly requested to make their own judgments and accept the differences.

In terms of updates, there are 10,000 words every day, plenty of content to satisfy your needs!

Please continue to support us!

(End of this chapter)