Huangming

Chapter 19 A Dreamlike Journey, the Filial Imperial Heir

Soon, Madam Ke entered Duanbentang.

At this moment, Madam Ke looked utterly disheveled, her black hair disheveled and a few strands clinging to her sweaty cheeks. Her clothes were wrinkled and creased, the collar slightly open, revealing dark red finger marks on her neck.

Her eyes were red and brimming with tears. She bit her lower lip to suppress her sobs, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"Your Highness, this servant has been bullied."

Madam Ke sobbed and was about to throw herself at Zhu Youxiao.

The eunuchs who were close to Zhu Youxiao immediately stood in front of him.

"Your Highness?"

When Madam Ke saw that Zhu Youxiao's cold face showed no sign of distress, she was startled.

She could only sob louder, tears streaming down her face, and cried out, "Your Highness, those guards at the gate are so rude! They not only beat me, but also committed indecent acts. I beg Your Highness to do justice for me and have those two guards beaten to death!"

What a vicious woman.

Those two guards were merely performing their duties, yet they were about to take a life?

Zhu Youxiao did not reply, but looked at Wei Chao behind Madam Ke and asked unhappily, "What's going on?"

Wei Chao knelt down with a thud, his plump body trembling as he said, "Your Highness, Madam Ke came from Qianqing Palace, saying she wanted to see Your Highness. I was afraid of disturbing Your Highness's mood, so I didn't announce her arrival. I never expected that Madam Ke would dare to storm the palace. I deserve to die, I deserve to die!"

After saying that, he slapped his cheeks and mouth with his palms, making a loud slapping sound.

The saying goes, "Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately."

Although Wei Chao had a relationship with Lady Ke, the current attitude of the successor towards Lady Ke is not the same as before.

He naturally wanted to be a non-stick pan.

"You Wei Chao!"

Madam Ke's face showed resentment and she glared at Wei Chao. Turning to Zhu Youxiao, she said, "Your Highness, this man has prevented my son and me from being together. He has also uttered wild words and slandered me. Your Highness, you cannot forgive this eunuch!"

"enough!"

Zhu Youxiao shouted, which immediately froze Madam Ke's expression, leaving her looking blank.

"Your Highness?"

Mrs. Ke looked incredulous.

Zhu Youxiao never yelled at her, not even a little bit.

What happened today?
"Your Highness, I am Grandma Ke! Don't you remember me?"

Madam Ke wanted to awaken the former Zhu Youxiao.

But the soul now occupying this body is no longer the Zhu Youxiao of the past.

Zhu Youxiao immediately said, "Madam Ke, you are my wet nurse, so I am naturally aware of this matter. But does being the Crown Prince's wet nurse give you the right to act recklessly in the Forbidden City?"

Seeing Zhu Youxiao's accusatory look, Madam Ke felt a chill in her heart.

But she still had to make one last effort.

“It was indeed wrong of me to rush to the palace, but the Wei court refused to inform you. I missed Your Highness terribly and was worried that Your Highness was not eating well, not dressing warmly, or sleeping well. That is why I risked my life to come here. Who knew that the guards at the gate were so rude and shouted out, disturbing Your Highness.”

This woman isn't stupid.

Zhu Youxiao said, "Don't you know the rules of the palace?"

Madam Ke immediately knelt down, her face turned towards the marble tiles, and said, "I am naturally aware of the rules of the palace."

"Since you knew about it, you are breaking the law knowingly. Relying on your favor, you want to do something out of line. Madam Ke, do you know your crime?"

Convicted?

Mrs. Ke was in tears.

If she was faking her tears before, now she is truly crying.

"This servant knows her crime. I beg Your Highness to remember that I have served you for many years and forgive me this time."

The imperial family has been ruthless since ancient times.

Ms. Ke finally understood the meaning of those seven words.

No wonder it is said that the throne can drastically change a person's temperament, leaving them completely isolated.

She didn't believe it before, but now she believes it completely.

"Wei Chao, how should this crime be punished?"

Wei Chao's smile was forced as he said, "Making a scene outside the palace is punishable by death according to the law."

Should he be executed according to the law? Madam Ke was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground.

Seeing that he had given her enough warning, Zhu Youxiao said, "Madam Ke, considering your many years of service, I will spare you from the death penalty. But you can escape punishment. Take her out and give her thirty strokes of the cane. From now on, without my command, you are not allowed to leave the West Second Prison."

Chinese people tend to prefer compromise and moderation. For example, if you were to punish her with thirty strokes of the cane, Madam Ke would definitely refuse. But now that you are to be executed according to the law, Madam Ke feels that the punishment of thirty strokes is nothing, as if she has gotten a great deal. Not only will she not blame you, but she will also kowtow and express her gratitude.

After Ke Shi was dragged out, Zhu Youxiao looked at Wei Chao.

"You are the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and you don't need me to teach you about palace affairs. This matter must not happen again."

Bang bang bang.

Wei Chao kowtowed so hard it shook the heavens, and when he looked up again, there were red marks on his forehead, and blood was seeping out.

His appearance was truly pitiful.

"If there is a next time, the Crown Prince will have me smeared with oil and burned like a sky lantern."

Zhu Youxiao waved his hand and said, "Go and supervise the execution."

"The slaves obey."

Wei Chao crawled out of Duanbentang, while Zhu Youxiao dusted off his robe and said, "Go to Qianqing Palace."

As the eldest son and legal heir of Emperor Taichang, Zhu Youxiao was required to observe the "three-year mourning period" according to the "Ming Dynasty Statutes - Funeral Rites". During the period of mourning, he was required to cry five times and offer sacrifices three times a day (crying at five times in the morning, noon, evening, dusk and night, and offering sacrifices three times in the morning, noon and evening).

Previously, the Qianqing Palace was occupied by Consort Li, which disrupted the proper etiquette.

Now that the Qianqing Palace has been restored to its proper place, Zhu Youxiao naturally has to act as a filial son.

The mourning ritual is a strong claim to orthodoxy.

Zhu Youxiao did not want to be branded as someone who violated the principles of benevolence and filial piety.

When Zhu Youxiao's entourage arrived at the Qianqing Palace, they found the place filled with cries of sorrow.

The court officials and ministers who knelt down wept bitterly, tears streaming down their faces, and countless people convulsed.

Zhu Changluo had only been on the throne for less than a month, yet he was already regarded as a parent by his officials.

of course
Zhu Youxiao understood that there was a lot of acting involved.

Life is like a play, it depends on acting.

At this moment, Zhu Youxiao's eyes were already slightly red, and tears were welling up in his eyes. In just three seconds, he thought of all the unpleasant things in his life.

Unexpectedly, she actually burst into tears on the spot.

"Father! Why have you abandoned your son to a young and weak ruler!" Zhu Youxiao walked quickly to the altar, kowtowed, and wept bitterly, touching his forehead to the ground.

"I was born an orphan, and it was only through my father's protection that I was able to inherit the throne. But alas, Heaven did not grant me a long life, and my morning and evening prayers have become nothing but empty wishes!"

After speaking, he burst into tears, sobbing and convulsing, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall.

Upon seeing this, Grand Secretary Zhu Guozuo of the Dongge Pavilion nodded to himself in approval.

Regardless of what happened to the heir in the Wenhua Hall, this filial piety is rare.

"Your Highness, please do not grieve excessively and harm your health."

At the place where people knelt before the spirit tablet, a boy a head shorter than Zhu Youxiao crawled to his feet and handed him a handkerchief to wipe away his tears.

"Brother, waaaaah~"

The boy's thin body was wrapped in coarse hemp clothing, the plain linen irritating his neck until it turned red. The wide sleeves of his robe reached below his knees, and a black gauze hat covered his pale forehead. Two strands of loose hair clung to his cheeks, which were streaked with tears.

It was Zhu Youjian, the younger brother of Zhu Youxiao.

At this moment, Zhu Youxiao had completely immersed himself in the identity of the carpenter emperor, and his acting skills were truly on full display.

Ignoring their advice, he wept bitterly, saying, "The flames of war in Liaodong have not yet been quelled, and the affairs of the court are unclear. How can I, your foolish and inexperienced son, bring peace to the world?"

Upon hearing these words, Zhu Guozuo and his officials all knelt down.

Zhu Youxiao's performance was not over yet.

After bowing three times before the spirit tablet, burning paper money and offering wine, he said, "I humbly beg the spirit of my father to have mercy and grant me the courage to make firm decisions and the wisdom to distinguish loyalty, so that I may sweep away the chaos within the world and carry on his legacy!"

Zhu Youxiao cried out at the funeral, stamping his feet and beating his chest, his grief moving those around him. Before half a quarter of an hour had passed, he fainted.

The officials who mourned the deceased were terrified!
Is it not enough that two emperors of my Great Ming died in one month? Do we have to lose a crown prince as well?

……

PS:
The new book is still immature and needs nurturing to grow.

Please vote for me and keep reading!
(End of this chapter)