The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

When Zhu Houcong saw the imperial carriage that had come to fetch him, he was completely stunned.

At the same time, I admire Zhou Chu's brilliant strategy from the bottom of my heart.

At this moment, Zhu Houcong's feelings were complicated. He was excited, confused, and reluctant to leave home, but he did not suspect Zhou Chu.

Although this fifteen-year-old boy is deep in thought, he understands who is good to him and values ​​relationships the most.

Zhou Chu was somewhat clear about Zhu Houcong's character.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths to help him.

Zhu Houcong cherished those who were good to him.

For example, his wet nurse, Yang, and Lu Bing, and even Lu Song would be promoted to deputy commander along the way.

Zhu Houcong was an extremely complex person. On the one hand, he was very sentimental, and on the other hand, he was extremely shrewd.

Although the Great Rites Controversy was about wresting the power of discourse from the civil officials, it was more about fighting for a proper status for his parents.

Even Zhang Cong, who was despised by many, was loyal to Jiajing. When he fell seriously ill and wanted to resign, Zhu Houcong couldn't bear to part with him and personally prepared medicine for him. Later, Zhang Cong's condition worsened, and he had to retire and return to his hometown. Zhu Houcong sent people to visit Zhang Cong many times.

Many people believe that those whom the Jiajing Emperor employed generally met with bad ends, but they don't seem to consider what those people had actually done.

What Xia Yan did would have warranted the execution of his entire family by any other emperor.

Although Yan Song was extremely greedy and had committed countless evil deeds, with his cronies spread throughout the court and the country, Zhu Houcong never considered killing him.

Even when Yan Shifan ended up in such a dire situation, only Yan Shifan was killed; Yan Song was not executed.

"Wenfu, Huang Jin, you will come with me to the capital."

Jiajing looked at Lu Bing and his chief attendant Huang Jin.

The future ahead of him to the capital was uncertain, and Zhu Houcong had no idea what to do. Fortunately, Zhou Chu was in the capital. Zhu Houcong couldn't help but recall Wen Fu's words. It seemed that this Zhou Hengqi had already begun to make his plans and was just waiting for him to take control of the capital.

Thinking about this, Zhu Houcong felt that Zhou Chu was somewhat terrifying. How could he have predicted the current situation so accurately and guessed that he would be enthroned as emperor?

However, the thought that Zhou Chu was on his side gave Zhu Houcong a strange sense of peace.

Mrs. Jiang looked at her son with a face full of reluctance.

"Once you arrive in the capital, be careful and don't try to stand up for yourself in any trouble."

Madam Jiang knew her son's temperament well; he liked to take things seriously. She was afraid that her son would clash with the Empress Dowager and the civil and military officials when he first arrived in the capital.

"Don't worry, Mother, I know what I'm doing."

Zhu Houcong had only recently ascended the throne and was not yet accustomed to referring to himself as "this king".

Coupled with Zhou Chu's previous words, which fueled his ambition for the throne, and the thought that he might one day call himself "朕" (the imperial "I"), he never changed his mind.

"Wenfu, Huang Jin, you two must protect the Prince."

Jiang looked at Lu Bing and Huang Jin and couldn't help but say something.

"Your Highness, rest assured, as long as I am alive, the Prince will be fine."

Lu Bing bowed and said.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will take good care of my master."

Beside Lu Bing, a young eunuch spoke softly.

Zhu Houcong looked at his mother and couldn't hold back any longer. He went forward, hugged his mother, and wept bitterly.

"Mother, once I've established myself in the capital, I'll bring you here as soon as possible."

No matter how reluctant they were to part, they had to separate eventually. Zhu Houcong boarded the imperial carriage and set off for the capital with the entourage.

Zhu Houcong and his entourage stopped in Liangxiang, a day's journey from the capital.

This was Yang Tinghe and his associates' idea, and also a way for them to give this future emperor a taste of his power.

So-called etiquette has always been a powerful tool used by civil officials to deal with the emperor.

This also applied to Zhu Houcong, the future emperor.

According to the established rites, Zhu Houcong needed to complete the adoption ceremony here before entering the capital, and then enter the capital as the crown prince to complete the enthronement ceremony.

When Zhu Houcong arrived in Liangxiang, Yang Tinghe had already led all the officials to set up their ranks and wait for a long time.

If an ordinary teenager saw this kind of scene, he probably wouldn't even be able to speak properly, and would naturally be at Yang Tinghe's mercy.

But Zhu Houcong was no ordinary man; he knew very well that he absolutely could not show weakness at this moment.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Yang Tinghe led the officials in bowing to Zhu Houcong on the imperial carriage.

"Prince?"

Upon hearing this title, Zhu Houcong looked at Yang Tinghe with a puzzled expression.

"Your Highness, according to the rites, Your Highness needs to complete the adoption ceremony here and be adopted by Emperor Xiaozong. Then, as the Crown Prince, you will enter the capital and enter the palace through the Dong'an Gate to complete the enthronement ceremony."

Looking at the young prince opposite him, Yang Tinghe didn't take him seriously at all, thinking that such a young man was no match for him.

"Etiquette? The Prefect is talking to me about etiquette? My father has only been gone for a short time, and I am currently observing mourning for him. Yet the Prefect wants me to abandon my father and join the main lineage? What kind of logic is this?"

Zhu Houcong faced Yang Tinghe with composure and without fear.

The royal family has always been divided into the main line and the minor line. The emperor's line is the main line, while all the other vassal kings are minor lines.

"Is the system of rites meant to teach people to be so unfilial?"

Zhu Houcong was very clever. Since Yang Tinghe and others were using etiquette to pressure him, he would use etiquette and filial piety to refute them.

"Moreover, the edict that made me succeed to the throne said that I would inherit the imperial throne, not that I would be made crown prince, right? Since I am here to inherit the imperial throne, I should follow the emperor's rules and enter the palace through the main gate of the Great Ming Gate, not the so-called Dong'an Gate."

Zhu Houcong spoke with absolute certainty.

Upon hearing these words, Yang Tinghe and the others felt a chill run down their spines, realizing the situation was extremely troublesome.

They originally thought that the young man in front of them had no connections in the capital and was too young to be easily manipulated, but they had miscalculated.

Even Yang Tinghe was at a loss for words to refute Zhu Houcong's statement.

They never expected things to turn out this way.

For a moment, Zhu Houcong and his civil and military officials were at an impasse.

"We do have a compromise."

After the officials discussed the matter for a long time, Yang Tinghe came before Zhu Houcong, looking somewhat helpless.

"any solution?"

Zhu Houcong asked.

"You may enter the palace through the Great Ming Gate, but entering the main ancestral hall is mandatory; otherwise, it would be against etiquette."

Yang Tinghe's suggestion was a compromise between the two sides. Yang Tinghe no longer insisted on Zhu Houcong entering the palace as the crown prince, while Zhu Houcong needed to be included in the main lineage in order to inherit the throne.

By this time, Zhu Houcong and his officials had been locked in a standoff for half a day. Now that Yang Tinghe had backed down, Zhu Houcong could no longer press the matter further.

After all, at this time, Zhu Houcong only had Lu Bing and Huang Jin by his side.

He really wished Zhou Chu could be by his side right now, offering him advice and strategies, but that was obviously impossible.

Since that's the case, let's agree for now and make plans later.

With that thought in mind, Zhu Houcong verbally agreed to Yang Tinghe's request.

Yang Tinghe immediately breathed a sigh of relief.