Chapter 114: Consort Wan: Huh?

Looking at the palace gate just two steps away, Emperor Chenghua Zhu Jianshen shook his head and did not enter. He uttered a single word:

“Xuan.”

He feared that if he went in, another child by Lady Wu might suddenly appear next year, which would be difficult to handle.

“So, Your Majesty…” Zhang Min was caught between going and staying, hesitantly asking. He still hoped Lady Wu would prove that he had not lied.

Zhu Jianshen glanced at him and said, “Wait here.”

“Yes!” Zhang Min breathed a sigh of relief and stood silently beside Zhu Youtang.

“Your Majesty,” Lady Wu approached gracefully, bowing respectfully. Though not emaciated like when she first entered the palace, she still appeared much thinner. However, Zhu Jianshen was not familiar with her.

In the seventh month of the first year of Chenghua, Lady Wu, daughter of Wu Jun, the Deputy Commander of the Central Army, had been empress for only a month before Emperor Xianzong deposed her. Official histories claim that Empress Wu beat Consort Wan, whom Xianzong favored, leading to her downfall. This was clearly fabricated nonsense.

Those who wrote history in the Ming dynasty had little need to think deeply. Lady Wu came from a distinguished and proper family—there was no way a newly crowned empress would enter the palace and start fighting. Even new brides in villages had to pretend for half a year.

Records in the Guoque and Ming Shilu depict Emperor Xianzong’s harsh judgment of Empress Wu, describing her speech and behavior as frivolous, her manners crude, and her demeanor corrupt. This was merely an excuse. In the Ming dynasty, even if you sought a courtesan by the Qinhuai River, she would not behave like that, let alone an empress.

In truth, Empress Wu’s deposition had nothing to do with her personally. It was because, during the process of establishing the empress, eunuchs and officials conspired to control the inner palace, and Emperor Xianzong discovered it.

At the same time as deposing the empress, Xianzong punished several people.

At the forefront was the Chief Eunuch Niu Yu of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a veteran eunuch born in the Yongle era who served through seven reigns before being exiled to Nanjing to guard the tombs of the dynasty’s founder.

Niu Yu’s family had two officials: his nephew Niu Lun, Deputy Minister of Rites, and his nephew Yang Zong, Assistant Minister of Personnel. Both were dismissed and investigated alongside him.

Wu Jun, Lady Wu’s father, and her brother Wu Xiong were imprisoned and ultimately assigned to frontier posts in Dengzhou.

However, the Wu family were merely pawns. The real conspirators who incited Emperor Xianzong’s wrath were others.

Lord Huaining Sun Tang!

Sun Tang was Empress Wu’s uncle and a high-ranking military general commanding the capital’s 3,000-strong army. Remarkably, he was connected by marriage to Chief Eunuch Niu Yu.

Thus, Sun Tang and Niu Yu conspired to elevate their niece Wu to empress, making the trio powerful external relatives. The benefits were obvious.

But their actions violated the emperor’s greatest taboo: the collusion of eunuchs and officials.

Having a eunuch close to the emperor and a military general conspiring together posed an immense threat to Xianzong. He could not sleep at night, fearing that one day the army might storm the palace in his sleep.

Worse, Sun Tang had a criminal record. During the Cao Qin Rebellion, he had led troops to besiege the palace. He had experience in such matters.

Could Emperor Xianzong not think deeply about this?

Therefore, when Empress Wu was deposed, Sun Tang was stripped of his position and retired.

Frankly, the punishment was lenient, but Emperor Xianzong had just ascended the throne and lacked the courage to eliminate all conspirators; he was still constrained.

Zhu Jianshen regained his composure and looked at Lady Wu, pointing to little Zhu Youtang beside him. Quietly, he asked, “Is this my heir?”

Lady Wu glanced at the child and whispered, “Yes.”

When she looked up and met Zhu Jianshen’s gaze, her expression showed visible surprise and deep confusion. How could there be a little emperor?

“Leave.”

Emperor Chenghua waved his hand. Seeing that Lady Wu only had this one question, he did not want to speak further lest complications arise.

“As you command.”

Lady Wu reluctantly withdrew, deeply regretful she had missed this chance to turn her fortunes around.

“Go to Consort Wan’s Zhaode Palace.”

Emperor Zhu Jianshen ordered.

…

Back in the small world, Zhu Yuanzhang scolded angrily,

“How dare you hide the heir in the palace for six years? The harem has become so corrupt—all because of you, you little Zhu brat!”

Zhu Qizhen shrank his neck and muttered softly, “I told you, my relationship with Palace Concubine Zhou is just ordinary, nothing special.”

He wasn’t entirely without reason. Apart from Empress Qian, the other concubines were never officially recognized and were all simply called palace concubines.

But Zhu Yuanzhang never listened to reason.

Dare to talk back? That was outrageous!

“Zhanji boy, go give your son a real beating on his backside!”

“Yes, Great Grandfather!”

Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanji responded respectfully, letting the eldest son fully experience what fatherly love like an earthquake truly meant.

“Great Ancestor, come on, come on, there’s another good show to see!” Zhu Youjian suddenly called out.

“Where? Let me see!”

…

At Zhaode Palace.

Wan Zhen’er, now forty-five, showed early signs of aging despite her efforts to maintain her appearance.

She had already received advance notice and waited by the door for Zhu Jianshen’s arrival.

After a long wait, she finally saw the emperor’s procession.

Consort Wan bowed gracefully and gently called out, “Your Majesty!”

“Come in,” Emperor Chenghua said, entering Zhaode Palace without hesitation.

“Those two children…” Consort Wan finally noticed the two little ones and was about to ask when she suddenly froze.

A pair of dark eyes stared intently at her.

“Aunt Wan!”

Little Zhu Jianshen blinked and sweetly called out, showing a very happy smile.

Stunned!

Why did the imperial child speak exactly like me?

Emperor Chenghua’s body trembled violently as he stared in disbelief at the child in his arms—an exact replica of himself.

“Aunt Wan?”

Consort Wan was overwhelmed, collapsing onto the bed in shock. “Your… Highness?”

Long-buried memories flooded her mind. She had raised Zhu Jianshen from infancy; every stage of his growth, his appearance, and habits were deeply ingrained in her heart.

As the first woman in history to complete a full “young emperor” nurturing plan, hearing “Aunt Wan” from this child stirred something deep within her.

“How could she not be familiar?”

“Your Majesty, what is going on here?” Consort Wan asked with a bewildered, almost disoriented feeling, gently touching her aching forehead.

Emperor Zhu Jianshen gasped sharply, held his breath for a long moment, then finally uttered,

“I am… thinking.”