Chapter 136: You Speak Human Language to Them, They Don't Understand!
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Zhu Jianshen summoned the palace attendants to wash and dress the emperor. Except for his eyes, bloodshot and veined, Emperor Baozong looked much more refreshed.
Zhu Jianshen whispered softly, “To report to Your Majesty, the ancestors have all departed.”
“Ah!”
“That’s good, that’s good.”
Zhu Qizhen exhaled with relief, then suddenly paused. “Hey, wait a minute. If they’ve left, what am I supposed to do?”
“Please wait, Father.”
Zhu Jianshen turned around solemnly and issued an edict to the civil and military officials:
“Gentlemen, you may withdraw. Tomorrow morning’s court session will discuss affairs.”
“Your Majesty, but—”
The officials, wiping away tears, reluctantly rose and stared longingly at the emperor’s seat.
Emperor Yingzong’s condition was clearly off. He hadn’t had his fill of killing, and if the emperor wasn’t restrained, who dared to leave the court? They feared that once they retreated, it might be forever.
“I’ll take over!” Zhu Qizhen shook his head, brandishing his embroidered spring knife, ready to strike.
“Good heavens!”
“We take our leave!”
The officials dispersed in a hurry.
By the time the last word “withdraw” reached Zhu Jianshen’s ears, all the ministers had already rushed beyond the Meridian Gate, their speed astonishing.
“These fools,” Zhu Qizhen scornfully cursed. “You speak human words to him, but he doesn’t understand.”
Then Baozong turned his head and said, “Bring the items for Your Majesty to examine.”
“Yes!”
“Please, Your Majesty, have a look.” Commander Wan Xi of the Embroidered Uniform Guard respectfully handed the emperor a booklet.
The purge of the external relatives, the Zhou family, was specifically assigned by Baozong for Wan Xi to oversee. Although the Wan family was now the foremost external relative, they dared not act arrogantly.
Because the lesson of the Zhou family was vivid and fresh, Wan Xi understood that if he wished to avoid the same fate, he must speak cautiously and act with humility.
Zhu Jianshen glanced at Wan Xi, the younger brother of Consort Wan, who had matured significantly in recent days, curious about what he had experienced.
Shaking his head, he took the booklet and began to read, astonished: “The treasury holds seventy thousand taels of gold and one million six hundred eighty thousand taels of silver?”
“Father, did you empty the coffers of the Tianshun era?”
What nonsense!
There was no such thing as the Tianshun era anymore.
Zhu Qizhen glanced at him and sneered, “These upright and honest ministers are all wealthier than you, the emperor.”
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Zhu Jianshen smiled bitterly. “I know they’re corrupt, and they know I know, yet they still embezzle because the profits are so vast they don’t care if I know.”
“Stop!”
Zhu Qizhen rubbed his head, feeling a headache. “Father has just awakened; don’t give me tongue twisters. My brain can’t handle it.”
“Just tell me where the ancestors went.”
Zhu Jianshen waved his hand; the Embroidered Uniform Guards, palace attendants, and eunuchs all withdrew a hundred paces from the hall, facing the wall with bowed heads, not daring to overhear.
He whispered, “The ancestors should be on their way to attack Jiangnan Province. The commander called this the Jiangnan Glele Campaign.”
Attack Jiangnan?
Nanjing is also in Jiangnan.
The capital and province are both part of the realm; how could the ancestors be fighting themselves?
Zhu Qizhen’s mind raced and finally concluded, frowning, “You lost Jiangnan during the Chenghua era!? That region provides one-third of our Ming’s taxes. How could it be lost? No, that can’t be right. Among the surrounding tribes, who would dare attack Nanjing?”
Zhu Jianshen shook his head with a smile, tinged with envy: “The ancestors have gone to eliminate the Jiangnan aristocrats, wielding those blue-flamed rifled muskets—one shot from over a hundred meters is fatal. Quite impressive.”
And they didn’t bring me!
Zhu Qizhen was vexed, weighing his embroidered spring knife in hand, suddenly feeling dull. “Tell me when the ancestors return. Don’t leave me here. Your mother is still waiting for me in the Jingtai era.”
Empress Dowager Qian is the birth mother and Empress Dowager; Empress Dowager Zhou is the Holy Mother Empress Dowager. A biological emperor outranks an empress dowager in rank.
Zhu Jianshen indeed called Empress Dowager Qian “Mother.”
He blinked and sighed helplessly, “Enough, Father, you should sleep.”
“All right then.” Zhu Qizhen rubbed his eyes and lay back on the broad dragon throne, soon snoring again.
Zhu Jianshen also sat on the dragon throne, taking half the seat, squeezing close to his father, unafraid of waking him.
Because after the officials’ experiment earlier, as long as no keywords were triggered, Baozong could not be awakened; his sleep was exceptionally good.
Zhu Jianshen beckoned, “Bring me the casualties of the court ministers.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Wan Xi dared not delay and quickly recorded the names of the ministers who had fallen under the late emperor’s sword these past few days.
As he wrote, a sense of absurdity crept in, prompting a smile. Since the Hongwu era, when had anyone counted the number of civil officials who died?
...
Seven days later.
A squad of ten, riding at full speed, had just entered Jiangnan territory.
This was Zhu Youjian’s anchor point.
Within the small world.
Pale moonlight gently bathed the scene, enveloped in quiet and peace.
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The Hongwu dragon throne was enlarged five or six times.
It was covered with a thick layer of golden velvet. Zhu Yuanzhang lay beneath the dragon coverlet, snoring softly, sleeping soundly.
On the dragon thrones of various dynasties, emperors and crown princes lay sprawled, fast asleep.
Zhu Youjian yawned, bleary-eyed, and called out, “Great Ancestor, we’re almost there.”
Zhu Yuanzhang turned over and opened one eye, glancing at the luminous screen. Mumbling, “It’s still early; we’ve just entered Jiangnan. I’ll nap a bit more.”
Zhu Youjian smiled wryly. These past few days, to help the robust Ming emperors and crown princes lose weight, he had used all kinds of fitness equipment.
They were all exhausted.
Zhu Yuanzhang opened his eyes again: “Still early, no rush.”
After a while.
The soundly sleeping Zhu Yuanzhang stretched, sat upright, looked at the screen, and was immediately dumbfounded:
“I just closed my eyes for a moment, how come we’re in Nanjing?”
“Stop sleeping, everyone! The sun has set, and you’re all sleeping like pigs!”
Old Zhu woke and began grumbling, scolding his sons and grandsons, lifting the cover and smacking their bottoms, sparing no one.
Buzz!
The quiet night in the small world vanished.
A blazing sun rose high, shining brilliantly as before.
Old Zhu Di and Zhu Laosi were in good spirits; they had long since awakened but were not resting but engaged in worldly affairs.
They dared not wake while Zhu Yuanzhang remained asleep.
“Big brother, you’re going to sleep to death!”
Old Zhu Di kicked the chubby Yongle, causing his fat to jiggle, but he remained motionless.
“Eldest grandson, use some immortal magic!”
Zhu Yuanzhang deliberately dragged out the tone.
“No, Your Majesty, please don’t get angry!” The two plump ones sat up, rubbing their sore muscles, hastily waving their hands in protest.
“What’s this about, great-grandfather? I’m just taking a nap, no chopping involved.” Yongle’s young Zhu and Xuande’s Zhu Zhanji were in good health and acted as if nothing was wrong.
In the Jingtai era, Zhu Qiyu held little Zhu Jianshen. The uncle and nephew looked dazed, clearly underslept.
Zhu Yuanzhang stood with hands behind his back, scolding grumpily, “We’re already in Nanjing, and you’re still sleeping!”
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