Chapter 74: Take the Sword! Take the Sword!!

Clang!

The distant morning bell resounded, echoing through the palace.

In the warm chamber of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Zhu Qiyu, frail and sickly, was being attended by his servants, washing and dressing in preparation for court.

Upon hearing the bell, Zhu Qiyu immediately lifted his head in astonishment. “Could it be Yu Qian?”

“Your Majesty, this...”

His attendants exchanged bewildered glances, utterly at a loss for words.

Just then, the eunuch Xing'an rushed in, breathless, his face pale with fear as he stammered, “Reporting to Your Majesty... The Supreme Emperor has taken back the Southern Palace!”

According to the Ming chronicles, upon hearing of the Supreme Emperor’s restoration, Zhu Qiyu smiled with relief and repeatedly said, “Good, good, good.” Then, after catching his breath, he lay back down, facing the wall, and slept.

In reality—

“Restoration?”

Zhu Qiyu was stunned for a moment, then erupted in fury: “Zhu Qizhen, as an elder brother, is unkind; as the eldest, he is unrighteous! He offends our ancestors, sins against heaven and earth! That fool, dull-headed as he is, dares to restore himself? How does he dare!”

“Bring me my sword! My sword! My sword!”

“I will cut him down myself!”

He fumbled around, unable to find his sword, grabbed his bronze mirror instead, and stormed out in a rage.

He dragged his gravely ill body for nearly two miles.

Only then did the eunuch Xing'an catch up, supporting him to sit, and said with compassion, “Your Majesty, the Supreme Emperor has troops at the Gate of Heavenly Favor. Blades see no eyes; you must not go alone!”

“What about Yu Qian? What is Yu Qian doing, why hasn't he led the Ten Regiment Camp to suppress the palace coup?”

Zhu Qiyu panted incessantly, his hand gripping the bronze mirror until his knuckles turned white, his voice low and furious.

Since the Tumultuous Incident, he had granted Yu Qian unlimited authority, allowing him to reform the three depleted camps of the capital into the Ten Regiment Camp.

Thus, Yu Qian became not only Minister of War but also commander of the Ten Regiment Camp, wielding both the power to mobilize and command troops—his influence was immense, yet he never abused it.

This was why Zhu Qiyu trusted him.

Xing'an sobbed quietly, “Lord Yu... has not moved his army.”

Zhu Qiyu’s heart sank to ashes. He understood Yu Qian’s intention: a gravely ill emperor with no heir had become the abandoned pawn of the ministers...

What could Yu Qian do?

Lead the Ten Regiment Camp to surround the palace and arrest the Supreme Emperor?

Once the Supreme Emperor became a criminal, would the Prince of Yi be deposed as well? The late Emperor Xuande had only two sons; Zhu Qiyu had no heir, and if Prince Yi Zhu Jianshen were deposed, wouldn’t the imperial line shift to the Prince of Xiang’s branch?

One would also have to consider whether the Empress Dowager would approve; after all, if the Prince of Xiang ended up like Zhu Qiyu and left no descendants, it might not be impossible.

Returning the throne to the Supreme Emperor was only a matter of time!

Zhu Qiyu murmured in anger, “I could reestablish Prince Yi as heir, but I will never allow Zhu Qizhen, after losing power and disgracing the nation, to shamelessly reclaim the throne!”

An emperor captured and then restored—it is as intolerable as after the humiliation of Jingkang, when Emperor Qinzong Zhao Huan was welcomed back as emperor of Southern Song. Unbearable!

Zhu Qiyu clutched his head in grief. “I regret, I regret!”

A eunuch hurried over, anxiously reporting, “Your Majesty, Lord Xu Bin, Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, brings urgent news: the tide has turned, proceed to the Gate of Heavenly Favor at once!”

“What?”

Zhu Qiyu grew suspicious, pressed for details, but got nothing. After taking a few breaths, he immediately ordered, “Go, help me to the Gate of Heavenly Favor!”

……

Dark clouds gathered, the sky grew gloomy.

Before the Gate of Heavenly Favor—

Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright on the dragon throne, with old Zhu Di and Zhu the Fourth standing at his sides, their eyes cold and filled with anger.

Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, spoke coolly:

“Zhu Qizhen, do you know your crime?”

The recently awakened Bastion Prince was held down by two Zhu Gaoxu, unable to move, eyes blazing with fury. “You rebels, you dare offend the emperor and interrogate the Son of Heaven? Outrageous!”

“Slap him!”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

Smack! Smack!

Zhu Qizhen’s mind reeled, shamed and angry, muttering under his breath, “I'll mash you all into bean paste, every one of you into bean paste!”

Emperor Xuande stepped forward, delivered a harsh slap, and growled, “Obstinate fool! Do you know where you are? Do you know who stands before you?”

“Upon the dragon throne sits the Grand Emperor, founder of Great Ming; at his sides are the Imperial Grandfather, Emperor Yongle, and below is your Imperial Grandfather, Emperor Renzong!”

Emperor Yongle!

What a fine grandson!

Delighted!

Old Zhu Di and Zhu the Fourth were instantly overjoyed, their mouths curling into uncontrollable smiles.

Old Zhu glanced back, and their expressions immediately became solemn and unmoved.

Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, grabbed Bastion Prince’s collar and cursed fiercely:

“Now, before our ancestors, whom do you intend to kill? You are a pig-headed fool, how did I ever let you sit here! If only I’d known, I should have smashed you against the wall back then!”

Zhu Qizhen was bewildered by the relentless scolding—Grand Emperor? Emperor Yongle? Emperor Renzong?

What is this jumble!

And why does this voice sound so familiar?

From deep within distant memories, blurred scenes of childhood surfaced, gradually overlapping with the furious face before him.

Bastion Prince was stupefied, exclaiming, “Father? You’re not dead?”

Or am I dead?

The Grand Emperor is here—could this be the underworld?

But how did I die?

All I remember is being very angry, but how could anger kill me? At most, exhaustion!

“Hah! With such a foolish, unfilial son, even if I rest underground, my coffin lid would flip from rage!”

Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, was cold as frost.

“Enough!”

“Will you ever stop!”

Zhu Qizhen was furious, in a foul mood, and, unable to turn over, shouted loudly at Zhu Zhanji, “Who are you calling unfilial? How am I unfilial? We’re all underground—what right have you to reprimand me? Who knows who will be the father next time!”

All the Ming emperors and princes frowned in unison!

Even Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage: “What I gave you, I can take back! So the Supreme Emperor restored himself, huh? I’ll make it hard for you to even visit his tomb!”

“Aaargh—”

A wretched cry echoed once more.

Before the Gate of Heavenly Favor.

That voice...

Zhu Qiyu suddenly halted, recalling the bloody scene when the ministers in the hall beat Wang Zhen’s followers to death, and the tragic sight of the Jinyiwei commander Ma Shun flashed before his eyes.

He was overjoyed and asked, “Are the ministers beating the Supreme Emperor? That must not be! What decorum is this? Quickly, help me go and stop them!”

With that—

“As you command!”

Xing'an, rushing ahead, was suddenly yanked back and stumbled. Turning around, he saw—

Ah!

You’re marching in place?

Having keen insight, Xing'an matched the rhythm of Bastion Prince’s cries from behind the wall, marching in place as well, occasionally saying, “Your Majesty, my handkerchief fell, let me pick it up!”

Zhu Qiyu declared righteously, “How could I bear to leave you behind? Never mind, I’ll go with you!”

And so—

Yu Qian, arriving in haste, was dumbfounded.

Too much enthusiasm—this early morning, why is the Emperor stuck on the spot!

...