King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 385
After the banquet was over, the emperor himself left, and Zhu Jingyuan and Zhu Jingyuan also left immediately. Only Zhu Jinghong was left behind.

In the study room of Kunning Palace, Yang Qingyin looked at her son in front of her, feeling both relieved and uncomfortable.

Time flies so fast, even the youngest son has grown up and is about to move to live outside the palace, separated from her mother by many palace walls.

"Thirteen, according to the ancestral rules... you will move out within this month, and we will rarely see each other again!"

Zhu Jinghong is an adult, so he has to move out of the palace. The most prominent thing is the difference between inside and outside.

Unless summoned by the queen, he can no longer enter Kunning Palace at will.

As for going to the palace every day to pay her respects, that is the responsibility of Princess Xiang and has little to do with Zhu Jinghong, Prince Xiang.

What stands out about these man-made "obstacles" is the difference between an individual's internal and external affairs, and the differences between his ruler and his ministers.

"Mom, if you want to see your son...just send someone to send a message!" Zhu Jinghong said with a smile.

Looking at her son who was no different from before, Yang Qingyin said helplessly: "It's different after all!"

"Do you know why I appointed you as King Xiang!"

After taking off his hat, Zhu Jinghong walked up to his mother's side, rubbed his shoulders and replied simply: "My son doesn't know!"

"He who supports you also helps..."

"Although your fourth brother is the prince now, there are many people secretly trying to harm him. My son is brave and unparalleled in the world... I can help your fourth brother to secure his position in the East Palace!"

Zhu Jinghong really didn't expect that my mother had such a plan.

So he immediately answered: "Mom, don't worry... My son will never let anyone hurt my fourth brother!"

In other words, as long as no one harms Zhu Jingyuan's life, he does not break his promise.

Nodding, Yang Qingyin continued: "Since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, the royal family has killed me and me and you. There is no sense of filial piety in the eyes of the world. This is definitely not a blessing for the Ming Dynasty!"

"If things go on like this, more people will covet the East Palace. If this continues..."

At this point, Yang Qingyin couldn't help but laugh when she saw Zhu Jinghong's "naturally dumb" look.

She found that she was getting more and more confused. What was the use of telling Lao Shisan this? How could this kid understand the key?

"Thirteen, what are you thinking about?"

After scratching his head, Zhu Jinghong said: "My son is wondering if he can have his maid serve him after he moves out!"

These words really shocked Yang Qingyin, and she could only sigh once again that her son had grown up, and besides dancing with guns and sticks, he would also miss women.

"Do you remember everything I just said?"

"Remember, you have to help Fourth Brother!"

Staring into her youngest son's eyes, Yang Qingyin asked extremely seriously: "Then tell me honestly, will you do what you promised?"

"Yes!" Zhu Jinghong knew that he must not hesitate at this time.

Nodding with satisfaction, Yang Qingyin smiled and said: "Okay... you go!"

"Son, farewell!"

After saluting, Zhu Jinghong walked out of the main hall, only to see Zhu Yunsheng and others waiting in the east hall.

"Brother Thirteen, come here!"

"What's the matter?"

Zhu Yunsheng stepped forward, pretended to be a young adult, and said, "Today is your birthday, and we plan to celebrate it for you!"

Looking at the people in front of him, Zhu Jinghong couldn't help but feel amused, and immediately said: "Thank you very much!"

"Then you go back and wait peacefully. We will come back to you later!"

"it is good!"

After agreeing, Zhu Jinghong added: "You all must come!"

"That's natural!" Zhu Yunsheng replied quickly.

…………

Now that the crowning ceremony has been completed, Zhu Jinghong has become King Xiang, and he is ordered to move out of the palace as soon as possible.

He himself couldn't wait for it. After all, there were too many rules and regulations in the palace, which really affected his performance.

After returning to Chengmingyuan surrounded by eunuchs, Zhu Jinghong immediately ordered: "Everyone pack your things quickly. We will move out in two days!"

"Yes!" Deng An was the first to answer.

Palace regulations not only restricted Zhu Jinghong, but also restricted these eunuchs.

"The Holy One has given us 150 chamberlains, and together with the existing... chamberlains in our courtyard, there are more than 200 chamberlains!"

Sitting on the chair, looking at the three capable eunuchs in front of him, Zhu Jinghong said slowly: "When there are more people, we have to establish rules so that everyone can perform their duties so that there will be no chaos!"

It is impossible for the more than two hundred eunuchs in Prince Xiang's Mansion to be connected with Zhu Jinghong, so it is still necessary to establish corresponding systems.

"Yu Hai should stay with me and choose 20 people to serve in the palace!"

"Yes!" Yu Hai stepped forward and responded.

"Deng An..."

"The slave is here!" Deng An was both excited and nervous at the moment.

"You can choose four people to take charge of the dian book, dian meal, cart rack, and sweeping. You can also choose 120 internal servants to take care of them!"

There were a total of two hundred people, and Deng An accounted for more than half of them, confirming his title as the first eunuch of the palace.

"This slave accepts the order and will definitely live up to the prince's trust!"

"Zhang Pingan..."

"My servant is here!" Zhang Ping'an immediately paid homage.

"You will choose four people to be in charge of the temple, treasures, rituals and warehouses, and then allocate 60 people to take care of them!"

"This slave accepts the order and will take care of this place for the prince!"

In the pre-Ming Dynasty, because all the vassal kings were sealed outside, the palace's ceremonial books and other institutions were managed by civil servants sent by the court.

But now the vassal king is more restricted, and his status is no longer just respected, so all aspects of his functions have been weakened. The palace only has two long historians dispatched by the court.

Not only the palace is like this, but even the official office of the East Palace where the prince is located is only less than one-half full, and many positions are vacant.

Regarding the various appointments in the palace, Zhu Jinghong had already made plans, and today he just gave them instructions.

In fact, in addition to the eunuchs, the emperor also assigned dozens of maids to him, and now they have all been sent to the palace.

Today he asked the queen if she could have a maid serve her, which was all nonsense.

Now that he is moving, there are so many things that need to be busy, and Zhu Jinghong has not been idle all afternoon.

When the sun set, Zhu Jinghong was wondering if Zhu Yunsheng would come, but a group of girls had already arrived.

Behind them, in addition to the routine entourage of chamberlains and maids, there were also several maids carrying food boxes. There were more than 30 people in front and behind.

"Brother Thirteen, I'm here to celebrate your birthday!" Zhu Yunsheng said with a smile.

"Third sister, what good things did you bring?"

What Zhu Jinghong asked about was, of course, not the food in the food box, but the brocade boxes brought by other palace ladies.

"It's the gift we prepared!"

"Oh? I guess it's something priceless?" Zhu Jinghong led everyone into the palace.

Walking next to Zhu Jinghong, Zhu Yunsheng said slowly: "It's okay to say it's precious. After all, it's all our hearts. To say it's not precious... is actually right. After all, it's just some paper with writing on it!"

For the royal family, any gold or silverware is ordinary, only the heart can have the so-called value.

As for Zhu Yunsheng, he could show his heart and write a few words of blessing and good luck to his brother.

"Since it was a gift from my third sister, how could I not cherish it!" Zhu Jinghong replied with a smile.

Surrounded by a group of bright-eyed girls, Zhu Jinghong was naturally in a good mood.

"I'm not the only one who gave you something!" In addition to her, several attendants also wrote a few words to express Zhu Jinghong's birthday wishes.

Looking at the girls surrounding him, Zhu Jinghong smiled more and more and said, "Thank you all, girls!"

Although they were familiar with Zhu Jinghong, several girls were deeply shocked when he, a dignified prince, handed over his hands to express his gratitude.

Being gentle or polite to others may be a pretense, but with an identity like Zhu Jinghong's, he can do whatever he wants.

But he is so humble, which can only show that he is a true gentleman... This is Daiyu's judgment.

When Zhu Jinghong led the girls to the dining room, the maids had already arranged the dishes, bowls and chopsticks.

Zhu Jinghong glanced at it and saw that it was indeed his favorite food, which showed that his sister had put his heart into it.

Just as Zhu Jinghong was about to invite everyone to take their seats, he heard Zhu Yunsheng say: "Please take a seat, Brother Thirteen, the birthday boy!"

"Please take a seat, Master Thirteen!"

Several girls also spoke in unison, and it looked like they had rehearsed in advance.

After Zhu Jinghong was crowned king, he had to be called "Your Highness" in formal situations and "Prince" in private. Only those with close relationships continued to be called "Thirteenth Master".

"That's good... I won't be polite!"

As he spoke, Zhu Jinghong took his seat, and then he called the girls to take their seats.

After refusing several times, the women carefully sat on the stool.

"I have something to say beforehand. Today's banquet involves no superiority or inferiority. You can do as you like without any restraint!"

As soon as Zhu Jinghong finished speaking, Zhu Yunsheng answered: "Did you hear that...Brother Thirteen doesn't treat you as outsiders!"

Originally there was nothing wrong with this, but when combined with Zhu Yunsheng's tone, it sounded strange.

Especially Yang Jingting, she had probably guessed the queen's arrangement and regarded herself as Princess Xiang in her heart. She felt even more pleased when she heard this.

"Thirteenth Master, I offer you a toast... I wish you good fortune, longevity and longevity, and all the best!" Xiangyun was the first to speak.

Although he was a little younger, Zhu Jinghong liked Xiangyun's heroic spirit, so he raised his glass and said, "I also wish Yun girl...that she can learn from both ancient and modern times and be both talented and beautiful!"

Xiangyun smiled and clinked glasses with Zhu Jinghong, and then drank them all in one gulp, just like Qianyun's heroic spirit.

Then Yang Jingting also raised her glass and said: "My little sister also wishes my thirteenth brother a long life and a hundred years of worry-free life!"

"Thank you sister Ting!"

What I brought this time was fruit wine, which just tasted like wine, and there was no possibility of getting drunk.

Everyone was drinking and talking, and the happy atmosphere made it an unforgettable birthday party.

Half an hour later, the banquet came to an end, but Zhu Jinghong showed no intention of picking up the conversation.

"Girl Lin, if you have something to say, don't hold it in your heart... If you hold it in for a long time, you will easily get sick!"

After saying this, Zhu Jinghong poured himself another glass of wine: "Don't just take medicine on weekdays. You have to exercise more...to get better!"

"Thank you, Thirteenth Master!" Daiyu was really touched. Few people thought about her like this.

Hearing Zhu Jinghong's concerned words, Yang Jingting felt a little sour in her heart, but she quickly adjusted her mood and could deal with it calmly as long as Baochai was not there.

"Brother Thirteen, you are moving out of the palace...why don't you care about my biological sister?" Zhu Yunsheng looked dissatisfied.

She had said this many times, but Zhu Jinghong never took it to heart, which naturally made her particularly dissatisfied.

"Although I have moved out, if Third Sister wants to see me, she can just come to my house directly. Otherwise, I can come to the palace to see you!"

These words immediately aroused Zhu Yunsheng's interest, so she asked casually: "Is your house... fun?"

Zhu Jinghong replied: "There is a big garden in my house, with pavilions and pavilions, and many exotic flowers and plants. It's quite interesting when I think about it!"

"I'm just afraid that Brother Thirteen will find me annoying and won't welcome me here!"

After glancing at Daiyu Xiangyun and the others, Zhu Jinghong laughed and said, "What are you talking about? We are biological brothers and sisters, how can we not welcome you!"

While everyone was chatting, a female official from Kunning Palace came to urge them according to Yi's order, so the banquet had to end.

………………

Two more days passed in the blink of an eye, and Zhu Jinghong was focused on training.

This time the foreign Khans and chieftains arrived in order to let them send troops and money to fight. In order to show their confidence in winning this battle, the emperor must show them the power of the Ming Dynasty's military.

The only ones who can take on this task are the North Four Guards who are undergoing training.

Although it has not been tested in actual combat, everyone must admit that the trained army at least looks majestic and has great combat effectiveness.

Like the last Holy Shou Festival military parade, this time in addition to showing people the army, they also had to be taught new combat methods in order to show the power of the Ming Dynasty.

But on March [-], Zhu Jinghong did not go to Shanglinyuan because he was moving today.

Therefore, the things that need to be moved have been transferred out one after another in the past two days. Today is the day when he himself takes charge of the palace.

Zhu Jinghong finished washing up early in the morning and put on the four-cup collared robe that represented his status as a prince.

Then he went to Qianqing Palace and Kunning Palace respectively, said goodbye to his parents, and returned to Chengmingyuan after being taught a lesson.

When the auspicious time came, he walked out of the main hall surrounded by eunuchs.

At this moment, Hou Jing and other guards came to see him off outside the palace, all of them smiling. After Zhu Jinghong moved out, it would be more convenient for them to meet.

"See Lord Thirteen!"

"Why are you here? Why don't you hurry up and watch in Shanglinyuan!" Zhu Jinghong looked dissatisfied.

Everyone knew that he was just pretending, so they heard Zhang Lin say: "The Thirteenth Master is happy to move to a new house, how can I not come to see him off!"

Then Hou Jing said: "I just don't know if I can go to Thirteenth Master's house in the next two days and ask for a drink!"

Walking down the steps, Zhu Jinghong said slowly, "I haven't moved out yet, but you still want to come to my house to eat and drink. Is there anyone like you in the world?"

Everyone naturally stepped aside and listened to Wang Jie say: "Master Thirteen is right... I think it's time for Brother Hou to reflect!"

"Okay, okay... I'll just reflect on it!"

Everyone was chatting and laughing as they walked out of the gate of Chengmingyuan.

Looking back at the gate of Chengmingyuan, Zhu Jinghong said: "Okay... don't waste time here, go back to Linyuan and watch it!"

"Perhaps in these two days, when those Khan King Chieftains go to Shanglin Garden, if something goes wrong... it will not look good on everyone!"

"Go back!"

At this moment, Zhu Jinghong spoke solemnly. No one dared to smile playfully anymore. They all bowed and left.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Jinghong also got on the sedan chair, got up and headed east.

When passing by the East Palace, the prince sent someone to intercept him and specially invited him into the East Palace to talk.

At the scene, his elder brother Yin Yin told him that he hoped that his younger brother would be humble and learn from others after leaving the palace and not do those messy things.

Zhu Jingyuan had obviously heard about the bad things done by the concubine brothers who had left the palace, and was afraid that his younger brother would follow suit.

The two brothers talked for a long time before Zhu Jinghong was able to walk out of the East Palace and continue to rush outside the imperial city.

At this moment, outside Dong'an Gate, hundreds of sergeants from the Five Cities Military and Horse Division have gathered, as well as 300 flag bearers and guards. They are specially responsible for escorting Zhu Jinghong to the house.

The flags, flags and ritual utensils representing his status as a prince were now lined up at the front of the procession.

When Zhu Jinghong's sedan appeared, the escorting soldiers immediately adjusted their formation to protect his sedan in the middle.

"Your Majesty, do you want to set off?" Yu Hai asked outside the sedan.

"Let's go!" Zhu Jinghong responded.

The sedan continued to move forward, and the Wucheng Army and Horses Division routinely closed the road, so he was able to move forward unimpeded.

Sitting in the sedan, Zhu Jinghong couldn't help but wonder whether he would be assassinated again this time. After all, he had encountered it more or less before.

However, today the whole journey was smooth until his sedan landed.

Logically speaking, he could be carried into the palace, but Zhu Jinghong specifically ordered the sedan to fall outside the gate of the palace.

(End of this chapter)