King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 689: Wanting Thirteen as His Heir
Another half an hour later, Zhu Jinghong returned to the study again. At this moment, three imperial edicts were placed in front of him.

The last decree also urged him to return to Beijing immediately.

This situation reminded Zhu Jinghong of Yue Fei. When he won a victory on the front line, Emperor Gaozong summoned him back with thirteen golden medals, and then...

The old man won't kill me, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to pass this time...

I thought the old man was bold and could tolerate my so-called achievements, but now it seems that I thought too much. The emperor has no trust in me...

At this moment in this mansion, the eunuchs and maids were busy packing up and preparing to set off.

Zhu Jinghong naturally didn't need to worry about these things. At the moment, he was sitting in the study room in a daze, feeling upset.

I don't know how long it took, but Daiyu's voice came from outside the study: "Thirteenth Master..."

"I pushed the door open!"

Knowing that Zhu Jinghong was in a bad mood, Daiyu came to him just to talk to him and try to comfort him.

With a creak, the door was pushed open and Daiyu walked into the room holding a round fan.

"Why are you here?" Zhu Jinghong asked with a smile.

"I saw that Master Thirteen was unhappy, so I came to see him... If this is true, then all the so-called heroes are fake!"

Zhu Jinghong asked back: "So... heroes won't be upset?"

Walking behind Zhu Jinghong, Daiyu whispered, "At least... it won't make people see that you're upset!"

"If you are upset, I don't know what your subordinates will think. If something goes wrong, it will be an unexpected disaster!"

"That makes some sense!" Zhu Jinghong nodded.

"Is everything outside tidied up?"

"It's almost done. If you leave now, I think everything will be possible!"

Zhu Jinghong smiled, stood up and said, "There's no need to rush today!"

He plans to set off tomorrow, and today he has to meet with a group of people to arrange things in the southeast.

Of course, before that, he still had to arrange things around him, such as the women around him.

"Come with me to Beijing!" Zhu Jinghong asked.

"I'm going to visit my grandmother!"

Daiyu's answer was irrelevant to the question. What she meant was that she went to Beijing not to visit Prince Xiang's Palace, but to visit her grandmother.

Of course Zhu Jinghong understood the meaning behind this, and he knew that he should not point it out at this time.

"It's better to go and take a look!" This was all he could say.

At this time, Daiyu reminded: "Sister Ting..."

Zhu Jinghong said: "She will stay in Jinling for the time being. After giving birth and recovering, she will set off to return to Beijing!"

"That's fine!" Daiyu nodded.

So next, Zhu Jinghong had to comfort Yang Jingting first. After all, pregnant women's emotions can easily fluctuate.

Half an hour later, Yang Jingting saw Zhu Jinghong off, still looking melancholy.

Deep down, she hoped that Zhu Jinghong could stay with her instead of giving birth to a child alone.

But he thought again, Zhu Jinghong was not able to be with the princess when she gave birth the year before last, so his own experience was nothing.

Of course, Yang Jingting was still a little disappointed to some extent.

Fortunately, Zhang Xiaoyue and Li Huizhen were ordered by Zhu Jinghong to stay and will accompany her until the end of her delivery.

Zhang Xiaoyue and the other person had very different reactions when they received the news.

Unlike Li Huizhen who was happy to accept it, Zhang Xiaoyue felt heavy-hearted about it.

Of course, she was willing to rely on Yang Jingting to get to the top, but that didn't mean she was willing to be too closely tied to this concubine, nor did it mean she was willing to completely side with Yang Jingting.

Zhang Xiaoyue is a person who likes to think. She spent a lot of time with Yang Jingting, so she observed many details, which made her realize that Yang Jingting was not as open-minded as she seemed.

Having missed the opportunity to marry the princess back then, he must still be feeling resentful in his heart, and there will definitely be conflicts between him and the princess in the future.

The fire in the city gate will affect everyone in the pond. The two of them are fighting each other to the death, which will only force people like them to charge into battle. Zhang Xiaoyue is certainly unwilling to do this.

Even if she has no choice and is destined to be used, she would rather cling to the winner.

In other words, Zhang Xiaoyue doesn't think Yang Jingting can defeat the current princess.

The reason is very simple. Yang Jingting lost despite having such a big advantage at the beginning, so there is even less hope for her now and in the future.

"What a pity, I have no choice!" Zhang Xiaoyue sighed.

In comparison, although Li Huizhen is also smart, she is not as insightful as Zhang Xiaoyue because the latter has much more experience.

"Sister Xiaoyue, if we serve the Empress well this time, I'm afraid we'll be able to get a status when we return to the capital!"

With a slight smile, Zhang Xiaoyue replied: "Yes, there is finally something to look forward to!"

In the blink of an eye, a day passed. Zhu Jinghong originally planned to leave the next morning, but he had too many things to arrange and people to meet, so he postponed the departure time to the afternoon.

Logically speaking, even if they set out, they would not be able to go far, and they could choose to wait another day to set off, but Zhu Jinghong still led the team on the journey back to Beijing.

Back in the capital, when Zhu Jinghong decided to set off, Zhu Xianming arrived at the Kunning Palace.

"Is the Queen feeling better?"

Arriving at the main hall of Kunning Palace, Zhu Xianming's eyes were filled with worry as he looked at his wife who had lost a lot of weight.

In the past month, the Queen's health has not been good, and she has been bedridden for half a month.

The queen had been losing weight in the past two years, and now she looked even thinner.

"I'm feeling better now. Your Majesty, please take care of yourself!"

Looking at her equally old husband, Yang Qingyin also showed concern.

The two of them have supported each other for forty years since they got married.

Over the past forty years, the two of them have gone through countless dangers together and enjoyed supreme glory together.

But now, they are both old!

"I'm always fine, you have to take care of yourself!" Zhu Xianming said with a smile.

But in fact, in the past two years, he has felt a lack of energy and clearly felt that his body functions were deteriorating.

"I heard...you were sick the other day?"

Zhu Xianming smiled and said, "People down there are used to talking nonsense. They are just too tired. They will be fine after a rest!"

Yang Qingyin stared at him for a long time before looking at the rooms on both sides and said, "It's very stuffy here..."

Without Yang Qingyin saying the second half of the sentence, Zhu Xianming directly suggested: "Then let's go out for a walk!"

"Okay!" Yang Qingyin smiled from the bottom of her heart.

At this age and with this status, it is extremely rare to still have the same friendship as teenagers.

So the two of them set off immediately and walked out of Kunning Palace together.

"Where do you want to go?" Zhu Xianming asked.

Yang Qingyin replied: "You always stay in the inner court, let's go to the front court hall!"

The so-called former court halls mainly refer to the Fengtian Hall and the Chongzheng Hall, where the grand court and the regular court were held respectively.

Zhu Xianming ordered, "Send someone immediately to seal the gates of Fengtian Hall and Chongzheng Hall. No one is allowed to enter or leave!"

Most of the time, there were officials and eunuchs passing by the palace gates in these places. In order to prevent these people from disturbing the empress's relaxation, Zhu Xianming issued such an edict.

"Why mobilize so many troops?" Yang Qingyin laughed. Zhu Xianming smiled and replied, "Whatever the emperor wants to do, how can he mobilize so many troops?"

At this moment, both of them were smiling happily.

Then the two of them chatted and walked towards the outer court.

Along the way, the two of them chatted about trivial matters, and before they knew it, they arrived in front of the Fengtian Hall and walked in this huge square.

"You all may leave. I will take a walk with His Majesty alone!" Yang Qingyin instructed the maids and eunuchs accompanying him.

Zhu Xianming also turned around and said, "Follow from a distance!"

The eunuchs and maids immediately responded, and then stood still, watching the emperor and empress walk away.

In contrast to the tall palace, the emperor and empress walking in the center of the square looked particularly small.

"I heard... His Majesty issued three decrees in one day, ordering Thirteen to return to the capital?"

"Ok!"

While walking, Yang Qingyin said: "This seems... unusual!"

"But I don't know why it is so?" The queen stopped where she was and formally asked the question.

"The war at sea has just ended, the situation in the northwest is unstable, and the southwestern border is restless..."

The emperor had just finished speaking when the empress interrupted him, "So...you are in a hurry to get Old Thirteen back to the capital because you want him to go to the northwest to quell the rebellion?"

Yang Qingyin thought that her guess was correct, but Zhu Xianming shook his head.

"A few days ago, because of these messy things, I reviewed the reports every day until late at night, and I hardly took a break all day..."

At this point, Zhu Xianming showed a helpless look on his face, looked at the queen and said: "Just as you said, I am also old... I am not energetic, and my body is not strong anymore!"

"I went to bed at 11:00 on April 13th, and woke up at 11:00 the next day and couldn't fall asleep, so I got up and read the report..."

"After watching for about half an hour, I felt tired and stiff, so I wanted to get up and walk around. Suddenly, I felt dizzy and fell down on the spot..."

Hearing this, Yang Qingyin was so scared that she knew nothing about these things.

"And you still say it's okay!"

Yang Qingyin frowned, thinking of the situation in Kunning Palace just now when Zhu Xianming had perfunctorily told her that everything was fine.

Zhu Xianming didn't respond at all, but said to himself: "Fortunately, I was lucky at that time. I fell on the chair and sat down. If I fell to the ground, it would be troublesome!"

In his situation, if he falls hard, he might get into big trouble. After all, he is really old.

"I was so scared at the time... I was afraid that I would not be able to catch my breath, and there would be no one to take care of this country!"

Hearing this, Yang Qingyin's heart moved slightly, but she had no intention of interrupting.

"Although the crown prince is the legitimate he is weak, and the sixth son is smart but has no vision..."

Finally, under the Queen's gaze, Zhu Xianming expressed his plan for the first time.

"I want Thirteen to be my heir!"

Nearly fainting made Zhu Xianming realize that he was no longer young and could die at any time, which prompted him to make up his mind to establish an heir.

Hearing this, Yang Qingyin's expression did not change, she just stared at the emperor.

"Aren't you surprised?" Zhu Xianming asked back. He was surprised by the queen's reaction.

Yang Qingyin replied: "Although it was unexpected, I was not surprised!"

Then she continued, "Since you repeatedly treated Old Thirteen lightly and allowed him to build up power in the army, I should have thought that you were helping him get to the top!"

Zhu Xianming said calmly: "Old Thirteen has a strong character. In his own words, he has a vision that transcends the times and can lead the Ming Dynasty to greater glory!"

"He has been bragging since he was young. Do you believe all these words?" Yang Qingyin laughed.

Zhu Xianming replied: "If you can do what you said, it's not bragging!"

"What should we do with the prince?" Yang Qingyin asked.

Zhu Xianming replied: "Old Thirteen has a big picture and can accommodate Old Four!"

On this point, the Queen agreed with Zhu Xianming's judgment, although it seemed unlikely.

Yang Qingyin asked again, "Old Thirteen, as soon as you return to the capital, are you planning to depose Old Four first and then make him the crown prince?"

At this time, he was speaking from the bottom of his heart, so Zhu Xianming said without hiding anything: "It may not be a good thing for him or me to make him the crown prince now!"

Making someone like Zhu Jinghong the crown prince was a huge threat to the imperial power, and Zhu Xianming made this clear.

Yang Qingyin's expression was solemn as she asked, "So you want the Fourth Prince to be the crown prince in public, and support the Thirteenth Prince to be the crown prince in secret, and when the time is right, you will depose the Fourth Prince and make the Thirteenth Prince the crown prince?"

The meaning of this statement is also very straightforward, but it does point out the emperor's thoughts, worthy of a couple who have been together for more than forty years.

"That's about right!" said Zhu Xianming.

"How unfair this is to the fourth brother?" Yang Qingyin said with a cold face.

Zhu Xianming did not argue at all. After a few breaths of silence, he replied: "This is the best arrangement!"

His words made it impossible for the queen to refute.

Zhu Xianming went on to say: "It is precious to be born in an imperial family and have a good ending!"

The two of them were silent for a while, and after walking a dozen steps forward, Yang Qingyin asked again, "Old Thirteen is indeed good at fighting, but can he govern the country? Can he govern this huge world?"

Zhu Xianming replied: "I only knew how to fight wars back then. How do you think I would run a country?"

"Can this kid compare with you?" Yang Qingyin said unhappily.

She raised the child by herself, and when Yang Qingyin thought about the bad things this kid did in the past ten years, it was hard for her to have confidence.

Such a person may be able to fight a war, but can he really govern a country?
From another perspective, the Queen's questioning was an affirmation of the Emperor himself.

So after hearing what he said, Zhu Xianming felt quite happy. After all, it was rare for the queen to praise him.

But at this time, Zhu Xianming still said seriously: "This kid has ideas and sees things very clearly. Maybe he can do better than me!"

Yang Qingyin was really surprised to hear her husband being so sure.

If what the emperor said was true, then Yang Qingyin would have to admit that she might never have understood her youngest son.

So when she thought about it carefully, she realized that she really had not thought too much about certain things over the years, and her main energy was focused on training the prince.

To my youngest son, I just doted on him as usual...

"Your Majesty, have you really made up your mind? You won't change it?"

"It will never change!" Zhu Xianming said firmly.

Now that he is fifty-five, he has no chance to change his mind. If this continues, the situation will become even more uncontrollable...

Many times Zhu Xianming couldn't help but wonder, if it weren't for the sudden rise of Old Thirteen, to whom he would eventually pass the throne.

"Maybe it's Lao Liu!" Zhu Xianming came to this answer.

While he was "deeply considering", Yang Qingyin then asked: "After Old Thirteen returns to Beijing, will you send him to the northwest?"

Perhaps because she talked too much and walked too far, Yang Qingyin coughed several times in succession, so Zhu Xianming took the initiative to step forward to support her.

"First, he is the only one who can end the war quickly. Second... I don't trust anyone else!"

The war in the northwest has lasted for so long that it has now involved nearly one-third of the court's military forces. Zhu Xianming cannot trust people from other factions to lead the troops.

If an outsider led the troops to victory, it would be a huge hidden danger, so Zhu Xianming wanted Zhu Jinghong to go.

In fact, he forgot that after Zhu Jinghong won consecutive battles, if he commanded such a large-scale battle again, it would pose a greater threat to him if he won.

(End of this chapter)