King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 706 The Heart of the Emperor
Baochai returned to the palace only when the sun was setting.

As soon as they entered the Tongxin Hall, Deng An came over in person and humbly conveyed Zhu Jinghong's words.

After he left, Baoqin came over and reminded him, "Sister, my brother-in-law is in Yihe Courtyard. Do you want me to go find him?"

Hearing this, Baochai laughed and said, "He is not mine alone, why must he come to accompany me?"

"But!"

"Okay, I'm tired, you should go back and rest too!"

"elder sister……"

"Go!"

There was no choice but for Baoqin to say goodbye and leave, while Baochai summoned the female official and gave her instructions regarding the additional title.

Since Zhu Jinghong had already agreed to this matter, there was no need for her to stop it. After all, they were just two concubines.

On the contrary, Baochai felt it necessary to consider carefully the residence of these two people.

There are four courtyards in the palace. Jiangyunzhai is already full. Zhen Qin and Yinglian live in Lanyueyuan, and now there is still one vacancy.

"Zhang Xiaoyue will go to Lanyue Garden, and Li Huizhen will live in Yiheyuan!" Baochai made up her mind quickly.

As for the empty Hanxiang Courtyard, she reserved it specifically for Daiyu, who would be the only woman to enjoy her own courtyard in the future.

After all, even Yang Jingting's Yiheyuan has been squeezed in with Li Huizhen.

The matter had been decided, and after Baochai had given the order, she no longer had to worry about what happened next.

In the evening, Zhang Xiaoyue and Li Huizhen received notices respectively, asking them to prepare to be conferred the title the next day, and at the same time, they packed their luggage.

Zhang and Li were extremely happy to hear the news. It undoubtedly marked the beginning of a new stage in their lives.

It’s a pity that in this palace, there are only a few people who can share their joy.

Zhang Xiaoyue could only celebrate with her trusted maid, while Li Huizhen found Park Jinying, and the two went to the backyard of the palace to chat.

"Zhenying, I've finally made it. You have to be more careful in the future. You can't be a dancer forever!"

"I... I don't have the ability of my sister!" Park Jin Young lowered her head.

"Why do you say that? Don't forget that the prince thought much of you in Korea!"

As a person who has experienced this, Li Huizhen continued to impart her experience: "You should know that the honor and disgrace of everyone in this palace depends on the prince's thoughts!"

"So if you want to stand out and have a reputation, it's both difficult and easy!"

Holding her sister's hand tightly, Li Huizhen said encouragingly: "As long as you can please the prince and make him miss you, your day of success will come!"

In fact, Li Huizhen did not grasp the key point. Park Jinying herself was more Buddhist and never thought about fighting.

"Sister... If we sisters don't support each other, I'm afraid we won't be able to gain a foothold in this palace in the future!"

Unexpectedly, Park Jin-young asked back: "Since you already have a position, how can you say you have no place to stand?"

This statement indirectly reveals the fact that Li Huizhen is not satisfied with her current status.

At night, everything was quiet. The emperor was in a bad mood and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

In the end, Zhu Xianming chose to get up and go out for a walk.

Older people sleep less, so it is not uncommon for Zhu Xianming to suffer from insomnia, and the eunuchs who accompany him are also not surprised.

It seemed that the emperor was wandering around aimlessly, but finally he came to the outside of Kunning Palace.

When the eunuch on duty saw him coming, he was about to turn around and go in to report, but was stopped by Zhu Xianming.

He didn't want to disturb the queen's rest, so he didn't want to make a big fuss.

"Your Majesty, the Queen is still awake!"

Zhu Xianming was not surprised to hear the report, as the queen now slept less than him.

After responding, Zhu Xianming slowly walked into Kunning Palace, and then he faintly heard a cough.

This made him worried immediately, and he quickened his pace and walked into the hall.

Soon Zhu Xianming entered the queen's bedroom and saw his wife sitting on a soft couch with only a brocade quilt covering her lower body.

"Why is Your Majesty here?"

"Is the queen ill?"

"It's the same as always. A few coughs will do the trick. Your Majesty, don't worry!" Yang Qingyin replied with all her might.

"Those imperial doctors are all useless people who eat their salaries for nothing. A few of them should be killed to scare the people. Otherwise, these people..."

Before the emperor could finish, Yang Qingyin interrupted him and said, "The imperial physician treats illnesses, not lives!"

"You're not sleeping so late, have you encountered something unpleasant again?"

The queen changed the subject at the right time. She could see that the emperor was angry, so she wanted to help him relieve it.

After all, in this world, the only one who can help the emperor resolve his worries is the queen.

Of course, on the other hand, the only person in the world who can make the emperor open his heart and speak is the queen.

Following the Queen's guidance, Zhu Xianming sat on the side of the couch and said, "Today, during the hunting, the generals suggested that Old Thirteen go to the northwest to lead the troops. This little bastard... said that he was rash, thoughtless, and unqualified!"

Before she could even sit down to relax, Zhu Xianming stood up again, pointed outside the palace and said to the queen, "What do you think...what does this guy mean?"

Looking at the indignant emperor, Yang Qingyin said, "The battle in the northwest is of great importance. It is normal for him to have doubts!"

"I have repeatedly reminded him that I intend to let him lead the troops, but he still has so many concerns!"

Both the emperor and the empress believed that Zhu Jinghong was worried that his achievements would overshadow his father, so he shirked his responsibilities and was unwilling to go to war.

The emperor was in the middle of a situation and couldn't see through many things, but it was the queen who reacted first.

"Maybe... Old Thirteen is really not sure!"

Even the Queen was very cautious about proposing this hypothesis, because it was indeed too complicated.

The emperor was stunned for a moment, then his thoughts suddenly came to him.

Yes, I never thought that Old Thirteen would not be sure... Zhu Xianming clicked his tongue secretly.

At the same time, he thought that even he, the emperor, had full confidence in Zhu Jinghong, so wouldn't the people below him also...

When he thought of this, Zhu Xianming's heart skipped a beat. He realized that he should strengthen his precautions.

The emperor is the emperor. When something happens, the first thing he thinks of is to maintain his power and status.

In fact, Zhu Xianming was an outlier among emperors for being so tolerant of Zhu Jinghong, a "monster".

After a while, Zhu Xianming replied: "If he is not sure, the others will be even more worried!"

This fully exposes the fact that without Zhu the butcher, he would really have to eat hairy pigs.

In the blink of an eye, a night passed.

Inside the inner quarters of Prince Xiang's mansion, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified. Outside the Tongxin Hall, ceremonial guards were set up, and the ladies of the mansion had all arrived.

Of course Yang Jingting also arrived and sat in the first seat to the left of Baochai, while everyone else stood.

"Oh, I never thought that the prince would still have that habit of staying in bed so early in the morning!"

What Yang Jingting said about staying in bed was actually showing off in public. Her method was not sophisticated but it made him feel satisfied.

Baochai didn't take it seriously. She just smiled and said nothing more.

Although choosing two concubines was not a big deal, she would eventually become a member of the royal family, so a certain sense of ceremony had to be created.

Soon the ceremony began, and it was carried out as usual. Zhang Xiaoyue and the other two were envied by the young maids on the scene. The noise in front also spread to the backyard of the palace, and Yingchun sat in front of the window after hearing it.

You can see that she is very disappointed, which is normal.

She was a young lady from a noble family, but she was not as good as the two servant girls, so she inevitably felt unbalanced.

"Girl, don't be sad, it's nothing!"

"Given your importance in the prince's heart, those two women combined are no match for you. They are just little concubines, nothing at all!"

Siqi was still trying to comfort Yingchun. She understood Yingchun's feelings very well and knew how powerless her words were.

Of course, what Siqi said makes sense. As long as one is important in Zhu Jinghong's heart, status is not particularly important.

"The prince likes to come to you and listen to your teachings on dual cultivation. This is something that no one else can ask for!"

"Maybe!" Yingchun sighed.

The so-called "conferring" ceremony lasted less than ten minutes and ended, and Zhang Xiaoyue and the other two officially became "young masters".

After the ceremony, Baochai returned to Tongxin Hall, and the others returned to their seats.

Next, the women from each courtyard will congratulate each other and exchange favors. The inner house of Prince Xiang’s mansion is originally a social circle.

Baochai entered the hall and went to the study room on the side. Today she had to review the account books handed in by the people below.

"Princess, the prince is inside!" the maid on duty at the door reminded.

Baochai nodded and walked into the study.

I saw Zhu Jinghong sitting in the guest chair, with his head slightly raised as if looking at the ceiling, and I don't know what he was thinking about.

"Hey...what brings you here so early in the morning?"

Zhu Jinghong looked towards the door and said with a smile, "Why can't I come here?"

She walked towards the desk and sat down before Baochai said, "How can my place compare to Yihe Courtyard, which can make people feel relaxed and happy, forget about honors and disgraces, and feel so comfortable that they can't even get out of bed!"

Zhu Jinghong suppressed his smile and replied, "I didn't sleep all night last night!"

Baochai was looking through the account book and answered casually, "It can be seen that the prince is very busy!"

"Yesterday I said that I was not capable enough to take on the important task of commanding the troops in the northwest, and the old man was unhappy yesterday!"

After hearing what Zhu Jinghong said, Baochai raised her head and no longer had the heart to joke.

Then she waved to the outside, and all the maids inside and outside the room left tactfully. Ying'er and Wenxing even closed the door.

Looking at Zhu Jinghong, Baochai said slowly: "You are losing sleep because of this. It shows that you are also worried. Are you worried that this will anger His Majesty?"

Most things in the world are difficult to achieve perfection, there will always be some shortcomings.

Zhu Jinghong rose to power through military achievements, and now he is afraid of losing the battle. If he shirks responsibility, he might offend the emperor. It seems that no matter what choice he makes, it will be wrong.

"So now, are you going to compromise or continue to refuse?"

Seeing that Zhu Jinghong did not answer, Baochai continued, "Compared to the troubles after the defeat, I think... offending His Majesty and being punished is not a big deal!"

Offending the emperor is not a big deal. There are few people in the world who are qualified to say this. The Prince Xiang's Mansion happens to be one of them, or perhaps even the only one.

Looking at Baochai, Zhu Jinghong said slowly: "But after I thought about it carefully at night, I felt that I could go!"

Baochai was very surprised. After a pause, she asked, "Why?"

"I just learned from my reading yesterday that the five countries of Britain, France, Spain, Portugal and Romania have all dispatched troops to the northwest to form an alliance to harm our Ming Dynasty!"

"According to what you said, these Western barbarians are all powerful countries. The situation is becoming more and more critical. Why are you willing to go?" Baochai asked with a frown. She found that she could not guess the person in front of her.

"I don't know why, but when I heard that these five countries formed an alliance, I wanted to kill them... I wanted to do it urgently!"

After hearing this absurd reason, Baochai stood up and walked towards Zhu Jinghong. Under the latter's puzzled gaze, she reached out and touched Zhu Jinghong's forehead.

Grabbing his wife's hand, Zhu Jinghong pulled her into his arms, hugged her waist and said, "I don't have a fever!"

"I don't have a fever... why are you talking nonsense!"

Zhu Jinghong was certainly not talking nonsense, but defeating the coalition forces of several countries was very attractive to him. It was a desire rooted deep in his soul.

Zhu Jinghong calmly replied: "I'm afraid I can't avoid this matter in the end, so I made this plan!"

Baochai said slowly, "This...if you insist on not going, I'm afraid His Majesty can do nothing about it!"

At present, the reputation of Prince Xiang's Mansion is enough, and she doesn't think it is necessary to gamble. More importantly, she doesn't want Zhu Jinghong to go to the battlefield.

When it was mentioned just now that he could go, Zhu Jinghong was still wavering.

But when he heard Baochai's advice to back out, he instantly made up his mind.

"I want to go!" Zhu Jinghong said calmly, but his expression was firm.

Baochai was stunned for a moment, and then said again: "The risk is high, and the loss will be huge if you fail. Why do you have to do this..."

"The court has spent too much money and food in the northwest, and the people all over the country can't bear it. The old man is determined to fight this battle. If I lose...it will be even more difficult for others to win!"

Zhu Jinghong said this with confidence, and he was confident that no one could refute it.

"So I must do my best to help Your Majesty win this battle, to relieve the burden on the people of the world, and to bring peace to the Ming Dynasty!"

"The world belongs to the Zhu family. Since I am honored in the royal family, I should do my best to contribute. I can't just sit there and watch the frontline fail and the country fall..."

If Zhu Jinghong had said the first sentence directly, Baochai would have just thought he was just making a polite remark.

And she understood the meaning of the latter sentence.

The world belongs to the Zhu family, and in the future it will be Zhu Jinghong's world. Now that this family fortune has been disturbed, how can Zhu Jinghong sit idly by and watch the situation deteriorate?

Simply put, before Zhu Jinghong became the crown prince, he was already thinking about issues from the perspective of an emperor and as the master of the world.

With this explanation, his sudden decision to take on this battle makes sense on the surface.

But Baochai didn't know that Zhu Jinghong's desire to kill the coalition forces was also an important reason for his change of mind.

Trying to sit up straight in Zhu Jinghong's arms, Baochai asked with a smile: "Are you here to convince me, or to convince yourself?"

This was a very clever question. Zhu Jinghong came over and really wanted to explain the truth to himself.

So when Baochai said this, Zhu Jinghong laughed, and his hearty voice showed that he was in a very good mood.

"So next, are you going to submit a petition to fight, or what?"

Zhu Jinghong replied: "Yesterday was the second time the old man appointed me as a general. If he appoints me again next time... I will just agree reluctantly!"

Baochai laughed and whispered, "You've declined three times. You really think you're the emperor!"

Hearing this, Zhu Jinghong laughed even more happily, and then he bowed and said, "Empress, I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it!"

Baochai also felt like playing around, so she followed suit and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, you can't do that, you can't do that!"

The two of them were discussing this in secret; the maids had all left and the door was closed, so their whispered jokes would not be overheard.

At this moment, Baochai was called "Empress" for the first time in her life, and her heart was inevitably touched.

She was a girl who lost her father at a young age, but she would have the fate of becoming the mother of the country.

Even though this was almost a certainty, it still seemed incredible to her.

Seeing that he looked unhappy, Zhu Jinghong asked, "What's wrong?"

"You are pushing me!" Baochai said unhappily.

(End of this chapter)