King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 793 The End of the Twelfth Month
Neither Baochai nor Daiyu Xiangyun had ever seen Zhu Jinghong's soft side, but today this scene was clearly displayed before their eyes.

If he cried at this time, he would feel much better, but as an emperor, it was impossible for him to cry, so he could only endure the pain.

Seeing Zhu Jinghong trying hard to suppress his emotions, Baochai's face was full of worry.

"His Majesty……"

Although they are sisters, Zhu Yunsheng's behavior just now is essentially an act of insubordination, and strictly speaking, it is a crime of disrespect. If you take it seriously, the whole family will be doomed.

At this moment, Baochai wanted to say something, but at this critical juncture, she didn't know how to say it.

The same thing happened to Daiyu and Xiangyun. At this time, they could only stand up and get closer to Zhu Jinghong, leaning on him and providing some care.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Zhu Jinghong burst into laughter. Although his laughter could not be described as relief, it could be said that he had seen through the miasma.

It is true that he is the elder brother, but his most important identity at the moment is the emperor. These little feelings are insignificant to the emperor.

In the future, he will encounter more misunderstandings, suspicions, hatred, betrayal, and even fighting among his sons. This is the emperor's inevitable fate.

Zhu Jinghong's laughter made Baochai and the other two even more worried. They all looked at him with special concern. At this moment, they could only accompany him like this.

After a few breaths, Zhu Jinghong's laughter gradually subsided, and then he said to Baochai and the other two, "Sheng'er...she still hasn't grown up. She's acting like a child and doesn't respect me, her brother!"

Then Zhu Jinghong stood up and said, "Forget it, leave her alone... I have to review memorials, you guys chat!"

After saying this, Zhu Jinghong walked out of the hall, and at this moment the wind and snow outside were getting even worse.

"Sister Bao, you..."

Daiyu wanted to remind Baochai to go and take a look, but before she could finish her words, the latter replied, "Leave him alone for a while!"

Daiyu nodded, then sighed, "These two siblings have ended up like this, it's really... Alas!"

Xiangyun was more outspoken and immediately replied, "I think you feel that Your Majesty has treated Prince Gongshun harshly, so..."

"Yun girl, stop talking nonsense!" Daiyu scolded.

Baochai had no expression on her face, and then she sighed, "There is a misunderstanding between the siblings, and your Majesty has unspeakable difficulties. We are also well-paid by your Majesty, and now we should try to share your worries!"

Daiyu and Xiangyun both nodded, but they couldn't figure out how to resolve the "misunderstanding" for a while.

This was because the information was incomplete, so Baochai decided to reveal some news to them, so she invited Daiyu and the other two to her palace.

When they arrived at Kunning Palace, Baochai revealed the evil deeds done by Prince Rui in recent years, especially the several attempts to murder Zhu Jinghong, which shocked Daiyu and the others.

They both knew that Zhu Jingyuan was a bad person, but they didn't expect that he was so bad without any shame. He couldn't even be called a human being.

"He was convicted of treason, and he committed treason several times. He might continue to commit treason. His crime should have been punishable by the execution of his entire clan. However, you only let him die, and let him go with dignity... Your Majesty is extremely kind!"

If Baochai had said this before, Daiyu and the other girl would not have taken it seriously, but now they both really agreed with what she said.

The emperor held the power of life and death, but he did not kill the sixth brother's family to vent his anger. Instead, he gave him the honor of a prince. This was truly repaying evil with kindness.

"What the princess said just now is like a sharp blade, piercing Your Majesty's heart!" Daiyu looked worried. She was worried about Zhu Jinghong because the situation was more serious than she expected.

"Yes... There aren't many people in this world that your Majesty cares about. The princess' words just now were really hurtful. Your Majesty is being too pitiful!"

While listening to the two of them discussing this, Baochai interrupted and said, "Don't mention this matter for the next few days. After a while, you can think of a way to talk to Sheng'er and let her understand your majesty's difficulties!"

"Yes!" Daiyu and the other two agreed.

After Zhu Yunsheng left the palace, she regretted it while sitting in the carriage.

Zhu Yunsheng got carried away and got so caught up in a dead end that she hurt her closest brother. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she had gone too far.

Go back and apologize now? But she couldn't bring herself to do that, so she could only do it this way for now, and wait until later to kowtow and admit her mistake.

However, when she returned home and told Liang Yi about today's audience, the latter was so frightened that he fainted on the spot.

After a flurry of activity, the first thing Liang Yi did when he woke up was to urge Zhu Yunsheng to apologize.

Seeing that Zhu Yunsheng was reluctant, Liang Yi went to the study in person, took out the memorial and wrote a letter of apology.

However, his memorial could not be submitted directly to the emperor. If it went through the Ministry of Public Security, it would easily be leaked, which would expose the royal family's scandals. Therefore, he gave up after writing only a few words.

Therefore, Zhu Yunsheng had to be the one to apologize. After all, this legitimate princess could not only play the crime directly before the emperor, but also meet the emperor directly.

But Zhu Yunsheng was also a little stubborn. Although she felt that she had gone too far, she still thought that her brother was also unreasonable. Anyway, she couldn't admit her mistake now.

Even though Liang Yi was so anxious that he was jumping up and down, he couldn't beat Zhu Yunsheng, so he could only wait for two days.

In a few days, Zhu Yunsheng's behavior did not lead to any bad consequences, which made Liang Yi feel much more at ease.

It was the end of December, the 20th year of the Zhengtong period was coming to an end, and Zhu Jinghong was completely busy.

The closer it got to the end of the year, the more things he had to do. Meeting with officials and reviewing various reports almost filled up his daily schedule.

In the past, he worked half a day and rested half a day. After the twelfth lunar month, his whole day was occupied, and he only had time to have fun and relieve stress at night.

On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the royal family held a family banquet as per custom, and this time it was the Empress who presided over the Shanggong Bureau to implement it.

All the royal family members who were generals and above were invited to the palace for the banquet, while those who had a close relationship with the queen went to Kunning Palace early.

Today's banquet is held in Chonghua Palace, which is a special place for royal banquets and also hosts various palace banquets on weekdays.

The female members of the family could go to Kunning Palace to make friends, while the men went to Chonghua Palace first and started to flatter and joke with each other.

Zhu Yunsheng also went to Kunning Palace and expressed his apologies to his sister-in-law in a rather tactful manner. Baochai felt relieved to see that she had come to her senses.

It’s a pity that there were too many people looking for Baochai to talk to, and there wasn’t much communication between the two of them. After all, the identity of the queen was much more important than that of the sister-in-law.

Zhu Yunsheng left the main hall, but was found by Daiyu and Xiangyun when she was alone. They took her to the East Hall of Kunning Palace, where they used to live.

After the three of them chatted for a while, Daiyu asked tentatively, "Are you still angry with your Thirteenth Brother?"

Zhu Yunsheng shook his head and replied, "I was too much on that day. I will apologize to Brother Thirteen later!"

Daiyu was thinking about whether to tell the truth when she was considering whether to tell him the truth. Xiangyun couldn't help but say, "You are really going too far. You know how many evil things King Gongshun has done in private. Your Majesty has done the most for his punishment!"

She was an impatient person. Zhu Jinghong had suffered such a great injustice that she couldn't bear to see, so she had to speak out.

Zhu Yunsheng said frankly: "I know that Sixth Brother has made a mistake, and it is a big mistake!"

Xiangyun sneered, "I'm afraid his faults are much greater than you know. Let me tell you something you don't want to hear... Killing him ten times is not too much!"

Seeing that Zhu Yunsheng didn't take it seriously, Xiangyun went straight to sit next to her and told her everything she knew.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Zhu Yunsheng was stunned. Only then did she realize how big a mistake she had made and how much harm she had caused to her brother, the emperor.

She was still so proud and thought she was doing things right, but now it seems that she is just a fool.

Thinking about it more carefully, Zhu Yunsheng realized that his daring to disrespect the emperor was nothing more than an act of arrogance due to his overbearing favor.

Because her brother is a gentleman, she can deceive him. This is a very vicious method.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yunsheng suddenly felt a chill down his spine, not because he was afraid that his brother would accuse him, but because he felt too guilty.

"me……"

At this moment, she stood up suddenly, grabbed Daiyu's hand, and asked, "Where is the Thirteenth Brother? I want to go and apologize to him. I was wrong... I was very wrong!"

Zhu Yunsheng was so anxious that she burst into tears. Seeing her like this, Daiyu comforted her and said, "Your brother will be meeting with foreign ministers this afternoon. You can talk to him at the banquet in the evening. As long as you are willing to offer him a glass of wine, he will feel at ease!"

Zhu Yunsheng nodded. Although he wanted to apologize, he had to put the overall situation first and not cause trouble for his brother. In Yijing Palace, there lived two special concubines, Yingchun and Tanchun.

The reason why they are special is that even though they have become concubines, they usually eat and dress very simply and maintain the habits of monks.

So, when Yuanchun came to see her two sisters, she was surprised by the situation inside the palace as soon as she entered.

In the warm room on the east side of the main hall of Yijing Palace, three sisters who had not seen each other for many years sat together, and each of them had mixed feelings when they met again.

"Is this what Your Majesty meant?" Yuanchun asked.

Although she did not say what His Majesty meant, Tanchun understood and nodded. She did not hide her dissatisfaction with this situation in front of her sister.

After all, in their prime years, who would want to be a vegetarian, chant Buddhist scriptures, and wear plain clothes? Tanchun also wanted to live a slightly normal life like other concubines.

"Alas, since this is the case, there is nothing we can do!" Yuanchun sighed.

"How are you, sister?" Yingchun asked.

Generally, only those who live well will ask others how they live well. This is what is called "when the granaries are full, people will know etiquette."

Although Tanchun felt that life was hard, Yingchun felt that life was good now because she could see her beloved often and did not have any worries in her daily life.

It is hard to say whether Yuanchun is living a good life or not.

She was not the biological mother of the heir Zhu Muchun, and they had previously had disputes over strategies for action. Now the two sides were only in superficial harmony.

Therefore, although Yuanchun had no shortage of food and drink in Prince Anle's Palace, she could only place her emotions on the gods and Buddhas, and every day was extremely difficult.

"It's okay...it's okay!" Yuanchun replied.

Seeing that Yuanchun was not sincere, Yingchun asked, "Sister, you are so reluctant, are you not happy in the mansion? Is it because your son is unfilial to you?"

"Don't guess randomly. I am just thinking about the death of Crown Prince Zhang Dao, so I am missing him... Alas!"

Yuanchun hurried to cover up the secret, for she was afraid that Yingchun would let the secret slip in front of the emperor and bring disaster to the palace.

Tanchun understood Yuanchun's difficulties, so she quickly changed the subject: "I heard a few days ago that Baoyu has been married. Did you know?"

Yuanchun really didn't know, so she asked, "Which family did you marry into?"

Tanchun replied, "Qingwen, the maid in his former room!"

Even if she was the daughter of an ordinary scholar or commoner, Yuanchun would not be too surprised. After all, the Jia family was now in decline and Baoyu was not yet a member of the Jia family.

But when she learned that Baoyu married a maid, she still felt extremely disappointed.

"Is it a concubine?" Yuanchun still had a glimmer of hope.

Tanchun replied, "Deregister this girl and marry her in a formal ceremony. If he is determined to do so, no one in the family can stop him!"

Qingwen is a very affectionate person and has been waiting for Jia Baoyu to come back. The latter dares not and does not want to disappoint this friendship, so he goes against everyone's wishes and marries her.

"Oh...let him be!"

After experiencing great changes, Yuanchun has become more open-minded about many things. She has lowered her standards to the point that as long as people are alive, she no longer dares to expect too much from other things.

"Don't mention his affairs in the palace anymore. If the Queen finds out, it will be a disaster rather than a blessing!" Yuanchun said solemnly.

In the past, Jia Baoyu offended Baochai many times and was beaten in the street by Prince Qingyang and Prince Jinghai. His later expulsion from the Jia family was also related to these things.

Although Baochai has shown enough self-control over the years and has not shown any signs of pursuing these old matters, she still has to be prepared for the worst.

Tanchun and Yingchun of course understood the logic behind this, so they nodded in agreement.

Back at the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Jinghong was feeling very uncomfortable at the moment, simply because the person he was meeting at that moment was Wang Pei'an.

At the end of the year, Wang Pei'an reported on his investigations into many court officials over the past month, which involved nearly one-third of the officials in Beijing.

Although the problems vary in size, if we really deal with them all seriously, the government will be in complete chaos.

Zhu Jinghong's scalp tingled when he heard this, but Wang Pei'an was also a man who knew his limits. In the end, he gave a severe punishment for the most treacherous and evil people, and reprimanded and fined the rest of the officials.

The Chinese New Year is just two days away, and it is not a good idea to punish officials on a large scale. After all, this has happened two or three times since Zhu Jinghong ascended the throne.

It’s not that he is afraid, but these people have to do the work. Even if we want to change some current unhealthy trends, we have to do it step by step to be safe.

"Let the Inspectorate handle this matter, but... we still have to do it step by step. Sir, you should put the overall situation first!"

Being addressed as "Sir" by the emperor is a rare honor in the world, and Wang Pei'an was extremely honored by this, so he was inevitably more humble at this moment.

As for what it meant to put the overall situation first, Wang Pei'an needed to understand it himself. Fortunately, he understood Zhu Jinghong's concerns, so he replied: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will deal with it slowly and will not cause a stir!"

Wang Pei'an is a pragmatic idealist. Now he is the Deputy Censor-in-Chief and can concentrate on punishing lawlessness, which makes him extremely satisfied.

"It's getting late now, sir, please go back. I..."

The sun was setting in the west, and Zhu Jinghong's meeting had ended ten minutes ago. Wang Pei'an was allowed to enter the Qianqing Palace with a plus sign.

Now that the matter was settled, Zhu Jinghong naturally ordered everyone to leave. He had been busy all day, so he wanted to relax.

As soon as Zhu Jinghong walked away from the desk, Wang Pei'an followed him and said, "Your Majesty, I have something else to report!"

"Anything else?" Zhu Jinghong was surprised.

"A few days ago, the Annan Circuit reported that refugees have been accumulating in Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou and other places and are unable to escape. I suspect... that during the land survey in the three provinces involved, some people took the opportunity to annex land and thus caused this chaos!"

The land survey is still ongoing. Some provinces have completed it, but most are still ongoing because it is a very tedious and complicated task.

The emergence of refugees is a signal, which may lead to unrest if not handled properly. This has happened several times since the beginning of the land survey.

Zhu Jinghong had a general grasp of the situation in Yunnan and Guizhou, but he had not paid much attention to it because there were too many things going on. Now, after Wang Pei'an's reminder, he began to take it seriously.

As they walked out of the hall, Zhu Jinghong asked, "What do you think, sir?"

"I think we should send a loyal official to Yunnan and Guizhou to investigate!"

Zhu Jinghong nodded, and then asked: "Sir, of course you can't go. You still need to keep an eye on the court. Does anyone recommend you?"

Since Wang Pei'an proposed a solution, Zhu Jinghong knew that he already had a candidate.

"I recommend the Censor Li Ziheng!"

Zhu Jinghong had an impression of this name, but he handled too much information every day, so he only had an impression of this person.

"Li Ziheng..."

After reading it once, Zhu Jinghong said, "Since it is recommended by the teacher, then send him to investigate!"

The last four words are very important. Otherwise, with Li Ziheng's current rank, no one would pay attention to him when he went to the local area.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Wang Pei'an saluted.

Looking at Wang Pei'an beside him, Zhu Jinghong asked with a smile: "Sir, do you have anything else to say?"

"This……"

Seeing his hesitation, Zhu Jinghong knew that there was something wrong. At this moment, he secretly cursed himself for asking. After all, Lord Wang paid attention to too many things every day.

If you ask him if he's okay, then he must be okay!
(End of this chapter)