The days when I ransacked the house in Jinyiwei

Emperor Zhengde boarded the boat that decided his fate. Of course, the boat had been tampered with.

Two eunuchs who were good at swimming carried fishing rods, a scoop net, and a barrel of barley bait soaked in wine onto the boat.

Emperor Zhengde was very excited and paddled himself to the deep end of the pool.

Two eunuchs grabbed the barley bait from the barrel and sprinkled it on the water. Emperor Zhengde stood up to get the fishing rod. It didn't matter that he stood up, but the boat shook violently.

Emperor Zhengde cried out: "Ah, hey, hey, ouch!"

Then with a "plop", the boat capsized. Emperor Zhengde fell into the water!

The eunuchs and civil servants on the shore were horrified. Zhang Yong shouted, "Hurry up and save the emperor! Hurry!"

Fortunately, the two eunuchs were good at swimming and remained calm. They quickly grabbed the emperor's arms, one on each side, and swam desperately to safety.

The History of Ming Dynasty records: In September of the fifteenth year, the emperor went fishing in a pond in a small boat. The boat capsized and he drowned. His attendants were terrified and rushed into the water to help him out.

After Emperor Zhengde got ashore, he was terrified at first. After a moment, he laughed uncontrollably and said something that made Zhang Yong laugh and cry: "Hey, it turns out that falling into the water is so fun. Hahaha."

Six days later. Capital.

Chang Feng was already fifty-five years old, in his prime. It was cold in the fall, and he caught a cold, and had been lying in bed for three days.

Chang Po Nu walked quickly to Chang Feng's bedside with a newspaper and a letter in his hand: "Father, something happened! The newspaper said that the emperor fell into the water after his boat capsized in Huai'an Prefecture!"

After hearing this, Chang Feng stood up from his sickbed and asked, "What?"

When he heard that Emperor Zhengde fell into the water, his first reaction was to think of one person - the Little Ming King!

Because Taizu was afraid of him, the young king of Han Song fell into the water after his boat capsized at Guabu Ferry and died. At the beginning of the Hongwu period, there was a rumor among the people that someone from the royal family of Zhu would suffer retribution and die after his boat capsized and fell into the water.

Could it be that the evil words spread over 140 years ago have come true?
Chang Feng panicked: "What happened to the emperor?"

Chang Po Nu said quickly, "Don't worry, father. The emperor has been rescued and is fine. He can ride a horse today. This is a private letter from eunuch Zhang Yong to you, saying that the emperor can eat and sleep well and has no illness. The Huai'an boat capsize was a false alarm."

Chang Feng breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. That's good! When will the emperor arrive in Beijing?"

Chang Po Nu replied: "According to the schedule, we can reach Beijing by the end of October."

Chang Feng said, "Go and call your mother and brother."

Soon, Chang Po Nu brought Liu Xiaoyan and You Jingwu to Chang Feng's bedside.

Chang Feng said, "The emperor will be back soon. After he returns, Xiaoyan, you will immediately return the military power of the capital garrison to the emperor."

Liu Xiaoyan had been a noblewoman in the capital for more than 30 years, so she naturally knew the pros and cons. "I understand. When the emperor was away, I managed the military power in the capital for him. This was to look after the house for him. Now that he is back, if I cling to the military power and hold on to it, I am afraid that I have ill intentions."

Chang Feng nodded: "Yes. The imperial family is the most ruthless. The emperor's trust in our Chang family is limited. You are a wise man."

Liu Xiaoyan asked: "Are we also handing over the Five Cities Army?"

Chang Feng nodded: "Hand it over too."

Chang Po Nu said with a smile: "The day when the emperor returns to the capital is the time to rectify the administration and suppress the civil service group. This is a good thing for future generations. A few years ago, the emperor joked to me in the Leopard Room that if the Ming Dynasty falls, there are probably only two reasons. One is because of the civil servants. The other... he didn't say." Chang Feng sighed: "There are only our own family here. I will say something taboo. If the Ming Dynasty falls, one is because of the civil servants, and the other is because of the royal family! My Ming Dynasty is using the power of the whole country to support the civil servants and the royal family! Forget it, I won't say it. Po Nu, you write a letter to Zhang Yong. The emperor's bodyguards can't relax for a moment. Be careful to prevent some people from jumping off the wall and assassinating the emperor!"

On October 26, the 15th year of Zhengde, Emperor Zhengde arrived in Tongzhou.

Yang Tinghe led the civil and military officials to welcome the emperor in the suburbs of Beijing, but Emperor Zhengde deliberately stayed in Tongzhou and did not go to Beijing.

There are many grain ships passing by Tongzhou Wharf. The fish in the canal are fat and healthy. Tongzhou Wharf is a good place for fishing.

Emperor Zhengde learned the lesson of the boat capsizing in the pond, and never went fishing in a boat again. Instead, he became a fisherman on the dock and fished for a month and a half.

Now the northern grassland tribes were badly beaten by the battle of Yingzhou, and they probably wouldn't dare invade for another ten years; by the southern expedition, Emperor Zhengde also shook the foundation of the civil service group in the south of the Yangtze River. The efforts of Emperor Zhengde for more than ten years were not in vain.

The one and a half months of fishing at Tongzhou Pier were the happiest time of his life.

On the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month in the fifteenth year of the Zhengde reign, the Zhengde Emperor, who had indulged his fishing addiction, ordered the death of Ning Wang Zhu Chenhao in Tongzhou. Five days later, the Zhengde Emperor returned to Beijing in triumph.

On the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, Emperor Zhengde held a banquet for his ministers.

At the banquet, Liu Xiaoyan publicly stated that she was old and weak, and as a woman, it was not in accordance with the system for her to be in charge of the military power in the capital. She took the initiative to return the military power.

Emperor Zhengde followed suit. He issued an edict that from now on, any mobilization of troops in the capital area with more than 100 men must be approved by the emperor himself. No approval was required from the cabinet or the Ministry of War. Provincial governors and governors-general would no longer be in charge of local military affairs. The power to command and mobilize troops in the capital area and other places belonged to the emperor alone.

This is an imperial decree that will cause endless harm.

The emperor himself commanded the army and horses of the country, which could indeed prevent his subjects from making trouble. But there was a problem. What if the emperor died suddenly without an heir?
The world's army is leaderless. This is equivalent to every army being able to rely on a "leader". The world will be in chaos!
After winning a battle, it was natural to let the ancestors know and show off in front of them. The Ministry of Rites planned to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth and ancestors at the Tiandi Temple on the 13th day of the twelfth lunar month.

In the early morning of the 13th day of the twelfth lunar month, a light north wind was blowing and snowflakes were falling from the sky.

The Chang family got up early and came to the outside of the mansion to prepare to take a sedan chair to the Temple of Heaven and Earth.

Chang Feng blew into his palm and said, "It's really cold."

Grandson Chang Qingyun put a fur coat on him and said, "Grandfather, I asked the servants to prepare a hand warmer in your sedan chair. I don't know how those corrupt scholars in the Ministry of Rites chose such a cold day to let the emperor and all the officials go to the Temple of Heaven and Earth to freeze."

The family members got on the official sedan chair and rushed to the Temple of Heaven and Earth.

Meanwhile, the Leopard Room.

Jiang Bin has returned to Beijing and is standing outside the emperor's bedroom with Zhang Yong and Zhang Zhong.

Jiang Bin said, "There is still half an hour before the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven and earth. Why hasn't the emperor gotten up yet?"

Zhang Yong said: "I'll go into the bedroom and take a look."

Soon, Zhang Yong came to the dragon bed of Emperor Zhengde and knelt down: "Your Majesty, the time has come. It's time to change clothes and go to the Temple of Heaven and Earth."

Emperor Zhengde lifted the brocade curtain of the dragon couch and said weakly, "Oh, Zhang Yong. I feel a little feverish. I'm afraid I have caught a cold."

Zhang Yong was shocked: "Ah? Then should we choose another auspicious day to offer sacrifices to the heaven, earth and ancestors?"

Emperor Zhengde shook his head: "Sacrificing to heaven and earth and ancestors is a great ceremony, how can you change the date without permission? I should be fine. Please change my clothes for me!" (End of this chapter)