Ming Dynasty: At the beginning, the house was ransacked and the ancestral temple was burned down.

Chapter 214 His Majesty the Emperor is happy to be a father! The prince is about to cry!
Ciqing Palace.

Zhang Chonghui had not been to the Eastern Palace for a long time. This time it was not because he wanted to come, nor was it because Emperor Wanli asked Zhang Cheng to urge him to come.

Instead, it was the Crown Prince Zhu Changluo who sent someone to summon him here.

Zhang Chonghui didn't know that Zhu Changluo, who had always been secretly on guard against him, suddenly thought of him.

Could it be that... the little prince wants to see his mother again?

It turns out that Zhu Changluo did not want to see his biological mother, Concubine Wang Gong, but had another hidden agenda!

"Minghe, help me!"

The first thing Zhu Changluo did after seeing Zhang Chonghui was to rush forward in a panic, grab Zhang Chonghui's sleeve, and said with red eyes:
"I...I'm in big trouble..."

Seeing that Zhu Changluo was so anxious that he was about to cry, Zhang Chonghui also realized that the problem was not simple.

After careful questioning, and Zhu Changluo hesitating for a long time, he gave a rough answer.

Zhang Chonghui finally figured out what Zhu Changluo had done wrong.

"Does Mr. Guo know about this?" Zhang Chonghui asked this question proactively.

Zhang Chonghui was also wondering, when such a big thing happened in the Eastern Palace, why did Zhu Changluo come to him first instead of going to his most trusted teacher Guo Zhengyu?

Zhu Changluo lowered his eyes and said sadly, "I have sent someone to look for Mr. Guo. He may be busy with something important, so he won't come so soon..."

Zhu Changluo did not lie. His teacher Guo had been getting busier and busier since he entered the cabinet. He even spent less time with him and teaching him than Ye Xianggao...

"Oh, I see." Zhang Chonghui did not ask any further questions, but instead lowered his head to think about a solution.

"Minghe, what should we do?" Zhu Changluo was extremely impatient.

After all, a life has been lost, how can he not be anxious?

In a hurry, Zhu Changluo didn't have time to think too much. He stared at Zhang Chonghui and suggested:
"How about... you go to my father and ask for mercy from him on my behalf!"

After he had said this, Zhu Changluo realized that his request was somewhat unreasonable.

After all, Zhang Chonghui was just the descendant of a criminal. It was so absurd to ask the descendant of a criminal to plead with the emperor on behalf of him, the crown prince, that it was jaw-dropping.

But despite this, Zhu Changluo still felt that in front of his father, the emperor, the weight of his own son's words seemed to be less than that of Zhang Chonghui, the descendant of a criminal...

"Don't worry, Your Highness. Let me think about it first."

Zhang Chonghui did not accept Zhu Changluo's ridiculous proposal. While thinking of a solution, he gently comforted the sick little prince who was desperate for help, and said slowly:

"Good and bad things go hand in hand. Who knows, this might be a good thing."

……

Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Yijun saw Zhang Yunxiu's name on the selection list for Hanlin Academy students.

"The last one to come in can be selected as a Hanlin Academy Scholar. Who can tell who is the third place winner in the 26th year of the Wanli reign?"

Zhu Yijun said this with an expressionless face. Although his tone was unclear, one could tell that he was being sarcastic.

After all, it is rumored everywhere that the third place winner of this year's first class is Wulang from Zhang Juzheng's family.

Even though the imperial edict had already been posted, the power of public opinion brought about by that "doggerel" was truly terrifying.

Ordinary people don't care who is the real Tanhua. They just want to have fun by reciting the rhyme. Anyway, who becomes Tanhua will not affect their lives.

Zhang Cheng, who was standing by, heard the emperor's dissatisfaction and immediately echoed:

"Master Yu is really a scoundrel. He actually used public power for personal gain and allowed a person at the bottom of the list to enter the Hanlin Academy. This is really against the rules of propriety!"

Zhu Yijun glanced at Zhang Cheng and asked casually, "Then how do you think we should punish him?"

His Majesty the Emperor was just asking casually, but Zhang Cheng, who was guilty and wanted to clear the way for some people, thought that the Emperor was suspicious. He was frightened and hurriedly replied:

"Your Majesty, Lord Yu is a minister of the Ming Dynasty and your teacher. I dare not speak nonsense!"

"Why are you so excited?" Zhu Yijun was also surprised by Zhang Cheng's startled look.

However, before he had time to think about it, someone came.

The visitor was the Queen, who had come with the two princes of the late Imperial Noble Consort Li to pay their respects to the Emperor.

The two princes, the elder Zhu Changrun was not yet four years old, and the younger Zhu Changying was only one year old. Zhu Changying had already started crying "wooooo woooo wow wow" before he even entered the hall.

Even though Zhu Yijun was the child's biological father, he couldn't help but feel a headache when he heard the noisy and shrill crying.

But considering his deceased "second love", Consort Li, Zhu Yijun still had the patience to coax his son himself.

The Emperor was busy trying to coax his son away, and he threw the list of Hanlin Academy scholars into Zhang Cheng's hands, along with three words:

"Approve it."

Zhu Yijun was only concerned with coaxing his children, as if it didn't matter to him who entered the Hanlin Academy.

Even though Zhang Juzheng's son is among them.

This is indeed the case. Who becomes a Hanlin and who enters the cabinet has little impact on Emperor Zhu Yijun.

It's just that there is one more Zhang Yunxiu. Zhu Yijun also wants to see what those people who have opposed Zhang will do in desperation now that Zhang Juzheng's son has become the prime minister.
……

The emperor and the empress finally met each other, and the palace servants around them tactfully withdrew, leaving only the emperor, the empress, and the two princes in the palace.

Zheng Mengjing stood outside the palace, listening to the emperor and empress coaxing their child inside the palace, with mixed emotions.

"Your Majesty, how about...I go and tell you about this?" Zhang Cheng asked politely.

"No need." Zheng Mengjing shook her head blankly. She knew that Zhang Cheng was just asking out of courtesy.

After all, the emperor, the empress, and the two princes, the family of four, live in harmony and happiness.

Why would she, an outsider, join in the fun?

In the end, it's just asking for trouble...

……

Zheng Mengjing left unwillingly and helplessly. However, inside the palace, the emperor and empress, who had been treating each other with respect a moment ago, suddenly started quarreling?

In fact, it was not a quarrel, but the Emperor was just unilaterally angry because Zhu Yijun heard a piece of news from the Queen that made him furious!

Actually, this is good news, because Zhu Yijun is going to be a grandfather!

Yes, his baby...well, it was his not-so-baby son Zhu Changluo, who accidentally got a palace maid pregnant.

Zhu Yijun was so angry that his head was about to split. After all, his son hasn't even married yet!
He got a palace maid pregnant before he even had a family. This would be an extremely shameful thing, not to mention in the royal family, even if it happened in an ordinary noble family with more dignity!

"Your Majesty, please don't get angry and hurt the emperor's body." While comforting Zhu Yijun, Queen Wang Xijie did not forget to plead for Zhu Changluo:

"The prince is sixteen years old this year. It is inevitable that he will be impulsive and make mistakes due to his youth. Besides... there are many families with children at his age..."

What Sister Wang Xi said was true. After all, she married the emperor when she was fifteen years old.

However, as soon as the truth was spoken, Zhu Yijun became even angrier and shouted that he would call the prince to give him a good scolding!
Sister Wang Xi really understood her husband. While comforting him, she also pointed out the crux of the problem.

Now that things have happened and the baby's belly is already big, there are only two options left.

The first way is to just beat the child for the sake of the royal family's reputation, so that they can pretend nothing happened.

Such a cruel thing is actually nothing when it happens to the cold-blooded royal family and the ruthless emperor.

However, if Zhu Yijun dared to do so, he would no longer be Zhu Yijun.

If he could be so cruel, his beloved Concubine Zheng would have become the Queen long ago, and his beloved Zhu Changxun would have become the Crown Prince long ago.

Therefore, Zhu Yijun, who is indecisive but still has some humanity, cannot and dare not take the first path.

As for the second way, it is to quickly arrange a marriage for the prince, let him get married earlier, try to complete everything before the time is ripe, and also to stop all the right and wrongs.

At the moment, this second path is the only one left to choose, but Zhu Yijun is struggling and hesitant, and is reluctant to make up his mind.

"Your Majesty, the prince is not young anymore, and he is the crown prince of a country. It would be a good thing to arrange a marriage for him as soon as possible." Queen Wang Xijie advised again.

Zhu Yijun also knew that it was a good idea to arrange a marriage for the crown prince as early as possible. If his crown prince was Zhu Changxun, he would have already found a wife for his beloved son!
But the current crown prince is not Zhu Changxun, whom he loves, but Zhu Changluo, whom he does not like!
Even though the ministers of the previous dynasty had repeatedly petitioned their emperor to hurry up and arrange a marriage for the prince.

But Zhu Yijun kept delaying it until now, using the excuse that "the prince is still young, there is no rush".

Anyone with a discerning eye knew why the emperor was dragging his feet on the prince's marriage; even the queen, Wang Xijie, who had never liked to meddle in other people's affairs, knew it.

His Majesty the Emperor is simply afraid that after the Crown Prince gets married, he will soon have a grandson. As soon as the grandson is born, the Crown Prince's position will become even more stable!
At that time, if the emperor still wants to transfer the position of crown prince to Prince Fu, it will be even more difficult!
……

His Majesty the Emperor was angry in the Qianqing Palace, while the Empress was trying to persuade him earnestly.

The four-year-old Zhu Changrun had no idea what was being said between his father the emperor and his mother the empress.

He thought the two were arguing, so he could only hold his one-year-old brother, trembling beside him, wanting to cry but not daring to cry out loud...

……

East Palace.

Guo Zhengyu finally arrived, although Zhu Changluo had already done everything according to Zhang Chonghui's instructions.

But the moment he saw Guo Zhengyu, Zhu Changluo still placed more hope on this teacher.

"Mr. Guo! What should I do? Father will not destroy me because of this matter!"

After Guo Zhengyu learned about this, his face inevitably looked a little unhappy, but he still patiently comforted her:
"Don't worry, Your Highness. It's a good thing to expand the royal family. At most, it will not be well-known. For the sake of the overall situation, the emperor will not blame you too much."

Although he comforted her, Guo Zhengyu, as a teacher, could not help but hold his prince student accountable:
"Your Highness, I'm not saying anything... Even if a man and a woman are in love, you should... How did you end up killing someone..."

Guo Zhengyu's expression of wanting to say something but stopping himself, trying to suppress his reprimanding intention, was seen by Zhu Changluo, who was already self-abased and sensitive, as "Mr. Guo is disliking me..."

In contrast, Guo Zhengyu's disgust and accountability made Zhang Chonghui's previous patient comfort seem so gentle and considerate.

This is probably why emperors like treacherous ministers. If nothing else, at least they can provide emotional value.

For a moment, the atmosphere became quiet.

Zhu Changluo dared not say a word like a child who had made a mistake.

Guo Zhengyu felt a little bit sorry when he saw this, but he didn't know how to comfort him. After all, in his opinion as a teacher, it was the prince who did something wrong.

Teenagers have complex and sensitive minds, especially the little prince who lacks parental love and has a somewhat distorted psychology.

Zhu Changluo originally thought that if he asked for help from his most trusted teacher, the teacher would be able to understand him and help him make decisions and give him advice.

However, in the end, Mr. Guo, like most people he imagined, could only blame his own youth...

Zhu Changluo smiled bitterly in his heart, thinking that his teacher was not as good as Zhang Chonghui.

At least Zhang Chonghui didn't mean to blame him at all, and he even carefully analyzed the pros and cons of the current situation for him.

Finally, Zhang Chonghui even gave him a solution.

One method was for him to ask his stepmother, the empress, to help him plead for mercy with his father, the emperor.

Although it is not yet known whether this method is useful, at least Zhang Chonghui is really helping him.

Instead of just standing on the moral high ground and pointing fingers at him.

Zhu Changluo just stayed quiet and didn't say a word.

The honest teenager looked like he really knew he was wrong.

At this time, Guo Zhengyu did not know that the rift between them as teacher and student had begun to grow.

……

When Zhang Yunxiu learned that he had been successfully selected as a Hanlin Academy scholar, he rushed to Lao Zhao's house without saying a word, anxious to tell Zhang Chonghui this great news!

However, coincidentally, Zhang Chonghui was not there.

At present, Zhang Yunxiu is already a Jinshi, and his status is far higher than that of his father-in-law Zhao Shizhen, so he simply shamelessly stays in Zhao's house and waits for Zhang Chonghui to come back.

Zhao Shizhen didn't dare to be angry or speak, so he could only chat about some nonsense with Zhang Yunxiu.

"By the way, father-in-law, I heard that you are also going to take the imperial examination?"

"Yes, uncle-in-law."

"Father-in-law, you really have some ideas. But it's also true that people in their fifties and sixties are a good time to go out and explore the world! Keep up the good work. Who knows, you might even become my disciple in the future, haha!"

"..."

……

At the same time, in the flower pavilion.

"You said that there is a young man who often asks you about me?" Zhang Chonghui looked at Shi Niang, wondering who was asking about him.

"Yes, that young master is very strange." Shi Niang suddenly remembered something and said:
"By the way, that young master seems to have a good relationship with Feng Menglong, a frequent visitor to our museum."

"It's Feng Menglong again." Zhang Chonghui couldn't help but wonder again who was behind Feng Menglong.

He didn't know if he was simply thinking too much, but he always felt that Feng Menglong was not as simple as he seemed.

"What did the young master ask?" Zhang Chonghui asked.

Shi Niang replied: "Just ask you about your daily interests and hobbies."

"Gone?"

"Gone."

"I think I should know who that person is."

Zhang Chonghui no longer paid attention to the matter and instead told Shi Niang the real purpose of his trip.

"Shi Niang, can you do me a favor? Don't tell the Queen Mother about that favor, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Niang immediately became nervous. You know, she is Empress Dowager Li's person, and she doesn't have the courage to betray her master.

Seeing Shi Niang so nervous, Zhang Chonghui smiled bitterly and sighed, "Look how nervous you are... It's normal for you to be unwilling, I understand."

Shi Niang watched as the handsome face that she had been dreaming about turned lonely. The next moment, Zhang Chonghui seemed to have suffered a heavy blow and turned to leave.

In the end, she still softened her heart and couldn't let go.

"Hey, wait..." Shi Niang hurriedly stopped Zhang Chonghui and explained in advance:

"Just tell me what you're busy with first, and then I'll make plans."

She was not a silly girl. It was impossible for her to be easily seduced by a handsome man and agree to it without hesitation.

However, this time, Zhang Chonghui refused to speak. He just shook his head, looking so dejected that he seemed to be broken. He whispered:
"Forget it, Shi Niang. You are a good girl, and I am just a dying man. I'd better not drag you down."

Whether men or women, none of them can bear the fragile and broken appearance of the opposite sex, which will make people instinctively feel pity and desire to protect them.

Not to mention, it is a matter of life and death!

"Zhang Lang, can you please tell me what you want to do for me? Tell me first and I'll make a decision."

Although she felt heartbroken, Shi Niang admitted that she had indeed been moved by him for a long time, but she was not stupid enough to risk her own life for him.

"It's not a big deal actually. It doesn't matter if you tell the Empress Dowager, it's just..." Zhang Chonghui became more and more conflicted, and he hesitated to speak for a long time.

"What's going on?" Shi Niang's appetite was whetted.

Zhang Chonghui was still struggling, until he saw that Shi Niang was almost dying of anxiety, he was willing to ask:
"Shi Niang, do you have any acquaintances in the palace?"

Shi Niang thought about it and realized that this was not an unanswerable question, so she answered truthfully, "Yes."

"Can you ask him to pass something on to someone in the palace?"

"What? To whom?"

"It's just a poem. Please pass it to... Concubine Zheng."

(End of this chapter)