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

Chapter 247 The wind rises in Wanli.

It was the evening of the third day of the first lunar month, at the end of the Shen period, when the door of Zhang Chonghui's cell was opened.

It was already dawn, and the person who came to escort him out of prison was a young eunuch with an unfamiliar face.

The young eunuch's attitude was very cold. After asking the guard to open the cell door, he hurriedly said, "The Emperor urgently summons you to the palace," and left.

Zhang Chonghui was stunned for a long time without reacting, and was even more puzzled in his heart - why did Emperor Wanli want to see him?

How...can I still see him?
He stayed like this for a long while, until Shen Weijing in the next cell shouted himself hoarse, and then Zhang Chonghui left in a daze, full of suspicion.

The young eunuch left just like that, and Zhang Chonghui was released just like that.

It was said that the emperor was anxious to summon Zhang Chonghui, but there was no one from the palace to lead the way, nor were there any Jinyiwei to escort him.

It seemed as if Zhang Chonghui had just been released from prison, and no one cared whether he entered the palace or met the emperor.

Zhang Chonghui didn't know what the situation was in the palace at the moment. He wanted to go straight into the palace, but after thinking about it, he decided to go home first and change out of the official robe that reeked of alcohol.

……

By the time Zhang Chonghui had taken care of everything and hurried to the outside of the Forbidden City, it was already three quarters past three in the evening and it was already dark.

A gust of north wind blew, bringing with it fluffy white snowflakes that fell down. It snowed again in the new year.

It is not uncommon for it to snow in the north. What made Zhang Chonghui feel strange and nervous was that the gate of the Forbidden City, which should have been closed long ago, was now wide open.

Outside the city gate, there were many carriages, sedan chairs and horses. Judging from their specifications, they were all officials of the third rank or above.

Zhang Chonghui seemed not to notice this unusual scene. He went straight to the city gate and said to the soldiers guarding the city:
"Although I don't have a warrant, a eunuch brought me a royal decree today, and the emperor summoned me to the palace to see him."

The guards guarding the city looked at each other with strange expressions, but did not say anything.

After questioning and confirming Zhang Chonghui's identity, they actually let Zhang Chonghui in.

This operation was so unbelievable that even Zhang Chonghui, who had originally suspected that there was something fishy going on, was surprised.

Zhang Chonghui stepped into the Forbidden City. At this moment, he still didn't know what the specific situation was in the palace.

Until he walked to the three main halls that had become ruins, he saw people coming and going around the Qianqing Palace from afar.

The palace servants seemed very busy and confused, taking down lanterns and hanging things in a panic.

Zhang Chonghui realized something immediately when he saw this. He quickened his pace and even started running!

He ran faster and faster. Many palace people passing by saw this scene, but few spoke out to stop him.

After all, it has come to this point, and Zhang Chonghui is not the only one running around in excitement.

Zhang Chonghui quickly ran to the Qianqing Gate. However, just as he stepped over the threshold, a sudden dull bell sounded, causing him to stagger and almost trip over the threshold!
"Boom."

"Boom."

"Boom."

"Boom..."

The sounds of bells and drums rang out one after another. These sounds did not come from the palace, but from the temple outside the palace.

From that moment on, such bells will be rung thirty thousand times in every temple outside the palace.

This is destined to be a sleepless night.

The bells continued to ring "dong dong dong". As more and more temples joined in, the bell sounds became more and more chaotic and dense.

The sound of the bell was actually not unpleasant or irritating, but it was particularly uncomfortable for Zhang Chonghui.

Every strike of the bells and drums seemed to be striking at his internal organs, making him feel nauseous and queasy, while also bringing up some inexplicable and scattered images.

Finally, Zhang Chonghui couldn't help it!

"vomit!"

……

In the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Changluo knelt in front of the dragon bed. His eyes were already red and swollen, but tears were still flowing intermittently.

The cabinet ministers kneeling behind him were also sobbing. Seeing that the prince was so filial, everyone had a look of emotion on their faces, but in fact, they all had their own plans in their hearts.

"Your Highness, Zhang Chonghui is here."

Wang An came with the news, and he deliberately spoke in a voice that almost everyone present could hear.

"Here it comes." Zhu Changluo wiped his tears and said with great effort, suppressing his excitement:
"Before his death, the late emperor personally said that he wanted to see him. Let him in."

After these words were spoken, everyone present had strange expressions on their faces.

Firstly, they didn't know about this incident, and secondly, they really didn't understand why the late emperor met Zhang Chonghui before his death?
"Your Highness, I'm afraid Zhang Chonghui... I'm afraid he can't come in..." Wang An hesitated and said:
"He is not in a good condition right now. I am afraid he might have offended the Emperor..."

"What's going on?" Zhu Changluo asked hurriedly.

Zhu Changluo knew very well that at this moment he was surrounded by old foxes who wanted to take control of him, the young new king!
Having just lost his father and feeling extremely insecure, he didn't want to be crushed to death by these old foxes and had absolutely no idea what to do next.

This is also the reason why, even though his emperor father clearly told him not to keep Zhang Chonghui before his death, he still kept Zhang Chonghui.

The reason why Zhu Changluo was not in a hurry to bring Zhang Chonghui into the palace was that he wanted to test the other party.

He just wanted to test Zhang Chonghui to see if he dared to risk his life and break into the palace for this uncertain new emperor!

Now that Zhang Chonghui has risked his life to enter the palace, Zhu Changluo has more trust in him. But why is Zhang Chonghui's condition still not good at this time?

Facing the prince's question, Wang An answered truthfully:
"Your Highness, I don't know what happened to Zhang Chonghui. He vomited right after he arrived at the Qianqing Gate! It's really inappropriate to let him in at this time. I'm afraid he will disturb the body of the late emperor!"

……

Zhang Chonghui leaned against the Qianqing Gate and vomited for a long time, but it was actually dry heaving.

He hadn't eaten anything during the two days he was locked up, so what could he vomit out?

Everyone passing by was frightened by this strange scene. At this special moment when the emperor had just passed away, no one dared to step forward to dissuade them, for fear of causing unnecessary trouble.

Zhang Chonghui did not expect that the person who finally came to "comfort" him was Li Tingji, the "temple keeper" whom he had only met a few times.

Li Tingji was wearing a pilling coarse linen shirt, looking so shabby, obviously because he had just received the news that Ye Xianggao had been released, and he hurried from the dilapidated temple to the palace.

While feeding Zhang Chonghui water and patting his back, he advised earnestly:

"The late emperor just passed away. I know you are worried about your father and the emperor, which is why you feel so sad. But you are still young, so you have to take care of your health."

Although Zhang Chonghui didn't quite understand why Li Tingji felt uncomfortable with him, he was polite and thanked the other party for his kindness after he calmed down.

"Thank you, Mr. Li. I will remember your favor."

After saying that, Zhang Chonghui controlled his breathing, and after making sure his emotions were stable, he strode into the Qianqing Palace.

……

Zhu Changluo finally saw Zhang Chonghui. The moment he saw him, he was stunned by Zhang Chonghui's "crying skills"!
Zhu Changluo thought he had cried exaggeratedly enough, but he didn't expect that Zhang Chonghui cried even more than him!

Not to mention Zhu Changluo, it was the first time for everyone else present to see someone cry so shockingly without howling or screaming!
Everyone couldn't help but sigh in their hearts:
"No wonder he vomited. He was crying so hard, so it's not surprising that he vomited..."

However, even though Zhang Chonghui's "crying skills" were shocking, Zhang Chonghui himself did not continue to express his respect and love for the late emperor.

After kneeling before the late emperor's body, he set his sights on Crown Prince Zhu Changluo and said in a sonorous and powerful voice:
"Your Highness, please forgive me for speaking frankly. The death of the emperor is a tragedy for the country. We ask Your Highness to take care of the emperor's body and not grieve too much!
A country cannot be without a leader for a day. Now the country and the people are waiting for you to inherit the throne. The people are looking forward to it!
Your Highness, the Crown Prince, should bear in mind the late emperor's expectations. We ask you to ascend the throne quickly to comfort the late emperor's spirit and lead the Ming Dynasty to prosperity!"

Every word Zhang Chonghui spoke was sonorous and powerful, and he bowed deeply as soon as he finished speaking.

Everyone present was stunned by Zhang Chonghui's act of usurpation, and they all looked at the Prime Minister Yu Shenxing who was above the crowd. After all, the words of persuading the prince to ascend the throne had to be taken by the Prime Minister of the Cabinet.

However, Yu Shenxing had been expressionless and silent since he arrived. Faced with Zhang Chonghui's act of meddling in other people's affairs, he did not react at all, as if he had not heard it at all.

For a while, the scene became quiet.

However, after only a moment, someone soon echoed loudly:
"I second the motion! The country cannot be without a ruler for a day, please ask Your Highness to ascend the throne as soon as possible!"

It’s Ye Xianggao.

With someone taking the lead, the people behind them had no scruples and followed suit like dominoes.

Voices of “I second the motion” echoed throughout the hall and around the body of the late emperor.

Yu Shenxing was the last one to second the motion. His voice was very soft, and as he bowed, two lines of hot tears rolled down his cheeks.

……

The whole country celebrates the new emperor's ascension to the throne.

After many discussions with the six ministries of the cabinet, the new emperor decided to change the reign title to Taichang in the following year.

The first thing the new emperor did when he ascended the throne was to issue an edict to depose the mining tax that the previous emperor and the officials had been arguing about for many years.

This is a matter of utmost importance, and something that cannot be helped.

The second thing the new emperor did after ascending the throne was to change the lazy government habits of the previous emperor.

Not only did he restore the long-abandoned daily lectures on classics, court meetings, and sacrifices, but he also promoted some old officials and filled some long-vacant positions with new people.

The third thing the new emperor did after ascending the throne was to fulfill the last wish of the previous emperor before his death - to rehabilitate Zhang Juzheng.

As for the matter of enthroning Zheng as the Empress Dowager, which had been arranged by Grand Secretary Ye Xianggao before the death of the previous emperor, it was shelved in the Cabinet Office on the grounds that "the Cabinet is too busy and has no time to deal with it for the time being", and there was no response for a long time.

The ascension of a new emperor is a major event, and the funeral of the previous emperor is an even more important event.

The funeral of the late emperor should have been mainly handled by princes, cabinet ministers and other important figures.

However, the new emperor's arrangement is intriguing. Although on the surface Yu Shenxing, the chief minister of the cabinet, was arranged to be the main person in charge, since the death of the previous emperor, Yu Shenxing has been on sick leave and has stayed at home all the time.

As a result, the funeral of the late emperor fell entirely on the shoulders of the secondary responsible persons.

And this so-called secondary person in charge was neither a prince or a grand secretary, nor a minister of the Ministry of Rites, but Zhang Chonghui, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, who had recently been blessed by the emperor and promoted three levels.

Zhang Juzheng had been rehabilitated, and the Zhang family not only no longer had to bear the heavy burden of being the descendants of a criminal, but instead became unexpected upstarts.

Not only was Zhang Chonghui promoted, but Zhang Yunxiu was also promoted. Although it was only an idle position of Youchunfang and Youzhongyun in the Prince's Secretariat, which was of no use for the time being, it was only temporary.

……

Qianqing Palace.

In just half a month, the Qianqing Palace had changed hands. The cowardly prince who was trembling and worried about being deposed half a month ago has now transformed himself into an almighty emperor with a dagger hidden in his smile.

"Mr. Zhang, I am very busy with official duties, so I will leave the late emperor's affairs to you."

Zhu Changluo held Zhang Chonghui's hand with a look of trust.

Zhang Chonghui was naturally flattered and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will definitely live up to your trust."

Zhu Changluo smiled with satisfaction, but the next sentence he asked suddenly:
"By the way, I heard that your second uncle and third uncle were both first-class Jinshi. Now that your grandfather's injustice has been cleared, talents like your second uncle and third uncle should not be buried. Tell me what job you want to ask for your two uncles, and I will agree to it."

Zhu Changluo smiled generously and enthusiastically, as if he was willing to give Zhang Chonghui whatever he really wanted.

Zhang Chonghui knew very well that Zhu Changluo was testing him.

At present, Zhu Changluo has promoted him and Zhang Yunxiu repeatedly, which is already putting them on the fire. If he is still not satisfied at this time and wants more, he is not only ungrateful, but also seeking death in advance.

"Your Majesty, my two uncles have become accustomed to being away from the court. They are really not suitable for officialdom. I am afraid that I will disappoint your Majesty's kindness."

"Is that so?" Zhu Changluo said with an 'I understand' smile:

"It's okay. Just come and tell me whenever you want it. I am where I am today thanks to you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Minghe, since Mr. Guo left, you are the only person I can trust."

"His Majesty……"

After a seemingly heartfelt conversation between the monarch and his minister, Zhu Changluo finally agreed to let Zhang Chonghui go.

It was only shortly after Zhang Chonghui left that the eunuch Wang An once again reminded his young emperor:

"Your Majesty, Zhang Chonghui really cannot be kept."

Zhu Changluo smiled softly: "I know."

Wang An said with a bitter face: "Your Majesty, a sharp sword is easy to use, but it is easy to hurt yourself...Forgive me for being so nosy, but he should not be in charge of such a big event as the late emperor's funeral..."

"What do you know?" Zhu Changluo still smiled gently, but he did not say the words with revengeful meaning in his mind.

When his father was alive, wasn't he most afraid of being controlled by Zhang Juzheng?
But now, even the funeral arrangements will be taken care of by Zhang Juzheng’s descendants!

He had no choice but to do this, and he wondered how happy his father, the emperor, must be!

As for the fact that the sharp sword could easily hurt himself, Zhu Changluo was not afraid of it at all.

Young men in their teens and twenties always have the confidence that "I can control everything", not to mention that he is the emperor who is high above everyone else!

At the same time, on the way out of the palace, Zhang Chonghui also thought of someone.

"We have to find a way to transfer Wen Tiren back from Nanjing."

Zhang Chonghui thought to himself.

……

The late emperor's mausoleum had already been built, and all that was left was to find a good day for burial.

Before the burial, the most important thing is to prepare the burial objects.

The emperor’s burial objects naturally include a wide variety of gold, silver, gems, precious utensils, and some of his favorite items during his lifetime.

Perhaps they were dissatisfied that Zhang Chonghui, at such a young age, could be responsible for such a big thing, so when the burial objects were being lowered into the coffin, people would occasionally run to ask Zhang Chonghui some strange and difficult questions.

"Master Zhang, should this black gauze winged hat, which was the favorite of the late emperor, be placed in the main coffin or in the secondary coffin?"

"If I remember correctly, you have worked in the Ministry of Rites for more than 30 years. You don't even know where to put it according to the rules?"

"Then... where should we put the golden-lid jade bowl that the late emperor loved so much? The rules don't say that!"

"In that case, then don't put it away. Take it home and make tea with it."

"Ah? This...are you kidding me?"

"I'm a humorous person and I like to joke around. You'd better get used to it. If anything goes wrong, I'll push you out to take the blame."

"you……"

……

Yu Shenxing hadn't appeared for a long time. As if he had calculated the time perfectly, he finally appeared when everything was ready and all that was left was to close the coffin lid.

However, Yu Shenxing, the main person in charge, had no intention of interfering in the funeral. Instead, he went straight to Zhang Chonghui, who had been wandering beside the secondary coffin for a long time in a daze.

"Has the late emperor's temple name been chosen?" Yu Shenxing asked as soon as he came up.

Zhang Chonghui only glanced at Yu Shenxing, and then his eyes returned to the coffin:
"This matter is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites and the Cabinet. I don't know."

"You can take care of this matter." Yu Shenxing said.

"I said I can't control it." Zhang Chonghui didn't want to continue this topic, so he turned to talk about a golden burial object in the coffin, and said with an intoxicated look:

"Look, isn't this golden winged cap beautiful? The late emperor loved gold objects the most when he was alive.

The craftsmanship of the Golden Silk Winged Goodness Crown is much more delicate and complicated than that of the Golden Ruyi. He should...like it more, right?"

Yu Shenxing only glanced inside the coffin, then brought the subject back to the topic, saying firmly:
"Now I am the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. If I ask you to take charge, you have to take charge. Tell me, what temple name should I choose?"

Zhang Chonghui knew that he could not avoid this topic. He looked at the golden Yishan crown for a long while and sighed:
"Then... God."

This time, it was Yu Shenxing's turn to be silent. He wanted to say something in rebuttal, but all he could do was remain silent.

Yu Shenxing came and left. Not long after he left, someone came to urge Zhang Chonghui to do something.

——The auspicious time is coming, it’s time to close the coffin.

……

【End of book】

……

2023 AD.

Nanjing Museum.

In front of the exhibition stand of a certain cultural relic, there was a large group of people surrounding it, and from time to time there were exclamations of envy from the crowd.

"It's really so dazzling. Look at this golden hat. If we melt it down and sell it, how much would it be worth?"

"I'm really impressed... Even after you cured me, I'm still drooling..."

"No wonder Emperor Wanli didn't attend court for decades. If I had such a good life, I wouldn't attend court either!"

"I remember Wanli didn't attend court, maybe because his legs weren't in good condition?"

"How do you know his legs are not good? You were watching him fall?"

"It was shown on TV! When he was dug out, his legs were different in length. It was said that his coffin was chopped up and burned as firewood, and his ashes were scattered. Alas, what a miserable emperor he was."

"I am only a slave, yet you are sympathizing with the emperor."

"You'll die if you don't say something, right?"

"Hey hey hey! Quiet! Quiet! No noise or fighting allowed here!"

"The security is coming! The security is coming!"

"Wow, mom, I'm scared, I want to go home..."

"..."

Looking at the messy crowd around him, Zhang Jiangling really wanted to beat up the first person who suggested team building on the weekend!
At this time, a male colleague who had just transferred to Zhang Jiangling and was unfamiliar to him suddenly came up to him and asked:
"Jiang Ling, did you see the golden hat of Emperor Wanli that they were talking about?"

Zhang Jiangling had very good eyesight, and even though he was still a long distance away from the golden hat, he could still see it clearly.

Although he was not familiar with this colleague, Zhang Jiangling still replied politely: "I saw it."

The male colleague smiled and said, "I remember that the teacher of Emperor Wanli was Zhang Juzheng, the chief minister of the Wanli Emperor, also known as Zhang Jiangling. You two are quite predestined to meet each other."

Zhang Jiangling has heard such teasing many times since he was a child. Despite this, he is not used to being teased by unfamiliar colleagues.

Zhang Jiangling just smiled and didn't say anything, but his colleague seemed to not understand his expression. He grinned and continued to tease:

"I remember that the traitorous Emperor Wanli wanted to open the coffin and whip the corpse of his teacher Zhang Juzheng. What do you think Zhang Juzheng would think if he knew about this?"

"I'm not Zhang Juzheng, I don't know." Zhang Jiangling said and turned away. He didn't want to talk too much nonsense with this unfamiliar colleague.

However, this colleague was like a dog-skin plaster, chasing him and asking questions endlessly.

"Jiang Ling, your name is too coincidental to be Zhang Juzheng. Could it be that you are Zhang Juzheng's reincarnation?"

"You've read too many novels."

"Jiang Ling, to be honest, I personally think that the reason why the Ming Dynasty fell so quickly was actually due to Zhang Juzheng's reforms."

"The Ming Dynasty fell when Pangu created the world."

"Jiang Ling, you seem a little unhappy. Are you really the reincarnation of Zhang Juzheng? I really don't mean to say anything bad about you. I'm just being realistic."

"Don't follow me."

"Hey, Jiang Ling, why are you walking so fast? There's a traffic light ahead, don't run a red light!"

"..."

Zhang Jiangling really couldn't stand this new colleague, whose name he didn't even know but who was extremely enthusiastic. He was too lazy to even respond to him and kept speeding up his pace just to escape.

However, this guy was like a ghost that haunted him, following him wherever he went. He even followed him after they finished visiting the museum!

This resulted in Zhang Jiangling, who was anxious to get rid of the other party when crossing the traffic light, walking ahead for a few seconds in a hurry. Unexpectedly, the other party actually caught up with him!

So, they both took off...

Until the last moment, Zhang Jiangling didn't even know what his colleague's name was.

However, his excellent eyesight enabled him to see the other person's last name on his work badge as he fell from the air.

Although there is only a last name - Gu.

This bastard’s surname is Gu!

……

Soon, the world was plunged into a vast expanse of white...

It was a vast expanse of white snow, with the snow piled up to a foot high, so thick that people and horses could not pass through.

Zhang Jiangling seemed to have had a painful dream. In the dream, his legs seemed to be stuck in a swamp and it was painful to pull them out, but there was a force coming from nowhere that pulled him away.

That force pulled him forward step by step, towards that strange yet strangely familiar red...

Everything seems to be just a dream...

That's it?

When 'he' woke up again, a series of unfamiliar memories flooded into his mind.

Although it was unbelievable, he had no choice but to accept it.

He traveled through time and became the body of Zhang Chonghui, who was only six years old.

"So hungry."

This was his first heartfelt feeling in this world.

(End of this chapter)