There were six candidates in total, and the favored concubines unanimously ignored Queen Qian, Concubine Wan Chen, and Xing'an.
Qianxue and Su Xi chose Ruan Lang, and Ningxiang chose Cao Jixiang.
Lin Xiangyu chose Chen Xiang.
When Zhu Qiyu saw that all the concubines had been chosen, he asked with a smile: "Then tell me your reasons."
Qianxue was the first to reply: "Ruan Lang is very senior, but he has no ambition. With seniority, he has the opportunity to know the secrets of the palace. If he has no ambition, he has the motivation to change the court."
Zhu Qiyu nodded and looked at Ningxiang again.
Ningxiang smiled and said: "Cao Jixiang participated in the Battle of Luchuan and just went to quell the Southeast Civil War. Every time he takes advantage of the opportunity to supervise the army, Cao Jixiang recruits elites and raises dead soldiers. This does not look like a man. Peaceful master.
Besides, since my husband had long been sure that Cao Jixiang would rebel, the slave family felt that they were right to choose him. "
Zhu Qiyu nodded and finally looked at Lin Xiangyu.
Lin Xiangyu smiled and gave seven words: "My husband is a big liar."
Zhu Qiyu looked guilty and scolded weakly: "What are you talking about, my beloved concubine? I am an upright and pure person. How can you accuse someone of innocence out of thin air?"
"Stop bragging. Just tell me, did I win?"
Zhu Qiyu spread his hands helplessly: "Humph, you win, I'm at your mercy, just make whatever demands you want, and you'll be satisfied."
Ningxiang asked curiously: "Sister, why is it Chen Xiang?"
Lin Xiangyu looked at Zhu Qiyu: "Husband, do you allow me to expose all your old background?"
"Expose it, expose it. You are both my wife and husband. We have nothing to hide."
Ningxiang also urged: "Sister, please speak quickly."
Lin Xiangyu cleared her throat and smiled at Ningxiang: "That good husband of yours, he said that he has never placed any trusted eunuchs in Nangong. Yes, he has not placed them. In fact, Xing'an, Ruan Lang, Chen Xiang, and Cao Jixiang are all Emperor Gongjang. Take the initiative to go there.
Chen Xiang is indeed not a trusted eunuch of her husband.
He is just a trusted eunuch of his husband's trusted eunuch.
It is true that the rumors were not spread by her husband at his instigation. In order to avoid being exposed, after my husband ascended the throne, he never had any contact with their inner court forces. It was all up to them to understand the situation and act on their own. "
Ningxiang was a little confused, and after thinking for a long time, she continued to ask: "Whose trusted eunuch is Chen Xiang?"
Lin Xiangyu replied: "It is written in the book that in the fifth year of Yongle, the British Duke Zhang Fu led a large army to quell the Jiaozhi rebellion. The beautiful Jiaotong returned and was selected as an eunuch. Fan Hong, Wang Jin, Ruan An, Ruan Lang and others joined Yan .
These people formed several forces in the inner court. Among them, Fan Hong became the chief eunuch of the Xuande Dynasty. He was once the top eunuch in the inner court, and was later replaced by Wang Zhen in the Zhengtong Dynasty. Later, he went on a personal expedition with Zhengtong and died in Tumubao.
As a result, Fan Hong's power was disintegrated.
Ruan Lang was the weakest, but after his husband ascended the throne, he promoted him, and then he became a little more prominent.
Wang Jin and Ruan An have always been highly valued. They have a large number of disciples and disciples, and their influence in the inner court is intertwined and omnipresent.
Wang Jin's original name was Chen Wu, and he was later given the name Wang Jin by Xuanzong. Therefore, many of the eunuchs surnamed Chen who are not too old in the palace are under the name of Wang Jin. And Chen Xiang is exactly one of them. "
Lin Xiangyu glanced at Zhu Qiyu and saw that he had no additional comments, so she continued: "In the last years of Zhengtong, the power of the inner court formed many eunuchs such as Fan Hong, Wang Zhen, Jin Ying, Xing'an, Wang Jin, Ruan An, Cao Jixiang, etc. A stand-alone situation.
It's not like you think, Wang Zhen's family is the only one.
Among them, the three forces of Fan Hong, Wang Zhen, and Jin Ying have been completely destroyed.
Among the remaining people, Wang Jin and his family are the inner court forces who really follow their husband. "
Qianxue asked curiously: "Why, because Wang Jin and his family have never been able to become the largest power in the inner court, they are speculating on their husband?"
Lin Xiangyu shook her head: "It doesn't count, there must be speculation, but there is also emotion in it.
There is no guarantee for speculation without emotions. Even if the speculation succeeds, it will end up being a waste of money.
Just like us, when we chose to follow our husbands and refuse to marry and become a first-class wife, wasn't it also a kind of speculation?
It’s just that my husband is too clever and plays tricks on us sisters. Unknowingly, subtly, we are really tamed by our husbands, and we become his sex slaves without fighting, fighting, or making trouble.
Humph, your husband is the biggest liar in the world. "
When Zhu Qiyu heard this, he raised his hands and thanked me and said, "I'm ashamed, I'm sorry, but I'm grateful that I won't give up. It all depends on your support and love."
But Ningxiang still inquired deeply: "Sister, don't talk about him all the time. Why don't you talk about the relationship between your husband and Wang Jin?"
Lin Xiangyu smiled and said: "Sun is jealous. Except for our mother, she did not let any of Xuanzong's concubines have children. Therefore, my husband was rejected by him and never lived in the palace. After he was born, Xuanzong raised him in the eunuch's house.
You also know that Xuanzong gave Wang Jin two maids as his wives. It was unprecedented in the Ming Dynasty that the emperor gave eunuchs women as eunuchs, and at that time they were dismissed by Yan Guan.
In fact, it's just a cover-up. Those two maids were sent to look after our husbands.
The husband lived in Wang Jin's home for seven or eight years before moving to Prince Xin's Mansion. This was the emotional bond between the husband and Wang Jin. "
Qianxue, Su Xi, and Ningxiang suddenly realized.
Qianxue complained: "My husband is really a big liar. He deceived us so much. I still wonder why my husband always has the upper hand in the inner court struggles."
My husband originally had the full support of Wang Jin's faction, but later he must have secretly taken over Fan Hong's faction. Of course it would be great if one person could control two powerful forces in the inner court.
Emperor Gongrang is so pitiful. From now on, he will be tricked to the point where his own mother doesn’t even recognize him. "
Zhu Qiyu smiled and said: "Emperor Gongrang may not have known his mother in the first place. I currently believe that Emperor Gongrang was snatched away from the palace maid by the Sun family.
Emperor Gongrang will send Xing'an, Chen Xiang, Cao Jixiang and others to investigate. Let's just wait and see the results. "
Qianxue smiled and said: "You are forcing the emperor to rebel step by step."
Zhu Qiyu spread his hands and said: "I don't want to either. If Emperor Gongrang is willing to move his family to Fengyang, I am also willing to join him.
Haven't you seen that all the civil and military officials are now crying and shouting that they want to send your sisters to the Huanyi Bureau?
Do you think that if you go to the Clothing Bureau, you will just do hard work? Don't be stupid, you still want to be a sex slave.
You follow me, you are just toyed with by me alone. But when you get to the Huanyi Bureau, you don't know how many people will be toyed with you. Let me tell you in advance that among the people who are toying with you, there are quite a few eunuchs.
In short, if I die, you will be waiting to experience hell on earth. "
The beloved concubines were all frightened again, Qianxue quickly replied: "That can't be done, what do you want to eat now, husband? Can you stew a little hen? I'll give you some old wild ginseng. I must raise it for you." Baibai and fat.”
Zhu Qiyu shook his head: "I want to eat fish."
…
A night of silence.
Early the next morning, when Zhu Qizhen had just woken up and was still feeling groggy, Xing'an and Cao Jixiang hurried in.
Zhu Qizhen scolded angrily: "What are you two doing so early in the morning? Yesterday Chen Xiang was on duty at the Ceremony Supervisor, so it's your turn to go today."
If you don't go to the Supervisor of Ceremonies and help me keep a good watch, why are you running here in surprise? "
Xing'an quickly replied: "Your Majesty, what's wrong, hundreds of officials are waiting to see you. Two to three hundred people are kneeling outside Yongtai Gate."
When Zhu Qizhen heard this, he immediately became energetic: Yongtai Gate? Then they have already arrived at my doorstep.
"Then why do they want to see me in Fucheng?"
Xing'an replied: "As for the matter of choosing a concubine and establishing a queen, the emperor didn't say anything. The cabinet bachelors and the six ministers didn't dare to make up their minds.
The ministers quoted the emperor's previous decree that all matters that could not be resolved after consultation between the cabinet bachelors and the six ministers would be decided by the emperor. "
With the previous incident, Zhu Qizhen is now also afraid of being poisoned, so preventive measures have also been improved.
Most of the time in the palace, no one is around. Only during meal times would anyone from the palace come in to serve food. Then in the evening, someone from the palace came in to clean.
At other times, palace residents are not allowed to enter without permission.
As for the concubines, they are absolutely not allowed to enter without a summons. Even Empress Qian and Empress Zhou had to pass through before they could enter.
Therefore, with only Xing'an and Cao Jixiang around him, Zhu Qizhen dared to say anything: "Unless my brother becomes ill and will never get up again, I will dare to make the decision for him to choose a concubine and establish a queen.
If not, just wait for retaliation afterwards.
If anyone dares to touch my sixteen beloved concubines, I will definitely kill their entire family.
My younger brother has fifteen beloved concubines, and I have sixteen beloved concubines. We are all suffering from the same problem, so why bother to make things right? "
(End of chapter)
