On an early autumn night, crickets were chirping desperately. Like an euphemistic and melodious ancient song, it penetrated the night sky of the capital.
The seemingly peaceful capital is actually full of undercurrents.
There is a table in the Chang family's courtyard. On the table were pig head meat, salted cabbage, dried radish, roasted chicken, and a pot of Nuerhong.
Chang Feng and Fatty Xu were talking to each other. Tangtang was nibbling on a chicken leg, her mouth full of oil.
Today Huzi ransacked the house and had merit. The chicken's head, neck, and buttocks were torn off by Chang Feng and given to the tigers to eat.
Fatty Xu drank too much and started chatting: "Master Chang, do you know why I like to go to Rouge Street as soon as I get off work?"
Tangtang Man Xiaogui Da: "I know, I know! Because fat brother loves to hold hands with pretty ladies!"
Chang Feng scolded Tangtang: "Children, don't talk nonsense."
Fatty Xu took a sip of wine and explained: "My sister made a mistake. I went to Rouge Street because I didn't want to go back to Duke Ding's Mansion!"
"My father rarely made friends with eunuchs who had no skills. He would treat all the eunuchs in the palace to drinks at night."
"If I go home, I have to accompany him to socialize with those bastards."
"We, the ancestor of the Xu family, King of Zhongshan, wanted to cross the Yangtze River with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, regain the Central Plains, sweep the grasslands, and help Taizu conquer the Ming Dynasty."
"But my father, as the grandson of the prince of Zhongshan, has been fraternizing with the eunuchs all day long in order to preserve the wealth of the Xu family. I am so ashamed for him!"
Fatty Xu vented his bitterness over wine. Beneath his cynical appearance, he actually hides the aloofness of being the descendant of a famous general.
Chang Feng was also a little drunk: "Who made the Ming Dynasty more than 120 years ago, and the court and the emperor forgot Taizu's holy teaching that 'eunuchs cannot interfere in politics'? Now, hey, even the chief minister of the cabinet has to let the minister How many points are there among the three great ceremonial supervisors?"
Fatty Xu's words got more and more out of control: "Just watch. Those incompetent eunuchs and civil servants who are less spineless than eunuchs will destroy our Ming Dynasty sooner or later!"
Chang Feng reminds his best friend: "Misfortune comes from the mouth!"
Fatty Xu poured himself another glass of daughter's red wine: "Let's talk about the night before yesterday. My father invited the inner palace supervisor named Lin, and I stayed with him."
"The eunuch surnamed Lin was crying at the banquet and said that the palace was also short of silver. There was only thirty thousand taels of silver left in the inner transport warehouse."
"What about himself? The agate ring he wears on his hand is worth three hundred taels!"
The inner transport warehouse is the emperor's own small treasury, managed by the eunuch. It has nothing to do with the Taicang Treasury of the Ministry of Revenue.
To put it bluntly, it was the place where the emperor kept his private money.
After hearing Fatty Xu's words, Chang Feng seemed to have thought of something: "Wait a minute, Eunuch Lin said how much money is left in the internal transportation warehouse?"
Fatty Xu replied: "Thirty thousand taels."
Chang Feng suddenly realized. Why did Wantong, the chief shopkeeper of Jinyiwei, issue a strict order to take out 30,000 taels of silver from Cai Zhong's mansion!
He thought to himself: If Cai Zhong was recommended by the prince, his greedy money would be enough to fill the emperor's inner treasury. Then the emperor can't be furious?
Concubine Wan Gui could take the opportunity to blow the pillow wind and ask the emperor to depose the prince.
Members of the imperial concubine party could also use this excuse to request the establishment of a new crown prince!
Ha, so that’s it.
I, Chang Feng, am now a pawn in the imperial concubine’s conspiracy to dethrone the prince!
"Plop". Fatty Xu likes to drink, but he doesn't drink much. He collapsed on the table like a dead pig.
Chang Feng thought in his mind: It seems that this time, for the sake of my future, I can only be a bad person once. Put a stone on the already weak prince.
Forbidden City, Jingren Palace.
The seventeen-year-old prince Zhu Youtang sat lonely in front of his desk, playing with a rattle.
That was the only relic left to him by his biological mother, Concubine Ji Shu.
Zhu Youtang is a miserable prince.
His mother was just a palace maid in charge of the internal treasury and accounting. Eighteen years ago, Emperor Chenghua raped her while drunk and became pregnant with Zhu Youtang.
At that time, Concubine Wan Gui was the uncrowned master of the harem. The palace people privately called her "the noble concubine who cut off her children and grandchildren".
Physically annihilated.
Concubine Wan Gui gave birth to a prince herself, but he died within a few months.
If she doesn't have a prince, she won't allow other women in the palace to give birth to princes.
Whether it was a harem concubine or a palace maid, whoever was pregnant with Emperor Chenghua's child would be sent by eunuchs to either force an abortion or kill her outright.
No one in the palace dared to tell Emperor Chenghua about this.
Because everyone in the palace is afraid of Concubine Wan Gui, who is cruel and cruel and has countless favors.
Miss Ji is pregnant with a dragon seed, and Concubine Wan Gui will not let her go.
She sent a trusted eunuch to perform an abortion on Miss Ji.
In the beginning, human beings are inherently good.
The confidant eunuch discovered his conscience and let Miss Ji go. Miss Ji then successfully gave birth to Zhu Youtang.
Although the child was born, the news could not be announced. Once the news reaches the ears of Concubine Wan Guifei, the only thing waiting for young Zhu Youtang is death!
Miss Ji's tragic experience and Concubine Wan Gui's usual rebellious behavior united all the maids and eunuchs in the palace!
Compassion and hatred allowed the palace people to overcome fear.
Together they concealed the news of Zhu Youtang's birth. They placed Zhu Youtang, mother and son in an abandoned woodshed in the palace.
Ever since Zhu Youtang was sensible, his mother had told him not to go out of the woodshed. Otherwise, what awaits him will be a devil who eats people without spitting out their bones.
At that time, Zhu Youtang could only take a look at the sunlight through the crack in the window.
It wasn't until I was five years old that things changed.
When Emperor Chenghua asked an eunuch named Zhang Min to comb his hair, he lamented that he was old and had no heirs.
Eunuch Zhang saw that the time had come. Informed Emperor Chenghua of the existence of Prince Zhu Youtang!
Emperor Chenghua was overjoyed. Taking Zhu Youtang to his side, father and son recognized each other.
Zhu Youtang's biological mother was also named Concubine Ji Shu.
The devil in Concubine Ji Shu's mouth who eats people without spitting out their bones also came to the door at this time!
Concubine Wan Gui was furious when she learned about this! Under my nose, a prince actually lived to be five years old!
kill! kill! kill!
Within a month, Concubine Ji Shu and Eunuch Zhang died inexplicably.
Fortunately, Zhu Youtang's grandmother, Queen Mother Zhou, took action in time and took him to her side to raise him.
Usually, Zhu Youtang would take a sip of water, and Queen Mother Zhou would take a silver needle to test the poison. I am afraid that Concubine Wan Gui will be poisoned.
In this way, with caution and caution, Zhu Youtang grew up and was awarded the title of prince.
Because Emperor Chenghua already had his first prince. Concubine Wan Gui had no choice but to stop the act of annihilating her children.
Then, eleven princes were born in the palace!
Empress Dowager Zhou was watching carefully, and the assassination was not easy to succeed.
Concubine Wan Gui understood that if the young man who had a grudge against her for killing her mother became the emperor of tomorrow, she would definitely die!
Therefore, Concubine Wan Guifei in recent years encouraged Emperor Chenghua to abolish the throne and establish a new one.
A fat and bloated eunuch walked up to Prince Zhu Youtang.
The prince put away the rattle.
The fat eunuch's name is Huai'en, and he serves as the eunuch Bingbi - one of the three giants in the inner palace.
As an aside, the "History of the Ming Dynasty: Biography of Eunuchs" only records three virtuous eunuchs.
One is Li Fang from the Jiajing Dynasty, and the other is Chen Ju from the Wanli Dynasty.
There is another one, Huai En, who is as fat as a mountain of flesh in front of the Crown Prince Zhu Youtang.
Zhu Youtang asked: "What's the news about Cai Zhong?"
Wynn whispered: "Go back to your highness. News has come from the Jin Yiwei's internal staff. Several officials from the royal concubine's party are ready to participate in your memorial."
"The memorial says that Cai Zhong, whom you recommended, embezzled more money than the internal transportation inventory. The prince has improperly appointed him and should abolish him."
Zhu Youtang was stunned: "They want to kill me."
Wynn said: "Don't worry, Your Highness. Jin Yiwei's insiders will resolve this matter for you."
Zhu Youtang asked: "Who is the internal agent of the Jin Yiwei you mentioned?"
Huaien cupped his hands and said meaningfully: "Your Highness, if you are not secretive, you will lose your ministers, and if you are not secretive, you will lose your virginity. If you are not secretive in a few things, it will cause harm."
Zhu Youtang said "Oh". No more questioning about who the spy is.
