Late at night, in the East Palace, Zhu Youtang sat behind the desk and looked at the memorial.
Zhu Youtang is a workaholic, very much like Taizu and Chengzu. Since Emperor Chenghua resigned from the court and he took over the political affairs, he had to deal with memorials and official documents until midnight every day.
Chang Feng knelt down in front of Zhu Youtang's writing desk. There was a brocade box in front of him. Inside the brocade box were two fifty-two-shaped silver ingots given to him by the censor of Ai Niaodu.
Zhu Youtang put down a memorial in his hand and glanced at the two silver ingots: "Ni Duyuan is such a big hand. To reward a Han general, you can easily get a hundred taels."
"It's hard to refuse such kindness, so don't be polite, just accept it."
Chang Feng said quickly: "Your Highness. I think the silver is dirty and unclean. I wish I could throw it into Gong's room."
Zhu Youtang laughed out loud: "Huaien said that you have been in Jinyiwei for three years and ransacked homes and handled countless amounts of money."
"I want to ask you, if I give you two silver ingots, can you tell which one is dirty and which one is clean?"
Chang Feng was speechless: "This...can't be done."
Zhu Youtang said: "Ill-gotten wealth will be well spent as long as it is used for righteous things. You can use this one hundred taels of silver to do good deeds."
Chang Feng said: "Yes, I will bear in mind His Highness's teachings."
At this moment, an old woman in her fifties walked in.
The old woman was dressed in simple cloth. The maids following behind her were all luxuriously dressed.
She is Zhu Youtang's biggest protector in the harem, the mother of Emperor Chenghua, the Queen Mother of Zhou.
Chang Feng kowtowed quickly: "I pay my respects to the Queen Mother."
Queen Mother Zhou made a "get up" gesture. The palace maid reminded Chang Feng: "General, please rise."
Chang Feng made a mistake after getting up. He was preparing to withdraw from the palace and avoid the female relatives in the palace.
Empress Dowager Zhou glanced at him: "Why are you leaving? The prince must always be guarded by a Han general. This is the rule set by the Ai family."
Chang Feng stayed in the palace.
Empress Dowager Zhou looked at Zhu Youtang lovingly: "I knew that my eldest grandson would study until late at night. Grandma Huang asked the kitchen to order a few dumplings for you as a midnight snack."
In front of Empress Dowager Zhou, Zhu Youtang was no longer the young, mature, knowledgeable and capable prince... more like a child.
Zhu Youtang smiled and asked, "What kind of stuffing is it?"
Empress Dowager Zhou smiled and said: "Of course it's your favorite stuffed walnut kernels, sugar, and roses."
The palace maid opened the food box and placed a bowl of glutinous rice balls on the table.
Zhu Youtang ate deliciously.
After eating, Zhu Youtang said: "Grandmother of the Emperor. I plan to make her a royal concubine."
Empress Dowager Zhou narrowed her eyes with joy: "It's time for the eldest grandson to be the concubine! I can also hold my great-grandson earlier."
At this point, Queen Mother Zhou's expression changed: "Hmph, if it weren't for that vicious woman in Kunning Palace, you should have become a concubine when you were fifteen."
In the harem, Empress Dowager Zhou was probably the only one who dared to call Concubine Wan Gui "that vicious woman".
In fact, Queen Mother Zhou and Concubine Wan Gui were the same age, fifty-eight.
Even though Queen Mother Zhou was a kind old grandmother in front of Zhu Youtang. When she was young, she was not a good person.
In terms of meticulousness and vicious tactics, she is not inferior to Wan Guifei.
More than thirty years ago, she even tried to replace Empress Qian, the Baozong's favorite, as the master of the harem. Later, due to the deep love between Queen Qian and the Baozong couple, it failed.
Only magic can defeat magic. Only such a ruthless character in the harem could protect Zhu Youtang for twelve years under the overt and covert attacks of Concubine Wan Gui.
Empress Dowager Zhou suddenly remembered something. She took out a neatly folded silk handkerchief from the sachet tied with the palace ribbon around her waist.
Empress Dowager Zhou showed the silk handkerchief in front of Zhu Youtang. A pair of mandarin ducks are embroidered on the silk handkerchief.
Zhu Youtang asked: "What is this?"
Empress Dowager Zhou said: "This is the mandarin duck handkerchief that Emperor Yingzong gave me when I entered the palace. I have been carrying it with me for more than forty years."
"Today, I will give this mandarin duck handkerchief to the eldest grandson. If the eldest grandson chooses a daughter to be the crown princess, he will give her the mandarin duck handkerchief as a token of love."
Zhu Youtang took the Yuanyang Pa.
A strange case and political tide triggered by a mandarin duck is about to unfold.
Empress Dowager Zhou left the East Palace.
Zhu Youtang sat back at the desk again, immersed in reviewing the memorial. Maybe he was excited about getting a wife, and he couldn't sleep at all.
Under the flickering palace lantern, he reviewed the memorial until before dawn.
Zhu Youtang stayed up all night reviewing the memorial, but Chang Feng didn't find anyone to change his duties.
Nowadays, there are countless people in the court who want to stay with the crown prince all night long, but there is no way to do so.
On this night, Chang Feng saw a diligent prince.
He thought to himself: It is worth the risk of losing my head to contract letters. In addition to saving my own life, it also benefits the common people.
The future Ming Dynasty needs such an emperor who is diligent and loves the people.
It's already time. Zhu Youtang stretched out: "It's time to go to court in the morning. Chang Feng, it's hard for you to stay up all night with me."
Two quarters later, Zhu Youtang appeared in front of Chengtian Gate on time.
The royal gate hearing begins.
The first one to go out to make trouble turned out to be Ni Jinxian, the censor of Xiningiaodu, who was famous for being a mute in the morning court!
Ni Jinxian said: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has turned eighteen this year. He should recruit a concubine to spread the branches and leaves of the Zhu Ming royal family!"
"I and the 103 imperial censors from the Metropolitan Procuratorate jointly signed the petition. I request the emperor's permission and order Beizhili to select girls from good families for the emperor to choose."
Chang Feng was secretly shocked: For the sake of glory and wealth, Ni Jinxian's work efficiency is not ordinary high!
In just one night, he contacted more than a hundred censors?
Oh, usually the official affairs of the court can be delayed as long as possible, and pushed back as often as possible. When it comes to your own wealth, your hands and feet are very fast.
Zhu Youtang also had the same idea and cursed in his heart: The most shameless person in the imperial court moved very quickly. Oh, for the sake of wealth!
Zhu Youtang cursed the most in his heart, but Zhu Youtang could not say this. He said: "This matter is of great importance. Rong Gu will forward the memorial to my father for decision."
Chang Feng suddenly remembered something, and his heart skipped a beat: let Beizhili select girls from good families, and the official in charge was the chief envoy-Liu Bingyi.
Liu Bingyi, shouldn't he put Xiaoyan on the candidate list?
The draft is not just about selecting a crown prince and concubine, but also selecting hundreds of talented people, attendants, and ladies.
If Xiaoyan is accidentally picked by the prince...
After a while, Chang Feng comforted himself: Probably not. When choosing a concubine for the prince, the age limit is between thirteen and sixteen. Xiaoyan is already twenty-one.
Besides, since Emperor Xuanzong, when selecting concubines, princes, princes, and vassal princes must choose women from poor families to prevent relatives from becoming too powerful and interfering in government affairs.
The daughter of a provincial vassal does not comply with this rule.
After the morning court, Zhu Youtang came to Kunning Palace to ask for an audience with Emperor Chenghua, taking the document jointly signed by the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Chang Feng followed him.
That's right, Emperor Chenghua didn't live in Qianqing Palace at all this month. He lived directly in Kunning Palace and was always with Concubine Wan Gui.
Emperor Chenghua didn't even bother to see Zhu Youtang's face. Zhu Youtang had no choice but to ask Shang Ming to present the memorial on his behalf.
He himself knelt at the palace gate, waiting for the oral instructions.
Not long after, Shang Ming came out: "Your Highness, here is the emperor's decree - your mother-in-law has become so ill. Do you still have thoughts about choosing a concubine? This matter is postponed!"
After passing the message, Shang Ming turned around and left. Zhu Youtang was left messy in the cold wind.
Mother concubine? Wan Zhen'er is nothing but a concubine! I only have one mother-in-law, whose surname is Ji, not Wan! She let Wan Zhen'er get killed!
However, the father did not agree. He could not choose this concubine, so he had to give up.
Chang Feng, who was kneeling behind Zhu Youtang, suddenly became anxious and wise!
Chang Feng reminded Zhu Youtang in a low voice: "Your Highness, you chose your concubine to bring happiness to Concubine Wan Gui!"
