Kunning Palace.
Mother and son sit opposite each other.
"Mother, my father went to Nanchang a few days ago, and Prince Ning has come to Beijing to report today."
"When will your father come back?" Queen Mother Ji asked. She was very concerned about her husband after he left for more than half a year.
"This is unknown." Zhu Youtang shook his head slightly and explained: "My father has left now. I don't know exactly where he went. But with the miracle doctor here, I think my father will be fine."
Queen Mother Ji looked disappointed, but she didn't know what to say. She comforted her: "Don't be stressed. Your father will definitely come back. He is just relaxing."
"I understand." Zhu Youtang smiled bitterly and nodded, paused, and said, "Mother, my son wants to tell you something."
"Is there anything we, mother and son, can't say? Just say it." Queen Mother Ji said with a smile.
"My son wants to..." Zhu Youtang said, "I want to wait for my father to come back, return the throne to him, and become the prince again."
Queen Mother Ji's smile froze, her eyebrows furrowed, and she asked strangely: "Why do you have such an idea?"
"It's hard to be the emperor!" Zhu Youtang sighed, "I'm not capable enough, I want to practice more."
Empress Dowager Ji pondered for a long time and said: "If your father has the idea of returning to the throne, you should return the throne. But if he doesn't, you can't return it, and you can't even mention it."
"In case it's inconvenient for my father to say it clearly, I won't mention it..."
"Your father is not a coy person. If he wants to, he will say so directly. If he doesn't want to, he will not accept it if you return the throne, and will think that you are afraid of hardship and fatigue." Empress Dowager Ji looked serious, "Your father The emperor is the British master, and he hopes that you can be like him, do you understand?"
"Can……"
"The more you are afraid of not doing well, the more likely you will not do well." Empress Dowager Ji interrupted him and said: "Calm down, it's time to go to court, and it's time to review memorials and review memorials. No one can be a good emperor right away. , don’t be anxious, don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
After a pause, "Don't mention the return of the throne unless your father clearly expresses Yuji's wishes. Remember this!"
"Okay." Zhu Youtang sighed and said, "How is your mother lately? There have been more memorials from various places recently. I am concerned about my mother..."
"Very well, don't worry about the Queen Mother." Empress Dowager Ji warned, "You should also get closer to the Queen Mother. She is the royal wife. Even though your father... loves her less, he still needs to be ranked first. In front of me, the Holy Mother Queen Mother, the rules must not be messed up, do you understand?"
"I understand." Zhu Youtang nodded.
Queen Mother Ji sighed: "She is a miserable person. Compared with her, Queen Mother is much luckier. Being a prince or an emperor depends more on luck, so you must always maintain a sense of awe. Don’t be blindly arrogant.”
Zhu Youtang said amusedly: "Mother, is your son such an arrogant person?"
"Don't feel inferior." Empress Dowager Ji added, "You are the emperor, an official, and the backbone of all the people in the world. You have to keep your composure and don't panic when things happen. If you panic, the people below will panic even more."
"I remember it."
"Well, you have to have confidence in yourself..." Empress Dowager Ji encouraged her son. The harem was not allowed to interfere in politics, so she could only say some words of encouragement to reassure her son.
A mother knows her son better than her husband. She knows that her son is not as good as her husband, but sometimes and in some matters, she often has no choice.
As a mother, she can only help so much, and she has to rely on her son himself for more.
The relationship between the emperor and the queen mother of this term is very good, far better than that of Chenghua, Zhengtong, and even Xuande.
Fortunately, Mr. Ji has a quiet and calm personality, and is not eccentric or obsessed with power. Otherwise, this would really not be a good thing.
…
The next day, morning.
After the courtesy of the emperor and his ministers, Wan An was the first to jump out. First he praised Zhu Youtang, and then changed the topic and launched a long discussion on the issue of the emperor's heir...
Finally, it ends with the sentence "please accept the emperor's concubine".
The idea was his, so he couldn't give away the credit.
The six ministers and nine ministers did not compete with him. Their goal was just to appease the emperor, and that was all.
After Wan An finished speaking, they immediately seconded the proposal and petitioned one after another.
Zhu Youtang didn't expect that this group of people would even care about whether he could accept a concubine or not, and he couldn't help but feel angry:
"I have been on the throne for less than a year, so I am going to do a lot of things for pleasure?!"
"The emperor's words are wrong. How can passing on the family line be a pleasure?" Wan An said seriously.
All the officials also agreed.
In their view, this was a matter of shame for the emperor, so there must be a legitimate reason for taking a concubine, right?
But Zhu Youtang was really sullen and snorted: "No need to say it, I don't know how to have a concubine."
All the officials chuckled inwardly and thought to themselves: Your Majesty wants both face and dignity, so that's fine, as long as you can please him.
"It has been nearly a year since the emperor's wedding, but no heir has been born. It is not good for the country!" Wan An still acts as a vanguard. He is a professional in flattering. "It is filial piety to carry on the family line and continue the legacy of our ancestors."
Just tell me whether this step is comfortable or not... Wan An was secretly pleased with himself.
All the officials couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration. Everyone must be safe, but he is a good man when it comes to flattering Shangyi.
They followed immediately.
When the ministers thought about it, the emperor would hesitate for a moment and then give up.
Just because...the steps are so beautiful.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Youtang became furious and said bitterly: "What, are you saying that my queen cannot give birth to an heir?"
"I don't dare!" All the officials apologized.
But I was thinking in my heart: That's almost enough. Why are you still installing it, Your Majesty?
"Okay, get back on your feet." Zhu Youtang breathed a sigh of relief and said in a deep voice: "Whether or not to accept a concubine is my private matter, please don't mention it again!"
Hey, hey, are you still pretending?
Wan An took a deep breath and said solemnly: "It is a selfless matter for the royal family, and it is even more important if it concerns the emperor's heir. Please think twice."
"Your Majesty, please think twice...!"
The ministers huffed and fell to their knees.
Zhu Youtang was furious, even more angry than yesterday. These people were really... kicking their noses in the face!
"Let's get down to business!" Zhu Youtang tried his best to restrain his anger, "State affairs are more important."
"The emperor's heir is a political matter, a state matter!" Wan An said respectfully, "I also ask the emperor to put the country, the country, the country, and the clan's incense first."
"I second my opinion."
"I also second the proposal."
…
Fengtian Hall was noisy, and Zhu Youtang's chest rose and fell more and more violently...
"Wan'an!!!"
Wan An trembled and said calmly: "I'm here!"
"You, you..." Zhu Youtang's fat face turned red, he shivered for a long time, and he was speechless.
The eunuch on duty was shocked when he saw that the emperor's face was as red as blood. He ignored the rules and quickly supported him and said in a sharp voice: "The emperor's dragon body violates the rules. Dismiss the court!"
After saying that, he helped the emperor down the jade steps and walked away...
All the officials looked at each other, and then all looked at Wan An in unison.
Wan An looked upright and said: "The emperor's heir is a major matter for the country and also the foundation of the country. As a minister, you should fight for it!"
"Yes, we have to fight for it."
"We go and kneel at the palace gate. If the emperor doesn't agree, we won't get up."
A group of people left Fengtian Hall in a mighty manner and ran to kneel at the Meridian Gate.
Your Majesty, Your Majesty, are these steps enough? Don't think about giving back your throne anymore... The ministers knelt in front of the palace gate, thinking to themselves.
This time, their attitude is too low.
~
Zhu Youtang was so angry that he fainted. He didn't wake up until he returned to Qianqing Palace. He raised his hand tremblingly and said tremblingly:
"Declaration: Wan'an is only a slanderer and flatterer, and he only wants to flatter you. He does not have the talent, let alone the virtue, of a great scholar. He must return to his hometown immediately to retire...without delay!"
"Yes, I obey the order. Your Majesty, please calm down. The dragon body is important..."
"Stop blabbering, go quickly, go quickly!!"
"Yes, yes, slave, go right away." The eunuch on duty was in a hurry.
At this time, Queen Zhang walked over from next door. Seeing her husband like this, she immediately stepped forward nervously and said with concern:
"Your Majesty, what's wrong with you?"
"It's okay, those people really bullied people too much." Zhu Youtang shook his head slowly, but he was still angry.
"Your Majesty, calm down, why do you need to be on the same level as them?" Mrs. Zhang stroked his chest and said distressedly, "Why are you so angry with yourself?"
"They...sigh!" Zhu Youtang said angrily, "They are insinuating that you can't give birth to an heir, so they ask me to accept concubines, and they say it's for filial piety and for the sake of the Ming Dynasty. It's really... irritating!"
"Ah?" Mrs. Zhang was stunned at first, then shocked, and then angry, "How can they say that, I am a concubine..."
As he spoke, tears fell from his eyes, and he said aggrievedly: "It's all my fault, it's my fault..."
"Don't cry, don't cry." Zhu Youtang coaxed quickly, "How could I listen to their words? We are all still young, how could we have no heirs."
"Yeah." Ms. Zhang nodded while crying, and said tentatively: "If the emperor wants to take a concubine, I won't say anything."
She really couldn't say anything, even though she was the queen.
Not to mention that this is a royal family, even if it is an ordinary family, if the first wife has no children, she cannot stop her husband from taking a concubine.
Throughout the ages, how could an emperor have only one woman?
Mrs. Zhang also understands that even though her husband may say yes now, it is essential to have a concubine. However, it is of course best if this day can come later.
She is just a woman who is not yet twenty years old, how can she not feel repulsive.
Speaking of which, the emperor's husband was very doting on her. After her husband ascended the throne, she moved to Qianqing Palace and stayed together every night, and her favor never stopped.
But it's been almost a year, and my stomach is still unresponsive. It's really... a bit unreasonable.
It seems that I need to see a doctor...
~
Meridian Gate.
The ministers are still kneeling at the palace gate to show their saintliness and make the emperor look good and bright.
It's really hard for them in the hot weather.
In the past, kneeling at the palace gate was to resist, but now kneeling at the palace gate is to please. There is no other way. Who made the new emperor so popular?
Suddenly, the eunuch who was on duty in the morning walked quickly with his chest raised and his face raised. He seemed to be conveying the imperial edict.
The ministers' eyes lit up, and the emperor finally came down the steps.
Wan An was even more elated. The new emperor had not wanted to see him for a day or two. How could he not know?
However, from now on, everything will be different.
