In the seventh year of Hongwu, the legitimate eldest grandson of Zhu Yuanzhang, the great ancestor of the Ming Dynasty, was born.
He who resides as the legitimate heir will surely ascend to t...
The appearance of yet another historical figure in his life was nothing new to Zhu Yunying; he was already used to it. Moreover, Zhu Yunying already had plenty to do, so he had no time for any pleasant surprises.
Zhu Yunying has a peaceful mindset, but for many people, they are no longer able to have a peaceful mindset.
Many people have heard rumors, such as that His Majesty is unwell, which has made it impossible for some people to ignore.
Many civil and military officials in the Fengtian Hall were also observing carefully, and they noticed that Emperor Ying Shi seemed somewhat tired.
In a normal morning court session, His Majesty would certainly not handle matters hastily, nor would he move on to the next topic of discussion after only hearing a general outline.
As for now, Emperor Ying Shi seems to be putting on a brave face, only wanting to end the court session as soon as possible. He's not in a hurry to thoroughly discuss matters in court; just knowing the basics is enough.
Moreover, everyone could see that His Majesty seemed somewhat fatigued, yawning frequently and coughing occasionally. Wang Chengen, unusually, kept urging the court officials on.
It seems the rumors were true; His Majesty may indeed be unwell, and there may be some problems with his health.
While some officials were lost in thought, Zhu Yunying suddenly stood up, and Wang Chengen quickly stepped forward to help him up, leaving many bewildered courtiers looking at each other and whispering amongst themselves.
Just when many people were at a loss, Zheng He suddenly appeared and announced, "His Majesty has decreed that the court session is adjourned!"
This was even more surprising, although according to the normal procedure, the morning court session was coming to an end. However, His Majesty had almost never announced the end of the morning court session before it was completely over. Now that the eunuch had come to announce the end of the court session, it seemed that His Majesty was just trying to reassure the people and was merely making amends.
When Zhu Yunying left Fengtian Hall, the pretense of weakness immediately dissipated, and there was no need to continue the act.
Upon returning to the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yunying said, "Go and inform the Emperor Emeritus to bring the Crown Prince to the morning court tomorrow."
Just as Wang Chengen was writing it down, Zhu Yunying continued, "Issue an imperial decree ordering the Duke of Kaiguo to guard the palace."
Wang Chengen was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, if the Founding Duke were to guard the capital, many people would likely be filled with anxiety. Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Zhu Yunying glanced at Wang Chengen, and he chuckled, "You old eunuch, you know about court affairs now? We'll just have you order the Duke of the Founding to guard the palace and deliver the imperial decree. Do we need to discuss this with you?!"
Wang Chengen immediately knelt down, banging his head on the ground, "Your Majesty, this servant dares not!"
"Just deliver the decree. We have our own plans," Zhu Yunying said calmly. "If we ask you to do something, just do it. Overthinking is not a good thing, understand?"
Wang Chengen naturally understood; at this moment, he was somewhat frightened. He knew that His Majesty wasn't truly angry, but he also knew that His Majesty was somewhat displeased.
This would naturally make Wang Chengen nervous. Everything he had came from His Majesty's trust. If he lost His Majesty's trust, then everything would naturally vanish.
Although all the eunuchs and female officials in the palace are now currying favor with Wang Chengen, he understands that once he loses power, all this flattery will immediately turn into kicking him when he's down.
Wang Chengen was filled with anxiety. Upon arriving at the Central Military Command, he immediately announced the imperial decree, which left Chang Mao, who was already somewhat worried, momentarily at a loss. His Majesty had specifically ordered him to guard the capital; it was hard not to wonder what this implied.
He is the emperor's uncle, the absolute representative of His Majesty's control over the military. But now, he actually needs this military banner to guard the capital, which seems very abnormal, or rather, it is something to be nervous and worried about at this moment.
In fact, Chang Mao was also a military officer in his youth and had served as a guard in the imperial city. Over the years, the Ming Dynasty had become accustomed to using military merit to guard the imperial city. However, that was just the norm, but this time the situation seemed different.
Chang Mao naturally wanted to ask more questions, but Wang Chengen clearly knew what to say and what not to say, especially at a time like this.
Chang Mao requested an audience, but naturally he could not be seen. So, he could only anxiously don his armor and lead the Chang clan's military officers to immediately take on the heavy responsibility of guarding the imperial city, without daring to delay in the slightest.
The Duke of the Founding Kingdom suddenly took over the guards of the Imperial City, and coupled with His Majesty's unusual behavior during the morning court session, this only fueled more discussion.
Especially when they learned that Ru Chang and the others' request to see him had been refused, everyone couldn't help but mutter to themselves that perhaps some things had exceeded their expectations.
The chaos outside was nothing to Zhu Yunying; he was simply reviewing memorials in the Wuying Hall and had sent Zheng He to the Longjiang Shipyard. Historical figures sometimes received preferential treatment from Zhu Yunying, especially those who seemed capable, such as Zheng He, who deserved Zhu Yunying's attention and cultivation.
Zheng He was naturally overjoyed; he didn't feel neglected. Although it seemed he couldn't be of use to His Majesty, everyone in the court and the palace knew how much His Majesty valued the navy, and everyone knew that the Ming Dynasty had brought back countless gold and silver treasures from overseas.
For the eunuchs who served Zhu Yunying, being able to go to the shipyard was a sign of being given an important position. It meant that they had become the emperor's confidants. It would be a lie to say that they weren't excited at this time.
Sitting on the dragon throne, Zhu Yunying casually asked, "Besides the Duke of Kaiguo, who else is guarding the capital today?"
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!