Chapter 14: Jun Xin has two major problems in life.
Zhou Xian had never stood so close to Emperor Yongchang.
When he was young, he was frail, and Concubine Jing was restless, constantly suspicious that someone was trying to harm her, and rarely left the palace. It wasn't until Zhou Shan was seven years old and ready to start his studies in the Shangshufang that she reluctantly relented and asked Yuxi to take Zhou Shan to school every day.
Later, when Zhou Shan fell into the water, Concubine Jing became terrified again, waking up every night and strictly forbidding Zhou Shan to leave her sight. She pleaded illness and excused herself from every palace banquet or outing, and together with Zhou Shan, they became a pair of invisible people in the palace.
When Concubine Jing passed away, Zhou Xian no longer had the excuse of "taking care of his mother" and had to attend palace banquets. So he always glanced at Emperor Yongchang from afar, only vaguely remembering him as a tall, thin old man, and no other impression.
"Xian'er." The old man called him like that, as if he was one of the old man's favorite children, his tone was intimate and loving.
Zhou Xian felt inexplicably nauseous.
He followed obediently behind the Sixth Prince, head bowed, a demure demeanor. One step, two steps, three steps, across a gold-woven floral blanket, hundreds of people watching him, a distance neither too far nor too close, and he felt like vomiting as he walked.
"Shan'er, look up and let me take a good look at you." Emperor Yongchang sighed.
So Zhou Xian endured the discomfort, bowed his body first, then raised his chin slightly and showed a virtuous smile - at this moment he was an absolutely obedient "daughter".
He saw his father clearly for the first time.
An ordinary old man, his heavy dragon robe seemed to be able to crush his skinny body at any time. No wonder so many princes were ready to make a move, eyeing the position of crown prince or even emperor.
Emperor Yongchang was also looking at him.
A dazed look briefly crossed the old man's face, as if he had glimpsed the shadow of an old friend through Zhou Xian. When he finally spoke, his tone was filled with a hint of desolation: "Good child, don't be so formal. Concubine Jing raised you very well, very well... Concubine Jing passed away at an early age. I am sorry to you and your daughter."
"Alas, Your Majesty, it's New Year's Eve, let's not talk about sad things." Empress Guo, standing by, heard the name "Concubine Jing" and her expression changed. Then she forced a smile and said, "Come here, bring two cups of Golden Stem Dew to the Sixth Prince and Princess Jiayi. The Sixth Prince has finally returned to the capital, and Jiayi has remarried. It's a rare opportunity for them to get together. On New Year's Eve, you should have a few drinks with Your Majesty and chat about personal matters."
Zhou Shan didn't want to drink the wine she gave her, and even more unwilling to talk to Emperor Yongchang.
He wants to escape.
They felt no kinship towards him, only blood. And yet, the things the world values most are bloodlines and reproduction. Zhou Xian had always found this absurd. The saying that blood is thicker than water was ultimately swallowed up by the desolate Forbidden City. If they were truly such a close family, why would they be so terrified and worried about losing their heads just to have a drink or a conversation with their father?
The eunuchs were quick and efficient, and soon brought the wine jug to the table. Zhou Xian took the wine, respectfully toasted Emperor Yongchang and Empress Guo, and finally drank it all.
The warm wine flowed into his internal organs, and the aroma of it made Zhou Xian tremble all over. Then he heard Emperor Yongchang smile, and in a seemingly casual tone, he said, "Where is Zhang Qing?"
"I am here."
Zhang Jinwei's voice came from far behind, distant and hazy. Zhou Xian suddenly wanted to look back at the man, run over and ask him to take her away, but where else could she go? The Champion's Mansion was at least slightly better than the Forbidden City.
Emperor Yongchang smiled and said, "Mr. Zhang, I have noticed that since the princess married into your family, her complexion has improved a lot. You are a caring person."
"I don't deserve it." Zhang Jinwei knelt on the ground.
Zhou Xian suddenly felt something was wrong.
Why did Emperor Yongchang call Zhang Jin for any reason?
The next moment, he was so shocked by Emperor Yongchang's words that he quickly knelt down.
Emperor Yongchang said, "I've heard that Mr. Zhang is quite popular among the Hanlin scholars and a good student of Mr. Mei. Considering your care for the princess and your outstanding talent, how about I make an exception and promote you to the position of Imperial Tutor?"
There was silence in Baohe Hall for a moment.
Zhang Jinwei's forehead was covered with beads of cold sweat. He said anxiously, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Emperor Yongchang raised his eyelids, snorted, and said, "Why? You have a good reputation and are my son-in-law. I appreciate you and give you a bright future. Why don't you agree?"
Of course he refused!
Zhou Xian knelt on the ground, bowing his head deeply to hide the shock on his face. You have to know that ordinary Jinshi first entered the Hanlin Academy for three years, and after the assessment, it was decided whether to stay in the academy or be sent out. Unless they made great achievements during their tenure, it would be impossible to be promoted within three years.
Zhang Jinwei had only married a princess, without any merit or accomplishment. If Emperor Yongchang used this to promote him, how would the clan members view the princess and her husband in the future? What about the court officials? What about the people of the world?
To put it bluntly, if Zhang Jinwei agreed, he would be doomed. After all, when Daning's ancestors purged the imperial court, the first ones to be purged were the powerful princesses and their husbands!
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!" Zhang Jinwei repeated, refusing to budge. "I have done nothing meritorious or hard work, and yet I have been granted Your Majesty's grace to marry the princess and retain my position. This is truly a blessing from heaven! I am incompetent, a mere novice in government affairs. How dare I replace you as the current Imperial Scholar? I am deeply troubled, and I beg Your Majesty to revoke your order."
Silence, silence.
This palace banquet fell into silence too easily. When the emperor laughed, everyone laughed; when the emperor was silent, everyone was silent. Everything revolved around the old man on the dragon throne.
"I'm just talking, no need to be so nervous!"
After a long moment, Emperor Yongchang smiled heartily.
The old man looked at Zhou Xian and his wife, looking at each other in confusion. He waved his hands and said in a relaxed tone, "Why are you two kneeling just like that? This is a family dinner. There's no need to be so formal. Hurry up and get up."
It was as if he had just told a joke, but Zhou Xian and Zhang Jinwei actually took it seriously.
That's all.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Zhou Xian and Zhang Jin stood up, one closer and the other farther away. Zhou Xian couldn't see the expression on the man's face behind him; he only saw a faint smile on the old man's lips. He felt a dull pain in his abdomen. He had never understood Fu Ningxiang's fear of Emperor Yongchang so well.
As the saying goes, serving a king is like serving a tiger, and the king's heart is hard to predict.
…
The palace banquet continued in this subtle way.
Zhou Xian returned to his seat. As soon as he sat down, a warm hand reached out from the side of the seat and grasped his fingers squarely. Zhang Jinwei's voice rang out softly, "Your hands are so cold... Are you scared?"
Nonsense! You were obviously frightened too, your voice was shaking when you spoke… Zhou Xian complained in his heart. He hesitated whether to pull his hand back, but he couldn’t help but feel cold, so he had to let the man go.
"Let's go back early, okay?" Zhang Jinwei smiled faintly. "If we can make it in time, we can stay up late and play cards at the same time... Does the princess know how to play mahjong?"
Zhou Xian shook his head. He had only seen it in storybooks.
Zhang Jinwei said, "It's okay, I'll teach you. Aunt Cui and Saoyan at home are both very good at playing mahjong. I'll get us a table when I get home and ask Lao Jiang to make some hot food so we can have some fun."
Ma Diao has become incredibly popular in recent years. Previously, it was a pastime for the common people. However, since the rise of Daning, this type of entertainment has become widespread among scholars and officials. Xu Daxueshi, a member of the cabinet, once wrote "The Classic of Ma Diao," which details the secrets to winning at Ma Diao, demonstrating its popularity.
Zhou Xian glanced at the man beside her who was smiling all the time. She didn't expect that this man could play cards. How indecent!
The two heads chatted for a while, and the situation at the top changed several times. When the gongs and drums roared, Zhou Xian looked up again and saw a fairy-like aura floating in the center of the hall. The actors took the stage one by one, and it was unclear what they were going to perform.
The Sixth Prince, standing by, chuckled, "Every year, the Imperial Concubine and Third Brother are the most creative. In previous years, they had acrobatics performed. Are they planning to put on a 'New Year's Eve' this year?"
Zhou Xian loved watching plays, but when she thought that this was arranged by Zhou Cong, her interest immediately dropped by half, and she wondered with boredom why it hadn't ended yet.
He wants to learn to play cards.
Just look at the center of the hall, where a fairy mist lingers. First, the Queen Mother of the West appears, holding a peach in her hand. In her distant voice, she sings a New Year's greeting. She walks forward and wishes Emperor Yongchang a long and prosperous life. Then, the Jade Emperor appears, wearing a jade and gold belt. His voice is full of energy, praising Emperor Yongchang's achievements and wishing peace to the world...
Zhou Xian took a quick look. The gods were celebrating the New Year, the atmosphere was lively and filled with laughter. But he still felt that Zhou Cong had caught a whiff of something, having devised such a clumsy trick to curry favor with Emperor Yongchang. Zhou Cong himself was tainted with filth, and was implicated in the Jiangzhe silk case, yet he still didn't learn his lesson and continued to lavishly display his wealth in front of the emperor.
"This play is really good." Zhang Jinwei was actually watching it with great interest. He even picked up his wine glass and drank while watching. After all, who doesn't like watching a good play?
Zhou Xian was bored and eating melon seeds. His eyelids were drooping and he was almost sleepy.
The noisy gongs and drums finally died away. The old man on the dragon throne showed no emotion. He simply rubbed his palms and said, "Cong'er and the Imperial Concubine are so worried."
As for whether the play was good or not, the old man didn't mention it at all. He just kept his eyelids drooping. At first glance, you would think he was asleep.
But Zhou Cong only needed a single word from the emperor, a single word that didn't convey any real meaning, to be his lifeline. His tense expression finally relaxed a bit, and he said, almost ecstatically, "Father...as long as your Majesty likes it, that's all I've done. Everything I do is for you—"
"Shut up!"
Emperor Yongchang was furious. He suddenly stood up from the dragon throne and threw the porcelain bowl in his hand towards Prince Yu's position!
"If you really want this for my own good, then get out of here and reflect on your mistakes! The treasury is empty and the budget is in deficit! You still have the heart to put on a show for me! Get out! Get out—"
With a sharp shattering sound, Zhou Cong froze in place, staring blankly at a piece of broken porcelain flying towards him. He didn't even have the energy to dodge, nor could he utter a single word of excuse.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty…” Concubine Shen burst into tears immediately. She staggered and, ignoring the scattered porcelain pieces, knelt heavily on the ground, crying and shouting, “Your Majesty, please calm down! It’s my fault. It was all arranged by me. It has nothing to do with Cong’er… Your Majesty, punish me if you want!”
Emperor Yongchang's chest heaved with rage. He stretched out his trembling right hand, first pointing a sharp finger at Zhou Cong, then at Concubine Shen, his lips trembling violently. "You! Alas, Chu Chu, I know you love that evil creature. I told you to be stricter, but look at what he's become? Together with your good-for-nothing fourth brother, they've done a lot of bad things in Jiangsu and Zhejiang! How can I calm my anger?"
Concubine Shen just cried, her face was broken but she didn't say a word.
"Your Majesty, please don't get sick from being angry. It's New Year's Day and the family is finally together..." Empress Guo hurriedly supported the old man, comforting him while helping him calm down.
"Liu Renfu!" Emperor Yongchang closed his eyes and shouted coldly.
A fat eunuch, as fat as a pig, rolled out from the corner, tears streaming from his small eyes as big as green beans. He cried in a shrill voice, "I am here, I am always here."
Emperor Yongchang opened his eyes again, his old pupils seemed to be covered with a layer of ice, staring at the stunned Zhou Cong without any emotion.
He suddenly sighed and said desolately, "Hurry and convey my oral order, ordering all officials in Beijing to attend court on time tomorrow. Anyone who is late or shirks responsibility will be punished with thirty strokes of the cane! Also, have the cabinet review the Jiangsu and Zhejiang silk case and refute it one by one tomorrow morning..."
…
Zhang Jinwei sat in the sedan chair and closed his eyes to rest.
He thought, what a miserable year this has been! A wonderful palace banquet ended so abruptly, and tomorrow he has to get up early to watch a bunch of officials bickering in the Golden Palace!
Originally, he had planned to take the princess back to the palace after the banquet, where they would enjoy some light wine and mutton soup, play mahjong, and then have the servants set off some fireworks, hoping the princess would calm down. For over two weeks, he had grown accustomed to sleeping with the little cat in his arms. Suddenly being sent to sleep in the west wing, he feared he would find it difficult to sleep alone.
"Sir, the Sixth Prince wants to talk to the princess." Saoyan lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and whispered to Zhang Jinwei.
Zhang Jinwei's expression remained unchanged: "Tell the men to stop, I'll wait for the princess."
Although he said he was waiting, he actually got out of the sedan chair and stood far away. He didn't know when the light snow began to float in the air, and he heard firecrackers from somewhere. A firework bloomed in the sky, and in an instant the Milky Way fell from the sky.
He rarely saw the girl so lively. She tugged at the Taoist's sleeve, tiptoed gently, lay on his shoulder, leaned close to his ear and whispered something, smiling with her eyes curved, and stars fell like rain behind her.
From this night on, which was the last night of the twenty-fifth year of Yongchang, Zhang Jinwei determined the two major problems in his life - how to guess the emperor's intentions, and how to capture the princess's heart.
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