Chapter 25
At dawn, Zhu Mingji opened his eyes, lifted the hot quilt, and got out of bed.
Deqing brought the palace servants to help Zhu Mingji change his clothes.
A palace maid touched Zhu Mingji's thigh and felt a sticky and wet area. She quickly withdrew her hand and her face turned red.
Zhu Mingji pretended to be calm and maintained the dignity of a supreme ruler, but in fact he was a little embarrassed.
Although Deqing was a eunuch, he was also well-versed in human affairs and knew what had happened to His Majesty last night. He then asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, would you like to summon the concubines to accompany you today?"
"If you have the ability, find me a young lady who looks like Zhang Xihua. If you can't find one, don't say such things."
Zhu Mingji was very upset. He had three dreams about the young lady named Zhang Wanning.
Was she crazy? She clearly liked Zhang Xihua, but couldn't accept having sex with a man, so she turned Zhang Xihua into Zhang Wanning in her dream.
I have to say, Zhang Xihua's cute appearance after becoming a young lady is really killer.
Deqing pursed his lips and dared not speak.
How could he have such extraordinary ability to find a young lady who looks like Zhang Erlangjun?
Mr. Zhang Erlang's appearance and elegance are rare in the world. Just now, some palace maids were fighting over who should bring hot water to Mr. Zhang Erlang.
Zhu Mingji changed into a dragon robe, put on a Yishan crown, tied a jade belt around his waist, and wore court boots, then sat down at the dining table.
When he picked up his chopsticks, he just remembered to ask if there was any movement in the duty room of Deqing East Warm Pavilion?
Deqing bowed and replied, "Lord Zhang Er rose and dressed half an hour before Your Majesty and is now in the duty room, waiting for Your Majesty to summon him at any time."
"Call him here to have breakfast with me." Zhu Mingji put down his chopsticks, glanced at the breakfast on the table, and ordered the palace servants to rearrange the breakfast table according to Zhang Xihua's preferences.
Zhang Xihua accompanied Zhu Mingji for breakfast and was reminded by the female officials of the Shangyi Bureau no less than thirty times that she had "broken the rules set by our ancestors."
For example, Zhu Mingji saw that Zhang Xihua particularly liked to eat a dish of fried fish that was twice cooked. The palace maid wanted to remove the fish after seeing Zhang Xihua pick up the fish three times, but Zhu Mingji ordered the palace maid to leave the fish on the table and not move it.
For example, Zhu Mingji turned a deaf ear to the repeated admonitions from the female officials of the Shangyi Bureau, and repeatedly picked up food for Zhang Xihua himself, which made the faces of those female officials become gloomier than the other.
For example, when Zhu Mingji was talking to Zhang Xihua, Zhang Xihua said a few more words than Zhu Mingji. Therefore, a eunuch who was recording the emperor's daily notes recorded Zhang Xihua's behavior as disrespectful and rebellious, and Zhu Mingji directly tore up that page.
…
Zhang Xihua lamented in her heart how difficult it was to have this breakfast, with so many eyes staring at her and Zhu Mingji. The suffocating feeling she had as a concubine in the palace when she first traveled through time came back to her.
"Erlang, do you think you should go to your sister's palace to talk to her, or stay in the Qianqing Palace and wait for me to come back from the morning court?" asked Zhu Mingji, who was about to go to the regular court to attend to official business.
Zhang Xihua said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, please stop torturing me. Please let me go home from the palace. I can't sleep or eat well in the palace."
"Is that so?" Zhu Mingji nodded slightly.
Zhang Xihua thought Zhu Mingji was going to agree to her request and looked at him expectantly.
"Today is the regular court day. I'll take you to see the excitement." Zhu Mingji pulled Zhang Xihua's sleeve and led him to the carriage.
Zhang Xihua, who was sitting side by side with Zhu Mingji, was very anxious.
She held no official position, yet she rode on the same horse with the emperor in broad daylight. If the civil and military officials attending the court saw this, they would probably scold her as a treacherous villain who was seducing the emperor.
When he saw the towering Jianji Hall in the morning light, Zhu Mingji glanced sideways. Seeing that Zhang Xihua was about to wrinkle the hem of his robe, he smiled triumphantly.
"Erlang, get off the carriage here, go through the Corner Gate, pass the Renzhi Hall, and leave the palace through the Xihua Gate."
Zhang Xihua felt relieved. After saying "The emperor's grace is boundless", he was about to lift the hem of his robe and step down, but Zhu Mingji grabbed his sleeve again.
"Why are you so anxious?" Zhu Mingji stared at Zhang Xihua, the corners of his lips raised, "Erlang, let me ask you, what do you think of my appearance today?"
"Better than Zhou Lang of Wu."
After Zhang Xihua finished speaking, he heard Zhu Mingji chuckle and was able to escape.
This was not her perfunctory flattery of Zhu Mingji. He was originally a handsome man with a stern character. After becoming the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he exuded a clear and gentle temperament.
It is hard not to be moved by such a beautiful and noble young man.
*
After the regular court session ended, Minister of Personnel Gao Yue and several officials from the Ministry of Personnel were walking and talking in the square inside Huangji Gate.
A group of eunuchs in front were looking for something with their heads down.
Gao Yue felt the tip of his boot touching something. He picked it up and saw that it was a jade pendant in the shape of a small fish. It looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere.
"Finally found it."
Gao Yue looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the person who spoke was Hu Deqing, one of the eunuchs in charge of writing in the Imperial Household Department.
Gao Yue: "Is this jade pendant Hu Bingbi's?"
Deqing: "This is the jade pendant that Huang Zhangyin lost. I am here to look for it on his behalf."
Gao Yue wrapped the jade pendant in a handkerchief and handed it to Deqing. "It would be a shame if such an exquisite and unique jade pendant were lost."
After thanking Gao Yue, Deqing put away the jade pendant wrapped in the handkerchief.
"This is one of the concentric fish pendants. It was given to Huang Zhangyin by an old friend when he was young and cherished it. Huang Zhangyin was so worried about losing the jade pendant that he almost vomited blood. Fortunately, it was found, otherwise Huang Zhangyin would have lost half his life."
Gao Yue's vague memory suddenly became clear. He remembered that his wife Cheng also had an identical jade pendant in the shape of a small fish, which she kept in her dressing box.
Gao Yue's face suddenly turned ugly. After returning home, he went to the bedroom and took out the jade pendant from the dressing box. When he was about to throw the jade pendant to the ground, Cheng came in and wanted to snatch the jade pendant from Gao Yue's hand, but Gao Yue pushed her hard and she fell to the ground.
Cheng pleaded, "This jade pendant means so much to me. I hope you will show some mercy to me, my husband, for the sake of our long-standing relationship."
Gao Yue snorted coldly, "You still dare to talk about the relationship between husband and wife with me? I am ashamed of you for saying that. You treasure this jade pendant. After all these years, have you still not forgotten that lowly servant Huang Yu?"
"What is noble? What is humble? He was also a scholar who passed the provincial examination at the age of twelve and became the first place winner. His father was the second assistant minister of the cabinet in the Zhengxi Dynasty before he was convicted. It's just that he was unlucky and burdened by his family that he ended up in his current situation. Since I married into the Gao family, I have served my parents-in-law, taken care of my husband and raised my children with all my heart. How can my husband not tolerate this little bit of my selfish thoughts?" Cheng stood up and tried to snatch the jade pendant from Gao Yue's hand.
Gao Yue refused to give it to him and held the jade pendant tightly in his palm.
Cheng cried and tried hard to pry Gao Yue's hands apart.
“Snap—”
Gao Yue slapped Cheng in the face.
"You crazy woman, you actually disobeyed me for that eunuch."
Cheng's hair was disheveled and she covered her red and swollen cheeks.
"Why are you hitting me? Your high position and generous salary were given to you by my brother. Without my Cheng family, how could your Gao family be so rich and prosperous?"
Gao Yue was hit in a sore spot. Over the years, he had been laughed at behind his back by his colleagues and subordinates for relying on nepotism to rise to the top. He had endured it for long enough, and now he had witnessed Cheng's infidelity with his own eyes, and he would not endure it anymore.
He grabbed Cheng's hair and, to vent his anger, slammed her head against the table.
Cheng struggled to break free from Gao Yue, "Just wait, I'm going to tell my brother, I'm going to the palace to complain about you to the Empress Dowager, I want to divorce you—"
Before Cheng could run out of the bedroom, Gao Yue, who had completely lost his mind, picked up a stool and threw it at Cheng's head.
Cheng screamed in pain, touched the back of her head, her hand was covered in blood, and then she fainted.
Gao Yue, his eyes bloodshot, picked up the blood-stained stool and smashed it against Cheng's head repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly...
When he calmed down and reached out to feel Cheng's breath, Cheng had already died.
The maids and servants who served Cheng did not hear their mistress's voice, so they all plucked up the courage to enter the bedroom to check on her injuries.
In the past, it was common for the master to beat the mistress, but the mistress valued her own reputation and never mentioned the matter to others nor let the servants gossip about it.
After seeing the bloody scene in the bedroom, Cheng's wet nurse screamed, ran out of the yard, and ran all the way to Cheng's house to report what she saw and heard to Cheng Jingsi.
After Cheng Jingsi rushed to Gao's house, he saw that his sister Cheng had died in a tragic way, and he immediately ordered the servants to report to the authorities.
At the regular court session the next day, dozens of officials came to impeach Gao Yue, listing no less than a hundred crimes committed by Gao Yue during his years as an official and demanding that the emperor order the execution of Gao Yue.
Zhu Mingji effortlessly took off Gao Yue's official hat and replaced the Minister of Personnel with his own man.
*
At a noodle stall beside Zhuque Bridge, Zhang Xihua, who was eating beef knife-cut noodles, heard other diners discussing the case of Gao Yue murdering his wife, and sighed in his heart that Zhu Mingji was so quick to act.
"It's so windy today, and you're still sitting here eating noodles. These noodles are so delicious." Chen Fuzhou, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, sat down opposite Zhang Xihua.
"Their beef sauce is delicious and the noodles are chewy. Uncle Xiaochuan, would you like to have a bowl too?" Zhang Xihua said.
Chen Fuzhou also asked the stall owner for a bowl of beef sliced noodles with plenty of green onions and vinegar.
Zhang Xihua was touched by the scene of Shen Fuzhou eating noodles.
"What are we having for dinner tonight?"
"Beef shaved noodles, add more green onions and vinegar."
"What are we having for dinner tonight?"
"Beef shaved noodles, add more green onions and vinegar."
"What are we having for dinner tonight?"
"Beef shaved noodles, add more green onions and vinegar."
…
The same conversation echoed in Zhang Xihua's ears over and over again.
"Shen Xiaochuan, could you please stop eating such boring food just to save time reading literature?"
"OK."
"So what are we having for dinner tonight?"
"Sliced noodles with scallions in vinegar soup, with beef."
"...Shen Xiaochuan, do you think I'm some idiot who's easy to fool?"
"Our Ningning has grown up. She is no longer the empty-headed little crybaby who gets up early and goes to kindergarten late, never gets a red flower every semester, and confides in me."
"...Shen Xiaochuan, don't change the subject and don't talk about my dark history. Let me ask you again, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
Zhang Xihua remembered some fragments about her past with Shen Xiaochuan.
Chen Fuzhou heard her suddenly ask him a question.
"Shen Xiaochuan, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
He was stunned for a moment, thinking that he was dreaming again.
"Beef shaved noodles, add more green onions and vinegar."
Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Shen Xiaochuan, I'm giving you a little red flower as a reward for being the first one to pick up Zhang Ningning from the Sunflower Class at the kindergarten every day."
Zhang Xihua's eyes were red. These were the words she had said to Shen Xiaochuan many times when they were children.
The tears shed by Chen Fuzhou fell into the bowl of noodles with a plop.
“Ningning——”
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