Chapter 78 Another Day
Zhu Yuhuan walked out of the main hall, looked at Huai En who was waiting outside the door, and asked, "Is anyone passing by on the palace road?"
Huai En shook his head and said, "No, every palace road is guarded by people. I guess it is now forbidden to enter and leave at will. The servants in the various palaces must only serve inside the palace."
Such a quick and decisive move must have been done by Empress Zhang. Even though Concubine Guo held the power in the palace, the palace servants still only obeyed the Empress.
Zhu Yuhuan felt a little complicated and said, "Let's go."
Huai En was stunned. Seeing that her expression was a little heavy, he asked tentatively: "Return to Kunning Palace...?"
Zhu Yuhuan took a deep breath, looked at Huai En and asked, "Are all the uncles going to study with the lecturers as usual today?"
Huai En looked at the current situation outside and naturally knew that the Emperor's death would probably happen in the next two days. There were also people with ill intentions outside the palace who were eyeing him covetously, so he had to block the news.
Therefore, Huai En immediately replied: "I believe that all the princes are studying with the teacher today. It may be too late to enter the palace by the time the study is over. Although the Tenth Prince is still young, he still lives in the harem with his mother. However, His Royal Highness the Prince of Teng and His Royal Highness the Prince of Liang both have palaces to live in. I believe that the Tenth Prince will stay in the prince's palace for one night."
Zhu Yuhuan finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Huai En's words.
At least my uncle didn't have to watch his mother die in such a tragic way...
Huai En saw Zhu Yuhuan's expression and quickly understood what was going on. He asked, "The princess is not returning to Kunning Palace. Could it be that the Empress has given some instructions?"
Zhu Yuhuan nodded, his expression somewhat serious, and said: "Yes, there are instructions. Let's go to Concubine Guo's palace."
Huai En was slightly stunned and a little surprised, but he didn't say much and just followed Zhu Yuhuan's footsteps.
The palace where Concubine Guo lived was the closest palace to Zhu Gaochi except for the Kunning Palace. It only took a short walk to reach it. Zhu Yuhuan arrived at the palace gate before he felt tired, but he didn't expect that there was not even a palace guard outside.
Zhu Yuhuan had never been to Concubine Guo's palace. She didn't expect that the first time she would have to watch Concubine Guo being buried alive. She felt a little complicated for a while.
"Let's go in."
"yes."
The two walked through the palace gate together, only to see the palace servants standing silently outside the hall. Occasionally, a few palace servants walked back and forth holding trays, one of which contained a white silk ribbon, its purpose obvious. When the palace servants saw Zhu Yuhuan, they simply bowed obediently to her. After Zhu Yuhuan asked them to stand up, they stood quietly by, like lifeless puppets. Only one palace servant in the hall immediately greeted Zhu Yuhuan and asked the others to serve her tea.
Zhu Yuhuan had a lot on his mind and was in no mood to drink tea. He just looked at the steam rising from the teacup and asked, "What is the Imperial Concubine doing?"
The palace attendant replied respectfully, "The Imperial Concubine is currently dressing and dressing. Please wait in the main hall for a moment."
Zhu Yuhuan sighed inwardly, then said, "I understand."
The only thing Concubine Guo could leave to her children now was Empress Zhang's vague promise. This was her misfortune, and Zhu Yuhuan naturally understood her last stubbornness.
At least she wanted to keep this dignity for herself.
After an unknown amount of time, a palace maid came out from behind the screen, bowed to Zhu Yuhuan, and said, "Your Highness, please invite the princess in."
Zhu Yuhuan and Huai En looked at each other, then stood up and said, "Okay."
When Zhu Yuhuan entered, Concubine Guo was dressing in front of the mirror. Her hair, which had been somewhat disheveled from her argument with Empress Zhang, had now been neatly combed. Her face was pure and clean, a stark contrast to her usual meticulously dressed appearance. Her crimson gown, a dazzling crimson, resembled a ball of flame about to engulf everything. The imperial concubine was fully dressed, lacking only a xiapei and a zi crown.
Zhu Yuhuan greeted Concubine Guo as usual. Concubine Guo then turned around and looked at her, saying, "Thank goodness that Chan'er is not in the palace today, otherwise you two may not be able to meet as usual in the future." Her tone was surprisingly calm, as if the person who was about to die was not her.
Zhu Yuhuan didn't expect her to say this, so he forced a smile and said, "Yes."
Seeing that she still looked calm and composed, a composure not often found in other children, Concubine Guo couldn't help but sigh, "If something like this had happened to Chan'er, he would have burst into tears. That unworthy child, the youngest, doesn't know how to act like a spoiled brat like you to earn his father's respect."
Zhu Yuhuan was not a child at all. When he encountered such a thing, it was more accurate to say that he felt a kind of depression rather than collapse.
However, Zhu Yuhuan also understood the reason why Concubine Guo said this. She said, "Your Highness, there is no need to say more. My uncle and my father have always been brothers. My father would never hurt my uncle. Not to mention that my uncle and I grew up together. As long as I can, I will definitely protect him."
More importantly, Zhu Zhan'an was not a threat at all and was respectful to Empress Zhang. Empress Zhang had no reason to harm him. As for Zhu Zhanji, it didn't matter at all. Once the princes of the Ming Dynasty were enfeoffed as kings and went to their fiefdoms, they would be treated like distant relatives and would not even have the chance to enter Beijing.
Moreover, Zhu Zhanshan was different from Zhu Di, Zhu Gaoxu, and Zhu Gaosui. A little brat had neither achievements nor connections, and was not even a threat.
Concubine Guo saw that she had exposed the hidden meaning of her words, but she didn't care. She just smiled and said, "You are indeed very similar to your grandmother and your father. Your scheming is deep and not ordinary people can match."
Zhu Yuhuan shook his head and said sincerely, "I can't compare to them."
Just because she had experience as a human being, it didn't mean she was a top-notch smart person. However, Empress Zhang and Zhu Zhanji both found their own way through stumbling, and this alone made them much better than Zhu Yuhuan.
The ancients were simply born in ancient society, which doesn’t mean they were all fools.
Concubine Guo smiled bitterly and said, "Indeed, your heart is not as hard as theirs, otherwise you would not have made such a promise to me."
Zhu Yuhuan twitched his lips and asked, "Why did the Imperial Concubine come to me? I am a lowly person and my words carry no weight. I may not be able to truly protect my uncle."
"Your Majesty has expressed his admiration for the things you created countless times. Unfortunately, your Majesty did not have the opportunity to personally carry them forward." Concubine Guo sighed, then said, "The new emperor has use for you. Even if you are a princess, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a life of prosperity and prosperity."
Zhu Yuhuan was very confident about this. She nodded and said, "I know."
Zhu Zhanji was no fool. Whatever he did would benefit the people's harvest, the country's tax revenue, and his personal enjoyment and reputation. It would benefit Zhu Zhanji in every way. If it was just a greedy villain, Zhu Yuhuan might have some concerns, but Zhu Zhanji was a young emperor with high fighting spirit and a desire to achieve his own career. For the sake of his ambition, Zhu Zhanji would not refuse.
Seeing her so confident, Concubine Guo curled her lips into a smile and said softly, "When your family members start fighting, it will be a comfort to me, a ghost, to know about it in the afterlife."
Huai En, who was following Zhu Yuhuan, immediately said, "The princess is the apple of His Royal Highness's eye. Please don't speak nonsense, Your Majesty."
Zhu Yuhuan didn't care. He raised his hand to stop Huai En and asked, "Let's fight?"
Concubine Guo's expression was full of sarcasm. She said, "A man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure. If you want to accuse someone, you can always find a pretext."
Although Concubine Guo intended to sow discord, she was indeed right. As the emperor and his subject, and as the father and his son, as long as Zhu Zhanji wanted, he could bring Zhu Yuhuan to the ground anytime and anywhere.
Concubine Guo caught a glimpse of her thinking and sneered in her heart.
Zhang was clever, but she didn't realize that using tricks to gain power would only lead to others following her example. The Tang and Song emperors were a lesson for her. And how could the current King of Han and King of Zhao not once have been the King of Yan? Zhu Yuhuan would do well to bring chaos to their family, to appease her wronged soul.
Zhu Yuhuan looked at Concubine Guo's still beautiful face, which looked much younger than Empress Zhang's. It was untouched by the vicissitudes of life and extremely beautiful, but it also lacked a bit of perseverance and wisdom.
She smiled with her eyes curved, and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I'm a very selfish person. As long as I and my family live well, that's enough. I don't ask for anything else. My father will definitely understand this... and I won't let him be so stingy."
Concubine Guo sneered, without commenting, and said, "Then I'll wait and see the show."
As soon as she finished speaking, an eunuch ran in quickly. He kowtowed and burst into tears before he even opened his mouth. However, his crying was not very loud and was soon drowned out by the sudden thunder. The palace maids were all startled. Zhu Yuhuan saw the Zhai crown falling from the palace maid's tray and hurriedly reached out to catch it.
Concubine Guo's face turned pale, but she still managed to hold herself together and said to the palace maid, "Xiapei."
"yes."
The palace maid held a shawl in her hand and helped Concubine Guo put it on. Zhu Yuhuan then handed the crown in his hand to Concubine Guo.
Concubine Guo looked at her for a long time before taking the crown and saying, "I don't want anyone else to touch me."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded slightly and said, "Okay, I'll try my best."
Concubine Guo snorted softly. She walked out of the main hall, glanced at the people in the courtyard, and said, "I can no longer protect your lives. Don't worry, the royal family will provide relief to your families, promote you to higher positions, and reward you with gold and silver. The new emperor will not let you be buried in vain... In this case, I will leave first."
Hearing her words, the palace maids all knelt down on their knees, prostrated themselves on the ground and sobbed.
Concubine Guo simply looked in the direction of the Palace of Heavenly Purity and muttered to herself, "From now on, I won't send you any more letters. I have no proof of our love affairs in your painted building..."
Zhu Yuhuan stared at her still-straight back as she walked step by step towards the side hall. The world was silent except for the ringing of bells and the roar of thunder. It wasn't until an unknown amount of time passed that silence returned. Zhu Yuhuan could hear the rustle of a stool falling, the creaking of silk stretched taut, and then the faint sound of crying.
A gust of wind blew by, and Zhu Yuhuan vaguely smelled a musty smell. She walked towards the side hall and watched the red gauze swaying gracefully with the wind leaking in through the window. There were two palace maids beside her who left with her. Zhu Yuhuan was silent for a long time, then turned and walked out, saying to Huai En: "Let's go back and report to Grandma."
The two walked out of the palace one after the other. Huai En looked at Zhu Yuhuan's back as he walked slowly forward. He couldn't help but feel worried and asked, "Princess..."
Although Zhu Yuhuan's performance was always very mature, she was still young after all. It was her first time to witness someone die under such circumstances, so it was inevitable for her to suppress her fear, not to mention that Concubine Guo said those words specifically before she left... Even though Huai'en had seen countless dark places as a palace maid, it was her first time to see a scene of living people being buried alive, not to mention the precious princess.
Zhu Yuhuan said calmly, "I'm fine. The stick didn't hit me, so I naturally don't feel any pain."
A life was lost, and even though Zhu Yuhuan wasn't overly grief-stricken, he felt a pang of grief. If Hu Shanxiang hadn't been Zhu Zhanji's legal wife, would Sun Mengqiu have forced her to be buried alive with him, as Empress Zhang did today? And would Hu Shanxiang have cursed him, as Concubine Guo did?
Huai En understood her implication and vaguely sensed some anger from her back, but said nothing.
After a long time, Zhu Yuhuan said, "This kind of thing will never happen again."
Her voice was not loud, but it gave people a sense of security for no reason.
Huai En was slightly stunned, and immediately responded: "Huai En believes in the princess."
The two returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity together. As soon as they entered the door, they saw Zhu Zhanji. His eyes were red and there were traces of tears on his face. It was obvious that he had just cried for his deceased father. However, the most conspicuous thing was the imperial edict in his hand.
Seeing Zhu Yuhuan coming back, Zhu Zhanji walked up to her and asked in a low voice: "Huanhuan, what were you doing just now? This palace is a mess now, there are all kinds of things going on, don't accidentally bump into anything unclean..."
Zhu Yuhuan calmly replied: "Concubine Guo has died a martyr."
Zhu Zhanji didn't expect Zhu Yuhuan's first words to be like this. He quickly understood what his niece had just done. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, and looked around at the unusually calm Zhu Yuhuan before saying, "Now that the Emperor has passed away, my fifth uncle will ask the Empress Dowager to secretly take my eldest sister-in-law to live in the palace temporarily so that she can take care of you."
Although he had never seen a dead person, he had heard a few rumors about Zhu Di's concubines being buried alive with him. Just hearing it from other people was scary enough, not to mention seeing it with his own eyes... It was only because his eldest niece was too strong that she didn't show any panic at all.
Zhu Yuhuan shook his head and said, "The Second Concubine is ill now, and Tongtong and Hanjia are both taken care of by my mother. If my mother enters the palace, my sisters will have no one to take care of them."
"In that case, bring your two sisters in with you. Then you can live alone in the palace and not be afraid of seeing anything you shouldn't see."
"Forget it, how can it be considered 'secretly' if we bring it in?"
Seeing her so mature, Zhu Zhanji rubbed Zhu Yuhuan's head and said, "Don't worry, the entire Forbidden City is sealed tightly. Saihazhi is already guarding it tightly, and General Liu has also arranged for the defense of the capital."
Empress Zhang was really efficient.
Zhu Yuhuan was somewhat puzzled by Zhu Zhanji's calm and unauthorized decision. He glanced at the imperial edict in his hand and asked, "Did grandma order my fifth uncle to temporarily replace my father as regent?"
Zhu Zhanji quickly gestured for silence and muttered, "Don't talk nonsense. I am acting as regent on behalf of the seriously ill Majesty."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded in understanding, but couldn't help asking, "Where is my father?"
Zhu Zhanji shook his head and said, "It's better not to know. Think about it, if we don't know, how can the King of Han and the King of Zhao know? Stability! Stability is the most important thing!"
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