But it was only a single morning.
All at once, the Forbidden City seemed to feel even busier than before.
Inner-court officials hurrying about with rushed faces.
Female palace officials walking along with lowered heads.
Guards patrolling with heads held high.
As if by some unspoken agreement, they all contributed to an air of mounting tension.
Empress Dowager Chen had originally been living in the separate palace, but after Zhu Yijun ascended the throne, following a request from the Ministry of Rites, she consulted with Empress Dowager Li and moved into Ciqing Palace, which was vacated for her.
Ciqing Palace had once been the Eastern Palace, where Zhu Yijun had lived for six years, so naturally he knew it like the back of his hand.
Yet when he came to Ciqing Palace now, the feeling was altogether different.
The familiar buildings seemed stern and forbidding today.
Someone, of course, went in to announce his arrival.
Zhu Yijun waited quietly outside the hall.
In a short while, the eunuch Zhang Jing came trotting back with quick little steps.
There was some fear in his face as he said, "Your Majesty, Senior Eunuch Chen says the Empress Dowager did not rest well last night. The imperial physician gave her medicine, and she has only just fallen asleep."
Zhu Yijun stood outside the hall, motionless for a moment.
These were the very same words he had received the first time he went to the separate palace to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Chen.
He hadn't noticed it then, but looking back on it now, it truly was hard to put into words.
He had been turned away at the door then; naturally, now was no exception.
He could hardly force his way into his legitimate mother's bedchamber just because he was the emperor.
In the end, he could only stand outside and pay his full respects to Empress Dowager Chen from a distance, then turn and leave.
To this day he could not make sense of why Empress Dowager Chen would lend her aid to Gao Gong.
For the sake of power?
Zhu Yijun shook his head and quickly dismissed it. Gao Gong's Five Urgent Matters Memorial called for strengthening the Grand Secretariat, drawing power into the imperial hand, and shutting the inner palace out of governance.
If both were after power, they could never have reached any agreement.
And even setting that far aside—even if Gao Gong made some concession, Empress Dowager Chen had no son. What improper designs could she possibly harbor?
Once he came of age and settled all accounts, would it not all come to nothing anyway?
For the sake of rank?
Zhu Yijun rejected that notion as well.
In any case, she was an Empress Dowager; at the very worst she would only be the equal of Empress Dowager Li. Better to keep still than to stir—so why would she take such a risk to help Gao Gong?
It was not impossible, only the possibility was too slim.
He turned it over and over, and every other explanation—kin, past kindnesses, and the like—was even less plausible.
He could hardly think of any reasonable explanation at all.
Surely she hadn't simply been taken in by Gao Gong's coaxing?
That would be to think far too little of everyone in the realm.
Ever since he had transmigrated into this world, it was precisely because he had underestimated the ancients that he had suffered one loss after another at the hands of Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong.
Now it was no longer possible for him to hold anyone in such contempt.
Whatever Empress Dowager Chen's true aim was, he would have to assume the worst of his adversary.
Zhu Yijun slowly weighed his countermeasures.
In history, after Gao Gong's Five Urgent Matters of the New Administration memorial was passed, he was dismissed within a mere two days.
That showed that once Zhang Juzheng came rushing back, he quickly devised a countermeasure, subdued Empress Dowager Chen, and had the emperor and the Two Palaces issue an edict dismissing Gao Gong.
Since there had been no great upheaval, Empress Dowager Chen's side had to be easier to break through than Gao Gong's.
He did not know what means the Iron Triangle had used.
But Zhu Yijun knew he could not drag this out any longer.
If he truly let Empress Dowager Chen and Gao Gong seize control of the court, the situation would turn grim.
Still.
When Zhang Juzheng colluded with the inner court, it all had to pass through Feng Bao.
Gao Gong, too, could not bypass the eunuchs as his channel of communication.
That was why people like Chen Hong were scurrying about so frantically.
So... if he now wished to break the deadlock, he would in all likelihood have to place his hopes on the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot.
Zhu Yijun sighed.
In the end—with a blade harbored in his breast, the intent to kill arose of itself.
At that thought, he looked toward Zhang Hong's adopted son, Zhang Jing, and gave his order: "Tell me about Empress Dowager Chen."
Zhang Jing answered with an acknowledgment, then said, "Which aspect would Your Majesty like to hear about?"
Zhu Yijun waved his hand. "Tell me all of it."
Faced with such an ambiguous request, Zhang Jing could only begin from the start of her life: "In the fourth month of the thirty-seventh year of Jiajing, the late emperor's principal consort passed away."
"In the eighth month of that same year, Emperor Shizong issued an edict to choose a second consort for the late emperor."
Zhu Yijun was taken aback and cut in, "Only four months? Wasn't a full year of mourning required?"
When a man's principal wife died, mourning was required as well—only for a shorter span.
Zhang Jing nodded and explained, "At that time, Emperor Shizong issued an edict in person waiving the mourning, and the late emperor declined with all his strength but could not refuse."
"On the ninth day of the ninth month, Empress Dowager Chen was chosen as the second consort."
With Emperor Shizong issuing the edict himself, it was no longer strange.
He had lost too many of his own sons; he was likely hoping the Prince of Yu would father more.
Still, if that was how it was, no wonder there had been little affection.
Zhu Yijun nodded, signaling for him to go on.
Zhang Jing said, "In the first year of Longqing, after the late emperor ascended the throne, he raised Empress Dowager Chen to be the Empress, and granted hereditary titles to her kin."
Zhu Yijun broke in, "What was Empress Dowager Chen's relationship with her kin like?"
This, too, was important.
Empress Dowager Chen could not possibly fail to understand that her present course would surely bring confiscation upon her family.
Yet she persisted regardless. By any reasonable reckoning, a person with a weakness to protect ought not to be so heedless of the larger picture.
It truly baffled him.
Zhang Jing thought back a moment and said, "At first the relationship was very close, and the titled ladies came and went often."
"But..."
He paused. "When Empress Dowager Chen was driven to the separate palace by the late emperor, the censors repeatedly remonstrated with him."
"The Chen family also submitted a memorial to plead her case, but after the late emperor browbeat them, they hurriedly sent up another memorial agreeing instead, and made excuses for the late emperor..."
"From that time on, the two sides had no more dealings; even the Chen family members who had guarded the separate palace were driven off."
At this, Zhu Yijun thought it thorny indeed.
Cast into the cold palace, only to have her own kin side with the late emperor for the sake of wealth and rank—one could well imagine how she felt in her heart.
An empress dowager risen from the cold palace, with the added trait of one who cast her own kin aside—wasn't that a textbook heroine of a palace-intrigue drama?
He pressed further: "In which year was Empress Dowager Chen driven to the separate palace?"
Zhang Jing thought for a moment. "In the third year of Longqing, the late emperor, on the grounds that she was sonless and sickly, moved Empress Dowager Chen out of Kunning Palace and banished her to live in the separate palace."
Zhu Yijun frowned and cut Zhang Jing off once more.
He asked, puzzled, "Sonless and sickly?"
Sonless was one thing; sickly was another.
Had she simply been unable to bear a child all along, then the late emperor's distaste for her would be understandable—the times were different, after all.
The problem was "sickly." Had she been sickly from the start, she could never have passed the selection for second consort.
So she had only fallen ill afterward?
And if this illness and the sonlessness were set side by side, then the illness was surely not without cause.
Zhang Jing hesitated a while, then bowed his head low. "This servant once heard his adoptive father say that it seems Empress Dowager Chen had been with child in those years, but never gave birth, and was left with a lingering illness."
Zhu Yijun nodded. "Which year?"
Zhang Jing thought back and answered, "The forty-first year of Jiajing."
Zhu Yijun motioned for him to continue.
Zhang Jing went on: "At first, the supervising secretary Wei Shiliang and the censors He Yigui and Zhan Yangbi of the outer court, among others, remonstrated again and again."
"Urging the late emperor to move Empress Dowager Chen back into the palace."
Hearing this, Zhu Yijun seemed to recall something.
He asked, "At that time, was the Seal-Keeper of the Directorate of Ceremonial not Chen Hong, Empress Dowager Chen's old family servant?"
For these remonstrations, this Seal-Keeper had surely not spared his efforts.
Zhang Jing nodded respectfully. "Your Majesty has a truly fine memory."
Having offered this bit of flattery, he went on: "Chen Hong also advised the late emperor back then, but nearly lost his post for it, and after that dared not speak up again."
Zhu Yijun suddenly waved the attendants away.
Fixing Zhang Jing with a grave look, he asked in a low voice, "In this matter—did my mother add fuel to the flames?"
Zhang Jing gave a start.
Casting a cautious glance at the emperor, he said hesitantly, "Your Majesty, this servant is still junior in service..."
A simple account was no problem, but if it touched on the strife between the Two Palaces, he dared not put in a word.
Yet Zhu Yijun would not let the eunuch off.
Word by word, he said, "You are pardoned of any offense!"
Zhang Jing drew his neck in, weighed his words, and only then said, "There is indeed such a rumor in the palace."
"During that time, Feng Bao and Chen Hong were locked in a fierce struggle as well..."
"But whether it truly happened, this servant really does not know."
Zhu Yijun nodded without expression.
A palace grudge? He had best hope it was not some such absurd reason...
If it truly was, then Empress Dowager Chen—set among the likes of Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong, that pack of old foxes ever scheming over affairs of state—would be far too out of place.
But he understood women far too little, and could only set the thought aside for now.
…
The whole palace was a sieve; the morning's events spread before long.
The court officials and the inner-court officials alike soon learned what had happened.
Empress Dowager Li, too, came to hear of it after the fact.
When Zhu Yijun arrived at Cining Palace, all he saw was a floor strewn with shards of porcelain, tables overturned and chairs toppled.
And Empress Dowager Li, her fury reaching the heavens.
Zhu Yijun did not go up at once to pay his respects; instead he drew Feng Bao, who was in attendance, off to one side.
He said quietly, "Great Companion, what has gotten into my mother?"
Feng Bao's mood was just as wretched—the three of them could now be said to have been forced onto the same rope by Gao Gong.
He kept his head, though, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is somewhat displeased at the honorary title put forward by the Ministry of Rites."
What he called "displeased" ought to be read as "in a towering fury."
Zhu Yijun frowned. "The Ministry of Rites' memorial has reached the Directorate of Ceremonial?"
Feng Bao nodded. "This morning, once the Ministry of Rites finished its deliberation, the Senior Grand Secretary approved it by draft rescript. Since it touched on no other ministry, there was no need for court deliberation."
"As for now... it has already been sent by the Office of Transmission to Ciqing Palace."
Having said this, Feng Bao shut his mouth.
The two of them stood silently before the door, for a moment without a word.
Both knew in their hearts that once this memorial reached Ciqing Palace, there would be no stopping it.
Empress Dowager Chen was certain to approve it.
But could Zhu Yijun reject it?
A rejection had to have grounds—was it that he found Empress Dowager Li's honorary title too low? Or that he found Empress Dowager Chen's honorary title too high?
If the former, then all it meant was that the memorial would pass, and Gao Gong would go on adding honorary titles to both dowagers.
So it would rise like the tide lifting a boat: when Empress Dowager Li's title had two characters, Empress Dowager Chen's would have four; when Li's had four, Chen's would have six—forever one rank above.
And if the latter—daring to find his legitimate mother's honorary title too high? That was unfilial!
Such a reputation, weighty enough to depose an emperor, was one no one dared touch.
Then what if he stated it plainly, demanding that the honorary titles of the Two Palaces be made equal? It came back to the same thing—if Empress Dowager Chen were merely to say the word that failing to honor the legitimate mother was unfilial, the trouble would grow far too great.
When one stood beneath another's station, no attitude could carry any weight.
Zhu Yijun asked, "The Senior Grand Secretary's memorial for retirement—that was rejected by Empress Dowager Chen as well, wasn't it?"
That the two were working in concert was certain; it was only a matter of to what degree.
Feng Bao shook his head. "It was held back by the Empress Dowager."
Zhu Yijun was taken aback.
Then he quickly caught on.
Not rejected—so the two were not so tightly bound in cooperation after all; otherwise Empress Dowager Chen would simply have rejected it outright, and there would be no need to keep Gao Gong on a leash with it.
Zhu Yijun said nothing more and made to go in and see Empress Dowager Li.
Suddenly Feng Bao called out to him: "Your Majesty!"
Zhu Yijun turned back.
Feng Bao bowed. "Her health is what matters. Your Majesty, please console the Empress Dowager well."
Zhu Yijun gave Feng Bao a long look.
So the old fellow knew fear now, did he? Knew enough to beg for my support?
Zhu Yijun nodded. "I will console Mother well."
"Great Companion Feng might do well to go keep a closer eye on things at the Directorate of Ceremonial."
Feng Bao bowed and took his leave.
Zhu Yijun, too, turned, pushed open the door, and went in.
"Mother, your child has come to pay his respects."
Empress Dowager Li did not say a word.
Zhu Yijun silently righted the chairs and stools on the floor and kicked aside the broken porcelain.
Empress Dowager Li finally turned to look, and could not help saying with concern, "The shards will cut your hands—just let the palace servants do it."
Zhu Yijun did not stop.
As he gathered things up, he said, "That I failed to set your heart at ease, that I drove you to a true fury—that is my fault as your son."
"To have the servants tidy up—how could that ever make up for your child's offense?"
This manner of his eased some of Empress Dowager Li's anger.
She gave a humph through her nose. "It's no fault of my son's; it's that woman in Ciqing Palace—"
It was a habit carried over from her common upbringing; in a true rage she nearly let foul words slip out by instinct.
Seeing that the one before her was her son, she hurried to correct herself: "It's that Sister has gone too far!"
Zhu Yijun did not take it up.
Empress Dowager Li went on: "We two, mother and son, out of pity that she had so long been shut in the separate palace, even went to the trouble of vacating Ciqing Palace for her."
"And now look—not only does she not appreciate the kindness, but to chase after an honorary title she colludes with Gao Gong and won't even let him retire!"
Zhu Yijun went on listening quietly.
Empress Dowager Li seemed to have a belly full of grievance: "This alone I could bear! The most I'd do is endure it and yield to her!"
"But who is that Gao Gong, exactly?"
"To actually move to abolish the Directorate of Ceremonial, and even to curb the emperor's power!"
"As the legitimate mother, does she not spare you a single thought!"
"It's simply... it's simply..."
Hearing this, Zhu Yijun suddenly raised his head.
He cut Empress Dowager Li off.
In a very light, very flat tone, he asked, "Mother, when Empress Dowager Chen was driven to the separate palace by my late father—did you add fuel to the flames?"
Empress Dowager Li raised her head.
She looked at her own son, her face full of astonishment.
She opened her mouth, lifted a hand, and pointed at the emperor. "You... you suspect that your mother was the one who provoked her first?"
Zhu Yijun stood where he was without moving.
Neither affirming nor denying, he said, "If it were, as you say, for the sake of an honorary title, your son could grant it to her as well—there would be no need to collude with Gao Gong."
"Your child simply cannot make sense of it, and asks Mother to clear up his confusion."
Empress Dowager Li unsteadily lowered her hand, her eyes growing moist.
At last she lost all composure. "Fine, fine! Now that there's trouble, everyone goes looking for the cause in me!"
"I raised you through every bitter hardship!"
"Of Emperor Shizong's eight sons, seven died young; the late emperor lost one daughter after another; Crown Prince Xianhuai died at the age of five!"
"I was terrified you might be harmed in secret by villains, might suffer even the least bit of foul poison!"
"And now my son has grown up, only to turn around and blame his mother!"
"Just because she colluded with Gao Gong and made you uneasy, you must lay the blame on me!?"
She sat on the edge of the bed, weeping and pouring out her grief without end, as if heaping all of today's grievances upon her own son.
Seeing that her son made no move, she only grew more upset.
Jiang Keqian and Zhang Jing, on guard outside the door, kept their distance, not daring to catch the slightest word.
"Enough!"
A low shout, without the least warning, rang out in the room.
Empress Dowager Li looked at him in blank astonishment.
Never had she imagined her son would take such a tone with her.
Her whole body began to tremble; her feelings were plainly beyond her control.
Zhu Yijun gave her no further chance to speak.
Under Empress Dowager Li's stunned gaze, he slowly drew near.
Because he was still so young, even with Empress Dowager Li seated on the edge of the bed, the two of them were about the same height.
He reached out both hands.
Cradling Empress Dowager Li's cheeks, he gently brushed the tear tracks away with his thumbs.
He brought his forehead close, touching it to Empress Dowager Li's.
His voice near to trembling, he began: "Mother."
"Your child remembers it all."
"How could your child ever forget how Mother protected him?"
"In a single night, Mother would come look in on him four or five times."
"At the least cry, Mother would berate Feng Bao, Zhang Hong, and the rest, strip your son bare, and search him from head to toe."
"Even the food that came to his lips, Mother would taste first on his behalf."
"How could your child ever forget such things?"
"Mother takes the nurturing of her child as her kindness; your son takes the serving of his mother as his filial duty."
"No sooner had I ascended the throne than I had it in mind to show favor to the Imperial Father-in-Law."
"Studying hard day after day, only hoping never to disappoint Mother."
"Earnestly holding court, only hoping the sooner to shelter Mother from wind and rain."
"And now... and now..."
"Gao Gong presses me, my legitimate mother coerces me, the court officials look on me as a child—alone and without a single soul to lean on, who else do I have but Mother!?"
"Mother, feared by the outer court, bullied by the inner-court officials, humiliated by the principal empress, left all on her own with none to rely on—who else do you have but your child!?"
"You and I, an orphaned mother and son, leaning on each other for our very lives—how can we afford the least shadow of suspicion between us?"
Empress Dowager Li, faced with the emperor's sudden show of anger, stood frozen where she was, dumbstruck.
Beneath her gaze, word by word, Zhu Yijun said, "Mother raised me for ten years, and your child remembers it all."
"Now that your child has succeeded to the throne, Mother, hereafter please rest easy and let your child care for you."
"Whatever words you have, speak them to your child with a true heart; whatever matters there are, lay them down and let your child do them!"
"Trust in me!"
So saying, Zhu Yijun stepped back and bowed low.
In his eyes, now unwatched, there passed a glint of resolve.
The outer court could be set aside; but now, inside the palace, there was nothing left to hold him back where the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot were concerned.
Did they truly take him for one who would not dare to strike in the dark?
Chapter 40