Chapter 109: Wei Zhongxian’s Unusual Behavior

Zhu Hao was taken aback by these words. His original intention was for Gongsun Ce to be appointed as a fifth-rank vice director in one of the Six Ministries. He had not expected his brother, the Emperor, to immediately offer the position of Shuntian Prefecture Governor—a prestigious third-rank office. This was an immense honor and a rare exception to the rules, especially considering that Gongsun Ce had previously held only the title of a prince’s tutor without any formal rank. Suddenly, he was transformed into a high-ranking third-rank official responsible for the security of the capital. The sheer scale of this favor left Zhu Hao speechless for quite some time.

Zhu Hao’s silence was misinterpreted by Zhu Youxiao, who assumed his brother was dissatisfied with the arrangement. "Perhaps I haven't considered this carefully enough," the Emperor added. "Master Gongsun is indeed a man of great talent and deserves a seat in the Grand Secretariat. However, that is not something I can decide alone right now; those old fossils in the Cabinet are incredibly stubborn. When the time is right, I will certainly see that Master Gongsun is appointed to the Cabinet."

These words left Zhu Hao, who had just recovered from his initial shock, stunned all over again. He thought to himself, "My brother’s line of reasoning is truly beyond reach! How did he conclude that my silence stemmed from the position being too low? I was speechless precisely because the post he gave was far too high!"

Realizing he had to speak, lest his imperial brother say something even more shocking, Zhu Hao quickly replied, "Your Majesty, it is not that I believe the position is too low or that it insults Master Gongsun. Rather, the post is so crucial that I fear he may not be up to the task, and I would hate for him to fail your trust. That is why I was struck dumb with surprise. Furthermore, the position of Shuntian Prefecture Governor concerns the security of the entire capital region; the responsibility is immense. Even if you approve, I fear the Cabinet ministers will not agree to you making such a rash decision to entrust such a vital role to an unknown figure like Gongsun Ce. In my opinion, a fifth or sixth-rank position would be far more appropriate."

Only after hearing this did Zhu Youxiao realize his misunderstanding. He smiled and said, "Brother, as long as you are satisfied with my arrangement, your concerns are unnecessary. How can Master Gongsun be called 'unknown' when he was the one who solved the case of the palace fire? In my view, his talent surpasses that of all the ministers at court. I cannot grant him a higher position immediately upon my ascension, but when the opportunity arises, a seat in the Cabinet will surely be his. As for the resistance from the Cabinet, you need not worry. If I, as Emperor, cannot even appoint a mere Shuntian Prefecture Governor, then I might as well abdicate and let them run the government!"

Zhu Youxiao was not merely posturing. As Zhu Hao had anticipated, the proposal to appoint Gongsun Ce was met with unanimous opposition from the court ministers. True to his word, Zhu Youxiao adopted an "I quit" attitude, forcing the officials to compromise and eventually ratify the appointment. But that is a story for another time.

Seeing the Emperor’s resolute and unyielding attitude, Zhu Hao decided not to press the issue further. After all, the higher Gongsun Ce rose, the more he would benefit. With this in mind, he immediately said, "On behalf of Master Gongsun, I thank Your Majesty for your immense grace," and prepared to kneel.

Zhu Youxiao quickly caught him, saying, "Brother, I have already told you that you need not kneel to me. As for thanking me on his behalf, there is no need. Let Gongsun Ce come to thank me himself; he is not yet worthy of having you offer thanks for him."

Although the remark belittled Gongsun Ce, Zhu Hao felt no anger. Instead, he sensed the depth of his brother’s affection for him, which warmed his heart. He couldn't help but feel that, despite arriving in this world with no one to rely on, the father, mother, and brothers he had found here were all kind to him. This made him identify more strongly with the identity of Zhu Youjian and cherish this family, this country, and this world even more.

After chatting a while longer, Zhu Hao rose to take his leave. Upon exiting the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he bumped into Wei Zhongxian, who had just returned from some unknown mischief. Seeing that it was the formidable Prince Xin, Wei Zhongxian had nowhere to hide and hurriedly knelt, kowtowing. "This servant pays respects to Your Highness, Prince Xin!"

Observing Wei Zhongxian’s evasive behavior, Zhu Hao instinctively sensed the old eunuch had been up to no good. He said coldly, "The other day, I wanted to borrow your services to oversee the construction of my residence, but you claimed you could not leave His Majesty for even a moment. Now that His Majesty is alone in the Palace of Heavenly Purity and feeling troubled, why are you, a dog of a servant, not there to serve him? What mischief have you been up to? Speak the truth!"

Wei Zhongxian, still fearful from being tormented by Zhu Hao last time, felt his guilty conscience prick. Trembling, he stammered, "It is not that this servant refuses to accompany His Majesty, but His Majesty said he wanted to be alone, and I dared not disturb him. I only just stepped out. I have been doing nothing—I simply went to relieve myself and have just returned! I beg Your Highness to investigate!"

Zhu Hao detected a hint of nervousness in his voice. He had been at the palace for quite some time, and he hadn't seen the eunuch when he arrived. Even if the eunuch had just left, the time elapsed was far too long—long enough to fall into a latrine and be fished out several times over. Zhu Hao knew the old eunuch was lying and felt a surge of anger.

He did not suppress his frustration, instead snorting coldly, "I have been at the Palace of Heavenly Purity for nearly an hour. Does it take that long to relieve yourself? What were you really doing? If you do not confess, do not blame me for being unkind. You will regret it if you keep lying!"

Zhu Hao knew that, given his status, there was no need to clash with the still-insignificant Wei Zhongxian. Yet, for some reason, the sight of him made his blood boil. Perhaps it was a grudge from a past life, a twist of fate, or some divine providence. In the end, he attributed his intense dislike to the fact that the eunuch was notorious in the history of the Ming Dynasty.

As Zhu Hao pressed him, Wei Zhongxian remained curled on the ground, trembling even more violently, yet insisting, "Your Highness, please believe me! This servant truly only went to relieve himself; I have committed no wrongdoing!"

Zhu Hao, seeing the eunuch’s stubbornness, sneered, "You refuse to see the coffin before you shed tears. Since you are ungrateful and refuse to speak, do not blame me!"

Zhu Hao was about to order his attendants to deal with Wei Zhongxian when Zhu Youxiao, hearing the commotion from within the courtyard, walked out curiously. "What is happening? Why such a clamor?"

Seeing Zhu Hao’s angry face and Wei Zhongxian trembling on the ground, the Emperor looked puzzled. "Brother, what has happened?" He pointed at Wei Zhongxian and continued, "Has this blind servant offended you?"

Before Zhu Hao could speak, Wei Zhongxian seized the chance to appeal to his master. "Your Majesty! Even if I had ten thousand guts, I would never dare offend Prince Xin! The Prince merely saw me upon leaving and demanded to know where I had been. I told him the truth—that I had just stepped away to relieve myself—but he does not believe me! Your Majesty, I truly only went to relieve myself!"

Although Wei Zhongxian’s words did not openly accuse Zhu Hao, the implication was clear: Zhu Hao was bullying him for no reason. Zhu Hao thought to himself, "You old eunuch, daring to badmouth me? You are tired of living!"

Zhu Hao countered, "Your Majesty, this servant is lying through his teeth. I have been here for nearly an hour, and I did not see him when I arrived. He only just returned as I was leaving. How can one take an hour to relieve oneself? He is clearly lying, and I ask Your Majesty to allow me to discipline this neglectful servant!"

Zhu Youxiao laughed heartily after hearing both sides. Once his laughter subsided, he said to Zhu Hao, "Is that all? These servants have it hard, working all day. It is only natural for them to slack off occasionally. As a Prince, why bicker with such a servant? It is beneath your station. Let it go."