Chapter Twelve: Confronting the Empress Head-On

Zhu Hao’s sudden action caught Xi Ning off guard, a flicker of foreboding rising in his heart. He tried to compose himself, to act naturally, but his body’s involuntary tremble betrayed him, laying bare his inner panic. Displeased with his own cowardice, Xi Ning resolved to rebuke Zhu Hao, hoping to regain the upper hand with his words.

He raised a finger, pointing at Zhu Hao, and began, “You… you dare to—” But before he could finish, a wretched scream split the air.

Zhu Hao had not waited for him to finish. Striding forward, he seized Xi Ning’s outstretched finger and, with a forceful twist counterclockwise, snapped it a full ninety degrees. The finger was utterly ruined; even the most skilled imperial physician could do nothing for it now.

Pain shot straight to his heart, and Xi Ning tumbled to the ground, writhing and howling in agony, powerless to hinder Zhu Hao and his companions any longer. But Zhu Hao was far from finished with the old eunuch. He knew full well that anyone so close to that old witch of a Dowager Empress could not be innocent. More importantly, it was clear by now that he and the Empress were enemies, not allies. Xi Ning, as her trusted servant, was a force to be reckoned with. If Zhu Hao could eliminate him, it would be a blow to the Empress’s power, and nothing would please him more.

With this in mind, Zhu Hao resolved to take full advantage of Xi Ning’s weakness and end him for good. He advanced on the eunuch, who still writhed on the ground in pain, and began to kick him mercilessly, shouting as he did, “You wretched dog! What are you but a worthless slave? My elder brother is the rightful Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, the future ruler of the realm, and yet you dare block his way? Watch as I, the prince, kick you to death today, you lowly cur!”

He deliberately refrained from claiming he was acting on his own behalf for two reasons: first, as an ordinary prince without title or authority, he had no right to enter the Empress’s chambers without permission; second, although the old eunuch was the chief steward of the Empress’s household, if Zhu Hao made this personal, the Empress would surely retaliate. Even with his father’s protection, he might not escape unscathed. After all, even a dog’s owner must be considered before striking it; if he truly acted thus, he would have no justification.

Beaten beyond endurance, Xi Ning screamed for help, “Help… ah… help me… ah… stop… ah… Your Majesty… ah… save your old servant!”

Zhu Hao paid no heed to his pig-like squeals. Instead, his kicks grew even more vicious, landing squarely in Xi Ning’s most vulnerable spots. He had resolved to end the old eunuch’s life today. Xi Ning’s gasps grew fainter, and it was clear that he was on the verge of death.

Just as Zhu Hao raised his foot for a final, fatal kick to Xi Ning’s temple, a voice rang out from Kunning Palace: “Stop! How dare you! You have the audacity to beat my people in front of my own chambers? Are you not aware that this is a crime of lèse-majesté?”

The rebuke made Zhu Hao sigh inwardly, and he did not deliver the final blow. Zhu Youjiao, standing by, was dumbstruck by Zhu Hao’s actions, too shocked to intervene. Now, hearing the stern voice from Kunning Palace, he trembled even more, bowing his head in fear and not daring to utter a word.

It was none other than Empress Guo herself, mistress of Kunning Palace, who had issued the rebuke. She had originally instructed Xi Ning to prevent these intruders from entering, never imagining the ordeal that would follow: first, Xi Ning had been slapped by Zhu Youjiao, then had his finger snapped by Zhu Hao, and now was being savagely beaten on the ground. Such public humiliation was unbearable for Empress Guo. Ignoring the Emperor’s decree that confined her, she stormed out of Kunning Palace in a fury, her face like a wintry storm. No further explanation was needed—everyone present could see she was ready to demand justice.

Because Zhu Hao and his party were still some distance from Kunning Palace, Empress Guo had only seen the scuffle from afar and did not know the extent of Xi Ning’s injuries. But when she saw the eunuch’s battered face, blood streaming from every orifice, barely recognizable as human, even she—who had weathered countless storms—could not help but gasp, her body trembling with rage. Pointing a shaky finger at Zhu Hao, she stammered, “You… you… how dare you!”

Truthfully, she longed to unleash a torrent of curses at him, but Zhu Hao was still a prince, and she restrained herself. The fury, however, was bottled up inside her, and she seemed ready to explode at the slightest further provocation.

Zhu Youjiao, seeing Empress Guo about to unleash her wrath on Zhu Hao, somehow summoned the courage to step between them. Perhaps this was the innate loyalty of brothers. He stood in front of Zhu Hao, his body trembling violently—whether from nerves or fear, it was hard to say—but spoke up with difficulty, “Mother, this isn’t my brother’s fault. Xi Ning tried to stop us from entering!”

Empress Guo shot him a cold look. “Oh?”

Her icy gaze caused Zhu Youjiao’s knees to buckle, and he nearly collapsed. Still, he managed to steady himself and stammered, “W-we… we’re here on Father’s orders to investigate the fire!”

Unable to withstand her pressure, he had no choice but to invoke the Emperor’s authority, hoping it would make her back down.

Zhu Hao was deeply moved by his brother’s willingness to step forward for him, but at the same time, he couldn’t help but sigh at his brother’s weakness. What had Zhu Youjiao suffered growing up to make him so afraid of Empress Guo?

Before Empress Guo could even question them, his brother had already blurted out their purpose. Zhu Hao had hoped Zhu Youjiao would use the pretense of visiting the Empress as a cover for their investigation, but now that the truth was out, Empress Guo would surely put obstacles in their way, making their task infinitely harder.

The Empress’s frosty lips curled into a sneer. “Well, well! Truly worthy of being the Crown Prince of Ming. Now you dare use your father’s name to threaten me. If you become Emperor one day, will you have me buried with your father?”

Zhu Youjiao could support himself no longer and knelt with a thud. “Your son is afraid; I would never dare!”

Seeing him submit, the Empress pressed her advantage. “You wouldn’t dare? What won’t you dare? Today you beat my palace’s chief steward; tomorrow you’ll dare beat me! Hmph!”

Truth be told, Empress Guo had been nervous moments before. Had Zhu Youjiao not backed down, things would have been difficult to resolve. After all, he was the Crown Prince, acting under imperial orders, and Xi Ning’s interference was a grave offense. Even if Xi Ning had been beaten to death, there would be no recourse.

With Zhu Youjiao’s capitulation, the Empress’s confidence surged. She turned to Zhu Hao and scolded, “I saw you beating Chief Steward Guo just now. Don’t you owe me an explanation?”

Zhu Hao sneered inwardly—no matter how ruthless she was, she was still just a woman of the inner palace. Her little tricks were nothing compared to the characters he’d seen in television dramas. Outwardly, though, he showed no sign of disrespect. Instead, he offered a courteous bow. “Your son greets Your Majesty. May you be blessed with peace and health. I was merely disciplining this unruly servant on your behalf. A slave who dares block even the Crown Prince’s way is truly lawless; if not punished, he may bring great trouble to Your Majesty in the future.”

He paused, as if remembering something, then continued, “Your Majesty, I suggest you return to your chambers. Allow me to deal with this wicked servant; then I shall pay my respects to you inside. After all, you are currently under the Emperor’s decree of confinement. If word spreads that you left the palace, the Emperor’s wrath may be even greater, and it would be most unfortunate if you were punished for it.”

Empress Guo nearly fainted with rage at his words. She could not comprehend how Zhu Youjian, always so taciturn and reserved in her memory, could now speak with such eloquence and clarity—and even subtly threaten her by mentioning her unauthorized departure from her chambers.

But she quickly set aside such confusion. She did not believe the Emperor would punish her for leaving her quarters; after all, her own family’s power was second to none in the Ming realm. To maintain stability, the Emperor would never dare make things too difficult for her. Buoyed by this thought, her confidence grew, and she dismissed Zhu Hao’s veiled threat with a cold snort. “I am not going back. I want to see how you plan to discipline this servant for me. I want to see if the Emperor will really punish me as you claim for leaving my quarters!”

Zhu Hao had hoped that if Empress Guo relented, he could help Zhu Youjiao up, bring Gongsun Ce along, and go straight into Kunning Palace to investigate the fire, letting the matter rest. But, to his disappointment, Empress Guo was utterly intransigent. He couldn’t help but lament that his father must have been deeply troubled to have such a consort.

Since she refused to yield, Zhu Hao resolved to teach her a lesson. “Since Your Majesty wishes to see how I deal with this vile slave, then please watch closely!”