Chapter Ninety-Nine: Li Xuan's Service, All Turned to Nothing
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After hearing the words of the venerable Prime Minister Guo, Li Xuan, the consort, felt a deep dissatisfaction in her heart but dared not offend this once all-powerful minister. She could only suppress her anger and say, “I have been very clear just now: it is after the new emperor ascends the throne that I am to be appointed Empress Dowager. Prime Minister, do not twist the meaning or play word games with me!”
Prime Minister Guo listened to Li Xuan’s words and then spoke again: “Since you have said to wait until the new emperor ascends, then please bring out His Highness the Crown Prince. Everything shall be settled after His Highness takes the throne!”
Upon hearing this, Li Xuan was stunned and muttered, “This…”
Zhu Hao watched Li Xuan, momentarily at a loss for words, thinking to himself: “This old Prime Minister is truly a master negotiator. At the very first meeting, he ignored Li Xuan, letting her lose her composure and reveal her true thoughts. Then he twisted her words, reproached her, forcing her to explain and thus exposing loopholes. He seized those openings to demand she hand over the Crown Prince. This was all a calculated trap designed to corner Li Xuan step by step, leaving her no choice but to surrender her elder brother. Now, Li Xuan has no grounds to refuse to bring out the Crown Prince to meet the ministers. If she refuses now, it means she truly intends to rebel against the court!”
Zhu Hao’s thoughts echoed Li Xuan’s dilemma. She had been at a loss for words, unable to respond properly after saying “This…” for so long. Finally, she stamped her foot hard and said, “Very well! I will now bring out the Crown Prince to meet you all, but Prime Minister, my conditions…”
Prime Minister Guo interrupted her before she could finish: “Everything shall be discussed after the new emperor ascends. Matters of the royal family, I shall neither interfere with nor obstruct!”
Prime Minister Guo’s words seemed to reassure Li Xuan. She nodded and said, “Fine! Prime Minister, I trust you. I hope you will keep your word!” With that, Li Xuan turned and entered the Qianqing Palace.
After Li Xuan entered, everyone present, including Zhu Hao, felt a surge of excitement, for they were about to witness a historic moment.
A short while later, Li Xuan emerged again, leading a visibly timid Zhu Youxiao. His eyes darted nervously, avoiding the gaze of the ministers, while Li Xuan’s own eyes were sharp with vigilance and warning as she looked at the assembly.
The ministers all sighed with relief to see Zhu Youxiao finally step out of the Qianqing Palace.
Li Xuan and Zhu Youxiao walked slowly toward the ministers. At that moment, Prime Minister Guo suddenly spoke: “Crown Prince Youxiao is the heir to the Ming Dynasty, the legitimate eldest son of the late Emperor Da Xing! Now that the emperor has passed away, the heir should rightfully succeed the throne, stabilizing the realm above and comforting the people below. The Cabinet and Ministry of Rites have agreed: from this day forward, Crown Prince Youxiao shall act as emperor, with the formal enthronement ceremony set for the fifth day of the next month! I, Prime Minister, along with the ministers, pay our respects to His Majesty. Long live the emperor! Long live! Long, long live!”
As Prime Minister Guo finished speaking, the ministers all kowtowed in unison: “We pay respects to His Majesty. Long live the emperor! Long live! Long, long live!” The cries of “Long live the emperor!” echoed above Qianqing Palace, resounding without end.
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Since the death of Emperor Taichang Zhu Changluo from the red pills, a series of court dramas had unfolded, but with these words, the curtains fell on that tumultuous chapter. The fifteenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Xizong, Zhu Youxiao, after many trials and with the help of the Fifth Prince Zhu Youjian, Prime Minister Guo, and the ministers, finally succeeded to the supreme throne from his short-lived father. From then on, he stepped onto the stage of history, beginning his brief seven-year reign.
After the ministers paid homage to Zhu Youxiao, Prime Minister Guo and Zhu Hao rose abruptly. Zhu Hao suddenly launched an attack, rushing forward several steps and grabbing Li Xuan’s arm, trying to wrest his elder brother Zhu Youxiao away.
Caught off guard, Li Xuan felt a sharp pain and instinctively withdrew her hand from Zhu Youxiao’s grasp. Zhu Hao seized the opportunity, pulled his brother back, and quickly retreated.
Zhu Hao’s move to reclaim his brother was not impulsive but carefully planned. He had calculated that being this close and acting unexpectedly would ensure he could safely take his brother away. He acted after Li Xuan had allowed Zhu Youxiao to meet the ministers because he did not want to lose the initiative. If he waited for Li Xuan to take Zhu Youxiao away again, who knew what new troubles might arise? Zhu Hao was determined to prevent that and acted decisively.
As Zhu Hao made his move, Li Xuan quickly regained her senses and charged at him, but the ministers, led by Prime Minister Guo, surged forward to separate Li Xuan from Zhu Youxiao. The distance between them grew wider as Zhu Hao retreated.
With Zhu Youxiao rescued and the ministers creating a buffer, order was restored. The ministers arranged themselves by rank, but notably, the two most honored figures, Zhu Youxiao and Zhu Hao, stood at the very back. This seemingly improper arrangement was a protective measure by the ministers to shield Zhu Youxiao from any further trouble from Li Xuan.
Li Xuan knew that once Zhu Youxiao was out, it would be hard to take him away again that day, but she had not expected Zhu Hao to act so boldly. She was somewhat shaken and wanted to fight back, but the throng of ministers kept her and Zhu Youxiao far apart. She could neither retaliate nor even approach him, let alone seize him back. Resentful, she shouted, “Prime Minister Guo, what is the meaning of this?”
She naturally assumed this was all Prime Minister Guo’s doing, unaware that Zhu Hao had acted on his own accord.
Prime Minister Guo did not expect Zhu Hao’s sudden decisiveness either. Hearing Li Xuan’s question, he felt somewhat wronged, but with his stature, he would never allow a mere palace attendant to question him so boldly.
He did not even glance at Li Xuan but snorted coldly and said, “Your Highness the Crown Prince is now acting as emperor, the sovereign of the nation. How can you continue to reside in the same quarters? Such conduct violates moral principles! The new emperor should live in Qianqing Palace, but out of consideration for the care you gave the new emperor, I grant you three days to vacate the palace. After you leave, the palace will be thoroughly cleaned before the new emperor moves in.”
As a scholar, Prime Minister Guo’s subtle insult carried no vulgarity. It was common for a new emperor to have Qianqing Palace cleaned upon succession, but his words implied that Li Xuan had sullied the palace, necessitating cleansing.
Listening to Prime Minister Guo’s veiled dismissal and order to leave, Li Xuan finally woke to reality. Her dream of becoming Empress Dowager was likely shattered. Filled with resentment, she said angrily, “I will not move! I refuse to move! Let’s see what you can do about it!”
Prime Minister Guo snorted again without looking at her and called, “Yang Lian!”
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Hearing his name, Yang Lian knew it was his cue and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, “Prime Minister, I am here!”
Prime Minister Guo nodded and said, “Read it.”
Yang Lian drew several sheets of paper from his bosom and began to read aloud: “Li Xuan, originally a minor concubine of the inner palace, took advantage of the late Emperor Da Xing’s passing to seize the Crown Prince and occupy Qianqing Palace, a grave crime deserving of death. However, considering her role in raising the new emperor, the Three Judicial Offices and the Cabinet have decreed that she must immediately return His Highness the Crown Prince and vacate Qianqing Palace.”
Hearing Yang Lian’s prepared statement, Li Xuan realized she had been deceived. Prime Minister Guo’s earlier hints were false; the ministers never intended to make her Empress Dowager but were instead preparing to punish her.
After all her schemes had turned to dust and she was being driven around like a stray dog by the ministers, Li Xuan’s bitterness boiled over. She raged, “I will not move! I am the consort of the late emperor. Let me see who dares touch me!”
She glared furiously at Prime Minister Guo and shouted, “Prime Minister, I once believed you to be a man of virtue and respect, which is why I trusted you. But you have shown no respect for your elders and have set a trap for me. You have schemed against a mere woman. Are you not afraid that the world will mock you?”
Prime Minister Guo shook his head and sighed: “From beginning to end, I never promised you anything. I only said I would not interfere in royal family matters, and that is true. After all, I hold no official position now; even if I wished to intervene, I could not.”
Hearing this, Li Xuan finally understood that Prime Minister Guo had been playing word games with her. Though it seemed he hinted at appointing her Empress Dowager, he had planned this all along. Despite her unwillingness, the situation was clear: her greatest bargaining chip was gone, and she had lost the right to negotiate. She understood that a grim fate awaited her, but given her circumstances, she could only accept it silently.