Chapter 599: Who Dares to Halt the Emperor?

Since returning from his northern expedition in September of the previous year, Zhu Di had not attended any court sessions anymore, leaving almost all state affairs to be decided by the crown prince in the Eastern Palace. Aside from cabinet ministers like Yang Shiqi and Yang Rong, as well as ministers in charge of the six departments such as Lü Zhen and Zhao Jin, he rarely met with external officials. When he felt energetic, he would rather go hunting and riding in the Western Gardens than deal with those complicated state affairs. Yet when he saw the exquisite pavilions, towers, and the strange birds and beasts, he would often think of the vast landscapes beyond the borders, and his desire to return to the battlefield grew stronger by the day.

“Your Majesty, tomorrow is the Emperor’s Birthday. I’ve never seen such a lively celebration before.”
Although the palace concubine combing his hair was a Korean beauty he had still doted on until the night before, hearing these words suddenly filled him with rage. He was still a young and strong emperor, full of vigor—there was no need for anyone to constantly remind him of his age! Abruptly opening his eyes, he saw the woman with dark hair reflected in the bronze mirror, and himself with gray temples in front of her. In an impulse, he grabbed something and smashed it fiercely at the mirror.

Bang—

This sudden action frightened everyone in the room. In an instant, everyone rushed back, even Consort Han Li, who was combing her hair, knelt down in shock. In a fit of fury, Zhu Di stood up abruptly, knocked the bronze mirror to the ground, and then stormed out of the room in a huff. It was indeed the day before the Emperor’s Birthday. Zhu Zhanji had asked him to inspect the imperial guards, so eunuchs Liu Yongcheng and Hai Shou were already waiting outside. But now, both of them stood there as if carved from wood or clay.

“It’s getting late; we should set off!”
Zhang Qian, who happened to enter the room, was shocked to see the emperor planning to leave without even putting on a hat. However, he couldn’t pretend to be deaf and mute like Liu Yongcheng and Hai Shou, so he stepped forward quickly, changing the subject by talking about the preparations outside. Seeing Zhu Di’s expression improve slightly, he then said with a smile, “Today, His Imperial Grandson has invited Your Majesty to conduct a grand inspection of the imperial guards at the training ground in the Western Gardens. This has never happened before. His Highness was personally trained by Your Majesty, so he will surely display great leadership skills on the field. Since Your Majesty returned from his northern expedition last year, the soldiers haven’t seen Your Majesty’s face. Should he wear civilian clothes or armor today?”

Moved by Zhang Qian’s few words, Zhu Di forgot about what had happened inside. He focused solely on the need to stay energetic today at all costs and not let his grandson outdo him. After pondering for a moment, he ordered that armor be prepared. Having fought in battles in his early years and led three military campaigns, Zhu Di already had more than a dozen sets of armor stored in the Imperial Horse Supervision Office, ranging from leather armor to iron armor. However, given the emperor’s advanced age, no one dared to dress him in those heavy iron suits. So, Liu Yongcheng handed him the prepared leather armor. Zhang Qian personally combed Zhu Di’s hair and helped him put on the leather armor and boots, after which two palace maids came to assist him as he left.

The three eunuchs following behind deliberately slowed down. Having just risked resolving the situation, Zhang Qian was too lazy to deal with matters inside and simply nodded at Liu Yongcheng and Hai Shou, saying, “I’ll follow the emperor. You three can handle whatever happens inside.”

With that, Liu Yongcheng glared angrily at the inner chamber and muttered disdainfully, “They’re just women from foreign lands, unaware of proper conduct. They’ve angered the emperor! Hai Shou, she’s someone you brought back from Korea. Go in and see what’s going on. Don’t take too long—today, the Imperial Horse Supervision Office’s troops are present, and you’re essential!”

Hai Shou had always obeyed Liu Yongcheng’s orders. Though reluctant, she could only nod. Only after everyone in the room had followed the emperor did she lift the curtain and enter. Seeing the people still kneeling, she kicked two of them to their feet, scolding them fiercely before helping Princess Guo Li up.

“Your Highness, this isn’t your first time serving the emperor. How could you be so careless? Not to mention those who came with you from Korea, even the best-selected women in this country—aren’t they numerous? If you anger the emperor, not only will you lose his favor, but it might also affect your family thousands of miles away! Enough, the emperor has left, and at least he didn’t punish you. Hurry back to the palace. If the emperor returns and has further instructions, I’ll definitely send someone to inform you!”

After coaxing and threatening Princess Guo Li into leaving, Hai Shou questioned the eunuchs. Upon learning that Princess Guo Li had only said the word “Longevity Festival” before provoking such anger, she also began to feel uneasy.

It was obvious to everyone that the emperor was old, yet no one dared to show the slightest hint of it. Just as he was ordered to demand virgins from Korea, he would always choose them carefully, as selecting them domestically could easily provoke admonitions from Korean officials. Now, even when going to the training ground, the emperor needed palace maids to support him. To outsiders, it must seem as though the emperor was so indulged in women that he had lost control. Could it be that with fewer opportunities to show his prowess on the battlefield, he sought to do so through women? This was hardly like the emperors of old!

Zhu Di didn’t care what others thought. Out of breath, he mounted his horse with the help of two palace maids. He immediately regained the sense of invincibility he had on the battlefield, and the signs of aging vanished from his face. Leaving Xihua Gate and heading north along Xishangbei Gate, he arrived at Qianming Gate by Taiye Pond. Passing by Chengguang Hall beside the gate, crossing Yuhé Bridge and Lingxing Gate, he reached the Western Palace. This was where he had previously lived in Beijing. Seeing those familiar palaces again, he stopped his horse. His halt forced everyone around him to stop and wait.

Zhang Yue, who had been waiting by the Simili Jian Jingchang, watched from afar as the imperial procession stopped. He immediately checked the time on the sundial beside him. Having often visited the Western Palace before, he naturally knew the emperor had deep feelings for this place. Calculating the time, Li Maofang, who must have received the news early, should be arriving by now. It had been a long time since Zhu Di had set foot in the Western Palace. With such a great opportunity and the “remind” from Princess Yongping, how could Li Maofang miss it?

Thus, when he saw a sudden red figure rushing out, his worried heart finally settled.

The Western Palace was a sacred area where outsiders were not allowed to enter. Moreover, with imperial guards and personal troops accompanying Zhu Di on all sides, when someone suddenly rushed toward the imperial procession, two guards immediately stepped forward with swords to block the way, while the others quickly formed a fan shape to protect the emperor tightly. Zhu Di, who was lost in memories of the past, was disturbed by this sudden action and grew annoyed. When the palace maids beside him quietly reported that someone was blocking the way, his anger flared even more.

“Who is blocking the way?”

The guards in front asked about the identity of the person who had tried to stop the emperor’s carriage. While they were at a loss, upon hearing the emperor’s question, they immediately reported it step by step. Upon receiving this information, Liu Yongcheng cursed that reckless fellow in his heart, then had an idea. After all, it had been the King of Han or the King of Zhao who had nearly caused him to fall from power, and Princess Yongping was likely involved as well! Immediately, he came up calmly and said, “Your Majesty, it’s Marquis of Fuyang… no, it’s commoner Li Maofang.”
“Li Maofang?”
Hearing this name, Zhu Di immediately frowned deeply, his anger growing even more. He had always been indifferent to his daughters; even though Princess Ancheng and Princess Xianning were born to Empress Xu, he didn’t show much affection for them. However, since Princess Yongping had repeatedly begged for a lenient sentence, and that troupe of zaju actors seemed quite interesting, he had planned to make an exception and let them go home under house arrest. But now, seeing Li Maofang, who should have been in Wanchun Palace, here, he immediately sensed something was amiss.
If someone could sneak someone out just to curry favor outside the palace here, what would happen elsewhere?
“Bring him here!”
Having learned that the emperor was going to the training ground in the Western Garden that day, Li Maofang had gone to great lengths to arrange things so he could appear here just in time. Hearing this order, he was overjoyed. Even if he was an idiot, he knew this was a rare opportunity and he must not show his arrogant attitude in front of others; instead, he needed to appear repentant. So as soon as the two guards led him before Zhu Di’s horse, he immediately knelt down, kowtowing so many times that his forehead turned black and blue.
Zhu Di stared coldly at Li Maofang, recalling the scene when selecting a son-in-law for the YanMansion. Li Rang had been personally chosen by him as a court official in the YanMansion. At that time, he needed talents and the support of military families, and since other princes also used their daughters to form alliances for support, he was no exception. The Li family was wealthy, Li Shen held a position in Nanjing, and Li Rang had considerable military skills. Moreover, after he ascended the throne, the county princess became a princess, and Li Shen died fighting for him, so it made sense for him to appoint Li Rang as a marquis. Yet, Li Rang had such an idiotic son!
“This is a sacred place in the Western Palace. Who allowed you to run around freely?”
“I have been reflecting in the Western Palace. I haven’t attended the birthday celebrations for two years. This year, hearing that all officials were celebrating at Fengtian Gate, I earnestly begged the guards to let me see Your Majesty just once to offer my congratulations on your long life.”

Li Maofang had anticipated that the emperor would cling to this issue. Under the pressure of that fierce tone, he trembled visibly without even trying to hide it. Though he was the emperor’s direct grandson, everything in his arms had already been thoroughly searched before he was brought in. So now he swallowed hard and glanced secretly at the bodyguard beside him.

“I am a sinner. I failed to offer any gifts in the past two years, and I have nothing else to present this time. All I can do is cut my wrist to bleed and use that blood to copy the Diamond Sutra for Your Majesty, as a wish for your long life!”

Upon hearing the words “cut my wrist to bleed,” Zhu Di immediately raised his eyebrows and ordered the bodyguard to bring out what had been found on Li Maofang. Taking the sutra, he flipped through it casually and found that it indeed was a copy of the Diamond Sutra written in bright red ink, with neat small script on each page. The handwriting seemed somewhat familiar. Thinking of Princess Yongping’s repeated pleas and the fact that she had only this one son, and recalling that he had previously ordered the revocation of titles and imprisonment not because he wanted to pursue Zhao Wang Zhu Gao Sui, but because of the Li family’s past contributions, his heart wavered.

Although he had already decided to release him on the occasion of the Longevity Festival, Zhu Di still kept a stern expression and remained unmoved. “Since you acknowledge your fault, reflect well on it. Don’t always harbor hopes of luck!”

With that, he glanced at Liu Yongcheng and ordered, “Liu Yongcheng, take him back!”