The Ming Dynasty: I Fabricated Dreams for Zhu Di 12

Chapter 12: Unscrupulous Merchants (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Regardless of whether it was Empress Xu or Empress Ma of the Hongwu Dynasty, neither would actively interfere in state affairs. They would only speak up to advise when the Emperor sought their counsel, truly needed help solving problems, or when the Emperor made a mistake. Even then, it was only advice; whether he listened or not was the Emperor’s decision. This was a privilege afforded only to the Empress. If a concubine dared to interfere, it would be a capital offense. Although she managed the inner court, she was only the Crown Princess. She couldn’t overstep her bounds; this was the rule Empress Xu had taught her, the way to survive. Understanding the rules of propriety – what to do, what not to do, what to say, and what not to say – was crucial.

…

North Gate of the Imperial Palace.

Lady Hu, her posture impeccable, walked beside Zhu Zhanji and softly said, “Grandson of the Emperor, why should you handle such trivial matters? Leave it to us women.”

After listening to Lady Hu’s incessant muttering all the way, Zhu Zhanji showed slight impatience. “Lady Hu, you’ve been saying this the whole way. I told you, I’ll handle this personally.”

Lady Hu had entered the palace long ago, assisting the Crown Princess in managing the inner court. She was essentially the second-in-command of the inner court and had practically watched him grow up. In her eyes, Zhu Zhanji was the Imperial Grandson, a precious being.

“Grandson of the Emperor, this isn’t proper. If…”

Before Lady Hu could finish, Zhu Zhanji interrupted, using a joking tone. “Stop. If you say any more, I’ll get angry.”

But Lady Hu took the joke seriously, immediately kneeling before Zhu Zhanji. “Grandson of the Emperor, forgive me.”

Zhu Zhanji stopped, sighing helplessly. “The ground is cold, get up.”

Clearly, the women in the palace didn’t dare to joke with him. He didn’t intend to continue joking with Lady Hu. Otherwise, she would kneel every time he said a word. The weather was quite cold.

Silence.

At the North Gate of the Imperial Palace, Zhao Dezheng waited with several Brocade Guard brothers. Not long after, he saw bedding approaching. To prevent a shortage of bedding, Lady Hu had intentionally brought several extra quilts. Added to what Zhu Zhanji carried, Zhao De didn’t initially recognize the person carrying the things. Only when they came closer did he realize…the eunuch carrying the items was dressed far too well.

Soon, the Brocade Guard received the bedding from the palace maids. Only the bedding in Zhu Zhanji’s hands remained untransferred.

Zhao De helplessly said, “Grandson of the Emperor, give me the bedding.”

Zhu Zhanji poked his head out, smiling at Zhao De. “It’s fine, I’ll deliver it. I have something to ask my grandfather.”

It seemed he couldn’t shake Zhu Zhanji. However, it was improper for the Imperial Grandson to carry so much bedding. Zhao De took all the bedding from Zhu Zhanji’s hands, leaving only one quilt for appearances’ sake.

“Zhao De, no need to be so courteous. I’m quite strong.” While he wasn’t as strong as his second uncle, he certainly had this much strength. He was proficient in the Six Arts of a Gentleman – music, chess, calligraphy, painting, archery, and horsemanship.

“Commander Zhu told me to retrieve the bedding. If I saw the Grandson carrying so much, I would be punished.”

Hearing this, Zhu Zhanji finally relented, carrying one quilt for show. He could give all the bedding to Zhu Zhanji outside the tavern; it wouldn’t matter. Zhao De needed to be diligent in serving Zhu Di; Zhu Zhanji needed to be diligent in serving Zhu Di; neither interfered with the other.

“Then Lady Hu, we’re leaving.”

Lady Hu slightly bent her hands, bowing slightly without speaking. After saying goodbye, Zhao De took Zhu Zhanji to the tavern.

…

Half an incense stick later.

Zhao De took Zhu Zhanji to a deep alley where the tavern was located. Seeing the surroundings, he was somewhat surprised.

“Zhao De, why would Imperial Grandfather be in such a place?”

Faced with the Imperial Grandson’s question, Zhao De didn’t hide anything. He explained, “There’s a tavern here with a sign that says ‘Dreams as Wine.’”

“Mr. Yao recommended this place to Your Majesty.”

“As for the purpose, that’s not something I can know.”

Zhu Zhanji paused slightly. “Tavern? Is that like an inn?”

A tavern and an inn were likely the same thing, but the term “tavern” was less common. In the Capital City, places selling alcohol were almost always called “somethings-楼” (lou, meaning building). For example, Qingjiang Building, Heming Building, Drunken Immortal Building, Gathering of the Wise Building, Le Min Building, South Market Building, North Market Building, etc. The tavern he frequented most was Drunken Immortal Building. All had “Building” as a suffix, collectively called taverns; calling them “wine shops” was also fine. As long as the name included the character for “wine”, people would know it sold alcohol; the specific name wasn’t important.

Wait… What?

Wine?

“What did you say? That old monk invited my grandfather to drink???”

Zhu Zhanji only then reacted to going to a place that served alcohol. Besides drinking, he couldn’t think of any other reason. But Zhu Di was almost sixty this year. The imperial physician had repeatedly warned against letting Zhu Di touch alcohol again; otherwise, his health would rapidly deteriorate. His years of warfare had left him with countless hidden ailments; drinking would inevitably cause these ailments to flare up, causing unbearable pain. Because of this, Zhu Di had reluctantly quit drinking years ago. He only drank a few cups at large banquets.

“Your Imperial Highness, calm down, calm down.”

Zhu Zhanji’s usually calm face showed extreme anxiety.

“Calm down? You want me to calm down? Damn it, if I find out which bastard dared to sell my grandfather alcohol…”

“I’ll slaughter him! What are you Brocade Guards doing?”

Yao Guangxiao and Zhu Di, their ages combined exceeded a hundred years. Selling alcohol to old men, isn’t that equivalent to robbing and murdering?

Zhao De was rather silent. “This… what Your Majesty wants to do, we’re not qualified to ask.”

Zhu Di, as the Emperor, could decide whatever he wanted to do. All they could do was follow orders. Even Zhu Wei, the closest person to him, didn’t have the right to advise him.

Hearing this, Zhu Zhanji felt even more agitated. If Zhu Di had an accident, wouldn’t his uncles cause chaos? Moreover, he didn’t want Zhu Di to “pass away early”. He had grown up beside Zhu Di; his grandfather-grandson relationship with Zhu Di was far stronger than the father-son relationship he had with Zhu Gaoshi.

“You couldn’t stop them, and you didn’t tell me?!”

“I’m here now, isn’t that stopping them?” He was confident that if he was there, he could persuade Zhu Di not to drink too much. If Zhao De and the others had informed him earlier, this wouldn’t have happened.

“What’s the name of the tavern owner?”

“I want to see who’s so bold.”

Zhao De explained, “The tavern owner’s name is Zhuang Mu. Your Majesty and Mr. Yao didn’t reveal their identities to him.” Even without revealing their identities, selling alcohol to two elderly men would still constitute the actions of an unscrupulous merchant.

Requesting a monthly ticket

(End of Chapter)

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