I have Immortality In The Cultivation World-Chapter 525 - 385: His Majesty’s Birthday
Chapter 525: Chapter 385: His Majesty’s Birthday
“Little Yizi, have you returned from your duty in the palace hall?”
Xiaoyuanzi spoke with a nasal tone, showing no sign of happiness or anger. However, from the way he addressed him alone, it was clear nothing good was happening.
In the palace, the way one is addressed can most accurately reflect a change in status.
From Little Yizi to Brother Yi and then to Eunuch Yi, and now back to Little Yizi again, one had to listen carefully to the tone—or else fall into a pit without even realizing it.
Zhou Yi stepped forward and knelt down with a plop, pleading, “Eunuch Yuan, I had no choice but to acknowledge Eunuch Xu. We lived together for four years, couldn’t we be even closer than brothers?”
Eunuch Yuan’s gaze was deep, and after a long silence, he sighed.
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“I will be going to the Board of Rites for duty from now on, you should look out for yourself!”
Having said that, he left carrying his satchel, leaving Zhou Yi alone, kneeling in the room.
“Look out for myself…”
Deliberating over Eunuch Yuan’s words, since a personal attendant should understand the Emperor’s intentions, the first thing that came to Zhou Yi’s mind was that the Second Prince had lost Imperial favor!
Once a prince fell out of favor, his chances for the throne were basically gone.
Zhou Yi’s mind raced, pondering how to find a new patron before Eunuch Xu took center stage.
“I cannot resort to burning incense at night!”
“Eunuch Yuan talking this way is both a reminder and a warning; our bond is severed and henceforth, he’s unreliable. Who else in the palace could I form a connection with?”
Zhou Yi stood up and saw Xiaozhengzi’s messy bed. He went over to fold the quilts and straighten them.
Just like when Xiao Xizi left!
Eunuch Yuan didn’t mention where Xiaozhengzi went, and Zhou Yi didn’t ask. Sometimes it was better not to clarify such things, pretending as if Xiaozhengzi had simply fallen into a well or disappeared.
In the palace, there were always eunuchs dying unexpectedly, perhaps tomorrow it would be Zhou Yi’s turn.
“With the Emperor’s health, he should last another two or three years. For now, I’ll ‘ride a donkey while looking for a horse’. Besides, Imperial favor is unpredictable: today, it may not exist, and tomorrow, it may suddenly appear!”
Thinking this way, Zhou Yi began to envy Emperor Hongwu.
With a single joyful thought, the whole world celebrates, and with one angry thought, all creatures tremble—truly, he is a living god on earth!
“Not all is bad today, with Xiaozhengzi gone, I don’t need to repay the favor I owed…”
Zhou Yi lay in bed, constantly comforting himself.
Reflecting on the past four years, although Xiaozhengzi was a bit cold, he was one of the few good people in the palace; Zhou Yi still remembered the fifty silvers he owed him.
…
The thirty-fourth year of Emperor Hongwu’s reign was coming to an end.
The palace was adorned in red and gold, the auspicious character for ‘longevity’ hung everywhere.
Long, wide, flat, round, with many strokes, with few strokes—all were personally written by the great scholars of the National Dynasty.
Zhou Yi knew this was called calligraphy, representing different styles of writing. Sadly, lacking cultural sophistication, he could not appreciate the beauty of the characters and saw them merely as inscrutable symbols.
“Once I am free, I should practice writing and study some books. I, too, want to be a scholar!”
In three days, it would be the Emperor’s seventieth birthday.
The event was organized by the King of Chu, the third prince, and the King of Qi, the fourth prince. Reportedly, they spent two million silvers, without needing any contribution from the state treasury or internal funds, as a sign of their filial piety to the Father Emperor.
“Where did the King of Chu and the King of Qi, who have not yet been assigned fiefs and have no properties in the capital, get two million silvers?”
“This isn’t just to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday; it’s adding to his troubles. This move from my godfather is really clever. I heard it’s called ‘killing with kindness’!”
“First they lavish you with praise, until you’re high in the sky, naturally getting carried away. As soon as you make a mistake and lose Imperial favor, you’ll be in the same boat as the Second Prince!”
Zhou Yi clicked his tongue in amazement. It turned out that schemes and plots were not just about harming others.
He pondered this for a moment, thinking he might try this ‘killing with kindness’ strategy on his godfather someday to see if he would also float up and crash down.
After returning from the Imperial Garden to his quarters.
Zhou Yi pushed the door open to find three young attendants inside.
“Little Yizi is back.”
Young people always spoke without restraint, just like Zhou Yi back in the day—they didn’t understand hierarchy or fear.
“Hmm.”
Zhou Yi cradled his hands, smiling and nodding his head. Thanks to the face-changing potion, his gray hair and aged face made him appear a generation older than the three newcomers.
Fortunately, influenced by the young eunuch Xiao Xi, swapping for a gloomy old eunuch, the three youngsters wouldn’t survive the year!
All three were refugees from the north, who said that the Northern Border had experienced a once-in-a-century heavy snowfall that collapsed countless houses, leading them to wander to the capital.
As a result, the capital’s enforcers were driving them away everywhere, forbidding the refugees from entering the city.
His Majesty loved his subjects like his children, and couldn’t bear to see the common people suffer; he absolutely couldn’t allow the refugees and beggars to tarnish the birthday feast!
Fortunately, the Imperial Household Department was recruiting newcomers, saving many refugees’ lives, including these three. They had food and shelter, clothing and housing—it truly was a vast imperial grace!
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The ninth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Night.
His Majesty was hosting a banquet in Chonghua Palace, inviting the royal relatives and court officials.
Ordinary eunuchs certainly had no qualifications to attend, but they also benefited. His Majesty bestowed upon all eunuchs and palace maids a dish of food and a pot of wine, granting them three days off in turn.
The Imperial Garden was empty and quiet, with only about ten eunuchs on duty,
Jiangxuexuan.
Zhou Yi stood alone at the entrance, looking up at the full moon, somehow thinking of his parents at home.
“The New Year is almost upon us, and with the silver I’ve sent back, they should be able to have a good celebration! I wonder if my elder brother has married, maybe he already has a little nephew…”
“Once I rise to the top, I’m determined to return home in glory and find a good position for my nephew!”
Zhou Yi vaguely heard noise and laughter from Chonghua Palace and suddenly felt it was very noisy. Let them enjoy today’s glory—in a hundred years, they too will be but a scoop of yellow earth.
A few days after His Majesty’s birthday feast.
News spread throughout the palace that the Second Prince was observing politics at the Ministry of War.
The Emperor, the one with a strong army, commands all!
Daqing was founded on military might, and the authority of the Ministry of War was in no way inferior to the Ministry of Personnel. Moreover, it represented His Majesty’s intention to groom the Second Prince. The direction of the court’s winds shifted suddenly yet again.
Zhou Yi breathed a little easier, for now, he didn’t need to pledge allegiance to a new godfather.
“I also need to prepare early. Supervisor Zhu of the Ministry of Personnel is not bad, having bought the face-changing cream for these years, we surely have become familiar!”
Supervisor Zhu was broad-minded and stout, with an okay temperament, neither good nor bad, but he had one excellent quality.
He loved money!
In the palace, any problem that money could solve was a small problem.
The thirtieth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Zhou Yi spent his fourth New Year’s Eve in the palace. The following day, the first day of the lunar month, marked the start of the thirty-fifth year of Grand Martial.
His Majesty had been on the throne for fifty-one years, but the official era was only at thirty-five. This was because back then, when foreign tribes from the Northern Border attacked the capital, the former emperor abdicated and fled the city.
At the age of ten, Emperor Hongwu entered the camp of the foreign tribes, signing a treaty to save the capital.
After the Retired Emperor returned, he resided in Jingyang Palace. To show his utmost filial piety, His Majesty only counted his reign from after the former emperor had died.
Whatever conflicts occurred between father and son afterward had become taboo; no one dared to discuss them, and Zhou Yi had only heard whispers of the palace occasionally stained with blood during those years.
Early morning the next day.
Zhou Yi first went to supervise the Kneeling and New Year’s greetings; with the Second Prince back in favor, Supervisor Xu was in a good mood.
“Little Yi, you’re efficient and effective. Would you like to serve in Yangxin Hall?”
Zhou Yi’s heart raced. His Majesty often stayed in Yangxin Hall to review memorials, which could be considered the most premier place of duty.
Eunuch Yuan ascended to the fourth rank by accompanying the Emperor, not simply by working hard for nine years. He got familiar with His Majesty by being in Yangxin Hall, otherwise, without this acquaintance, he wouldn’t even have the opportunity to compete.
Zhou Yi suppressed the thought of agreeing and smiled as he declined.
“Thank you for your nurturing, godfather, but I have only been here for three years. There are many rules in the palace I still don’t understand, and I would be clumsy and inept in Yangxin Hall, which would disappoint you.”
“Hmm, then maybe in a few years,”
Supervisor Xu nodded slightly, as he was also testing Zhou Yi to see if he harbored any ulterior motives.
Everyone in the palace had their little schemes, but no one could let them show!
