Chapter 113: My Younger Brother Will Become a Member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard

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Zhu Hao once again obtained a definite answer from Wei Xiaobao’s mouth and sighed deeply, thinking to himself, “Is history truly irreversible? That old eunuch has regained control of the Eastern Depot; this is destined to be a bloodbath! Could it be that I am truly powerless to stop the rise of this old eunuch? The Ming dynasty is already overwhelmed; I must not let this old eunuch run amok again. If he is allowed to do so once more, by the time I ascend the throne, it may already be too late to turn the tide!”

Zhu Hao knew in his heart that he could no longer sit idly by; he needed to take action. Certain matters required advance preparation. With these thoughts, Zhu Hao strode out of his chambers and headed straight for the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Upon arriving at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Zhu Hao saw his elder brother in high spirits, chatting with Wei Zhongxian. Seeing this, Zhu Hao felt a pang of discomfort, but he knew that if he were to speak ill of Wei Zhongxian now, his elder brother—who still regarded Wei Zhongxian as a good man—would surely think he was deliberately stirring trouble. So Zhu Hao kept silent and respectfully greeted his emperor brother.

Zhu Youxiao looked at Zhu Hao, his expression noticeably less warm than before, but he still smiled and said, “Dear brother, you’ve come to the Palace of Heavenly Purity twice today. It seems you really do miss me, don’t you?”

Zhu Youxiao was merely joking, but Zhu Hao replied earnestly, “Your humble brother indeed misses Your Majesty greatly, so he came to visit again. Please do not find me bothersome!”

Hearing this, Zhu Youxiao was momentarily taken aback but then understood that Zhu Hao was responding to his earlier jest and extending the playful tone.

Understanding this, Zhu Youxiao laughed heartily and said, “Dear brother, I’m delighted that you have me on your mind! How could I ever be annoyed with you?”

With this, Zhu Youxiao opened the door to playful banter, and Zhu Hao happily played along.

Once his emperor brother finished speaking, a smile also appeared on Zhu Hao’s face, and he said, “Your Majesty, my visit this time is twofold: first, to see Your Majesty; second, to ask when Your Majesty plans to send me to Zhejiang. I have been troubled by this matter in the palace these past days and find it difficult to rest!”

Zhu Hao gradually brought the purpose of his visit to the forefront.

In truth, Zhu Hao did not wish to speak of the Zhejiang matter because Wei Xiaobao’s intelligence had already informed him that his mission to investigate the case there would soon be underway. However, to achieve the purpose of this visit, Zhu Hao had no choice but to start with the Zhejiang issue.

Hearing Zhu Hao’s question about Zhejiang, Zhu Youxiao was overjoyed and laughed, “Dear brother, your timing is impeccable! I have already instructed the cabinet to draft an imperial edict. It will be sent shortly. Once I have used the imperial seal, you may take the order and proceed to Zhejiang to investigate whether there was cheating in the recent provincial examination!”

Zhu Hao quickly bowed and thanked his brother, “Your humble brother thanks Your Majesty for your trust. I will not fail Your Majesty and will thoroughly investigate the Zhejiang provincial examination! However…”

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At this point, Zhu Hao deliberately dragged out his words, aiming to arouse his brother’s curiosity and prompt him to continue. Sure enough, Zhu Youxiao noticed Zhu Hao’s hesitation and quickly took the cue: “Dear brother, do you face any difficulties on this journey? Speak frankly to me; I will help you in any way I can!”

Hearing this, Zhu Hao thought, “Brother, this is exactly what I wanted to hear!” Then he spoke, “In truth, there is not much, but I have heard that the local officials are quite cunning. I fear that my status as an imperial commissioner alone may not be enough to control them.”

Zhu Youxiao laughed heartily upon hearing this: “Dear brother, you are not just an imperial commissioner but also a prince, my own brother. Even if the local officials are cunning, I doubt they would dare to make things difficult for you. You worry unnecessarily!”

Zhu Hao inwardly thought, “Brother, you should have asked me what to do about it. Why aren’t you playing along properly?”

Though inwardly grumbling, Zhu Hao had to continue and planted a trap: “On the local level, the provincial finance commissioner holds the most power. Even with my status as a prince, I fear few will show me respect there.”

At this, Zhu Youxiao finally understood Zhu Hao’s meaning: he was making conditions. With a knowing smile, he said, “Dear brother, you’ve learned to be sly now. Just tell me what you want directly. Why beat around the bush? Speak—do you want me to grant you an official position to intimidate those tricky local officials?”

Zhu Hao’s intentions were laid bare by Zhu Youxiao, and feeling a bit embarrassed, he scratched his head. Yet despite his embarrassment, he knew he had to ask. So, as soon as Zhu Youxiao finished speaking, Zhu Hao said, “I have heard that officials greatly fear the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I wish to hold a post within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so that I may act more freely. I humbly ask Your Majesty to grant this favor.”

In truth, Zhu Hao’s meaning was clear: he wanted to become the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the highest-ranking official within that force. Because as a prince, any other post in the Embroidered Uniform Guard would be nominal at best—no one would dare to subordinate themselves to a prince except the emperor.

Zhu Youxiao pondered for a moment before replying, “Dear brother, the Embroidered Uniform Guard does not have the best reputation. I suggest you choose another position. Even if you want to be the Grand Chancellor, I can find a way to fulfill your wish!”

Zhu Hao shook his head stubbornly and said, “No, I want a post in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. No other position can intimidate the local officials. I beg Your Majesty to grant this. Otherwise, I will not go to Zhejiang and let someone more qualified handle it.”

Hearing that Zhu Hao might refuse to go, Zhu Youxiao immediately recalled Wei Zhongxian’s words from that morning. Hastily, he said, “Very well! I will grant your wish and appoint you Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Are you satisfied now? Honestly, you’re quite grown up but still threaten to quit like a child. You really are impossible!” His tone was full of affection.

Zhu Hao, hearing this, knew his goal was achieved.

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Zhu Hao’s true purpose was to use the Zhejiang examination cheating case as a pretext to claim command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Though he had long coveted this powerful force, he had not expected to take control so soon. But with Wei Zhongxian seizing the Eastern Depot, Zhu Hao had to act quickly. If he delayed, by the time he returned from Zhejiang, the Embroidered Uniform Guard might already be in Wei Zhongxian’s hands—a prospect he found unacceptable.

Thus, Zhu Hao seized the opportunity under this pretense to wrest control of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. His smooth success owed partly to Zhu Youxiao’s trust and partly to Wei Zhongxian’s slander. If Wei Zhongxian had not told Zhu Youxiao that Zhu Hao needed to be sent away to Zhejiang so that a wet nurse could enter the palace smoothly, Zhu Hao would not have been able to threaten to refuse the mission and thus compel Zhu Youxiao’s consent. This was a classic case of a blessing in disguise. Wei Zhongxian surely could not have imagined that his intrigue would help Zhu Hao take control of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. One wonders if he now regrets it bitterly.

Satisfied with his success, Zhu Hao felt a deep sense of contentment but did not linger a moment. He quickly bowed to his emperor brother and said with a smile, “Thank you, Your Majesty. You are my elder brother, and even when I am eighty, I will still be your younger brother. Besides, I am still but a child at heart!”

Zhu Youxiao laughed heartily, “Dear brother, you say you are a child? Judging by your deeds, I think only you believe that. No one else would!”

His words hit the mark. Zhu Hao’s actions—whether investigating the palace fire, shooting the Minister of Works Cui Shi at the royal hunting ground, or taking command of the imperial guards—were hardly childlike.

Embarrassed, Zhu Hao scratched his head and stood there smiling foolishly. As he laughed carelessly, he suddenly felt a hostile gaze fixed on him like a venomous snake’s stare, making his heart skip a beat.

Following the gaze, he saw Wei Zhongxian standing behind his emperor brother, eyes sharp and sinister. Refusing to yield, Zhu Hao raised an eyebrow provocatively at Wei Zhongxian, then turned back to his emperor brother with a solemn tone: “Your Majesty, I shall soon depart for Zhejiang. I do not know when I will return to the capital, nor when I shall see Your Majesty again. Please take great care of your health, for even if I am thousands of miles away, I cannot rest easy otherwise.”

Zhu Youxiao saw the sincerity in Zhu Hao’s expression and was moved. “Dear brother, rest assured, I will take good care of myself. You must do the same out there. If you truly cannot solve the matter, return directly. I will not blame you.”