Chapter Forty-Eight: Zhu Hao's Preparations

The scene that had just unfolded in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility was, of course, unknown to Zhu Hao, who was still recuperating in bed. Yet Zhu Hao had not been idle either. Once his father had left, he requested to return to his own quarters to recover. His mother, Consort Liu, was initially very much against it, but Zhu Hao pleaded earnestly, and at last, unable to resist her son’s insistence, she nodded her reluctant assent.

No sooner had Zhu Hao returned to his chambers than Hua Rong rushed in. Upon seeing Zhu Hao, Hua Rong’s expression was overwhelmed with emotion; he threw himself to the ground in a deep bow and said, “Your humble servant Hua Rong thanks Your Highness for saving my life! I am willing to lay down my life to protect Your Highness for as long as I live!”

Having rested in his mother’s quarters and eaten something to restore his strength, Zhu Hao had by now recovered. Seeing Hua Rong in such a state, he hurriedly rose from the bed and helped him to his feet, saying, “Guardian Hua, you need not do this! I have only done what I ought to do. You acted on my command. If I were to hand you over now that trouble has arisen, what face would I have left to live in this world? Besides, as you are the commander of my personal guard, if I do not protect you in a crisis, who will? It is my duty to shield you.”

At these words, Hua Rong’s eyes grew red. “Your Highness may think this no more than proper, but to Hua Rong it is a grace as great as being given a new life. What is more, Your Highness has suffered imprisonment on my account. If I did not come to thank you in person, I could neither eat nor sleep in peace!”

Not wishing Hua Rong to feel indebted—lest it strain their relationship in the future—Zhu Hao shook his head and said, “You are mistaken, Guardian Hua. I acted as I did not out of nobility, but for my own interests! First, your archery at the royal hunt astonished me. I am convinced you have great prospects ahead, so I was willing to do whatever it took to keep you by my side, to help me expand the glory of Great Ming. Second, I am the Emperor’s own son; as they say, ‘even a tiger does not eat its cubs.’ I reckoned my father would not kill me, but if I handed you over, you would surely die. Thus, if a little hardship on my part could save your life, it was a risk well worth taking. There’s no need for you to dwell on it.”

In truth, these words were not entirely sincere. The situation had developed so suddenly that Zhu Hao had no idea how his father would react, but he had made up his mind—no matter what, he would not give up Hua Rong. That was why he had endured a stint in the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s prison. The reason Zhu Hao now explained things this way was to put Hua Rong at ease and prevent any future awkwardness between them. Zhu Hao understood well the old saying that a great debt of gratitude can become a great source of enmity.

When someone owes you a debt they cannot repay, it becomes a heavy burden on their soul. The longer it lingers, the greater the pressure, until the only way to relieve it is either to see the benefactor dead or to sever all contact. Zhu Hao had no wish for either outcome, hence his pragmatic words.

Hua Rong was no ordinary man; he ranked ninth among the heroes of Liangshan Marsh, a place teeming with all manner of characters. The moment Zhu Hao finished, Hua Rong understood his intention. He gave Zhu Hao a deep, meaningful look but said nothing more. Only, in his gaze there was now a trace of respect that had not been present before.

Seeing that Hua Rong had fallen silent, Zhu Hao suddenly recalled something and instructed, “Guardian Hua, fetch Xiaobao for me. I have something to ask him.”

Hua Rong accepted the order and left. About a quarter of an hour later, Wei Xiaobao entered the room, beaming. When he saw Zhu Hao leaning against his bed, he quickly schooled his features and bowed deeply. “Your servant greets Your Highness. You have finally returned! In the days you were away, your humble servant missed you terribly, and wished nothing more than to go to the prison in your stead and bear your suffering!”

Though he’d been acquainted with Wei Xiaobao for some time, Zhu Hao was still unaccustomed to his servant’s extravagant displays of loyalty. He cut him off and said, “Oh? Such filial devotion is rare. That’s easily arranged—I can send you to the prison for a few days, so you might share the experience and fulfill your wish.”

Of course, Zhu Hao was only joking—even a fool wouldn’t punish a servant for his flattery by sending him to prison, much less the wily Zhu Hao. But Wei Xiaobao, unaware it was a jest, turned pale at the mention of the notorious Embroidered Uniform Guard’s prison. He barely dared to breathe, repeatedly begging for mercy. “Your Highness, your humble servant knows his error. I dare not do it again! Please do not send me to the prison—I would not survive it!” With this, he looked at Zhu Hao with a pitiful expression.

Zhu Hao couldn’t help but laugh aloud, the tense atmosphere he’d deliberately created vanishing in an instant. Since the mood was broken, he decided not to tease Wei Xiaobao further, but said seriously, “Enough, I was only joking. Get up. I have a question: has there been anything unusual in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility these past few days?”

Wei Xiaobao stood up at once and thought carefully before replying, “Your Highness, nothing out of the ordinary has happened in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Only, this morning the Empress flew into a rage and smashed many things. But ever since she was placed under house arrest, such incidents have occurred frequently, so I did not think it worth reporting.”

Zhu Hao frowned, sensing something amiss. He asked, “How often does that old witch lose her temper? Do you know the reasons for her tantrums? And what set her off this time?”

Wei Xiaobao hesitated, looking embarrassed. “Well, this, um…”

Seeing his servant falter, Zhu Hao guessed the truth but pressed him sternly, “Enough prevaricating. Did you not hear me clearly? Speak up—do you know the reason for the Empress’s outburst or not?”

Frightened by Zhu Hao’s anger, Wei Xiaobao dared not conceal anything further. “Your Highness, please forgive me. The Empress usually loses her temper every five days or so, but this time, she had already had a fit just three days before. As for the reason, I truly do not know. I learned all this from the guards stationed outside the Palace of Earthly Tranquility—I cannot enter myself.”

Zhu Hao nodded, recognizing that he could not fault Wei Xiaobao; as a low-ranking eunuch, he had already gone to considerable lengths to gather this much information. At that moment, a new idea began to take root in Zhu Hao’s mind: if he wished to keep abreast of the goings-on in the various palaces, it was urgent that he begin building an intelligence network of his own within the Forbidden City. Only by having more people working for him could he hope to gather more information, and thus steer clear of danger in the ever-turbulent palace.

Though Wei Xiaobao’s report was limited, Zhu Hao still detected something odd—the frequency of Empress Guo’s outbursts. According to Wei Xiaobao, since her confinement she lost her temper about every five days, but the last one had been only three days ago. This was out of the ordinary, and anything abnormal in the palace usually meant trouble. Zhu Hao mused to himself, “That old witch must have already learned what my father said in Mother’s palace this morning. The end of the month is near—will she use this as an excuse to launch the Red Pill Plot and send my father to his doom?”

This was the possibility that most troubled Zhu Hao. Yet, with limited information, he had no idea how to guard against it and could only prepare to respond to whatever might come.

With this in mind, Zhu Hao instructed Wei Xiaobao, “Xiaobao, you have worked hard. For now, continue to keep a close watch on the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. If anything unusual happens, report to me at once—there must be no delays. If you are even a moment late, I will make an example of you and personally send you to the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s prison to experience it for yourself. Do you understand?”

Zhu Hao gave this order because he felt certain that whenever Empress Guo decided to set the Red Pill Plot in motion, there would be signs in her palace. As long as he could learn of any movements there in good time, he could respond accordingly, and thus had a good chance of saving his father from harm.

Wei Xiaobao, hearing Zhu Hao’s words—a mixture of praise and threat—realized the gravity of the situation. The usual irreverence in his eyes vanished, replaced by earnestness. “Your humble servant understands. I will remember Your Highness’s instructions and report immediately if there is the slightest disturbance in the Palace of Earthly Tranquility!”

Seeing the seriousness in Wei Xiaobao’s expression, Zhu Hao knew he had grasped the importance of the matter. Zhu Hao nodded and said, “Xiaobao, I trust you greatly. I hope you will not disappoint me. Go about your duties now. If I need you, I will summon you. Otherwise, you are to keep watch at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility for twelve hours at a stretch, without leaving for even a moment. Do you understand?”