Chapter 002: Court Turmoil

He is naturally the most aware of his own physical condition; he simply experienced a fainting spell and then took a stimulating red pill, which caused his internal heat to surge excessively, nearly exhausting him completely. If he had just consumed that bowl of laxative and had another one or two bouts, it would likely have been truly disastrous.

Wang Anwen, upon hearing this, expressed some surprise and said: "Your Majesty, what is the matter?"

The hour of the rabbit is approaching, and a hint of dawn has already appeared on the horizon. Taichang still lies quietly on the dragon bed, his eyes slightly closed, as if he were asleep.

Why is the Red Pill case so bizarre

Looking back now, the brain is indeed a wonderful thing, but unfortunately, he didn't use his brain at all at that time

He is quite well; after ascending the throne, he is solely focused on reforming corrupt practices and revitalizing the court, completely neglecting matters of the palace. The harem is under the control of others, and he remains oblivious to this fact, even directly targeting the powerful chief eunuch within the palace. Isn't this courting death

Upon hearing this, Wei Chao quickly walked to the door and whispered a message to the young eunuch on duty.

Why do so many people want to harm him

He thought for a moment and then asked: "Whom do you think is more reliable, Lu Shouhe or Luo Sigong?"

Thinking of this, he slightly opened his eyes and decisively said: "Summon Wang An."

What about Wei Zhongxian

In fact, the greatest problem at this moment lies not in the court, but within the palace.

He was taken aback for a moment and then fearfully shook his head, saying: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I did not know."

It turns out that Cui Wensheng is in cahoots with the Eastern Depot's commander, Lu Shou. No wonder this guy dares to act so recklessly with the drugs.

Tai Chang pondered for a moment and then said to Wei Chao beside him: "Go to the imperial kitchen and order a bowl of rock candy lotus seed soup. The lotus seeds must have their cores, and be sure to add plenty of rock candy. Remember, do not say it is for me; just say you want to drink it yourself"

What is wrong with you!

The reason he was brought to the brink of death and nearly lost his life was that he did not have complete control over the entire court. Had he controlled the entire court, it would not have been so easy for either the Qi-Chu-Zhe faction or the Donglin faction to conspire against him.

However, the so-called eunuch tax is merely the confidants of the powerful eunuchs in the palace, and the so-called corrupt officials are precisely the influential factions of Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang in the court

Lotus seeds are a sacred remedy for clearing heat, while rock sugar can replenish energy. Eating a bowl of rock sugar lotus seed soup should help him regain some strength.

Wang An was taken aback again. After careful consideration, he immediately said with shame: "Your Majesty, I am incompetent and fear that I cannot handle them."

Before long, Wang An hurriedly walked in, prostrated himself on the ground, and respectfully said: "This servant pays homage to Your Majesty"

He was thus unwittingly used by others, fully supporting the Donglin Party in dealing with the eunuchs in power within the palace and the Qi, Chu, and Zhejiang factions in the court, with predictable results

At this moment, he is not in immediate danger of losing his life, as both the laxative and the red pills are merely stimulants and not actual poisons. Historically, he was easily killed primarily due to his lack of vigilance. After enduring twenty days of continuous strain, he consumed the more potent red pills, resulting in his internal energy being nearly depleted, akin to running out of fuel. Ultimately, after taking some laxatives that drained the last remnants of his energy, he naturally succumbed to death. After enduring twenty days of continuous strain, he consumed the more potent red pills, resulting in his internal energy being nearly depleted, akin to running out of fuel. Ultimately, after taking some laxatives that drained the last remnants of his energy, he naturally succumbed to death

Are there no issues at all

Tai Chang asked in a low voice, "Do you know that Cui Wensheng and others intend to harm me?"

Wang An, upon hearing this, pondered carefully for a moment before cautiously saying: "I believe Luo Sigong is more reliable, as Lu Shou, like Cui Wensheng, is a close associate of the noble consort."

Due to the excessive greed of the eunuchs' tax, they arbitrarily increased the mineral tax and the monopoly tax, collecting ten and giving one, embezzling over ninety percent, which led to a decline in all industries and widespread grievances.

Abolishing the mineral tax and the monopoly tax, withdrawing the eunuch tax, punishing corrupt officials, and reappointing honest officials—these all sound like there are no issues at all

This fellow only castrated himself and entered the palace in his twenties

Wang An was left speechless upon hearing this

Ah

this

Tai Chang slightly raised his hand, signaling him to be at ease, and then cautiously glanced outside the door before softly asking: "Are the people outside reliable?"

The reason why the Red Pill case is so bizarre, and why so many people want to harm him, is actually quite simple: it is because he was betrayed by the Donglin Party

The proposals put forth by the Donglin Party appear to be for the country and the people, selfless and impartial

Alas, this Wang An is indeed loyal enough, but he lacks cunning and is easily deceived by others

Upon hearing this, Taichang could not help but sigh inwardly

Lu Shou is the Chief of the Eastern Depot of the Imperial Censorate, while Luo Sigong is the Commander of the Jinyiwei. Both of these individuals wield significant military power, and capturing either one would make it easy to control the court

For example

Continuing like this is certainly not feasible; it is essential to firmly control the entire court in one's own hands first. Otherwise, if one cannot even preserve one's own life, how can one talk about saving the Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty is already in turmoil; can he still turn the tide?

In summary, the medical knowledge in his mind is quite extensive, and it is not difficult to save his own life; the most pressing issue now is to address the hidden dangers within the harem

Tai Chang nodded gravely and then decisively said: "Summon Luo Sigong!"

At this moment, it is truly unreasonable to blame him for being paranoid, as there are too many people who wish to see him dead; with one careless move, he could lose his life

Now, he, as the emperor, is also caught in the factional struggles, nearly becoming a victim of these conflicts. What should be done

It can be said that the fall of the Ming Dynasty was primarily due to factional strife and internal conflict; otherwise, how could a small population of less than one million, the Jianzhou Jurchens, possibly overthrow a Ming Dynasty with a population exceeding one hundred million and take its place

Because he used to be like someone without a brain, only knowing how to be manipulated by others, and even when faced with death, he was still unaware that someone was harming him

If it were in the past, he might have racked his brains without understanding it; now, however, he understands it with just a little thought

Upon hearing this, Wang An hurriedly walked towards the door

Alas, factional strife brings disaster to the nation

He merely pondered for a moment, and his thoughts became clear in an instant

It is now different; after nearly an hour of merging, Zhu Taichang's memories have been deeply imprinted in his mind, no longer distinguishable from his own. At this moment, he seems to have gained enlightenment, his entire mind has become extraordinarily agile, his thinking has become exceptionally meticulous, and his willpower is now many times stronger than before

It seems that only the Jinyiwei can be used

The Donglin Party is using this emperor as a pawn, leveraging him to eliminate rivals and seize control of the court

Tai Chang then asked, "I wish to eliminate these calamities, do you have the confidence to do so?"

Having swallowed two red pills, can he still survive

Those corrupt officials are even more despicable; they exploit the name of the court to levy various harsh taxes and fees, causing the people to suffer greatly, with starvation widespread and the common folk on the brink of rebellion

How could he know that someone intends to assassinate the Emperor? If he were to know, then Cui Wensheng and others would not have been able to succeed so easily

Wang An was momentarily taken aback, and then he clasped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, rest assured, the people in the Qianqing Palace are all brought over from the Ciqing Palace. They have served you since childhood, and there will be no issues whatsoever."

Alas, Wang An, you are indeed the Chief Eunuch of the Court of Rites, holding the rank of the fourth grade, and the most senior eunuch among the twenty-four supervisory offices of the inner palace

The late Emperor Wanli is a very clear example. It is important to note that after the struggle for the foundation of the state, Wanli had fallen out with his ministers, to the extent that he even stopped attending morning court sessions. The court was rife with factional disputes, yet he faced no consequences at all, because the entire palace was under his control, and the ministers were utterly powerless against him

Tai Chang expressed some doubt, asking: "Is there really no problem?"

As soon as he ascended the throne, the Donglin Party proposed to abolish the mining tax and the monopoly tax, withdraw the eunuch tax, punish corrupt officials, and promote honest officials. At that time, without a moment's hesitation, he adopted all of these suggestions.

He did not take the laxative today, and there is still a bit of energy in his body. He just needs to reduce the heat and at the same time replenish some energy. After slowly recuperating for a few days, he should be fine

It is known that there are over ten thousand eunuchs in the imperial harem, yet he can command fewer than one hundred. Cui Wensheng is a trusted confidant of Consort Zheng, who is the master of the harem. The eunuchs and palace maids in the harem generally do not dare to defy Consort Zheng's orders, dealing with others is no joke

If it were in the past, he certainly would not be able to

More importantly, he grasped the trajectory of historical development and gained a certain understanding of many people and events in the later Ming Dynasty. With this knowledge, he was able to easily comprehend many matters and resolve numerous issues

It seems that this fellow can no longer be relied upon