[Romantic Anecdotes of the Qing Dynasty Court] [16] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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Chapter Sixteen: Emperor Shenzong's Drunken Beauty in the Cuihua Garden, Concubine Presents Red Pills in the Cining Palace. Meanwhile, the wise and enlightened Emperor of Manchuria, on one hand, forged an alliance with the five Mongol tribes' princes, and on the other hand, sent spies into the pass to gather intelligence on the Ming Dynasty. He himself returned to Xingjing to train the Eight Banners soldiers, preparing for battle sooner or later. One day, while discussing with many princes and ministers in the west wing of the palace how to conquer the Ming Dynasty, a messenger suddenly entered the palace and reported: "A scout has gathered intelligence on the Ming Dynasty and is waiting outside the palace gates for Your Majesty's decree."
Upon hearing this, the wise and enlightened Emperor immediately issued an imperial edict: "Summon the scout to the palace." The scout entered the palace, knelt on the ground, and said: "Your Majesty, I have been ordered to enter the pass and have gathered intelligence on the Ming Dynasty. I wish to report this to Your Majesty." The wise and enlightened Emperor then ordered: "Report this quickly!" The scout said: "Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty has appointed Zhang Juzheng as prime minister, and he has reformed the court, making it vastly different from before." The wise and enlightened Emperor then asked: "How has he reformed it?" The scout reported, “Prime Minister Zhang has dismissed all the treacherous officials in court and appointed many upright gentlemen to assist in governance. He has also sent people to investigate the population and survey the land in Jiangnan and Jiangbei, uncovering many irregularities in land taxation, which allows the court to collect more than a million taels of silver in taxes annually. He has also dismissed more than a thousand useless officials from the border checkpoints and grain ships. This January, he ordered the exemption of more than two million taels of silver in rent arrears nationwide. The people are all grateful to the Emperor and loyal to him. Prime Minister Zhang has also instructed the Minister of War to recruit more soldiers and train them
diligently in preparation for fighting against our Manchus. On one hand, he has sent Qi Jiguang to lead a large army to garrison on the Mongol border, on the other hand, he has sent many capable soldiers to guard Shanhaiguan. Emperor Shenzong, seeing Prime Minister Zhang's loyalty and patriotism, greatly respects him, but is also very afraid of him.” The wise Emperor, upon hearing this, was very surprised and said, “Respecting him is one thing, but why are you afraid of him?” The scout continued, “Your Majesty, you may not know, but Prime Minister Zhang is extremely strict with Emperor Shenzong! I've heard that Prime Minister Zhang recommended many talented men from Jiangnan to serve as the emperor's daily lecturers. They record the emperor's every move, his sitting posture, his laughter, and so on in a book, which Prime Minister Zhang then shows to him. If anything is found to be unreasonable, Prime Minister Zhang criticizes it to his face. Therefore, Emperor Shenzong dares not slack off or act recklessly. He also has many ministers accompany the emperor in his studies every day, and Prime Minister Zhang himself sits with the emperor on the platform for an hour each day. When Prime Minister Zhang sits with the emperor, Emperor Shenzong is so anxious that beads of sweat drip down his back. One day, Emperor Shenzong was reading the Analects, and when he came to the phrase ‘色勃如也’ (sè bó rú yě), he mispronounced the character ‘勃’ (bó) as if it were ‘背’ (bèi). Prime Minister Zhang immediately stood up with a stern face and loudly proclaimed to the emperor: ‘This is not the sound of ‘背’ (bèi), it is the sound of ‘勃然大怒’ (bó rán dà nù)!’ These words startled Emperor Shenzong greatly.”
Many of the lecturers who heard this changed color on their faces. Upon hearing this, the wise emperor couldn't help but sigh and said, "Good prime minister! With Zhang Juzheng in the Ming Dynasty, it seems we can't afford to offend him for the time being." "While rushing to inform Lindan Khan of this news, he also ordered scouts to go back into the pass to inquire further.
However, Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty, since the death of Prime Minister Zhang, had become quite incompetent, with the court filled with treacherous officials. Emperor Shenzong was also lazy in managing state affairs, spending his days in the deep palace playing with his concubines, leaving important matters of state to a few eunuchs to wield power. Then, Bo Bai rebelled in Gansu and Ningxia, and the Japanese general Toyotomi Hideyoshi led 130,000 troops and 9,200 naval forces to attack Korea. They breached the capital, and King Yi So of Korea fled to Uiju, seeking help from the Ming Dynasty. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the wise emperor captured Yi So's two princes and attacked the north of Korea. When this news reached Emperor Shenzong's ears, he immediately dispatched General Zu Chengxun to lead..." A large force went to the rescue. On the way, they encountered the Japanese vanguard, Konishi Yukinaga, fought a battle, and
suffered a crushing defeat, fleeing back. At that time, Li Rusong's troops were stationed outside the Great Wall. Relying on his superior strength, he led his troops in a fierce battle against the Japanese general Kobayakawa at Byeokje-eup. Rusong fled back to Pyongyang. When the Ming Dynasty's prime minister, Shi Xing, received this news, he was terrified and immediately sent Shen Weijing to negotiate peace. However, the Ming Dynasty's military campaign in Ningxia had cost more than 1,878,000 taels of silver; the seven-year campaign in Korea had cost more than 7,822,000 taels of silver, leaving the national treasury empty and the people in disarray. Emperor Shenzong was so anxious that he scratched his head and couldn't think of a solution. Then, a close eunuch took this opportunity to persuade the people to open up the country's mines and allow them to mine, and the court... Extracting mining taxes would bring another source of revenue to the national treasury. Emperor Shenzong agreed, issuing an imperial edict allowing people to report and mine any mineral veins they found. The eunuchs, using this pretext, colluded with local officials to harass the people. They seized every area with abundant mineral deposits, using the power of the court to force people to mine for them. If they couldn't find any minerals, they demanded compensation for their losses. If people resisted, they would claim there were mineral veins beneath their fields and houses, confiscating their land and demolishing their homes. This instilled resentment and hatred in the people. Not content with this, the eunuchs further persuaded Emperor Shenzong to issue an imperial edict: collecting shop taxes in Tianjin and pearl-diving taxes in Guangzhou. The Huai region levied salt tax, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Fujian levied maritime trade tax, Chengdu levied tea and salt tax, Chongqing levied timber tax, the Yangtze River region levied boat tax, Jingzhou levied shop tax, and Baodi levied fish and grass tax. Corrupt officials took advantage of this chaos, extorting money in every way imaginable. Even a chicken or a pig from an ordinary household was taxed. This led to widespread poverty and destitution, leaving nine out of ten households empty. It's laughable that Emperor Shenzong, spending his days indulging in pleasure with his concubines in the deep palace, seemed oblivious to the suffering and resentment of the people.
The eunuchs, fearing the emperor would uncover their crimes once he ascended the throne, bribed the chief eunuch, Wei, to deceive the emperor, saying, "The affairs of state are handled by the officials. The emperor, enjoying the finest food and drink, should rightfully enjoy the greatest pleasures. As the saying goes, 'How long is human life?' If Your Majesty does not enjoy yourself while you are still young and strong, how can you not decay like grass and trees after your death? Wouldn't that be lamentable?" "A single sentence touched the emperor's perverse nature, and he indulged in pleasure day and night. From then on, court sessions were never held in the Golden Palace. The Jingyang Bell and Drum were deserted, and the palace grounds were overgrown with weeds. Only swarms of foxes, rats, and bats were allowed to roam freely, holding their titles and appointments. Seeing the emperor's delight, Eunuch Wei embarked on a massive construction project, imitating the old system of the Yuan Dynasty, building the Deshou Palace, Cuihua Palace, Liantian Tower, Hongluan Palace, Ruxiao Palace, and Wuhua Palace within the palace grounds. It was the height of summer, so Eunuch Wei built a 'Qinglin Pavilion' in a lush, wooded area. Surrounded by tall pines and green bamboos, the south wind rustled the leaves, creating a soft, melodious sound, like the playing of stringed instruments. To the east was the 'Songsheng Pavilion,' and to the west was the 'Zhufeng Pavilion.'"
South of Qinglin Pavilion, at the foot of Longevity Hill, another building, "Chunxi Hall," was constructed. Its walls were plastered with pepper, embroidered curtains hung on all sides, osmanthus pillars were made, black bone screens, peacock feather curtains, and soft, thick embroidered carpets covered the floor. Entering the room, one was enveloped in a gentle, fragrant atmosphere, captivating Emperor Shenzong and leaving him mesmerized. Not content with this, Eunuch Wei selected five or seven hundred exceptionally beautiful women from the Jiangnan region, settling them in various rooms and palaces for the emperor's perusal at his leisure. He also adopted the naming conventions of the Yuan Dynasty: when peach blossoms were in full bloom, it was called the "Feast of Beloved Beauties"; when red plum blossoms first opened, it was called the "Feast of Red Watering"; when crabapple blossoms opened, it was called the "Feast of Warming Makeup"; when daphne blossoms opened, it was called the "Feast of Warming the Cold"; when peonies bloomed, it was called the "Feast of Cherishing Fragrance"; when the flowers fell, it was called the "Feast of Yearning for Spring"; and when the flowers had not yet bloomed, it was called the "Feast of Seizing Beauty." In addition, there were banquets for various occasions, such as the "Hats Off Banquet," the "Cool Summer Banquet," the "Cool Winter Banquet," the "Welcoming Spring Banquet," the "Orchid Banquet," and the "Lotus Picking Banquet." There was no occasion without a banquet, no place without one. Every day was filled with festivities, the air thick with the scent of perfume and the fragrance of cosmetics, leaving the amorous emperor in a daze. Among them, the emperor's favorite was Consort Zheng. Her beauty was truly comparable to the lines, "A single smile from her could launch a thousand ships, eclipsing all the beauties of the six palaces." Emperor Shenzong was unhappy without Consort Zheng by his side. Consort Zheng and Eunuch Wei were inseparable, devising all sorts of novelties to please the emperor. Eunuch Wei even made Consort Zheng a set of misty robes, so light and thin that in the summer heat, it was like looking at flowers through mist, every inch of her skin subtly revealed. The emperor, upon seeing this, became even more infatuated. In an instant, all the women in the palace donned these light, thin garments, moving about, their skin gleaming in the sunlight, appearing almost naked. It was the height of summer, and even at night, the heat was unbearable, but thankfully a bright moon hung in the sky. That night, Emperor Shenzong went to Taiye Pond for a moonlit stroll. Eunuch Wei, having received the order, hurried to prepare. The emperor and Consort Zheng, hand in hand, walked to the edge of Taiye Pond, boarded the painted boat, and slowly drifted to the center of the water. Moonlight shone on the water, reflecting the moon's light, green lotus leaves exuded fragrance, and fragrant algae bloomed beautifully. Looking back, small lotus-picking boats flanked the painted boat, each carrying female soldiers. The palace maid leading the group on the left was exceptionally beautiful, with a red feathered crown, patterned armor, and a gilded halberd in her hand; a phoenix-tail flag flew from the bow, revealing the words "Phoenix Team" in the wind. The palace maid leading the group on the right was also strikingly beautiful, with long eyebrows and delicate eyes. She wore a lacquered vermilion hat and a snow-white cloak, and carried a carved halberd. A crane-wing flag was planted on the bow of the boat, and in the moonlight, the words "Crane Clan" were visible on it. In addition, there were small boats for picking water chestnuts and lotus flowers, their green gauze draped over them, filled with palace maids. They moved swiftly and easily across the water. At this moment, seeing the moon high in the sky and colorful clouds gathered, Consort Zheng ordered: "Start the banquet and play music." The Emperor and Consort Zheng sat side by side in the middle cabin. The windows on all four sides were open, and the moonlight shone into the cabin, illuminating the banquet table with exceptional brilliance. As the delicate music reached the center, a group of palace maids in flowing silk robes performed a dance of immortals before the banquet. The moonlight shone through their silk robes, illuminating their snow-white bodies, which moved gracefully and lightly as they sang the song "Celebrating the New Coolness" in sweet, melodious voices. Emperor Shenzong was delighted and said to Consort Zheng with a smile, "In the past, the Queen Mother of the West feasted King Mu at the Jade Pool, and later generations admired her, saying that no one throughout history has been happier than her. However, tonight, I and you all enjoy this full moon and this wonderful night, and the pleasure of the Jade Pool is no less than that of the Jade Pool. It is a pity that Lady Shangyuan is not present, so we cannot hear her sing a song of 'Stepping into the Dark.'" Upon hearing this, Consort Zheng ordered the orchestra to play the song "Moonlight Shines," and she herself came forward, dancing and singing: "The five colors are like woven fabric, shining with one color.
The central city is beautiful, and all nations rejoice together."
After Consort Zheng finished singing, the emperor personally helped her to her seat and presented her with an eight-treasure plate and a tortoiseshell cup. Consort Zheng rose again to express her gratitude. The palace maids on the boat also congratulated Consort Zheng. By this time, Emperor Shenzong was already half-drunk and leaned on Consort Zheng's shoulder to rise from his seat. Outside the boat window, water chestnut boats brought in fresh water chestnuts, and lotus boats brought in lotus seeds. The Imperial Concubine sat at the Emperor's feet, personally peeling the water chestnuts and lotus seeds for him. As the Emperor ate, he gazed out of the cabin. The moon was high in the sky, exceptionally bright, reflecting countless golden rays on the water. Small boats bobbed in the golden light, and melodious music drifted from the water. The Emperor, leaning on the gunwale, issued an edict: instruct the two armies to perform a water play. At the sound of a drum, the "Phoenix Team" and the "Crane Team" formed ranks, spinning back and forth, faster and faster, creating ripples on the water. The two groups of palace maids, some wielding halberds, others spears, filled the boat with water. Their gauze robes were soaked and clung to their bodies, highlighting their snow-white skin, making them exceptionally alluring. The Emperor couldn't help but laugh, and the palace maids joined in. A cacophony of laughter and chatter filled the water. After a long period of play, the emperor decreed a truce, and the two naval units lined up in front of the emperor's ship.
The emperor ordered that silk gauze and cosmetics be distributed, and hundreds of palace maids cried out in unison, "Long live the emperor!" Emperor Shenzong then summoned the leading maid to the ship and took her back to Cuihua Palace for his pleasure.
A few days later, Eunuch Wei invited the emperor to visit Yangbi Pond. It was built of green stone, surrounded by green silk curtains, and planted with green-leaved flowers and grasses. The pond was filled with clear water, resembling a jade plate. Three arched bridges spanned the pond, with three pavilions on each bridge bearing three plaques: the left one read "Ningxia," the right one "Chengxiao," and the center one "Jinluan." The emperor and his concubines drank and made merry in the pavilions. After the drinking, a group of musicians led the thirty-six concubines to Xiangquan Pool to wash away their fatigue.
The Emperor, with his purple canopy spread wide, sat by the pool to watch. Steam rose from the pool, its fragrance filling the air; the concubines, one by one, jumped into the water to play. In the middle of the water stood jade lions, crystal deer, and red stone horses. After playing for a while, the concubines each mounted one of the animals. Some leaned against it, some lay prone, some embraced it, some pounced on it, some rode it, some sat, some held various flowers, some played musical instruments, some played with colorful balls on the water, and some danced in the water. Consort Zheng, pleased with the sight, also removed her clothes and jumped into the pool to play for a while, then climbed onto the back of a jade horse. The Emperor, seeing that the Consort had skin as white as snow, was greatly pleased. The other concubines, seeing the Consort arrive, surrounded her, dancing and singing in the water. The water splashed, soaking the emperor's face and head. Instead of being angry, the emperor laughed heartily, wiped the water droplets with a handkerchief, helped the imperial concubine out of the water, and returned to the palace to seek his pleasure. Emperor Shenzong's debauchery gradually took its toll. Consort Zheng secretly conspired with Eunuch Wei, who obtained opium and persuaded the emperor to smoke it. The emperor, indeed, found it invigorating, and resumed his daily opium addiction. He continued this haphazard behavior in the deep palace for twenty years, and the affairs of the court deteriorated to an unimaginable degree. Eunuch Wei cultivated relationships with Consort Zheng and befriended a group of treacherous officials, wielding immense power.
Emperor Shenzong had two sons: the elder, Changluo, born to Consort Wang; and the younger, Changxun, born to Consort Zheng. Chang Xun, favored by Emperor Shenzong due to his mother's high status, was granted the title of Prince of Fu at the age of three. His eldest son, Chang Luo, however, remained nameless and without rank. Many upright ministers came to his aid, frequently submitting memorials urging the emperor to establish Chang Luo as crown prince. Unfortunately, Emperor Shenzong, having heard Consort Zheng's whispered pleas, forbade his ministers from discussing the matter of the crown prince. These ministers, however, persisted. They submitted memorials morning and night, all urging the emperor to establish a crown prince. All these memorials were suppressed by the eunuch Wei, and Emperor Shenzong never saw them. Fortunately, the emperor did not hold a single court session in twenty-six years, preventing the ministers from presenting their petitions face-to-face. This angered a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel named Gu Xiancheng, who submitted another memorial, bribing a eunuch to send it to the palace. Upon reading it, Emperor Shenzong was furious and immediately issued an imperial edict dismissing Gu Xiancheng from his post.
At that time, officials like Zhao Nanxing (a candidate for the Imperial Examination), Zou Yuanbiao (a Left Censor-in-Chief), and Wang Jiaping, along with a group of other officials, lost their official titles and returned to their hometowns. There, they gathered a group of self-proclaimed "pure and upright" scholars and established the Donglin Academy in Wuxi. Under the guise of lecturing, they gathered daily to discuss politics and insult eunuchs. Among them, Gao Panlong was the most formidable. With many friends, he quickly gained followers everywhere, and everyone called them the "Donglin Party." They also befriended a group of censors who frequently submitted memorials impeaching high-ranking officials who were colluding with eunuchs. A high-ranking official named Tang Binyin established the "Xuankun Party," with followers in Zhili, Shandong, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces. Over time, even the ministers became somewhat afraid of these two parties. These two parties repeatedly declared their intention to make Changluo the crown prince. The situation escalated, and the eunuchs and ministers were in mortal danger. Desperate, they summoned Emperor Shenzong, who hadn't attended court for twenty-six years, to submit a memorial detailing the ruthlessness of the Donglin and Xuankun factions. The emperor was furious and issued several edicts, dismissing and arresting members of both factions, imprisoning them all. Meanwhile, he appointed Changluo as crown prince and transferred Prince Fu to Henan, where a grand palace was built for him at a cost of over thirty million taels of silver. Consort
Zheng remained resentful and secretly discussed the matter with Eunuch Wei. In the forty-third year of the Wanli reign, a large man named Zhang Jie, carrying a wooden stick, suddenly burst into the Cining Palace, where the crown prince resided. The guards at the palace gates who tried to stop him were injured. The palace eunuchs immediately became agitated, and many guards rushed in, arrested Zhang Jie, and sent him to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation. The assassin confessed that it was Ma Sandao, a eunuch from Consort Zheng's palace, who ordered him to assassinate the Crown Prince. This statement caused a great stir, with rumors spreading that the Consort had murdered the Crown Prince. Consort Zheng, upon hearing this, feigned illness and cried before Emperor Shenzong, pleading her innocence. Emperor Shenzong summoned the Crown Prince to the palace, holding both the Consort's hand and the Crown Prince's, and defended the Consort, saying, "The Consort knew nothing of this." Out of father-son affection, the Crown Prince also claimed that Zhang Jie was insane. Hu Shixiang, a senior official in the Ministry of Justice, sentenced Zhang Jie to death and exiled Ma Sandao to a distant place. After this incident, Consort Zheng suddenly began to treat the Crown Prince with kindness, often giving him needlework and food. Seeing that she meant him no harm, the Crown Prince also frequently visited the palace to see her. Thus, the affection between the Crown Prince and Emperor Shenzong deepened once more. Fearing the Crown Prince wouldn't trust her, Consort Zheng spoke with Emperor Shenzong, who then issued an imperial edict to Prince Fu: From this day forward, he was forbidden from entering the palace without a summons. This pleased the Crown Prince and eliminated any suspicion between him and his son. However, Emperor Shenzong died in the 48th year of the Wanli reign, and Crown Prince Changluo ascended the throne as Emperor Guangzong. Because of his affection for Consort Zheng, Emperor Guangzong kept her in the palace, treating her like a mother. But just a few days after his ascension, Emperor Guangzong fell ill. Empress Guangzong wasn't worried, but Consort Zheng was. She ordered her ministers to seek medical help everywhere. At this time, a eunuch named Cui Wensheng presented a prescription, which the emperor took, but his condition worsened. Then, a minister named Fang Congzhe sent Li Kezhuo, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, with a red pill. Consort Zheng persuaded Emperor Guangzong to take it. At that time, Consort Zheng, who had acted as matchmaker for Li Xuanshi, who was to become Emperor Guangzong's concubine, also strongly urged the emperor to take this red pill. Emperor Guangzong listened to the two concubines and swallowed the pill. However, the next day, the drug took effect, and Emperor Guangzong, who had reigned for less than a year, was in grave danger. To find out what happened to Emperor Guangzong, please read the next chapter.

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[Romantic Anecdotes of the Qing Dynasty Court] [16] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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