Empress Xu was handling her final affairs with Hu Shanwei, and what worried her most were still her children—the Crown Prince and Prince Han.
With Empress Xu’s abilities, she was fully capable of properly educating her eldest and second sons. However, during the crucial ten years when the two children were transitioning from young boys to youth, Crown Prince Yiwen Zhu Biao suddenly died. To consolidate the position of the rootless Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen, Emperor Gaozhu kept the heir sons of various princes in the capital, ostensibly to educate his grandsons but actually as hostages.
Because Prince Yan’s mansion was too powerful, even the second son Zhu Gaochi was detained. Thus, Emperor Yongle and Empress Xu were absent during the most important ten years of their two sons’ character formation period.
When they left, they were still naive young boys. Emperor Yongle had to pretend to be crazy and near death to trick Emperor Jianwen into releasing the children. When they returned, they were no longer boys but grown men with wives and children—their characters had already set.
How easy could it be to forcibly reshape them?
Empress Xu was about to leave. Xu Zengshou, who had served as both father and mother during the ten years the Crown Prince and Prince Han lacked their parents, had already been gone for five years. The strong adhesive bonding the two brothers was about to expire…
After hearing Empress Xu’s instructions, although it was the height of summer, Hu Shanwei felt the sense of an approaching storm.
Seeing that Empress Xu lacked energy, Hu Shanwei took her leave. In any case, she would officially enter the palace the day after tomorrow—there would be time to discuss anything else then.
Court Lady Cao escorted her out. Passing by the large pavilion housing the green peacocks, they picked up A’Lei along the way.
From far away, they could hear clear laughter. A’Lei came out together with a bamboo-pole-thin young man: “I’m going home with sister. I’ll come play with you again another day.”
Zhu Zhanji still had his previous small appearance—a palm-sized little face, thin and pale. The pitiful amount of flesh on his face combined didn’t equal half of A’Lei’s face. He always looked undernourished and malnourished.
Because there was little flesh on his face, his nose bridge appeared prominent and his eye sockets deep. With this build and appearance, in modern times he would embody the fashionable world-weary face and clothing hanger that modeling scouts would seek—model material.
However, in this era, Zhu Zhanji’s appearance wasn’t appealing, far inferior to his robust and mighty cousin Shuikeng. If he changed into patched clothes, smeared some dirt on his face, held a broken bowl, and crouched on the street, he could easily evoke passersby’s sympathy—his broken bowl could collect ten copper coins a day.
After all, he was a child she had raised for two years who had called her godmother. Hu Shanwei’s maternal love overflowed, and she couldn’t help going over to carefully touch Zhu Zhanji’s face. He still had the constitution of growing tall without gaining flesh. His height was now similar to Hu Shanwei’s, but his waist was even thinner than A’Lei’s. With long hands and long feet, he truly looked increasingly like a praying mantis.
Hu Shanwei said: “You seem to have gotten thinner. Is His Highness working hard studying in the palace every day?”
More than just studying?
Young Zhu Zhanji had endured 360-degree comprehensive pressure without blind spots during the three years since returning home. He was naturally intelligent, so studying wasn’t difficult for him. With guidance from someone of Mu Chun’s legendary caliber in martial arts, his foundation was solid, and archery and horsemanship couldn’t stump him.
Zhu Zhanji’s pressure came largely from the complex interpersonal and interest relationships within the imperial family. First, his birth mother the Crown Princess had given birth to another son, Zhu Zhanyong, in the third year of Yongle. In the fourth year of Yongle, the Eastern Palace’s attendant Lady Li also bore a second son, Zhu Zhanyin, and in the same month, the Crown Princess gave birth to a third son, Zhu Zhanqi.
The Eastern Palace suddenly had five sons—three legitimate, two illegitimate. Strangely, not a single girl—all boys.
Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu also had wives and concubines but only had two legitimate sons. His concubines hadn’t even had their bellies grow, and despite his excellent physical condition, he was losing in fertility to his weak, obese, and mobility-impaired elder brother the Crown Prince. How could he not feel indignant?
For Imperial Grandson Zhu Zhanji, his four younger brothers weren’t much younger than him, with two being legitimate sons. His mother the Crown Princess naturally paid more attention to her two younger sons, creating even more pressure for Zhu Zhanji as the elder brother.
Zhu Zhanji had only returned to the Eastern Palace at age seven, lacking parental love during childhood. The days of hoping to return from Yunnan had been desperate. At such a young age bearing pressure that even adults could hardly endure, he was already distant from his family. Initially, because of his outstanding performance and Emperor Yongle’s favor, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess paid him more attention.
But as a group of younger brothers arrived together, Zhu Zhanji received far less attention than before. The barely repaired parent-child relationships stagnated and even regressed. Zhu Zhanji became more anxious and insecure than when he was in Yunnan.
Not only that, he also had to spend energy pretending to be calm and being a perfect grandson, son, and elder brother.
Was he tired? He was exhausted.
Compared to now, those few years fostered in Kunming were like heaven. He would probably live the rest of his life by drawing nourishment from those memories.
Day after day, year after year, under such pressure, it would be a miracle for Zhu Zhanji to gain even an ounce of flesh.
Besides this, he also had to help the Eastern Palace curry favor with Emperor Yongle—while not making it too obvious. Zhu Zhanji’s seven-aperture exquisite heart was becoming like a wasp’s nest, full of scheming thoughts.
Therefore, facing Hu Shanwei’s kind and intimate greeting, Zhu Zhanji thought and thought, carefully choosing his words: “I’m fine. His Majesty and the Crown Prince handle countless affairs daily and still worry about Empress Mother’s health—they’re the ones who are truly working hard. Palace Supervisor Hu has returned to oversee harem affairs in the future, which will also be very demanding.”
Hu Shanwei: No wonder he never gains weight. Even casual conversation requires repeated consideration before speaking. What a worrying fate.
However, when Zhu Zhanji spoke, Hu Shanwei discovered he had the same tooth gap as A’Lei—finally looking somewhat like a child.
A’Lei looked sympathetically at the suddenly reserved Zhu Zhanji: “I’m going home with sister. I’ll come see you again when there’s a chance.”
Zhu Zhanji instinctively wanted to personally escort them home, but thinking calmly, if I come to Kunning Palace without paying respects to Empress Mother and instead escort guests, people might say I’m unfilial.
Considering this, Zhu Zhanji escorted them out of Kunning Palace before returning to see the empress.
The Hu sisters hurriedly left the palace and returned home. The managing matron immediately presented two thick gift lists—housewarming gifts from left and right neighbors: Duke Qianguo’s Mu family and Prince Han’s mansion.
Now, about this Dacang Garden residence—Prince Han had long had his eye on it, wanting to break through the walls between the two households, demolish a street, circle the main street into his property, build a garden for personal enjoyment, and facilitate hosting guests.
Just as Prince Han was seeking an opportunity to ask Emperor Yongle to grant him this residence, he heard from his mansion’s managing eunuch that the house “already had an owner”—His Majesty had already bestowed it on someone else:
“…Your Highness, this servant personally saw Eunuch Sanbao escort people home. That very day, the palace continuously sent imperial gifts to the residence—the grandeur befitting a first-rank court official.”
Prince Han shook his head: “Impossible. I haven’t heard of such a figure appearing in court recently. Go find someone in the palace to investigate thoroughly for me—who exactly is this divine personage?”
The right neighbor Prince Han’s mansion began taking action, and the left neighbor Duke Qianguo’s mansion reacted very quickly as well.
Because the Mu family held hereditary governance of Yunnan, currently the two adult males of the Mu family—Duke Qianguo Mu Sheng and his younger brother Mu Ang—were both in Kunming. The only adult male, Fourth Master Mu Xin (the boy who used to eat boogers had grown up), had already been favored by Emperor Yongle in the first year of Yongle, who bestowed Princess Changning in marriage. Mu Xin became a prince consort and moved out of the Mu mansion to live in the Prince Consort’s mansion.
Therefore, Duke Qianguo’s mansion currently housed only a group of old, weak, women, and children. Duke Qianguo’s Grand Madam Geng, because her maternal family the Marquis Changxing’s mansion was completely executed, couldn’t bear the shock. From then on she withdrew from the world, building a Buddhist hall near the ancestral shrine, never leaving her quarters. Empress Xu also issued a gracious edict, pitying the Grand Madam’s advanced age and exempting Madam Geng from palace audience during festivals and holidays.
Duke Qianguo’s Madam Cheng (the one who remained a virgin for three years after marriage) had three sons and three daughters under her care, all born to concubines. Among them, the ten-year-old illegitimate eldest son Mu Bin had already been enfeoffed by Emperor Yongle as Heir Apparent of Duke Qianguo.
Having married into a wealthy family for many years, Madam Cheng had grown accustomed to long-term separation from her husband. To be honest, she no longer remembered what her husband looked like. She and her husband had shared a bed fewer than five times—it would be strange if she could conceive.
Mu Sheng in Yunnan was surrounded by beautiful women, and like his father Mu Ying, he loved beautiful women. When concubines around him became pregnant, he would send them to Duke Qianguo’s mansion in the capital to await childbirth, having his legitimate wife Madam Cheng care for them. After giving birth, the children would acknowledge their ancestral roots, be recorded in the family register, continue the Mu family line, and remain in the capital to receive proper aristocratic education, never returning to Yunnan.
Madam Cheng thus became mother to six children. With her mother-in-law devoted to Buddhism, her husband stationed on the frontier, her brother-in-law having become a prince consort, and Princess Changning having an easygoing personality making her a pleasant sister-in-law, Madam Cheng, after accepting her situation, treated being Duke Qianguo’s wife as a job. She became thoroughly enlightened. As the wife of one of only two remaining old noble families in the capital, Madam Cheng lived freely and comfortably.
Hearing the steward mention the new neighbor’s grandeur, Madam Cheng needed to fulfill her duties as Duke Qianguo’s wife—maintaining good relationships and handling interpersonal connections. Unlike Prince Han who had people in the palace, Madam Cheng had her own information channels, showing her skills like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea.
Madam Cheng said to the steward: “Hurry to the Prince Consort’s mansion and tell brother-in-law about this, asking him to help investigate.”
They needed to understand their target before writing the gift list—too little or too much would both be inappropriate.
Prince Consort Mu Xin was Mu Ying’s youngest son, raised in the palace from childhood, studying alongside princes and imperial grandsons. With outstanding appearance and cleverness, otherwise he couldn’t have been chosen as prince consort.
Mu Xin’s birth mother died early, and his stepmother Madam Geng was cold. He could be said to have been raised by his sister-in-law Madam Cheng, so he greatly respected his second sister-in-law. After marrying and moving out of the Mu mansion, with his two elder brothers permanently stationed on the frontier, he knew the Mu mansion lacked adult men to head the household. It was inconvenient for his sister-in-law as a woman alone, so he was willing to help.
Madam Cheng sought Mu Xin, Mu Xin sought Princess Changning, Princess Changning entered the palace, and the mysterious neighbor’s veil was lifted.
Upon investigation, both left and right neighbors were shocked—Palace Supervisor Hu Shanwei of two dynasties had returned and would serve a third dynasty!
Moreover, His Majesty even allowed Palace Supervisor Hu to live outside, caring for her half-sister, entering and leaving the palace gates daily like a minister clocking in for work. This was unprecedented in the previous two dynasties of the Great Ming—His Majesty had set a precedent for Palace Supervisor Hu!
Duke Qianguo’s wife didn’t know that the famous Palace Supervisor Hu was actually her sister-in-law… She just felt the matter was significant and went to the Buddhist hall to report to her mother-in-law, Duke Qianguo’s Grand Madam Geng.
On the day her maternal family was completely executed, Madam Geng’s hair had turned completely white overnight. She sat in meditation in the Buddhist hall, silently reciting scriptures, showing no reaction to her daughter-in-law’s words.
Madam Cheng repeated herself and waited a while. Madam Geng still showed no response, so she stopped waiting, bowed, and prepared to leave.
Just as Madam Cheng turned around and reached the doorway, she heard her mother-in-law’s low voice: “Send generous gifts—courtesy demands no blame. No matter what happens, never oppose Palace Supervisor Hu. Those who oppose her are basically all dead.”
Madam Geng had weathered vicissitudes through three dynasty emperors and countless political storms. Her talent was mediocre—she was neither particularly kind nor particularly evil—but through luck she had always enjoyed wealth and status. Even with her maternal family completely dead, it didn’t prevent her from securely sitting as Duke Qianguo’s Grand Madam. She was the only surviving Grand Madam among the capital’s noble hereditary families. Who would have thought such a person would survive to the end?
Madam Geng wasn’t clever; she had simply observed too much as a bystander and was sharing her experience with her daughter-in-law.
Madam Cheng turned back and said: “Yes, this daughter-in-law remembers. Does mother-in-law have any other instructions?”
Madam Geng fell silent again. Madam Cheng waited a while more, and when nothing followed, she returned to rewrite the gift list, following her mother-in-law’s guidance to send generous gifts.
Prince Han’s mansion.
Upon hearing this news, Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu excitedly jumped up from his chair: “This is excellent, this is wonderful—Father Emperor truly makes brilliant unexpected moves.”
“Your Highness, what does Palace Supervisor Hu returning to the capital have to do with us?” Princess Han Wei didn’t understand—she was also a selected beauty from the “selecting beauties from among the people, marrying into humble households” new policy. Her family background was ordinary, her knowledge limited, and she lacked experience, so she didn’t understand her husband’s excitement.
Crown Princess Zhang was also a commoner princess, but the Eastern Palace had Consort Guo from the capital’s top-tier wealthy family as a “worthy helper” providing guidance. Crown Princess Zhang treated Consort Guo warmly, almost as equals. Besides sharing a husband, they shared resources, so Crown Princess Zhang had somewhat higher political awareness than Princess Han.
Prince Han broke things down bit by bit to explain to his wife: “Mother Empress is seriously ill with little time left. Father Emperor is in his prime years and will likely remarry in the future, establishing a new empress. With the Eastern Palace already pressing down on Prince Han’s mansion, adding a stepmother empress—with filial piety weighing down on us—Prince Han’s mansion would have an even harder time. But Father Emperor suddenly recalled the two-dynasty veteran Palace Supervisor Hu to oversee things… I think Father Emperor doesn’t plan to establish a new empress. With Palace Supervisor Hu there, it’s the same whether there’s an empress or not.”
Princess Han excitedly rubbed her hands like a fly: “Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and write the gift list, send generous gifts—Palace Supervisor Hu is beneficial to us.”
Thus, gift lists from both left and right neighbors arrived at the Hu residence almost simultaneously.
Courtesy demands reciprocity—when others send gifts, one must return gifts and also send name cards to arrange visits to neighbors.
Running a household involved daily expenses of firewood, rice, oil, and salt costing silver, while social obligations cost energy. Having grown accustomed to mountain living in the company of birds and beasts, Hu Shanwei felt somewhat overwhelmed by social obligations. She would rather enter the palace to clock in for work—at least that was familiar territory.
Left and right neighbors received Hu Shanwei’s reply cards but didn’t know what protocol to use for receiving Hu Shanwei’s return visit.
Hu Shanwei was a woman, so according to traditional etiquette, Duke Qianguo’s wife and Princess Han should receive her.
But Hu Shanwei was also an official receiving court salary. Prince Han’s mansion and Duke Qianguo’s mansion had sent housewarming gifts specifically for the Palace Supervisor position. If she were an ordinary female household head, these top-tier wealthy and powerful families in the capital wouldn’t even acknowledge her. This way, official men should receive Palace Supervisor Hu.
But Palace Supervisor Hu was also a woman…
Sigh, what a headache.
Prince Han and his wife decided that husband and wife would receive Palace Supervisor Hu together—this way it would work perfectly.
But the Mu mansion couldn’t do this—there were no adult men to head the household. Should they have the ten-year-old Heir Apparent Mu Bin talk with an old fox like Palace Supervisor Hu? Inappropriate, inappropriate.
Duke Qianguo’s wife still sent someone to invite Prince Consort Mu Xin—Fourth Master Mu was like a brick, to be moved wherever needed.
While Prince Han and his wife were discussing where to receive Palace Supervisor Hu, they failed to notice that their eldest son Zhu Zhanhe, who had been punished with copying texts, had already climbed over the courtyard wall and escaped. He ran to the Hu residence entrance, vigorously shaking the door knocker: “Open up, open up! I want to see Palace Supervisor Hu!”