sbdcsierra Chapter 482 The Eunuch Forcibly Retains People
Chapter 482 The Eunuch Forcibly Retains People
One bad news after another came, and Chongzhen could no longer control his emotions. He gritted his teeth and said, "I have been diligent in governing the country, racking my brains, and worrying about national affairs at all times, but my subordinates are all useless. Not one of them makes me feel at ease! Hong Chengchou has just won a few battles, and now he is going to follow in the footsteps of Yang He and Chen Qiyu?"
These words were very serious, tantamount to saying that all the civil and military officials were a bunch of useless people. Wen Tiren, Zhang Fengyi and others had just raised their heads, but upon hearing this, they immediately bowed their heads again and said, "Your Majesty, we are incompetent and beg you to punish us!"
"Your Majesty, I am incompetent. Please punish me. You keep repeating the same thing over and over. Can't you do anything of real value for me?" Emperor Chongzhen said angrily, flicking his sleeve.
After pacing back and forth a few times, Chongzhen suppressed his emotions and said to Lin San, "You may leave now. I have some matters to attend to."
Ever since Lin San learned that the "prince" opposite him was the emperor, he had been restless and uneasy. Since no one had taught him the etiquette of meeting the emperor, he dared not move or speak carelessly. He felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. Upon hearing this, he felt relieved and, without saying a word, kowtowed three times and retreated.
Emperor Chongzhen, who was initially furious, couldn't help but chuckle at Lin San's clumsy actions, which improved his mood considerably. He glanced at Lin San's retreating figure, lost in thought, then called over Wang Chengen and whispered a few words in his ear. Wang Chengen nodded repeatedly, replying, "This servant understands," before hurriedly chasing after him.
After Lin San left the Imperial Garden, a young eunuch led him out of the palace. However, the Forbidden City was so vast that they walked for half a day before reaching the Xuanwu Gate.
Wang Chengen hurriedly chased after Lin San from the Imperial Garden, intending to send someone to stop him and tell him the Emperor's words, but was blocked by someone.
"Where is Eunuch Wang rushing off to in such a hurry?"
Wang Chengen looked up and saw that it was Cao Huachun, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Director of the Eastern Depot. He had a deep connection with Cao Huachun; before going to the Prince of Xin's residence, he had been a junior eunuch under Cao Huachun, and the two shared a past relationship. Wang Chengen was a man of honor, and although he was now serving Emperor Chongzhen closely and his status was no lower than Cao Huachun's, he still regarded Cao Huachun as a junior.
"So it was the eunuch. I was ordered by His Majesty to pursue a military officer from out of town and persuade him to stay in the capital and serve."
Cao Huachun chuckled: "His Majesty is the Son of Heaven. If he wants to keep someone, it's just a matter of a word. Why would he need to 'advise'?"
Wang Chengen sighed: "His Majesty admires this person and is unwilling to use his imperial status to force him. We servants have no choice but to comply. His Majesty is in a bad mood right now, and keeping this person around might cheer him up. Please forgive me, Eunuch, that I cannot keep you company any longer. I must go."
Cao Huachun raised an eyebrow and pressed, "Why is Your Majesty in such a bad mood? I was just about to go see Your Majesty to report a few things. Is it inappropriate to go now?"
"Not just inappropriate, it's downright inappropriate," Wang Chengen thought. "One of the bad news is that it concerns your disciple Chang Kun. Going there now would be asking for trouble."
He hesitated for a moment, then decided it was best to inform the other party, as it would be a favor. In any case, the other party would find out about this sooner or later as Chang Kun was escorted to Beijing, so it wouldn't count as him leaking secrets.
"Master, there's something I must tell you." Wang Chengen whispered in Cao Huachun's ear, telling him about Chang Kun.
Cao Huachun was shocked: "Is that so? Chang Kun, that murderous bastard, isn't this implicating me?"
Wang Chengen nodded: "So it's best for the Grand Eunuch to avoid any trouble these next few days. I'm leaving."
Cao Huachun's eyes darted around a few times, and he reached out to stop him: "Wait, Eunuch Wang, why don't you go all the way and let me handle this matter? I guarantee that the military officer will stay willingly. If this matter pleases His Majesty, perhaps he won't scold me."
Wang Chengen hesitated and said, "This..." He thought for a moment. It was not a big deal for the emperor to keep a small commander. Whether it was himself or Cao Huachun who went, it would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. As long as the goal was achieved, it didn't matter who went. So he nodded and said, "Alright."
Lin San followed the eunuch to the Xuanwu Gate and was about to leave the palace when suddenly footsteps sounded from behind, and someone shouted: "Stop! The palace gates are temporarily closed to all."
The group stopped inexplicably. At that moment, a middle-aged eunuch wearing a qilin robe led a group of guards to catch up. After looking him over for a few moments, he asked arrogantly, "Are you the captain from Guangdong?"
Lin Sanzhang was completely bewildered. He glared at the other person and asked, "And who are you?"
A guard shouted, "Stop being so rude! This is Cao Huachun, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the Director of the Eastern Depot, and the Chief Commander of the Capital Garrison. Why don't you kneel down and kowtow?"
"Eunuch? So it's another eunuch." Lin San snorted. Kneeling to the emperor was one thing, but kneeling to a eunuch like him was quite another. He didn't kneel down, but asked bluntly, "I don't know anything about writing brushes or the Eastern Depot or the Northern Depot. Speak quickly, I need to leave the palace and rush back to report to the general!"
Cao Huachun was exceptionally intelligent and diligent from a young age, excelling in calligraphy and painting during his time in the palace. He gained the favor of Wang An, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, during the Tianqi era, and was later assigned to the Prince of Xin's residence. After Chongzhen ascended the throne, he was entrusted with important responsibilities. His life had been smooth sailing, and he was arrogant and haughty, always looking down on both civil and military officials. He had never seen such a rude attitude before. It should be noted that besides being the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, his position as the Director of the Eastern Depot alone was enough to instill fear in all, even the Grand Secretaries dared not be disrespectful in his presence. Yet today, he had been insulted by a mere battalion commander!
His eyes flashed with a fierce light as he said, word by word, "You don't need to rush on your way, because you can't leave the palace. Now I'll give you two choices: one is to stay and serve His Majesty in the capital, and the other is to go and meet the King of Hell."
If Emperor Chongzhen himself had spoken, Lin San would have been at a loss, unsure of what to do. Even Wang Chengen's gentle persuasion would have been better than Cao Huachun's intimidating presence. Lin San, of humble origins, had no concept of the power structure of the Eastern Depot or the Directorate of Ceremonial, nor did he know fear. In his eyes, only force was the sole means to resolve worldly problems. Even if he were willing to stay, how could such an arrogant eunuch be a better superior than Liu Ye, who knew how to recognize and utilize talent?
He had been cooped up in the palace for most of the day and was itching to get his hands dirty. He cracked his knuckles and coldly replied, "What if I choose neither path?"
Cao Huachun snorted, "Whether it's thunder or rain, it's all the Emperor's favor. You have to accept His Majesty's kindness whether you like it or not." He waved his hand and shouted, "Attack together and take down this brute!"