The first day of the twelfth lunar month, the twenty-fifth year of Emperor Chongzhen.
Emperor Chongzhen, who had not held court for five months, announced an imperial audience—a highly unusual move. This news sent a massive shockwave through the officialdom in the Capital. The officials were left wondering: what on earth could have compelled the Emperor to suddenly call a session after months of absence? Was his health failing him? If so, the most urgent priority would be to summon the Crown Prince back from Nanjing to prevent any unforeseen disasters.
On second thought, the officials felt something was amiss. Fan Jingwen and Xie Sanbin had just met with Emperor Chongzhen and reported that his health was fine. The officials in the Capital were clever men. Some suddenly realized that even if the Emperor’s health were sound, he might still recall the Crown Prince from Nanjing. The Crown Prince was the heir apparent, the future Emperor. While they dared not openly curry favor with him, they could use the opportunity of writing official documents to ensure the Prince became familiar with their names. Consequently, the volume of official dispatches departing the Capital for Nanjing suddenly surged.
Chapter 1205