Chapter 42 When the Fengtian Pacification Campaign was aimed at the Prince of Yan, he chose…

The last four words were pronounced with extreme force, each syllable sounding as if it were being ground out from between the teeth, carrying a murderous aura.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di remained completely still, maintaining the most standard kneeling posture, his forehead almost touching the ground, his back taut and straight, like a sword yet to be drawn.

"Your subject is terrified." His voice was low and steady. "This is just a term used by later generations."

Future generations!

Yes, the reason why later generations dared to call him "the Great Emperor" is precisely because he was a better emperor than anyone else.

—Expanding territory, conquering five northern deserts, and striking fear into the hearts of the Mongol tribes!

—The compilation of the Yongle Encyclopedia, a comprehensive collection of classic texts from across the land, was a testament to the brilliance of Chinese civilization!

— Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Ocean showcased his treasure ships' power in foreign lands, attracting tribute from all nations…

Which one is not a monumental achievement? Which one is not a name that will last for eternity?

"snort."

Zhu Yuanzhang let out a cold snort, his cloudy eyes swirling with complex emotions: anger, resentment, fear, and even... a barely perceptible hint of admiration.

"We're not so deaf and blind that we need you to remind us."

He slowly rubbed his fingers, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, the veins throbbing faintly beneath his aged skin. Even though he was the founding emperor, even though the rules he personally established were trampled underfoot by Zhu Di, he was speechless for a moment in the face of such a brilliant and ambitious successor.

This son is more like him than he imagined.

Zhu Yunwen stood to the side, his fingers digging into his palms from his sleeves, his nails almost embedding into his flesh, yet he felt no pain whatsoever.

Grandfather... is he not going to uphold justice for him?

Although the imperial edict establishing the heir apparent has not yet been issued, everyone in the court knows that Zhu Yuanzhang has his eye on him! The supreme dragon throne is within reach, and now he is expected to hand it over?

No! He refuses to accept his fate!

His gaze swept across the crowd in the mourning hall, trying to find supporters, but he discovered—

Zhu Shuang's lips curled into a slight smile, his eyes gleaming with schadenfreude. He couldn't wait for Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Di to fight to the death so he could reap the benefits.

Although the others were not as obviously gloating as Zhu Shuang, none of the uncles were on his side, and they all avoided Zhu Yunwen's gaze.

Although their father won't pass the position to them, it seems this eldest nephew isn't all that great.

The hall was deathly silent, with only the flickering candlelight casting shadows on the three faces, as if countless eyes were watching this silent struggle from the shadows.

The television, oblivious to human nature, continued broadcasting in a rigid and predictable manner.

In 1398 AD, Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, passed away, and his grandson, Zhu Yunwen, ascended the throne, adopting the reign title Jianwen. This young emperor, only 21 years old, ascended to the pinnacle of power with Confucian ideals and reform ambitions, unaware that he was standing at the beginning of a massive storm...

As expected, his nephew succeeded to the throne, and the uncle and nephew fought each other. No wonder he had to bear the infamy of a usurper for the rest of his life. Zhu Di had a premonition in his heart, so he was neither sad nor happy, and hoped that his nephew would be kind to him.

otherwise...

Dad will definitely not let him off the hook.

The scene depicts the Forbidden City in Nanjing, with white banners fluttering and mournful music playing softly. Zhu Yunwen, dressed in mourning clothes, his face pale and solemn, receives the homage of the officials.

The civil and military officials stood in two rows. The civil officials looked eager, their eyes sparkling with hope for the new policies, while the military officers had shifty eyes and hidden worries between their brows.

If it were the Crown Prince Zhu Biao, they would naturally be convinced, but he is just a lamb that has just been weaned. Having experienced the tyranny of the Hongwu Emperor, they naturally want a gentle monarch.

Historical records state that Zhu Yuanzhang once had the following conversation with Zhu Biao: Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to execute a minor official, but Zhu Biao advised, "Your Majesty's execution of a minor official is excessive and may harm harmony." Enraged, Zhu Yuanzhang threw a thorny staff at him, but Zhu Biao refused. Zhu Yuanzhang said that he killed people to help Zhu Biao remove the thorns from the staff so that it would be easier for Zhu Biao to use it.

Zhu Biao said, "If there are wise rulers like Yao and Shun above, there will be wise people below." This means that if the ruler is virtuous, the people will also be virtuous; if the ruler indiscriminately kills innocent people, the people will not obey his rule.

Enraged, Zhu Yuanzhang picked up a thorny staff and was about to strike Zhu Biao.

Despite growing up under the nose of such a tyrannical emperor, Zhu Biao possessed a benevolent heart. After the Hu Weiyong case broke out, he repeatedly advised Zhu Yuanzhang to "be cautious in sentencing," which resulted in some implicated officials being spared the death penalty. He also advocated for the selection of officials without restrictions on qualifications.

Zhu Biao treated civil officials with courtesy and used both kindness and severity to deal with military generals.

For the civil and military officials, Zhu Biao was the ideal monarch, possessing both benevolence and ruthless methods.

But if it were Zhu Yunwen—they knew better than anyone that this young emperor did not have a real sword in his hand.

An emperor who couldn't win over the people.

To ensure his grandson's smooth ascension to the throne, Zhu Yuanzhang began to remove obstacles again. Before his death, he launched the last of the four major cases of the Hongwu era—the Lan Yu case.

Lan Yu, a valiant general in the early years of the Ming Dynasty, followed Zhu Yuanzhang in his campaigns across the north and south. In the Battle of Buyur Lake, he nearly annihilated the remnants of the Northern Yuan, earning him illustrious achievements. Yet, in the end, he was skinned alive, his entire family was exterminated, and tens of thousands of heads rolled on the ground.

The air inside the hall seemed to freeze. Lan Yu was still alive and arrogant.

I never expected my dad to be so ruthless.

This is the sentiment of all the princes.

Zhu Shuang was excited. He had long disliked Lan Yu. Lan Yu wasn't even a member of the Zhu family, yet he dared to be more arrogant than him!

Zhu Yuanzhang squinted; as he grew older, he had to rely on his eyebrows to lift his eyelids, which was quite strenuous. He had become accustomed to squinting when looking at people. Lan Yu...

He did want to kill Lan Yu. If a disobedient and fierce dog wasn't killed in time, it could endanger the Zhu family. Besides, Lan Yu was becoming more and more arrogant, seizing farmland, insulting the Imperial Concubine, and acting tyrannically.

Does he really think that just because we fought side by side to conquer the world, he deserves a share of the Zhu family's empire?

The narration from the television continued:

"After Emperor Jianwen ascended the throne, he immediately began to reduce the power of the princes."

Good lad!

If they take over, they'll be nerfed.

"Oh!"

Zhu Shuang slammed his fist on the table, causing the cups and saucers to clatter. The Qin king's face contorted with rage, his eyes flashing with a terrifying ferocity. Already a burly man, he now looked like a god of war, his hair standing on end in fury.

"When my elder brother was alive, he was the kindest and treated us younger brothers like his own flesh and blood!" His voice was like a thunderclap, making the beams of the palace tremble slightly. "I never thought that before his body was even cold, you, you brat, would dare to lay a knife on your own uncles?"

He hasn't even warmed his seat on the throne yet, and he dares to target his uncles.

Zhu Yunwen's face turned pale. He subconsciously looked towards the direction of the mourning hall—where his father Zhu Biao's coffin was placed, and the incense and candles were still burning.

"Second Uncle, you are mistaken." He forced himself to remain calm, but his voice trembled slightly. "Reducing the power of the regional princes is a fundamental plan for the country. It's not that I, your nephew, am unfaithful..."

"Besides, you are all my uncles, how could I, your nephew, disregard family ties?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze shifted to Zhu Yunwen, and the unwavering look in his eyes made Zhu Yunwen almost tremble. His grandfather had always been good to him; it wouldn't happen.

As the patriarch who treated his family members like pigs, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't stand anyone mistreating his piglets. He could let his own piglets eat less, but if others mistreated them, Zhu Yuanzhang would be the first to object.

It can be said that Zhu Yunwen's move to reduce the power of the princes hurt him deeply, but he still didn't know how the reduction would be implemented.

The Prince of Zhou and the other princes also wanted to reprimand their eldest nephew, but Zhu Yuanzhang stopped them by waving his hand.

The hall fell into a sudden, deathly silence.

The television was still broadcasting news about Zhu Yunwen's policy of weakening the power of the princes: "Only three months after Emperor Jianwen ascended the throne, he deposed Prince Zhou, Zhu Su, on charges of treason, reducing him to commoner status and exiling him to Yunnan..."

The scene shifts to the ransacking of Prince Zhou's residence. Imperial guards roughly drag the wailing family members of Prince Zhou, and a five- or six-year-old princess falls to the ground, crying loudly.

Prince Zhu Su of Zhou possessed both keen political acumen and talent. He authored "The Compendium of Famine Relief Herbs" and even provided free medicine, making him unique among the princes of the Ming Dynasty.

He was also Zhu Di's brother, and the two had a very good relationship. Historical records show that they often slept side by side. However, unlike Zhu Di, Zhu Su posed almost no threat to Zhu Yunwen.

The first reason for punishing him was to make an example of him and warn the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di.

Everyone understands what this means.

Zhu Su clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles cracking loudly. He stared intently at the television screen, his anger almost palpable.

The policy of reducing the power of the princes is not incomprehensible; ultimately, it's all about concentrating power in the emperor's hands. However, the "Decree of Grace" at least knew how to gradually reduce power generation by generation, but this nephew was reduced to a commoner in one fell swoop.

The television continued playing:

"In the first year of the Jianwen Emperor's reign, an edict to reduce the power of the princes was delivered to the Prince of Xiang's residence. The once valiant twelfth son of Zhu Yuanzhang now faced the executioner's blade of his own nephew. Prince Zhu Bai of Xiang was accused of 'privately manufacturing weapons,' and the Jianwen Emperor sent troops to besiege Jingzhou. Unwilling to suffer humiliation, the Prince of Xiang and his entire family committed suicide by burning themselves alive..."

In the scene, the Prince Xiang's mansion is engulfed in flames. A figure dressed in princely attire can be vaguely seen standing upright amidst the flames.

The temperature inside the hall dropped sharply.

All the vassal kings paled. Self-immolation! What a tragic end!

Zhu Bai's face was flushed with anger. Although it was a matter for the future, it was indeed what he was thinking. A scholar can be killed but not humiliated, especially since this charge was completely fabricated.

"After the Prince of Xiang committed suicide by fire, Emperor Jianwen was still not satisfied and gave the Prince of Xiang a derogatory posthumous title of 'Li' (戾), which is what made Zhu Di completely rebel."

The ancients valued their posthumous reputation highly, especially members of the imperial family. A posthumous title could summarize their entire life, so how could they not value it?

A derogatory posthumous title.

Zhu Bai never expected his posthumous title to be so insulting. He threw aside all feelings of kinship between uncle and nephew, his face flushed, and he rushed to Zhu Yunwen to question him.

"you...!"

Zhu Yunwen's face was paler than paper. He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang in a panic, only to find that his imperial grandfather's eyes had changed—they no longer held affection, but a chilling scrutiny.

"Yunwen." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was soft, yet it sent a chill down Zhu Yunwen's spine. "Is this what you mean by considering family ties?"

Zhu Yunwen's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.

It is not difficult to see from the order in which Zhu Yunwen reduced the power of the princes that this young emperor placed his fourth uncle, Zhu Di—the most threatening prince—last to be reduced.

The young emperor, having just grasped the reins of power, was confident in looking down on everything. He treated Zhu Di like a cat playing with a mouse; if he didn't eat him, he would threaten and torment him.

He never considered that Zhu Di was not a mouse, nor was he the cat in control of the whole situation.

"The death of the Prince of Xiang was the bloodiest act in Jianwen's policy of reducing the power of the princes. His extreme protest by self-immolation not only shocked the other princes, but also gave Zhu Di a moral excuse to 'punish treacherous officials and cleanse the court of corrupt ministers'."

What moral excuse?

How dare you speak like that! Zhu Di was displeased. He was doing all this for his brothers; this was brotherhood. Didn't he even know what brotherhood meant?

Just then, the television screen suddenly changed—

"When the spearhead of the campaign to weaken the power of the princes was aimed at the Prince of Yan, this seasoned prince chose..."

"In accordance with the imperial decree to quell the rebellion."

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Author's Note: Why do I feel like the chapters I write well are getting fewer views? [crying][crying] Thank you everyone for your comments and support, I will continue to work hard!