As the Yuan Dynasty's virtue was about to end, evil spirits began to emerge, and families faced many dangers.

In the past, my father lived in this place. Agriculture was hard and he was anxious day and night. Suddenly, natural disasters struck, and his family suffered: my father died at the age of sixty-four, my mother at the age of fifty-nine, and my brother Meng died first. The whole family was in mourning.

The Five Virtues alternate, the Three Righteous Elements rise and fall, governing the wise and virtuous, elevating the mediocre to sainthood. When the original virtue declines, peril and ruin follow one after another. The tyranny of the Yuan dynasty is truly contrary to Heaven and Earth; the tyranny of the Yuan dynasty is chaotic and violent, disrupting the harmony between humanity and the divine. The three luminaries (sun, moon, and stars) fall again, the seven ancestral temples are reduced to ruins. The dynasty shifts several times, and all sentient beings are annihilated.

I have rectified the declining fortunes and restored the Central Plains, thus reviving what was lost and continuing what was interrupted.

I have been on the throne for thirty-two years, but I am old and frail and unable to manage state affairs.

The Crown Prince Zhu Yunying, a wise and virtuous ruler, has served our imperial family with brilliance, his merits shining throughout the land. All the gods and spirits above and below submit to him, the earth is at peace, heaven is in harmony, and all nations are at peace. He has received the mandate of God and is in accord with the supreme authority.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat down at his desk, picked up his pen, and began writing the abdication edict. He felt no reluctance, no inner turmoil; he had long been prepared for many things. Therefore, at this moment, he naturally found it very easy, and nothing seemed to stump him.

Zhu Xiong Ying had no idea that he was about to officially change his name. He was still handling some government affairs in the court and found it to be going smoothly.

After the court session, Zhu Xiong Ying was about to leave when he suddenly received an imperial edict. The Crown Prince was to lead the commanders of the Five Armies and the ministers of the Six Ministries to the Wuying Hall for an audience with the Emperor.

Upon arriving at the Wuying Hall, Old Zhu reclined on the couch, panting, and raised his hand, saying, "My beloved ministers, please rise."

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's frail and aged appearance, many civil and military officials felt heartbroken, as their emperor was emaciated and tormented by illness.

At a time when many civil and military officials were filled with emotion, Old Zhu said with difficulty, "Let's do the math, it's been two months since we last attended court, and we haven't been managing state affairs either."

Zhuo Jing immediately stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, please take care of your health. His Highness the Crown Prince is quite wise and capable in governing the country."

At this point, Yan Zhenzhi, Ren Hengtai, and others, including Xu Huizu, all stepped forward. They insisted that His Majesty should take care of his health, assuring him that matters of the court were not a concern and that the Crown Prince could handle them.

There's no need to worry about breaking any taboos; for Emperor Zhu, this is not a taboo matter. Praising his grandson, praising him sincerely and enthusiastically, will only make Old Zhu happy; he won't see it as the grandson usurping power or becoming a threat.

Zhu was quite satisfied with the performance of these civil and military officials, but it wasn't enough.

Taking a breath, Old Zhu slowly said, "I've been thinking that I haven't attended court for too long, and it's not good to delay state affairs like this. The Crown Prince is quite skilled in governing and is kind and benevolent. I've decided to step down, and from now on, the Crown Prince will handle all matters of state directly."

Many people were taken aback. Actually, this is the current model: the Crown Prince handles major affairs of the court.

Actually, this has always been the pattern. Many matters are handled by the Crown Prince first, and then sent to the Emperor for review. Everyone is familiar with this process.

What exactly does this "retreat" mean now?

While the others were still in a daze, Zhu Xiong Ying knelt down and said, "Grandfather, I am too young to shoulder such a great responsibility."

Old Zhu disagreed and said rather unhappily, "At your age, we've started building our empire. You're married with children and have been ruling for some time now. We want to rest, so we'll hand the reins of the country over to you."

Zhu Xiong Ying continued to wail, seemingly from the bottom of her heart, "Grandpa Emperor drove out the Tartars and established the dynasty. Grandpa Emperor Emperor loves the people like his own children and protects all people. Grandpa Emperor Emperor, please don't say anymore. Grandpa Emperor Emperor is naturally blessed and will definitely get better!"

The grandfather and grandson's coordinated actions immediately made the previously uneasy high-ranking officials realize what was going on. His Majesty's word "retirement" didn't simply mean handing over power to the Crown Prince; it meant abdication and becoming the Retired Emperor!

This news sent chills down the spines of Ru Chang and his supporters. Their previous preparations were naturally for the Crown Prince to ascend the throne legitimately. However, this was based on the premise that the Emperor would pass away. They simply believed that the Emperor was terminally ill, which they considered the proper procedure for the Crown Prince's succession.

Xu Huizu and others were the same; they all thought about the Crown Prince ascending the throne, provided that the Emperor died, not that the Emperor abdicated!

The civil and military officials were now at a loss as to how to express their opinions. If they went along with the emperor's wishes, who knew if His Majesty would be angry, or if this would create a rift between His Majesty and the Crown Prince?

After all, this is the throne. If someone says something wrong at this time and sows discord within the imperial family, it would be a heinous crime punishable by the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan. If this were to shake the position of the crown prince, it might lead to a chaotic struggle for the throne, and in that case, he might become a sinner against the Ming Dynasty.

But if we don't take this line of questioning, who knows if His Majesty the Emperor truly means it, or if he feels his days are numbered and that's why he's thinking of abdicating at this time?

The scene at the Wuying Hall was Zhu Xiong Ying pleading incessantly, while the civil and military officials prostrated themselves on the ground, sweating profusely.

Seeing that it was almost time, Old Zhu waved his hand and said, "You can all step back now, we're tired too."

The civil and military officials, feeling as if they had been granted a pardon, immediately left the Wuying Hall. This scene was so shocking that they hadn't recovered yet, and none of them seemed to know how to deal with the situation next.

After all the civil and military officials had left, Old Zhu immediately sat up. "Your crying is so fake, all bark and no bite, it's not sincere at all! Those old foxes who have been in the court for a long time might have seen through something."

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