Zhu Yunwen could only watch helplessly as his eldest brother made his second brother kneel; what could he, the third brother, say?

All I could do was worry and complain that my second brother was really stupid, not only did he dare to get involved in any kind of gathering, but he also dared to befriend just anyone!

Everyone outside says that His Highness Prince Wu is a playboy, fearless and reckless because of his elder brother's protection. But looking at it now, it seems that the second brother is even bolder, doing things that even the most notorious playboys in the Ming Dynasty wouldn't dare to do.

However, since he has taken such a bold step, he can only kneel there trembling with fear now. I guess his second brother is probably regretting it now, and he might even be terrified and have some very bad thoughts.

That's not impossible, after all, one must know what they've done.

Zhu Yunying continued reviewing memorials, and it was only after about half an incense stick's time that he slowly raised his head.

Looking quite surprised, Zhu Yunying asked in astonishment, "When did Prince Xu arrive?"

Kneeling, Zhu Yunwen wanted to cry, feeling that his elder brother had done it on purpose. Putting aside the fact that he had just reported loudly, he also needed to request an audience before entering the Wuying Hall. If his elder brother hadn't granted permission, he certainly wouldn't have dared to enter the hall.

Most importantly, even when his elder brother finally saw him, he didn't tell him to rise. He was made to remain kneeling, which was clearly a form of reprimand. One could even say it was an accusatory tone.

Even though he was sometimes pedantic and indeed a bit of a bookworm with a scholarly air, Zhu Yunwen was not lacking in political acumen. After all, he was born into the royal family, and especially since he had once harbored ambitions to seize the throne, it naturally meant that he knew some things to some extent, especially regarding etiquette.

Looking at Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yunying slowly asked, "Do you know why I made you kneel here?"

Zhu Yunwen spoke cautiously, his voice trembling slightly, "Your Majesty, I do not know."

Before Zhu Yunying could speak, Zhu Yuntong interjected, "Second Brother, Fang Xiaoru and Huang Zicheng disregarded the law and formed a society at the Imperial Academy. They have been arrested and imprisoned, and all the students have been stripped of their academic titles. Second Brother really didn't know about these things, right?"

This wasn't Zhu Yunwen digging a pit for Zhu Yunwen. Although he wasn't particularly close to Zhu Yunwen, they were still brothers. Most importantly, even though Zhu Yunwen always acted like a little adult in front of him when they were young, Zhu Yunwen still took care of Zhu Yunwen quite a bit in order to show brotherly affection.

Zhu Yunwen's expression changed drastically. Fang Xiaoru and Huang Zicheng were both learned scholars he was close to and respected. But now both of them were imprisoned, which clearly showed that his elder brother was very dissatisfied with them.

Those students who were stripped of their academic titles had their futures ruined. They might be destined to spend their lives in the countryside, become merchants, or even farmers. Of course, there were also possibilities: with no chance of an official career, they could still enjoy the scenery, since many students in the Imperial Academy came from good families.

But forget about those people's futures and so on. Zhu Yunwen only knew that he seemed to have been caught up in a mess, which was going to be difficult.

His identity was already sensitive, and coupled with his elder brother's iron-fisted and ruthless methods, it was clear that the actions of those people had certainly displeased his brother. This meant that the punishment would inevitably be very severe.

Heaven have mercy, Zhu Yunwen attended those gatherings simply as elegant gatherings, considering them refined and interesting events, and the epitome of the scholar-official's integrity. He really didn't have any other thoughts; he just engaged in lively discussions with some wise men, offering his opinions on the state of affairs—it was that simple, and he didn't think it was anything significant.

Of course, those were just some of his previous thoughts. But now, although he was a little slow to realize it, he also realized that those things he hadn't paid much attention to before might not be so trivial, and that his elder brother would definitely punish many people.

Just as Zhu Yunwen was thinking about protecting himself and extricating himself from these troubles, the anxious Zhu Yunwen couldn't sit still any longer.

Honestly, I've been using Yeguo Reading to read and follow my favorite books lately. It has easy source switching, multiple reading voice options, and is compatible with both Android and Apple devices. (yeguoyuedu)

Seeing his second brother speechless and sweating, Zhu Yunwen continued, "Your Majesty, your second brother just likes to compose poems and couplets. He only went to see them because he couldn't resist the invitations from the guests and patrons of the household. Your second brother did not discuss politics, nor did he have any private dealings with the heir of Marquis Deqing or others."

Oh no, Liao Yong always looks like a scholar, but now that it's been brought up, I suddenly remember that the scholar-looking disciple of Fang Xiaoru was actually the grandson of Liao Yongzhong, the Marquis of Deqing, who was executed for violating the law by using dragon and phoenix symbols.

Liao Yongzhong also had a long criminal record. Although he had made great contributions, Zhu Yuanzhang always blamed Liao Yongzhong for the death of the young Ming King when his boat capsized at Guabu. Even when Liao Yongzhong was granted a title, he was only granted the title of Marquis instead of Duke because of this.

Liao Yongzhong was close to some Confucian scholars, and he was especially close to Yang Xian, the Left Vice Minister of the Secretariat, which saved him from death.

Speaking of which, Liao Yong's close relationship with Fang Xiaoru was a family tradition. His grandfather liked to associate with Confucian scholars and, unaware of the taboo, associated with the Chancellor of the Imperial Secretariat. His grandson has followed suit.

Thinking about his past actions, Zhu Yunwen now felt fear, and large beads of sweat began to fall from his forehead.

Zhu Yunying glanced at Zhu Yunwen and said irritably, "You really are a fool, just like the Prince of Wu. He's muddle-headed about small things, but you're clueless about big things! We just had him confined to his residence to reflect on his mistakes a while ago, and you're already following suit?"

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