Chapter 10: The Underworld (End)
Zhu Zhanji was still hesitant, but Zhu Di had already spoken: "Huanhuan?"
When Zhu Zhanji heard Zhu Di call her that, he was stunned. He looked her up and down for a long time before he finally saw the shadow of Zhu Yuhuan in the old woman in front of him.
He could never have imagined that his daughter, who was always full of vigor and vitality in his impression, would become what she is now.
Although Zhu Yuhuan is old, he seems to be in good spirits.
Zhu Yuhuan was obviously confused as well. He stared at them for a long time before saying, "I recognize the Emperor and the Father, but Great-grandfather..."
In her impression, Zhu Di looked like an old man, so naturally she couldn't match him with the person in front of her.
Zhu Di hurriedly said, "Didn't the ghost say that I could recover to my youthful appearance? What are you doing..."
Zhu Yuhuan said with a knowing sigh, "I thought everyone thought older and more stable people were better, but I was mistaken."
She looks more like an elder of the Zhu family now.
After she finished speaking, Zhu Yuhuan waved her hand, and when the smoke cleared, she appeared to be over thirty years old, wearing a moon-white silk jacket, a blue satin skirt, and a peacock-blue square-collar bodice. She also adjusted the mother-of-pearl crown on her head, and she looked elegant and luxurious.
Seeing the three of them looking at him, Zhu Yuhuan said frankly, "We are all young. If I show off my age, it would seem a bit inappropriate. Now it's neither too big nor too small, just right."
Zhu Di quickly pulled his great-granddaughter to his side and said, "Go in and see Taizu later. Be careful with your words."
As a son, Zhu Di believed that he knew his father very well. Although he no longer had as many prejudices against Zhu Yuhuan as he did at the beginning, deep down he still could not accept the fact that a woman became the emperor. In addition, the projection was broken, and he could not see how the country was governed. Zhu Yuanzhang might be furious in his heart. If Zhu Yuhuan accidentally offended Zhu Yuanzhang, who knew how he would target Zhu Yuhuan later.
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "Don't worry, Grandpa Zeng, if you can't beat me, can't you run away?"
"What's the meaning?"
"None of you can go to the Queen's place, but I can go because I'm a woman and can travel freely between the two places. If the Grandpa is unreasonable, I'll just pat my butt and leave. If I can't stay here, I'll find another place to stay."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Di perked up and said, "If you really go, please help me go see your great-grandmother. We haven't seen each other for fifteen... no, including you, it's almost a hundred years. Please help me see how your great-grandmother is doing."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and agreed, then asked, "Why isn't Zhu Qizhen here? He should have come down earlier than me, right? Could it be that he can outlive me?"
The ghost messenger who was originally in charge of guiding the way nearby kindly reminded him, "There's something wrong up there. Not only is the projection connection incorrect, but the underworld needs to re-align the reign titles and timekeeping. They're still sorting it out, but according to calculations, Zhu Qizhen should have died in the 17th year of Yuanguang, at the age of 38."
Zhu Yuhuan thought back and said, "Oh, at that time I used Su Xiuzhen's name to pacify the remnants of the Oirat. It turned out that he had secretly died. He was the same age as the emperor. It was quite a coincidence."
Zhu Gaochi couldn't help but glance at his son.
It is obvious that the eldest granddaughter doesn't even want to pretend, which is understandable. They are all dead, so there is no need to pretend. If Zhu Yuanzhang was not their elder, they would not be so servile.
Zhu Di coughed twice and then asked, "Could it be that you came down so quickly because of the chaos up there? Judging from your appearance just now, you must be at least sixty years old..."
"I must have lived to be seventy-one..."
The ghost messenger added, "Time in the underworld flows differently than on earth. A long time has already passed while the three of you were plowing the fields and waiting. Not to mention that it took a lot of time to rush Zhu Qizhen here. Don't be surprised."
Zhu Di finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "So that's how it is..."
Zhu Zhanji looked a little embarrassed and said, "Zhen'er should have gone back. Let's go in first." He glanced at Zhu Yuhuan and saw that she looked normal and didn't seem to mind meeting Zhu Qizhen at all. He breathed a sigh of relief.
The daughter was generous, at least she didn't say bad things about her son as soon as they met.
But Zhu Zhanji couldn't help but worry that if Zhu Qizhen saw Zhu Yuhuan, he would start talking nonsense again, and then he would be punished again.
Zhu Qizhen had been in Wala for eighteen years, so why did his words become even more inappropriate when he arrived at the Ming Palace?
Zhu Yuhuan didn't care whether Zhu Qizhen was inside, nor did he show any fear of Zhu Yuanzhang. He walked in slowly.
When she entered, she did not see Zhu Yuanzhang, but she saw Zhu Qizhen, who had just recovered and still looked frightened.
Zhu Yunwen looked a little impatient at first, but when he saw Zhu Yuhuan, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
This is exactly the case with a red dot amidst green. Not to mention that although Zhu Yuhuan is a woman, she never looks inferior to others. Instead, she is even more arrogant than them.
Zhu Yuhuan only nodded slightly to Zhu Yunwen, and then asked Zhu Qizhen, who was staring at him, "Big brother, when did you come down?"
Zhu Yunwen immediately realized that the person in front of him was an emperor who had been in charge of the country for many years. The melancholy and danger were revealed in her every move, making people unconsciously alert.
Zhu Qizhen was startled when he suddenly heard Zhu Yuhuan's voice. He looked up and immediately recognized Zhu Yuhuan. He shouted in fear, "Why are you here?"
Seeing him hide aside, Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "That's rare. Why am I here? Of course, it's because I'm dead." She sat on the chair next to him and said, "Seeing that I'm finally dead, don't you want to celebrate?"
Zhu Qizhen went around behind Zhu Zhanji and hid far away from Zhu Yuhuan.
Zhu Yuhuan suddenly felt bored. He stood up and walked to Zhu Di and asked, "Grandpa Zeng, what's wrong with him? He looks a little mentally unstable."
Zhu Di immediately distanced himself from the matter, "He was like this when he came down, and we don't know why."
Zhu Yuhuan lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Oh, I see. Perhaps after seventeen years of enduring humiliation in the Oirat, his mind must have become a little disturbed. Yuger met him once when he was on a diplomatic mission to the Oirat. I thought the Oirat people would have killed him then and there, but I never expected them to let him live for several more years."
After Zhu Qiyu returned to Beijing, he explained the whole story to her. Zhu Yuhuan thought that Yesen's two sons had probably killed Zhu Qizhen, but she didn't expect that the two were quite "merciful" and did not kill Zhu Qizhen. However, after the civil strife, the tribe was short of manpower, and it was a pity to kill such a good person.
Zhu Di was a little surprised and asked, "Why? What happened later? Why did you see him again?"
"A few years after I ascended the throne, Yesen died in a civil war. His two sons were weak and sought protection from the Ming Dynasty. I sent Yuger as an envoy to the Oirat. After he returned, Yuger told me that he had been living in hiding in the Oirat to protect himself."
Zhu Gaochi looked back and forth and said, "He has indeed preserved the reputation of our Zhu family."
Knocking on the door was shameful enough. If people knew that he had lived in Wala for another seventeen years, wouldn't that be embarrassing for them?
Zhu Di just sneered after hearing this and said, "Is this the last one or two shameful things he has done?"
Zhu Zhanji felt even more helpless and said nothing.
"From what the ghost messenger said, our ancestors all knew about what happened above, and they must have dealt with him a long time ago. I'm afraid his mind is even more confused now."
Zhu Yunwen observed Zhu Yuhuan carefully from the side, and was surprised to see that she understood what happened in the underworld in just two or three seconds.
It’s no wonder that a woman like her could lie dormant for many years and then ascend the throne to become emperor. It took a lot of effort.
Hearing Zhu Yuhuan's words, Zhu Di thought of the already "confused" Zhu Qizhen who still didn't forget to discredit Zhu Yuhuan in front of them. His disgust for Zhu Qizhen in his heart increased a little bit, and he said: "Who cares what he does? This is what he deserves."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled slightly and did not comment.
Zhu Qizhen raised his head abruptly upon hearing this and was about to speak, but met Zhu Yuhuan's gaze and shrank back to hide behind Zhu Zhanji.
Zhu Di sighed and said, "It's strange to say that this projection broke down shortly after you ascended the throne."
Zhu Yuhuan was not surprised. He just smiled and said, "Didn't the ghost messenger say there were some problems? Just wait until they are fixed."
Zhu Di couldn't help but ask, "How is it up there?"
He praised Zhu Yuhuan a lot in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, and at the same time trampled Zhu Qizhen into the mud, but he couldn't see how Zhu Yuhuan governed the country, so he couldn't help but feel unsure.
The big talk has already been made. If the estimate is wrong, Zhu Di will probably be punished by Zhu Yuanzhang again.
Zhu Yuhuan noticed that Zhu Di didn't seem to care about the people's livelihood. After a moment's thought, he said, "Of course it will be different from how Taizu and Taizong governed the country... But I don't think it will be too bad. I raised Shen'er and Huan'er myself, so at least they won't be like him."
Although she didn't mention anyone by name, everyone knew who she was referring to.
Zhu Qizhen's face turned grim. "You...you..." He paused for a long moment, then gave a slightly twisted smile and said, "Then you're also an emperor without descendants! You're just helping me manage the country temporarily. The throne still belongs to my son!"
Zhu Di and his two sons couldn't help but look at Zhu Yuhuan. She didn't show any pain on her face, but instead smiled. "Yes, he's clearly your son, yet you offer incense to me. Whether it's the Jade Book or the Veritable Records, they only regard Shen'er as my child. As for you, I ordered a tomb to be built for your wife's sake, so that you and your wife can be buried together. Are you satisfied now?"
Zhu Qizhen was almost angry to the point of falling backwards. He rushed forward and wanted to fight Zhu Yuhuan to the death. Zhu Yuhuan was faster than him. He reached out and grabbed Zhu Qizhen's collar. With just a light push, Zhu Qizhen fell to the ground.
Zhu Yuhuan brushed the nonexistent dust off his hands, looked at Zhu Zhanji beside him, and asked, "Won't your Majesty help him stand up?"
Zhu Zhanji's face flushed red as he asked, "You weren't such a sharp-tongued kid when you were little. Why did you become so sharp-tongued when you grew up?"
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "When I was little, I had to look at the emperor's face. Now I don't have to. My teeth and nails have grown out naturally."
Zhu Gaochi looked at his nose with his eyes and his heart with his nose, without saying a word.
Zhu Di didn't care at all. In retrospect, he saw how much Zhu Yuhuan had suffered. How could he not understand that Zhu Yuhuan had resentment towards Zhu Zhanji.
Therefore, Zhu Di comforted him, "It's okay. With your great-grandfather here, you don't have to worry about anyone's face in the future." Seeing Zhu Yunwen's eyes sweeping over, he added, "But you still have to respect Taizu."
Zhu Yuhuan shook his head and said, "I have no resentment towards the Emperor. As a father, I have long been disappointed in him. As a monarch, he was no better to the people. I said this only to tell him that I have never truly respected and loved you. We don't need to treat each other as father and daughter in the future. It will only make everyone feel uncomfortable. If the Emperor truly has any fatherly love he wants to express, Zhu Qizhen will naturally bear it. There is no need to distance himself from me. Don't worry, I still show my filial piety. Concubine Sun has been buried in Jingling Mausoleum, and she and the Emperor will enjoy the incense of future generations."
She is not that narcissistic and has no interest in the plot of "biological father confessing and asking for forgiveness", nor does she want to pretend to be friendly with Zhu Zhanji and act out a "family happy" drama. She does not need the recognition of anyone here.
Zhu Zhanji had anticipated how Zhu Yuhuan would blame and rebuke him after he came down, so he naturally prepared a response plan. However, he never expected Zhu Yuhuan to say such a thing. He stood there in a daze for a moment, not knowing how to respond.
But he felt a little uncomfortable. In his opinion, he had been quite good to his daughter. Zhu Yuhuan wanted to use his abilities, but other emperors would certainly not allow him to do so. Yet, he was so generous to Zhu Yuhuan. Wasn't that enough? Zhu Yuhuan seemed to have no resentment in his words, but he didn't even mean to forgive him. So how could he say "no resentment"?
Even Zhu Di felt somewhat embarrassed at this moment. After a long while, he said, "Let's not talk about this. You haven't come to see the Great Ancestor yet."
Zhu Yuhuan said, "Grandpa Taizu is here too? What are you doing, eating mangoes?"
Zhu Di was confused. "Mango? Why eat mango?"
"Nothing." Zhu Yuhuan chuckled and said, "I heard that Grandpa Taizu has a bad temper. I hope he wasn't angry with me when he looked up there?"
Zhu Di didn't expect her guess to be so accurate, so he could only mumble, "The most annoying person is still here, what are you angry about?"
When Zhu Yuhuan saw Zhu Di like this, she guessed in her heart that Zhu Yuanzhang was probably very opposed to her as the emperor, so she just smiled and didn't ask any more questions.
No matter whether he agrees or not, she has been the emperor for forty years, so why would she care about other people's opinions?
Compared to this, Zhu Yuhuan was even more disappointed that he was merely led to the underworld, not back to his original world, nor starting from scratch.
But the emperor is, after all, a blood-sucking creature, so it's no wonder that he can't be reincarnated.
Zhu Yuhuan could only comfort herself that at least she could still visit her mother on weekdays. As for farming, it was not a difficult task for Zhu Yuhuan. Even though she had not farmed herself for some years, she had read a lot of summaries from the people in the Academy of Sciences and was not unfamiliar with it.
While he was thinking, Zhu Yuanzhang had already walked out. He looked like a man in his prime, very dignified. His sharp eyes looked Zhu Yuhuan up and down and asked, "Are you Zhu Yuhuan?"
Zhu Yuhuan bowed and said, "I am Zhu Yuhuan."
Everyone who came in was extremely respectful to Zhu Yuanzhang, but Zhu Yuhuan, who was always "courteous", just acted perfunctorily.
Zhu Zhanji was afraid that she would anger Zhu Yuanzhang, so he immediately stood up to speak for her. Zhu Yuanzhang had already said, "You are neither humble nor arrogant."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled faintly and asked, "For my country, I have expanded the territory. For the people, I have done my best and have no regrets. Why should I be humble? Why should I be arrogant?"
If Zhu Yuhuan was not of the Zhu family, Zhu Yuanzhang would definitely not have any good feelings towards her, but her surname was Zhu after all, and the things that were unpleasant in ordinary women now seemed to be worthy of his appreciation.
Zhu Yuhuan had already read the answer from Zhu Yuanzhang's face. He couldn't help but sneer and said, "Taizu is an old man, and I am a new man. Only the new man can judge the old man, how can the old man judge the new man?"
The implication is that she does not need Zhu Yuanzhang's approval, nor does she care about Zhu Yuanzhang's approval.
Even Zhu Di did not expect that his great-granddaughter would be so bold, and he subconsciously glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang.
Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and said nonchalantly, "It seems that you, the one who built the foundation, are more afraid of future generations' comments."
"Let him talk all he wants. Can he persuade me to live?" Zhu Yuhuan chuckled. "Who knows if there won't be someone like Zhu Qizhen who sees me as a 'steward' who helps him manage his legacy, not realizing that the emergence of an emperor represents an era. What such a fool says will go in one ear and out the other."
Zhu Qizhen just stared at Zhu Yuhuan but didn't dare to say a word.
"Future generations will only remember what I brought to the Ming Dynasty. As for the rest, it's just something to talk about after dinner. I still have the magnanimity to tolerate others."
After Zhu Yuhuan finished speaking, she couldn't help but complain in her heart that she also loved reading these "wild histories" when she was in modern times.
Zhu Yuanzhang studied her for a long time and said, "Even without seeing the projection, I can guess that you wouldn't be a bad emperor. If you were, you should be like that guy over there, blaming everyone else for your mistakes."
Zhu Yuhuan said with a smile: "Just now, the emperor was very worried about me, afraid that I would lose my manners in front of the great grandfather. It seems that he was overthinking it."
Zhu Zhanji was stunned when he heard this. He never expected that these words would suddenly be thrown at him.
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Zhanji and asked, "Why, are you afraid that I will make things difficult for your daughter, so you say bad things about me to her in advance?"
Zhu Zhanji immediately realized that Zhu Yuhuan was not praising him for being a good father, but was deliberately luring Zhu Yuanzhang to bluff him.
Without waiting for Zhu Zhanji to explain, Zhu Yuhuan said, "I will go to pay my respects to Empress Gao, my grandmother and my mother, and then come back to greet all the elders." After saying this, he disappeared in a flash like smoke, presumably going to meet the female relatives.
Zhu Di quickly said, "Don't forget what you promised your great-grandfather!"
Zhu Yuhuan's somewhat disembodied voice came from afar: "I know!"
Only Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Zhanji were left staring at each other.
Zhu Yuhuan left the Ming Palace Garden, but did not go to see Hu Shanxiang as she had said. Instead, she walked over to the ghost messenger and asked, "The projection isn't really broken. It's because if what happened up there were to be released, it would cause trouble."
The ghost messenger had no intention of hiding anything from Zhu Yuhuan, but frankly admitted: "Yes. As ghost messengers, we also want to be left alone."
Zhu Yuhuan sighed, then said, "What will this world become in the future?"
After an unknown amount of silence, the ghost said, "Things develop according to certain laws. They will eventually lead to the 'correct' path."
Zhu Yuhuan looked at the nonexistent sunset in the underworld and said, "That's great..." She couldn't help but glance at the ghost messenger next to her and said with interest, "Actually, your management style is quite unique, and the theory is very advanced. If you're short of manpower, you can hire me. I've been working for a long time, and suddenly having some free time is a bit hard for me to adapt."
The ghost fell silent again.
Zhu Yuhuan sighed and whispered, "When...when can we leave here?"
As if to comfort her, the ghost said: "Wait until this world no longer needs an emperor."
"Then... I think it should be soon. That's great."
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