Chapter 2: The Underworld (Part 2)
Zhu Zhanji had just passed away, and Zhu Qizhen had just ascended the throne. He was only nine years old this year, and his mind was unstable. Keeping vigil was a very hard job. Zhu Qizhen persisted for a few days, and inevitably began to "fish for three days and dry the net for two days". In addition, Empress Dowager Zhang also loved her grandson. After Zhu Qizhen's throne was set in stone, she was reluctant to let Zhu Qizhen complete all the formal funeral ceremonies according to the usual rules. She used the excuse that the emperor was young and needed to be familiar with government affairs, so she asked him to stay with her and receive instruction.
Zhu Di had already calculated that Zhu Zhanji's sons were probably not too old. After all, Zhu Zhanji had no sons before he left, and the oldest, Zhu Yuhuan, was only four years old. However, Zhu Yuanzhang was very surprised when he saw them and asked, "How come your son is only nine years old?"
Zhu Zhanji said awkwardly, "Zhanji's descendants have bad luck, and besides... besides..."
Zhu Yuanzhang had only watched a few excerpts, not the entire thing, so he naturally didn't know about Zhu Zhanji's use of the elixir. He was simply furious at his lack of resistance and said, "You bastards! I worked so hard to conquer this land, never letting you starve, and yet you're all princes and grandchildren, and your health is worse than yours! It seems you've been living too well!"
Compared to failing to take the elixir and having a short life, the name of poor physical fitness sounds better, so Zhu Zhanji just smiled and agreed.
"You only have this one son?"
Hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's question, Zhu Zhanji quickly said: "Also, there is our second son Qi Yu, who is only one year younger than Qi Zhen."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Di and said, "Without descendants, it's useless!"
Of course, Zhu Di would not speak directly, but he secretly complained that Zhu Biao's family had few children.
He had already been punished for imprisoning Zhu Yunwen's son, so of course he would not embarrass himself at this time.
Considering Zhu Zhanji's poor health, and the fact that Zhu Qizhen, a child, was probably not in much better shape either, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Even for a child, you're spoiled too much... Fourth brother, were you ever so spoiled when you were little?"
Zhu Di heard that Zhu Yuanzhang was not as angry as before, so he quickly said: "Dad has always been strict with us!"
It is true that he was not under such strict discipline when he was born, but he was still worried and frightened on a daily basis. It was only slightly better than Zhu Yuanzhang who had to beg for food when he was a child.
"A loving mother often spoils her child!"
Zhu Zhanji tried hard to speak for his own mother, saying, "Grandpa, don't worry. My mother has been managing palace affairs for so many years and has always been my father's virtuous wife. She knows a lot about court affairs. Zhanji is more relieved than anyone else that Qi Zhen is with my mother!"
Zhu Yuanzhang, who was sitting at the head of the table, nodded in satisfaction. But then, realizing something was amiss, he asked, "What do you mean by 'knowing a lot about government affairs?' How does the harem know about the affairs of the previous dynasty?"
"Well..." Zhu Zhanji said awkwardly, "My parents, even behind closed doors, can't help but discuss state affairs. And it's precisely because of my father's foresight that Qi Zhen and I were able to succeed to the throne so smoothly, without anyone causing any trouble. This is a good thing, a good thing..."
Zhu Yuanzhang thought about how he had dared to delegate even the power of the emperor to eunuchs, so it seemed nothing new for women to interfere in government. Furthermore, he had issued numerous decrees prohibiting this, so he didn't expect Zhang to cause any major trouble. So, he said, "This is also the result of your actions. Otherwise, why would you and your son both die young?"
Otherwise, how can we say that Zhu Yuanzhang is the ancestor? He easily killed two people with just one sentence. However, Zhu Yuanzhang had the final say in the Ming Palace. Even though they were all emperors, they were no match for Zhu Yuanzhang.
"After all, it seems that your wives, concubines, and daughters are the only ones who are filial and have observed the proper vigil and rites for you."
Zhu Gaochi saw from the projection that Hu Shanxiang was still the queen, and knew that Zhu Zhanji was not lying. He breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "A virtuous wife at home will protect her husband from misfortune!"
Zhu Di also said immediately: "Yes, this granddaughter-in-law was selected by me personally. The Imperial Astronomical Observation has calculated that she is familiar with women's books and will definitely be able to learn a little bit of the style of the queen mother."
Zhu Yuanzhang studied the content being projected and said, "Indeed, it does look like a loving mother and a filial son."
Zhu Yunwen, who was standing by, said, "Grandson, why does it seem to me that Zhu Qizhen doesn't look like Hu's biological son?"
"Um?"
Zhu Yunwen analyzed it in detail: "Look at how much Mrs. Hu cares for Zhu Qizhen. Although she acts like a loving mother, there is still a sense of distance between them. This is inconsistent with how she treats Zhu Yuhuan."
Zhu Di was also stunned when he heard this, and asked in return: "Isn't this successor little emperor born to Hu?"
Since Zhu Di, the throne has always been inherited by the legitimate son, so several people thought out of habit and subconsciously regarded Zhu Qizhen as Hu Shanxiang's biological son. Only Zhu Yunwen stayed out of it and was "a bystander who sees things more clearly."
When Zhu Zhanji was asked this question, he had no choice but to answer, "Mrs. Hu...Mrs. Hu is in poor health and it is difficult for her to get pregnant. Qi Zhen and Qi Yu are not her biological children."
Zhu Di had not expected this to happen, so he could only smooth things over by saying, "Mrs. Hu is a virtuous woman, and she will surely treat her two illegitimate sons as her own."
Zhu Yuanzhang, however, asked with a half-smile, "If it was so difficult for Mrs. Hu to get pregnant, where did her two daughters come from? Did they pop out from cracks in the rocks?"
Zhu Zhanji knew he couldn't get away with it after hearing this, so he had to bite the bullet and said, "I'm sure mother won't treat Hu badly. She will still have the honor of being the Empress Dowager."
"Hmph..." Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Di's three generations and said sarcastically, "I finally understand. You are a family of traitors who have risen to power. You are not afraid of any dirty deeds!"
Zhu Di had already been scolded by Zhu Yuanzhang in front of his descendants, and he had already given up, but he couldn't help but glare at Zhu Zhanji secretly when he heard the words.
Isn't it asking for trouble to play tricks on Zhu Yuanzhang? Besides, Hu Shanxiang was the granddaughter-in-law he personally selected. Her character was tested and she was a virtuous wife who was worthy of taking care of and stabilizing the harem. What was Zhu Zhanji doing?
Zhu Qizhen was just a child after all, and most of the state affairs had to be handed over to Empress Dowager Zhang for handling, and then she would patiently teach Zhu Qizhen. However, Zhu Qizhen was too young and couldn't concentrate, so he would inevitably be absent-minded and want to play from time to time, which made Zhu Yuanzhang quite annoyed.
He himself had a hard life and had little education, so he was very concerned about learning. He was naturally frugal and naturally could not accept his children and grandchildren being so naughty. Especially after seeing Zhu Yuhuan, a child who never stopped learning, it was even more difficult for Zhu Yuanzhang to accept Zhu Qizhen's mischief.
Zhu Yunwen, standing by, did not forget to add fuel to the fire and said, "Grandpa Emperor, calm down. It's natural for a child to be naughty. Who hasn't been naughty and ignorant at times? Qi Zhen doesn't know we are watching him from below, so it's inevitable that he will be lazy from time to time."
Zhu Yuanzhang flew into a rage and said, "Even when Zhu Yuhuan was little, he wasn't this mischievous!"
"Grandpa, Huanhuan was naughty as a child, but..." Zhu Zhanji was at a loss for words and said, "She was naughty because she focused on some tricks and had some achievements, such as perfumes, ointments, and water-powered textiles... But Zhen'er was too young and had never seen life outside the palace, so she was naturally not as good as Huanhuan..."
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said coldly, "I don't want to hear your sophistry. I think there's something wrong with the way you raise your children! You've raised such a second-generation rich kid!"
Zhu Gaochi gave his son a sympathetic look, fully expressing his helplessness.
Anyway, his successor is reliable, so he won't care about his son's affairs to avoid being caught in a dilemma.
Zhu Zhanji tried to save face by saying, "Actually, Huanhuan also has some shortcomings..."
Zhu Di, who was standing by, coughed when he heard this, obviously signaling Zhu Zhanji not to say anything more.
Zhu Yuanzhang had just praised his great-granddaughter. Now saying that she is not good, isn't that questioning Zhu Yuanzhang?
"Tell me what's wrong with her?"
Zhu Zhanji dared to say this, naturally he had some confidence, so he said: "This girl is a little obsessed with business. After all, merchants are lowly, and as a princess of the royal family, it is still a little inappropriate for her to do this."
This was indeed something Zhu Yuanzhang didn't like. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Blurred by business? You won't give her money?"
Zhu Zhanji was stunned by the question and coughed twice before saying, "Zhanji gave her some assets and allowed her to run her own business, and this cloth is one of her businesses... Although the imperial farm also collects profits and pays taxes, and also supplies cloth to the inner treasury, for a princess to manage business affairs is considered to be degrading."
Zhu Yunwen taunted him, "When I saw you return from suppressing the rebellion and the Taiping Tea House instigated the people to line the streets to welcome you, I didn't think your daughter was 'lowering herself'."
This was a very accurate statement. Zhu Di glanced at Zhu Zhanji and said, "You'd better say less."
Zhu Yuanzhang was already angry, but Zhu Zhanji insisted on speaking for his naughty son. Wasn't this just walking into Zhu Yuanzhang's trap?
With that little bastard Zhu Yunwen fanning the flames, it would be strange if Zhu Zhanji could have a good outcome.
Playing in the present world is not as convenient as going back to the past. In addition, the passage of time is different above and below the ground. Zhu Qizhen is a child who cannot take full charge of things. There is nothing interesting to watch, so he turned his attention to other places, such as Nanzhili.
Who would have thought that it would be more convenient to inspect people's livelihood after death than when alive. In this way, it would be possible to examine the actual governance results of the Ming Dynasty by Zhu Di and his three generations of ancestors and grandchildren.
Now Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji finally regained some of the emperor's face and no longer had to worry about being scolded like a grandson by Taizu.
Only Zhu Di complained bitterly, saying, "I conquered Annan for so long, and you just give up like that. Do you have any backbone at all? How can you be just like that brat Zhu Yunwen?"
Zhu Yunwen sneered upon hearing this and said, "Yes, I am spineless, unlike your descendants who favor concubines and abandon their wives, indulging in pleasure. Even the so-called recuperation has not yet stopped them from going out hunting and playing. But he only captured the remnants of the Wuliangha who were grazing southward. What's so impressive about that? Someone who didn't know would think he had annihilated all the Wuliangha."
Although Zhu Yuanzhang did not interrupt Zhu Yunwen, he did not reprimand Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji, father and son. Therefore, Zhu Zhanji said cheerfully: "That is also a merit. Unlike my uncle, he can only rely on my grandfather and brothers to help guard the border. If we really encounter the Jingnan Rebellion, we will be powerless to fight back."
Zhu Yunwen chuckled and said, "Yes, your descendants have also inherited the 'martial virtue' of your Yan clan. Grandpa Huang and I will always have something interesting to watch in this underground world."
Zhu Zhanji realized that he was hinting at the murder of his uncle, but he didn't take it seriously.
No matter who it is, if he were in his position, he would not let Zhu Gaoxu go. What does killing an uncle mean to the emperor?
"I don't know what happened to that kid Zhu Qizhen. Yunwen, go back and take a look."
"yes."
When the projection was switched back, Zhu Qizhen was seen talking to Zhu Yuhuan, and he looked a little jealous. When everyone heard this, they finally understood what was going on.
It turned out that someone in Cizhou was using the White Lotus Sect to start an uprising. Empress Dowager Zhang weighed the pros and cons and asked Zhu Yuhuan, a Taoist princess, to accompany them as a military supervisor.
"Ridiculous! How can a princess be a military supervisor?"
Zhu Zhanji quickly said, "Yes, it does exist, but it can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty..."
Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, saying, "Did I ask you to learn from the Tang Dynasty?"
Zhu Gaochi explained, "This... my grandson's queen also took into consideration that the White Lotus Sect originated from Buddhism. Our Zhu family believes in Taoism. Huanhuan has studied Taoism for many years and is quite famous. She was appointed as the military supervisor in order to correct the original source."
"I think your Zhu family is completely empty-handed! Either they died early or ran away. Look at that Zhu Zhanji, he ran faster than anyone else and has no sense of responsibility at all!"
Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji could only look at Zhu Di standing aside.
Because of the Jingnan Rebellion, the princes had been weakened again and again. Even though Zhu Zhanji was the emperor's brother, he did not dare to interfere in political affairs.
With a ready-made and useful person like Zhu Yuhuan, of course we can't let him go.
After all, due to the many restrictions imposed by Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yuhuan could not do anything.
Zhu Di feigned indifference as he glanced around, then said, "Everyone has witnessed what kind of person Huanhuan is. We are good descendants of the Zhu family, and we never overstep our bounds. We will certainly not follow the example of Lü Wu. This will be a great story for future generations!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen scoffed, "Fourth Uncle, you sound so easy. You, a prince guarding the border, are still dreaming of the throne, so how can you be sure that this little princess doesn't dream of becoming emperor? If everyone in the world were law-abiding, where would the 'Feng Tian Jing Nan' come from?"
Zhu Di immediately wanted to refute him, but Zhu Yuanzhang had already said, "Alright! Shut up and continue watching!"
Everyone became interested in Zhu Yuhuan, and watched the live broadcast of her joining the army to pacify Cizhou. Seeing that she, a woman, remained calm and composed in the army, knew how to settle the refugees who were the root of the rebellion, treated them leniently, and was able to propose pertinent and practical strategies, and wrote letters to demonstrate the royal benevolence, they were more impressed.
Zhu Zhanji straightened his chest again and said, "Don't worry, Taizu. I personally taught Huanhuan. Not only is he very capable, but he is also very loyal to the royal family. He will definitely not bring shame to our Zhu family!"
Zhu Di rolled his eyes and said nothing.
Although Zhu Zhanji did not notice it, Zhu Di had already realized from the few fragments that his great-granddaughter was more attentive to the refugees than to Zhu Zhanji's funeral. It can be seen that the father's kindness and daughter's filial piety in the past were mostly a performance.
Zhu Zhanji had been trying to curry favor with Zhu Di when he was young, and Zhu Di was not unaware of this. However, Zhu Di was very pleased that the future heir to the throne had such understanding, and naturally he would not care too much about Zhu Zhanji's cleverness. Instead, he intended to cultivate and guide him. However, Zhu Zhanji had many intentions to suppress Zhu Yuhuan, and he was afraid that he would have forced Zhu Yuhuan to rebel. If he died, Zhu Yuhuan might still be secretly happy.
Zhu Zhanji was confused by the situation and despised his daughter from the bottom of his heart, so he did not notice these details.
Zhu Yuanzhang taunted him, "Boy, what are you so proud of? Your daughter is well-educated, but your son is such a jerk. I think it's not Mrs. Hu who's incompetent, it's you!"
Zhu Zhanji didn't know what to say, so he could only bring up his daughter's words to save himself: "People often say that a daughter resembles her father..."
"What about the son?"
When everyone looked at the projection, they saw that Zhu Qizhen himself did not want to attend the class, and during the break he instigated Zhu Qiuyu to skip class together. The two brothers slipped out of Wenhua Hall together and went straight to the horse farm, apparently to go riding and shooting.
Zhu Yunwen said lightly, "You really are different in your pursuit of martial virtues. Even when you skip classes, you still remember to practice riding and archery."
Zhu Zhanji: “…” These two unlucky kids.
Zhu Yunwen had already turned the scene to the horse farm, obviously intending to wait for the two brothers to arrive, but he saw Zhu Yuhuan talking to Princess Changde Zhu Hanjia. Judging from their expressions, they looked like sisters chatting. Zhu Yuhuan was holding the horse for his sister, and they looked like sisters from the same mother.
Since ancient times, royal family affection has inevitably been cold, especially between princes. Seeing the two sisters getting along well with each other, everyone's brows relaxed and they looked a little more relieved.
Although we are in the royal family, who doesn’t want a peaceful and harmonious family?
The projected Zhu Yuhuan is filial to her elders and gentle to her younger brothers and sisters, and she plays a role in mediating the close relationships within the family. Empress Dowager Zhang trusts her very much, and her younger brothers and sisters also respect and love her very much. In addition, she is quite capable and willing to contribute to the family and maintain harmony.
If she wasn't a princess, her figure would almost overlap with another person's.
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but sigh and said, "It's a good thing to have such a person in this generation."
Zhu Di just pretended that he heard nothing and looked up at the mortise and tenon structure of the roof.
Zhu Yuanzhang changed the subject, looked at Zhu Zhanji, and scolded him, "Why didn't you let her take good care of this kid before you died! This kind of person who has classes and books to read but doesn't study hard should be beaten with a stick!"
Zhu Zhanji, who just thought he had escaped a disaster: "..."
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