Chapter 4: The Underworld (Part 4)
Fortunately, Wang Zhen was disciplined by Zhu Yuhuan, both openly and covertly, and dared not act arrogantly again. Zhu Yuanzhang finally let out the anger that had been choking him in his chest, but he still pointed at Zhu Zhanji and scolded him, "You blind man! He may be young, but how did you teach him? I think he treats Wang Zhen better than his sister, and even better than you, his father!"
The things projected were far beyond Zhu Yuanzhang's ability to accept, especially touching Zhu Yuanzhang's bottom line.
He could reluctantly accept that the emperor distributed his power to his subordinates, and he could also reluctantly accept that the emperor occasionally "slacked off", but the only thing he could not accept was the concept of the Zhu family as a group that had to look at the faces of ministers and eunuchs.
He could scold his descendants however he wanted, but there was no reason for him to give the power to educate them to others. If anyone dared to do so, Zhu Yuanzhang would be the first to kill that person.
Although Wang Zhen was not bold enough to openly embarrass the eldest princess who was assisting in the administration, he also repeatedly provoked and tested Zhu Yuhuan.
Everyone present could realize that Zhu Yuhuan did not stop Wang Zhen directly out of consideration for the emperor's face and considering that Wang Zhen was the emperor's tool, but only "fight back" by suppressing him.
But Wang Zhen was a fool. He was secretly afraid of Zhu Yuhuan and even wanted to take action against him. However, Zhu Qizhen seemed not to see it and let Wang Zhen and Zhu Yuhuan fight each other. Who knows if he also wanted to use Wang Zhen to curb Zhu Yuhuan.
After all, Zhu Yuhuan was just a princess. As long as the emperor ruled the country steadily, how much trouble could she cause?
Zhu Qizhen actually wanted a servant to step on his master's head. Isn't this a direct humiliation to Zhu Yuhuan?
Zhu Zhanji also felt a little uncomfortable. He had planned to let Zhu Yuhuan take control of the situation on his own, and it would not be the turn of Wang Zhen, a eunuch, to make a move. But Zhu Qizhen just lost his mind.
But Zhu Qizhen was his son, so Zhu Zhanji had to bite the bullet and speak for him: "Zhen'er is still young..."
"Still young? Thirteen is still young?" Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Yunwen next to him and said, "That girl... Zhu Yuhuan, how old was she when she started studying and practicing martial arts? What was she doing when she was thirteen?"
Zhu Yunwen remembered it clearly and said, "She learned to read and write at the age of four, and began exercising the following year. When she was thirteen... I think she was inspecting the Liaodong Regional Command on behalf of her father. Her health was quite good, and it seemed she had a good foundation in martial arts training since childhood."
"Look for yourself!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that his chest heaved violently. Fortunately, they were all dead, otherwise Zhu Yuanzhang would have "died" again. He was so angry that he had already spoken without thinking.
"We're both thirteen, why is there such a big difference?"
"After all, she is a princess and cannot be compared with a prince..."
Zhu Yuanzhang sarcastically said, "It's really like 'trying to plant flowers but they don't bloom, but accidentally planting willows will grow into a shade'."
Seeing that his son was still trying to speak up for Zhu Qizhen, Zhu Gaochi quickly stepped forward and said, "Grandpa, calm down, Grandpa, calm down. With Huanhuan here, nothing serious will happen. I expected Wang Zhen to be so rampant. When he is no longer useful, the emperor will naturally settle accounts with him."
After watching the projection, he vaguely guessed that most of the ministers realized that the emperor was behind Wang Zhen and did not want to ruin their own careers, so no one dared to challenge Wang Zhen openly.
In other words, this world belongs to the Zhu family, not to the ministers, so why should they care about you?
Now there are only two people who have the energy to punish Wang Zhen. One is Emperor Zhu Qizhen, and the other is Zhu Yuhuan who has the imperial edict of Empress Dowager Zhang.
But after two years when the emperor gets married, Zhu Yuhuan will naturally retire to the princess's mansion, and then it will all depend on the emperor's decision.
No matter how Zhu Gaochi looked at it, he felt that his grandson had lost his mind by manipulating Wang Zhen. He only knew how to use Wang Zhen to suppress court officials, but forgot that Wang Zhen was also damaging the emperor's dignity.
Wang Zhen's reckless and sinister actions undoubtedly alienated the emperor from his ministers. It's said that "propriety doesn't extend to common people," and isn't this also true of government decrees? If one wants to govern the country, one naturally can't alienate the ministers.
Zhu Gaochi couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Zhu Yuanzhang said disdainfully, "I think he is useless. It would be better for him to get married early and have someone raise the next generation well. Perhaps that would be better for the Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Zhanji twitched the corners of his mouth, but finally stepped aside obediently and stared at the projection in silence.
Zhu Qizhen did not disappoint everyone and trusted Wang Zhen very much. Wang Zhen was indeed thinking of various ways to "overthrow" Princess Shunde, both openly and secretly.
It was also thanks to Zhu Yuhuan's cautious actions, his willingness to maintain a good relationship with the emperor, and his efforts to assist the emperor in handling matters fairly, which could be described as being very versatile, that everything was safe and sound.
Zhu Yunwen watched the projected scene of Zhu Qizhen on a hunting trip. Seeing Zhu Yuhuan accompanying him, he urged the others to protect the emperor. He said, "I think Princess Shunde is no pushover. She's so thorough and considerate, yet manages to stay within the rules. Zhu Qizhen is like a kitten or puppy in her palm, played with and teased by her."
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't even bother to use extra words, and simply said, "Serves you right."
Although he disliked Zhu Qizhen in his heart, he was his descendant and the heir to the throne of the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang was more disappointed with him. If nothing went well, he would wait until this kid went to the underworld and gave him a good beating, which would be a way to vent his anger.
Zhu Zhanji knew that his teaching of his son was not perfect, but he never imagined that he would grow up to be what he is now. He could only comfort himself in his heart that after his son got married, he would always have the opportunity to start a career.
In any case, as long as he stays on the throne honestly, he will not make any big mistakes.
He did not ask his son to be a wise ruler, as long as he could ensure the continuation of the Ming Dynasty.
Everyone had their own thoughts, but when they saw Zhu Qizhen meet Zhou Yingying in the imperial farm, they knew from his appearance that he was attracted by her beauty.
Zhu Di couldn't stand it any longer and asked, "Is the daughter of a tenant farmer really worth his drooling over?"
Knowing that young people are good at this may not be a good thing for an emperor, especially since Zhu Qizhen now seems to be just a young boy and cannot even be considered a proper emperor.
"It's really a coincidence that this rabbit appeared." Zhu Gaochi said thoughtfully, "If it weren't for this rabbit, this kid wouldn't have rushed into the tenant's yard."
More importantly, Zhu Yuhuan's casual pointing made Zhu Qizhen, who was eager to show off, rush forward without thinking, and Xue Huan, who was following beside him, could not catch up with him.
Zhu Yuanzhang naturally realized this, narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at Zhu Zhanji and said: "According to your personality, this Changping Royal Manor should also be managed by Shunde."
"yes……"
Zhu Di immediately understood, "Isn't this imitating Princess Pingyang's offering of Wei Zifu to Emperor Wu?"
He originally thought that his great-granddaughter was scheming and not simple, but after Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Gaochi said this, it seemed to be true... But even so, the concubines of this dynasty had little power and could not play any decisive role in the previous dynasty.
No matter how cunning Zhu Yuhuan was, could he still hold the emperor hostage to control the princes? In Zhu Di's view, his great-granddaughter was simply imitating that Sun family, finding two suitable concubines to give birth to Zhu Qizhen's eldest son, thus protecting her own safety. Although it was not a wise choice, it was not a bad thing either.
Zhu Yunwen scoffed, "Can Zhu Qizhen be compared with Emperor Wu of Han? As for this tenant girl, her younger brother is even less worthy of being Wei Qing."
Although Zhu Di was extremely unhappy with Zhu Yunwen, he had to admit that Zhu Yunwen was perceptive in this matter. In the end, he just said unhappily: "You are not much better than him. Otherwise, how could I become the emperor? How can you, who can't even hold on to your throne, laugh at this kid? You don't have a good sister like my great-granddaughter."
At the beginning, Zhu Yunwen saw that Zhu Di was about to reach his doorstep, so he had to let Princess Qingyang go to Zhu Di to ask for peace. How could Zhu Di agree to the lie of "dividing the world into two" when he had the upper hand? After driving Princess Qingyang away, he marched south in one go.
Zhu Yunwen's face flushed crimson, and he finally said in a low voice, "I'm not like the people in Fourth Uncle's family who can only catch women and suck their blood."
But after all, he was the one who lost his kingdom, so naturally he was not as tough as Zhu Di in speaking.
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang finally turned his gaze away from the projection and comforted Zhu Yunwen, saying, "This is not your fault."
Zhu Di didn't like watching this scene of affection between grandparents and grandchildren, so he turned to look at the projection, only to see Zhu Yuhuan and Zhu Qizhen offering sacrifices at Tianshou Mountain. Zhu Zhanji recognized them at a glance and said to Zhu Di, "Grandpa Emperor, this is Changling. Zhen'er and Huanhuan are here to pay their respects to you."
After all, he was his dear great-grandson, so Zhu Di's expression relaxed a little. He said, "At least they still care about being filial to their ancestors." Seeing Zhu Yuhuan's sincere face, he felt a little uncomfortable. After a while, he said, "If the offerings from above can be sent down, can we send something up from below?"
The ghost messenger appeared in the house again without anyone noticing and explained, "The underground and the ground are not synchronized, so the impact is naturally minimal. Nothing can be sent up there."
Zhu Di sighed and said, "Can the princesses come to see us after they die?"
"If they are willing, they can naturally meet, but the time is limited. Afterwards, these princesses will be reincarnated like concubines and will not stay in the underworld for long."
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at the ghost messenger and said, "Why? Can't we see him if we want to?"
The ghost messenger's face remained calm. He said, "No, this matter requires respecting the wishes of both parties. There is no such thing as one party obeying the orders of the other. I hope that Your Majesties can quickly understand that the underworld has its own rules and regulations, and they are not under the influence and control of the emperor. Otherwise, Your Majesties would not have followed the ghost messenger so obediently to the Ming Palace Garden, and would not have spent their time here watching projections, right?"
Everyone fell silent upon hearing this, and the ghost messenger disappeared silently in front of everyone.
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand unhappily and said, "Forget it, let's continue watching."
Fortunately, the depressing atmosphere did not last long. The projection showed the scene of Luchuan invading the Ming Dynasty. Turning to Zhu Qizhen, he was secretly excited, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and said, "This is the martial spirit of the Yan clan."
Zhu Di smiled awkwardly and looked at Zhu Gaochi, who automatically turned to Zhu Zhanji.
Zhu Zhanji had no one to look at anymore, so he could only focus on watching the projection.
Anyway, he had already been beaten and scolded, and it would only be another stab in the face. Zhu Zhanji really didn't want to waste any more time defending his son.
Can it get any worse than it is now?
"This Zhu Qizhen..." Zhu Yuanzhang choked up at this point. Perhaps because he had been cursing for too long, he was unusually at a loss for words. After a while, he said, "Why didn't he go to Luchuan himself? If he let the princess go to the front, why didn't he let his own mother go with her? That's the Holy Mother Empress Dowager. It would be more prestigious for her to go."
This time, Zhu Yuanzhang's words were surprisingly calm. Zhu Di glanced at the silent Zhu Zhanji and could only laugh, "After all, Huanhuan has experience patrolling the border and suppressing rebellions... Besides, it's a good thing he can't go in person, otherwise wouldn't that cause trouble for Wang Ji and the others?"
Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him and said bluntly, "Get lost!"
Do you really think he can't see that the emperor was worried that these ministers would not support the expedition to Luchuan, so he deliberately put the eldest princess on the line? Wang Zhen, who proposed this idea, is certainly a good-for-nothing, and Zhu Qizhen, who agreed to it, is even more of a bastard.
Losing outside the Yunnan barrier would not affect domestic security, and the matter of the eldest princess could be used to control the ministers. When the time comes, as long as the blame is passed on, the emperor will naturally not be wrong. Wang Zhen can also get rid of Zhu Yuhuan, the "thorn in the eye", which can be said to be the best of both worlds.
If this isn’t a beast, what is it?
These are siblings from the same father. Zhu Yuhuan has a clear conscience towards Zhu Qizhen and has tried his best to support him. However, Zhu Qizhen is gambling with Zhu Yuhuan's life.
Zhu Yuanzhang wished he could possess Zhu Yuhuan and go to the Qianqing Palace in the middle of the night to strangle the guy to death.
Anyway, there is still a kid in the capital. If this bastard dies, then he dies. It would be a relief if the younger brother succeeds the older brother.
However, Zhu Yuhuan's reaction was beyond everyone's expectations. She still looked calm. Even the experienced people like San Yang and Hu Shanxiang were a little flustered, but Zhu Yuhuan's emotions were almost calm. He was even in the mood to put on armor to comfort his mother.
Zhu Yuanzhang already had a certain admiration for Zhu Yuhuan in his heart, thinking that she was the descendant of the royal family that met his expectations. If the princesses, princes, and grandchildren of the emperor could emulate Zhu Yuhuan, he would be relieved. But now, seeing Zhu Yuhuan so calm, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that something was amiss.
Zhu Yuhuan's ability to accept things was a little too strong. Not to mention among princesses, even among emperors, his indifference was really extraordinary.
Zhu Yuhuan's performance on the battlefields of Yunnan and Luchuan further confirmed Zhu Yuanzhang's "ominous premonition."
This girl is really not as simple as she looks. Beneath her gentle, respectful, frugal and modest appearance, I'm afraid she is not loyal at all.
As the founding emperor who stepped up from the bottom to the throne and finally sat firmly on it, Zhu Yuanzhang had already realized that Zhu Yuhuan was probably filled with anger that had been surging in his heart for a long time.
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, and after a long while he finally said, "He does have a bit of a heroic aura."
At first glance, these words sounded like praise for Zhu Yuhuan, but looking at Zhu Yuanzhang's expression, it didn't seem like a simple compliment.
Zhu Di didn't think about it and said, "If Huanhuan knew that Dad praised her so much, she would be very happy."
Zhu Yunwen quickly understood what Zhu Yuanzhang meant and said, "It is recorded in the Yan Dan Zi that a person who is brave in blood will turn red in anger; a person who is brave in pulse will turn blue in anger; a person who is brave in bone will turn white in anger; and a person who is brave in spirit will remain calm in anger."
Zhu Di was no longer the Prince of Yan, so he certainly didn't ask what Zhu Yunwen was talking about. Instead, he raised his eyebrows slightly. "Dad, what you mean is... this girl is angry?"
Seeing that he understood what he meant, Zhu Yuanzhang hummed and said, "It seems that you have read a few books in these years."
Zhu Di pondered for a long time and said to Zhu Zhanji: "It's all because of you. I think even if a saint came, he would be angered by you and become a traitor."
Zhu Zhanji knew that Zhu Yuanzhang's judgment of people was correct, and he had an even worse premonition in his heart, and his thoughts were inevitably on his son.
If Zhu Qizhen really lost to Zhu Yuhuan, not only Zhu Qizhen himself, but even his father would be ashamed to death!
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