Chapter 24: Surprised?

"Your Highness, the Prince of Qin, the Prince of Jin, and the Prince of Yan have headed towards the Wuying Hall."

In the Wenhua Hall, Eunuch Zhang reported to the Crown Prince, Zhu Biao.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao could no longer sit still. He set down his memorials and hurried out of the Wenhua Hall, making his way toward the Wuying Hall as well.

Zhu Biao was a busy man; his mornings were spent attending lectures by teachers like Song Lian, and his afternoons were dedicated to handling state affairs. Following the orders of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the Secretariat would forward less complex administrative matters to the Wenhua Hall for Zhu Biao to process. Once Zhu Biao had dealt with them, they were sent to the Emperor for final review. If any aspect was found wanting, the Emperor would point it out, personally teaching Zhu Biao the nuances of governance. It could be said that Zhu Yuanzhang spared no effort in cultivating his successor.

Zhu Biao’s sudden reaction was due to the deep impression left on him when his Imperial Father had brutally beaten his younger brothers on New Year's Day. He was worried that his brothers were about to be thrashed by the Emperor once again. Last time, even with him standing by to intervene, his brothers had still suffered quite severely. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he weren't there.

However, after rushing forward for a while, Zhu Biao slowed his pace. He realized he was perhaps overreacting out of concern. The Emperor had only just beaten the second and third princes the day before yesterday—an act that had even earned the Emperor a scolding from the Empress—and his brothers’ wounds had barely healed. They were all behaving perfectly well now, and since they had certainly committed no new offenses, the Emperor surely wouldn't beat them again.

With this thought, Zhu Biao’s mood lightened considerably. He even considered turning back to the Wenhua Hall to continue his work. Yet, having already come so far, he hesitated and decided to continue toward the Wuying Hall. Even if his brothers weren't going to be beaten, visiting them and having a chat would be pleasant. As they grew older and their responsibilities increased, the time he could spend with the brothers he had practically raised himself was becoming increasingly scarce.

...

"Let them in."

Inside the Wuying Hall, having received the report from Eunuch Wang, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, signaling for Zhu Di and the others to enter. He set aside his own memorials and began to stretch, preparing himself for the task ahead. Regardless of the circumstances, the fourth prince was due for a beating—this missing piece of paternal love had to be replenished.

"Your children pay their respects to the Imperial Father. We wish you peace and good health!"

Zhu Shuang, Zhu Gang, and Zhu Di entered the Wuying Hall and bowed respectfully. The same young men who had been laughing and full of spirit just moments ago were now as docile as mice before a cat. The image of Zhu Yuanzhang as a "loving father" was deeply etched into their minds.

Zhu Di, in particular, was as well-behaved as he could possibly be. He tried his best to remain inconspicuous, hoping not to catch his father’s eye. This time, he didn't even hope for praise; to him, avoiding a beating would be a monumental victory. It would allow him to continue mocking the third prince for a while longer. Over the past few days, taking every opportunity to belittle his brother and keep him under his thumb had felt wonderful. Since he had been performing his duties perfectly and had committed no errors, he was certain the Emperor would find no excuse to strike him.

He was destined to win this round! These thoughts flashed through Zhu Di's mind, and despite his stern expression, he was inwardly jubilant.

"I am perfectly well!" Zhu Yuanzhang replied, his gaze falling upon the three bowing sons—or rather, focusing primarily on Zhu Di.

Seeing Zhu Di, tall and robust, pretending to be a well-behaved child, Zhu Yuanzhang’s heart grew turbulent. The knowledge he possessed from the future regarding the things his fourth son would one day do began to surface, and Zhu Yuanzhang began to build up his fury.

"Fourth, you still have the nerve to smile! Did I not beat you enough last time? Look at that smug expression on your face!" Zhu Yuanzhang called him out directly.

"Uh..." Zhu Di, who had been internally reveling in his triumph, froze instantly upon hearing his father’s words. His body couldn't help but tremble. *What is going on? Is the Imperial Father actually going to beat me? I haven't done anything wrong lately! And besides, I’ve been keeping my head down and looking serious—how could he tell I was smiling?* He was completely bewildered.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched his son’s reaction and smiled to himself. Others might not realize that the fourth prince was a born actor—rough on the outside but calculating on the inside, capable of performing so naturally that he left no trace—but how could he, as his father, not know? To be honest, reading the historical records of the future, where this fellow feigned madness, slept in pigsties, and even fought pigs for food to deceive the world, had left even him, the old father, stunned.

He had truly been surprised. Those tactics had successfully fooled the followers of Zhu Yunwen, leading them to believe the Fourth Prince had truly lost his mind. It was then that Zhu Yuanzhang realized he had raised an Academy Award-level actor! If Zhu Di had gone to the modern era to act, he would have easily outperformed all those "fresh meat" celebrities. Knowing the nature of the third and fourth brothers—who would compete over anything, even the distance of their urine—it was no surprise that he could see through Zhu Di’s stern mask.

"Come here! Get down!" Ignoring Zhu Di’s shock, Zhu Yuanzhang took off his shoe and brandished it, radiating the holy light of a "loving father."

Zhu Di was completely dumbfounded. *Wait... is he really going to do it?* In his daze, his body reacted instinctively, and he dropped to the ground with practiced, fluid ease.

The joys and sorrows of men are not always shared. Beside him, the third prince, Zhu Gang, was overcome with intense delight. *The Imperial Father is actually going to beat the fourth? Hahaha, this is marvelous! That wretch deserves it for being so arrogant!* He had been furious for the past few days, and now the tables had turned. On the way here, Zhu Di had even boasted that he would take the third prince's surname if he got beaten... If not for the setting, Zhu Gang would have surely laughed out loud.

*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*

Zhu Yuanzhang did not hold back, swinging his shoe with vigor. Among all his sons, the fourth was the one who surprised him the most. When he first learned in the future that the Yongle Emperor was the fourth prince, and that he had seized the throne through rebellion, he had been shocked. His rage had surged, and he had felt like an unfilial beast, wishing he could cut him down.

But later, after researching the full story behind the rebellion, Zhu Yuanzhang’s perspective changed entirely. The fourth son was right to rebel! No, it wasn't a rebellion; it was a righteous defense of the throne! Given the atrocities committed by that creature Zhu Yunwen, if he were in the fourth son's shoes, he would have done the same.

He had set his own reign title as Hongwu, and that grandson had chosen "Jianwen"—was that not a clear declaration of opposition to his own grandfather? He had explicitly decreed that no one from the Jiangnan region should serve as Minister of Revenue, yet as soon as that beast took the throne, he appointed men from that very region to the position. Then, he had efficiently lowered the taxes in Jiangnan to the same level as the destitute Northwest!

Damn him! Jiangnan was wealthy, the money bag and granary of the Ming dynasty, situated safely in the rear with no fear of war. The Northwest, however, was a cold and barren land, impoverished and long ravaged by the Tatars, and it had to shoulder the heavy burden of border defense. Ten frontier provinces couldn't compare to the output of a single province in Jiangnan. Yet that fool had demanded they pay the same taxes! How many times must one’s head be kicked by a donkey to be that stupid? And this was merely the tip of the iceberg of the idiot’s mistakes.

Fortunately, the fourth prince had raised his army and succeeded, eliminating the fool and suppressing the Jiangnan literati who sought to turn the world upside down. Otherwise, the Ming Dynasty, into which he had poured his heart and soul, might well have perished in the second generation!

After the fourth prince became emperor, he truly did many things well. Among all the emperors in the history books of the Ming, he himself was the best, and the second best was this fourth son—the very one he had trained to be a great general.

Yet, Zhu Yuanzhang still had to beat him. Not because of the future rebellion, but because of something else entirely.