Chapter Three: Father Is Acting Strange
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Zhu Biao was somewhat bewildered.
Before asking the emperor, he already sensed that his father’s condition was somewhat off today.
Now that he had asked, it felt even stranger!
His confusion only deepened.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his eldest son standing before him—staring blankly yet full of worry.
Countless emotions surged within his heart.
Biao’er!
His Biao’er!
The son he cherished most, the one he had always groomed as heir!
Sensible, studious, filial, capable of bearing responsibility.
Able to share his father’s burdens above, protect his siblings in the middle, commanding respect among his brothers, and keep the officials in line below!
This was his most beloved son, the heir he was proud of!
Handing the Ming Dynasty into his hands was the most reassuring thought he had!
Yet... he had gone ahead of him!
Causing a black-haired man to lose a white-haired one!
Having endured the loss of his wife in middle age, and now the loss of his son in his later years!
And the son lost was the one he favored most—the eldest!!!
The pain was truly soul-crushing!
Zhu Yuanzhang could never forget the day his son was wasted away by illness, becoming nothing but skin and bones before passing.
That day, he felt as if the sky of the Ming had collapsed!
His life lost all color!
On that day, overwhelmed by sorrow, he cursed the heavens but found no hands to strike, cursed the earth but found no rings to bind.
He wished the whole world would explode! That everything be destroyed!
Over the years, in the dead of night, the most frequent dreams were of his daughter, and next most often, his son!
Heaven had not been unkind to him.
It had allowed him to return to the eighth year of the Hongwu reign, when his son was still alive.
Still young!
He had ample time to spend with his son!
Ample time to change his son’s fate.
He must change his son’s fate!!!
Zhu Yuanzhang clenched Zhu Biao’s hand tightly, emotions surging within his chest.
His eyes reddened.
This feeling of regaining what was lost—it was truly wonderful!
“Biao’er, in this life, I will surely protect you well!!!”
His voice trembled with emotion.
He could be ruthless and merciless toward corrupt officials, cutting down every last one without hesitation.
But when it came to his eldest son, he could not control his feelings.
Zhu Biao was even more confused.
What was wrong with Father today?
He had been fine, so why did his father look at him with such eyes and say such words?
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It was as if he were already gone...
Could it be... exhaustion and hysteria?
Though worried, he could still feel the strong love his father held for him.
So he suppressed his doubts and said, “Father, I will surely do well and will not make you worry.
With your love and care, nothing will happen to me.”
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded firmly.
“Yes! My Biao’er will definitely be fine!
He must be fine!”
This was a decree from Zhu Yuanzhang—no one, not even a deity, could deny it!
In his heart, he was unwavering in this conviction.
Biao’er’s existence was of utmost importance.
As the heir he had painstakingly raised, in the previous life, Biao’er’s sudden death was not only a heavy blow to him as a father.
It was also a heavy blow to the Ming Dynasty.
As his eldest son and crown prince, it was natural for Biao’er to ascend the throne.
This was recognized from the royal family to the civil and military officials, and even among the common people.
With Biao’er alive, the transition of power after his death would be smooth.
But Biao’er had died prematurely...
All his arrangements were disrupted.
Enduring the heavy sorrow of losing a son, he had to consider a new heir.
In the end, he chose Zhu Yunwen—this bastard!
To ensure Zhu Yunwen’s smooth succession, he employed numerous measures, laying the path and removing obstacles with all his might.
The Lan Yu case—Lan Yu certainly had brought his own doom, but if not to clear the way for that bastard, the collateral punishment would never have been so widespread!
He even brought him close and personally taught him...
Zhu Yuanzhang knew this bastard was neither as clever nor as reliable as Biao’er.
But he believed that after years of careful guidance and all the efforts to pave the way, even if his talent was mediocre, he wouldn’t be too bad.
After thirty-one years of meticulous governance, the Ming Dynasty had such a solid foundation!
And this bastard acted very filial, obedient, and kind in front of him.
But damned if anyone could have foreseen that after ascending the throne, he would commit so many vile acts!
Thinking back to what he had seen in the modern age about Zhu Yunwen’s reign, Zhu Yuanzhang’s teeth itched with anger.
He wanted to smash that bastard’s flat head immediately!
He had promised himself to treat his uncles well.
But as soon as he ascended, while his father’s corpse was barely cold, he immediately began weakening the princes’ power!
And he did so mercilessly!
His methods were particularly despicable and hardly convincing.
For example, when reducing the fifth prince’s domain, the excuse was that the fifth prince’s son reported his father’s rebellion.
But the key was, the fifth prince’s son was only eight years old!
Taking the word of an eight-year-old to seize a powerful prince’s domain—it was utterly ridiculous!
Then, in the first year of Jianwen, in April, he took down the Qi and Xiang princedoms all at once, replacing three princes!
Among them, the twelfth prince was hot-tempered, falsely accused of rebellion.
In his anger and despair, he was forced to set fire to the entire palace to prove his innocence!
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His approach to reducing the princes’ power was also foolish as a pig.
He didn’t strike first at the strongest, the fourth prince, but instead ruthlessly attacked the others.
Clearly, this was raising alarm bells.
Everyone knew the emperor would not spare the fourth prince, the Prince of Yan.
Yet, foolishly, his side released the fourth prince’s three sons at this critical moment.
Claiming it was to lull the fourth prince into complacency.
When Zhu Yuanzhang first saw this, he laughed at the stupidity.
Who had ever seen such foolishness?
Was this supposed to lull the fourth prince?
This was clearly removing his restraints and letting him lose his last worries!
Moreover, when reducing the princes’ power, it was the military commanders who needed to be relied upon most.
Yet this flat-headed bastard began wildly promoting civilian officials.
Not only did he fail to reward the military, but he suppressed the generals and lowered the soldiers’ benefits...
In just four short years, the solid foundation Zhu Yuanzhang had left was utterly squandered by this bastard!
How could the Flying Dragon’s cavalry lose?
Zhu Yuanzhang recalled a phrase he had seen in modern times.
It fit that flat-headed bastard perfectly!
Although the fourth prince, after becoming emperor, did quite well,
But the effort Zhu Yuanzhang had made to pave the way for that flat-headed bastard, and the havoc that bastard wreaked, plus the four years of civil war, had inflicted deep wounds on the Ming Dynasty.
At a time when Ming was thriving, it was dealt a severe blow.
If only Biao’er were still alive, none of this would have happened!
“Father, are you feeling unwell? Maybe... we should rest for a while?”
Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with concern.
Zhu Yuanzhang fought to suppress his emotions, saying, “I’m fine, quite well.”
He spoke the truth.
Returning to the eighth year of Hongwu, knowing so much, seeing those he cared for still alive.
His mood and state were better than ever before!
All the regrets and mistakes of the past life, this time, he would make up for them all!
Not only that, he would lead the Ming Dynasty onto a path never before seen!
What he had seen and experienced in the modern age truly shocked and fascinated him!
“Come, Biao’er, let’s go meet those old countrymen together!”
Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath, smiling at Zhu Biao.
After the New Year’s Day grand court assembly, there was a feast.
Especially for those countrymen from Fengyang, Zhu Yuanzhang would always prepare a fine banquet for them in the Huagai Hall.
Not only that, he personally brought the crown prince along, chatting familiarly with them.
Such honor was something many court officials could only envy, never attain.
Zhu Yuanzhang had originally wanted to rush to see Empress Ma.
But the New Year’s Day assembly was lengthy, and by the time it ended, it was already noon, time for the feast.
So he had to suppress his boundless yearning and impatience, and first go to Huagai Hall to meet these “good countrymen”!