Chapter 51: Taking a Disciple

Before Chen Lin could react, Zhu Yuanzhang had already motioned for Empress Ma to bring the three little rascals over to kneel before Chen Lin.

"From now on, he is your master. Kowtow, three heavy kowtows."

Zhu Xiongying immediately kowtowed with a cheeky grin, and Zhu允炆 obediently followed his older brother's lead. Only the youngest, Zhu Yuncong, looked utterly bewildered, but guided by Empress Ma, he finally knelt down and knocked his head three solid times.

What could Chen Lin say?

This was already part of his plan. Although it came with two extra hanging attachments, he couldn't possibly teach these three little brats for free; he had to extract some benefits.

Before he could even speak, as if reading his mind, Zhu Yuanzhang preempted him: "Though the title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent is a nominal one, it carries the rank of a top-tier official. Even the ministers of the Six Ministries only hold the proper second rank. Surely you can't complain about this!"

Chen Lin smacked his lips. "What is the stipend for a top-tier official?"

"A monthly stipend of eighty-seven dan of rice."

Chen Lin quickly turned to Chen Xiaolan. "How much is eighty-seven dan worth approximately?"

Chen Xiaolan rapidly counted on her fingers, giving the answer in less than three seconds: "About six hundred and sixty guan. Converted into silver based on current paper currency, that's a little over five hundred liang."

"A little over five hundred liang..."

Chen Lin lost interest. "Five hundred and something is better than nothing, I suppose!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said with dissatisfaction, "Better than nothing? Do you have any idea how much a little over five hundred liang can buy?"

Chen Lin countered, "Why don't you ask why over six hundred guan of paper currency only converts to a little over five hundred liang of silver?"

"Uh~~~"

Zhu Yuanzhang was clearly feeling guilty and quickly changed the subject. "Let's not talk about that. Tell me what knowledge you plan to teach these three little brats."

Ignoring Zhu Yuanzhang, Chen Lin stepped forward and helped Zhu Xiongying up. "You are the eldest disciple, so we will establish the rules with you. Kneel."

Zhu Xiongying was stunned. Weren't you just helping me up? Why are you making me kneel again?

Oh well, who told Master's house to have so many fun things?

Zhu Xiongying knelt once more, awaiting his master's rules.

"First of all, entering my sect means you must keep secrets. Whatever you learn or hear must not be leaked by half a word, especially to your grandfather."

"In case he really, really wants to know, it's not entirely out of the question, but remember to charge him money and hand it over to me. Understood?"

Zhu Xiongying glanced at his grandfather, then nodded obediently. "Understood."

Zhu Yuanzhang pressed a hand to his forehead, so furious he almost lost his footing.

Who teaches their grandson right in front of the grandfather like this?

Why on earth did he pick someone like this to be his grandson's master? What a calamity~~~

"Secondly..." Chen Lin spoke again.

Everyone waited for the contents of the "secondly," but Chen Lin paused for a long time without squeezing out a single syllable.

"Secondly... secondly, we'll talk about it next time. That's it, go play!"

Empress Ma clapped her hands. "Alright, alright, all's well that ends well. Chongba, isn't it about time? Don't keep your old brothers waiting too long."

All's well that ends well?

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao standing to the side.

Zhu Biao returned a reassuring look. Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, waved his grand sleeve, and declared, "To the Fengtian Hall~~~"

Inside the Fengtian Hall, following the chaos caused by the drone earlier, most people were still discussing the incident. They linked the drone with the pickup truck, assuming both were clever contraptions brought by Chen Lin to bewilder the Emperor.

"Little Sister, what do you think?"

Xu Yungong, representing the Duke of Wei's estate at the birthday banquet, looked toward a pimply girl beside him.

The Duke of Wei, Xu Da, was currently garrisoned in Beiping, so only Xu Yungong, as the heir, could attend the birthday banquet.

As for the girl, she was naturally the legendary Xu Miaoqin.

"What do I think of what?"

"That flying machine just now!"

Xu Miaoqin shook her head. "I don't know. It has nothing to do with us. Let's just play blind and deaf, why bother meddling in so much?"

Xu Yungong figured she made sense and asked no further questions.

At that moment, Zhu Yuanzhang led his family out from the side hall, all of them dressed in formal attire.

Chen Lin followed at the back of the crowd, eyeing a beautiful woman holding a child beside Zhu Di.

This person was none other than Princess of Yan, Xu Miaoyun, holding the two-year-old Zhu Gaozhu in her arms, while still carrying the unborn Zhu Gaozui in her womb.

The chubby little fellow, the future Emperor Renzong Zhu Gaozhi, was being led by the hand by Zhu Di.

The reason Xu Miaoyun hadn't appeared earlier was because she was pregnant and needed quiet recuperation, so she hadn't stayed in the same courtyard as the main contingent, but rather rested in another side hall.

The relatives of the other vassal princes also each had a side hall as a resting place.

Crucially, Lady Lü, the secondary consort of the Crown Prince, was still surprisingly following behind Zhu Biao. It must have been because the Empress's birthday was a joyous occasion, making it inconvenient to deal with her immediately.

Seeing Lady Lü's calm and composed expression, Chen Lin figured she probably didn't know her doom was fast approaching.

Chen Lin couldn't be bothered with these matters because his eyes had locked onto the roly-poly Zhu Gaozhi.

"Chubby little fellow, oink oink, come over here."

The solemn atmosphere was thoroughly ruined by Chen Lin's sudden shout of "Chubby little fellow, oink oink."

Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly coughed to remind Chen Lin.

Chen Lin ignored him entirely, walking straight up and pulling Zhu Gaozhi over.

"What are you doing? This is my son. If you want a son, make one yourself." Zhu Di held on tightly, unwilling to let go.

At this moment, Xu Miaoyun turned her head to look at Chen Lin, nodding slightly in greeting. Then, giving Zhu Di a reproachful look, she patted Zhu Gaozhi's head and said, "Uncle Chen likes you, so you can go with Uncle Chen!"

Zhu Gaozhi nodded obediently. "Understood, Mother."

Then he looked up at Chen Lin and said, "Uncle Chen, my name is Zhu Gaozhi, not chubby little fellow oink oink."

Chen Lin scooped Zhu Gaozhi up into his arms. "To me, you're just a chubby little fellow. But no oink oink. Let me pinch those cheeks~~"

Zhu Gaozhi looked unhappy as the man pinched his cheeks, not daring to voice any complaints.

To his surprise, Chen Xiaolan joined in as well, and the two of them surrounded Zhu Gaozhi, kneading and rubbing him at will.

"So cute, and great to the touch. Little chubby, do you want to come play at my place? I have lots of toys there."

Zhu Gaozhi was practically drooling from the pinching; he sucked the saliva back with a slurp before replying, "I have to get my mother's permission first..."

By this time, Zhu Yuanzhang and the others had taken their seats. Following a load of nonsensical opening remarks, they waited to receive birthday greetings from everyone.

Chen Lin also followed a eunuch to his designated seat. As a top-tier official, his seat was quite far forward—the very first one on the left.

The second seat on the left belonged to the Duke of Wei's estate.

Once this seating arrangement was revealed, everyone understood Chen Lin's status and cast curious glances his way.

"What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge your eyeballs out!"

Chen Lin directly cursed at the white-bearded man sitting in the very first seat on the right opposite him, leaving the other party bewildered.

Everyone else was taken aback too. He's just looking at you, why resort to such harsh abuse?

If not for the fact that today was Empress Dowager's birthday, this old man would curse you to death.

One by one, the people averted their gazes, unwilling to bicker with a madman.

Up above, Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma exchanged a speechless glance.

This brat dared to curse anyone; he even had the audacity to curse the illustrious Founding Minister, the Duke of Korea. They couldn't tell if he was a newborn calf unafraid of tigers or simply ignorant and fearless.

Still, it made sense; he even dared to talk back to him, the Emperor, so what was a Duke of Korea?

Next came the segment where the imperial princes, led by Zhu Biao, presented their birthday gifts. Finding it thoroughly uninteresting, Chen Lin carried Zhu Gaozhi around to observe his surroundings.

He turned to look at the seat directly below his own. Uh...

It was Xiaolan.

Looking further down, there was a martial youth—very handsome, very tall, and exceptionally dashing.

Looking further down still, there was an unpolished, pimply girl.

"What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge your eyeballs out!"

Uh~~~~

Chen Lin was stunned!

Damn it, she was mimicking him!