Chapter Seventeen: Old Zhu's Wrath!

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Imperial Study.

As usual, Zhu Yuanzhang sat behind his desk, reviewing memorials.

He was an exceptionally diligent emperor. Every day, he read hundreds of thousands of words in official memorials and wrote more than ten thousand words of comments in reply—a greater workhorse than any farm donkey.

Even now, though he was advanced in years and his health was far worse than before, he persisted so long as he was not bedridden with illness or physically unable to rise.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

Jiang Huan, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, entered and knelt in salute.

“Rise.”

Old Zhu did not look up. He continued writing his comments.

Jiang Huan remained standing, motionless, for a full quarter of an hour.

Only after reviewing several memorials did Old Zhu set down his brush. He raised his head and stretched his body.

“Well? What have Yunwen and Yuntong been up to these past two days?” Old Zhu asked indifferently.

“After His Highness Prince Xian left the Eastern Palace and moved into Prince Xian’s Residence, many civil officials went to offer their congratulations.”

“I have listed all their names in this memorial.”

Jiang Huan presented a memorial, then continued, “They all brought congratulatory gifts. None were particularly valuable, and I have recorded them all in the memorial as well.”

“His Highness accepted the gifts and presented them with return gifts.”

“Since then, he has spent every day at his residence listening to his tutors’ lectures. He rises at dawn and retires at night.”

“Aside from reading and completing his lessons, he has done nothing else.”

Old Zhu accepted the memorial and glanced through it. A pleased smile immediately spread across his face.

“Good, good. I had the two of them move out of the Eastern Palace and live in their own princely residences precisely to see what they would do without anyone supervising them. From the looks of things, Yunwen is doing very well.”

“He has the bearing his father possessed in his younger days!”

“He is much more obedient than the Princes of Qin and Jin were at that age.”

“If our eldest could know of this from beneath the Nine Springs, he ought to rest in peace.”

Old Zhu was delighted, and his spirits rose accordingly.

Then he asked, “What about Yuntong?”

“After Prince Wu left the Eastern Palace, a number of sons of meritorious nobles and military commanders went to offer their congratulations, led by the Duke of the Founding State…”

Jiang Huan recounted everything in detail: how Chang Sheng had gathered a crowd and gone to Prince Wu’s residence, how he had presented his gift, his conversation with Zhu Yuntong, and even the punishment he had received.

“Hahahaha!”

After listening, Old Zhu clapped his hands and burst into laughter.

“Yuntong handled that splendidly!”

“He taught Chang Sheng, that ignorant and overbearing little fool, a lesson, yet made him submit willingly. He even preserved his fraternal bond with Yunwen. Excellent, excellent!”

“I have always worried that after my death, my descendants would be unable to control those founding generals and commanders. But now it seems I may have been worrying unnecessarily.”

As he spoke, his eyes unexpectedly grew moist.

Ever since Zhu Biao’s death, Old Zhu had been planning how to slaughter the founding heroes and generals led by Lan Yu.

Before that, he had also killed meritorious officials such as Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong.

But those cases had been different.

For one thing, they had involved the struggle between imperial authority and the power of the chief minister. He could not afford to yield.

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For another, ever since the founding of the Great Ming, most of the officials and generals at court had come from Huaisi. They had formed factions, oppressed other officials, and turned the entire Ming court into a cesspit of corruption and disorder.

As emperor, Old Zhu had to reverse that situation.

In truth, deep in his heart, Old Zhu was a man who valued loyalty and affection. He could never forget the fellow townsmen who had once helped him.

Like Xiang Yu, he had no wish to return home in obscurity. He wanted to return in glory and flaunt what he had achieved.

That was why he had granted offices and noble titles to all those townsmen and supported them for the rest of their lives.

As for the Huaisi faction of meritorious men who had followed him in conquering the realm, there was even less need to speak of them.

Yet for the sake of the empire’s stability, when the time came to kill them, Old Zhu had not hesitated in the slightest.

Now, as he prepared to raise the executioner’s blade once more, Old Zhu was actually somewhat reluctant.

Generals such as Lan Yu had originally been left behind for Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

Had Zhu Biao not died, Old Zhu would never have killed Lan Yu, no matter how arrogant he became.

But for the sake of the Great Ming, no matter how painful it was, Old Zhu could still harden his heart.

Since ancient times, no one who accomplished great things could afford to be softhearted.

Old Zhu had risen from nothing with only a rice bowl to his name, seizing the empire despite having once been a beggar.

His heart was certainly hard enough—and ruthless enough.

Yet human beings were not plants or wood. Who could truly be without feeling?

After all, these were men who had served alongside him for many years. If he could spare them, why would he not wish to do so?

In Zhu Yuntong, Old Zhu saw a glimmer of hope.

Though the boy was young, he seemed to possess a way to control that pack of noble heirs, meritorious officials, and fierce generals.

“Over the next few days, His Highness Prince Wu…” Jiang Huan’s voice gradually weakened.

The emperor was in such high spirits that he did not wish to provoke his anger.

“What is it?” Old Zhu noticed the change in his voice and immediately pressed him.

Jiang Huan had no choice but to continue. “The eunuch Zhao Rui found him a group of singers and dancers, as well as some toys from his childhood…”

Old Zhu frowned slightly. “Did he therefore spend his days lost in the pleasures of the inner chambers?”

His voice suddenly rose several degrees as he said harshly, “That Zhao Rui deserves to die!”

Then his tone softened again.

“It is only natural for a young man to be drawn to feminine beauty.”

Though Old Zhu spoke those words, his heart sank little by little.

A young man’s attraction to beautiful women was ordinary enough. But if he became addicted to wine and women, Old Zhu could never entrust the empire to him.

“That is not what happened,” Jiang Huan said, shaking his head.

“His Highness merely glanced at the singers and dancers once, and never summoned them again.”

“Good!”

Old Zhu brought his palm down heavily on the desk.

He was beside himself with joy.

“As expected of my good grandson! He can see beauty without being moved by it. Though young, he already possesses ambition.”

Jiang Huan continued, “However, when His Highness saw the toys he had played with as a child, he became curious. Later, he summoned a large group of carpenters, craftsmen, blacksmiths, and other artisans, and began tinkering with them in the residence…”

“He rises every day before dawn and does not stop until nightfall…”

Jiang Huan handed over a memorial recording Zhu Yuntong’s daily activities and conversations.

There was also a blueprint depicting the object Zhu Yuntong intended to build.

Old Zhu unfolded the blueprint and studied it repeatedly. Unable to make sense of it, he asked, “Do you know what this is?”

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Jiang Huan shook his head. “I do not.”

Fearing that Old Zhu would become angry and accuse him of negligence, he hurriedly added, “I asked many people. Whether they were scholars well versed in the classics or experienced carpenters, craftsmen, and blacksmiths, none of them recognized it.”

“It seems to be something His Highness Prince Wu devised himself. That is likely why no one knows what it is.”

“Yuntong has spent these past few days at his residence, supervising the artisans as they build this thing?” Old Zhu asked again.

“Yes,” Jiang Huan replied.

“What do you make of it?” Old Zhu asked.

Jiang Huan was startled. He hurriedly said, “I would not dare…”

“I told you to speak, so speak!” Old Zhu barked.

“I obey.”

Seeing that he could not evade the question, Jiang Huan could only say, “His Highness Prince Wu grew up in the Eastern Palace, where he was strictly supervised. I have heard that even as a child, he enjoyed making amusing little contraptions.”

“Later, as he grew older, he had to study and complete his lessons, leaving him no time for anything else.”

“Now that he has left the Eastern Palace and is no longer supervised at his princely residence, it is only natural that he would be reminded of his childhood and indulge himself somewhat.”

“His Highness is still quite young, after all—the age when boys are most inclined to play.”

“Presumably, with Your Majesty’s guidance, he can return to the proper path.”

As he spoke, he cautiously watched Old Zhu’s expression.

“He enjoyed tinkering with these things as a child?”

Old Zhu asked the question angrily.

“That is what I have heard,” Jiang Huan answered softly.

“But he has grown up now!” Old Zhu roared.

“He even dared to stand up in open court and demand that I make him Crown Prince!”

“How can he spend every day playing with these things?”

Zhu Yuanzhang thundered as he paced furiously around the Imperial Study.

“Does he indulge himself the moment no one is there to control him?”

“If this is how he behaves, how can I entrust the empire to him?”

“This is utterly absurd!”

Old Zhu abruptly crumpled the blueprint into a ball and threw it away.

“Distraction from frivolous amusements! That is exactly what this is!”

“Your Majesty, please calm yourself! Please calm yourself!”

Jiang Huan knelt on the floor, his body trembling.

As Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he was normally unshakable. In the eyes of others, Commander Jiang was the kind of man who would remain expressionless even if Mount Tai collapsed above him.

But faced with an enraged emperor, even he could not help feeling afraid.

After a long while, Old Zhu’s fury finally began to subside.

“He cannot remain at his residence, wasting his time.”

“Send my decree. Prince Xian and Prince Wu are to enter the palace tomorrow for their studies.”