Chapter Forty: Mutiny!

Every eye was fixed upon him.

Across Lan Yu’s bare torso, a web of scars was clearly visible. They were etched like deep ravines, a sight so shocking it left the onlookers breathless.

As he walked forward step by step, the atmosphere in the courtyard grew heavy and stifling.

"Lan Yu, what are you trying to do?" Jiang Huan shouted, his voice booming. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has come under the orders of the Prince of Wu to arrest you! Will you not surrender at once? Do you intend to add the crime of resisting arrest to your offenses?"

Lan Yu did not reply, but Fu Ye could no longer hold his tongue. "Without an imperial decree from His Majesty, by what authority does the Prince of Wu arrest a Great General?"

"Silence!" Lan Yu barked.

Fu Ye, caught off guard by his master’s rebuke, immediately clamped his mouth shut, though his eyes remained like blades, locked onto the Prince of Wu and the gathered guards.

Lan Yu’s own gaze was sharp as lightning as he swept it across the crowd.

"At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the world fell into chaos. The Yellow River breached its banks, the people were destitute, and with nowhere left to turn, they had no choice but to rise in rebellion."

"I followed His Majesty from those humble beginnings. I served under the Prince of Kaiping, campaigning north and south. In every battle, I was the first to charge, the first to scale the walls, cutting down enemy commanders and seizing their banners. I earned brilliant feats of war."

"From there, I rose through the ranks, from a military garrison commander to an Assistant Administrator of the Chief Military Commission."

"In the twelfth year of Hongwu, I was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Yongchang for my military contributions."

"In the fourteenth year of Hongwu, I was appointed Deputy General for the Southern Expedition. Alongside the Marquis of Yingchuan, Fu Youde, and the Marquis of Xiping, Mu Ying, I led an army of three hundred thousand. After three years of countless brutal battles, we pacified Yunnan."

"In the twentieth year of Hongwu, I led troops to campaign against the Northern Yuan again. We pursued the remnants for a thousand miles, expanding the frontiers, and for these achievements, the Imperial Court named me Great General."

"In the twenty-first year of Hongwu, I led the northern expedition once more. At Buyur Lake, I shattered the Northern Yuan court, capturing their royalty, hundreds of consorts and princesses, over three thousand officials, and nearly one hundred thousand commoners, along with countless livestock."

"His Majesty weighed my merits and rewarded me, granting me the title of Duke of Liang."

"In the twenty-second year of Hongwu, I was ordered to garrison Sichuan and fortify its cities."

"In the twenty-third year of Hongwu, I led the army to quell the rebellion of the Southern Barbarians."

"In the twenty-fourth year of Hongwu, I campaigned in the Western Frontier of Handong, once again adding a thousand miles of territory to the Great Ming."

He recounted his experiences and military deeds one by one, item by item. His voice was deep and sincere, moving those who heard him.

"The scars on my body are the marks left by these years of fighting for the Imperial Court."

Lan Yu’s voice was faint, his tone steady.

"My life of warfare was all in service to His Majesty!"

"The glory and favor I received were all bestowed by His Majesty!"

"If the Sovereign commands a subject to die, the subject must die."

"If His Majesty wishes to arrest me today, I have nothing to say."

"But I am not convinced—why should one with merit not be treated with kindness by the Court? Why should one without guilt be arrested?"

"My personal followers, and the millions of soldiers of the Great Ming, will not be convinced either!"

"How much sweat and blood have we shed to establish this nation and expand its borders?"

"How much suffering have we endured? How much blood have we spilled?"

"How many times have we faced death?"

"That we are alive today is only by the grace of Heaven."

"Is this how the Imperial Court treats the soldiers who have served it?"

As his voice faded, a series of ripping sounds followed.

Led by Fu Ye, the retainers of the Duke of Liang’s estate tore open their tunics, revealing the gruesome scars upon their own muscles.

The scene fell into an instant of silence.

Outside the gates, the crowd of onlookers began to stir. To these soldiers, scars were a badge of honor, a source of pride to be flaunted.

After finishing his speech, Lan Yu suddenly dropped to one knee. He let out a thunderous roar:

"Lan Yu is ready to die!"

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were startled, the atmosphere seeming to freeze in that moment.

Suddenly, Zhu Yunxi lunged forward, raining punches and kicks upon Lan Yu while shouting insults.

"You aren't convinced? What right do you have to be unconvinced?"

"Do you think that because you have achieved a few minor merits, you can defy the Court and disregard the law?"

"Do you think that because of your merits, my Imperial Grandfather would not dare to touch you?"

"Merits? Is a little merit something to boast about? Since the founding of our Great Ming, hundreds of thousands of soldiers have died on the battlefield—do none of them have merit?"

"If every one of them acted as you do, how could the Great Ming keep the world at peace and govern the realm?"

"If you dare to hold your merits over our heads today, what might you do tomorrow?"

"You say you aren't convinced? I will beat you until you are!"

...

Lan Yu did not fight back. He remained on his knees, letting Zhu Yunxi strike him, saying nothing.

Everyone around watched in stunned silence.

Fu Ye made several attempts to intervene, but was held back by those beside him. Without an order from the Great General, they could not move.

Outside the gates, Fang Xiaoru watched the scene from the distance.

He stamped his foot in frustration. "To think this Lan Yu is a Great General and a Duke of Liang. They say he is hot-tempered, upright, and unyielding—I thought it was true."

"To think he is actually a coward! Fight back! Start a brawl!"

"Even if he is the Prince of Wu, you are a Duke of the Realm! Without an imperial decree, by what right does he strike you? Resist!"

"Where has that courage and bloodlust you showed on the battlefield gone? Fight him!"

Only if the two men clashed could Zhu Yunwen stand to gain any real advantage. Yet, the way Lan Yu endured without retaliating left Fang Xiaoru both furious and anxious.

Several times, Fang Xiaoru wanted to rush out and stir the pot further, but he restrained the impulse. In times like these, it was best not to stand out publicly.

...

Within the crowd, two young men watched with wide, rounded eyes.

The older one was extremely plump. He was almost as wide as he was tall, looking like a living cube. In this era, where living standards were generally low and commoners struggled just to have enough to eat, a fat man was an extreme rarity—let alone one of his size.

This man was naturally Zhu Di’s son, Zhu Gaochi! In the entire Great Ming, one would be hard-pressed to find a second person of such girth.

Beside Zhu Gaochi stood his younger brother, Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaoxu’s eyes darted around. Seeing the spectacle, he blurted out, "Strange. The illustrious Duke of Liang, one of the bravest warriors in the Ming, why does he just take the beating without fighting back?"

Zhu Gaochi’s eyes, squeezed into slits by his fat, shone with a glint that others could not perceive. "This is no fun. It’s only interesting if both sides fight. Let’s go over and provoke them. We must find a way to make them clash—that would be a sight to behold."

The brothers acted immediately, stepping out from the crowd and heading straight for the Duke of Liang’s estate.

...

Zhu Yunxi, exhausted from the beating, finally stopped and asked, "Are you convinced now?"

Lan Yu slowly raised his head and looked at him. "May I ask, Your Highness the Prince of Wu—is today’s action the will of His Majesty, or is it your own decision?"

"What difference does it make?" Zhu Yunxi shouted. "Last night, my Fourth Uncle visited my residence and said you harbored malicious intent and perhaps even treason. My Imperial Grandfather has been troubled by this endlessly."

"He wanted to arrest you, but remembered your great service and could not bring himself to imprison you."

"But if he lets you go, he fears you might endanger the Ming and the lives of the common people."

"My Imperial Grandfather has agonized over this, unable to decide, unable to sleep or eat!"

"I am my Imperial Grandfather’s own grandson, and a subject of the Ming."

"Whether out of loyalty or filial piety, I must share the burden of his worries."

"You are my great-uncle, my relative and elder. This villainous role is one that I must play."

"By arresting you and sentencing you, I spare my Imperial Grandfather that heartache!"

"Great-uncle, do you think what I am doing is reasonable?"

"Are you convinced, or are you not?"

Lan Yu heard this and asked in a ringing voice, "So, you brought the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest me without a clear decree from His Majesty? Not even a verbal command?"

Zhu Yunxi replied just as loudly, "None!"

"But I must act for my Imperial Grandfather’s sake, to show my loyalty and filial piety and share the Emperor's worries! I had to come!"

"Today’s events are entirely my own decision. They have nothing to do with my Imperial Grandfather!"

Upon hearing this, a faint intake of breath rippled through the crowd.

Many wondered: was Lan Yu’s loud questioning a sign that he was about to rebel?

Before, everyone had guessed that although Zhu Yunxi lacked a written decree, he might have had a verbal order he was choosing not to disclose. After all, he was the Prince of Wu, the Emperor’s own grandson.

Now, having received Zhu Yunxi’s answer, the last shred of doubt was eradicated.

With this, Lan Yu had a legitimate reason to resist!

Though the Prince of Wu held a high title, he had no authority to sentence a Duke! Nor did he have the power to arrest anyone without a decree.

Yet he had done it, surrounding the Duke’s estate with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, even beating the Duke himself.

Lan Yu had taken the blows and the insults, enduring without retaliation. He had done his duty to the utmost. If he were to fight back now, it would be entirely justified.

Thinking this, the hearts of the crowd tightened.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards, led by Jiang Huan, gripped their blades tighter. The Duke of Liang’s retainers, too, stood ready to spring into action.

Conflict was on the verge of breaking out.

Outside, Fang Xiaoru stroked his beard with a smile. Was Lan Yu finally going to fight back?

Enduring the blows on his knees was merely a show, a way to find a more reasonable excuse for his subsequent resistance.

Only when pushed beyond the limit does one rise up to resist. In this way, His Majesty could not blame him too harshly.

This Lan Yu, he thought, was truly a man of both courage and strategy!

Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaoxu were about to cross the threshold of the estate when they saw this, and both stopped in their tracks.

If Lan Yu were to resist now, there would be no need for them to stir the pot. It was better to watch the spectacle from a safe distance, lest swords be drawn and they fall victim to the stray chaos.

Amidst the gaze of all, Lan Yu slowly stood up from his kneeling position.

"If today's events were His Majesty’s will, I, Lan Yu, would certainly not be convinced."

"Because I know in my heart that I have never wronged His Majesty, nor do I harbor any intent to rebel."

"But since this is the decision of the Prince of Wu, then I, Lan Yu, am convinced!"

Having said this, he suddenly dropped to his knees again.

This time, he knelt on both knees, bowed deeply, and touched his head to the ground.

"I am convinced in heart and mind, and I submit to the Prince of Wu’s judgment. I have no further words!"