Chapter 62: Zhu Biao's Last Will!

Long after Lan Yu’s voice faded away, the grand hall remained entirely silent.

Although Zhu Yunsuo was putting a great deal of effort into his performance, he did not actually sob out loud. Instead, he feigned the appearance of someone holding back tears, desperately swallowing his grief to keep from weeping aloud, lowering his head as if terrified that others might notice.

Old Zhu had not yet turned his gaze toward him. Seated upon the dragon throne, the emperor seemed entirely lost in thought.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang no longer appeared as the supreme sovereign perched high above the mortal world, but rather as an aged father drowning in the agonizing remembrance of his lost son.

Vivid images of his son during his lifetime flashed before his eyes.

That year, Zhu Yuanzhang was twenty-fours—no, twenty-seven years old. In this era, reaching the age of twenty-seven without an heir was a source of profound anxiety.

That year, he had been appointed as a commanding general, becoming the de facto commander-in-chief of the entire army.

It was the first year of the Longfeng era. As Zhu Yuanzhang led his forces in the siege of Yingtian Prefecture, the news of his son's birth reached him. Upon hearing the news, he was nearly beside himself with joy. Unable to contain his elation, he led a host of generals up a mountain to vent the boundless happiness surging in his heart, and carved upon the rocks the words: "Those who reach this mountain shall never fear lacking an heir."

True to form, the birth of his son had indeed brought him great fortune. Zhu Yuanzhang successfully captured Yingtian Prefecture. From that moment onward, his fortunes soared. He vanquished Chen Youliang, pacified Zhang Shicheng, and launched northern expeditions against the Northern Yuan. With his iron cavalry, he swept across the realm and founded the Great Ming Dynasty!

Before outsiders, he was the sovereign towering above all, whose single command no one in the world dared to disobey. Yet who still remembered that he was also a loving and stern father, possessing the most simple and yet profound love for his child?

While outsiders feared him like a tiger, his son could straddle his shoulders, playing horses and calling out "Daddy" with innocent delight.

As his son grew day by day, Zhu Yuanzhang poured his entire heart and soul into him. He had named him the heir apparent at a very young age, personally teaching him step-by-step how to be an emperor. He pinned all his hopes on his son to inherit his life's work, to succeed to the throne of the Great Ming, and to become a legendary monarch whose name would echo through history.

He had unreservedly placed all the civil and military officials of the court under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Palace, urging them to devote themselves entirely to assisting his son.

And this son had never disappointed him. Despite their occasional arguments and the countless times they had exchanged blows and scoldings, the young man was undeniably exceptional. He was steady in his actions, possessed his own independent insights, and was resolute in decision-making while retaining a deep sense of benevolence and righteousness. Everyone believed without a doubt that this son would surely govern the Great Ming well in the future and become an illustrious monarch of an era.

Who could have foreseen that his son, perfectly healthy just half a year ago, would return from a journey to the north only to fall bedridden and never recover?

To think that he would ultimately perish. How cruel and merciless the heavens were, forcing Zhu Yuanzhang, an old man, to witness the burial of one in their prime.

Lan Yu was right.

Everything he possessed was originally meant for his son. The rivers and mountains of the Great Ming were likewise meant for his son. If his son wanted them, he would simply give them to him. Was it not entirely natural and righteous for a son to inherit his father's estate? What would be wrong with him stepping down as Grand Emperor to enjoy his twilight years in peace?

Yet, what use was any of it? In the end, his son had left him behind.

If it were possible, Old Zhu would gladly trade his own life to bring Zhu Biao back to life!

This was the heartfelt wish of an aged father! He was the Son of Heaven, but first and foremost, he was a father!

Who said that the imperial family was devoid of private affection? At least here, in the heart of Old Zhu, such affection existed—undeniably and profoundly so!

Who said the imperial house was the most heartless of all? His Zhu family was nothing of the kind! Even after ascending the throne as emperor, he remained at heart like an old farmer, holding the most simple and genuine emotions for his children, especially his eldest son, Zhu Biao.

Unnoticed, Old Zhu’s robes were once again soaked with tears.

After a long while, he finally dragged himself out of his grief, his dragon-like gaze once again falling upon Lan Yu.

"Lan Yu, you claimed just now that you are innocent, yet you willingly came here carrying thorns to plead guilty. What do you mean by this?"

Lan Yu raised his head from the floor. His eyes were also damp, red, and swollen. He cast a glance at Old Zhu before shifting his gaze to Zhu Yunsuo standing beside him.

"When the late Crown Prince was alive, this subject swore to follow him unto death."

"Now that the late Crown Prince has passed, he still leaves behind sons."

"A father dies and the son succeeds him; this subject’s heart follows the exact same principle."

"Naturally, I must pledge my loyalty to His Highness the Prince of Wu."

"Had anyone other than His Highness the Prince of Wu come to arrest me yesterday, this subject would have resisted arrest on the spot."

"Your Majesty is well aware of my rebellious and untamed nature throughout my life."

"Believing myself innocent, I would rather have broken the net and shattered the fish than submit willingly to capture."

"Yet since it was His Highness the Prince of Wu who personally came to take me into custody, how could this subject possibly resist?"

"The Prince of Wu bade me bring thorns and confess my guilt, so I came."

"Willfully and gladly, without a single word of complaint."

"Let alone merely asking me to perform such a task, had the Prince of Wu ordered me to die on the spot, this subject would not have furrowed a single brow."

"I shall serve His Highness the Prince of Wu with the exact same devotion I once served the late Crown Prince."

"This is the utter sincerity of this subject; I dare not conceal the smallest fraction of it."

Old Zhu gazed deeply at Lan Yu for a long moment before turning his eyes back to Zhu Yunsuo. He found the boy standing with his head bowed, his red-rimmed eyes suggesting he was quietly weeping, which left the emperor momentarily stunned.

At this juncture, a civil official among the ministers could no longer restrain himself. He stepped forward, pointed directly at Lan Yu, and rebuked: "Utter nonsense!"

"If your loyalty truly stems from your devotion to the late Crown Prince and extends to his son, why is your loyalty restricted solely to His Highness the Prince of Wu?"

"Why do you show absolute disdain toward His Highness the Prince of Xian, who is equally a son of the late Crown Prince?"

"It is blatantly obvious that you do so simply because the Prince of Wu was born of your niece."

"You harbor wolfish ambitions, plotting to hoist him onto the seat of the heir apparent and usurp the empire of the Great Ming, which is why you deliberately act in this manner!"

"Do you dare deny that you harbor such intentions?"

The moment his voice fell, Lan Yu suddenly let out a resounding shout.

"I do!"

The single word rang out with shattering impact, exploding through the hall like a firecracker.

Lan Yu declared: "I do indeed harbor the intention to support him in seizing the position of heir apparent and claiming the realm of the Great Ming!"

The entire hall erupted in chaos!

Instantly, a chorus of furious discussions broke out among the officials.

The official who had accused him had not expected Lan Yu to confess so readily. He was startled at first, but immediately overwhelmed with triumphant joy.

"Lan Yu, you brought this upon yourself! Do you finally admit that you harbor treasonous intentions?"

Lan Yu raised his head, staring at the official with unconcealed contempt.

Then, he enunciated each word with absolute clarity: "The Prince of Wu is the legitimate eldest son of the late Crown Prince!"

The clamor of discussion died down almost instantly, plunging the great hall back into absolute silence.

The official’s hand remained suspended mid-air, the words that had been poised on the tip of his tongue swallowed back down his throat. Suddenly recalling something, he abruptly blurted out: "You lie! His Majesty has already issued an imperial decree elevating Lady Lü to primary consort, making the Prince of Xian the legitimate eldest son, not the Prince of Wu!"

Lan Yu drew in a long, deep breath and asked slowly: "Did you share any profound friendship with the late Crown Prince?"

The official froze, and retorted in defiance: "What does that have to do with who the legitimate eldest son of the late Crown Prince is?"

Lan Yu said coldly: "You shared no deep bond with the late Crown Prince, nor did you have any close dealings with him. But I was different."

The expression on his face gradually shifted, as though he were sinking deep into nostalgic memories.

"When the late Crown Prince was still with us, he once smiled and told me: *'Suo'er is the legitimate eldest son. In days to come, everything I possess will ultimately belong to Suo'er.'*"

" *'The rivers and mountains of the Great Ming are passed down from generation to generation. If we endure more hardship and accomplish more alongside His Majesty today, our descendants can live lives of greater ease tomorrow.'*"

"Every single one of those words remains etched clearly in my mind to this day, Lan Yu. Whenever I recall them, it feels as though they were spoken only yesterday, vivid right before my eyes."

"My loyalty to His Highness the Prince of Wu is likewise done in fulfillment of the past aspirations of the late Crown Prince."

The moment these words landed, Old Zhu jerked upright from the dragon throne.

His entire body was trembling, and his voice shook even more violently.

"Biao'er... did Biao'er truly say such things?"

Lan Yu raised his head, locking his gaze directly onto Old Zhu. From his red and swollen eye sockets, two streams of tears rolled down relentlessly.

"This subject dares not utter a single word of falsehood!"

Upon the dais, Old Zhu stared in a daze, his expression somewhat vacant. Then, his dragon-like eyes involuntarily drifted toward the spot where Zhu Yunsuo stood.

In truth, he had been watching Zhu Yunsuo just moments before, noticing that the boy seemed deeply stricken with grief, desperately trying to hold back his tears. At this moment, those eyes of the boy grew even redder.

"Suo'er!" Old Zhu called out softly, preparing to question him.

Suddenly, Zhu Yunsuo let out a heartbroken wail, as though he could no longer bear the weight of his grief, and burst into loud, bitter sobbing!