Chapter 4: Your Highness, I Cannot Endure Anymore

"Who is there?"

Hearing the commotion outside the door, not only did Zhu Yunwen, his mother, and Jiang Huan bristle with shock, but even Zhu Yuanzhang and his companions in the secret chamber could not help but frown.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s hand, resting on the mechanism of the hidden door, froze in mid-air. He frowned and muttered, "Who? Who would come to the Qianqing Palace at such a time? Didn't I instruct Jiang Huan not to allow anyone near here?"

Though the old Emperor harbored doubts about Jiang Huan’s competence, he drew his hand back. On one hand, if the intruder were one of the upright, outspoken officials from the court, and they were to see him orchestrating such an absurd spectacle, his dragon desk would surely be buried under a mountain of scathing memorials by tomorrow morning. He would become the laughingstock of the entire empire. As the Hongwu Emperor, who considered his achievements to have surpassed even the founders of the Tang and Song dynasties, he could never allow such a thing to happen. On the other hand, he was curious to see who could bypass the Imperial Guards and enter the Qianqing Palace as if it were an empty house.

"Yo, everyone is here!"

As the doors of the Qianqing Palace were pushed open once more, a long shadow stretched out under the lamplight, accompanied by a voice dripping with mockery. The tone was languid, playful, and even carried a hint of cynicism, causing everyone to knit their brows before they even caught sight of the speaker.

A moment later, Lady Lü, her son, and Jiang Huan widened their eyes in disbelief as they stared at the figure in the doorway. He was tall and slender, dressed in a moon-white robe worn over the coarse hempen garments of mourning. His face was as fair and handsome as jade, wearing an expression of gentle, refined grace. Had the time and place not been so inappropriate, he would have truly resembled the quintessential noble gentleman.

"It’s him? How could it be him?" In the secret chamber, Zhu Yuanzhang stared with wide, dragon-like eyes, his face full of astonishment. Standing behind him, Feng Sheng and Tang He couldn't help but frown, desperately racking their brains to identify who "he" was, as they had absolutely no memory of the young man who had just entered.

Inside the palace, after a brief moment of shock, Zhu Yunwen was the first to react. Pointing a trembling finger at the intruder, he stammered, "You... you... what are you doing here?"

"Heh! What, you can come, but I can’t?" The intruder’s lips curled into a sneer. "Or do you already consider yourself the Emperor, thinking this Qianqing Palace is your territory, and no one else is allowed to touch it?"

The words left Zhu Yunwen, still reeling from the shock, unable to formulate a retort, though his face betrayed deep hatred and lethal intent.

Lady Lü stepped in, glaring at the newcomer and scolding, "Zhu Yuntong! You are supposed to be performing your filial duties at the Imperial Mausoleum—who gave you permission to return to the palace without authorization?"

"What? What kind of barking are you doing?" Zhu Yuntong picked at his ear, but his gaze fell upon the figure on the dragon bed. His expression instantly shifted to one of profound grief, his voice choked with sobs. "What? My Imperial Grandfather has suddenly passed away, and as his legitimate eldest grandson, I have returned to fulfill my filial duties on behalf of my father. Is even that forbidden by you?"

Within Zhu Yuntong’s body resided a soul tempered by countless modern palace intrigue dramas. His acting skills were far beyond anything Lady Lü could hope to match; otherwise, he could not have spent ten years deceiving everyone while planting his own eyes and ears throughout the palace.

In the secret chamber, even Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but wipe his eyes, his voice choked with emotion. "Good, good, good! Truly my good grandson. He was the one who insisted on keeping vigil for my Biao'er, and now he is the first to rush back to see me. Truly filial." Of course, his evaluation ended at "filial," as Zhu Yuntong was never among his candidates for the throne. Still, in ordinary times, being called "truly filial" was a rare commendation indeed.

Only then did Feng Sheng and Tang He realize with a start that the newcomer was the third son of the late Crown Prince.

Outside, Lady Lü, choked by Zhu Yuntong’s retort, became even more furious. Abandoning any pretense of debate, she pointed a finger at him and shrieked, "Jiang Huan! I order you to seize this rebellious traitor at once! Once this is accomplished, I shall grant you a hereditary dukedom!"

She was giving direct orders to the Commander of the Jinyiwei—the Emperor’s own guard—and promising him a dukedom. Either action, coming from a woman of the inner palace, was an act of grave insubordination. Such authority belonged to the Emperor alone; how could it be usurped by a woman of the harem?

Zhu Yuntong’s eyelids twitched. He hadn't expected Lady Lü to be this insane. Even if her son hadn't ascended the throne yet, even if he had, she would still be nothing more than the mistress of the harem.

"Heh!" Zhu Yuntong didn't bother responding. He just sneered at Lady Lü before shifting his gaze to Jiang Huan. Since Jiang Huan had dared to suppress the news of Zhu Yuanzhang’s death and had chosen to report it to Lady Lü and her son instead of the court officials, it was clear to Zhu Yuntong that Jiang Huan had already defected. There was no point in speaking; if he wanted the throne, he had to take down Jiang Huan.

Jiang Huan had never expected such an turn of events, and there was no contingency for it in the plans he had rehearsed with Zhu Yuanzhang. His eyes involuntarily darted toward the direction of the secret chamber. He had forgotten that in front of the chamber stood the racks where Zhu Yuanzhang kept his weapons—swords, bows, and crossbows.

Zhu Yuntong naturally interpreted this glance as Jiang Huan preparing to reach for a weapon. Since the man had murderous intent, there was nothing left to say.

"Looking for death!"

Zhu Yuntong didn't give Jiang Huan a chance to react. He stomped his feet heavily against the golden floor tiles, his slender figure springing forward like a projectile. In the blink of an eye, he was before Jiang Huan.

Jiang Huan, still waiting for a signal from Zhu Yuanzhang, had no defenses up. He saw a fist hurtling directly toward his temple. In high-level combat, every split second counted; by the time he reacted, it was already too late. As he raised his hands to parry, he felt a piercing pain in his temple. Everything went black, and he collapsed straight to the floor.

In the final second before he lost consciousness, Jiang Huan thought, *Your Majesty! I truly couldn't hold out any longer. You didn't tell me you were testing two grandsons at once, so don't blame me for being unfaithful and fainting first.*

*Thud.*

As Jiang Huan’s mountain-like body hit the ground, Zhu Yuntong turned his gaze back to Lady Lü and Zhu Yunwen, a mocking, contemptuous smile on his face.

"You... you... you!"

"How could you have such formidable martial arts?"

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible! I have had people watching you and guarding against you for over a decade, how could you possibly possess such skills?"