Chapter 5: Zhu Yuanzhang: That Unruly Grandson
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Lu was so astonished she nearly bit her tongue, while her body subtly retreated several steps without a trace. Compared to Lu’s reaction, Zhu Yunwen seemed much more dull-witted, standing frozen in place as if stunned into silence.
Zhu Yuntong, observing Zhu Yunwen’s demeanor, couldn’t help but sneer again.
“Hah! This is the heir chosen by the Emperor Grandfather. Who knows what the Emperor Grandfather saw in you—a complete waste!”
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“He… he… he!”
“Ungrateful grandson! How dare you criticize the Emperor’s judgment right in front of us—this is sheer treason.”
Inside the secret chamber, Zhu Yuanzhang was so enraged by Zhu Yuntong’s words that he almost exploded in fury.
Though Zhu Yuntong appeared to be mocking Zhu Yunwen, to the elder Zhu’s ears it was undeniably a mockery of himself, since Zhu Yunwen was the appointed heir to the throne.
To belittle Zhu Yunwen was to belittle Zhu Yuanzhang’s own judgment in selecting him.
Since founding the Great Ming dynasty, Emperor Hongwu had never before been subject to such accusations. Even the officials in court, fearful of the Emperor’s ruthless nature, never dared speak so insolently.
In that instant, he was about to storm out and seize Zhu Yuntong for a severe beating.
Yet, just as Zhu Yuanzhang’s hand reached out, it was caught firmly by two hands.
“Do not act rashly!” Tong He and Feng Sheng spoke in unison. “If you go out now, it will only make matters worse. We should wait and see how things unfold.”
In truth, they wanted to watch the spectacle continue. As dukes of the realm, opportunities to witness royal dramas were rare—especially when this chance was personally delivered by Zhu Yuanzhang himself.
But the emperor’s thoughts went deeper. Now that he was like a “living dead,” to storm out in anger and beat Zhu Yuntong would give the impression that he had orchestrated this entire grand performance merely to toy with his descendants.
So he halted his movement, though his eyes burned fiercely as they fixed on the outside. He vowed to himself that after tonight, when he “rose from the dead,” that unfilial grandson would learn the true meaning of filial piety.
At the same time, Zhu Yuanzhang’s gaze lingered unshakably on Zhu Yuntong.
There was no other reason; whether in image, demeanor, or the style Zhu Yuntong had just displayed in action, he seemed far superior to Zhu Yunwen in every way.
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Even Zhu Yuanzhang himself was unaware that his heart was gradually swaying toward Zhu Yuntong.
In the past, he would never have personally dealt with Zhu Yuntong, no matter how grievous the offense; at worst, he would have ordered the Imperial Clan Court to handle it.
But now…
Meanwhile, at the residence of Duke of Liang, Lan Yu.
In the main hall, Lan Yu, the current pillar of the Huai West faction, sat firmly in the seat of honor. To his left was Chang Sheng, who had inherited the title of founding duke from Chang Yuchun.
Also present were Marquis of Changxing Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Yingyang Yang Jing, Marquis of Yongping Xie Cheng, Marquis of Fengxiang Zhang Long, Marquis of Huaiyuan Cao Xing, Marquis of Jingning Ye Sheng, Marquis of Jingchuan Cao Zhen, Marquis of Huining Zhang Wen, and over a dozen other distinguished military nobles of the Huai West faction.
Yet at this moment, all of them, including Lan Yu, frowned deeply, their eyes fixed intently on a lone figure standing proudly in the center of the hall.
The figure was dressed in the plain robes of a eunuch, covered by a coarse hemp garment; if not for Ma Sanbao, who else could it be?
“Little eunuch! Does my grandnephew expect to mock us by sending such a message?” Lan Yu finally spoke after a long silence, his tone filled with displeasure and anger.
Who would come to a meeting and ask, “Do you want to die or live?”
Moreover, the young eunuch insisted that unless all the Huai West nobles were summoned, he would not utter a single word. Was this not a mockery?
If Ma Sanbao were not an ally of Zhu Yuntong, Lan Yu would have long since cleaved him in two.
Facing the accusing stares of Lan Yu and the Huai West nobles, Ma Sanbao’s heart pounded as if about to leap from his throat, yet he forced himself to remain composed.
“Duke of Liang, founding duke, and esteemed marquises, my lord did indeed ask me to inquire whether you wish to live or die.”
“Scoundrel!”
“Arrogant!”
“How dare he!”
“That brat, raised deep within the inner palace, how dare he speak such reckless words? Who does he think he is—the reigning emperor? And if it weren’t for us speaking up for him in court all these years, he’d have been driven out of the palace by the Lu family long ago. Now he repays kindness with ingratitude?”
Before Lan Yu and Chang Sheng could speak, the Huai West generals erupted with scolding.
Since Lan Yu and Chang Sheng were related to Zhu Yuntong, and these others were not, coupled with their status as veteran generals who had followed Zhu Yuanzhang in rebellion, they spoke with no restraint.
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Seeing the situation, Ma Sanbao grew even more anxious but gritted his teeth to maintain his calm.
He had not forgotten his lord’s parting admonition: “Do not tarnish your reputation.” His lord was destined to ascend the throne, and he represented the future emperor’s honor; no pressure was too great to endure.
Finally, Lan Yu raised his hand to silence the Huai West nobles, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Ma Sanbao.
“Does Zhu Yuntong have anything else to say?”
After a moment, the form of address shifted from “grandnephew” to “Zhu Yuntong,” and he added, “If not, you may leave. Also, tell him never to use my name again outside.”
It was clear Lan Yu intended to distance himself from Zhu Yuntong, his anger unmistakable; otherwise, he would never have spoken so harshly.
Ma Sanbao’s heart skipped a beat but remained expressionless, delivering the earth-shattering news word by word:
“The emperor—has—passed—away!”
Boom—
In an instant, it was as if a divine thunderbolt had struck, leaving everyone, including Lan Yu, utterly stunned and shaken to their core.
After a moment, the hall erupted into chaos once more.
“Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Just yesterday the emperor was reprimanding us to rein in our excesses. How could he suddenly pass away?”
“Who is this little eunuch, daring to curse the reigning emperor? He deserves to be torn apart by a thousand blades!”
“The emperor is vigorous and healthy; there is no way he could have died. It must be false news!”
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Facing the generals’ disbelief, Ma Sanbao calmly responded again:
“Gentlemen, I would never joke about such matters. Though I am a eunuch, I still have nine generations of ancestors.”
Hearing this, even the most skeptical nobles fell silent, for no one, not even the lowliest commoner, would joke about their entire ancestral line.
Lan Yu took a deep breath, seemingly steadying himself before asking again:
“So what exactly does your lord want from us? The emperor’s death has no bearing on our lives. Even if a new emperor ascends, would he dare raise a sword against the pillars of the court like us?”
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