BSI Chapter 63 Between Success and Failure
Chapter 63 Between Success and Failure
Among the many princes, the old emperor favored Zhu Biao the most. In front of his younger brothers, Zhu Biao truly displayed the demeanor of an elder brother and served as a role model.
After Zhu Biao's death, the old emperor considered appointing his fourth son as the crown prince.
Among the older princes, Zhu Di was the most similar to the old emperor and possessed formidable fighting prowess.
The old emperor's reign title was Hongwu, which means great military achievements.
In terms of military prowess, the old emperor should have been superior to Xu Da and Chang Yuchun back then.
Back then, Xu Da and Chang Yuchun led their troops to attack Ningguo, the southern gateway to Yingtian Prefecture. During a fierce battle with Zhu Liangzu, Chang Yuchun was hit by a stray arrow, and the morale of his generals was dampened.
Upon hearing the news, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately rushed to the front line to personally oversee the battle, launched a fierce attack, captured Ningguo, and took Zhu Liangzu prisoner.
Zhu Liangzu was completely convinced of his defeat and willingly submitted to Zhu Liangzu.
Like the old emperor, Zhu Di was brave, resourceful, a very capable fighter, and also very composed.
At the age of thirty, Zhu Di led his troops on a northern expedition, braving a heavy snowstorm to advance swiftly and unexpectedly press the enemy camp with a large force.
Despite having victory in his grasp, he persisted in persuading the Northern Yuan Grand Commandant Nairbuqa to surrender, trying to avoid armed conflict as much as possible. In the end, he successfully persuaded Nairbuqa to surrender.
The old emperor was extremely pleased that the emperor knew how to subdue the enemy without fighting.
When the news reached the capital, the old emperor excitedly praised, "It is the Prince of Yan who has cleared the desert!"
In contrast, Zhu Di's two elder brothers, Prince Qin Zhu Shuang and Prince Jin Zhu Gang, who were also princes, did not have any particularly famous military achievements.
Zhu Shuang had a long history of misdeeds, and if it weren't for Zhu Biao's strong persuasion, he would have almost been deposed by the old emperor.
Even after the second son's death, the old emperor was still furious. He gave him the posthumous title "Min" and reduced the scale of his funeral. In his eulogy, he wrote: "Although you are dead, my guilt is obvious."
Clearly, Zhu Shuang was not the heir apparent the old emperor had hoped for.
Before Zhu Biao died, someone reported to the court that Zhu Gang had been acting strangely and plotting rebellion. The old emperor was furious and intended to punish him. It was Zhu Biao who pleaded for him and used all his words to persuade the old emperor not to issue an edict to punish him, but instead ordered him to return to his fiefdom.
In comparison, Zhu Di was more reserved and humble, and behaved himself well and obediently.
Who should succeed him? The old emperor hesitated and couldn't make up his mind, so he summoned his close ministers for a secret discussion.
The Crown Prince's eldest son, Yunwen, is too weak and inexperienced. We intend to appoint the Prince of Yan as the heir apparent. What do you think?
Liu Sanwu, a Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy, asked incisively: "If the Prince of Yan is established, where will the Princes of Qin and Jin be placed? Moreover, the imperial grandson has already grown up and can be established as the crown prince."
It is indeed difficult to justify, from the perspective of patriarchal ethics, to bypass the second and third sons and establish the fourth son as the crown prince.
The old emperor was the founder of the Ming Dynasty, and his actions will undoubtedly serve as a warning to future emperors.
Choosing an heir to the throne has always been considered fundamental to the nation.
The selection of an heir to the throne was crucial to the future and destiny of the Ming Dynasty. The old emperor dared not be careless and wrote the system of primogeniture into the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" for future generations to follow.
The old emperor didn't want to keep making changes and disrupting the established rules.
In short, although Zhu Yunwen was more weak than resolute and not the ideal heir apparent in the old emperor's mind, the old emperor would not easily consider deposing him unless a major upheaval occurred.
However, the letter co-written by Xie Jin and Yin Changlong caused quite a stir.
These two troublemakers, who seemed to thrive on chaos, thoroughly demonstrated from various perspectives the feasibility of establishing Zhu Gaoxi as the crown prince.
They actually listed the fourth prince and Youdun as Gao Xi's camp, saying that the King of Yan and the Crown Prince of Zhou were brave and skilled in battle, one was good at cavalry warfare and the other was good at naval warfare. The two would work closely together and become a strong support for the position of crown prince, which would make up for the disadvantage of the young King of Wu.
These two are stirring up trouble and trying to sow discord between the imperial grandsons. The old emperor is quite annoyed by them.
However, even if they were cast into the deepest hell, never to be reincarnated, it would still be difficult to solve the real problems.
No secret can stay hidden forever; the contents of the letter will be known sooner or later.
If word gets to Yunwen's ears, will he still tolerate Gao Xi?
Yunwen already harbors deep prejudice against Gao Xi, and is therefore also wary of his fourth uncle.
After the earlier rumors of "the birth of an emperor" spread, Yunwen had Zhuo Jing submit a memorial to reduce the power of the princes.
Miao Jin's marriage caused some unpleasantness and created a rift between Yunwen and Youdun.
The old emperor was torn between his two sons, both of whom were his flesh and blood. He was afraid that Yunwen would not tolerate Gao Xi and Youdun and, under the instigation of outsiders, would develop murderous intentions. He was even more afraid that the fourth prince would rise up in anger, causing bloodshed among his own family.
The fourth brother is indeed quite skilled. Over the years, he has honed his abilities by enduring the harsh winds and sands of the northern desert, making the remnants of the Northern Yuan forces tremble with fear.
Back in Beiping, Xu Da taught his fourth son everything he knew without reservation, leaving no stone unturned, fearing that his precious daughter might suffer injustice in the future.
They were all cunning and had their own schemes. Thinking of this, the old emperor couldn't help but curse inwardly.
However, on the other hand, he was happier than anyone else to see his fourth brother become more capable.
"Our son, of course, the more capable the better," the old emperor thought, feeling immense pride whenever he thought of his fourth son.
Alas, that letter inadvertently pushed Gao Xi to the opposite side of the Crown Prince.
The struggle for succession has always been brutal and bloody; how can we afford to be careless? We can only take precautions early.
Seeing his beloved grandson being pushed to the edge of a cliff, the old emperor couldn't bear to stand idly by.
Zhu Gaoxi had a pretty good idea of what the old emperor was thinking.
While moved, I was more concerned about how to respond.
Xie Jin and Yin Changlong risked their lives to write this letter, which must have been out of loyalty; they were not only without fault, but also meritorious.
However, to ensure their safety, they cannot be allowed to leave the palace for the time being.
As for when the ban will be lifted, that depends on Zhu Gaoxi's fate.
If Zhu Gaoxi ascends to the position of crown prince smoothly, the two of them will soon be promoted and become wealthy.
If Zhu Gaoxi is defeated, the two of them will die without a burial place.
These two are truly insane, daring to write such a letter behind his back. Zhu Gaoxi could only smile bitterly.
I was forced into this situation, and I don't know whether to thank them or blame them.
If you want to wear a crown, you must bear its weight.
On the surface, they appear to be living a glamorous life, but in reality, they bear heavy responsibilities and must go all out.
Under immense pressure, Zhu Gaoxi was shrouded in gloom.
Seeing this, Zhu Youdun gently comforted him, "Don't worry, Grandfather, me, and Fourth Uncle will all help you."
Zhu Gaoxi, seizing the opportunity, had a sudden inspiration and wanted to shirk his responsibility. "Brother, you are the most suitable person for this position. Why don't you take it? Let's ask Grandfather to destroy the letter that Xie Jin and the others wrote."
"The crown prince can only come from the eldest uncle's lineage. This is a rule that my grandfather set long ago. You only became eligible to inherit after being adopted. It would be against etiquette for me to sit in that position."
"Moreover, my abilities are indeed inferior to yours. I cannot build a mimeograph machine, nor can I grow sweet potatoes."
"You must make good use of your talents to prolong the Ming Dynasty's reign. Your brother is willing to serve you faithfully for the rest of his life."
Zhu Youdun spoke with utmost sincerity; his words came from the bottom of his heart.
Zhu Gaoxi was so moved that he was speechless and didn't know what to say.
What merit or ability does he possess to receive such special regard from Youdun? He merely benefits from the scientific and technological knowledge of later generations.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Zhu Gaoxi could no longer contain himself and blurted out a solemn promise: "I swear, if I ever betray my elder brother, may I be struck by lightning..."
Zhu Youdun quickly covered Zhu Gaoxi's mouth, "There's no need for that, I believe you."
As his excitement gradually subsided, Zhu Gaoxi regained his composure and asked with a clear mind, "Brother, what are Grandpa's plans next?"
"Grandpa will guide you in handling government affairs and interacting with civil and military officials. Grandpa will teach you all the skills that a crown prince needs to learn."
You Dun paused, then continued with a heavy heart, "In the future, Grandpa will compare your performance with that of the Crown Prince to assess who is more suitable to be the Crown Prince. If you are outdone by the Crown Prince, Grandpa will find a fault to demote you to a Prince of the County, or even possibly strip you of your title and make you a commoner, so that you will never have a chance to get close to the position of Crown Prince again."
"There can only be two suns in the sky. Once you are defeated, there will be no way back. Grandfather made me swear a solemn oath that I am not allowed to take you away after your defeat. If you are defeated, your fate will be left to the Grandson."