My father, Zhu Di, was granted a second life by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Chapter 13: Will Zhu Yuanzhang Depose His Imperial Grandson?

Grandfather has found a new love.

Zhu Yuanzhang's fondness for Zhu Youdun was like Zhu Gaoxi's fondness for chicken soup wontons—he wanted to eat them again and again.

The Emperor felt he had met him too late.

We're family, but it feels like we just met today.

They had so much to talk about.

The two of them were inseparable.

There was almost no room for Zhu Gaoxi to find a way in.

Even Zhu Yunwen became an outsider, his face filled with dejection.

For the first time, Zhu Gaoxi and the Crown Prince shared a similar plight.

He used to think he was a tiny bit smarter than Zhu Yunwen.

Now I suddenly realize that I have been completely outshone.

Zhu Gaoxi was heartbroken beyond words. When his adoptive father entered the palace, he clung to him and refused to get off.

For the time being, no one can rival his father's favor.

Looking back now, his good-for-nothing second brother seems so adorable.

His incredibly fat older brother is so charming.

The cheap father was a perceptive man who immediately noticed Zhu Gaoxi's low spirits and asked the old emperor for permission to take his son out for a walk.

The old emperor, being very understanding, immediately agreed.

This was an unspeakable harm to Zhu Gaoxi.

In the past, when his grandfather favored him, he would refuse anyone who tried to take his grandson away from him.

Now, the Emperor's heart is completely occupied by another person, and he has no time to care about Zhu Gaoxi.

Unexpectedly, I fell out of favor so quickly.

His adoptive father and second brother took him to a restaurant in the downtown area. They sat in a private room facing the street and looked out the window.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians, a constant stream of people.

Zhu Di pointed out the window and whispered in Zhu Gaoxi's ear, "I know you can understand. Your three older brothers are just ordinary people, but you are not. However, you must learn to hide your talents."

Zhu Gaoxi nodded thoughtfully.

"Son, you're much better than your three older brothers. They didn't even get as much love from your grandfather combined," the cheapskate father said, knowing how to comfort people.

The second brother immediately made a "that's right" expression.

"Once you grow a little older, you'll be no less than the child prodigy from Uncle Wu's family," Zhu Gaoxu said casually. "Don't think we're losing because we're young now; we'll win because we're young in the future."

"A child prodigy?" Zhu Gaoxi asked, puzzled.

"He started managing the entire palace at the age of thirteen and was the first imperial grandson to be named heir apparent. Don't be fooled by your third uncle's arrogance; you wouldn't dare compare yourself to him. He led five hundred men and slaughtered three thousand Northern Yuan soldiers. This happened just last year. I, your second brother, rarely submit to anyone in a fight, but he is one of them."

Zhu Gaoxi was not impressed by his second brother's words.

This is simply boosting others' morale while diminishing our own.

Is he really that good?

Why didn't the Emperor choose him as the Crown Prince?

Zhu Di nodded in agreement, "Youdun is indeed impressive, but we won't compare ourselves to him."

I refuse to believe this nonsense. We have the Life Extension System Shop, and countless advanced technologies from later generations. What do we have to fear from him?

Zhu Gaoxi didn't believe that Zhu Youdun could compare to his powerful background.

However, the things in the shops require risking one's life, and just thinking about it fills me with extreme fear and makes my liver tremble.

Otherwise, let's just admit defeat for now and let Zhu Youdun be in the limelight for a couple of days.

A hero doesn't win the first three rounds.

Life's journey is long; let's see how far we go.

Seeing the ever-changing expressions on Zhu Gaoxi's face, Zhu Di asked curiously, "Does my son perhaps have another brilliant plan?"

Zhu Gaoxi obediently shook his head.

Revealing too many details to your adoptive father isn't necessarily a good thing.

After eating the tender, delicious, and fragrant Dongpo pork, Zhu Gaoxi forgot all his worries.

Only a fool would be as dedicated to sparring as Zhu Youdun.

The wood is beautiful in the forest, and the wind will destroy it.

Just wait and see, Zhu Yunwen will deal with him sooner or later.

Back at the Prince of Yan's residence, his adoptive father began to give him detailed and comprehensive instructions: "Listen to your grandfather and get along well with your grandson."

"Your grandson has many famous scholars around him. You should follow them to read more books and learn more skills."

"When you encounter delicious food, don't eat too much; you can't get fat in one bite."

……

"Yes, we can't force growth. Little brother, don't rush to compare yourself to anyone. We're young, we have plenty of time. Let them compete and learn from each other first," the second brother chimed in. "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. Zhu Jixi was defeated, and Zhu Youdun will suffer the same fate sooner or later. Zhu Yunwen will never tolerate him."

Zhu Di glared at Zhu Gaoxu.

How can you say that so bluntly? Walls have ears, don't you understand?!

"Don't be fooled by Zhu Yunwen's kindness; he's ruthless. You must never mess with him and keep a low profile," Zhu Gaoxu said warily, glancing around before whispering in Zhu Gaoxi's ear. "Don't even think about outdoing Zhu Yunwen. Be careful he doesn't trip you up behind your back. Neither he nor his mother are easy to deal with."

"Since you can read, you should spend more time reading history books," Zhu Di said, deeply agreeing with his second son's words. He instructed Zhu Gaoxi, "If you have any problems, discuss them with your eldest brother; he knows what to do."

"Don't worry, my elder brother is very shrewd, no less so than Zhu Yunwen. With his advice, you can't go wrong," Zhu Gaoxu chuckled.

Zhu Di glared at Zhu Gaoxu again.

That unbridled tongue of his.

A born troublemaker.

He should have stayed in Beiping for the rest of his life.

After sending Zhu Gaoxi back to the palace, Zhu Di was about to take his second son back to Beiping.

The rumors have been investigated repeatedly without any results.

Upon seeing that there was stew, the Emperor lost interest in the rumors.

In the emperor's heart, nothing was more important than a grandson who was both scholarly and martial.

Even though Zhu Yunwen has been established as the Crown Prince, if Zhu Youdun were to seize the throne one day, the Emperor might be happy to see it happen.

Zhu Di understood his father's thoughts all too well.

One of the most important reasons he was completely excluded from the list of heir apparent was his three disappointing sons.

Otherwise, Father has plenty of ways to handle things.

Now we can only hope that the fourth son can prove himself.

After his adoptive father passed away, Zhu Gaoxi would always seize any opportunity to shed tears in front of his grandfather, seeking his attention.

As a result, they were ruthlessly taken away each time.

Xu Miaojin, that brat, always acts as an accomplice.

They didn't understand his heart at all.

Zhu Yunwen, on the other hand, took him and Zhu Yunwen with him wherever he went.

When renowned scholars like Liu Sanwu gave lectures, three people would listen together.

Zhu Gaoxi gradually learned how to make his grandson, the crown prince, happy.

No matter what delicious food they got, they never forgot to save some for their grandson, and the horses clattered loudly.

Just like Zhu Gaoxi, Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxi's elder brother, was also adept at ingratiating himself with the crown prince.

No matter the circumstances, as long as the Crown Prince was present, Zhu Gaochi was always the one who paled in comparison.

They always lost quietly.

Zhu Yunwen felt extremely comfortable. He felt incredibly close to the brothers Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaoxi as soon as he saw them.

Zhu Shangbing, the eldest son of the Prince of Qin, was truly no match for Zhu Yunwen.

His situation was similar to that of Zhu Gaoxi's second brother; he was a scholar who was merely pretending to be one.

However, Zhu Shangbing's research on food is unparalleled, and his sense of smell is as keen as a hunting dog.

Zhu Gaoxi had already fallen for him and become his loyal fan.

Following Zhu Shangbing meant getting good food, which had become his motto.

No matter what the ingredient is, Zhu Shangbing knows the most delicious way to eat it.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang felt that the food served by the Imperial Kitchen had become more and more to his liking recently.