BSI Chapter 10 A Son of Heaven
Chapter 10 A Son of Heaven
After dinner, Zhu Yuanzhang went to bathe and change clothes as usual.
Zhu Gaoxi nestled on the soft couch, waiting for his grandfather to come out of the bath so they could sleep together.
Zhu Yunwen entered silently, picked him up without a word, and walked out.
Just as Zhu Gaoxi was about to bite down hard on his arm, he suddenly saw a graceful figure enter the Qianqing Palace.
Judging from her figure, she resembles Consort Hui.
Just as Zhu Gaoxi was about to call for help, Zhu Yunwen covered his mouth.
Once they reached a secluded spot, Zhu Yunwen gestured for him to be quiet, saying, "You can't be in there."
Why not? He was always inside Consort Ning whenever she served him, and they were an old married couple who didn't do anything.
Zhu Gaoxi felt that he was meddling in other people's business.
Seeing Zhu Yunwen's solemn expression, Zhu Gaoxi suddenly felt doubtful. Could it be that the old emperor was going to get serious?
At sixty-five years old, how can he still be so manipulative...?
Zhu Gaoxi's imagination ran wild; it was too erotic!
The next day, seeing Zhu Yuanzhang looking energetic and refreshed, Zhu Gaoxi concluded that his guess from the previous day was probably correct.
He's still got it!
Zhu Gaoxi instantly changed his understanding of Zhu Yuanzhang.
What is the most practical power in the world for a man?
That is, you can pick any beautiful woman you want.
He has a deep understanding of this.
Back in college, thanks to his outstanding looks, he was rarely rejected.
Being an emperor must be wonderful! Three palaces, six courtyards, seventy-two concubines, and three thousand beauties in the harem...
As Zhu Gaoxi pondered this, a feeling of envy for Zhu Yunwen arose spontaneously within him.
He will live such a life in the future.
No, wait, he can't do this to Xu Miaojin.
If he dares to harbor ill intentions towards Xu Miaojin, Zhu Gaoxi will fight him to the death!
Having a little one by his side would certainly be inconvenient for some things, so Zhu Yunwen thoughtfully suggested that Zhu Gaoxi be brought to live in the Wenhua Hall, which Zhu Yuanzhang agreed to without hesitation.
Thus, Zhu Gaoxi was tragically abandoned by his grandfather, the Emperor.
I was extremely disappointed.
From being the Emperor's confidant to becoming Zhu Yunwen's follower, the fall from grace was immense.
That wicked girl Xu Miaojin had no sympathy whatsoever, constantly teasing him, "In the end, you'll still be hanging out with the Crown Prince, won't you?"
It's like rubbing salt into a wound.
Fortunately, he can still stay by his grandfather's side during the day. He seizes every opportunity to perform well and please his grandfather, and has successfully extended his lifespan multiple times. He currently has ten years left to live.
Being the Crown Prince's follower wasn't entirely without its advantages.
I just had a real experience at the Grand Hall.
According to the rules set by Zhu Yuanzhang, princes who were ten years old or older but had not yet been enfeoffed were required to live in a princely residence outside the palace.
All the princely mansions were located within the imperial city, with the same structure and roughly similar layout; they were all copied from the same mold.
Currently, there are nine princes who have met this standard: Prince Su Zhu Yan, Prince Liao Zhu Zhi, Prince Qing Zhu Zhan, Prince Ning Zhu Quan, Prince Min Zhu Geng, Prince Gu Zhu Hui, Prince Gu Zhu Song, Prince Shen Zhu Mo, and Prince An Zhu Ying.
They studied at the main hall during the day and returned to their respective palaces at night.
Among the nine princes, Zhu Ying was the youngest, just ten years old, while Zhu Yan was the oldest, one year older than Zhu Yunwen.
One of the most noteworthy figures is Prince An, Zhu Ying.
He is the younger brother of his adoptive father, who shares the same mother.
Consort Gong died after giving birth to Zhu Ying.
It is said that Consort Gong, Zhu Gaoxi's maternal grandmother, was exceptionally beautiful and otherworldly. Consort Hui only bore a slight resemblance to her, yet Consort Gong was deeply favored by Zhu Yuanzhang, demonstrating just how popular Consort Gong was in her time.
Zhu Yunwen was ordered to go to the main hall to check on the princes' studies, with Zhu Yunwen leading Zhu Gaoxi behind him.
According to Huang Zicheng, Prince Su was the most sensible, Prince Ning was the most intelligent, Prince Gu was the most mischievous, Prince An was the most honest, and Prince Liao was the most serious.
Huang Zicheng's current main job is to accompany the Crown Prince in his studies, and he also works part-time as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. He also gives lectures to the princes at the Dabentang Hall from time to time.
Zhu Yunwen had studied here before, so he knew his uncles quite well.
Huang Zicheng's comments were generally correct.
Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly without revealing his expression and walked into the school with an air of authority.
Upon seeing the Crown Prince enter, Prince Su, Zhu Yan, was the first to rise and respectfully performed the rites of a subject to his ruler.
Zhu Yunwen reached out a hand to help him up, and calmly replied, "No need for formalities for those over fourteen," before slowly scanning the other princes with an imposing aura.
Prince An, Zhu Ying, followed closely behind, rising to pay his respects, followed by Prince Liao, Zhu Zhi.
Prince Zhu Quan of Ning was a beat slow in adjusting his clothes, but his posture when bowing was very proper.
Subsequently, the other princes also stood up to pay their respects, with Prince Gu, Zhu Hui, being the most perfunctory, displaying an arrogant and nonchalant attitude.
Zhu Yunwen maintained a cold expression throughout, making it impossible to discern any change in his emotions.
"I have come to check on the completion of the princes' studies yesterday," Zhu Yunwen said unhurriedly.
I am your uncle, your elder, yet you dare to call me a prince and not even call me uncle.
A hint of disdain appeared on Zhu Hui's lips.
"Prince Gu Zhu Hui, Prince Gu Zhu Song, and Prince Shen Zhu Mo, for failing to complete your studies, you are to be punished by copying the 'Ancestral Instructions' three times," Zhu Yunwen coldly announced the punishment. "Tomorrow, hand them over to the Crown Prince's Palace, where I will personally review them."
Upon hearing this, some people gasped. The Ancestral Instructions Record has more than 10,000 characters. If it is copied three times, it will be more than 30,000 characters. Wouldn't it take all night to copy it?
Zhu Gaoxi was drawn to a jade paperweight depicting a reclining tiger and walked over with a limp.
That was Zhu Hui's beloved possession. Seeing Zhu Gaoxi reach out to take it, Zhu Hui quickly put it away.
Zhu Yunwen walked over, took Zhu Gaoxi's chubby hand, and leaned down to say gently, "That's too heavy, you can't carry it."
"Yes," Zhu Gaoxi answered stubbornly.
"Nineteenth Brother, let Gao Xi take a look. I'll hold it for him and not let him touch it," Zhu Ying said, her desk next to Zhu Hui's.
"Yes, let's show him," Zhu Yan agreed.
Zhu Hui was displeased.
It was just a paperweight, which he didn't care about at first. What angered him was that Zhu Yunwen had shown no mercy when he was reprimanding him, but then turned around and was so kind to this illegitimate son who was only a little over a week old. How could he swallow this insult?
Seeing that the atmosphere was getting a bit awkward, Zhu Quan came over to smooth things over and said, "Nineteenth Brother, this paperweight of yours has a slight flaw. Look here, I have one over there that's a bit bigger than this one, I'll give it to you in a bit."
As Zhu Quan spoke, he took the paperweight from Zhu Hui's hand and handed it to Zhu Ying.
Upon hearing that there was something better, Zhu Gaoxi lost interest in the piece in front of him and looked at Zhu Yunwen, saying, "I want something better."
"You're not at a disadvantage," Zhu Quan teased as he handed his paperweight to Zhu Yunwen, who was standing next to Zhu Yunwen.
Zhu Ying returned the paperweight to Zhu Hui.
Zhu Gaoxi got his wish and called Zhu Yunwen "brother" with deep emotion to express his gratitude.
Zhu Yunwen affectionately pinched his chubby cheeks, signaling Zhu Yunwen to put it away, and turned to Zhu Quan, saying, "Thank you, Seventeenth Uncle."
Zhu Hui was a little embarrassed. Zhu Yunwen had just stepped out of the school when he muttered to himself, "I heard that a crazy monk told Wang Zihe's fortune and said that she was destined to be the emperor. Fourth Brother made the first move and took her that very night."
"In this family, both women are destined to give birth to emperors; it's hard to tell which one is the real one."