Chapter 153: Zhu Gaoxu: Where did you get that? I'm asking you, where did you get that?!

"Once the silver coins are fully implemented, the Jiajing timeline should also open up," Zhu Youjian thought to himself for a moment. He cast his consciousness toward the Hongzhi timeline and raised an eyebrow.

The eighteenth year of Hongzhi!

This was a good time. Emperor Hongzhi, Zhu Youtang, was currently lying in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, groaning in agony.

Judging by this state, in another two days, the miraculous doctor Liu Wentai would likely make his move.

"It has been quite a while. I should go check on the Grand Ancestor's side first, and then bring Emperor Chenghua along. Having an acquaintance will make it easier to lead the way."

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment, retrieved a volume of the Veritable Records of Emperor Xiaozong of Ming, and skimmed through it briefly.

When Emperor Xianzong passed away, Zhu Youtang was already eighteen years old. He died at the mere age of thirty-six. During his eighteen-year reign, he went through three distinct phases: naivety, diligence, and micro-management.

In the end, when he flipped the table, he was taken down.

One could say that Zhu Youtang was a 'Chongzhen' emperor who had inherited his father's era of great prosperity.

Brainwashed by the civil officials into believing that Xianzong was a muddle-headed ruler, the moment he ascended the throne, he abolished the appointed officials (Chuanfengguan) and restricted his maternal relatives, the Wan family, binding his own hands and feet. He began diligently attending court audiences.

Once he realized that no one took him seriously, he began heavily favoring the eunuch Li Guang and built a pavilion on Wansui Mountain. The officials submitted memorials to dissuade him.

Emperor Xiaozong ignored them.

The pavilion was completed, and the young princess suddenly died a violent death.

This enraged Xiaozong. The next day, a massive fire broke out in the Palace of Qingning. Xiaozong deliberately refused to let anyone put it out—he was the one who had ordered the fire set in the first place, so how could it possibly be saved?

In the end, it burned down to the point where Grand Empress Dowager Zhou was forced to move back to the Palace of Benevolent Longevity.

The officials submitted memorials claiming the pavilion was detrimental to geomancy.

Grand Empress Dowager Zhou remarked, "Today it's Li Guang, tomorrow it will be Li Guang again; this disaster has indeed been brought upon us."

Consequently, Li Guang was forced to commit suicide, and Xiaozong had to swallow his pride and accept it.

Following that, he resumed his micro-management. Remembering his father's merits, he reappointed the appointed officials. However, by then it was already too late, as the civil officials had been guarding against this exact move.

Not long after, the appointed officials were abolished once again.

From then on, Xiaozong could only hole up in the palace and play with eunuchs.

Finally, after remaining silent for several years, in the eighteenth year of Hongzhi, Xiaozong could endure it no longer.

*If my eunuch Li Guang is useless, fine, I admit it. Then I'll just summon someone who isn't useless!*

*Wang Zhi!*

He wanted to reactivate the nuclear weapon his father had left behind for him!

The imperial court and the entire realm were shaken. The long-suppressed fear of the civil officials being dominated by the Western Depot flooded back into their minds.

If you bring that man back, will anyone ever have a good day again?

Therefore, on that very day, Emperor Xiaozong fell ill.

Three days later, he was escorted out of this world by a bowl of medicine courtesy of Liu Wentai.

It was a smooth and flawless combo-attack; resistance was entirely futile.

"You really lived a stifled life. I'll go find your father and let him vent your anger for you." Zhu Youjian shook his head.

He left the Chongzhen timeline.
...

The Chenghua Era.
Purple Gold Mountain.

Two eunuchs were pushing a pair of wheelchairs, carrying a somewhat plumper Prince of Han, Zhu Gaoxu, and Prince of Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, respectively.

The two men were conducting their daily inspection of the Xiaoling Mausoleum.

Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, appeared in the mausoleum grounds looking travel-worn. He walked over quickly and said in astonishment, "Second Uncle, Third Uncle, why on earth are you two in wheelchairs?!"

Zhu Gaoxu shrank back into his wheelchair and said leisurely, "Enjoying my retirement. Leading troops into battle is no longer for me; guarding the imperial grandfather's mausoleum is far more comfortable."

"Great-nephew, you've all mastered immortal arts, and after dumping your second and third uncles in Nanjing, half a year has already passed. I heard you've been heating things up fiercely in Jiaocheng, driving Le Bangji so hard he went back to being a cave-dweller in Lanfu."

Zhu Gaosui wore a wicked smile. "Well, how about it? Didn't you take a Jiaocheng consort for yourself?"

"To my shame, Grand Ancestor declared that since we were already there, we might as well conquer all three pacification commissioner's offices and six pacification superintendencies. In the rush, I suppose I forgot my two uncles." Zhu Zhanji produced an apple from somewhere and handed it to his third uncle.

Zhu Gaosui raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you all certainly had a fun time fighting... Third Uncle isn't hungry."

"Second Uncle."

Zhu Zhanji turned and handed the apple to Zhu Gaoxu instead.

Zhu Gaoxu stood on ceremony, devouring most of the apple in three or four bites. As he chewed, he muttered, "Hmph, where'd you get this apple, boy? The taste isn't bad."

The three of them walked and talked.

Zhu Zhanji explained, "Mainly, this campaign was simply too easy. Great-grandfather has already triumphed and returned to Nanjing in a grand procession. Both uncles are peerless fierce generals; using you in such minor skirmishes would be like using a butcher's cleaver to chop vegetables."

Having finished his apple, Zhu Gaoxu casually tossed the core away, smacking his lips and humming, "I suppose you know quality when you see it. Got any more apples? Hand me another one."

"None left."

Zhu Zhanji stopped in his tracks, gazed at the peaches placed before Sun Quan's tomb ahead, and muttered thoughtfully, "There's a peach here, want to eat that?"

Huh?

*Huh?!*

Zhu Gaoxu's eyes widened like copper bells. He involuntarily swallowed hard and said in disbelief, "You scoundrel, where did that apple from just now come from? Second Uncle is asking you where you got that apple?!"

Zhu Zhanji blinked. "Just ordinary sacrificial fruit from before the stele of Lord Chang Yuchun, the Prince of Kaiping, that's all."

"You little bastard! You actually had me eat that?!"

Zhu Gaoxu was furious, his breath catching in his throat as he nearly dropped dead on the spot.

He sprang to his feet, looking fiercely ready to brawl with Zhu Zhanji. "Do you think you're your great-grandfather, able to swipe anyone's offerings whenever you please?"

Not far away, the crown princes and emperors of the Great Ming dynasty heard every single word clearly.

*Hmph!*

Zhu Yuanzhang walked at the very front with his hands behind his back. Hearing this, his expression darkened instantly, and he let out a cold snort.

The elder Zhu Di said coldly, "Prince of Han, come chat with me outside."

"Coming, Dad!"

Zhu Gaoxu instantly lost his fire, turning to his great-nephew to gnash his teeth and whisper, "You just wait!"

"Your audacity is growing bigger by the day, you little whelp! Even the offerings of Chang 'Ten-Thousand' are fair game for you to eat!" The elder Zhu Di let out another cold snort.

At that exact moment.

Zhu Youjian appeared abruptly and blinked at the scene. "What ten-thousand?"

He looked down and—*whoa!*

Isn't this the stele of Sun Quan, 'Sun Ten-Thousand'? He had almost forgotten that he was still lying right here on Purple Gold Mountain. Given their close relationship, he should probably have Zhang Liao come over and light a stick of incense for him sometime.

"Great-grandson, you're here." Zhu Yuanzhang's expression softened considerably as he said with a warm smile.

Zhu Youjian quickly cupped his fists. "Grand Ancestor, is the Jiaocheng campaign over?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. "Indeed. All three pacification commissioner's offices and six pacification superintendencies have been conquered and officially incorporated into the territory of Our Great Ming."

"We're all done here in the Chenghua era. Great-grandson, you can take charge of minting the Great Ming silver coins for the rest of the Chenghua era."

Having caroused outside for so long, Old Zhu was clearly eager to head home.

He looked back.

Old Zhu Si had already left a long time ago. The two chubby princes had excused themselves days ago under the pretext of heavy administrative duties during the Yongle and Hongxi reigns, and Emperor Jing, Zhu Qiyu, along with Zhu Qizhen, had slipped away long before that.

Only Zhu Yuanzhang, the elder Zhu Di, Emperor Xuande Zhu Zhanji, Emperor Chenghua Zhu Jianshen, and the two princes of Han and Zhao still remained in the Chenghua timeline.

With the ability to enter the minor worlds, one only needed to give Zhu Youjian a heads-up within the minor world to travel freely back and forth between the various dynasties—truly immensely convenient.

Zhu Youjian cupped his fists. "Grand Ancestor, rest assured."

The elder Zhu Di finished loosening up his joints. With a wronged-looking Zhu Gaoxu trailing behind him, he walked over and said, "Great-grandson, I'm heading back too. Look after things here."

"Chengzu... ahem, Grand ancestral Emperor, take care." Zhu Youjian's tongue had slipped, and he distinctly saw the faces of Zhu Yuanzhang and the elder Zhu Di darken simultaneously, causing him to chuckle awkwardly.

"We're off!"

Zhu Yuanzhang and the others offered a few words of caution and returned to their respective eras.

Only Emperor Chenghua, Zhu Jianshen, spread his hands helplessly. "Shall I leave too, then?"

Zhu Youjian quickly stopped him. "You definitely can't leave. The two of us need to take a trip to the Hongzhi era together."

"The Hongzhi era? Little Zhu Youtang?" Zhu Jianshen was taken aback.