Chapter 84 The Thirteen Tombs? Zhu Di: It's over, I'm going to die here today!

Silent!

Zhu Yuanzhang’s expression went blank for a moment. With gentle hands, he picked up the firearm from little Zhu Di and said softly, “Fourth, explain to me: what do you mean by ‘throwing Nanjing at us’?”

Little Zhu Di trembled uncontrollably; Fourth Zhu pressed his head so tightly against the floor he refused to lift it; the Zhu Di kneeling in the very front shook like a leaf in a storm, cold sweat pouring down his face, unable to utter a single word.

“Deaf, are you?”

A cold light flashed in Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes as he suddenly slammed the table, pointing the barrel at him and roaring, “I told you to explain!”

A suffocating pressure of bloodline authority crashed over them.

Old Zhu Di shivered, embarrassed and ashamed, bowing his head even lower.

“Grandfather Emperor, please don’t!”

“Grandfather Emperor, this is a firearm, please be careful not to fire it by mistake!”

The plump Hongxi and Yongle both turned pale with fright, shuffling forward on their knees, pleading in voices tinged with tears.

Good sons indeed!

Old Zhu Di felt a warmth in his heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of his second and third brothers, who were even more terrified and trembling than he was, and couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.

Hmm?

Zhu Yuanzhang’s gaze dropped, fixing on the two plump grandsons. His voice was calm as a still lake: “Gaochi, are you planning to rebel against your grandfather as well?”

“Your grandson wouldn’t dare!”

“Grandfather Emperor, your grandson has not the slightest such thought!”

The two plump ones, terrified, hurriedly retreated on their knees, burying their heads in silence.

Both grandfather and their father had been brought low; kneeling in the middle, Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, and the younger Hongxi Zhu didn’t even dare breathe, kneeling perfectly still like frightened quails.

Zhu Gaoxu pressed his head to the floor, nudging his finger sideways and mouthing without a sound: “My dear nephew, do you really deserve the title of ‘good sacred grandson’? The old man doted on you for nothing!”

“Look at the disappointment in his eyes—tsk, I couldn’t stand it if it were me…”

Hongxi’s younger Zhu glanced at him and silently mouthed back, “So I’m supposed to persuade him, get scolded, be branded a traitor, while you get credit for coming up with the idea? Second Uncle, spare me. Your clumsy goading might work on Grandpa, but don’t try it on me—it’s embarrassing.”

Zhu Gaoxu’s temper flared, seething with impotent rage for a few seconds before dying out. He shifted his feet and nudged the larger Zhu Zhanji kneeling behind him.

Don’t nudge me!

There’s a shadow here!

Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, shuffled sideways, bowed his head and, glancing over, mouthed only, “Look at how your eldest brother handles things. Still don’t understand why Grandpa didn’t pass the throne to you?”

What, am I supposed to endure that?

Zhu Gaoxu immediately straightened his back, and, facing the terrifying aura of Old Zhu, said righteously, “Grandfather Emperor, you can’t treat my father like this—at least he…”

“Out!”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes flashed lightning, the weight of his gaze crushing down, and with a single word—soft yet tyrannical—he sent a shudder through Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaoxu immediately wilted.

“Hey!”

Zhu Gaoxu shrank his neck and slunk out of the grand hall without looking back.

At the edge of life and death, he suddenly sobered: No matter how filial I am, I’m just a prince. Why risk my life?

“Father, I…” Old Zhu Di licked his cracked lips, mustering his courage to speak.

“Fourth.”

Old Zhu’s calm voice interrupted him. “I was alone in that temple, not a single ancestral tablet for my descendants, just sitting there all by myself. Aside from chatting about farming with Ancestor Bai Liu, Ancestor Si Jiu, and my own father, I didn’t even have a soul to discuss state affairs with.”

“Fourth, tell me, did our Great Ming end with the second emperor, or did you found a new dynasty yourself?”

“Father, your son has failed you!” Old Zhu Di, overwhelmed with shame, bowed his head.

From the very last row, Zhu Youjian, kneeling quietly, suddenly spoke up. “Great Ancestor, can the old ancestor be spared punishment?”

Good eldest grandson!

At once, all three Zhu Dis breathed a sigh of relief, grateful as they glanced back. With the eldest grandson speaking, perhaps there was a glimmer of hope.

Old Zhu Di relaxed, his resentment over being beaten on Zhu Youjian’s account dissipating completely.

As expected.

Old Zhu’s body trembled, his brow furrowing. “Grandson, don’t get involved in this. Don’t make me angry with you!”

“No.” Zhu Youjian, having weighed his words carefully, rose from the floor and moved to stand next to the three Zhu Dis.

With a rustling sound, he produced a pile of miraculous medicinal pills for injuries, stamina, and emergency life-saving, pouring them out until they formed a small mountain.

What’s the meaning of this?

Old Zhu Di’s heart sank.

Zhu Youjian bowed sincerely. “What I mean is, if the old ancestor must take this beating today, then I still have something to say to Emperor Jing.”

“Go ahead.”

Old Zhu, suppressing his anger, waved his hand.

Zhu Youjian nodded repeatedly, speaking quickly, “Emperor Jing, of our sixteen Ming emperors, in the end, there are only thirteen tombs.”

Thirteen tombs?

What does that mean?

Zhu Qiyu was bewildered. “I don’t have a tomb?”

“Mm-hmm. Emperor Yingzong destroyed your Shou Tomb, and since Emperor Jianwen disappeared without a trace, he had none either.”

Zhu Youjian nodded like a pecking chick, then knelt back down respectfully.

The hall fell silent. Jianwen and Jingtai—those are two; but who is the third?

A hiss of realization.

Every imperial prince, heir, and vassal of Ming turned to look at Old Zhu, each drawing a sharp breath.

The meaning of thirteen tombs could not be clearer.

“Well, well, isn’t this marvelous?” Zhu Yuanzhang’s face was as dark as storm clouds, his breath coming in heavy bursts. “You lot… Zhu Di stays. The rest of you, get out!”

When disciplining his descendants, neither civil nor military officials could watch; when disciplining his sons, even the younger generations must leave.

Such was the rule!

“By your command!”

The two plump ones scrambled away with a throng of others, fleeing in utter panic and vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Old Zhu Di, Fourth Zhu, and little Zhu Di knelt in utter despair, faces hopeless, not daring to move a muscle.

At that moment, a single thought filled all their minds: If by luck we survive today, we must find a way to cut off Chongzhen’s line!

Soon after—

From within the hall came the sound of pleading:

“Father, what thirteen tombs? I don’t know a thing about it! This can’t be blamed on me! No, I’m too scared—I’m leaving!”

Old Zhu exploded with rage: “You’re talking nonsense! Stay right where you are!”

…

“Too terrifying, too terrifying!” Hongxi and Yongle, breathless, clutched their chests, their plump faces full of relief at having survived.

Hey!

Just as Zhu Gaoxu finished relieving himself at the palace gate, a crowd came rushing out like a tidal wave. He barely managed to pack himself away before getting his hand splattered.

Wiping his hand on the palace wall and fastening his belt, he asked curiously, “Why are you all coming out?”

Emperor Jingtai, Zhu Qiyu, grabbed little Zhu Jienshen by the scruff and muttered, “Disgraceful. Remember to remind your uncle to repaint this wall!”

“Got it, Uncle!” Little Zhu Jienshen nodded seriously.

“Don’t even mention it!” Yongle, face contorted with worry, threw his arm around Zhu Youjian’s neck and earnestly advised, “Youjian, if you have opinions about the old man, talk to him in private! Doing this publicly will only drive him to his grave.”

He has… three fathers, and Grandfather Emperor is holding a firearm. If the old man flies into a rage, it’d be over in three shots!

Hongxi, more rational, sighed, “Ah, well, seems the old man won’t escape a beating. Better to get it all over with now than get thrashed again later.”

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, and every emperor, heir, and prince outside froze, huddling together in terror.

Which one of our fathers just got shot?

…