Chapter 96: The Grim Reaper Arrives!
Hiss!
Zhu Youjian listened to the commotion inside, shrank his neck, and muttered, “Great Ancestor has no grudge against Emperor Renzong or Emperor Xuanzong, so why does this fight seem so personal?”
Cough!
Hongxi, the big man, clasped his hands and coughed meaningfully. “You see, Youjian, everything has two sides. Your elixir is indeed a marvelous thing, but haven’t you noticed? Since it appeared, the attacks from Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong have only grown more ruthless!”
What used to be mere scoldings now rely entirely on overwhelming military might.
They simply can’t be killed.
No matter how gravely injured, they recover fully by the next day.
It’s downright lethal!
Zhu Youjian forced a wry smile and muttered, “The key is that every beating costs me two doses of the elixir. The profit margin exceeds one hundred percent, and the Great Ancestor dares to trample on everything…”
“A clever plan,” Zhu the Fourth pondered deeply.
He just didn’t know if the five-year-old Zhu Zhanji could withstand such a beating.
Far away in the Jianwen era, little Zhu Zhanji, busy battling crickets, sneezed hard, and a large drop of snot accidentally fell onto the fighting champion cricket in its basin.
At that moment,
Old Zhu Di stormed out fiercely, dragging young Zhu from the Yongle era, deliberately stopping in front of Zhu Youjian, panting heavily without a word.
Big Yongle followed behind.
Because Old Zhu Di couldn’t drag him along.
“Great Ancestor, please accept this,”
Zhu Youjian dutifully took out two doses of the elixir, treating it as a necessary expense to avoid disaster.
Old Zhu Di subtly slipped the elixirs into his sleeve, placed his hands on his hips, and swept his gaze over the assembled descendants, his teeth grinding with resentment:
“Firstborn, you really make me proud! In front of your imperial grandfather, you let the Japanese know just how rampant corruption is in our Yongle dynasty!”
With that, he grabbed young Hongxi from the side, pinched the back of his neck tightly, and gave him a good shake.
“Hmm? Why can’t your father and brother grow a brain?”
Alas!
Young Hongxi’s eyes rolled back, silently pleading, Grandfather, you’ve got the wrong grandson!
Good boy!
Emperor Xuande Zhu Zhanji, hiding in the crowd, breathed a sigh of relief and patted Emperor Jingtai on the shoulder.
Zhu Qiyu blinked and gently stroked little Zhu Jianshen’s head.
Little Zhu Jianshen closed his eyes contentedly.
...
During the Ming dynasty, civil officials were fair game for execution!
Zhu Youjian fell silent. Were there any good men among the civil officials? Perhaps, but very few.
How did Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang die? The National Records and the Taizu Annals both record it, since the Taizu Annals were compiled by Zhu Di.
How did Emperor Taizong Zhu Di die? The Taizong Annals record it, compiled by Zhu Zhanji.
But how did Zhu Zhanji die? That was vague.
Because Zhu Qizhen was seven that year, and his record was compiled by Yang Shiqi alone.
---
Yongle, the big man, was silent for a long time before grimly saying, “Father, conduct a thorough investigation.”
Caught red-handed by Zhu Yuanzhang, the Yongle officials had been found embezzling funds during the war. If this wasn’t handled properly, that wheelchair would be in use for the three Yongle princes together.
Though Zhu Zhanji outwardly appeared fine, his body was battered and bruised. Gritting his teeth, he said in a low growl, “Grandfather, I’ll personally handle this case!”
So brazen!
Old Zhu Di’s eyes flashed coldly.
These damned people delayed the war, padded military merits, and plundered the nation’s wealth.
Most unforgivable: they allowed their old father to catch them red-handed!
They deserved a thousand deaths!
“Grandson!”
Zhu Yuanzhang expressionless, walked over with hands behind his back and said, “Let’s return.”
Behind Old Zhu stood Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, while Ashikaga Yoshinori was already escorting the young Matsumoto to the Emperor’s chambers.
That was the residence of the imperial family.
Soon, a great fire would break out there.
Then the imperial family would publicly declare their collective escape. Ashikaga Yoshimochi would symbolically send envoys overseas to search all the temples on Japan’s five islands.
This was to prove that the imperial family had indeed fled, not perished in the fire.
“Yes, Great Ancestor!”
Zhu Youjian nodded and waved his hand.
The figures of the Ming emperors, crown princes, and feudal kings vanished from sight.
...
Yongle’s main camp.
After signing all the treaties,
The Japanese islands would be jointly governed by the shogunate and the daimyo.
Apart from five thousand cavalry, the Han royal household had no additional guards, nor did they fear any covert sabotage from the shogunate.
Because there was a strict written treaty:
If a daimyo died, all members of the shogunate and their nine clans would be sacrificed alongside him!
Ashikaga Yoshimochi, accompanied by over a thousand samurai, surrendered all his troops and knelt respectfully before the Ming emperor.
“We humbly pay homage to Your Majesty, wishing you good health!”
The accompanying civil and military officials prostrated themselves.
Minister of War Li Qing, Minister of Personnel Jian Yi, Minister of Works Wu Zhong, and Minister of Rites Huang Huai knelt at the front.
Seeing Ashikaga Yoshimochi, the Japanese, the officials exchanged worried glances, silently fearing the worst.
Old Zhu Di looked at them calmly, standing with hands on hips, silent.
After a long while,
Old Zhu Di spoke evenly, “Who said Japan refused to surrender and fought stubbornly?”
“How strange that the moment I arrived, Japan surrendered, but in your hands, the war dragged on endlessly.”
“The majesty of His Majesty’s dragon might is vast. With Great Ancestor’s blessing and Heaven’s favor, wherever we go, the Japanese pirates bow their heads in submission!”
Li Qing and others praised respectfully. The officials behind exchanged glances and uttered a few auspicious phrases.
---
“Enough with the nonsense.”
Old Zhu Di said flatly, “This time we return victorious. Xia Yuanji will manage military affairs and expenses. You shall not interfere.”
He could wait for a thorough investigation, but his father could not. And after the investigation, what then? Send everyone to prison?
Absurd.
Those corrupt officials treated prison like home—no pain, no harm—just a brief stay before using connections to get out, sometimes even restored to their posts!
At worst, they lived their lives in wealth with their ill-gotten gains.
Therefore, someone must choke on their water, choke on their food, or die on the toilet today...
For these greedy ministers, Death has come!
Xia Yuanji?
Officials were baffled.
“Your Majesty, Minister Xia has been missing for many days...” Minister of War Li Qing hurriedly explained.
Old Zhu Di suddenly asked, “Do you know why he disappeared?”
Why did he disappear?
Private whispers filled the Yongle court.
Since the Yongle palace incident, Xia Yuanji and the three Yangs of the cabinet vanished. Many speculated they had likely been secretly executed for participating in Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu’s rebellion.
This upheaval greatly changed the officialdom’s landscape. The Three Yang faction, as founding elders of the cabinet, suffered unprecedented blows.
Yet, since the emperor did not openly suppress the Three Yang faction, the court gradually returned to normal, and the faction was not wiped out.
“We are foolish...” Li Qing and others bowed their heads, but suddenly their faces changed in unison, eyes wide in shock.
Before them, a figure appeared out of nowhere.
“We pay homage to Your Majesty, wishing you health!” Xia Yuanji bowed respectfully.
Old Zhu Di said calmly, “Rise.”
“Minister Xia? How did you come back?”
Li Qing and others could not hide their astonishment.
Xia Yuanji hesitated for a moment, then uttered, “Whoosh!”
???
Whoosh... whoosh?
The officials fell into contemplation.
Why had the once stern and upright Minister Xia changed so drastically?
Was it a distortion of his humanity, or a collapse of his morality?
...