Chapter 108: Opening the Era of Chenghua; The Sudden Demise of the Benevolent Emperor!

Visible blue and white lightning danced through the palace like wild dragons, creating a deafening and formidable display!

Over a hundred ministers stood trembling, their hearts filled with terror, feeling as though they were being roasted alive.

*Oh, heavens,* they thought, *I’m going to die here today!*

The numbing, prickly sensation of electricity and the acrid smell of burning in the air drove the courtiers into a panic. They threw themselves to the ground, slamming their heads against the floor and wailing:

"Your Majesty, have mercy! We deserve death, but we implore Your Majesty to calm your divine wrath!"

Who would have thought that a manifestation of "imperial thunderous wrath" would literally involve actual thunder?

This is a catastrophe!

The officials cried out in their hearts, kowtowing in fear:

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Surely the people of the Jiangnan region can understand the court's difficulties!"

Zhu Youjian narrowed his eyes. "Are you deaf? I want the records of the voyages to the Western Oceans within three days, including everything they have secretly documented over the years. Not a single word is to be missing!"

"Three days? Your Majesty, your imperial decree hasn't even left the capital yet..." The officials were stunned.

The lightning suddenly intensified! It struck two or three "lucky" civil officials!

"Your Majesty, wait!"

"We... we believe the documents regarding the voyages to the Western Oceans can be presented to the Imperial Desk today!"

Oh?

Zhu Youjian raised an eyebrow, and the lightning instantly vanished. He smiled graciously.

"My dear ministers, why haven't you risen? You are the backbone of my court; if you fall ill because of this, it would be my loss!"

The officials were silent. "..."

"We thank Your Majesty for your boundless grace!"

The courtiers felt a surge of relief. While grateful to have survived, some even felt a strange, lingering sense of gratitude toward the Emperor.

Zhu Youjian waved his hand. "Get out. Work hard, or I will find a reason to replace every one of you."

*Spineless fools!*

The officials stiffened, secretly cursing themselves for being such cowards.

"We take our leave!"

...

Three days later. Night fell.

Stack after stack of documents and ledgers were placed upon the Imperial Desk. They were detailed to the point of recording that a certain type of grape product from a remote area of Hormuz could be purchased at a low price and exchanged for porcelain, with a profit margin of eight percent, and so on.

Zhu Youjian glanced through them roughly; if they were willing to record such trivial details, the documents were likely largely authentic.

Wang Chengen said solemnly, "Your Majesty, a eunuch mentioned just now that because the preparations were rushed, these records represent less than one- or two-tenths of the total. He begs Your Majesty not to be impatient."

"Less than one or two-tenths?"

Zhu Youjian pondered this. It was within reason and expected. The capital was far from the sea; the core records were undoubtedly stored in the Jiangnan region.

"And that eunuch?"

Wang Chengen replied quietly, "He swallowed poison and died on the spot. I could not stop him in time."

"Trying to put on a show for me, are they?"

Zhu Youjian sneered. He had just purged the palace, yet their agents remained—a clear message that they were pervasive and that he shouldn't push them too far. Otherwise, they would make it so he couldn't even sleep!

What a joke!

I hide away in the Imperial Palace; who could possibly find me? Hmph, listen closely: I never said *which* dynasty's palace I was in.

[The national fortune of the Chongzhen era has increased, opening the space-time of 'the eleventh year of Chenghua.']

It seems the forces in Jiangnan are starting to restrain themselves.

Zhu Youjian raised an eyebrow and waved his hand. "Go on. Handle these matters as you see fit. If I find out that you let your 'kindness' get the better of you in my absence and failed to execute those who deserve it, I will punish you severely!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wang Chengen felt ashamed; his heart was indeed too soft.

The palace was empty.

Zhu Youjian mused, "The eleventh year of Chenghua... the year the Hongzhi Emperor was discovered..."

"Time to go. It happens to be the day for the inter-dynasty silver coin experience exchange meeting."

"Wait, did I forget something?"

...

On the Hongwu Dragon Throne, Zhu Yuanzhang sat happily with his beloved grandson, Zhu Xiongying.

"Great-grandson, I've been waiting for ages. I thought you had forgotten about this."

Zhu Youjian scratched his head. "To be honest, Great Ancestor, government affairs have been truly hectic these past few days. I will go and bring the other ancestors now. Please, wait a moment."

"Go, go." Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, smiling.

After he left, the Old Emperor leaned down and instructed, "Xiongying, you must watch carefully. Try to steal a bit of immortal magic to teach your grandfather. This ability to travel through dynasties is too mysterious—I might not learn it, but you should focus on that thunderbolt spell, understand?"

"I'll remember!" Zhu Xiongying said with innocent, clever obedience.

The "main account" visits rarely, so he needed to learn more while he could. Zhu Yuanzhang smiled with satisfaction, praising his own brilliance in handling both tasks.

...

In the Jianwen era, Zhu Laosi was in the middle of a heated debate with scholars when he suddenly vanished from the hall.

The arguments of the officials came to an abrupt halt. A wail rang out from the front.

"Take me with you!!"

The monk Daoyan stomped his feet in frustration.

...

In the Yongle era, within the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the three generations of ancestors looked melancholic.

Old Zhu Di was eating a steamed bun, silent, before wiping his mouth. "Eldest, have the second and third ones been sent back these past few days?"

"Father, don't mention it. Youjian is extremely busy; it's a miracle he even remembers us. Besides, Second and Third are doing fine in the Jianwen era's Japan; they won't starve."

The "Yongle Fatty" (Zhu Gaochi) held his hands in his sleeves, looking distressed. "I'm just afraid they'll get together with Jianwen's second son and stir up trouble again."

Old Zhu Di glanced at him but said nothing. He was a bit worried too.

"Ancestor." Zhu Youjian suddenly appeared, bowing respectfully with a hesitant expression.

Zhu Gaochi said happily, "You've finally come! Youjian, that thing—"

"Wait!" Old Zhu Di sensed something wrong and waved his hand, asking gravely, "Great-grandson, what is it? Did something happen?"

"Ancestor, today in the Hongxi era is the day before the Ren-zong Emperor's sudden death. Would you like to come with me to see?" Zhu Youjian asked.

He had just remembered this. He had assumed that since the Hongxi Emperor had taken the medicinal pill, he would be fine. But suddenly, strange characters appeared before his eyes:

[The Hongxi space-time is collapsing; 24 hours remaining.]

"What?" The Yongle Fatty was dumbfounded.

...

In the Hongxi era, Hanlin editor Li Shimian and lecturer Luo Rujing entered the palace to speak with the Hongxi Fatty.

"Your Majesty, the relocation of the capital to Nanjing brooks no delay. Please, do not procrastinate any longer." Li Shimian’s tone was disrespectful and impatient.

The Hongxi Fatty said nothing. He had conceded to almost all the civil officials' demands, but moving the capital back to Nanjing? That was impossible!

Clearly, before Zhu Di died, he knew these descendants would try to move back, so he had stubbornly buried himself at the gates of the Juyong Pass.

The Emperor guards the frontier—and he guards it to the death!

One must observe mourning for three years. To ask the Hongxi Emperor to move the capital now was not a matter of wanting to or not; it was something he didn't even dare to imagine!

Therefore, after the civil officials' previous petitions to downgrade Beijing to a secondary capital were ignored following the "manifestation" of Zhu Di, they had quieted down. But after so much time had passed with no further word from Zhu Di, the ministers' hearts had grown restless again.

Especially Li Shimian. In the 19th year of Yongle, when the three main halls burned down, he was the one who led the protest demanding a return to Nanjing. He had only quieted down after Zhu Di threw him into prison.

"Your Majesty, in February, there were four earthquakes in Nanjing; in March, there were fifteen. Does this not require further explanation from me?" Luo Rujing said coldly.

Zhu Gaochi’s expression darkened. He didn't need anyone to tell him; he felt it was an ominous sign himself.

After hearing the news, he had planned to ask Zhu Youjian to calculate the cause of the frequent earthquakes in Nanjing. If he hadn't known that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di were still alive, he would have considered visiting the Changling Mausoleum himself, or sending Zhu Zhanji to the Xiaoling Mausoleum to see if Zhu Yuanzhang was angry.

There was no help for it; the whole thing was too bizarre!

"Enough of that. Regardless, do not discuss moving the capital again. The spirit of the Late Emperor manifests in the court at any time; if he knew you were still planning to move the capital, he would surely not forgive you!"

Zhu Gaochi shook his head, refusing sternly. Moving the capital back to Nanjing was out of the question. It was simple: he didn't dare. He didn't dare when his father was dead, and he certainly didn't dare now that his father was alive.

And there were two of them.

*Heh, if they get fed up, they might just beat me to death.*

And there would be nowhere to seek justice.

Li Shimian’s face was dark. He whispered, "You fat pig, do you think I won't kill you if you don't move?"

It was currently the 11th day of the fifth month in the first year of Hongxi—the day before the historical sudden death of the Hongxi Emperor.

"Insolent!"

The Hongxi Fatty was enraged. He slammed the table and roared, "Guards! Beat him for me!"

The guards obeyed, and they didn't stop until three of Li Shimian’s ribs were broken.

Zhu Gaochi was so angry his fat was trembling. He pointed at the wailing Li Shimian on the ground and gasped, "Throw this bastard into the Jinyiwei prison to await his fate!"

*Historical Record: The Emperor was furious and ordered the warriors to strike at Shi-mian... he was later imprisoned by the Censorate.*

The next day, the 12th of the fifth month.

The Ren-zong Emperor died suddenly.

...

(I have forgotten whether this was the original text from the *Veritable Records of Ren-zong*, the *Guo-que*, or somewhere else.)

(In short, there was no conversation process; I made that part up. But he must have said something quite nasty to make the Fatty so angry. After all, the next day, Li Shimian was perfectly fine and was bailed out, while the Ren-zong Emperor died suddenly.)