Chapter 21: The Master Is Stunned!

“Wow!”

Zhu Gaosui let out a startled cry, slipped, and tumbled down. He sat there dazed for quite a while before shoving Han Prince and muttering, “Second Brother, Second Brother, go up and have a look. I think I just saw something incredible.”

“What is it? Did Father put the dragon robe on the Crown Prince?” Zhu Gaoxu asked absentmindedly, his head lowered in dejection.

“No!”

Zhu Gaosui leaned against the wall, sliding to the ground, his face still filled with disbelief. He hesitated, then said, “I think I saw the Grand Founder Emperor. Do you think this act today is Big Brother hiring someone to impersonate the Grand Founder Emperor to scare Father, so Father can scare you...”

Bang!

“Hey, what are you doing!”

Zhu Gaosui’s thin frame was pinned to the ground. Zhu Gaoxu stepped on him, leapt up, grabbed the palace wall, and peeked over. His expression shifted between anger and uncertainty as he stared for a long time, then growled through gritted teeth, “Big Brother is playing dirty! I’ll kill him for this!”

With a forceful kick, he prepared to vault over the wall.

“Don’t be rash! The Embroidered Guards are coming. Let’s go, quickly!” Zhu Gaosui hurried to restrain him, pulling and dragging with all his might.

“Stop right there!”

The Embroidered Guards, ever swift, immediately seized the two at the first sign of trouble. When they saw who it was, they exchanged bewildered glances.

“Are you trying to rebel? Let me go!” Zhu Gaoxu roared.

“Don’t shout! If you alert Father, everything will be ruined!” Zhu Gaosui panicked, shooing them away. “All of you, step aside, don’t get in the way here!”

Just then, Zhu Dapang jogged over, his face alight with excitement. He paused, then asked, “Are you two wrestling with the Embroidered Guards?”

Zhu Gaoxu bellowed, his voice booming, “Big Brother, this isn’t how you play games. If you have any tricks, show them openly—I’ll take you on! But using such filthy schemes to disgust me, don’t blame me if I kill you!”

The four Embroidered Guards finally managed to pin him down securely.

“My dear brother, I have no time to humor you. Go ahead and lose your mind,” Zhu Gaochi replied, baffled by the situation, and hurriedly ran off.

“Don’t go! You stop right there!”

Zhu Gaoxu struggled madly, fury blazing.

The commotion soon alerted Zhu Di inside the hall. He strode out, his brows furrowed, and asked in a deep voice, “What is going on here?”

The Embroidered Guards dared not conceal anything and truthfully reported, “Your Majesty, the Han Prince and Zhao Prince were peeking into the palace!”

Zhu Gaoxu, still struggling, shouted, “Father, you’ve been duped by Big Brother! That old man who looks like the Grand Founder Emperor—he hired someone to impersonate him! You’re being deceived!”

“It’s true, Father! Think about it—how could someone who’s been dead for over twenty years possibly come back to life?”

“Outrageous!”

Zhu Di’s face darkened with anger. He ordered, “Lock these two in the Imperial Prison to reflect on their actions!”

“By your command!”

A squad of Embroidered Guards dragged the two of them off toward the Imperial Prison.

Zhu Gaosui protested loudly, “Hey, don’t drag me! I was just passing by! I know nothing!”

“Father, I’m innocent!”

…

“Who is making such a racket?” Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

“It’s nothing, Father. Just my two unruly sons quarreling,” Zhu Di replied vaguely; family scandals shouldn’t be aired.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, finding nothing strange about it. After all, he too had several younger sons, some of whom were quite unruly.

“Very well, let’s continue. Grandson, tell me more about the relationship between silver and treasure notes.”

Zhu Yuanzhang had not even considered the resistance from the Japanese, now preoccupied with how best to utilize silver for maximum gain.

Zhu Di was also full of anticipation. “Yes, and what exactly is inflation?”

“Please wait a moment, I’ll fetch someone,” Zhu Youjian said after some thought, deciding to bring along Zhu Di from the Jianwen era so he wouldn’t have to explain everything twice later.

“Go ahead,” Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

…

Jianwen Era.

Zhu Di had recently ascended the throne, honoring the Grand Founder’s direct grandson, the Jianwen Emperor Zhu Yunwen, as Retired Emperor, and changing the era name to Yongle.

After half a month of diligent governance by civil and military officials working together, the Ming Dynasty was gradually stabilizing, and the losses from years of civil war were beginning to be restored.

At Jiming Temple.

Zhu Di had worked tirelessly for half a month, sleeping only two or three hours a night, diligent and never slacking, growing noticeably thinner. His rare visit to Jiming Temple was also for official business—seeking out the man behind him, the dual-practitioner of Buddhism and Daoism, Master Daoyan, to jointly review current policy directions.

Upon entering the temple, Zhu Di unceremoniously scooped a ladle of spring water and drank it down in great gulps, exclaiming with satisfaction, “There’s nothing as sweet as the water here, Master!”

“May His Majesty enjoy great health!”

Monk Daoyan smiled and saluted, praising, “Your Majesty’s methods are truly brilliant. With this strategy, the realm is settled. I am in awe!”

Zhu Di was momentarily at a loss—what strategy? After a moment’s reflection, he realized and smiled wryly, “Master, you misunderstand. The tale is a strange one. Had I not experienced it myself, I would never believe that my descendants would produce a celestial being, appearing with my father before the throne.”

“I understand,” Daoyan replied with a smile, mindful of eavesdroppers. He understood—he understood everything.

Though he practiced both Buddhism and Daoism, he believed neither in gods nor buddhas. From start to finish, he trusted only himself, believing what he saw, not what he’d heard. As for gods and buddhas—he’d always scoffed at such talk.

Zhu Di had no intention of further explanation and instead asked, “Master, I still have worries. The Retired Emperor is younger than I. If, after my passing, he seeks to reclaim the throne, how can I ensure future peace?”

Kill him, of course!

Monk Daoyan frowned slightly, puzzled at hearing such a foolish question. Suddenly his expression changed. “Your Majesty, you truly met the Grand Founder Emperor, didn’t you!”

Otherwise, with their years of camaraderie, Zhu Di would have already made his troublesome nephew quietly disappear, never asking such a question.

Zhu Di’s face showed his displeasure. “I have already said so—an emperor’s word is never in jest. There’s no need to fear eavesdroppers here.”

Back in the days at the Beiping Prince’s Residence, their daily conversations went like this:

Daoyan: “I’ll give you a white hat.”
Prince of Yan: “I don’t want it!”
Daoyan: “Rebel.”
Prince of Yan: “I dare not!”

Now, sitting on the throne, things were no longer as they once were.

Zhu Di sighed, “Master, just answer my question.”

“If the Grand Founder manifests at any time, then Your Majesty must not harm the Retired Emperor in the slightest. On the contrary, you must provide for him generously. Inside, confine him to the inner palace. Outside, have Gaochi act as regent to win over the ministers. With control both within and without, even if, in a hundred years, the Retired Emperor seeks to restore himself, he will no longer be a threat.”

Monk Daoyan pondered, and though he didn’t believe in such things, he still gave his advice.

Yongle Emperor Zhu Di had indeed always worried about Jianwen Emperor’s restoration after his own death. Thus, whenever he campaigned to the north, he always left Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi governing Nanjing as regent—father and son ruling north and south, firmly controlling the empire and guarding against any possible restoration.

Zhu Di thought for a moment, then sighed, “So be it.”

“Perhaps the Grand Founder will only manifest this once. Your Majesty need not be overly concerned. With this humble monk here, all will be well,” Monk Daoyan said thoughtfully.

He was already beginning to suspect—could it be that Zhu Yunwen, in order to save his life, had someone impersonate the Grand Founder Emperor to frighten Zhu Di?

Just as he was lost in thought, a man in a bright yellow dragon robe suddenly appeared before him, glanced at him casually, grabbed Zhu Di, and said, “Ancestor, come with me!”

Then, with Zhu Di in tow, he vanished without a trace.

“Ah!” Monk Daoyan let out a startled cry and was left in a long, bewildered daze.

…