mtl008 Chapter 1426
Chapter 1426
"No, we can't stay in Beiping anymore." Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands, brushing the melon seed crumbs off, and said, "We need to find another place."
Lu Wei didn't react immediately and was a little surprised: "Change the location?"
Zhu Yuanzhang, with his hands behind his back, paced back and forth thoughtfully, and said:
"Yes, let's change the location. We were really too hasty this time. As soon as we received the news from Yingtian Prefecture, we went to the Fourth Prince's residence immediately."
"Although he used a bamboo hat to cover his head and face, it was impossible for our eldest grandson to not keep an eye on the Prince of Yan's mansion in Beiping, and it was impossible for him not to notice that a masked person like us had entered the Prince of Yan's mansion so openly."
"Furthermore, we left the Prince of Yan's mansion with the fourth brother, and came to this place on the outskirts of Beiping together... which makes us even more conspicuous."
"Right now, most of our grandson's eyes are on these suddenly mobilized armies. We need to take this opportunity to slip away!"
Zhu Yuanzhang sorted out his thoughts, his eyes becoming very determined, completely convinced that he had to run away this time.
Hearing him mutter that...
Lu Wei immediately understood: "Your Majesty, I understand! If we stay in the residence in Beiping, Your Majesty's presence will inevitably be exposed, which would be disastrous. Your Majesty is wise and farsighted!"
Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment.
He looked at Lu Wei and instructed, "Go find us some simple clothes to change into. The closest and most convenient place right now is... Old Seventeen's place. We'll act as ordinary citizens the whole way, trying not to attract attention. As for this 'masked mystery man' we only managed to find today, make it appear as 'missing' or 'lost' to our eldest grandson's informants."
Having decided to move and flee, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately set a target. After careful consideration, the Daning Prefecture, where Prince Ning, Zhu Quan, resided, was the most suitable location.
Lu Wei understood and immediately nodded, saying, "Your Majesty, I understand! The army of Beiping Prefecture is about to retreat, and the visibility is chaotic, which is the best time. Please allow me to make some preparations and arrangements for the aftermath."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.
Then, as if remembering something important, he said urgently, "Wait! Also, send someone to dig up the sweet potato vines in our house and secretly send them to Datong Prefecture!"
Although we're moving.
But he couldn't bear to part with the sweet potato vines he had raised himself.
Given the current chaos, he figured Zhu Yunwen's men wouldn't have anyone available to raid his house, and once Zhu Di withdrew his troops, the things inside would be impossible to retrieve.
"Yes, Wei Chen takes the order!"
Lu Wei immediately accepted the order and left.
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced once more at Zhu Di, who was kneeling before him with blood at the corner of his mouth, somewhat weak, but still kneeling upright, and said indifferently, "Get up, go and recall your troops..."
Zhu Yuanzhang gave the order.
Zhu Di then dared to stand up shakily, looking at his father with a complicated expression, and tentatively said, "Your Majesty, I know that you spared my life out of our father-son bond, but isn't it the same as ordering Zhu Yunwen... no, Your Majesty, to deal with me? You've already killed my second and third brothers..."
At this point, Zhu Di's voice betrayed a hint of fear and apprehension—half of it was true, and half of it was an act.
As the saying goes, it is better to live than to die.
Zhu Di knew he had made a huge mess and that he had no chance of getting the position, but he still didn't want to die.
But rather...
Zhu Yunwen never took the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" seriously.
When he's about to kill, he doesn't care about ancestral laws or whether you're a prince or not. After all this commotion today, he'll surely follow in the footsteps of his second and third brothers.
Therefore, Zhu Di could only pin his hopes on his father's reluctance to do it...
However, he did not expect this.
She had already brought up the matter half-jokingly, reminding her father that he might have to take in another son...
But Zhu Yuanzhang's face remained calm, as if he was not moved at all.
Zhu Di's heart sank: "Does Father really not care about the bond between father and son at all? Am I... doomed to die?"
But at this time.
He then heard Zhu Yuanzhang chuckle lightly: "Heh, I think our Great Sun doesn't want to kill you. He's been plotting against you for a long time."
This is why Zhu Yuanzhang was able to remain so calm, because he had heard Zhu Yunwen say more than once that he wanted to turn his fourth uncle into the best ox or horse.
Zhu Yuanzhang originally did not want to say these words.
Zhu Yuanzhang had intended to let this rebellious son suffer for a while, as a way to teach him a profound lesson. However, Zhu Di's excellent acting skills did indeed soften Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Di was overjoyed, but at the same time felt puzzled and incredulous: "Even with the pretext of me mobilizing a large army, which would allow me to rightfully punish you for treason, Your Majesty still doesn't want to kill me???"
If it were him, he wouldn't be able to find a reason not to discipline himself.
Zhu Yuanzhang yawned and said ambiguously, "That child will be vengeful when he should be, and he can be magnanimous when he should be... He knows how to use people, he is capable of using people, and what he has in his heart is never personal grudges, but the world of Ming."
Having seen the soldiers led by Zhu Di today, Zhu Yuanzhang knew that his fourth son truly lived up to his reputation as a formidable warrior on the battlefield.
He was beginning to understand why his eldest grandson kept talking about wanting his fourth son to be his slave.
"What...does Father mean by that?"
Zhu Di clearly didn't quite understand what his father was saying, switching between being vindictive and magnanimous, and even bringing up the topic of whether the Ming Dynasty was truly great or not.
"You'll find out soon enough," Zhu Yuanzhang said. "That child... he's the most suitable person in the world to be emperor! Hahahahahahaha!"
After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang burst into hearty laughter, a genuine joy, and a true sense of relief and peace of mind.
At least for now... he can't find many faults with him.
While talking.
Lu Wei returned, carrying a small package: "Your Majesty, everything has been arranged. It's already dark. When the army returns to the city later, we'll 'disappear' amidst the chaos and change our clothes."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Good." After saying that, he patted Zhu Di on the shoulder and said to Zhu Di meaningfully: "We're leaving first, Fourth Brother, you... take care of yourself."
Zhu Di pursed his lips, wanting to ask something else.
Zhu Yuanzhang, however, showed no intention of saying anything more and turned to leave with Lu Wei.
Zhu Di had no choice but to give up.
He muttered anxiously to himself, "What did Father Emperor just mean? Zhu Yunwen won't kill me? Is he really going to let me go?!"
He pondered for a moment without finding a solution.
His first thought was of the monk Daoyan: "Master Daoyan, what do you think?"
After such a huge blow, Monk Daoyan looked as if his three souls and seven spirits had been ripped out, his face ashen.
He looked up at the southern sky.
It's night, the moon and stars are sparse.
The monk Daoyan looked dejected and sighed, "I don't understand... I don't understand either... Oh well, just as His Majesty said... Today's events will inevitably be reported to Yingtian Prefecture. If His Highness Prince Yan doesn't wear it, he will be summoned to the capital... Then we'll know whether the young emperor intends to punish His Highness."
Clearly, this wave of events seemed to have blown up Monk Daoyan's brain—he couldn't understand, he couldn't understand many things... because it seemed that everything about Yingtian Prefecture... was always unpredictable, and he had no idea where to start!
At that moment, he suddenly felt a little tired.