Volume One, Chapter Five: Zhu Yuanzhang’s Killing Intent
“How… how could you possibly know?”
Before Zhu Quan could finish his sentence, the mere mention of a date caused Lady Lü’s body to tremble once more.
She looked as if she had just seen some unspeakable horror, her face a mixture of shock and disbelief as she stared at Zhu Quan.
Curious about what secret Lady Lü might be hiding—something even Zhu Yuanzhang, the Emperor of the Great Ming Empire, was unaware of—Zhu Yuanzhang tilted his head in puzzlement.
At that moment, Fu Youde couldn’t help but mutter softly, “Huh! Why is it the 29th of November, in the eleventh year of Hongwu? Isn’t that the day the Chang family maid left?”
The “Chang family maid” Fu Youde referred to was none other than the former Crown Princess Chang, making the term fitting for an uncle to use.
Unexpectedly, Fu Youde’s inadvertent remark revealed his true thoughts, causing Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes to narrow sharply. His entire presence darkened with a fierce killing intent, like a tiger descending from the mountain.
Outside, Zhu Quan was oblivious to the tension behind the wall. With a half-smile, he continued to mock Lady Lü.
“If you don’t want others to know, you shouldn’t have done it. Do you really think your deeds were flawless?”
“Lies! I didn’t do it! Slander! You’re slandering me!” Lady Lü had lost all reason, even referring to herself directly as ‘I’ now.
Present in the presence of Zhu Yuanzhang’s corpse, she genuinely feared the old emperor might suddenly rise from his throne to demand justice.
If such matters were to leak out, not only would she lose her status as Crown Princess, but even Zhu Yunwen’s royal status might be at risk, let alone the struggle for the throne.
“Heh! I slander you?”
Zhu Quan sneered contemptuously, his disdainful gaze fixed on Lady Lü.
“If you think I’m slandering you, then tell me why my eldest nephew—who went with my elder brother to inspect the land—was the only one to contract smallpox, while no one else showed any symptoms?”
Lady Lü was stunned into silence, staring at Zhu Quan with a face as if she had seen a ghost.
Zhu Yuanzhang, hiding behind the wall, and Tang He and Fu Youde were equally dumbfounded.
“My dear eldest grandson!”
Zhu Yuanzhang murmured, his aura turning savage momentarily before a wave of dejection washed over him.
“How could I not have thought of this? How could I have missed it?”
“Smallpox is a highly contagious disease. Why was it only my dear eldest grandson who fell ill, while no one else was infected?”
“Lü, you wicked woman, a venomous woman! I’ve been deceived by you for over ten years. I hate you!”
…
Fu Youde and Tang He were shaken by Zhu Quan’s words but dared not utter a word, their eyes fixed on the disheveled figure of Lady Lü in the Qianqing Palace, who now resembled a malevolent ghost.
“You’re lying. Mother… mother wouldn’t hurt big brother,” Zhu Yunwen finally mustered some courage.
Yet his voice lacked conviction, failing to convince anyone.
Zhu Quan glanced back, causing Zhu Yunwen to shrink behind the dragon throne, clutching it tightly as if using Zhu Yuanzhang as a shield.
“Good-for-nothing! Father really chose a fine heir for the Great Ming! Are you not afraid of ruining the empire?”
Zhu Quan sneered coldly.
“Heh! But it’s fine. Since Father himself broke the rule of succession by primogeniture, allowing you, a bastard grandson, to inherit the throne instead of the rightful brother, then I have no reason to respect his ancestral edicts.”
“You… you…!”
Zhu Yunwen stammered for a long time without completing a sentence, curling up beneath the dragon throne like a frightened, cowardly child.
“Traitor… traitor…”
“This traitor actually wants to usurp the throne. Where was the mistake in letting Biao’s son inherit the throne?”
Behind the wall, Zhu Yuanzhang had no energy left to be angry at his venomous daughter-in-law. Hearing Zhu Quan openly declare his intention to seize the throne, he abruptly rose again.
Fortunately, Tang He and Fu Youde were quick to hold him back; otherwise, the old emperor might have rushed out to slap Zhu Quan.
Since he began his uprising and founded the glorious Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang had never made a wrong decision, nor had anyone dared to question him.
Yet today, not only was he questioned, but the one questioning was his own son.
After being restrained for a long while, Zhu Yuanzhang finally calmed down, but his hesitant voice reached the ears of Tang He and Fu Youde.
“Dingchen, Weixue (Fu Youde’s courtesy name), do you think I really chose wrongly?”
This question stunned them. When had the great Ming Hongwu Emperor, who restored China and expelled the Mongols, ever admitted a mistake?
Though they longed to agree, neither dared to show it.
They had followed Zhu Yuanzhang for years and knew all too well the consequences of questioning him.
Sometimes silence speaks louder than a thousand words.
Zhu Yuanzhang was too wise not to understand what weighed on their minds.
He had indeed contemplated primogeniture and the doctrine of brotherly succession, but the thought of his sons made him abandon it.
In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang had considered his eldest legitimate son, Zhu Di, more than once recently, but ultimately resolved to choose Zhu Yunwen.
The reason was simple: Zhu Di resembled Zhu Yuanzhang too much. The chaotic late Yuan era was over; the empire no longer needed another Zhu Yuanzhang but a ruler who could maintain the realm with benevolence.
For this very reason, Zhu Yuanzhang reluctantly gave up on Zhu Di.
As for his other sons…
Zhu Yuanzhang never even considered them—they were mere bastards.
Zhu Quan, lacking mind-reading or clairvoyance, naturally could not sense Zhu Yuanzhang’s desolation.
He scrutinized the pitiful appearance of Lady Lü and her son for a long moment before disdainfully shaking his head.
As if losing interest, or perhaps dismissing them entirely, he turned and called out outside the Qianqing Palace.
“Deng Zhen.”
Clang! Clang!
The sound of armored warriors echoed into the palace.
Moments later, Deng Zhen entered in full armor, striding like a dragon and tiger. He bowed with clenched fists.
“Your servant is present.”
“Take these two away and keep them under strict guard. I have use for them tomorrow.”
Zhu Quan didn’t even bother to glance at them again.
“Yes!”
At his command, four royal guards swiftly lifted Lady Lü and Zhu Yunwen from the ground and escorted them out of the Qianqing Palace.
Lady Lü cursed all the way, but no one answered her.
Zhu Quan walked slowly to the dragon desk, cast a brief glance at the dragon throne, then turned decisively to Deng Zhen.
“Go and summon Yunqi.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Deng Zhen responded promptly, leaving without hesitation.