20demayo Chapter 83, choose 1 out of 3
Chapter 83, choose 1 out of 3
Since the old emperor has already made it so clear and unambiguous, he is determined not to change his mind, and even if you kneel on the ground and beg, it will be of no use.
There's no point in saying more; let's go back to the Wenhua Hall and discuss a solution with Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai.
Zhu Yunwen took his leave with a pale face. The old emperor felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow to the heart, and he was in great pain.
"Xi'er, let me ask you, if you were to succeed to the throne, how would you treat your grandson?" The old emperor wanted his eldest grandson's personal promise.
"Grandpa, I promise to treat my great-grandson well, so that he will have no worries about food and clothing, and the whole family can live together happily and enjoy wealth and honor," Zhu Gaoxi replied solemnly.
"Okay, I got it. Youdun heard it too. When we're no longer around, Youdun, you'll be in charge of supervising Gao Xi."
After the old emperor finished speaking, he stared into Zhu Youdun's eyes and waited quietly for his reply.
"I will definitely make sure my younger brother treats the great-grandson's family well," Zhu Youdun replied, forcing a smile.
The old emperor was undoubtedly trying to sow discord.
Zhu Gaoxi inwardly groaned, realizing that the old emperor's actions were pushing him towards becoming a lonely figure.
Perhaps, the higher one climbs, the colder it gets; the emperor's throne is destined to be lonely and cold.
Zhu Gaoxi didn't blame the old emperor, but he also wouldn't let it create any rift between him and Youdun.
He will definitely keep his word and do what he says when it comes to Zhu Yunwen.
Zhu Gaochi would never stoop to such things as kicking someone when they're down or beating a drowning dog.
Once the outcome is clear, there will be no further blows.
Of course, he will also do his best to plug any loopholes that might lead to scheming or assassination.
He won't harm anyone, but he also needs to maintain sufficient ability to protect himself.
Zhu Gaoxi and Zhu Youdun were engrossed in handling state affairs, while the old emperor, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, strolled outside and sent Lin De to the Prince of Jin's residence to deliver a message, instructing his son, Zhu Jixi, to enter the palace the next day.
Ji Xi, that troublemaker, needs to be put to some use. Yun Wen must be feeling miserable these days; having Ji Xi around might make him feel better.
Zhu Yunwen forcibly reduced the power of the princes, forcing Prince Xiang, Zhu Bai, to commit suicide by setting himself on fire. Even though the old emperor believed that Zhu Gaoxi was not lying, he still felt sorry for his grandson and did his best to find a good future for Zhu Yunwen.
For a monarch, being too soft-hearted is a major taboo. Bai'er was forced to commit suicide. Yunwen may have made mistakes, but as long as he is capable and makes the Ming Dynasty prosperous, these minor faults can be ignored.
We need to observe Xi'er's abilities further.
If neither Yunwen nor Xier can shoulder the responsibility of being the crown prince, then let's break with convention and take a risk by letting Youdun succeed to the throne.
Although You Dun is slightly inferior to Gao Xi in some aspects, it doesn't matter much. He is intelligent, mature, and handles things properly, making him undoubtedly the most suitable candidate for crown prince.
We don't have much time left, so we must make full preparations. Xi'er, Yunwen, don't blame Grandpa for being heartless.
If you are not capable enough, just be an ordinary person and stop having unrealistic dreams.
The old emperor sighed inwardly, thinking that life has always been difficult to balance, and that You Dun was kind-hearted and would surely treat Gao Xi and Yunwen well.
This was the best arrangement he could think of.
Zhu Gaoxi could sense that the old emperor had not yet made a final decision.
Zhu Yunwen was not ultimately eliminated; Zhu Youdun still has a chance to enter the game.
The old emperor is choosing one of three options.
Perhaps the old emperor had already written the edict of succession. If he were to suddenly fall critically ill one day, the edict might say that Zhu Youdun would succeed him.
Before fully testing Zhu Gaoxi's abilities, the old emperor would not feel comfortable letting him sit on the throne.
Zhu Gaoxi had to be constantly alert and prepared to be tested by the old emperor at any time, which consumed a great deal of energy.
Therefore, the food supply had to be adequate. Yunfei was busy every day, coming up with all sorts of dishes to ensure Zhu Gaoxi's nutritional intake.
The investigation into the Lü family needs to be launched as soon as possible.
The following morning, Zhu Gaoxi asked the old emperor for leave and made a special trip out of the palace to pick up Xu Jingyan.
Upon arriving at the Duke of Wei's residence, the steward led them directly to Xu Huizu's courtyard.
Xu Zengshou received a message from the eunuch in the vegetable garden, so he took his wife and daughter to wait for Xu Huizu.
Zhu Gaoxi's impression of Xu Huizu remained based on the historical knowledge stored in his mind.
During the Jingnan Campaign, many military generals successively submitted to Zhu Di, including Sheng Yong and Ping An, who had repeatedly defeated the Yan army in the battles of Dongchang and Jiahe. However, Xu Huizu refused to submit and hid in Xu Da's ancestral hall, refusing to surrender to Zhu Di.
After Zhu Di ascended the throne, he personally summoned Xu Huizu, but Xu Huizu remained silent and refused to acknowledge Zhu Di's imperial status.
To be honest, Zhu Gaoxi was quite intimidated by Xu Huizu.
It remains to be seen how Xu Huizu will deal with those who attempt to challenge Zhu Yunwen's position as heir apparent, and whether he will resist them to the end.
Although he was inwardly apprehensive, Zhu Gaoxi outwardly maintained a calm and composed demeanor.
Upon receiving the servant's report, Xu Huizu and Xu Zengshou hurriedly came out to greet them.
"Young Prince, Crown Prince."
Zhu Gaoxi raised his hand in a gesture of support and greeted him with a beaming smile.
Xu Huizu was humble and seemed to have no objection to the arranged marriage.
Xu Huizu, the prospective father-in-law, exuded an air of elder composure, calmness, and maturity.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, they got straight to the point. Xu Jingyan himself was asleep, and his luggage had already been packed. He was accompanied by twenty people, including wet nurses, nannies, cooks, and maids.
Zhu Gaoxi couldn't help but marvel inwardly. If Xu Jingyan were missing even a single hair in the Wu Prince's mansion, wouldn't Xu Zengshou be furious?
Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, hiding is the best policy; as long as you're not at the scene, you can absolve yourself of all responsibility.
It seems I won't be able to return to the Prince's Mansion for a while.
Let Xu Jingyan and Xu Miaojin run wild in the Wu Prince's mansion. Anyway, we usually live in the vegetable garden, and the annual food allowance of 10,000 shi won't cost us much. Let them squander it all.
As long as Xu Jingyan's father, Xu Zengshou, is efficient, they can do whatever they want.
Those who achieve great things are not careful about the little things.
Zhu Gaoxi didn't want to argue with them over trivial matters.
Of course, even if they cared, they couldn't afford to offend them. They'd heard that the aunt and niece were cut from the same cloth, both with unreasonable and fiery tempers.
It's so embarrassing to argue with a little girl!
Upon arriving at the Wu Prince's residence, Xu Miaojin had already transformed Xu Jingyan's room into a beautiful and enchanting paradise.
Zhu Gaoxi felt a pang of heartache seeing this; it was all money!
They're clearly not good at managing money; they have no idea what saving is.
What a waste!
Zhu Gaoxi shook his head and sighed.
He and Youdun are truly brothers in misfortune.
Xu Jingyan was sleeping soundly and didn't wake up even when he was carried into the room.
Xu Miaojin followed her outside, indicating that she had something to say.
Seeing her serious expression, Zhu Gaoxi assumed it was something important, but it turned out she was urging him to open a bookstore.
The Ministry of Revenue provides 500 taels of silver annually, so the school is not worried about funding for the time being. Zhu Gaoxi is busy at the Qianqing Palace every day and doesn't have much energy to think about this matter in detail, so he has temporarily put it aside.
"If we open a bookstore, we won't need to hire any more staff. The children at the school have been eating well lately and are growing taller. Two of the boys are almost as tall as me. Letting them learn how to do business at the bookstore is better than just studying," Xu Miaojin analyzed logically. "We only need to buy a storefront, it doesn't have to be big. With some simple decorations, we can open for business. The books can be printed at the school and then moved to the bookstore. The older children can help out."
Making money isn't the priority; the important thing is to find these children a way to make a living in the future. The school can't support them forever; they'll have to earn their own living sooner or later. Even if they're girls, if they learn a skill, they can help earn money to support their families after they get married, and their lives will be more comfortable.