My father, Zhu Di, was granted a second life by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Chapter 74 Using Another's Strength to Fight Back

Zhu Gaoxi was overjoyed to suddenly receive an extra five hundred taels of silver.

Although he doesn't consider himself a money-grubbing person and often does things to help others, who would complain about having too much money?

For him, money was not a vulgar commodity, but rather a means to command troops, the more the better.

He's not so high-minded as to be ashamed to talk about money, nor can he regard money as dirt.

Zhu Gaoxi grinned from ear to ear, looking greedy and avaricious. Even Zhu Jixi, who had only known him for a short time, could see his fervent love for money, which made him feel more at ease and boldly address him as a brother, chatting freely about their brotherly bond.

According to the rules of the imperial court, princes or heirs could not stay in the palace when they returned to the capital.

However, ever since Zhu Gaoxi had his own private space—the vegetable garden—this rule was frequently broken. First, You Dun stayed in the vegetable garden every time he returned to the capital, and later, Prince Xiang, Zhu Bai, also stayed in the vegetable garden for a few days.

Zhu Jixi originally planned to return to the Prince of Jin's residence in the capital, but after having a hearty meal in the vegetable garden, the palace gates were already closed. He had no choice but to ask the old emperor for permission to spend the night in the vegetable garden for the time being.

Having a common adversary can lead to becoming friends with temporarily aligned interests.

Zhu Gaoxi was happy to make this ally, showering Zhu Jixi with excessive flattery, calling him "brother" repeatedly, and using sweet words to make Zhu Jixi's heart flutter.

"Now, Third Uncle is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and Brother is the eldest grandson of the Emperor. Their futures are limitless," Zhu Gaoxi said, taking Zhu Jixi's arm and looking up. "Brother, if we become rich and powerful, let us not forget each other."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Jixi was immediately struck by the thought. He truly lived up to his reputation as a child prodigy, composing poems on the spot. This little poem was so clever and appropriate for the occasion.

Seeing that his words had a clear effect, Zhu Gaoxi pressed his advantage, leading a guard to Zhu Jixi: "Brother, do you know who he is?"

Zhu Jixi looked at the dark-skinned young man in front of him and felt that he looked familiar, but he couldn't remember him for a moment.

"He is Yang Heng, Fu Zhong's closest buddy. Back then, Fu Zhong followed Brother Youdun to defeat the Northern Yuan army. Yang Heng made meritorious contributions and was promoted to centurion. Now he is the guard commander of the vegetable garden."

"Later, Fu Zhong had an accident in the palace. Actually, at the time, he was just anxious to find Fu Rong..."

Zhu Gaoxi recalled the past with tears streaming down his face, "It's all my fault. I was too young at the time and couldn't convince my grandfather to believe what I said..."

Fu Zhong's younger sister was Zhu Jixi's heir apparent's wife. The couple were very harmonious and had a very good relationship.

Fu Youde had no choice but to commit suicide in order to protect Fu Zhong, and Zhu Jixi could not remain indifferent upon hearing of Fu Zhong's injustice.

Fearing that Fu Zhong would expose his mistreatment of fine horses to the old emperor, Zhu Yunwen schemed and plotted to kill Fu Zhong.

Driven by selfish interests and disregarding the lives of others, Zhu Yunwen will sooner or later reap the bitter fruits of his actions.

Zhu Youdun had once sworn brotherhood with Fu Zhongyi, and they shared a deep friendship. He had long harbored resentment and dissatisfaction towards Zhu Yunwen.

"Brother, what happened to Fu Zhong back then had nothing to do with you. If anyone is to blame, it's Zhu Yunwen for his treacherous intentions," Zhu Jixi said indignantly as he wiped away Zhu Gaoxi's tears.

Seeing that Zhu Jixi was calling the Crown Prince by his given name, Zhu Youdun made a shushing gesture and hurriedly told Yang Heng to go and check around.

"Brother, it's chilly at night, let's go inside and talk."

The walls of the house in the vegetable garden were thick and the soundproofing was not bad. Zhu Gaoxi took Zhu Jixi's hand and walked inside.

Zhu Youdun carefully inspected the area around the vegetable garden again, and finding nothing amiss, he went inside.

"When I went to the school the other day, I always felt like someone was following us," Zhu Youdun said to Zhu Gaoxi. "Grandpa recently ordered Song Zhong, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to be under the command of the Crown Prince. These days, he's been so busy that he may have forgotten to rescind the order."

If the Imperial Guards are under the command of the Crown Prince, do they still have any privacy?

Zhu Gaoxi was horrified and felt a chill run down his spine.

One should not harbor malicious intentions, but one must be wary of others. We must guard against the sinister and wicked thoughts of the Crown Prince.

Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoxi sincerely instructed Zhu Jixi: "Brother, you must be extra careful outside the palace."

"Don't worry, little brother, ordinary scoundrels can't get close to me," Zhu Jixi replied through gritted teeth.

Too much of a good thing can be bad. Zhu Jixi's hostility towards Zhu Yunwen had been successfully provoked. Zhu Gaoxi, seeing that things were going well, stopped and switched to talking about some light topics, telling Zhu Jixi many interesting stories about sweet potatoes.

Two dogs fight, play off.

Zhu Gaoxi needs time to familiarize himself with government affairs and understand the officials in various departments. Let Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Jixi, these two great figures, fight it out first.

The two were so engrossed in their argument that they had no time to pay attention to him.

However, we need to find a way to record the live showdown between these two gaming giants.

The following morning, after Zhu Jixi left, Zhu Gaoxi seized an opportunity and pulled Zhu Youdun back to the vegetable garden.

Zhu Jixi was present last night, so it wasn't convenient for us to talk. Zhu Gaoxi had important matters to discuss with him.

"We must go to the Prince of Wu's residence as soon as possible," Zhu Gaoxi said anxiously.

Zhu Youdun also felt that some things needed to be considered comprehensively and planned in a coordinated manner.

"Why don't we leave now and have Li Hui tell Huang Liang?" Zhu Youdun pondered for a moment and said, "Just say that Gao Xu got an upset stomach."

Zhu Gaoxi had the same idea, and instructed Li Hui to go to Qianqing Palace half an hour after they left.

The two hurriedly arrived at the Prince of Wu's residence, where Zhu Gaoxi summoned Zhu Gaoxu, Guan Tong, Xie Jin, and Yin Changlong together.

Zhu Gaoxi did not mention the struggle for the throne, but instead used Miaojin's safety as a pretext.

Of course, it wasn't just a pretense. Zhu Yunwen's eyes were still burning with desire when he saw Miao Jin. Even a fool could see that he still harbored designs on her.

"Grandfather has temporarily placed Song Zhong, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, under the command of the Crown Prince. Brother Youdun and Miaojin will be getting married soon. During this time, we must find a way to ensure Miaojin's safety and absolutely cannot cause any unforeseen complications."

"I'd like to select elite personnel to form a secret guard, ready to be deployed at any time. What do you all think?"

As soon as Zhu Gaoxi finished speaking, Xie Jin's disappointment was laid bare.

He thought the prince had summoned them to discuss the letter. Was it really necessary to make such a fuss just for Miss Xu's safety?

Could it be that the prince is still kept in the dark?

It's all Yin Changlong's fault. He said that for the sake of the prince's safety, the prince should not be informed before the deed is done.

That's just a scholar's view. Could this have been accomplished without the prince's involvement?

In his anxiety, Xie Jin began to grumble incoherently.

Why has there been no news about the change of heir? Wasn't the letter clear enough?

No, it was written in consultation with Yin Changlong, and it was considered very carefully and thoroughly.

While Xie Jin was still in a daze, Zhu Gaoxu spoke up, "Leave this to me. Fourth brother, tell me how many people you need, and your second brother will pick them all out for you."

"Brother Youdun, do you think 120 people is enough?" Zhu Gaoxi passed the buck to Zhu Youdun.

Since it concerns Miao Jin's safety, wouldn't it be suspicious if he, as Miao Jin's fiancé, remained silent?

Zhu Youdun understood immediately. "Dividing us into three groups of forty people to take turns going out, I think that's enough. What does Gao Xu think?"

This question was purely polite; Zhu Gaoxi and Zhu Youdun had no intention of expecting Zhu Gaoxu to offer any constructive suggestions.

Although Zhu Gaoxu was careless, he was not stupid. He had already seen that they were hiding something and unwilling to tell the whole truth, so he simply pretended to be confused and agreed with Zhu Youdun.