mtlumby2d Chapter 1429
Chapter 1429
"You...you...you're actually still alive?!"
"You've already...already..."
Zhu Quan was about to blurt out that Zhu Yuanzhang was dead, but now that Zhu Yuanzhang was standing right in front of him, his mind and mouth were at odds, and he didn't know what to say.
Zhu Yuanzhang, however, looked at his eldest son, who was so shocked that he was speechless, and without any hesitation, chuckled and said what he hadn't said aloud: "Hehe, we've already passed away, we've been dead for a long time, haven't we? Hahahaha!"
Having been "dead" for so long, Zhu Yuanzhang, the "deceased" person, spoke these words more fluently than anyone else.
Zhu Quan's expression changed at this moment.
He quickly said, "Father, please don't say that again. It's good that you're still alive, it's good that you're still alive... Saying such things is bad luck!"
After the initial shock, Zhu Quan had finally processed the news. He felt both excited and happy. The fact that his father had died once and come back to life made Zhu Quan even more reluctant to mention the word "death."
Zhu Yuanzhang, who was never one for taboos, didn't care much: "If you could kill someone just by saying things like 'dead' or 'alive,' then when we faced the former dynasty's army and Chen Youliang's people, if we had cursed them a few more times, how difficult would it have been to gain this empire? Hahaha! Look at us now, aren't we still living just fine?"
After hearing what his father said...
Zhu Quan thought it made sense and stopped dwelling on it. He stepped forward and stood before Zhu Yuanzhang, carefully examining the face he thought he would never see again. Confused and incredulous, he said, "You were doing well in Yingtian Prefecture, so why stage this 'fake death'? My son is far away in Daning, unable to even attend the funeral. I was depressed for a long time, and felt guilty for not being able to fulfill my filial duty to you..."
As he spoke, Zhu Quan was also secretly guessing and pondering in his heart.
At this point, he seemed to suddenly realize something, his gaze sharpening: "So... it was Yingtian Prefecture... it was the palace... something unexpected happened that caught you off guard!!? Was it His Majesty? Or something else?"
Zhu Quan possessed both youthful vigor and a sharp mind. After accepting the news of Zhu Yuanzhang's resurrection, he immediately realized that this matter was not simple.
For the mighty Hongwu Emperor to feign death and escape—that should be at least a major event of treason!
Zhu Quan immediately turned his attention to the current emperor, Zhu Yunwen.
"Great! Zhu Yunwen kept it a secret well!"
Zhu Quan originally had little objection to Zhu Yunwen's ascension to the throne, but now that this had happened, he believed that Zhu Yunwen was plotting a rebellion or even murdering Zhu Yuanzhang. Naturally, he was no longer willing to address him respectfully as "Your Majesty": "I originally thought that it was because Father suddenly passed away, and he seized the opportunity to smoothly succeed to the throne. Now it seems that he is so audacious as to have attacked his own grandfather!"
"This is utterly outrageous!"
"I used to think he was the most honest one, but it turns out he's the most dishonest! I will definitely not let him get away with this!!"
"..."
Zhu Quan was young and had a youthful temperament. Coupled with his father-son relationship with Zhu Yuanzhang, his anger naturally flared up immediately.
With the support of 80,000 armored soldiers, 6,000 chariots, and the formidable Duoyan Three Guards, they were fearless and ready to charge back.
Seeing his youngest son's indignant expression.
On one hand, Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed, but on the other hand, his expression became somewhat unnatural, a little embarrassed and ashamed—damn it! The atmosphere had reached this point; how was he supposed to explain the mess he had created?
He hesitated for a moment, feeling helpless.
Zhu Yuanzhang could only pull him back and say, "Wait, Seventeenth Prince, calm down. This matter is... a bit complicated, and it's not what you think... Don't be impulsive."
Zhu Quan frowned, puzzled, and asked, "If that's not how it is, then why were you forced to fake your death to escape, Father?"
Zhu Yuanzhang's lips twitched involuntarily, and his eyes flickered with a hint of guilt.
He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment and began to explain in a serious tone, "Well... I actually faked my death on my own..."
He then recounted his previous actions, partly truthfully and partly falsely.
He claimed that he was worried about the future of the Ming Dynasty because of Zhu Biao's death, and that he had faked his death to test the waters. As a result, he discovered Zhu Yunwen, a promising talent who had suddenly emerged. He was satisfied with this and then handed the Ming Dynasty over to Zhu Yunwen.
As for the part where he messed things up himself...
That's not true; everything was under his control from beginning to end—yes, he had amazing strategies and keen insight, choosing the perfect successor.
Zhu Yuanzhang embellished the story.
Zhu Quan's anger subsided, and he said with some doubt, "Father, you... you're taking a bit of a risk."
Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard, feigning composure, as if everything was under his control, and said, "What risk is there to take? Do you think your father would misjudge a person?"
Zhu Quan thought for a moment.
If Zhu Yunwen truly did not attempt to usurp power or rebel, then so far he has indeed done a pretty good job as emperor.
So he believed Zhu Yuanzhang's lies and praised him, "Your judgment is indeed excellent. Back then, Zhu Yunwen... oh no, Your Majesty, back then, who could have imagined that he was so cunning? Only you, Father, could see it!"
Seeing that Zhu Quan believed him, Zhu Yuanzhang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and raised his eyebrows with even more pride: "Of course!"
Zhu Quan seemed to suddenly remember something and frowned as he asked, "But Father, since you faked your death and abdicated last year, where have you been all this time? The Emperor Kaiqian is now the one honored in Yingtian Prefecture. If it were discovered that you, the Hongwu Emperor, were still alive, wouldn't it be unsafe? Why didn't you come to find your son sooner?"
It's been almost a year since my father "passed away," so there must be a good place for him to go.
Zhu Yuanzhang did not hide anything from Zhu Quan and truthfully said, "Actually, we have always been with the fourth prince. We came from Beiping City."
Zhu Quan nodded in realization: "Fourth Brother's place? It's also in the northern border region, far from the capital, so it is indeed a good hiding place."
After saying that, he said with some dissatisfaction, "Father, you really kept it from me! You made me heartbroken for so long, and so did Fourth Brother..."
When Zhu Di was mentioned, Zhu Quan's expression suddenly froze slightly.
Now he understood many things—why his fourth brother would write to him all the time, saying all sorts of random things, and not long ago even going so far as to say that he wanted to "share the Ming Dynasty equally" with him...
"It's probably because my father is with him that he feels he has a trump card and confidence, knowing that besides his own strength, he can also rely on my father's influence!"
"only……"
While pondering, Zhu Yuanzhang noticed his youngest son, who had stopped mid-sentence, and asked, "What's wrong, Seventeenth Prince?"