Imperial Grandfather, please grant your grandson death

"Imperial Grandfather, please grant your grandson death!"

Zhu Yuntong held his sword high, blood still dripping from its edge, and stared straight at Zhu Yuanzhang on the dragon throne.

The civil and military officials in the hall, along with Zhu Yuanzhang himself, all looked at Zhu Yuntong in disbelief.

Today should have been the day Zhu Yunwen was invested as imperial grandson and heir. Zhu Yuanzhang had already prepared the decree; all that remained was to read it aloud. But before that could happen, Zhu Yuntong had stormed in with a sword.

When the guards outside the hall saw Zhu Yuntong approaching with his sword, they instinctively moved to stop him.

Zhu Yuntong wounded two guards, leaving the others afraid to lay a hand on him, and forced his way inside.

At first, the assembled officials thought Zhu Yuntong resented being passed over as heir and had come with a sword to force the emperor's hand.

What could one man accomplish by forcing the emperor's hand?

Yet no one had expected Zhu Yuntong's first words to be a plea for death. They thought they had misheard.

Zhu Yuntong had no choice. He had to do this.

He had transmigrated to the Great Ming and become Zhu Biao's third son, but he had arrived too late. His father had died just as he arrived, and before he could prove his abilities, Zhu Yuanzhang was already about to name Zhu Yunwen imperial grandson and heir.

If Zhu Yuntong did nothing, the fate awaiting him was confinement.

First, Zhu Yunwen would keep him confined in the capital, not daring to let him take up his fief in Hangzhou.

After the Jingnan Campaign, Zhu Di would confine him in Fengyang, where he would ultimately meet a sudden death.

That was not the life Zhu Yuntong wanted.

Soon after transmigrating, Zhu Yuntong learned from the memories he had inherited that Zhu Yunwen would be invested as heir today. For the sake of a better future, he had to derail the investiture, then fight Zhu Yunwen for that position.

A useless fool who had reigned for only four years-did Zhu Yunwen deserve that seat?

Zhu Yuntong decided to stake everything. He had already died once to transmigrate to the Great Ming; at worst, he would die again. There was no retreat anyway. This was his last chance.

Given how fiercely Zhu Yuanzhang protected his own and valued family bonds, even causing a great uproar should not get him killed.

"Your Highness, put down the sword!"

Chang Sheng was the first to recover. He hurried forward and seized Zhu Yuntong's hand, trying to pull the sword down. "The third imperial grandson has suffered a momentary lapse in judgment. Your Majesty, please forgive him!"

Seeing Zhu Yuntong wound people with his sword and force his way inside, Chang Sheng inwardly cursed. His first instinct, naturally, was to help his nephew.

The military men from Huaixi dearly hoped Zhu Yuntong would become heir.

But Zhu Yuntong was unremarkable and had never won Zhu Yuanzhang's regard. Otherwise, if he had shown even a little more promise, they would already have begun plotting to help him secure that position.

Now that Zhu Yunwen was to be appointed, Chang Sheng and the others were certainly dissatisfied, but they could only accept it.

"Yuntong!"

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke slowly, sweeping his gaze over Lan Yu and the other Huaixi military men. "Seeking death with a sword and disrupting the investiture-who taught you this? Lan Yu, was it you lot?"

This grandson of his had always been mediocre.

He did not believe storming in to seek death had been Zhu Yuntong's own idea. Nor did the boy possess such courage.

"Your servant would never dare!"

Lan Yu dropped to his knees without daring to think further and denied it. "Your servant has no idea what His Highness intends to do."

The Huaixi nobles and military officers knelt with him.

The oppressive authority in Old Zhu's sweeping gaze had left them afraid to raise their heads.

However brazen Lan Yu might be, he had to be utterly obedient before Zhu Yuanzhang.

"No one taught your grandson."

Zhu Yuntong shook his head. "Your grandson came to seek death because you want me dead, Imperial Grandfather. Whether I die sooner or later, I will die all the same. Please kill me with a single stroke."

He raised the sword again, indicating that Zhu Yuanzhang should use it to kill him.

"Nonsense!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned frosty. "When did I ever say I wanted you dead?"

Zhu Yuntong could feel Old Zhu's gaze suddenly grow cold, but he remained unafraid. Straightening his back, he said, "Because appointing Zhu Yunwen means you want your grandson dead!"

"Imperial Grandfather, I would never!"

Zhu Yunwen, standing nearby, grew frantic at those words and stepped forward. "Third Brother... perhaps Third Brother is overthinking things!"

"Your Majesty, your servant Huang Zicheng wishes to impeach the third imperial grandson!"

As Zhu Yunwen's teacher, Huang Zicheng was even more anxious than Zhu Yunwen at that moment.

Zhu Yuntong's words implied that Zhu Yunwen would kill him after becoming imperial grandson and heir, or after becoming emperor.

Everyone knew Zhu Yuanzhang valued blood ties above all else and could not bear relatives slaughtering one another. If Zhu Yuntong continued, today's proceedings might well take an unexpected turn.

Huang Zicheng had to stop Zhu Yuntong. He continued, "The third imperial grandson forced his way in with a sword and verbally affronted Your Majesty. This is rebellion, an act of supreme treason! He has also slandered the second imperial grandson and addressed him directly by name, showing disrespect for his elder brother. Your Majesty, please punish him!"

"Heh..."

Zhu Yuntong sneered and glanced at Huang Zicheng. So this is one of the Jianwen reign's great geniuses. Another useless fool. He retorted, "I brought a sword to court to seek death. I never intended to live, so Imperial Grandfather may punish me however he wishes! You say I disrespect my elder brother. Then tell me: who was my birth mother?"

Huang Zicheng blurted out, "Crown Princess Jingyi."

"My mother was Crown Princess Jingyi."

"She was also the Prince of Kaiping's legitimate daughter, my father's principal wife, married with all the proper rites, and the crown princess invested by Imperial Grandfather."

"I had only one elder brother, my eldest brother Xiongying. I have no second brother."

"Who is Lü Shi?"

"Nothing but one of my father's concubines!"

"Zhu Yunwen was born to a concubine."

"I am my father's legitimate son. Even if I beat a concubine's son to death, he would only be getting what he deserved."

Zhu Yuntong's clear, ringing voice echoed through the hall.

It shook every person's heart.

Lan Yu, Chang Sheng, and the others brightened. Zhu Yuntong seemed different today, far bolder, no longer as dull and wooden as before.

Zhu Yuanzhang, too, marveled inwardly at the change. He studied Zhu Yuntong with interest, lost in thought.

Only Zhu Yunwen gritted his teeth slightly. His birth was his greatest weakness. Even though Zhu Yuanzhang had forcibly elevated Lü Shi to principal wife, Chang Shi, married with all the proper rites, and Zhu Yuntong, the rightful legitimate son, loomed like a mountain over mother and son.

"Your Third Highness, you... you..."

In his agitation, Huang Zicheng could not find the right words to refute him.

Chang Shi's standing was simply too unassailable.

"Do you dare deny my mother's standing?"

Zhu Yuntong demanded.

Huang Zicheng hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, your servant means nothing of the sort!"

After speaking, he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. If he dared deny it, Lan Yu and Chang Sheng behind him might tear him apart with their bare hands!

Old Zhu would not spare him either.

"Imperial Grandfather!"

Zhu Yuntong's voice rang out again. "Please imagine this: if Father were still alive, and you passed him over to appoint my second uncle, what would Second Uncle think of Father?"

Zhu Shuang, who had traveled a great distance to attend the funeral and was now in the hall, froze at those words and repeatedly protested that he would never dare.

Zhu Yuanzhang thought the argument had merit. He glanced thoughtfully at Zhu Yunwen and asked evenly, "Yunwen, what do you think?"

Alarmed by Zhu Yuntong's brazen words, Zhu Yunwen hurriedly said, "Imperial Grandfather, your grandson is not that sort of person. I would never persecute my own family. For some reason, Third Brother has become prejudiced against me."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression softened a little.

Zhu Yunwen indeed was not that kind of person. Refined, courteous, kind, and sincere, he valued family bonds above all else, just as Zhu Yuanzhang did.

During Zhu Biao's grave illness, Zhu Yunwen had tended him at his bedside every day. After Zhu Biao died, he had wept himself unconscious in the mourning hall several times.

He had even grown noticeably thinner.

Zhu Yuanzhang had witnessed all of this himself.

The entire court had seen it too. They all said Zhu Yunwen most resembled Zhu Biao and was the most benevolent and filial.

"His benevolence and righteousness are a sham. Imperial Grandfather, don't let him deceive you."

Zhu Yuntong snorted coldly and continued, "Your grandson consulted the imperial physicians. A woman is more likely to suffer a difficult labor with her first child. But before I was born, Mother had already given birth to Eldest Brother and my two elder sisters. Why would she still have suffered a difficult labor?"

"Mother was the Prince of Kaiping's legitimate daughter. She practiced martial arts from childhood and was stronger than ordinary women, making her even less likely to die in childbirth. Imperial Grandfather, don't you find that suspicious?"

"Besides, Eldest Brother was raised by Grandmother."

"Grandmother protected Eldest Brother very well, yet he died of an unexplained illness, and no cause could be found. Does that seem reasonable to you?"

"Imperial Grandfather, consider this as well: with Mother dead and Eldest Brother dead, who benefited the most?"

Zhu Yuntong's forceful voice echoed through the hall once more.

Huang Zicheng and the others who supported Zhu Yunwen all lowered their heads at once. Now that the matter had reached this level, it was no longer something they could interfere in.

Zhu Yunwen's mind went blank. How could Zhu Yuntong know so much? Am I finished?