No Staying in the Eastern Palace

That morning, Zhu Yuntong had left with a sword in hand and forced his way into the Hall of Heavenly Mandate.

His two elder sisters, Zhu Lingyue and Zhu Lingyi, had worried all morning. Now that they saw Zhu Yuntong return safe and sound, they hurried over to meet him.

"As long as you're all right. Third Brother, you were too impulsive."

Zhu Lingyi let out a relieved breath and asked, "Didn't Imperial Grandfather punish you?"

Zhu Yuntong shook his head. "No, but I succeeded."

"Really?"

Zhu Lingyue and Zhu Lingyi were both overjoyed.

They had no affection for Lü Shi, nor did they have any for their hypocritical second brother, Zhu Yunwen.

In fact, they knew something of the truth behind their mother's and eldest brother's deaths. They hated those two, but feared them as well.

If Imperial Grandfather were to choose an heir, they naturally thought their own third brother would be the best choice.

If he chose Zhu Yunwen, they dared not imagine what Zhu Yunwen-or Chang Shi-might do to them in the future. Chang Shi, in particular, had always mistreated them behind the scenes.

Now that their third brother had successfully thwarted the investiture, they felt there was hope for the future.

Besides, that position rightfully belonged to their branch of the principal wife's line. Lü Shi was merely a concubine.

Zhu Yunwen was not worthy of it!

"Third Brother."

Zhu Linghua looked pitiful as she asked, "Will you always be good to us?"

She and Zhu Lingxiu were only a little over ten, still at an age when they understood very little. There was much they did not know; all they knew was to stay beside their two elder sisters and wait for their third brother to return.

But they would never forget how, not long ago, Lü Shi had suddenly taken their mother away, never to return.

Since then, Lü Shi had treated them terribly. Without their mother, they could only stay with their two elder sisters and their third brother. It seemed their third brother was their only support.

"Of course."

Zhu Yuntong gently rubbed the two little girls' heads.

They were still young, sweet and adorable, and easy to love.

But they were also terribly thin, as though they had not eaten their fill in a long time. The sight made his heart ache.

Before transmigrating, Zhu Yuntong had read the historical records about Zhu Biao's daughters. His eldest sister had fared reasonably well, marrying the son of the Marquis of Changxing. His second sister, however, had married an obscure company commander.

The details concerning his two younger sisters were unclear, but given what he now knew of Lü Shi, Zhu Yuntong believed she would surely manipulate their lives, leaving his second sister and both younger sisters with bleak futures.

Now that he had successfully stopped Zhu Yunwen from becoming heir apparent, he was confident in his own fight for the succession. He would never allow history's tragedies to repeat themselves.

"Third Brother is the best."

Zhu Lingxiu spoke in her soft, childish voice. Both little girls were utterly dependent on Zhu Yuntong.

"Let's go back first," Zhu Yuntong said.

But when he entered the courtyard's main room, Zhu Yuntong noticed something was wrong.

Although he had only recently transmigrated, he had absorbed the original owner's memories. He remembered the servants in the courtyard, and these were not the same people. Everywhere he looked, he saw unfamiliar faces.

"Have all our servants been replaced?"

Zhu Yuntong asked.

Zhu Lingyue said, "Dongqing, who serves the Crown Princess, came by just now and replaced everyone we had. She said the old servants didn't know how to behave, so she was giving us a more sensible group."

Zhu Yuntong frowned. More sensible servants? This was plainly an attempt to place him under surveillance from every angle.

Lü Shi probably believed Zhu Yuntong had been concealing his abilities, and the revelation had shaken her deeply. She must have decided the previous servants were incapable of watching him, so she had sent a new group to cover every angle without a single blind spot, leaving him no privacy at all.

If he made any unusual move, Lü Shi would know at once.

Zhu Lingyue and Zhu Lingyi both understood, but they had neither the power nor the courage to refuse.

Lü Shi had struck back so quickly, responding to Zhu Yuntong's attack.

"Your Highness, Third Imperial Grandson."

Just then, a eunuch in his early twenties approached with the utmost deference and knelt before Zhu Yuntong. "Your servant Liu Liu pays his respects to Your Highness, Third Imperial Grandson!"

The eunuch named Liu Liu solemnly kowtowed three times before Zhu Yuntong.

"Third Brother, he was also sent by the Crown Princess," Zhu Lingyue said.

Still kneeling, Liu Liu said respectfully, "The Crown Princess ordered this servant to attend Your Highness."

Seeing Lü Shi take everything into her own hands, replace everyone around him, and plant so many eyes and ears at his side, Zhu Yuntong felt both angry and deeply repulsed.

It seems I can't stay in the Eastern Palace any longer.

Zhu Yuntong did not let his anger show. He walked past Liu Liu and went inside.

At the same time, he considered how to persuade Old Zhu to let him move out of the Eastern Palace.

Anywhere else would do, as long as he could escape Lü Shi's control.

Ideally, he would have a residence of his own outside the palace-but how should he broach the subject?

For the moment, he had no concrete plan.

"Your Highness, lunch is here."

Although Zhu Yuntong ignored him, Liu Liu did not dare neglect his duties.

It was true that Lü Shi had planted him here, but Zhu Yuntong was an imperial grandson. A single word from him would be enough to have Liu Liu killed.

All he needed to do was report Zhu Yuntong's affairs to Lü Shi. Anything beyond that was not his place to interfere with.

"Bring it in!"

Zhu Yuntong said.

After an entire morning of turmoil, he was hungry. His sisters must have been hungry too.

But when the eunuchs brought in the meal, Zhu Yuntong frowned at the watery soup and two plates of vegetables without a trace of oil.

"Have we always been given so little, and such bland food?"

Even with the memories he had absorbed, Zhu Yuntong had not yet registered the problem with their daily meals.

Zhu Lingyi said, "During Father's mourning period, we ate this throughout the first hundred days of deep mourning. But those hundred days are over, and we're still being served the same food."

"It isn't enough."

The youngest, Zhu Lingxiu, murmured.

She was so timid that she did not even dare speak too loudly.

There was no need to think about it. Lü Shi was depriving them again, treating them harshly. No wonder the little girls were so thin; his two elder sisters looked thin as well.

On the other side of the Eastern Palace, the brothers Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Yunjian were surely feasting on fish and meat. But there was nothing they could do: Lü Shi ruled the Eastern Palace, and her word was law. Zhu Yuntong resolved that he had to take his sisters away.

Otherwise, Lü Shi would hamper him at every turn.

"You eat first, little brother."

Zhu Lingyue said softly, "You've had a hard time lately. Eat a little more."

Zhu Yuntong shook his head. "Linghua and Lingxiu are still growing. You should all eat more. But don't worry. By tomorrow at the earliest, I promise everyone will be able to eat their fill."

"Thank you, Third Brother!"

Zhu Linghua and Zhu Lingxiu said happily.

Still, they knew the rules and did not actually dare take more.

With five people sharing so little food for lunch, there was no way they could eat their fill.

Wanting to look after them, Zhu Yuntong claimed he was full before he had eaten even half of what he needed.

The eunuch named Liu Liu immediately compiled everything he had witnessed, ready to send it all to Dongqing that afternoon. Every detail, however small, had to be reported. Those were the Crown Princess's orders.

After the meal, Zhu Yuntong planned his next step in the struggle for the succession, as well as how to win over Lan Yu and the others.

As long as he could make Lan Yu thoroughly obedient, his bid for the succession would be eighty percent secure.

"Third Brother!"

Just then, Zhu Lingxiu came in from outside. She glanced back outside, then at Zhu Yuntong, and said, "Second Uncle, Third Uncle, and Fourth Uncle are here."

Her voice was timid, as though she was quite afraid of those three uncles.