Nights in ancient times were truly boring.
There was nothing to entertain him and nothing he could do, so Zhu Yuntong went to bed early.
Soon, morning came, and Zhu Lingyue came over to wake him.
"Yuntong, where are we going?"
Zhu Lingyue asked.
"I'm taking you to see Imperial Grandfather."
Zhu Yuntong reassured her, "You don't need to be nervous. Imperial Grandfather only looks stern. In truth, his heart softens more easily than anyone's. We're Father's children, his own beloved grandchildren. He won't be harsh with us."
Then he had the girls get dressed and took them to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to see Old Zhu.
Emperors in ancient times held court very early.
Zhu Yuntong wanted to see Zhu Yuanzhang before court began. When they stepped outside, it was still pitch-black.
"Come here!"
Zhu Yuntong pointed at Liu Liu and added, "Take a lantern and lead the way."
They left the Eastern Palace together.
Zhu Yuntong had called Liu Liu away, but other eunuchs hurried back to tip someone off.
Meanwhile.
Zhu Yunwen got up at a leisurely pace. He, too, planned to pay Zhu Yuanzhang his respects early that morning, maintaining his image as a filial child.
Zhu Yuanzhang valued filial devotion above all and attached great importance to family bonds.
That was also Zhu Yunwen's angle for winning him over: pay his respects early, then attend lessons at the Great Foundation Hall. He would appear both filial and exceptionally studious-the ideal candidate to become emperor of the Great Ming.
Just as Zhu Yunwen was preparing to eat breakfast before heading to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Lü Shi arrived.
"Eat breakfast when you get back. Zhu Yuntong has already gone to the Palace of Heavenly Purity," Lü Shi urged.
"What? He's gone too?"
Zhu Yunwen was startled.
He went even earlier than I did. He's actually trying to outdo me!
He could no longer stay calm. He quickly dressed and hurried out.
Tomorrow, I'll go even earlier.
As he walked, Zhu Yunwen considered how to grind Zhu Yuntong into the dust tomorrow. He couldn't let himself be outdone.
The Palace of Heavenly Purity.
"Your Majesty!"
Jixiang, the eunuch who attended Zhu Yuanzhang, hurried inside and said, "The Third Imperial Grandson is outside requesting an audience."
Several palace maids were dressing Zhu Yuanzhang and arranging his hair.
After hearing Jixiang's report, he glanced at the sky outside and said, "The boy came this early? So he really does mean to fight for the succession, coming to curry favor with us at the crack of dawn."
Jixiang considered it and said, "This servant doesn't think the Third Imperial Grandson has come to curry favor. He's brought the four young princesses with him."
"Oh?"
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't make sense of that little unfilial grandson. "What is he up to now? Show them in!"
After yesterday's events, Zhu Yuanzhang was genuinely wary of that unfilial grandson, afraid he might pull off another astonishing feat.
Court hadn't begun yet, and few people were around. If there was a problem, he might as well resolve it now.
A little later, Zhu Yuntong arrived before Zhu Yuanzhang with his two elder sisters and two younger sisters.
"Your grandchildren pay their respects to Imperial Grandfather."
They spoke together.
"All right, all right."
Zhu Yuanzhang waved a hand. "We're family. Dispense with all that. What have you all come to see us for?"
The four little girls were still somewhat nervous.
Zhu Yuntong was different. He walked naturally up to Old Zhu and said, "We came to pay our respects. My sisters said they hadn't seen Imperial Grandfather in quite a while and missed you very much, so they came with me."
"Good, good!"
Zhu Yuanzhang did favor boys over girls somewhat, but he still treated his granddaughters well. After all, they were family, bound by blood. Yet as he looked them over, he seemed to notice something wrong. "Why are you... so thin?"
His four granddaughters really were very thin.
They looked as though they frequently went hungry, like refugees during the wars of old.
Something was wrong!
"Imperial Grandfather!"
Zhu Lingyue said timidly, "I don't get enough to eat."
"What?"
Zhu Yuanzhang treated his descendants as well as anyone possibly could.
However plain their meals might be, there was no reason they should go hungry.
"You unfilial grandson, come here."
Zhu Yuanzhang finally understood that they hadn't simply come to pay their respects. He gave a soft snort. "What's going on?"
"Imperial Grandfather."
Zhu Yuntong took another two steps forward. "During the hundred days of deep mourning, it was only right for my sisters and me to eat simply while mourning Father. But that period ended a long time ago. Every meal we get consists of two vegetable dishes and some vegetable broth. There isn't even a full bowl of rice for each of us. How could we not get thin? Never mind them-I've lost plenty of weight myself."
Zhu Yuanzhang fell silent at those words.
Looking again at Zhu Yuntong's build, he saw that the boy was in slightly better shape than his four granddaughters, but not by much.
Compared with Zhu Yunwen, he was far worse off.
His four granddaughters were sallow-faced and skinny. If their clothes hadn't been reasonably fine, Zhu Yuanzhang would have thought they were refugees fleeing disaster.
He had seen them during the vigil, but hadn't paid them much attention. His focus had been more on Zhu Yunwen. Only now did he realize something was amiss.
It seemed Zhu Yuntong's dissatisfaction with Lü Shi wasn't without reason.
Her image as a virtuous wife and loving mother was about to crumble.
Only now did Zhu Yuanzhang discover that even the little Eastern Palace seemed to harbor secrets he knew nothing about. He asked, "Lingyue, is this true?"
Zhu Lingyue lowered her head. "Imperial Grandfather, it's true!"
She also briefly recounted how Zhu Yuntong had seized the food yesterday.
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression instantly darkened.
"Get that old wretch Xu Xingzu over here."
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly, then softened his voice. "Come here. Our breakfast is ready. You can eat first."
Jixiang immediately sent someone to the imperial kitchens to fetch Xu Xingzu.
Xu Xingzu was the cook who had served Old Zhu for twenty-three years.
"Thank you, Imperial Grandfather."
Zhu Yuntong certainly wasn't going to stand on ceremony with Old Zhu. He beckoned to the girls. "Come here. Whenever we have nothing to eat, we'll come mooch off Imperial Grandfather."
"You unfilial grandson."
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression eased, and he said kindly, "Lingyue, bring your younger sisters over and have breakfast first. We're family. There's no need to be so reserved."
"Thank you, Imperial Grandfather!"
They spoke timidly in unison.
Seeing that they still seemed rather afraid of him, Old Zhu felt uneasy as their grandfather.
It seemed he had shown too little concern for his descendants, for his granddaughters. And to think he prided himself on valuing blood ties above all else. They were his family too!
"Don't stand on ceremony with Grandfather. Eat as much as you like."
Zhu Yuanzhang's heart softened, his face taking on a rare, kindly warmth.
Only then did they grow less nervous. Seeing meat buns, plain rice porridge, and side dishes on the table, they couldn't help swallowing hungrily, even though they had eaten their fill the previous night.
Zhu Yuntong truly didn't stand on ceremony. He handed out buns to them and filled a bowl of porridge to the brim for each girl. Only after he saw them eating did he tuck in himself.
Watching this, Old Zhu nodded again in satisfaction.
This unfilial grandson knows how to look after his own family better than we thought! This was exactly what Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to see.
He was very pleased!
"Your Majesty!"
Just then, Jixiang ran in again and said, "The Second Imperial Grandson is outside requesting an audience."
Hearing this, Zhu Yuntong thought, He's here. Time to turn up the pressure on Lü Shi and Zhu Yunwen.
He ate his bun, happily waiting for Zhu Yunwen to enter.
This was the very moment he had been waiting for. He had also calculated that someone as hypocritical and good at putting on an act as Zhu Yunwen would certainly come to pay Old Zhu his respects early in the morning.
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Bring him in!"
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