His Carefully Crafted Image Was About to Crumble

Zhu Yunwen followed Jixiang into the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

He was surprised that Zhu Yuntong had actually arrived ahead of him, but he had already worked out how to outdo him tomorrow. Today, he would let him take the lead.

With that thought, Zhu Yunwen approached Zhu Yuanzhang, knelt, and paid his respects. "Your grandson greets you, Imperial Grandfather."

After speaking, he seemed to catch the scent of meat buns.

Summoning his courage, he raised his head and glanced ahead. What he saw left him stunned.

How come Zhu Yuntong even got to sit at Imperial Grandfather's table?

Zhu Yunwen found it mind-blowing. Before today, he had come to pay his respects plenty of times, frequently making his presence felt, yet he had never had a chance to sit at the table.

What made Zhu Yuntong worthy of that?

And it was not just Zhu Yuntong. He saw his two elder sisters and two younger sisters there as well. Finding themselves suddenly under Zhu Yunwen's gaze, they felt a little embarrassed and put down their buns.

Zhu Yuntong felt no embarrassment. He kept eating as he met Zhu Yunwen's eyes.

Seeing how much they enjoyed their food, Zhu Yunwen, who had come without eating anything, heard his traitorous stomach let out a growl. He was mortified.

What shocked Zhu Yunwen even more, however, was why Zhu Yuntong and the others could eat breakfast here. The more he thought about it, the more frightening it became. Could Imperial Grandfather have stopped favoring me?

Was he going to name Zhu Yuntong his heir?

So, Imperial Grandfather, your love could shift to someone else, couldn't it?

And why had Zhu Yuntong brought them here? Was this some new way to curry favor with Imperial Grandfather? I needed to bring my younger brother here too.

Damn it! Zhu Yuntong was far too good at this relentless competition. He was going to work me into the ground.

The more Zhu Yunwen thought, the more frantic he became. Already timid and afraid of trouble, he grew even more frightened, unable to keep steady even as he knelt.

"Hungry?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Zhu Yunwen was overjoyed to hear that. So I could sit at the table too, not just them. He nodded repeatedly. "Imperial Grandfather, your grandson is a little hungry."

"Isn't the food in your Eastern Palace exceptionally good? You still get hungry? Surely not!"

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered.

"Your grandson... your grandson... hasn't eaten yet!"

Noticing the chill in Zhu Yuanzhang's tone, Zhu Yunwen grew anxious again. This was not going the way he had imagined.

Had something unusual happened today?

His imperial grandfather's sudden coldness made the timid boy feel as though he had plunged into an ice cavern.

Before he could ask what had happened, Jixiang came in again. "Your Majesty, Xu Xingzu is here."

"Bring him in."

Zhu Yuanzhang said.

"Your Majesty, your servant is here!"

Xu Xingzu had yet to arrive, but his voice had already carried inside.

For all Zhu Yuanzhang's forcefulness, there were still some people he dared not offend lightly-cooks, for instance.

Who knew whether a cook might add something to your food? If it was merely something disgusting, that was one thing, but if it was an undetectable poison, you would never even know when death was coming.

Xu Xingzu was the head of the palace cooks and greatly valued by Zhu Yuanzhang. In ordinary times, they interacted like old friends.

The sudden summons today baffled Xu Xingzu, but he dared not delay and hurried over. Yet the moment he entered the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he noticed something wrong with the atmosphere.

The third imperial grandson sat there as though watching a show, while the second imperial grandson knelt, not daring to rise, and Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was cold.

"Your Majesty, was... was something wrong with breakfast?" Xu Xingzu asked cautiously.

Although Zhu Yuanzhang valued him greatly, he knew his place and would never dare let it go to his head. With the atmosphere so wrong, he had even less reason to get carried away.

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Tell me, what is the food like over at Yuntong's quarters?"

"Well..."

Xu Xingzu's scalp instantly prickled.

He had long believed His Majesty intended to name Zhu Yunwen his heir, and he had now established a connection with Lü Shi. When old Zhu stepped down and Zhu Yunwen took power, the Imperial Food Service would still be his.

Whatever Lü Shi asked him to do, he did not do it personally. Instead, he tacitly allowed his subordinates to carry it out, pretending he saw nothing.

Now that old Zhu had asked that question, Xu Xingzu realized he could no longer hide any of it. Cold sweat covered his forehead, and he dropped to his knees with a thud, not knowing how to respond.

Hearing this, Zhu Yunwen instantly turned deathly pale. He seemed to understand what was about to happen today and looked toward Zhu Yuntong again.

Zhu Yuntong was smiling and once more met his gaze. Zhu Yunwen's heart raced in panic. The flames had already reached Mother. What was I going to do?

"You old bastard, why couldn't you just stick to being a cook?"

Seeing his reaction, Zhu Yuanzhang knew there must be a problem. His beard bristled with fury as he said coldly, "Why are you taking sides? Did I tell you to take sides? Damn you! I'm not dead yet, and you're already picking sides. Speak! What exactly happened?"

After old Zhu's scolding, Xu Xingzu nodded vigorously and repeatedly. "Please calm your anger, Your Majesty. This matter... the Crown Princess sent someone to instruct the Imperial Food Service to restrict... restrict the meals given to the third imperial grandson and the others. I didn't want to do it, but I didn't stop it either. I tacitly allowed my subordinates to do it. In truth, I dared not disobey!"

He dared not simply shift all the blame. He admitted to part of it, while presenting the rest as something Lü Shi had forced him to do.

Hearing those words, Zhu Yunwen felt as though he were suffocating.

Mother's carefully crafted image had crumbled. Everything before had been an act. How could she help me win the succession now?

"How much food was given to Yuntong and the others?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stared straight at Xu Xingzu with a gaze that seemed capable of killing.

"Little. Very little."

Xu Xingzu kowtowed. "Yesterday, I also received word that the Crown Princess had issued orders that day to reduce the amount of food given to His Highness the third imperial grandson and the others twice. The first reduction was thirty percent, and the second cut it by another half."

"Your Highness, I deserve death! I deserve death!"

He turned toward Zhu Yuntong as well, kowtowing in apology and begging for forgiveness.

Having served at old Zhu's side for so many years, Xu Xingzu understood something of Zhu Yuanzhang's temperament. Judging by today's events, Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to care about the third imperial grandson. The question of who would occupy that seat had become rather delicate.

All he wanted now was the third imperial grandson's forgiveness.

"Twice in one day?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered. "Good. Very good... no wonder my granddaughter said she wasn't getting enough to eat. Hah... I rule all under heaven, yet I didn't even know my own granddaughter was going hungry. Does your Imperial Food Service take me for a fool?"

"I deserve death! I deserve death..."

Xu Xingzu could only kowtow. He had long since cast aside the easy familiarity of an old friend and dared not bring it up again.

"Linghua."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked, "Have you had enough to eat?"

Seeing that her imperial grandfather was finally treating her kindly, Zhu Linghua's eyes reddened. She answered sweetly, "You haven't eaten yet, Imperial Grandfather, but your granddaughter has already eaten all your food."

"Did you hear that?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glared at Xu Xingzu, then added, "Hurry up and bring some more in. Damn you, you never give me a moment's peace."

Still, hearing his little granddaughter show concern for him in her babyish voice, and seeing how sweetly she behaved, filled Zhu Yuanzhang's heart with warmth. At the same time, he felt even more guilty toward the girls.

They were such good children!

"Yes... I'll go at once."

Xu Xingzu's heart steadied.

When His Majesty behaved like this, it usually meant he would not pursue the matter to the bitter end. At most, there would be some punishment. He hurried out to arrange for more breakfast to be brought in.