Deliberately targeting him

The moment that stern voice rang out, Zhu Gui and the others straightened up and returned to their seats.

Zhu Yuntong looked back curiously and saw a teacher in Confucian robes stride in, his back ramrod straight. Zhu Yunwen followed behind him, his face full of respect, holding his own back straight as well.

Clearly, Zhu Yunwen liked this teacher very much.

Lü Shi had just driven him out of the Eastern Palace to find Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai at the Great Ben Hall, but he had encountered this teacher along the way and returned with him instead. It was as though he had found his pillar of support. With their help, he would surely have nothing to fear.

"Who is he?"

Zhu Yuntong asked Zhu Gui quietly.

"Fang Xiaoru."

Zhu Gui whispered, "A man even fouler than a stone in a latrine. Father gave the teachers at the Great Ben Hall permission to strike us with their disciplinary rulers, and Fang Xiaoru really dares to do it!"

"So that's Fang Xiaoru!"

Zhu Yuntong took another look at the teacher in Confucian robes.

The Jianwen reign's three fools were finally all here. Had they not made such a mess of things, Zhu Di would never have reached the walls of Jinling so easily. Zhu Yuntong had no words for these three brilliant minds. Brilliant minds, every last one of them.

Fang Xiaoru had been recommended for office in the fifteenth year of Hongwu. Zhu Yuanzhang had met him but wanted to save him for Zhu Biao. Only this year, the twenty-fifth year of Hongwu, after another recommendation, had Zhu Yuanzhang kept him at the Great Ben Hall.

Zhu Yuntong had never met Fang Xiaoru before. Zhu Biao had died not long ago, and Zhu Yuntong had been keeping vigil, leaving him no opportunity to attend lessons. But judging by Zhu Yunwen's respectful manner, the two must have met already, and their relationship seemed quite good.

He might even have formally become his pupil long ago.

Fang Xiaoru walked to the lectern at the front. He had barely stopped when he heard Zhu Yuntong whispering.

"How should I address that Highness?"

Fang Xiaoru asked.

Before Zhu Yuntong could speak, Zhu Yunwen answered first. "Teacher, he is my third younger brother, Yuntong."

"Your Highness, the Third Imperial Grandson, do you acknowledge your wrongdoing?"

Upon hearing that he was Zhu Yuntong, Fang Xiaoru seemed to switch into automatic targeting mode.

"Oh? What have I done wrong?"

Zhu Yuntong understood that this fellow was deliberately picking on him.

His purpose was obvious, too: to help Zhu Yunwen rebuild his reputation, recover the advantage he had lost, and strike back in the process.

"You still refuse to acknowledge your wrongdoing?"

"Whispering in the Great Ben Hall shows disrespect toward the sages."

"Bringing a sword into court, pressuring His Majesty, and demanding the position of heir is grossly treasonous, unbenevolent, and unfilial."

"Insulting the Second Imperial Grandson shows disrespect toward your elder brother."

"Tell me, are these not your wrongdoings?"

Fang Xiaoru had barely arrived before he began slapping labels on Zhu Yuntong.

Without caring about anything else, he launched straight into accusations, hoping to cement Zhu Yuntong's bad reputation and brand him with those labels. Whenever anyone mentioned Zhu Yuntong, their first impression would be of a grossly treasonous, unbenevolent, and unfilial man.

"Yes, yes, yes. Everything you say is right. I acknowledge my wrongdoing."

Zhu Yuntong nodded repeatedly. "Teacher, I was wrong."

Fang Xiaoru: "..."

He was clearly admitting fault, so why did it sound so perfunctory?

His expression chilled, and he said angrily, "You refuse to repent. Your Highness, the Third Imperial Grandson, you must recite all of the Four Books from memory today, or you can forget about going home."

Recite the entire Four Books within a single day.

That was an almost impossible task.

Zhu Gui and the others all sucked in a breath of cold air.

Fang Xiaoru was deliberately making things difficult for Zhu Yuntong, so blatantly that he did not even bother pretending otherwise.

After saying his piece, however, Fang Xiaoru took Zhu Yunwen into the rear room.

"Yuntong, that old bastard is deliberately picking on you."

Zhu Yang said angrily, "He must be trying to stand up for Zhu Yunwen. The whole Great Ben Hall no longer belongs to Father. It's practically become Zhu Yunwen's Great Ben Hall."

The others all voiced their agreement.

They all thought the same way. They had already been irritated by Zhu Yunwen, who excelled in both conduct and studies and was so good at putting on an act. After yesterday's events, they disliked him even more. No matter how they looked at him, they found him repulsive.

"It's fine."

Zhu Yuntong said calmly, "He can't make things difficult for me."

In the rear room.

Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai had arrived as well.

Zhu Yunwen briefly recounted what had happened that morning, then asked anxiously, "Teachers, what should I do?"

"The Crown Princess has been foolish!"

Qi Tai felt deeply helpless over the matter.

They had originally held every advantage, and the Crown Princess had been virtuous and gracious. After this fuss, however, the Eastern Palace now appeared harsh and heartless.

Huang Zicheng said, "The Crown Princess was a little too impatient, mainly because she saw how great a threat the Third Imperial Grandson posed."

Fang Xiaoru said coldly, "The Third Imperial Grandson has no respect for his elders. He is grossly treasonous and disregards ritual and law. Not a single civil official at court recognizes him. We all support the Second Imperial Grandson."

"Thank you, teachers."

Here, Zhu Yunwen finally found some hope of victory.

"What we must do next is help the Second Imperial Grandson regain His Majesty's favor."

Fang Xiaoru said solemnly, "The Third Imperial Grandson has turned his disadvantages into advantages. On top of that, the Crown Princess spoiled matters through her impatience. Now His Majesty has eyes only for him."

From yesterday to now, Zhu Yuntong had pulled off a complete reversal against all odds.

Zhu Yunwen had never seen anything like it and was nearly frightened out of his wits. He hurriedly asked, "Teacher, what can I do?"

"Study!"

Qi Tai said.

"Exactly!"

Fang Xiaoru agreed. "That is Your Highness's advantage. His Majesty places great importance on learning. Studying will regain his attention and win further support from the civil officials throughout the court. The late Crown Prince was just like Your Highness: quick-minded and eager to learn, refined in both manner and substance. It will also make you appear kinder and more benevolent. Only then will the vassal princes gradually change their views and believe that you will not treat them cruelly, allowing His Majesty to rest easy as well."

Zhu Yunwen suddenly saw the light, as though he had found a new direction in life. He hastily said, "Teachers, please help me!"

One utterly useless fool and three brilliant minds formally began a serious discussion of how Zhu Yunwen should study to regain His Majesty's attention.

Outside, Zhu Yuntong had no intention of memorizing anything.

This left Zhu Gui and the other princes, whose fondness for Zhu Yuntong had reached its peak, so anxious that they could barely sit still.

Zhu Yuntong remained calm. After waiting for quite some time, he finally saw Fang Xiaoru emerge with Zhu Yunwen.

Putting on a convincing display of scholarly elegance, Zhu Yunwen returned to his seat in the front row.

"Your Highness, the Third Imperial Grandson, how is your memorization coming along?"

Fang Xiaoru asked first.

They intended to help Zhu Yunwen study while also shaping an image of Zhu Yuntong as ignorant and uneducated. A simple comparison would reveal who was good and who was bad, making Zhu Yunwen's merits stand out even more.

Zhu Gui could not help saying, "Teacher, how much time has passed since you went in? How could Yuntong possibly have memorized everything?"

Fang Xiaoru said sternly, "The Four Books are so important. If he cannot recite them, it proves that His Highness, the Third Imperial Grandson, is ignorant and uneducated."

"You..."

Zhu Gui felt that Fang Xiaoru had gone too far.

"Thirteenth Uncle!"

Zhu Yuntong shook his head and shrugged. "Teacher Fang, I've memorized them thoroughly. Test me on any passage you like. It makes no difference to me."

Seeing him so calm, Fang Xiaoru and the others inexplicably began to feel a little uneasy.