Lan Yu really dared

Zhu Yunwen felt that he might die.

He thought Lan Yu was a madman, and Zhu Yuntong was one too.

Your business has nothing to do with me.

If you want to kill someone, kill Huang Zicheng! Why kill me? I don't want to die yet!

Zhu Yuanzhang did not save Zhu Yunwen. He merely watched it all coldly.

Before anyone could react, Lan Yu raised his sword in one swift, decisive motion, ready to run it straight through Zhu Yunwen's neck.

It truly was swift and decisive, without the slightest dragging of feet or trace of hesitation.

In Lan Yu's eyes, Zhu Yunwen was already a dead man.

The sword tip swiftly reached Zhu Yunwen's throat without slowing in the slightest. Zhu Yunwen's mind went blank, and he stood utterly frozen. Forget parrying it-he could not even dodge.

In another instant, his neck would be pierced.

"Enough. Stop!"

Zhu Yuntong's voice rang out at precisely that moment.

He could not really have Zhu Yunwen killed here, even though he wanted to kill him too.

Lan Yu's blade had already nicked the skin on Zhu Yunwen's neck, drawing a little blood, but the wound was shallow, no more than a scratch.

Had Zhu Yuntong not spoken, Lan Yu really would have driven it in. This was no joke.

Clang...

Lan Yu dropped the sword on the floor, returned to his original spot, knelt, and kowtowed three times. Then he said nothing.

A deathly silence fell over the hall. Everyone was so stunned by Lan Yu's actions that they did not know what to say. That old brute had actually dared to draw his sword and kill someone before Zhu Yuanzhang, all because of a single sentence from Zhu Yuntong.

And his target was an imperial grandson.

He was utterly lawless, turning heaven's order upside down!

"I... I'm still alive..."

All traces of Zhu Yunwen's graceful bearing and refined elegance vanished. Terrified, he collapsed onto the floor.

In an instant, the hair at his temples was soaked with cold sweat.

The clothes against his back were icy cold as well.

Never before had he come so close to death. In that moment, he had truly felt he was about to die.

Terrifying. It was utterly terrifying.

How had Lan Yu dared?

At the thought of Lan Yu's towering figure looming over him, Zhu Yunwen nearly wet himself in fear.

"Imperial Grandfather... you must give your grandson justice!"

Only then did Zhu Yunwen stand up. His voice trembled, his tone brimmed with grievance, and his hands shook slightly too.

"Your Majesty, the Third Imperial Grandson has committed a monstrous act of defiance! He dared order Lan Yu to kill the Second Imperial Grandson. Please punish him severely!"

"The Third Imperial Grandson sought to murder his elder brother! This violates all moral bonds. Heaven itself cannot tolerate it!"

"I petition for the Third Imperial Grandson to be severely punished and Lan Yu executed."

The civil officials came to their senses and immediately erupted.

When had they ever seen anyone so brazen as to dare kill someone before Zhu Yuanzhang?

Not only had Zhu Yuntong and Lan Yu dared, but their target was Zhu Yunwen. For an instant, they had all thought Zhu Yunwen was truly going to die.

Whether they supported Zhu Yunwen or not, they all considered this an act of monstrous defiance.

"Yunwen, were you afraid?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said nothing of punishment. He merely asked the question calmly.

He could, in fact, have stopped it from the outset, but he had not.

First, he wanted to see just how loyal Lan Yu was to Zhu Yuntong.

Second, Zhu Yunwen was too timid, and he wanted to toughen him up. He also firmly believed that Zhu Yuntong would not really let Lan Yu kill Zhu Yunwen.

Yet he had not expected Zhu Yunwen to be incapable of even dodging Lan Yu. Frightened into immobility, he could only wait for death. Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply disappointed. This grandson of his simply was not up to the task!

With so little courage, keeping the military commanders in line was out of the question.

Even the civil officials present could do whatever they pleased with him. Such an emperor would hardly do.

Zhu Yuntong, on the other hand, had enough audacity to reach the heavens. Told to test Lan Yu, he had actually dared order him to kill Zhu Yunwen.

"Yes... no... your grandson wasn't afraid."

Zhu Yunwen was nearly incoherent.

He could not even get his words out smoothly.

"Imperial Grandfather, what do you think we should do about this case?"

Zhu Yuntong asked.

"Your Majesty!"

Fang Xiaoru said, "Just now, the Third Imperial Grandson and Lan Yu sought to harm the Second Imperial Grandson. Please punish them severely."

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Yunwen is too timid."

He did not intend to punish them over this. After all, it had merely been a test.

"Lan Yu, you really are something!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze fell on Lan Yu again. "Whatever Yuntong tells you to do, you dare to do it."

Lan Yu declared in a ringing voice, "I will forever be loyal to the Crown Prince. Now that the Crown Prince is gone, I wish only to be loyal to His Highness the Third Imperial Grandson. If Your Majesty considers that improper, then please kill me."

Hearing this, Zhan Hui immediately seized on a key point and asked, "You say you will forever be loyal to the Late Crown Prince, and now you are loyal only to the Third Imperial Grandson?"

"That is correct!"

Lan Yu admitted it openly and declared, "I, Lan Yu, hold respect and reverence for His Majesty, but what I hold for the Late Crown Prince is loyalty. Whatever the Late Crown Prince asked of me, I would do. Just as you saw earlier, even if he ordered me to die, I would not hesitate for a moment."

After a brief pause, he continued, "As for the countless adopted sons so many of you say I have, and the private troops those adopted sons and subordinates have raised, I prepared them for the Late Crown Prince."

"When the Late Crown Prince ascended the throne one day..."

"My adopted sons and private troops would have become his personal guard."

"They would have swept away every obstacle for the Late Crown Prince, even at the cost of their lives."

He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang without the slightest fear and continued, "Even if the Late Crown Prince had risen in rebellion back then, I would have led my adopted sons and private troops to help him rebel without a moment's hesitation. That is my loyalty."

"How dare you!"

"Lan Yu, you... you actually dare to rebel?"

"I implore Your Majesty to execute Lan Yu."

"Lan Yu cannot be allowed to live! He already harbors intentions of rebellion. I implore Your Majesty to kill him."

"Kill Lan Yu!"

The civil officials erupted once again.

Yet they only dared accuse Lan Yu of rebellion. They did not dare mention Zhu Biao.

Chang Sheng and the others were left stunned by Lan Yu's words too. Were such audacious words something they could say before the court?

Only Feng Sheng looked thoughtful.

He seemed to have guessed what Lan Yu was trying to do.

Loyalty to the Crown Prince.

Zhu Yuntong muttered inwardly, Loyalty to the Crown Prince will surely keep him safe. Though Lan Yu's words are partly meant to protect himself, I can tell he means them sincerely too. If Zhu Biao had wanted to rebel, I believe Lan Yu would have been the first to dare lead troops into the imperial palace.

Lan Yu truly was loyal to the Crown Prince.

"Silence!"

Zhu Yuanzhang roared angrily.

All the clamoring civil officials fell silent.

"You, continue," Zhu Yuanzhang said.

"Alas... the Crown Prince died in his prime. Heaven envied his talent!"

"Of course the Crown Prince would never have rebelled. He once told me that if Your Majesty saw he had the ability to rebel, you would be too delighted for words."

"The Crown Prince is gone, but his legitimate son remains."

"I am wholeheartedly loyal to the Third Imperial Grandson. This is a continuation of my loyalty to the Crown Prince. Of all the Crown Prince's sons, the Third Imperial Grandson alone has the most rightful standing. He is also a legitimate son. None of the others can compare."

"That is all I have to say."

"If I have spoken wrongly, please grant me death, Your Majesty."

By the time Lan Yu finished, his voice had grown choked with emotion.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Lan Yu and saw that his eyes had reddened. He truly wanted the best for his Biao. Zhu Yuanzhang could not help crying out in grief, "Biao... Biao..."