A growing sense of crisis

"The Second Imperial Grandson finished so quickly?"

Qi Tai spoke with a smile.

Every teacher, whoever he might be, treated a good student with a kindly expression.

Besides, this good student, Zhu Yunwen, was the one they had already chosen. They had prepared long ago to do this today.

"Recite it for us," Qi Tai said.

"Please forgive my humble effort."

Zhu Yunwen spoke politely and modestly, then slowly began to recite.

"Blessed snow swirled down upon the boundless plain; in silver cloaked, the mighty land stood grand."

"Smoke curled above warm cottages in the village; hounds leaped with joy and barked amid the snow."

After finishing, his face remained confident.

He thought this poem was particularly good. He had spent a long time coming up with it, and neither Zhu Yuntong nor those imperial uncles could possibly catch up to him.

"Excellent!"

"An excellent poem!"

Qi Tai praised him.

Zhu Yunwen had written this poem himself.

They had merely told Zhu Yunwen to prepare in advance. They had never expected him to write something so good.

Viewed another way, Zhu Yunwen appeared to have written a fine poem in such a short time at the Great Ben Hall. That was a display of overflowing talent.

Was being able to recite books really so impressive?

Zhu Yunwen thought being able to write poetry was what truly made someone impressive.

Of course, he could recite books too.

He could do both, and he basked in his own satisfaction.

"Thank you for your appraisal, Teacher!"

Zhu Yunwen sat down in satisfaction, but before taking his seat, he turned to look at Zhu Yuntong.

That look was thick with provocation.

He intended to defeat Zhu Yuntong in scholarship.

"He's provoking you."

Zhu Pian spoke.

Zhu Yuntong said, "Since he's sticking his head out for me to slap his face, I won't hold back."

With that, he rose too and said, "Teacher, I've finished."

"Recite it!"

Qi Tai spoke flatly.

He did not believe Zhu Yuntong could write poetry either.

Today was supposed to be Zhu Yunwen's stage alone. He thought Zhu Yuntong simply refused to admit defeat and wanted to steal the limelight.

Even Qi Tai had not worked out what to write in so little time. Zhu Yuntong certainly could not have done so.

"Very well!"

Zhu Yuntong held nothing back. He began, "The northern land's splendor: a thousand li sealed in ice, ten thousand li of swirling snow..."

"Hmm..."

As soon as Qi Tai heard it, he sensed trouble.

The opening was already so sweeping and majestic, its imagery so powerful. It was far better than Zhu Yunwen's.

Qi Tai finally regretted it. Without knowing the depths of Zhu Yuntong's abilities, he should not have moved so quickly to test his literary skill. It looked as though Zhu Yunwen was about to be pinned to the ground and ground into the dirt again.

By the end of the opening lines, Zhu Yunwen's expression had changed too.

Could Zhu Yuntong really have written a lyric of such magnificent grandeur?

Impossible!

Zhu Yuntong... he absolutely couldn't have.

He had been smug just moments earlier, and now he had been slapped in the face. The blow had come so quickly and hurt so badly that he panicked, not knowing what to do.

Ignoring their reactions, Zhu Yuntong continued reciting, "All are gone; to count the truly great, look to this age."

He recited all the way to the end. After finishing the final line, he sat down without even asking Qi Tai for an appraisal, leaving them to slowly absorb their shock.

It was not that Qi Tai would not offer an appraisal. He truly did not dare.

This lyric was simply not something an ordinary person was qualified to judge.

In all of Great Ming, the only person qualified to appraise it now was Zhu Yuanzhang.

Qi Tai could have accused Zhu Yuntong of audacity for daring to write such a lyric, but he still did not dare say it aloud. He was truly at a loss.

Zhu Yunwen turned back and glared fiercely at Zhu Yuntong, unable to understand why Zhu Yuntong always surpassed him by so much in every respect.

Why?

No one could give him an answer.

"Teacher, hurry up and give us your appraisal!"

Zhu Yang spoke with a smile.

Though these princes neglected their studies and lacked learning, they still had some ability. They could understand what the lyric meant.

Qi Tai's face flushed red. After a long silence, he said, "No more poetry. You... recite your books on your own. I need to step away."

A sense of crisis!

An intense sense of crisis brought on by Zhu Yuntong.

Zhu Yunwen felt that crisis growing stronger and thought winning the succession would be even harder now. He hurriedly rose and followed Qi Tai into the rear chamber of the Great Ben Hall to discuss what they should do. He felt he might lose to Zhu Yuntong, yet he could not afford to lose.

"Second Brother!"

Only Zhu Yunjian called out in bewilderment. He wanted to follow Zhu Yunwen inside but did not dare. He was not very brave.

"Well done!"

Zhu Gui and the others roared with laughter.

Seeing Zhu Yuntong slap their faces was satisfying beyond words.

Last time, it had been reciting the Four Books. This time, it was writing poetry. They realized Zhu Yuntong really knew how to hide his abilities. He had never been this formidable before.

Now even their star student, Zhu Yunwen, was about to be utterly defeated by Zhu Yuntong.

He was too good!

"Your Majesty, there is more news from the Great Ben Hall."

Jixiang hurried into the Hall of Martial Valor.

Zhu Yuanzhang was in a rather poor mood today, mainly because people kept submitting memorials attacking Zhu Yuntong for being too cruel yesterday.

Rumors had even spread outside that Zhu Yuntong was bloodthirsty.

They said Zhu Yuntong was just like him, Butcher Zhu, killing people at the slightest disagreement. Such an imperial grandson must not be allowed to become emperor, or their future days would be miserable.

Zhu Yuanzhang knew at a glance that someone was deliberately stirring things up.

He had done this to establish his unruly grandson's authority, yet outsiders were now exploiting it to sway opinion. Fortunately, he could still restrain himself. Otherwise, he would already have sent Jiang Jue to arrest everyone responsible for stirring things up.

He certainly would not arrest Zhu Yunwen, but he would not spare the others.

Butcher, then butcher it was. In the future, his unruly grandson could slaughter them all, just as he himself slaughtered corrupt officials.

"What news is it this time?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked flatly.

Jixiang said, "There are two pieces of news. First, Teacher Qi seems very eager to fasten a reputation for brutality, heartlessness, and unrighteousness onto the Third Imperial Grandson."

He briefly recounted the first incident, explaining the scheme built around Han Xin killing a man.

"That old wretch!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply displeased when he heard it.

He absolutely agreed with Zhu Yuntong's view. Those who achieved great things did not fuss over trifles. The battlefield changed unpredictably, and a single woodcutter must never be allowed to affect the course of a battle.

Had it been him, never mind one woodcutter-he would have killed ten.

"When I have the time, I'll deal with him!"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly.

How could he fail to see that this smear campaign was about the succession, all for Zhu Yunwen's sake? Besides, the rumors circulating outside about Zhu Yuntong's cruelty were much the same as the trouble Qi Tai had stirred up today.

It was all meant to blacken his unruly grandson's name.

With the succession struggle underway, he would endure it for now and see what other tricks they had.

"And the second piece of news?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

"The second concerns writing poetry."

Jixiang smiled. "His Highness the Third Imperial Grandson is brimming with talent. Your Majesty will surely like the lyric he wrote."

He recited the entire Spring in a Pleasure Garden lyric, from beginning to end.

"To count the truly great, look to this age."

"Excellent! Beautifully written!"

"This lyric has such sweeping grandeur! Haha... I never imagined that unruly grandson had talent like this."

Zhu Yuanzhang loved it the moment he heard it. In all of Great Ming, he truly was the only person qualified to appraise this lyric. No one else could.

If anyone else dared say too much about it, they would be overstepping their station.