Chapter Summaries

Zhu Yuntong dismissed Zhu Yunwen and Qi Tai’s accusations, then listened as Qi Tai taught poetry and assigned a poem about snow. Zhu Yunwen finished first and stood confidently, while Zhu Yuntong had yet to write anything.

• Zhu Yunwen and Qi Tai accused Zhu Yuntong of cruelty, but Zhu Yuntong agreed with them to end the argument.
• Zhu Yunwen asked Qi Tai to teach poetry, and Qi Tai explained how to compose poems and ci verse.
• Zhu Yuntong told Zhu Gui and the others that the woodcutter deserved to die, and Zhu Zhi praised his view that the merciful could not command an army.
• Qi Tai assigned the class to write a poem or ci verse about snow, promising that anyone who finished could leave early.
• Zhu Gui asked Zhu Yuntong to write a poem for him, but Zhu Yuntong declined.
• Zhu Yunwen finished his poem first and stood up, confident that it would impress everyone.

Zhu Yuntong outshone Zhu Yunwen with a majestic lyric at the Great Ben Hall, deepening Zhu Yunwen’s fear of losing the succession. Zhu Yuanzhang praised the poem after hearing it, while remaining angry over efforts to portray Zhu Yuntong as cruel.

• Zhu Yunwen recited a poem he had prepared and received Qi Tai’s praise, then provoked Zhu Yuntong.
• Zhu Yuntong recited a sweeping lyric that stunned Qi Tai and humiliated Zhu Yunwen.
• Zhu Yunwen followed Qi Tai into the rear chamber to discuss how to counter Zhu Yuntong, while Zhu Gui and the other princes celebrated.
• Jixiang told Zhu Yuanzhang about Qi Tai’s smear campaign and recited Zhu Yuntong’s lyric.
• Zhu Yuanzhang condemned the attacks on Zhu Yuntong and praised the lyric as beautifully written.

Zhu Yuanzhang praised Zhu Yuntong’s ambitious poem and summoned him and Zhu Yunwen to dine, while Zhu Di and Yao Guangxiao assessed the succession contest. Zhu Di recognized Yuntong as a serious rival and prepared to return to his fief to build military strength.

• Zhu Yuanzhang copied Zhu Yuntong’s poem, praised his ambition, and summoned both Zhu Yuntong and Zhu Yunwen to lunch.
• Zhu Yunwen heard Zhu Yuanzhang praise Zhu Yuntong’s poem and felt overshadowed.
• Zhu Di learned that Zhu Yunwen’s supporters were spreading claims that Zhu Yuntong was cruel, and Yao Guangxiao argued that this would only strengthen Yuntong in Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes.
• Zhu Di read Zhu Yuntong’s poem and recognized his talent and aspirations.
• Zhu Di concluded he would likely be sent back from the capital and planned to focus on building his military strength.

Zhu Di considered using Yao Guangxiao’s advice to test Zhu Yuanzhang’s attitude toward the vassal kings’ succession prospects. Meanwhile, Lan Yu pledged to obey Zhu Yuntong, who stayed in the palace, exercised, and went to the Imperial Medical Bureau to investigate Ming medical care.

• Yao Guangxiao advised Zhu Di to quote a passage from the Zhenguan Zhengyao to Zhu Yuanzhang and judge whether the vassal kings still had a chance at succession.
• Lan Yu told Chang Sheng that his sworn sons deserved their deaths and instructed the Chang Family to obey Zhu Yuntong and avoid causing him further trouble.
• Zhu Yuntong stayed in the palace, reflected on his ambitions, and exercised with broadcast calisthenics to improve his frail body.
• Zhu Yuntong skipped class and went with Liu Liu to the Imperial Medical Bureau to inspect the state of medical care.

Zhu Yuntong learned that he had accumulated lead and mercury poisoning and realized the Eastern Palace was unsafe. As Zhu Shuang and Zhu Gang prepared to return to their fiefs, Zhu Gang warned Zhu Yuanzhang that Lü Shi mistreated Zhu Yuntong and the other children.

• Zhu Yuntong visited the Imperial Medical Bureau, where Xu Shu, Dai Sigong, and Chen Junzuo examined him and diagnosed lead and mercury poisoning.
• Zhu Yuntong suspected that more than the incense had exposed him to the poisons and resolved to find a way to leave the Eastern Palace.
• Xu Shu hurried to report the poisoning to Zhu Yuanzhang while Dai Sigong and Chen Junzuo prepared medicine for Zhu Yuntong.
• Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the princes to return to their fiefs within three days, and Zhu Shuang and Zhu Gang came to bid him farewell.
• Zhu Gang warned Zhu Yuanzhang that Lü Shi mistreated Zhu Yuntong and the other children and urged him not to make Zhu Yunwen heir.

Zhu Gang and Zhu Shuang told Zhu Yuanzhang that Lü Shi had mistreated Zhu Yuntong and his siblings, deepening Zhu Yuanzhang’s doubts about the succession. As Zhu Di tested Zhu Yuanzhang with a question about inexperienced young rulers, news arrived that the Third Imperial Grandson had been poisoned, and Zhu Yuanzhang rushed to the Imperial Medical Bureau.

• Zhu Gang recalled seeing Lü Shi neglect Zhu Yuntong and his sisters while favoring Zhu Yunwen, and Zhu Shuang agreed that Lü Shi was unworthy of being their eldest sister-in-law.
• Zhu Yuanzhang admitted he had failed his grandchildren and said he would judge Zhu Yuntong and Zhu Yunwen by their abilities before choosing an heir.
• Zhu Di told Zhu Yuanzhang about Emperor Taizong’s question on why the descendants of founding rulers often fell into disorder, then quoted Fang Xuanling’s answer about young rulers raised in privilege.
• Jixiang reported that the Third Imperial Grandson had been poisoned, and Zhu Yuanzhang hurried toward the Imperial Medical Bureau with Zhu Di following.
• Xu Shu, the director of the Imperial Medical Bureau, hurried toward Zhu Yuanzhang and encountered his fury.

Zhu Yuntong survived a slow-acting poisoning, and Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the Eastern Palace and Imperial Food Service sealed while investigators searched for the culprit. After taking medicine, Zhu Yuntong returned with his grandfather, still hoping the Embroidered Guard would uncover evidence against Lü Shi.

• Xu Shu told Zhu Yuanzhang that Zhu Yuntong's poisoning was not severe, and Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the Eastern Palace sealed.
• Zhu Yuanzhang questioned Xu Shu about the poison and ordered the Imperial Food Service guarded and Xu Xingzu brought in.
• Xu Xingzu denied poisoning Zhu Yuntong and said a eunuch had handled his meals before he personally took charge that morning.
• Zhu Yuntong asked Zhu Yuanzhang not to kill too many people, but Zhu Yuanzhang insisted that anyone deserving death would die.
• Dai Sigong brought Zhu Yuntong his medicine, and Zhu Yuanzhang took him back to the Eastern Palace after ordering Zhu Di to leave and keep the incident secret.
• Zhu Yuntong swallowed the bitter medicine and hoped the Embroidered Guard would find evidence against Lü Shi.

Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the Embroidered Guards to search the Eastern Palace after Zhu Yuntong was poisoned, but they found no evidence. Zhu Yuntong returned to his quarters to check the incense, only to discover it was missing.

• Lü Shi and Zhu Yunwen confronted the Embroidered Guards surrounding the Eastern Palace, and Zhu Yuanzhang revealed that he had ordered the lockdown.
• Zhu Yuanzhang announced that Zhu Yuntong had been poisoned and ordered the guards to search the Eastern Palace and detain its servants.
• Jiang Jue searched the Eastern Palace, including Lü Shi's room, but found no poison or other evidence.
• Xu Xingzu reported that the Imperial Food Service staff and those who had cooked for Zhu Yuntong were taken for investigation.
• Zhu Yuntong went back to his quarters with Liu Liu to inspect the incense, but Liu Liu found that it was missing.

Zhu Yuntong and Zhu Yuanzhang investigated the poisoning, but evidence in the Eastern Palace had disappeared. Jiang Jue identified the cook as the poisoner, and Zhu Yuanzhang ordered mass executions before Zhu Yuntong calmed him; the true extent of Lü Shi’s involvement remained uncertain.

• Zhu Yuntong found the suspected evidence missing from the Eastern Palace, and Zhu Yuanzhang ordered its servants replaced.
• Zhu Yuntong told Zhu Yuanzhang he suspected Lü Shi, but Zhu Yuanzhang doubted she was responsible because the Embroidered Guard had found no evidence.
• Jiang Jue reported that the cook for the Third Imperial Grandson had confessed to poisoning him with blue gold and mercury to avenge the Crown Prince’s past abuse.
• Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the cook executed, the seller’s family punished, and the Imperial Food Service and Eastern Palace servants killed, while sparing Liu Liu at Zhu Yuntong’s request.
• Zhu Yuntong soothed Zhu Yuanzhang with praise and teasing, easing the emperor’s anger.

After Zhu Yuntong recovered from the mild poisoning, Zhu Yuanzhang punished Xu Xingzu for mismanaging the Imperial Food Service but spared his life. Zhu Yuanzhang remained uncertain whether Lü Shi was involved, then arranged houses beside the Imperial College for Zhu Yuntong and Zhu Yunwen to live in.

• Zhu Yuanzhang told Zhu Yuntong to stop hounding Lü Shi, while Zhu Yuntong still vowed to find evidence and asked to move out of the palace.
• Xu Xingzu admitted responsibility for the poisoning and begged for punishment, but Zhu Yuanzhang spared him because he trusted him to manage the Imperial Food Service.
• Zhu Yuanzhang docked Xu Xingzu's salary for two years, ordered him to stop taking kickbacks, and sentenced him to thirty strokes of the rod.
• Zhu Yuntong explained why Zhu Yuanzhang had spared Xu Xingzu, then returned to the Eastern Palace to recuperate.
• Jixiang reported that the eunuch and the Eastern Palace showed no suspicious signs, leaving Zhu Yuanzhang unsure whether Lü Shi had been involved.
• Zhu Yuanzhang ordered two houses beside the Imperial College prepared for Zhu Yuntong and Zhu Yunwen.