He stood without bowing!
Zhu Di gazed proudly toward the Hall of Heavenly Mandate, his upright figure like an unyielding spear thrusting a challenge at the heavens!
The officials outside the hall gaped, exchanging looks of utter disbelief.
Their commotion reached the great hall.
But the officials inside could not rudely turn around to look, so they had no idea what was happening outside.
The first round of salutations ended.
Trembling, the inner master of ceremonies invited Zhu Di down and led him before the imperial throne in the Hall of Heavenly Mandate, then withdrew, drenched in cold sweat.
At that moment, the ceremonial music rose again.
According to court protocol, Zhu Di and his three sons were required to kneel and bow to the emperor.
Zhu Gaochi and his brothers obediently knelt to the music, but Zhu Di remained standing. Not only that, he stared straight at Zhu Yunwen with a look of haughty pride!
The officials inside the great hall had not seen Zhu Di refuse to bow earlier. Now, witnessing this scene, they erupted in an uproar, and a buzz of discussion suddenly filled the hall.
Fang Xiaoru stepped forward and sternly accused him. "Your Majesty, the Prince of Yan has entered the hall without bowing. He disregards protocol and shows none of the deference due from a subject. This is contempt for his sovereign! I request that Your Majesty punish the Prince of Yan for gross disrespect!"
"I second the motion!"
Chen Di, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward.
With the head of the Ministry of Rites taking a stand, its vice ministers and other officials naturally had to declare their positions as well.
Seeing this, the other officials also voiced their agreement.
Zhu Yunwen studied Zhu Di. Earlier, he had been too far away to see him clearly. Now that he was closer, he could make him out far better.
Zhu Di had long, thick eyebrows, a straight nose, deep, bright eyes, and a full beard. Beneath his imposing bearing lay a measure of arrogance.
Zhu Yunwen stared at Zhu Di, then suddenly laughed.
A single laugh.
Zhu Di's heart gave a violent jolt!
The Zhu Yunwen before him was neither furious nor indignant. Instead, he was laughing?
From what Zhu Di knew of Zhu Yunwen, he should have sprung up in anger by now, pointing at him and looking so flustered that he could not utter a word!
Yet now, he was actually laughing!
That laugh carried confidence, strength, and an indescribable pressure that left Zhu Di uneasy.
The ministers, too, fell silent, unsure why Zhu Yunwen was laughing.
Zhu Yunwen stopped laughing, looked at Zhu Di, and said slowly, "This is the Hall of Heavenly Mandate, not a side hall. If the Prince of Yan is weary and has yet to wake fully, you may sleep for a few hours in a side hall. I can wait until you wake!"
Zhu Di was instantly at a loss for words, alarm showing on his face.
Zhu Yunwen's meaning was clear. This was where sovereign and subjects conducted state audiences. Whether Zhu Di was the Prince of Yan or anything else, he had to observe the proper courtesies between ruler and subject!
If Zhu Di was resentful because he had been "barred from returning for the funeral" and wanted to cause trouble-
That was fine!
But he had to understand that attending the funeral was a family matter for the Zhu clan. If he wanted to discuss family matters, he could do so in a side chamber.
This was the Hall of Heavenly Mandate!
Here, there were only sovereign and subjects!
Here, they discussed only affairs of state!
With a single sentence, Zhu Yunwen had blocked every avenue of retreat for Zhu Di.
In truth, Zhu Di had intended to use Zhu Yuanzhang's death and his own "being barred from returning for the funeral" as a pretext to launch an attack. If Zhu Yunwen claimed he had acted according to the late emperor's final edict, that would raise another question: why had Zhu Yunwen allowed other vassal princes into the Capital, but not him?
In short, Zhu Di could seize the initiative. Even if his conduct was disrespectful, there would still be grounds for excusing it.
Now, however, Zhu Di had lost that avenue. It was inappropriate to bring family matters before the Hall of Heavenly Mandate.
If Zhu Di insisted on using that excuse, Zhu Yunwen would likely refuse to hear it, and the people at court would not let the matter rest either!
For the first time, Zhu Di realized that his nephew seemed different from before.
The court ministers all watched Zhu Di. Among them were nobles such as Xu Huizu, Li Jinglong, and Geng Bingwen. They stared at the grossly disrespectful Zhu Di with angry expressions, yet their eyes shifted, betraying thoughts no one could discern.
Xie Jin drew back the foot he had stepped forward with. In a situation like this, silence would have more effect than any words.
Sure enough, the great hall fell still.
No one uttered another word.
They all stood there, staring at Zhu Di.
The wordless silence made the entire space oppressive, and that pressure washed relentlessly against Zhu Di's resolve.
Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, and Zhu Gaosui were already trembling.
If their father refused to bow to the emperor today, the best outcome for the three of them would be to join Zhu Di, hand in hand, and find somewhere to till the fields.
As for the worst outcome, none of them dared imagine it.
Zhu Yunwen watched Zhu Di, and Zhu Di watched Zhu Yunwen.
They contested each other's will in silence.
Zhu Di could see clearly that the smile never left Zhu Yunwen's lips. Yet those eyes seemed to hold a chill, a merciless chill. He recalled how, not long before, Zhu Yunwen had appointed Ping An, Qu Neng, and others to posts in Beiping and the surrounding areas.
The tides had turned. He had no path left!
Zhu Di lowered his head, drew a deep breath, and slowly bent his knees. Prostrating himself, he called out, "Your subject Zhu Di pays his respects to Your Majesty."
He could not accept it!
Yet he had no choice but to bow!
Zhu Di endured it!
He carefully concealed his longing for imperial power.
I kneel today so that I need not kneel another day!
As Zhu Di bowed, the entire court breathed a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere gradually eased.
The smile faded from Zhu Yunwen's lips, and his expression grew grave.
Zhu Di was a formidable man, one who could bend or stand tall as circumstances demanded, a master of pretense and performance!
It was his knees that bowed; his heart remained unyielding!
"Rise."
Zhu Yunwen raised a hand and spoke coolly. Watching Zhu Di and the others stand, he said, "When Taizu passed away, I concerned myself only with obeying his final edict and neglected the bonds of our imperial family. As a result, the Prince of Yan could not return to the Capital in time for the funeral. This was my fault."
"Your Majesty, it was Taizu's instruction that the princes remain in their domains and not come to the Capital. This had nothing to do with Your Majesty. It is improper to speak of fault. Please retract those words."
Fang Xiaoru hastily called out.
Seeing that Zhu Yunwen had seized the initiative and taken the blame upon himself, Zhu Di knew that pressing the matter of his being barred from the funeral would only make him look petty. Forced to change his words, he said, "Academician Fang is entirely correct. Though I felt wronged, I would never dare defy Taizu's wishes. Since these were Taizu's instructions, I naturally must obey."
Zhu Yunwen sighed. "A mistake is a mistake. How can an emperor who dares neither admit nor face his mistakes govern the realm? I examine myself three times each day and have come to understand one principle: in conduct and affairs, small mistakes can be amended, middling mistakes can be corrected, but great mistakes cannot be lightly forgiven..."
The words "cannot be lightly forgiven" made Zhu Di shudder. He looked up to find Zhu Yunwen watching him.
Is he warning me to turn back while the shore is still within reach?
"I also hope that all of you will reflect diligently and keep the channels of counsel open. If I am in the wrong, you may submit memorials to state your concerns. But there is one requirement: I do not want reports based on hearsay. I want reason and evidence. Empty allegations and reckless accusations intended to implicate others-let such things end once and for all."
Zhu Yunwen's words heartened the court.
The ministers who had survived the Hongwu reign, in particular, finally breathed a sigh of relief. This meant the emperor would no longer have officials beaten over a mere disagreement, nor would someone's malicious accusations lead to punishment by association.
Hearing Zhu Yunwen's words, Zhu Di also nodded inwardly.
This nephew of his did indeed possess some skill in governing.
The court audience gradually shifted its focus away from Zhu Di and moved on to this and that, trivial matters no bigger than sesame seeds. After the audience ended, Zhu Di entered the Palace of Heavenly Purity to pay his respects to Empress Dowager Lady Lü.
Dagong Ward, the Prince of Zhongshan's Mansion.
Zhu Di's carriage approached slowly. Outside the Prince of Zhongshan's Mansion, Xu Huizu, the Duke of Wei, Xu Yingxu, the Assistant Commissioner of the Central Commandery, and Xu Zengshou, the Left Commander-in-Chief of the Right Commandery, had been waiting for some time.
Xu Da had been the foremost military commander of the Hongwu reign. To secure his loyalty, Zhu Yuanzhang had arranged for Zhu Di to marry Xu Da's eldest daughter, Xu Yihua.
As Xu Da's son-in-law, the Prince of Yan had to visit the Prince of Zhongshan's Mansion whenever he returned to the Capital and see his eldest brother-in-law, Xu Huizu. After all, Xu Huizu was now the foremost figure among the court's military commanders and hereditary nobles.
Though Zhu Di enjoyed prestige in Beiping Prefecture, he was far from the central government. If he failed to cultivate good relations and the emperor someday decided to move against him, would he not be finished without even someone to warn him?
Whether for the sake of family ties or his own future, Zhu Di had to come.
The carriage stopped, and Zhu Di stepped out.
Xu Huizu and the others came forward to salute him.
Zhu Di hurriedly stopped them. "My three brothers-in-law, there is no need for such ceremony."
Xu Huizu's face was cold, his manner unwelcoming. He merely insisted on completing the salute, then said, "Your Highness has returned to the Capital and still observes the proper courtesies. If the Xu family failed to salute you, would we not be neglecting etiquette?"
Zhu Di's pupils narrowed slightly. Xu Huizu's words seemed to praise his courtesy, but they were actually a veiled rebuke for his prolonged refusal to kneel and bow at the morning audience.
He had not expected that, after more than three years apart, this eldest brother-in-law would show him no consideration at their first meeting.
It seemed his heart had long since been given to Zhu Yunwen!
He cannot be won over!
Zhu Di reached that judgment inwardly.
"Eldest Brother, our brother-in-law rarely gets the chance to visit the Capital. He has come to our home today simply to see his family. Why be so solemn? Brother-in-law, please, come inside."
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Xu Zengshou hurriedly spoke up.
Xu Huizu glared fiercely at his younger brother, his expression darkening slightly. Zhu Di paid it no mind. With a faint smile, he entered the mansion, paid his respects at the family shrine, and only then went to the main hall.
Zhu Di had servants carry Xu Yihua's gifts for the Xu family into the mansion. On her behalf, he asked after their well-being and urged his brothers-in-law to take care of their health.
Zhu Di wanted to ask about the reduction of the Capital Garrison, but Xu Huizu cut him off.
In Xu Huizu's view, troop reductions were the business of the Five Army Commandery and the Ministry of War. The Prince of Yan commanded only the Prince of Yan's Three Guards. He should not pry into matters he had no business asking about.
A man needed to know when to keep his mouth shut.
Having experienced Xu Huizu's severity and learned where he stood, Zhu Di kept a warm smile on his face. Only his deep gaze acquired a few more traces of coldness.
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