Almost in an instant, Zhu Yuanzhang's anger toward Zhu Di reached its peak, even shading into killing intent.
Yet a sliver of doubt remained in his heart.
Among the many emperors of past dynasties, plenty had killed brothers, uncles, or nephews to usurp the throne; some had even murdered their fathers. Why, then, did later generations single out Zhu Di and Li Shimin to sing that infuriating yet laughable song, "Someone in the line of succession like me"?
Could it be... that his fourth son had truly been like Li Shimin, ushering in another era of good governance, or even prosperity, for Great Ming after usurping the throne?
As Zhu Yuanzhang pondered this, the second short video began playing.
The image before him went black again, then white text appeared.
[An excerpt edited from the later-generation drama "Great Ming Elegance"-"Great Ming's battle anthem: mighty Ming army!"]
A drama?
Had later generations turned Zhu Di's usurpation into a theatrical play?
While Zhu Yuanzhang guessed at its contents from the short video's title, a military encampment appeared on the earth below, seen from a perspective like that of an eagle looking down from the sky.
Countless soldiers clad in iron armor stood outside in orderly ranks. Although they were not in battle formation, they still gave an impression of imposing military might.
Moreover, at first glance, their armor resembled that of Great Ming's soldiers, but many small details differed. The designs of some weapons were not quite right either, leaving Zhu Yuanzhang feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
After the dozens of cannons lined up before the camp gates fired blank rounds, a black-clad commander of about fifty rode out on a warhorse, leading a group of officers. On closer inspection, this man was none other than the "Zhu Di" from the previous video.
Then "Zhu Di" halted his horse and mounted the Command Platform, where he faced the soldiers and made a gesture that left Zhu Yuanzhang staring wide-eyed.
He held his right fist against his left breast, much like the Mongols' hand-to-chest salute. However, the Mongols used an open palm rather than a clenched fist, and they would not perform it on an occasion like this.
"Mighty Ming army!"
"Zhu Di" shouted.
The soldiers echoed him with a shout of "Mighty general!"
"Zhu Di" shouted again, "Mighty Ming army!"
The soldiers shouted again, "Mighty emperor!"
The soldiers roared like mountains, "Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live ten thousand times ten thousand years!"
At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang could no longer hold back. He cursed, "What sort of etiquette is this? Never mind twisting the Mongols' hand-to-chest salute into some military salute-even the ceremony for acclaiming the emperor's long life is a complete mess, neither fish nor fowl!"
"Even if my fourth son usurped the throne, he couldn't possibly be ignorant of these rites. Could those later-generation people who put this play together know nothing of military or court etiquette, and have simply made it all up?"
While Zhu Yuanzhang cursed and complained, the setting of the play in the video changed again, and Zhu Di appeared on the Great Grassland at the head of the Ming army.
Before the army, "Zhu Di" sat on his warhorse, gazed across the boundless grassland, and said with considerable pride, "In five hundred years, I'm the only one who has fought his way here."
Then "Zhu Di" rode back and forth before the ranks, addressing them.
"I want you to join me and trample their linked camps beneath our horses' hooves!"
"I want you to join me in bloody battle! Until we break the enemy army, we swear never to turn back!"
The soldiers raised their weapons and shouted, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"
For a time, the cries of battle in the video shook the heavens.
Then, under "Zhu Di's" command, the Ming army fought the Mongol army on the grassland. After a bout of fighting that looked quite brutal but in fact had no tactical order whatsoever, the Ming army won a great victory.
Throughout it all, the music and that incomprehensible chanting continued, stirring and impassioned. Even Zhu Yuanzhang felt his blood begin to boil as he listened, as though he had returned to the days when he led troops charging across the battlefield.
Besides this, Zhu Yuanzhang noticed that the Ming army's cannons seemed to play a considerable role in the video, and looked much more powerful than those of his own time.
Some of the cannonballs even exploded when they landed among the Mongol soldiers.
Furthermore, the subsequent scenes kept focusing on the young officer who had followed behind "Zhu Di" earlier, seemingly hinting that his identity was something extraordinary.
By this point, Zhu Yuanzhang had quite a few questions.
"If history really unfolded as this later-generation play depicts it, does that mean my fourth son became Great Ming's chief commander defending the north against the Remnant Yuan?"
"Did he even lead a great army deep into the grassland, reach farther north than Lake Buir, and achieve an unprecedented victory?"
"After returning in triumph, did he first plot a great fire in the imperial palace at Yingtian, burning to death his nephew, Great Ming's second emperor, and then ascend the throne on the strength of that victory?"
As Zhu Yuanzhang thought this, the video happened to show the Ming army returning south after its great victory. Yet "Zhu Di" collapsed on his warhorse and soon died of illness.
Then the entire army donned white mourning clothes, while the young officer highlighted earlier put on what appeared to be the ceremonial crown of Great Ming's crown prince and held Zhu Di's funeral. Judging by the rites and the scattered remarks of the characters in the play, "Zhu Di" had actually died as emperor!
"What does this mean? My fourth son personally led a northern campaign against the Remnant Yuan as emperor, won a great victory, and then died on the journey south?"
"Then how did he become emperor in the first place? Surely not through a single, deliberately plotted palace fire?"
The more Zhu Yuanzhang watched, the more confused he became.
Fortunately, the screen went black again at that moment, and three passages of white text appeared.
[After ascending the throne, Ming Taizong (Ming Chengzu), Zhu Di, dredged the Grand Canal, moved the capital to Beiping, campaigned in Mobei five times, and performed the victory sacrifices at Langjuxu! He also commissioned the compilation of the "Yongle Encyclopedia," conquered Annam, established the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration Commission, and dispatched Zheng He on seven voyages to the Western Ocean, bringing ten thousand nations to pay homage!] [On the eighteenth day of the seventh month in the twenty-second year of Yongle, Zhu Di died of illness at Elm River while returning from a northern campaign, aged sixty-five.] [Great Ming's territorial extent reached its peak during his reign, known to history as the "Yongle Flourishing Age." Later generations also called Zhu Di Emperor Yongle!]
The video ended there.
Zhu Yuanzhang fell silent as well.
For, just as he had guessed, although Zhu Di had rebelled and usurped the throne, he had, like Li Shimin, ushered in a flourishing age for Great Ming.
This diminished his anger considerably, and even left him with a faint trace of happiness-after all, Zhu Di was his son too.
Meanwhile, Liu Bang and Zhang Jiao had spent the second short video in a state of surprise, or even outright shock.
First, the Ming soldiers in this so-called drama seemed to be clad entirely in iron armor, and their weapons looked exceptionally well made. Those bronze tubes that spewed smoke and fire, in particular, seemed capable of unleashing thunder itself. Their power looked astonishing!
Second, they were shocked by Great Ming's military prowess, and by Zhu Di's martial achievements.
Liu Bang in particular had only recently fought the Xiongnu and already knew how formidable they were. He had even accepted Lou Jing's advice and was preparing to send a princess for a marriage alliance in exchange for several decades of peace along Great Han's borders.
Although he did not know whether the people living on the Great Grassland in Great Ming's era were still the Xiongnu, he imagined that even if some other northern people had replaced them, their fighting strength could hardly be much worse. Considering that the realm before Great Ming had once been ruled by a foreign people called the "Mongol Yuan," the grassland peoples of Great Ming's time must have been even stronger than the present Xiongnu.
Under such circumstances, Zhu Di's ability to personally campaign in Mobei five times as Great Ming's emperor showed not only that its armies were exceptionally powerful, but also that its national strength was great enough to sustain those five northern expeditions.
Not to mention that Zhu Di seemed to have fought his way to somewhere exceedingly far into Mobei, or he would not have spoken with such pride.
Moreover, things such as dredging the Grand Canal, compiling the "Yongle Encyclopedia," conquering Annam, making seven voyages to the Western Ocean, and bringing ten thousand nations to pay homage-even if Liu Bang did not quite understand some of them, he could still guess that they must all have been considerable achievements.
Yet, judging by the previous short video, this Zhu Di seemed to have killed his nephew to usurp the throne?
I wonder how Old Zhu feels right now. Well, since we're going to form an alliance and work together, I'll offer him a few words of comfort.
With that thought, Liu Bang typed a message.
[Liu Bang: Old Zhu, which generation of your descendants does this Zhu Di belong to? Although the way he gained the throne wasn't honorable, he did establish that Yongle Flourishing Age in the end. That's quite an achievement, so try to take it in stride.]
Noticing activity in the group, Zhu Yuanzhang came back to his senses.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: We don't know when this group chat will close. If Han Gaozu wants to settle the alliance, you'd best stop bringing up my fourth son.]
His fourth son?
This Zhu Di was actually Zhu Yuanzhang's son?
Liu Bang and Zhang Jiao were surprised once again.
Then Liu Bang became quite puzzled-if Zhu Yuanzhang's fourth son was so capable, why had he not appointed him crown prince after his eldest grandson and eldest son died of illness?
However, he had the good sense not to ask.
[Liu Bang: Didn't you already agree to the alliance before the quick-answer question? What else is there to settle?] [Zhu Yuanzhang: Earlier, Han Gaozu said that if the three of us formed an alliance, each could borrow the other two's advisers. That's an excellent idea. But to achieve it, we face a problem that is almost impossible to solve.] [Liu Bang: What problem?] [Zhu Yuanzhang: Zhang Jiao is about to die.]