novelSusiti Chapter 7: In the 35th year of the Hongwu reign, my father passed the throne to me!
Chapter 7: In the 35th year of the Hongwu reign, my father passed the throne to me!
As the curtain of night fell, Zhu Yuanzhang did not invite Xu Da to stay for dinner. After all, they had been through too much today, and they all needed to go back and digest their experiences.
Xu Da was not bad off. Although he got a son-in-law who didn't live a good life, at least he knew that his daughter was doing well in later generations, and he even received the honor of being buried in the imperial mausoleum. So it was a perfect ending.
The most frustrating thing has to be Zhu Biao's day; what was supposed to be a wonderful day has been completely ruined.
First, he learned that his son Zhu Xiong Ying had died at the young age of eight, and then he learned that his most beloved mother had also died in childhood. Even he himself died of illness before he could inherit the throne.
His own son's throne was even usurped by his fourth brother.
Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Zhu Biao covered his face, and only one sentence remained in his mind.
I dared not open my eyes, hoping it was just my imagination.
In comparison, although Zhu Di was severely punished by Zhu Yuanzhang, once he learned that he would become the future Yongle Emperor, the whip seemed to have stopped hurting him.
Inside his bedchamber, Zhu Yuanzhang sighed repeatedly.
He valued family ties above all else in his life, but in the end, he was left all alone. His grandson died, his sister died, and even his eldest son passed away before him.
I thought it was tragic enough for an older person to outlive their younger one, but I never expected there to be a second hurdle!
The grandson he himself helped to the throne, and whose body was barely cold, began to settle scores with his own son.
Every word was like a knife cutting into Zhu Yuanzhang's nerves.
Seeing this, Empress Ma stepped forward and gently stroked Zhu Yuanzhang's forehead.
"Chongba, what was said on that sky was all about the future. It's only the fifth year of Hongwu's reign now, there's still time to change everything."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes immediately lit up.
"You're right, girl! There's still time!"
"This time, we must protect our grandson, our sister, and our Biao'er!"
The following day, Emperor Hongwu held his morning court session.
Zhu Yuanzhang, seated on the dragon throne, listened absentmindedly to the reports from his court officials, while Zhu Biao was also somewhat distracted.
The father and son kept glancing outside.
Zhu Biao couldn't sit still last night, so the father and son talked all night long.
After all, what Liu Yan said was truly shocking.
"Your Majesty! I have something to report."
Right Chancellor Wang Guangyang stepped forward, his voice echoing within the Fengtian Hall.
Zhu Yuanzhang came to his senses.
"Please speak, Minister Wang."
Wang Guangyang spoke in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, now that the new dynasty has just been established, Shandong suffered a severe drought in April, Fengxiang and Pingliang in the northwest suffered hail in July, Suzhou, Tongzhou and Haimen suffered tidal disasters, and Kaifeng, Xuzhou and Datong suffered locust plagues."
"The national treasury is now empty, and various regions are suffering severe disasters. The Northern Expedition is costly every day. I implore Your Majesty to temporarily halt the troops to alleviate the pressure on the national treasury."
Before Wang Guangyang could finish speaking, the eunuch outside rushed into the hall and knelt down with a thud.
"Your Majesty, the Heavenly Curtain has appeared again!"
As soon as the words fell, Zhu Yuanzhang stood up instantly and hurriedly walked out of the main hall.
Seeing this, the courtiers followed closely behind Zhu Yuanzhang and walked out of the Fengtian Hall.
The next moment, the sky flickered, and the familiar live stream interface reappeared.
At that moment, Xu Miaoyun and Liu Yan were walking on an asphalt road, with cars speeding and roaring on both sides of them.
This scene caused everyone present to gasp in surprise.
"What is that fast-moving metal box? Why is it so fast?"
The Crown Prince praised Song Lian, pointed to the sky, and said sternly.
"The world is going to the dogs! How can a woman under the celestial canopy dress so revealingly!"
Just as the court officials were arguing, Liu Yan looked at the screen and smiled.
"Yesterday we visited the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, and today I will take everyone to visit the Ming Palace Ruins Park."
"Take a look at the place where this great emperor once lived."
Liu Yan smiled as she looked at the live stream.
"The Ming Dynasty was the last dynasty of the Han people, and also the last glorious period of the Han people in the feudal era."
"The last Han Chinese dynasty?"
Zhu Yuanzhang instantly grasped the most crucial point in Liu Yan's words.
As a Han Chinese who overthrew the Yuan Dynasty, he understood all too well the meaning behind Liu Yan's words.
At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze was icy, and a murderous intent enveloped everyone.
"The best thing I ever did in my life was overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty and establishing the Ming Dynasty!"
"While I do not wish for the Ming Dynasty to last forever, I cannot allow my Han sons to once again become slaves of foreign tribes!"
"Who exactly usurped the throne of our Great Ming Dynasty! We'll make sure they die a horrible death!"
In 1636 AD, Huang Taiji, who had just established the Qing Dynasty, looked at the sky above and couldn't help but shiver.
"What's wrong? My neck feels cold?"
At this moment, Xu Miaoyun and Liu Yan had arrived at the park gate.
Looking at this familiar place, Xu Miaoyun's thoughts seemed to be instantly pulled back to the Hongwu Dynasty. As Xu Da's daughter, the palace was like her home. Empress Ma would often call women like her, who were descendants of meritorious officials, into the palace to study together.
Liu Yan looked at the sky and said with a smile.
"From the first year of Hongwu's reign, when Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne, to the time when Emperor Yongle moved the capital to Beijing, Nanjing served as the capital of the Ming Dynasty for a total of fifty-three years, through the reigns of Hongwu, Jianwen, and Yongle."
Upon hearing the voice, the Hongwu court officials were instantly displeased.
"You arrogant brat! How dare you address His Majesty by his given name!"
However, their barking was destined to go unheard by Liu Yan, who continued talking to himself.
"The Nanjing Imperial Palace has had a tumultuous history, with four of the most devastating incidents."
"The first time was the Jingnan Campaign in the fourth year of Jianwen's reign. Prince Yan, Zhu Di, launched an attack on Nanjing, and a fire broke out in the palace, burning down buildings such as the Fengxian Hall in the east."
As soon as Liu Yan finished speaking, a donation light appeared in the live stream room.
Then a phantom figure appeared in the sky.
"Nonsense! That was in the thirty-fifth year of the Hongwu reign. I was purging corrupt officials from the court, entering Nanjing, and my father personally passed the throne to me!"
After saying that, the figure vanished instantly.
At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang was no longer confused as he had been the day before. He was certain that the blurry figure in the sky was his eldest son, the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di!
"Eh! Yay!"
When Zhu Di of the Yongle era was still making excuses, Zhu Yuanzhang felt a throbbing pain in his temples!
"Guards! Seize Zhu Laosi! He still dares to argue even now!"
Zhu Di, who was lying at home dreaming of becoming emperor, was suddenly taken away from the Prince of Yan's residence without any warning.
Upon learning the truth, Hongwu Zhu Di was utterly devastated!
Damn it! You, Emperor Yongle (Zhu Laosi), enjoyed the blessings of being emperor, so why is it that I, Hongwu Yan Wang (Zhu Di), am the one who gets beaten up?
Speak up for me! Speak up for me!
At this moment, the Yongle Emperor, who was complaining and making excuses, was completely unaware of the torment his words would bring to Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, during the Hongwu reign.