Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

At the beginning of the 15th year of Hongwu, the atmosphere in the imperial palace was as heavy as leaden clouds.

Empress Ma was bedridden, looking haggard and sick, and no medicine could cure her.

Zhu Yuanzhang paced in front of the bed, worried.

Every step seemed to step on the hearts of the court officials, and the situation in the court became increasingly turbulent.

Princes from all over the country sent envoys to the capital to express their concern.

But the thoughts hidden in the darkness are like an undercurrent in the dark night, surging endlessly.

Prince of Yan Zhu Di heard that an assassin had broken into the palace at this critical moment with the intention of murdering Empress Ma.

He suddenly became furious and his eyes widened.

There seemed to be a raging fire in his eyes, and veins on his forehead bulged out like winding little snakes.

In the palace regulations of the Ming Dynasty, the empress was the mother of the country and ruled over the six palaces.

It is not only a symbol of royal dignity, but also the cornerstone of court order.

The assassin's action was tantamount to plucking hair from a tiger's head and was a blatant provocation to the entire royal family and the court.

Zhu Di knew very well that if the truth was not quickly found out and the situation was not quelled, people inside and outside the palace would be in panic.

The situation is likely to get completely out of control, like a horse running out of control.

Just as Zhu Di was burning with rage, Prince of Jin Zhu Gang stepped into the guard duty room.

Seeing Zhu Di's furious look, he gently consoled him, "Fourth brother, things have come to this point, and worrying will not help.

The most urgent task is to calm down and find a way to find out who is behind this.”

When Zhu Di heard Zhu Gang's advice, a trace of embarrassment flashed across his face.

He pursed his lips slightly, and the anger in his heart subsided a little.

But the anxiety entangled Zhu Di like a vine and was difficult to dispel.

"Third brother, I know that.

But this matter is too strange, and the assassin is too bold.

How dare you take action in the imperial palace? You simply don't take us, the royal family, seriously!
Besides, don’t you find it weird?

The other party chose to assassinate the queen mother when she was seriously ill. There must be some ulterior motive behind this.

Now, various forces in the harem are eyeing the position of the queen, and it is possible that someone wants to take advantage of this opportunity to disrupt the situation and fish in troubled waters."

Zhu Di spoke fiercely, his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Gang nodded slightly, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

After scanning the room, he finally landed on Zhao Hu.

As an experienced officer of the Protectorate of the Imperial Guards, Zhao Hu should have been the backbone of the palace guards, but at this moment he seemed uneasy.

In the Ming Dynasty's imperial guard system, the Imperial Guard Protectorate was responsible for the important security duties of the imperial palace.

Zhao Hu's performance in this assassination incident was disappointing.

This Zhao Hu has the same name and surname as the late deputy commander of the Hidden Dragon Guard, but he does not have any of that kind of bravery.

Normally, he is always submissive in front of his subordinates, has no authority at all, and lacks decisiveness.

Zhao Hu was panicked by the assassin's attack.

He was like a frightened bird, shouting loudly, completely losing his usual pretended calmness.

Zhu Gang looked at Zhao Hu and shook his head secretly, knowing that this man was not up to the task.

He couldn't help but think of his eldest son Zhu Yunwen, who was entrusted to him by his elder brother Zhu Biao. The child was handsome and extremely intelligent.

But he lost his mother at a young age, and his life was really pitiful.

The situation in the palace is now unpredictable and undercurrents are surging. Yunwen really needs a reliable guard by his side.

Zhao Hu worked in the Protectorate of the Imperial Guards and was more familiar with the situation in the palace.

If he could be trained, he might become a capable assistant to Zhu Yunwen.

Thinking of this, Zhu Gang said, "Fourth brother, a few days ago, my eldest brother entrusted his eldest son Yun Wen to the Prince of Jin's mansion and asked me to take care of him.

Although Yunwen's mother, Lu, committed a serious crime, Yunwen had the blood of the crown prince after all.

The situation in the palace is complicated and undercurrents are surging. Yun Wen is in need of a trustworthy guard. I think Zhao Hu is quite familiar with the affairs of the palace. Although his performance this time was not good, it is not completely useless.

I originally wanted to find an experienced military officer in the palace to protect Yunwen, but there was no suitable candidate at the moment.

Fourth brother, can you lend me Zhao Hu?
In addition, I have heard some rumors recently that some people in the palace are quite afraid of Yun Wen's existence, and the child's situation is becoming more and more dangerous."

Zhu Di frowned, feeling a strong reluctance in his heart.

Although Zhao Hu's abilities were average, he had been following me for some time and had helped me deal with some trivial matters on a daily basis, so we had developed some tacit understanding.

In the power vortex of this palace, Zhu Di had few people to use.

Although Zhao Hu has limited abilities, he is obedient.

If we let him leave now, there will inevitably be some inconvenience in the future.

However, Zhu Di thought of Zhao Hu's embarrassed appearance in the assassination incident, and felt disappointed.

Looking at Zhu Gang's sincere eyes again, thinking of his third brother's daily care for him and his eldest brother's instructions, he knew that Zhu Gang was shouldering the heavy responsibility of taking care of Yunwen.

If we do not agree to Zhu Gang's request at this time, it would be against our brotherly relationship.

A hint of hesitation flashed across Zhu Di's eyes, and he was torn between his own conscience and his own desires.

He closed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath.

At this time, Zhu Di tried hard to suppress his inner reluctance and repeatedly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

He bit his lips for a long time, with a trace of helplessness on his face.

"Since Third Brother has asked, I will certainly agree.

Zhao Hu, from today on you must follow your third brother's arrangements and protect Yun Wen well.

If there is any mistake, I will not forgive you easily!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hu immediately knelt down and kowtowed, with a hint of surprise and gratitude in his eyes.

He was secretly happy and felt that this was an opportunity to change his destiny.

If he could perform well in Prince Jin's Mansion, he might be able to rise to great heights.

"I will do my utmost to protect the young master!"

Zhu Gang stared at Zhao Hu with a sharp gaze and said solemnly, "Zhao Hu, you have been in the Imperial Guards' Office for some years.

But you handled this assassination incident inappropriately.

Considering that you have done nothing wrong, I will give you a chance to redeem yourself.

In the future you will go to the Prince of Jin’s Mansion and protect Yunwen well.

If you can perform your duties conscientiously, I will not treat you unfairly.

But if Yunwen makes the slightest mistake, don’t blame me for being ruthless!
As for that rumor, there is no solid evidence yet.

But the forces involved are not small, so we need to proceed with caution.

Now the forces of the Jinyiwei and other parties in the palace are complicated and in conflict with each other, so we must be careful and vigilant. "

After that, Zhu Gang turned to look at Zhu Di and said solemnly: "Fourth brother, the assassin's matter concerns the safety of our mother and the dignity of the Ming imperial family.

You and I, brothers, should work together to find out the truth as soon as possible.

I have sent people to trace the assassin's route into the palace, and I believe there will be news soon.

I always feel that there must be collusion between ministers in the court and concubines in the harem behind this assassin.

They are trying to weaken the royal power in order to gain greater benefits.”

Zhu Di looked solemn, his eyes revealing firm determination.

He said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, Third Brother, I will do my best.

I never thought there would be such an oversight in the harem. It's really shocking.

If the mastermind behind this is not uncovered, I, Zhu Di, will not give up! "

After saying this, Zhu Di clenched his fists, as if he wanted to crush the mastermind behind the scenes.

Just then, a guard rushed in, looking panicked and full of fear on his face.

(End of this chapter)