My father Yongle, building a five-good family

Chapter 107 Two Maps
Just like now, Zhu Gaoyu looked at Zhu Yuanzhang's thin face, listened to his words that sounded like a dying entrustment of his son, and finally couldn't hold back his tears.

There was some attachment and some relief in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes.

He leaned on the millet jade pillow, his eyes filled with nostalgia, as if he was looking at those old friends from afar across time and space.

He spoke slowly but surprisingly clearly, and even his pale cheeks had a blush on them, as if he had regained some life.

But the eunuch next to him was greatly shocked when he saw this scene.

This... is clearly the sign of a last gasp!
Zhu Yuanzhang only spoke:
"Call Yunwen and the others in."

The eunuch went down and opened the palace door.

A cold wind blew in.

Zhu Yuanzhang seemed unaware of it, and even felt that his brain had become much clearer with the cold wind.

Inside the palace.

The voice slowly sounded:

"I have received the imperial mandate from heaven and the great destiny of the world. I will put an end to disasters and chaos, put down the army, and bring peace to the people in the city and the countryside..."

"I am now sixty-nine years old, my muscles and strength are declining, and I am in danger every day. I am afraid that I will not live to see the end..."

When it comes to this, anyone can tell that what Zhu Yuanzhang is talking about is probably his last will.

Zhu Gaoyu glanced down and his gaze was fixed on Zhu Di's figure for a moment. He didn't know when he came in, and there was not even a sound coming from outside.

Then he looked away again.

Zhu Yunwen knelt on the ground, his palms unconsciously sweating and sticky, but he didn't care about that at the moment. Instead, he listened to the emperor's next words with a little excitement.

"Yun Wen."

coming.

Zhu Yunwen's forehead touched the cold gold brick.

"My grandson is here."

Zhu Yuanzhang said nothing.

Where Zhu Yunwen couldn't see, his eyes were deep and dark, like a bottomless black pool.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him and said word by word:

"I'm right here. You swear in front of me and our ancestors that you will never kill your uncles and brothers. You swear... to me!"

Zhu Yuanzhang knew Zhu Yunwen.

People didn’t know about him before, and they didn’t pay attention to him, because he was a founding emperor who came out of blood, fire and corpses.

But since he had paid attention to it, how could he not know Zhu Yunwen's intention to reduce the power of the princes.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang was a man who would not change his ways easily, and even if he wanted to change now, it would not be as easy as imagined.

In the later years of Emperor Wu's reign, he changed the crown prince, deposed Liu Ju and replaced him with Liu Fuling, which led to the tyranny of powerful officials and the example of excessive power of external relatives. The example is still fresh in our memory.

To change the crown prince... Zhu Yuanzhang doesn't want to, can't, and it's not easy!

Most importantly, in order to establish Zhu Yunwen as the crown prince, Zhu Yuanzhang personally fabricated the Lan Yu case, in which a river of blood flowed, just to help this good crown prince remove the thorn in his power before he took control of the power of the Ming Empire.

The thorn has been removed for now, but if the person holding power changes, then the greatest significance of the killings committed in the first place will be gone.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not regret it.

But he didn't want to see the Zhu family killing each other and blood flowing like a river a hundred years later.

So at the last moment of his life, even though Zhu Yuanzhang was hanging on to his last breath, he forced Zhu Yunwen to make such an oath.

Zhu Yunwen was stunned.

He couldn't help but raise his head and look at Zhu Yuanzhang, with an expression of disbelief on his face, and said in a lost voice:
"grandfather!!"

Grandfather Emperor, how could... how could... how could you... force him to say such words? !
Thinking of the brief conversation he had with the Emperor just now in the hall, Zhu Yunwen felt a surge of blood rushing up.

Zhu Yunwen knew that his grandfather valued family affection, but he was also always wary of his strong sons.

He once sent Yang Wen to Beiping to advise Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, and also asked Zhu Zhi, the Prince of Liao, to share part of the defense.

He once thought that he would be the special one.

But at the moment, the Emperor is first the emperor and then the grandfather.

Even though he was facing Zhu Yunwen, the emperor still felt wary of him.

Facing Zhu Yunwen's indignation, Zhu Yuanzhang still had a majestic look with a last glimmer of life and it was difficult to tell whether he was happy or angry.

But when he saw Zhu Yunwen like this, he still felt a little cold and heartbroken.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the weakness that shouldn't have existed in his eyes disappeared, and he became hard again.

He just lowered his voice and said faintly:
"Yun Wen."

Zhu Yunwen lowered his head and bit his lips tightly, biting them so hard that a trace of blood appeared in his mouth. He then kowtowed violently, almost speaking through his teeth, and spoke word by word:
"I, the Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen, swear here that I will never kill my uncles, uncles, brothers, or younger brothers in my lifetime!"

At the end of his words, Zhu Yunwen felt a surge of anger in his heart, and unconsciously, his hands, which were originally pressed against the ground, were clenched into fists. His nails penetrated into the palms, forming deep crescent-shaped marks, and leaving behind a series of blood marks, deep and shallow, mottled and interlaced.

After hearing what Zhu Yunwen said, Zhu Yuanzhang finally seemed to let go of the important matter in his mind. He let out a sigh of relief, and the decadent aura around him became even stronger.

His figure seemed to be shaky for a moment, but he quickly regained control.

The next moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's voice sounded again:

"In addition, the Tatars in the north are now making unusual movements. Except for important matters of the court, the vassal officials are allowed to submit petitions. The rest of the orders are to be sent back to the vassal states three days after their arrival. They are not allowed to leave the country without permission."

As soon as this order came out, the faces of everyone present changed.

The gist of what Zhu Yuanzhang said was that because of the unrest in the Tatars in the north, he was worried about instability on the border, so even if he died, he would only allow the princes to mourn for three days in the capital.

Three days later, they would set off immediately and return to their fiefdom. Unless something major happened, they were not allowed to enter Yingtian Prefecture.

Now not only Zhu Yunwen, but also a group of vassal kings started to think about it.

Not allowing the vassal kings to enter Yingtian, is this to protect Zhu Yunwen, or to protect the vassal kings?

If it were in the past, they would definitely think that the old man was protecting Zhu Yunwen.

But after the previous incident, the thoughts of these princes could not help but change again and again.

Who is right and who is wrong...it's hard to say at this critical juncture.

At this moment, for Zhu Yuanzhang, the biggest thing was half completed.

He held on to his last breath, and laid down on the dragon couch in the most dignified and respectable manner, speaking slowly:

"The Crown Prince Yunwen is benevolent, wise, filial and friendly. The whole nation is loyal to him and he should ascend the throne."

"The civil and military officials at home and abroad should work together to assist in governing the country and ensure the safety of our people."

thump.

Hearing these words, it was as if a huge Huanglu bell rang in everyone's ears.

Everything was as expected by everyone.

But I always feel that...something is different.

Zhu Yunwen felt a little sad and wanted to cry, but at the moment when the dust settled, he couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth.

How can I not laugh?

Uncles, the one who finally won this vast empire was still Zhu Yunwen.

He is the final winner.

He is the one chosen by heaven and will live long and prosper.

Then the road ahead will surely be a smooth one.

No one seemed to be interested in listening to what was said next.

They lowered their heads, facing the golden brick floor, frowning in thought, sighing in worry, or like Zhu Yunwen, unable to suppress the urge to laugh out loud. Of course, this was impossible.

But at this moment, Zhu Gaoyu raised his head slightly and looked at his grandfather the emperor lying on the bed.

The world seemed to be suddenly shrouded in a thick fog.

The Emperor's voice was still ringing.

But it was already extremely weak.

"In funeral and sacrificial offerings, do not use gold or jade."

"The mountains and rivers of Xiaoling Mausoleum remain as they were, and should not be altered."

"All the subjects of the country shall mourn for three days, and all shall take off their mourning clothes, and marriage shall not be affected."

The sky and the earth were dark at this moment.

Zhu Gaoyu suddenly heard a gentle voice:

"Gao Yan, will the vegetables in the Imperial Vegetable Garden still be cooked?"

Zhu Gaoyu didn't dare to blink, for fear of tears falling:

"It's ripe, it's ripe! Grandpa, I'll pick it for you!"

How can there be vegetables in the vegetable garden in winter?

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed:
"Don't cry, Gao Yu. Winter will pass and fresh vegetables will grow again."

"I'm just a little tired..."

"Tell me a story... Let's talk about the story of the little monk last time..."

Zhu Gaoyu was crying miserably at this moment, but even so, he still sobbed and told the story of the past:
"Grandpa Emperor, please listen carefully. Once upon a time, there was a mountain, in the mountain there was a temple, in the temple there was a little monk..."

"The little monk later went out to beg for food. He conquered the world, but he also lost a lot. When he got old, he began to miss his days in the mountains."

"But for him, if he had to do it again, he would still make the same choice..."

The breathing on the dragon couch gradually stopped.

Before his death, Zhu Yuanzhang still had a smile on his face.

Zhu Gaoyu just looked there stupidly and said in a low voice:

"Later, the little monk passed away, but there are still people in this world who remember him. As long as there are people who remember him, he...will always exist..."

The death knell of Yingtian Prefecture sounded at an unknown time.

The whole palace was hung with white banners.

Zhu Gaoyu suddenly realized:

Grandpa's flowers have withered.

He should grow up too.

……

Prince Yan's Mansion.

After Zhu Yuanzhang's death, Yingtian Prefecture is in turmoil and the situation is extremely complicated.

The coffin was kept, the death was announced, the posthumous title and temple name were determined, and mourning was observed...

This series of events made Zhu Di extremely busy.

Sometimes, when people are busy, they subconsciously downplay their sadness.

At least that's what Zhu Di saw on the surface.

He had seen many separations and deaths on the battlefield, and this time when his old man passed away, he was lucky enough to see him for the last time.

It can even be said that if it weren't for the jade pendant in Zhu Gaoyu's hand, it would be difficult for Zhu Di to see the old man for the last time.

I owe this kid a favor...

Zhu Di thought about it, exhaled a breath of hot air, pulled his mourning clothes closer, and continued to walk quickly in the wind and snow.

And then in the backyard.

The three brothers Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui got together again despite their busy schedules.

The three of them stood in the yard outside Zhu Gaoyu's house like door gods.

Zhu Gaochi held his little curly-haired boy in his arms, and from time to time he looked back at the brightly lit window and sighed.

Zhu Gaoxu scratched his hair angrily:
"Sigh, sigh, sigh! Boss, what else can you do besides sigh?!"

Zhu Gaosui also spoke quietly beside him:
"This man is like iron, and food is like steel. If I don't eat, I'll be hungry. I've been traveling all the way, riding a horse to the palace, and working so hard for so long, but now I haven't had a meal, let alone a sip of water... I've finally gained some weight, and if I lose it, I'll be so upset!"

Zhu Gaochi looked at the two brothers and waved his hand unhappily:

"Go away! You know this, don't I know it? I just said that one sentence, and you two are so good at contradicting me one after another."

As he spoke, Zhu Gaochi looked at the maids standing under the eaves and the food in their hands, and frowned slightly.

Because the Emperor had passed away, they were all in mourning and had to be careful about what they ate on a daily basis.

In Zhu Gaochi's opinion, how can these non-meat dishes help nourish the body?
Nothing more...

I’ll ask the kitchen to make a bowl of red dates and longan soup later.

Thinking about it, Zhu Gaochi said again:

"Wait a little longer. If I don't open the door in a while, you can warm up the food again."

As he was speaking, the sound of light footsteps suddenly came from the bluestone bricks that had been cleared of snow.

The three brothers looked up almost at the same moment.

The person who came was none other than Xu Miaoyun.

Xu Miaoyun had an open and clear temperament, and her face was pretty yet heroic. Even though there was a hint of fatigue in her eyes, the words she spoke at this time were still neither slow nor fast, like gurgling spring water, flowing through everyone's hearts, relieving their restlessness and uneasiness.

When the three brothers saw Xu Miaoyun, they immediately became obedient and shouted:
"mother."

Xu Miaoyun nodded, and immediately cast her gaze towards the brightly lit room, frowning slightly:
"Is Gao Yao still in the room?"

It was just a simple sentence.

But Zhu Gaochi was so concerned that he became confused.

He subconsciously explained to Zhu Gaoyu:

"Mother, Xiao Si is young and has never experienced anything. Besides, Grandfather Emperor has always liked him, so it is inevitable that he cannot accept it. He will be fine after a while..."

These brothers...actually helped each other.

On the contrary, Xu Miaoyun, the mother, seems more like an outsider compared to them.

Xu Miaoyun felt a little helpless, a little amused, but mostly relieved.

Compared to seeing my sons fighting like chicken eyes, this situation couldn't be better.

Especially since these children were born from her belly. If they become enemies in the future, Xu Miaoyun will never be at peace even in the underworld.

She glanced at the three brothers and waved her hand:

"I'm here with you guys. Go back, I'll go and persuade him."

As he spoke, Xu Miaoyun took a step forward and slowly pushed open the door.

But the appearance of the room was obviously beyond Xu Miaoyun's imagination, and for a moment, she was a little stunned.

What are the two maps here?
See you tomorrow, my dears.

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(End of this chapter)