Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 17 Dad, why did grandpa want to cause trouble for uncle?

Looking at his father who was already somewhat overwhelmed by his emotions, Zhu Zhanhe felt very unhappy, so he decided to give his father some time off and let him sober up.

"Dad, are you saying that grandpa just took away all the memorials submitted during the period when my uncle was regent?" Zhu Zhanhe put down the snacks in his hand, leisurely drank a cup of tea, walked to his father, gently pulled his father, asked him to sit down, and asked in a soft tone.

"Of course, they were all taken away! I saw it with my own eyes! At that time, your uncle even promised me that the emperor would never be suspicious of him. As soon as he finished speaking, little Nosey came to convey the order, and directly moved the things away and placed him under house arrest. You didn't see your uncle's face. He turned black on the spot and his legs went limp with fear." Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu spoke with a firm face. His eyebrows were jumping and his hands were dancing while he spoke. He couldn't hide his joy.

"Dad, why did grandpa take away all the memorials from the period when my uncle was regent?" Zhu Zhanhe poured a cup of tea for his father, handed it to his father, and continued to ask with a pleasant face.

Prince Han took the tea handed to him by his son, took a big sip, and felt relaxed both physically and mentally.

"Needless to say, your grandfather must not trust your uncle! He wants to find fault with him!" Prince Han was in a good mood after drinking the tea handed to him by his son. Seeing that his son did not oppose him because he wanted to get to the throne this time, a satisfied smile suddenly appeared on his face. He looked at his son seriously and then patiently explained to his son.

"All of you go down!" Zhu Zhanhe looked at his father, then at his mother who was also somewhat happy, with a helpless look on his face. After shaking his head, he directly called out to the many eunuchs, maids, guards and others serving around him, asking them to leave.

"Hmm?" Zhu Zhanhe finished speaking, then saw the numerous eunuchs looking at each other, none of them moving. He immediately became dissatisfied. What? I, the Crown Prince, can't control you servants. Even asking you to leave doesn't work?!

Then he frowned, scanning everyone around him with a dissatisfied and scrutinizing look. Suddenly, even our Prince Han felt a strong pressure coming over him, and the air seemed to be thinner, making him feel a little breathless, not to mention the others around him.

There was a crackling sound all around, with objects falling and maids and eunuchs kneeling. They all knelt on the ground like quails, heads lowered, not daring to look up. The pressure from all directions fell heavily on their hearts, as if a ferocious beast was staring at them, and if they moved even the slightest, they would be torn into pieces.

"Go down." Just when the scene was in complete silence and the servants kneeling on the ground were feeling uneasy, Zhu Zhanhe's voice came out again, like the sound of nature, making the numerous eunuchs, maids and others feel that the tense atmosphere around them was swept away, as if everything just now was an illusion.

So, all the servants stood up and left silently without any hesitation, their steps light and swift, without any trace of previous hesitation.

"He'er~? You~..." Princess Wei looked at her son in shock. She had never seen a son so majestic before. She had seen her father-in-law, Emperor Yongle, get angry, but she had never felt so oppressed as by her son!
"Mom, I'm fine. I want to say a few words to Dad. You can listen and see if what I say makes sense." When Zhu Zhanhe heard his mother's voice, he immediately put on a smiling face. All of a sudden, Prince Han, who was closest to Zhu Zhanhe, felt that the air was so good!
"What do you want to say?" Our Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu was also frightened by his son's condition. After recovering from his shock, he looked at his son with an inexplicable look, revealing a complex mix of contemplation, joy, and solemnity. He reached out to take a sip of tea, but it was empty. He touched his beard helplessly.

"Dad, let's go back to our fiefdom in Yunnan." Zhu Zhanhe looked at his father, walked to Prince Han with a serious face, squatted on the ground, and said sternly to his father.

"What? Why? Your grandfather has started to investigate the boss. This is my chance! It's your chance too!" Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu had two things that made him crazy. The first thing was that his son was studying Taoism; the second thing was that his son was thinking about returning to his fiefdom all day long.

At this moment, the Prince of Han looked at his beloved son with a look of confusion and frustration. He couldn't understand why his son, if he became the Crown Prince and, as his favorite son, would inevitably be the future Emperor, always wanted to return to his fiefdom. He questioned his son fiercely. "Dad, on the battlefield, you were a master of strategy, making decisions from afar. But why are you so confused as to become the Crown Prince? You were doomed from the start to lose! Do you understand?" Zhu Zhanhe looked at his father with a look of disappointment, loudly stating this truth that the Prince of Han could not accept.

"You're talking nonsense! Your grandfather promised me!" After hearing this, Prince of Han Zhu Gaoxu became anxious, stood up, and loudly refuted his son in his face.

"What did grandpa say?" Zhu Zhanhe stood up with a wry smile and asked his father in a calm tone.

"He ~, he said: The prince is ill, you should encourage him. Your grandfather told me so in person, he promised me!" When Prince Han said this, he was a little hesitant at first, but soon he looked towards the direction of the palace with a firm look on his face.

Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu's words shocked Princess Han Wei, who was standing beside her. She quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief to prevent herself from making any sound, and kept looking at her own Prince Han with a look of astonishment.

"Dad, you just said that grandpa took away all the memorials from the period when uncle was regent, and wanted to read them all and find faults in uncle's time as regent. You don't trust uncle anymore, right?" Zhu Zhanhe looked at his father, whose face was firm, like a fanatic, and asked in a calm tone.

"Of course it's true, I saw it with my own eyes!" When Prince Han talked about this matter, he saw it with his own eyes, and his face was full of certainty when he said it.

"Dad, have you ever thought about why grandpa is looking for trouble with uncle? Why doesn't he trust uncle?" Zhu Zhanhe looked at his father, came to his side again, helped him sit on the chair, and continued to ask.

"Hmm???" Prince Han was somewhat puzzled by his son's question and looked at Zhu Zhanhe with a frown.

"Dad, have you ever thought about what kind of people need others to cause trouble?" Zhu Zhanhe paused slightly and continued.

"It's because my uncle has no problems that grandpa wants to find trouble with him! If my uncle had problems, then grandpa wouldn't even need to find any problems. He could just get rid of my uncle with any reason or excuse!
It's because there's nothing wrong with uncle! That's why grandpa took all the memorials away, hoping to find some problems among them and then hold uncle accountable. Do you understand, Dad? It's because there's no problem that we need to find it! " Zhu Zhanhe couldn't control his emotions and spoke loudly to his father. His words made Prince Han's heart tighten. He had never thought about the problem from this perspective!
"Dad, do you know why grandpa wants to find trouble with uncle?" Zhu Zhanhe took a few deep breaths, calmed himself down, and looked at his father with doubts.

"Dad, let me tell you." Without waiting for Prince Han to answer, Zhu Zhanhe slowly walked up to his father, Prince Han, looked at him seriously, and continued to speak.

"Dad, the reason Grandpa is picking on Uncle is because he wants to suppress him and use his authority to establish his own. Why doesn't he trust Uncle? It's because Uncle's influence in the entire court is too great! It scares Grandpa!"
"My uncle can be said to be the most powerful faction in the court right now, no one else can, not even my grandfather can compare." Zhu Zhanhe said something that shocked, horrified and confused Prince of Han Zhu Gaoxu, but he didn't end his words. He wanted to make Prince of Han completely sober today!
　Gu Yingtai, a Qing Dynasty historian, commented on Zhu Gaochi in his "Ming History Chronicles" that he was "nominally the crown prince, but in reality the eldest prince; nominally the regent, but in reality the ruler."

　　
　
(End of this chapter)