Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

Zhu Su pulled Zhu Hui to sit down in the main hall, and Qingmei brought out tea.

"Second Brother, this mansion used to be mine. I moved in a hurry and didn't take some things with me. Please see if it's suitable for you. If not, I'll have someone move it out," Zhu Su said.

Zhu Li took a sip of tea and said, "Anything is fine, I'm not picky."

"You can't not pick them. You are now the King of Wu, so you have to have the proper pomp and circumstance. The guards that your elder brother has picked for you are all elites from the Imperial Guard. You have to inspect them from time to time and let them know who their master is."

Zhu Su said solemnly.

Zhu Hui nodded and said, "Understood."

"Also, there are many twists and turns in Yingtian Prefecture. Some civil officials like to nitpick. You don't need to pay attention to them. If you need anything, just ask your elder brother."

Zhu Su lowered his voice and continued, "My elder brother looks gentle, but he's quite shrewd! Two years ago, an imperial censor impeached me for being extravagant, and my elder brother told me to my face that my sixth brother was too young to care about such a trivial matter."

He then ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate the evidence of the censor's bribery and exiled him three thousand li away.

He spoke with great enthusiasm, and Zhu Li listened attentively.

"Big brother...is he that amazing?"

"Of course! Father said to kill, but my elder brother advised, 'Exterminating three generations is enough.' All the civil and military officials praised the Crown Prince for his benevolence, but if you do the math, the three generations include his students, former officials, and relatives by marriage. If you really kill them, it's not much different from killing nine generations."

Zhu Su slapped his thigh.

Zhu Hui blinked. No wonder Zhu Biao in his previous life was able to help Zhu Yuanzhang handle three major cases.

As the two were talking, they heard footsteps outside.

Zhang Han and Chen Nian walked in side by side, clasped their hands and said, "Your Highness, the guards have assembled. Please give your instructions."

Zhu Li put down his teacup and asked in confusion, "Instructions...instructions on what?"

Zhu Su nudged him, saying, "Second brother, go and take a look. You should at least recognize the people."

Zhu Hui had no choice but to get up and follow the two to the front yard.

Two hundred people stood neatly in the courtyard, all dressed in uniform gray-blue outfits, with long swords at their waists. They stood ramrod straight, their eyes sharp.

Upon seeing Zhu Hui emerge, they all clasped their hands in greeting and said, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

The sound was like a booming bell, causing dust to fall from the eaves.

Zhu Hui was a little confused by the scene, scratched his head and said, "Um... hello everyone."

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The guards: "..."

Zhang Han cleared his throat and stepped forward, saying, "Your Highness, according to custom, a new ruler must inspect the military equipment upon assuming office. May we allow the brothers to give a demonstration?"

Zhu Hui nodded: "Okay, let's practice."

Zhang Han turned around and loudly ordered, "Form ranks!"

Two hundred guards quickly dispersed and formed an offensive and defensive formation.

The flashing blades, the synchronized steps, and the clean, crisp movements clearly indicated that they were all trained martial artists.

Zhu Hui looked at it and found it quite interesting.

He always fought straightforwardly in the mountains; he'd never seen so many fancy moves before.

After rehearsing one formation, Zhang Han asked, "Your Highness, could you please offer some guidance?"

There's a hint of probing in those words.

They were all elite members of the Imperial Guard, and being assigned to guard a prince who grew up in the mountains, they were somewhat resentful.

Although I dare not openly provoke him, I must test the waters of this new master.

Zhu Hui didn't catch the hidden meaning and honestly replied, "What guidance do you need! I don't understand formations."

Chen Nian laughed and said, "Your Highness's divine power is astonishing. Why not show us your skills and let the brothers see for themselves?"

Even Zhu Su could tell now. He frowned and was about to speak when Zhu Hui nodded.

"Show me your skills... Sure."

He looked around, and finally his gaze fell on the large water vat in the corner of the yard.

The vat was carved from bluestone, about half a person's height, and filled with water, with several red carp living in it.

"That'll do," Zhu Li said, walking to the water vat.

The guards looked at each other in bewilderment.

This vat weighs at least a thousand pounds. It would be quite difficult for an ordinary martial artist to lift it. Does Your Highness intend to lift the vat?

Zhu Li did not lift the jar.

He raised his right hand and made a sweeping motion in the air.

The movements were light and airy, like swatting away mosquitoes.

Then...

boom!

An invisible force swept past, and the water vat remained motionless, but the water inside... neatly split in the middle.

It wasn't that they were pushed apart, but rather that they were separated by a transparent wall, with the two halves of water completely isolated from each other, and the fish darting around in panic on their respective sides.

Even more remarkably, at the point where the water parted, a thin stream of water shot straight up, rising three zhang (approximately 10 meters) high, condensing in mid-air without dissipating, and refracting seven colors of light under the sunlight.

The courtyard was completely silent.

The guards stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape.

Zhang Han and Chen Nian turned pale, and cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.

They were also skilled in martial arts, but what they were witnessing was beyond their comprehension.

To separate water from a distance and condense it into lines... what level of skill is that?

Zhu Su was also stunned, and after a long while, he murmured, "Second Brother... what is this...?"

Zhu Li withdrew his hand, the water line cascaded down, the water tank returned to its original state, and the fish were still circling in panic.

"Is this alright?" he asked, turning his head.

The guards all knelt on one knee in unison, their voices trembling as they said, "Your Highness is truly awe-inspiring!"

I'm truly impressed now.

Zhu Hui waved his hand and said, "Get up, all of you. From now on, the safety of the manor will depend on you."

"We swear to protect His Highness to the death!" the two hundred men responded in unison.

Zhu Su pulled Zhu Hui back, whispering as they walked, "Second Brother, how did you learn that move just now?"

"I don't know, I just learned it naturally," Zhu Li said honestly.

He genuinely didn't know.

The axe and shield's abilities are as natural as breathing; they can be used whenever desired. As for the underlying principles... who cares about the principles of breathing...?

When the two returned to the main hall, Uncle Fu had already directed people to put the things away.

Green plum served some snacks, and green bamboo added hot tea.

Zhu Su ate a piece of osmanthus cake and suddenly said, "Second Brother, Father has made arrangements for your adoptive parents. They're at the Zheng residence on the next street, less than an incense stick's distance away. Do you want to go and see them now?"

Zhu Hui's eyes lit up. "They've already arrived in Yingtian. Can we go now?"

"Sure! I'll go with you."

……

The Zheng residence was much smaller than the Wu Prince's Mansion, but it was still a well-organized two-courtyard house.

When Zhu Li entered, Zheng Dazhu was squatting by the well drawing water, Zheng Huangshi was busy in the kitchen, and Zheng Daya was chasing a tabby cat in the yard.

"Father! Mother! Yaya!" Zhu Li called out.

The three of them turned around at the same time.

"Liu'er! How are you... getting used to the new place?" Zheng Huangshi threw down the spatula and ran over, grabbing his hand and looking him up and down.

"I'm used to it, Dad. Is this place alright?" Zhu Hui smiled and then looked at Zheng Dazhu.

Zheng Dazhu rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "Great, fantastic! We've never lived in such a nice house in the mountains before."

Zheng Daya rushed over and hugged his waist, saying, "Brother! They sell candied hawthorns here! Mom bought me some!"

Zhu Li patted her head and asked, "Is it delicious?"

"Delicious! I'll buy it again tomorrow!"

Zhu Su watched from the side, a smile on his face.

He could tell that this family had a really good relationship.

Zheng Huangshi insisted that they stay for dinner, and Zhu Li did not refuse.

Lunch was simple, four dishes and a soup, but the taste was comforting.

At the dinner table, Zheng Dazhu cautiously asked, "Li'er, you're a prince now. From now on... will you still acknowledge us as your father?"

Zhu Hui put down his bowl and said earnestly, "Father, you will always be my father. Without you, I would have starved to death in the mountains long ago."

Zheng Dazhu's eyes reddened, and he lowered his head to eat, saying, "Okay, okay..."

After finishing their meal, Zhu Hui sat for a while longer before leaving with Zhu Su.

On the way back to the Prince of Wu's residence, Zhu Su suddenly said, "Second brother, your adoptive parents are truly good to you."

"Mm." Zhu Li nodded.

"Then we must protect them well. There are many people in Yingtian Prefecture, and some of them... have ulterior motives," Zhu Su said.

Zhu Hui turned to look at him: "Who...?"

"Not now, and it's hard to say in the future, but don't worry, with your elder brother here and me here, no one will dare to touch your family," Zhu Su said with a smile.

He spoke casually, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes that seemed beyond his years.

Zhu Li didn't see it.

He simply nodded, making the sentence a mental note.

……

Zhu Biao arrived in the evening.

He entered the Wu King's Palace alone, without any attendants, as if he were visiting a neighbor.

"Big brother." Zhu Li was sitting in the courtyard watching the sunset. When he saw him coming, he got up to greet him.

"Sit down, don't be shy. Is everything settled?" Zhu Biao sat down next to him and looked around.

"All done, Lao Liu was a great help."

"Sixth Brother is kind-hearted. Keep this. It allows you to enter the palace at any time without needing to report," Zhu Biao said with a smile, taking out a token from his sleeve.

The token was cast from black iron and engraved with a five-clawed dragon.

Zhu Hui took it; it felt heavy in his hand.

"Are the guards finding them easy to use?" Zhu Biao asked again.

"They're all pretty good, and they're easy to use."

"Zhang Han and Chen Nian were specially chosen by me. They are not only skilled in martial arts, but also loyal. However, you must remember that they are ultimately outsiders. The ones you can truly trust are your own people," Zhu Biao said after a pause.

Zhu Li nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Seeing his expression, Zhu Biao smiled and said, "It's alright if you don't understand. You'll understand eventually. Your father said that in a few days you'll attend court and listen to government affairs, so you can get familiar with it first."

"Attend court? I know nothing about that!"

"You don't need to understand, just sit and listen. With me and Dad here, no one will dare to make things difficult for you." Zhu Biao patted his shoulder.

He spoke casually, but Zhu Hui could hear the weight in his words.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them.

In the corner of the courtyard, the large water vat stood quietly, with red carp swimming leisurely inside.

Everything was peaceful.

But under the cover of night in Yingtian Prefecture, some people have already begun to have their own ideas.