The Ming Dynasty: Starting with taking Old Zhu on a journey to the future

Although Zhu Yunwen was young, his skills were not as good as those of the elderly Zhu Yuanzhang.

Seeing that Zhu Yunwen was also preparing to board the ship, Zhu Yuanzhang slowly said, "Yunwen, we can go with Jiang Huan, you don't need to go."

The emperor and the crown prince cannot ride on the same boat at the same time.

It is impossible to determine whether this ship is heading towards the future or towards the underworld.

If the emperor and the crown prince were on the same boat, and the boat capsized, the Ming Dynasty would be leaderless and inevitably descend into endless strife.

Therefore, it would be better for Zhu Yunwen, as the crown prince, to remain in power for the time being.

I am already sixty-six years old.

It's already an age when one's halfway to the grave.

"Then I will wait here for my grandfather to return."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Lan Chen, his face expressionless, and instructed him:

"If we don't come back, then according to our plan, we'll eliminate Lan Yu, Fu Youde, Feng Sheng, Zhang Wen, Cao Zhen, Zhang Yi, Zhu Shou, Wang Bi, He Rong, and everyone else who might threaten you."

"Don't be soft-hearted or indecisive, understand?"

Hearing these words, Lan Chen naturally understood Zhu Yuanzhang's intention.

If anything happens to him, his whole family will die.

"I will obey my grandfather's words."

Lan Chen and Jiang Huan boarded the ship one after the other.

Driven by the wind.

The boat slowly sailed out of the palace.

Zhu Yunwen then escorted them away.

When the ship arrived at the entrance of Fengtian Hall, it disappeared into Fengtian Hall after passing through a light blue vortex gate.

……

The fourth year of the Jianwen reign.

When Zhu Yuanzhang opened his eyes again.

They have already left the Fengtian Hall.

Before Lan Chen could react, the ship vanished.

Looking around, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned: "Kid, are you playing us?"

"Is this what you meant by traveling to the future?!"

Lan Chen looked around at the surroundings. The ground was full of mud, like a flood discharge channel.

Faced with Zhu Yuanzhang's questioning, Lan Chen replied, "Your Majesty, how do you know this isn't time travel to the future?"

To be honest, I don't even know where this is.

How did Old Zhu know it wasn't time travel to the future?

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered: "You call taking us from the Fengtian Palace to the sewers your idea of ​​time travel?"

"The sewers? Your Majesty, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Zhu Yuanzhang touched the stone bricks here and looked at the names engraved on them.

"Mistaken? We designed the palace ourselves, how could we possibly be mistaken?"

The palace was his residence.

Naturally, he didn't trust others to design the palace, so he participated in its design and construction.

This naturally includes the water conservancy projects of the entire imperial city.

"Jiang Huan, kill him!"

Without saying a word, Jiang Huan drew his sword and was about to strike.

Lan Chen quickly said, "Ahem, since His Majesty personally designed and supervised the construction of the sewers, he should know where the exit is, right?"

"It's not too late for His Majesty to behead me after we get out."

Jiang Huan looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, awaiting his instructions.

After a moment's hesitation, Zhu Yuanzhang led Lan Chen and Jiang Huan to find an exit.

Fortunately, the underground drainage system was designed and built with the participation of Zhu Yuanzhang.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang was aware of its export.

As the three of them reached a corner, they saw several figures brush past each other.

They fled down another passage.

Looking at the footprints left in the mud.

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment.

"A monk?"

That's strange. The people responsible for cleaning the underground flood discharge channels should have been eunuchs.

Why are there monks here?

Although the status of monks in the Ming Dynasty was not as high as in the Yuan Dynasty, they should not have been reduced to being workers who cleaned up silt.

Although I couldn't see what the person looked like.

However, his clothing was indeed that of a monk, and his head was bald.

Lan Chen, who was standing to the side, watched this scene and seemed to have thought of something.

That bald monk.

Could it be the Jianwen Emperor?

According to popular legend, after Zhu Di captured Yingtianfu, Zhu Yunwen did not die. Instead, he escaped Yingtianfu using the shaving knife and monk's robe left by Zhu Yuanzhang, as well as a secret passage set up by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Obviously, Zhu Yuanzhang could not have actually designed an escape route when building the palace.

Rather than saying this was an escape route specially set up by Zhu Yuanzhang, it is more accurate to say that this was a way to escape.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that this is actually a sewer.

Zhu Yunwen escaped from Yingtian Prefecture through this sewer.

If that's the explanation, then it makes sense.

As the crown prince, Zhu Yunwen must have known about the underground water conservancy hub in the imperial palace, which was personally built by Zhu Yuanzhang.

On the contrary, Zhu Di was enfeoffed as a prince after he came of age.

Therefore, the underground water conservancy channels of the palace are unknown.

By the time Zhu Di ascended the throne and learned of the palace layout, it was already too late.

Zhu Yunwen shaved his head and fled.

This means that it is now the fourth year of the Jianwen reign, the day Zhu Di captured Yingtian Prefecture.

Lan Chen looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Your Majesty, how about we wait a while before returning?"

Anytime would be fine, why this particular time?

If Zhu Di were to see that Zhu Yuanzhang was still alive...

I'm afraid Old Zhu will have to die again.

Regardless of whether Zhu Di had the courage to kill Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yuanzhang had to die.

When Zhu Di captured Yingtianfu, every soldier under his command was waiting for him to ascend the throne and become emperor.

Waiting for the merit of following the emperor, waiting for wealth and glory.

The emergence of Zhu Yuanzhang was an obstacle on Zhu Di's path to the throne.

These are the obstacles that prevent these meritorious soldiers from achieving wealth and glory.

Zhu Di might not take action himself, but someone else would definitely do it for him.

Even if Zhu Di were to settle scores with those who murdered Zhu Yuanzhang, there would still be people willing to do it.

If Zhu Yuanzhang had not died, all the generals and soldiers who followed Zhu Di in the Jingnan Campaign would have been rebels, not founding heroes.

Zhu Di was afraid of Zhu Yuanzhang.

The soldiers under Zhu Di's command might not be so certain.

Of course, Zhu Yuanzhang could also pass the throne back to Zhu Di, thus making Zhu Di the legitimate successor.

This would naturally relieve Zhu Yuanzhang's life of worry.

But given Zhu Yuanzhang's personality, that's probably unlikely.

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned: "Why were you telling us to go out and take a look just now, but now you're stopping us?"

Lan Chen pondered for a moment, then explained, "If Your Majesty were to leave this sewer..."

"I'm afraid that swords will be held to His Majesty's neck."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang and Jiang Huan both stopped in their tracks.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Jiang Huan turned to look at Lan Chen.

After a moment of silence, he calmly said, "This is Yingtian Prefecture. Who dares to put a knife to our throats? Who has the guts?"

"Let's go, kid. Don't try anything funny with me."

If Zhu Yuanzhang were to die.

He himself would also die; Zhu Di was not a soft-hearted person.

Lan Chen sighed softly, "Your Majesty, you must have seen that fleeing monk just now, right?"

monk?

"I saw it, but what does that have to do with us?"

Lan Chen said with a serious expression, "It's dark here, so His Majesty probably couldn't see clearly, but I can tell you."

"That monk from earlier was Jianwen."

Who is Jianwen? Zhu Yuanzhang was full of doubt.

"Your Majesty may also address him as Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen."

A profound silence fell over the air.