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

"Has I also passed away from illness?"

Zhu Biao's tone was heavy.

If that's the case, then it's understandable that Lan Yu was accused of treason.

The crown prince suddenly died of illness, the emperor was old, and the heir apparent was young.

Faced with arrogant and fierce soldiers, it is not surprising that the emperor would resort to violence to protect the crown prince.

Lan Yu's personality naturally made him the scapegoat.

However, he passed away from illness.

Shouldn't the second son, Prince Qin, Zhu Shuang, be made crown prince?

Why was Yunwen chosen as the crown prince?

Could it be that all the legitimate sons are dead? It seems like only this can explain it.

"Given this background, I'm afraid I can't change Father's mind."

Zhu Biao sighed softly and looked at Lan Chen.

If anyone is to blame, it's Lan Chen's father's personality.

If Lan Yu had been more restrained, at least his whole family wouldn't have suffered like this.

"However, I will try my best to advise Father Emperor that if I cannot save Lan Yu, I may be able to save your life."

The killing of Lan Yu was to pave the way for the crown prince.

Although he was kind, he also understood that there were some things that were not the time for excessive compassion.

There are countless examples of new emperors who were overthrown by powerful ministers because they lacked prestige.

Because there were so many examples, the Song Dynasty began to use civil officials to control the military.

By the Yuan Dynasty, the situation had returned to that of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, where whoever held military power became emperor.

The Yuan Dynasty lasted for a hundred years and had fourteen emperors.

Kublai Khan, the Yuan Dynasty's founder, reigned for 35 years, which accounted for one-third of the Yuan Dynasty's history.

In other words, the Yuan Dynasty had fourteen emperors in its sixty-year reign.

Replacing them every few years is the consequence of not having checks and balances on military commanders.

My father's actions were also for the sake of the people.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Zhu Biao waved his hand: "Consider this a thank-you gift. I will pay close attention to the matter you instructed me to discuss."

"However, I cannot guarantee that this matter will definitely succeed."

Lan Chen has mastered a magical technique.

In addition, Lan Chen is not proficient in either literature or martial arts, and his abilities are mediocre.

Keeping such a person around shouldn't be a big problem.

Sometimes being mediocre isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Zhu Biao immediately prepared to take the two back to Kunning Palace.

……

Inside the Kunning Palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang tirelessly recounted events that would happen in the future.

In the case of Guo Huan, the emperor was enraged and executed tens of thousands of corrupt officials, restoring order and justice to the court.

The Battle of Buyur Lake completely wiped out the political forces of the Yuan court, causing it to disintegrate.

Completely cut off their chance to start over.

"We originally thought that in a few years, we could hand over all the affairs of state to Biao'er."

"Then we can enjoy our old age in peace, and reunite with our parents, elder brother, and sister in the afterlife."

Empress Ma listened to Zhu Yuanzhang's story.

She could vaguely sense that Zhu Yuanzhang was hiding something.

"But something happened to Biao'er?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Yes, last year, Biao'er also left us to go find you."

Upon hearing this, Empress Ma felt a pang of regret, but there was nothing she could do.

Even if she didn't want to, she couldn't stop matters of life and death.

She felt more sorry for Zhu Yuanzhang than for Zhu Biao.

He lost his parents in his youth, his wife in middle age, and his son in his old age.

"Girl, you don't need to worry too much. That kid Lan Chen said that there will be a miracle doctor in the future."

"Once we find that miracle doctor, we'll have him cure your illness so that you and Xiong Ying... can live."

It's like trying to heal the wounds of my past self.

Empress Ma did not respond upon hearing this.

More than whether she could change her fate and survive, she was concerned about Biao'er's death.

What should be done about the fate of the nation?

"Zhongba, since some things have already happened, don't look back, look forward more."

"Does that mean Shuang'er will inherit the position of Crown Prince?"

Logically speaking...

With the eldest son deceased, the position of crown prince should rightfully be inherited by the second son.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately became angry: "Sister, don't talk to us about that bastard!"

"Make him the crown prince? We've already chosen Huhai!"

Because Prince Zhu Shuang's misdeeds began after he was enfeoffed in the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign.

Only then did the true nature of the prototype gradually come to light.

Therefore, Empress Ma did not know what Zhu Shuang had done to anger Zhu Yuanzhang so much.

"Is Shuang'er really that bad?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, "More than just despicable, he's a beast."

At this moment, Zhu Biao, Lan Chen, and Jiang Huan returned to Kunning Palace.

As soon as I went inside.

Zhu Biao then heard his father cursing.

So he asked, "Father, what's wrong?"

Zhu Yuanzhang explained, "Biao'er, we're not insulting you, we're insulting the second son."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao asked, "Second brother? Tell me, Father, why didn't you pass the throne to your second brother after my death?"

"Instead, the position of crown prince was given to Yunwen?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Lan Chen.

"You knew all along?"

Zhu Biao nodded.

Empress Ma, standing to the side, was also somewhat surprised.

The crown prince is actually Zhu Yunwen?

"Zhongba, what's going on? According to the rules of etiquette, it shouldn't be Yunwen's turn, a grandson, right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed softly.

"Girl, don't worry, you'll understand once I finish explaining."

"Where were we talking about earlier?"

Zhu Biao spoke up to remind him, "You said my second brother is a beast."

"Oh right, the second son was just pretending to be well-behaved and sensible right under our noses, but once he went to the vassal state, his true colors were revealed."

"Since leaving the feudal domain."

"They used counterfeit money to force people to buy things for profit, and not only that, they forced their soldiers and civilians to sell their children to fund their extravagance."

Are they forcing people to sell their children?

This alone made both Empress Ma and Zhu Biao frown.

"How could this be so absurd?"

"Hmph, this isn't the end of it. They thought the women in Xi'an were too big, so they sent men to Yangzhou to kidnap women and then dumped their bodies in a well."

"The palace servants were frequently tortured with cruel methods, such as cutting out their tongues, burying them alive in the snow, tying them to trees to starve to death, burning them alive, and gouging out their kneecaps."

"Girl, Biao'er, do you think we don't want to give him the title of Crown Prince?"

"How can you expect us to make him the crown prince?"

"We can't allow that. The second emperor of our Great Ming Dynasty was Huhai."

They didn't expect it either.

Zhu Shuang has actually turned out like this.

When he was in the capital, Zhu Shuang did not seem to have done this.

"Fortunately, Lan Chen told us that in two years, this kid will be poisoned to death by three old women who have been tormented by him."

"I suppose he deserved it."

Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to change the fate of his father, mother, Empress Ma, Zhu Xiong Ying, Zhu Biao, Zhu Gang, and others.

These are all his family members.

Unfortunately, these people's fates are hard to change.

The father, not wanting to affect his fate, preferred to starve to death.

Meizi, Biao'er, Lao San, and others all passed away due to illness.

If it could be cured, why would he have died?

He died because he couldn't be cured.

But he didn't know how to cure their illness.

Therefore, there was nothing that could be done.

Only Zhu Shuang.

He has the ability to change things.

Changing Zhu Shuang's fate is very simple.

Just tell Zhu Shuang to keep an eye on those three old women.

However, given Zhu Shuang's personality, even without those three old women, there would still be people who wanted to kill him.

As a father, he couldn't possibly order his son to be killed for that reason.

Regarding the matter of the three women poisoning Zhu Shuang, all he could do was not pursue the matter.