Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

The following day, at the Eastern Palace.

"Ugh!"

"Your uncle can only count on you this time."

Lan Yu, leaning on a cane and dragging her still-recovering body, sought an audience with the Crown Prince's principal wife, Lady Chang.

Upon hearing this, Madam Chang frowned, a faint sorrow appearing on her beautiful face, no longer displaying the heroic spirit of a daughter of a military family.

"You should speak up for your uncle in front of the Crown Prince."

"But Uncle..."

Before Lady Chang could finish speaking, a sharp shout came from outside the hall: "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

Lan Yu immediately stood up with his cane, and when Madam Chang heard that Zhu Biao had arrived, a look of panic flashed in her eyes.

"Tap tap..."

Accompanied by a cacophony of footsteps, Zhu Biao led a group of imperial guards into the hall.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Madam Chang quickly bowed and greeted them.

"Clatter!"

Lan Yu threw away her crutch, enduring the pain from her waist wound, and bowed in respect.

For many years, Crown Prince Zhu Biao assisted Zhu Yuanzhang in governing the country, establishing his reputation as the heir apparent both inside and outside the court. Even a fierce general like Lan Yu dared not act recklessly in front of him.

"Whoa!!!"

Zhu Biao flicked his sleeve, placed his right hand on his hip, and pointed two fingers at Lan Yu with his left: "Take him down!"

"Clang!"

The Imperial Guards on both sides immediately stepped forward to arrest Lan Yu.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness."

The Crown Prince's principal wife, Lady Chang, immediately changed color, knelt down on the ground, and pleaded desperately, "Your Majesty, I beg you, he is my maternal uncle."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao could no longer suppress his anger. He stared at Lan Yu and said angrily, "You are my uncle, my elder. Relatives should protect each other. I cannot punish you, but judging from your behavior, you will suffer a great disaster sooner or later, bringing misfortune upon your family."

"Today, I will teach you a lesson on behalf of the late Prince Zhongwu of Kaiping."

"I can endure being beaten or killed, but I don't think I'm wrong. I just want to know from them where these Yuan people went."

Lan Yu, her neck stiff and face flushed, argued for herself.

"Uncle, stop talking."

Madam Chang was already exasperated by her own maternal uncle's stupidity; what was the point of arguing about right and wrong at this point?

"You've gone too far!"

Zhu Biao's lips turned white with anger, and he shouted, "Take him away and give him a hundred lashes. Beat him hard so he remembers the pain he felt today."

"Your Highness."

Chang's face paled. After a hundred strokes of the military rod, Lan Yu would probably only have half a life left.

The Imperial Guards on both sides had stern faces, and several of them grabbed Lan Yu and dragged him outside.

"Slow down, I'm injured."

Lan Yu's movements were too large, which aggravated the wound on her abdomen, causing her to groan and curse in pain.

And so, the Imperial Guards escorted Lan Yu to the open space outside the palace, stripped him of his outer garments, and forced him, shirtless, onto a long bench.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In an instant, the dull thuds of clubs striking bodies echoed all around.

"Go ahead and fight!"

Lan Yu did not beg for mercy at all, but roared loudly.

An eunuch brought over a grand chair, and Zhu Biao sat upright in it, resting his chin on his hand as he scrutinized the scene before him.

"Your Highness, I beg you, please stop hitting me."

As Chang watched Lan Yu being beaten until he was covered in blood, she grabbed Zhu Biao's clothes and kept pleading.

"Go ahead and hit me, come on, hit me."

"roar!!!"

Lan Yu held the military baton firmly, his eyes were bloodshot, and he let out a chilling roar.

"beat!"

Zhu Biao's anger grew even stronger as he watched. This fool who deserved to be in the library.

Just then, the Crown Prince's concubine, Lady Lü, walked to the connecting corridor. Upon hearing this, she quickly instructed her personal maid, "Fu'er, take Yunwen and the others back first."

"Yes."

The personal maid, Fu'er, said softly to Zhu Yunwen, "Your Highness, let's go."

As she spoke, she took Zhu Yunwen's small hand and turned back to the side hall of the East Palace, while Lady Lü strode towards the source of the sound.

"Your Majesty!"

Seeing that she could not persuade Zhu Biao, Lady Chang got up to protect Lan Yu, but was blocked by the eunuchs of the Eastern Palace.

"Get out of the way!"

"Your Majesty, this servant kneels before you."

The eunuch of the Eastern Palace knelt down in front of Lady Chang.

"Stop! Don't hit him anymore!"

Madam Chang watched as Lan Yu was beaten until his skin was torn open and his voice was hoarse from screaming.

"Your Majesty, I dare not, Your Majesty, I beg you."

The eunuchs of the Eastern Palace knelt and begged Chang Shi, and no one dared to stop until the Crown Prince gave the order.

"elder sister."

Lu rushed forward and helped Chang up.

"Sister, go and beg His Highness."

At this moment, Lady Chang grasped at a straw as if it were a lifeline, and told anyone who came to ask her to beg Crown Prince Zhu Biao to stop.

Upon seeing this, a strange look flashed in Lady Lü's eyes. She quickly knelt down in front of Zhu Biao and pleaded, "Your Highness, you can't beat him anymore. General Lan is, after all, my sister's maternal uncle. It won't look good for my sister and the eldest grandson of the emperor if he is tortured like this."

"A woman's view."

Zhu Biao rebuked him, "You're an educated person too."

"Little Ci is the thief of Great Ci, don't you understand? Get out of here."

"Yes."

Lady Lü dared not say anything more and stood by her side.

Inside the Eastern Palace, Lan Yu's roar, Crown Princess Chang's wailing, and the muffled thuds of being struck with sticks mingled together. Crown Prince Zhu Biao watched as the Imperial Guards finished delivering one hundred lashes before ordering them to stop.

"Blue Jade".

"You are the brother-in-law of the late Prince Zhongwu Kaiping, the maternal uncle of the Crown Princess, and the maternal uncle of Xiong Ying."

"Today, I will administer this hundred lashes to teach you that one must never lose one's sense of awe."

"You can return to the army when you've figured this out."

"Someone, escort him back to his residence."

Zhu Biao waved his hand and gave the order in a cold voice.

"Yes."

Several imperial guards carried the still-sturdy Lan Yu away from the East Palace, heading towards the Lan residence.

"The Chang family."

"Go to the Imperial Hospital yourself and send a few imperial physicians to the Lan residence to treat the wounded."

Zhu Biao turned to look at Madam Chang, a flash of pity crossing his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I obey."

Lady Chang bowed her head in a respectful but somewhat distant manner. This daughter of a military family was deeply dissatisfied with Crown Prince Zhu Biao's ruthless treatment and was using this method to rebel.

"The Lü family."

"I am staying in the side hall today."

Zhu Biao understood Chang's attitude and then spoke to Lü.

"Yes."

Lady Lü glanced at Lady Chang out of the corner of her eye and responded.

............

Kunning Palace, separated by only one wall.

I'm talking about Zhu Chongba.

"Instead of dealing with state affairs, you've come here to eavesdrop."

Empress Ma rolled her eyes and said irritably.

"Woman"

"Listen to that sound, it's quite loud."

Zhu Yuanzhang commented with great interest: "That dog Lan Yu didn't learn any skills, but he did learn all of Bo Ren's bad habits. He can fight and kill, he's stubborn, and he has a bad temper. I have to let the eldest son teach him a lesson, so he won't act like he's the boss all day long and I'm the second-in-command."

"You've had your fill of hearing this."

"Lei Du let the eldest brother take the blame for you, after all, he's Chang's maternal uncle."

Empress Ma showed Zhu Yuanzhang an even worse attitude, and after all this commotion, the Eastern Palace was able to have some peace and quiet.

"I will approve the memorial."

Zhu Yuanzhang touched the bridge of his nose, made an excuse to leave Kunning Palace. If he stayed any longer, he would be scolded by Empress Ma again, which was no fun at all.