The Ming Dynasty: The opening scene features Zhu Di angrily accusing him of illegitimate succession.

Seeing that it wasn't a fight, the surrounding diners and vendors immediately gathered around, all craning their necks to watch the spectacle.

As ordinary citizens of the capital, they were quite worldly-wise, so they simply listened to Lin Yue and the Prince of Han's argument, and even offered their comments and jokes from time to time.

"The eldest son succeeding to the throne is an ancestral rule; that statement makes sense!"

"Perhaps it's because the Prince of Han can't bear to part with the good life in Nanjing; how could the bitter cold of Beiping compare to the comfort here?"

"If Your Highness is truly loyal to the Ming Dynasty, you should naturally go and guard the frontier!"

Zhu Gaoxu was furious upon hearing this. Looking at the crowd of onlookers around him, he had no choice but to continue questioning Lin Yue in his impotent rage.

"I am assisting my father in Nanjing, getting close to him and my brothers. Isn't that better than going to Beiping?"

I think it's clearly you who's sowing discord, preventing my father, sons, and brothers from getting together often.

Lin Yue immediately sneered: "Your Highness, don't forget your place when you speak!"

The succession has already been decided. Your presence in the capital as a vassal king only adds to the turmoil in the court.

Lin Yue paced back and forth, then said in a booming voice, "Let me ask you, before the Ming Dynasty, who was the last legitimate heir to the throne?"

Zhu Gaoxu stood there, his brows furrowed, shaking his head blankly. He felt bewildered by the question and his anger intensified.

"Stop playing dumb! I'm asking you why you harmed me, and you're bringing up these irrelevant things!"

Lin Yue ignored the angry glare of the King of Han, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his voice resounding.

"Through a thorough search of historical records, the former Yuan crown prince Ayushiridara could barely be considered a successor to the throne. However, he conspired with Kökö Temür to ​​rebel and force the emperor to abdicate, but the plot failed and he was deposed. Even if he later succeeded to the throne, the Northern Yuan had already lost the empire, so who would recognize him?"

"In a unified dynasty like the Ming Dynasty, where the emperor strictly followed the primogeniture system, such emperors were extremely rare!"

Throughout more than a thousand years, the number of emperors who truly succeeded to the throne in the order of primogeniture in unified dynasties can be counted on one hand!

Lin raised his voice, causing the crowd to gasp.

The Nanjing locals who were watching were quite surprised. It was outrageous! They were actually discussing which eldest son should inherit the throne?

This seems like it carries a risk of death. No way, I need to keep listening.

Surrounded by a group of bloodthirsty enthusiasts, Lin Yue continued in a booming voice.

"The Northern and Southern Dynasties were marked by constant usurpations and killings; Emperor Wen of Sui deposed his eldest son in favor of a younger one, sowing the seeds of the dynasty's downfall; the Xuanwu Gate Incident at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty resulted in bloodshed within the palace; and the Song Dynasty saw frequent succession of brothers and abdication. Which dynasty wasn't plagued by chaos due to the disorder of primogeniture?"

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze piercing Zhu Gaoxu, who was dressed in a prince's python robe, in the crowd, and his voice grew even louder.

"In the past, Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Qi, was the eldest son of Emperor Wen of Han. He succeeded to the throne and carried on the legacy of the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing. He quelled the Rebellion of the Seven States and consolidated the foundation of the state. It has been 1,560 years since then!"

From Emperor Jing of Han onwards, whenever the succession was orderly and the legitimate heirship was established, the country was invariably peaceful and prosperous; conversely, whenever there was vying for the throne and brothers fighting amongst themselves, there was invariably a time when chaos and turmoil ensued!

In unified dynasties, very few emperors who strictly inherited the throne from their eldest son were able to exert normal power. This was mainly concentrated in the Han and Ming dynasties. Other emperors were more or less suspected of getting the throne first and then obtaining it later, or of the eldest son dying suddenly and the emperor taking over the throne.

"Insolence!" Zhu Gaoxu roared angrily.

"How dare you, you brat, speak so presumptuously about royal affairs! What exactly are you trying to say with these veiled accusations?"

His personal guards immediately surrounded him, their hands on the hilts of their swords. The onlookers gasped in fright, but no one stepped back.

Lin Yue showed no fear, but instead stepped forward and angrily rebuked him.

"What do I want to say? I want to say that Your Highness, the Prince of Han, is courting death!"

His Majesty ordered you to be stationed in Beiping in recognition of your merits in the Jingnan Campaign. You lingered in Nanjing, coveting the Eastern Palace. Are you unaware of the disaster that the Jianwen Emperor would bring by reducing the power of the princes?

Your Majesty ascended the throne as a prince from a vassal state, and you are most wary of vassal states interfering in politics!

"If Your Highness insists on staying, do you wish to witness the complete loss of brotherly affection among the Ming imperial family, to see the tragedy of the Xuanwu Gate Incident repeated, to force His Majesty to personally punish his own son, and to plunge the Ming Dynasty into renewed warfare?"

These words struck Zhu Gaoxu's heart with every single one.

Although he was arrogant, he knew that Zhu Di was ruthless and decisive. Back then, the fate of Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Yunwen, was unknown, and the blood of Jianwen's former officials flowed like rivers. If he really angered his father, he might not have a good end.

Zhu Gaoxu had long suspected what the Yongle Emperor was thinking, but he simply held onto hope.

After all, Zhu Di had indeed said, "The Crown Prince is often ill; you should encourage him..."

Zhu Gaoxu's face turned pale and then red, speechless after being rebuked. His clenched fists bulged with veins, and he glared angrily, seemingly ready to explode on the spot.

Lin Yue was so excited that she didn't notice his anger. Instead, she thought for a moment and then made a promise to Zhu Gaoxu.

"Why should Your Highness be confined to the world? I have heard that Your Majesty is planning Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean, which will take you to various countries overseas and expand the vast sea frontier. You have always intended to establish vassal states overseas!"

Beiping is a strategically important border region. If Your Highness is willing to accept the imperial decree and take up your post, you can reorganize the border troops, resist the Mongols, and send people to assist Zheng He in exploring fertile lands overseas. Once you have made an unparalleled contribution, how could His Majesty treat you unfairly?

At that time, a wealthy overseas land will be chosen, and His Highness will be enfeoffed as a powerful vassal king with a territory of thousands of miles and independent military and political power. There will be no court disputes, and the title can be passed on to his descendants. This is much better than being trapped in Nanjing and living in fear.

There are countless prosperous lands in the world. If Your Highness possesses unparalleled martial arts skills, you might be able to establish a empire even larger than the Ming Dynasty.

The anger on Zhu Gaoxu's face gradually faded. After a long silence, he looked at the majestic palace walls of Nanjing and sighed in a low voice.

"I hope it's as you say."

He glared at Lin Yue, then turned and shouted, "Set off for Beiping immediately!"

Zhu Gaochi didn't really believe that Zhu Di would grant fiefdoms; he simply didn't want to rebel.

Just as much Zhu Di feared Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Gaochi feared Zhu Di just as much.

Zhu Gaoxu mounted his horse, looked away from the crowd, and prepared to leave.

"Your Highness, please wait!"

Lin Yue immediately stopped him, pointing to the scattered wontons at his feet.

"Your Highness just arrived in a rage, disturbing the people's mealtime and even overturning my dinner. Do you intend to leave without paying a single penny in compensation?"

When Zhu Gaoxu grabbed Lin Yue by the collar, he used too much force and overturned the table.

To be honest, Lin Yue's salary was almost gone, and the money for this bowl of wontons was all he had. He simply didn't have the money to buy another bowl.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu's suppressed anger flared up again, and he turned around to glare at him: "How dare you insult me ​​like this?"

He was about to lash out when his gaze swept over Lin Yue's tattered blue robe.

Looking at the Chen father and daughter beside him, dressed in rags and looking pale, Zhu Gaoxu's anger inexplicably dissipated.

Even the usually bold and hot-tempered Prince Zhu Gaoxu was rendered speechless by Lin Yue.

Zhu Gaoxu took out three gold beans from the brocade pouch at his waist, flicked them with his knuckles, and the gold beans clattered onto the table.

"What a sharp-tongued scholar! He does have some courage for the country and its people. This little bit of gold is enough for you to eat for another ten or eight meals."

Zhu Gaoxu said no more, and cracked his whip, shouting, "Go!"

The sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, and the dust raised obscured the twilight.

Seeing Zhu Gaoxu leave, Zhang, the wonton vendor, hurriedly stepped forward and said with a smile, "Your Excellency is truly blessed! These are golden beans bestowed by the imperial court. I will immediately cook you three more bowls of wontons and two more plates of steamed buns!"

Lin Yue was overjoyed and handed him a gold bean: "This gold bean is enough to pay the bill. Please accept it as compensation for the dishes that were spilled earlier. Put the extra on your tab. Your wontons are quite delicious. I'll come here often in the future."

Boss Zhang took the gold beans, weighed them in his hand, and beamed with joy: "That's enough, that's enough!"

"Please wait a moment, sir, I'll prepare your food right away!"