Father can be an enemy country

Chapter 1351: Daddy
In Wuying Palace.

"It's a pity that Bo Ren died early and Tian De failed. In the end, it was my son who was granted the title of Lord of the Wolf's Lair. That's very good." Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard with satisfaction. He was even happier than the last time he heard the news of the great victory.

"But no matter what, you should have informed us first." Zhu Yuanzhang rolled his eyes at the prince with some resentment and said, "Otherwise, it always feels like you guys are plotting something behind our backs."

"How could that be?" The prince laughed and said, "It won't happen again."

"Will it not happen again? Let's see if you dare to do it next time." Zhu Yuanzhang curled his lips, turned to the second page of the report, and saw the eulogy read by Lao Liu.

"Is this used in the Fengshan ceremony?" Zhu Yuanzhang picked up the article.

"Yes." The prince said, "Please have a look, Father."

"The sacrifice to heaven has already been completed. What's the point of us reviewing it?" Boss Zhu muttered. Having said that, he still asked the on-duty bachelor of studies to read it to him.

The old Hanlin picked up the memorial and read it in a rhythmic manner:

"…Our emperor succeeded the heaven and established the throne, passed down the rule and protected the people. He obeyed the will of heaven and sent troops to the north to drive out the barbarians, recover the sixteen states of Yanyun, and restore the territory of China. He cleared up the world, saved the people from suffering, and restored the majesty of China…"

"… When the Sanmiao rebelled, Dayu led an army to fight against them; when the Xianyun invaded, Xuanwei launched a northern expedition. My emperor has specially ordered me to lead an army to the north to eliminate cruelty and violence, and to raise an army to punish the culprits!"

"…He led his officers and men to show their loyalty and dedication, and his soldiers fought bravely to be the first. His military prestige shocked the enemy court, and his morale soared across the vast sea! As a result, his soldiers won without fighting, and the enemy had no fear of fighting!"

"Great, great!" Zhu Yuanzhang became more and more excited as he read. He could not help but applaud and said loudly, "It is so well written. It is fitting that there will be this grand ceremony and this magnificent article to announce the final victory!"

“How can such a magnificent article be read without wine to accompany it?!” The prince took out a wine pot and two wine cups from his sleeves like a magician and filled them first for his father and then for himself.

Zhu Yuanzhang was delighted and said, "That's right, it will be more enjoyable only with wine." Then he picked up the wine glass, clinked it with his son, and drank it all in one gulp.

"I feel that this wine tastes much better than usual. Fill it up again." Zhu Yuanzhang first instructed the prince, and then said to the Hanlin: "Continue."

The old Hanlin then continued, shaking his head and reciting:
"...After finding the enemy, Lan Yu and his generals hurried north, led the army on a thousand-mile expedition, and defeated the Yuan court at Buir Lake...Although the Northern Yuan Dynasty was destroyed, only the Yuan ruler...fled to the west. Fortunately, Prince Di of Yan...pursued him relentlessly and finally captured the Yuan ruler and obtained his imperial seal. He also fought hard against 80,000 elite soldiers of the Oirat and led them into the Wolf Mountain..."

"..." Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's brows twisted into chrysanthemums and he stopped drinking.

"I finally know why you kept it from me!" He stared at the prince in dissatisfaction and said, "So you were afraid that this part would be cut off."

"Father, please listen to me first," said the prince with a slight smile.

"Hmph." Zhu Yuanzhang snorted in dissatisfaction and took a sip of wine.

Then the old Hanlin continued to read:

"…From now on, the evil spirits and remnants are wiped out. The sky is clean and the earth is peaceful, and the dust of the barbarians does not fly! Looking from north to south, all is under the rule of the king! Wherever the sun and the moon shine, it is all the king's land, and there is no limit to it. The power of the Han and Tang dynasties has been restored!"

"This is all thanks to... my emperor's divine plan and his wisdom, so he can plan everything in advance, and thus succeed in an unpredictable way. We, the ministers, obey the plan and obey the majesty of heaven. We are rewarded with our hard work and dedication..." "Now... I offer sacrifices and prayers to the Temple of Heaven to thank the heavens and the earth for their favor... so that we can quell the chaos, control the barbarians, and rule the people of China. I only wish that China will be healthy and peaceful, and the people will enjoy the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty forever. I, your ministers, respectfully offer this poem on behalf of my emperor, and I hope that the gods will witness it. Enjoy it!"

"What a good article, what a good article!" After reading it, the old Hanlin knelt down to return the memorial, and couldn't help saying, "I haven't read such a hearty and magnificent article in many years. I caught a cold today, and I was dizzy and stuffy. After reading it, I felt my blood boiling, and I felt refreshed. I actually recovered!"

"Haha." Zhu Yuanzhang's expression also eased a lot, and he smiled at the old Hanlin: "Old Six's article has this effect?"

"You are worthy of being the Sixth Prince. Even if we, the civil officials, have the same literary talent, we definitely don't have such a lofty spirit!" The old Hanlin exclaimed: "The heavens will witness this and will surely protect our Ming Dynasty!"

"Okay, go ahead." Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "I'll print this article in the official newspaper and let everyone see it. It will also be a perfect ending to our war with the Yuan Dynasty!"

"I obey your command. It is my great honor!" The old Hanlin happily took his leave.

~~
As soon as the old Hanlin left, Zhu Yuanzhang sneered at the prince, "You really are worthy of being the sixth brother. First you sneak attack me, then you flatter me so much that I can't vent my anger."

"Father, could you please tell me whether this article is well written?" the prince said with a smile.

"That's good." Zhu Yuanzhang curled his lips and said, "But the motive is not pure! He knew that he shouldn't be praised for his achievements, but he still wrote him in with great emphasis. Isn't this just to save his life?!"

"Your younger brother was trying to protect his elder brother's life, so you can't say his motives were impure, right?" The prince said with a smile, "Besides, didn't your father have it published?"

"He has already announced it to God, how can we hide it?!" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered and said, "No one knows his son better than his father. Don't you think we don't know what he is planning? There will be amnesty after the Fengshan ceremony, which will naturally help the fourth son pass. What else can we do? We can only obey his orders and help the fourth son build momentum..."

"Father, you are so kind!" Zhu Biao was overjoyed when he heard this. He knelt down and kowtowed to Zhu Yuanzhang, saying, "I, your son, kowtow to you on behalf of the fourth, sixth, and all my brothers! Thank you for your kindness!"

"Don't try to play tricks on me! You're talking like the Fourth Brother is not my son!" Zhu Yuanzhang scolded angrily, "Just stop playing tricks on me in the future."

"Yes, yes. I will never dare to do it again." The prince said with a smile.

"Stop smiling so frivolously here, but let's make a deal. Even if the death penalty can be spared, Lao Si cannot escape the punishment of living. Otherwise, how can you let Hu Dahai and your brothers from the third dormitory watch over me from the underworld?"

"Yes, I understand. We must also teach the fourth brother a lesson that will last a long time so that he won't make the same mistake again!" The prince nodded heavily.

"So you must warn the sixth brother that the fourth brother must be brought to Beijing in a prison car and no special treatment is allowed." Zhu Yuanzhang said again in a deep voice.

"Father, this is too humiliating." The prince frowned.

"It's right to feel humiliated. I want the world to see that even if he is my son, no matter how great his achievements are, he will still be severely punished if he violates the law." Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and said:

"Let the world know that the war is over. The days of being able to escape punishment as long as you win the battle are gone. From now on, the law is the most important thing."

"Yes." The prince responded seriously.

(End of this chapter)