Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 42
"Tuk-tuk-"

In the small courtyard of Yulin Zuoweifang, just as Zhu Gaochi finished speaking his opinion, someone knocked on the door of the small courtyard.

"What's the matter?" Zhu Gaochi turned to look at the door and asked unhappily.

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui also looked at the courtyard door one after another, and saw the guards of Prince Yan's Mansion carefully opening the door and bowing to the three of them from a dozen steps away:

"Your Highness, the Emperor Taisun invites you to go to Chunhe Palace to play chess."

"I understand, please pass the carriage back." Zhu Gaochi frowned slightly when he heard that Zhu Yunwen was looking for him. This was the only time Zhu Gaochi saw him showing an unhappy expression.

"Second brother." Zhu Gaochi turned around and apologized to Zhu Gaoxu:

"The emperor's grandson sent me a message. I'm afraid I have to leave first."

"No problem, the emperor's grandson summoned my eldest brother. I think we have something to discuss." Zhu Gaoxu stood up cheerfully and said to Zhu Gaosui at the same time:
"Third brother, please go back too. I will take you out of the city in a few days."

"Okay." Zhu Gaosui sat for a long time and found that Zhu Gaoxu was a little more boring now than before, so he didn't want to sit here for a long time.

It happened that Zhu Gaochi was about to enter the palace. He could go out of the city alone with his guards. It was much more fun outside than in this small courtyard.

"In that case, let's go first. If you need anything, please send someone to Prince Yan's Mansion."

Zhu Gaochi stood up to explain, and at the same time he did not forget to say: "I heard that you have been walking on errands these days. I will send someone to give you a Qin horse later, and bring you some money by the way."

"Okay!" Zhu Gaoxu did not shirk, because he really needed a horse.

He was rich now, but there were no horses for sale in the market, and it was impossible for him to ride a donkey as an errand, so he obeyed Zhu Gaochi's words.

"Let's go, Gao Sui." Zhu Gaochi smiled at Zhu Gaojiu, and then asked Zhu Gao Sui to go out.

Zhu Gaochi stood up to see off the guests, and the three brothers walked out of the small courtyard one after another. At this time, the carriage also backed up to the door. Even the horse stools had been set up, waiting for Zhu Gaochi and the two to get on the carriage.

"There's no need to send the second child away. If you miss us, you can go home and visit during your break."

Zhu Gaochi persuaded Zhu Gaoxu at the entrance of the courtyard, but Zhu Gaoxu didn't say much, just bowed in return.

Seeing this, Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaosui also got on the carriage one after another. After the two guards of Prince Yan's Palace saluted Zhu Gaoxu, they followed the carriage and left the alley.

"Finally gone..."

Looking at the leaving carriage, Zhu Gaoxu breathed a sigh of relief.

In the conversation with Zhu Gaochi just now, he could clearly feel the pressure Zhu Gaochi put on him.

Although Zhu Gaochi kept talking to him in a gentlemanly manner throughout the whole process, there was always a sense of clichés in the conversation.

If Zhu Gaojiu could not be sure that Zhu Gaochi would not harm him at present, then he might have driven the person away long ago.

"My big brother...is difficult to deal with."

With a sigh, Zhu Gaoxu turned around and returned to the courtyard, closing the door at the same time.

He walked to the courtyard, picked up the "General Essentials of Martial Arts" placed on the stone table, and briefly read the contents.

This annotation of "The General Essentials of Martial Arts" is his practice work to make plans for the future.

He has known very well since he came to this world how important it is to form his own team, a team that is not controlled by the emperor.

He could not let Zhu Di execute his generals without being able to fight back, as happened in history.

Therefore, what he can do is to guard one side after returning to the north, and at the same time cultivate a large enough team for himself.

As long as the team is big enough, Zhu Di will not be able to easily solve it unless he can make up his mind to kill himself...

"..." Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoxu closed the annotation on "General Martial Arts".

He can be sure that both father and son, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, are not willing to attack their own sons. After all, compared to Zhu Gaoxu's arrogance through force in history, the third child, Zhu Gaosui, went to far more.

Intention to kill his father, pervert the imperial edict, usurp the throne... This is a capital crime in any dynasty or generation. In the end, Zhu Di just lost his temper and calmed down under the persuasion of his boss Zhu Gaochi. He only killed Zhu Gaosui, an official of Prince Zhao's palace. Not even all military power was taken away.

In comparison, what Zhu Gaoxu did was considered kind. After all, he never wanted to kill his father Zhu Di and his eldest brother Zhu Gaochi.

With the example of Zhu Gaosui in front of him, Zhu Gaoxu's face became clear.

Recalling Zhu Gaosui's face, Zhu Gaoxu smiled:
"Lao San, Lao San, I really have to thank you..."

Smiling, Zhu Gaoxu also returned to the bedroom and lay down, but before he fell asleep, the courtyard door was knocked again.

However, after opening the door this time, the person who appeared in front of Zhu Gaoxu was no longer someone close to him, but a familiar boy who delivered food.

"Patron, your meal."

The boy who delivered the meal handed the meal over, and Zhu Gaoxu took it: "Wait here for a while, I'll go in and get yesterday's food box."

While talking, Zhu Gaoxu returned to the courtyard, and soon walked out carrying yesterday's food box.

While passing the food box, Zhu Gaoxu also stuffed five cents into the young man's hand: "Thank you for your hard work on a hot day."

"Thank you, patron. Please use it for your convenience!" Seeing the five cents in his hand, the young man's face immediately filled with a smile.

After bowing again and again, he happily skipped out of the alley with his food box in hand.

Looking at his back, Zhu Gaoxu was also infected, and he returned to the hospital humming a little tune.

But when he returned to the courtyard for lunch, Zhu Gaochi, who had left earlier, also got off the carriage at the Donghua Gate of the Forbidden City.

He tidied his clothes a little before bidding farewell to the playful Zhu Gaosui.

Since Zhu Gaochi was very famous in Nanjing and was often summoned by Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Yunwen, the soldiers at Donghua Gate did not check him and let him go.

It was only about two hundred steps from Donghua Gate to the East Palace, but Zhu Gaochi was sweating a little while walking.

When he arrived at the entrance of the East Palace, the eunuch of the East Palace who had been waiting here for a long time quickly stepped forward to hold an umbrella, and the paper fan in his hand kept fanning, making Zhu Gaochi feel a little cool.

Zhu Gaochi was not an unreasonable person. He immediately stuffed half of the money into the eunuch's hand and asked calmly as he walked: "Why did the grandson call me?"

"It may be related to your younger brother. You will know the specific details when you enter the Chunhe Hall and look at the things hanging behind the desk."

The eunuch of the East Palace carefully reminded Zhu Gaochi, and at this moment they also arrived in front of Chunhe Palace.

The eunuch handed the umbrella and fan to the eunuch on duty at the door, and entered the Chunhe Hall one after another with Zhu Gaochi.

Zhu Gaochi was very familiar with this place. After entering, he quickly found the palace where Zhu Yunwen was located. After entering, he raised his hands and bowed:

"Zhu Gaochi, the eldest son of the Yan family, meets the emperor's grandson!"

"Brother, why do you need to be so formal? Please get up quickly."

Zhu Yunwen, who was more than ten steps away, spoke. Zhu Gaochi straightened his back when he heard the words, and at the same time thanked him: "Thank you, the great grandson of the emperor."

After the words fell, Zhu Gaochi raised his head, but Zhu Yunwen always stayed at his position, neither getting up nor saying anything to greet him.

However, Zhu Gaochi was used to this, and he stepped forward slowly: "I wonder what happened to the Emperor's grandson, Zhao Chen's brother?"

While speaking, Zhu Gaochi looked vaguely at the framed article behind Zhu Yunqi, and the content at the beginning of the article made Zhu Gaochi feel cold.

"On Cutting Down the Domain"——Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaochi's little moves were not hidden from Zhu Yunwen, and facing his little moves, Zhu Yunwen also stood up and walked to Zhu Gaochi very kindly. While standing side by side with him, he did not forget to look at the article with a smile.

"Not bad, I really didn't expect Gao Xu to have such literary talent and insight..."

(End of this chapter)