Ming Dynasty: Zhu Biao's younger brother, the most rebellious son in history

Chapter 21 Zhu Chong and Zhu Tan: We don’t want the things that Second Brother doesn’t want either!

In the palace, Concubine Li Shu was applying medicine to her eldest son. Zhu Gang was furious: "Mother, you can't only have father in your heart. My son is your own son. It would be fine if you didn't help me, but you helped father to catch me. Mother, you are so stupid. How can you betray your son like this?"

While applying the medicine, Concubine Li Shu advised kindly:

"Next time, I will definitely do it next time, Tang'er, don't learn from the Crown Prince and the Second Prince. Be more filial to His Majesty. When the officials see your filial piety, they will also recognize you."

"Why do we need their approval? All the officials are just my subjects!"

Zhu Gang did not take it seriously, but asked Concubine Li Shu:

"Mom, when Dad asked me if I wanted to be the emperor, was there anything wrong with what I said today?"

"No."

Concubine Li Shu felt that Zhu Gang had expressed his desire for the throne and had perfectly made Zhu Yuanzhang believe that his desire to be emperor was just nonsense and had flaws: "Gang'er, next time you talk about it, just say that you are not capable enough to be the emperor. In this way, His Majesty will send capable ministers to assist you. Then you can persuade them of the benefits and bribe them..."

Zhu Gang didn't finish listening to Concubine Li's words. He lay on the bed and said proudly, "That's right. I'm not stupid. Even if I want to raise a dog to bite Zhu Kai in the future, I can't say it! I have to wait until I become the emperor to do it! Dad is the same... I just scolded my second brother, not him, why do you have to think about yourself?"

"..."

Concubine Li Shu paused while applying the medicine, and looked at Zhu Gang with complicated eyes: "So, you don't want to be the emperor, right?"

"Yes, only a fool wants to be an emperor!"

Zhu Gang replied: "Even Zhu Kai doesn't want to be the emperor. I'm not stupider than him. Why should I be the emperor... Hey, why did you hit me, mother?"

"You deserve a beating!"

Concubine Li Shu felt that Zhu Gang was her stupid son.

It doesn’t matter. I still have my great son Zhu Chong. When Zhu Chong becomes emperor, he will definitely take good care of his silly brother.

Although Zhu Chong had just made it clear that Zhu Biao was more suitable to be the emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhu Chong and Zhu Gang who wanted to be the emperor at the dinner table. This shows that Zhu Biao was no longer liked by Zhu Yuanzhang. The prince and the future throne were no longer Zhu Biao's private property, which means... Zhu Chong had a chance to successfully counterattack.

Concubine Li Shu planned to wait for Zhu Chong to come back after being beaten, and then tell him how to be a prince that Zhu Yuanzhang would like.

However, Concubine Li was confused, and Zhu Chong didn't want to be emperor either.

He felt that Zhu Yuanzhang must be exhausted from working such long hours every day and had no time to go out and play.

Being an emperor is more tiring than studying. Only a fool would be an emperor.

After receiving affirmative responses from Zhu Chong and Zhu Gang, Concubine Li Shu really felt that... Zhu Yuanzhang beat them because they did not want to be emperor.

The next day, Zhu Yuanzhang did not attend court.

All the officials arrived outside the hall and waited for half an hour before Yuan Qi mentioned the matter of not attending court.

Not going to court?
All officials were shocked!

This is the first time in history.

Not to mention that Zhu Yuanzhang had been emperor, even since he was the King of Wu, he would never miss any conference.

What happened today?

All the officials were very puzzled, but they did not leave. Instead, they gathered together a few people they were on good terms with and asked them the reason.

"Your Majesty is in the prime of life, how can you not attend the morning court? No, I want to submit a memorial to ask Your Majesty to admonish me!"

"Nonsense, has Your Majesty ever missed the morning court in all these years?"

"Your Majesty has been the emperor for five years. This is only once in five years. It's nothing."

"Something big may have happened in the harem. My Lords, do you think it's because the Second Prince beat General Lan?"

"It should be so. The Second Prince has pissed off Your Majesty!"

"It's all the Second Prince's fault!" Regardless of whether they were civil servants from the same circle or not, they all pointed the finger at Zhu Kai in the end!

There were also some curious people who looked at Hu Weiyong with unfriendly expressions.

"Look at me? What are you looking at me for?"

Hu Weiyong folded his hands and said, "Your Majesty did not attend the court today because Lan Yu despised the imperial power and did not respect the Second Prince!"

"Humph, Prime Minister Hu is indeed worthy of being the Second Prince's number one lackey. If it weren't for the Second Prince being too arrogant, how could General Lan be beaten? Moreover, General Lan has been through hundreds of battles, how could he not be able to beat the Second Prince? The Second Prince is just relying on the fact that he is the blood of His Majesty."

"Oh, having been a soldier for many years makes him better than the Second Prince, right?"

Hu Weiyong put the jade scepter behind his neck.

He rolled up his sleeves and walked towards the civil official who had just said Zhu Kai was domineering:

"Old man, you have been an official longer than me, so you should be better at fighting than me. Come... let me see how you beat me!"

"What are you doing? Let go! Let go!"

"Let your uncle go!"

Hu Weiyong started to attack directly, and there was chaos in front of the hall. Some people wanted to come over to persuade them to stop fighting, but they were beaten up by Hu Weiyong as well.

On this day, Zhu Yuanzhang did not attend the court. Hu Weiyong fought a fierce battle with the scholars and returned victorious. As he left, he shouted:

"The Second Prince taught Lan Yu a lesson, and I taught Lan Yu's loyal dog a lesson. Hahahaha, if the master humiliates the minister, he will die. As a disciple of the Second Prince, I know that if the master humiliates the minister, he will die. All of you are just like Miss Lan, you only know how to wag your tails and beg for mercy. You have no spine at all!"

The notoriety of being the number one lackey under the Second Prince's seat became even more famous!

……

In Kunning Palace, Ma Xiuying looked helplessly at Zhu Yuanzhang who had woken up but refused to get up. She felt very helpless.

No one knew what was going on, but Zhu Yuanzhang looked unhappy when he arrived at Kunning Palace last night. In the morning, he even caught Zhu Kai's bad habit of staying in bed. When Ma Xiuying asked him the reason, he didn't say anything, as if he was angry.

"Zhongba, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ma Xiuying sat in front of the bed and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang: "If you don't go to the morning court today, the officials will be dissatisfied."

Zhu Yuanzhang was still angry.

Hearing Ma Xiuying's gentle question, Zhu Yuanzhang was still acting like a spoiled brat and said, "No, no! Even if the sky falls today, I won't go to court!"

Ma Xiuying looked at Zhu Yuanzhang's temper, which overlapped with the other figure in her memory, and blurted out subconsciously: "It seems!"

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyelids: "As if? Who? Who?"

"Kai'er."

Ma Xiuying smiled and said, "When Kai'er is sulking, he is exactly like Your Majesty."

Zhu Yuanzhang became even angrier when he heard this, and said in a dull, muffled voice: "That rebellious son... don't mention him to me!"

"..."

Ma Xiuying understood that Zhu Yuanzhang was angry with Zhu Kai after some questioning.

Zhu Yuanzhang reluctantly told Ma Xiuying why he was angry, and then complained to her, "Do you think it's easy for me? I work hard every day, sometimes even until the morning hour, but what about those little bastards? None of them wants to be the emperor, especially the second son. My throne is nothing in his eyes! Isn't it infuriating?"

Ma Xiuying smiled and said, "Isn't this just right? No one wants to be the emperor, and Biao'er can also sit firmly on the throne to prevent the brothers from fighting against each other."

"Humph, the eldest brother is not a good guy either. He only has his younger brothers in his eyes. He thinks that since he is the emperor, his younger brothers can get better protection from him."

(End of this chapter)