gnovel Chapter 40 Zhu Gaochi, a man of great wisdom who appears foolish: Your second uncle's ambitions
Chapter 40 Zhu Gaochi, a man of great wisdom who appears foolish: Your second uncle's ambitions
Du Tong and the other imperial physicians were so frightened that their faces turned pale.
"Yes, yes."
"We will do our utmost to heal His Highness the Prince of Han."
Zhu Di's eyes flickered.
He walked up to Zhu Gaoxu.
Looking at his second son lying on the sickbed, Zhu Di still felt a pang of heartache.
"Second Prince, you should stop taking on the role of regent for now. There is only one thing you need to do now, and that is to make sure you recover from your injuries," Zhu Di said with concern.
"Your Majesty, I understand," Zhu Gaoxu said weakly.
Zhu Di did not speak, and soon he left.
Du Tong and the others hurriedly prepared medicine for the Prince of Han.
In their view, this Prince of Han must not be harmed.
If something were to happen to him, then all of them from the Imperial Hospital would probably be in grave danger.
…………
Zhu Di did not go to Fengtian Hall, but went directly to Jiming Temple.
"Old monk, old monk," Zhu Di called out as soon as he entered.
Yao Guangxiao said, "Your Majesty, I was reciting scriptures. Your arrival has disturbed my peace and quiet. Isn't that inappropriate?"
"So what?"
"You, the Grand Preceptor of the Ming Dynasty, I have already ordered you to return to secular life, but you insisted on continuing to chant scriptures, and you still blame me?" Zhu Di glared at him.
Yao Guangxiao laughed and said, "Your Majesty's words leave me speechless."
"Alright, enough of this nonsense," Zhu Di said irritably. "This time, I went to the Prince of Han's residence and met with the Second Prince."
Seeing this, Yao Guangxiao smiled and asked, "So, what's the situation at the Prince of Han's residence?"
"The second son is indeed ill. He is now lying in bed, weak and panting. His condition is even worse than that of the eldest son," Zhu Di said.
Yao Guangxiao smiled but remained silent.
Zhu Di was very unhappy when he saw this.
"Old monk, say something! What are you thinking?" Zhu Di said.
"Putting everything else aside, do you really believe that His Highness the Prince of Han is ill?" Yao Guangxiao directly probed his soul.
Zhu Di paused for a moment.
"His Highness the Prince of Han is also skilled in alchemy. His Majesty should know his physical condition better than anyone else."
Yao Guangxiao analyzed, "But His Majesty appointed him to oversee the country, yet he fell ill. Doesn't His Majesty find this somewhat suspicious?"
Zhu Di suddenly realized: "You mean, this kid did it on purpose, he doesn't want to oversee the country?"
Yao Guangxiao said, "I'm afraid it's more than that."
"From the moment His Majesty refused to allow Prince Han to go to Yunnan to assume his fiefdom, it was probably from that moment that he started to fight against you."
"That brat!"
Zhu Di slammed his fist on the table in anger; he seemed very upset.
"This kid is something else, he actually pulled this stunt on me."
Yao Guangxiao quickly said, "Your Majesty, please have mercy. I just replaced the table."
"You old monk, what are you being so stingy about? It's just a table. Does the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty lack a table?"
Yao Guangxiao: ...
Zhu Di quickly smiled and said, "Alright, since he wants to play, then I'll play along with him."
"Sigh..." Yao Guangxiao sighed.
"Old monk, what are you sighing about here for?" Zhu Di said.
Yao Guangxiao said, "Your Majesty, I'm just worried, can you outmaneuver this Prince of Han?"
"Nonsense, I'm his father, how could I possibly lose to him?" Zhu Di said irritably, "I know this kid's character better than anyone else."
Yao Guangxiao smiled and said, "Under normal circumstances, this would be natural. But lately, have you truly understood His Highness the Prince of Han's actions?"
Yao Guangxiao's words hit the nail on the head, leaving Zhu Di speechless.
"If that's the case, then the second prince really is quite different from usual," Zhu Di said. "Ever since this kid started practicing alchemy, his temperament has changed drastically."
"This time, I put him in charge of the country and made him promises. If it were any other time, he would have been overjoyed."
"But now, not only is he not buying it, he's even feigning illness to me?"
Yao Guangxiao gave Zhu Di a strange look.
"Old monk, why are you looking at me like that?" Zhu Di said irritably.
"Is this Prince Han your biological son?"
"You keep making empty promises and fooling people again and again. You're really something as a father!" Yao Guangxiao complained.
"What do you know?" Zhu Di said, feigning anger. "I am his strict father, so naturally I must train him properly."
Yao Guangxiao: ...
"However, this second son dares not to oversee the country and not to raise funds for me. Well then, I want to see how long he can keep up this pretense of illness."
Zhu Di's eyes darted around, as if he had an idea.
"Someone come here," Zhu Di summoned Ji Gang.
"Your Majesty," Ji Gang said hurriedly.
"In that case, go to the Eastern Palace and have the Crown Prince come to see me," Zhu Di said.
"yes!"
Ji Gang immediately went to the Eastern Palace to inform them.
Yao Guangxiao asked, "Why did you send the Crown Prince here?"
"Hehe, you'll find out soon enough."
The cunning Zhu Di couldn't help but smile.
…………
The Eastern Palace.
Zhu Gaochi took the wooden sword and began to brandish it.
"Today, in order to lose weight, I ate seven fewer bowls of rice."
"Do you think my sword-practicing posture is correct?"
Zhu Gaochi practiced his swordplay and asked Zhu Zhanji to watch over him.
"Father, you still have the mood to lose weight?" Zhu Zhanji asked.
Zhu Gaochi said, "Let me tell you, even if the sky falls, there are others watching, so what are you afraid of?"
Zhu Zhanji shook his head: "Father, I'm not afraid, I'm just surprised."
"Tell me about it." Zhu Gaochi put down the wooden sword and found a place to sit down.
"His grandfather appointed him to oversee the country, but he pretended to be sick and refused to go."
"Under normal circumstances, my second uncle would be eager to oversee the country and put you in a superior position, but now he remains unmoved," Zhu Zhanji said. "I don't understand."
Zhu Gaochi patted his head.
"That's understandable, then."
Zhu Gaochi, seemingly simple-minded, said: "Your second uncle now possesses the art of alchemy."
"Do you think alchemy and the pursuit of immortality are more important, or is it more important to oversee the country and be emperor?"
Zhu Zhanji suddenly realized his mistake.
"Father, what do you mean?"
"If I say you're a child, then you are a child," Zhu Gaochi said. "Your second uncle's ambitions lie elsewhere, do you understand now?"
Zhu Zhanji probed, "So, he's no longer interested in the throne?"
Before Zhu Gaochi could speak, Zhu Zhanji suddenly stood up and excitedly slapped his thigh.
You startled me.
"Father, I'm happy for you!" Zhu Zhanji said excitedly. "If that's the case, then your second uncle won't try to take the crown prince position from you."
Zhu Gaochi glared at him, and Zhu Zhanji dared not utter a sound.
He knew that even if Zhu Gaochi wasn't interested in the position of crown prince, Zhu Di probably wouldn't feel at ease if Zhu Gaochi became crown prince and held absolute power.
Zhu Gaochi understood perfectly. Looking at his simple-minded son, he thought, "How can this kid be so stupid!"
If the second son really doesn't vie for the crown prince position and doesn't compete with him anymore, then the old man probably won't be able to sit still.