Chapter 13

Su Qiao grew even more excited at this moment.

"Even if Prince Yu Huai were still alive, Lan Yu must die!"

"Because Lan Yu can only be the war general of Crown Prince Yiwen!"

"If Prince Yu Huai were alive, then Duke Liang would be the Grand Prince's great-uncle! If he were to amass such military merit again, how would he differ from Dong Zhuo or Huo Guang?! Remember, Dong Zhuo was the great-uncle of Emperor Xian!"

"I ask Your Majesty, could you allow Great Ming to produce a Huo Guang, produce a Dong Zhuo?!"

Su Qiao's voice echoed for a long time beneath Fengtian Sect.

Zhu Yuanzhang slumped heavily onto the dragon throne.

Had Su Qiao not spoken, Old Zhu would never have thought of it.

Had Zhu Xiongying lived to this day, Old Zhu would likely still have harbored murderous intent toward Lan Yu.

The reason was nothing else.

Lan Yu was the war general Old Zhu left for Zhu Biao.

He could only be controlled by Zhu Biao.

If Zhu Biao were gone, Lan Yu would have to die alongside Zhu Biao!

"If Prince Yu Huai is still so, how much more so the Grand Prince of today?"

"If Your Majesty keeps Lan Yu in the court."

"When the Grand Prince ascends, the first thing he fears will not be reducing the fiefs, but summoning Prince Yan to the capital first to strip Lan Yu of his military power!"

"The reason Your Majesty cannot pass the throne to the Grand Prince."

"Fundamentally lies in Your Majesty's advanced age, while the Grand Prince is still young."

"Your Majesty no longer has enough time to build a team of his own for His Highness the Grand Prince!"

The moment the words fell.

Zhu Yuanzhang could not help but glance at Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai standing nearby.

Then he thought of Zhu Yunwen's clumsy acting just now.

If not for the "filter" he had brought with him beforehand.

It would have been impossible to deceive Old Zhu at all.

Even less possible to deceive his own sons!

Most importantly.

It would be fine to join forces to deceive people.

But what advice did you two fellows offer?

Teaching our Yunwen to deceive us!

We will die one day!

When we are dead.

Will our Yunwen still use these skills to deceive the world?

Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai.

Could not stop Lan Yu.

Even less could they stop Zhu Di!

How can these two fellows compare to the team we left for Zhu Biao back then?!

13, Your Majesty, would you allow Great Ming to have a Dong Zhuo?

Thinking of this.

A sense of sorrow inevitably arose in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

Huang Zicheng, even more agitated, looked at Su Qiao and shouted loudly.

"Su Qiao! You have no evidence, why do you dare say Prince Yan will definitely rebel?"

Su Qiao retorted instantly.

"Because Prince Jin is frail; from any perspective, Prince Jin poses no threat whatsoever."

"After Prince Jin, naturally comes Prince Yan!"

"If Lord Huang, Lord Qi, and His Highness the Grand Prince start by reducing Prince Yan, how is that different from forcing Prince Yan into rebellion? If Prince Yan is reduced, how can Prince Ning of Great Ning Regional Military Commissioner stand idly by?"

"At that time, relying on the troops of Prince Ning's Doyuan Three Guards and Prince Yan's general talent, I ask what person you two lords would send to block them?"

"Furthermore."

"Based on the insight of you two highnesses, given the Grand Prince's weakness, they likely would not start by reducing Prince Yan, but would proceed from weak to strong!"

"Please, Your Majesty, think carefully: if Prince Zhou, Prince Yan's full younger brother, is reduced, how will Prince Yan react?"

"If Prince Xiang, who was raised by Prince Yan since childhood, is reduced, how will Prince Yan react?"

"I fear you two lords would start by reducing these two princes first, to show your intent to warn Prince Yan, right?"

Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai exchanged a glance.

Immediately, a cold sweat broke out all over their bodies.

How did this young man see through their strategy?

Did he hear it from hearsay?

Yet Su Qiao's words showed no sign of stopping at all.

"If they proceed from weak to strong, that is likely the very thing Your Majesty least wishes to see!"

Huang Zicheng, agitated, looked at Su Qiao and shouted.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Your Majesty, this man is mad, this man is mad!"

Before Huang Zicheng's words had even ended, a crisp "Slap!" sound rang out.

Only saw Zhu Yuanzhang, his eyes bloodshot, still smashing the teacup in his hand to pieces.

The crowd of ministers around him immediately lowered their heads.

Even Zhu Yunwen stood trembling to one side, daring not to speak.

Zhu Yuanzhang roared out almost like a beast.

"Let him speak, let him speak! If it goes from weak to strong, what then?!"

Su Qiao spoke loudly.

"Reporting to Your Majesty! The Xiang Prince and the Zhou Prince are close in age to the Crown Prince!"

"Both are imperial relatives; having grown up alongside the Crown Prince since childhood, how could the two Princes endure such a great humiliation?"

"Secondly, this subject has heard that the Xiang Prince possesses considerable talent and a fierce nature; if the Crown Prince orders him to be escorted from Hunan to the capital, how will the Xiang Prince respond?"

"No one knows a son better than his father; how could Your Majesty not know?!"

Until this moment, Zhu Yunwen could no longer hold back.

Pointing at Su Qiao's nose, he spoke sternly.

"Even if I am reducing the fiefs, how can you be so certain I will definitely lock up and bring the Twelfth Uncle to the capital?! How could I do such a thing as to humiliate my imperial uncles?"

Su Qiao spoke loudly.

"Because since childhood, Your Highness has thoroughly studied the books of the Sages!"

"Because Minister Huang and Minister Qi have thoroughly studied the books of the Sages!"

"Therefore, Your Highness will certainly insist on having a just cause!"

"If the Xiang Prince is stripped of his fief without guilt, how can it demonstrate that the Crown Prince has a just cause?!"

"Therefore, this subject concludes! If the fiefs are reduced, the Xiang Prince and the Zhou Prince will definitely be brought to the capital in the prison carts of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

"Otherwise, Your Highness would lack a just cause and would tarnish your posthumous reputation!"

Upon hearing this, even Zhu Yuanzhang, whose temper was made of clay, could no longer hold back; he roared sternly at Su Qiao.

"Enough!"

"Someone!"

The moment the words fell.

Two squads of the Embroidered Uniform Guard rushed up immediately.

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed fiercely at Su Qiao and said.

"Take this person, take this person into the Imperial Prison! Into the Imperial Prison!"

"Yes!"

After the Regional Military Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jiang Huan, remained silent for a long time, he asked.