Chapter 173

"Settle accounts? What accounts? I don't owe him anything! Don't use Master to scare us; you're too old for that trick, we're not falling for it!"

"Father said to settle the account of those thirty thousand empty rations."

Zhu Gaochi's words had barely fallen.

The Qianqing Palace immediately fell into a dead silence.

Zhu Gaoxu's corner of the mouth twitched slightly.

The matter of him taking empty rations.

Was known to almost everyone in the court and the country.

But the only one daring to say it out loud and knowing the specific number was Zhu Di.

Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoxu's face suddenly changed.

He immediately turned his head, staring fixedly at Zhu Gaosui and questioned in a harsh voice

"Third Brother! You sold me out again?!"

Zhu Gaosui's eyes darted up and down; hearing the Prince of Han ask this, he immediately looked at Zhu Gaoxu with a confused face, "Ah?"

"Second Brother, how did this..."

"Don't play that, who doesn't know you're in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?!" (Not historical fact; historically Zhu Gaosui never commanded the Embroidered Uniform Guard; a TV drama setting was chosen to ensure story flow)

"..."

The two brothers walked out of the Qianqing Palace while bickering and playing around.

Watching the backs of the two brothers.

Zhu Yuanzhang let out a "pfft" and burst into laughter.

"Not bad, Fourth, your two cubs are quite filial, showing brotherly love and respect, hmm."

Zhu Di's old face turned iron-green, with only silence.

And just at this moment.

A dialogue box suddenly appeared in the chat group.

One person was seen wearing a flower crown, dressed in a Taoist robe, chanting with a low aura

"A crane returns to the Huabiao after a thousand years, condensing cinnabar for the crown and snow for the robe."

"Your son Houcong pays respects to the ancestors of the Great Ming."

As soon as the words fell.

Zhu Youjian on the other side of the lens hurriedly said

"Great-Grandfather, your son cannot bear this; you just bow to them!"

Zhu Di and Zhu Yuanzhang's corners of the mouths twitched slightly.

In the end, Old Zhu couldn't help but look at Zhu Houcong and asked

"What is that thing you have on your head?"

Zhu Houcong's tone softened, answering without being humble or arrogant

"Reporting to Emperor Taizu, this thing your son wears is named the Fragrant Leaf Crown, made by your son's own hands."

Zhu Di also couldn't help but ask

"Then where is your dragon robe?"

"Reporting to Emperor Chengzu, your son wishes to emulate Emperor Wen in governing the world, following the Dao and nature, cultivating the Way in seclusion, while peace prevails within the seas."

Hearing Zhu Houcong's words.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di's blood pressure simultaneously began to rise.

"Fourth, we need an explanation!"

"Father, wait a moment."

"I also need an explanation."

"What did you just call me, you brat?"

Zhu Houcong in the lens was stunned upon hearing this.

"Emperor Chengzu..."

Zhu Di's chest immediately began to heave violently.

And Zhu Qizhen, eating melon on the side, asked in confusion

"That's not right, isn't my Great-Grandfather's temple name Taizong?"

Zhu Houcong still maintained an unflappable appearance.

"Great-Grandfather, it is the posthumous title your son changed; Emperor Xiaozong had no heir, and my father, the Xingzong Xian Emperor, needed to enter the Taimiao; alas, the ancestral temple already had nine emperors, so only by changing Emperor Taizong's posthumous title to Chengzu could it be done."

Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen couldn't help but reveal an expression of sudden enlightenment.

"Oh oh oh, I understand."

"You understand nothing! I spent a lifetime crawling on ice and lying in snow just for a Taizong, and you say you'll change it for me?!"

"Do you believe I will chop you down right now?!"

Watching Zhu Di's jumping-footed appearance.

Zhu Yuanzhang also couldn't help but watch the spectacle.

Zhu Gaochi, seeing Zhu Di's jumping-footed appearance, immediately stepped forward to mediate and said

"Father, don't be angry; this child is also filial. Didn't he just say he entered the succession from a collateral branch?"

"You also entered the succession from a collateral branch; you two should know what the other is thinking."

Zhu Houcong, seeing Zhu Gaochi speak for him, also whispered in agreement

"It is Emperor Renzong who is considerate of your son; back then, Yang Tinghe and others forced your son to recognize Emperor Xiaozong as the Imperial Father."

"Your humble son does this out of filial piety, and thus must change Your posthumous title to Emperor Chengzu."

"With the title of Chengzu, You will be forever enshrined and never removed—truly a perfect solution."

Zhu Di pointed at Zhu Houcong and roared in anger.

"Pah! You'd better remove me from the ancestral temple instead! Do you know how much I sacrificed for this title of Taizong?!"

"You... you!"

As he spoke, Zhu Di's eyes involuntarily grew slightly red.

All he had worked for his entire life had been erased by this descendant, generations removed.

How could Zhu Di not be furious?

Only Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Houcong with confusion.

"You gave Old Four the title of Chengzu because you fear your branch's legitimacy is questionable, and dare not remove him, right?"

"But if you don't remove Old Four, who else could you remove?"

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words,

Gao Chi, who had just been urgently trying to dissuade Zhu Di, froze in place.

"Chengzu" is not removable.

Then just start removing from the first Zong.

After Zhu Di, who is the first Zong?

"No, you unlucky brat—do you have some kind of serious illness?!"

"Why on earth do you insist on removing someone?"

"Your father was already posthumously elevated to imperial title—why must he be enshrined in Taimiao?"

Zhu Houcong's lips twitched slightly.

He looked at Gao Chi and said,

"Emperor Renzong, if I do not remove You, my future successors will remove You anyway."

"That's still one generation's ancestral incense! You only know to honor your father—what about your ancestors?"

"How many years did you reign? Does anyone know?"

Zhu Youjian spoke up weakly from the side,

"Forty-five years..."

Upon hearing the words "forty-five years,"

Even Zhu Yuanzhang could not help but draw in a sharp breath.

Good heavens.

Forty-five years on the throne—rare indeed throughout history!