Chapter 174

Zhu Gaochi asked with some confusion.

"Then how many years did I serve?"

Zhu Houcong, Zhu Qizhen, and Zhu Youjian fell silent almost simultaneously.

In the end, Zhu Qizhen spoke softly.

"Grandfather, you reigned for ten months..."

"Oh, that's acceptable, ten... ten months?!"

"Not even a full year?!"

Hearing this, Zhu Gaochi immediately could not sit still.

"No, I was Emperor for only ten months in total, yet you claim I received forty-five fewer years of incense? Who will compensate for that?"

"Father, serving as Emperor was a stifling experience for me."

Zhu Di looked at his eldest son, who stood eight feet tall with a waist measuring eight feet.

He could not help but sigh helplessly.

"You... sigh, you are already serving as Regent now; just treat yourself as Emperor from now on. I will simply allocate the remaining years of my reign to you."

"Is that the same thing?"

Zhu Di's brows furrowed as he stared fiercely at Zhu Gaochi and said.

"Then I shall commit suicide right now; you shall ascend the throne!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was too lazy to bother with this father and son pair; he stared fiercely at Zhu Houcong beside him and said.

"Enough, let us not concern ourselves with those trivial matters; we shall focus only on you."

"Hurry up and throw away that wretched wreath on your head, and properly put on the dragon robe!"

"We toiled so hard to conquer the Jiangshan, yet you hide in the palace practicing the Dao? Can you not do something human?!"

The corners of Zhu Houcong's mouth twitched slightly.

He suddenly changed his tone and said.

"Great-Grandfather, how can what I do not be considered something human?"

Zhu Yuanzhang keenly detected the change in Zhu Houcong's tone.

He immediately flew into a rage, pointing at Zhu Houcong and scolding angrily.

"How do you speak to us, you brat?! Say that again?!"

Zhu Houcong was also too lazy to be polite with Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Great-Grandfather, you are the Taizu of Great Ming, and I respect you."

"But you are an Emperor, and I am also an Emperor."

"In any case, the Two Capitals and Thirteen Provinces of Great Ming during the Jiajing reign rest upon my shoulders; I am afraid it is not your place to issue orders to me."

Upon hearing these words.

Everyone in the chat group stood frozen in place.

Zhu Yuanzhang's old face instantly dropped.

He stared fiercely at Zhu Houcong and roared.

"You little rascal, what did you say?! You..."

Before Zhu Yuanzhang could finish speaking.

A message popped up in the chat group.

【Emperor Shizong Su has left the chat group.】

Even Zhu Qizhen stood frozen in place.

Can one play with the altar like this?

You should have said so earlier!

118, Zhu Houzhao: Great-Grandfather, your grandson is investigating the conditions of the people!

The Jing She in the Western Garden during the Jiajing reign.

Zhu Houcong, wearing a fragrant leaf crown and a Daoist robe, looked disdainfully at the closed chat group.

"Tsk!"

"The Two Capitals and Thirteen Provinces of my Jiajing reign rest upon my shoulders!"

"There cannot be two suns in the sky!"

"How can there be two lords under heaven?!"

Having said this, Zhu Houcong grew too lazy to care about anything else and sat upright again on the mat to meditate.

Inside the chat group, an eerie silence prevailed.

Even Zhu Di stood frozen in place.

And Zhu Yuanzhang's old face turned even more iron-green.

He stared fiercely at the screen before him, his upper and lower teeth beginning to tremble slightly.

"Fourth son, are these your filial sons and virtuous descendants? Huh?!"

"Zhu Youjian! Who exactly is this fellow? Has he gone mad? Does he truly believe he can become an immortal?!"

Zhu Youjian forced a smile and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang before him, offering comfort.

"Great-Grandfather, the Great Ming governed by Emperor Shizong was quite acceptable."

"During Emperor Shizong's reign, he also left behind several famous ministers for posterity."

"It is just his temper..."

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the table before him and roared.

"He's using the same attitude he employs against court officials to deal with his ancestors?! Has he gone mad?! If we don't discipline him, when he reaches the underworld, we certainly can't call him 'Ancestor'!"

Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was venting his fury within the chat group.

The chat group suddenly flickered again.

Then, a new dialogue box appeared within the chat group.

There, a young man dressed in plain cloth clothes was curiously surveying everything in the chat group.

"Hmm?"

"Emperor Taizu Gao?"

After Zhu Yuanzhang clearly saw this person's attire before him.

He couldn't help but ask with confusion,

"Emperor Wu Zongyi?"

"You're dressed in plain clothes like this? Are you conducting an incognito inspection?"

Zhu Houzhao immediately laughed and said,

"Yes, Great-Grandfather Ancestor. Your son is currently outside conducting an incognito inspection to observe the people's conditions."

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression finally relaxed slightly.

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's expression improve.

Zhu Di's hanging heart also settled down.

At least one of us descendants is making us proud!

Conducting an incognito inspection means he knows the people's hardships!

As long as the Emperor knows the people's hardships, the world will be governed well enough!

And Zhu Gaochi in the group also asked curiously,

"You're also from the 'Hou' generation? Oh, you must be the branch that the young man just mentioned has no descendants, right?"

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but think of his eldest son, Zhu Biao.

Why is it that the Emperors of our Great Ming who know the people's hardships either have no descendants or die young at fifty-four?

When Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Houzhao again, he couldn't help but automatically add a filter.

On the other side of the lens, after Zhu Houzhao heard that he would ultimately have no descendants.

His expression also couldn't help but become somewhat low.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and looked at Zhu Houzhao, asking,

"Forget it. Descendants and such don't matter. As long as you treat the people well and let everyone in the world remember your goodness, that will be enough!"

There are three unfilial acts, and having no heir is the greatest.