Chapter 180

Just by the way Jiajing turns his back on people without a second thought.

Whatever he does, Old Zhu isn't surprised.

Hearing that an ancestor was taking them out to play.

Zhu Houzhao's eyes instantly lit up.

Before long, the two had each changed into a set of vermilion dragon robes.

Just at the moment the two finished changing clothes.

A beam of white light appeared, and Zhu Di and Zhu Houzhao instantly vanished from the Xuanfu temporary palace... Three.

120, Zhu Yuanzhang: This is called following the heart!

Summer of the thirty-ninth year of Jiajing.

Zhu Houcong, having left the chat group, sat in meditation in the quiet lodge for a long time.

Until Lu Fang, the Keeper of the Seal of the Directorate of Ceremonial, walked into the quiet lodge and spoke in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Councilors have all arrived at the outer hall and are ready."

"Will Duke Chengguo still be acting as the substitute for the sacrifice this year?"

Today happened to be the death anniversary of Zhu Di.

Originally, according to Zhu Houcong's nature, he would often send the High Priest, Duke Chengguo Zhu Xizhong, to sacrifice on behalf of the Son of Heaven.

But today, Zhu Houcong recalled the events in the chat group a few days prior.

Suddenly, he felt a surge of interest.

He slowly opened his eyes and spoke in a low voice.

"It is the death anniversary of the Chengzu Emperor; I must still go there myself."

"Prepare the carriage for the Fengtian Hall."

Upon hearing this, Lu Fang was stunned.

Then he hurriedly asked in a low voice.

"Then shall this servant arrange for Your Majesty to change clothes?"

Zhu Houcong slowly waved his hand and said.

"Change clothes? No need."

"The Chengzu Emperor is my ancestor; the ancients said to treat the dead as if they were still alive. I am going to visit my own elders—why must I be so restrained?"

Zhu Houcong slowly rose from the cushion platform.

He looked at himself in the bronze mirror.

Yet in his heart, he could not help but feel proud.

Did they not forbid me from wearing the Daoist robe?

Did they not forbid me from wearing the fragrant-leaf crown?

I will wear it anyway.

Not only will I wear it.

I will also wear this outfit to sacrifice to you!

Having said this, Zhu Houcong put on his cloth shoes and sat in the palanquin that Lu Fang had already prepared.

Twenty-eight young Eunuchs slowly lifted Zhu Houcong.

Then they walked towards the Forbidden City, which Zhu Houcong had not set foot in for many years.

Inside the Fengtian Hall.

By now, hundreds of officials had gathered.

Duke Chengguo Zhu Xizhong had also arrived at the great hall early.

Although Zhu Houcong had not issued an edict ordering Zhu Xizhong to act as the substitute for the sacrifice.

Zhu Xizhong had still prepared early to serve as the High Priest.

He was even somewhat worried that Zhu Houcong had forgotten about this matter.

As the appointed hour approached.

Yan Song, the Grand Secretary and Head of the Grand Secretariat, looked at Zhu Xizhong in front of him with some confusion and asked.

"Duke Cheng, it is this hour already; has Your Majesty still not issued an edict?"

Zhu Xizhong, with eyes unblinking and a solemn expression, stared fixedly at the spirit tablet of Zhu Di in the distance and said.

"Grand Secretary Yan, I have been here since noon; can you not see whether an edict has been issued or not?"

"Your Majesty has his own divine judgment; we, as subjects, should not speculate on the Imperial will."

There was a reason why he could become Zhu Houcong's chief High Priest.

Zhu Xizhong was a die-hard royalist.

In the eighteenth year of Jiajing, Zhu Houcong, who had already reigned for eighteen years, revisited his old lands and encountered a fire on the way back to his hometown at Xing Wang Fu.

The entire court, whether intentionally or unintentionally, actually left Zhu Houcong behind in the fire.

Later generations only knew that at that time, Lu Bing, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, carried Zhu Houcong on his back and ran out of the fire.

What they did not know was that behind Lu Bing, there was another person supporting Zhu Houcong as he lay on Lu Bing's back.

And that person was Zhu Xizhong.

Upon hearing Zhu Xizhong's words, Yan Song finally came to his senses.

Why was he asking so much for no reason?

Let the Emperor do whatever he wants.

Just as the entire court of civil and military officials was checking the time and preparing to begin the sacrifice.

Lu Fang's voice suddenly echoed throughout the entire Fengtian Hall.

"Your Majesty arrives~!"

Yan Song and Zhu Xizhong were both stunned.

It must be known that, up to this very day,

Zhu Houcong had not attended court for nearly ten years.

Many officials below the fourth rank had, since entering the court, never once seen the true countenance of the Son of Heaven!

Zhu Xizhong, Yan Song, and Lu Bing almost without hesitation prepared to kneel and pay their respects.

Just as the assembly of ministers was about to shout "Your Majesty" in unison,

Zhu Xizhong clearly felt a flash of white light dart past before his eyes.

Then he heard the excited reprimand from afar, delivered by Chen Hong, the Eunuch and Provincial Military Commander of the Eastern Depot standing beside Zhu Houcong.

"Bold! Who are you..."

Before the words could finish,

the hundred officials immediately heard a dull thud.

Zhu Xizhong raised his head, somewhat puzzled.

What followed was a scene he would never forget in his life.

There stood the father of the people under the Great Ming,

the Son of Heaven Zhu Houcong, who had manipulated court affairs from deep within the palace, being yanked off his palanquin by an old general with graying temples and clad in a vermilion dragon robe.

Zhu Houcong, caught, initially tried to feign calmness.

But that old general cared nothing for Zhu Houcong's bad habits.

He yanked the "Fragrant Leaf Crown" from Zhu Houcong's head and tore it apart.

Chen Hong, kicked several steps away, excitedly pointed at the hundred officials before him and roared,

"You... you are all blind! Guard the sovereign! Your Majesty!"

Having spoken, Chen Hong let out a "woe-woe" cry and lunged at Zhu Di.

Before Chen Hong could cry out a few more times,

Zhu Di kicked Chen Hong away once more.

Clearly, without the halo of power,

whether Laozu Sect, Inner Prime Minister, or Grand Secretary,

even if they were already past fifty years of age,

Zhu Di alone could take on a whole crowd, and would even have to be careful not to kick them to death with a single blow.