Chapter 8

According to Old Zhu's plan, it would've been no more than the size of a large village—four or five thousand people scattered across the land, that'd be enough.

Who knew these later descendants would breed a full four hundred thousand!

After a moment, Old Zhu, shaken out of his shock, resumed sending messages.

Emperor Taizu the High:

"I've thought long and hard—only two options. Want to hear them?"

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Grandfather, speak your mind. Your humble subject listens with bated breath."

Emperor Taizu the High:

"First option: I didn't grant them titles like General or Lieutenant—those weren't empty honors. You gather ten thousand able-bodied members of the imperial clan, send them beyond the pass to fight the Tatars to the death."

"I don't believe ten thousand members of the imperial clan can't wipe out a tiny bunch of Jurchens?"

"Even if they're all annihilated, you can use it as an excuse to purge the court, force those civil officials to spit out their silver, seize more from the princely houses, and squeeze the Wu Xun for extra—then you'll get through this crisis."

In another timeline.

After reading this message, Chongzhen's lips twitched slightly.

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Grandfather, you're driving me straight to my death! Our Great Ming imperial clan has never suffered such hardship—if they're all wiped out, the princely houses will surely unite to depose me!"

Emperor Taizu the High:

"Let them depose you! Whoever deposes you, let them take the throne. If they can't pacify the Jianzhou Jurchens, they're a traitor to the state—see who dares step forward then."

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"But—but even if I win, I'll be cursed by my Zhu descendants for all eternity!"

Emperor Taizu the High:

"The whole empire's already dead and gone! We Zhu clan will all go down together—then won't I be the one spitting on you?"

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Um, Grandfather… maybe I'll pick the second option… at least let me think it over."

Zhu Yuanzhang fell silent for a long while.

Finally, he sent out his own plan.

Emperor Taizu the High:

"Fine. Second option: right now, send the Embroidered Uniform Guard to loot every silver coin in the city. After you've looted it all, forget being emperor—just dump the throne and let whoever wants it take it."

"Change your name. Call yourself Zhu Lao Liu."

"Take the stolen silver back to Fengyang. Find beggars who look strong but are starving—ask them if they'll follow you. If they say yes, give them something to eat."

"Don't need many—just gather a few thousand, that'll be enough."

"Then rise up in rebellion—lead them against the state. I've thought about this for a long time."

"Given your situation, governing's too hard. Better to start over—join the rebels, fight a few battles, and I'll teach you step by step. Leave Fengyang, cross the river, seize Jin Ling—and stay there. Wait for them to fight…"

8, Grandfather, don't be angry—I'm Zhu Youjian!

Emperor Taizu the High:

"Why are you silent? Did the Tatars break into the city?! Your ancestor's talking to you—where the hell did you run off to, you little brat?!"

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Grandfather… do I look like that kind of man…?"

Emperor Taizu the High:

"How did I end up with a descendant like you?! Why won't you just rebel? Afraid of what?!"

"If I'd known all of Yunwen's descendants were this useless, I should've just passed the throne to the Fourth Prince!"

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"…"

"…"

Seeing the string of question marks, Zhu Yuanzhang felt a sudden dread.

Emperor Taizu the High:

"No—don't you dare send me just dots! What's your name? I order you to send it right now!"

The moment he spoke.

Zhu Youjian of the third year of Chongzhen froze in place.

Chongzhen, having lived half a lifetime, suddenly realized the consequences of neglecting his studies.

Old Zhu had already pre-set two and a half characters of every descendant's name.

He arranged twenty-character generational names for each son.

Beyond that, from Zhu Biao's generation onward, the third character's radical had to follow the Five Elements sequence.

Chongzhen couldn't even figure out which generation he belonged to.

He'd forgotten the generational sequence of the Donggong line entirely!

"Yunwen cheng zu xun—what comes after?!"

Emperor Taizu the High:

"Don't you dare feign death on me! Do you think I won't bar you from the ancestral tomb?!"

Seeing this, Chongzhen was utterly broken.

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Grandfather, I am Youjian, bowing before the Great Ming Emperor Taizu the High… I'll kowtow to you."

Within the Hall of Preserving Clarity.

Zhu Yuanzhang, seeing this, froze on the spot.

He felt as though the world were spinning around him.

"Gao Zhan Qi Jian You, Hou Zai Yi Chang You... Fourth, oh Fourth, you clever boy! I never in a million years imagined you'd actually rebel, damn you!"

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Great-grandpa, you really can't blame my great-grandpa."

"..."

"Great-grandpa, why aren't you answering?"

"Wuwuwu, Great-grandpa, if you kill my great-grandpa, what will your son-subject do?"

"Great-grandpa, please don't scare me!"

"Great-grandpa, please reply!"

"..."

At this moment, Old Zhu seemed drained of every ounce of strength, slumping back into the dragon throne.

Ever since the Crown Prince Zhu Biao had passed away, Zhu Yuanzhang had settled on Zhu Yunwen as the heir of Great Ming.

In Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yuanzhang saw far, far too many shadows of the old Zhu Biao.

Thus, ignoring the remonstrances of his ministers, Zhu Yuanzhang had forcibly elevated the Crown Prince's concubine Lady Lü to the position of Crown Princess, giving Zhu Yunwen the status of legitimate eldest son.

To sweep away every obstacle for Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yuanzhang had even turned his murderous intent upon the old retainers of Donggong.

By now, Lan Yu—maternal uncle of the former Crown Princess Lady Chang—had already been stripped of his military command by Zhu Yuanzhang and left idle in the capital.

Lan Yu had been in close contact with a host of Zhu Biao's former retainers.

All Old Zhu had to do was throw Lan Yu into the imperial prison now, and within a few days, on the charge of being Lan Yu's co-conspirators, he could uproot the entire old Donggong faction, root and branch.

Then he would appoint Huang Zicheng, Watching Qi Tai, and others to take their place.

Build Zhu Yunwen an entirely new set of officials from scratch!

But clearly, that single remark of Zhu Youjian's had thoroughly disrupted every one of Old Zhu's arrangements.

Because Old Zhu has already killed far too many people.

A man past fifty after all, Zhu Yuanzhang drifted off in thought like this, leaning back in the dragon throne and falling into a doze.

By the time Old Zhu opened his eyes again, the daylight outside was already bright.

Old Zhu asked wearily in a low voice.

"What time is it now?"