Chapter 20: Struggle for the Wang Title

If Zhu Zijin was still lucky up to this point, his subsequent life could be described as tragic.

After Zhu Su died, Zhu Youdun inherited the Zhou Wang Jue, but he still had no sons, so he became devoted to raising his nephews.

Zhu Zihou, Zhu Zifang, and others were sent to the Zhou Wangfu at a very young age, ostensibly to fulfill filial duties on behalf of their fathers before their grandfather, bringing joy to the former Zhou Wang.

But Zhu Su died when Zhu Zihou was three and Zhu Zifang was four, and since then, the new Zhou Wang, Zhu Youdun, had raised them.

After his biological father died, Zhu Youlan thought he could act again, so he repeatedly submitted reports accusing Zhu Youdun of plotting rebellion.

Zhu Youdun continually defended himself.

After many years passed and Zhu Youdun still had no children, Zhu Youlan's thinking shifted—he no longer mentioned Zhu Youdun's alleged rebellion, but began vying for custody and ownership of Zhu Zijin.

He threw tantrums, wept and raged before the Emperor, wept and raged before the imperial clan—always the same phrase: Zhu Zijin was his son, he couldn't bear to lose him, the Zhou Wang must return his son!

Zhu Youlan made such a fuss that Zhu Youdun held out for several years but finally couldn't endure him, and returned Zhu Zijin to him.

At the time, Zhu Zijin was twelve years old.

Zhu Youlan seized Zhu Zijin not because he loved this son, but because Zhu Youdun had no sons—if he died, Zhu Youlan, as the eldest legitimate second son of the former Zhou Wang, would be the first in line to inherit.

If Zhu Zijin remained Zhu Youdun's adopted son, what place would there be for him?

But Zhu Youdun also had his pride—he, like his father, deeply disliked this younger brother, preferring to pass the title to his illegitimate younger brothers rather than to this same-mother brother.

After Zhu Zijin was taken away, Zhu Youdun devoted himself to raising the several nephews in his household and grew close to his fourth brother, Zhu Youjue.

Zhu Youlan saw this and couldn't bear it—he launched another round of false accusations, claiming Zhu Youjue had close ties with Prince Han, Zhu Gaosu.

At the time, the reigning emperor was Emperor Xuanzong, who lacked his father's patience; after verifying the accusation as false, he uncovered numerous illegal acts by this uncle and promptly stripped him of his title, reducing him to commoner status and imprisoning him in Beijing.

Zhu Zijin, now transformed from Zhou Wang's adopted son into Zhu Youlan's eldest son, was naturally implicated and likewise reduced to commoner status, imprisoned alongside him in Beijing.

The so-called "confinement" was in fact confinement to a plot of land enclosed by the Imperial Clan Court, a village on the outskirts.

There, besides disgraced imperial relatives, lived only clerks and tenant farmers from the imperial estates.

They received no imperial subsidies and were restricted in freedom, forced to till the land—so although Zhu Zijin was only five or six years older than his two cousins, he now looked ten years their senior.

This reveals how miserable his years had been.

After Pan Yun finished reading the key historical records about the Zhou Wang from her past-life timeline, she immediately noticed the difference.

In her past-life timeline, Zhu Youdun died in the fourth year of Zhengtong; here, this year is the seventh year of Zhengtong.

In her past-life timeline, Zhu Youdun never reclaimed Zhu Zijin before his death, so after he died, his fourth brother Zhu Youjue inherited the Zhou Wang Jue, and it wasn't until the Jingyi era that Emperor Jingyi released Zhu Zijin and sent him back to Kaifeng.

This was intriguing—Pan Yun looked up toward the sickbed.

Tao Ji had finished writing the prescription and returned; he was now discussing health preservation with the Zhou Wang.

The former Zhou Wang was a medical master; though the Zhou Wang had not inherited his father's expertise, he possessed relevant knowledge.

Especially these past few years, he had frequently been seriously ill, hovering on the edge of death, and had developed his own insights into health preservation, so he conversed well with Tao Ji.

As they spoke merrily, the Prince's Residence's Chief Secretary finally arrived.

The Zhou Wang gestured to him: "Yuansong, I need you to draft an imperial petition."

Zhao Yuansong immediately stepped forward to receive orders.

The Zhou Wang gasped: "I wish to petition for the appointment of Zhou Wang Shizi and Zhou Wang Shisun. You will draft it for me."

Zhao Yuansong promptly agreed.

Wang Fei Gong Shi immediately said: "Quickly prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."

Her maid immediately obeyed and soon brought up the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Zhao Yuansong ground the ink and, following the Zhou Wang's instructions, petitioned to appoint the adopted son Zhu Zijin as Zhou Wang Shizi and the adopted grandson Zhu Tongqie as Zhou Wang Shisun.

As soon as the petition was finished, Zhao Yuansong was about to seal it when hurried footsteps sounded outside; the curtain was violently pulled aside, and everyone turned to look.

A middle-aged man with cold eyes strode in: "Big brother—"

His gaze swept over Pan Yun, Master Xuanmiao, and Tao Ji, lingering especially on Tao Ji, then stepped forward: "I heard Qie was found?"

The Zhou Wang's gaze was gentle; he nodded: "He was found."

Zhu Zihou and Zhu Zifang stepped forward and called out, "Father." Zhu Youjue waved his hand, his eyes fixed on the child in Zhu Zijin's arms, frowning: "Who found this child? How? Was it verified? For half a year we turned the Central Plains upside down and still couldn't find the child…"

Because of Zhu Youjue's interruption, the petition halted at the sealing step.

Pan Yun scanned the faces in the room; internally she clicked her tongue—there were four Zhou Wangs in this room, yet the most anxious were the current Wang Fei and her entourage…

Wang Fei Gong Shi now longed to rush forward and stamp the seal, immediately sending the petition to Jingcheng.

Sensing his wife's agitation, the Zhou Wang gently patted her bony hand, smiled faintly at her, and continued responding to Zhu Youjue: "The child is fortunate—he encountered three Daoists who sensed his extraordinary origins and brought him back."

"So those rumors are baseless," the Zhou Wang said, his face flushed: "I am not barren—I now have not only a son, but a grandson!"

He told Chief Secretary Zhao Yuansong: "Seal it. Immediately send someone to deliver the petition to the Emperor's presence—I still have time left to live, and I want to see them appointed Heir and Grandson." Zhao Yuansong stamped it with a loud "Kuang," then rose solemnly: "Your Highness, I shall personally travel to Beijing to petition the Emperor and urge the Imperial Clan Court to restore the adopted son's name to your and Wang Fei's records."

"Good, good," the Zhou Wang's eyes gleamed: "Set out immediately. Take plenty of silver to grease the wheels—get them to record it quickly, to soothe my son's heart."

Zhu Zijin knelt on the floor, clutching the child, tears streaming down his face: "Father…"

"Why cry? A true man does not shed tears so easily—how will you protect your mother, your wife, your children?" the Prince of Zhou admonished: "The entire Prince's Residence will rely on you in the future—you must be strong."

Zhu Zijin wept and agreed.

Zhu Youjue had not expected the Chief Secretary to act so swiftly, nor his elder brother's will to be so firm—he fell silent.

His gaze settled on the child, his tone ambiguous: "This child truly has good fortune—it resembles Second Brother greatly. Second Brother always had extraordinary luck—no matter what trouble he caused, he always escaped unscathed."

Gong Shi's face darkened: "What are you saying, Fourth Brother? Zhu Youlan has already been reduced to commoner status—what kind of fortune is that?"

She took the child from Zhu Zijin's arms, gently patting him: "Our Qie is nothing like him—such good fortune clearly comes from the Wang, Wang, look at his eyes—are they not identical to yours?"

The Zhou Wang smiled and nodded: "Yes, exactly like mine."

"Congratulations, Your Highness, congratulations, Wang Fei," Master Xuanmiao smiled faintly: "The Prince's Residence celebrates two joys at once. With this auspiciousness, if Your Highness follows medical advice and carefully nurtures himself, your illness will surely heal, and Wang Fei will enjoy longevity and fortune."

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The Zhou Wang murmured: "Longevity and fortune… I accept the Daoist's auspicious words. Someone, reward again!"

Gong Shi's eyes grew moist; she held the child tightly.

Zhu Youjue was seething with rage, his chest aching from the pressure.

The princely title had already been his for sure—who could have expected his elder brother to suddenly remember Zhu Zijin and beg to set him free?

Zhu Youjue made one final plea: "Brother, Second Brother is still alive. If he finds out Zijin has become heir again, then…"

The Zhou Wang waved dismissively. "I'm nearly dead. How many years does he have left? He was stripped of his status for wrongdoing. Unlike our Zijin—he won't get out easily."

Gong Shi nodded vigorously.

Zhao Yuansong, seeing their conversation end and confirming the Prince's intent, withdrew to gather the guards and head to Jingcheng.

He dared not be careless now.

If he had once never doubted Prince Xiangfu Zhu Youjue, since Zhu Tongqie's abduction, he no longer trusted Prince Xiangfu at all.

This memorial would decide the fate of the Zhou Wang's title—he dared not let anything happen to it en route.

The Zhou Wang's health was very poor; this morning, the family physician had declared definitively that he might pass within these two days.

He must deliver the memorial to Jingcheng as soon as possible, for before this, the imperial court and Zhou Wangfu had already reached an understanding: upon the Zhou Wang's death, the title would pass to Prince Xiangfu.

Even though the Prince of Zhou had taken back his adopted son half a year ago, the succession had never been formally settled. Logically, it should have gone to the adopted son—but Zhu Zijin was still registered under Zhu Youlan's name, and the Imperial Clan Court had yet to update the records.

The reason it had never been changed was because Zhu Tongqie had been kidnapped and vanished shortly after arriving in Kaifeng.

Some said the Zhou Wang was born to kill his sons; others claimed Zhu Zijin cursed his own parents; still others claimed the Zhou Wang and the late Renshan Commandery Prince's line mutually cursed each other.

Zhu Zijin and his father belonged to the late Renshan Commandery Prince's line; they and the Zhou Wang should never meet again, or disaster would follow—any meeting would bring harm.

Now it was Zhu Tongqie who was harmed; next time, it might be the Zhou Wang himself.

The Zhou Wang… believed it, a little.

This Zhou Wang was good in every way—except he was superstitious.

So for half a year, because of these rumors, he had never formally recognized Zhu Zijin as heir.

Yet he couldn't bear to drive the child away.

After all, he had raised the boy himself. Seeing how hard his life had been, how could the Zhou Wang bear to send him back to Beijing for confinement?

And since arriving in Kaifeng, Zhu Zijin had shown utmost filial piety—he managed everything around the Zhou Wang: feeding him medicine, feeding him meals, even bathing and changing his clothes, carrying him out daily to bask in the sun…

Though servants could do these things, they did them carelessly.

And since his illness had dragged on so long, the servants dared not complain, yet could not help growing impatient—their movements lacked gentleness and tenderness.

But Zhu Zijin treated him like a child.

While caring for him, the Zhou Wang kept recalling how he had once cared for the infant Zhu Zijin.

When Zhu Zijin was brought to them, he hadn't yet reached his first month—he was a first-time father, flustered alongside Gong Shi, raising him bit by bit until he turned twelve…

Because of these memories, because of Zhu Zijin's filial devotion, even with his superstitions, he could not bring himself to cast him out.

Superstition is good—it can make one believe in mutual harm, but it can also make one believe in mutual blessing.

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(End of chapter)