Chapter 165: This Simpleton

…

Wu Wang Fu.

Zhu Yong was in the courtyard teaching Huanhuan to recognize characters.

The little girl sat on her father's lap, pointing at the characters in the book and, in a babyish voice, read: "Ren…kou…shou…"

"Right, Huanhuan is really clever," Zhu Yong chuckled.

Guanyin Nu sat beside them embroidering, watching the father and daughter with a smile at the corner of her mouth.

At that moment, Hu Bo hurried in, his face a little flustered: "Prince, something has happened in the palace."

Zhu Yong lifted his head and asked: "What happened?"

Hu Bo whispered the incident that occurred in Qianqing Palace.

The smile on Zhu Yong's face vanished.

He set Huanhuan down and said to Guanyin Nu: "Take Huanhuan back to the room; I'm going to the palace to take a look."

Guanyin Nu worried: "Prince, the Emperor is in a bad mood, you…"

"It's fine, I know my limits," Zhu Yong said, then strode out.

Reaching the weapons rack, he halted, thought for a moment, and reached for the pair of drum-jar golden hammers.

"Prince! What are you…?" Hu Bo exclaimed.

"Prepare the horse," Zhu Yong said, only two words.

…

Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang sat alone inside the hall, a poetry collection that Consort Sun had loved most in life spread on the table.

He flipped through a few pages, then closed the book and let out a long sigh.

"Zhong Ba, Zhong Ba, your temper…" he muttered to himself.

Just as he was thinking, a heavy footfall sounded from outside.

Boom—

It sounded like a giant hammer striking the ground.

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, rose, walked to the hall doorway, and pushed the doors open.

Then he was stunned.

On the square outside Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yong sat on a grandmaster chair, the pair of drum-jar golden hammers standing beside him.

He sat like that, facing the hall doors, motionless.

A few eunuchs stood at a distance, not daring to approach.

"Yong Er, what are you doing?" the Emperor asked in a deep voice.

Zhu Yong lifted his head and, in a simple tone, said: "Father, I heard you want elder brother to perform mourning for Consort Sun."

"So what? You also want to confront me?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.

Zhu Yong shook his head: "I'm not confronting father; I'm just sitting here."

As he spoke, he grasped the hammer handles with both hands, lifted them lightly; the two six‑hundred‑jin hammers rose three feet off the ground, then with a "Boom" they slammed onto the floor.

The blue‑stone floor was pounded into two deep pits, cracks spreading like spider webs.

"Father, when will you rescind the decree, when can I leave? Otherwise, don't even think of coming out," Zhu Yong said, looking at Zhu Yuanzhang with clear eyes.

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed in anger: "What, you still want to block me?"

"Hmm! Elder brother is right, mother is right, if father is wrong, it must change," Zhu Yong nodded seriously.

"Counterfeit! Revolt… revolt…"

Zhu Yuanzhang shouted angrily: "I am your father, I am the Emperor!"

"So what? Just because father is the Emperor, does that let him be unreasonable? Consort Sun is father's consort, not mother of me or elder brother; my mother is still alive, so why let elder brother mourn for her?"

Zhu Yong stuck out his neck; his words were blunt, yet each was reasonable.

For a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't know how to rebut.

"You… you get up for me!" he barked.

Zhu Yong stayed still, simply staring at his father in a simple way.

Zhu Yuanzhang, angry, turned back into the hall and slammed the doors shut with a "Bang."

He sat on the dragon throne, listening to the occasional "Dong… Dong…" sounds coming from outside.

It was Zhu Yong alternating lifting the Double Hammers and slamming them down, as if reminding him that someone outside was still keeping watch.

One hour passed.

Two hours passed.

The sky grew dim.

A eunuch asked cautiously: "Your Majesty, it's time for dinner…"

"Not eating!" Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand irritably.

He walked to the window and looked out through the crack.

Zhu Yong still sat there, like a stone statue.

The pair of massive hammers stood beside him, emitting a dull glow in the twilight.

"That simpleton…" Zhu Yuanzhang muttered.

He knew his second son was stubborn; once he set his mind on something, even ten oxen couldn't pull him back.

If he didn't relent today, Zhu Yong could truly sit outside all night.

But he is the Emperor, his words are golden; once spoken, how could they be taken back?

He was in a dilemma, when footsteps and Empress Ma's voice came from outside.

"Yong Er, what are you doing? Get up quickly."

"Mother, Father was wrong, so he must admit it," Zhu Yong's voice.

"You child… your father was momentarily confused; once he calms down, it'll be fine."

"Then I'll wait until he calms down."

Zhu Yuanzhang listened to the outside dialogue, his heart a tangled mix of emotions.

After a while, Zhu Biao's voice also came: "Second brother, go back! The elder brother is fine."

"No, Father hasn't admitted his mistake yet."

Zhu Yuanzhang finally couldn't hold back, pushed open the hall doors and stepped out.

Empress Ma and Zhu Biao stood beside Zhu Yong, urging him.

Seeing him come out, the three all turned to look.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his second son's simple, honest face, then at his wife and eldest son, and suddenly felt a bit weary.

"Yong Er, are you really going to block us?" he said, his voice a little hoarse.

"Father admits his mistake, then I'll leave," Zhu Yong persisted.

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a long while, finally sighed: "Fine… issue an edict: the Crown Prince need not mourn Consort Sun; the other princes… those who wish to mourn may do so, those who do not, may act as they please."

Zhu Yong's eyes lit up: "Father admitted his mistake?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him: "I am the emperor, can I admit a mistake? I just changed my mind!"

Zhu Yong chuckled naively: "It's all the same."

He stood up, lifted the Double Hammers: "Then I'm leaving, Father, Mother, elder brother, I'm going back to the residence for a meal, I'm hungry."

Having said that, he truly hoisted the hammers and walked away, leaving three deep pits on the plaza.

Empress Ma looked at his back, then at Zhu Yuanzhang, and softly said: "Zhong Ba, Yong Er may be simple, but he knows clearly who treats him well.

What he did today is for me, his mother, and also for Biao Er, his elder brother."

Zhu Yuanzhang hummed and said: "Just a simpleton, only knows how to use brute force."

Though he said that, there was no anger in his eyes.

Zhu Biao bowed and said: "Father Emperor, today's incident was caused by my rashness, please punish me."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand: "Enough, you're right, I was confused, the Sun family… shall be buried according to the consort's rites! No fanfare."

"Understood," Zhu Biao replied.

Empress Ma slipped her arm around her husband's, softly saying: "Zhong Ba, let's return to Kunning Palace, I've simmered soup for you."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, letting his wife pull him away.

After walking a few steps, he looked back at the three deep pits on the plaza and suddenly laughed: "That simpleton, his strength is indeed growing larger."

Night fell, and the lanterns outside Qianqing Palace lit up.

The three deep pits stood out especially in the light, like a silent proclamation.

In the distance, Zhu Yong hoisted the Double Hammers and walked out of the palace gate, humming an unknown tune.

He knew that today, Father wouldn't hold a grudge against him.

Because he was protecting his mother and elder brother, Father understood in his heart.

In Wu Wang Fu, Guanyin Nu and Huanhuan were still waiting for him to eat.

He must go quickly.