My father, Zhu Di, was granted a second life by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Chapter 73 The Struggle for Succession

The old emperor's words greatly increased Zhu Yunwen's sense of security, as if he had taken a reassuring pill.

Zhu Gaoxi sat to one side, quickly flipping through the memorials that the old emperor had processed.

He deliberately slowed down, not wanting to attract too much attention from Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yunwen stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Brother, why don't you go outside and play? These memorials are important government affairs and need to be sent to the Six Ministries for verification. Be careful not to make a mess of them."

"Don't worry about Yunwen, let Gao Xi handle it," the old emperor said.

Zhu Yunwen walked away awkwardly and sat back down in his original seat, looking dejected.

Zhu Gaoxi ignored him and continued reading the memorial.

Just when I thought I could finally relax, my heart started pounding again.

Zhu Yunwen was filled with unease. What did his grandfather mean by this?

Why let Zhu Gaoxi see the memorial?

Seeing Zhu Yunwen's distraught appearance, Zhu Gaoxi and Zhu Youdun quickly exchanged glances. It seemed that the Crown Prince was still in the dark and knew nothing.

Zhu Yunwen was overwhelmed with emotions and doubts, making it impossible for him to concentrate on organizing the memorials, and he made mistakes repeatedly.

The old emperor's expression gradually darkened, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, he asked with concern, "Is Yunwen still not fully recovered? Why don't you go back and rest first? Your health is the most important thing."

Zhu Yunwen then realized that he had made many mistakes and hurriedly tried to make amends: "Thank you for your concern, Grandpa. I'm not tired. I will do my best."

The old emperor nodded slightly after hearing this and continued reviewing the memorials.

They were busy until dusk, but the memorials were still not finished. The old emperor was worried that Zhu Yunwen, who had just recovered from his illness, was too tired to handle it, so he said with great affection, "Yunwen, go back. Don't overwork yourself."

However, Zhu Yunwen clearly misunderstood and immediately panicked, his eyes darting between Zhu Gaoxi and Zhu Youdun.

They're still here, so why is Grandfather telling me to leave first?

Could it be that they are planning to discuss some important matters in private?

Grandfather wouldn't really want Zhu Gaoxi to replace me, would he?

Zhu Yunwen was filled with fear and completely lost. He almost tripped over the threshold when he left.

Seeing this, Zhu Gaoxi couldn't help but sneer inwardly. His good intentions had been taken for granted, and Zhu Yunwen was on the verge of collapse due to the danger of being eliminated.

The old emperor shook his head and sighed softly, pointing to the remaining memorials and saying to Zhu Gaoxi, "Hurry up and organize them, then have breakfast early."

Zhu Gaoxi accepted the order and, using his best skills, focused intently on quickly flipping through and categorizing the documents.

The old emperor's lips curled slightly upward as he continued to bury the first batch of books for reading.

After a long day, Zhu Gaoxi slept soundly through the night.

The old emperor intended for Zhu Gaoxi to gain a deeper understanding of his approach to handling state affairs, so the classification and organization of memorials were entirely entrusted to Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Youdun.

Zhu Yunwen thought that his grandfather only kept Zhu Gaoxi by his side to read memorials because he didn't want Zhu Gaoxi to run around and play. Therefore, he didn't take it to heart and got along well with Zhu Gaoxi and Zhu Youdun.

Little did people know that the old emperor did this so that Zhu Gaoxi could advance as quickly as possible and catch up with the grandson of the crown prince, so that the two could compete, determine who was better, weigh the pros and cons, and make a final decision.

There can only be one heir apparent, and one of Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Gaoxi is destined to lose and be eliminated.

A few days later, Prince Zhu Jixi, the heir apparent of the Prince of Jin, returned to the capital as he had wished.

As soon as he arrived at the entrance of Qianqing Palace, Zhu Jixi shouted at the top of his lungs, "Grandpa, Grandpa, Jixi is back!"

Huang Liang was so frightened that his face turned ashen and his legs trembled. How could someone be so loud and boisterous without even looking where they were?

Upon hearing the sound, the old emperor came out to greet him, and was moved to tears, saying, "Ji Xi, my good grandson."

"Grandpa," Zhu Jixi's voice trembled with a sob.

The grandfather and grandson embraced tightly, reluctant to part for a long time.

Zhu Youdun, estimating that the time was right, stepped forward and greeted, "Youdun greets brother."

"Gao Xi greets his elder brother," Zhu Gao Xi followed closely behind.

"There are stews and sizzling dishes."

Upon hearing the sound, Zhu Jixi separated from the old emperor, took something out of his sleeve, and asked, "Look what your brother brought for you?"

"The finest rat whisker pens, custom-made exclusively for intelligent people," Zhu Jixi said with a smile.

Wang Xizhi's elegant and vigorous calligraphy work, "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion," was written with a brush made of rat whiskers.

This type of pen is flexible, with a firm and strong tip, and is very much to Zhu Gaoxi's liking.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Jixi was not only handsome and dashing, but also quite adept at winning people's hearts.

Zhu Gaoxi took a good liking to him and immediately offered to host a welcome dinner for him in the vegetable garden.

Zhu Jixi then asked with great interest, "Do you have sweet potatoes?"

"Yes, of course, brother, eat as much as you want."

"Alright, let's drink until we drop," Zhu Jixi readily agreed.

Upon hearing that they were going to get together for drinks, the old emperor frowned and pretended to cough.

"Grandpa, don't worry, I promise I won't let Gao Xi touch alcohol. You Dun and I will only drink a little, we won't drink too much," Zhu Jixi said intimately, leaning closer to make the promise.

That's more like it," the old emperor said, his brows relaxing.

Upon hearing the news, Zhu Yunwen rushed to the Qianqing Palace and warmly greeted his former defeated rival in the struggle for the throne.

The old emperor was deeply moved.

This is the scene he longs for most in his dreams.

All the descendants can live together in harmony, without scheming or fighting for power.

A family watches over and helps each other, supporting one another, living in harmony and happiness.

Zhu Jixi pretended not to care about Zhu Yunwen's slightly superior attitude as the crown prince, but in fact he was not convinced.

Since Grandpa likes it, he doesn't mind performing along.

However, in terms of age, he was two years older than Zhu Yunwen; in terms of talent, he was skilled in both literature and martial arts, and was by no means inferior to Zhu Yunwen; in terms of status, both his father and Zhu Yunwen's father were legitimate sons.

Why was Zhu Yunwen allowed to be the Crown Prince while he was not?

In what ways is he inferior to Zhu Yunwen?!

It's simply that Grandpa is biased.

Now things are really complicated. I heard that Grandpa is not satisfied with Zhu Yunwen and has the idea of ​​changing the heir apparent.

The opportunity has presented itself again, and he must seize it firmly.

This allowed his grandfather to truly understand that Zhu Jixi's abilities far surpassed those of Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Jixi was ambitious and wanted to seize the throne. Zhu Youdun and Zhu Gaoxi, who were favored by the old emperor, were naturally the targets he tried his best to win over.

According to his judgment, Zhu Youdun was rather easygoing; although he was exceptionally capable, he had no ambition to compete for the throne.

Zhu Youdun lost because his father was incompetent. This dignified prince of the Ming Dynasty had almost zero fighting ability and spent all his time hiding in the palace researching herbs.

Can that thing defend against enemies or guard the border?

That's just plain stupid.

Although Zhu Gaoxi's father was a formidable warrior with no faults, Zhu Gaoxi himself was too young, a five-year-old child who couldn't even take care of himself. How could he possibly inherit the throne?

Don't be ridiculous, what does a little kid know about governing the world?

Zhu Jixi was full of confidence and determined to succeed on his return to Beijing.

Fortune's wheel turns, and it's time for Zhu Jixi to show his talents.

Zhu Jixi was full of ambition and couldn't help but sigh in his heart. Looking at the imperial grandsons, who could be his match?

Zhu Gaoxi could read from the small flame burning brightly in Zhu Jixi's eyes that Zhu Jixi was eager to compete for the throne.

Zhu Jixi will be at full strength as soon as he enters the arena, and he should not be regarded as a potential enemy.

For now, it's best to keep a low profile and develop stealthily.

Having planned carefully, Zhu Gaoxi held Zhu Jixi's hand and called him "brother" in a voice that was incredibly sweet.

Zhu Youdun observed coldly, seeing everything clearly, yet pretending to be oblivious. When no one was looking, he squeezed Zhu Gaoxi's chubby little hand hard.

Zhu Gaoxi quickly begged for mercy.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Zhu Youdun made an outrageous demand: "Five hundred taels."

Before Zhu Gaoxi could even nod in agreement, the old emperor overheard it.

"What, five hundred taels?"

Zhu Gaoxi, quick-witted, said, "Grandpa, my brother said the school costs at least five hundred taels a year."

When the old emperor heard that his two grandsons were worried about such a small matter, he waved his hand and said, "Since it is a good deed, of course we can't let you pay out of your own pockets. How about this, we will let the Ministry of Revenue pay the money, and you go and ask Yu Xinyao, who is the Minister of Revenue."