Zhu Biao did not discover the secret behind Zhu Yuanzhang's naming.
He did not slap his head and suddenly realize because of the name, "It turns out that my father is Zhu Yuanzhang, and I am Prince Zhu."
A man had been a commoner for over a decade and originally had a different surname than the national leader. The national leader had been in office for a long time and had even met with him. He changed his name, and when he later named his younger brother, it just so happened that he had the same surname as the national leader's son.
This person slapped his head and suddenly realized, "My life in the past ten years has been fake, my whole family and acquaintances are pretending to be me, the national leaders who met with me are also pretending to be me, and my father is the national leader." What is the probability that this person will fail? Ask yourself this question, readers.
A dozen years is enough to shape a person's worldview. In a certain developed country today, many people still insist that the Earth is flat, that high-ranking government officials are controlled by lizard people, and that everything seen through telescopes and photographed by satellites is fake.
This shows how difficult it is to change a person's worldview. Zhu Biao's ability to question his life over the past decade based on one of his brother's alternate names is quite remarkable.
Besides, this name was not chosen by his father, but was chosen by him by drawing lots.
It's impossible that the name Zhu Di in history was also chosen by Crown Prince Zhu Da by drawing lots? The Hongwu Emperor was not as idiotic as his father.
However, Zhu Biao still had a very strange sense of déjà vu.
If his family still had the surname Chen, he wouldn't have these déjà vu feelings; but now that his family has been given the surname of the country, this sense of déjà vu is too strong.
Empress Ma's surname was Ma, and so was her mother's.
Mu Ying was the adopted son of the Hongwu Emperor, and Yingge was also his father's godson;
Emperor Yongle was once Prince of Yan Zhu Di. Now that his brother Zhu Wenzhen has become Prince of Yan, his younger brother Chen Gouzi is likely to be named Zhu Di.
You say there are many similarities between them, but in fact there are also great differences.
For example, his mother was originally the daughter of a wealthy businessman. Although she had severed ties with her family, people from her hometown still sent her New Year gifts during festivals. She was definitely not from the same place as Empress Ma.
Yingge was adopted by Zhu Yuanzhang because he was first adopted by the Chen family, and the Chen family was valued by Zhu Yuanzhang.
His brother is obviously not Zhu Di, Zhu Di is not so old, and his brain is not so flawed;
His brother couldn't possibly be Zhu Di, because his brother's name was actually Chen Di , and he had twin brothers...
It is very different from the family of Emperor Hongwu.
But this vague sense of déjà vu made Zhu Biao feel as if his family had become a control group for the Hongwu Emperor's family.
What's going on? A mirror image of history? The fate of a time traveler and the child of destiny?
"Biao'er, Biao'er, what's wrong with you?" Zhu Yuanzhang was originally waiting for Zhu Biao to suddenly realize, "It turns out that my brothers' names are all trees, and my name is the top of the tree. Dad loves me and I love Dad too!", and then enjoy his son's moved eyes.
How come Biaoer was not only not moved, but also in a daze.
"Ah, this..." Zhu Biao said, "Show me the other notes in the box."
Zhu Yuanzhang immediately hugged the wooden box tightly and said, "Whatever you said you would catch is what you got!"
Zhu Biao said, "Let me see, let me see."
Zhu Yuanzhang was like an old naughty boy: "No!"
Ma Xiuying glared at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Just give it to me when I tell you to. What are you making such a fuss about?"
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted angrily and reluctantly let go of the wooden box.
Zhu Biao unfolded the slips of paper one by one. Each slip had a character with the radical "木" (wood) on it, and its meaning was the ancient name or nickname of a certain tree.
He immediately understood: "That 'bar' is Dad deliberately teasing the dog, right?"
Seeing his accusation exposed, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "It's not meant to be funny. If you agree, he'll call it that. Anyway, the Chen family fleet has found many rare tree species overseas, and we named them ourselves. For example, the tree that can produce tea oil but is not a tea tree can be called 'gang'."
Zhu Biao was immediately speechless, really not understanding his father's train of thought: "So my name is also Tree?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was pleased: "Aren't you well-informed? Guess?"
Zhu Biao said, "I can't guess. I used to think my name 'Biao' came from 'Biaogan', meaning a sign that guides the way. But my brothers are all trees... Dad, you didn't name me to mean the top of a tree, did you?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was even more proud: "That's right! 'Biao ' means the top of a tree!"
After he finished speaking, he glanced at his other sons. The other sons' expressions didn't change much, and they accepted the matter calmly.
Zhu Yuanzhang was very pleased that his other sons all respected Biao'er.
Zhu Biao looked strange: "But Dad, although the treetop is the top of the tree, it is also the place that is most likely to break."
Zhu Yuanzhang: “……?”
Everyone: “……!”
Zhu Biao said: "When the wind is strong, the treetops are the first to break; when there is a lack of water and insects rot the roots, the treetops are the first to wither and turn yellow..."
Zhu Yuanzhang was in a trance, as if he had suffered a great blow.
Ma Xiuying couldn't help but glance at Zhu Yuanzhang. "My son is destined to die young. Could it be that you chose the wrong name?"
Zhu Biao's joke made his three brothers nervous.
This name is unlucky!
Zhu Chong couldn't help but complain: "Dad, what a terrible name you chose... Change it to something more auspicious for my brother."
Zhu Yuanzhang came to his senses, immediately jumped up from his chair, and shouted: "Change it! Change it immediately!"
Zhu Biao quickly pulled his father back to the chair, saying with a mixture of laughter and tears, "I've used this name for more than ten years, isn't it? My family just changed their surname, and now you're changing my name. I almost don't recognize myself anymore. Okay, okay, what's the point of changing it? I won't change it."
Zhu Yuanzhang was almost crying: "But Biao'er..."
Zhu Biao said, "That's it. Don't be superstitious. Dad, you see, I always turn danger into safety. Maybe this name suits me better."
Zhu Biao closed the wooden box and said, "Think about the names of Shuze and Youze for a few more days. Dad, I have something to tell you."
Zhu Yuanzhang was at a loss: "Ah, okay."
Zhu Biao stood up and said to Ma Xiuying, "Mom, please clean up."
Ma Xiuying patted Zhu Biao's arm gently and said with a smile, "Why are you troubling me? Isn't it natural for me to take care of you?"
Zhu Biao smiled and said, "Okay... Hey, Dad, there's a pond over there! Don't roll in. Forget it, I'll hold your hand and walk with you."
Zhu Biao took his not-so-old father, who was almost suffering from Alzheimer's disease due to excessive shock, away, leaving his brothers and Ma Xiuying sighing.
Zhu Wenzheng was the first to lose his temper: "Aunt Si, Biao'er's name..."
Ma Xiuying sighed, "I've been using it for over ten years. I don't want to change it, so I'll just keep using it for now. I'll go back and find some fortune tellers to do some calculations."
Ma Xiuying consulted fortune tellers, but all of them were liars without exception - they all said that Biao'er had a good appearance and a long life, and that he would be promoted to a high position in government. If he was lucky, he could even pass the imperial examination and become the top scorer; if he was unlucky, he could still become a wealthy businessman.
Isn’t this all bullshit?!
My son is the crown prince and the future emperor!
Thinking of Zhu Biao's stunned look when he was drawing lots, Chen Ying asked, "Godmother, what's the meaning of the word 'Di'? Why did Biaoer freeze for so long?"
Ma Xiuying shook her head: "I don't know. But if Biaoer thinks it's necessary to tell us, he will tell us immediately."
She patted Zhu Gou'er's head, who looked worried, and said, "Pack your things first, then go back and rest. You still have official business to attend to tomorrow, so you can't stay up late."
Although they were very anxious and nervous, they could only follow Ma Xiuying's instructions.
Li Wenzhong, who was the most intelligent, looked in the direction where Zhu Biao and Zhu Yuanzhang had left. He had been silent the whole time and had already guessed the reason for Zhu Biao's stunned state.
Biaoer can foresee the future, but the future he foresees is like something he has seen in a book, not a true foresight, so there are many omissions.
For example, Biao'er's only understanding of his uncle is "the comments of future generations"; and his only understanding of Prince Zhu is "the unfortunate prince who died young and no one cared what his name was."
These are just like reading history books. People only care about a few famous emperors. And even for those emperors, people who read history books will only remember their temple names and reign titles, and will not specifically remember their names.
If the prince died young and failed to ascend the throne, only the symbol of "prince" would remain.
But Biaoer didn't know what the "unlucky prince who died young" was called, but he might know the name of the emperor after "Emperor Hongwu".
The name "Emperor Yongle" also came out of Biaoer's mouth.
However, none of them cared, nor were they happy to hear who the new Crown Prince of Daming was who had replaced Biao'er. Furthermore, they had tacitly agreed not to ask about the "future" Biao'er had mentioned, lest Biao reveal the secret and get into trouble. So, none of them asked.
Emperor Yongle.
Since later generations evaluated him as "the Great Emperor", he must be very famous, and it is normal that his name is known to most people.
Biaoer had no reaction to the names of Zhu Chong and Zhu Gang, but had a strong reaction to the name "Zhu Di". The reason could only be this one.
The "Emperor Yongle" was Chen Gou'er, whose real name was Zhu Di.
What about Ts'u'er and Ts'u'er? Did they also die young? Or did they experience a brutal sibling feud?
Ah Ying spat out a mouthful of blood and accompanied Biaoer in the year he died.
What about me? What about Wen Zheng?
What role did we play during the period when Biao'er left and Zhu Di ascended the throne?
Was he caught up in the struggle for the throne, or even actively participated in it? Was he eliminated by his adoptive father, who was trying to pave the way for the new ruler? Or was he lucky enough to die of old age, avoiding all the disputes?
Even on a midsummer night, it's still hot and humid.
Li Wenzhong pulled his clothes closer and actually felt cold.
Only at this moment did he deeply realize that if Biaoer left earlier than them, this currently happy family would face a terrible disintegration and fratricide.
Li Wenzhong concealed his speculation and did not tell Zhu Wenzhen, whose brain was not very good except for fighting, and Chen Ying, who was too worried about Biao'er's unlucky name and ignored the key point.
Everything has not happened yet, so there is no need for him to make his brothers worry too.
As long as Biaoer is fine, nothing will happen.
Under the moonlight, Zhu Yuanzhang was bitten by mosquitoes and swallowed several mouthfuls of dragon blood under the willow trees, and finally woke up.
He swatted a mosquito and said, "Biao'er, what you want to say, could it be related to the name 'Zhu Di'?"
What Li Wenzhong could think of, Zhu Yuanzhang, who learned more details about the "future" from Zhu Biao, could naturally think of after he regained his consciousness.
Zhu Biao led Zhu Yuanzhang to a pavilion planted with mosquito repellent herbs. He sat cross-legged on a stone bench, resting his hands on the pavilion railings. He sighed deeply, "Yeah. Dad, you actually guessed it? Then guess, what's wrong with the name Zhu Di?"
Zhu Yuanzhang suppressed the pain in his heart and said, "You said that the future crown prince would die young and the emperor would go mad... After the crown prince dies young, a new crown prince will have to be appointed. Could that new crown prince be... could his name be Zhu Di?"
Before Zhu Biao could say anything, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately said, "It's not good to have the same name as the future emperor. You should choose a new name for the dog."
Zhu Biao said, "Zhu Di is not the new crown prince...that's not important. Anyway, our family has been pushed by the emperor to become die-hard supporters of the crown prince. If anything happens to the crown prince, we won't be able to wait until Zhu Di ascends the throne, and our whole family will be finished. Dad, I just feel that there are many similarities between our family and the emperor's family, which makes me a little uneasy."
Zhu Yuanzhang's heart skipped a beat, and sweat broke out on his forehead. Fortunately, it was summer, so sweating was normal.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, opened his clothes, took out a folding fan from his chest and fanned himself vigorously: "What similarities are there?"
Zhu Biao said, "Look, Empress Ma's surname is Ma, and my mother's surname is also Ma; Zhu Di was originally the Prince of Yan, and now my brother Zhu Wenzheng has become the Prince of Yan. My fourth brother almost named himself Zhu Di, as if to dismantle the identity of Prince of Yan Zhu Di."
Zhu Yuanzhang: “…” So that stupid boy Gou’er will be named King of Yan in the future?
Wait, he's not the crown prince but the Prince of Yan. How did he become the emperor? It can't be...
Zhu Yuanzhang took this incident to heart and said, "Now that you mention it, I feel it's very similar."
Zhu Biao said self-deprecatingly, "Could it be that the fates of the immortal boy and the current Son of Destiny mirror and entangle each other?"
Quantum entanglement? When in doubt, quantum science (metaphysics) can everything be quantum entangled?
Zhu Yuanzhang pretended to be in deep thought for a moment, then said, "Who knows, it might actually be possible. Biao'er, Dad has been hiding something from you."
Zhu Biao lied, "What's the matter? You're not going to tell my father now that you're actually Zhu Yuanzhang and I'm actually Crown Prince Zhu Da. You've been teasing me for over a decade out of mischievous fun, and now that you've ascended the throne, you finally want to tell me your true identity?"
Zhu Yuanzhang: "...Biao'er, this is not allowed to be nonsense, you will be beheaded!"
Zhu Biao couldn't help laughing: "There's no one around, so I'll just tease you."
Zhu Yuanzhang racked his brains: "Biao'er, if the emperor is really me, why would he name me the most meritorious minister of the founding of the country? Wouldn't this leave a laughing stock for future generations?"
Zhu Biao suppressed his laughter and pretended to be serious: "Who dares to say that the emperor is not the most meritorious official in the founding of the Ming Dynasty? Whose contribution can be greater than that of the emperor? Besides, if the emperor is the father, with the father's unreliable character, how could he do such a thing!"
Zhu Yuanzhang: “…”
He clenched his fist and hit Zhu Biao hard on the head: "Don't talk nonsense! You must respect the emperor, understand!"
Zhu Biao held his head and shook his head: "I know, I know, I'm just like this in front of you. Dad, didn't you say you were hiding something from me?"
Zhu Yuanzhang coughed dryly and began to make up nonsense: "Biao'er, do you know the substitute?"
Zhu Biao nodded: "I know. I also know that Dad, you are called the Shadow Emperor. Is that one of the Emperor's substitutes?"
Seeing Zhu Biao automatically complete the settings, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with great satisfaction and said, "That's right. It's written in history books that many emperors and crown princes would arrange for a substitute with a compatible horoscope. This was especially true for young crown princes, who would also arrange for the substitute to become a monk."
Zhu Biao's mind was blown, and he said in shock: "Dad, you mean that the emperor wants you and me to become monks!"
Zhu Yuanzhang: “…No.”
Zhu Biao turned around, leaned against the railing, patted his chest hard and gasped: "Dad, you scared me!"
Zhu Yuanzhang tapped Zhu Biao's forehead and said, "Why, are you so frightened by the thought of becoming a monk? Aren't you not interested in women? Don't you even allow maids to serve you?"
Zhu Biao said angrily, "I'm still young, why would I want a woman? When I grow up, I will definitely get married. In the future, my brothers will all have their own families and careers, and I won't have my own little family. How lonely I will be."
Feelings can be cultivated slowly. Zhu Biao believed that his moral standards for family and marriage were absolutely among the best in this era, and that he would definitely make his wife happy. If his wife was happy, she would probably treat him well, right?
A happy small family can definitely be cultivated.
Zhu Yuanzhang tapped Zhu Biao's forehead again and said, "Anyway, you worry about this matter yourself. I don't want to bother with you. Come to me when you are anxious."
Zhu Yuanzhang was not in a hurry to have a grandson, he was more worried about Zhu Biao's health.
The doctor said that having children too early was bad for both men and women. As long as Biao'er could escape death, he would definitely have a grandchild. Otherwise, what was the point?
Zhu Biao said, "Don't interrupt, Dad, please continue. You are the emperor's substitute, so could I also be the prince's substitute? And then?"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. "When the Emperor learned you were a divine child, he considered making you the Crown Prince's 'substitute.' This 'substitute' isn't like me, who does things for the Emperor whenever necessary. Instead, he combined your horoscopes with the Crown Prince's, and had a palace alchemist perform a ritual to connect the Crown Prince's fate with yours."
Zhu Yuanzhang thought about the lie he had told his son and said with deep remorse, "Biao'er, I didn't dare tell you about this."
Zhu Biao was stunned for a long time.
Compatible horoscopes? Connected destinies? Do you want me to share the prince's misfortunes?
Zhu Biao originally wanted to say that feudal superstitions were not credible.
But he was able to reincarnate with his memories, and "Prince of Yan" and "Zhu Di" appeared in his family, which made him believe it.
If "Prince of Yan Zhu Di" represents the future in which Crown Prince Zhu Da was originally unable to ascend the throne, and now both "Prince of Yan" and "Zhu Di" have come to the Chen family, does it prove that the future has begun to change?
As a time traveler, did he really share some of Zhu Da's disaster?
"Really..." Zhu Biao scratched his head vigorously, "How mysterious."
Zhu Yuanzhang felt even more guilty: "Biao'er, Your Majesty, regarding this matter, I, I...Alas, I am so sorry for you!"
As he spoke, tears fell like rain, as if he had really become a bad father who killed his son for the sake of loyalty to the emperor.
Zhu Biao immediately wiped Zhu Yuanzhang's tears and comforted him, "Dad, I've read in history books that the emperors and princes' 'stand-ins' all had happy endings. He shared my luck, and I shared his. Their family is an emperor, so their luck might be even stronger than ours. We might even have benefited. Look, my brothers and I always managed to turn danger into safety in every battle. Maybe we were blessed by the dragon energy of the Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Yuanzhang cried even harder.
He hugged Zhu Biao and cried loudly: "Biao'er, Daddy is so sorry for you! Daddy has never dared to tell you! Daddy didn't dare to tell you! Daddy didn't even tell your mother! Daddy didn't dare to tell you!"
Zhu Biao was at a loss: "Dad, this is not a big deal. I have already said that I am a fairy boy. If I am not killed by the emperor, I will most likely become a mascot. I have been mentally prepared for this. Oh, it's okay, I don't care."
He tried his best to comfort Zhu Yuanzhang, who was crying.
After a while, Zhu Yuanzhang finally stopped grieving. Wiping his tears, he said, "Actually, this is also your mother's fault!"
Zhu Biao was completely confused: "What does this have to do with my mother?"
Zhu Yuanzhang sobbed and said, "It's because your mother tried to get close to Empress Ma, saying that Empress Ma's surname was Ma and she also had the surname Ma, so maybe they were from the same family five hundred years ago. Empress Ma was so happy that she asked the Emperor to adopt you as his adopted son, which made me very worried. But who knew that the Emperor didn't adopt you as his adopted son, but instead tied you and the Crown Prince together. What do you think is going on?"
After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, he was about to cry again.
Zhu Biao quickly wiped Zhu Yuanzhang's tears, "Is that so? No wonder. The Crown Prince's biological mother and I both have the surname Ma. We are indeed destined to be together. It's good to have such a connection. Look, the Emperor is not only not afraid of me, but he also thinks that the more successful I am, the better. If I didn't have this identity as a 'substitute', the Emperor wouldn't be so kind to me."
The matter of 'body substitute' answered many questions in Zhu Biao's mind.
Even if he wanted to make me a close minister to the future crown prince, the emperor would be too kind to me. Now that my fate is tied to the crown prince's, this is understandable.
The stronger he is, the more luck the prince can get, and the better his future will be.
All emperors believe in heaven and destiny. The Red Turban Army, to which Zhu Yuanzhang originally belonged, was closely involved with the White Lotus Sect, so Zhu Yuanzhang must have believed this as well.
Zhu Biao now began to believe it a little.
Who knows, maybe I came back to the Ming Dynasty just to resolve this matter?
Zhu Yuanzhang finished crying again, slapped his thigh and said, "No! The dog must not be called Zhu Di! Biao'er, choose a new name!"
Zhu Biao was curious: "Has the emperor's child been named? Is there a person named Zhu Di?"
Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head: "No. You also know the decree issued by the emperor a few years ago. The prince has not yet been given a name. How can the other children be named?"
Zhu Biao thought for a while and said with a smile: "Then let's call my younger brother Zhu Di."
Zhu Yuanzhang was puzzled: "Why?"
Zhu Biao said, "Our family already has a Prince of Yan, so what if there's another Zhu Di? If nothing happens to the Crown Prince, nothing will happen to our family. I just want to try. My brother is named Zhu Di, so what name will the Crown Prince's brother change to?"
This can be considered the bad taste of a historical time traveler.
Before the Yongle Emperor appeared, he named him Yongle. Given the relationship between the Emperor and the Chen family, the Emperor would immediately know that the dog was named Zhu Di. When he named his own son, he would of course avoid the name of the minister.
If Zhu Biao had traveled back to the end of the Sui Dynasty, he would have definitely made friends with Li Yuan, and then named his son, nephew or a relative with the surname Li "Li Shimin" in advance, and then watched with a smile as the great emperor Tang Taizong changed his name.
Isn't Li Shimin's twin brother called Li Xuanba? Then Li Shimin should change his name to Li Baba, haha.
Seeing Zhu Biao's delighted look, Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to refuse.
When Zhu Yuanzhang knew that Gou'er was going to inherit Biao'er's throne, he felt very upset.
But after careful consideration, he nodded and said, "Okay. Since that Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, will inherit the throne, and both Prince of Yan and Zhu Di have become members of our family, then the future has definitely changed."
Since he knew that "Zhu Di" was the emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang did not dare not give his son this name.
If "Zhu Di" was destined to be the emperor, and he didn't give his son this name, would a "Zhu Di" suddenly appear from some corner in the future, seize the Ming Dynasty and become a serious threat to Biao'er?
Only by keeping "Zhu Di" under his nose can Zhu Yuanzhang feel at ease.
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang gnashing his teeth when he mentioned the name "Zhu Di", Zhu Biao consoled him, "Dad, you don't have to worry too much about Prince of Yan Zhu Di. Prince of Yan Zhu Di isn't trying to take away the crown prince's position. As long as the crown prince is safe, no one can surpass him."
Although he could not remember the prince's name, he had heard that the prince was everyone's "white moonlight".
As long as the crown prince was alive, Zhu Di did not dare and never dreamed of the throne.
Zhu Yuanzhang opened his mouth to ask about what happened after the prince's death, but after he opened his mouth, he was worried that his son would reveal too much secret, so he could only frown and close his mouth.
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's embarrassment, Zhu Biao guessed that Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to know how Zhu Di ascended the throne.
He thought about it and felt that it was necessary to give his father a heads-up to prevent things from getting to that point. If his family had not been able to escape overseas and had not been eliminated by Emperor Hongwu, he would never get involved in the Crown Prince's mess.
Zhu Biao said, "After the Crown Prince passed away, the Emperor appointed the Grandson as his successor. That's why he was worried that the Grandson would not be able to control the nobles and would start a massacre. Lan Yu..."
Zhu Biao scratched his head and said, "Come to think of it, since the Crown Prince is the Emperor, why did the Emperor want to kill Lan Yu? Lan Yu is the Crown Princess' uncle."
Zhu Yuanzhang: "...Who? Whose uncle?"
Zhu Biao said, "Crown Princess. But does this future have to change? Uncle Chang only has one daughter, Chang Wei, and it is said that she has already called off her engagement with the Crown Prince."
Zhu Yuanzhang: “…Ah?” Damn! Chang Yuchun is really my relative!
Zhu Yuanzhang immediately used his imagination: "Is it that the emperor thinks that the crown prince is young and wants to prevent the interference of foreign relatives in politics?"
Zhu Biao kept scratching his head. "I don't know. I'm not sure. Uh! I remember now. I remember that later generations' evaluation of this grandson was that his maternal family was a civil official, and he was fooled by the civil official. So maybe he has no relationship with the Chang family?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was dumbfounded: "Didn't you say Chang Wei might be the Crown Princess? Then how come the Crown Prince has no relationship with the Chang family? I don't believe that the Emperor can support a bastard grandson to become the Emperor."
Zhu Biao: "How would I know? Why don't you ask the Emperor?"
Zhu Yuanzhang: “…” Even if I ask myself, I don’t know!
The father and son stared at each other in amazement before finally giving up.
Zhu Yuanzhang consoled himself by saying, "The foolish old emperor you mentioned has nothing in common with our wise and powerful Ming emperor. I don't believe the future will turn out the same way!"
Zhu Biao nodded in agreement. "I think so too. The Ming emperor we know is indeed wise and powerful, and he treats the people and his ministers very well. I don't want him to become the person I know."
Zhu Yuanzhang hugged his son and nodded heavily: "Definitely not. Biao'er, the crown prince has ascended the throne. Could Prince of Yan Zhu Di...could it be..."
It's only the second generation, and his descendants are already fighting among themselves?
Zhu Biao said, "Didn't I say that the crown prince was a fool? I wonder how old and incompetent the emperor must have been to choose him as emperor. He had nothing to do every day, so he and a bunch of officials would plot to rename the gates and roads in the palace, claiming to follow the Zhou rituals. And then, before the Hongwu Emperor's body was even cold, he violently reduced the power of the princes. Some of his uncles were confined, and some were forced to death... It is said that Zhu Di lived in a pigpen for several years to escape this hardship."
These bizarre deeds of Emperor Jianwen are so well-known that they are often used on the internet to "use history to satirize the present", just like the question of "Why don't you eat meat porridge" about a certain emperor.
If an emperor wants to be remembered, he cannot be too wise, but he can be foolish enough to be infamous for eternity.
Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned for a long time.
Live, live in a pigsty? My last name is Zhu, not Pig!
Gou'er relies on his young age and is even more naughty than Tang'er. He and Mao'er are simply spoiled by Biao'er.
Such a "domineering" little bully son was forced to sleep in a pigpen?!
It’s better to rebel... It’s better to rebel!
Even if you are Biao'er's son, even if you are my grandson, who gave you the nerve to force my other sons to death?!
Even if you want to reduce the power of the feudal lords, how Emperor Wu of Han reduced the power of the feudal lords is recorded in history books. Have you read too much?!
Zhu Biao recalled Zhu Di and said with amusement, "It is said that after Zhu Di raised the banner of rebellion, the Crown Prince suddenly became hypocritical and ordered the army not to harm his uncle. Anyone who killed his uncle would be killed. As a result, Zhu Di led thousands or tens of thousands of troops, and every time he encountered the rebellion suppression army, he personally led the vanguard, forcing the rebellion suppression army to retreat step by step, and finally entered the capital."
Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice: "Zhu Di has me...our emperor has some dignity."
Zhu Yuanzhang's anger towards Zhu Di suddenly dissipated.
If Biao'er cannot become emperor, and the crown prince is of that kind, it is not a bad idea to let Gou'er become emperor.
At least this child has some composure of his own and will not let the Ming Dynasty be destroyed just after its founding.
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help rubbing his eyebrows and felt a throbbing pain in his temples.
He never expected that as soon as he died, the Ming Dynasty would be in turmoil again, and the second emperor might even destroy the country immediately.
That so-called Crown Prince looks like a rotten embryo of a king who will lose his country!
My son must not give birth to such a useless child!
Zhu Yuanzhang was an extremely protective person and would definitely not think that his own son was useless. So he put all the blame for his grandson's failure on his biological mother.
The daughter of a civil official? Fine! From now on, my son can only choose the daughter of a military commander as his crown princess! The daughter of a civil official is not allowed to enter the Zhu family's crown prince's house!
But Chang Yuchun...
Zhu Yuanzhang had another idea.
Chang Yuchun was indeed a good relative. But I don't know why the grandson didn't come from his daughter's belly.
Zhu Yuanzhang had this idea in mind, but he quickly gave it up. He knew his son Biaoer was a very independent person, so when Biaoer grew up, he would choose the Crown Princess himself.
After hearing about the crown prince's story, Zhu Yuanzhang no longer had any hope in his own judgment, and it would be safer for Biaoer to choose for himself.
Speaking of which, Zhu Wenzheng's wife and Li Wenzhong's wife were both initially...
No, no, no, this has nothing to do with me, Old Zhu!
Zhu Biao was a little tired after talking about so many things.
He yawned and said, "That's all. Dad, please don't let it slip that I'm the prince's substitute. Don't let Mom worry."
Zhu Yuanzhang felt guilty and said, "Okay." He didn't even dare to tell Xiuying that Biao'er would die early.
Zhu Biao said, "Don't tell my brothers either."
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Don't worry, Dad knows the seriousness of this matter. I won't tell anyone! Go back to sleep. You are the prefect, and you are busy every day."
Zhu Biao nodded, rubbed his eyes and went back to his room to sleep.
After Zhu Yuanzhang sent Zhu Biao back to his room, he immediately kicked his three adopted sons out of bed.
Why are you sleeping?! How can you go to bed so early?! My daughter just came back to her room!
Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the armchair, and his three adopted sons knelt on the cushions, none of them knowing what was wrong with their adoptive father.
Just call us up if you want, why don’t you even give us a chair!
Zhu Yuanzhang drank half a cup of tea, calmed his mind, and said, "You should have known that Biao'er might die young."
All three of them looked gloomy.
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "After Biao'er's early death, the next emperor of the Ming Dynasty will be named Zhu Di."
Li Wenzhong was stunned. He didn't expect his adoptive father to tell him the secret he wanted to hide so bluntly.
Chen Ying frowned, having no idea.
He knew that if the crown prince died young, he would die too. It didn't matter to him who would be the emperor in the future.
Zhu Wenzheng said disdainfully, "Gou'er? Gou'er is the fourth brother, and he became the emperor. What about the second and third brothers? They also died young, and they still couldn't snatch Gou'er away? No way? Without Biao'er, they don't recognize each other as brothers? Tsk, I knew it."
Zhu Yuanzhang cursed, "You know nothing! You didn't steal your brother's throne, you stole your nephew's throne!"
Zhu Wenzheng was puzzled: "Isn't Gou'er the next emperor? How come there is another emperor?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "I don't recognize that bastard as the emperor."
Zhu Wenzhen instinctively wanted to argue, "That man is a bastard, what kind of grandfather are you, an old rabbit?" He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang's extremely ugly face and didn't do anything stupid this time.
Zhu Yuanzhang drank the remaining tea, wiped his mouth, and told him what Zhu Biao had told him and the temporary patch he had made.
The three of them twitched their lips when they heard the "stand-in's" words.
Zhu Wenzheng muttered, "If my adoptive father continues to be a monk, he will definitely become the abbot and make this temple the most popular temple within a hundred miles."
Look at this mouth, does it look like an old bald donkey with a eloquent tongue?
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Wenzheng and no longer expected his nephew to spit out ivory: "If anything happens to Biao'er, I will chop you off first to pave the way for the new crown prince!"
"Oh." Zhu Wenzhen said lazily, not caring at all.
If something happens to Biao'er, he doesn't know what he will do. If he gets chopped off, he gets chopped off.
"You must remember my words and don't let the truth out." Zhu Yuanzhang pressed his forehead and sighed, "Biao'er has grown up and is becoming increasingly difficult to deceive. I don't know how long I can keep this lie."
The three adopted sons also had a headache.
They even made up things like "stand-ins", sharing "luck" and sharing "disasters". Next time it's exposed, I really don't know what to make up.
Zhu Wenzheng slapped his thigh, which had gone numb from kneeling, and said, "It's really strange. Biao'er knows so much about the Ming Dynasty, even that you, godfather, value the Crown Prince so much and that he is well-loved by his brothers and all the civil and military officials. But he doesn't know the Crown Prince's name. Could it be that the prophecy forbids him from predicting himself?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a long time before he answered in a hoarse voice.
"I asked Biao'er in a roundabout way."
"Biao'er said that history is so cruel."
"No matter how powerful Prince Zhu was, no matter how much he was loved by his parents, respected by officials, and trusted by his brothers, if he died and did not become emperor, his name would no longer be known."
"Even if future generations study the early Ming Dynasty and write coherently about its politics, economy, and culture, they may also glimpse the name of Prince Zhu in numerous sources. But this name will not enter their minds, like so many other names in history books, buried in the piles of old papers."
"Perhaps someone in the future will see this person's deeds, fall in love with him, and remember his name."
"But he will soon discover that, except for his own 'like-minded' friends, no one else will remember Prince Zhu's name, even if they have read the same books and stories as him."
"Many people forget even the name of the 'protagonist' of a novel they don't like, so how can they remember a 'supporting character'?"
Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was trembling, and his hands were shaking slightly without him knowing when.
"No one in the future will remember him."
"No one remembers his name as Zhu Biao."
"Remember, he is my most proud son, Zhu Yuanzhang! He is the most powerful crown prince in the Ming Dynasty!"