plumnovel Chapter 40 Not Changing the Name
Chapter 40 Not Changing the Name
Zhu Yuanzhang attended the morning court session every day and would not have breakfast until after the session ended. Therefore, Zhu Gaoxi did not rush to the Qianqing Palace after getting up, but first ate a bowl of eight-treasure porridge and a boiled egg.
Just as they were about to name the six new eunuchs, the imperial eunuch Lin De came over to urge them.
"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Duke of Xin has passed away. His Majesty will likely be heartbroken again. Your Highness should go there ahead of time."
Tang He, the Duke of Xin, lost both his parents at a young age and was raised by his aunt, just like Zhu Yuanzhang in his childhood.
Tang He and Zhu Yuanzhang knew each other since childhood. Tang He joined the rebel army earlier than Zhu Yuanzhang. It is said that after he became a commander of a thousand households, he wrote a letter to Zhu Yuanzhang, asking him to come to Haozhou to find him.
As a result, Zhu Yuanzhang was discovered reading the letter by another monk in the temple, who threatened to inform on him.
Originally, Zhu Yuanzhang was still hesitant, but now he had no other choice but to bite the bullet and go to Guo Zixing for help.
Tang He was a commander of a thousand households, while Zhu Yuanzhang was a common soldier.
It is said that when the two were together, Tang He had to listen to Zhu Yuanzhang.
This was definitely a peculiar sight in Guo Zixing's military camp at the time.
Behind the common soldier Zhu Yuanzhang was the respectful commander Tang He.
Zhu Yuanzhang had a basic understanding of literature and quickly distinguished himself under Guo Zixing, becoming a captain of nine men. Although he was only in charge of nine men, he was in charge of Guo Zixing's personal guards.
During his time working at the Marshal's Mansion, Zhu Yuanzhang's shrewdness and competence left a deep impression on Guo Zixing.
Guo Zixing felt that this young man had a bright future and regarded him as a confidant, so he decided to marry his adopted daughter, Miss Ma, to him.
After marrying Miss Ma, Zhu Yuanzhang transformed into a formidable figure.
Tang He provided strong support to Zhu Yuanzhang during the initial stages of his accumulation of wealth.
Although he later complained while drunk during his time stationed in Changzhou and was reprimanded by Zhu Yuanzhang more than once, and his fighting ability may not have been as good as Xu Da or Chang Yuchun, Tang He's loyalty was beyond doubt.
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Zhu Yuanzhang might have seen his own destiny reflected in Tang He, his childhood friend.
Upon hearing of Tang He's death, the old emperor was undoubtedly heartbroken.
Zhu Gaoxi ordered Li Hui to leave the palace and return to the Prince of Yan's residence to settle the eight eunuchs who had been expelled from the palace. Sanbao accompanied him to the Qianqing Palace.
As expected, Zhu Yuanzhang had tears in his eyes. Although he still walked with the imposing gait of a dragon and the mighty stride, he exuded a sense of exhaustion from the inside out.
"Grandpa, guess what delicious food I've prepared?" Zhu Gaoxi asked, raising his innocent little face.
"What good stuff could you possibly have? Nothing more than sweet potatoes," Zhu Yuanzhang said listlessly, unwilling to guess.
"Grandpa underestimates me. Look, these fragrant meatballs. Isn't your grandson generous? He always thinks of Grandpa when there's something good to eat," Zhu Gaoxi deliberately rambled on, trying to divert Zhu Yuanzhang's attention.
The meatballs were the breakfast Yunfei made for him.
"The palace maid that Xu Zengshou gave you is quite capable of everything," Zhu Yuanzhang said, sitting down and taking a bite. "Hmm, it tastes good."
"Then eat more, you'll have the energy to curse when you're full," Zhu Gaoxi teased.
"If you were obedient, would we scold you?" Zhu Yuanzhang gave him a fond, sidelong glance.
"Yes, it's all my fault. Grandpa, you're so magnanimous, please don't be angry anymore, right?" Zhu Gaoxi coaxed him carefully.
"You smooth talker, have you figured out the adoption thing?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked, squinting his eyes.
"Grandpa, except for this matter, I will listen to you in everything," Zhu Gaoxi said, looking at Zhu Yuanzhang with reverence.
"What if we don't change the name?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.
What?
Zhu Gaoxi didn't understand and looked completely bewildered.
"After you are adopted by your uncle, you will still be called Zhu Gaoxi," Zhu Yuanzhang patiently explained.
"You'll have to ask my father," Zhu Gaoxi said with difficulty.
"He has no objection," Zhu Yuanzhang said decisively.
Faced with such a powerful emperor father, the cheapskate father might not dare to have any objections.
We are at their mercy, like fish on a chopping board.
Having absolutely no say in his own affairs, Zhu Gaoxi couldn't help but sigh.
"You've gotten a good deal and you're still acting innocent," Zhu Yuanzhang muttered under his breath.
Zhu Gaoxi made a funny face and buried his head in eating meatballs.
"Dai Sigong will be arriving in the next couple of days, and he may be carrying a letter from your father," Zhu Yuanzhang said.
"Who is Dai Sigong?" It seems that Zhu Gaoxi's brain database does not contain any information about this person.
"Famous doctor," Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Every time your father pretended to be sick, he specifically asked Dai Sigong to come over."
Did the old emperor know that his stepfather was faking illness?
There are indeed many unspeakable little details between this father and son.
Zhu Gaoxi felt it necessary to write a letter to his adoptive father and Youdun respectively to solicit their opinions.
Public opinion is a fearsome thing. What if Zhu Yunwen launches a propaganda offensive in the future, saying that Zhu Gaoxi disowned his own father for the sake of a princely title? How should we deal with that?
After breakfast, Huang Liang seized an opportunity to quietly tell Zhu Gaoxi that the eight eunuchs had been sent to the Prince of Yan's residence.
Zhu Gaoxi naturally understood the importance of reciprocity and courtesy, but unfortunately, he was short of money and had to wait for his adoptive father to send him some treasures before he could express his gratitude.
However, Huang Liang doesn't seem to care about these things.
Perhaps what he valued was the old emperor's favor towards Zhu Gaoxi.
With Princess Jiangdu's wedding imminent, Zhu Di used the pretext of adding dowry to send his chief secretary Jin Zhong and Dai Sigong back to the capital together.
On the day they arrived in the capital, it happened to be the day that Prince Gu, Zhu Hui, left the capital to take up his fief. Consort Guo Hui was crying her eyes out, and the old emperor had no choice but to comfort her.
The scene was a bit inappropriate for children, so Zhu Gaoxi covered his eyes and refused to look.
Before leaving, Zhu Hui tried to defend his innocence to Zhu Gaoxi, saying that he was not the one who reported the matter of the young eunuch in the vegetable garden being able to read and write to the Crown Prince.
"Who is that?"
Zhu Gaoxi hadn't suspected him at first, but since he had taken the initiative to extract the item, he might as well ask him one more question.
This matter didn't need anyone to expose it; initially, Zhu Gaoxi didn't intend to keep it a secret, so it was semi-public in nature.
"How would I know? It wasn't me anyway," Zhu Hui refused to provide any valuable information.
Zhu Gaoxi gave him a large bag of sweet potatoes as a token of his gratitude.
"When I'm not around, please take care of my mother."
Surprisingly, Zhu Hui, who usually seems carefree, is quite filial.
Zhu Gaoxi readily agreed.
"Do you have any letters to send to your father? Xuanfu is very close to Beiping, at least closer than the capital," Zhu Hui asked.
Zhu Gaoxi shook his head to indicate that their relationship had not reached that point.
Xu Zengshou had private channels of contact with Beiping, which was safer.
Zhu Gaoxi had already sent the letter.
Shortly after Zhu Hui left, Dai Sigong and Jin Zhong arrived.
Dai Sigong was older than Zhu Yuanzhang, but he was in much better spirits. He had an otherworldly air about him, seemingly untouched by worldly concerns. He spoke gently yet firmly, making it easy for people to trust him.
I never imagined that such a divine being truly existed in this world.
Zhu Gaoxi was impressed by his powerful aura.
Dai Sigong's diagnosis greatly relieved Zhu Yuanzhang.
"His Majesty is in good health. With proper care, he will surely live to be a hundred years old."
If anyone else had said such things, Zhu Yuanzhang would have taken it as flattery, but he believed Dai Sigong without a doubt.
It is said that Dai Sigong has served the emperor since Zhu Yuanzhang conquered eastern Zhejiang, a period of more than forty years.
When Li Jinglong's father, Li Wenzhong, passed away, Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and punished all the imperial physicians who had been involved in the treatment, except for Dai Sigong.
This is the trust that has been built up over many years.