Chapter 34

Chapter 34

[The Real and Fake Heiresses – 4]

Li Shimin ignored Liu Che and spoke only to Zhu Yuanzhang. “Neither of them is your real son anyway, so why bother playing favorites? I have not met your eldest, but I have seen his wife. I am not trying to stir up trouble here, but… Lady Tan does not seem terribly bright, and the Hereditary Grandson may be no better. Was that not what the white silk said? Your eldest son’s entire family is full of fools. If that is the case, you might as well consider the second son and take the longer view.”

Zhu Yuanzhang grunted without committing himself and lifted the teacup beside him for a sip. An attendant then led in the Prince of Changshan. The prince strode in with vigorous steps and bowed to his father before smiling broadly. “It has been some time since your son last saw you, Father. Have you been well?”

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a stony face, “Well enough. No one has managed to anger me to death yet.”

“Come now, what sort of thing is that to say?” The Prince of Changshan was deft with flattery. “On my way here, I heard the soldiers outside talking. They said that during the assault on Jiangzhou, Father led from the front and was the first to fight his way into the city. Your valor has not diminished at all!”

The praise landed exactly where it should. Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes in pleasure and nodded. Then he remembered the assignment he had given this son before leaving and grew serious again. “As for Huaizhou…”

The Prince of Changshan straightened his robes and bowed, his expression solemn. “I did not fail the task Father entrusted to me. Your son took Huaizhou three days ago. Governor Liu Gui left the city and surrendered. I ordered the soldiers to rest inside the city, then had the fields and tax rolls inspected. Only after every matter had been arranged did I set out for Jiangzhou to report to Father.”

Zhu Yuanzhang was delighted to hear that Huaizhou had already fallen. Learning that his son had also arranged everything in perfect order made him look at the man in a new light. His tone softened. “Second, you handled the assignment well.”

The Prince of Changshan beamed, though he remained modest. “Thank you for your undeserved praise, Father!”

Li Shimin saw every second son through a second-son filter. He could not resist speaking up in the space. “Look at that. Just look! They are both your sons. One finished his assignment, arranged a proper handover, and only then came to report. The other heard that his glory-hungry son had been captured and rushed over in a panic. One took Huaizhou, yet still remembered to dispense favors and win over the trusted men around his father. The other was so blinded by his wife that he silently allowed his daughter to attack his father’s personal guards. Tsk, tsk!”

He continued, “Old Zhu, hurry up and praise him a little. Second sons need care and encouragement. Rewards are secondary. You have to let him know that you saw how diligently he handled his work!”

The other emperors: “…”

Zhu Yuanzhang: “…”

When Li Shimin saw him remain unmoved, he immediately grew anxious. Sticking his head forward, he shouted, “Hurry up and praise him! Tell him he is outstanding!”

The other emperors: “…”

Zhu Yuanzhang: “…”

The Li Family, Old Li’s own clan, had provided more than enough cautionary lessons in its time. Later generations of the Great Ming imperial clan had seen their share of struggles between princes as well. Zhu Yuanzhang wanted a qualified successor. Whether that successor was the eldest or the second son did not truly matter.

Neither boy was his own cub anyway. Once emotion was removed from the equation, he could consider the matter with pure, cool reason.

Judging by the contents of the white silk and everything he had seen and heard today, the eldest was a fool easily swayed by his wife. The second genuinely coveted the position of Heir Apparent, but he was also genuinely shrewd and skilled in war.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned it over carefully in his mind. For the moment, the scales in his heart tipped slightly toward the second son.

Deposing the elder to install the younger was a grave taboo, but that depended on who was doing it. If some random emperor of the Great Coward Dynasty tried flaying men and stuffing their skins with straw, he would be finished. The Censors would denounce him until he was half paralyzed. Back in the Great Ming, when Old Zhu said one, who dared say two?

Not convinced?

How many layers of skin did you have to spare?

The explanation was lengthy, but the thought itself passed in an instant. Zhu Yuanzhang sat squarely in his chair and beckoned to his son.

The Prince of Changshan paused in surprise, but did not hesitate. He stepped forward, swept his robe aside, and knelt respectfully before his father.

The next instant, Zhu Yuanzhang placed a hand on top of his head. “I know you are capable. I also know you resent your elder brother.”

The Prince of Changshan started in alarm and hurriedly protested, “Your son only wishes to ease Father’s burdens…”

Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled and studied him for a long moment, his tone unreadable. “Is that the truth?”

The prince’s heart began to pound. He raised his head and cautiously studied his father’s expression, weighing what he should say, but remained silent.

Zhu Yuanzhang continued, “If that was the truth, you may leave now. If it was not, and you truly mean to compete with your elder brother, then I have a few other things to tell you.”

The Prince of Changshan had never expected his father to speak so plainly. His shock was genuine. Once it passed, however, longing and hope blazed in his heart like a raging fire. He hesitated over whether to admit his ambition.

Did Father truly mean to give him a chance to compete with the eldest?

Or was this merely a test? Would Father trick him into speaking honestly, then begin clearing every obstacle from the eldest son’s path?
They had only just pacified the south. Surely it was too early to put away the bow the moment the birds were gone?

With Father’s abilities, he had no need to do such a thing.

…Then again, Father had long seemed dissatisfied with his eldest son’s wife. Sister-in-Law had courted death today by storming into the command tent and shouting, even driving Xu Hongwen to attempt suicide. Father had not preserved the slightest dignity for Elder Brother. He directly ordered Sister-in-Law dragged outside and given thirty strokes of the military cane. Clearly, Elder Brother’s place in Father’s heart had already begun to waver.

Should he gamble?

He would!

Only the two of them were in the study. Father had already spoken this plainly. What reason did he have to keep hiding?

Age had made the old man frighteningly shrewd. He might say nothing aloud, but he understood everything.

The Prince of Changshan swiftly finished his calculations and straightened his back as he knelt. Holding nothing back, he knocked his forehead against the floor three times with resounding thuds. “Father, I refuse to accept it!”

Clenching his teeth, he stared at the man before him and said in a low, forceful voice, “I do not believe my abilities are inferior to Elder Brother’s. Why is he entitled to be Heir Apparent of Wu while I am not?!”

Zhu Yuanzhang slapped his face aside. “You treacherous bastard! So you really were harboring wicked ambitions!”

He commanded armies and remained in the prime of his life. The force of the blow snapped the Prince of Changshan’s head to one side, and the metallic taste of blood slowly filled his mouth.

Having come this far, the prince refused to retreat. He swallowed the blood and saliva together and declared, “I am not Elder Brother’s equal in civil governance, but when have I ever rejected sound advice from my strategists? As for which of us is superior in war, Father already knows. Most important, I know what I should do and what I must do. I want to become Father’s successor. I want to inherit Father’s achievements. I must possess feeling, yet I cannot be ruled by it. I should be the lord of my subjects and a god in the eyes of the people, not merely some woman’s husband and a father to a few children!”

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered. “You dare disparage your elder brother in front of me?”

The Prince of Changshan remained unmoved and knelt even straighter. “No one permits another to sleep beside his own bed. The struggle for royal power is no different!”

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes and regarded him coldly without speaking for a long time.

The Prince of Changshan did not flinch. Still on his knees, he stiffened his neck and met his father’s gaze.

After a long silence, Zhu Yuanzhang gave a cold snort and kicked him over. “Get out! Stop annoying me!”

The Prince of Changshan had expected either praise or abuse, not to be thrown out without either. “Did you not say you had something to tell me?”

“That was then. This is now,” Zhu Yuanzhang said. “Get out. I have nothing more to say!”

The prince stared blankly for a moment, then quickly understood. Delighted, he kowtowed to his father, scrambled to his feet, and backed toward the door with a bow. “If Father has no further orders, your son will get out at once.”

Zhu Yuanzhang waved impatiently. “Then hurry up and get out!”

Watching from inside the space, Ying Zheng could not help laughing. “Interesting.”

Emperor Gaozu smiled and nodded as well. “The boy can be taught.”

The Prince of Changshan had arrived in Jiangzhou bearing the excellent news that he had conquered Huaizhou. How could the Heir Apparent of Wu sit still? He watched until his beloved wife was moved into a command tent and settled, instructed his daughter to remain and care for her, then hurriedly mounted a horse and rode to the Jiangzhou government offices.

A trusted retainer accompanied him into the city. Watching his expression cautiously, the man said in a low voice, “The Second Young Master’s remains have been collected. Would you like to see him?”

Pain stabbed through the Heir Apparent’s heart. His throat tightened and tears nearly fell, but he forced them back and urged his horse onward. “First I will go to Jiangzhou and see Father.”

Lady Tan was his wife and the mother of the Hereditary Grandson. Even a public rebuke from the King of Wu would have been a profound humiliation, let alone an order for thirty strokes of the military cane in the name of army discipline. The punishment had not merely fallen upon his wife. It had stripped the Heir Apparent himself of dignity and publicly displayed his father’s displeasure. Now that the Prince of Changshan had arrived in Jiangzhou as well, how could he possibly feel at ease?

The retainer also understood the gravity of the situation. Having raised the matter once, he fell silent and continued toward Jiangzhou beside his lord.

Their timing was precise. They encountered the Prince of Changshan just as he emerged from the study. Zhu Yuanzhang had not held back in the slightest. In the brief time since that slap, the prince’s cheek had already swollen.

The sight stirred the Heir Apparent’s thoughts. He stopped and asked with concern, “Second Brother, what happened to your face?” He then hurriedly ordered someone to fetch an ointment for the swelling.

“It is nothing. No need to trouble yourself, Elder Brother. It will be fine in a couple of days.”

The Prince of Changshan covered his cheek, looking rather embarrassed. “Father has quite the temper. I said a few words too many, and he slapped me without holding back at all. It is humiliating to admit. I am a father myself, yet I still get beaten by my own father at home.”

His second brother, who was forever competing with him, had been struck. Yet the Heir Apparent felt no pleasure at all.

What sort of man was Father? He had risen from a wandering refugee to become a great regional lord. He was so shrewd that even his eyelashes were hollow. If he truly disliked someone, he would simply dismiss him. Would he bother rolling up his sleeves and striking the man himself?
It was precisely because Father valued his second son that he had struck him himself.

His wife lay gravely injured, his second son was dead, and now, at this critical moment, his second brother had won their father’s favor. Bitterness churned in the Heir Apparent of Wu’s heart. He forced himself to exchange a few pleasantries with the Prince of Changshan, then went to the study to see his father.

When Zhu Yuanzhang was informed that the Heir Apparent had come to plead guilty, he decided to test the quality of his eldest son as well and ordered that he be admitted.

The moment the Heir Apparent entered, he dropped to his knees before his father and kowtowed honestly in apology. First, he confessed that he had failed to raise his son properly. The boy’s reckless pursuit of glory had led to his capture by Dong Han, forcing the army to waste three days outside the city and delaying the campaign. Then he admitted that his wife had acted rashly and driven Mr. Xu to harm himself. Once her injuries improved, he would make certain that she personally apologized to Mr. Xu. He proceeded through each offense in turn.

Hearing how methodically his son spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang’s cold expression eased somewhat. He did not mention the affair at Jiangzhou. Instead, he said, “Huayao’s recklessness naturally angered me. But he is gone now, so there is no need to condemn him further. There is, however, one matter that troubles me, and I must offer you a word of guidance…”

The Heir Apparent humbled himself and bowed respectfully. “Please instruct me, Father.”

“You never had many sons to begin with. Now that you have lost Huayao, only Hualiang remains. You are the Heir Apparent of Wu. Is this not an embarrassment?”

Zhu Yuanzhang continued, “Now that Jiangzhou has fallen, all the lands south of the Yangtze are in my hands. We need time to rest the army and coordinate the civil administration. Take this opportunity to bring several concubines into your household and father a few more sons. Lady Tan lacks the virtue required for her position. She cannot bear the responsibilities of the household’s principal wife, nor does she enjoy managing its daily affairs. If that is so, then she need not bear them. Choose an attentive and capable daughter from among the families of our old associates and take her as a secondary wife. Let her receive guests and manage the inner household on your behalf.”

How could a proper Heir Apparent of Wu have only one son?

To put it bluntly, what if that lone sprout suddenly dropped dead one day? Where would they even go to cry about it?

Zhu Yuanzhang meant to give the second son a chance, but he had no intention of abandoning the eldest. The eldest’s greatest weakness was that troublesome wife, Lady Tan. In that case, why not remove the weakness for him?

Then the brothers could compete fairly, with Zhu Yuanzhang as the judge. Whoever emerged on top would become the successor. Old Zhu’s hold was firm enough that he did not fear the two little brats overturning the sky.

Good heavens. Old Zhu, you damned genius!

The more Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it, the more pleased he became. He nearly laughed aloud. The Heir Apparent, however, went pale and cried hurriedly, “No!”

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned. “Why not?”

The Heir Apparent kowtowed again, his expression resolute. “Father, I promised Lianfang that I would never betray her in this life. You have always said a man must keep his word. Having made that promise, how can I fail her?”

“I did not tell you to fail her.”

Zhu Yuanzhang looked bewildered. “Lady Tan remains your lawful wife, and Hualiang remains the King of Wu’s Hereditary Grandson. I merely think you have too few sons and want you to father several more. Is that unreasonable?”

Difficulty filled the Heir Apparent’s face. After hesitating for several moments, he said, “It is not a question of whether the request is reasonable. I already have Lianfang. I promised that she would be the only woman in my life. I cannot break the vow I made to her!” With that, he knelt and kowtowed once more.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s brows knotted. After thinking for a long while, he finally relented. “I do not care how many women you have, but I will not have too few grandsons. Go back and find a solution yourself. Have children with another woman or have Lady Tan bear them. Either way, I want grandsons. You are the Heir Apparent of Wu. Having only one son is unacceptable.”

Bitterness filled the Heir Apparent’s mouth. “Father, Lianfang is over thirty now. She is no longer young. Her health was always delicate, and after today’s punishment, she fainted from the pain. How can we speak lightly of her bearing more children?”

Zhu Yuanzhang suppressed his anger. “Then have the second and third sons father children! Adopt one of theirs as your own! They would still be my grandsons. What difference does it make whether the eldest or the second fathered them?!”

There were countless differences!

If the second son’s child were adopted into the eldest branch and anything happened to the Hereditary Grandson, that ready-made son would immediately take his place. Why would the Heir Apparent labor only to benefit someone else?

Besides, with the second son and his wife still standing right there, there was no guarantee what the child would think once he grew up, even if he had been taken in and raised from infancy.

Were there not enough stories of adopted sons longing for their birth parents and eventually turning upon the families that raised them?

How could the Heir Apparent willingly hand his second or third brother a legitimate claim for nothing?

The Heir Apparent knocked his head repeatedly against the floor. “Father, your son once promised Lianfang that there would never be a son in our household who was not born of the two of us. I fear adoption would be inappropriate…”

This would not do, and that would not do either. Zhu Yuanzhang’s anger gradually began to rise.

He leaned back in his chair, narrowed his eyes, and said, “You promised your wife you would take no concubines. Is that it?”

The Heir Apparent had always known that his father was dissatisfied with his wife. Yet at this point, how could he retreat? Was he supposed to abandon Lianfang, or cause her pain?

How could he possibly do such a thing?!

Conflict covered his face, but he steeled himself and nodded.
Zhu Yuanzhang asked again, “You also promised your wife there would never be a son in your household who was not born of the two of you. Is that right?”

The Heir Apparent of Wu clenched his jaw and nodded again.

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed in anger and slammed a hand onto the desk. “Whatever promises you make to Lady Tan are your affair. But your surname is Ma, and you are a descendant of the Ma Family. What gives you the right to decide on your own that the Ma Family will remain thin in numbers and that the senior branch’s male line will nearly end? You mean to cut off my grandsons’ descendants. Did you ask for my opinion? Did you ask the ancestors of every generation?!”

The questions left the Heir Apparent speechless. His face lost all color. His lips moved soundlessly for a long while before he forced himself to say, “Father, your son cannot break his word. Once a promise has been made, how can it be discarded at will?”

Zhu Yuanzhang flew into a rage. “Then why did you promise Lady Tan something so difficult to fulfill? I have thought carefully, and I do not recall ever telling you that I would not mind my line dying out with no one left to make offerings to us!”

Cold sweat poured from the Heir Apparent. He dared not argue again and prostrated himself in silence.

But Zhu Yuanzhang’s anger surged like a storm. He shot to his feet and paced several circuits around the study before the fury eased even slightly. “Judging by your words and conduct, you are capable of bearing great responsibility. Yet you indulge that woman in everything and let her control you! How many times have you cleaned up after the Tan Family brothers over the years? How often have you paved the way for them? Do you even remember?! When they took bribes outside, you smoothed it over. When they seized fields and stole other people’s property, you smoothed that over too. You have never shown such devotion even to your own brothers, yet you all but put those two brothers-in-law on an altar! With a brother-in-law like you protecting them, they will soon be bullying men, abusing women, murdering people, and setting fires. Do you believe me?!”

Hearing the killing intent in his father’s words, the Heir Apparent broke into a cold sweat and kowtowed repeatedly. “Lianfang’s mother died early. She raised her two younger brothers almost single-handedly and was practically a mother to them. How could she not protect the Tan Family brothers? They are her closest kin and the ones who will carry on the Tan Family line. How could I stand by and do nothing?”

Zhu Yuanzhang nearly toppled backward with fury. “Lady Tan married into the Ma Family and has sons and a daughter, yet her closest kin are still her brothers from her natal family? Have you lost your mind? If you have time to worry about continuing the Tan Family line, you would do better to look at yourself. Your own backside is covered in filth, and you still have time to wipe someone else’s!”

The more he thought, the angrier he became. “Lady Tan dares stir up trouble right under my nose? She is in open revolt! I will not tolerate a woman who throws the household into chaos. For Hualiang’s sake, I will not kill her. Write to the Tan Family at once and send her back. She is always pining for her two brothers, is she not? Then she can see as much of them as she likes!”

“Father, no!”

The Heir Apparent was horrified. He shuffled forward on his knees and clung desperately to Zhu Yuanzhang’s leg. “Lianfang will die! If she dies, how can I go on living? What meaning would there be in remaining the Heir Apparent? Your son begs you. Do not do this!”

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at him in disbelief. “You defy me?”

The Heir Apparent truly looked ready to cry. “Father, I will discipline the Tan Family brothers. Please calm your anger…”

Zhu Yuanzhang was both shocked and furious. “You would defy your own father to this extent for Lady Tan!”

The Heir Apparent did not dare answer. He only continued to plead. “Do you not want grandsons? We will have them. Once Lianfang recovers, we will give you several more grandsons…”

“If Lady Tan dies, you cannot go on living either? You do not even want to be Heir Apparent anymore?”

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly sneered. “Very well. You are a pair of star-crossed lovers. You suffer so terribly, while I am the heartless villain tearing you apart. Put this story on a stage, and would I not be the clown? Since that is so, why should I not grant your wish?”

The Heir Apparent heard the ominous note in his words and hastily tightened his grip on his father’s leg. Rage burning in his heart, Zhu Yuanzhang kicked him away and shouted, “Guards!”

The attendants outside hurried in. They saw the Heir Apparent sprawled on the floor and the King of Wu livid with rage. Not daring to look again, they lowered their heads and waited for orders.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s face was frosted with rage, and his voice was cold as ice. “The misfortune of my house is that this son possesses no filial heart. He has defied me to this extent. Why should I keep him? From this day forward, strip him of his position as Heir Apparent and drive him from the city at once!”

Deathly pale, the Deposed Heir scrambled forward to plead, while the attendants remained too stunned by the thunderbolt to stop him.

Tears and mucus streamed down his face as he begged in a trembling voice, “Father, do you no longer want your son? Do you remember what you said to me when you first made me Heir Apparent? Father!”

“It is not that I do not want you. You defied me and chose to abandon me! You cannot live without Lady Tan, can you? If she dies, you will die too? If she dies, even being Heir Apparent means nothing to you? I am granting your wish. Go support each other through hardship and grow old together!”

Zhu Yuanzhang jerked his leg free and kicked him away. “You do not want the position of Heir Apparent? Plenty of others do! You little brat, you have barely grown your first whiskers and you already dare make threats in front of me? I never accept threats from anyone!”