Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Doctor Liu hesitated for a long while without producing any useful answer. At last, he bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang with a troubled expression. “King of Wu, please grant me some time. Allow me to return and think carefully. Perhaps I can formulate a balanced prescription…”

Zhu Yuanzhang clicked his tongue in disappointment and urged, “As soon as possible. I need it urgently.”

Doctor Liu assented bitterly.

Ma Mingyue carefully reconsidered everything Grandfather had just said to her two aunts. She could not shake the feeling that something had happened without her knowledge. Judging by her aunts’ expressions, it must have been something terrifying.

Her thoughts were running wild when she suddenly heard Grandfather call her name. “Mingyue.”

Ma Mingyue returned to herself and hurriedly asked, “Grandfather, do you have any instructions for me?”

“Not exactly.” Zhu Yuanzhang spoke kindly. “Grandfather was only thinking that life has not been easy for you. You suffered in the past. Lady Tang and those animals of the Li Family took advantage of you and treated you as less than human. You finally returned home, yet your parents treated you as less than human too, always letting Baozhu stand above you.”

The Deposed Heir’s expression changed. The Prince of Changshan, the Prince of Wu’an, and their wives showed pity.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not look at them. He sighed and regarded the girl with compassion. “Grandfather is old and does not know how much longer he can protect you. While I can still breathe, I ought to find you reliable adoptive parents. Otherwise, once Grandfather closes his eyes, who knows how these heartless people will bully you?”

Once the old man put it that way, how could his sons and daughters-in-law remain seated? They hurried into the center of the hall, knelt, and repeatedly protested that they would never dare.

The Deposed Heir in particular broke into a sweat. His face burned with humiliation and shame.

He was clearly the child’s father and still stood there alive and well. Yet his own father had begun discussing candidates to become her adoptive parents right in front of him. Was that not a public declaration that he was an unfit father?

The Deposed Heir dared not think further. He knocked his head heavily against the floor. “Father, your son was at fault before. I was blinded by a woman and confused by an old attachment, reversing right and wrong and causing Mingyue to suffer. Your son has now awakened. Please allow me to take Mingyue back to my residence so father and daughter may reunite!”

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him with a smile. “What? You no longer acknowledge Baozhu?”

The Deposed Heir offered no excuses for his previous conduct, only confessed his fault. “Your son was confused and made mistakes because stupidity clouded my judgment. In the future, I will thoroughly reform and never disappoint Father again!”

Zhu Yuanzhang asked, “What about your wife? What will you say to her?”

“I will say whatever must be said,” the Deposed Heir answered sincerely. “Mingyue and I are biological father and daughter, joined by flesh and blood. How could we be forcibly separated by a foolish woman? If Lady Tan cannot even understand the bond between parent and child, how could your son tolerate such a foolish wife?”

His implication was clear. If Lady Tan dared cause trouble again, he would divorce her and send her back to her maiden family.

Zhu Yuanzhang had not expected his eldest son to make such a decision, and his brows rose. But then he recalled the old companions in the System space discussing how, even if the Deposed Heir cast Lady Tan aside, he might still bring her back and compensate her lavishly after taking the throne. Zhu Yuanzhang’s gaze turned meaningful.

To the Prince of Changshan, his elder brother and sister-in-law had always personified storybook romance. He had never imagined witnessing its collapse with his own eyes. Then again, this was no surprise. From the moment he saw Mingyue, he had known that couple was headed for a breakup.

Fair enough. A perfectly normal development.

The Prince of Wu’an looked at the Deposed Heir, then at his father, and secretly signaled his wife, Lady Wang, with his eyes.

Holy shit. What an enormous bombshell!

Lady Wang was speechless.

The inner hall fell silent. No one spoke. Then a piercing scream sounded from far away, steeped in bone-deep despair, agony, and grief.

Everyone recognized Lady Tan’s voice and understood what she must have seen. They silently lowered their eyes without making a sound.

Ma Mingyue recognized Lady Tan’s voice as well, but she did not know what had happened to make her utter a scream so terrible that it scarcely sounded human.

Though puzzled, Mingyue was clever. When she saw everyone in the hall staring down in studied silence, she did not rashly ask.

That scream seemed only the beginning. The wind soon carried Lady Tan’s wails toward them.

This was not the quiet sobbing she usually used to inspire her husband’s pity, nor the steady tears she shed when hurt or distressed. It was the despair of a grievously wounded beast, each cry wrung from the blood of her heart. Before long, her voice seemed filled with grit, turning hoarse and desolate.

The Deposed Heir, the Prince of Changshan and his wife, and the Prince of Wu’an and his wife remained kneeling. Though their knees stiffened and their calves went numb, none dared move. They listened as Lady Tan’s grief-stricken cries gradually weakened, then weakened again, until at last they vanished from hearing.

Zhu Yuanzhang swept his gaze around the hall and slowly said, “This old man was not born cruel, nor did I summon you merely to torment you. I called you here today so you could witness Lady Tan’s end and understand the disaster an unworthy wife can bring. After seeing such a terrible example, you will know how to choose wives for your sons and grandsons.”

He sighed and continued, “Lady Tan is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Ma Family’s senior branch, the proper leading matron of our clan. Yet look at what she has done in all these years since entering our family! She behaved indecently before marriage. Degrading! She kept every bit of the betrothal wealth and entered without a single coin. Foolish! After entering, first, she could not honor her mother-in-law. Second, she could not live harmoniously with her sisters-in-law or care for younger siblings. Third, she could not manage the inner household or handle daily affairs. Fourth, she could not assist her husband. Fifth, she could not raise her children… There is not a single redeeming quality in that woman!”

Everyone lowered their heads as they listened. The Deposed Heir wished he could bury his face beneath the floor.
Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head with a rueful sigh, full of regret. “I truly regret letting her enter our family. I should have allowed her to hang herself at our gate, then dragged Eldest outside and beaten him to death as compensation. At least our family’s reputation would have remained intact. How could matters ever have reached this point?!”

The Deposed Heir’s face burned. He shuffled several steps forward on his knees and confessed, “It was all your son’s fault…”

“Of course it was your fault. Could it have been mine?!”

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, snatched up the teacup on the table, and hurled it at his head. A dull thud sounded. The cup knocked the Deposed Heir’s crown askew and snapped his head to one side. He endured the pain without daring to rise and kowtowed again. “Your son is guilty. Father’s blow was deserved.”

“Do not imagine that a few blows from me now will wipe away the past. Did you think I was joking when I said I wished the two of you had died together back then?”

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him coldly, his authority palpable even without anger. “Do you truly love Lady Tan? What do you love about her? Do you love that she is hopeless beyond reform? Her parents were dead, her two younger brothers were ignorant children, yet she spent every day sighing over spring and grieving over autumn instead of handling the household. Or do you love her affectations, her ability to recite a few mawkish poems, and her modest beauty? If that is all you wanted, you could have kept a famous courtesan from a brothel. She would have been far more sensible than Lady Tan. Whether you brought the courtesan home as a concubine or paid her off and sent her away, I would not have objected. But think about what you did. Why did it have to be Lady Tan?!”

Contempt filled his face. “If you truly loved Lady Tan, why could you not wait those few days? Why insist on behaving indecently before marriage? Did you think that made you an honorable gentleman, or made Lady Tan a chaste and virtuous woman? I call her wanton and shameless, and I call you a rotten bastard. She was contemptible, and you were no decent thing either!”

His father tore the Deposed Heir to shreds with curses before his younger brothers and their wives, with his own daughter watching too. He wished the earth would swallow him and could only confess his guilt repeatedly.

Zhu Yuanzhang was far from finished. “Now you know you were wrong? What were you doing before? Did you not know your wife’s faults? Why did you never urge her to change and instead indulge her in everything? You fed her audacity with your own tolerance. If you had not protected her time after time and cleaned up every mess she made, would she dare behave so outrageously? Would the Tan brothers dare act with such impunity?! They behave like this while I am still alive. Once I die and you take my seat, will they climb all the way into the heavens?!”

Humiliated and ashamed beneath his father’s tirade, the Deposed Heir began to weep. “Your son is guilty. I have failed Father and Mother…”

“You have no right to mention your mother!”

Zhu Yuanzhang roared, “If you truly cared about your mother, could you have watched your wife aggravate her? You rotten bastard! Your mother has been dead for years, and now your filial devotion finally returns? Your skull is packed with shit, so naturally your reactions are slow too! Had your mother not clung to me and refused to let go, I would have flayed that troublemaker alive long ago!”

At first, the Deposed Heir continued kowtowing. Then he pressed his forehead endlessly to the floor. Eventually, his father cursed him so savagely that he dared not even raise his head. He lay there like a dead dog without making a sound.

Zhu Yuanzhang was about to continue when he noticed an attendant waiting beyond the hall from the corner of his eye. He glanced over.

The attendant noticed and hurriedly reported, “King of Wu, the Commandery Princess has returned.”

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted. “Bring her in!”

Lady Tan had been gone for less than half an hour, yet she was completely transformed. Blood stained her hands and face. Great crimson blossoms spread across her moon-white jacket, leaving her utterly disheveled.

Her hair had loosened at the temples. Tear tracks remained on her cheeks, and her eyes were terrifyingly red. Yet her gaze was vacant. Her black pupils sat motionless in their sockets, while the slight hollows around her eyes resembled dark pits.

Everyone else was kneeling in the main hall with the old man seated before them. Naturally, none dared turn around rashly. Only the Deposed Heir could not suppress a habit formed over many years and looked back at her. His gaze instantly froze, leaving him speechless.

After a fleeting moment of pity and reluctance, he forced himself to turn away and no longer look at her.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised a hand and told everyone, “Enough. I have said what needed saying, and I hope you take it to heart. Rise.”

Everyone answered respectfully, “Yes.”

The Prince of Changshan and the Prince of Wu’an helped their wives up and returned to their seats. As they moved, their gazes inevitably brushed over Lady Tan. Once they saw her clearly, their hearts chilled, and they hurriedly looked away.

When Zhu Yuanzhang saw Lady Tan, he gave a cold chuckle but said nothing. He waved casually. The personal guard understood and withdrew, soon returning with someone. “Young Lady Baozhu has been brought.”

The name “Baozhu” seemed to awaken Lady Tan’s soul from the shell it had built around its agony. She abruptly returned to herself and saw Ma Baozhu being led unsteadily into the hall.

Ma Baozhu walked slowly. The attendant seemed impatient and gave her a casual shove. Unable to remain upright, she stumbled and fell, unbearable pain crossing her face.

“…Baozhu.”

Lady Tan’s bloodless lips trembled. She hurried over and caressed the girl’s cheek with pity. When she noticed the blood on her palm staining her daughter’s face, she hastily raised her sleeve to wipe it away.

Great tears suddenly welled in Ma Baozhu’s eyes. She stared dazedly at Lady Tan as though she wanted to burst into sobs, but the movement pulled at her wound. Pain twisted her features. She immediately fought to smooth her expression, not daring to make another complicated movement.

Lady Tan carefully reached out, supported her chin, and parted her lips. One look inside drew an agonized cry from her.

Perhaps she had cried too long that day. She did not wail again. She merely held Ma Baozhu’s hand and let her tears fall one by one onto its back.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched quietly. “One debt repays another. Lady Tan, some of what you said did contain reason. Lady Tang deserves death, and so does the Li Family. I will deal with them. As for Baozhu, it is true that she contaminated the Ma Family bloodline, and also true that she was innocent at birth many years ago. This old man has taken many lives and would not care about one more, but there is no need.”
He smiled faintly. “Did the Li Family not plan to send one of our girls into an exchange marriage? Now Mingyue has returned, and Baozhu can go back as well. The two were exchanged once eleven years ago. After so long, it is time to exchange them back. Baozhu, your biological mother stole eleven years of wealth and glory for you and gave you a beautiful dream that lasted eleven years. Now the dream is over. It is time to return to reality.”

Ma Baozhu’s face turned deathly pale. Lady Tan clutched her hand and began trembling uncontrollably.

Zhu Yuanzhang ignored them. “I will not kill you, but neither will I continue sheltering you. The Li Family is dead, and its property belongs to you. But you will not take a single coin or object from the Ma Family. Your tongue is the price for every careless word you spoke in our household. You were not wronged to lose it. Nor have you gained nothing. Was everything the Ma Family gave you over these years tangible, something that could simply be taken back? I have said all I will say. Conduct yourself wisely.”

Ma Baozhu truly relaxed when she heard that she would not die. The rest of his words filled her heart with conflicting emotions. She closed her eyes and let tears stream down her face.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to Lady Tan, his gaze utterly indifferent. “As for you, my answer remains the same. Living is the finest punishment. I will not kill you, and you had better not kill yourself either. You still have a son, and you still have Baozhu. You have been selfish your entire life. Before you die, you ought to spare a thought for your children, should you not?”

Pain filled Lady Tan’s eyes, and her voice trembled. “Hualiang… Hualiang is your biological grandson!”

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled. “Was Huayao not my biological grandson too?”

Horror crossed Lady Tan’s face. She did not dare utter another word.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised a hand and rubbed his forehead. “Since your heart belongs entirely to Baozhu, stop harming Mingyue. I intend to find the girl new adoptive parents. After today, she will have nothing more to do with you.”

Lady Tan panicked. “Father, Mingyue is flesh that fell from my own body!”

“So what? Did you raise her? Have you shown this daughter any care or devotion?”

Zhu Yuanzhang raised a brow and retorted with a sneer, “Even if you are her birth mother, the harm you caused her recently is enough to cancel the debt of giving her life! You refuse to accept that? Could you treat the executioner who flayed your brother as your own brother? If you say you can and truly do it, I will send Mingyue back to you at once!”

How could Lady Tan possibly do that?

Ma Mingyue: “?????”

The debts of birth and upbringing are beside the point. Did I just hear something incredible?!

What happened to my uncle’s skin?!

Good heavens. Grandfather truly deserves his place at the top of the Ma Family food chain!

Ma Mingyue clicked her tongue inwardly. Then she heard Grandfather ask, “Mingyue, do you want to live with your mother?”

Ma Mingyue returned to herself. Meeting the sudden hope in Lady Tan’s eyes, she shook her head decisively. “No!”

The light that had just appeared in Lady Tan’s eyes instantly vanished.

The Deposed Heir’s breath quickened. “Mingyue!”

Zhu Yuanzhang asked her, “Do you want to live with your father?”

Ma Mingyue answered without the slightest hesitation. “No to that as well!”

The Deposed Heir could not hide his disappointment. “Mingyue, your mother favored Baozhu, but I have always protected you. How could you… You disappoint me terribly!”

“You are the one who disappointed me!”

Ma Mingyue frowned and shot back, “Yes, Mother treated me badly and favored Ma Baozhu, but she made her feelings perfectly clear. What about you, Father? You said you cared about me. You said Ma Baozhu could never surpass me. Yet you never stopped her from receiving the same treatment I did. You never stopped Mother from favoring Ma Baozhu. Not once did you stop Elder Brother from scorning and mocking me! Not once! Your actions were no different from Mother’s. They were even worse!”

With her grandfather behind her, she finally had the courage to release every grievance stifled in her heart. “Mother does not like me. She never gave me any hope. You were different! You made me believe I could live in this family. Then you turned around and ignored everyone trampling me into the mud. You always said you understood how wronged I felt, but you never reached down to pull me up. You only watched as others crushed me deeper! I hate Mother, but I hate you even more! What did I do wrong? You are my biological parents. Why did you treat me this way?!”

The Deposed Heir had never imagined his daughter had accumulated so much resentment. He listened with a pale face as though struck by lightning.

“Mingyue…” His lips opened and closed several times before he said stiffly, “You have always been a sensible child…”

“So what?!” Ma Mingyue looked at him with wounded eyes and sobbed, “Because I am sensible, because I can endure, because I accept everything without resistance, whenever conflict arises and you must choose between me and Mother or the others, you abandon me. Is that it?! Mother is in poor health, but I am only a child who has never been loved! Why were you never willing to pity me even once?!”

She broke into uncontrollable sobs.

The Deposed Heir froze completely.

Because…

Because…

He truly could not find a reasonable answer.

He lowered his head in defeat, not daring to meet his daughter’s eyes.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched coldly, then reached out and patted the girl’s shoulder. He comforted her, “Enough. Those two rotten creatures were blinded by stupidity and do not want to acknowledge you. Grandfather does. Grandfather will find you adoptive parents too, and they will certainly be better than those two!”

Ma Mingyue answered through her sobs. Before Zhu Yuanzhang could say more, Lady Bai volunteered, “If Father trusts me, place Mingyue in my care. She is about the same age as Yan’er, and the two sisters will have plenty to talk about.”
The Prince of Changshan added, “Father, you may rest assured. Your son will treat Mingyue as his own!”

Zhu Yuanzhang had been thinking the same thing.

Neither his second nor third son was a fool, and both had married intelligent wives. Most importantly, the women were upright and harbored no malice. Yet after considering the matter privately, he still found the second branch more suitable.

It was already certain that his second son would inherit that position. This child had suffered so bitterly in the first half of her life, and her face resembled his late wife so strongly. He wanted the second half of her life to be sweeter.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked the girl, “Are you willing to become the daughter of your second uncle and aunt?”

Ma Mingyue looked at them through tearful eyes. The Prince of Changshan and Lady Bai smiled at her. She restrained her tears, pursed her lips shyly, and said, “Grandfather, I am willing.”

“Good.” Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in satisfaction. “Your name has not yet been entered in the clan genealogy. We can place it directly under your second uncle’s household. We will say you are your second aunt’s daughter, but were sickly after birth and raised elsewhere all these years.”

Ma Mingyue rose and bowed solemnly to her grandfather and her second uncle and aunt. “Mingyue thanks Grandfather for all his concern, and thanks Second Uncle and Second Aunt for their devoted affection.”

Lady Bai smiled. “You still call me Second Aunt?”

The Prince of Changshan smiled too. “It is time to change how you address us.”

Ma Mingyue blushed slightly, knelt, and kowtowed to them. Her voice rang clear and bright. “Father! Mother!”

Lady Bai and the Prince of Changshan hurriedly told her to rise, overjoyed. “Good child, come here. We are one family from now on. There is no need for such ceremony.”

Zhu Yuanzhang could not help smiling at the sight. Then he glanced at his dejected eldest son and the desolate Lady Tan and found the contrast deeply ironic.

If they cared so much about their biological daughter, what had they been doing before?

Whom were they trying to disgust with their hypocritical performance now?!

At such a joyful family reunion, those two should not remain to spoil the mood. Zhu Yuanzhang waved casually, signaling the servants to take the couple and Ma Baozhu away. But the Deposed Heir suddenly shouted, “Wait!”

Everyone else in the hall turned toward him. Slightly surprised, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned. “Eldest, do you still have something to say?”

The Deposed Heir’s expression shifted several times. After hesitating, he finally made his decision, steadied himself, and raised his voice. “Yes. Your son has something to say!”

Zhu Yuanzhang asked, “What do you wish to say?”

The Deposed Heir rose, returned to the center of the hall, and knelt. He said bitterly, “Your son knows there is no recovering from the state I have fallen into today. Yet I refuse to watch a villain hiding in the shadows climb upward by treading on my body. I must lay the matter before Father and demand an accounting!”

His words implied that the villain was present in the hall. Everyone’s expression changed at once.

Zhu Yuanzhang still did not know what disturbance he meant to cause. His brows furrowed for a moment, then relaxed. “If you have something to say, say it plainly. Why hem and haw like a timid woman?”

The Deposed Heir swept his gaze around the hall. Everyone looked startled and doubtful. Lady Tan clutched Ma Baozhu’s hand, worry faintly visible on her face as she stared at him without blinking.

His heart dimmed. A flash of guilt came and went. Then he noticed the Prince of Changshan standing to one side in ordinary clothes, unable to hide his triumphant vigor. The Deposed Heir sneered inwardly. His hatred for this brother and his desire to drag him down from his pedestal instantly reached their peak.

In a cold voice, he declared, “Your son accuses Second Brother and Lady Tan of carrying on an illicit affair. She remained hidden at my side for his sake, repeatedly ruining my reputation to clear Second Brother’s path. Their intentions deserve death!”

Everyone froze.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang lost focus for an instant.

The Prince of Changshan’s soul practically left his body as he stood there stunned. Lady Bai reconsidered everything Eldest Sister-in-law had done in recent years, and her expression changed too. She looked at Lady Tan, then at her husband beside her, suspicion clouding her face.

The Prince of Wu’an trembled with excitement. He looked from one person to another and still remembered to inspect his second sister-in-law’s expression. He hardly had enough eyes to watch it all. Only by pinching his own thigh beneath the table did he keep himself from crying out.

Holy fuck. This bombshell could shake the heavens!

The first person to speak was not Zhu Yuanzhang, the Prince of Changshan, or even Lady Bai, but Lady Tan, who had remained silent until now.

Her face bloodless, she stumbled forward and yanked hard at her husband’s sleeve. “My husband, what nonsense are you saying? How could I possibly have anything to do with him… Have you gone mad?!”

“E-exactly!” The Prince of Changshan finally found his tongue. He glanced at Lady Bai and said furiously, “Eldest Brother, this is a serious accusation. You cannot speak such nonsense!”

“How else can any of it be explained?!”

The Deposed Heir pushed Lady Tan away indifferently and stared fixedly at the Prince of Changshan. He scoffed, “She refused to manage the household, conveniently allowing your wife to control the inner residence. She dragged me down time after time while you followed behind collecting every advantage. She stormed into the command tent, I lost my position as Heir Apparent, and you immediately took my place. Do you dare claim there is nothing between you and her?!”

The Prince of Changshan was speechless.

I did not! There is nothing between us!

How did I get blamed out of nowhere while sitting at home minding my own business?!

The ship I rooted for sank, the man himself scuttled it, and now he says I had an affair with his wife. Who would believe this story?!

The Prince of Changshan wanted to defend himself, but found the whole affair too bizarre. The real problem was that Eldest Sister-in-law never followed any normal pattern. Was it his fault that, as the younger brother, he happened to pick up the benefits she left behind?

Unable to clear himself with any number of explanations, he simply knelt beside his elder brother and said to their father, “The innocent need no defense. Your son has never done such a thing. Father may investigate as thoroughly as he wishes. If any evidence is found, your son will immediately resign every post, find a place to raise horses, and never set foot in the capital again!”

The Deposed Heir sneered. “Do you believe you left no trace at all? Do you remember Nanny Zhang, who once served beside me? Was she not an agent you planted at my side?”
Zhu Yuanzhang’s brow twitched. His gaze immediately deepened, but he restrained himself and said nothing.

The Prince of Changshan froze for several moments, then said, “Stop talking nonsense. Did Mother not assign Nanny Zhang to serve you? How did she become someone I planted at your side? Come to think of it, I have not seen her in a long time…”

“You are still pretending?”

The Deposed Heir looked at the brother kneeling close beside him and found every feature hateful. “You bought that old servant’s loyalty long ago. She carried messages between you and Lady Tan and helped you commit your shameful deeds! I sensed something when we traveled to Huaizhou and drove her away. I imagine you have taken excellent care of her since then?!”

The Prince of Changshan said, “If you are determined to accuse someone, you will never lack an excuse. Eldest Brother, empty words prove nothing. Produce evidence!”

How could the Deposed Heir possibly have evidence?

All he wanted was to plant doubt.

The old man was not yet fifty and possessed a stronger constitution than the Deposed Heir. He might still be alive when his eldest son died. Faced with an heir in the prime of life like Second Brother, could the old man truly harbor no fear whatsoever?

Once suspicion took root, Second Brother would never enjoy another peaceful day!

That was why the Deposed Heir directly named Nanny Zhang as a witness. He firmly believed she could have met only one of two fates. First, after making full use of her, Second Brother had taken her away and supported her in retirement. If the old man found her, that would prove they had long been colluding. Second, she was dead, killed either by Second Brother or on the road to Huaizhou.

That would be even better. Second Brother would never be able to explain himself.

The charge was fabricated from nothing. The weapon was his father’s vague suspicion, insubstantial yet easily capable of killing a man.

The Deposed Heir kowtowed respectfully to his father. “This matter is grave. I ask Father to judge it.”

The Prince of Changshan said as well, “I ask Father to uphold justice!”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s gaze moved from one son to the other, his expression difficult to read. After a long silence, he said darkly, “One of you is lying. He deliberately means to send his own brother to death!”

The Deposed Heir’s heart sank slightly.

Then he heard his father continue, “You are both my flesh and blood. I truly do not wish to see brother kill brother. I will count down ten numbers. If the liar steps forward voluntarily, I will treat this matter as though it never happened. How does that sound?”

Without waiting for either son to answer, he closed his eyes and counted down from ten. “Ten, nine, eight, seven… three, two, one!”

No one stepped forward.

Zhu Yuanzhang opened his eyes. Rather than look at his sons, he turned to Lady Tan. “Do you have anything to say?”

Lady Tan’s eyes were bloodshot. She screamed in near despair, “I did not!”

Panic filled her face. Her gaze moved across every person in the hall as though hoping they would believe her, but her voice weakened helplessly. “I did not. I truly did not…”

The Deposed Heir felt his heart bleed as he listened. He closed his eyes and forced himself not to look back.

Zhu Yuanzhang gave no indication of whether he believed her. He folded his arms, rose, and walked before his two sons in the center of the hall. His gaze passed over each of their bowed heads. “Does no one truly have anything to say?”

Neither the Deposed Heir nor the Prince of Changshan spoke.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly burst into laughter. The unexpected sound made everyone in the hall flinch.

Then they heard him ask with warm gentleness, “Do you know where Nanny Zhang is now?”

The Prince of Changshan shook his head blankly. The Deposed Heir’s heart lurched.

In the next instant, he heard the answer.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed. “I pitied her for serving my late wife, so I had her sent back to her hometown to enjoy a peaceful retirement.”

Without waiting for the Deposed Heir to react, he kicked him over and roared, “Heaven showed me no mercy and let me raise an animal like you, one who would murder his own brother!”

Cold sweat poured from the Deposed Heir’s brow. Mortal danger lent him tremendous strength. He threw his arms around his father’s leg and pleaded in a trembling voice, “Father! Father, I was wrong! I know I was wrong!”

“Wrong? You only repent when doom is staring you in the face!”

Zhu Yuanzhang kicked him over again, bent down, and pinched his face. He mocked, “Why did Lady Tan make mistake after mistake? Because you indulged her! Why did I say a woman controlled you? Because you are incompetent! How plainly must I put it before you understand? You are the root of the problem! You fail at everything because you are useless. You repeat every mistake because you are a fool! You reached this point entirely through your own actions. You led yourself into the ditch. It has nothing to do with any woman. Do you understand?!”

The Deposed Heir had never imagined hearing such a judgment from his father. He trembled, and tears fell uncontrollably. “Father…”

“You still do not understand? Must I make it even clearer?!”

Zhu Yuanzhang patted his cheek and enunciated every word. “You cannot become Crown Prince because you are incompetent and stupid! Lady Tan bears blame for the state of your marriage today, but you bear more! You indulged her into this. You shaped her with your own hands. Of course, she was never perfect, but you pushed her even farther into the abyss! You made her spoiled, arrogant, and foolish. In return, she dragged you into the abyss. You planted the root yourself and are now reaping what you sowed. Do you understand?! When another man outmatches you, admit defeat. When you reach the end of the road, surrender. Throwing your own woman out to trip your brother is both cowardly and despicable. Do you understand now? You. Stupid. Fool!”