usatvline Chapter 78 Zhu Yunwen's Marriage
Chapter 78 Zhu Yunwen's Marriage
This is Zhu Yunwen's first visit to the Qianqing Palace since he knelt down to beg for mercy a few days ago.
"Yun Tong is here," the old emperor said with a loving wave.
Zhu Yunwen responded and walked over, bowing respectfully to the old emperor and Zhu Yunwen. Perhaps fearing the old emperor's anger, he appeared somewhat restrained and timid, stammering, "Grandpa."
"For your wedding?"
Seeing his grandson living such a timid life, the old emperor felt a pang of sorrow and almost burst into tears on the spot.
Aside from deep self-reproach, the old emperor couldn't think of anyone to blame.
He hoped that all his grandsons could be as confident, kind, gentle, knowledgeable, and courageous as Youdun.
Seeing the old emperor's reddened eyes, Zhu Yunwen, already weak and cowardly, became even more flustered and nodded helplessly.
Zhu Yunwen is now eighteen years old. The old emperor has chosen his principal wife, who comes from a commoner family. Her father, Zhao Sili, was appointed as a military commander because his daughter married into the royal family.
The old emperor originally planned to hold a wedding for Zhu Yunwen before the new year, but Zhu Yunwen stopped him, giving the reason that the wedding should not be too hasty.
Zhu Gaoxi guessed that it might be because Zhu Yunwen had been too close to him recently, and Zhu Yunwen wanted to take this opportunity to punish him.
It's no wonder that Zhu Yunwen would side with Zhu Yunwen, because she couldn't protect him at all. Besides attracting Zhu Yunwen's more elaborate and fierce attacks, she gained nothing.
Zhu Yunwen used this move to fully demonstrate the power he held to Zhu Yunwen.
Even the wedding date was decided by Zhu Yunwen; Zhu Yunwen had no say in his own life whatsoever.
Even though Zhu Yuntong and his sister Zhu Jingyi were married and had children, they still had to live at the mercy of others, being coerced and told what to do day after day, letting others decide all the major events in their lives.
It's not surprising that the two of them were pushed out by Lady Lü to cause a scene in the Qianqing Palace.
As members of the royal family, they were closest to power, yet they could only depend on those in power for survival, becoming pawns in their hands.
They are incapable of making choices based on their own conscience. Like frogs being slowly boiled in water, they will gradually become accustomed to being controlled, lose the most basic ability to analyze and judge, and become numb and indifferent, caring only about their immediate survival, all based on the preferences of those in power.
Zhu Gaoxi could see the suspicious points about Lady Lü, but did they never have any doubts?
Chang Lin and Zhu Xiong Ying were their closest relatives.
Living like zombies is pathetic, lamentable, shocking, and chilling.
That is why Zhu Gaoxi was determined to fight with all his might.
"Grandpa remembers your wedding. Let's have the Ministry of Rites set a date right away. How about March? Or May? Together with Youdun and the others?"
The old emperor asked questions in a soft, gentle voice, with patience and meticulousness.
He felt too much guilt towards this grandson.
As the grandson of Zhu Yuanzhang and the grandson of Chang Yuchun, Yuntong could have lived a confident, ambitious, and spirited life, instead of being so timid and hesitant, afraid to assert his own power for fear of displeasing others and falling into eternal damnation.
Offending the Crown Prince, could the consequences be severe?
Why is Yun-hu so afraid?
The old emperor felt increasingly uneasy and coldly glanced at Zhu Yunwen.
When Zhu Yunwen saw his grandfather turn his gaze to him, he mistakenly thought that his grandfather was asking for his opinion, so he immediately made a choice for Zhu Yunwen, jokingly saying, "How about we choose March? If we delay until May, my younger brother might not be able to wait."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen's face flushed slightly, seemingly agreeing with Zhu Yunwen's suggestion.
"Yunwen, would March be a good time?"
The old emperor smiled warmly and asked Zhu Yunwen in a friendly manner to confirm.
"Thank you, Grandpa."
Zhu Yunwen immediately bowed and expressed his gratitude, his eyes shining, clearly showing his interest in the wedding date.
"Then let's set it for March. Huang Liang, go to the Ministry of Rites and tell Men Kexin to choose an auspicious day for Yun Tong," the old emperor immediately decided.
"Congratulations, brother," Zhu Gaoxi said first.
"Congratulations, little brother."
Zhu Yunwen merely frowned slightly, not taking it to heart.
He knew perfectly well that Zhu Yunwen lived by power, and that in crucial moments, power would still sway his choices; petty favors and sweet words were of little use.
You stand on the bridge and look at the scenery, and people who look at the scenery look at you upstairs.
When Zhu Yunwen coldly watched Zhu Yuntong leave the Qianqing Palace, his indifferent attitude towards Zhu Yuntong deeply hurt the old emperor's heart.
Since Yuntong lives in the East Palace and is worried about his marriage, why doesn't he just ask the Crown Prince directly?
Why has the Crown Prince never brought up Yunhu's wedding date? Does he not even tolerate Yunhu?
The more I think about it, the more chilling it becomes; it's utterly depressing.
The old emperor looked up at Zhu Yunwen and suddenly felt utterly unfamiliar with him.
What kind of ruthless and decisive nature lies hidden in the heart of this seemingly gentle and filial child?
"Yunwen, go to the Ministry of Rites in person and instruct Men Kexin that Yunwen's wedding must be grand," the old emperor whispered.
The Crown Prince accepted the order and left. Zhu Gaoxi came over and nestled in the old emperor's arms, saying, "Grandpa, don't be sad."
"How did you know Grandpa was sad?" The old emperor felt a sudden warmth in his heart; his eldest grandson was so observant.
"Grandson and grandfather are of one heart. If grandfather is unhappy, grandson can of course feel it," Zhu Gaoxi made up on the spot.
Seeing that the old emperor spoke softly to Yunhu, he guessed that the old emperor might have thought of Zhu Biao and was therefore trying to gain some benefits, hoping to take this opportunity to prolong his life.
As expected, the old emperor's satisfaction level soared.
The life extension system notification sounded soon after: "Satisfaction level has risen to 200, life can be extended for two years."
It's practically making money without lifting a finger.
Zhu Gaoxi suppressed his joy and played the old emperor in a sorrowful act.
"Xi'er, give us some advice: should we bestow the title of Prince or Prince of the Second Rank upon Yunhu?" The old emperor seemed to be testing him intentionally.
"Grandpa, waiting for the new emperor to ascend the throne and bestow the title of prince is a great favor, which will help us get along well in the future."
Zhu Gaoxi's heart pounded wildly, fearing that the old emperor would mistakenly think he was being cursed and fly into a rage.
The old emperor nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "What are your thoughts on the title of Prince?"
According to the revised "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" last year, the eldest son of the Crown Prince is the Imperial Grandson, and the second eldest son and the sons of concubines are all granted the title of Prince when they reach the age of ten.
The old emperor had not followed these rules completely before, which is why Zhu Yunwen was not officially appointed for a long time.
Since he asked this question, he must be planning to bestow titles upon the bride during the wedding ceremony.
"King Guangze bestows his grace widely."
Zhu Gaoxi recalled that Zhu Di demoted Zhu Yunwen to the title of Prince of Guangze.
The old emperor nodded in agreement, "Hmm, not bad, we'll listen to you."
Historically, after Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, he conferred the title of Prince of Wu upon Zhu Yunwen. Now, the old emperor has bestowed upon him this title of Prince of Wu, which carries special significance.
"A butterfly flapping its wings in the tropics can cause a hurricane in a distant country." Zhu Gaoxi suddenly remembered this sentence.
It seems that many things in the world have quietly changed because of Zhu Gaoxi's time travel and rebirth.