1: Chapter 1 Lan Yu, Old Deng is going to kill your whole family!

February, the 26th year of Hongwu.

Even seven hundred years ago, the wind in Nanjing City was still cold, biting the cheeks with pain.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong squatted on the stone steps of the Eastern Palace, clutching a hard steamed bun in his hand, slowly gnawing on it bite by bite.

He was the legitimate second grandson of the founding emperor of the Great Ming, the grandson of the Great Ming's God of War, Prince Kaiping Chang Yuchun, and the biological son of Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

He should have been living in luxury and splendor, but now he had fallen to the point of being unable to eat his fill or keep warm.

"Third Brother, why are you eating such coarse food again?" A gentle voice came from above the steps.

Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen was dressed in bright yellow casual robes, followed by a group of eunuchs and palace maids, walking leisurely as if surrounded by stars. He wore an expression of just the right amount of pity, looking down condescendingly at Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, who was squatting at the foot of the steps.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong did not look up, but simply took a fierce bite of the steamed bun.

He had transmigrated here three days ago.

In three days, he had roughly figured out his situation: Crown Prince Zhu Biao had passed away, Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen had been named the Grand Imperial Heir, and Lady Lu held sway over the inner palace. As for him, the legitimate second grandson, he was already on Lady Lu's kill list—three days ago, the original owner of this body had been drowned in a water vat by a little eunuch arranged by Lady Lu.

What was even more fatal was that the historically famous "Case of General Lan Yu" would erupt in these next few days. At that time, General Lan Yu, General Fu Youde, General Feng Sheng, and a whole group of Huaixi Faction military officers would be uprooted by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Once his great-uncle died, he would be completely without support.

In the end, it was still death.

"Third Brother?" Seeing that he didn't reply, Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen frowned slightly, a flash of impatience crossing his eyes. "If Mother saw you looking like such a hopeless mess, she would be saddened again."

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong finally looked up, grinning at Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, looking like a simpleton: "Second Brother is right, I'm just hungry."

Seeing this, Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen felt relieved, simply stopped pretending, snorted coldly, and flicked his sleeves as he left.

"Useless trash."

The two light words fell into the wind.

The smile on Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's face vanished completely, and his eyes instantly turned cold. He stuffed the remaining steamed bun into his mouth, stood up, brushed the dust off his robes, and slowly clenched his fists.

His knuckles cracked, and a shocking power surged within his bones.

That was something flowing in his blood—the innate divine strength of his maternal grandfather, Prince Kaiping Chang Yuchun. The original owner had been cowardly for fifteen years, and this body had never been truly activated until his soul took over. Over the past three days, the strength in his fists and legs had become more astonishing day by day, as if something that had been asleep for a long time was awakening.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong rolled his shoulders and looked toward the direction of Fengtian Hall, his gaze like a torch.

"Old man, oh old man, you want to pave the way for Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen and use my great-uncle's head to sacrifice to the flag, I'm afraid it won't be that easy."

"If Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen can sit on that chair, I, Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, might just be able to as well!"

Late at night.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong changed into black clothes. Relying on the original owner's fifteen years of palace memories and his own observations over the past three days, he timed the gap in the imperial guards' shift changes, slipped out through a hidden channel in the Imperial Garden under the moonlight, and disappeared into the night.

Mansion of the Duke of Liang.

The Great Ming's number one fierce general, General Lan Yu, was sitting alone in the backyard drinking. He was reeking of alcohol, half-squinting at the moon in the sky. Lying horizontally on the table was the Yanling saber that had followed him through half a lifetime of battles, the gold paint on its scabbard worn and mottled.

At this moment, General Lan Yu did not yet know that Zhu Yuanzhang's butcher knife was already hanging over his neck.

"Who?!"

General Lan Yu jerked his head, his hand already gripping the hilt of his saber.

Following General Lan Yu's angry shout, a figure slowly walked out from the shadows at the base of the wall.

"Great-uncle, is the wine good?"

General Lan Yu saw the face of the person who had come and was completely stunned. He released the hilt, shocked, and stood up: "Yuntong... Yuntong? Why aren't you staying in the palace in the middle of the night, running to my mansion for what? If you are spotted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it will be troublesome!"

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong didn't answer. He walked straight to the table, picked up the wine pot, poured himself a cup, downed it, and then grabbed the roasted lamb leg on the table and started eating it in big bites.

Seeing this, General Lan Yu was also taken aback, his heart inevitably aching. This child, how much suffering had he endured in the palace? The anger that followed surged up—Lady Lu!

After a good while, Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong finally looked up, wiped the grease from the corners of his mouth, and looked at General Lan Yu, whose face was changing between light and shade, slowly speaking: "Great-uncle, The Emperor has convicted you."

Upon hearing this, General Lan Yu's pupils contracted sharply. He subconsciously scanned his surroundings, hurriedly covered Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's mouth, lowered his voice, and said sternly: "What nonsense are you talking about, child? Is this kind of thing something you can just say recklessly?!"

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong pushed away General Lan Yu's rough, large hand, tore off another piece of the lamb leg, and chewed it slowly, his eyes locked firmly onto General Lan Yu's face.

General Lan Yu felt completely uncomfortable being stared at by him, and a faint chill rose in the bottom of his heart—this look was not right!

Ever since Crown Prince Zhu Biao died, this grand-nephew had always been cowering and timid; where had he ever had such a murderous, awe-inspiring look?

After pondering for a moment, he muttered: "I have loyally followed The Emperor for thirty years, fighting the Northern Yuan and conquering Yunnan. In which battle has this General Lan Yu ever been a coward? The Emperor wouldn't..."

"Whether you are loyal or not, it is up to him to decide."

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong put down the lamb leg. His voice was not loud, but every word pierced the heart: "Great-uncle, think carefully. In the last year or two, hasn't the Embroidered Uniform Guard been investigating you more and more frequently? Haven't those officials who used to call you brother one by one started avoiding you? When was the last time The Emperor summoned you to the palace to discuss matters?"

General Lan Yu's hand, which had just picked up the wine cup, froze. He stared with wide eyes at Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong, his mouth slightly open.

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong continued: "Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen is weak and close to civil officials; he cannot suppress you proud soldiers and fierce generals who crawled out of piles of dead bodies. The Emperor knows this better than anyone. He is a person who, once suspicious, will not leave any leeway. He has already thought of the charge for you: just two words, 'Treason'."

General Lan Yu slammed the wine bowl onto the table with a "bang", wine splashing and spraying onto both of them.

"Nonsense! When have I ever plotted treason!"

"Whether you plotted treason or not is not important." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's voice was as cold as this February night wind. "What is important is that you, as the head of the Huaixi Faction military officers, must die. Once you die, General Fu Youde dies, General Feng Sheng dies, and in the end... I die. Only when we are all dead will he, Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen, have a chance to sit firmly in that position."

General Lan Yu's chest heaved violently. He, General Lan Yu, might be bad, but he was not stupid. Before, he just hadn't been willing to think about those things that didn't seem right.

The increasingly frequent espionage by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, those old acquaintances who suddenly cut off contact, The Emperor suddenly stripping two of his trusted aides of their military power last month... one by one, piece by piece, they now fit together like fragments, piecing together a truth that made his back go cold.

He stared fixedly at the fifteen-year-old youth in front of him.

Was this still that submissive Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong who didn't even dare to lift his head when he saw people? The madness surging in those eyes made even him, a general who had killed people and slaughtered cities, feel a chill crawling up the back of his neck.

"How much of what you said..." General Lan Yu's voice was dry, "is true?"

"Totally." Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong said each word clearly and forcefully.

Silence.

The night wind blew, the lanterns in the courtyard swayed, and the light and shadow on General Lan Yu's face flickered uncertainly.

After a long time, General Lan Yu let out a heavy breath, his hands pressed against the edge of the table, veins bulging. He slammed his fist down, and the thick elm tabletop split open with a long crack in response.

"Then you came to find me in the middle of the night just to tell me this?" General Lan Yu looked up at him, his gaze burning. "What... exactly do you want to do?"

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong slowly put down the wine cup and leaned forward slightly.

"Great-uncle, how many usable men do you still have in the capital?"

General Lan Yu was silent for a few breaths, then said in a low voice: "Eight hundred loyal death soldiers. They are all old brothers who have followed me through life and death for many years, scattered throughout the city."

A cluster of cold light suddenly lit up in the depths of Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's eyes.

"Eight hundred it is!"

He stood up, standing with his hands behind his back. The moonlight hit his young face, his contours distinct, his aura awe-inspiring. In a daze, General Lan Yu actually saw the image of Crown Prince Yiwen.

"Great-uncle, this Great Ming empire, The Emperor can give it, but I can also seize it!"

He turned to look at General Lan Yu and asked word by word: "Are you going to rebel or not?"