29: Chapter 29 The Emperor is never wrong, nor is Zhu Chongba.

The old man had left, but before he did, he dropped that line: "If the heavens fall, I will hold them up for you." It sounded inspiring, but in reality, it was a death warrant.

There is no tender, loving protection in an imperial family.

Throwing the tough bone of the Jiangnan gentry at him was purely a litmus test.

Jiangnan's taxes account for the majority of the realm's revenue, involving the purse strings of every civil and military official in the court.

Investigating farmland acreage is equivalent to forcibly gouging flesh from the mouths of civil officials and the gentry.

These people usually speak of benevolence and morality, but if you truly touch their lifelines, they will resort to any filthy tactic.

Tax evasion, inciting riots, assassinating imperial envoys, burning account books—throughout history, these plays have been common.

Was the old man really willing to back him? If things truly reached an irreparable state, the old man would issue an imperial decree to quell the chaos in Jiangnan, and Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong would become a completely discarded chess piece.

The position of the Great Ming's heir cannot tolerate a good-for-nothing who cannot control the situation.

He only had this one chance.

Only by delivering the silver and grain to the capital in full would this grand game of succession truly come alive.

If he were to fail halfway, even if the old man looked at him with newfound respect, he would never have a day to rise again.

"Jiang Wan."

Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's voice did not rise, yet it echoed through the vast hall.

A series of light, hurried footsteps came from outside the hall. The Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Jiang Wan crossed the threshold, bowing low, and trotted to the base of the imperial steps, dropping to both knees.

"Your servant is here."

"How is the investigation regarding Lady Lu going?"

"By tomorrow, all the evidence can be presented to His Majesty."

In the rear hall of the Qianqing Palace, Duke of Xin Tang He stood under the veranda with his hands behind his back.

This last remaining founding hero of the Great Ming now had white hair and a slightly stooped frame.

Although the title of Duke of Xin was illustrious, he had long ago surrendered his military power, hiding away in his hometown of Fengyang to farm and retire, managing to survive the recent bloody storms in the imperial court.

Hearing footsteps, Duke of Xin Tang He turned around. Zhu Yuanzhang was walking over, supported by Eunuch Wang Fu.

Seeing his old brother looking ruddy and walking steadily, Duke of Xin Tang He let out a long sigh of relief, his heart finally settling back into his chest.

Last night, the capital was under martial law, and the sounds of shouting and killing carried far. He had hidden in his residence, not daring to make a sound, fearing this old brother of his had gone mad again and was about to purge someone.

"Your servant Tang He pays respects to..."

Duke of Xin Tang He lifted his robes, preparing to kneel.

"That's enough, that's enough."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand to interrupt, taking two quick steps to support Duke of Xin Tang He's arm. "There are no outsiders here. Put away that stuffy, formal etiquette of yours."

Zhu Yuanzhang dismissed Eunuch Wang Fu and the group of palace maids and eunuchs, then pulled Duke of Xin Tang He's arm and walked toward the Imperial Garden.

The Imperial Garden in early spring carried a biting chill. The two strolled all the way to the side of the lotus pond.

The pond water was clear and cold, and the withered lotus stalks from the previous year had not yet been cleared, their yellowed stems jutting out from the water.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't mind the dirt and sat down right on the white marble steps by the pond.

Seeing this, Duke of Xin Tang He lifted his robes and sat down beside him.

Two old men, whose combined ages neared one hundred and forty, sat there without any decorum, just like they used to on the dirt mounds at the entrance of Zhongli Village in Haozhou.

"Last night's commotion must have scared you, you old thing, right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang picked up a small pebble and threw it into the water, creating a sizable splash.

Duke of Xin Tang He laughed it off and rubbed his hands: "A little, perhaps. Last night, I heard the commotion outside and thought some fool had angered you again. I heard that scoundrel General Lan Yu brought troops into the palace?"

"Does he, General Lan Yu, have the guts for that?"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly. "He was just being used as a pawn for someone else."

Duke of Xin Tang He gave a dry laugh and dared not respond.

Regarding the affairs between the imperial grandfather and grandson, as a meritorious official with a different surname, saying even one extra word could easily cost him his head.

After chatting about trivial domestic matters, Zhu Yuanzhang's tone shifted abruptly: "Do you know about Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong's affair?"

Duke of Xin Tang He lowered his eyelids and began to play dumb: "I've heard a little."

"He intends to deal with the Jiangnan gentry."

Zhu Yuanzhang said bluntly.

Duke of Xin Tang He was stunned upon hearing this and turned to look at Zhu Yuanzhang. Deal with the Jiangnan gentry? That was a hornet's nest.

After a brief moment of shock, Duke of Xin Tang He laughed heartily, the sound echoing across the empty lotus pond.

"He is truly of your Zhu family's blood!"

Duke of Xin Tang He grinned and said.

Zhu Yuanzhang rolled his eyes at Duke of Xin Tang He and retorted crossly: "That boy stripped the pants off every official in the court during the morning assembly today. Hanlin Academician Huang Zicheng and his lot are now wishing they could eat his flesh raw."

"Scholars, they have many ways to curse people, but when it comes to drawing blades, they run faster than rabbits."

Duke of Xin Tang He said dismissively.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, his gaze fixed on the withered lotus on the water, his tone unexpectedly laced with a lack of confidence: "Tell me, was I wrong to choose Grand Imperial Heir Zhu Yunwen before?"

Duke of Xin Tang He's body stiffened; this was impossible to answer. To say he was wrong would be to slap the Emperor's face; to say he wasn't wrong, given the massive stir Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong had caused, would be impossible to justify.

He began to hedge: "How could that be called wrong? The Emperor cannot be wrong."

Zhu Yuanzhang would not let it go, turning to stare intensely at Duke of Xin Tang He: "Then can Zhu Chongba not be wrong either?"

Duke of Xin Tang He met his old brother's gaze and grinned, revealing a few missing teeth: "Zhu Chongba cannot be wrong either."

"You old rascal."

Zhu Yuanzhang was amused by his rogue-like demeanor and raised his hand to point at him mockingly.

Duke of Xin Tang He put away his smile and said solemnly: "Chongba, don't ask me about court affairs. I am old, my brain is no longer sharp, and I cannot share your burdens."

Zhu Yuanzhang withdrew his gaze, remained silent for a moment, and sighed deeply: "In this world today, you are the only one who can call me Chongba..."

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy. Duke of Xin Tang He knew that old Zhu was thinking of Empress Ma again, so he quickly changed the subject: "Of course. Even though you are the Emperor, in my heart, you will always be my good brother from the same street in Zhongli Village, Haozhou."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and cursed with a smile: "You, you old man, at your age, you still don't have a serious word in your mouth. Do you remember when we were kids and you took me to the village entrance to peek at Widow Liu bathing? You ran fast, and I was chased by Widow Liu's dog for two miles!"

Duke of Xin Tang He's old face flushed, and he chuckled: "That was because you stepped on a dead branch. Besides, if I hadn't taken you, how would you have known what a woman looked like?"

The two old men sat by the pond, savoring the absurdities from over half a century ago, laughing until they swayed back and forth.

"Since you've come this time, stay in the capital for a few more days and keep me company."

Zhu Yuanzhang stopped laughing, his tone revealing a rare earnestness.

Duke of Xin Tang He looked troubled, stammering: "But what about the hundred or so concubines I have in Fengyang?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked the decrepit Duke of Xin Tang He up and down and unsparingly exposed his shortcomings: "At your age, besides drooling all over them, what can you even do? And you're still thinking about your hundred-plus concubines!"

Duke of Xin Tang He, having his bottom line exposed, was not annoyed but stiffened his neck to retort: "Can't I just look at them? They are pleasing to the eye when arranged in the courtyard. I like it."

The two continued to bicker. The wind blew across the lotus pond, carrying away a few old laughs.

After the laughter and banter, the pond side grew quiet again.

Zhu Yuanzhang fished a crumpled silk handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. He clutched the handkerchief in his hand, his voice lowering.

"I am preparing to try delegating some power to Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong."

Duke of Xin Tang He's hand shook, almost snapping the piece of withered grass he had just plucked. He turned his head and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, his face filled with astonishment.

Delegating power? This was not as simple as presiding over the morning assembly on his behalf. Delegating power meant handing over the actual command of the Six Ministries and the military. Since Crown Prince Zhu Biao died, Zhu Yuanzhang had centralized all power, wanting to personally oversee everything, even the color of the robes worn by officials of certain ranks. Now, he was actually going to share power with a fifteen-year-old grandson?

Zhu Yuanzhang read the shock in Duke of Xin Tang He's eyes. He gave a bitter laugh and self-mockingly said: "You want to say that given my cunning and my personality, it's impossible for me to trust this imperial grandson who appeared out of nowhere just like that, right?"

Duke of Xin Tang He still didn't speak; he knew Zhu Chongba too well. Suspicion was something carved into the very bones of this emperor. The ruthlessness and methods Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong showed last night were indeed stunning, but they were equally dangerous. How could Zhu Yuanzhang feel at ease handing the empire directly to someone who could endure for years, then incite troops and manipulate the Embroidered Uniform Guard in a single night?

Zhu Yuanzhang continued to speak to himself, his gaze cast toward the distant palace walls: "Of course I don't trust him."

"Then why do you still..."

Duke of Xin Tang He stopped himself.

"But I know my own body."

Zhu Yuanzhang interrupted him. He extended his withered right hand; the back of it was covered in age spots, and the knuckles were somewhat deformed from years of reviewing memorials.

"These past few months, I often can't catch my breath at night. I can't sleep the whole night through, and the moment I close my eyes, I see Empress Ma and Crown Prince Zhu Biao, waving at me from over there."

There was no fear in Zhu Yuanzhang's voice, only a deep exhaustion: "The calming soups from the imperial physicians are like drinking plain water. I don't have much time left, Dingchen."

He used Duke of Xin Tang He's courtesy name—this was extremely rare.

Duke of Xin Tang He's throat tightened. He looked at the man beside him, who once could lift stone locks with one hand and charge into battle wielding a dozens-of-jin broadsword, now reduced to a withered husk.

Time is the sharpest blade in this world; even the Hongwu Emperor could not block it.

"Those civil officials in the court are all harboring ulterior motives. As for the military generals, General Lan Yu and his lot are arrogant and overbearing."

Zhu Yuanzhang withdrew his hand and tucked it into his sleeve: "Crown Prince Zhu Yuntong is a sharp blade; I will let him scrape the bone to heal the poison. I will let him lance the abscess of Jiangnan. I will let him kill the arrogance of the civil officials. If he can suppress them, I can close my eyes in peace when I hand this empire over to him."

"As for Grand Imperial Heir Zhu Yunwen..."

Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a long time. Mentioning this Grand Imperial Heir in whom he had placed such high hopes, his expression became extremely complex: disappointment, heartache, and a trace of unwillingness.

"The way he ran away last night was too shameful."

Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth, frustrated by his inability to mold him into a better man: "But he is, after all, the flesh and blood left behind by Crown Prince Zhu Biao, and he is the one I have personally raised and taught by my side for all these years as the heir."

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and patted the dust off his backside: "I will give him one last chance."