Chapter 91: Awaken! The Pure-blooded Grandson Of The Great Ming Dynasty! 【 Monthly Ticket Bonus Update 2 】
“Do not bully the young and poor.”
“Do not let your sorrow become the sorrow of the Great Ming!”
“This blade of mine is specifically for killing jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards.”
“I invite the Great Ming to die—!”
Zhang Biao’s words, mixed with the shouts of those lower-ranking capital officials, the mocking sneers of the nobles, and Old Zhu’s gaze of extreme coldness and disgust, frantically collided and echoed in Zhu Yunteng’s mind.
And Consort Lü’s eternally gentle words, at this moment, sounded incredibly jarring.
A feeling of unprecedented nausea surged up his throat.
He had never realized so clearly that the ‘favor’ he once willingly accepted, the delicacies that fed him until he was corpulent, were perhaps never honey, but bait wrapped in poison.
It was to turn him into a ‘pig’ content with scraps in a sty.
A shiver, a mixture of humiliation, anger, and immense panic, swept over him again.
He abruptly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot but without tears, only a clarity bordering on despair.
He couldn’t continue like this!
He couldn’t truly become a waste!
A waste that he himself despised, fit only to be penned up and waiting for slaughter!
That ‘good older brother’ had, in the most tragic way, cleaved a glaring light into his decaying and sinking world.
Even if that light was accompanied by destruction and madness.
He shakily stood up and walked to the rosewood small table in the corner of the room, used for placing snacks.
On it was still a plate of exquisite lotus pastries sent by Consort Lü’s people, the pastry layers like blooming petals, emitting a sweet, cloying aroma.
Zhu Yunteng stared intently at the plate of lotus pastries, his gaze struggling, like looking at a viper flicking its tongue.
The instinct formed over the past decade or so, like an invisible hand, urged him to reach out.
The moment his fingertips were about to touch the tempting pastry—
“Crack!”
He suddenly waved his hand, using all his strength, and swept the entire plate of lotus pastries to the ground.
The exquisite snacks smashed onto the cold floor tiles, instantly shattering. The pastry and filling splattered everywhere, and the sweet aroma intensified, becoming almost suffocating.
Zhu Yunteng panted, looking at the mess on the floor, as if he had completed an extremely difficult battle.
But he knew, it was not enough.
Far from enough.
He surveyed the room, filled with the sweet scents and delicate ornaments he detested, his gaze finally falling on a few scrolls on the bookshelf in the corner, covered in a thin layer of dust.
These were the books Father King Zhu Biao occasionally used when testing his homework.
They were the Great Learning and the Chronicle of the Warring States.
He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he had willingly touched them.
Every time he wanted to read, Imperial Consort would gently advise him, “Teng’er, reading is tiring for the mind. Your body is weak; it’s best to take good care of yourself. Leave those troublesome things for your elder brother to study.”
Elder brother? Zhu Yunwen.
Zhu Yunteng pursed his lips and murmured, “No, my elder brother’s name is Zhu Xiongying.”
He walked step by step to the bookshelf, his fingers trembling, brushed the dust off the scrolls, and then, cautiously and very unskillfully, pulled out the thickest one.
It was the Chronicle of the Warring States.
The scroll was heavy, making his wrist ache.
But he held it tightly, as if clutching a life-saving raft, and stumbled back to the bedside. In the dimming daylight filtering in from the window, he struggled to read it, word by word.
Many characters were unfamiliar to him, and reading punctuation was difficult.
But he gritted his teeth, relying on the vague memories from his childhood and a stubborn refusal to admit defeat, to tenaciously devour the convoluted text.
At this moment, his posture of learning was laughably clumsy, even a bit dishevelled.
But the focus and struggle in his eyes were a hundred times more real than any of his past performances in the schoolroom.
In the corridors outside the hall, the sisters Zhu Mingyue and Zhu Mingyu had not left.
They clearly saw their younger brother sweeping away the pastries and picking up the scroll through the gaps in the window lattice.
Zhu Mingyue even covered her mouth in astonishment, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Was this still the same younger brother who would throw tantrums at the mention of studying and only knew how to eat and play?
What kind of spell had Zhang Biao cast on Yunteng?!
Beyond the shock, a deeper chill crawled up her spine.
She suddenly realized that if Zhu Yunteng truly began to awaken, to resist the path of waste that Consort Lü had set for him…
Then the delicate balance that the Eastern Palace had maintained would be completely shattered.
What awaited Zhu Yunteng was likely not rebirth, but destruction.
Consort Lü would absolutely not allow the ‘shield’ she had meticulously cultivated for over a decade to escape her control.
She had to do something.
She absolutely had to stop Zhu Yunteng’s dangerous awakening!
At least for the short term, she couldn’t let Consort Lü and her son create a huge conflict with her and her siblings.
With a decision made in her heart, Zhu Mingyue finally gritted her teeth, turned quickly, and hurried towards Consort Lü’s main hall.
On the other hand, Zhu Mingyu was completely different.
She was also peeking through the window. Seeing Zhu Yunteng smash the pastries and devour the scroll, she wasn’t worried at all; instead, she was so excited she almost whistled.
“Yoho! He’s finally opening up, silly boy!”
She lowered her voice, her face beaming, “Now this is interesting! It should have been like this long ago! Eating and drinking every day, he was almost becoming a pig!”
Zhang Biao’s words, “Do not bully the young and poor,” clearly had a more potent effect than she had imagined.
She looked at her brother’s clumsy yet earnest profile and found it more exciting than watching any opera.
It even made her itchy to do something treasonous herself to echo him.
Her eyes darted around, and she noticed the young eunuch nearby who was still holding the pig’s head meat prepared for Yunteng.
Zhu Mingyu’s lips curled into a mischievous smile, and she suddenly darted out, standing in front of the young eunuch.
Under the eunuch’s terrified gaze, she grabbed the plate without a word, picked up a piece of pig’s head meat and stuffed it into her mouth, then threw the remaining pig’s head meat and the plate into the nearby lotus pond with a “clang!”
“What are you looking at?”
Zhu Mingyu stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the stunned eunuch, “This Princess is hungry, I ate it, is that not allowed? The rest is for the fish! Hurry up and get lost!”
The eunuch dared not say another word and scrambled away.
Zhu Mingyu clapped the pastry crumbs from her hands and watched the pig’s head meat slowly sink in the pond, humming proudly.
“If you dare to harm my brother again…”
She felt she had done a very righteous and Zhang Biao-like deed, and her mood was incredibly pleasant. Humming an out-of-tune tune, she sauntered away.
…
Not long after, Zhu Mingyue arrived at Consort Lü’s chambers.
“Mother Consort, hurry and see! Yunteng seems possessed! He smashed the exquisite pastries in his room and is reading the Chronicle of the Warring States! If this gets out, or if Imperial Grandfather finds out…”
Zhu Mingyue hurried in, her tone anxious, with deliberately exaggerated panic.
Consort Lü was sitting at her vanity, having her hairpin and ornaments removed by palace maids.
Upon hearing Zhu Mingyue’s words, her hand, which was drawing her eyebrows in the bronze mirror, didn’t even pause. Her expression remained calm and undisturbed, as if she had only heard idle chatter like ‘the weather is nice today.’
“Oh? Is that so?”
Consort Lü’s voice came through the mirror, with a hint of lazy surprise, showing no trace of anger:
“Yunteng is willing to study on his own? That’s indeed a rare occurrence.”
As she spoke, she gently raised her hand, signaling the palace maids to pause, and slowly turned around, even with a hint of a relieved smile on her face:
“It seems after this incident, this child has benefited from misfortune and has become a little sensible. It’s always good when one knows how to strive for improvement.”
Zhu Mingyue was stunned, completely not expecting Consort Lü to react this way.
“Mother Consort! Don’t you think he’s acting very strangely? He must have been bewitched by that Zhang Biao! That Zhang Biao is a madman, he…”
“Mingyue.”
Consort Lü interrupted her, her smile still gentle, but her eyes slightly cooled:
“You are Yunteng’s elder sister. When your younger brother strives for improvement, you should be happy, not constantly say he’s possessed or bewitched?”
“If outsiders were to hear such words, wouldn’t it break Yunteng’s heart? And what would that do to the reputation of our Eastern Palace?”
She stood up, walked to Zhu Mingyue, and gently stroked her daughter’s cheek, her movements soft yet with a hint of icy force:
“You must remember, you are siblings; you share prosperity and adversity. If Yunteng is well, you will be well. Do you understand?”
Zhu Mingyue was flustered by Consort Lü’s words, which completely missed the point and even carried a warning, and could only nod blankly: “Daughter understands.”
“It’s good that you understand.”
Consort Lü smiled with satisfaction: “You may go. As for Yunteng, if he wants to read, let him read. Give the order that no one is to disturb him. For dinner… if he doesn’t want to eat, there’s no need to send any.”
“Yes…”
Zhu Mingyue, full of doubt and unease, dared not ask any more questions, bowed, and withdrew.
The hall door closed.
The gentle smile on Consort Lü’s face vanished as quickly as a receding tide, leaving only cold gloom.
“Benefited from misfortune? Sensible and striving for improvement?”
She looked at the mirror and silently curled her lips into a mocking cold smile: “Heh, it seems I’ve been too soft-hearted these past few years, allowing some inappropriate thoughts to arise.”
Her gaze fell on the exceptionally sharp golden shears used for trimming flower branches on the vanity.
In the depths of her eyes, a fleeting, extremely subtle yet incredibly resolute killing intent flashed.
Zhang Biao must die.
And this waste who has started to be disobedient…
If he cannot be tamed again, then he must be completely destroyed.
Just then, hurried yet deliberately light footsteps were heard from outside the hall.
Consort Lü’s brow twitched, and she looked up.
Zhu Yunwen entered.
He had obviously also heard the sound of the Jingyang Bell, and a trace of unwaned paleness and alarm remained on his face, but more so was a suppressed excitement and eagerness.
He quickly walked to Consort Lü’s side, not even waiting to complete the full salute, and said urgently, “Mother Consort! Imperial Grandfather he…”
“What’s the hurry?”
Consort Lü interrupted him calmly. Her voice was not loud, but it carried a power that made one calm:
“His Majesty has immense fortune and is protected by his ancestors. He has already awoken. What kind of deportment is this, being so flustered?”
Zhu Yunwen was admonished by his mother, took a deep breath, and tried to regulate his breathing, but the urgency in his eyes did not diminish: “Yes, your son knows his mistake. But Mother Consort, now is precisely…”
“Now is the time for you to show filial piety.”
Consort Lü picked up his words, her tone steady and assured:
“His Majesty’s illness has not yet healed, and he has suffered a great shock. Now that he has awoken, he is at a time when his mood is unsettled and he feels particularly lonely. As the Imperial Eldest Grandson, when else will you serve him at his bedside with medicine if not now?”
Zhu Yunwen’s eyes lit up: “Mother Consort is right! Your son will go now…”
“Wait.”
Consort Lü raised her hand to stop him: “Go, but not simply go. Take sincerity with you, take filial piety.”
Her gaze swept over the bowl of ginseng soup that had just been brought from the small kitchen, still steaming.
“Take this bowl of ginseng soup and say that you personally watched the fire and meticulously brewed it for Imperial Grandfather.”
“Remember, your expression should be mournful and worried, but your eyes should be firm, allowing your Imperial Grandfather to see your filial piety, your composure, and your readiness to take on great responsibility.”
“Your son understands!”
Zhu Yunwen heavily kowtowed: “I will certainly not fail Mother Consort’s expectations!”
Saying this, he picked up the ginseng soup, turned, and was about to leave.
“And…”
Consort Lü’s voice sounded again, with a hint of imperceptible coldness: “If His Majesty asks about the events in the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square, especially about Zhang Biao…”
Zhu Yunwen’s steps faltered, and he held his breath, listening.
“You must appear both grief-stricken and mindful of the overall situation.”
Consort Lü said slowly:
“Say that although Censor Zhang acted recklessly and treasonously, his incitement of lower-ranking officials might have had hidden reasons, or perhaps he was secretly instructed by certain individuals, intending to disrupt the court order. His crime is punishable by death…”
Her words were extremely veiled, but Zhu Yunwen instantly understood.
This was to shift the blame onto others, preferably onto those Zhu Yunteng relied on.
At the same time, it would brand Zhang Biao as being instigated by others, pinning him to the pillar of conspiracy and rebellion.
This would eliminate Zhang Biao and simultaneously strike at political opponents.
Zhu Yunwen’s mind became clear, and he was full of admiration for his mother’s scheming. He quickly said:
“Your son understands! I will definitely let Imperial Grandfather know that there might be a larger conspiracy behind this villain!”
Consort Lü nodded slightly with satisfaction: “Go. Remember, your words must be cautious, and you must grasp the balance. Everything should be to display your benevolence, filial piety, and steadiness.”
“As for the rest, only hint at it. His Majesty will make his own wise judgment.”
“Yes!”
Zhu Yunwen steadied the ginseng soup, straightened his robes, forced a look of grief and worry onto his face, and quickly walked towards the hall exit.
Watching her son’s disappearing back, the calm on Consort Lü’s face slowly faded, revealing a cold smile.
This move was killing two birds with one stone.
It would allow Yunwen to consolidate his position and utterly destroy Zhang Biao.
Her calculations were precise, almost perfect.
