Chapter 94: Old Zhu: This Dragon Throne Is Truly Tedious To Sit On! 【 Seeking Monthly Ticket 】
Old Zhu’s deep-set eyes, sharp as an eagle’s at this moment, showed no sign of dimness as he coldly looked at Zhu Yunwen, who was slumped on the ground, his face ashen.
This was a look Zhu Yunwen had never seen before, and he was stunned.
He didn’t understand why this was happening.
His mother had taught him exactly what to say, word for word.
Besides, Scholar Liu and Prince Consort Mei were also talking about Zhang Biao, so why was it a problem for him to say just one sentence?
He couldn’t figure it out, nor did he know how to answer Old Zhu, so he remained frozen on the spot, his face devoid of color.
Soon, the room fell into a suffocating silence.
Liu Sanwu, Mei Yin, Jiang Huan, Yun Ming, and the others all had their own thoughts.
Some wished they could shrink into the shadows.
Others, frustrated by Zhu Yunwen’s inability to grasp the situation, broke into a cold sweat for him.
A long while later.
A very soft sigh, tinged with weariness, was heard.
It was Old Zhu.
He slowly closed his eyes, then reopened them, his sharp gaze now seemingly shrouded by a layer of faint fatigue and complex emotions.
He didn’t reprimand or fly into a rage, but his hoarse voice, carrying a hint of imperceptible disappointment and helplessness, slowly said again, “Were you scared?”
These simple words made Zhu Yunwen tremble violently.
He subconsciously looked up, his eyes meeting Old Zhu’s, which now appeared somewhat cloudy and calm.
The thunderous wrath he had expected did not arrive, which only made him more bewildered.
“Your grandson… your grandson…”
His lips trembled, and he spoke incoherently.
“Get up.”
Old Zhu, as if nothing had happened, calmly reminded Zhu Yunwen:
“The ground is cold. Your constitution is already weak. You just finished the ginseng soup, don’t catch a chill.”
The mention of ginseng soup made Zhu Yunwen feel like vomiting, but in the face of immense fear and this sudden, subtle concern, he forced himself to hold it in.
He struggled to get up but stumbled due to his weak legs.
Yun Ming, who was standing by, quickly moved to help him, but was stopped by a look from Old Zhu.
Old Zhu himself shifted slightly, as if trying to sit up straighter, but this stirred his illness, and he let out a suppressed cough.
Seeing this, Zhu Yunwen, inexplicably finding strength, suddenly rushed to the bedside. Forgetting all propriety, he carefully reached out and gently rubbed Old Zhu’s back, his voice choked with tears and genuine worry:
“Imperial Grandfather! Don’t move! You lie down properly! It’s all your grandson’s fault! Your grandson deserves to die!”
This time, there was no pretense in his actions.
Old Zhu’s ailing appearance and that recent cough had genuinely pained his heart.
After all, family affection was genuine.
Old Zhu said nothing, allowing him to rub his back. After a few more coughs, he gradually calmed down.
He looked at his grandson, who was pale with fright and had tears welling up in his eyes, his gaze lingering for a moment on his mourning clothes, which were soiled from his earlier vomiting.
“Mei Yin, Liu Sanwu, you two leave first.”
Old Zhu’s voice was very calm but left no room for doubt.
Mei Yin and Liu Sanwu exchanged glances, then looked at Zhu Yunwen with complex expressions before wisely withdrawing from the bedroom.
Jiang Huan and Yun Ming stood like wooden figures, their eyes focused on their noses.
Then Old Zhu said with a bitter tone, “You’ve worn these mourning clothes for quite a long time, it’s time to change them.”
“This…”
Zhu Yunwen was stunned, seemingly not understanding.
“As for you, did hearing those bastardly things outside scare you?”
Old Zhu, ignoring whether he understood, asked again with a heavy tone.
Zhu Yunwen nodded vigorously, tears falling uncontrollably:
“Your grandson has never heard such… such horrifying things! That Zhang Biao is a demon!”
“How can the Six Ministries’ offices and the residences of nobles be trampled upon like this! Our Great Ming, our Great Ming…”
He trailed off after saying “Our Great Ming” for a while, ultimately not daring to utter the words “is doomed,” but the fear on his face said it all.
Old Zhu looked at his grandson’s appearance – a mix of fear and indignation, yet ultimately concerned for the state. The cold scrutiny deep in his eyes seemed to melt slightly.
This grandson was cowardly and indecisive.
But this instinctive protectiveness towards the Zhu family’s empire, this shock and anger upon hearing of the breakdown of order, was not entirely useless.
Perhaps those words did not come from his heart…
“A demon?”
Old Zhu let out a sneer, his laughter laced with deep self-mockery and weariness:
“If he were truly a demon, it would be easy to deal with, a single chop and he’d be dead. I fear it’s worse if what he says and does… is not entirely wrong.”
“What!?”
Zhu Yunwen looked up sharply, disbelief etched on his face as he looked at Old Zhu.
Imperial Grandfather…
Imperial Grandfather actually thought Zhang Biao might not be entirely wrong?!
How was that possible?!
He had clearly done so many treasonous things!
“I rose from humble beginnings, ate chaff, and went hungry. I saw how officials oppressed the people…”
Old Zhu ignored Zhu Yunwen’s shock, his gaze seeming to drift into the distance as he murmured:
“What I hate most are corrupt officials, those vermin who suck the blood of the people!”
His voice grew increasingly agitated, carrying a pent-up fury:
“I’ve killed my entire life, yet why are there more and more? Why can’t these bastards be completely eliminated?!”
“Fu Youwen, Ru Chang, Li Jinglong, Guo Ying…”
He named them one by one, his gaze growing colder with each name:
“Do they really think Old Zhu is senile and knows nothing of the disgusting things they do behind my back?!”
Zhu Yunwen listened, his heart pounding, not daring to breathe.
“That Zhang Biao is a madman, that’s true.”
Old Zhu’s tone suddenly became extremely complex: “He curses me, angers me, wishes me dead! But this fire he’s started burns well! It burns fiercely! It has stripped away the fig leaves of these vermin, all of them!”
Saying this, he suddenly turned his head to look at Zhu Yunwen, his gaze like lightning:
“Yunwen, tell me, if you were in my position, seeing these vermin of the state, what would you do? Would you continue to kill like me, or would you implement benevolent governance and reform them, as your father advised me back then?”
This was an extremely sharp question, hitting the core.
Zhu Yunwen was caught off guard, his mind a blank.
He subconsciously recalled his father Zhu Biao’s teachings, the ‘benevolence’ and ‘rule of rites’ that Huang Zicheng and others had instilled in him, and Consort Lü’s schemes. But then he looked at the mess before him, and thought of Zhang Biao’s insane audits…
Was benevolent governance and reform truly effective?
He asked himself, but found he couldn’t answer.
Seeing his grandson’s bewildered and helpless state, a hint of disappointment flashed again in Old Zhu’s eyes, but more so, a resigned understanding.
He slowly leaned back on the pillow, waving his hand wearily, “Enough… I’m tired. You may leave.”
“Imperial Grandfather…”
Zhu Yunwen felt an inexplicable panic, as if he had missed something extremely important.
“Go back and think carefully about what I’ve said.”
Old Zhu closed his eyes, his voice deepening:
“And think about what you would do if this empire were to fall into your hands one day. Would you let the vermin gnaw at it, or do you have another way?”
The last sentence, light as a feather, struck Zhu Yunwen’s heart like a heavy hammer.
The empire falling into his hands?!
Imperial Grandfather… he…
A tremendous shock, along with a flicker of incredulous joy, instantly dispelled his fear.
Zhu Yunwen suddenly kowtowed, hurriedly saying:
“Your grandson will strictly obey Imperial Grandfather’s teachings! Your grandson will think carefully! He will not disappoint Imperial Grandfather!”
This time, his voice carried an unprecedented solemnity and a tremor of being entrusted with great expectations.
Old Zhu did not respond further, as if he had fallen asleep.
Zhu Yunwen knelt for a moment longer, then cautiously rose and backed out of the inner room.
He even forgot to clean up the mess on the ground, his heart filled by Old Zhu’s last words, a mix of excitement, trepidation, and solemnity.
It wasn’t until he stepped outside the hall and the cold night wind blew that he suddenly shivered.
Did Imperial Grandfather appreciate him?
Because of his filial piety? Or because of his wisdom in pointing out Zhang Biao’s machinations?
Or perhaps…
Imperial Grandfather was just frail in his illness and needed some familial comfort?
But regardless, Imperial Grandfather’s last words were real!
An opportunity! A tremendous opportunity!
He had to seize it! He had to perform well!
As for Zhang Biao…
Zhu Yunwen’s gaze gradually turned cold and resolute.
This madman must die! But not now.
Eliminating him now would make him seem petty, and it would benefit those vermin who had been audited.
Perhaps…
Perhaps he could wait until the dust settled, until Imperial Grandfather completely disdained him…
Zhu Yunwen strode quickly towards the Eastern Palace, his mind racing, beginning to consider how he could maintain his image of ‘benevolence’ while simultaneously using Zhang Biao’s blade to clear his obstacles, and finally…
His steps became steadier and faster.
Inside the bedroom.
Old Zhu slowly opened his eyes; there was no hint of sleepiness.
He listened to his grandson’s receding footsteps, his eyes dark and unreadable.
“Benevolence and weakness are, after all, benevolence and weakness…”
He murmured to himself, with a touch of helplessness:
“But this filial piety, this instinctive protectiveness of the empire, is not entirely worthless.”
“Perhaps, with some refinement, he can serve for a time…”
His gaze once again turned outside the hall, as if he could see through the palace walls and witness the figure of the madman creating a colossal storm in Yingtian Prefecture.
“Zhang Biao, you fellow, you have indeed helped me test out much true gold and silver, and also tested people’s hearts…”
An extremely complex emotion churned within his chest.
He suddenly felt incredibly weary.
Sitting on this dragon throne was truly meaningless.
On one side were loyal officials who appeared upright but harbored ulterior motives.
On the other was a madman who dared to expose the festering wounds.
He suddenly coughed violently, his face turning red.
Jiang Huan and Yun Ming were terrified and rushed forward, intending to help and pat his back.
But Old Zhu fiercely waved them away, with a tone of near self-abandonment and mockery, his voice hoarse and weak:
“Enough, enough, I won’t see him…”
This sentence seemed to drain all his strength.
He leaned back heavily, his chest heaving, his face showing only an overwhelming weariness and a rage forcibly suppressed by reality.
The others in the room finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, before they could fully relax, another report came from outside the door:
“Reporting to Your Majesty! The Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate and Minister of Personnel, carrying… carrying gifts and a memorial, requests an audience!”
The eunuch dared not mention ham and could only generalize.
Jiang Huan, inside the room, twitched an eyelid.
Damn it, why only now!
It’s over! Things are going to go badly!
…
Seeking monthly tickets~
There will be an additional update for monthly tickets tonight, the exact number depending on the ticket count.
Also, if you have a preferred update time, feel free to comment here.
Seeking monthly tickets! Seeking recommendation tickets! Seeking subscriptions! Seeking full subscriptions! Seeking all forms of support!
【Remember to like the pig’s head meat and character! 】
