My father is Jiajing

"Father, the child has grown up."

Although Zhu Zaigui's words were not loud, they sounded like a mountain to the ears of Emperor Jiajing.

Emperor Jiajing couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat, and his eyes became slightly moist.

Ever since the death of Crown Prince Zhuangjing, he had never heard any of his sons call him like this again.

At that time, Emperor Jiajing happily held a coming-of-age ceremony for Prince Zhuangjing, and was ready to let him participate in the government affairs and train him well.

But God played a huge joke on him.

On the second day after the crowning ceremony of Crown Prince Zhuangjing, before he could formally accept the congratulations of all officials and take the throne of the Crown Prince, he passed away unexpectedly.

At that time, no one could understand how much pain Emperor Jiajing was feeling.

You must know that during the growth of Prince Zhuangjing, the efforts and deep fatherly love that Emperor Jiajing devoted to him were simply immeasurable.

Emperor Jiajing had already canonized Prince Zhuangjing when he was only three years old. During his southern tour that year, he appointed the three-year-old Prince Zhuangjing as regent and made the then Prime Minister Xia Yan his teacher.

From this we can see that the favor and fatherly love that Prince Zhuangjing received at that time surpassed the sum of all the other children of Emperor Jiajing.

Now, eighteen years have passed since the death of Crown Prince Zhuangjing. During these eighteen years, for the sake of the safety of his remaining children and himself, Emperor Jiajing has been adhering to Tao Zhongwen's prophecy that "two dragons shall never meet".

He was afraid that he and his remaining children would fail to follow this prophecy and suffer the same tragedy as the other children who had died young.

But now that his time is coming to an end, Emperor Jiajing's heart is increasingly longing for the family happiness that he once could not have.

Therefore, even if he was risking being hurt by the prophecy of "two dragons never meeting" and having his life span shortened further, he did not want to leave the world with regrets.

Emperor Jiajing looked at Zhu Zaigui's red eyes and listened to his trembling voice.

Suddenly, a wonderful feeling of connection between father and son grew in the heart of Emperor Jiajing.

Emperor Jiajing cried with joy, "Great, great, you are worthy of being my son!"

Zhu Zaigui looked at the excitement of Emperor Jiajing at the moment, and he was also afraid that Emperor Jiajing might get too excited and have an accident.

So he quickly freed his other hand and supported Emperor Jiajing's arm.

Feeling the care from his son, Emperor Jiajing felt a deep warmth in his heart.

Emperor Jiajing was also enjoying this moment. He and Zhu Zaigui continued walking in the yard, as if the cold wind outside was no longer cold.

It seemed as if the stars in the sky had become a witness to the deep love between father and son at this moment, each one twinkling with a delightful glimmer.

"Father, do you know how big the stars in the sky are?"

Zhu Zaigui supported Emperor Jiajing and looked up at the beautiful stars in the sky that were shining with cold light.

In this era without light pollution, every star seems to be much clearer than in Zhu Zaigui's memory.

Especially the Milky Way that looks like a silver chain is extremely clear and seems like a dream.

Emperor Jiajing was also attracted by Zhu Zaigui's question. He had not enjoyed such a moment for a long time.

Emperor Jiajing cooperated with Zhu Zaigui and asked, "How big are the stars in the sky?"

Zhu Zaigui felt warm in his heart when he felt that Emperor Jiajing also showed his ordinary and curious side.

Although he knew that Emperor Jiajing was not his real father in his heart, he also understood that since he had inexplicably become Zhu Zaigui.

Whether he likes it or not, admits it or not, Emperor Jiajing is his father.

In the past, he could rely on the prophecy that "two dragons cannot meet" and avoid having actual face-to-face communication with Emperor Jiajing.

But now Emperor Jiajing also felt that he was at the end of his life. He no longer adhered to the prophecy that "two dragons never meet" and wanted to enjoy the family happiness that he should have during the period before the end of his life.

No matter whether Zhu Zaigui resisted in his heart, he had to accept this reality.

After all, this is the responsibility he should bear, given his current identity and status, as well as everything he has accomplished.

To be realistic, he was able to do this only with the tacit approval, support and help of Emperor Jiajing.

Otherwise, let alone the establishment of Shunyi Industrial Park, his act of seizing Feng Bao's military power in Shunyi Industrial Park in the autumn of the 28th year of Jiajing would be enough to make him be questioned countless times.

However, Emperor Jiajing not only did not punish him, but also helped cover up the crime. He also took the initiative to forge an identity of "Zhu San" for him and gave "Zhu San" a name and a title.

From these aspects, the care and love that Emperor Jiajing showed him were enough to make Zhu Zaigui let go of his resistance and accept Emperor Jiajing as his father.

After all, without the connivance and protection of Emperor Jiajing, he would not have been able to gain all the military power of the capital so easily.

You have to know that at that time, Zhu Zaigui had so many powerful troops in his hands, and with the Shunyi Industrial Park as his foundation, he was fully capable of turning his guns around and forcing the emperor to abdicate and seize power.

But Emperor Jiajing still trusted him without hesitation.

From this we can see how ignorant and ridiculous Zhu Zaigui’s prejudice against Emperor Jiajing was over the years.

He completely ignored a father's love for his children and was influenced by the textual information shrouded in cold history. He thought that Emperor Jiajing was a naturally cold person and that Emperor Jiajing did not like any of his children at all.

Now all the fog has been dispelled as I personally interact with Emperor Jiajing.

At this moment, Zhu Zaigui could not help but feel once again what it meant that fatherly love was silent and as strong as a mountain.

So in order to repay Emperor Jiajing's selfless love, Zhu Zaigui kept telling himself in his heart not to let Emperor Jiajing down.

At the same time, he also wanted to take advantage of the time they still had to accompany Emperor Jiajing like an ordinary father and son, and talk freely about everything.

So, Zhu Zaigui looked at the stars in the sky and started a topic. He also wanted to explain to Emperor Jiajing how big the real "world" was!

Zhu Zaigui asked, "Father, do you still remember that I was taken to Chaotian Temple for treatment because of my amnesia?"

Emperor Jiajing recalled, "I remember that day was the day your brother abandoned me and your brothers. I heard that you lost your mind because of this incident. I was also bitter and upset at the time, thinking that this was another harsh punishment from God on me."

"Fortunately, you are fine, and after that, you showed wisdom that ordinary people don't have. Therefore, after that time, I often wondered what kind of miracle you experienced to be like this."

Zhu Zaigui did not expect that Emperor Jiajing had already suspected him, but soon Zhu Zaigui was relieved. Even if he was very careful, some things were done with current knowledge.

Therefore, it is normal for Emperor Jiajing to have doubts.

But even though he had doubts, Emperor Jiajing did not regard him as a monster, and still treated him as his closest son.

Just based on this point, Zhu Zaigui had to be moved by the tolerance and love of Emperor Jiajing.

Zhu Zaigui took a deep breath and continued, "I experienced something like a miracle. The moment I was rescued by Li Shizhen, an incredible experience appeared in my mind."

"During that period, I also had 20 to 30 years of life, and I also learned a lot of knowledge that we in the Ming Dynasty don't have now."

"So, sometimes I can't help but wonder in my heart whether I am dreaming now or the experience that appears out of nowhere in my mind is a dream."

Emperor Jiajing listened to Zhu Zaigui talking about his miraculous experiences, and he did not think there was anything strange about it. After all, he was an extremely intelligent person.

Sometimes Emperor Jiajing also felt that he was an extraordinary person who was born with knowledge. Otherwise, how could he defeat Yang Tinghe and other elites who forced him to submit with his life experience at the age of fourteen?
Therefore, Emperor Jiajing was not surprised by Zhu Zaigui's miraculous experience. He just thought that Zhu Zaigui had a dream similar to Zhuang Zhou's dream of the butterfly.

Moreover, judging from the current situation and previous experiences, Zhu Zaigui's magical dream seems to be more interesting and more beneficial to the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, Emperor Jiajing did not care about it and did not think too much about it. He just laughed and said, "This may be the story of Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly. The fact that you can have this adventure may be due to the blessing of your brother in the dark."

At this point, Emperor Jiajing looked into Zhu Zaigui's eyes and said, "Do you know what words your brother left for me before he passed away?"

Zhu Zai was slightly stunned, "I don't know."

Emperor Jiajing sighed and said, "Your brother was born with a spiritual spirit. He disliked extravagance and luxury. He was like an immortal. He was careful and cautious. I loved him deeply. Before he died, he bowed to the north and said only three words, 'My son is gone.'"

"It can be seen that your brother was an extraordinary person. He passed away because he had no attachment to the prosperity of the world. He just passed away in a hurry."

"But after he left, you had this dream of adventure. This might be your brother's last way of comforting me and protecting you."

"So, whenever you go to Xishan, I often ask you to go to Jinshan to pay respect to the mausoleum. This is also the reason. I want you to remember your brother's kindness and become a good child who is no less good than your brother."

As Zhu Zaigui listened to Emperor Jiajing's words, he was silently sighing in his heart. Prince Zhuangjing had been dead for seventeen or eighteen years, but Emperor Jiajing could still remember him so clearly.

It can be seen how much he cherished and loved this child who died young.

If Prince Zhuangjing had not died young, he would have died early.

Perhaps Zhu Zaigui and Zhu Zaizhen would not have had the experience they have now. Maybe they had already gone to Emperor Jiajing's hometown in Hubei to be a vassal state in accordance with the ancestral system and clan rules of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Zaigui said: "I have no way to repay my brother's kindness!"

Emperor Jiajing laughed and said, "You are doing very well now. The Tartar problem that has troubled me for decades was solved by you in one battle. You have also solved many of the fiscal and taxation problems that have troubled me for decades."

"Now, not only is the treasury full, but there is also the Ming Federal Reserve, a cash cow, which is constantly making money. There are only a few eras in history that can be like this."

Zhu Zaigui listened to the Emperor Jiajing's praise and touched his nose in embarrassment, "I can share my father's worries. These are what a son should do."

Emperor Jiajing was in a good mood again and laughed.

He also looked up at the stars in the sky and suddenly remembered Zhu Zaigui's question just now.

"You were just about to tell me how big the stars in the sky are. Now you can tell me."

Zhu Zaigui nodded and looked up at the stars in the sky.

Zhu Zaigui said: "In another life experience, people there explored the universe in an incredible way. They found that except for the moon and the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth, the rest of the stars in the sky are actually the same as the sun."

"And their size is hard for us to comprehend with common sense. For example, compared with the sun in the sky, the earth beneath our feet is like the size of a walnut held in the palm of your hand."

When Emperor Jiajing heard this, he couldn't help but be surprised, "The earth is as big as a walnut?"

Zhu Zaigui smiled and said, "Yes, of course this is just an analogy, and it is an analogy with the sun."

When Emperor Jiajing heard these words, he did not take them all seriously and just thought they were a novel story.

But this did not hinder Emperor Jiajing's curiosity.

Emperor Jiajing continued to ask: "Then why does the sun appear to be only the size of a jade plate at ordinary times?"

Zhu Zaigui said: "It's because of the distance. The sun is too far away from the earth. According to my memory, the earth is 300 million miles away from the sun. The light from the sun needs to travel through the void for half a quarter of an hour to reach the earth."

Hearing this, Emperor Jiajing couldn't help but be surprised.

In his opinion, light arrives almost instantly, and there is no concept of "arrival" in terms of time.

But Emperor Jiajing did not dwell on this issue. He took note that when he listened to Zhu Zaigui talking about these things, he just thought of it as listening to his son telling stories.

He doesn't care whether the story is true or not.

He just wanted to enjoy the leisure of this universe where he could chat with his son.

Emperor Jiajing asked again: "If so, how big is the earth?"

Zhu Zaigui thought for a moment, "In terms of the circumference of the equator, it is about 80,000 miles! Moreover, the earth is constantly rotating. It is precisely because of the rotation of the earth that there are day and night, and the movement of the stars."

“So, there is also a poem that says: Sitting on the ground, I travel 80,000 miles a day, and I can see a thousand rivers in the sky.”

When Emperor Jiajing heard this poem, he also praised it: "This poem is very impressive. It is not something that ordinary people can write, right?"

Hearing this, Zhu Zaigui was slightly surprised. He didn't expect that Emperor Jiajing could judge a person based on a line of poetry.

This is truly an incredible skill and ability!

Zhu Zaigui also replied: "He is not an ordinary person. In my other memory, the person who wrote this poem is no less talented than Emperor Taizu. He is even no less talented than the Qin Emperor, Han Emperor, Tang Emperor and Song Emperor!"

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