Zhu Di: My fourth son is a great emperor of all time?

Chapter 47 The Death of Zhu Di
Zhu Di never expected to lose so badly.

They were even attacked by Esen's cavalry and managed to get into their camp.

Wouldn't he become a disgrace like Zhu Qizhen?

Impossible. Zhu Di knew very well that he was not that kind of person.

They would rather die than be captured alive by the Oirats.

Zhu Di certainly possessed such courage.

What saddened Zhu Di even more was the death of his second son. According to Tianmu, it seemed that he was the one who had caused his death.

Why does it seem like the second brother is destined for a bad end in the sky?

Zhu Di finally understood. No wonder his third son was able to become emperor; it turned out they were all dead.

He thought that this attack on the Oirat Mongols would bring unparalleled glory to the future generations of the Ming Dynasty, but it ended up killing his entire family.

And there are so many elite soldiers from the Ming Dynasty.

"Oh right, and the fourth one too!"

At this moment, Zhu Di thought of Zhu Gaoshuo, because no matter what difficulties the Ming Dynasty encountered in the past, the fourth prince would always appear and turn the tide.

Thinking of this, he glanced at Zhu Gaoshuo.

But they found that the fourth brother was nowhere to be seen in the tent.

Zhu Di was puzzled and sighed helplessly.

The events depicted in the celestial canopy were supposed to happen in the future, but they were actually very close to the present, all occurring in the fourteenth year of the Yongle reign.

Zhu Di was well aware of the current fourth prince.

He was still an ordinary prince who had not learned martial arts.

They might not even fight a war, so how could they save the Ming Dynasty?

Before the fourth prince could even grow up, the Ming Dynasty had already been squandered by him.

"In a fit of rage, Zhu Di wanted to send his own son to his death. This time, Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, was very smart and did not go with him. He knew very well that this battle would be difficult. Although Zhu Gaosui was somewhat selfish, it was precisely because of this that he was spared his life!"

"Prince Zhu Gaoxu led three thousand battalions to the Three Gorges Pass, a place where death was almost certain. He knew that there were at least thirty thousand Mongol troops lying in ambush behind the mountains, but Zhu Gaoxu still wanted to fight to the death. He could no longer see any hope of completely defeating the Mongols in this battle."

"In this battle, Zhu Gaoxu was determined to die, hoping to force his father, Zhu Di, to retreat. Under the indiscriminate bombardment of the red-coated cannons, Zhu Gaoxu charged into the Three Gorges without fear of death. The Mongol army then poured out in full force, and a fierce battle broke out between the two sides."

"The deputy generals around him all advised Zhu Gaoxu to retreat quickly, but Zhu Gaoxu refused. He had been taught by Zhu Di since childhood that on the battlefield, there were only Zhu family members who died in battle, not those who fled."

"Although Zhu Gaoxu was brave and skilled in battle and killed many Mongols, it was a fight to the death. The Mongols were also insane. Soon, the Prince of Han was surrounded by the Mongol army. But Zhu Gaoxu now had only one goal, which was Mahmud."

"At this point, Zhu Gaochi may have made up his mind to cut off Mahmud's head and gain Zhu Di's approval. In the end, he did indeed do it, taking the enemy general's head amidst a vast army. However, he also ended up exhausted and was captured by the Mongols while seriously wounded."

"To avenge his father Mahmud, Tuohuan spared Zhu Gaoxu's life, burning him alive instead!"

"How come I've been burned to death again?!"

Zhu Gaoxu shook his head helplessly, not saddened by death, but instead smiled.

At this moment, he finally understood what Tianmu had said earlier.

To die for one's father on the battlefield is an honor for a son.

What Han King, what Ming Dynasty people?

Zhu Gaoxu never cared.

In his eyes, nothing was more important than Zhu Di's approval. "Old man, now you should know who your son is most like you!"

Zhu Gaoxu shouted.

In his joy, he failed to notice that Zhu Gaosui beside him was acting strangely.

Zhu Gaosui no longer felt the joy he had when he was emperor.

He never imagined that he would obtain the throne in this way.

So, does that mean everyone is dead?

In the end, he was the only one left alive.

This was an outcome that Zhu Gaosui also could not accept.

"In fact, Mahmud was already afraid of this battle. He originally thought that Zhu Di did not have the determination to fight to the death, but as the war progressed, he realized that the Ming emperor Zhu Di was really desperate. Therefore, he felt that the final result of this battle was inevitable defeat."

"In order to ensure the survival of the Oirat people and to preserve the last bloodline of the Oirat tribe, Mahmud had long ago ordered his son Esen to lead three thousand cavalrymen to retreat immediately!"

"Esen had already retreated with his cavalry, but unexpectedly, he received a report from the scouts that the Ming army's artillery positions were moving. Esen was indeed a man of importance, and he charged forward without hesitation."

"The fighting power of artillery and cavalry is beyond doubt. The Ming army's artillery was almost completely wiped out, and hundreds of cannons were taken over by the Oirat."

"But he was not blinded by the temporary victory. Instead, he led his cavalry straight toward Zhu Di's main camp."

"At this moment, Zhu Zhanji, who was with Zhu Di, also realized that something was wrong and immediately told Zhu Di to leave quickly."

"But those who know Zhu Di's character know that he will not run away, which is why he left behind the famous saying: 'I must avoid his sharp edge and draw my sword.' Zhu Di immediately drew his sword to fight the enemy.

Fortunately, Zhu Zhanji remained calm. He ordered his men to take Zhu Di away immediately, while he stayed behind to cover the retreat and fight Esen. Although he eventually escaped, he was seriously wounded.

"Did your eldest grandson develop health problems due to this battle?"

Zhu Di no longer questioned Tianmu's words.

Since it was the third son who ascended the throne.

That means they're all going to die here.

His eldest grandson was injured while protecting him.

In addition, it was snowing heavily on the grassland at that time, and medical conditions were inadequate, so Zhu Zhanji probably died here.

"The defeat in this battle caused Zhu Di to completely lose his former domineering spirit. As an emperor who rode on horseback, fighting was the only value of his life. Now that he had been defeated by the Mongols, the old emperor's belief had completely collapsed."

"After sending troops to retake the central camp, Zhu Di finally decided to withdraw. This battle with the Mongols made Zhu Di realize that he would never have another chance to pacify the grasslands in his life."

"Before Zhu Di withdrew his troops, he received two more pieces of terrible news: his grandson Zhu Zhanji died from injuries and illness, and his second son Zhu Gaochi was burned alive in front of the Mongol camp!"

"Second son, I have failed you!"

Zhu Di sighed helplessly. As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he had allowed his own son to be burned alive on the battlefield.

This is an immense humiliation for a father.

At this moment, Zhu Di's heart began to waver.

Are we about to return home in triumph?

Even if they were to return now, the Ming Dynasty would lose face and would no longer be able to deter neighboring enemy countries.

["The next day, when Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, returned to his tent, wanting to discuss revenge for his second son with Zhu Di, he received no response no matter how much he called out to him. At that moment, Zhu Gaosui realized that something terrible was about to happen!"]

(End of this chapter)