Da Ming: I told you to die for your cause, why are you actually going to die?

Chapter 91 Awaken! The Grandson of the Ming Emperor! [Bonus Chapter 2 for Monthly Tickets]

Never underestimate a young person's potential.

"Don't let your sorrow become the sorrow of the Ming Dynasty!"

"This knife of mine is for killing jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards."

"May the Great Ming Dynasty meet its demise—!"

Zhang Biao's words, mixed with the shouts of those low-ranking officials in the capital, the mocking sneers of the nobles, and the extremely cold and disgusted gaze of Old Zhu, crashed and echoed wildly in Zhu Yunwen's mind.

Even Lu's eternally gentle words now sounded incredibly jarring.

An unprecedented feeling of nausea suddenly surged up in my throat.

He had never realized so clearly that the 'pampering' he had once cherished, the delicacies that had satiated him, might never have been honey, but rather bait wrapped in poison.

It was to turn him into a 'pig' content with the chaff and bran in the pigsty.

A chill, a mixture of humiliation, anger, and immense panic, swept over him once more.

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes were red but there were no tears, only a kind of clarity that was almost desperate.

He can't go on like this!
He can't really become a useless person!
A piece of trash who despises even himself, only fit to be kept in captivity and wait to be slaughtered!
That 'good guy' pierced through his decaying and decadent world with the most tragic way, creating a blinding ray of light.

Even if that light is accompanied by destruction and madness.

He stood up unsteadily and walked to the small rosewood table in the corner of the room, which was used to hold snacks.

On top of it was a plate of exquisite lotus-shaped pastries sent by the Lü family. The pastry was layered and stacked, like blooming flowers, and it exuded a sweet aroma.

Zhu Yunwen stared intently at the plate of lotus-shaped pastries, his eyes filled with struggle, as if he were looking at a venomous snake that was flicking its tongue.

The instincts he had developed over the past decade or so were like an invisible hand, urging him to reach out.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch that tempting, flaky pastry—

"Snapped!"

He suddenly swung his hand, using all his strength to sweep the entire plate of lotus flower pastries to the ground.

The delicate pastry shattered instantly when it hit the cold floor tiles, splattering pastry and filling everywhere. The sweet aroma, ironically, became even more intense, almost suffocating.

Zhu Yunwen, panting heavily, looked at the mess on the ground, as if he had just finished an extremely difficult battle.

But he knew that this was not enough.

Far from enough.

He looked around the room, which was filled with the sweet smells he loathed and the exquisite ornaments, and finally his gaze fell on the few scrolls of books covered with a thin layer of dust on the bookshelf in the corner.

Those were the books his father, Zhu Biao, would occasionally use to test his studies.

His works include "The Extended Meaning of the Great Learning" and "Zizhi Tongjian".

He couldn't remember the last time he had touched them on his own initiative.

Whenever he wanted to study, his mother would gently advise him, "Teng'er, studying is too tiring. You are weak, so taking good care of yourself is the most important thing. Let your older brother study those things."

Elder brother? Zhu Yunwen, perhaps?
Zhu Yunwen pursed his lips slightly and murmured to himself, "No, my elder brother is named Zhu Xiong Ying."

He walked step by step to the bookshelf, his fingers trembling as he brushed the dust off the scrolls, and then carefully, with great clumsiness, pulled out the thickest volume.

It is "Zizhi Tongjian".

The book was very heavy, making his wrists ache.

But he held on tightly, as if clinging to a lifeline, and staggered back to the bedside. With the increasingly dim light streaming in from the window, he struggled to read it, word by word.

He was unfamiliar with many of the words, and punctuation was even more difficult.

But he gritted his teeth, relying on his vague childhood memories and a fierce determination to never admit defeat, and stubbornly gnawed through those difficult and obscure words.

At this moment, his learning posture was clumsy and laughable, even somewhat embarrassing.

But the focus and struggle in his eyes were a hundred times more real than any of his performances in school over the past ten years.

The Zhu sisters did not leave the outer corridor of the palace.

Through the cracks in the window, they could clearly see the whole process of their younger brother scattering the snacks and picking up the book.

Zhu Mingyue covered her mouth in astonishment, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Is this still the same younger brother who throws tantrums and acts spoiled whenever studying is mentioned, and who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun?

What kind of spell did Zhang Biao cast on Yun Tong?!

Shocked, a deeper chill crept up her spine.

She suddenly realized that if Zhu Yunwen really began to awaken and start to rebel against the path of being a good-for-nothing that Lady Lü had set for him...
The delicate balance that the Crown Prince's Palace has maintained for so long will be completely shattered.

What awaits Zhu Yunwen is not rebirth, but destruction.

The Lü family would never allow their carefully cultivated "shield" of more than ten years to slip out of their control.

She needs to do something.
We must stop Zhu Yunwen from this dangerous awakening!
At least in the short term, we must not allow the Lü mother and son to have major conflicts with their siblings.

Having made up her mind, Zhu Mingyue gritted her teeth, turned around hastily, and walked quickly toward the main hall of the Lü family.

On the other hand, Zhu Mingyu presented a completely different picture.

She also peeked through the window and saw Zhu Yunwen throwing snacks and chewing on books. Instead of being worried, she was so excited that she almost whistled.

"Hey! You've finally figured it out, you silly boy!"

She lowered her voice, her eyebrows dancing with excitement: "That's more like it! It should have been like this a long time ago! All we do is eat, drink, and have fun; we're practically turning into pigs!"

Zhang Biao's "Don't underestimate a young man's potential" remark was clearly more effective than she had imagined.

Looking at her brother's clumsy yet earnest profile, she felt it was more exciting and thrilling than watching any play.

It even made her a little itchy to do something outrageous in response.

Her eyes darted around, and she spotted the little eunuch not far away, carrying a bowl of braised pig's head for Yunhu, who hadn't left yet.

Zhu Mingyu's lips curled into a wicked smile, and he suddenly darted out, standing in front of the little eunuch.

Under the horrified gaze of the young eunuch, she snatched the plate without a word, picked up a piece of pig's head meat and stuffed it into her mouth, then threw the rest of the pig's head meat and the plate into the lotus pot next to her with a "clatter".

"What are you looking at?"

Zhu Mingyu, hands on her hips, glared at the terrified eunuch: "This princess is hungry. I'll eat, is that not allowed? The rest can be fed to the fish! Get out of here!"

The little eunuch dared not say another word and scrambled away.

Zhu Mingyu patted the crumbs off her hands, watched the pig's head meat slowly sinking in the vat, and snorted smugly.

"If you ever harm my brother again, I, this princess, will throw you away!"

She felt she had done something incredibly righteous and flamboyant, and in an extremely cheerful mood, she hummed an off-key tune and swayed away.

……

Before long, Zhu Mingyue arrived at Consort Lü's bedroom.

"Mother, please go and see! Yunwen seems to be possessed! He's smashed all the exquisite pastries in the room and is even reading a copy of the Zizhi Tongjian! If this gets out, or if the Emperor finds out..." Zhu Mingyue rushed in, her tone anxious and deliberately exaggerated with panic.

Lady Lü was sitting in front of her dressing table, with palace maids helping her remove her hairpins and ornaments.

Upon hearing Zhu Mingyue's words, she didn't even pause in drawing her eyebrows in front of the bronze mirror. Her eyes remained calm and unwavering, as if she had only heard something as trivial as "the weather is nice today."

"Oh? Really?"

Lu's voice came through the mirror, carrying a hint of languid surprise, without a trace of anger:

"Yun Tong is actually willing to study on his own initiative? That's quite a rare thing."

As she spoke, she gently raised her hand, signaling the palace maid to stop, and slowly turned around, a hint of a relieved smile even on her face:

"It seems that this incident has actually been a blessing in disguise for the child; he has become more sensible. It's always good that he knows how to strive for improvement."

Zhu Mingyue was stunned, never expecting Lu Shi to react this way.

"Mother! Don't you think he's acting very strangely? He must have been bewitched by Zhang Biao! That Zhang Biao is a madman, he..."

"Mingyue."

Madam Lü interrupted her, her smile still gentle, but her eyes turned slightly cold:
“You are Yun-teng’s older sister. Your younger brother knows how to make progress. You should be happy. How can you keep saying that he is possessed or bewitched?”

"If outsiders were to hear such words, wouldn't it chill Yunhuo's heart? And what would become of the reputation of our Crown Prince's Palace?"

She stood up, walked to Zhu Mingyue, and gently stroked her daughter's cheek, her movements soft yet carrying a hint of coolness.

"You must remember, you are siblings, you share the same fate, and you share the same fate. Only when Yunhuo is well can you be well, do you understand?"

Zhu Mingyue was bewildered by Madam Lü's words, which were completely off-topic and even carried a warning tone. She could only nod blankly and say, "I understand, daughter."

"As long as you know."

Madam Lü smiled with satisfaction: "Go down. As for Yun Tong, let him read if he wants to. Give the order that no one is to disturb him. If he doesn't want to eat dinner, there's no need to send it to him."

"Yes"

Zhu Mingyue was filled with doubt and unease, but dared not ask any more questions, and bowed as she withdrew.

The palace gates closed.

The gentle smile on Madam Lü's face vanished as quickly as the tide receded, leaving only a cold, gloomy expression.

"A blessing in disguise? Or is it sensible and ambitious?"

She looked in the mirror and silently gave a mocking sneer: "Heh, it seems that I have been too soft-hearted all these years, which has allowed some inappropriate thoughts to arise."

Her gaze fell on the exceptionally sharp gold scissors on the dressing table, used for trimming flower branches.

A barely concealed yet utterly resolute killing intent flashed deep within his eyes.

Zhang Biao must die.

And this good-for-nothing who started out disobedient.
If it cannot be tamed again, then it can only be destroyed completely.

Just then, the sound of slightly hurried but deliberately light footsteps came from outside the hall.

Lady Lü's eyebrows twitched slightly, and she raised her eyes.

It was Zhu Yunwen who entered.

He had clearly heard the sound of the Jingyang Bell as well. His face still showed traces of paleness and fear, but more than that, he was filled with suppressed excitement and eagerness.

He strode up to Lady Lü, and before he could even perform a full curtsy, he exclaimed urgently, "Mother! My Imperial Grandfather..."

"Why panic?"

Lu interrupted him calmly, her voice not loud, but carrying a calming power:

"His Majesty is blessed with boundless good fortune and is protected by his ancestors; he has already awakened. How can you be so rash and impetuous?"

Zhu Yunwen, scolded by his mother, took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, but the urgency in his eyes did not diminish: "Yes, Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. But Mother, you are now..."

"It is precisely the time for you to fulfill your filial duties."

Lady Lü picked up where he left off, her tone calm and resolute:
"His Majesty is still recovering from his illness and has suffered a great shock. Now that he has awakened, he is in a state of unease and loneliness. As the eldest grandson of the Emperor, if you do not go to his bedside to serve him medicine now, when will you?"

Zhu Yunwen's eyes lit up: "Mother is right! Your son will do it now."

"Wait a minute."

Lady Lü raised her hand to stop him: "Going is not a simple matter. You must bring sincerity and filial piety."

Her gaze swept over the steaming ginseng soup bowl that had just been delivered from the small kitchen next door.

"Take this bowl of ginseng soup with you and say that you personally watched the heat and carefully prepared it for Grandfather."

"Remember, your expression should be sorrowful and worried, but your eyes should be firm. You need to show your grandfather your filial piety, your composure, and your ability to shoulder great responsibilities."

"My son understands!"

Zhu Yunwen bowed deeply: "I will certainly live up to Mother's expectations!"

After saying that, he picked up the ginseng soup and turned to leave.

"besides."

Lady Lü's voice rang out again, carrying a hint of barely perceptible coldness: "If His Majesty inquires about the matter at Fengtian Hall Square, especially about Zhang Biao..."

Zhu Yunwen paused, holding his breath to listen.

"You need to appear both deeply distressed and mindful of the bigger picture."

Lady Lü said slowly:
"Take that Imperial Censor Zhang, for example. Although he acts arrogantly and rebelliously, his incitement of lower-ranking officials may have ulterior motives, or perhaps he is being secretly instructed by someone to disrupt the court. His intentions are despicable."

Her words were extremely cryptic, but Zhu Yunwen understood them instantly.

This is an attempt to shift the blame onto others, preferably onto those who rely on Zhu Yunwen.

At the same time, Zhang Biao was branded as someone acting under orders, thus cementing his place in the conspiracy and rebellion narrative.

This would both eliminate Zhang Biao and strike at political enemies.

Zhu Yunwen suddenly understood and was filled with admiration for his mother's cunning. He quickly said:
"Your Majesty, I understand! I will make sure that this villain knows that there may be a greater conspiracy behind him!"

Lady Lü nodded slightly in satisfaction: "Go. Remember, be careful with your words and keep a good sense of propriety. Everything you do should be aimed at demonstrating your benevolence, filial piety, and composure."

"As for the rest, let's leave it at that; His Majesty will make his own judgment."

"Yes!"

Zhu Yunwen held the ginseng soup steadily, straightened his clothes, and tried to put on a sorrowful and worried expression before walking quickly out of the hall.

Watching her son's disappearing figure, the calm on Madam Lü's face slowly faded, revealing a cold smile.

This move kills two birds with one stone.

This would both consolidate Yunwen's position and completely destroy Zhang Biao, leaving him with no hope of redemption.

She planned it very well, almost perfectly.

(End of this chapter)