Zhu Yuanzhang, who commanded the wind and rain, lived a long and arduous life.

"Xingzu..."

Looking at this name, Zhu Changye's expression was complicated.

The image of my third son, who was well-behaved as a child but became rebellious as an adult, involuntarily surfaced in my memory.

There were a total of six children in the family, including Zhu Yuanzhang.

Four sons and two daughters.

The one who should never have been born was the third son, Zhu Xingzu.

When he was a child, the third son sometimes said very rebellious things, which often made his wife, Chang Le, cry. She would hide it from him and find a place to secretly wipe away her tears.

Chang Le did all of this secretly. After being angered by San Zi, she said it was nothing, but secretly wiped away her tears.

I don't tell him because if I do, it will turn from one person being sad into two people being sad.

Chang Le thought she had managed to keep it a secret.

But in fact,

Zhu Changye knew perfectly well that his silly wife couldn't hide her feelings; everything was written on her face, and he could tell just by looking at her.

Zhu Changye knows everything, but... he can't do anything.

Back then, he was just too...powerless.

He couldn't stop his wife's tears, nor could he stop his third son, Zhu Xingzu's, rebellion. He couldn't do anything; all he could do was raise his six children.

The wife's grievances and the three sons' rebellion.

It was like a sharp sword piercing his heart, causing him great pain, but there was nothing he could do.

perhaps….

The third son was right about some things back then. Zhu Changye, despite his best efforts, was just a good-for-nothing who could only stay in the village and could never leave.

"call…."

Zhu Changye took a deep breath, his heart filled with turmoil.

Whenever he thinks about those things from back then, his heart is always unsettled.

next moment.

A breeze blew, causing the paper window beside me to sway.

Then things returned to calm.

Looking inside the room again, the spot where Zhu Changye had been sitting was nowhere to be seen.

.

…….….….….….

Ying Tianfu.

The Qinhuai River, a manor.

Those who could live here were either rich or noble, and even officials were common here; it was truly the central area of ​​Yingtian Prefecture.

But the manor was desolate.

The once beautiful flowers and plants in the manor have almost all withered, and the whole manor is desolate, like a ghost town.

It's hard to imagine that anyone lives here.

The manor was as deserted as ever today.

But in places unseen by the world, there roams the underworld, a chain hook in hand and a sword at his waist.

It also carried a small black bag, from which faint, eerie cries of ghosts could be heard, but it ignored them and slowly floated toward the manor.

Halfway there, the ghost messenger stopped.

next moment,

A drop of black water appeared before his eyes.

The black water floated in the air.

After a brief period of levitation, it began to reflect a black glow.

They constantly separate and merge, like threads that rapidly recombine.

In the process of condensation, a figure in a black Taoist robe, about 1.8 meters tall, gradually took shape.

Starting from the feet, the changes gradually progress, then to the body, then to the hands, and finally to the top of the head, eventually forming a framework.

The framework has become more solid over time.

Soon, it began to materialize within the framework, and the original black light began to flow like blood, as if it were a real living thing.

As time went by, the framework became more and more solid until it was fully implemented.

This is Zhu Changye, and the owner of this manor is Zhu Xingzu, who was granted the title of Prince of Linhuai by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Upon seeing Zhu Changye, the underworld messenger bowed and paid his respects.

Zhu Changye nodded and said softly, "Thank you for making the trip. I'll take care of things here."

Upon hearing this, the underworld official

He bowed to Zhu Changye again, then turned and left.

As he turned completely, his figure transformed into wisps of smoke, dissipating into the surroundings and disappearing from the world.

.

…….….….….….

Manor kitchen.

Wisps of smoke drifted out from time to time.

This is in the kitchen, and a little girl is cooking something.

"Hurry up, hurry up!"

"After I cook this, Grandpa will definitely be fine after drinking it."

The little girl, Zhu Yao, looks like a porcelain doll and is very cute, but there are a few tears in her little eyes right now.

She was Zhu Xingzu's granddaughter, and was raised by him after birth. However, in reality, no one wanted her anymore.

Her mother died after giving birth to her, and her father also died of illness over the years.

It was her grandfather, Zhu Xingzu, who helped her, preventing her from becoming homeless.

She had been living with her grandfather, Zhu Xingzu, for several years. Although her grandfather often treated her badly, and her great-uncle, Zhu Yuanzhang, also asked her to live in the palace, Zhu Yao did not think that was home.

There are only my father, mother, grandfather, and grandmother at home.

This is what they are really like as a family.

Now that my parents and grandmother have all passed away, my grandfather is my only remaining relative.

She won't leave.

"Wow, it's cooked!"

Zhu Yao beamed with joy as she watched the hot water bubbling up.

Quickly grab a bowl and scoop out the medicine.

Then, carrying the medicine and food, they walked together into Zhu Xingzu's house.

"Cough cough..."

As you approach Zhu Xingzu's room, you can hear bursts of coughing.

Zhu Yao gritted her teeth, feeling somewhat heartbroken.

Grandpa's illness has worsened these past few days. Almost everyone in the manor has left in the past few months, leaving only her. She is the only one who knows that Grandpa is seriously ill, so a few days ago when Grandpa fell seriously ill, she went to the palace to ask the imperial physician.

Although my grandfather Zhu Xingzu was disliked by many people, he was, after all, the third brother of my fourth grandfather, so the imperial physicians still gave him face and came to see him.

Zhu Yao originally thought that would be enough. In the past, whenever her grandfather had an attack, the imperial physicians would come and take a look, and her grandfather would recover in no time.

But after watching it this time…

They were all sighing and telling her to prepare for her funeral.

Zhu Yao was stunned on the spot.

She's still young and doesn't know what preparing for the afterlife means, but she seems to have heard of it before. Could it mean leaving her like her parents did?

The imperial physicians left without leaving behind a single medicine.

Since these people wouldn't give her a solution, she went to her great-uncle Zhu Yuanzhang.

Fourth Grandfather took some time to bring the imperial physician to see him. The physician said something similar, and then Fourth Grandfather sighed and talked to himself for a while before leaving.

I heard that my great-uncle was busy dealing with the disaster recently, so he left in a hurry.

Fourth Grandfather didn't leave any medicine either.

Zhu Yao didn't know what to do, so she could only prepare the medicine for her grandfather using the same method as before.

This medicine works. Before, after Grandpa drank it, he could get out of bed and walk around the next day.

Ok.

Useful!

Zhu Yao thought to herself with delight, then walked into the room and said in her childish voice, "Grandpa, Yao Yao has prepared the medicine!"

"Cough cough cough..."

His response was Zhu Xingzu's incessant coughing.

"Grandpa, my cough seems to be getting worse again, but don't worry, hee hee... those people won't give you medicine, Yao Yao will get it!"

"Hmph, Yao Yao was really amazing today. She ran to several pharmacies to get medicine. The doctors said they rarely see someone as young as Yao Yao who can get medicine so well. They all said Yao Yao is really amazing."

As Zhu Yao spoke, she placed the medicine in front of Zhu Xingzu's mouth, gesturing for him to take it.

"Grandpa, open your mouth to take your medicine."

Zhu Yao smiled sweetly.

However, the next moment, something unexpected happened.

Zhu Xingzu didn't even look at it, and directly knocked the medicine bowl over.