Ming Dynasty Simulator: I will be the greatest emperor of all time!

Zhu Gaoxi clearly remembered that in later generations, there were two humorous sayings—

The most filial son in the Tang Dynasty: I bestowed upon my father the title of Emperor Emeritus.

The most filial son in the Ming Dynasty: You're so stingy! I'll give my father four more years of life!

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang actually asked such a question, which made Zhu Gaoxi unable to keep his little face straight.

Because Zhu Gaoxi had been wailing loudly earlier, Zhu Yuanzhang had noticed him. Now, Zhu Gaoxi was looking at his father, Zhu Di, and Zhu Yuanzhang saw him too.

All the sons and grandsons in the hall were pondering the hidden meaning behind Zhu Yuanzhang's words, and none dared to answer directly. Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to follow Zhu Gaoxi's gaze and call on a name:

"Fourth brother! Tell me, what does it mean that a person can theoretically live for another four years?"

"Huh? Me, me, me, me..." Zhu Di pointed to himself. Among the royal family, he was the least educated and only knew how to fight. Why was his father asking me?

Besides, Dad, you're getting old now. Who knows if this "living four more years" is a metaphor for yourself? How could I dare to say such things casually?

Zhu Di, with his imposing physique, glanced around and, finding no one to come to his rescue, could only stammer:

"This...this..."

When Zhu Gaoxi met Zhu Yuanzhang, he specifically chose his father, Zhu Di, to answer the question. His little face was already on the verge of bursting with excitement, and he was trying his best to suppress the corners of his mouth.

But in the end, he couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

"whee……"

This smile drew everyone's attention, and everyone stared at the four-year-old child.

Zhu Di finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that his fourth son was indeed clever and quick-witted, even knowing how to save the day, just like his father's fourth son.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally recognized Zhu Gaoxi, and he smiled kindly:

"Little Gao Xi, what are you laughing at?"

Zhu Gaoxi first bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang, then said in a childish, cute voice:

"Yeah, I'm just laughing. Theoretically, it's just living four more years. What else does it mean? You're asking such a silly question!"

Most elderly people like children, especially Zhu Yuanzhang, who doted on his children and grandchildren. He was overjoyed to hear Zhu Gaoxi's adorable speech.

In front of everyone, he pointed at Zhu Gaoxi and said:

"Look at him, look at him, our little Gao Xi is so honest!"

"I've noticed that ever since I became emperor, you've become increasingly afraid of me! You're increasingly hesitant to speak your minds to me!"

"Our little Gao Xi is so clever! Theoretically, he can live four more years, and that's still four more years in theory!"

"And you! Fourth brother! If we didn't know you weren't well-educated and were a bit simple-minded, we would have given you a good scolding today!"

"Little Gao Xi, we're going to reward you handsomely!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was very fond of Zhu Di's four legitimate sons.

The eldest son, Zhu Gaochi, was kind and benevolent; the second son, Zhu Gaoxu, was brave and fierce; the third son, Zhu Gaosui, was shrewd and clever; and the fourth son, Zhu Gaoxi, was honest, lovable, and very intelligent.

This family will surely become the pillars and backbone of the nation for Yunwen's grandson, the Jianwen Emperor!

Zhu Yuanzhang was very satisfied.

Zhu Gaoxi blinked his big eyes and muttered:

"Yay! I don't want any reward, I just want you to be well. You scared me today!"

Everyone was stunned when these words were spoken.

If an adult said this, it would undoubtedly be suspected of flattery, but Zhu Gaoxi was only a few years old.

Children's words are the most truthful.

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't stop smiling.

When Zhu Di saw his son giving him points like this, he suppressed the corners of his mouth from turning up and kept a stern face.

Zhu Yunwen clenched his fists secretly; his fourth uncle's family could not be allowed to live.

"Little Gao Xi really knows how to talk, hahaha!"

"We're fine. The banquet can continue; let's start afresh!"

"Little Gao Xi, come on, eat with Grandpa!"

With Zhu Yuanzhang's order, the palace bustled with activity once again.

The banquet, which had been suspended, has resumed.

Zhu Gaoxi sat next to Zhu Yuanzhang, eating a chicken leg, and looking at his imperial ancestor in this life.

Even in his later years, Zhu Yuanzhang still possessed a majestic appearance and extraordinary features. His forehead was broad and full, and his jaw was square and powerful, giving him an air of divine might and wisdom.

It wasn't the so-called "shoehorn face" of later generations, with its face covered in pockmarks.

Zhu Gaoxi thought to himself, "That portrait must have been painted by the Manchus for the sake of being evil. Now that I've traveled to the Ming Dynasty, I absolutely cannot let the Manchus replace the Ming."

Everyone resumed drinking and eating meat, while Zhu Yuanzhang, while eating, also focused his attention on tinkering with the Ming Dynasty's fate simulator.

After you ascended the throne, you appointed Qi Tai as Vice Minister of War, Huang Zicheng as Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and concurrently Academician of the Hanlin Academy, and Fang Xiaoru as Lecturer of the Hanlin Academy. You were extremely satisfied with these appointments because all three of them were your ministers during your time as a prince and were your absolute confidants. With them by your side, your empire will surely be secure.

What you may not know is that these three were later known as the "Three Idiots of Jianwen".

After you ascended the throne, you reached a consensus with the "Three Idiots of Jianwen" and began to weaken the power of the princes. Qi Tai suggested "strengthening the strong first and then the weak," believing that Prince Yan, Zhu Di, was the strongest and most threatening, and that you should concentrate your efforts on dealing with him first. However, Huang Zicheng opposed this, advocating "starting with the easy and then the difficult," arguing that Prince Yan had no obvious faults and that it would be more legitimate to weaken the other problematic princes first, thus cutting off their wings, and then dealing with Prince Yan last.

Ultimately, you took Huang Zicheng's advice.

The conflict between you and the vassal kings has completely erupted, and the whole world knows that you are about to take action against your uncles.

[This simulation has ended. Simulation cooldown period: 7 days]

After the simulation ended, Zhu Yuanzhang sighed softly.

Sigh, it's all my fault. Poor Yunwen. For the sake of the "Jianwen Prosperity", he had to take action against his uncles. This is also my fault. I'm the one who left the seeds of trouble for Yunwen.

It seems we need to change our plans. We need to remind the fourth prince to be loyal to Yunwen. We did consider making him the heir, but the third prince, Prince Jin, Zhu Gang, is still alive. How can there be a reason to make the younger brother the heir while the older brother is still alive? Our Ming Dynasty is not the Tang Dynasty! Even in the Tang Dynasty, when Emperor Taizong Li Shimin was the crown prince, his older brother had already died!

We must also remind Yunwen to trust his fourth uncle. The threat of the Mongols is still there. Zhu Di is the most powerful general to resist the Mongols. Now that the Ming Dynasty has just been established, how can we allow internal strife?

Sigh! Fourth brother, actually, there's another reason why we didn't want to make you emperor. It's because we've killed off most of the Ming Dynasty's military generals. The Ming Dynasty needs a general like you with royal blood to go to the grasslands and kill the Mongols. If you become emperor, a wise man doesn't stand under a dangerous wall, let alone a monarch.

If you become emperor and can no longer go to the battlefield, who will fight the Mongols?

Fourth brother, fourth brother, don't blame your father!

With Zhu Yuanzhang's soft sigh, the banquet fell into a quieter silence, a testament to his prestige.

"Fourth brother, Yunwen, come with me. I have some things to tell you."

Zhu Yuanzhang paused, then thought for a moment:

"Alright, third brother, you come along too."

It is now the 29th year of Hongwu's reign. We can live for another two years, and theoretically, we can live for another six years. But we are about to die, so we need to give them some advice.

In Zhu Yuanzhang's mind, everyone was one family, related by blood, so there was no conflict that couldn't be resolved.

If I, as a father and grandfather, talk to my children and grandchildren more, maybe they will stop fighting among themselves!