Chapter 3: I, Zhu Xiang, Truly Am a Great Man
Cornered and chased into a dead end, Zhu Zhuang darted around the hall’s pillars, narrowly evading the sudden slashes of General Xu’s sword. Helpless, he cursed Xu Huizu’s entire female lineage in his heart. His eyes caught sight of a table draped with a red cloth. Lifting it, he was surprised to find a Tang dynasty tri-colored glazed horse figurine. His eyes lit up as he immediately grabbed it.
“I’m about to slip,” Zhu Zhuang exclaimed oddly.
At that moment, General Xu, who had been circling the pillar with Prince Qin, suddenly froze as if immobilized by a spell.
Nearby, the lively chatter ceased as Madam Xie interrupted, “Son-in-law, don’t touch that. It’s Lord Father’s most treasured possession.”
“It’s just a burial artifact,” Zhu Zhuang said, raising the Tang tri-colored horse high, confronting General Xu with a puzzled look. Tang tri-colored glazed pottery was an official burial item from the Tang dynasty, now often displayed in museums. Who in this era would have such a thing as decoration at home?
Yet the horse’s back and hooves were made of pure gold, the saddle studded with gems—clearly, the tomb’s owner was either extremely wealthy or noble. Zhu Zhuang didn’t understand antiques, but he knew money.
“Put it down, and I’ll let you off with three lashes to settle today’s matter,” General Xu said gently, the kindest tone he had ever used.
Only then did Zhu Zhuang notice that the sword in Xu’s hand was a mere ornament, not sharpened.
“Uncle Xu, put away your sword first, or my arm will shake from holding this up so long,” Zhu Zhuang chuckled, like a bandit caught by the police in a TV drama.
“You put it down first.”
“You put the sword away first.”
At that moment, Zhu Yuanzhang, who had been teasing the eldest miss of the Xu family with candy, cleared his throat and said, “This is a burial item granted by Emperor Taizong of Tang to the Duke of Wei. Uncle Xu, you have always revered Duke Li Wei.”
Though he spoke seriously, Zhu Zhuang cast him a sly look. Then he realized: you’re aiming to be emperor yourself, yet you’re still fixated on these trifling treasures? Such a small-minded view.
“Uncle Xu, can we negotiate?”
“You little bastard… Spit it out. There’s no negotiation over the insult to my beloved daughter today.”
“No negotiation, then no talk. This tri-colored horse is worth thousands of taels. You better catch it.”
The Tang tri-colored horse flew across the hall to the central table. Zhu Yuanzhang beamed with delight. General Xu, startled, abandoned his sword and sprinted with the speed of a hundred-meter dash to catch it steadily in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, who was reaching out with eager hands.
Seeing General Xu clutching the treasure to his chest, Zhu Yuanzhang shamelessly said, “Look at you, Dazhong, so stingy. Last time at your place, I didn’t see such a good thing. Let’s just look at it for now; I’ll return it in a few days.”
General Xu took two steps back, then said gravely, “When you rose to power last year, you said the same about General Chang’s gilded dancing horse cup.”
“I was just craving his wine. Next time, when your sister-in-law lifts my drinking ban, I’ll return it for sure.”
Zhu Yuanzhang was the type who ate and took without shame; from now on, their family treasures must be well guarded.
When General Xu turned around, Zhu Zhuang had already vanished like smoke.
...
Outside the back wall of the Xu residence, Zhu Zhuang leaned against the wall, catching his breath. Xu Huizu quietly propped up a ladder and climbed over the wall. Seeing Zhu Zhuang’s furtive appearance, Zhu Zhuang furiously scolded, “Ah Zu, you heartless bastard! You don’t even respect the friendship we share wearing split-crotch pants. I’m cutting ties with you.”
Xu Huizu smiled and said, “Brother-in-law, I know you’re anxious, but please hold on. I too am bound by my father’s orders...”
“Ah Zu, I swear to God…”
After wrestling with what to call him—thinking that Ah Zu’s sister’s marriage would last at least three years and worrying that Ah Zu’s mother might one day become the mother-in-law—he stammered out, “Arranged marriages don’t count.”
Xu Huizu sneered, “Oh really? Look what I brought you.”
He then tossed a rough cloth bundle over the wall, landing squarely on Zhu Zhuang’s head.
“Ah Zu, damn you…”
Clutching his bruised forehead, Zhu Zhuang’s expression changed upon seeing the bamboo slips spilling out.
Xu Huizu proudly asked, “What do you say now?”
“Ah Zu, you really are my dear big brother-in-law.”
Zhu Zhuang gleefully picked up the “Wei Gong’s Art of War,” a lost text long vanished in later times. This was no common Tang Taizong’s Q&A text, but the actual military treatise of Duke Li Jing, which had been lost since Emperor Shenzong’s reign in the Northern Song. As a staunch fan of Li Jing, Zhu Zhuang’s family naturally wouldn’t keep a counterfeit. Seeing the lacquer seal on the cover stating, “Forbidden to read, violators punished by extermination of three clans,” Zhu Zhuang wasn’t just interested in military strategy now; he thought having a wealthy father-in-law might not be so bad.
Humming a tune and striding in four-square steps, he didn’t hear Xu Huizu’s parting reminder to read it quickly and return it.
After sending the Zhu family away, General Xu sat leisurely in a rocking chair in the Xu courtyard, sipping tea and watching his children play in the distance.
After a long sigh, he said, “I’ve been idle at home for half a year. Officially, I’m the garrison commander of Yingtian; unofficially, just a gatekeeper. I expect a new post soon.”
Madam Xie worriedly asked, “Husband, will the new emperor really not suspect you anymore?”
Xu Da replied, “Since we crushed Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, who holed up without ambition, the emperor’s ascension is imminent. Once the realm is pacified, the weapons will be stored and horses let loose on the southern hills. Our lord is a conqueror; he won’t tolerate anyone holding private armies. The same goes for Chang Si and me.”
Madam Xie angrily said, “Isn’t that like killing the donkey after it’s done the work?”
Xu Da shook his head and answered, “A woman’s misunderstanding. Both thunder and rain are the grace of the sovereign. Our son-in-law’s rise is the emperor’s promise to the Xu family. As long as our descendants don’t rebel, they will live in wealth and honor—something even a soldier like me can barely dream of.”
Madam Xie touched Xu Da’s increasingly gaunt face with concern, “Husband, will you endure being confined to this small courtyard for the rest of your life, leaving your ambitions unfulfilled?”
Xu Da smiled wryly, “Spending my later years enjoying my grandchildren isn’t bad. At least I won’t shirk the northern expedition duties.”
—————
In the twenty-eighth year of the Zhizheng era, after pacifying Zhang Shicheng’s forces in the south, Zhu Yuanzhang unified the south, ascended the throne in Yingtian, and led his ministers to offer sacrifices atop Purple Mountain, founding the Ming dynasty and setting the era name Hongwu.
In the Forbidden City of Yingtian, the first court assembly of Hongwu’s first year was underway. Zhu Yuanzhang, seated on the dragon throne in his five-clawed dragon robe, smiled down at the orderly ministers kneeling before him, basking in their cheers of “Long live the emperor.”
Suddenly, a discordant chuckle interrupted his pride.
Zhu Yuanzhang’s face darkened with fury. Who dared to disrupt his moment of glory? He ordered the guards to drag the offender away for slow execution, to quell his rage.
The dragon throne barely warmed, Zhu Yuanzhang rose and roared, “Who dares mock me? I’ll annihilate his entire clan!”
The crown prince pointed to the front corner of the assembly and whispered, “Your Majesty, it’s the second prince. He is young and naive; please forgive him.”
Humiliated and angry, Zhu Yuanzhang prepared to draw his belt and teach Zhu Zhuang a lesson in pain. But seeing his own patched waistband, he hesitated—poor like a patched pair of shorts.
He hurried down the imperial steps to where Zhu Zhuang knelt, head bowed counting ants. The surrounding ministers wisely stepped aside. Zhu Yuanzhang lifted a leg—no, a dragon claw—and with a left kick then a right whip, sent Zhu Zhuang sprawling face-down.
Pointing an accusing finger, he scolded, “You brat, been three days since your last whipping and you’re already itching to be naughty again?”
Zhu Zhuang was bewildered. As a modern man, he couldn’t understand why, having just claimed half the realm, Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne flushed with power as if on some aphrodisiac. Was the throne really that magical?
“What did I do? Can’t I just laugh? The Ming laws don’t forbid laughter.”
“Why were you laughing?” Zhu Yuanzhang demanded angrily. Whenever he was pleased, this little bastard always caused trouble. He needed to consult Master Liu to check their astrological compatibility.
“I was thinking of happy things, naturally I laughed,” Zhu Zhuang replied confidently.
“Name them, or I’ll strip your robe today in anger,” Zhu Yuanzhang growled, half amused.
“If you want me to name them, I will. Don’t blame me for embarrassing you on your big day,” Zhu Zhuang said nonchalantly. After all, it was Zhu Yuanzhang’s own disgrace.
Pacing with hands behind his back, Zhu Zhuang spoke loudly: “Father, as the saying goes, there cannot be two suns in the sky nor two masters on earth. In the northern capital sits one emperor, in Yingtian another. Whom should the people obey?
“Secondly, all these officials in crimson gowns are bloated and complacent, while the streets outside are filled with starving, sickly beggars.
“Thirdly, in Jiangnan, every household burns incense before the portrait of the former lord Zhang Shicheng, yet no one cares that a new ruler sits on the dragon throne.”
The vast hall fell silent; the boy’s voice echoed alone.
“We have failed the emperor and deserve death,” knelt Prime Minister Li Shanchang, confessing guilt.
“We deserve death.”
“We deserve death.”
Zhu Yuanzhang roared, “Fine! If the Jiangnan people still cling to the old lord, impose heavy taxes upon those lands!”
“Father, no!” Crown Prince Zhu Biao exclaimed.
As the acting vice emperor, Zhu Biao pushed between father and brother. “The new dynasty is fragile; people need peace and recovery. Reckless taxation will ruin families and lose popular support. I beg you to reconsider.”
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuang admired his elder brother. Handsome, a prodigious scholar with perfect marks, praised by teachers and Confucian scholars alike, compassionate yet resolute. How wonderful if he had lived longer. Zhu Zhuang even wished he were his son.
Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes, a cold smile curling his lips. “So, my sons grow wings and start to oppose me.”
The ministers shivered, knowing the fierce tiger was about to choose his prey.
Zhu Yuanzhang strode to a palace guard holding a golden scepter. Seeing the emperor’s gaze fixed on the golden gourd, Xu Huizu turned pale, fainted, and collapsed.
“Ah Zu, you…” Zhu Zhuang began, but before he could finish, the enraged emperor grabbed the golden gourd and approached Zhu Zhuang step by step.
Zhu Zhuang froze, staring at the gourd the size of a sandbag. One blow from that, and he’d surely be dead. Fearful, he blurted, “Father, are you out of your mind?”
“I’m not wronged by you, but your eldest brother,” he retorted.
“Hmph, you feel wronged? Today I shall righteously punish my own kin.”
The crown prince abandoned decorum and dashed forward, wrapping his small arms and legs around Zhu Yuanzhang, shouting hoarsely, “Second brother, run! Head for the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.”
Zhu Zhuang ran while glancing back, thinking: my big brother’s reliable; if things get serious, he’ll step in. As for old Zhu, if he goes mad and kills the crown prince, there’s nothing I can do but inherit the Ming dynasty with tears.
“Don’t worry, big brother. If I ascend, I’ll posthumously honor you.”
“Rebellion! Rebellion! Seize this traitor!” Zhu Yuanzhang bellowed as Zhu Zhuang fled the hall. Though skilled, the emperor feared hurting his eldest son.
Guards swarmed, pinning Zhu Zhuang to the floor, ready to bind him tightly. He cried out, “Chang Mao, Chang Sheng, we pledged brotherhood when we cut off chicken heads and burned yellow paper together!”
The two brothers chuckled; especially Chang Mao, leering, “Second lord, rest assured, next year’s memorial I’ll burn you two paper palace maids with ample bosoms.”
Chang Sheng quickly added, “Men are fine too.”
Listening to their words, Zhu Zhuang gave up hope, closing his eyes as they tied him like a dumpling.
He thought his life as a leisurely prince was over before it began.
“Who dares harm my son?” A fierce roar like a tigress echoed through the hall.
Empress Ma, dressed in coarse hemp and an apron, surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs, strode into the hall.
Zhu Zhuang was just freeing himself when she grabbed him and brought him before Zhu Yuanzhang.
“This is the flesh I carried for ten months in my womb! Emperor Zhu, if you want to kill him, kill us both.”
She cursed while brandishing a rolling pin, causing Zhu Yuanzhang to recoil in fear.
“Wife, Sister, Xiuying, listen to our explanation,” he pleaded.
Empress Ma, furious, said, “I won’t listen. He’s your flesh and blood. You have never favored him since he was young. Even a tiger does not eat its cubs. Tomorrow I will go to the ancestral temple with a white silk ribbon and inform our ancestors that Zhu Chongba has turned out well.”
“What on earth is going on?” Zhu Yuanzhang’s face turned as red as a banner. He pinched his thigh, stammering without explanation.
Empress Ma then asked the crown prince, “Eldest son, explain what happened.”
Zhu Biao recounted the entire episode to his mother in detail, his perfect memory recalling every word.
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded repeatedly, attempting to hold his wife’s hand but was rejected. Resigned, he coaxed, “Wife, standing too long is bad for your back. Sit over there and listen to Biao calmly explain.”
Despite protest, he supported her to the dragon throne. Empress Ma, still angry and frail with age, sat down naturally, while Zhu Yuanzhang stood beside her, massaging her shoulders.
Except for the veteran ministers like Li Shanchang, Liu Ji, Xu Da, and Chang Yuchun, the others were dumbstruck, mouths agape wide enough to swallow eggs.
After hearing the full story, Empress Ma sighed, “Your Majesty, Zhu Zhuang means well.”
Zhu Yuanzhang was puzzled. That brat had ruined his coronation honor in front of the court. Could it be that he truly wished to anger him to death?
Seeing her husband’s suspicion, Empress Ma said, “Do you really think your own son would harm you?”
She pinched him discreetly.
Zhu Yuanzhang winced, realizing that if his son died from anger, the eldest would inherit. What benefit would that be to him? Perhaps his royal paranoia had grown worse.
“Yes, yes, wife is right,” he agreed.
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