Chapter 10: The Eastern Palace Cannot Remain

This morning, Zhu Yunxu drew his sword and stormed into the Fengtian Hall.

His two elder sisters, Zhu Lingyue and Zhu Lingyi, had been worried all morning. Seeing Zhu Yunxu return safely, they hurriedly rushed to greet him.

“It’s good you’re all right. Third brother acted impulsively,” Zhu Lingyi sighed with relief. “Did Grandfather the Emperor punish you?”

Zhu Yunxu shook his head. “No, but I succeeded.”

“Really?” Zhu Lingyue and Zhu Lingyi both rejoiced.

They harbored no affection for Lady Lü, nor for their hypocritical second brother, Zhu Yunwen. They had some understanding of the dark secrets surrounding their mother and eldest brother’s deaths and despised those involved, yet feared them as well.

If Grandfather was to choose an heir, naturally, they believed third brother was the best choice. If it were Zhu Yunwen, they dared not imagine what he or Lady Chang might do to them in the future, especially since Lady Chang had long treated them poorly in secret.

Now that third brother had successfully disrupted the investiture, their hopes for the future were renewed.

Moreover, that position rightfully belonged to their direct bloodline—Lady Lü was but a concubine.

Zhu Yunwen was not worthy!

“Third elder brother,” Zhu Linghua pleaded with innocent eyes, “will you always be kind to us?”

She and Zhu Lingxiu were barely ten years old, still naive and unaware of much, only knowing to stay close to their two elder sisters and wait for third brother’s return.

They would never forget how Lady Lü had suddenly taken their mother away not long ago, never to return.

Since then, Lady Lü had treated them harshly. Without their mother, they had only their two elder sisters and third brother to rely on, as if he were their sole support.

“Of course,” Zhu Yunxu gently patted the heads of the two little girls.

Though young, adorable, and endearing, they were so thin, as if they hadn’t eaten their fill in a long time, which tugged painfully at his heart.

Before transmigrating, Zhu Yunxu had reviewed the historical records of Zhu Biao’s daughters. The eldest was fortunate, married to the son of the Marquis of Changxing; the second married a low-ranking official. The fates of the third and fourth sisters were unclear, but based on current knowledge of Lady Lü, Zhu Yunxu believed they would be manipulated by her, resulting in a grim future for the second sister and the two youngest.

Having successfully blocked Zhu Yunwen from becoming crown prince, he was confident in his claim to the succession—he would not allow history’s tragedy to repeat.

“Third elder brother is the best!” Zhu Lingxiu’s childlike voice was full of dependence on Zhu Yunxu, as were the two little girls’.

“We should head back now,” Zhu Yunxu said.

But as they entered the courtyard's main hall, Zhu Yunxu sensed something was amiss.

Though he had only recently transmigrated, his merged memories told him the servants here were not the ones he remembered. All faces before him were strangers.

“Has our staff been replaced here?” he asked.

Zhu Lingyue explained, “Just now, Dongqing, who serves the Crown Princess, came over and replaced all our original people. She said the old ones were troublesome and brought in a group who would be more obedient.”

Zhu Yunxu frowned. This was no simple replacement with better servants; it was clear they were being watched from all sides.

Apparently, Lady Lü believed Zhu Yunxu was hiding his true abilities and had been shaken deeply by him. Thinking the previous staff couldn’t monitor him effectively, she replaced them with a new batch to surveil him thoroughly, leaving him no privacy.

Any unusual movement would be reported to Lady Lü immediately.

Zhu Lingyue and Zhu Lingyi understood this but lacked the power to refuse or resist.

Lady Lü had acted swiftly to counter Zhu Yunxu’s moves.

“Your Highness, Third Imperial Grandson,” a young eunuch in his early twenties approached respectfully and knelt before Zhu Yunxu. “Your humble servant Liu Liu pays respects to Your Highness!”

This eunuch, called Liu Liu, kowtowed three times earnestly.

“Third brother, he’s arranged by the Crown Princess,” Zhu Lingyue whispered.

Liu Liu knelt and said respectfully, “The Crown Princess ordered me to stay by Your Highness’s side.”

Seeing Lady Lü had single-handedly replaced all those around him and planted so many spies, Zhu Yunxu was somewhat irritated and deeply displeased.

“It seems I can no longer stay in this Eastern Palace,” he thought.

He kept his anger hidden, stepping past Liu Liu and entering the room.

At the same time, he considered how to persuade Old Zhu to allow him to move out of the Eastern Palace.

Leaving the Eastern Palace for anywhere else was fine, as long as he could escape Lady Lü’s control.

Ideally, he wanted a residence outside the palace of his own, but how to broach the subject remained unclear.

“Your Highness, lunch has arrived,” Liu Liu said, noticing Zhu Yunxu’s disregard but not daring to slack off.

He was undoubtedly planted by Lady Lü, but Zhu Yunxu was an imperial grandson; killing him would be a grave offense.

His only duty was to report Zhu Yunxu’s affairs back to Lady Lü; other matters were beyond his authority.

“Bring it in,” Zhu Yunxu replied.

After a morning’s turmoil, he was hungry, and his sisters surely were as well.

Yet when the eunuch served the food, Zhu Yunxu frowned at the plain broth and two plates of oil-free vegetables.

“Have we always eaten such bland and meager meals?” he asked.

Zhu Lingyi explained, “During the hundred-day mourning period for Father, we ate like this, but now the mourning is over, yet the meals remain the same.”

“I’m still hungry,” whispered the youngest, Zhu Lingxiu, her voice timid and low.

No need to guess—Lady Lü was squeezing them hard and treating them harshly. No wonder they were so thin, and even the two elder sisters looked slender.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Eastern Palace, Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Yunti were surely feasting richly. But the Eastern Palace was firmly under Lady Lü’s control; her word was law. Zhu Yunxu resolved he must take his sisters and leave.

Otherwise, Lady Lü would always be a hindrance.

“You eat first, little brother,” Zhu Lingyue said softly. “You’ve been through a lot lately; eat more.”

Zhu Yunxu shook his head. “Linghua and Lingxiu are still growing; you all should eat more. But don’t worry—by tomorrow at the latest, I promise everyone will have enough to eat.”

“Thank you, third elder brother!” the two little girls joyfully exclaimed.

Yet, they knew the rules and dared not truly eat more.

A single lunch of this size was definitely insufficient for the five of them.

Zhu Yunxu had to look after them but had not even reached half satiation himself, yet he said he was full.

The eunuch Liu Liu immediately compiled a report of what he had seen to submit to Dongqing that afternoon—everything down to the smallest detail, as commanded by the Crown Princess.

After the meal, Zhu Yunxu planned the next steps in his bid for succession and how to win over Lan Yu and the others.

If Lan Yu could be brought under control, his claim to the throne was nearly assured.

“Third elder brother!” At that moment, Zhu Lingxiu came in from outside, glanced about nervously, then looked at Zhu Yunxu. “Second and third uncles, and fourth uncle, they have arrived.”

Her voice was timid and trembling, as though she feared those three uncles greatly.