Chapter 35: It Is Not Over Yet, You Come and Kill Me

Upon arriving at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Zhu Yunxue stood quietly before Zhu Yuanzhang, much like a child who knew he had done wrong.

Seeing his rebellious grandson suddenly so subdued, Zhu Yuanzhang found it difficult to adjust; he had grown accustomed to the lawless, audacious, and defiant youth.

"You gave up everything, all just to save Lan Yu," Zhu Yuanzhang sighed. "You truly have a lot of nerve."

Zhu Yunxue replied in a low voice, "I admit, there was an element of gambling involved. I gambled that Imperial Grandfather would not go that far, and I gambled that Zhu Yunwen and his faction would not dare use the situation to force my hand."

"Hahaha..." Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled softly. "In fact, you won your gamble. Earlier, I saw that Lan Yu was on the verge of tears."

"Truth be told, I never intended to kill Lan Yu. That old scoundrel is not easy to kill, and for the time being, he cannot be killed. After much thought, it is better to keep him around."

He had already made his plans. Even if he had substantiated the charges against Lan Yu today, he would not have executed him; that was merely a tactic.

Zhu Yunxue understood the reasoning behind sparing him. "Firstly, Lan Yu possesses truly illustrious military achievements; killing him would chill the hearts of the soldiers. Secondly, it is because of my interference. If Imperial Grandfather had no justification, you could not simply eliminate Fu Youde, Feng Sheng, and the others alongside Lan Yu. Am I right?"

If Lan Yu were dead while Fu Youde and the others remained alive, the consequences would be severe. They would realize that Zhu Yuanzhang intended to purge them, and would they simply wait for their own demise?

"You rebellious grandson, you even know that you were the one causing trouble!" Zhu Yuanzhang laughed, not out of anger, but amusement. He had not expected Zhu Yunxue to see through his motives so clearly.

He had gambled correctly. Once again, he was certain that his rebellious grandson possessed true capability. To achieve this without any formal instruction was far superior to what Zhu Yunwen could do. He was, without question, the most suitable candidate to be the next emperor.

"I had no other choice, Imperial Grandfather," Zhu Yunxue smiled.

Zhu Yuanzhang continued, "I will not kill Lan Yu, but he can no longer hold the title of Duke of Liang. I will let him keep his military post for now. Don't be fooled by the fact that he was moved to tears; human hearts are the most complex of things, especially for men like Lan Yu."

Zhu Yunxue nodded. "I understand. Lan Yu has spent years in the military and holds great prestige. He is the most capable commander in the imperial court. Even if he were demoted to a commoner, his influence in the camps would still allow him to command the loyalty of our Great Ming’s soldiers."

"Exactly!" Zhu Yuanzhang said solemnly. His desire to purge Lan Yu and the Huai-Xi military faction was not only out of fear that Zhu Yunwen could not control them, but also because their influence in the army was simply too vast. Military generals were different from civil officials.

Civil officials seeking to seize power or rebel must rely on the bureaucracy, gradually positioning themselves as power brokers to undermine imperial authority. For military generals, it is much simpler: they need only raise an army. With their prestige and command over the troops, staging a coup would be effortless.

"You have anticipated everything I have thought. Very good!" Zhu Yuanzhang was truly satisfied with his grandson. "Lan Yu may live, but his adopted sons must all be executed. They are arrogant and do not even obey your commands. You will be responsible for their executions; it will serve to weaken those surrounding Lan Yu."

"You need to establish your authority. Your prestige in the army is not yet sufficient. Do you have the courage to do it?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked, knowing his grandson had never taken a life, having only previously injured two guards.

"I have the courage!"

Zhu Yunxue had initially wondered if those adopted sons could be put to his own use, but he quickly dismissed the thought. They had no loyalty to him; they deserved to die. They were merely dead weight.

"You have passed today's test," Zhu Yuanzhang said, patting Zhu Yunxue’s hand. "However, there is a second test. The Huai-Xi military faction is too large; they must be divided. As for how to divide them, I will not help you—you must do it yourself."

He was now focusing his tests on Zhu Yunxue, while his attention toward Zhu Yunwen gradually waned. Zhu Yunxue was far more important. If he truly could not divide them, in two years, he would find another pretext to wipe them out entirely. By then, with two years of development, he hoped Zhu Yunxue would no longer need the Huai-Xi faction.

*I should still have a few years to teach this rebellious grandson,* Zhu Yuanzhang thought, believing the most important task now was to help him establish his prestige.

"I understand," Zhu Yunxue replied. He knew the concerns regarding the Huai-Xi faction remained. Lan Yu had been moved, but it was temporary; he was not yet fully subdued. There was much work left to do. The battle for the succession was no simple task.

"The civil and military officials in the court are in a state of competition," Zhu Yunxue mused. "Imperial Grandfather allows them to struggle against each other to maintain a balance. He will not suppress the military like the Song Dynasty did, because without them, the Ming would eventually follow the same path as the Song. Yet, if the military’s power is too great, he fears another Chenqiao Incident—a general being draped in the imperial yellow robe."

"Furthermore, mutual checks are not enough. Imperial Grandfather also incorporates the vassal kings. Externally, they resist foreign enemies and guard the Son of Heaven; internally, they suppress the generals, while the generals in turn keep the ambitions of the vassal kings in check."

"Everything is within Imperial Grandfather's plan." As a time traveler, Zhu Yunxue had the foresight to see through the entire design. By voicing it, he revealed exactly what was in Zhu Yuanzhang's mind.

"Correct!" Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes brightened, and he felt a secret joy. This grandson was becoming increasingly suited to his requirements for an emperor. But he was in no rush; he could not let the boy become conceited. He needed to use Zhu Yunwen to apply pressure and continue to hone him.

As for whether the lack of an heir would lead to national instability? Zhu Yuanzhang was confident: as long as he was alive, how could there be instability? With him present, who would dare to act recklessly? Whoever dared, would die.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, "You were truly good at hiding; you even fooled me."

"Later, I will issue an edict to revoke the title of Duke of Liang, but I will let Lan Yu keep the post of General-in-Chief for now. His adopted sons are all yours to handle. That is the plan for now."

"That is all from me. You have passed today's test. Do not be proud, however; your performance was not perfect. But kneeling to plead for Lan Yu did move him. As for releasing them, wait until you have killed the others first."

He waved his hand. "Go back now! I have many matters to attend to." Having lost the entire morning, he still had a mountain of state affairs to process.

"I will take my leave," Zhu Yunxue bowed and exited the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Outside, the cold breeze helped clear his head. This step had been dangerous, but fortunately, he had cleared it, and he was safe for now.

"I should go back and collect my thoughts," Zhu Yunxue muttered to himself. He did not want to return to the Eastern Palace, but he had nowhere else to go. He felt his pocket—the token was still there, not returned to the old man.

"With this token, I can leave the palace at any time," he thought, feeling a surge of joy. He would need to use this token to leave the palace and arrange for someone to eliminate Tang Da and the others.