Chapter Six: The Arrogant Prince of Han

In ancient times, cattle were the most vital tools for agricultural production. Even the Emperor could not afford to eat beef regularly. Perhaps only the household of the Prince of Han could indulge in such a luxury; as the mighty Prince, no one dared to interfere, and he was as willful as he pleased.

"Thank you, Mother, I love this," Zhu Zhanhe said without standing on ceremony. He sat down immediately, and his mother busied herself piling his bowl high with vegetables and meat. Meeting his mother’s expectant gaze, he began to eat heartily.

"Look at how he’s eating; there must have been nothing to eat in the army. He probably hasn't had a full meal in ages. I don't know how the Prince of Han manages things, not even taking care of his own son," Lady Wei murmured, her brows furrowed in distress as she watched her son devour his food. She twisted her handkerchief nearly to shreds, venting her frustrations about her husband’s negligence.

After serving her son for a while, Lady Wei sat to the side, watching him feast. The maids, Yun'er and Jian'er, were quick-witted; seeing the Princess step aside, they hurried over to serve dishes and pour wine for the Heir Apparent. Zhu Zhanhe, feeling at home, ate with abandon—after all, as the Heir, no one dared to criticize him.

"Nothing beats home-cooked food," Zhu Zhanhe said after a long, satisfying meal, taking a leisurely sip of wine before savoring the rest of his food slowly.

"My son, tell me how you’ve spent this past year!" seeing that her son had finally slowed his pace, Lady Wei asked with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

"Mother, let me tell you. This time, while following Father on the campaign... I was wearing that heavy mountain-pattern armor, complete with a black iron mask, and even my horse was armored in thick iron plates. I wielded a massive horse-chopping saber, charging through the ranks alongside Father. The enemy’s arrows and weapons couldn't touch me at all. I was just following Father, picking up the scraps. In the end, Father credited me with seventeen kills. I was actually quite embarrassed..."

Zhu Zhanhe recounted his experiences, briefly describing the battles but downplaying his own role, claiming he was merely tagging along behind his father. Even so, Lady Wei listened with growing terror and worry, tears welling in her eyes. Zhu Zhanhe quickly tried to comfort her.

In truth, Lady Wei knew well that her son had been trained in both letters and martial arts from a young age and that he would inevitably have to fight on the battlefield. Even though she knew he had guards and that he was likely sugar-coating the truth to put her at ease, she could not help but worry. The battlefield was a place of endless blades and stray arrows. Tears spilled, and even Auntie Xiu, standing nearby, was moved to tears.

Zhu Zhanhe spent a long time soothing his mother, trying to cheer her up, when a servant’s voice boomed from outside:

"Welcome home, Your Highness! May the Prince live for a thousand years!"

Zhu Gaoxu strode into the room, clad in his armor. Seeing his son chatting with his wife and noticing her reddened eyes, he felt something was amiss, but he was in such high spirits that he brushed it off, entering with a triumphant grin.

Zhu Zhanhe looked at his father—armored, glowing with pride, walking with a swagger like a rooster that had just won a fight—and felt an inexplicable sense of awkwardness at his father’s "old child" demeanor.

"Wife, son, let me tell you, I really showed them who’s boss at the palace today! I even secured the authority over the defense of Yingtian City, and I left the Eldest Prince so speechless he couldn't even retort!" Zhu Gaoxu didn't mind that his wife hadn't greeted him; he sat down opposite his son, grabbed a wine pot, and took a deep swig.

"Ah, that’s refreshing! The wine at home is the best," he exclaimed, drinking directly from the spout.

"I’m telling you, we just got back from the campaign with the Old Man, and we were ambushed at the city gates. I don't know how the Eldest Prince handles his duties as regent, but he’s not half as good as I would be." Despite his complaints, his face was wreathed in smiles. He was clearly delighted to have outshone his brother and gained the Emperor's favor.

"Bring another serving of these dishes, this boy has finished them all!" Zhu Gaoxu didn't care that he was eating what his son had touched. He began to dig in, but finding the portions too small, he called for more.

"Not bad, home food is truly better than the army’s. Wait, is this beef from the estate again? Bring me a plate of that too!" He had discovered the beef, which his son had nearly finished, and called for more.

"Father, you seem very happy coming back from the palace," Zhu Zhanhe said, rising to pay his respects and inquiring about the situation.

"Greetings, Your Highness," Lady Wei and Auntie Xiu followed suit.

"Yes, yes, all is well. Rise, rise. Princess, bring me more food. Son, come, sit and have a drink with me," the Prince said, his tone unusually genial as he urged his son to join him.

"Father, did Grandfather really give you control of the city defenses? What do you plan to do?" Zhu Zhanhe asked as he served his father.

"That goes without saying! I’ll seal the four city gates and hunt down the rebels. Your father is very familiar with this routine." Zhu Zhanhe was somewhat puzzled by his father’s blind confidence.

"Father, this is the capital. If you seal the gates and make such a fuss, the rebels will have already caught wind of it and fled. You won't catch anything. How will you answer to Grandfather?"

"Whether I catch them or not is irrelevant; I can always find an excuse. The point is that I have secured the city defense, do you understand?"

Zhu Zhanhe realized then that his father’s goal had always been the city garrison—or rather, using the excuse of the rebels to seize control of the troops and hold them firmly in his grasp. Seeing that his father had no intention of heading to his fiefdom, Zhu Zhanhe felt helpless. He thought to himself, *What is so good about being Emperor? You wake up earlier than a rooster, sleep later than a dog, eat worse than a pig, and work like an ox! Better to be a slacker.*

He didn't want to ruin the mood, so he changed the subject. "Father, remember what I asked you before I left for the campaign? How did that go?" He had been begging his father for years to let him place a few people on Zheng He’s fleet, but his father had never taken it seriously.

"Just stay home and behave yourself. You don't need to worry about sailing the seas. You have everything you need here. If you lack anything, tell me, but forget about overseas matters!" Zhu Gaoxu’s expression soured. His son was perfect in every way, except for his obsession with Taoists and his desire to infiltrate Zheng He’s fleet. He did not want his heir to turn into another Qin Shi Huang, obsessively searching for immortals across the ocean.