Chapter 7: He'er Has Grown Up

Yes, Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu, judging from his son's daily habits, suspected that his son intended to sail out in search of immortals. So, he requested several times to have agents placed within Zheng He's fleet, but his requests were entirely ignored.

Even when his son asked repeatedly for the blueprints of the large ships from Zheng He's voyages and the navigational charts, his father refused. This caused his son to grumble several times, yet his father paid no heed.

"Son, son, don't listen to your father. He doesn't care at all. Whatever you want, tell me. I will get it for you. You just returned; you must be exhausted. Go rest now. Jian’er, Yun’er, take good care of the heir." Consort Wei quickly changed the subject when she saw the two men about to clash in words again.

In truth, Consort Wei was well aware of her son's requests and fully supported Prince Han’s stance. She too believed their precious son should not set out to seek immortality at sea.

Zhu Zhanhe looked at his father, who was buried in his meal, ignoring him, and his mother, who was trying to mediate, feeling utterly helpless.

He could guess what his father and mother were thinking, but as someone with a modern mindset, he had no intention of seeking immortals at sea. What he truly wanted was to find his Dragon Lord and, incidentally, to seek out high-yield crops like sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn. Then, in his fiefdom, he would live in wealth and splendor—beauties and fine wine every day, free to do as he pleased. Just imagining it brought him great joy.

However, he couldn't directly tell his parents this. Even if he did, they wouldn’t believe him.

Moreover, the blueprints of Zheng He’s fleet were treasures. Even in later times, building such a vast wooden fleet was a formidable challenge. Now, the original blueprints had been destroyed in a fire—such a pity. With a mighty alligator dragon as his Dragon Lord, having a fleet made perfect sense. But how could he explain this to his parents? They might not believe him, and besides, the alligator dragon was not by his side. It was troublesome!

“I am indeed a bit tired. Father, mother, I will go rest now.” Zhu Zhanhe knew the matter could not be rushed. He decided to find the right opportunity to talk to his father again. So, he obediently knelt and took his leave.

“Go ahead, go ahead,” said Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu, waving his hand, letting him go.

Watching Zhu Zhanhe walk away, the Prince of Han took a frustrated sip of wine. Setting down the cup, he looked helplessly at his wife.

“Wife, what shall we do? He keeps bringing this up. Do you have any good ideas?” The proud Prince of Han had now set aside his pride, his brows furrowed in helplessness, turning to his wife for help.

“I’ll try persuading Zhanhe again.” Consort Wei also wore a helpless expression, her delicate brows tightly knit. She had no better plan than to try talking to him once more.

"You’ve been persuading him for years and haven’t succeeded yet," Prince Han said, frustrated, taking another sip of wine. His mustache twitched at the corners of his mouth as he spoke with annoyance.

“If you have a solution, think of one yourself!” Consort Wei didn’t tolerate her husband’s complaints; she snapped back sharply. At home, the son was the real power. She wasn’t afraid of the Prince of Han at all.

“Prince, Consort, I have something to say.” Seeing the two about to argue, Aunt Xiu spoke up.

“Xiu’er, you have a solution? Speak up!” Consort Wei was the first to respond, her face lighting up. Whenever matters involved her son, she was always the quickest.

“Tell us,” Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu also showed keen interest. After all, the matter concerned his heir; no room for mistakes. His eyes gleamed as he asked.

“Prince, Consort, when the heir was washing up just now, I checked his health. Jian’er and Yun’er were helping him wash. I found that the heir has truly grown up—he is a man now!” Aunt Xiu said with certainty.

“Grown up? What do you mean? He’s sixteen already; of course, he’s grown up,” the Prince of Han replied, still puzzled.

“My son has grown up? That’s wonderful!” Consort Wei understood immediately. She paused briefly, then her face brightened with joy.

“Xiu’er, has Zhanhe...?” Suddenly, Consort Wei thought of something and asked if her son had done anything with the two maids.

“No, no, Consort. The heir is a true gentleman.” Aunt Xiu, who had raised Zhu Zhanhe since childhood, was very pleased. She had just seen him endure the youthful urges while being attended by the two maids. That self-control was a sign he could accomplish great things.

“Prince of Han, my son is sixteen now, fully grown. I plan to discuss a marriage for him. If you have any thoughts, please speak up so I can prepare.” Consort Wei looked at her husband with some disdain, thinking him slow to react and hardly fitting the role of a father. Yet, when she thought of her son, her face softened into a smile—her boy was a good child.

Still, she needed to consult Prince Han about the marriage, as he always had ambitions to advance further. These matters certainly required his input. So, she asked for his opinion.

“Grown up? A man now? Excellent, excellent, excellent! My son is sixteen—let’s find a bride for him quickly. I want my grandchild to be born before my elder brother’s. I’ll raise him well!” The Prince of Han finally caught on and repeated “excellent” three times, his face alight with excitement.

“Xiu’er, make the arrangements,” Consort Wei said meaningfully, glancing at Aunt Xiu.

“Yes,” Xiu’er agreed without hesitation, leaving the Prince of Han stunned.

In fact, what Zhu Gaoxu had meant to say earlier was that his own father, Emperor Yongle Zhu Di, had his eldest grandson Zhu Zhanji at age thirty-nine, which was the real turning point when he decided to rebel. He himself, the Prince of Han, wanted to have his own eldest grandson before turning thirty-nine.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhanhe had no intention of resting. He wasn’t tired at all and wanted to go out for a stroll.

“Send someone to prepare the horse. We’re going to Chaotian Palace,” Zhu Zhanhe declared. He wanted to visit his Daoist teacher, or rather his qigong master, Zhang Zhengheng, a contemporary of the grandmaster Zhang Zheng, now seventy-six years old. He had reached the stage Confucius described—following one’s heart without transgressing rules. Master Zhang lived in Chaotian Palace in Shuntian Prefecture. Since Zhu Zhanhe had just returned, it was proper to pay respects to his teacher.

When he arrived at the gate of the prince’s mansion, his uncle Wei Jizhong was ready with a fine horse waiting for him, accompanied by several attendants. Judging by their builds and appearances, they were clearly soldiers fresh from the field. Zhu Zhanhe didn’t comment; it was surely his father’s precaution after the recent assassination attempt.

Mounting the fine horse, Zhu Zhanhe set off leisurely toward Chaotian Palace with a retinue of eight. Along the way, he did not disperse the commoners but rather enjoyed watching their daily lives as he proceeded at a relaxed pace.

Of course, the horse he rode was not the prized steed he had taken from his grandfather but one casually chosen from the Han Prince’s stables. Even so, it was a rare fine horse on the market.

Soon, Zhu Zhanhe and his entourage arrived at the gates of Chaotian Palace. Gazing at the large characters on the gate, he silently recited the name while sitting astride his horse, expressionless.