Chapter 1: I am Zhu Yunwen! I am the son of heaven of Ming dynasty!

The wind was fierce, and the rain poured down. The night was gloomy.

A bolt of lightning, like a roaring dragon, tore through the void and descended with awe-inspiring power, causing fear and trepidation in all things.

Su Changhe felt himself falling and abruptly woke up from his dream. As he tried to get up and brush off the rain from his body, intending to continue his visit to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, he realized that he was no longer on the steps of the mausoleum. ^[1]Ming Xiaoling (Chinese: 明孝陵; pinyin: Míng Xiào Líng; lit. ‘Filial mausoleum of Ming’) is the mausoleum of the Hongwu Emperor, … Continue reading

“His Majesty’s awake! His majesty’s awake! Inform the imperial physician quickly! May the heavens protect us…”

A eunuch wearing a Three Mountains hat, with a white cloth wrapped around his forehead, and dressed in a blue-gray python robe, shouted in a neutral voice.

Su Changhe was instantly stunned.

His Majesty?

Could it be that he had traveled from Nanjing to Hengdian?

Which film crew is this?

Turning his head, Su Changhe saw that the hall was brightly lit. On the ceiling, there were intricately carved patterns of coiling dragons, which looked extremely lifelike.

Above the golden doors, there were two dragons playing with a pearl.

In the center, there was a square platform adorned with a golden-carved dragon throne and golden-carved dragon screens.

In front of the throne, there were objects such as Lu Duan, cranes, and incense burners.^[2]Luduan (甪端 pinyin: lùduān) is a legendary Chinese auspicious creature. It looks like a deer with green coat, the tail of a horse and a … Continue reading

In front of the platform, there were four copper-bodied cloisonné incense burners, emitting a fragrant smoke as sandalwood burned.^[3]Cloisonné (French: [klwazɔne]) is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with colored material held in place or separated by metal strips or wire, … Continue reading

Further away, there was also a large dragon cabinet.

“The arrangement, why does it resemble the Qianqing Palace in the Ming Imperial Palace?” Su Changhe muttered to himself. He felt a slight itch on his head and reached up to touch it. A sharp pain shot through his bones, and at the same time, a wave of unfamiliar memories flooded his mind.^[4]The Palace of Heavenly Purity, or Qianqing Palace (Chinese: 乾清宫; pinyin: qiánqīng … Continue reading

The owner of these memories was named Zhu Yunwen!

Zhu Yunwen?^[5]The Jianwen Emperor (5 December 1377 – ?), personal name Zhu Yunwen (朱允炆), was the second Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigned from 1398 to 1402. The era … Continue reading

Su Changhe widened his eyes, unable to comprehend how he could have Zhu Yunwen’s memories.

Time travel?

Reincarnation?

Have I died once before?

Su Changhe couldn’t make sense of it all and felt absurd.

“Your Majesty, how do you feel? Has your condition improved?”

A gentle and dignified woman dressed in white approached. After a slight bow, she knelt by the bedside and looked at him with deep concern and worry in her eyes.

Su Changhe shifted his gaze, looking at the arrangement in the room. He got off the bed and walked to the door without having time to put on his shoes. He opened the door.

A bolt of lightning split the dark night sky, and magnificent palaces flashed before his eyes in an instant.

“Your Majesty, it’s stormy outside. Please take care of your health,” Ma Enhui followed and earnestly pleaded.

Su Changhe turned around, looking at Ma Enhui, and asked with a puzzled expression, “What happened? Why am I here?”

Ma Enhui hurriedly replied, “Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Since your enthronement and assuming the governance of the country, you have always remembered Emperor Taizu and frequently visited the Xiaoling Mausoleum. This morning, while visiting the mausoleum, you accidentally slipped and injured your head.”

“The Xiaoling Mausoleum?”

Su Changhe remembered that he was touring the Xiaoling Mausoleum and had indeed taken a fall.”

Different time!

Same location, same event!

A bolt of lightning stirred up the wind and rain six hundred years ago…

Su Changhe felt that strange memory was becoming familiar. It looks like he was indeed Zhu Yunwen, the emperor of the Ming Empire!

However, in this segment of memories, Su Changhe didn’t see great talent, didn’t see a magnanimous person, instead a cowardly, timid, and cautious.

“is this true?”

As Su Changhe walked around, memories were overlapping and restructuring, and a clear distinction between an era and reality gradually emerged in his mind.

Today is the 31st year of Hongwu, June 10th!

A month ago, Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang died.^[6]The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398),[5] personal name Zhu Yuanzhang (Chinese: 朱元璋; Wade–Giles: Chu Yuan-chang), courtesy … Continue reading

Because the year name cannot be changed until next year, it still cannot be called the first year of Jianwen yet, but the year of Hongwu.

The hundred-day period of observing mourning, which includes abstaining from meat and fish, refraining from ceremonial music, abstaining from marital relations, and wearing plain clothing, has just begun and hasn’t even been a month yet.

At this moment, Zhu Yunwen has just taken power.

“Of course it’s true, Your Majesty fainted at that time…”

Ma Enhui quickly explained.

“Fainted? Won’t that news spread?”

Su Changhe knew that although Zhu Yuanzhang had passed the throne to Zhu Yunwen, the coveted supreme throne would attract more than just one or two individuals.

Especially King of Yan, Zhu Di!

It was he who later claimed “to be defending the righteous cause and stabilizing the kingdom”, and drove Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Yunwen, away.

“Your Majesty, please rest assured. We have already given orders, and no one dares to speak a word.”

The eunuch beside him spoke, and the imperial physician hurried over.

Su Changhe sat there, closing his eyes slightly. He didn’t understand why fate had made him Zhu Yunwen, one of the tragic emperors of the Ming Dynasty, who only reigned for four years.

In the end, he disappeared on his own, and his wife and children all died.

Oh, there was also a two-year-old child who was imprisoned for over fifty years, and shortly after being released, he died too.

Su Changhe didn’t hear what the imperial physician was saying. The haze of history and the merging of memories made it difficult for Su Changhe to distinguish whether he was a graduate student from the future or the real Zhu Yunwen!

The brilliance of lightning illuminated the room, and in an instant, rolling thunder followed.

Farewell, Su Changhe!

Now, I am Zhu Yunwen!

I am Emperor Jianwen, the unique ruler of the Ming Empire!

Zhu Di?!^[7]The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), personal name Zhu Di (Chinese: 朱棣; pinyin: Zhū Dì; Wade–Giles: Chu Ti), was the third Emperor of … Continue reading

What you can do, I can do too!

I will defy the heavens and achieve supreme accomplishments!

I will become the Eternal Emperor, and let the Ming Dynasty become another golden age after the Han and Tang Dynasties! I am Zhu Yunwen!

I am the Emperor Zhu Yunwen!

I am the Emperor of the Ming Empire!

Zhu Yunwen slowly opened his eyes. In his gaze, there was no longer fear and cowardice, only resolute determination and fearlessness!

“Your Majesty, Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War Qi Tai and Hanlin Compiler Huang Zicheng seek an audience.”

A eunuch loudly reported.

Ma Enhui was about to reprimand them. The Emperor needed rest, so why would they seek an audience on a rainy night?

However, Zhu Yunwen waved his hand to stop Ma Enhui and calmly said, “It’s fine, let them come in.”

Zhu Yunwen was eager to see these two individuals, not because they were closely related to him, but because they were incredibly foolish. They had played a part in the downfall of the Jianwen reign, and their ideas were all impractical. It was truly a difficult situation for them.

Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng entered the hall and knelt down to pay their respects, saying, “Minister Qi Tai (Huang Zicheng) pays respects to our holy and revered Emperor.”

Zhu Yunwen searched his memory. The thin face on the left with a graying beard, close to fifty years old, belonged to Huang Zicheng, while the relatively healthy figure on the right with a spirited appearance was Qi Tai.

“No need for formalities.”

Zhu Yunwen said in a deep voice.

After exchanging a few concerned words, Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng exchanged a glance, and then Qi Tai began to speak, “Your Majesty, the regional kings currently have control over large military forces. From Gansu to Liaodong, there are nine major border kings commanding a total of 210,000 soldiers. Additionally, there are 160,000 soldiers in the Southern Desert Guard.”

“Among them, the forces under the control of King Ning are the strongest. He commands 80,000 archers and 6,000 war chariots, and his personal guards, the Duoyan Three Guards, are formidable and unstoppable.”

“Although King Yan has only over 40,000 troops, they are all seasoned warriors. Moreover, King Yan loves his soldiers as if they were his own children and has shown them countless favors. The army knows only of King Yan and has little knowledge of Your Majesty. We are afraid of potential disasters.”

“We have been restless day and night, and we implore Your Majesty to make a decisive decision early on, disband the regional kings, and take control of the military under the Five Army Commander’s Office. Only then can it be governed by Your Majesty and bring peace to the land…”

Zhu Yunwen nodded repeatedly as he listened. These two old men were wasting their talents by not joining pyramid schemes…

“Where is King Yan currently?”

Zhu Yunwen didn’t directly respond to Qi Tai.

Qi Tai was taken aback for a moment and said, “He should still be in Huai’an.”

“Huai’an?”^[8]Huai’an, formerly Huaiyin, is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province in Eastern China.

A smile appeared at the corner of Zhu Yunwen’s mouth.

In history, when Zhu Di heard the news of Zhu Yuanzhang’s death, he mourned day and night. However, he was blocked at Huai’an and was not allowed to enter the capital. He could only entrust Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, and Zhu Gaosui to mourn on his behalf.

Since I have come here, the mighty ship of the Ming Dynasty cannot run aground again.

“Summon King of Yan to the capital.”

Zhu Yunwen said gently.

These simple five words made Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng tremble, looking at Zhu Yunwen with confusion.

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