Chapter 17: Zhu Di, Bowed!

Standing without bowing!

With a proud demeanor, Zhu Di gazed resolutely toward the direction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. His upright posture resembled an unwavering spear as he boldly questioned the heavens above.

The officials outside the hall were stunned, exchanging astonished glances with one another. Their eyes were filled with disbelief.

The commotion among those people reached inside the grand hall.

However, the officials in the grand hall, refraining from being disrespectful, did not turn around to look back and remained unaware of what was happening outside.

The first round of salutations is concluded.

The inner praising official trembled as he invited Zhu Di to step forward and led him to the Royal seat in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. He then retreated with cold sweat covering his body.

At this moment, the ceremonial music resumed.

According to the ceremonial protocol, Zhu Di needs to bring his three sons to kneel and pay respects to the Emperor.

Zhu Gaozhi and his two brothers obediently knelt down following the ceremonial music, but Zhu Di remained standing. Not only that, he wore a proud expression and stared directly at Zhu Yunwen.

The officials in the hall who had not witnessed Zhu Di’s refusal to kneel before, now after they saw this scene, the hall erupted in chaos instantaneously, The hall was filled with buzzing voices of discussion.

Fang Xiaoru stepped forward and sternly accused, “Your Majesty, the King of Yan entered the hall without bowing, showing disrespect to the ritual etiquette and lacking the proper loyalty of a subject. I beseech Your Majesty to punish the King of Yan for his grave disrespect!”

“I concur!”

Chen Di, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward and voiced his agreement.

The head of the Ministry of Rites has spoken, and naturally, the deputy ministers and other officials from the ministry need to express their stance as well.

Seeing this situation, other officials also followed suit in voicing their agreement.

Zhu Yunwen scrutinized Zhu Di, as the distance was too far before, making it difficult to see clearly. Now, being closer, he could observe more distinctly.

Zhu Di had thick, arched eyebrows, a straight nose, deep and bright eyes, and a large beard. Along with his imposing presence, there was an air of arrogance about him.

Zhu Yunwen stared at Zhu Di and suddenly burst into laughter.

A burst of laughter echoed through the hall.

Zhu Di’s heart trembled for a moment!

The Zhu Yunwen in front of him, instead of being angry or furious as Zhu Di would have expected, was laughing?

Based on Zhu Di’s understanding of Zhu Yunwen, he should have been infuriated, pointing at him in a state of disarray, unable to utter a single word!

But now, he was laughing!

This laughter carried with it confidence, strength, and an indescribable pressure that made Zhu Di tremble.

The ministers remained silent, unsure why Zhu Yunwen was laughing.

Zhu Yunwen suppressed his laughter and looked at Zhu Di, slowly saying, “This is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, not a casual hall. If the King of Yan is tired and not yet awake, you can go to the casual hall and rest for a few hours. We will wait for you to wake up!”

Zhu Di was instantly at a loss for words, his face filled with anxiety.

Zhu Yunwen’s meaning was clear: this place was where the Emperor and ministers discussed important state matters, and regardless of whether Zhu Di was the King of Yan or anyone else, he must adhere to the protocol of the Emperor and ministers.

If Zhu Di felt indignant and wanted to cause trouble because of being “prevented from mourning,” it didn’t matter!

But you must understand, the matter of mourning is a family affair of the Zhu family. If you want to discuss family matters, go to the side hall.

This is the Hall of Supreme Harmony!

There is only Emperor and his subjects!

Only discuss state affairs here!

With a single sentence from Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Di found himself blocked from all possible retreats.

In fact, Zhu Di intended to use the excuse of being hindered in mourning for Zhu Yuanzhang’s death to confront Zhu Yunwen. If Zhu Yunwen claimed to be following a posthumous decree, another problem would arise: Zhu Di could question why Zhu Yunwen allowed other vassal kings to enter the capital while denying his own entry.

In summary, Zhu Di can seize the initiative, and even if he behaves impolitely, there might be understandable reasons behind it.

But now, Zhu Di has lost this way. It is inappropriate to bring up family matters in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

If Zhu Di forcefully uses this as an excuse, it is unlikely that Zhu Yunwen will listen, and the officials in the court will not easily accept it either.

Zhu Di, For the first time, discovered that his nephew seemed different from before.

The court officials, including some nobles and aristocrats such as Xu Huizu, Li Jinglong, and Geng Bingwen, were all looking at disrespectful Zhu Di. Their expressions were filled with anger, but their eyes were shifting, indicating that they were contemplating something.

Xie Jin withdrew his foot that was about to step forward. The silence in this situation had a more powerful effect than any words spoken.

Indeed, the hall fell into silence.

No one spoke another word.

They all stood there, staring at Zhu Di.

The wordless silence made the entire space feel oppressive, and this pressure continued to erode Zhu Di’s resolve.

Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, and Zhu Gaosui were already trembling.

If their father refuses to bow to the emperor today, the best outcome for the three of them would be to hold hands with Zhu Di and find a place to farm.

As for the worst outcome, the three of them dare not even imagine.

Zhu Yunwen looked at Zhu Di, and Zhu Di looked at Zhu Yunwen.

They engaged in a silent showdown.

Zhu Di could clearly see the constant smile at the corner of Zhu Yunwen’s mouth, but there was a coldness, a ruthless coldness, in his eyes. He couldn’t help but recall that not long ago, Zhu Yunwen had appointed Ping An, Qu Neng, and others to enter Beiping and its surroundings.

The situation has changed, and Zhu Di finds himself with no way out.

Zhu Di lowers his head, takes a deep breath, slowly kneels down, and prostrates himself on the ground. He exclaims, “Your subject Zhu Di, pay his respects to Your Majesty.”

Reclutant!

But he cannot refuse to bow!

Zhu Di endured it!

He carefully concealed his desire for imperial power.

He knelt today so that he wouldn’t have to kneel in the future!

As Zhu Di knelt, the whole court breathed a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere gradually eased.

The smile at the corner of Zhu Yunwen’s mouth disappeared, and his expression turned serious.

Zhu Di is a great man, capable of bending and stretching, and skilled in deception and performance.

He may kneel with his legs, but his heart remains unyielding.

“You may rise.”

Zhu Yunwen raised his hand and spoke in a cold tone, looking at Zhu Di and the others as they stood up. He said, “At the time of Taizu’s passing, I was solely focused on following the imperial edict, neglecting the familial bond within the royal family, which resulted in the delayed return of the King of Yan for mourning in the capital. This was my fault.”

“Your Majesty, the instruction from Taizu for the kings to stay in their respective fiefdoms and not come to the capital is unrelated to you. It is inappropriate to solely attribute the fault to you. I implore Your Majesty to retract your statement.”

Fang Xiaoru quickly exclaimed.

Upon seeing Zhu Yunwen taking the initiative and assuming the blame for the oversight, thereby preempting any further inquiries regarding the obstruction of mourning, Zhu Di realized that pressing the matter further would make him appear petty. Thus, he was forced to change his stance and said, “Academician Fang’s words are correct. Although I have grievances, I dare not defy the intentions of Emperor Taizu. Since it is Emperor Taizu’s decree, I shall abide by it.”

Zhu Yunwen sighed and said, “Wrong is wrong, a ruler who dares not admit their mistakes and confront them cannot effectively govern the world. I reflect on myself three times a day and understand a principle: for minor mistakes, they can be corrected; for moderate mistakes, they can be rectified; but for major mistakes, they cannot be easily forgiven…”

The four words “cannot be easily forgiven” resonated in Zhu Di’s ears, causing him to tremble. He looked up and saw Zhu Yunwen staring at him.

Is this a warning to him, telling him to turn back?

“I hope everyone will reflect diligently, and encourage open discussions, and if I have made any mistakes, you may submit written reports for me to review. However, I require one thing: I do not need hearsay and baseless accusations. I need solid evidence and valid arguments. Let us put an end to such matters that lack substance and are driven by personal agendas.”

The words of Zhu Yunwen energized the court.

Especially for the officials who had survived the Hongwu reign, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. This meant that the Emperor would no longer resort to punishing officials without reason, nor would he allow anyone’s malicious schemes to result in indiscriminate punishment.

Zhu Di silently nodded upon hearing Zhu Yunwen’s words.

This nephew indeed possesses some tactics when it comes to governance.

The meetings in court gradually shifted away from focusing on Zhu Di and turned to trivial matters of little significance. After the court session, Zhu Di entered the Qianqing Palace to pay respects to Empress Dowager Lu.

The Hall of Great Accomplishment, King of Zhongshan’s Mansion.

Zhu Di arrived slowly in his carriage, and outside the King of Zhongshan’s Mansion, Duke Wei, Xu Huizu, Deputy Commander of Central Army, Xu Yingxu, Left commander of Right Army, Xu Zengshou, The three individuals had been waiting for a long time to welcome him.

Xu Da was the foremost military general of the Hongwu era. To consolidate his relationship with Xu Da, Zhu Yuanzhang arranged for Zhu Di to marry Xu Da’s eldest daughter, Xu Yihua.

As the son-in-law of Xu Da, it was necessary for the King of Yan to pay a visit to the King of Zhongshan’s Mansion and meet his brother-in-law, Xu Huizu. After all, At this time, Xu Huizu held the highest military rank and was considered the most distinguished military general.

Although Zhu Di enjoyed a prominent position in Beiping Prefecture, he was still far from the central government. If he didn’t establish strong connections, In the event that the emperor wanted to take action against him one day, without even having someone to deliver a message, that would be disastrous.

Whether it is for the sake of family relations or for his own future considerations, Zhu Di needs to come.

The carriage came to a stop, and Zhu Di stepped out from it.

Xu Huizu and others approached and bowed in salute.

Zhu Di quickly stopped them and said, “No need for so many formalities, my little brothers-in-law.”

Xu Huizu maintained a cold expression and persisted in performing the formalities. He then said, “Your Highness, upon your return to the capital, it is proper to observe the proper protocols. If the Xu family does not perform the appropriate greetings, wouldn’t it be a breach of etiquette?”

The pupils of Zhu Di’s eyes slightly constricted. Xu Huizu’s words seemed to praise Zhu Di for being courteous, but in reality, they were reproachful words. Xu Huizu was admonishing him for not kneeling and paying respects during the morning court for a prolonged period, indicating a lack of proper etiquette.

Unexpectedly, after not seeing each other for over three years, his little brother-in-law didn’t give him any face upon their meeting.

It seems that his heart has already been given to Zhu Yunchen.

Unable to compete!

Zhu Di made an internal judgment.

“Big Brother, it’s not easy for Brother-in-law to come to the capital. Now that he’s visiting our family, there’s no need to be so serious. Brother-in-law, please come in quickly.”

Xu Zengshou, seeing that the atmosphere is a bit awkward, quickly spoke up.

Xu Huizu glared fiercely at his younger brother, his face slightly darkened. However, Zhu Di paid no attention and smiled faintly as he entered the residence. After paying respects at the family’s ancestral temple, he proceeded to the main hall.

Zhu Di arranged for people to bring the gifts intended for Xu Family from Xu Yihua into residence, in place of Xu Yihua, he inquired about their well-being and gave them warm greetings. reminding them to take care of their health and other such concerns.

“By the way, why isn’t the fourth sister present?” Zhu Di inquired.

The corner of Xu Huizu’s mouth twitched slightly, but he ultimately didn’t say anything.

Xu Zengshou, on the other hand, was more proactive and said, “Brother-in-law, Miaojin is currently at the Imperial Academy and has been quite busy lately. She might not be able to take time off.”

“Imperial Academy?”

Zhu Di was taken aback.

Zhu Di was not aware of such a minor matter.

“Suddenly hearing that Xu Miaojin has entered the Imperial Academy, Zhu Di couldn’t help but feel astonished. After all, how could Zhu Di doesn’t knows what kind of place the Imperial Academy is, how could a mere young woman be allowed to mess around!”

“His Majesty entrust Miaojin to enter the Imperial Academy as Chief of Education to look for talents….”

Xu Zengshou chuckled and his gaze was full of mockery regarding this appointment.

Although Xu Zengshou cares for his younger sister, but Xu Miaojin is still young at the age of eighteen. As a young girl, how could she possibly understand the meaning of talent?

This appointment by the Emperor is simply absurd.

There was a hint of unusual brilliance in Zhu Di’s eyes. this nephew of his was bold and audacious, repeatedly defying the will of the founding emperor and going against the ancestral teachings. Perhaps this matter could be manipulated to his advantage…

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