My father, Zhu Di, was granted a second life by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Chapter 131 The Crown Prince, accompanied by Zhu Youxun, presented a memorial to the Emperor.

The two sat under the moonlight and chatted until the first light of dawn appeared in the east. When drowsiness came over them, they went back to their rooms to catch up on sleep.

Zhu Gaoxi's plan was to sleep until late morning, but he was unexpectedly woken up midway through the night. Still groggy, he asked, "Yunfei, what is it?"

"Eunuch Lin has come to invite the Prince," Yunfei said, quickly helping him change clothes and wash up.

What urgent matter could the old emperor possibly have that warranted Lind making a special trip?

Zhu Gaoxi rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Li Hui, let Eunuch Lin go back first. I'll be there right away."

Actually, he wanted to eat two bowls of wontons, two steamed buns, and a glass of milk to fill his stomach before going out, but he was too embarrassed to keep eating in front of Linde.

Having spent so long in the emperor's court, Lin De had long since become a shrewd man, and upon hearing this, he immediately withdrew.

Lately, Zhu Gaoxi has been practicing martial arts with Li Hui and Sanbao every morning, and coupled with frequent mental exertion, his appetite has increased significantly.

I was so excited last night that I indulged myself. I thought I would have plenty of time to sleep in today, but the old emperor suddenly conscripted men.

"Has the young master woken up?" Zhu Gaoxi asked while eating.

"I left the palace long ago," Li Hui replied respectfully.

You chatted for so long last night, why didn't you sleep more? You're such a workaholic! Just like the old emperor, working yourself to the bone.

Zhu Gaoxi sighed and quickened his pace of eating.

When they arrived at the Qianqing Palace, they discovered that the situation was quite serious, as both the Crown Prince and Zhu Youxun were present.

How did Ji Gang handle his duties? How could he let Zhu Youxun slip away? He even came to the palace, and Ji Gang didn't utter a single word?

Are you being kept on a peddler's leash?!

Zhu Gaoxi was furious inside, but he pretended to be calm and stood respectfully beside the old emperor.

"Who exactly is Ji Gang in your household?! He takes Youlu to brothels and theaters to enjoy himself, spending hundreds of strings of cash at a time. Where does he get so much money?" the old emperor asked, suppressing his anger.

According to the exchange rate stipulated by the imperial court, one string of Ming Dynasty paper money was equal to one tael of silver.

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Ji Gang did go a bit too far, and of course, there was also an element of underhanded sabotage involved.

"Ji Gang is just a centurion, how can he expect Brother Youxun to obey him?" Zhu Gaoxi retorted with a smile.

"Yes, how could you listen to him?" The old emperor turned to ask Zhu Youxun upon hearing this.

"He said he would tell me the secret to taming rhubarb," Zhu Youxun explained, looking aggrieved.

Every time he saw Dahuang, he was terrified, his legs went weak, and he just wanted to run away. But the guards of the Wu King's mansion said that it was the Wu King's beloved dog and that he could not hit or scold it.

Even bluffing by waving a big stick around was immediately stopped, because they were afraid of scaring Da Huang into getting sick.

He's just an animal, yet he's been raised with such luxury; he's truly a dog relying on its master's power!

Zhu Youxun felt deeply insulted whenever he thought of Dahuang.

"And who is Dahuang?" the old emperor asked irritably.

"Grandfather, Dahuang is a hunting dog in the Prince's mansion. It has long been tamed and is usually very obedient. But for some reason, every time it sees Brother Youxin, its temperament changes drastically and it barks wildly."

In reality, the real reason that angered Da Huang was that the guards sprayed medicine powder on Zhu Youxun when he wasn't paying attention. The smell was very faint and not easily detected by others, but Da Huang could smell it.

This is a trick he's mastered; he's an expert in medicine and herbs, so doing something like this is a piece of cake for him.

Zhu Gaoxi originally wanted to take action himself, but unfortunately he knew nothing about medicine and had to give up.

The Crown Prince thought he had caught the Prince of Wu red-handed, and excitedly brought Zhu Youxu to the old emperor to complain. Little did he know that Zhu Gaoxi was already prepared.

"Then don't go to the Prince's residence. Gao Xi doesn't live there anyway, and Zhu Gaoxu and Mu Xin come to the palace to study every day. Are you perhaps going to see Mu Ang?" The old emperor suddenly looked at Zhu Youxun with scrutiny. "I remember you're not familiar with Mu Ang, are you?"

"This...Grandpa...um..." Zhu Youxun's face turned bright red, and he stammered, unable to answer.

Seeing how easily his teammate could be defeated, the Crown Prince couldn't help but glare at him, cursing inwardly: What a piece of trash!

In this world, there are very few young people like Zhu Gaoxi who can lie without thinking and are good at sophistry. The Crown Prince's expectations are a bit too high.

Zhu Gaoxi was secretly thrilled after his attempt to steal a chicken backfired!

The purpose of the Grandson's visit is quite clear: if the King of Wu can't even manage his own guards, how can he govern the country and restrain his ministers?!

The plan was well-thought-out, but the execution was too weak, and the flaws were exposed in just a few words.

The old emperor impatiently admonished his grandson, "Don't bother with such trivial matters anymore. You can't even handle a centurion? Have you wasted your education? Where's your brain?"

The old emperor's voice grew louder, startling Zhu Youxun, who hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed.

"Get up. You don't need to serve me here unless it's important," the old emperor sighed in exasperation, issuing a ruthless order to leave.

Having suffered a crushing defeat, the Crown Prince was utterly disheartened and took his leave.

The old emperor watched his retreating figure, silently shaking his head, his eyes filled with utter disappointment.

There were countless important political affairs to handle, but the grandson of the crown prince seized upon these trivial matters to find fault with the King of Wu. He picked up the sesame seeds but lost the watermelon, and in the end, he had nothing.

"Ji Gang is so audacious, daring to completely outmaneuver the imperial grandson. You must be backing him up behind the scenes!"

The old emperor was furious and rebuked him sternly, "Why aren't you doing any proper work? Why are you so idle?!"

Zhu Gaoxi immediately knelt down to admit his mistake, but the old emperor pulled him up, saying, "Use your intelligence for good! Is it really worth spending so much effort dealing with Youxi? If you don't want him to go to the Prince's Mansion, just say so. The Prince's Mansion is usually full of women. He'll only go there to cause trouble. Do you think your grandfather is really senile? In the capital, no one can act recklessly!"

Zhu Gaoxi lowered his eyes and brows, listening respectfully to the imperial instructions.

The old emperor abhorred internal strife, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard was extremely efficient; nothing could be hidden from him.

"Grandpa's teachings are right. I know I was wrong and I will definitely correct it in the future," Zhu Gaoxi said, showing an excellent attitude in admitting his mistake.

The old emperor had calmed down and his tone softened. "It wasn't your fault. He provoked us first. You're dishonest. You won't tell the truth in front of your grandfather. On the surface, you look down on Ji Gang, but in reality, you entrust him with important responsibilities. You're playing tricks on your grandfather."

"Grandson dared not hide it from Grandfather. It was because he felt that Ji Gang was honest enough that he gave him another chance," Zhu Gaoxi argued.

Seeing the old emperor's expression brighten, Zhu Gaoxi had a sudden inspiration and said with utmost sincerity, "I just noticed that my brother, the Crown Prince, looked displeased. Has the Crown Princess been losing her appetite again lately? Perhaps we should send Yunfei to the Eastern Palace to help out for a couple of days?"

"No need. The Crown Prince told us that Xia Yunniang is not only an excellent doctor, but also a skilled cook. The food she makes is very much to the Crown Prince's liking."

"Fourteenth Aunt has done a great service this time, and Grandpa will surely reward her handsomely," Zhu Gaoxi said sadly. "Aunt has worked so hard all these years to help Prince Consort Yin Qing with his illness, and Grandpa must be heartbroken."

Mentioning his daughter, who was so sensible that she was somewhat humble, the old emperor's eyes instantly welled up with tears. He said emotionally, "She thought we didn't dote on her. Yin Qing had such a serious illness, but she wouldn't tell us. Just like her mother, she was quiet and reserved. She had her own ideas and didn't want to cause trouble for others. Luckily, you and Youdun discovered Yin Qing's illness, otherwise we would have been kept in the dark."