Chapter 46: Who Says His Highness Is Zhu Yunwen?

“Wait a moment, Commander Zhang!”

Zhu Di was still listening intently to Commander Zhang’s account of the events in the capital when he was suddenly interrupted by Yao Guangxiao.

Turning back toward the monk, Zhu Di saw Yao Guangxiao frowning at Commander Zhang and asking, “Commander, did you just say that both the nobility and the civil officials strongly supported the Grand Imperial Grandson’s accession to the throne?”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di’s eyes widened instantly, the depths of his gaze filled with sheer disbelief.

What kind of international joke was this? It would make some sense if the civil officials in the imperial court supported Zhu Yunwen, but how could the nobility possibly support him as well?

Unless Zhu Yunwen had slipped a love potion to every single noble in the realm, there was no earthly way that people like Little Blue would support Zhu Yunwen.

He knew very well what those nobles had on their minds; they wanted their families to share the destiny of the state and their descendants to enjoy everlasting glory and wealth. Based on that alone, it was impossible for them to support Zhu Yunwen, who favored the civil official faction.

If Zhu Yunwen possessed an imperial edict left behind by Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Di might believe he could stabilize the court.

Yet, it was obvious that Commander Zhang was not saying Zhu Yunwen had seized control of the court relying on an imperial edict, but rather that he had gained the wholehearted support of everyone.

“Who told you it was that concubine-born son, Zhu Yunwen?”

Ignoring Zhu Di’s dazed state, Commander Zhang glared at Yao Guangxiao and rebuked him with a frown, “You are a proper Buddhist monk, yet you dare to presumptuously second-guess the imperial will? Do you want to accompany me to the capital’s imperial prison for a visit?”

Ah?

N-Not Zhu Yunwen?

Then who could it be?

Could it be the second elder brother, the third elder brother, or perhaps the fifth?

Zhu Di was so astonished that his jaw dropped open. He even dug his finger into his ear, suspecting that he had misheard.

Was there anyone else in the capital qualified to inherit the imperial throne, and someone who could command the full support of all civil and military officials in such a short span of time?

Aside from Zhu Yunwen, the only other people Zhu Di could think of were his own brothers who, like him, were legitimate sons of the old Emperor.

As for anyone else, Zhu Di had never even considered them.

According to the system of primogeniture established by Zhu Yuanzhang, aside from the legitimate sons of the Crown Prince Zhu Biao, only a few of those legitimate imperial sons possessed the qualifications to inherit the throne.

Especially the current Prince of Qin, Zhu Shuang. He was the second son of the Zhu family; following the concept of the younger brother succeeding the elder, it would indeed be very easy for him to win the court’s support.

Thinking of this, Zhu Di’s heart actually felt a lot more at ease.

He probably figured that he wouldn't have to bow to a junior in the future, making the situation feel far less awkward and humiliating.

Of course, Zhu Di was still somewhat unconvinced in his heart. Why should the second brother be able to ascend to the throne, while he, the fourth Zhu, could not?

Was he inferior to Zhu Shuang in any way?

When Commander Zhang saw the expressions on the faces of Zhu Di and his entourage, he almost failed to hold back his laughter.

Just at that moment, Xu Miaoyun stepped forward, offered a graceful bow to Commander Zhang, and asked in a low voice, “Commander, may I ask who the Prince you spoke of is? As you know, our Prince of Yan’s Mansion is far away in Beiping, and news here is indeed rather delayed. I must ask you to enlighten us, Commander.”

Back when she was in the capital, Xu Miaoyun had earned the moniker of the "Female Zhuge." Normally, she simply disdained meddling in the affairs of Zhu Di and Yao Guangxiao, but this matter concerned the future destiny of the Prince of Yan’s Mansion, so she had no choice but to step forward.

It was hardly appropriate to always rely on a grand monk to speak for the Prince of Yan’s Mansion.

“Replying to the Princess of Yan, the Prince I mentioned is naturally the Crown Prince’s proper, legitimate son—the Third Prince of the Eastern Palace!” Commander Zhang showed deep respect toward Xu Miaoyun.

Boom!

Yet, his words once again struck everyone in the Prince of Yan’s Mansion, including Xu Miaoyun, as if they had been hit by a bolt of lightning.

The Crown Prince’s legitimate son, the Third Prince of the Eastern Palace?

Zhu Yunruo?

Wasn't that boy usually listless and timid, acting submissively whenever he met anyone?

How on earth could he snatch the imperial throne from Zhu Yunwen’s hands, and furthermore seize control of the court in such a short time, making all the civil and military officials support his accession?

If Zhu Di couldn't figure it out, even Xu Miaoyun couldn't make sense of it.

She had once been close friends with Lady Chang, so in the first few years after Lady Chang’s passing, she frequently visited the Eastern Palace to see Zhu Xiongoying and Zhu Yunruo. Later on, although she visited less often after Zhu Xiongoying died, she remembered very clearly what Zhu Yunruo looked like every time she saw him.

Timid, cowardly, always keeping his head down and not daring to look at people, appearing utterly terrified of interacting with others.

She could not fathom for the life of her how a Zhu Yunruo like that had managed to snatch the succession right out of the hands of Zhu Yunwen, whom Zhu Yuanzhang had carefully groomed.

As for Yao Guangxiao, his pupils were shaking with shock.

Earlier, after observing astrological phenomena and discovering that the Purple Star was obscured, he had roughly calculated matters concerning the new emperor. The results showed chaos, yet he hadn't sensed anything particularly strange.

Therefore, he had naturally assumed that, barring any accidents, the throne would still fall to the crown prince favored by Zhu Yuanzhang. But now...

This made Yao Guangxiao’s deeply proud divination techniques seem like an utter joke.

And this was called nothing particularly strange?

This, damn it, was a complete and utter disruption of the natural order!

However, upon second thought, Yao Guangxiao’s pupils constricted. Looking at Commander Zhang once again, he seemed to understand something.

“Your Highness! I’m afraid this is the work of the capital’s nobility!”

Yao Guangxiao whispered a reminder close to Zhu Di’s ear, and then tightly clamped his mouth shut.

He believed Zhu Di would understand what this meant.

Sure enough, the expression on Zhu Di’s face rapidly shifted several times, and his inner thoughts were shaken to the core.

The nobility! The nobility...

That was right, it had to be them.

Zhu Yunruo must have been pushed out as a puppet jointly by the nobility. Otherwise, based on his usual demeanor, how could he possibly have taken control of the court so quickly, and why hadn't even his own agents in the capital managed to send any news back for so long?

Aside from the nobility joining forces with the Brocade-Clad Guard, who else could pull off such a feat?

“Your Highness, things have changed. I’m afraid we must head back and reconsider our plans thoroughly,” Yao Guangxiao reminded Zhu Di once again.

Zhu Di nodded slightly.

Then, he cupped his fists in a slight salute toward Commander Zhang. After a moment of thought, he pulled out a thick stack of banknotes and forcefully shoved them into Commander Zhang’s hands, smiling, “You’ve had a hard journey, Commander Zhang. I am truly grateful that you could share all this with me. Please do not despise these meager funds. If there are any further twists and turns in the capital in the future, I beg Commander Zhang to inform the Prince of Yan’s Mansion at the very first moment. I shall be endlessly grateful.”

He was clearly trying to win Commander Zhang over.

However, Commander Zhang showed no intention of refusing whatsoever. With a chuckle, he stuffed the banknotes directly into his lapel, cupped his fists, and said, “Easy enough, easy enough! Thank you, Your Highness the Prince of Yan. My subordinates and I will now return to Yingtian Prefecture.”

With that, he glanced at the imperial decree-bearing eunuch, and the entire group mounted their horses and galloped away rapidly.

“Alas! Truly an eventful autumn, an eventful autumn indeed!”

Watching the dust kicked up by their rapid departure, Zhu Di could not help letting out a long sigh, a heavy look of worry washing over his face.

Yet Yao Guangxiao, standing beside him, revealed a faint smile, leaned close to Zhu Di’s ear, and began to murmur in a low voice.