I am the prince of the Ming Dynasty, I don't give up

Chapter 576 The Final Plan for the Succession to the Throne

On this point, Zhu Houzhao was very thoughtful and kind.

Zhu Houxuan naturally understood Zhu Houzhao's meaning immediately, and he was somewhat moved.
But he would definitely reject Zhu Houzhao's affection.
He took a deep breath and said, "Brother, if that's the case, then why wait until later? Today is worse than tomorrow. I'll have someone call all my twelve sons here. Whichever one you like, you can adopt as your heir."

As soon as Zhu Houxuan finished speaking, Zhu Houzhao suddenly turned his head and looked at Zhu Houxuan.
Zhu Houzhao showed disbelief in his eyes and said, "Do you understand what this means? Over the years, countless people have asked me to adopt a child from the royal family as my heir, but I refused because you are my only choice for the throne. If I adopt a heir, how can you succeed to the throne?"

"Then I won't succeed to the throne." Zhu Houxuan said calmly, his tone was relaxed as if he was talking about a trivial matter.
"Why bother so much? Let my brother's adopted son take over the throne. I will assist him just like I assisted my brother." Zhu Houxuan's tone was still so calm.
Zhu Houzhao showed an extremely complicated expression, and then scolded: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"I didn't say anything nonsense. This is what I really think. My brother's children can inherit the throne, and the throne will not be transferred by lineage. It can be inherited by my brother's line." Zhu Houxuan showed a warm smile.
If Zhu Houzhao followed his plan and let Zhu Houxuan succeed to the throne and then adopt a son as his heir, then Zhu Houxuan's heir would lose the right to inherit the throne and could only be a prince, because although Zhu Houxuan's heir was Zhu Houxuan's biological son, he was only Zhu Houxuan's nephew in terms of etiquette and law, and it would be difficult for him to inherit the throne from Zhu Houxuan.
Zhu Houxun's current plan is to give up the throne and let Zhu Houzhao's son take over the throne, so that according to etiquette and law, the throne will still be in Zhu Houzhao's line.
It can be said that Zhu Houxuan's proposal took care of Zhu Houzhao to the greatest extent.
Zhu Houzhao naturally understood all of this. He was touched and felt a little ashamed.
"No! This is too unfair to you, my brother! Others may not know, but I know that the Ming Dynasty was able to reverse its decline and usher in today's prosperity because of your painstaking efforts. You are the greatest contributor, and this throne is most suitable for you. How can you not want it now?" Zhu Houzhao said, holding Zhu Houxuan's hand tightly.

"Your Majesty is right. From some perspectives, I am indeed the most suitable candidate, but from other perspectives, there are many people who are more suitable than me. Besides, I don't want the throne. Your Majesty's adopted son is also my son. What's unfair to me in giving the throne to him?" Zhu Houxuan said gently.

"Anyway, the title of emperor is just an empty title to me, I don't care about it at all," Zhu Houxuan continued.

Zhu Houzhao stared at Zhu Houxun blankly, without saying anything for a long time. Was he tempted by this plan? Of course he was! It would be a lie to say that he was not tempted. This plan would make him feel much less guilty about his father, Zhu Youtang, because the throne was still in their lineage, and he was worthy of his father.
But this would make him feel guilty towards Zhu Houxuan. After all, he saw how much Zhu Houxuan had sacrificed over the years.
So Zhu Houzhao didn't know what to do for a moment.
"Royal brother, please adopt a son now, and then bring him here to accompany you. You can also teach him personally, teach him how to fight, how to behave in society, and enjoy the happiness of family. Isn't it wonderful?" Zhu Houxuan continued.

Zhu Houxuan's words completely broke down Zhu Houzhao's psychological defenses.
Zhu Houzhao is 41 years old and still has no children. He has always wanted to have his own children. He also likes children very much, which can be seen from the fact that he likes to go to Nangong to play with Zhu Houxuan's children.
But Zhu Houzhao was very busy before, busy with various wars and expeditions, so this idea was not very strong.
But now it is different. Zhu Houzhao, who is now half disabled, has a dark world. Zhu Houxuan's proposal is like a ray of light shining into Zhu Houzhao's dark world, making his heart beat fast.
What a wonderful thing it is to raise a child, teach him personally and raise him!
Zhu Houzhao thought to himself that not having children was one of the few regrets in his brilliant life, and now this regret will be made up in his last years.
Zhu Houzhao found that he could not refuse this proposal.
Zhu Houxuan observed Zhu Houzhao's expression and realized that this matter was almost certain. This was his final plan for the succession to the throne. He wanted to ascend the throne and become the emperor, but in this situation he had to make a choice and make the decision that was most beneficial to the future situation.
He had thought about this final plan for a long time, and one of the important reasons that prompted him to make such a decision was Zhu Houzhao's health.
He had been observing Zhu Houzhao's condition, both physically and mentally. Zhu Houzhao's severely injured body also caused him great psychological problems.
Zhu Houxuan could clearly sense that Zhu Houzhao had begun to develop a self-destructive tendency in his heart when facing his weakened body. This could be seen from his constant request for alcohol, his lack of cooperation with treatment, his self-abandonment, and his frequent feelings of world-weariness.
Zhu Houxuan saw all of this. Even if it was only out of emotional considerations, Zhu Houxuan decided to do his best to help Zhu Houzhao and try to prolong his life.
Zhu Houxuan didn't know how to treat psychological problems, but from his understanding of Zhu Houzhao, he decided to use this method to soothe his wounded heart with the innocence and cuteness of a child.
Zhu Houzhao's psychological problems were also because he had lost his purpose in life. Teaching and raising a child would help him find his purpose in life again and cheer up again.
Moreover, this is the best option for the future situation. This is the most legitimate option for the succession of the throne, and it is difficult for the southern rebels to do anything in this regard.
Moreover, Empress Dowager Zhang would have nothing to do with this. After all, it was Zhu Houzhao who adopted the heir, and she didn't need to approve it.
"It's settled. I will send someone to pick up my twelve sons for you, my brother, to choose from," said Zhu Houxuan.

(End of this chapter)