Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 422 Blood Relatives in a Cage! Gu Panjun's Decision!

Gu Yanxiu stared straight at Gu Panjun, his eyes filled with incomprehension and confusion, and murmured softly, "Sister, is it really necessary to come to this?"

"Aren't you thinking too far ahead and making things too complicated?"

"His Majesty favors you so much. If you can conceive His Majesty's child and have him made the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, you will be the most honorable Empress Dowager of the Ming Dynasty."

"If my own nephew becomes emperor, then why would I worry that the Gu family's position won't be as secure as Mount Tai?"

"But now you're ruining your reputation, ending up despised by the world and attacked by court officials. This is not a wise move at all. On the contrary, it will bring a lot of trouble to the family. Sister, haven't you thought about these things carefully?"

Gu Panjun gazed calmly at Gu Yanxiu: "Your Majesty is about the same age as me, and is still a spirited young emperor."

"Leaving aside whether I can get pregnant and give birth soon, even if I do, it would be too early to talk about establishing an heir and inheriting the throne."

"Brother, you must never say such foolish things again. If they accidentally reach the ears of outsiders, they will misunderstand that you are cursing His Majesty. This is a serious crime of disrespect. I hope you will be careful with your words and actions."

"My family is deeply indebted to His Majesty and should therefore share His Majesty's burdens and difficulties."

"What does mere reputation amount to? It's nothing but fleeting fame."

"Furthermore, if I don't take the initiative to shoulder the responsibility for building extravagant palaces and indulging in excessive luxury, it is very likely that His Majesty will be the one to bear the blame."

“I am taking the blame on behalf of His Majesty. Given His Majesty’s character, he will surely remember this kindness.”

"Now that I am already burdened with infamy, I don't care about adding a few more. In fact, it will only make His Majesty feel more guilty and he will take better care of Gu Jia."

Gu Panjun lowered her eyes slightly, her expression calm yet revealing a hint of profound meaning.

"Moreover, I do not seek empty fame, do not care about my image in the eyes of the court officials, nor do I deliberately establish the reputation of a virtuous empress. By doing so, I am showing Your Majesty that I have no intention of interfering in the affairs of the court."

"Only in this way can His Majesty truly trust me without reservation."

"Only in this way can the wealth and prosperity of my Gu family be maintained for a long time and continue for generations."

"Brother, do you understand?"

However, Gu Yanxiu wouldn't listen to a word she said.

The thought of being locked up in prison filled him with an uncontrollable surge of anger.

Gu Yanxiu suddenly raised his voice and angrily asked, "You're saying all this just so you don't want to let me out, aren't you?"

“You keep saying you’re taking the blame for His Majesty, but you’re making the Gu family suffer.”

"You yourself still live in the incredibly luxurious Kunning Palace."

"We still eat well and dress well."

"You don't care about our lives at all."

"How long do you intend to keep me imprisoned in this dark and gloomy cell?"

He gripped the cell bars tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force.

“Being trapped in this dark and gloomy place every day, your brother is really going to go crazy!”

"Do you really want to drive your own brother to the brink of death, until I die, before you're satisfied?"

His voice echoed through the prison, filled with endless resentment and anger.

Gu Panjun sat there quietly, looking at Gu Yanxiu with a complex expression, like a deep, dark pool.

A myriad of emotions are contained within.

Gu Panjun was raised by her older brother Gu Yanxiu from a young age.

Because her father was always away doing business, and her mother accompanied him on his travels.

Transportation was inconvenient in this era; people relied entirely on horse-drawn carriages or walking.

Parents who do business far away often don't come home for several years at a time.

As a young child, she could only be raised by her older brother and sister-in-law.

Gu Panjun ran freely in the village since childhood, with no one to supervise her.

The Gu family was not a wealthy family with extravagant lifestyles.

However, there is also a rather large clan in the countryside.

The entire village is inhabited by people of the same clan, who also take care of each other.

Gu Panjun listened to teachers' lectures in the school set up in the ancestral hall from a young age.

He also often immersed himself in the library, browsing through books that contained knowledge and wisdom.

Her brother and sister-in-law were quite kind to her, at least they never skimped on her food.

Whenever she returned home, there was always a hot meal waiting for her.

They were never asked to do those heavy and arduous tasks.

She spent most of her childhood in the ancestral hall.

She devoted herself to her studies there and played and laughed with her peers. She would only return home when it was time to eat or go to bed.

For this reason, her daily contact with her brother and sister-in-law was not actually frequent.

Most of the time, Gu Panjun's parents are not around, so she is in a relatively lonely state.

And so it grew quietly and silently.

Thanks to having plenty of free time, coupled with her exceptional talent and intelligence, she managed to read through all the books in the clan's library.

With her amazing memory, she memorized most of the contents of the book.

Whenever she had no books to read, she would sit alone under the big tree in front of the ancestral hall, quietly pondering the trivial matters that happened in the village, and also thinking about the profound truths contained in the books.

Despite her young age, as the years went by, her thoughts gradually became more complex. She slowly came to understand that the reason why her brother and sister-in-law never assigned her any heavy work and allowed her to socialize with others, play freely, and study was because she was born with an exceptionally beautiful face.

From a young age, her beauty was stunning.

Everyone who has seen her is deeply impressed by her stunning beauty.

In this era, being beautiful means she is very likely to marry into a wealthy and prominent family.

The older brother and sister-in-law can also receive a generous dowry through this.

This is undoubtedly the greatest reward for them.

Conversely, if Gu Panjun were to engage in rough and heavy work, enduring wind, sun, and rain for extended periods, and become excessively tired, it would likely ruin her beautiful face bestowed upon her by heaven, causing their wishful thinking to fall through.

That's why her brother and sister-in-law never let her do any heavy work.

Why did her brother and sister-in-law insist on sending her to study at the ancestral hall, where she would frequently interact with outsiders and play freely?

In reality, she hoped that more people could witness her graceful demeanor.

They eagerly hoped that Gu Panjun's good name would spread like ripples, reaching farther and farther.

They knew that if she were always kept confined to her boudoir, even if Gu Panjun was stunningly beautiful, very few people would know of her beauty.

As for whether Gu Panjun's studies with men and her public appearances would attract gossip and lead to rejection and disdain from prominent families in this still largely feudal and conservative era, her brother and sister-in-law did not care.

In their calculations, if they couldn't become the principal wife of a wealthy family, then becoming a concubine was a viable alternative.

After all, the requirements for concubines in this regard are much more lenient.

Furthermore, for ordinary people, the dowry for taking a concubine was often more generous than the dowry for marrying a wife.

When a man marries a woman, the gifts he gives are called betrothal gifts.

According to custom, the bride's family, which receives the betrothal gifts, is required to reciprocate with a dowry of equal value.

For example, if the groom gives a betrothal gift of fifty taels of silver, the bride must prepare a dowry worth one hundred taels of silver.

Of course, in practice, the betrothal gifts are usually paid in cash, while the dowry consists of various furniture, clothing and other items, which leaves some room for the bride's family to make arrangements.

The woman may have actually only spent sixty or seventy taels of silver, or even less, but claimed that her dowry was worth one hundred taels.

However, in any case, the dowry should not be too meager.

After all, no one is stupid. They can get a rough idea of ​​the value of a dowry just by looking at it.

In this era, the binding force of this folk custom was extremely strong, and no one dared to offend the "public wrath".

If you disobey, you will not only be gossiped about behind your back, but you may also face severe "punishment" from within the clan.

Such behavior would undoubtedly damage the reputation of the entire clan.

If a wealthy family were to offer betrothal gifts, they wouldn't know how to provide a dowry.

The money given for taking a concubine is called betrothal gifts. This is different from the betrothal gifts.

A bride price is essentially a purchase of the woman's personal rights, meaning she becomes the man's servant and has no further connection with her original family.

This is why the amount of betrothal gifts is usually quite high.

Moreover, according to custom, the bride's family who receives the betrothal gifts is not required to provide any dowry whatsoever.

In the schemes of her brother and sister-in-law, they used the grand excuse of feeling sorry for their sister to not discipline her much, allowing her to grow up unrestrained, and even letting her gain a bad "reputation" in the outside world.

When others gossip, they can still claim that it's all out of love and doting on their younger sister, that they simply can't bear to discipline her strictly, and that they can't stand seeing her suffer even the slightest grievance.

If one could obtain a generous dowry by "marrying off one's younger sister," that would be the best outcome.

Although the bride price was nominally given to Gu Panjun's parents, there were only two siblings in the Gu family.

The dowry money supposedly given to the parents ultimately ends up in the older brother's hands, doesn't it?
In fact, their seemingly unintentional but actually cunning approach was very effective.

As Gu Panjun grew older, her reputation for beauty, described as "enough to make fish sink and geese fall from the sky, enough to make the moon hide and flowers blush," spread like wildfire through all the surrounding villages.

Many young men fell in love with her after just one meeting, becoming completely captivated by her beauty, and upon returning home, they would declare to their parents that they would marry no one but her.

In no time, matchmakers flocked to her house, almost wearing down the threshold.

The older brother and sister-in-law were naturally overjoyed and couldn't contain their happiness.

Later, his parents, who were doing business away from home, passed away one after another in a very short period of time, and only their coffins were sent back to their hometown.

As the eldest brother is like a father, according to the established customs, her brother automatically inherited the power to decide his unmarried sister's marriage.

However, precisely because suitors were flocking to their door, her brother and sister-in-law felt that their sister's marriage could still be negotiated, so they did not rush to settle her life's important matter.

It wasn't until Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and others secretly began preparing for Zhu Yunwen's marriage that they began sending people to search for suitable women among the common people.

The renowned Gu Panjun naturally came into their view.

After careful planning, Gu Panjun entered the capital and became famous. Even the Xu family, the Duke of Wei, came to propose marriage, and her brother and sister-in-law readily agreed.

But Gu Panjun resolutely refused to marry him. She had read many books and knew about the arrangements made by Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and others.

Since she had the opportunity to enter the palace and become the emperor's woman, she decided to give it a try.

Ultimately, Gu Panjun was chosen by Zhu Yunwen and became the Empress of the Ming Dynasty.

Gu Panjun never complained about her brother and sister-in-law's "malicious" behavior.

On the contrary, she felt deeply grateful to them.

Regardless of their initial motives, at the very least, they raised her to adulthood and gave her a carefree childhood.

It also gave her a profound cultural knowledge that was difficult for even most ladies from prominent families to attain in that era.

In addition, having interacted with people frequently since childhood, she has developed exceptional interpersonal skills far exceeding those of women her age.

It should be understood that without these experiences, even if she were exceptionally beautiful, Zhu Yunwen would never have made her empress if she lacked the ability to manage the affairs of the harem.

Even if she were to be made empress, she would find it difficult to maintain her position.

It was her brother and sister-in-law's little-known "ulterior motives" that, by a twist of fate, sculpted her into the person she is today.

Only then could she secure her position as empress.

However, Gu Panjun, who was well-read and liked to think, knew that people like her brother and sister-in-law were probably considered to be somewhat intelligent and shrewd in a remote mountain village.

But once they find themselves in the court, a place teeming with geniuses and rife with unpredictable events, they become nothing short of "fools."

Those who can gain a foothold in the imperial court are all among the world's top figures.

Even those spoiled brats who were usually good for nothing, through their exposure to officialdom from a young age, were able to master the intricacies of human relationships, power struggles, and other matters without a teacher, far surpassing the abilities of their elder brothers and sisters-in-law, who had lived in the countryside for a long time.

As for those who rose from among millions to become high-ranking officials through the imperial examinations or other means, their intelligence and talent are self-evident.

Except for a very few eccentric and stubborn individuals, most people can quickly adapt to the unpredictable and treacherous environment of the imperial court.

Those who cannot adapt often end up in a very tragic situation.

Gu Panjun once had high hopes that her brother and sister-in-law could adapt to the new environment and broaden their horizons, just like those elites in the imperial court.

But as time went by, she has come to realize that this was ultimately just an unrealistic fantasy, unlikely to come true.

If left unchecked, it will eventually destroy the Gu family and ruin her as Empress.

“Brother, you won’t be imprisoned here forever.”

After a long while, Gu Panjun gathered his thoughts and said, "His Majesty has already issued an edict to change the punishments of exile and military service to labor reform."

“A hundred miles outside of Nanjing, there was a large farm used for labor reform.”

“Brother, you will be sentenced to three years in prison and sent there for labor reform.”

"You don't need to worry. There, you will neither go hungry nor suffer from cold."

“Working on the agricultural reform farm is no different from doing farm work in the village before.”

"If you realize your mistakes and understand how to correct them after three years, you may return."

Gu Panjun looked directly at Gu Yanxiu and said very seriously.

"If you still haven't repented, then stay for another three years."

"I'll come back whenever the renovation is complete."

Upon hearing her words, a fierce hatred suddenly flashed in Gu Yanxiu's eyes.

He was like a pyre that had been set ablaze, instantly bursting into flames.

"Sister, my noble and incomparable Empress sister, are you really so heartless?"

Gu Yanxiu's voice trembled, tinged with sobs and rage.

"Since you were little, has your brother ever mistreated you in the slightest?"

"We provide you with food and drink, and we never let you do any heavy work."

"You can wear all the clothes your sister-in-law can't wear."

His gaze was intense as he stared intently at Gu Panjun.

"Ask yourself honestly, hasn't your brother treated you well enough?"

"Now that you are the Empress, enjoying wealth and honor, is this how you treat your own brother?"

His voice grew louder and louder, almost a roar.

"You're going to send your brother to a labor camp to do farm work?"

"Can you live with your conscience after doing this?"

Doesn't your heart feel even a little pain?

"Father, Mother, can you see this from heaven? My little sister has grown up and become successful, but she doesn't want me, her brother, anymore... Waaaaah..."

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and in the end, he broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

While wailing, he shouted wildly, "If you insist on doing this, you might as well take a knife and just kill me, your brother."

"Anyway, you're as cold-hearted as iron now, completely disregarding any sibling bond..."

Gu Panjun stared blankly, her expression growing colder and colder, and the disappointment in her eyes surged like a tide, growing stronger and stronger.

“My mind is made up. No matter how much you cry and make a fuss, it will be in vain.”

Her voice was cold and clear, like the winter wind, devoid of any warmth.

After speaking, Gu Panjun stood up, turned around without hesitation, and walked out of the cell.

Seeing Gu Yanxiu's desperate state, she knew that saying anything more now would be a waste of breath.

Gu Yanxiu continued shouting hoarsely behind her, "I don't want to live anymore, I want to go to the underworld to see my parents..."

"You heartless wretch! You've become Empress, and this is how you treat your own brother..."

The shouts, like sharp weapons, kept assaulting Gu Panjun's eardrums.

However, Gu Panjun seemed not to hear, gently put her mask back on, and steadily stepped out of the cell, gradually disappearing into the dark passage.

……

(End of this chapter)