Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 568 Duel! The Invincible Zhu Gaochi! Justice Descends from Heaven!

Zhu Gaochi turned to look when he heard the sound.

A young European man, dressed in magnificent silk attire, was clearly intoxicated.

He still gripped the wine glass tightly in his hand, pointed at Zhu Gaochi, his face full of anger, and his body swayed unsteadily.

Daisy's expression changed abruptly, and she rebuked him sharply, "Federico, what's wrong with you? What does my marriage have to do with you? What right do you have to spout nonsense here?"

The nobleman called Federico sneered, his drunken eyes revealing a deep-seated jealousy and resentment: "Qualifications? Daisy, I've been in Venice for so long, pursuing you relentlessly, yet you treat me like I'm nothing."

"And what about this Ming prince?" He pointed his wine cup at Zhu Gaochi, his voice full of anger and sarcasm: "You've only met for the first time, and you've already let him hug you and kiss you... You... You're simply a slut!"

Federico then turned his attention to the Michele family, his tone becoming increasingly sharp: "Didn't your Michele family discuss your marriage with the Albizzi family before?"

“Your father once told someone in private that he wanted to marry you off to the heir of the Albizzi family.”

"But now, in the blink of an eye, they've completely forgotten what they said back then!"

"You only cared about the marriage alliance with the Ming Dynasty, and you even allowed this so-called Ming prince to grope you in front of everyone?"

"You and your family are utterly shameless!"

Federico swayed and staggered as he spoke, clearly quite drunk.

The banquet hall fell silent as everyone stared in shock at the scene.

Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi, being newcomers, naturally did not recognize Federico, but many of the nobles present were very familiar with him.

Federico came from the most illustrious Medici family in Florence and was the third son of the direct line of the family.

The Medici family held a higher position and greater power in Florence than the Albizzi family.

There have long been rumors that the Medici family was the true and actual ruler of Florence.

Of course, this is just a simplified version of what ordinary people say.

Florence's political structure is extremely complex, and no single family can completely control the city.

But without a doubt, the Medici family's status and influence in Florence were unmatched by any other family.

However, since the first heir of the Medici family had already married a few years ago, Michele had to settle for second best and was preparing to marry her daughter to the heir of the Albizzi family.

Another reason is that, although Michele was the Doge of Venice.

However, the Steno family, to which he belonged, was not the most prominent family in Venice.

Compared to the older and more illustrious families in Venice, the Steno family's heritage is still somewhat lacking.

Of course, now that Michele has become the Doge of Venice, the Stano family's status will undoubtedly be further elevated.

Federico, the third son of the Medici family's direct line, rushed to Venice upon hearing the news and began a relentless pursuit of Daisy, hoping to successfully steal her away.

There are two reasons why he did this.

Firstly, Daisy's beauty was unmatched in the entire European aristocratic circle.

She possesses an exquisitely beautiful face and a perfect figure; it would not be an exaggeration to say that she is stunningly beautiful.

A beautiful woman naturally attracts countless suitors.

Federico was instantly captivated by Daisy at first sight.

Secondly, Daisy's identity was extraordinary.

As the beloved daughter of the Doge of Venice, marrying her would have a huge impact on Federico's status within the family.

With Michele as his father-in-law's backing, he could even rival the first in line to the Medici family for the right to inherit the family fortune.
Essentially, this is no different from the succession struggle within the Ming Dynasty imperial family.

Marrying Daisy would secure him a crucial external ally.

Federico went to great lengths to achieve this goal.

He used every trick in the book to get close to Daisy, just to win her favor.

Federico earned the infamous title of "number one sycophant" within the aristocratic circles of Venice and Florence, becoming the object of countless people's secret ridicule.

But he didn't care.

Federico firmly believed that as long as he could win over Daisy and get married to her, what did this little bit of "suffering" matter?
Unfortunately, his deep affection and efforts ultimately went unrewarded.

Daisy always looked down on him.

Today, she actually hugged and kissed the newly arrived Ming prince.

Seeing Michele announce his daughter's engagement in public, Federico's efforts vanished in an instant, and his mental defenses completely collapsed.

"Federico, watch your manners and your words!"

Daisy was stunned by the sudden accusations and insults, and didn't know how to respond.

Her father, Michele, reacted the fastest. He stepped forward, glared at Federico, and spoke in a stern and resounding voice:
"As a descendant of the Medici family, please do not utter words that would dishonor your noble status!"

Michaela retorted angrily, "It is common knowledge that my daughter, Daisy, has never been engaged to any man before!"

"The accusations you've made are utter nonsense!"

"If you continue to spout nonsense and needlessly tarnish the reputation of my daughter and the Steiner family, don't blame me for being impolite!"

As the saying goes, "Even when drunk, one's mind remains clear."

When a person is drunk, they may dare to say things they wouldn't normally say or do things they wouldn't normally do, but they usually don't actually lose their rationality.

For example, when a group of friends get together for drinks and become slightly tipsy, it's perfectly normal for them to complain about their boss or superiors, or even swear at them.

However, if you asked them to go up to their boss while drunk, beat him up, or even kill him with a knife, they would almost certainly not dare to do so.

In fact, if the boss is present when they are drunk, they won't dare to curse at him. They might even flatter and fawn over him against their will.

Only when behind someone's back can one act with impunity.

Alcohol only gives people courage; it does not easily cause a person to completely lose their rationality.

After being severely reprimanded by Michele, Federico sobered up considerably.

This is Venice, not Florence.

Although Michele was wary of his Medici family identity, it was not impossible that he might kill him if he truly angered him.

After all, it was Federico who provoked them first.

Even if the Medici family sent people to reason with them or negotiate, they would have no reason to do so.

Besides, would the Medici family really turn against the Doge of Venice for his sake?

Most likely not.

He died, so his death was in vain.

Ultimately, there was no marriage agreement between Daisy and Alberto's heir; it was merely that both families had the intention to bring it together.

But as long as the engagement is not finalized, Daisy is not anyone's fiancée.

Otherwise, Federico wouldn't have pursued Deisa so relentlessly, knowing all this.

Daisy was always an "unclaimed flower," with complete freedom to choose her mate.

Marrying off to any other man would not constitute a breach of contract.

On the contrary, Federico's accusations are baseless and malicious attempts to damage his reputation.

But how could Federico be willing to give up so easily?
In his pursuit of Daisy, he chased her from Florence to Venice, spending countless amounts of money, energy, and time. How could he accept that all of this would come to nothing?

"Fine, I have no right to interfere with who your Steno family chooses to marry their daughter to!" Federico laughed angrily, then turned to Zhu Gaochi and shouted, "Now, as the third son of the Medici family, I formally request a duel from His Highness the Prince of Ming!"

“Prince of the Ming Dynasty, I believe that with your status, you must be a true warrior. Surely you wouldn’t refuse a duel between men?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the nobles in the banquet hall began to murmur amongst themselves.

In Europe, the culture of dueling has a long history, deeply influenced by chivalry and the concept of honor, and is especially prevalent among the nobility.

Duels are generally divided into two types: judicial duels and honor duels.

Legal duels are seen as "judgments from heaven".

The victorious side is considered to have received God's approval.

Who is guilty and who is innocent can be decided through a duel.

Honor duels were used to resolve various disputes among nobles, whether they concerned reputation, status, or personal grudges.

These duels were meant to demonstrate courage and personal dignity, and were an honor reserved for the nobility.

It is extremely common in Europe for two men to pursue the same woman and ultimately settle the matter with a duel.

Every year, countless nobles perish in duels.

Despite the Inquisition's strong opposition to such honor duels and the lack of support from most city-states, the custom of dueling remained prevalent among the nobility.

"duel?"

Zhu Gaochi looked completely bewildered, utterly confused about what was happening before his eyes.

Daisy immediately frowned and retorted seriously, "Fedric, this is Venice!"

"The laws of Venice have long been amended, and duels fought in private are now strictly prohibited!"

"Stop your unreasonable provocations here!"

Federico burst into laughter, his laughter filled with disdain: "Explicitly prohibited? When has that law ever actually been in effect?"

"I know that just a few days ago, two nobles had a duel of honor!"

"Diisa, stop protecting your lover!"

"If he is truly a warrior, he should stand up honorably and fight me to the death!"

"Instead of being a coward, hiding behind a woman and surviving by relying on her protection!"

He pointed at Zhu Gaochi again, his words becoming even more aggressive: "Prince of the Ming Dynasty, are you a coward?"

Zhu Gaochi only half understood what was being said, so he asked Daisy in a low voice what dueling was and the dueling traditions of Europe.

Daisy didn't hide anything and patiently explained it to him, finally comforting him, "You don't need to be afraid. As long as you don't agree, he can't force you."

Zhu Gaochi glanced at Federico and asked Daisy curiously, "Is he a good fighter? He just challenged me to a duel like that. Isn't he afraid of dying?"

In Zhu Gaochi's mind, only those "outlaws" of the Jianghu, that is, bandits and mountain robbers who call themselves heroes, would fight with others at the drop of a hat, compete to see who is better, and even fight to the death.

Officials and nobles are all learned and respectable cultural figures; why would they personally engage in fighting to decide life and death?
Indeed, Europe is a group of people who have never been taught by saints!
The nobles here behave in a manner exactly like the "Jianghu people" of the Ming Dynasty.

“He is a nobleman and a knight, and he has received training,” Daisy said. “In short, just don’t accept his duel; he can’t do anything to you.”

Europe is different from the Ming Dynasty.

Europe did not have a civil service examination system.

For a long time, Europe has maintained a system of hereditary military aristocracy.

Nobles of all ranks were either knights or knights-in-chief, and their status was determined by courage and strength.

Therefore, European nobles did not spend their lives studying the classics like those of the Ming Dynasty.

Learning horsemanship, archery, and swordsmanship was a compulsory course for every European nobleman.

Zhu Gaochi had only studied books and had never practiced martial arts.

However, he had other ideas.

Zhu Gaochi asked, "Are there any restrictions on the weapons used in duels?"

“Generally speaking, there are no restrictions. Of course, it can be arranged in advance,” Daisy said.

She quickly grabbed Zhu Gaochi nervously and said, "Why are you asking these questions? You shouldn't take his place."

Zhu Gaochi smiled faintly, ignoring Daisy, and instead looked at Federico, who was glaring at him angrily.

“I can accept your challenge to a duel,” Zhu Gaochi said seriously. “We will have an unrestricted duel, and both of us may use any weapon until one of us is killed.”

"Only one of us can leave alive."

The banquet hall fell silent instantly.

No one expected that the prince of the Ming Dynasty would agree to the duel challenge.

But many people looked at Zhu Gaochi with even greater admiration.

After all, everyone admires a brave warrior who steps forward, rather than a coward who avoids battle.

Worried about her son, Xu Miaoyun stepped forward, about to speak, but Zhu Di grabbed her arm, shook his head, and gestured for her to remain silent.

No one knows a son better than his father.

Zhu Di knew very well that Zhu Gaochi was not a willful and reckless person, nor was he as impulsive as Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaochi was always very mature and steady.

He would never accept an invitation to a life-or-death duel if he wasn't confident.

Federico was taken aback when he heard Zhu Gaochi agree to the duel. He was actually very afraid of death, but he had just been blinded by anger. Now, hearing Zhu Gaochi's agreement, he felt a little scared.

But with so many nobles in front of him, and having brought it up himself, Federico had no way out.

"Alright, then let's settle this once and for all." He waved his hand and ordered his servants to bring shields and swords.

Daisy was extremely nervous and looked at her father with pleading eyes, but Michele shook his head and rejected her "plea for help," instead looking at Zhu Gaochi with great interest.

"Has it officially begun?" Zhu Gaochi pulled out his treasured short gun from his pocket.

The gun, which is less than a foot long, is exquisitely crafted.

Back then, he was in charge of the Ming Dynasty's Manufacturing Bureau.

All of the military factories of the Ming Dynasty were under the management of Zhu Gaochi.

This short gun was also made during that time.

Even when he was convicted, imprisoned, and exiled overseas, he still brought out this treasured gun with him.

At this moment, Federico charged forward, shield in one hand and sword in the other.

"Watch out!" Daisy cried out.

The next moment, he raised his spear at Zhu Gaochi.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out.

Federico held his shield in front of him, but the bullet passed right through it and struck his chest.

Federico fell into a pool of blood!
……

(End of this chapter)