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In the late autumn of the twenty-fifth year of the Hongwu reign, Nanjing was shrouded in a sorrowful atmosphere of parting.

Scattered fallen leaves drifted on the Qinhuai River, and every day at the docks, the ceremonial processions of princes set off from the capital.

As they parted ways, farewell banquets were held one after another in the various princely mansions. Among them, the most eye-catching was the grand banquet held by Prince Qin, Zhu Shuang, in his mansion.

That afternoon, inside the Wu King's residence, Ma He rushed into the study in a panic, not even having time to bow, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.

"Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!" Ma He's voice trembled as he almost collapsed to the desk. "Our old subordinates in the Eastern Depot have sent a secret report that someone is planning to poison your wine at the Prince of Qin's banquet tonight!"

Su Ning gently put down the book in her hand, her face showing no surprise: "Is the information reliable? Is the source trustworthy?"

"It's absolutely true! It was the Lü family who bribed a steward in the Prince of Qin's residence to try and kill you during the toasting ceremony." Ma He was sweating profusely. "Your Highness, you absolutely mustn't go to the banquet tonight! This is clearly an attempt to kill you!"

A brief silence fell over the study, broken only by the sound of Ma He's rapid breathing and the rustling of leaves falling outside the window.

Suddenly, Su Ning chuckled: "Haha, what a brilliant move to use someone else to do your dirty work."

"Your Highness?"

“The Lü family is trying to kill two birds with one stone.” Su Ning stood up and paced slowly in the study. “If I die from poisoning, she will not only get rid of a major threat, but also frame the Prince of Qin. At that time, the Prince of Qin will fall out of favor, and Zhu Yunwen’s position as crown prince will be more secure.”

Ma He knelt down and pleaded, his voice trembling with tears: "Since that's the case, Your Highness shouldn't go! I'll go to the Prince of Qin's residence to feign illness..."

“No.” Su Ning interrupted him, a cold glint in her eyes. “I’m going.”

"Your Highness! This is too dangerous! What if something goes wrong..."

"Danger?" Su Ning turned around, her eyes sharp. "This is precisely our chance to break the deadlock. My grandfather has been very wary of me lately, suppressing me at every turn. If I were 'assassinated' now, what do you think he would think?"

Ma He suddenly realized, but was still worried: "His Majesty will think that someone is trying to kill him to cover it up! But... what if the poison is too potent and it harms His Highness's life..."

"Don't worry," Su Ning said confidently, "I know what I'm doing. What you need to do now is cooperate with me in putting on a show."

"acting?"

“From this moment on, we will be 'sworn enemies',” Su Ning said in a low voice. “Go and spread the word that you have secretly sided with the Prince of Yan’s mansion and have been expelled from my inner circle. That way, even if someone investigates later, you can clear yourself of any involvement. Remember, this act must be convincing.”

Ma He, with tears welling in his eyes, said, "Your Highness! Let me go in your place! My life belongs to Your Highness..."

“No.” Su Ning shook his head firmly. “I must act in this play myself. Only by taking the risks myself can I gain people’s trust.”

In the afternoon, a fierce argument indeed broke out from the Wu King's residence.

Several servants witnessed Ma He running out of the study with tears streaming down his face, while Su Ning angrily shouted from behind, "Get out! You traitorous wretch, never let me see you again!"

The news quickly spread throughout Nanjing.

In less than an hour, all the royal palaces knew the news of the Wu King's falling out with his trusted eunuch.

……

As evening approached, Su Ning arrived at the Prince of Qin's residence on time.

The banquet hall was brightly lit, and all the princes were gathered, except for Prince Yan, Zhu Di, who had already set off to return to Beiping the day before.

After all, the current outcome is already the most favorable for Zhu Di; staying any longer would only lead to all sorts of unforeseen problems.

"Yun Tong is here!" Zhu Shuang greeted him warmly, patting him on the shoulder. "I thought you weren't coming today. I heard something happened at your residence?"

Su Ning smiled and bowed, his expression unchanged: "How could I not come when my second uncle has hosted a banquet? I was merely disciplining a disloyal servant, and I hope my second uncle will forgive my rudeness."

"Indeed! We really can't be too nice to these lackeys."

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the banquet gradually became lively.

Zhu Shuang raised his cup and rose, his face slightly flushed: "Brothers, today we part ways, and I don't know when we will meet again. Come, drink this cup to the brim, and may our Great Ming Dynasty be forever secure!"

May the Ming Dynasty's rule last forever.

Just as everyone raised their glasses, a young and beautiful maid quietly approached Su Ning, holding a pot of wine in her hands: "Your Highness, this is a thirty-year-old vintage wine specially prepared for you by the Prince of Qin."

Su Ning sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly polite and gentle: "Thank you for your trouble."

He calmly accepted the glass and drank it all in front of everyone.

As the wine entered my throat, a burning sensation immediately spread, accompanied by a slight stinging pain.

Despite his discomfort, Su Ning continued to chat and laugh with Prince Zhu Su beside him.

However, in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, his face suddenly turned ashen, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground with a "crash," the sound of it shattering particularly jarring in the noisy banquet hall.

"Yunhu!" Zhu Shuang exclaimed in alarm, rushing forward to support him. "What's wrong?"

Su Ning clutched his stomach, cold sweat pouring down his face, his voice weak but loud enough for everyone present to hear: "The wine... the wine is poisoned..."

The banquet immediately descended into chaos.

The princes rose in alarm, and the guards quickly sealed off the entire palace.

Prince Zhu Su hurriedly stepped forward to take Su Ning's pulse, his expression growing increasingly grave.

"Summon the imperial physician! Summon the imperial physician immediately!" Zhu Shuang roared, then turned sharply to stare at the maid. "Speak! Who ordered this?"

The maid was so frightened that she knelt down and begged for mercy, trembling all over: "Your Highness, spare me! It was...it was Steward Liu who sent me here. He said it was specially prepared by Your Highness for Prince Wu..."

"Nonsense!" Zhu Shuang roared. "When did I ever issue such an order! Drag him away and interrogate him thoroughly!"

Just then, Jiang Huan led the Embroidered Uniform Guard to the scene.

Seeing Su Ning's pained expression, Jiang Huan's face changed drastically: "Quickly! Summon the imperial physician! Seal off the scene; no one is allowed to leave!"

That night, Nanjing was thrown into turmoil once again.

Inside the Prince of Qin's residence, the imperial physicians went in and out, each with a solemn expression.

After taking his pulse, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy shook his head heavily: "The poison is potent; it has penetrated deep into the internal organs... I'm afraid..."

Then Su Ning was sent back to the Wu Prince's Mansion, as it was not appropriate for her to stay in the Qin Prince's Mansion.

Inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, Zhu Yuanzhang listened to Jiang Huan's report with a livid face, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest of the dragon throne.

"Is it all clear? It really was the Lü family who instigated it?"

"Your Majesty, we have both witnesses and physical evidence. Lady Lü bribed the steward of the Prince of Qin's residence to poison the Prince of Wu's wine. These are the silver notes found in the steward's residence, all bearing the seal of the Crown Prince's palace."

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the teacup to the ground, shards flying everywhere: "What a vicious woman! How dare she plot against a prince!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down," Jiang Huan said in a low voice. "Should this matter be thoroughly investigated?"

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a long time before suddenly asking, "I remember someone from the Eastern Depot warned the Prince of Wu, so why did he still attend the banquet?"

Jiang Huan reported truthfully: "According to the investigation, Ma He, the chief steward of the Wu Prince's residence, was recently expelled from the residence by the Wu Prince because of his dealings with the Yan Prince's residence. Presumably... no one warned him."

This news eased Zhu Yuanzhang's expression slightly, a complex look flashing in his eyes: "It seems this child is truly completely unprepared..."

The following morning, Su Ning received two imperial edicts while on his sickbed.

The first measure was to appease him: a thousand taels of gold, a hundred bolts of silk and satin, and countless kinds of precious medicines were bestowed upon him as a gesture of comfort.

The second punishment was for Lady Lü: From this day forward, Crown Princess Lü was confined to the Buddhist hall of the Eastern Palace, where she was to observe a vegetarian diet and chant Buddhist prayers for Crown Prince Yiwen, and was not allowed to leave without an imperial edict.

Of course, this was all to save face for his grandson Zhu Yunwen, but Lady Lü's life was already nearing its end.

Perhaps in order to ensure Zhu Yunwen's stability in ruling the Ming Dynasty, Lady Lü chose to do this even though she knew the outcome would be unfavorable.

In the afternoon, Zhu Yuanzhang personally visited the Prince of Wu's residence.

Looking at his grandson, who lay on his sickbed with a sallow complexion and weak breath, the old emperor showed a rare expression of guilt.

"Grandfather..." Su Ning weakly opened her eyes, her voice barely audible, "Please don't blame my second brother. This matter... is probably unrelated to him."

These words of repaying evil with kindness made Zhu Yuanzhang even more ashamed.

He grasped Su Ning's hand and whispered, "Yunwen, your grandfather is sorry." "Grandfather," Su Ning said, her eyes filled with tears, "can you tell me why you always looked down on your grandson? Why did you choose to make your second brother, Zhu Yunwen, your heir instead of considering your grandson?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed deeply, his aged face filled with complex emotions: "For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, the Zhu family's rule, some sacrifices are necessary. Your abilities are too strong, your power too great, and you take unorthodox and short-sighted approaches. If you were made crown prince, it might not be a good thing for the Ming Dynasty. This country... needs a monarch who can put everyone at ease."

"..."

……

As Zhu Yuanzhang left the Prince of Wu's residence, he remained silent in his sedan chair for a long time. Suddenly, he sighed to Jiang Huan, who was accompanying him, "Jiang Huan, do you think I am too ruthless?"

Jiang Huan bowed and replied, "Your Majesty dares not speak presumptuously. Your Majesty has profound plans and foresight for the sake of the country and its people."

Looking out at the bleak autumn scenery, Zhu Yuanzhang murmured to himself, "Sometimes, I can't tell whether I'm protecting this Ming Dynasty or being bound by it..."

At this time, Su Ning had already been sent back to the Prince of Wu's residence. After the emperor's entourage had left, Su Ning slowly sat up, and the sickly look on her face gradually faded.

He walked to the window, gazing in the direction Zhu Yuanzhang had left, a faint smile playing on his lips.

This play is about to be played in a different way.

……

In the early winter of the twenty-fifth year of the Hongwu reign, Nanjing was shrouded in a somber atmosphere.

The cold wind whipped up withered leaves, swirling them in the empty streets, and the entire capital city seemed to hold its breath.

The Wu Prince's Palace was heavily guarded inside and out, with the number of Jinyiwei sentries three times that of usual.

The imperial physicians who came and went all had solemn expressions, and a suffocating atmosphere permeated the mansion. Even the servants walked on tiptoe, afraid of disturbing their seriously ill master.

Inside the Jinshen Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang stood by the window, gazing in the direction of the Wu Prince's residence, his brows furrowed.

This grandson, whom he was once so proud of, has now become the biggest hidden danger in his heart.

"Jiang Huan," Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly spoke, his voice echoing in the empty hall, "Do you think the Prince of Wu was truly caught off guard when he was poisoned this time?"

Jiang Huan knelt and reported cautiously, "Your Majesty, according to my investigation, His Highness Prince Wu was indeed unaware of the situation beforehand. Moreover, he was poisoned with the rare Western Region poison 'Heartbreak Powder.' After all, it was the Crown Princess who risked her life for his. If it weren't for the timely treatment by the Imperial Hospital, he would probably already be..."

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a moment, a complex look flashing in his eyes: "Issue my decree: immediately send someone to Wudang Mountain to invite Master Zhang to the capital. Also send someone to Longhu Mountain to invite Daoist Xi Yingzhen. I want the best doctors in the world to come and treat Yunhu."

Jiang Huan was startled and looked up at the emperor: "Your Majesty, do you intend to..."

"I need to confirm," Zhu Yuanzhang said, his gaze deep and unfathomable, "whether this grandson can still live or not, and whether he still poses a threat."

Ten days later, the two renowned physicians of their time gathered in Nanjing.

Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain and Xi Yingzhen of Longhu Mountain were both ethereal and otherworldly. The news that the two of them were going to the capital at the same time immediately attracted widespread attention from the Ming Dynasty court and the public.

Inside the Wu Prince's residence, Su Ning lay weakly on the bed, her face as pale as paper, her breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible.

When the two renowned doctors arrived at the bedroom accompanied by Zhu Yuanzhang, Su Ning remained unresponsive, as if he had lost all consciousness.

Zhang Sanfeng stepped forward to take Su Ning's pulse, and his brows furrowed slightly as soon as his fingers touched Su Ning's wrist.

Xi Yingzhen also stepped forward to examine the patient, and the two exchanged a meaningful glance.

The pulse diagnosis lasted for a full hour.

During this time, the two renowned doctors occasionally exchanged hushed conversations, their expressions growing increasingly grave.

The imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy stood respectfully to one side, not daring to utter a sound.

"How did it go?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked anxiously as he waited in the side hall, seeing the two men come out.

Zhang Sanfeng sighed deeply, his white eyebrows furrowing slightly: "Your Majesty, the poison that His Highness Prince Wu has been afflicted with is quite peculiar. It appears to be the Western Regions' 'Heartbreak Powder,' yet it also contains some characteristics of Miao-style Gu poison. The toxin has penetrated deep into his internal organs, and this humble Taoist... is powerless to help."

Xi Yingzhen also shook his head and said, "This poison is exceptionally potent. Logically speaking, one should die within seven days of being poisoned. It's a miracle that Your Highness has survived this long, but to cure it completely... is difficult, difficult, difficult!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened, and his tone carried an undeniable authority: "Is there really no way at all? I want you to do everything in your power!"

“Perhaps…” Zhang Sanfeng pondered, “a hundred-year-old ginseng can be used to prolong his life. But this can only delay it, not cure it. His Highness may remain in this dazed state, sometimes awake and sometimes asleep, like a living dead…”

"A living dead?" Zhu Yuanzhang repeated the term, a strange glint in his eyes. "You mean, even if he wakes up, he won't be able to live like a normal person?"

“Exactly,” Xi Yingzhen replied, her expression grave. “And how long it can last depends entirely on the supply of the century-old ginseng. It could be as short as a month, or as long as a year or two. If the medicine runs out during that time, I’m afraid…”

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Can he still handle government affairs? Can he still attend court meetings?"

Zhang Sanfeng shook his head firmly: "Your Highness's mind is sometimes clear and sometimes confused. Even when he wakes up occasionally, he is still confused and has difficulty speaking, let alone handling state affairs. In my opinion, Your Highness needs to rest and recuperate for the rest of his life and must not exert himself any more."

This answer seemed to relieve Zhu Yuanzhang.

He immediately issued an edict: "Issue my decree, ordering the Nurgan Regional Military Commission to do everything in its power to collect century-old ginseng, at all costs, to save the life of the King of Wu! Also, order the Imperial Hospital to take turns guarding him every day, ensuring that the King of Wu receives the best care."

The imperial edict caused a stir throughout the court and the country.

The civil and military officials were all discussing it privately, saying that the old emperor truly had a deep affection for this grandson.

However, inside the Wu King's mansion, after everyone had left, Su Ning, who had been on the verge of death, slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were clear and bright, shining with wisdom in the dimly lit dormitory room; there was no trace of illness in them.
“Grandpa should be relieved now,” Su Ning said softly, his voice steady and strong. “A grandson who is about to die is safer than an ambitious rival.”

Afu emerged from the shadows, his human-like expression revealing worry: "Master, is it worth paying such a high price for that elusive throne?"

“Of course it’s worth it!” Su Ning sat up, his gaze resolute. “I’m not fighting for the throne; I’m fighting for a future for China. Only I can lead China into industrial civilization six hundred years ahead of schedule, ensuring our descendants are no longer bullied by barbarians!”

Afu nodded, seemingly understanding, "So what should we do next?"

“Wait.” Su Ning lay down again, reverting to her sickly appearance. “Wait until the Emperor’s scorching sun falls! Wait until Prince Yan, Zhu Di, storms into Yingtian! Wait until Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Yunwen, perishes by self-immolation.”

Just as Su Ning had predicted, Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude softened considerably after confirming that he was "incurable."

Not only did they send him precious medicinal herbs every day, but they also granted him special permission to recuperate in his residence and not participate in court affairs.

Even the Imperial Guards who were monitoring the Prince of Wu's residence had mostly withdrawn.

What surprised Su Ning even more was that Zhu Yunwen actually came to visit her at the mansion after Lady Lü was confined to her quarters.

“Third brother,” Zhu Yunwen held Su Ning’s hand, tears welling in his eyes, “it’s all my fault, I didn’t discipline Mother properly… If anything were to happen to you, I would never forgive myself for the rest of my life…”

However, Su Ning just stared blankly, showing no reaction to Zhu Yunwen's words.

Seeing Su Ning's appearance, Zhu Yunwen finally let down his guard.

In his eyes, his once powerful third brother was no longer a threat.

Even Zhu Di, who was far away in Beiping, wrote a letter to express his condolences after learning the news. He also specially sent someone to deliver a thousand-year-old ginseng. The letter was full of sincerity, as if he were a good uncle who really cared about his nephew.

As time went by, the city of Nanjing gradually got used to life without the King of Wu.

His sharp remonstrations were no longer heard in the imperial court, and his busy figure was no longer seen in the major chambers of commerce.

After the imperial court took over, the Ming Royal Bank and the Ming Royal Merchants operated normally, and the Xiaoling Academy and University continued to train talents in an orderly manner.

Everyone thought that this once stunning Prince Wu would slowly die on his sickbed, eventually becoming a regrettable footnote in the history books of the Ming Dynasty.

In the winter of the twenty-fifth year of the Hongwu reign, Nanjing was unusually peaceful.

But beneath the calm surface, undercurrents are still surging.

A prince who appears to have withdrawn from the core of power is secretly plotting and waiting for his opportunity.

All of this is concealed beneath the appearance of "no cure."

Zhang Sanfeng and Xi Yingzhen's "diagnosis" became the best camouflage.

Unbeknownst to anyone, deep within this seemingly tranquil palace, a scheme to change the fate of the Ming Dynasty was quietly unfolding.

...(End of chapter)