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In the late summer of the first year of Tiangong, in Nanjing.

The eaves of the Forbidden City shimmered with a glass-like luster under the summer sun, while outside the palace walls, the ripples stirred up by the new policies and cabinet appointments continued to surge beneath the fabric of the empire.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Su Ning finished reviewing the last memorial concerning the printing progress of the new school textbooks and gently put down his vermilion brush.

He stood up, walked to the huge "Complete Map of the Ming Dynasty", and looked into the distance.

"The wind has risen, the waves have surged, now... it's time to let them fight it out for a while." Su Ning muttered to himself, a cold smile playing on his lips.

He knew that reform was like cooking a small fish; if the heat was too fast, it would backfire.

The successive issuance of a series of earth-shattering decrees, including abolishing torture, reforming the law, promoting new learning, building a new capital, and even establishing a cabinet, has left the entire scholar-official and military class of the Ming Dynasty overwhelmed.

At this moment, we must give them time to digest, adapt, and even engage in internal strife.

Those seven cabinet seats were like seven carefully laid baits, enough to make those self-proclaimed pillars of the empire fight tooth and nail for them, leaving them no time to unite and fight against the deep core of the new policies.

And he, the young emperor, could temporarily step back from the limelight, stand aside and calmly examine this power struggle he had personally directed, and see what kind of exciting drama these ministers would put on.

“Ma He,” Su Ning turned around, his tone flat, “Prepare the carriage and head to the Heavenly Prison.”

Upon hearing this, Ma He trembled slightly, a barely perceptible look of astonishment flashing across his face, but he immediately bowed and replied, "This old servant obeys."

……

The deepest part of the imperial prison is a place of great importance, second only to the Forbidden City.

After all, Su Ning was worried that some idiots might come to rescue Zhu Di, so he had already arranged heavy troops to guard the place. Even Zhu Di's three beloved sons and their families were imprisoned here.

A cold, damp, and decaying smell wafted over, a stark contrast to the sweltering summer heat outside.

This place was originally where the most serious criminals were imprisoned. It was perpetually shrouded in darkness, with only the flickering torches on the walls casting distorted and swaying shadows.

Outside a specially made cell reinforced with high-quality steel, Su Ning dismissed all the guards, leaving only Afu to wait in the distance.

He stood alone outside the fence, watching the figure huddled in the corner of the hay inside.

The man was dressed in rags, his hair disheveled, and his once sharp, hawk-like eyes were now clouded and lifeless. He was his fourth uncle, the former Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, who had launched the "Jingnan Campaign" and nearly seized the Ming Dynasty's throne.

Seeing Zhu Di's miserable state, Su Ning felt no pity, but rather a cruel sense of pleasure.

He clearly remembered that, according to the records of another time and space, if he had lost, the fate of Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Yunwen, would have been extremely tragic...

The palace fire left many dead or missing, and even those who managed to escape lived in endless pursuit and fear.

Especially in the original historical timeline, Zhu Di showed no mercy to himself and his brothers.

Compared to what was before him, he felt incredibly fortunate that the tragic fate that might have befallen him had now been returned to the instigator intact.

"Fourth Uncle, how have you been?" Su Ning's voice rang out in the silent cell, carrying a clear hint of mockery.

Zhu Di's body trembled violently, and he slowly raised his head.

When he saw the calm and composed young figure in bright yellow civilian clothes outside the prison, his cloudy eyes instantly erupted with deep-seated hatred and resentment, but even more so with utter despair.

He opened his mouth, making a hoarse sound in his throat, but couldn't utter a complete sentence.

"It seems life here isn't so easy." Su Ning spoke casually, as if chatting about everyday matters. "However, compared to being confined within high walls and then quietly slaughtered like a pig, perhaps this is more 'pleasant,' at least you know why you're dying, isn't it?"

Zhu Di's pupils suddenly contracted as he stared intently at Su Ning.

Su Ning didn't care about his reaction. She took two steps forward, approached the fence, and lowered her voice as if to share a secret: "Fourth Uncle, do you know why I was able to defeat you? Do you know where all that I've done over the years, all that novel knowledge, all that vision that transcends the times, came from?"

Zhu Di remained silent, but his tense posture showed that he was listening.

“I remember in the fifteenth year of Hongwu, I was only four years old when I accidentally fell into the water and was unconscious for three days and three nights with a high fever.” Su Ning’s voice had a strange ethereal quality. “The imperial physicians all thought I wouldn’t make it. But at that time, I saw someone… someone that you and I both know very well and admire very much.”

He paused, then said, word by word, "I have met my imperial grandmother, Empress Xiaoci Gao."

Zhu Di abruptly raised his head, an expression of disbelief appearing on his face for the first time. He hissed, "No...impossible! You're lying! Mother Empress was already..."

“Actually, I initially thought I was dreaming.” Su Ning interrupted him, her eyes lost in memories. “But my grandmother’s voice and smile were so clear. She told me that the Ming Dynasty would face a calamity in the future, which would affect the fate of the country and my life and death. She couldn’t bear to see her descendants kill each other and the country in turmoil, so she secretly instilled a lot of knowledge and learning about the future into my mind.”

"You...you're spreading heresy!" Zhu Di struggled to stand up, the chains rattling. He absolutely refused to believe such nonsense.

"Demon talk?" Su Ning chuckled. "Then tell me, Fourth Uncle, how could a four-year-old child clearly state in front of Grandfather that he wanted to go to Zhongshan to observe mourning for his father? How could a boy of a few years old propose 'equalizing land tax and poll tax' and 'the system of officials and gentry paying taxes together'? Why have I had an extraordinary understanding and persistence in the study of things, arithmetic, geography, and even legal reform since childhood? Did these things come out of thin air?"

He listed a series of past events that Zhu Di was familiar with, and which even made him wary of Zhu Yunwen.

"If it weren't for the protection and secret guidance of my late grandmother in heaven, how could I have foreseen the future, how could I have planned step by step, how could I have seen through all your strategic intentions at the very beginning of your uprising and made targeted arrangements? Fourth Uncle, what you lost to was not me, but the will of Heaven, the will of Heaven that my late grandmother could not bear to see the Ming Dynasty ruined by you!"

This series of questions struck Zhu Di's heart like a heavy hammer.

His face was deathly pale, and his lips were trembling.

Reason told him that this was utterly absurd, but the extraordinary qualities Su Ning had shown since childhood, and the opponent's seemingly prescient and precise response during this "Jingnan" incident, left him with no more reasonable explanation.

That feeling of powerlessness, of having everything under someone else's control, overwhelmed him once again.

After a long while, Zhu Di seemed to have all his strength drained away, collapsing to the ground, his voice hoarse like a broken gong: "Why... since you already had such a powerful backer, why... why do you still hate me so much? Why do you want to kill me? I am, after all... your own uncle!"

Upon hearing this question, the last trace of expression vanished from Su Ning's face, leaving only a chilling aura.

“Hate you? No, Fourth Uncle, you are wrong. I never intended to fight you. I even thought that if you behaved yourself, I might be able to keep you as a vassal king guarding the border of the Ming Dynasty.”

He looked down at Zhu Di, his gaze sharp as a knife: "However, the 'future' that my grandmother showed me clearly tells me that no matter how much I yield or show weakness, you—Prince Yan, Zhu Di—will rebel! You will use the banner of 'purging the court of corrupt officials' to ignite this war that will engulf the entire country! And after you succeed, I, Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Yunwen, and my brothers and sisters will be deposed by you, imprisoned in a small courtyard, living in constant fear, and in the end... we will still die an unexplained death, like crushing an ant!"

Su Ning's voice suddenly rose, filled with long-suppressed resentment: "It was you! It was you who left me with no choice! It was you who forced me to pick up the knife before you could slaughter me like a pig! All I did was to protect myself, to survive! Now you ask me why I hate you? Then tell me, if you were in my shoes, wouldn't you hate me? Wouldn't you resist?!"

The cell was deathly silent.

Zhu Di fell completely silent.

He kept his head down, his disheveled hair obscuring his expression, only his slightly trembling shoulders revealing the turmoil in his heart.

Because what Su Ning said was exactly what he truly thought, the deepest part of his heart that he had never told anyone before...

Once the rebellion began, there was no turning back. Zhu Yunwen had to die; there could be no future trouble. All his ambitions and schemes appeared so naked and unbearable under the "precognitive" gaze of his adversaries.

Seeing Zhu Di completely defeated, Su Ning straightened up, straightened his sleeves, as if brushing away the dust that had settled on them.

"Fourth Uncle, right here, savor the fate you originally intended to bestow upon me." After saying this, he didn't look at Zhu Di again, turned around, and walked along the passageway he had come from, toward the light outside the prison.

Behind him was the Prince of Yan, utterly consumed by despair, and a bloody "history" that he had personally twisted.

……

The oppressive, resentful, and secretive conversation in the prison had ended, but the invisible shockwave seemed to still echo between the cold stone walls.

Su Ning's final words, which sounded like a judgment of fate, were not only a declaration of victory but also a precise and ruthless hammer blow that shattered the last pillar supporting Zhu Di's inner strength.

His lifelong arrogance, his self-proclaimed righteousness of "serving the emperor to quell the rebellion," and his sense of superiority that he believed his abilities far surpassed Zhu Yunwen's, all seemed so laughable and so vulnerable in the face of Su Ning's shocking truth that he was "given by heaven and knew the future."

Zhu Di slumped on a musty haystack, the cold iron chains binding his limbs feeling nothing compared to the chill in his heart.

He recalled his youthful vigor when he raised his army, his commanding presence on the battlefield, and the countless times he had dreamt of sitting on that dragon throne...

So, in the other party's eyes, all of this was nothing more than a futile struggle with a predetermined outcome?

His so-called great talent and strategy, his so-called forbearance and decisiveness, were nothing but a clown's performance in the face of "divine will" and "prophecy"!

An unprecedented sense of humiliation and powerlessness overwhelmed him.

He was not defeated by luck, nor by military mistakes, nor even by Zhu Yunwen's strategies, but by a superior force that he could not understand or resist.

This feeling was more painful for him than killing him.

He felt like an ant that Su Ning casually pressed into the mud, all his struggles and roars meaningless in the other's eyes.

He not only lost his empire, but also his dignity and ambition as a powerful figure, and was utterly trampled underfoot, never to rise again.

The shadows in the corner of the cell seemed to grow even darker, threatening to engulf him completely.

……

Meanwhile, Suning had already returned to the magnificent Forbidden City in the imperial carriage.

The gloom and malevolence in the prison were kept at bay by the majestic palace gates behind him.

The summer sun shone on the magnificent glazed tiles, reflecting a dazzling light. The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, creating a stark contrast with the decay of the prison, like heaven and hell.

As soon as the imperial carriage came to a stop in front of the Qianqing Palace, Yun Cui, the Empress's personal lady-in-waiting who had been waiting at the palace gate with a happy expression, couldn't wait to step forward and whisper a few words in Ma He's ear.

Upon hearing this, Afu was first stunned, then his face lit up with uncontrollable joy. He almost staggered to the imperial carriage, his voice trembling with excitement: "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Such great joy! Such great joy!"

As Su Ning was about to alight from the sedan chair, he saw the usually composed Afu acting so strangely, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He already had some guesses in his mind, but still calmly asked, "What's the matter that you're shouting like this?"

Ma He knelt down with a thud, his voice booming with joy as he reported, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! The imperial physician just took the Empress's pulse and confirmed...confirmed that Her Majesty is nearly three months pregnant! May the imperial heir be healthy!"

"What?!" Su Ning was shocked. Even though he was somewhat prepared, when the definite good news came, a huge and indescribable joy instantly swept through his body!
He abruptly stood up from the imperial carriage, disregarding even the dignity of an emperor, and grabbed the railing to confirm, "Is this true? The Empress is indeed pregnant?"

"Absolutely true! How could this old servant dare to speak falsely! The head of the Imperial Medical Academy personally examined the pulse; there is no mistake!" Ma He raised his head, tears streaming down his face. "This is a blessed omen bestowed by Heaven upon our Great Ming!"

"Good! Good! Good!" Su Ning said "good" three times in a row, unable to suppress the smile on her face, which was as bright as the summer sun.

He strode down from the imperial carriage, not even bothering to change his clothes, and said directly to Afu, "Let's go! Prepare the carriage for Kunning Palace immediately!"

At this moment, all the court intrigues, the selection of cabinet members, and Zhu Di in prison were overshadowed by this immense joy.

He had only one thought in his mind: he was going to be a father!

Zhao Ling'er is pregnant with his child!
On the way to Kunning Palace, Su Ning was filled with excitement.

The arrival of this child signifies far more than just the continuation of the bloodline.

In this era of supreme imperial power, a healthy prince signifies a solid foundation for the nation and a worthy successor to the imperial line. This is crucial for stabilizing the new emperor, who consolidated his throne through "unconventional" means!
This undoubtedly proclaimed to all his subjects that his rule, Su Ning's rule, was not only based on military force and new policies, but also on the legitimate and continuous imperial bloodline.

His throne was thus more secure and more legitimate!
Upon arriving at the entrance of Kunning Palace, Zhao Ling'er, having received the news, was already standing in front of the hall to greet them, supported by palace maids.

Her face was flushed with the shyness of a new mother and an undeniable blush of happiness, her eyes shining like stars.

"Your Majesty..." She was about to bow when Su Ning quickly stepped forward and gently supported her.

"Ling'er, you're pregnant, so let's skip these formalities." Su Ning held her hand, her tone more tender and excited than ever before. "How are you feeling? Is there anything wrong? What did the imperial physician say?"

His series of questions revealed his inner concern and anxiety.

Feeling the warmth of her husband's hand, Zhao Ling'er smiled sweetly and shook her head: "I am fine, just a little sleepy, but no other discomfort. I'm sorry to have troubled Your Majesty."

"That's good, that's good!" Su Ning carefully helped her walk into the hall, his gaze involuntarily falling on her still flat stomach, where the fruit of their love was growing, and also the hope for the future of the Ming Dynasty.

"From today onwards, you should rest well. If you want to eat or use anything, just give the order. Everything is for your and the prince's sake."

Looking at his wife's gentle face and feeling the joy of becoming a father, Su Ning was filled with a sense of satisfaction.

The treacherous political landscape of the imperial court stands in stark contrast to the warm and joyful atmosphere in the harem.

One moment he was in the prison, utterly crushing an enemy who tried to take everything from him with his words; the next moment, he was in the Kunning Palace, welcoming the most beautiful gift that belonged to him and the empire.

This experience, a mix of extremes, only strengthened his resolve...

In order to protect this warmth and hope, he must firmly grasp power and lead the Ming Dynasty to prosperity along the path he has set!
Any obstacle will be ruthlessly swept away by him.

"Issue my decree," Su Ning instructed Afu, who was following closely behind, "The Empress's pregnancy is a great blessing for the nation. Everyone in Kunning Palace shall be granted half a year's salary! Furthermore, the Imperial Household Department is hereby ordered to provide the Empress with the highest standard of meals and necessities, effective immediately, without fail!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ma He accepted the order with a broad smile and left.

Su Ning accompanied Zhao Ling'er in the Kunning Palace, which was filled with joy and anticipation, savoring the immense happiness that had fallen from the sky.

The future of the empire seemed to become clearer and brighter because of this new life that was about to be born.

...(End of chapter)