Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 191 Yang Shiqi Enters the Palace

Watching Zhu Zhanhe's departing figure, the little maid Xiaozhi was also immediately enveloped in a blush. Her entire face turned an intense red, as if it were about to steam.

"You lecher!" Xiao Zhi knew perfectly well what a so-called "chamber maid" did, which was why she was so shy. Finally, the little maid, her face flushed red from being teased, muttered something under her breath as she watched Zhu Zhanhe's retreating figure, then nervously went to complain to her young mistress…

Back at the Prince's residence, Zhu Zhanhe was in a good mood.

"So, you've met Miss Xia? What do you think?" Seeing that her son was very happy, Princess Wei of Han asked him with a smile.

In fact, Princess Wei and the matriarch of the Xia family didn't say much at the Xia family today. After all, Princess Wei had realized that this marriage couldn't be canceled so easily, so the two of them got along quite well.

"Mother, I met Miss Xia today and I am very satisfied with her. I have no objections." Zhu Zhanhe clearly told his mother that he had no objections to this daughter-in-law.

"It's not just that you have no objections, I think you're very satisfied. Didn't you see that when you came out of the Xia family, old man Xia glared at you with a dark face the whole time?"

"Tell me, did you bully Xia girl?" Princess Wei thought of Xia Yuanji's dark face and couldn't help but laugh. She was sure that her son was being dishonest and had bullied Xia girl.

"Mother, I didn't bully her, I just held her hand." Zhu Zhanhe rolled his eyes as he looked at his mother, who was full of teasing.

"Son, I'm telling you, you and Xia girl aren't married yet, you can't bully her! Do you understand?" Princess Wei of Han earnestly admonished her son, after all, the separation of men and women is a serious matter, and public opinion can be a powerful force!

"Yes, yes, Mother is right!" Zhu Zhanhe readily agreed.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Zhanhe walked quickly to his mother's side and began to fawn over her.

"Speak, what is it?" Judging from her son's expression, the Princess Consort of Han knew that her son definitely needed her help!
“Mother, I’d like to invite you to the Taoist temple to pray for blessings in a couple of days. Please invite Miss Xia to join us.” Zhu Zhanhe brought his mother a cup of tea with a solicitous expression.

"Look at you, you just promised so readily, and now you've already forgotten?"

"You two aren't married yet, you need to be careful!" Princess Wei took the tea her son brought her. She was about to take a sip, but after hearing her son's words, she put the teacup down on the table and reached out to pull her son's ear in annoyance.

"Hey hey hey~" Zhu Zhanhe saw that things were not going well. He immediately dodged and just stared at his mother helplessly.

"Alright, alright, I can't do anything with you, this is the only time!" In the end, seeing her son's expectant eyes, Princess Wei agreed to arrange for Miss Xia to come out for him.

"Thank you, Mother!" Zhu Zhanhe was overjoyed to hear his mother's reply.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, a message has arrived!" Just as the atmosphere inside the room was pleasant, suddenly, Steward Hu's voice came from outside the door.

"Come in!" Zhu Zhanhe said casually.

"Greetings, Your Highness! Greetings, Your Highness! A message from the Prince!" As soon as Steward Hu entered, he knelt respectfully on the ground, holding up a small wooden bucket.

"Hmm!" Zhu Zhanhe responded, and immediately a eunuch from the room came forward and took the secret letter from Chief Steward Hu's hand.

After confirming the secret letter was intact, Zhu Zhanhe opened the small wooden bucket and took out a slip of paper. "Mother, Father has come to Xin. He and Third Uncle have already gathered their old troops, and they are still gathering them. It is estimated that the number will not be less than 300,000. You can rest assured!" Zhu Zhanhe casually handed the slip of paper to his mother, and then waved to Steward Hu and the others. Immediately, Steward Hu and the eunuchs went out.

"He'er, are your father and the third brother really going to rebel?"
But we're still in the capital! After reading the message her husband sent back, Princess Wei's eyes immediately welled up with tears. Her husband was going to rebel, but he had left his family in the hands of the enemy. Was he really going to become all alone?
"Mother, rest assured, at the latest after the New Year, your son will take our whole family to our fiefdom!"
As for my father, let him make a fuss if he wants to. We'll take him to his fiefdom after he's done making a fuss." Zhu Zhanhe looked at his mother, who had been in a good mood, but now had eyes full of sadness and tears were about to flow. He quickly tried to comfort her.

"Can he really go to his fiefdom?" After hearing her son's words, the Princess of Han looked up, her face full of doubt.

"Don't worry, Mother, I have a plan!"
However, I urge Mother to hurry up and take stock of everything in the house, so that nothing is forgotten.” Zhu Zhanhe said this with a firm expression.

"Alright!" Upon hearing her son's words, Princess Wei wiped away her tears and agreed to her son's request with a firm expression.

In the days that followed, Zhu Zhanhe was busy with two things: one was helping to sort out the various valuable items in the Prince's mansion; the other was to build a relationship with his future wife.

Although the hugs and embraces made his unmarried fiancée quite shy, they also helped him become much more familiar with the young girl, Xiaozhi.

But Zhu Zhanhe really liked this feeling. He even secretly hugged the little girl Xiaozhi twice. Thinking of the little girl's shy appearance, Zhu Zhanhe found it very interesting.

However, this also caused trouble for Yun'er and Jian'er's maids at home. The emotions they couldn't get from their fiancée were vented several times on their two concubines.

Another year has come to an end, and this year's Spring Festival was very quiet at the Prince of Han's Mansion.

In fact, it wasn't just the Prince of Han's residence that was deserted; even the palace was not peaceful.

Late that night, Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji was summoned to the imperial bedchamber by Emperor Hongxi.

Emperor Hongxi lay curled up in bed, wrapped in a thick quilt, watching his son roaring that he wanted to continue fighting. He smacked his lips and turned his gaze to the little eunuch beside him.

"Proclaim the decree!" Emperor Hongxi said calmly to the eunuch beside him.

"Yes," the little eunuch bowed and replied under Zhu Zhanji's bewildered and helpless gaze, then brought over an imperial edict.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..." The young eunuch Huang Tai began reading the imperial edict. The meaning was clear: Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji was always thinking about fighting with his own uncle and had no proper conduct. Therefore, the Emperor had decided to demote the Crown Prince to study in Nanjing, and not to return without prior notice!

Upon hearing this imperial edict, Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji was stunned, his body trembling uncontrollably. He never expected that he, who was determined to safeguard the integrity of the country, would be betrayed by his father, Emperor Hongxi!

Zhu Zhanji stared blankly at his father, Emperor Hongxi, who was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, and opened his mouth several times, but in the end, he didn't know what to say.

Finally, Zhu Zhanji ignored the repeated reminders from the eunuch Huang Tai to receive the imperial decree, and staggered out the door as if his spine had been broken.

Just a few days after Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji was enfeoffed, Yang Shiqi, dressed neatly and with a serious expression, came to the palace to request an audience with Emperor Hongxi.

"Lord Yang!" Yang Shiqi, who had just entered the palace gate, suddenly heard someone calling him. He turned around and saw that it was Fan Zhong.

(End of this chapter)