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

Chapter 195 The Dragon Appears at the Imperial Ancestral Temple
Soon, Zhu Zhanhe followed Fan Zhong into the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where he saw the ancestral tablets of the Zhu family enshrined, including those of the Hongwu Emperor and the Yongle Emperor.

As for the Jianwen Emperor's ranking, sorry, firstly, he did not die, and secondly, he was not recognized as emperor by the Yongle Emperor, so his ranking is not included!
"Your subject, Zhu Zhanhe, pays respects to Your Majesty!" As soon as he entered the room, Zhu Zhanhe saw his uncle, Emperor Hongxi, kneeling on a prayer mat facing the ancestral tablet. So he knelt down and bowed to his uncle as soon as he entered the room.

"He'er is here, get up quickly!" Perhaps it was the sound of Zhu Zhanhe's arrival that brought Emperor Hongxi, who was lost in thought, back to reality. He silently wiped away his tears before turning around and smiling at his nephew.

"Uncle, I don't know what brings you here...?" Although he had learned the purpose of his visit from Fan Zhong, Zhu Zhanhe still pretended not to know and asked a question.

"Come, take a look." After hearing his nephew's words, Emperor Hongxi paused for a moment, but still took out an imperial edict from a tray on the offering table and handed it to Zhu Zhanhe.

"Alright!" Zhu Zhanhe accepted the imperial edict handed over by his uncle without any hesitation and immediately opened it to read it.

However, as soon as he opened it, Zhu Zhanhe saw something unbelievable.

"Uncle, is this Grandfather's will?" Zhu Zhanhe held the will in his hand, his face full of doubt, and could only ask his uncle, Emperor Hongxi.

"Yes, what's wrong? Is there a problem?" Emperor Hongxi looked at his nephew, whose face was strange and full of reluctance, and replied with a puzzled expression.

"Uncle, I've told Grandpa many times that I will not personally participate in the matter of the succession to the throne."

He also said that if his father succeeded, he would take the throne; if his father failed, they would go back to Yunnan to assume their fiefdoms.

"But is Grandpa's will trying to drag me into a fire pit?" Zhu Zhanhe glared at his uncle, Emperor Hongxi, and handed the will back to him, waving his hand dismissively.

"He'er, what are you saying..." Emperor Hongxi was completely bewildered. His second son, the Prince of Han, was desperately trying to seize the throne, but this kid from his son's family clearly had no interest?! Are you kidding me?!
But before Emperor Hongxi could finish speaking, Fan Zhong brought in a large table from somewhere and walked into the room step by step.

"Fan Zhong, are you joining in the fun too?" Looking at the large table Fan Zhong had moved, and the several large packages that had somehow ended up at the door, Zhu Zhanhe could easily guess Fan Zhong's intentions.

"Your Highness, the Emperor has already issued a decree on this matter. Please inform the Emperor and don't put me in a difficult position."

I promised the late emperor that I would protect the safety of your Han lineage, no matter the cost!
For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, you must at least give the Emperor some peace of mind! Fan Zhong continued carrying the table, struggling to walk inside, and said with a wronged expression.

It was only then that Zhu Zhanhe noticed the anomaly in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. It turned out that at some point, several walls of the side halls of the temple had been broken through, forming a huge space.

Emperor Hongxi stared at his commander-in-chief with a strange expression, completely bewildered. He had no idea what Fan Zhong was planning. He was also learning for the first time that Fan Zhong had promised the late emperor to do everything in his power to protect the Prince of Han's family!
“He’er, your grandfather said that this will should be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple and passed down through generations. If any emperor approves of it, he must sign his name to confirm it!”
"You have to give your uncle a plausible reason!" Emperor Hongxi watched as Fan Zhong placed various fruits, pig heads, and other offerings on the table, his face overflowing with doubt. But he also guessed that this matter was probably not simple!
"Uncle, do you still remember the time we sealed off the palace gates together with Grandpa?" Zhu Zhanhe asked again, looking at the haggard-looking Emperor Hongxi.

"I remember!" Upon hearing Zhu Zhanhe's question, Emperor Hongxi paused, his expression turning solemn. He immediately understood that today's events were likely of utmost importance!
"It's enough that Uncle remembers!"
"Then, Uncle, do you remember to deal with the Crown Prince's concubine in advance?" Zhu Zhanhe looked at Emperor Hongxi, whose expression was changing, and said the most terrifying thing in the room!

"He'er, you... cough cough cough cough..."

"I will handle this matter before I die!" Zhu Zhanhe's sudden change in tone caused Emperor Hongxi's expression to change. Perhaps due to a moment of anger, he coughed violently. After coughing, Emperor Hongxi guessed why the Crown Prince of Han had said that. After a moment of unease, Emperor Hongxi's expression changed for a few moments before he replied with a firm look.

The conversation between Zhu Zhanhe and Emperor Hongxi almost caused Fan Zhong, who was arranging the tribute, to fall over!
"Alright, since Uncle knows what's going on."

"Fan Zhong, come and help!" Seeing the constantly changing expression on his uncle Emperor Hongxi's face, Zhu Zhanhe turned to look at Fan Zhong, who had already arranged the tribute, and immediately called him over to help. "Coming, coming!" Upon hearing Zhu Zhanhe's call, Fan Zhong immediately ran over, carrying a clothes hanger in his hand.

Emperor Hongxi watched as Fan Zhong ran over with the clothes rack in his hand, and he became even more puzzled. He looked at everything in front of him with a strange expression.

Fan Zhong approached Zhu Zhanhe, put down the clothes rack he was holding, and immediately helped Zhu Zhanhe take off his clothes. He did this with practiced ease, clearly having done it before.

Why take off your clothes? Emperor Hongxi thought to himself with a strange expression.

As Zhu Zhanhe's clothes were removed one by one, his muscular chest was finally revealed.

"Fan Zhong, bring incense!" Zhu Zhanhe, having taken off his clothes, looked at the ancestral tablets on the altar and decided to offer incense to the ancestors first.

"As you command!" Fan Zhong agreed without hesitation, quickly taking out four incense sticks from the side and handing them to Zhu Zhanhe.

"Take it!" Seeing Fan Zhong hand over the lit incense stick, Zhu Zhanhe took off his glasses without hesitation and handed it to Fan Zhong.

"Yes!" Fan Zhong excitedly accepted the glasses handed to him by the Crown Prince of Han and held them tightly in his hand.

"Your Majesty!" Fan Zhong, having taken the glasses, quietly approached Emperor Hongxi and gestured for the emperor to look into the eyes of the Crown Prince of Han.

"Ah!" Emperor Hongxi followed Fan Zhong's gaze and saw his nephew's eyes. He couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, and almost stumbled and fell. Fortunately, Fan Zhong caught him from behind, because Emperor Hongxi saw a pair of ferocious vertical pupils!

"Come over here!" After offering incense to the ancestors, Zhu Zhanhe turned around and walked to the open space to the side.

"Your Majesty!" Fan Zhong looked at the dazed Emperor Hongxi, stepped forward to help him, and walked towards the side hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple where the walls had been demolished.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Ancestral Temple is a fragile building, please understand!" Seeing the Crown Prince of Han about to release the dragon, Fan Zhong still kindly reminded Zhu Zhanhe to show mercy and not demolish the Imperial Ancestral Temple!

"Alright!" Zhu Zhanhe replied irritably after hearing Fan Zhong's words.

"Your Majesty, please take out the token you prepared in advance and examine it carefully!" Fan Zhong looked at the still dazed Emperor Hongxi, his hand supporting the emperor trembling slightly, but he still reminded him again.

Under the stunned and horrified gaze of Emperor Hongxi, he saw scales moving across the chest of the Han Crown Prince!
As the moving scales became clearer, finally, a terrifying dragon head emerged directly from the chest of the Han prince!

As the dragon head appeared, the ferocious dragon head swung back and forth, exploring outwards!
Next came the sharp dragon claws, the heavy dragon body, and finally the long and thick dragon tail.

Finally, in the dazed and confused gaze of Emperor Hongxi, a terrifying alligator dragon appeared in the Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Ming Dynasty in no time!

"A crocodile dragon?!" Emperor Hongxi exclaimed in shock as he looked at the terrifying dragon before him.

(End of this chapter)