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

Chapter 199 Zhu Zhanhe: Uncle, I won't feel at ease with you here!
Zhu Zhanhe noticed the burning gaze his uncle, Emperor Hongxi, was giving the dragon, so he opportunely changed the subject to start a conversation.

"Uncle, why don't we feed the alligator dragon something first? This is the first time it has eaten since the last expedition."

"Since then, it hasn't eaten for some time." Zhu Zhanhe glanced at the motionless alligator dragon, then turned to look at his uncle, Emperor Hongxi, whose face was full of eager anticipation for the suggestion. He still politely asked, after all, he had to respect his elders!

"Okay! No problem!" Emperor Hongxi replied decisively, though his trembling voice revealed his nervous and excited state of mind.

In fact, Emperor Hongxi's nervousness was understandable.

After all, today had been an incredibly tense and exciting day for Emperor Hongxi.

Having lived for decades, this was the first time in his life he had ever seen a dragon, one of those legendary creatures. Even though it was just a jiaolong (a type of dragon-like creature), it was still extraordinary!
What's more, he's not just going to see it, he's going to get up close and personal with it! He'll even be feeding the dragon himself! Just thinking about it is exhilarating!

"General Fan, don't just stand there."

Hurry up and move all that stuff you left over here!

"Also, you feed it once first, to set an example for the Emperor!" Zhu Zhanhe looked at Fan Zhong, who was still staring at the alligator dragon with a silly grin, and began to assign him tasks.

"Yes, sir!"
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, please wait a moment!" Zhu Zhanhe's words jolted Fan Zhong awake, and he immediately understood.

So he jogged off and began carrying the various foods that had been placed on the huge offering table toward the alligator dragon. Actually, he was carrying them toward the front of the alligator dragon, because the dragon's tail was facing Zhu Zhanhe and the others.

"Uncle, don't worry. As long as you have the token, the alligator dragon is still very docile and won't hurt anyone."

Fan Zhong had already helped his grandfather feed the animals last time.

Grandpa was in high spirits at the time, and in one go, he fed nearly four horses all by himself! Zhu Zhanhe noticed that his uncle, Emperor Hongxi, was still a little nervous, so he started talking to him to help distract him.

"He'er, is this why your father has always been unwilling to accept this?!" As Fan Zhong busily moved the ingredients, Emperor Hongxi seemed to suddenly realize something.

Emperor Hongxi turned to Zhu Zhanhe beside him and asked, his complex expression leaving Zhu Zhanhe momentarily at a loss for words.

"Yes, Uncle, that's why my father, the Prince of Han, rebelled so many times!" Zhu Zhanhe sighed as he spoke of his father, the Prince of Han.

"At the same time, this may also be the reason why Grandpa left that strange will." Zhu Zhanhe said with a look of reminiscence when talking about Emperor Yongle.

"Uncle, to tell you the truth, this alligator dragon arose because of me and was born from me. With its existence, I can live to be at least 120 years old."

It only recognizes me, and even my blood can easily drive it!
In other words, after I live to be 120 years old and pass away, my descendants should normally be able to control it normally! Of course, that is, if the alligator dragon is still alive by then.

Although my descendants may not be able to draw the dragon into their bodies like I have, the alligator dragon is still growing, and when it does, it should be able to protect my Great Ming Dynasty without any worries! Zhu Zhanhe did not talk nonsense and told Emperor Hongxi some basic information.

"Yes, the country is safe and secure!" Upon hearing his nephew's words, Emperor Hongxi's chubby face changed expression, and he seemed to be thinking about something before finally muttering to himself.

"What do you want?" After a moment, Emperor Hongxi, his thoughts returning to reality, stared blankly at his nephew, his eyes filled with incomprehension.

"Uncle, I have no requests. I just want my grandfather to keep his promise to me. Nothing else is needed," Zhu Zhanhe said, gently shaking his head at Emperor Hongxi. "The promise your grandfather made? You mean your marriage?"
"It's alright, your father and your third uncle are just making a fuss. Your eldest uncle will arrange your marriage!" Upon hearing his nephew's words, Emperor Hongxi was taken aback, thinking that his nephew was referring to the marriage bestowed by the late emperor. So he quickly comforted him, because he only remembered the engagement.

Meanwhile, the emperor kept complaining to his second son: "That unreliable fellow dares to delay his son's marriage!" Suddenly, Emperor Hongxi had a sudden thought and remembered something amusing.

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle. Actually, it's not just about marriage."

"Last time the palace was blockaded, Grandpa promised me a fleet!" Zhu Zhanhe quietly reminded his uncle, Emperor Hongxi, "When the old man was alive, he promised me an entire fleet! Don't let him lose it!"

"A fleet? You mean the exact same fleet as Ma Bao's?!" Emperor Hongxi asked cautiously. At that moment, Emperor Hongxi felt his heart pounding; that fleet cost a fortune!

"Uncle is wise! It's naturally the same entire fleet!" Zhu Zhanhe couldn't help but give a thumbs up to the bitter-faced Emperor Hongxi, as if he hadn't seen his uncle's face that was about to cry.

"Hiss~, cough cough cough." Although Emperor Hongxi had already guessed the answer, he still couldn't help but gasp when he heard the confirmation. That was an entire fleet? That would cost a fortune! The more he thought about it, the more annoyed Emperor Hongxi became, and he couldn't help but cough a few times.

"Uncle, after I take up my fief, I won't stay there for long!"
With a large ship by my side, and the vast sky and sea, I, your nephew, wish to go out and see the world. Perhaps I can find a suitable place to establish another ancestral temple!" Zhu Zhanhe was clearly telling his uncle, Emperor Hongxi, to quickly give him a ship, that he wanted to go to sea and not stay in his fiefdom. Or, one could say, he had no interest in the throne and should be allowed to leave immediately.

"You want to go to sea?!" Emperor Hongxi was extremely perceptive. He immediately thought of the key issue and stared at Zhu Zhanhe with a shocked and incredulous expression.

"He'er, it's not that bad! It's not that bad!" Before Zhu Zhanhe could reply, Emperor Hongxi repeatedly advised him, not wanting to be known for mistreating his relatives! Nor did he want the imperial lineage to disappear!

"Uncle, with it around, you wouldn't be at ease even if I stayed in the capital, or even if I stayed at the ends of the earth! My elder brother wouldn't be at ease either!"

Besides, it is not afraid of being hacked or chopped. My nephew is still young and has no desire to compete for the throne, but there is no guarantee that he won't in the future!
"This Ming Dynasty belongs to my Zhu family. For the sake of the country, it would be best for you to leave, nephew!" Zhu Zhanhe expressed Emperor Hongxi's concerns without hesitation.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, the things have been moved!" Before Emperor Hongxi and Zhu Zhanhe could say anything more, Fan Zhong's excited shouts rang out from the side.

Zhu Zhanhe turned his head and couldn't help but twitch his lips. He saw that Fan Zhong had moved the offering table over there at some point and placed it directly in front of the alligator dragon.

The key problem is that the items placed on the altar are more than three feet tall!
The most outrageous thing is that not only the offering table, but also the left and right sides of the offering table are filled with all kinds of offerings placed directly from the ground, at the same height as the offering table!

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, this time, your humble servant has prepared ten large fat pigs, ten sheep, ten dogs, three cows, and dozens of chickens, ducks, and fish. As for the fruits and other tributes, that's a separate matter!" Fan Zhong reported to Emperor Hongxi and Zhu Zhanhe with an arrogant expression.

What's even more outrageous is that while Fan Zhong was speaking, he actually reached out and lit a few incense sticks, intending to offer incense to the alligator dragon!

"Throw away the incense; it's not dead yet!"

"Start feeding them now! Set an example for the Emperor!" Zhu Zhanhe said fiercely to Fan Zhong through gritted teeth.

"Ah?! Okay." Fan Zhong looked disappointed and regretfully placed the lit incense stick in his hand in a corner.

Then, Fan Zhong picked up a large pig's head from the offering table and walked towards the alligator dragon.

"Smack!" Fan Zhong shoved a large pig's head into the alligator's mouth. He had just taken a step back when, with a snap, the alligator closed its ferocious mouth. Without even chewing, it tilted its head back and swallowed the entire pig's head whole.

(End of this chapter)