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

Chapter 224 Prince Zhao's Backup Plan
"Third brother, what happened?!" Just as Prince Zhao was wailing in grief, Prince Han rushed in. Looking at his heartbroken third brother, Prince Han asked anxiously.

"Second Prince, you've arrived." Only after hearing the voice of the Prince of Han did the Prince of Zhao raise his head, but his bloodshot eyes revealed his despair at that moment.

"What happened?!" Prince Han came to Prince Zhao, looked at his heartbroken brother, and then turned his gaze to the trembling Imperial Guard, asking with a serious expression.

But at this moment, the Imperial Guard had already been so frightened by Prince Zhao that he had no strength left to answer Prince Han's questions. The Imperial Guard just nervously looked up at Prince Zhao and then lowered his head again.

"Second brother, my son is dead!" Perhaps it was the arrival of the Prince of Han that restored some of the Prince of Zhao's senses. When asked about the Prince of Han's question, the Prince of Zhao spoke with a voice full of grief.

"What!" The sudden message from Prince Zhao also left Prince Han completely bewildered.

"Who did it? Was it the eldest son? Or that brat? How are the others in the Prince's mansion?" Prince Han asked instinctively, his immediate reaction being that Zhu Zhanji had taken revenge.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guards investigated several times and said he died of a cold!" Prince Zhao said, his mouth full of murderous intent.

"A cold? A cold can kill someone? What are the doctors doing?!" The Prince of Han was also shocked by this news. The eldest son of the third son's family had been killed by a cold? Would that affect their ongoing uprising?

"Yes, he died from a cold!" Prince Zhao said through gritted teeth. He simply couldn't believe that his son would die from a cold.

"You, go and investigate for me, starting from the day my second son and I left Beijing. I need to know all the information about my son!" Suddenly, Prince Zhao's eyes sharpened. He stared intently at the Imperial Guard in front of him, his eyes filled with rage as he spoke.

Prince Zhao simply couldn't believe his son had died from such a minor illness as a cold. Therefore, he was determined to find out the cause of his son's death so that his son could die in peace!

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will investigate immediately." The Imperial Guard, who had been trembling with fear, was filled with relief upon hearing Prince Zhao's words and responded loudly and repeatedly.

"Go." Prince Zhao glared fiercely at the Imperial Guards before waving them away.

"Third brother, this matter must be thoroughly investigated." Prince Han looked at the departing Imperial Guards, then at Prince Zhao, whose face was filled with sorrow, and said with an equally serious expression.

"I will have someone investigate this thoroughly!" Prince Zhao grinned, his face contorted with rage.

"What brings you here?" Perhaps Prince Zhao had gradually recovered from his grief, and he asked Prince Han with a puzzled look.

"Uh... well... it's nothing, I just came to see you." Prince Han was momentarily embarrassed by Prince Zhao's sudden question, unsure how to respond. At the same time, Prince Han subtly tried to hide the letter he was holding behind his back, but Prince Zhao keenly noticed this action.

"What are you hiding? Is it inconvenient for me to see?" Seeing the second son's secretive actions, Prince Zhao felt a surge of inexplicable anger rising in his heart.

"No, it's not appropriate to show you this now." The Prince of Han awkwardly tried to hide the letter in his pocket, but the Prince of Zhao stopped him.

"Let me see!" Prince Zhao grabbed Prince Han's hand and snatched the letter from his hand without hesitation.

"Third brother, stop!" Seeing the letter in his hand being snatched away, Prince Han instinctively reached out to grab it back, but Prince Zhao turned around and took it from him. Prince Zhao then opened the letter and began reading it on his own.

"Hehehe, no wonder you wouldn't let me see these letters, second brother."

Second brother, you came here to share your good news with me, didn't you?

"Congratulations, second son, you're going to be a grandfather. And congratulations to your son, he's about to smoothly take over the entire Yunnan province." Prince Zhao held the letter he had snatched from Prince Han, and after a moment of stunned silence, he said to Prince Han with a forlorn expression, "Congratulations."

"Third brother, it's not like that, I didn't mean it." The Prince of Han looked at his dejected third brother and felt a strange pang of sorrow in his heart. After all, they were brothers. His own daughter-in-law was pregnant, while his third brother had lost his son.

"Don't try to comfort me. I know I don't only have one son. I have other sons." Prince Zhao murmured as he handed the letter back to Prince Han, but the sense of desolation in his voice was undeniable.

"Second Prince, I have a favor to ask of you." Suddenly, Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, spoke to Prince Han.

"Third brother, we're brothers, just tell me. As long as it's within my power, I'll do it for you." The Prince of Han felt some sympathy for his younger brother and patted his chest in agreement.

After all, the third prince, Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, had three sons. His eldest son, Zhu Zhanyi, had already passed away. His second son, Zhu Zhanhao, would undoubtedly be the next heir. His third son died at birth. In other words, Prince Zhao currently only had one son. If something were to happen to this only son, then Prince Zhao would truly be without an heir!

"Princess Mu of Zhao failed to manage the household properly, which led to the death of her eldest son. As the Prince of Zhao, I hereby order her to return to her parents' home to reflect on her actions."

"At the same time, I will send my two daughters back to Yunnan with Mu Shi." Prince Zhao looked at his second brother and calmly uttered words that sent chills down Prince Han's spine.

"Third Prince, it doesn't have to be this way." Prince Han wasn't stupid; he knew perfectly well that Prince Zhao was entrusting his son to him! Under the guise of punishment, Prince Zhao wanted Princess Mu to return to Yunnan with her two biological daughters to prevent the fact that if his only son in his fiefdom were to encounter another accident, he himself would truly be childless!
"Second brother, to tell you the truth, I really envy you."

You have so many sons, but I only have three. One of them died shortly after birth, and now I only have one son left.

You have such an outstanding son as He'er, but my son is just average.

Don't laugh at me, but do you know why I joined you in this rebellion? It's not because I trust you, but because I've seen your son's true colors.

I secretly contacted you before and went to see He'er on my own. I offered my full support for your uprising in exchange for the promise that if He'er prospers in the future, he can help my Yi'er.

But now, my son is dead! Prince Zhao looked at Prince Han with a complex expression, his face full of envy and longing that was beyond words.

"Second brother, I don't know how Yao'er died. But I do know that I only have one son left. Even if we rebel outside, I can't protect him."

But I hope you can let He'er leave me an heir and protect the two daughters that Mu Shi took with her." Prince Zhao looked at Prince Han with a pleading expression, hoping that the other party could protect the wife and daughters he had entrusted to him for the sake of their years of brotherhood.

"Third brother, Hao'er will definitely be alright." After hearing his younger brother's words, the Prince of Han felt a pang of sympathy for his brother's fate. He patted his brother's shoulder and said loudly with a ferocious expression.

"With hundreds of thousands of troops under our command, how could we not protect the royal family and their relatives?"
This time, let's split up again!
"Send 30,000 elite troops to your fiefdom. I refuse to believe that they can't protect my nephew if they're not elite enough!" The Prince of Han was also moved by the Prince of Zhao's sorrowful mood and actually prepared to send troops directly to protect the Prince of Zhao's only son.

As for why Zhu Zhanhao wasn't brought to his side for protection, it was because they were rebels. However, Emperor Hongxi chose to release the prince's family members to their fiefdoms to tell everyone that the prince's rebellion had nothing to do with his family members, and that his descendants could still inherit the throne.

If they really bring their son over, it would be a family rebellion. And if the rebellion fails, the whole family would die.

This is also why the Prince of Han didn't bring his family over to live with him.

(End of this chapter)