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

Chapter 338 Grand Secretary Yang, shouldn't the person above him be the Xuande Emperor?!
Hearing Yang Shiqi's words, Zhu Zhanhe was also taken aback. However, Zhu Zhanhe didn't speak, but looked at Yang Shiqi intently. Zhu Zhanhe wanted to hear what Yang Shiqi was going to say to deceive him.

"The court's condition is that, after receiving some compensation from the court, His Highness the Crown Prince can guarantee that he will absolutely not retaliate against the court with military force."

My hope is that His Highness the Crown Prince can set aside past grievances and continue to fulfill the edict personally drafted by Emperor Taizong.
Secondly, I hope that His Highness the Crown Prince can inform Yu Qian of this secret, so that Vice Minister Yu may know about it. Yang Shiqi stated three conditions with a serious expression: one was a condition put forward by the court, and the other two were conditions put forward by Yang Shiqi himself.

"The court has only one condition, but Grand Secretary Yang, you have two conditions?"

"Grand Secretary Yang, do you think this is appropriate?" Zhu Zhanhe pursed his lips slightly, spread his hands, and looked at Yang Shiqi with a playful expression.

Hearing Zhu Zhanhe's words, Yang Shiqi knew that the Crown Prince of Han before him basically accepted the compensation conditions proposed by the court. Therefore, the key issue now lay in the two conditions Yang Shiqi himself had proposed. In fact, Yang Shiqi also understood that the most crucial issue was ensuring that the Crown Prince of Han would continue to fulfill Emperor Taizong's will in the future!

It must be said that Zhu Zhanhe was still too young. The cunning Yang Shiqi immediately discerned Zhu Zhanhe's attitude towards the court's compensation from just one sentence, while Zhu Zhanhe remained completely unaware of this.

"Your Highness, that imperial edict was drafted by Emperor Taizong himself."

Moreover, Emperor Renzong approved of it and personally signed it.

"Your Highness, I implore you to consider this carefully for the sake of the Ming Dynasty's long-term stability and not to act impulsively!" Yang Shiqi knew that matters had to be addressed one by one. As long as the court's problems were properly compensated, there would be no issue of the Han Crown Prince retaliating with troops. But the key was how to ensure that the Han Crown Prince would continue to fulfill Emperor Taizong's edict! As for letting Yu Qian know the secret of the alligator dragon, that was something to be discussed last, because in Yang Shiqi's view, it was the simplest matter.

"Why should I agree to continue fulfilling the agreement?"
Back then, I made a promise with my grandfather that my condition for not raising troops and causing unrest was the safety of my entire Han Prince's family.

Grandfather kept his promise, so I must keep it. Therefore, during Grandfather's reign, I never participated in any of the Prince of Han's actions.
My uncle did just that, so naturally I must keep my promise. Therefore, during the Hongxi reign, when I was enfeoffed in Yunnan, I neither raised an army nor participated in the Prince of Han's uprising.

But now, the situation has changed. In this Xuande reign, even my Prince Han of the Han Prince's Mansion has died at the hands of the new emperor in Beijing.

"As the heir to the throne of the Han Prince's Mansion, even if I don't send troops to avenge my late king, I'm already being loyal to the emperor and patriotic. Do you expect us to continue to abide by the agreement and defend the kingdom for our enemies?" Zhu Zhanhe sat in his chair, spreading his hands dismissively, clearly telling Yang Shiqi, "I think your compensation terms are acceptable. Under these circumstances, as the heir to the throne, I'm already being lenient by not seeking revenge! You still want to push your luck and expect me to continue fulfilling the agreement to help those who killed my late Han Prince's Mansion, and their descendants, defend the kingdom! Do you really think that's possible?"

"Grand Secretary Yang."

"Or are you planning to bypass me and install someone else in the Han Prince's residence to sit on the throne?" Zhu Zhanhe stared intently at Yang Shiqi, giving him no chance to interject, and directly posed another crucial question. Zhu Zhanhe directly questioned Yang Shiqi: "Does the court intend to bypass me, the heir apparent, and have someone else from the Prince's residence replace me to fulfill this agreement with the court?"
Zhu Zhanhe's situation clearly made Yang Shiqi uneasy. Yang Shiqi knew perfectly well that the Han Prince's greatest trump card was the alligator dragon, which was Zhu Zhanhe's natal dragon. Therefore, it was impossible for anyone else to control the alligator dragon! If someone else became the Han Prince, things would only become more complicated!

Moreover, everyone knows that Zhu Zhanhe's status as the heir apparent was personally bestowed by Emperor Taizong, and there is no way anyone could overturn it! Therefore, Yang Shiqi knew in his heart that what the heir apparent said next was purely to shut him up and make him back down!

"Your Highness! The Han Prince's Mansion is also of Emperor Taizong's bloodline. How can we stand by and watch the Ming Dynasty perish one day?" Hearing Zhu Zhanhe's words, Yang Shiqi knew that besides trying to shut him up, the Han Prince clearly still harbored resentment over the death of the Han Prince. Therefore, left with no other choice, Yang Shiqi had to invoke the deceased Emperor Taizong and speak of national righteousness, attempting to persuade the unusually calm Han Prince.

After all, no matter how you look at it, in Yang Shiqi's eyes, the Crown Prince of Han was indeed a responsible person. "Grandpa~" After hearing Yang Shiqi mention Emperor Taizong, Zhu Zhanhe couldn't help but show a trace of reminiscence on his face. Seeing this, Yang Shiqi felt a sense of relief, thinking that the Crown Prince of Han was finally going to relent.

Immediately, Yang Shiqi was already considering how to persuade the Crown Prince of Han. However, things often don't go as planned.

"Grand Secretary Yang, if you hadn't mentioned my grandfather, Emperor Taizong, there are some things I really have been too busy to remember."

However, after your reminder, Grand Secretary Yang, I have indeed remembered something.

"I wonder if Grand Secretary Yang could verify this for me?" Zhu Zhanhe thought back to his grandfather, the Yongle Emperor, and could only reminisce for a moment. However, Zhu Zhanhe immediately thought of something else. Then, Zhu Zhanhe stared at Yang Shiqi with a playful smile.

Upon hearing the words of the Crown Prince of Han, Yang Shiqi suddenly felt a bad premonition.

Before Yang Shiqi could figure out how to reply, Zhu Zhanhe continued speaking, and what he said was earth-shattering!
"Grand Secretary Yang, if I'm not mistaken, according to Grandfather's original intention..."

The person sitting on the throne of the Ming Dynasty right now should be the Prince of Han of my Han Prince's Mansion, or even me, right?
"Not the so-called Xuande Emperor sitting on the throne now, is it?!" Zhu Zhanhe, holding his teacup, lowered his head and glanced sideways at Yang Shiqi, calmly uttering a piece of news that shocked Yang Shiqi. At the same time, Zhu Zhanhe's words made Yang Shiqi, Yu Qian, and the others feel as if they had been suddenly hit by a giant hammer, leaving them dizzy.

"Thump thump thump thump~" Upon hearing Zhu Zhanhe's words, Yang Shiqi stared at the Han Crown Prince in disbelief, as if he had been greatly frightened, and staggered back several steps in a daze. For a moment, Yang Shiqi, who was about to fall, was completely stunned. Yu Qian and Fan Zhong, who had been watching from the side, also looked at the Han Crown Prince in disbelief at Yang Shiqi's horrified appearance, their faces full of astonishment.

Fan Zhong, in particular, stared at Yang Shiqi with disbelief, his eyes filled with doubt and astonishment.

"So, Grand Secretary Yang."

When the throne was established, I had promised my grandfather that I would not start a rebellion, and I kept that promise, even moving my entire family to Yunnan as my fiefdom.

This time, however, my Prince Han died directly in Beijing.

And now, you, Grand Secretary Yang, want me to continue to honor the agreement not to raise troops;

They also want my Han Prince's Mansion to protect those usurpers in future generations.

"Grand Secretary Yang, I feel that what you're saying is a bit far-fetched." Zhu Zhanhe looked at Yang Shiqi's horrified expression and instantly understood. Back then, when his grandfather, Emperor Taizong, was on his deathbed, he was definitely going to pass the throne to his father, the Prince of Han. It was just that Yang Shiqi and others intercepted it in the process. However, it was too late to talk about this now, so it was better not to say it.

(End of this chapter)