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

Chapter 400 The Meeting of True Dragons (6)
"Zhanhe, did you hear that?!"

"This is the second gift that my grandfather and father left for me!" Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, said to Zhu Zhanhe with a self-deprecating expression. His face was full of disappointment, which made people want to cry.
But Zhu Zhanhe remained expressionless and continued listening to the Xuande Emperor's words.

"This gift~!"

I could tell at a glance!

"This is clearly the blank imperial edict that your grandfather bestowed upon you back then!" Looking at Zhu Zhanhe, who remained expressionless, Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, felt boundless rage in his heart! Immediately, Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, roared at Zhu Zhanhe with a face full of indignation, revealing the origin of this imperial edict.

However, this roar sent a chill down Yu Qian's spine! Only then did Yu Qian realize that Emperor Taizong had actually bestowed a blank imperial edict upon the then-Crown Prince of Han! To be granted a blank imperial edict!! What immense merit that must have required! This completely shattered Yu Qian's imagination!

"Back then, if you had written directly on this blank imperial edict, appointing yourself as the Crown Prince, based on your past merits, your grandfather would have approved the edict!"

But Zhanhe, you actually wrote this!
After you finished writing it, you actually gave this imperial edict to Grandpa as a gift!

Zhanhe! Do you know?
When I saw the bold, elegant handwriting on this imperial edict, I knew that its contents must have been written by you yourself!

Because only you can write such magnificent characters!
When this imperial edict was laid out before me, I knew that in the first half of my life, I would never be able to compare to you!
But I refused to accept this! So I told myself that I must work hard!

I am determined to make something of myself!
"I will definitely surpass you!" Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, stared at Zhu Zhanhe with bloodshot eyes, as if venting his anger, or as if declaring war. He roared at Zhu Zhanhe with alternating expressions of dejection, grief, and madness.

This was a side of Emperor Xuande that no one had ever seen before! Perhaps this was the true Emperor Xuande, hidden deep within his heart, suppressed by the weight of the throne!
Looking at the Prince of Han, who sat calmly on the high platform, and then at the Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanji, whose face was contorted with madness, Yu Qian stared blankly at the scene before him, lost in confusion.

A moment later, Yu Qian suddenly jolted awake, as if he had come to his senses. Then, Yu Qian stared blankly at the imperial edict in his hand, which seemed to weigh more than a thousand pounds, and then looked at his brother-in-law, the Prince of Han, who sat high on the platform, dressed in the formal attire of a prince, tall and imposing, with a calm expression.

Yu Qian could hardly believe that the imperial edict in his hand, a document worthy of being passed down through the ages, was actually written by Zhu Zhanhe, who was then the Crown Prince of Han, more than a decade ago! It was a gift that was originally presented to Emperor Taizong Yongle!
The imperial edict in his hand made Yu Qian realize how much frustration Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, had felt over the years!
After all, the goal you once desperately tried to catch up with was so easily given up by someone else!

Even after years of relentless struggle, the other person remains so unattainable! What a desolate and helpless feeling that must be!

After listening to Emperor Xuande's (Zhu Zhanji's) innermost thoughts, Zhu Zhanhe was filled with helplessness. After all, there was nothing he could do about being too outstanding! Moreover, in Zhu Zhanhe's eyes, Emperor Xuande's years of hard work and struggle were nothing but a joke!
"But, cousin."

You did not achieve your expected goals.
"Even after all your efforts, you still haven't surpassed me!" After hearing Emperor Xuande's seemingly insane words, Zhu Zhanhe remained silent for a moment before retorting to Emperor Xuande with a serious expression.

Upon hearing Zhu Zhanhe's merciless words, Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, turned pale and then flushed, his face turning an ugly red.

"Nine years have passed since the Xuande reign."

In these nine years, besides winning a battle against the steppe barbarians, what else have you accomplished for the Ming Dynasty? Zhu Zhanhe ignored the ugly expression on Emperor Xuande's face and continued to refute directly without hesitation and in a calm tone.

Before Emperor Xuande and Yu Qian could refute, Zhu Zhanhe continued, "Even that battle you won against the foreign invasion, wasn't it thanks to the old military force left by your grandfather? And you also gathered the forces from the rebellion of the two princes to win!"

As for your other political measures, you have simply inherited everything from your grandfather and uncle and continued to do it the same way.

You haven't even made any significant changes!
"You've done even worse than Grandpa and Uncle!" Zhu Zhanhe didn't allow Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, to speak up before criticizing the emperor, whose face was gloomy.

Zhu Zhanhe's critical words were unacceptable to the Xuande Emperor. The Emperor was about to speak in rebuttal, but before he could do so, Zhu Zhanhe continued his tirade.

"Cousin, I heard that you even set up an institution to teach eunuchs to read and write?"

What? Are you afraid that the eunuchs of my Great Ming Dynasty are being treated too leniently for causing trouble?

Furthermore, given your physical condition, after you leave, the mother will be strong while the son is weak, and the emperor will be young! Aren't you practically handing over the opportunity to facilitate a eunuch-led political upheaval?!
The stone tablet of Emperor Taizu is still standing in the palace!
"The Rebellion of the Eight Tigers in the Han Dynasty is still recorded in the history books!" Zhu Zhanhe ignored the ugly face of Emperor Xuande and angrily rebuked Emperor Xuande Zhu Zhanji with a face full of indignation.

"His Majesty has also strengthened imperial power, improved the cabinet, and enhanced the supervision system by establishing the governorship system." At this moment, Yu Qian weakly offered a defense for Emperor Xuande, but his defense was utterly feeble.
After all, compared to everything that Zhu Zhanhe, the Prince of Han, had built from scratch, the actions of the Xuande Emperor were so insignificant!

"Ha!" Zhu Zhanhe scoffed disdainfully after hearing Yu Qian's explanation. The snort was so grating that it filled Zhu Zhanji with resentment and anger. If looks could kill, Zhu Zhanhe would probably have been reduced to ashes by the Xuande Emperor by now!
"Everyone in the world knows that the salaries of the Ming Dynasty are not enough to support a family or the government offices!"

The names of various forms of official gifts, such as "filial piety gifts" and "offerings," are countless! This cycle repeats itself, which is tantamount to the emperor tacitly condoning the corruption of his officials!
The issue of soldiers receiving salaries without working on the border is so serious! Cousin, are you unaware of this yourself? Or are you planning to leave these problems to your underage son to handle?

Your breaking of the restrictions on eunuch power is the biggest source of trouble!

My cousin, you've granted such immense power to a mere cabinet! How are future generations supposed to check and balance this?! What, are you planning to let future emperors be sidelined by cabinet ministers?! Does this empire belong to the Zhu family, or to his cabinet?!

Now that Annam is no longer a burden, you've even abandoned the Nurgan Regional Military Commission! What, don't you feel the pain of selling off your family's land?! Or has the court become so short of money?!
The empire that your grandfather and great-grandfather fought so hard to build, which even Emperor Renzong dared not abandon, and you just gave it up so easily?!

how?

A hundred years from now, are you ready to explain this to your ancestors?

Or are you planning to tell my ancestors of the Ming Dynasty a hundred years from now, holding your cricket in one hand and your favorite stove in the other?

You, an emperor who inherited the glorious achievements of the Ming Dynasty, are actually a cricket emperor! ? ?
Or rather, do you want future historical records to show that the most remarkable thing about your Xuande reign was that inexplicable Xuande incense burner?! ? ? ? ?" Zhu Zhanhe was now firing off a barrage of attacks, relentlessly criticizing the weaknesses in Emperor Xuande's rule. His barrage left Emperor Xuande, Zhu Zhanji, red-faced and speechless! Yu Qian was left speechless for a moment.

(End of this chapter)