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

Chapter 480 Empress Chengxiao Gongsu Mingde Hongren Shuntian Qisheng Zhao

In September of the fourth year of the Longwu era, in Longdu, the capital of the Dragon Kingdom, magnificent and grand processions set off towards the outskirts of the city. The processions were a diverse mix of people: armored soldiers, commoners, artisans, women, children, and many more!

And there are several teams like this!

This scene is exactly what happened when the princes of the Dragon Kingdom took up their fiefdoms!
Meanwhile, Emperor Longwu, Empress Xia, Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu, along with their brothers and a group of imperial concubines, stood on the walls of the Longting Palace, watching the group depart with expressions of either eagerness, sorrow, or composure.

The departing procession stretched out in a long, winding line, like a giant dragon that never seemed to end!
This situation is understandable. After all, each prince had over six thousand guards, plus over a thousand officials and eunuchs in his palace. Add to that the families of his guards and officials, and each prince essentially left with at least twenty thousand men!
One has to admire Emperor Longwu's generosity towards his sons!
As the princes who had been enfeoffed departed, countless wars spread across the vast lands of the Western Rong and the long, narrow lands of Korea!

Battles raged on! One after another, alien races fell in pools of blood!

Meanwhile, on the grasslands of Tibet, the Dragon Kingdom was engulfed in continuous warfare, a stark contrast to the peace and tranquility of the Dragon Kingdom's court!

The Zhu family of the Dragon Kingdom, this ambitious true dragon, and its newly born bloodthirsty young dragon, have been unleashed at will!
The seventh year of the Zhengtong reign of the Ming Dynasty!

The fifth year of Longwu in the Dragon Kingdom!
In October of this year, in the Cining Palace, the imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty.

At this moment, Empress Dowager Zhang of the Ming Dynasty lay weakly on her phoenix bed. Her face was full of wrinkles and her complexion was bloodless, showing that this legendary woman who had served four emperors of the Ming Dynasty was nearing the end of her life!

“Mrs. Sun, I know you have a lot of opinions about me.”

To be honest, I don't like you either!
But now, I know that I am about to go with Emperor Renzong.

I called you here today because I have something to tell you!
"If it weren't for your son being the emperor, I really wouldn't want to hand over the future of the Ming Dynasty to you!" The frail Empress Dowager Zhang seemed to have a sudden burst of energy before her death, and she actually had the strength to sit up and quietly look at her daughter-in-law in front of her.

"Please give your orders, Your Majesty!" Empress Dowager Sun asked with a surprised expression after hearing the words of Grand Empress Dowager Zhang.

Then, Empress Dowager Zhang, with trembling hands, took out a golden token from under her pillow and handed it to Empress Dowager Sun.

"The Golden Dragon Token!" Upon seeing the token, Empress Dowager Sun exclaimed in astonishment! As the Empress Dowager, Sun naturally knew the terrifying power of this token. She never expected that Grand Empress Dowager Zhang would possess such a deadly weapon!
"Hehe~!" Seeing her daughter-in-law's astonished expression, Empress Dowager Zhang chuckled softly.

"This Golden Dragon Token is not as simple as you think!" Empress Dowager Zhang said to her daughter-in-law with a smile.

"Of course I know the Golden Dragon Token is no ordinary item!" Empress Dowager Sun muttered to herself after hearing her mother-in-law's words.

"Please instruct me, Your Majesty!" But then, looking at her mother-in-law holding the Golden Dragon Token, Empress Dowager Sun's face turned solemn. She knew that since her mother-in-law had taken out the Golden Dragon Token at this time, it meant that things were not as simple as they had originally thought!
After all, once the Empress Dowager passed away, this Golden Dragon Token would have fallen into her hands, so it wouldn't be necessary to bring it out like this now!
"The Sun family has been told by Emperor Taizong, Emperor Renzong, and Emperor Xuande that within sixty years after the Yongle reign, the Ming Dynasty will face a great calamity!"
"If we survive this calamity, the Ming Dynasty will continue! If we don't, the Ming Dynasty will collapse!" Empress Dowager Zhang gripped the golden dragon token tightly in her hand and said to her daughter-in-law with a serious expression.

In reality, starting from the Yongle era, the Ming Dynasty faced a calamity of collapse within a span of sixty years. This wasn't said by anyone else, but by Empress Dowager Zhang during a correspondence between Empress Dowager Wei of the Dragon Kingdom and Empress Dowager Wei of the Dragon Kingdom!
At that time, Lady Wei stated in her letter that these words were spoken by Emperor Longwu himself! Therefore, Empress Dowager Zhang speculated that this was why Emperor Yongle left behind that strange imperial edict, and why Emperors Renzong and Xuande successively signed it! Although the Empress Dowager had concerns, she would not tell her daughter-in-law such things! She knew that her daughter-in-law was too calculating! If she knew about this matter, she might harbor other intentions that could harm the Ming Dynasty! Therefore, she fabricated a lie!

"Mother, it's just the words of a charlatan; it can't be believed!" Empress Dowager Sun looked surprised upon hearing the Grand Empress Dowager's words. At that moment, she thought that Grand Empress Dowager Zhang was simply delirious due to her illness!

"This token has been passed down since the reign of Emperor Taizong."

On the eve of my son's passing, he temporarily stored this token here with me.

"Now that I am about to pass away with Emperor Renzong, regardless of whether this statement is correct or not, I will carry on this tradition!" Seeing her daughter-in-law's hesitant gaze, Empress Dowager Zhang seemed not to mind at all and continued speaking to herself.

Then, Empress Dowager Zhang spoke to Empress Dowager Sun with a serious expression.
“Sun, remember this: Emperors of past dynasties have said that if the country is about to fall, one should display this token in the court and explain the reasons for the country's impending collapse, and someone will surely accept the order!”
Then, the person who receives the order will, in accordance with the plans made by Emperor Taizong, Emperor Renzong, and my son before their passing, save the country from its peril!
However, no one will take up the order unless the country is on the verge of collapse!
Now that I am about to pass away, I entrust this Golden Dragon Token to you for safekeeping!

I hope you'll never need this!
"I also hope that you will pass this down from generation to generation!" After saying this, Empress Dowager Zhang handed the golden dragon token she was clutching tightly to Empress Dowager Sun.

For a moment, Empress Dowager Sun hesitated. Her mother-in-law had described the matter in such a detailed and convincing way that she was truly at a loss.
Furthermore, Empress Dowager Sun was also aware of the strange edict left by Emperor Yongle! This made her even more hesitant!

"Shouldn't Your Majesty tell me who I should contact with this token?" After hesitating for a moment, Empress Dowager Sun asked directly, "Who should I contact with this Golden Dragon Token?"

"I don't know!"

"Besides, even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you!" Looking at her daughter-in-law Sun's serious face, after a moment of silence, Empress Dowager Zhang shook her head and said softly.
"Mother Consort~!" Empress Dowager Sun looked displeased after hearing her mother-in-law's words! Empress Dowager Sun was certain that this Grand Empress Dowager, who had been in charge of the harem for decades, was hiding something from her!
"The Sun family!"

Starting with Emperor Taizong (Yongle Emperor)!

This secret can only be known to the emperor who is about to die!

"Are you sure you want to know?!" Seeing her daughter-in-law's displeased expression, Empress Dowager Zhang, like an aged tigress, stared intently into Empress Dowager Sun's eyes and said angrily!

Upon hearing her mother-in-law's words, the Empress Dowager's heart trembled involuntarily!
"Daughter-in-law has remembered!" However, in the end, Empress Dowager Sun solemnly raised her hand to accept the Golden Dragon Token! Regardless of anything else, at least with the Golden Dragon Token in hand, she could mobilize more than half of the Imperial Guards!

"Let the three Grand Secretaries, Yu Qian, Fan Zhong, and all the other ministers come in one by one. I need to give them some further instructions!" After speaking with her daughter-in-law, Empress Dowager Zhang directly dismissed her and requested to see all the court officials.

"Yes!" At this moment, Empress Dowager Sun did not refuse her mother-in-law's request. Empress Dowager Sun also knew that her mother-in-law was experiencing a final burst of energy before death, and it was only right that she wanted to see the ministers!
(End of this chapter)