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

Chapter 482 The Twelfth Year of the Dragon Martial Dynasty

"Thump!" Suddenly, as if struck by lightning, Empress Dowager Zhang's mind went blank! Because, she suddenly seemed to understand what kind of existence the true dragon that Yu Qian spoke of truly was!

"A true dragon~???"
"Do real dragons exist in this world?!" Empress Dowager Zhang, her face radiant with a final burst of energy, stared at Yu Qian with disbelief. After all, the existence of dragons, creatures that only existed in legends, was something Empress Dowager Zhang could not comprehend.
"Your Majesty, in the tenth year of the Xuande reign, there was a real dragon that was over thirty zhang long!"

According to my estimation, at this time, the true dragon's length is probably already over forty zhang!

This matter was witnessed by the three late emperors themselves, and there are other people who can corroborate it!
Your Majesty, that is a beast that is over forty feet long!

"A true dragon leaping over a hundred feet into the sky!" Seeing the incredulous expression on Empress Dowager Zhang's face, Yu Qian added with difficulty. Yu Qian himself knew that if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, no one would believe him! But it was the truth!
Upon hearing Yu Qian's additional words, Empress Dowager Zhang was filled with horror! She couldn't imagine what a true dragon looked like!

"Your Majesty, perhaps this is the reason why the first King of Han repeatedly rebelled."

This is the reason why Emperor Taizong wanted to change the crown prince to the Prince of Han when he was in Yumuchuan;

That's the reason why Emperor Taizong left behind that strange edict;

Similarly, this is also the reason why Emperor Renzong and the late Emperor signed Emperor Taizong's last edict!

Because they had all witnessed the existence of that terrifying dragon! Looking at the Empress Dowager Zhang, whose expression was blank and whose eyes were full of horror, Yu Qian seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and murmured again!

"Forty zhang~!" Upon hearing this seemingly astronomical number, a hint of confusion flashed in Empress Dowager Zhang's eyes! After all, to be honest, Empress Dowager Zhang had some idea of ​​what forty zhang meant!
However, the concept of a forty-zhang-long true dragon was truly beyond the comprehension of Empress Dowager Zhang! She could not imagine how majestic a forty-zhang-long true dragon would look!

"Your Majesty, may the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty bless you. Is the Empress Dowager of the Dragon Kingdom's words just a joke?"
Otherwise, *glug*!

"Your Majesty, I take my leave!" After that, Yu Qian only glanced deeply at Empress Dowager Zhang, and did not say anything else. He just swallowed hard and then turned and left Cining Palace!

"..." Watching Yu Qian's departing figure, Empress Dowager Zhang was momentarily speechless.

In a daze, Empress Dowager Zhang seemed to see the blurry figures of her husband, Emperor Renzong, and her son, Emperor Xuande!
In October of the seventh year of the Zhengtong reign, Empress Dowager Zhang of the Ming Dynasty passed away in Cining Palace! Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen, posthumously honored her with the title "Empress Chengxiao Gongsu Mingde Hongren Shuntian Qisheng Zhao".

In December of the same year, Empress Dowager Zhang was buried with Emperor Renzong at Xianling Mausoleum and her remains were enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

In December of the same year, Empress Dowager Sun stood in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, clutching the golden dragon token in her hand, gazing at her mother-in-law's portrait hanging there, her heart filled with complex emotions. For these past few days, every night, her mind was constantly replaying the words her mother-in-law had repeatedly uttered before her death: "The Great Calamity of Jiazi! The Great Calamity of Jiazi!"
However, nearly forty years have passed since the Yongle reign! If this is true, then the great calamity is just around the corner! Staring at the memorial tablets of the Ming Dynasty ancestors in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Empress Dowager Sun was lost in deep confusion!
In the fifth year of the Longwu reign, in the capital of the Long Kingdom, Emperor Longwu had another son! That same year, his eighth son, Zhu Qiren, followed in his brothers' footsteps and was enfeoffed in the Western Rong. That winter, the Iron-Faced General Zhu Gaochi died in the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Longdu! Emperor Longwu then suspended court for three days and granted a general amnesty! He was secretly buried in the Ming Zhuang Mausoleum!

In the sixth year of the Longwu reign, Emperor Longwu had another son! In the same year, his ninth son, Zhu Qide, followed in his brothers' footsteps and was enfeoffed in the Western Rong! In the same year, Empress Dowager Wei of the Long Kingdom passed away! Emperor Longwu suspended court for three days and granted another general amnesty! They were buried together in the Ming Zhuang Mausoleum!

Summer of the twelfth year of the Longwu reign. At this time, Emperor Longwu's life was quite carefree! Every day he would attend the morning court session and hand over the memorials to his son for processing. Emperor Longwu himself would leisurely spend his days playing with his wife or other concubines, and casually reviewing important memorials.

They're living such a wonderful life!

"This is the life of an emperor!" On this day, Emperor Longwu was leisurely lying on his wife Xia's lap without any regard for his image, crossing his legs and drinking wine, looking exactly like a tyrant.

This scene filled Empress Xia with melancholy, but she was helpless and could only let her husband act recklessly! She would gently feed him a snack from time to time!
"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince requests an audience!" Just as Emperor Longwu's eyes were gleaming with malice, preparing to hatch some evil schemes, Xiao Xizi outside the Kunning Palace shouted loudly.

"Come in!" Upon hearing Xiao Xizi's voice, Emperor Longwu reluctantly rose to his feet. Empress Xia quickly helped her husband straighten his slightly disheveled clothes and corrected his posture. After all, as the mother of the nation, she couldn't afford to embarrass herself in front of her son!
"Your subject greets the Emperor and the Empress Dowager!" Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu bowed respectfully upon entering the room.

"The boss is here!"

"Come, come, sit down. Is something the matter?" Emperor Longwu asked Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu with curiosity, looking at his son's serious expression as he entered the room.

"Father, my fourteenth and fifteenth brothers are also due to be enfeoffed as kings this year, and the selection of princes is almost over."

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask, should my two younger brothers still be enfeoffed in the Turkic (European) region?" Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu sat down on a chair and asked his father, Emperor Longwu, with a disgruntled expression.

In reality, Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu harbored deep resentment towards his father, Emperor Longwu!
After all, ever since he was made crown prince, his father, Emperor Longwu, had become increasingly unrestrained! Apart from holding court assemblies, he had basically left everything else to him, the crown prince! He claimed it was to train the crown prince's abilities!
At first, Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu was overjoyed, but as time went on, he discovered that he was a complete traitor! He was just a free laborer hired by his father, Emperor Longwu!

He works himself to the bone every day, while his father, Emperor Longwu, lives a carefree life!
As for how carefree Emperor Longwu is? Didn't he see that a younger brother was born every year?

This situation led Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu to suspect that he was only made Crown Prince because his father didn't want to do his job properly and had put him in the position as a scapegoat!

"Ahem~! Boss, let's keep the fiefdoms of the fourteenth and fifteenth princes in the Turkic territory!"
As for the title of king, let the cabinet decide for themselves.

Then quickly prepare the officials of the Prince's Palace and the three guards of the Prince. After they have completed their weddings, let them go out to take up their fiefs!

"To avoid them coming to my place every day and causing me trouble!" The current Emperor Longwu has come to terms with the matter of his sons being granted titles and fiefdoms.

After all, the sons are all grown up, and it's time for them to go out and make their way in the world! Besides, ten sons have already been chosen as princes in Africa, so we can't send any more. Let the remaining sons go out and develop in the direction of Turks (Europe)!
"Father, some countries in the Turkic lands, similar to the Frankish kingdoms, have recently sent delegations with a large amount of gold, silver, and other valuables. They hope that Father will show mercy and stop bestowing princely titles upon the Turkic lands."

"Father, what do you think we should do with these foreign delegations?!" Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu didn't ask Emperor Longwu about how to handle relations with foreign countries; instead, he directly asked what to do with the foreign delegations!
(End of this chapter)