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

Chapter 493 Inside the Imperial Palace

"The defenders of Yongding Gate have successfully launched a counterattack!"

"Countless heads have been beheaded!" Just as everyone in the Qianqing Palace was anxiously waiting, a eunuch suddenly rushed in and respectfully reported to them!
"Come in and talk!" After a slight silence, Empress Dowager Sun spoke.

"Shi Biao, the garrison commander of Yongding Gate, greets Your Majesty the Empress! And pays respects to all the officials!" A young figure covered in blood entered, knelt respectfully on the ground, and bowed to the crowd. Judging from the bloodstains on Shi Biao's body, everyone knew that he had just been engaged in a fierce battle!
"Tell me about what happened back then!" Yang Shiqi spoke first, easing the awkwardness in the hall and letting Shi Biao recount the battle.

"Your Majesty, just now, after a strange roar, I noticed some commotion in the Oirat camp from the city wall of Yongding Gate. And soon, I found that the commotion in the Oirat camp became even more intense!"

I am certain that it was that roar that caused the Oirat camp to erupt in panic. Therefore, I made a decisive decision and led my troops out of the camp to attack.

During the attack, I also discovered a strange person covered in blood, but I was unable to inquire further.

When I arrived at the Oirat camp, I found countless severed limbs and broken arms inside!

Moreover, the morale of the soldiers in the Oirat camp was low. After a fierce battle, in order to prevent the Oirat people from reacting and encircling us, I led the army back! Shi Biao briefly described his battle situation.

In reality, Shi Biao killed at least two thousand steppe soldiers during the battle with the Oirat Mongols before leading his troops back in an orderly fashion!
All I can say is that Shi Biao found a great opportunity to fight and got a huge bargain!

"General, it seems you are quite brave!" Just after Shi Biao finished explaining his situation, before Empress Dowager Sun and the others could speak, a hearty voice came from a corner of the Qianqing Palace.

Upon hearing this clear and resonant voice, everyone turned to look. They saw a towering figure emerge from a room inside the Qianqing Palace!

He wore a bright yellow embroidered dragon robe, with a similarly bright yellow belt tied around his waist that reached his knees. A simple headband held back his long, dark hair, and his long, neatly groomed beard hung on his face. He wore a pair of yellow-edged, black-soled boots.

With each step he took, it was as if some inexplicable magic was at work, directly impacting everyone's heartbeats! An intense pressure swept over them!

The person before me looked to be no more than thirty years old! In fact, he looked much younger and more energetic than Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu!
"This..." Hearing someone praise him, Shi Biao, kneeling on the ground, looked up and saw a stranger. He was about to speak, but before he could utter a word, he was interrupted in alarm!
"Ah~!" At this moment, the palace maid who had been serving Empress Dowager Sun seemed to have seen something terrifying. She pointed at the figure that had just appeared and fell to the ground in horror!

Following the direction pointed by the palace maid who had fallen to the ground, Empress Dowager Sun looked closely and saw a pair of incredibly horrified eyes! Immediately, Empress Dowager Sun trembled with fear!
For a moment, Empress Dowager Sun seemed to have returned to that terrifying night more than twenty years ago!

At this moment, Empress Dowager Sun was absolutely certain that the person in front of her was the same terrifying figure from back then!

At this moment, Shi Biao also noticed something was wrong, but filled with fear, he quickly buried his head in the ground, as if afraid that he had seen something he shouldn't have seen!
Even Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, was so frightened that he had to hold onto a chair to steady himself. At this moment, he silently lowered his head, not daring to look up!
In contrast, Yang Shiqi and Yu Qian remained calm and composed.
"What? Empress Dowager Sun, it's been so many years, don't you recognize me?!" Emperor Longwu seemed unconcerned by Empress Dowager Sun's terrified expression, speaking calmly. He paid no attention to the fearful looks of the others!
"Your Highness the Prince of Han!" Perhaps intimidated by Emperor Longwu's terrifying eyes, Empress Dowager Sun showed no airs of an empress dowager and stubbornly raised her head to call out "Your Highness the Prince of Han!"

But at this moment, Emperor Longwu focused his gaze on a young man with a dejected look on the side of Empress Dowager Sun.
"You must be Prince Cheng, Yu'er!" Ignoring Empress Dowager Sun's panicked expression, Emperor Longwu quite naturally took his seat on the main throne reserved for emperors. He turned to look at the young figure beside him, whose face was filled with dejection, whose body was somewhat thin, and who was trembling with fear.

"It really is me!" Upon hearing the greeting from the figure seated on the dragon throne, Zhu Qiyu swallowed hard and replied with a look of horror. After all, Zhu Qiyu had never seen anyone with such terrifying eyes in his entire life! "Prince Cheng, this is His Majesty the Dragon Emperor, the founding emperor of the Dragon Kingdom!"

He was also the second son of Emperor Yongle, the eldest son of the first Prince of Han, and the second Prince of Han of the Ming Dynasty!

"It's His Highness's second uncle!" Perhaps sensing the fear and unease in Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, Grand Secretary Yang Shiqi stepped forward and explained to Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, in detail the identity of the imposing figure sitting on the dragon throne!

For a moment, the main hall of the Qianqing Palace was completely silent! This was because the identity of this person was simply too terrifying!
"Qi Yu greets Second Uncle!" Upon hearing Yang Shiqi's introduction, Zhu Qi Yu quickly stepped forward and respectfully bowed to the person on the dragon throne! However, Prince Cheng, Zhu Qi Yu, still dared not look up into those terrifying eyes!

"Oh no!"

Your mother, Madam Hu, was extremely strict with you, which caused you to lack some of the royal demeanor!

It seems that after the battle, you've lost a lot of your dejected air!

But that's not enough!

Come before me!

"You shall serve me for the next few days!" After seeing the glint in Zhu Qiyu's eyes, Emperor Longwu ignored the expressions of others and directly ordered Zhu Qiyu to serve him for the next few days.

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Sun's eyes trembled involuntarily! Empress Dowager Sun knew in her heart that this was not a good sign! It meant that this former Prince of Han, now the Emperor of the Dragon Kingdom, did not like her son, or had already abandoned him!
Upon hearing Emperor Longwu's words, Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, was momentarily surprised. But then, he noticed the suggestive look in Yang Shiqi's eyes.

"The Ming Dynasty is in grave danger, and I beg my second uncle to save the country from this peril!" Composing himself, Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, respectfully bowed to his second uncle before carefully and respectfully taking his place to the left of him. This position was reserved for the Crown Prince!
Seeing where Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, was standing, Emperor Longwu did not object. There was even a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

However, this scene filled Empress Dowager Sun's eyes with a cold glint! But she couldn't directly lash out!
The scene before him left Shi Biao, who had come in to report on the progress of the battle, completely bewildered. He could only try his best to curl himself into a ball to minimize his presence!
"Second Uncle, how many troops have you brought this time?!" Empress Dowager Sun asked Emperor Longwu subtly after her eyes narrowed sharply.

"I came here alone this time!"

However, behind me are the first and second ocean fleets of the Dragon Kingdom!
Although their numbers are small, they are more than enough to wipe out the Oirat Tartars before us! Emperor Longwu seemed completely unprepared for Empress Dowager Sun's question and answered frankly and directly!

After hearing Emperor Longwu's words, Empress Dowager Sun couldn't help but reveal a hint of joy in her eyes, before calmly speaking again.

(End of this chapter)