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

Chapter 508 Prince Cheng Feeds the Dragon 2
Before long, a whole row of offerings was set up in front of the dragon outside Xizhimen.

Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng, dressed in a princely robe with dragon patterns, arrived before the dragon under the watchful eyes of countless soldiers and court officials.

"I am Zhu Qiyu, the Prince Regent of the Great Ming Dynasty, and I have prepared a meal for the true dragon in accordance with the imperial decree of Emperor Longwu."

"Please, Your Majesty, enjoy this!" Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng, mindful of Yang Shiqi and Yu Qian's instructions, held up the ring on his hand and approached the alligator dragon with trembling hands, speaking respectfully. Although he said he approached the alligator dragon, he was actually still at least a dozen steps away!

At this moment, at such close range, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng realized that he himself was not even as tall as the jawbone of the dragon before him! In that instant, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng gained a new appreciation for the majesty of the dragon before him!
At this moment, whether on the city walls or below, countless soldiers and officials watched silently as Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng stepped before the majestic dragon, feeling extremely tense! After all, they had never witnessed such a magnificent dragon eating before!
What surprised everyone even more was that His Highness Prince Cheng, who was always cautious and timid, was able to suppress his fear and approach the true dragon! This was what truly astonished everyone!

"Roar~!" As if understanding Prince Cheng Zhu Qiyu's words, the alligator opened its mouth wide and roared loudly at Prince Cheng Zhu Qiyu! It seemed to be responding to Prince Cheng Zhu Qiyu's words!
The roar of the alligator dragon sent shivers down the spines of countless people! After all, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng was incredibly close to the alligator dragon—only a dozen steps away! They felt fear even from that distance, let alone Prince Zhu Qiyu, who was so close!

In reality, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng, who was closest to the dragon at this moment, was also in a state of mental blank!

After all, the roar of the alligator at such close range was truly awe-inspiring! That foul, fishy stench rushed towards Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng, making his clothes flutter loudly!

A moment later, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng finally reacted. Looking at the enormous mouth in front of him that seemed capable of swallowing the heavens and the earth, he couldn't help but swallow hard. After all, this mouth was simply too big! Upon closer inspection, Zhu Qiyu realized that this enormous mouth was far larger than the city gate tower of Beijing!

Within that enormous mouth, each tooth, as thick as a cannon barrel, sent shivers down the spine of Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng! At this moment, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng finally gained a clearer understanding of the terrifying power of the true dragon before him!

Simply put, he's invincible!

"Your Highness~!~"
"Your Highness!" Just as Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng was still staring blankly at the terrifying alligator dragon in front of him, he suddenly heard a voice calling from behind. Prince Zhu Qiyu subconsciously turned his head and saw that it was Grand Secretary Yang Shiqi calling him.

In an instant, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng realized what was happening. He remembered Yang Shiqi's instructions: when a true dragon eats, it must first be fed! And right now, the only one qualified to feed the alligator dragon was Prince Zhu Qiyu himself, who wore a ring stained with the blood of the Dragon Emperor!

"Phew~~~!" After letting out a long breath, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng bowed to the alligator dragon, then turned around and went to the offering table, holding a pig's head in one hand, and came to the alligator dragon again.

After staring intently at the terrifying, ferocious maw in front of him, and the sharp teeth that could pierce through anything, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng hesitated for a moment before following Yang Shiqi's instructions and throwing the two pig heads in his hands into the mouth of the alligator dragon!
After stuffing the two pig heads inside, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng realized that the alligator dragon remained completely still. Puzzled, he turned to look at Yang Shiqi, who was pointing repeatedly at the offering table.

Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng immediately understood Yang Shiqi's meaning. Then, Prince Zhu Qiyu threw two sheep heads into the alligator's mouth.

This time, the alligator dragon remained completely still. Gritting his teeth, Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, turned his head and struck two more bull heads!

Still not working? Let's try again, and here are two more horse heads!

Finally, when Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng threw two more slices of pork into the alligator's mouth, the alligator finally made a move!
"Snap!" A crisp sound rang out, sending chills down Prince Zhu Qiyu's spine! However, when he looked up, he saw that the dragon he had been feeding had simply raised its head and swallowed the food he had painstakingly fed it all day in one gulp!

"Hahahaha~~! Good~~~!" Seeing the scene before him, Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, felt that all his previous hardships were worthwhile! He couldn't help but burst into loud laughter! In this hearty laughter, there was no trace of his previous dejectedness!

Then, drawing strength from who-knows-where, Prince Zhu Qiyu fed it twice more before becoming completely exhausted. At this moment, the alligator dragon still had its mouth wide open, clearly still hungry!

"You lazy bum! People have prepared so much food for you, go eat it yourself if you're hungry!" Just as the Prince of Cheng was feeling tired, a loud voice suddenly came from the top of the city wall at Xizhimen.

Everyone looked up and saw that Emperor Longwu had climbed onto the city wall at some point and was quietly watching the scene of the alligator being fed.

"Second Uncle!" Upon seeing Emperor Longwu on the city wall, Prince Zhu Qiyu of Cheng quickly bowed respectfully.

"Qi Yu, come back! The court officials are already drafting the edict for your ascension to the throne!"

Come back and prepare. In the next couple of days, you should prepare to ascend the throne and become emperor!

"Although time is a bit short, we must act expediently in urgent situations and prioritize the affairs of the state!" Emperor Longwu, standing with his hands behind his back on the city wall, looked down at the exhausted Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, and spoke loudly without any hesitation.

In fact, Emperor Longwu did it on purpose! He wanted to use the power of Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, feeding the dragon today to help him establish his authority and ascend the throne of the Ming Dynasty!
As for what to do with Empress Dowager Sun? To this, Emperor Longwu could only say that he had only promised to rescue the person, without even specifying when, let alone allowing that foreign student to ascend the throne under his nose! Not a chance!

Upon hearing Emperor Longwu's words, the soldiers and court officials stared in disbelief at the figure before the dragon below the city walls. In that instant, everyone seemed to think that Prince Cheng might be more suitable to be emperor than the legitimate emperor!

"Thank you, Imperial Uncle!"

"Nephew will certainly live up to your expectations!" At this moment, under the city wall, Prince Zhu Qiyu, standing before the dragon, bowed firmly in agreement.

"Damn it!"

Scumbag!

Shameless!
"On the gate tower of Xizhimen, Empress Dowager Sun, supported by her maid, saw the Prince of Cheng feeding the dragon below and heard what Emperor Longwu said to the Prince of Cheng. She was furious! Clutching her handkerchief, she cursed angrily, her eyes filled with murderous intent, wishing she could devour that heartless man alive!"

However, Mrs. Sun knew she couldn't do it now! Besides, she was begging the other party to save her son! She didn't even dare to turn against them!

After venting her emotions, Empress Dowager Sun, supported by her maid, turned and left the city tower. Those watching her, aided by her maid, were filled with admiration, marveling at the Empress Dowager's tireless dedication to state affairs; even ill and needing assistance, she still found time to inspect the work from the city tower.

Little did they know, their beloved Empress Dowager had been severely injured by someone, which was why she had only managed to get up after noon. Supported by her maids, she had come to the city wall to watch the commotion! But what she witnessed next was a scene that shattered her world!
(End of this chapter)