Zhu Di: My fourth son is a great emperor of all time?

Chapter 48 Crown Prince Zhu Gaoshuo

"Even if Zhu Gaosui was foolish, he would understand what had happened: Zhu Di had passed away."

"I died in the fourteenth year of the Yongle reign? How many years did I lose?"

Upon seeing this news, Zhu Di felt somewhat irritated.

Although I guessed it a long time ago.

But when all of this happened, Zhu Di still found it hard to accept.

Even before the curtain of heaven descended, he had already decided on the successor to the throne, which was to be passed on to his eldest son.

Things were never nearly as bad as they are now.

Zhu Di clearly remembered that he was overjoyed when he first discovered the Sky Canopy.

They believed this was a powerful tool to change the course of the Ming Dynasty.

It can help him clear his name of being a traitor.

Unexpectedly, changing the future according to what Tianmu said actually made things worse.

Zhu Di also drove Zhu Zhanji out and fell into deep thought.

At this point, Zhu Di probably didn't know what to do.

Knowing that this battle might end in a major defeat, why would they lead the Ming army to their deaths?
The main reason is that Zhu Di is afraid of that sandstorm; it is the will of Heaven.

Even if he learns from his mistakes this time and doesn't fight the Mongols to the death at the Onon River.

But so what?
If Heaven does not want him to win, no matter how strong the Ming cavalry or how powerful the cannons are, it will be difficult to defeat the Mongol tribes.

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Di, who had been very determined, was now unsure of what to choose.

Zhu Di planned to decide whether to launch a campaign by consulting divination.

At this point, he had lost his previous confidence.

Zhu Di closed his eyes and devoutly shook the bamboo tube in his hands. But before he could get a result, a figure suddenly appeared in the tent and snatched the divination sticks he was using, slamming them heavily to the ground.

The visitor was none other than Yao Guangxiao, a black-robed monk who had been hiding in Jiming Temple and was a great contributor to Zhu Di's rebellion.

"Are you crazy?" Zhu Di looked up and glanced at the old monk, angrily asking.

"I think you've gone mad!" Yao Guangxiao didn't care about Zhu Di's status as emperor and started cursing.

"Hundreds of thousands of lives are in your hands, the fate of the Ming Dynasty is in your hands, what are you doing shaking a few pieces of broken wood?"

Zhu Di looked at Yao Guangxiao in disbelief, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He didn't want to shake the wooden stick either.

But given the current situation, what should he do if he doesn't shake the stick?
Seeing that Zhu Di remained silent, Yao Guangxiao continued his angry rebuke: "Why didn't you shake the flag when you rebelled back then?"

"If there really were a god, a Buddha, overlooking the world, how could there be so many disasters and famines!"

"Master Liu Bowen of Qingtian was said to have supernatural powers through divination. Could he have foreseen that he would be discarded like a bow after the birds are all used up, and that his hunting dogs would be cooked after the rabbits are dead?"

"These are all lies!"

Zhu Di was speechless.

This old monk was always eloquent and persuasive.

He really couldn't find a way to refute it.

Moreover, what the other party said was true. He knew that the Jingnan Rebellion was impossible to accomplish, but he still had the courage to lead eight hundred people in rebellion.

But now that he knows he will lose to the Oirat, he hesitates.

Zhu Di closed his eyes and sighed, "But I have harmed everyone. Even if I could have prevented what happened in the sky, war is ultimately too unpredictable. Even a situation where victory is assured can result in a sandstorm, so what else is impossible!"

Upon hearing this, Yao Guangxiao shook his head: "I know, I know. You're afraid of dying on the battlefield and being ridiculed by future generations for the Yongle Emperor's successful rebellion, which overturned the fate of the Ming Dynasty, aren't you?"

This sentence directly exposed Zhu Di's inner demons.

This is also what he has always feared, as he has been told by the heavens.

The position of regent was changed repeatedly, but things only got worse.

Zhu Di opened his tightly closed eyes and replied, "It is only right for an emperor to die for his country on horseback. Even if future generations do not despise me, they should at least show me some respect." "I'll say it again: my death is a small matter, but the failure of the country is a great matter!"

"The Ming Dynasty is currently enjoying great prosperity, just like a young person in their prime, a giant dragon about to take flight. My setbacks must not have the slightest impact on it!"

Yao Guangxiao finally smiled and applauded Zhu Di.

Zhu Di smiled with satisfaction.

But then Yao Guangxiao's expression turned serious again. He looked at Zhu Di earnestly and said, "Times have changed. Even if you die on the battlefield, the Ming Dynasty will not fall into chaos. How could the descendants of the Ming Dynasty not avenge you?"

Zhu Di lifted his weary body; what he said made sense.

But why did he feel so uncomfortable listening to it?

"You mean the fourth one?"

Zhu Di could certainly understand the implication of Yao Guangxiao's words, so he simply stated it directly.

"That's right, it's Prince Qi, Zhu Gaoshuo." Yao Guangxiao said calmly, "You've already tried several of the descendants you value; it's time to make a decision!"

“Who said that? Isn’t there still the third prince?” Zhu Di retorted.

But as soon as he said it, he inexplicably felt that it was not very reliable.

The only advantage of the third child is his confidence.

It's all just inexplicable confidence.

It's completely useless.

"You also think that the fourth prince should be made crown prince and inherit the throne?"

"But you must understand, his mother's status is hard to convince the public. Would all the great scholars in the land really accept her?"

Zhu Di was well aware of how much people valued one's birth.

The fourth prince in the story always appears during times of crisis for the Ming Dynasty and ascends the throne, but the situation is different now.

"A great emperor for all ages is enough to convince the people!" Yao Guangxiao's voice rose again: "Do you want to hand over the prosperous Ming Dynasty to him, or the Ming Dynasty with its broken land and the smoke of war everywhere!"

After a long silence, Zhu Di finally nodded.

He had actually had this idea before, but he wasn't firm in his decision.

Since we have already made up our minds to fight the Mongols, we must leave the brightest path for the Ming Dynasty.

Yao Guangxiao smiled with satisfaction and then took it upon himself to bring Zhu Gaoshuo over.

Zhu Di was left alone with his eyes closed, muttering to himself, "Fourth Prince, I am not only Empress Ma's legitimate son, but I also went through countless life-or-death experiences and ate pig manure for several years before finally sitting on this throne. Now you, a son of a concubine, have gotten it all for free."

That being said, Zhu Di had already figured it out.

The best option was to pass it on to Zhu Gaoshuo; he was waiting for Yao Guangxiao to bring the person over.

But when he opened his eyes, he saw Yao Guangxiao standing alone in front of him, panting heavily.

"Where are the fourth prince?" Zhu Di asked, frowning.

Yao Guangxiao shook his head and exclaimed in surprise, "Prince Qi led eight hundred cavalrymen toward the direction of the Oirat Mongols."

"what?"

Zhu Di couldn't sit still any longer. He had just made up his mind to make Zhu Gaoshuo the crown prince and he would become the emperor of the Ming Dynasty in the future.

But then, this guy turned around and led his troops to the Oirat camp.

"The fourth brother was too impulsive!"

"It's more than just impulsiveness. Before your fourth son left, he even asked someone to pass on a message to you: it would be a disgrace to be a son of the Zhu family if you didn't break through the Oirat!"

Yao Guangxiao shook his head helplessly. Zhu Gaoshuo's impulsive personality was exactly the same as Zhu Di's.

"He's probably just following my orders to capture some prisoners. Let's talk about it when he gets back!"

By this time, Zhu Di had regained his footing.

The Yongle Emperor in the sky couldn't defeat the Oirats, but he could!
(End of this chapter)