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

Chapter 73 Heavenly Emperor Zhu Gaoshuo!

Zhu Di felt somewhat helpless.

It seems the boss is definitely going to rebel.

But can't he see himself clearly?
How can he possibly defeat the fourth prince now? Rebellion would be a dead end.

Although his eldest grandson died.

But he does have children.

Is it necessary to risk the lives of an entire family?
Zhu Di thought that his eldest son was a very calm person, so how could he be so confused about this matter?

Although the proposal to appoint someone as a prince was initially put forward to Zhu Di, the decision-maker in the Ming Dynasty was now Zhu Gaoshuo.

Zhu Di also sensed Zhu Gaochi's reluctance and knew what hurt him.

Ultimately, persuaded by Zhu Di and remembering that his eldest son hadn't been one to kick him when he was down and had often helped him during his difficult times, Zhu Gaoshuo couldn't bear it and finally agreed to Zhu Gaochi's request to take up his fiefdom.

Not long after Zhu Gaochi took up his fief, Zhu Di personally led troops to conquer Goguryeo, while Zhu Gaochi went to Yunnan to take up his fief.

As a father, Zhu Di was actually quite worried about Zhu Gaochi going to his fiefdom alone, so he secretly sent people to monitor him!

[This was all to prevent Zhu Gaochi from rebelling. Zhu Di could be considered a good father; his guilt towards his eldest son made him unwilling to see him rebel.]

After being enfeoffed in Yunnan, Zhu Gaochi's personality changed drastically. He lost his previous composure and instead spent his days indulging in pleasure and entertainment!

"A blatant disguise!"

Zhu Di could actually understand his elder brother's feelings.

They realized that Zhu Gaochi's playful and leisurely activities were merely a cover for his true purpose: to rebel.

However, a rebellion is impossible to succeed.

With the fourth prince in charge of the capital, Zhu Gaochi's efforts were all in vain.

Zhu Di's conquest of Goryeo was also very easy, given that the Goryeo people were generally not physically strong, not to mention that the Ming soldiers were already equipped with the most advanced weapons.

The war against Goryeo was easier than the war against Japan.

The only drawback was that Goryeo's geographical conditions made it difficult for Ming soldiers to sustain themselves through warfare, leaving the army with no choice but to retreat.

Although it failed to completely rule Goryeo, it had thoroughly instilled fear in the Goryeo people who were resisting the Ming Dynasty, ensuring their submission to the Ming for at least the next century.

But just as the army was about to return in triumph, an unexpected event occurred: Zhu Di, who was about to return to the capital, passed away.

The emperor's death meant the country was in turmoil, but the civil and military officials remained calm, after all, the position of crown prince had long been determined, and Zhu Gaoshuo was the popular and well-deserved heir!

Even if Zhu Gaoshuo was incredibly powerful, he couldn't suppress the desires in people's hearts. Therefore, after Zhu Di's death, his three legitimate sons all took action!

The second son, Zhu Gaoxu, originally intended to obediently return to the capital, but his third brother was Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui.

[At Zhu Gaosui's instigation, Zhu Gaoxu analyzed the gains and losses and ultimately decided to launch a cavalry rebellion, forcing Zhu Gaoshuo to abdicate!]

[Zhu Gaosui told Zhu Gaoxu that although Zhu Gaoshuo had gained the support of countless people in the court, his foundation in the army was still not as strong as theirs.]

Moreover, now that Zhu Di is dead, command of the army is in their hands. Rebellion is their greatest opportunity. They can directly march on the capital, which is currently undefended and unable to withstand their army, thus forcing Zhu Gaoshuo to abdicate.

"You two brats, are you looking for death? You still won't shut up!"

Zhu Di cursed, "How come you two are so wise in ordinary times? But when it comes to rebelling, no one can surpass you."

Faced with Zhu Di's questioning, Zhu Gaoxu also felt helpless.

Rebellion is one thing.

In the end, he still lost to the fourth brother.

What a load of rubbish. He originally had a chance to become an emperor overseas, but after the rebellion, that chance is definitely gone.

Zhu Gaoxu was confused. He had clearly given up on rebelling, so how could he have been tricked into rebelling by the third prince?

At this moment, Zhu Gaoxu's heart began to waver.

Should I stay away from the third child from now on?

After Zhu Di calmed down, he realized that he would eventually die on the road.

He couldn't really understand attacking Goryeo.

Taking this place wouldn't make much difference.

Since this was his last battle, Zhu Di naturally wanted to fight brilliantly and leave a good name in history.

As an emperor who died on the battlefield, Zhu Di was not too saddened by his death during a campaign.

The main concern was that if the second and third sons led a large army into the capital, it would surely cause casualties among the people of the Ming Dynasty.

Soon after, Zhu Gaoshuo ascended the throne, becoming the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and this news quickly spread throughout the entire country.

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui felt that rebelling in this way was not a safe option, so they secretly sent a private message to Zhu Gaochi proposing a joint rebellion.

Zhu Gaochi was already seriously ill at this time, but he hadn't been idle in secret all these years. He had already secretly trained tens of thousands of troops, with ample weapons and provisions, all while waiting for this day!

Zhu Gaochi was no longer able to personally go to the battlefield, and he didn't want to be emperor; he only wanted to overthrow Zhu Gaoshuo, even if it meant the second son became emperor.

Thus, Zhu Gaochi raised the banner of rebellion in Yunnan, attracting most of the court's attention!

[Zhu Gaoshuo dispatched troops to suppress the rebellion, while Zhu Gaoxu, seeing that the time was ripe, led an army of 200,000 straight towards the capital. He thought victory was assured, but in the end, Zhu Gaoshuo annihilated him without losing a single soldier.]

[While Zhu Gaoxu was still asleep at night, he was captured alive by his most trusted subordinate and brought before Zhu Gaoshuo. Only when Zhu Gaoxu was brought before his fourth brother, Zhu Gaoshuo, did he realize that it was his third brother, Zhu Gaosui, who had betrayed him!]

At that moment, Zhu Gaoxu was confused. It was clearly the third prince who had instigated him to rebel, yet now it was Zhu Gaosui who had betrayed him.

[But Zhu Gaoxu soon realized that because of his meritorious act of informing, Zhu Gaoshuo directly arranged for his third son, Zhu Gaosui, to go to Japan to assume his fiefdom!]

Zhu Gaoxu was utterly desperate. Only now did he realize that he had no right to compete with Zhu Gaoshuo, and even his once-proud army already held Zhu Gaoshuo in the highest esteem!

Of course, Zhu Gaoshuo didn't kill Zhu Gaoxu; he merely stripped him of all his titles and demoted him to a commoner!

"This is the fourth brother; he certainly didn't disappoint me!"

Zhu Di couldn't help but look at Zhu Gaoxu, suppressing a laugh.

With such a pathetic state, he still wants to rebel.

With the fourth brother's prestige, who in the army wouldn't be convinced?

Zhu Di was not concerned about the threat posed by Zhu Gaoshuo's long-standing power, since the Ming Dynasty would eventually be handed over to the fourth prince anyway.

It makes no difference.

Zhu Di was quite satisfied that the fourth prince was able to spare the second prince's life.

As for the eldest brother, Tianmu, it seems he is already seriously ill.

[The critically ill Zhu Gaochi lay in bed; he knew the outcome without even looking at the battle reports!]

He was filled with regret. He knew all along that Zhu Zhanji wanted to seize the throne, so he should have stopped him no matter what. If he had, things wouldn't be like this now.

The former crown prince of the Ming Dynasty died in Yunnan, but Zhu Gaoshuo, after ascending the throne, worked diligently and eventually became the Holy Emperor!

(End of this chapter)