The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Li Jinglong was taken aback: "Your Highness, what are you doing here?"

Zhu Yunwen, with his hands behind his back and chin slightly raised, said, "This is my maternal grandfather's house. Why can't I be here? But you, what are you doing, shouting at my grandfather's doorstep?"

"Oh, then please inform Lü Yang that I've come to arrest him, Your Highness." Li Jinglong cupped his hands in greeting.

Lu Ben stepped out from behind Zhu Yunwen: "Coming to my Lu residence to arrest people? Li Jinglong, you have quite the nerve."

"Mr. Lü, I came alone because I didn't want to have a negative impact on the Lü family. I've already given you face." Li Jinglong shrugged.

Zhu Yunwen snorted coldly: "Do you have an arrest warrant from the Ministry of Justice, or an imperial decree from the Emperor?"

Li Jinglong shook his head: "None."

"Then get lost!" Zhu Yunwen sneered.

Li Jinglong looked down at the seven-year-old boy in front of him, who was standing straight with his hands behind his back.

That expression, that look in his eyes, was as if to say, "Who do you think you are, daring to speak to me?"

Li Jinglong's anger flared: "Your Highness, go play in the mud. Don't meddle in adults' affairs."

Zhu Yunwen's face darkened: "You dare to talk back to me?"

Li Jinglong looked down at Zhu Yunwen and said, "If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll hit you."

Zhu Yunwen's face turned bright red, and he was so angry he was about to jump up and down.

"Mr. Lü, that's not fair," Li Jinglong said, looking at Lü Ben. "You're putting the seven-year-old prince in front while you hide behind. What, using the imperial grandson as a shield?"

Lu Ben coldly replied, "I brought my grandson back as a guest, what's wrong with that?"

"I'm not going to beat around the bush with you anymore, I want to see Lü Yang," Li Jinglong said impatiently.

Zhu Yunwen tilted his head back and said, "I told you, without an arrest warrant and an imperial edict, you can get out of here."

Li Jinglong really wanted to pick him up and slap him on the butt twice.

But he can't fight.

This is Zhu Yunwen, the future Jianwen Emperor.

"Your Highness, I'm on official business, please stop blocking my way," Li Jinglong said patiently.

"Making a mountain out of a molehill." Zhu Yunwen curled his lip in disdain. "Your grandfather gave you this assignment simply to show the world how well he treats the son of a meritorious official. You really think you're someone important?"

Li Jinglong's expression turned cold: "Your Highness, if you continue to speak like that, you'll get a beating."

"Who do you think you are?" Zhu Yunwen sneered. "You're not still thinking about inheriting the title of Duke of Cao, are you? Your father, Li Wenzhong, colluded with Zhang Shicheng back then, and your imperial grandfather knows it all too well. He only refrained from making a fuss because of my late great-aunt."

Lu Ben coughed softly from behind.

"You're only seven years old, and you've already learned to spread rumors?" Li Jinglong's gaze turned cold.

Zhu Yunwen scoffed, "You piece of trash, what do you know? 'General of Foundation Liquid'? In the Eastern Palace, I was polite to you. Here, you dare to give me attitude?"

"You're not pretending anymore, are you?" Li Jinglong's smile was cold.

Zhu Yunwen waved his hand dismissively: "Get out of here!"

Li Jinglong strode forward, grabbed Zhu Yunwen by the back of his collar, lifted him up, and slammed him onto a stone table.

"How dare you!" Lu Ben exclaimed in shock.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Zhu Yunwen struggled.

Li Jinglong pressed down on his back with one hand and grabbed his waistband with the other, pulling him down.

Snapped!

A solid slap landed on his face.

Crisp and loud.

Zhu Yunwen froze completely.

"You dared to spread rumors about my father." Li Jinglong slapped him again.

"You hit me? You dare hit me!" Zhu Yunwen roared in fury. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

Li Jinglong slapped him three times in a row.

"Wow--"

Zhu Yunwen finally broke down and burst into tears.

"Someone come quick! Someone come quick!" Lu Ben panicked.

Seven or eight servants rushed out of the mansion and surrounded Li Jinglong.

"Stop! Stop right now!" Lu Ben shouted urgently. "Li Jinglong, if you don't stop, don't blame me for being impolite."

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

Zhu Yunwen's buttocks were already red and swollen.

He cried loudly, tears and snot streaming down his face.

Lu Ben's face turned green, and he pointed at Li Jinglong, his lips trembling.

Li Jinglong stopped and shook his hand: "Go tell your father."

Lu Ben rushed over and hurriedly helped Zhu Yunwen up.

Zhu Yunwen stood on the stone table, his pants were on, but his buttocks were burning with pain.

"I'll kill you," he said through gritted teeth.

Li Jinglong's gaze turned cold as he swept over them.

Zhu Yunwen immediately shut up.

Li Jinglong turned to Lü Ben and said, "You are the Minister of Rites, and you should be more familiar with the laws and regulations of the court than I am. Go back and tell your nephew Lü Yang to go to the Ministry of Justice to confess his crimes."

After speaking, he walked away.

Zhu Yunwen watched his retreating figure, tears still streaming down his face: "Grandpa, I need to go back and tell my father."

"I'll send you back to the Eastern Palace now." Lü Ben's expression was solemn.

Not long after, at the Eastern Palace.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao has not yet returned.

Madam Lü was sitting by the window drinking tea when she saw her son limping in. She exclaimed in surprise, "Yunwen? What happened?"

"Mother, Li Jinglong hit me!" Zhu Yunwen rushed over.

"What?" Madam Lü reached out and lifted his shirt, then pulled down his pants to take a look.

"Li Jiujiang, he's asking for it!"

"How dare he hit the imperial grandson? He's just a good-for-nothing wastrel, how dare he lay a hand on my son?"

Lady Lü was so angry that her face turned ashen, and she roared furiously.

"Mother, we can't let him go!" Zhu Yunwen cried.

"Rebellion! Rebellion!" Empress Lü's face was contorted with rage. "To strike my son is to strike the Crown Prince's face, to strike the royal family's face. I'm going to see His Majesty right now."

"Wait a moment." Lü Ben, who had been silent all along, spoke up. "Go find His Majesty. He will naturally find out the reason, and then Yunwen will be punished."

"Don't forget, when the princes were studying, which one of them wasn't beaten with a bamboo stick by the teacher? When has His Majesty ever blamed the teacher? Not only did he not blame them, but he also encouraged the teacher to discipline them strictly."

"Li Jinglong was appointed by His Majesty to teach Yunwen riding and archery. In a sense, he is Yunwen's teacher."

Lady Lü became anxious: "My grandson has already been beaten, and you still want to punish him?"

Lü Ben smiled bitterly: "Not only will we be punished, but the Lü family may also be punished. Colluding with Zhang Shicheng? Didn't you hear such things from the Lü family? His Majesty will think that the Lü family is bringing up old grievances, slandering meritorious officials, and corrupting the imperial grandson."

"Then tell His Highness the Crown Prince?" Lady Lü protested.

Lu Ben shook his head: "His Highness the Crown Prince can at most say a few words to comfort Yunwen, but then he will think that Yunwen is reckless and spoiled."

"Grandpa, did I get beaten for nothing?" Zhu Yunwen asked.

Lu Ben sighed, "This time I underestimated Li Jinglong. Yunwen, you have to endure this. Not only that, His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince will definitely ask about today's events. At that time, you will have to take the initiative to admit that it was your fault."

Zhu Yunwen's eyes widened: "Huh?"

"Not only must you admit your mistakes, but you should also attribute some of them to your maternal grandfather," Lü Ben said in a deep voice. "What His Majesty needs is a grandson who is flexible, resilient, and has a broad perspective, do you understand?"

Zhu Yunwen nodded: "Understood."