I, Zhu Yunwen of the Ming Dynasty, resurrected Empress Ma at the start.

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn is over in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Yunwen rambled on for a few minutes, then abruptly stopped, turning his head sharply to stare intently at Zhu Yuanzhang, who sat upright beside him.

"Old Deng, have you made up your mind?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned on the spot, his face full of bewilderment.

"Huh? What have you decided?"

Zhu Yunwen rolled his eyes impatiently.

"What else could it be? It's about choosing an heir, of course."

"Have you finally figured out who the Crown Prince should be?"

Zhu Yuanzhang opened his mouth, his throat bobbed a few times, but he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Why did this brat bring this up out of the blue?

He subconsciously glanced at Empress Ma beside him, only to see the old lady with her eyebrows curved, silently watching the two of them. This made Zhu Yuanzhang feel uneasy and flustered.

How was he supposed to answer that?

Last night, he was determined to establish Zhu Yunwen as emperor, and even drafted the edict of succession.

But after yesterday's earth-shattering event, the scales in his heart had long been tilted.

That kid Yunhuo, usually so quiet, actually possesses extraordinary abilities to bring the dead back to life and save Biao'er...

Does Zhu Yunwen possess this ability?

On the other hand, Yunwen was someone he had raised from childhood and personally taught. He was benevolent, filial, respectful, frugal, and diligent in his studies. He also handled state affairs quite well, with no major faults to be found...

Just as he was caught in a dilemma and his mind was in turmoil, Zhu Yunwen's voice came again.

"What? Still haven't figured it out?"

"Could it be that you're planning to make that good-for-nothing Zhu the crown prince?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's brows furrowed instantly, and his face darkened.

"Yunhu! He's still your second brother, how can you keep calling him a good-for-nothing?"

"Yunwen is definitely not a good-for-nothing!"

Zhu Yunwen's face suddenly turned cold, and his tone became resolute.

"He's not my second brother."

"In my entire life, I've only had one elder brother, Zhu Xiong Ying. There's no such thing as a second brother."

"As for whether he's a good-for-nothing..."

A cold, mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"He's a complete and utter piece of trash."

Zhu Yunwen thought to himself, "I have all the military power of the Ming Dynasty in my hands, yet I can't defeat Zhu Di, who only has eight hundred men."

Furthermore, what did Zhu Yunwen do after he ascended the throne? He was utterly useless.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang was immediately displeased.

"Yunwen is honest and kind, handles state affairs with great efficiency, and is extremely respectful and filial to his relatives. How could he possibly be the useless person you speak of?"

Zhu Yunwen was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, laughing so hard he was doubled over and couldn't straighten up, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Ha ha ha ha--"

Zhu Yuanzhang was completely bewildered by his laughter, and his anger flared up.

"What are you laughing at! What's so funny!"

Zhu Yunwen finished laughing, raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes, his gaze as cold as ice.

"Old Deng, are you serious?"

"You said Zhu Yunwen was cultured, kind, and good to his family?"

"You're absolutely joking!"

He pointed to the tip of his nose and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Do you really know what kind of person he is?"

"hypocrite."

"A hypocrite who is extremely well-hidden, wearing the guise of benevolence and filial piety!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened completely, and he rebuked him sternly.

"Zhu Yuntong! Stop spouting nonsense and slandering your second brother!"

Zhu Yunwen ignored him and continued speaking in a cold voice.

"His current act of being gentle, kind, respectful, and humble towards you, and treating all officials with courtesy and deference, is nothing but a performance for you."

"But do you dare to bet—"

He stared intently into Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, his tone as sharp as a knife.

"If he were to truly ascend the throne and become emperor one day, his first act would be to weaken the power of the regional military governors!"

"His uncles who hold military power and rule over their regions, and your own sons—none of them will escape; they will all suffer!"

"King Xiang, King Qi, King Dai... keep your eyes wide open, he won't show any mercy to any of them!"

"By then, the ground beneath his throne will be stained with the blood of his own uncle!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he was greatly shocked.

"Yunwen! How dare you curse him like that! Yunwen... how could he possibly do such a vile and immoral thing!"

"How is that impossible?"

Zhu Yunwen interrupted sharply.

"Use your brain! His uncles all command large armies and hold sway over their respective regions. How can this young emperor sleep soundly?"

"He couldn't sleep or eat properly every night if the power of the regional military governors wasn't reduced or their military power wasn't taken away!"

"But if we really want to weaken the power of the vassal kings, how can they just sit idly by and hand over their military power?"

"Once we go to war, rivers of blood will flow, and all the dead will be your own sons!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood there dumbfounded, as if struck by lightning.

He opened his mouth, wanting to retort sharply, but when the words reached his lips, he couldn't find a single valid reason.

Zhu Yuntong looked at his dazed expression and sighed softly.

"Old Deng, you swept across the world and were incredibly wise in the first half of your life, how come you've become so muddle-headed in your old age?"

"If you can't even see through the true nature of the people around you, isn't that incompetence?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that his face turned green and his whole body was trembling.

He could tolerate being criticized for anything, but the word "incompetent" struck a nerve!

"Zhu Yuntong! Explain yourself! Where have we been incompetent?"

"Where is the incompetence?"

Zhu Yunwen raised his hand and pointed outside the hall, sneering incessantly.

"You still consider Zhu Yunwen, a man harboring treacherous intentions, to be kind, filial, and capable of shouldering great responsibilities?"

"I'm telling you this right now: if he really becomes emperor and doesn't have the blood of his own family on his hands, I'll twist my head off and let you kick it around like a football!"

"No, by then you won't be able to kick it anymore, because you'll have already passed away!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that his beard stood on end and his chest heaved violently.

"You...you're being insolent!"

"So what if I'm outrageous?"

Zhu Yunwen was not afraid at all, and stood tall with his head held high.

"I dare to curse you, so why would I be afraid to tell you a few truths?"

Zhu Yuanzhang felt a lump in his throat, unable to swallow it, and choked on the spot.

He wanted to slam his fist on the table and explode in anger, but when he caught sight of Empress Ma, who was still smiling beside him, he forced himself to suppress his rage.

What's more, this kid has extraordinary abilities and can bring Biao'er back to the human world.

This achievement is greater than anything else.

It's really not worth getting angry over a few words.

He took several deep breaths, forcibly suppressing his surging anger, and softened his tone.

"Yunzhen, you should refrain from saying such hurtful things in the future, as they damage the harmony of the imperial clan."

Zhu Yunwen rolled his eyes again in disdain.

I'll say what I want to say; it's none of your business.

"Don't try to change the subject."

He leaned forward, taking a step closer.

"Regarding the matter of choosing an heir, have you given me a straight answer? Have you made up your mind?"

Looking at his fearless demeanor, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly became so angry that he laughed instead.

"What? You want to volunteer yourself to be the Crown Prince?"

Zhu Yuntong nodded confidently and matter-of-factly, his tone unusually frank.

"That's natural."

"In this great Ming Dynasty, besides myself, Zhu Yunwen, who else is qualified to sit on the throne as the Crown Prince?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang was completely stunned and speechless.

Empress Ma, who was standing to the side, was also taken aback for a moment, then came to her senses and burst into laughter, slapping her thighs.

"Oh my goodness, my precious grandson is hilarious..."

Zhu Yuanzhang was completely dumbfounded, staring blankly at Zhu Yunwen's self-righteous and shameless face, unable to utter a word for a long time.

This child...

That's shameless!