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

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at Zhu Yunwen, his lips twitching incessantly, both angry and amused.

"You shameless brat, how can you be so brazen? You even dare to say that in the Ming Dynasty, besides you, no one else is worthy to be the Crown Prince?"

"I've lived to be over sixty, and this is the first time I've ever seen someone boast so confidently and without batting an eye!"

Zhu Yunwen rolled his eyes again.

"You old bastard, how dare you talk to me like that? Back when you were herding cattle and starving in Haozhou, could you have imagined that one day you would sit on the dragon throne and become emperor?"

"It's true that people need face and trees need bark, but you have to be thick-skinned when necessary, otherwise how can you support the country and the people!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless after being rebuked by him, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Well, this brat's tongue is really sharp and witty.

He suppressed his smile, straightened his expression, and his tone became serious.

"Alright, then tell me properly, why is it that only you are worthy of being the Crown Prince?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen took a step forward and, in front of the two of them, counted them off one by one on his fingers.

"First, I can bring Grandma back to life."

He pointed to Empress Ma beside him, his tone frank.

"This matter has been settled, and you two are now reunited and living together, isn't that right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded subconsciously.

"Secondly, I can also bring my cheap old man, Zhu Biao, back to life in the future."

Another finger was broken off.

"Third, it can resurrect my own mother."

One more.

"Fourth, I can bring my elder brother Zhu Xiong Ying back."

Then he started counting rapidly, his fingers almost running out of fingers.

"Fifth, it can resurrect my maternal grandfather, Chang Yuchun; sixth, it can resurrect my maternal grandmother; seventh, it can resurrect my eldest uncle, second uncle, and third uncle..."

He rattled off a long list of names in one breath, his voice clear and resonant, each word distinct and impactful.

"Anyway, all your old brothers who fought for your empire—my father, my mother, my brother, my uncle, my maternal grandparents—if they've all passed away, I can bring them back to you one by one in the future."

"Please put your hand on your heart and tell me, with this kind of ability, shouldn't the position of Crown Prince be mine?"

The smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face vanished instantly.

His expression changed from initial teasing to seriousness, and then gradually transformed into barely suppressed excitement and burning passion.

Yup!

What this kid said is absolutely true!

The girl is sitting right in front of me, it's not an illusion, it's not a delusion.

Biao'er can come back, Chang Yuchun can come back, and all those old brothers who followed him through thick and thin and were buried far from home can come back...

Thinking of this, his throat tightened, and he swallowed hard.

As Empress Ma listened, her eyes reddened and tears welled up.

She reached out with trembling hands and grabbed Zhu Yunwen's hand tightly, her voice shaking.

"Yun-hu...is everything you said true?"

"Can you really bring your father back? Your mother back? Your older brother Xiong Ying back? Bring them all back?"

Zhu Yunwen gripped his grandmother's hand tightly, a rare serious expression on his face, devoid of any playful smile.

"Grandma, don't worry."

"As long as our grandson is here, our whole family will one day be reunited, and no one will be missing."

Empress Ma could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face.

She suddenly opened her arms and hugged Zhu Yunwen tightly, so tightly that he would disappear if she let go.

"Good child...you are such a good child of Grandma..."

"Grandma waits, Grandma keeps waiting..."

Zhu Yuanzhang stood aside, watching the grandfather and grandson embrace, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

His heart felt like it was being scorched by a raging fire, so hot that his nose stung and his eyes burned.

Zhu Yunwen gently broke free from Empress Ma's embrace, turned to look at Zhu Yuanzhang, who was frozen in place, and raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong, Old Deng? Why did you suddenly go silent?"

He leaned forward, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Weren't you quite talkative just now? Why are you so quiet now?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him, but there was no anger in his eyes at all. Instead, he was completely submissive and couldn't even utter a curse.

Zhu Yunwen leaned closer, lowered his voice, and spoke mysteriously.

"Old Deng, if you treat me better from now on, and listen to me..."

He paused deliberately and blinked.

"Don't even mention your brother's son, it wouldn't be impossible to bring your father and mother back to life."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang was struck dumb, as if by lightning, and froze on the spot.

His mouth was agape, his eyes were fixed, and he was completely dumbfounded.

Father... Mother...

Those two faces, which had long been blurred in my memory, suddenly became incredibly clear at this moment.

That thatched hut where they couldn't even afford to cook, that mother who gave him her last bite of dry food while she herself was skin and bones from hunger, that father who toiled in the fields all day with a hoe, his back bent from exhaustion...

When they died, they were not buried in coffins; they were simply buried in a tattered straw mat.

This was Zhu Yuanzhang's greatest regret and deepest pain in his life.

Two streams of hot tears rolled down Zhu Yuanzhang's face without warning, flowing freely.

He suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Zhu Yunwen's shoulders tightly with both hands, his knuckles trembling.

"You...you're telling the truth?"

"Can...can you really bring our parents back?"

Zhu Yunwen's shoulders ached from his grip, but he didn't break free.

He looked into Zhu Yuanzhang's bloodshot eyes and nodded heavily.

"real."

"I would lie to anyone but you about this."

Zhu Yuanzhang stared blankly at him, tears streaming down his face, soaking his clothes.

"Yunhu! If you can really bring our father and mother back to the world of the living..."

"I'll listen to you in everything I do for the rest of my life!"

"If you tell us to go east, we'll never go west! If you tell us to beat a dog, we'll never chase a chicken!"

Zhu Yunwen was so frightened that his soul almost flew out of his body, and he hurriedly reached out to help her.

"Hey hey hey! Old Deng, are you crazy?!"

"But I've remembered everything you said today! Don't even think about going back on your word!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang then spoke.

"Your royal grandfather is a man of his word, how could I possibly renege on a debt?"

"Yunyi, in this life, I've swept across the land and become emperor. I owe no one anything, except for my parents' lives!"

"If you can bring them back, we'd gladly serve you like a slave, let alone the throne!"

Zhu Yunwen felt a pang of sadness when he saw him like this.

He sighed, and with all his might, he pulled Zhu Yuanzhang up from the ground.

"Alright, alright, stop embarrassing yourself here."

"I'll keep this in mind and get it done for you sooner or later. Don't get excited yet."

Zhu Yuanzhang was being pulled along, but his hands remained tightly gripping Zhu Yunwen's hands, refusing to let go.

"Yun-hu, we...we..."

"Okay, okay."

Zhu Yunwen raised his hand and patted the back of his hand, looking helpless.

"Be more polite to me from now on, and don't try to hit or punish me all the time. That's better than anything else."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded hurriedly, like a chicken pecking at rice.

"Okay! Okay! Okay! We'll never punish you again! If anyone dares to lay a finger on you, we'll be the first to skin them alive!"

Zhu Yunwen finally smiled, his eyebrows and eyes relaxing.

"That's more like it."

Empress Ma stood to the side, tears still streaming down her face, but the corners of her mouth were turned up in a gentle and gratified smile.

This child...

It's clearly a treasure bestowed upon the Zhu family by God!