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

Empress Ma looked down at him, a smile in her eyes.

This kid...

When it comes to protecting his own, he does resemble his mother, Madam Chang, in a fiery and assertive manner.

She raised her hand and gently patted Zhu Yunwen on the head.

"Alright."

The sound wasn't loud, but it immediately eased the atmosphere in the entire Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yunwen looked up and met Empress Ma's smiling eyes.

At that moment, he felt incredibly happy.

This is a hundred times more satisfying than cursing Zhu Yunwen and the court officials!

With his grandma backing him up, who else is he afraid of?

He turned his head and looked towards the side of the dragon throne.

Zhu Yunwen knelt there, his expression incredibly interesting.

Shock, fear, disbelief, bewilderment... all mixed together, squeezing his face into a slightly distorted shape.

Zhu Yunwen smiled, a particularly radiant smile.

He moved closer to Empress Ma, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for those around to hear:

"Grandma, you're finally back! You don't know, someone just tried to hit me with a spanking!"

Upon hearing this, Empress Ma's eyebrows immediately stood up.

"What? A beating?"

She shielded Zhu Yunwen behind her, took a step forward, and swept her gaze across the entire court with eyes as sharp as knives.

"Who dares to punish my precious grandson? Who dares! Who has such audacity!"

That voice, that imposing manner, was exactly the same as when he chased Zhu Yuanzhang all over the courtyard in Yingtian City back then.

Zhu Yunwen hid behind her, feeling incredibly happy.

As expected of his grandmother! As expected of Empress Ma!

At that moment, he felt so good to have his grandma backing him up. It was amazing!

He stretched out his hand and pointed towards the dragon throne.

"Grandma, it's him!"

He pointed to the old man standing there dumbly on the dragon throne.

"It's this Zhu Chongba! This old fellow!"

"He disregarded etiquette and patriarchal laws, and ignored the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate sons, insisting on making Zhu Yunwen the crown prince. His grandson simply spoke a few words of fairness, and he wanted to beat him!"

He grabbed Empress Ma's sleeve and shook it vigorously.

"Grandma, look how pitiful my grandson is! You must stand up for him!"

His tone and expression were exactly like that of a child who had been wronged and was complaining.

Empress Ma glanced down at him, a smile in her eyes.

This kid knows how to take advantage of a situation.

She raised her head and looked at the dragon throne.

The person I hadn't seen for so long was standing there.

He's gotten much older.

My hair has turned white, my face has more wrinkles, and my back is not as straight as it used to be.

But those eyes were still the same eyes she knew well.

Empress Ma felt a pang of sadness.

She doesn't know how she survived.

Her mind was hazy, but she remembered one thing: her grandson, Zhu Yunwen, had saved her. She didn't know how he saved her, nor why he was able to.

But she knew that she was standing here alive.

Standing in the Fengtian Hall, standing in front of him.

On the dragon throne, Zhu Yuanzhang was completely dumbfounded.

He stood there, motionless, his eyes fixed on Empress Ma, tears streaming down his face without him even realizing it.

Girl...

Is she his sister?

Or was he hallucinating because he missed her so much?

He raised his hand and rubbed his eyes vigorously.

I looked again, and it was still there. I rubbed it again, and it was still there...

He opened his mouth, wanting to shout, but no sound came out.

What if it's fake?

What if someone shouts and then disappears?

He dare not.

Zhu Yunwen knelt on the ground, his face deathly pale.

Grandmother? Impossible!

The Empress Dowager has been dead for ten years. He witnessed her burial. How could she possibly come back to life?

He pinched his thigh hard.

The pain is not a dream.

So what's going on? And why is the Empress Dowager siding with Zhu Yunwen? Her relationship with Zhu Yunwen wasn't good before.

Not a single official in the entire court dared to utter a sound.

Some lowered their heads, secretly glancing at her; some stood there dumbfounded, their mouths agape; and several older ministers looked at Empress Ma with tears welling up in their eyes.

Is the Empress really the Empress?

The hall was so quiet that you could hear the wind outside.

Empress Ma looked at the old man standing foolishly on the dragon throne, at the tears on his face, and the bitterness in her heart slowly turned into a fire.

This old man, after ten years, still looks the same fool.

She took a deep breath.

"Zhu Chongba!"

When she spoke, her voice was so loud that the entire Fengtian Hall could hear it.

"You old fool, you're getting more and more senile with age!"

"I'm getting more and more senile as I get older!"

"Now you actually want to hit my precious grandson? You've got some nerve!"

She took a few steps forward, pointed at Zhu Yuanzhang's nose, and started cursing.

"Open your eyes and look! Who is this? This is Biao'er's son, our own grandson, our legitimate son!"

"You're choosing a son born out of wedlock instead of the legitimate heir? Have you lost your mind?"

"What did we tell you back then? The eldest son should be chosen as heir; that's the rule! You've been emperor for so many years, and you've completely forgotten all those rules?"

The entire court was so frightened that they dared not utter a sound.

The only person in the entire world who dares to point his finger at His Majesty and curse him like that is the Emperor.

Anyone else would have been dragged out and beheaded long ago.

But what about Zhu Yuanzhang?

Zhu Yuanzhang stood there, tears streaming down his face even more fiercely.

That swearing tone, that fiery temper, that reckless attitude—that's his sister.

Can't go wrong.

He took one step forward, then another.

"Girl..."

He spoke, his voice trembling.

"Hey girl, is that you?"

Empress Ma glared at him.

"Who else could it be but us? Who do you think would want to bother with your trivial matters?"

Zhu Yuanzhang took a few more steps forward and walked up to Empress Ma.

He raised his hand, trembling, as if to touch her face.

But I dare not.

"Girl...we...we're not dreaming, are we?"

When Empress Ma saw his foolish appearance, the anger in her heart was extinguished instantly.

This old man, after ten years, is still so foolish.

She raised her hand and slapped the back of his hand. "Does it hurt?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback.

It hurts, it really hurts.

He looked down at the back of his hand, then looked up at Empress Ma.

Tears streamed down my face.

"Girl!"

He grabbed Empress Ma's hand and held it tightly.

"Girl! You're alive! You're really alive!"

"Our girl is back!"

Empress Ma felt a little pain from his grip, but she couldn't break free.

She sighed.

"Alright, alright, you're so old, why are you crying? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care.

He held Empress Ma's hand, smiling like a child.

"We're not afraid! Our sister's back, we're so happy!"

Zhu Yunwen stood aside, watching this scene, his mouth practically stretched to his ears in a wide grin.

He turned his head and looked at Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yunwen knelt on the ground, his face turning green.

Zhu Yunwen winked at him.

The meaning couldn't be clearer, right? Surprised? Unexpected?