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

However, at that moment, Empress Ma reached out and precisely grabbed Zhu Yuanzhang's left ear.

"You bastard Zhu Chongba!"

She twisted it hard.

"Aww!!!"

Zhu Yuanzhang let out a scream, his whole body swayed to the side, and he gasped for breath.

"Girl, girl! Be gentle! Your ear's going to fall off!"

"It's good that he's gone!" Empress Ma tightened her grip. "Yun Tong just spoke a few truths, and you want to punish him? You want to convict him? You old fool, we've only been gone a few years, and you've already learned to bully children?"

"We were wrong, we were wrong! Girl, let go!"

Zhu Yuanzhang grimaced in pain and kept waving his hands at the guards beside him.

Get out, get out, all of you get out!

Those Imperial Guards felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and they scrambled out of the hall.

The entire court of officials bowed their heads, their shoulders trembling.

I want to laugh, but I don't dare to.

This is the first time I've ever seen His Majesty have his ear pulled in all my decades of life.

Zhu Yunwen stood to the side, his mouth practically stretched to the back of his head in a wide grin.

Worth it.

This life has been worthwhile.

Zhu Yunwen knelt on the ground, his face turning pale and then flushed.

He stared intently at Empress Ma, his mind buzzing.

How did the Empress Dowager come back to life? How is that possible? She's been dead for ten years!

ten years!

How could someone who has been dead for ten years be standing here?

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh.

No, we can't panic.

His grandfather was still on his side, and as long as his grandfather didn't change his mind, the Crown Prince would still be his.

Yes, that's it.

He took a deep breath, about to speak.

"grandmother!"

Zhu Yunwen spoke first, tugging at Empress Ma's sleeve, his voice filled with grievance.

"Please be the judge, was what my grandson said wrong?"

Empress Ma loosened Zhu Yuanzhang's ear and looked down at him.

"That's right."

She raised her head and glared at Zhu Yuanzhang again.

"My grandson is absolutely right. The one who's wrong is you, you senile old man!"

Zhu Yuanzhang rubbed his ears, looking aggrieved.

"Sister, we're doing this for the sake of the Ming Dynasty..."

He pointed to Zhu Yunwen, who was kneeling on the ground.

"Yunwen is a promising young man, refined and honest, kind, filial, respectful, and frugal. Yunwen, he..."

He paused, then didn't continue.

There are some things that are best not said in front of children.

But everyone understands what it means.

Zhu Yunwen was raised by Lady Lü from a young age, and the entire court saw what kind of person he became.

He was bad at studying, unskilled in martial arts, and ignorant of politics; all he did was sit in the courtyard daydreaming all day.

Can such a grandson be the crown prince?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.

He lowered his head, his lips pressed together, but the joy in his eyes was impossible to hide.

His grandfather was still on his side.

As long as his grandfather doesn't change his mind, he's guaranteed to win.

But at that moment, Empress Ma ignored Zhu Yuanzhang's words.

She stood there, then suddenly frowned.

"The Crown Prince?"

She looked at Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Why establish the Crown Prince as heir apparent?"

"Where's Biao'er?"

These two questions, though seemingly insignificant, were like two large stones thrown into a calm lake.

The entire room fell silent.

It was eerily quiet.

Empress Ma's expression froze.

She looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, then at the court officials, and then at Zhu Yunwen kneeling on the ground.

Everyone's face was tense, and no one spoke.

No one dared to look at her.

"Where's Biao'er?"

She asked again, her voice trembling slightly.

Still, no one spoke.

Empress Ma felt something pressing down on her heart.

It was so heavy it made it hard for her to breathe.

She grabbed Zhu Yuanzhang's arm and squeezed hard with her fingers.

"Zhongba, where's Biao'er?"

"Where's our target?"

"Why isn't he in court? Where did he go?"

Her voice grew louder and more urgent.

Her eyes welled up with tears.

"Say something! Where's our flag?"

Zhu Yuanzhang opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He looked at Empress Ma, his eyes filled with heartache and distress.

How do I start the conversation?

How can I tell her that the son she loved most is gone?

It's been half a year!

The girl finally came back to life, and this is what she has to endure as soon as she opens her eyes?

He couldn't bear to part with it, he couldn't bring himself to do it, and just then...

"Royal Grandmother."

Zhu Yunwen spoke.

He raised his head, his face filled with grief, his eyes brimming with tears.

"My father... has passed away."

boom!!!

Something seemed to explode in Empress Ma's mind.

She stood still, motionless.

The color drained from his face instantly.

Empress Ma stood there, as if she had been hit on the head with a stick.

I was completely stunned.

"Passed away"?

What does "薨逝" mean? Of course she knew what it meant, but she didn't want to know.

"Biao'er..."

Her lips trembled, and her voice was weak.

"How could Biao'er have passed away?"

"How old is he? He's only in his thirties!"

She suddenly turned her head and grabbed Zhu Yuanzhang by the collar.

"Zhu Chongba!"

"What did you do to our target?!"

"How did he die? How did he perish?!"

"Was it you! Was it you who worked him to death?!"

She shook Zhu Yuanzhang vigorously, tears streaming down her face.

"Say it! Just say it!"

"Our Biao'er has suffered alongside us since he was a child. We finally achieved peace and became the crown prince. How are you going to take care of him?!"

"How did you take care of her!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was shaken so badly by her that he staggered from side to side, but he dared not dodge or struggle.

He just stood there, letting Empress Ma grab him, let her scold him, and let her shake him.

His eyes were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

Biao'er...

That was the son he raised himself, his most prized son, and the son he personally sent away.

What could he say?

He couldn't say anything.

All the civil and military officials knelt on the ground, their heads bowed low, not daring to utter a sound.

Several veteran officials secretly wiped away tears.

The Crown Prince... how good he was to them when he was alive.

Empress Ma's cries echoed through the empty Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yunwen stood to the side, feeling a pang of sadness as he looked at his grandmother.

At this moment, Zhu Yunwen knelt on the ground, his face pale.

He was just thinking about getting this matter over with as quickly as possible so that his grandfather could continue with the investiture ceremony.

Once the investiture is complete, he will be the Crown Prince, a certainty.

But he didn't expect his grandmother to react so strongly.

He never expected that his grandfather would come after him.

"What did you say?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly turned his head and glared at Zhu Yunwen, his eyes like knives.

"You're saying this to your grandmother who just came back to life?"

"What do you want to do!"

Zhu Yunwen trembled and quickly kowtowed.

"Grandson knows his mistake! Grandson knows his mistake! Grandson just..."

"What do you mean, 'just'?!" Zhu Yuanzhang flicked his sleeve. "Get out of my way!"

Zhu Yunwen dared not utter another sound and knelt down to the side, shrinking his neck.

He didn't understand what was going on.

Just now, he was still the virtuous, kind, and talented grandson of the emperor that his grandfather had described!

How did it change so quickly?