Parallel Ming Dynasty: The more he compared, the more devastated Zhu Yuanzhang became.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly opened his cloudy eyes, looked at Zhu Yunwen who was trembling uncontrollably, a hint of disappointment and frustration flashing in his eyes. He sighed softly and said, "Yunwen, get up. Your imperial grandfather believes that this matter was not your doing. Such a world-shaking phenomenon is not something that mortals can control."

However, I truly cannot understand who this Zhu Duo is.

Zhu Yunwen immediately kowtowed deeply, choking back tears, and said, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

Not only the Zhu family of the Ming Dynasty, nor just Nanjing, but across the vast territory of the Ming Dynasty, everyone was stunned by this incredible feat of divine intervention.

Most ordinary people in both worlds didn't know who Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Duo were, but since they shared the surname Zhu and could cause such terrifying celestial phenomena, they were most likely related to the royal family.

Therefore, countless people knelt down devoutly and worshipped the sky.

He kept muttering words of gratitude for Heaven's grace and the Emperor's boundless benevolence.

Those wealthy and powerful people who had connections to find out some inside information about the royal family only knew who Zhu Yunwen was, and they knew nothing about Zhu Duo, a name they had never heard of before.

Those who truly know Zhu Duo's background are extremely rare, only those in the New World who have interacted with Zhu Duo or have always followed him.

Not long after, King Zhu Shuang of Qin returned in a hurry, his head covered in sweat.

[Your Majesty, I have just carefully reviewed the imperial genealogy. There are a total of 360 registered members of the Zhu family, and the name Zhu Duo is not listed there.]

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned deeply and said in a deep voice, "No?"

[Father, could it be that this Zhu Duo only exists in another world?]

Prince Yan, Zhu Di, whispered a reminder, "The mysterious voice just now said that this is a comparison between two worlds. Perhaps in our world there is only Yunwen, while in the other world there is no Yunwen, but instead there is a person named Zhu Duo?"

Is it deliberately comparing Yunwen from our world with Zhu Duo from another world?

Zhu Di's guess was actually pretty much correct.

Although Zhu Duo was in the new world, there was also a Zhu Yunwen in the new world. The biggest difference between the two worlds was that the new world had an additional Zhu Duo who was secretly accumulating power and preparing to seize the throne.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded thoughtfully.

[Fine, all of you come with me and see what's really going on behind this.]

[As you command!]

All the princes responded in unison.

At this moment, the person most puzzled was undoubtedly Zhu Yunwen himself. What on earth was going on? How did he end up being dragged into such a bizarre and strange affair?

And who exactly is this Zhu Duo? And what is his connection to me?

But things had come to this point, and he was powerless to control the situation. All he could do now was silently pray that this matter would not affect his grandfather's decision to pass the throne to him.

At this very moment, in two parallel worlds.

From the emperor and his court officials to ordinary people on the streets, everyone stopped what they were doing and held their breath to see what would happen next.

Just then, the images in everyone's minds changed once again.

The scene shifted to the Imperial College, where two boys of similar age, around ten years old, appeared on two side-by-side screens.

The left screen shows Zhu Duo, and the right screen shows Zhu Yunwen.

In the left-hand image, Zhu Duo's teacher is Liu Ji; in the right-hand image, Zhu Yunwen's teacher is Huang Zicheng.

Look at the image on the left first.

Liu Ji walked slowly to Zhu Duo, bowed slightly, and said, "Your Highness, it's time to begin today's lessons."

Young Zhu Duo nodded slightly and said respectfully, "I will follow your instructions, teacher."

Liu Ji continued, "Today's lesson is to memorize 'A New Edition of the Analects.' Afterwards, I will select two passages from them and ask you about your understanding of their contents."

Also, please hand in a copy of the first half of "A New Compilation of the Analects" before 5 PM today.

Young Zhu Duo nodded again and said decisively, "Okay."

Upon seeing this, in no time at all, the princes from both the original and new worlds could no longer sit still.

This is the new world.

"Wasn't the 'New Compilation of the Analects' a work that Li Daxue recompiled over several years based on the classics of previous sages?"

If I remember correctly, we all started formally studying the *New Compilation of the Analects* when we were twenty years old, right? What's wrong with Mr. Liu? How can you make a child who's only ten or so years old memorize such a difficult book?

Moreover, the full text of *The New Compilation of the Analects* is over 20,000 characters long, and even half of it would be at least 10,000 characters. To memorize it all and then copy it by hand in a single day?!

He's not teaching students, he's clearly abusing the Zhu family's children!

King Zhu Su of Zhou was the first to slam his fist on the table and stand up, unable to sit still any longer.

Compared to his three elder brothers, Zhu Shuang (Prince of Qin), Zhu ? (Prince of Jin), and Zhu Di (Prince of Yan), Zhu Su always preferred reading and scholarship, and naturally knew better than anyone how difficult the assignment given by Liu Ji was.

This is not a normal academic requirement at all; it's blatant mistreatment!

Prince Zhu of Jin couldn't help but step forward, clasp his hands and bow, saying, "Father, I humbly request that Liu Ji be summoned to the palace immediately!"

Your subject would like to ask him directly: As a teacher, one should know how to balance discipline and relaxation. Why did you assign Zhu Duo such heavy homework? This is not teaching; it is clearly oppression with a vengeful heart!

Such behavior must not be tolerated!

In this new world, thanks to Zhu Duo's appearance, Liu Bowen is still alive today. However, his relationship with Zhu Yuanzhang was not close; he only served as Zhu Duo's private tutor.

Seeing that his three brothers had already stood up to speak, Prince Yan Zhu Di felt it would be inappropriate for him to remain seated, so he also stood up, not wanting to be left behind.

He glanced at Zhu Duo, who appeared calm in the image, and said loudly, "Father, your sons and we do not often stay in the palace, and we were unaware that Zhu Duo had been treated so harshly since childhood. This is a dereliction of duty on our part as his uncles."

Therefore, your son humbly requests Your Majesty to severely punish Mr. Liu, and also to punish us!

These three princes were all thinking of avoiding mistakes rather than making merits, and they took this opportunity to make their presence known to their father, the emperor.

But Zhu Yuanzhang only glanced at the three of them, then at Zhu Duo in the picture. A trace of guilt flashed quickly in his eyes, but he quickly covered it up and said in a deep voice, "This matter has nothing to do with you."

"However, summon Liu Ji to an audience immediately! I want to ask him myself what he's up to."

"As you command!"

A eunuch standing nearby quickly bowed, accepted the decree, and hurried out.

Upon seeing this, a hint of disdain flashed across Zhu Duo's eyes.

These three uncles don't really care about him at all.

Over the years, they have never once taken the initiative to visit him. The reason he is speaking out now is simply because serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; he has to do the necessary pretense.

Meanwhile, in the other scene...

Zhu Yunwen's daily study routine was much more normal.

Huang Zicheng, as a Grand Secretary of the court, was exceptionally indulgent and doting on Zhu Yunwen.

The only homework he assigned to Zhu Yunwen was the most basic "Three Character Classic," and he only needed to be able to read it fluently. (After all, there were no punctuation marks in the Ming Dynasty, so one could only rely on intuition and the meaning of the words to determine where to pause and where to break paragraphs.)

Zhu Yunwen was at an age where he loved to play, and after reading for a short while, his mind wandered off somewhere else.

Sometimes he would look up at the birds flying overhead and stare blankly, sometimes he would run to the pond to tease the fish swimming in the water, and sometimes he would fold a paper windmill and run against the wind until he was covered in sweat, having a great time!

Upon seeing this, all the princes exchanged knowing smiles.

They were just as mischievous and playful when they were young.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang had only recently ascended the throne and was extremely strict with them. Anyone who dared to be playful would receive a severe punishment. Now that Zhu Yuanzhang was older, he was no longer so strict with the younger generation's studies, and Zhu Yunwen was clearly much happier than they were in their childhood.

Moreover, their elder brother Zhu Biao doted on Zhu Yunwen to the extreme when he was alive.

This is why Zhu Yunwen had such a carefree and unrestrained childhood.

Seeing his younger self in such a playful state, Zhu Yunwen couldn't help but feel his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

He immediately knelt down in front of Zhu Yuanzhang's bed with a thud, lowered his head and said with a face full of guilt, "Grandfather, I am young and ignorant, and I am unruly. Please forgive me."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said in a gentler tone, "What's there to forgive? Children are naturally playful. Your father, Biao'er..."

Mentioning Zhu Biao's name, Zhu Yuanzhang felt a sudden pang of pain in his heart. He paused for a long while before continuing, "And your uncles, they were much more mischievous than you when they were young. But at that time, I had just ascended the throne and was busy with state affairs, so I disciplined them very strictly and never allowed them to play around like that."

"Father! It was our youth and ignorance back then that caused you so much trouble!"

Upon hearing this, all the princes knelt down, their eyes reddening and their voices choked with emotion.

"Get up, all of you! What kind of behavior is this? We're all family, why are you kneeling down all the time? Stand up!"

"yes!"

The princes then slowly stood up and returned to their seats.

Compared to their emotional expressions, Zhu Duo, who remained expressionless and coldly observing from the side, seemed particularly out of place, like an anomaly.

But unfortunately—

Of all the people in the room, Zhu Yuanzhang found Zhu Duo the most agreeable. This was because Zhu Duo's stubbornness and refusal to admit defeat resonated perfectly with Zhu Yuanzhang's temperament.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed inwardly, "How come I never noticed this child, Zhu Duo, before?"

Unfortunately, I don't have much time left, and I no longer have the opportunity to observe him properly. Besides, I have already announced to the world that Yunwen has been established as the Crown Prince.

well……"

On this side of the original world.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face remained expressionless.

The princes around him, however, had different expressions and their own thoughts.

[Nephew Yunwen, you looked quite like your father when you were little.]

Yes, that's how my older brother Biao used to take us around when we were little.

The princes recalled the time they spent with their elder brother Zhu Biao, and couldn't help but feel sad, a bitter feeling rising in their hearts.

They all knew how good their elder brother Zhu Biao had been to them, so none of them had ever considered vying for the throne. Furthermore, Zhu Yuanzhang's word was law; he had already designated the crown prince. They all simply wanted to live peacefully as princes, guarding their fiefdoms for the rest of their lives.

But now Zhu Biao has fallen ill from overwork and died young. To say that they had no thoughts of vying for the throne would be something even they themselves would find hard to believe.

But Zhu Yuanzhang's words were law, and he made the final decision, appointing Zhu Yunwen as his eldest grandson to inherit the throne. Even if they were unwilling, they could only suppress their desire for power.

After all, once their father made a decision, no one could ever change it.

If there was anyone in the world who could persuade Zhu Yuanzhang, it would only be Empress Ma. But Empress Ma had already passed away, and now, in the entire Ming Dynasty, no one could change Zhu Yuanzhang's mind.

Hearing his uncles' teasing, Zhu Yunwen smiled sheepishly. But when he caught a glimpse of Zhu Yuanzhang's expressionless face out of the corner of his eye, his heart sank, and he immediately shut his mouth, not daring to even breathe.

Could it be that my behavior just now displeased my grandfather?

Prince Yan, Zhu Di, also keenly noticed his father's closed eyes and silent, indifferent expression, and vaguely guessed what was going on in his heart.

Zhu Di thought to himself, "Perhaps, Father is thinking of Mr. Liu Bowen..."

In another world, Liu Bowen is still alive, which is probably the biggest difference between the two worlds.

Just as Zhu Di was thinking this, his thoughts turned into a line of bullet comments on the right side of the screen, slowly floating across the screen.

{Original world Zhu Di: Perhaps, Father Emperor remembered Mr. Liu Bowen...}

The bullet comment feature is now unlocked. Everyone can send their thoughts in text format to the comparison video.

The familiar system voice rang out again, startling Zhu Di. But after thinking carefully, he realized that the mysterious voice had indeed mentioned this matter before.

Once the bullet screen feature was turned on, the screens of the two comparison videos were instantly filled with a dense barrage of bullet screen comments.

Fortunately, these comments can be blocked, or they can be displayed in columns or hidden directly, so they won't affect everyone's viewing of the comparison video.

Just then, a special comment suddenly caught the attention of all the princes present.

{Original world Zhu Yuanzhang: Bowen, oh Bowen, you left so early, we miss you. What happened back then, we went too far.}

Upon seeing this comment, all the princes were taken aback.

It turns out that their father had always kept this old minister and old friend in his heart.

Moreover, it was unprecedented and unimaginable that their stubborn father could admit that he had made a mistake.

-

The video then shifts to evening.

Zhu Duo took the initiative to find Liu Ji.

"Teacher, this is my homework for today. I have copied the entire text of 'A New Edition of the Analects' by hand and memorized it all."

Please have the teacher conduct a spot check.

Liu Ji nodded, his face showing little surprise. He took the handwritten copy from Zhu Duo and looked at the vigorous and neat calligraphy on it, nodding in satisfaction.

After carefully reviewing the manuscript, Liu Ji put it away and then began to check Zhu Duo's recitation.

"Chapter Three, Paragraph Five: A wise man knows his destiny."

"Without knowing destiny, one cannot be a gentleman; without knowing propriety, one cannot establish oneself as a person; without knowing language, one cannot know people. One must be proficient in both literary and military arts. One must be generous in one's conduct and treat scholars with the warmth of spring."

"Chapter Nine, Paragraph Three"

"In the application of rites, harmony is of utmost importance. This is the beauty of the way of the former kings. It should be followed in all matters, large and small, but there are some things that cannot be done. Knowing harmony and yet not regulating it with rites is also unacceptable."

Chapter Seventeen…

Zhu Duo could answer every question Liu Bowen asked fluently, not only reciting the original text word for word but also offering unique insights based on his own understanding.

Moreover, Liu Bowen had absolutely no airs of a teacher. When he disagreed with Zhu Duo, he would sit down on the ground and discuss things earnestly with Zhu Duo as if he were consulting a fellow scholar.

They didn't look like teacher and student at all; they were clearly a pair of longtime friends despite their age difference.

Let's watch Zhu Yunwen's video next.

Huang Zicheng was having Zhu Yunwen recite the Three Character Classic.

As a result, Zhu Yunwen read it haltingly, not only failing to distinguish between punctuation and pronunciation, but also unable to recognize any complex characters, and unable to pronounce a single sound for a long time.

A full fifteen minutes passed before he managed to barely finish reading that short passage.

The scene was absolutely horrific.

Just then, Zhu Biao came in looking for Zhu Yunwen. As soon as Zhu Yunwen saw his father, he immediately forgot all about studying and cheered as he rushed into Zhu Biao's arms.

Zhu Biao gently patted Zhu Yunwen's head, then turned to Huang Zicheng and asked, "Mr. Huang, how did Yunwen do with his homework today?"

"Your Highness, the young prince is exceptionally intelligent, and...and he studies very diligently."

"Okay, that's good."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao beamed with joy, thanked Huang Zicheng with satisfaction, and then took Zhu Yunwen's hand and left happily.

-

"Bring that old bastard Huang Zicheng up here!"

In the new world, Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his hand on the bed railing, his face contorted with rage, and shouted angrily.

"Please, Your Majesty, calm your anger! Please, Your Majesty, spare Teacher Huang's life!"

Zhu Yunwen, who was standing to the side, could not help but see the raging fire in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes. He was so frightened that he prostrated himself on the ground and begged for mercy with tears streaming down his face.

He knew in his heart that although his grandfather seemed to be angry at Huang Zicheng, he was actually utterly disappointed in him.

As the saying goes, it's not that you don't know the goods, it's that you don't compare them.

The persona I portray in the video is at most just a bit playful and mischievous.

Normally, if Zhu Yuanzhang knew about this, he would at most smile and shake his head, and wouldn't take it to heart at all.

But now, compared to Zhu Duo, Zhu Yunwen is simply inferior, far inferior, and not presentable at all.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the two are worlds apart.