Ming Dynasty: I, Zhu Yunwen, started by resurrecting my grandmother.

Zhao Ning'er continued, "That night, Madam Lü even asked Xuanfa to serve her until bedtime."

After listening, Chang Yu looked puzzled: "Is what you're saying true?"

"Back when I was in the palace, although she was somewhat frivolous, she wasn't this bad."

"These are all things that Yun-Tong saw and heard with his own eyes and ears. How could they be false?"

Empress Lü once pressured Zhu Yunwen to find the murderer and bring him to justice, otherwise she would not eat and threatened the emperor with suicide.

I heard that the Emperor went to the Dali Temple prison to speak with Qi Tai.

Presumably, Qi Tai has already explained the whole story to Zhu Yunwen.

In other words, Zhu Yunwen already knew that it was Yunwen who killed the Xuanfa monk.

Once Lady Lü learns of this, she will surely cause trouble for Yunhu.

Chang walked to the table and sat down, sighing deeply, at a loss for what to do.

Lady Chang was also well-versed in the classics and history, and she knew about historical events, such as the rivalry between Empress Lü and Consort Qi for the emperor's favor.

Not long after Liu Bang's death, Empress Lü poisoned Liu Ruyi, the son of Consort Qi, and then threw Consort Qi into a pigsty, chopping off her hands and feet, gouging out her eyes, and cutting out her tongue, turning her into a human pig, from which she died in agony!

Their methods were so cruel that they were appalling.

During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, Consort Li's son, Liu Rong, was originally the crown prince. However, Princess Guantao wanted to marry her daughter to Liu Rong, but Consort Li refused.

Princess Guantao wanted to marry her daughter to Liu Che, the tenth prince.

Liu Che's mother, Lady Wang, readily agreed, and so Lady Wang and Princess Guantao joined forces to deal with Consort Li.

Princess Li was simple-minded and naive. In the end, Liu Rong was driven to suicide, and Princess Li also died of depression.

The struggle between Wei Zifu and Chen Ajiao was also very brutal.

After entering the palace, Chen Ajiao was unable to conceive, which caused her great anxiety.

On one occasion, Emperor Wu of Han saw the young and beautiful Wei Zifu at Princess Pingyang's residence and slept with her that very day.

And he brought Wei Zifu into the palace.

A year later, Wei Zifu regained favor and became pregnant, which made Chen Ajiao envious and jealous.

So she and Princess Guantao came up with a wicked plan: they arrested Wei Zifu's younger brother, Wei Qing, threw him into prison, and prepared to execute him.

Wei Qing was only able to escape danger thanks to the help of his friend Gongsun Ao.

Emperor Wu of Han was furious when he learned of this.

When Chen Ajiao's first plan failed, she devised another.

She then used witchcraft to curse Wei Zifu, and after the incident was exposed...

Emperor Wu of Han was furious, so he deposed her from her position as empress and banished her to the cold palace.

Later, Wei Zifu gave birth to Crown Prince Liu Ju and was made empress.

Empress Wang Zhengjun and Lady Fu were locked in a fierce battle, clashing for several rounds.

Wang Zhengjun vigorously supported members of the Wang family, consolidating her position through the power of her maternal relatives, and ultimately emerged victorious.

Lady Chang wondered if she also needed to consolidate the power of her maternal relatives.

Now that Chang Yuchun has returned, this is a very good opportunity.

But as the saying goes, "a new emperor brings a new court," and when Zhu Yuanzhang passed away, Zhu Yunwen succeeded him, replacing all the veteran generals in the court.

Although Chang Yuchun returned, he did not hold military power and was merely a figurehead.

Thinking about this, Chang was truly in a state of utter confusion!

But what way is there to rescue Zhu Yunwen?

Chang said to Zhao Ning'er, "Let's split up. I'll go talk to my father about this and see if he has any ideas. If we have no other choice, we'll break him out of prison."

Wasn't Wei Qing rescued from prison by Gongsun Ao back then?

Go find Yun-hu's grandmother and see if she has any ideas.

Zhao Ning'er fully understood Chang's feelings; this was the only option available.

"My father said that breaking him out of prison is definitely not an option. If we did that, not only would we fail to rescue Yunhu, but we would also make his crime even more serious."

Mrs. Chang sighed, "Oh, alright, I understand."

Kunning Palace.

Since Ma Xiuying returned to Kunning Palace, her mood has become complicated and heavy.

Having gone through so much, including life and death, she has come to see things in a more accepting light.

She couldn't forget Old Zhu, the man who had once brought her both joy and sorrow.

Old Zhu came from a poor family. As a child, he herded cattle for others and was a monk at Huangjue Temple.

Later, when the country was in chaos, he joined the army.

Of course, it cannot be denied that Zhu was very smart and brave in battle. He gradually distinguished himself in the army and was highly regarded by Guo Zixing.

Therefore, Guo Zixing betrothed himself to Zhu Yuanzhang.

To be honest, when I first met Lao Zhu, I thought he looked a bit too difficult to understand.

Old Zhu, however, said that his feet were too big.

The two parted on bad terms, looking down on each other.

Later, somehow the two of them got together again, proving the saying that enemies are destined to meet.

With this identity, Lao Zhu gradually gained a foothold in the army and trained a group of brothers under his command.

Old Zhu is kind, generous, and righteous, which is commendable.

As a result, more and more people gathered under his command, including Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Tang He, and Lan Yu.

It should be said that Lao Zhu is a person who is good at identifying and utilizing talent.

Later, Lao Zhu's position became more and more consolidated, and he showed a strong tendency to replace Guo Zixing's biological sons, Guo Tianxu and Guo Tianjue.

As time went on, Guo Tianxu and Guo Tianjue felt uneasy and often slandered Zhu to Guo Zixing, saying that Zhu wanted to seize power.

Guo Zixing was easily swayed; after hearing so much, he genuinely believed that Zhu Yuanzhang might be planning to usurp the throne. After all, a son is closer than a son-in-law.

So he found an excuse to imprison Zhu Yuanzhang.

Guo Tianxu and Guo Tianjue wanted to kill Lao Zhu, so they cut off his food and drink.

Because of this, Ma Xiuying went to great lengths to find ways to provide food and drink for Lao Zhu.

Once, she brought freshly made pancakes to Old Zhu and happened to run into the Guo brothers.

Terrified and with nowhere to hide, she stuffed the hot pancake into her bosom and pressed it against her chest.

Because the pancake was so hot, it burned a piece of skin off her chest over time.

However, that damned old Zhu was too hungry; while eating the pancake, he didn't notice the piece of meat skin stuck to it and ate it along with the skin.

After much difficulty, they managed to get Old Zhu out of prison.

Later, Guo Tianxu was betrayed and died in battle.

Guo Tianjue was just a spoiled brat, and Old Zhu didn't take him seriously.

Once Guo Zixing died, Zhu Yuanzhang seized power.

At that time, Old Zhu's strength was still very weak.

He couldn't compare to Chen Youliang in the west, Zhang Shicheng in the east, or Liu Futong.

The Yuan Dynasty in the north is very powerful.

Old Zhu invited Liu Bowen to come and spent his days discussing countermeasures with him.

Liu Bowen was indeed exceptionally intelligent, and he was in no way inferior to historical figures like Zhang Liang and Zhuge Liang.

Especially in his attitude toward Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng.

His generals all said they should attack Zhang Shicheng first, because Zhang Shicheng's forces were relatively weak, while Chen Youliang had well-trained troops and ample supplies.

Only Liu Bowen strongly supported Zhu Yuanzhang and attacked Chen Youliang first.

Finally, Zhu De defeated Chen Youliang's 60-strong army.

As Liu Bowen predicted, Zhang Shicheng was indeed a man without ambition.

Zhu De defeated his biggest rival, Chen Youliang, and his power was gradually consolidated.

Ultimately, the Ming Dynasty was established.

Ma Xiuying thought to herself that the Ming Dynasty had finally been established, and she could finally enjoy a few days of happiness.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yuanzhang followed the example of ancient emperors, having three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines.

They turned the imperial harem into a chaotic mess.

He favored the young and beautiful Consort Sun, Consort Guo, Consort Li, and Consort Zhou, among others.

This made her very sad and upset.

She thought to herself that if she had known this scoundrel was so promiscuous, she wouldn't have helped him conquer the world and become emperor.

That damned old Zhu is such a heartless person; he literally angered himself to death.

If it weren't for Old Zhu's anger, I wouldn't have died so young.

Empress Ma thought of the past and sighed deeply. No matter what, those were all things of the past.

Old Zhu has passed away, so we can't just pull him out of the ground and beat him up again.

Just then, Zhao Ning'er arrived and bowed, saying, "Ning'er greets the Empress Dowager!"

Empress Ma smiled and said, "Please rise, there's no need for such formalities!"

"Yes!" Zhao Ning'er replied and stood up.

Because she felt that Empress Ma was somewhat imposing, she was still a little nervous.

Empress Ma beckoned: "Ning'er, come, come, sit down next to me."

So Zhao Ning'er moved a chair and sat down next to Empress Ma.

"What brings you here?"

"That's right, Yunwen has been arrested by the Emperor again and imprisoned in the Dali Temple jail."

Empress Ma truly knew nothing about this.

Upon hearing this, her eyebrows shot up, and she angrily said, "How can this grandson go back on his word?"

Didn't I hear that you and Yun Tong went to Beiping on a diplomatic mission together?

Moreover, he completed his mission very well, so why did he lock Yunhu up again?

What exactly is he trying to do?

"Yes, this time when Yunhu arrived in Beiping, he faced a near-death experience."

Zhao Ning'er then recounted the whole story in detail.

Empress Ma was furious when she heard this: "Yunwen has gone too far. He has made great contributions and should be rewarded. How can you imprison him?"

Isn't this a case of unclear rewards and punishments?

"It seems this grandson is truly a tyrant. He's far inferior to his grandfather, and even worse than his father."

Zhao Ning'er grabbed Empress Ma's hand and said urgently, "Please think of a way to rescue Yuntong!"

Empress Ma wanted to immediately confront Zhu Yunwen, slap him twice, and demand an explanation for what had happened.

However, she then thought of the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty".

The "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" has strict regulations that women, regardless of who they are, are not allowed to interfere in politics.

The descendants of the Zhu family are, after all, surnamed Zhu, while I am surnamed Ma. If I were to forcibly interfere, it would likely provoke dissatisfaction among the ministers in the court.

Wasn't Empress Lü like that back then?

After Liu Bang died, Emperor Hui of Han, Liu Ying, succeeded him. Liu Ying was also short-lived, dying after only seven years as emperor.

After Liu Ying's death, Empress Lü attempted to interfere in politics, but was attacked by a coalition of ministers including Chen Ping and Zhou Bo.

Ultimately, Lü Lu and Lü Chan were killed one after another, and the entire Lü family was exterminated.

This is a lesson learned the hard way.

Empress Ma stood up and paced around the hall, saying slowly, "In the past, it would have been better; Zhu Yunwen was just a grandson. But things are different now."

Old Zhu died, and his grandson succeeded him and became emperor.

Although he was a grandson and young, he was still the emperor.

If I were to forcibly intervene in this matter, he would certainly become resentful, and the senior officials in the court would likely also have objections.

Hearing this, Zhao Ning'er felt a chill in her heart.

Zhao Ning'er burst into tears: "Does that mean Yun Tong is beyond saving?"

Are we just going to stand by and watch him lose his head?

Seeing Zhao Ning'er crying her eyes out, Empress Ma could only comfort her, saying, "Don't cry anymore. How about this?"

Zhu Yunwen will come to pay his respects to me every morning and evening. I'll talk to him about this then and see what he says.

Zhao Ning'er then wiped away her tears: "I think if you, sir, speak to him personally, he should give you face."

"I hope so."

Zhu Yunwen's study.

Zhu Yunwen was reading the memorials, and Qi Tai stood by his side.

Zhu Yunwen looked at the memorials, his brows gradually furrowing.

Because those memorials mainly reflected two things.

Firstly, the pirate Chen Zuyi landed from the sea, killed officials, seized government offices, and committed arson, murder, and looting, resulting in the deaths of many officials.

Some officials along the eastern coast dared not take up their posts and requested the imperial court to send troops to reinforce them.

Otherwise, he couldn't hold office; he might lose his head at any moment.

Secondly, the various vassal kings requested the court not to reduce their power, as this would benefit both the court and them. Among them, the King of Zhou reacted the most strongly.

Zhu Yunwen looked at the mountain of memorials piled up on his desk, and his mood grew increasingly irritable.

He put down the memorial, looked up at Qi Tai, and said, "You've suffered in the Dali Temple's prison all this time."

Qi Tai quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I was only inside for a few days. They didn't torture me, so it's nothing."

Your Majesty need not take it to heart.

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly: "I feel bad that you have suffered."

"I hereby reinstate your official rank; you will remain Minister of War, and I will also bestow upon you a reward of one hundred catties of gold."

Upon hearing this, Qi Tai immediately knelt down, tears streaming down his face, moved to tears: "Your Majesty's favor towards me is too great."

Even if I were to be shattered to pieces, I could never repay Your Majesty's kindness.

Zhu Yunwen was also very good at acting. He stood up, came out from behind the documents, and helped him up with both hands: "My dear minister, I know you are innocent."

I have already investigated that matter thoroughly, and it has nothing to do with you.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Zhu Yunwen then handed him the several memorials on the desk.

After Qi Tai took it and examined it carefully, he said to Zhu Yunwen, "Your Majesty, Chen Zuyi is indeed arrogant and is causing harm to the eastern coastal area. Your Majesty can order Tie Xian to send troops to defend the coastal area to prevent them from landing again and capturing cities."

After listening, Zhu Yunwen nodded: "Do you think the iron string is reliable?"

"Your Majesty, you can rest assured that Tie Xian is a loyal minister of the court, utterly devoted to his duties."

"With your words, I am relieved."

So, what's your opinion on those memorials from the vassal kings?

"Your Majesty, I maintain my previous view that we must first deal with Zhu Di and reduce his fiefdom. Then the Prince of Zhou will behave himself. The two brothers are in cahoots, one in the Central Plains and the other in Beiping, posing a great threat to the court," Qi Tai reported again.

Zhu Yunwen paced back and forth in the study with his right hand behind his back: "However, Huang Zicheng has a different opinion on this."

He said that they should first target the King of Zhou and weaken his vassal states.

Because Zhu Su had committed many mistakes during the reign of the late emperor, his demotion was justified.

Zhu Di, however, steadfastly defended Beiping against the Northern Yuan, achieving great merit and committing no wrongdoing.

"Your Majesty is mistaken. If you say that Zhu Di had no faults in the past, not long ago..."

Didn't he come to mourn against the late emperor's wishes?

Moreover, he led an army of 100,000 men with the intention of seizing the capital. Wasn't that a mistake?

Your Majesty could use this as a pretext to reduce his fiefdom.

Moreover, Zhang Bing has now been appointed as the Provincial Treasurer of Beiping.

Xie Gui and Zhang Xin were appointed to the Beiping Military Command.

Song Zhong, Xu Kai, and Geng Huan were stationed in Kaiping, Linqing, and Shanhaiguan respectively. They also mobilized the guards of the Prince of Yan's residence, thus dispersing the military forces in Beiping.

Now is the perfect time for us to strike.

Zhu Yunwen remained hesitant.

"I've heard that Zhu Di has gone mad. Is it necessary for me to eliminate him completely?"

Qi Tai smiled slightly and put down the memorial in his hand: "Your Majesty, Zhu Di is far away in Beiping. Whether he is truly mad or feigning madness is still hard to say."

Throughout history, haven't there been far too many people who feigned madness or stupidity?

When Prince Ziying of Qin was out of power, didn't he also feign madness?

Upon hearing Qi Tai's words, Zhu Yunwen was filled with suspicion: "Do you think Zhu Di could be faking madness?"

That's unlikely.

Does he need to do this?

At this moment, Qi Tai took out a map and laid it on the document.

"Your Majesty, please look," Qi Tai pointed to the map, "This is Beiping. To the north of Beiping is the Mongolian steppe, which is the territory of the Northern Yuan."

The Northern Yuan is still very powerful, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

To the west of Beiping lies the Western Regions, and to the east is Shandong.

Currently, Tie Xian, a political advisor, is stationed in Jinan.

Further south lies the Yellow River defense line.

Therefore, from a broader perspective, Beiping is currently in a very difficult situation.

Furthermore, since we've sent officials from the imperial court this time, he can't refuse.

He probably felt that it wasn't the right time to openly break with the court.

Therefore, Zhu Di was in a difficult position.

If he pretends to be insane, he can shirk all responsibility.

He can observe the situation from the shadows.

Don't underestimate Zhu Gaochi.

Zhu Gaochi was no simple man either.

Zhu Yunwen listened to Qi Tai's analysis with skepticism: "Let's put this matter aside for now."

"What do you think I should do with Zhu Yunwen?"