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

night.

Zhu Yunwen's study.

After handling Old Zhu's funeral, Zhu Yunwen breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, he was sitting in his desk reading memorials.

Qi Tai stood to the side, his hand covering his buttocks.

Zhu Yunwen looked up at him and said, "My dear minister, it's not that I don't want to protect you, but in front of my grandmother, someone has to take the blame for me."

Qi Tai quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, a little scratch is nothing."

"For the sake of you taking the beating for me, I hereby appoint you as Minister of War."

The Minister of War—that's no small matter! He's in charge of all the country's military forces.

Qi Tai prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing, tears streaming down his face, "Your Majesty, I... I would give my life for you, but I have no way to repay you!"

"There's no need for that, get up quickly."

Qi Tai stood up and wiped away his tears.

Zhu Yunwen handed the memorial to Qi Tai.

Qi Tai took the document with both hands, opened it, and read it. It turned out to be a memorial from the old minister Liu Sanwu. The gist of the memorial was that Zhu Di had led an army of 100,000 to besiege the city, and the civil and military officials of the court were helpless. Wu Wang Zhu Yunwen stepped forward and repelled the enemy with his own strength, which was a great achievement. He requested His Majesty to restore Wu Wang's official position and title.

Zhu Yunwen picked up the teacup and took a sip: "My dear minister, what do you think?"

Qi Tai read the memorial three times: "Your Majesty, I believe that what Liu Sanwu said is a pedantic view."

"Oh, what do you mean?"

"Zhu Yuntong has a special status. He was born to your father and Lady Chang. Logically speaking, after Zhu Xiong Ying died young, he was the eldest grandson and should have inherited the throne. In other words, he is Your Majesty's biggest rival and threat."

Now Chang Yuchun has suddenly reappeared. The Prince of Kaiping is his maternal grandfather. How could he not side with him?

Therefore, for Your Majesty's sake, I request that you order Zhu Yunwen to be executed.

"Kill Zhu Yunwen?"

"Exactly." Qi Tai's eyes flashed with a fierce light.

Zhu Yunwen shook his head: "I'm afraid that won't do. I've already promised Grandmother that I wouldn't kill him. How can I go back on my word?"

"Your Majesty is truly a benevolent ruler, but such womanly compassion is unacceptable. I have a plan that can make him die willingly and without remorse."

Tell me about it.

"Now that His Majesty has just ascended the throne, the most pressing issue is the reduction of the power of the vassal states."

First, we must reduce the vassal states of the King of Wu, and second, we must reduce the vassal states of the King of Yan.

As long as we take them down by surprise, the rest of the mediocre ones are no match for us.

Although Zhu Di had led his army back to Beiping, his three sons, Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Gaoxu, and Zhu Gaosui, were still in the capital, but their whereabouts were unknown.

Your Majesty may order Zhu Yunwen to arrest Zhu Gaoxu within three days. Once Zhu Gaoxu is captured, Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaosui will not be able to escape.

Before his death, Zhu Di had already foreseen that Zhu Di might rebel. He lured Zhu Di's three sons to the capital under the pretext of bestowing rewards upon them, and used them as hostages.

"Why not just let Ji Gang of the Embroidered Uniform Guard handle something like this?"

Qi Tai further explained: "Your Majesty may not know this, but Zhu Gaoxu is highly skilled in martial arts and has the strength to lift a tripod. In my humble opinion, his skills are no less than those of Xiang Yu back then. Even if Ji Gang finds him, he is probably no match for him."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen's expression turned serious: "So, does that mean Zhu Yunwen can capture Zhu Gaoxu?"

Qi Tai sneered: "If Zhu Yunwen fails to capture Zhu Gaoxu within three days, then His Majesty can use this as a pretext to sentence him to death."

If he happened to encounter Zhu Gaoxu, he would surely die at Zhu Gaoxu's hands; this is called killing someone with a borrowed knife.

In other words, Zhu Yunwen was doomed, and he had nothing to say about it.

……

Chief eunuch Wang Yue conveyed Zhu Yunwen's oral decree to Zhu Yunwen: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Zhu Yunwen, as a member of the imperial family, has shared the burdens of the court, which greatly pleases me. I hereby order him to capture Zhu Di's second son, Zhu Gaoxu, within three days to eliminate future troubles. There must be no mistake. This is the imperial decree!"

"Your subject Zhu Yunwen receives the imperial decree." Zhu Yunwen's voice rang out clearly.

Wang Yue glanced around to make sure no one was watching: "King of Wu, you'd better be careful."

"You've worked hard, Eunuch Wang."

Wang Yue sighed, "This servant knows that the King of Wu has rendered meritorious service and is innocent, but this servant is powerless to do anything about it."

Zhu Yunwen knew that this eunuch was not a bad person: "I wonder who slandered me before His Majesty and devised such a vicious scheme?"

"King Wu, don't worry about these things now. Quickly find a way to capture Zhu Gaoxu. Zhu Gaoxu is no ordinary person. You must be very careful."

"Thank you for the reminder, Eunuch Wang."

After Wang Yue left, Zhu Yunwen felt a pang of sadness.

This reminded him of Cao Zhi's poem "Seven Steps": "Born of the same root, why so eager to harm each other?"

On the other hand, disobeying an imperial edict is a crime punishable by death.

Zhu Yunwen calmed down; he still had to capture Zhu Gaoxu.

But where in this vast capital city could they find Zhu Gaoxu?

Time flies, and two days have passed in the blink of an eye. Zhu Yunwen has searched every street and alley, but he still has no clue.

He wondered where Zhu Gaoxu could possibly hide.

Does this mean he has already left the city?

Impossible, because the city gates have been closed for a long time, and not even a bird could fly out.

If Zhu Gaoxu is still in the city, then does that mean he can use earth magic?

After much thought, Zhu Yunwen suddenly thought of a place.

……

The third night.

Qinhuai River.

Here, brothels stand in abundance, and birds sing and dance.

The Gongyuan, located next to the Confucius Temple, was the site of the imperial examinations.

Every year, a large number of talented men come to take the exams. They stay here for a long time and find it lonely, which contributes to the prosperity of brothels.

A bright moon is reflected on the banks of the Qinhuai River, its light shimmering.

Crane Cry Tower.

This was the largest brothel in the capital.

The place was always bustling with visitors, "and its people included learned scholars; there were no uncultured people among its guests."

Being able to spend money here is also a symbol of status; ordinary people work themselves to the bone for a year, but it's not worth a single moment of pleasure.

Upstairs, in a private room, a precious carved bow hangs on the wall.

A tall, elderly man was embracing a stunningly beautiful woman named Hongyu, and they were about to get intimate.

The weather in May,

Wearing a red jade dress draped in cicada-feather fabric, her full, snow-white breasts spilled out as if they were about to burst open.

Hongyu parted her lips slightly: "You must drink these three cups of fine wine."

The old man laughed heartily: "The wine is beautiful, and the woman is even more beautiful. Don't say three cups, three hundred cups would be fine too."

Hongyu poured three cups of wine into the old man's mouth at once, and the old man seemed to have no throat, as they went straight down into his stomach.

This Hongyu is no ordinary girl; she is the most beautiful courtesan here.

"The night is beautiful, shall we go and rest?"

"It's still early, what's the rush? Did you bring the luminous pearl I told you about the other day?"

"So this is what you wanted. Why didn't you say so sooner?" the old man said, taking a large bead out of his pocket and handing it to Hongyu.

Hongyu held the luminous pearl in her hands, looking at it again and again, unable to put it down: "I never thought that you would make so much money even though you failed the imperial examination."

Why are you even bothering with those damn exams for the Juren and Jinshi degrees?

The old man laughed loudly: "That's different. The social hierarchy is: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Merchants have the lowest social standing."

Let's put all that aside for now, how about we... you know?

Hongyu smiled and said, "Then you'll have to bring me another bracelet next time."

"Okay, stop dawdling."

The old man picked up Hongyu and placed her on the couch, intending to undress her.

"Bang!"

Just then, the door was suddenly kicked open.

The visitor was none other than Zhu Yunwen, a knife at his waist, his eyes blazing.

The old man, seeing that someone had spoiled his mood, immediately flew into a rage: "What are you trying to do?"

When Zhu Yunwen entered the room, he saw an old man with a slightly hunched back, white hair and beard, and deep wrinkles. He had white teeth and red lips, but he didn't recognize him. He immediately said, "Excuse me, I'm here to see someone."

The old man remained expressionless, his eyes flashing with a cold light: "Who are you looking for?"

"You probably wouldn't even know him if I told you," Zhu Yuntong said casually, but in reality, his eyes were warily observing his surroundings.

Zhu Yunwen turned to leave.

However, at that moment, the old man swiftly took the bow and arrow from the wall and shot it at the back of Zhu Yunwen's head.

The arrow was as fast as a shooting star.

Zhu Yunwen sensed an ominous wind behind him and quickly tilted his head to the left. The arrow grazed his right ear and struck a pillar under the eaves.

Because the old man used too much force, the arrow went all the way to the tail, which was still trembling.

Zhu Yunwen swiftly drew his sword and fought with the old man inside the house, causing tables, chairs, cups, and plates to fly everywhere.

This sudden turn of events terrified Hongyu, leaving her pale and limp on the bed, unable to speak.

However, after a few moves, Zhu Yunwen realized that he was no match for his opponent.

The old man's arms were thick and strong; judging from the arrow he shot, it must have been at least a thousand pounds strong.

The old man sneered and reached out his right arm to grab Zhu Yunwen's left shoulder.

If he grabs you, your shoulder blade will shatter instantly.

Zhu Yunwen had a sudden inspiration and threw the knife in his hand at the old man's face.

The old man hadn't expected Zhu Yunwen to drop his weapon, so he had to retreat and then dodge the flying knife by turning his face to the left.

In that instant, Zhu Yunwen swiftly tore open the old man's mask, and ripped it off.

Zhu Yunwen looked again and saw that the person was not an old man at all, but a young man in his twenties. Who else could it be but Zhu Gaoxu?

"Zhu Gaoxu, how dare you! Your grandfather has just passed away, and you, as a descendant of the Zhu family, dare to live a carefree life here. You have committed an unforgivable crime." Zhu Yunwen put his mask in his pocket.

This is the evidence.

Zhu Gaoxu touched his burning face: "Zhu Yuntong, the Emperor wants to kill you, yet you are still working for him. You must have lost your mind."

Did you use a treacherous scheme to force my father to withdraw his troops?

If it weren't for you, my son and I working together from the inside and outside, we would have already captured the capital.

My father has become the ruler of the world, and I have made great contributions, so I will have the opportunity to inherit the throne like Li Shimin.

Now, you've ruined all of that.

I was just about to settle accounts with you!

Zhu Yunwen sneered: "I didn't expect you to have such grand ambitions. Do you really think you can become Li Shimin?"

"Mind your own business! You'd better pay with your life!"

Enraged, Zhu Gaoxu lunged at Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Yunwen turned and ran.

Trying to run? No way!

Zhu Gaoxu chased after him, shouting, "Catching you means I've done a great service!"

At this moment, those who had come to enjoy themselves saw a fight breaking out upstairs and all ran away in fright.

When Zhu Yuntong was in school, he participated in long-distance running at the sports meet and basically won the championships in the 5000 meters, 10000 meters and marathon.

This was just the right time to use a special event.

He ran along Yingtian Street for a while, and when he saw Zhu Gaoxu fall behind, he stood still and waited for him.

Zhu Gaoxu was panting heavily, thinking to himself, "Are you trying to provoke me? If you're so capable, then don't run away. Let me catch you and tear you into eight pieces."

"Can you run a little faster? With your skill level, how will you ever compare to Li Shimin?"

"What the hell..."

Zhu Gaoxu was even more furious.

Throughout his life, he compared himself to Li Shimin, believing that he surpassed Li Shimin in every aspect, even in matters of love and romance.

He would immediately get angry whenever he heard someone say that he was inferior to Li Shimin.

And so, the two brothers ran one after the other out of the Qinhuai River and came to a grove of trees.

Zhu Gaoxu chased after him, only to find that Zhu Yunwen had suddenly disappeared.

He stopped and shouted, "Zhu Yuntong, come out here! You've brought shame to the Zhu family! You're nothing but a runaway general!"

In the stillness of the night, the sound carried far and wide, with echoes reverberating around it.

No one answered.

Zhu Gaoxu looked around by the moonlight and suddenly saw a person appear under a big tree.

He had seen the man's portrait before; it was Chang Yuchun!

Zhu Gaoxu's head immediately started buzzing, wondering if the person in front of him was really the Prince of Kaiping.

is it possible?

Chang Yuchun is already dead.

"Hey, old man, who are you?"

Chang Yuchun glanced at him, stroking his beard: "Boy, now that you've seen me, why don't you surrender? What are you waiting for?"

"Are you really Chang Yuchun?" Zhu Gaoxu still couldn't believe it.

"Genuine, guaranteed!"

"I don't care who you are, anyone who stands in my way dies! Take this arrow!"

As Zhu Gaoxu spoke, he nocked an arrow and shot it toward Chang Yuchun's throat.

Zhu Gaoxu's archery skills were truly remarkable; if it were anyone else, they wouldn't have been able to dodge that arrow.

Chang Yuchun was furious when he saw that Zhu Yuanzhang's grandson was so aggressive. He thought to himself that even Zhu Yuanzhang's grandson didn't know the rules.

Chang Yuchun used his eighteen-foot steel spear to deflect the arrow, and the two began to fight.

However, once they started fighting, Chang Yuchun was also taken aback.

Throughout his life of battles, he encountered countless enemies, but he had never met one with the skill of Zhu Gaoxu.

No wonder people say Zhu Gaochi is a little tyrant; it seems the rumors are true.

Zhu Gaoxu secretly praised him, thinking that the legend that Chang Yuchun was a god of war was indeed true. He considered himself the bravest general of the Ming Dynasty, yet he was so young and could not defeat him.

The two fought for twenty rounds under that big tree, with neither gaining the upper hand.

Suddenly, a voice came from the tree: "Grandfather, you better stand back and watch me capture this arrogant brat."

Chang Yuchun stopped his eighteen-foot steel spear and jumped out of the circle.

At the same time, a copper net fell from the tree, covering Zhu Gaoxu in the center.

Two people, a man and a woman, jumped down from the tree.

The man was Zhu Yunwen, and the woman was Zhao Ning'er.

The two people pulled backward simultaneously from two directions, and the copper net tightened instantly.

A moment later, Zhu Gaoxu was tied up like a rice dumpling.

Zhao Ning'er clapped her hands: "Mission accomplished! You were afraid of being embarrassed when I asked you to go to a brothel, so you disguised yourself, right?"

Zhu Yunwen laughed and said, "He's not just good at disguise. If I hadn't arrived in time, he would have already consummated his relationship with that courtesan."

"Good lad, you've got potential!"

In that case, your imperial grandfather's unique skill has a successor, and he can rest in peace with a smile in his grave.

"..."