Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Zhu Di leaned back in his chair, his gaze casually sweeping across the hall, when he suddenly noticed that Yao Guangxiao seemed somewhat distracted.

Zhu Di followed his gaze and snorted inwardly: This old monk is really ignorant; it's just a golden nanmu pillar.

"What is the master looking at?" Zhu Di asked casually, holding his teacup. "If you really like this golden nanmu pillar, I'll have the fourth prince send you one."

Yao Guangxiao snapped out of his daze, put his hands together, and said, "Your Majesty is joking. This humble monk just feels that this pillar has an extraordinary presence, but it seems to be missing something."

Something was missing. Zhu Di put down his teacup and stared at the pillar again. He almost forgot; he was so focused on how to ridicule this wicked monk that he forgot this was the pillar that the fourth prince's dragon had coiled around before it was enlightened.

Just as he was about to speak, a soft "click" sound came from the side.

Zhu Gaoxu was slumped in his chair, holding a teacup in one hand and secretly rubbing his lower back with the other. He sipped his tea absentmindedly, his mind not on the conversation in the hall, but only on how to ask his fourth brother to grant his sister-in-law a long life, since he was a man of his word.

Until Yao Guangxiao said, "It seems like something is missing."

Zhu Gaoxu abruptly stopped rubbing his lower back. He put down his teacup, and the pain in his back vanished instantly. He sat up straight as if he had been set on fire.

Showing off to others only brings a sense of accomplishment, but who is this person in front of you? Monk Daoyan, Yao Guangxiao, the top strategist when his father was conquering the world, who calls himself the first national teacher of the Ming Dynasty, and is known in the martial arts world as "aka the King of Hats".

This old monk usually doesn't even lift his eyelids, always looking at everyone with an indifferent expression of "this humble monk foresaw this long ago." If you could get a look of shock on his old face, that would be more satisfying than boasting a hundred times in court.

At that moment, three words flashed through the minds of both father and son—"A good opportunity."

Zhu Di immediately understood when he saw his second son's expression; this kid was trying to pretend too. Kid, is this your chance? Just keep pretending.

Zhu Gaoxu was about to speak, but before he could finish, Zhu Di gave him a look and he understood that the old man was putting on an act and told him to step back.

Zhu Gaoxu had no choice but to swallow his words, pick up his teacup again, and lower his head to drink. He marveled at how terrifying a Great Emperor Realm expert was, since only King Realm experts could face a Great Emperor Realm expert directly through the Xuanwu Gate Trial.

Zhu Di withdrew his gaze, gave Zhu Gaoxu a satisfied look, and thought to himself: Second son, the world is a deep and dangerous place. If you can't handle it, let your father do it.

Zhu Di picked up his teacup again and said casually, "Master has a good eye. There used to be a wooden dragon coiled on this pillar."

Yao Guangxiao nodded in sudden understanding, then asked, "Wooden dragon? May I ask Your Majesty, why was this wooden dragon taken away?"

Zhu Di leaned back in his chair, holding a teacup: "It wasn't taken apart, it just flew away."

Yao Guangxiao paused again, his hand still holding the prayer beads. A crack finally appeared on his usually impassive face: "It flew away? Your Majesty means... could it be that what's coiled on this pillar is a real dragon?"

Zhu Di took a sip, his face still calm and composed, and slowly said, "This pillar wasn't originally a real dragon, but it became one later."

He spoke in a calm and unhurried tone, much like an old man answering questions on the journey to the West, but his words made Yao Guangxiao's body go weak.

Yao Guangxiao stopped beading his prayer beads completely. He sat up straight, his voice unusually urgent: "Your Majesty, could you please explain? This humble monk is dull-witted and truly doesn't understand—what does it mean to be not originally a true dragon, but later become one?"

The reactions of the people inside the hall varied.

Zhu Gaoxi, sitting at the lower end, understood his father's thoughts upon hearing this. He wondered why his father spoke so slowly; clearly, he was trying to show off. He picked up his teacup, shook his head, and said, "I said, why does Second Brother love to show off so much?"

Empress Xu sat beside Zhu Di, a dignified smile on her face, but she had already seen through everything. She had been Zhu Di's wife for most of her life, and she knew exactly what he was going to say the moment he opened his mouth.

From deliberately avoiding mentioning the dragon when she entered, to now blurting it out one by one, every step had been meticulously planned. She didn't expose him, but merely glanced at Zhu Di with a mixture of helplessness and amusement in her eyes, as if watching an old child showing off his new toy in public.

The two princesses sat beside their respective husbands, heads bowed, sipping their tea, neither daring to interrupt. Lady Wei secretly glanced at Zhu Gaoxu; her husband, who had been subdued by her father-in-law's mere gaze, was now huddled in his chair, looking both aggrieved and amusing.

Zhang Yan lowered her eyes, glancing at Zhu Gaochi out of the corner of her eye. She saw that he had a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth, looking relaxed as if he was watching a good show, which made her feel a little more at ease.

Zhu Gaochi didn't say a word from beginning to end. He just held his teacup, his gaze shifting between the old man and the second son. Then he lay down and watched the show silently. He knew all too well where the second son's showy nature came from. With an old man like that above him, how could the second son not grow up to be like that?

The only difference is that the old man is subtle, teasing the son step by step, like a cat playing with a mouse; the younger son is straightforward, practically shouting it out in the streets. In the end, father and son are kindred spirits.

Zhu Di was secretly delighted by the old monk's behavior. This old man, who usually acted as if he had seen it all, had been displaying a variety of expressions on his face since he entered the room, making it more entertaining than watching a play.

He slowly put down his teacup, appreciating Yao Guangxiao's anxious expression for a while before speaking: "The Dao Ancestor passed on a supernatural power to the fourth brother, which can transform inanimate objects and bring stillness into motion. The fourth brother saw that the wooden dragon on this pillar was carved with great spirit, so he casually touched it, and the wooden dragon came to life. Now this dragon has become his mount."

Zhu Gaoxu, watching his father's leisurely tone and the rhythm of his father pausing after each sentence to savor the old monk's reaction, knew perfectly well: the old man was thoroughly enjoying himself. He knew it all too well; Zhu Di always wore this expression when he beat around the bush before revealing his trump card.

Watching Zhu Di display his divine power in front of everyone, that thought suddenly popped into his mind again—it's so good to be an emperor, when can I pretend to be one too? The idea of ​​vying for the throne with the eldest son suddenly became a little hazy again.

Just then, Little Snotty walked quickly in from outside the hall, bowed at the door, and said, "Your Highness, Prince Zhao has arrived."

Before he finished speaking, Zhu Gaosui had already stepped across the threshold of Chengyun Hall. He was dressed in a plain blue robe. Behind him followed Madam Weng, who was holding the three-year-old Princess Zhending in her arms. Five-year-old Zhu Zhanyi tugged at his mother's clothes, and as he stepped over the threshold, he looked down carefully at his feet, as if afraid of tripping.

The family of four entered the palace. Zhu Gaosui first bowed to Zhu Di and Empress Xu, saying, "Your subject greets Father and Mother."

Madam Weng, holding the child, followed suit and curtsied. Zhu Zhanyi also bowed respectfully and said in a childish voice, "Grandson greets His Majesty the Emperor and His Madam the Sow," but he stuttered a bit, almost biting the words "His Madam the Sow" together.

Seeing her grandson's well-behaved appearance, Empress Xu smiled and waved her hand, "Get up quickly, it's a long journey, don't blame us."

Princess Zhending was held in her mother's arms. She was not afraid of the people in the room. She looked around with her round eyes and finally her gaze fell on Zhu Gaoxi. Suddenly, she called out in a clear voice, "Fourth Uncle!" This call was much more crisp than Zhu Zhanxi's greeting.

Zhu Gaoxi smiled and responded, rising to offer his seat. Zhu Gaosui then turned to Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaoxu, exchanging greetings.