Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

The sound of the dismissal bell echoed above the Fengtian Hall, and civil and military officials filed out in single file.

With the help of eunuchs, Zhu Gaochi descended the steps, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead in the morning light.

He walked very slowly, each step as if measuring the ground, his obese body trembling slightly beneath his loose court robes.

Zhu Gaoxu strode ahead, full of vigor, and quickly caught up. Zhu Gaosui followed closely behind him, his steps light and his posture respectful.

The three brothers all had the same thought in mind—to hurry to Kunning Palace and find their fourth brother to treat his illness.

Empress Xu has been seriously ill these past few days, and none of them have had a good rest. In addition, their old ailments have flared up, and their bodies are all in an overclocked state.

If we don't find Lao Si soon, I'm afraid I'll die.

Before leaving this morning, Zhang Yan had already taken the children into the palace. Lady Wei and Lady Weng also got up before dawn to dress and led their respective heirs and princesses to Kunning Palace. By now, the Empress Dowager must be surrounded by her grandchildren, chattering noisily.

They had just stepped out of the Fengtian Gate when they suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind them.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince! Your Highness the Prince of Han! Your Highness the Prince of Zhao! Please wait!"

Zhu Gaochi paused and turned around—it was Fang Bin, the Minister of War, followed by Guo Jin, the Vice Minister of Rites, Hu Guang, a Hanlin Academician, and several other court officials. They all walked hurriedly, their faces showing just the right amount of concern and barely concealed curiosity.

Fang Bin quickly caught up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said breathlessly, "Your Highnesses, I have a few questions I would like to ask you."

Zhu Gaochi's expression remained unchanged, and he nodded slightly: "Lord Fang, please speak."

Fang Bin glanced around and lowered his voice, "We, your subjects, are overjoyed that Her Majesty the Empress has recovered. We just don't know which imperial physician examined her yesterday. My family also has a sick member who urgently needs medicine. If only..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Guo Jin, Hu Guang, and the others behind him also came over, all of them pricking up their ears and looking at the three brothers expectantly.

Zhu Gaochi's lips twitched slightly as he interrupted him: "Lord Fang, I cannot reveal who the imperial physician was yesterday." He paused for a moment, "I know what you are thinking, but there is something I must say: do not inquire about what you should not inquire about."

Fang Bin's smile froze slightly. Just as he was about to say something more, Zhu Gaoxu strode forward, his finger almost poking Fang Bin's nose: "You, Fang! Are you out of your mind? How many heads do you have? How dare you pry like that?"

His voice was so loud it could be heard halfway through the palace gates, "Get out of here! If you bother us brothers again, I'll report you all to Father and have you all beheaded!"

Fang Bin, after being scolded, retreated repeatedly, bowing deeply and stammering, "Your Highness, please calm your anger... I dare not... I take my leave..."

"Then get out of here!" Fang Bin turned and left, walking much faster than when he came. Guo Jin followed closely behind, not daring to look back.

Zhu Gaosui stood aside without saying a word, his gaze sweeping over Fang Bin's back before landing on his second brother's face, which still showed signs of anger, without uttering a sound.

Hu Guang stood at the back, stroking his beard, his gaze sweeping over the three brothers' faces several times. Suddenly, he cupped his hands and said, "Your Highnesses, I have official duties to attend to and must take my leave now." He turned and left decisively, without asking a single question.

Zhu Gaoxu watched their retreating figures and snorted, "These guys have ears sharper than dogs."

Zhu Gaosui leaned closer and chuckled in a low voice, "Second Brother is mighty! Those two moves just now scared Fang Bin so much that his face turned pale."

"He deserves a beating." Zhu Gaoxu scoffed and walked away.

Zhu Gaochi didn't reply, but simply raised his chin, indicating that they should continue walking. The eunuch quickly stepped forward to take his arm, and the three of them continued walking towards Kunning Palace.

After walking several dozen steps and confirming that no one was following behind, Zhu Gaoxu finally raised his voice.

"Boss, can you walk a little faster?" He put his hands on his hips, tilted his head and looked at Zhu Gaochi with a teasing smile on his lips. "At your speed, it will be dark by the time we get to Kunning Palace."

Zhu Gaochi, panting heavily, glared at him irritably: "Do you think I... don't want to hurry?"

"Then hurry up!" Zhu Gaoxu didn't move, but stood there waiting. Every now and then he would dart forward a few steps, then turn back and circle around Zhu Gaochi like a tethered tiger. "Look at you, you take one step and then rest three times. If you don't lose weight, you won't even be able to walk in the future."

Zhu Gaochi's face turned red with anger: "Second brother, stop making sarcastic remarks. I have a problem with my legs, not that I'm fat."

"Yes, yes, yes, there's something wrong with his legs." Zhu Gaoxu grinned, pointing to Zhu Gaochi's round belly, "And what about this thing? Is it also a problem with its legs?"

Zhu Gaochi was speechless, his lips trembled, and he couldn't find a way to respond.

Zhu Gaosui, watching from the side, couldn't help but laugh out loud, then quickly covered his mouth and whispered, "Second Brother, stop talking. Isn't Eldest Brother walking away?"

Zhu Gaoxu glanced back at his third brother and snorted, "I'm just worried for him. Fourth brother is waiting at Kunning Palace, and my sister-in-law and the others arrived long ago. It's just the three of us dawdling on the road. How embarrassing would that be if word got out?"

Zhu Gaochi gritted his teeth and took a few more steps forward, panting heavily: "If you're in such a hurry... if you're in such a hurry, then go ahead. Don't bother me here."

"I'd like to go first," Zhu Gaoxu rolled his eyes, leaned close to Zhu Gaosui's ear, and chuckled in a low voice, "With your two legs, eldest brother, you might not even get there by nightfall. Third brother, don't you think so?"

Zhu Gaosui smiled and nodded, without replying, but his eyes were full of agreement.

Zhu Gaochi ignored him and continued to move forward step by step.

Zhu Gaoxu leaned closer, grinning, and said, "Big brother, do you think your legs won't hurt so much if you lose weight? Fourth brother is capable, but you still have to work hard. Let fourth brother heal your legs later. If you keep getting this fat, they'll break sooner or later."

Zhu Gaosui chimed in, "Second brother is right. Eldest brother, you really should take better care of your health."

Zhu Gaochi took a deep breath and held back his outburst.

He knew his two younger brothers too well.

The second brother was always talking nonsense, and the third brother chimed in from the sidelines. The two of them would sing in unison, never taking their eldest brother seriously.

He recalled what Zhang Yan had said last night: "Your Highness, the Prince of Han and the Prince of Zhao have been working together against you for so many years, you have to be careful."

Defend? How can we defend against it? One of my two younger brothers is the emperor's most beloved and valiant general, and the other is a follower who cheers and shouts after him.

In his father's eyes, the second son was good at fighting and leading troops, the third son was meticulous and handled matters properly, while he, the crown prince, was just a fat man who was weak and sickly.

Zhu Di: You have the biggest stomach in the whole family. Do you have any of the qualities of a true dragon to be the crown prince?

Zhu Gaoxu: Father is right! I am the one who is most like the old man.

Zhu Gaosui: Second brother is right! I am the one who is most like second brother, no, I am the one who supports second brother the most.

In short, with the second oldest in front and the third oldest behind, being fat is tough! It's all tears when you talk about it!

Well... thankfully I have a good son.

Zhu Gaochi gritted his teeth and didn't retort. He knew he had never won an argument with his two younger brothers, but his son would shatter all darkness.

Zhu Gaosui watched his eldest brother's silent back and sighed inwardly. He naturally sided with his second brother; from childhood, his second brother was a capable fighter, and following him was always the right choice. As for his eldest brother…

He recalled what Lady Weng had said last night: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is, after all, the Crown Prince. You and the Prince of Han should still leave some room for maneuver."

Leave room for maneuver? He glanced at his second brother's face, which screamed "I'm the best in the world," and then at his eldest brother's restrained expression, and smiled bitterly to himself. This wasn't a matter he could decide.

"Third brother, what are you thinking about?" Zhu Gaoxu turned around and glanced at him.

"It's nothing." Zhu Gaosui shook his head and quickened his pace to catch up. "Second brother, let's hurry up. Mother must be getting impatient."

Zhu Gaochi wiped the sweat from his forehead, gritted his teeth, and took another step. Although Zhu Gaoxu was sharp-tongued, he still reached out his left hand and put it on Zhu Gaochi's arm to help him steady himself. Zhu Gaosui also stepped forward and supported Zhu Gaochi's other arm.

The three sons supported each other like that.

Although each had their own agenda, they limped and coughed as they hurried toward Kunning Palace.

Zhu Gaochi, panting as he walked, said, "Second brother, you just said your sister-in-law and the others... have they all arrived?"

"We've definitely arrived," Zhu Gaoxu said. "My few rascals were clamoring to go to the palace to see their fourth uncle before dawn. The princess couldn't stop them, and they ran away from the carriage before daybreak."

"Zhanji too." Zhu Gaochi smiled slightly. "Last night, on the way back from Kunning Palace, he kept talking about the fourth prince."

Zhu Gaosui said softly, "My son Zhanyi is still young and doesn't understand anything about supernatural powers, but when he heard that his fourth uncle was in Kunning Palace, he insisted on going to the palace. Madam Weng said that he missed his fourth uncle. In the past six months, his fourth uncle has often visited him at the Prince Zhao's residence. The little guy is closest to his fourth uncle."

Zhu Gaoxu suddenly lowered his voice, a hint of anticipation in his eyes: "Do you think Fourth Brother has acquired some new supernatural power today? Yesterday it was the power of creation, could it be flying through the clouds today?"

"It's hard to say." Zhu Gaosui shook his head. "My fourth brother said that the Dao Ancestor preaches every day at Chenshi (7-9 AM), and he should have finished by now."

"Then let's hurry!" Zhu Gaoxu quickened his pace, dragging Zhu Gaochi forward. "Big brother, you'd better hurry up!"

"Be gentle!" Zhu Gaochi stumbled as he was pulled. "You're about to break my leg!"

"Tear it off and let your fourth brother fix it for you!" Zhu Gaoxu laughed heartily, but he didn't dare to use any more force.