The Great Ming Demon Pill: Your Majesty, please address me as the Crown Prince!

Inside the study of the Prince of Zhao's residence.

The flickering candlelight cast Zhu Gaosui's shadow on the wall, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

He sat alone behind his desk, holding a secret report in his hand, his fingertips slightly white, rubbing the paper repeatedly, but he never opened it.

The night wind blew through the window, causing the candlelight to flicker, and he instinctively shrank his neck.

"Your Highness, the Qianqing Palace remains sealed off. Eunuch Meng is personally guarding the gate, and not even a fly can get in," a trusted eunuch reported in a low voice, bowing as he stood outside the door.

Zhu Gaosui did not look up, but simply waved his hand, signaling him to step back.

The eunuch silently retreated into the shadows, leaving him alone in the study once again.

He slowly put down the secret report, stood up, paced around the room a few times, and countless thoughts churned in his mind.

The eldest and second eldest sons are now sworn enemies.

With the Emperor's fall, a bloody storm is inevitable.

Logically speaking, his third brother, Zhao Wang, who never fought or grabbed anything, seemed to be the safest in this vortex.

Is it...safe?

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh.

Was Zhu Gaosui truly content to be a wealthy and idle prince for the rest of his life?

Watching the eldest brother, that indecisive fat man, or the second brother, that crude and uncouth brute, sit on that dragon throne.

He, Zhu Gaosui, was also a descendant of Emperor Taizu Gao!

He also fought alongside his father during the Jingnan Campaign, risking his life, shedding blood, and making contributions!

Why should that supreme position only be fought over between the top and second-in-command?

A thought, like a venomous snake, quietly rose in his heart, coiling around his soul and tightening its grip.

"If... we could take advantage of their weakened state..."

"But what if... I lose the bet..." He suddenly shivered, and the ruthlessness he had just displayed vanished without a trace.

He turned and walked back to his desk, picked up a teacup, and wanted to drink some tea to calm his nerves, but found that his hands were shaking so badly that he spilled tea all over the table.

"What...what should I do?" He closed his eyes in anguish, slamming the teacup down with a loud thud.

.....................

Qianqing Palace.

The candlelight was bright.

There was no somber atmosphere in the hall; instead, a rich aroma of meat filled the air.

On the imperial table were several exquisite side dishes, and a steaming hot roasted lamb leg was being sliced ​​into thin slices with a silver knife by a young eunuch, served with minced garlic and sauce, and arranged neatly.

Zhu Di, dressed in a black casual robe, sat cross-legged on a soft couch, holding a lamb rib in his hand, gnawing on it with grease dripping from his mouth. He showed no sign of being "seriously ill and unconscious".

Zhu Zhanjun sat opposite him, holding a piece of lamb leg in his little hand. His cheeks were bulging from eating, and he would occasionally pick up the plum juice next to him and take a sip, looking so comfortable that he squinted his eyes.

"Grandpa, this lamb leg is roasted really well, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, cooked to perfection," Zhu Zhanjun mumbled incoherently.

Zhu Di snorted, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and picked up another piece: "Of course, this is an old recipe that I transferred from the Imperial Kitchen. It's for roasting lamb from the Northwest. The heat must be just right."

The grandfather and grandson ate heartily, each taking a piece of food from the other.

Just then, a soft footstep sound came from outside the hall. Immediately afterward, Ji Gang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, appeared silently at the hall entrance, knelt on one knee, and whispered, "Your Majesty, there is movement in the Eastern Palace."

Zhu Di paused slightly in his movements, but his gaze remained fixed on the lamb leg. He simply said, "Speak."

Ji Gang lowered his voice and reported the secret report from the Crown Prince's Palace in detail.

The Crown Prince's guards were on full alert, and even secretly contacted Wang Tong, the commander of the capital garrison, as well as the close civil and military officials under the Crown Prince's command. They had all received secret orders to be ready to respond at any time.

After listening, Zhu Di remained silent for a moment, then casually tossed the cleaned mutton bone in his hand into the dish, picked up a handkerchief to wipe his hands, and the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a complex expression.

He looked up at Zhu Zhanjun opposite him and slowly said, "Zhanjun, shouldn't this test... end?"

Zhu Zhanjun was gnawing on his second lamb leg when he heard this. He looked up, blinked, and mumbled with meat still in his mouth, "What does Grandfather think?"

Zhu Di sighed, leaned back on the soft pillows, and looked up at the dragon-carved caisson ceiling of the palace. His voice was filled with emotion and weariness: "If we continue to probe, I'm afraid something bad will really happen."

He paused, then continued, "I originally thought that Zhanji, though arrogant and narrow-minded, was ultimately raised by me personally, and should have some integrity and responsibility in his bones."

"But now it seems... he can't even withstand this much pressure, he can't even handle this little storm."

"At the slightest sign of trouble, we'll fight to the death."

"That was too reckless."

Zhu Zhanjun put down the lamb leg, wiped his hands, and said solemnly, "Grandfather, my eldest brother... after all, is the eldest grandson of the emperor. He has been pampered by you since he was a child and has never experienced any setbacks."

"It's possible to make a momentary lapse in judgment."

Zhu Di shook his head, a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"A moment of confusion?"

"With this step, he has crossed the line between ruler and subject."

"If I hadn't been feigning illness, his actions today would be treason!"

"I can tolerate his jealousy, resentment, and even hatred, but I absolutely cannot tolerate him harboring rebellious intentions!"

He took a deep breath.

"However, you're right."

"He is, after all, my eldest grandson."

"If this matter becomes a big fuss and the whole court knows about it, not only will he lose face and the Crown Prince's prestige be ruined, but the very foundation of the Ming Dynasty will also be shaken."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhanjun immediately understood his grandfather's meaning and nodded obediently, "Grandfather is wise."

"I think it's best to leave this matter here."

"As for my elder brother, all we need to do is let him know that Grandfather is aware of the situation, and he will naturally restrain his thoughts and dare not harbor any more delusions."

Zhu Di gave him a deep look, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes: "You child, though young, you know how to behave appropriately and when to advance or retreat, which is truly rare."

He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the gloomy sky outside, and said slowly.

"There are some things that my grandfather has been hesitant about."

"But now, it's time to make a decision."

"Meng Ji".

"Yes, Your Majesty," Meng Ji, the chief eunuch who had been standing at the corner of the hall, quickly bowed and replied.

"By imperial decree: Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, eldest grandson Zhu Zhanji, Prince of Han Zhu Gaoxu, Prince of Zhao Zhu Gaosui, and all imperial grandsons in the capital shall immediately enter the Qianqing Palace for an audience."

"Furthermore, the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet Hu Guang, Huang Huai, Yang Rong, Yang Shiqi, and Jin Youzi, the Minister of Revenue Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Rites Lü Zhen, the Duke of Yingguo Zhang Fu, the Duke of Chengguo Zhu Yong, the Director of the Imperial Clan Court, and the Academicians of the Hanlin Academy are hereby granted an audience."

Meng Ji felt a chill run down his spine, but his face remained impassive as he bowed and accepted the order: "This servant obeys the decree."