Zhu Gaochi's eyes widened, his face filled with surprise, as he took two steps at a time to reach Zhu Zhanji.
"Boy, you can't talk nonsense like that; it can get people killed. Did you really see it? What was the reason?"
Zhu Gaochi quickly came to his senses, highly skeptical of what Zhu Zhanji said. Zhu Di wanted to kill Zhu Gao煦?
What a joke!
Zhu Zhanji was completely anxious. He was truly afraid that Zhu Gaochi would be too late. Regardless of whether Zhu Di killed Zhu Gao煦 or not, Zhu Di would likely blame him and Zhu Gaochi in the end.
Living in the imperial palace, although Zhu Zhanji was not old, he was already intelligent and understood a great deal.
"Father, Second Uncle was planning a rebellion tonight under the guise of changing guards, but then he called that battalion of soldiers back. Second Uncle came to the city gate alone on horseback, and I, your son, personally let him in.
Then Second Uncle and Grandfather started arguing upstairs. Grandfather's eunuch came to tell me, asking me to come find you immediately, Father.
Father, please hurry! If you're late, Grandfather will definitely have thoughts!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaochi also panicked. The eunuch by Zhu Di's side went to inform Zhu Zhanji. Zhu Di was very clear about how much time the round trip would take. At this moment, Zhu Gaochi couldn't stay calm either. If he was late, something serious would truly happen.
"Get up quickly; prepare now! Hurry! Let's go immediately!"
Zhu Gaochi didn't change his clothes, wearing only his sleeping robe. It wasn't that he didn't want to change or that he didn't care about being disrespectful in front of the emperor; it was that changing would be a bigger deal.
With such a major incident happening, you still have time to change clothes? Isn't that purely inviting Zhu Di's suspicion? Isn't that making Zhu Di overthink, believing he wanted Zhu Gao煦 to die?
Zhu Gaochi was in a frantic hurry, skipping all the ceremonial procedures. He had people carry him directly.
"Walk faster, walk faster! Haven't you eaten?"
Zhu Gaochi kept urging them on. Upon arrival, he immediately started climbing the stairs, but after only a few steps, he was already panting slightly. Zhu Zhanji quickly supported Zhu Gaochi and rushed him upwards.
When they got up, seeing Zhu Di and Zhu Gao煦 sitting opposite each other, silent, just staring at each other, Zhu Gaochi was momentarily bewildered.
He turned to look at Zhu Zhanji, his gaze as if saying: "Boy, is this what you meant by the old man wanting to kill your Second Uncle? Are you playing a trick on me?"
Zhu Zhanji also had an innocent, helpless look on his face. He hadn't seen anything himself, and Zhu Di's eunuch had come down, so how could he dare to delay?
Seeing that Zhu Zhanji was also confused, Zhu Gaochi sighed inwardly and quickly ran over.
"Father, Second Brother, you're chatting."
Zhu Gao煦 and Zhu Di both turned to look at Zhu Gaochi. Zhu Gao煦 kept scrutinizing him, seeing the corpulent Zhu Gaochi still panting heavily, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
The first and most stable crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Biao, died from overwork and illness contracted during an inspection tour of the new capital. The second most powerful crown prince also had his body depleted by state affairs. Zhu Gao煦 didn't know what to say anymore.
"Elder Brother, come sit. You, with your poor health, why walk so fast?"
As soon as Zhu Gao煦 said this, Zhu Gaochi was stunned. This person had always called him 'Boss,' but today he actually called him 'Elder Brother.' What kind of day was it today?
Just as Zhu Gaochi was about to speak, Zhu Di's voice came.
"Where would the Crown Prince sit? Why not come sit in Our position? Crown Prince, what do you say?"
Zhu Gao煦's mouth twitched upon hearing this, and Zhu Gaochi immediately dropped to his knees with a thud.
"Father, I, your son, have never thought of such a thing! I still don't know what happened, I was just dragged here by your Grandson."
Zhu Gaochi didn't argue with Zhu Di at all, appearing utterly terrified and bewildered. In his heart, he already more or less knew what had happened tonight, but what he couldn't understand was what Zhu Gao煦 was trying to do.
Zhu Di's current attitude was clearly unfavorable to him, but even he couldn't understand why at this moment.
Zhu Gao煦 watched Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Zhanji smoothly kneel on the ground, their expressions terrified. He had only one thought: sure enough, he wasn't suited for the imperial palace, because he couldn't do what Zhu Gaochi did.
It was precisely because of this that he had just confronted Zhu Di head-on, and he didn't know what exactly had struck Zhu Di to make him no longer angry.
He had truly witnessed what it meant to be like a tiger when accompanying the emperor, and what it meant for the emperor's wrath to be unfathomable.
Zhu Gao煦 sighed in his heart as he watched this scene. He even suspected at this moment that Zhu Gaochi wouldn't live long because he was too terrified by Zhu Di.
Dealing with state affairs was already annoying and exhausting enough, and then having to be scared every other day. This kind of life, only Zhu Gaochi could endure it. If it were him, he wouldn't last a day.
Zhu Di was now intently looking at Zhu Gaochi, then stood up and slowly knelt in front of Zhu Gaochi.
"Elder Brother, tell Us the truth, can you tolerate your two younger brothers?"
"Father, you know, I am their eldest brother, and they are my blood brothers. Although sometimes we don't get along, we are blood relatives. How could your son harm them?"
Zhu Gaochi was truly frightened for a moment. Zhu Di's current demeanor was the most terrifying, because no one knew what Zhu Di was truly thinking.
Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaochi, who was wearing a sleeping robe, with slight dark circles under his eyes, and an incredibly firm expression. He patted Zhu Gaochi's shoulder, then looked at Zhu Zhanji.
"Grandson, can you tolerate your two uncles in the future?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhanji's face immediately flushed. This was a sign of blood rushing to his head, and his body even trembled slightly, his face filled with terror.
Compared to Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Zhanji's composure at this time was far too lacking.
"Grandfather, your Grandson promises Grandfather that your Grandson will never shed the blood of his blood relatives and will definitely treat Second Uncle and Third Uncle well."
Zhu Di chuckled after hearing this, patting Zhu Zhanji's shoulder, almost making Zhu Zhanji fall over.
Just as Zhu Gaochi breathed a sigh of relief, Zhu Di's voice came again.
"Elder Brother, since you can tolerate Second Brother and Third Brother, then why does Second Brother want to leave Great Ming, wanting to find an island overseas, conquer it, and make it his own vassal state to be enfeoffed?
Is it possible that within such a vast Great Ming, there is no place for Second Brother?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaochi's heart was greatly shaken. Now he finally knew the reason. It turned out that the root of everything tonight lay here.
Zhu Gaochi felt utterly wronged. When did he become unable to tolerate Zhu Gao煦? He just couldn't understand, what exactly did Zhu Gao煦 want to do?
He was even impressed by this tactic of feigning retreat to advance. This person, if he himself was having a hard time, he wanted to drag him down with him, right?
With such a vast Great Ming, Zhu Gao煦 insisted on choosing to go overseas. This was truly putting him on the spot.
At this moment, the thoughts of the entire family were truly laid bare.
They appeared to be a loving family, but in reality, each one was a shrewd individual, with their own hidden motives.
In that brief moment, Zhu Gaochi continuously pondered how to respond to Zhu Di's question, and what Zhu Gao煦 was truly thinking. It was simply self-defeating and harmful to others.