My father, Zhu Di, was granted a second life by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Chapter 91 A Feast for Li Jinglong

Zhu Jixi was extremely efficient and acted immediately. He went to the Duke of Cao's mansion to find Li Jinglong as soon as he left the palace that day.

The next morning, Zhu Jixi excitedly ran to the vegetable garden to tell Zhu Gaoxi some good news: "Li Jinglong has agreed to have dinner with me at the Prince of Wu's residence."

"Brother, you're amazing!"

Zhu Gaoxi fawned over the horses.

Seeing his younger brother's utter admiration for him, Zhu Jixi felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

Zhu Gaoxi followed Zhu Jixi closely, flattering and fawning over him to the extreme.

Zhu Youdun was deeply worried, hesitant to speak, and unable to find a suitable opportunity to offer advice, his heart burning with anxiety.

It wasn't until Zhu Jixi left the palace that Zhu Youdun finally seized the opportunity to express his concerns: "Li Jinglong might not necessarily side with us; he might even sell us out."

Zhu Gaoxi had already considered this, but how can one catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's den?

How can we find a breakthrough without taking risks?

What if the old emperor changes his mind after seeing the birth of his great-grandson? What will become of him and Youdun?

They had long been regarded as a thorn in Zhu Yunwen's side, and once Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, where would they find a way to survive?

There's no turning back; we can only forge ahead.

"Send Sanbao out of the palace first thing tomorrow morning to the Prince of Wu's residence to tell Gao Xu to take precautions as soon as possible," Zhu Youdun advised.

"Sanbao is too big a target. Let Hanchen go. He's quick-witted and has good skills," Zhu Gaoxi said after a moment's thought.

Han Chen rarely left the palace, and people who didn't often come to the vegetable garden would find it hard to associate him with Zhu Gaoxi.

Subsequently, Zhu Gaoxi summoned Yishiha and inquired in detail about the investigation over the past few days.

Yi Shiha recounted the whole story.

Zhu Jixi spent the most time in the Wenhua Hall, but Lady Lü rarely went there.

He only visited the Eastern Palace three times, merely familiarizing himself with the route, making almost no progress and far from posing a threat to Zhu Yunwen.

It seems we need to intensify our investigation.

How can we alert the enemy without taking concrete action?

Only by sending people to infiltrate the Eastern Palace and conduct a thorough investigation could they possibly find the crucial information that had caused Empress Lü and Zhu Yunwen to panic.

"Brother, do you remember Fang Guozhen?" Zhu Gaoxi suddenly asked.

"What's wrong?" Zhu Youdun didn't react for a moment, failing to grasp the deeper meaning behind Zhu Gaoxi's words.

Among the warlords at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, such as Zhang Shicheng, Chen Youliang, and Zhu Yuanzhang, Fang Guozhen started his rebellion earliest and had a powerful navy. However, he did not have the ambition to pacify the world. He only wanted to occupy the three prefectures of Taizhou, Wenzhou, and Qingyuan, and wait for the right price to come by with his fleet of warships.

After Fang Guozhen surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty, he defeated Zhang Shicheng's navy seven times in a row, which greatly angered Zhang Shicheng, and the two sides became deeply hostile.

Zhang Shicheng's territory was located between Zhu Yuanzhang and Fang Guozhen.

When Zhu Yuanzhang was at war with Zhang Shicheng in eastern Zhejiang, he sent envoys to persuade Fang Guozhen to surrender.

Without hesitation, Fang Guozhen immediately expressed his sincerity in surrendering, offering not only three prefectures but also sending his son to Zhu Yuanzhang as a hostage, demonstrating his utmost sincerity.

In reality, Fang Guozhen did not truly surrender; he merely wanted to temporarily avoid direct confrontation and use Zhu Yuanzhang's power to restrain Zhang Shicheng.

While exchanging flirtatious glances with Zhu Yuanzhang, Fang Guozhen remained a high-ranking official in the Yuan Dynasty, maintaining a vacillating stance and observing the situation.

During the years that Zhu Yuanzhang was busy dealing with Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng, Fang Guozhen remained indecisive, playing both sides and wavering.

"Brother, don't Li Jinglong and Fang Guozhen look a bit alike?" Zhu Gaoxi asked with a smile.

Zhu Youdun suddenly realized, "Before the situation becomes clear, Li Jinglong is also unsure who will succeed him in the future. Even if he is in favor of the Crown Prince, he would not dare to openly oppose him. If we intend to win him over, he will definitely not dare to refuse directly."

"He's hesitant and indecisive, unwilling to offend anyone, so let's treat him with sincerity," Zhu Gaoxi said with a sly smile. "Let's pretend to be real and pretend to be fake. Let's play along with his act of Jiang Gan stealing the book."

After Zhu Gaoxi finished speaking, he whispered something in Youdun's ear.

Zhu Youdun nodded repeatedly, then asked with slight worry, "Will something happen?"

"No, the Crown Prince wants to gain a reputation for being virtuous and talented," Zhu Gaoxi believed in his judgment.

The following morning, at the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Gaoxi nestled beside the old emperor, asking for leave and wiping away tears, saying he was going to the Prince's Mansion to hold a farewell banquet for Zhu Jixi.

"Ji Xi agreed to go back?" The old emperor opened his eyes wide in disbelief.

Zhu Gaoxi nodded, sobbing as he said, "Your grandson can't bear to part with his brother."

Seeing how affectionate his eldest grandson was, the old emperor was very pleased. "Go, make some good food for Ji Xi."

Zhu Gaoxi gladly accepted the order.

In order to win over Xu Jingyan, Zhu Gaoxi specially asked Yunfei to make all kinds of snacks.

Upon arriving at the Prince of Wu's residence, Zhu Jixi and Li Jinglong were already in the garden, taking turns vying with Xu Jingyan for sweet potato fries.

"No!" Xu Jingyan gripped the paper bag tightly as if facing a formidable enemy.

Seeing Zhu Youdun and Zhu Gaoxi approaching, Xu Jingyan angrily complained, "They robbed us!"

Everyone present burst into laughter.

Zhu Gaoxi handed the bag of snacks he brought to the nanny, and gently said while holding Xu Jingyan's little hand, "They're all for you, eat slowly."

Xu Jingyan glanced warily at Zhu Jixi and Li Jinglong, then put his arm around Zhu Gaoxi's neck and whispered in his ear, "They're bad guys!"

Zhu Gaoxi nodded seriously, "Yes, I understand."

Xu Miaojin walked over and took Xu Jingyan away.

"Young Prince, Jingyan is so capable, you're in for a tough time in the future," Li Jinglong teased with a chuckle.

"The Duke of Cao is very busy and can't find the time. If you come a few more times, Jingyan will become familiar with you," Zhu Gaoxi said with a smile, inviting Li Jinglong inside.

"Do the guards of your Prince's Mansion listen to Gao Xu or Guan Tong? When they first came in, I could see that Gao Xu couldn't command them. This won't do," Li Jinglong said slowly, sipping his tea after taking a seat.

"My second brother is young. Father sent him to the capital so that he could study more. He will be returning to Beiping in a few days. Of course, the guards will listen to General Guan," Zhu Gaoxi explained dismissively.

"Can Gao Xu really concentrate on his studies?" Li Jinglong shook his head. "Wouldn't that drive him crazy?"

Zhu Gaoxi smiled helplessly, "Duke Cao, please persuade my second brother. If Father finds out that my second brother didn't study, I'll be punished too."

"You need to establish rules for rewards and punishments for him, such as not being allowed to ride a horse if he doesn't study," Li Jinglong said with a sly smile.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhu Gaoxi strode in, yelling at Li Jinglong, "Cousin, that's not fair of you! How could you help Fourth Brother come up with a plan to harm me?"

Li Jinglong's father, Li Wenzhong, was the old emperor's nephew, because according to kinship, all the imperial grandsons were cousins ​​of Li Jinglong.

"Just you wait, when we're drinking later, this won't be so easy for me," Zhu Gaoxu threatened with a grin.

He's known for his high alcohol tolerance; Li Jinglong is definitely no match for him.