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

Chapter 70: Reconciliation is not necessarily impossible

The old emperor's hesitation continued, so he sent Lin De to the vegetable garden early in the morning to deliver a message to Zhu Gaoxi: if there is nothing else, you don't need to go to the Qianqing Palace.

Then, Linde told Youdun without any hesitation that the old emperor wanted to see him.

You Dun was completely bewildered and looked utterly confused. Zhu Gaoxi urged him to hurry up and not keep his grandfather waiting.

Is this the prelude to being kicked out? Zhu Gaoxi looked dejected.

If the old emperor wanted to take back his decision, he could do so at any time, and Zhu Gaoxi could only accept it helplessly.

Zhu Gaoxi didn't want to wallow in self-pity, so he asked Sanbao and Yishiha to go to the horse farm with him.

Horse riding was one of the most important modes of transportation in ancient times. Even if you didn't go to the battlefield, you could still use it to escape danger one day, just like Duan Yu's Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique).

Yishiha, relying on his long-standing connections in the Imperial Horse Administration, had already prepared a gentle foal for Zhu Gaoxi.

Halfway there, they unexpectedly ran into the Crown Princess Lü.

Zhu Gaoxi greeted him according to custom.

Previously, when Lady Lü saw him, she always remained indifferent and had nothing to say. But today, for some reason, the sun rose in the west, and she was as enthusiastic as fire, smiling broadly as she helped Zhu Gaoxi up, saying, "This child, there's no need for formalities among family members."

Those who offer unsolicited favors are either treacherous or thieves.

At such a delicate moment, it was best to keep a distance. Zhu Gaoxi politely took his leave, but was stopped by Lady Lü.

"Gao Xi, don't rush off to play. I heard you love meatballs, so I specially cooked some. They're fresh out of the pot. Let's go back to the vegetable garden to eat them," said Madam Lü, pointing to the food box in the maid's hand.

Zhu Gaoxi refused on the spot, saying that he had eaten a full breakfast and was not hungry, and then made a hasty retreat.

A woman like Lady Lü is shrewd and calculating; she wouldn't act rashly if she had no ulterior motives. Why would she waste her time trying to curry favor with someone like her?

Upon arriving at the horse farm, Zhu Gaoxi did not rush to ride a horse. Instead, he ran wildly on the grass, basking in the sun and kicking the cuju ball repeatedly to vent all his frustration.

No matter how wronged he felt, he could only endure it.

Lü's unusual behavior made Zhu Gaoxi feel uneasy, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

Tired from kicking, Zhu Gaoxi lay down on the couch and closed his eyes to rest, but his mind was racing.

We need to find a way to take control of the situation. Since the old emperor won't give him a chance to speak, we should write it down.

Xie Jin and Yin Changlong were able to create opportunities to express their thoughts, so why couldn't he?

Having come up with a solution, Zhu Gaoxi felt much better. He had Yishiha lead his horse over, and just as he was about to mount, he heard someone calling him. He turned around and saw Zhu Ying, dressed in riding attire, walking briskly towards him with a dashing air.

"Gao Xi, I have something to say to you," Zhu Ying said bluntly.

Sanbao and Yishiha hurriedly stepped aside.

Zhu Gaoxi's heart skipped a beat. Was Zhu Ying not an envoy sent by Zhu Yunwen to persuade him to negotiate?

Historically, during the Jingnan Campaign, Zhu Yunwen sent Li Jinglong to negotiate with Zhu Di to cede territory and make peace. After being refused, he sent Zhu Ying to Zhu Di's camp to negotiate.

Zhu Ying took Zhu Gaoxi's hand and they walked forward slowly.

"What does Uncle Wang want to say?" Zhu Gaoxi asked.

At present, Zhu Yunwen is the legitimate Crown Prince. The benefits that Zhu Yunwen can offer are not available to him. Even his eligibility to join the game is pending, as he is stuck with the old emperor and cannot pass through.

If Zhu Yunwen and Lady Lü were willing to abandon their methods to win him over and Youdun, would the old emperor pretend that none of this ever happened?

The thought was terrifying, and Zhu Gaoxi quickly stopped himself.

He never imagined he would become the old emperor's discarded pawn, and his heart grew slightly cold.

Zhu Ying hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "Jingyi has entered the palace and begged Father not to change the heir apparent. When I arrived, she was crying. She said that if the Crown Prince is deposed, he will definitely not survive."

Zhu Gaoxi felt strange and had mixed feelings about Zhu Jingyi's unexpected move at the crucial moment.

"After all, they are siblings born of the same father. When Yunyi and Jingyi went to Qianqing Palace together, they knelt on the ground and refused to get up, insisting on forcing their father to make a promise in person."

"What does Uncle Wang think? Do you share their views?" Zhu Gaoxi asked calmly, already prepared to accept the worst possible outcome.

Zhu Ying smiled awkwardly, "I don't understand politics. As for the position of crown prince, Father has his own arrangements. I just hope that no matter what the outcome is in the future, you and Youdun, as well as Yunwen, can be tolerant and allow the losing side to live as ordinary people, have children, and live a good life. I think this is also Father's idea."

So that's what it was for.

Zhu Gaoxi's tense nerves relaxed, revealing a sincere smile that was honest with both young and old: "What Uncle Wang said, I can definitely do. As for what will happen to my grandson, I can't guess."

"Then I'm relieved. I'll talk to Yunwen again," Zhu Ying smiled brightly, like the warm spring sun.

Influenced by this, Zhu Gaoxi couldn't help but relax.

The warm sunlight poured through the gaps in the clouds, bathing me in a unique warmth, as if all things in the world were shaking hands in reconciliation.

Before he knew it, Zhu Gaoxi suddenly had a breakthrough.

My brain has been under a lot of stress lately, and I'm constantly worried about gains and losses.

Fearing certain death if they fail, they are so eager to seize the position that they forget why they started in the first place.

After leaving the horse farm, Zhu Gaoxi went straight back to the vegetable garden. After resting for a while, he took out his self-made charcoal pencil and poured the historical knowledge in his mind into the pencil.

I kept writing until I was so tired that I fell asleep on the table.

Zhu Gaoxi woke up hungry in the middle of the night.

Yunfei was simmering wontons on the stove. When he saw Zhu Gaoxi open his eyes, he immediately took the wontons off the stove, poured them into a bowl, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it, and put it to Zhu Gaoxi's lips.

Zhu Gaoxi swallowed it in one gulp, and the warm soup flowed into his stomach, sweeping away the panic in his heart.

The sense of security that food brought him was like a sudden enlightenment, a moment of clarity. Water benefits all things without contention, and differences do not necessarily preclude reconciliation.

Youdun heard the noise and came over from the opposite house, sitting on the daybed.

After serving Zhu Gaoxi his fill, Yunfei sensibly withdrew.

"The Crown Prince has contracted a fever and is talking in his sleep. Lady Lü was terrified and sent someone to summon Jingyi to the palace so that she could plead with her grandfather," Youdun said slowly.

"Did Grandpa agree to their demands?" Zhu Gaoxi asked softly after a moment of contemplation.

It seems that Zhu Yunwen was quite frightened by having his power to process memorials revoked.

However, his crisis of being the reserve leader cannot be resolved by a single illness.

"I went with my grandfather to the East Palace to see him, and it didn't seem like I was faking it," Zhu Youdun said cautiously.

Zhu Gaoxi was startled. Could Zhu Yunwen be faking illness to gain sympathy?

However, this was a terrible move. The old emperor was most worried that the crown prince was too weak to handle the heavy political affairs.

"Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai jointly wrote a letter urging their grandfather to reduce your treatment. They said: 'The rites and order should not exceed those of the eldest son, which will cause disputes.'"

"After hearing this, my grandfather flew into a rage and scolded them for sowing discord among family members."

"Grandfather did take to heart what you said about what happened later, especially the incident of Uncle Twelf being forced to set himself on fire."

Zhu Youdun spoke very slowly, and Zhu Gaoxi listened and thought at the same time.

"Brother wants to confirm with you again, are all of those things true?" Youdun asked earnestly, looking into Zhu Gaoxi's eyes.

"Absolutely true," Zhu Gaoxi replied decisively.