activa-t Chapter 220 Sick? Everyone is sick?
Chapter 220 Sick? Everyone is sick?
October 28, the 30th year of Hongwu.
Zhu Yuanzhang was seriously ill, and the princes and their sons returned to Nanjing together.
However, when Zhu Yunwen issued an imperial decree, he only asked Zhu Di to stay in Beiping at this time to guard against foreign invasion, and only allowed his eldest son and third son to return to Beijing with their wives and families.
Although Daoyan had anticipated this matter and had provided psychological counseling to Zhu Di for a long time, when the day really came, Zhu Di still felt inexplicably painful in his heart.
What is his father's current situation? To him, is it any different from "unknown whether he is dead or alive"?
He respected his father, but what had his great nephew accomplished so far?
How could he let Gao Chi, Xiao Zhang and Gao Sui go to Nanjing empty-handed at this Hongmen Banquet?
He took a deep breath and looked far away in the direction of Nanjing city.
Wherever the sight passes, there is nothing to see except the red leaves.
"Dad, my son...is unfilial."
Zhu Di rode his horse and circled in the same place. In the end, he could only look in the direction he had initially gazed at, muttering to himself such a weak and useless sentence.
He really wanted to send troops all the way to the outskirts of Nanjing right now to see his father for the last time.
But, this is impossible.
There are as many as 200,000 troops stationed around Nanjing City. Now Zhu Yunwen is quietly replacing the bureaucrats of the garrisons and deploying troops with the intention of encircling Peking from three sides.
He can fight on his own, so does he have to take his wife and children with him to follow the army?
His top tactical priority must have been to defend Peking and the surrounding prefectures and counties, and then expand to the outer states.
Now, the so-called Beiping officials sent by Zhu Yunwen are about to reach the end of their term due to protests led by the people.
Once the news that he was forbidden to return to Nanjing for the funeral became widely publicized, the entire North would be his.
If he had a choice, he really didn't want it to be this time.
There are too many things that do not go as we wish.
If he had a choice, he would have wished that he was the one who had suffered from back carbuncle and then caught a cold due to overwork.
He grew up on the back of a pony and was so strong that a minor illness could not take his life.
"..."
Forget it, it’s all bullshit.
After today, Zhu Di must abandon these useless and weak ideas.
With such thoughts in mind, he can't even protect his family, let alone achieve hegemony.
From afar, Zhu Gaochi, riding a sturdy horse bought from Mongolia, came to Zhu Di's side.
Time flies, and people change quickly. His Gao Chi can even ride a horse!
Looking at Zhu Gaochi, who had lost a lot of weight over the past few years and now looked so strong that he could hardly recognize him, Zhu Di felt filled with emotion.
Zhu Gaochi reined in his horse and preached to Zhu Di,
"Dad, it's winter now and the wind is strong. Come back home quickly. Mom is looking for you."
Zhu Di took a deep breath after listening to this.
The cool breeze that penetrated his heart and entered his chest calmed him down. He murmured,
"Yes, it's windy. I'm old, and I'm sick from worrying about everything. I'm sick both physically and mentally."
Unlike Zhu Di's sigh, Zhu Gaochi was optimistic.
"Dad, it's okay. Your son will keep you company."
"Have you figured out how to keep me company in your current state?"
Putting aside Zhu Di's doubts, just looking at Zhu Gaochi's tall and strong figure with hard muscles on his body, this appearance has nothing to do with being so ill that he cannot travel long distances.
Zhu Gaochi was still confident about this. He followed Zhu Di on his way to the Prince of Yan's Palace and replied calmly,
"Zhiwei said that I heard the bad news when I was doing weightlifting exercise. My heart, lungs and legs were damaged by the weights I lifted.
Hit my legs with a quick stick, and then let the court doctor stick the long needle I used to lose weight into my body. I guarantee it will look more like the real thing!
Dad, you have a part to play too! Zhiwei has been teaching mom how to paint with rouge and powder these days!"
"..."
He was so scared that he thought he was just pretending to have a stroke, so he still had to give him an injection.
With Zhu Gaochi's pretending to be lively and interrupting, Zhu Di felt much better.
Getting married means starting a family. Whether you are a man or a woman, you have to leave your parents and start your own family.
Gao Chi is his eldest son and the crown prince appointed by his father. They are from the same faction, so he doesn't need to be too sad.
My son is a very short-lived person.
Speaking of his son, Zhu Di couldn't help but ask,
"Speaking of which, why haven't you two made any move yet?"
"Zhiwei said that it's not too late to reconsider after the turmoil is over. We need to give the child a stable environment to grow up in. He said that this is called... beneficial to physical and mental health?"
Physical and mental health, this word is easy to understand.
The turmoil is over...
I have to say that little Zhang is really courageous.
Even he, the "mastermind", did not dare to mention the so-called "success".
"You two did this on purpose?" Zhu Di couldn't help but be a little surprised.
"Yes! Dad, don't tell me, there is a lot of knowledge recorded in ancient books.
Let’s talk about the methods of preparing for pregnancy and contraception mentioned in the Compendium of Materia Medica…”
Zhu Di felt a headache listening to Zhu Gaochi repeating those tongue-twisting and obscure words in detail.
But to say that I'm not envious would be a lie.
He fought in battles all his life and learned all the techniques of military strategy and command. He really had no time for pure scholarship.
"If I had the same conditions as you to study, your mother wouldn't have..."
"Dad, I see that Mom has become much healthier in recent years."
This was not Zhu Gaochi's empty consolation. Zhu Di was openly learning from her and with Zhang Zhiwei's deliberate assistance, Xu Yihua's health was much better than before, at least it seemed so.
I no longer feel dizzy and weak, with dry mouth and tongue after walking less than two miles.
Zhu Di also thought of the matter of "stealing skills" and sighed.
"Yes, our three thousand elite soldiers strictly follow the method stolen from your wife. They can easily split ten layers of bricks with their bare hands."
According to Xiao Zhang's method, any strong man can split bricks, so he naturally doesn't need to worry too much about Xu Yihua's physical condition.
“So everyone has their specialties, Dad.
As for fighting, the best I can do is talk about war on paper, shoot arrows from behind, and ride a horse with a spear. I can't even beat Zhiwei."
Zhu Di knew that Zhu Gaochi meant to comfort him and tell him not to underestimate himself, but Zhu Di's focus could not be diverted from the second half of the sentence.
He frowned and looked sideways, questioning,
"You two are still doing such dangerous things?"
Unexpectedly, Zhu Gaochi spread his hands and showed no intention of reflecting at all.
"Dad, I thought so at first.
But after seeing Zhiwei holding a gun and flipping on the horse, I felt that I might be in danger."
"..."
There is indeed nothing wrong with what you say.
Although little Zhang never showed off, the fact that she could swing her sword to cut flying arrows and slash bandits in half with her sword was enough for Zhu Di to get a glimpse of her martial arts level.
Women are just as good as men in being able to ride horses and fight. That’s great!
Perhaps it was because he had not read enough books that Zhu Di's standards for judging people were unusual.
He couldn't help but rub his hands in anticipation of the peaceful days ahead.
"The world needs peace soon. I think the Wala are being dishonest again."
Zhu Gaochi certainly knew what his father was thinking.
"It will be peaceful. Everything that is lost will be taken back in the era that belongs to Daddy and you!"
Zhu Di rolled his eyes at Zhu Gaochi, looking at his Taoist-like mumbling appearance, and said unhappily,
"You're only twenty-one after the Chinese New Year. Don't act like you're about to pass away like Daoyan."
"Dad, I can't bear to leave you."
A straightforward and heartfelt remark made Zhu Di loosen the reins and tremble.
"Save these words for your wife to tell when you get home. I, your father, can't stand it."
Although he was disdainful, after taking only two steps, Zhu Di suddenly started to gallop on his horse and laughed heartily.
Zhu Gaochi scratched his head behind him, feeling helpless about his old man's "moody mood", and followed him, laughing like him.
There's nothing we can do. With such a strict and somewhat arrogant father, if he doesn't serve as a supporting actor, how can this family live?
"Hahahaha-"
The scene of a sturdy man over 1.8 meters tall riding a tall horse and laughing as he gallops on the official road is somewhat shocking.
This scene added a lot of credibility to the subsequent public opinion that the two people in the Prince of Yan's Mansion suffered from "madness" after the great sorrow.
*
Nanjing City, Ming Palace, Prince's Eastern Palace.
Zhu Yunwen listened to the report from his staff and frowned in shock.
"What? Sick? Everyone is sick?!"