Ming Dynasty: What's wrong with being a leisurely crown prince?

Chapter 3 Emperor Yongle - Zhu Di

Inside the main hall of the imperial palace, early in the morning, Zhu Di looked extremely unwell, his face filled with anger.

"Jie Jin, it's Jie Jin again! And Li Shimian, Xia Yuanji and the like, what's wrong with my building Beiping?"

The Tatars and Oirats frequently raided the border, and moving the capital to Beiping would better defend against these Tatars.

These people are short-sighted! They're a bunch of pedantic scholars!

Zhu Di paced back and forth, appearing extremely agitated.

This was another mention of moving the capital, but not in the imperial court; rather, it was brought up only by Xie Jin, Xia Yuanji, Jin Zhong, and a few others.

As a result, well, all of this was used to shut him up, with arguments like "it's a waste of manpower and money," "the treasury is empty," "this place is a land of destiny," "Beijing is cold and barren and unsuitable as a capital," and "this is the capital personally designated by Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang."

Zhu Di was puzzled. He was Zhu Yuanzhang's own son. When did this place become the officially designated capital and become an ancestral precept? How come he didn't know?

If Zhu Yuanzhang had already designated this place as the capital, why would he need his elder brother Zhu Biao to inspect the new capital?

However, it is a fact that Zhu Yuanzhang did not decide to move the capital. Now that he wants to move the capital, it has become a "violation of ancestral laws" in the mouths of these people.

Especially Xie Jin, whom he favored and whom he had personally promoted, and people like Xia Yuanji, who are now all opposing him.

Even some generals opposed the move, arguing that it would increase military pressure in the north and cause an imbalance in defense resources.

He, the emperor of the mighty Ming Dynasty, had only proposed the idea of ​​moving the capital—and it was still just an idea—been forced back by these people with various reasons, leaving him extremely frustrated.

Back in the Hongwu era, if Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to do something, would these people dare to force his father? Why were they all mute back then?

These people just don't understand his true intentions, which makes him feel disheartened.

Unfortunately, he can't get rid of all these people now. They were already illegitimate in their rise to power, and he's already purged enough of them before. Doing it again would only make him more unpopular.

As he thought about it, Zhu Di grew angrier and angrier.

"The princelings, how wonderful! They're all the prince's men!"

Zhu Di, with a peculiar line of thinking, directly attributed the matter to Zhu Gaochi.

After all, most of those who opposed him were the same people who had supported him in making Zhu Gaochi the crown prince. What else could they be but the crown prince's faction?

He has only been on the throne for less than five years, and Zhu Gaochi has only been the crown prince for a little over two years.

Now that Zhu Gaochi's faction of princes has begun to interfere in politics, their influence has grown so great.

Thinking about all this made Zhu Di feel a lot of pressure and a headache.

In the imperial court, there was Zhu Gaochi's faction of the crown prince, and under the military general Xun Gui, there was the Han King's faction, as well as the Zhao King who was secretly hiding and stirring up trouble from time to time.

Thinking about all this, Zhu Di's head ached even more.

What sins did he commit to give birth to these three bastards?

Zhu Di's thoughts scattered for a moment, and he came back to his senses after a long while.

"Someone come here!"

"emperor."

"Is there any news from the Crown Prince's residence?" Zhu Di asked the Imperial Guards who had entered, directly inquiring about Zhu Gaochi's situation.

Not only the Crown Prince's residence, but also the residences of Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui, which official's residence was not under the surveillance and eavesdropping range of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

He, who came to power during the Jingnan Rebellion, placed particular importance on the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

After all, if anyone had any ideas about his plan to quell the rebellion, he would send that person to meet his father, the Taizu Emperor.

He is very generous in this regard.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince intended to take a maidservant last night, but in the end he had her sent away. His Highness spent the night at the Crown Princess's residence."

Zhu Di was somewhat surprised. His dislike for Zhu Gaochi was not only due to Zhu Gaochi's obesity, but also to Zhu Gaochi's private conduct.

He had just had a maidservant serve him in bed, and now another one had appeared, which made him very uncomfortable.

He wasn't really concerned about whether Zhu Gaochi would take a maidservant, but rather what time it was.

Not long after his successful rebellion, the country was in ruins and needed rebuilding, while the Tartars were eyeing it covetously from the outside.

He worked tirelessly for the country, never slacking off in the slightest.

However, Zhu Gaochi, as the crown prince, couldn't even control this desire. He not only didn't follow the proper procedures for taking concubines, but also spent his days selecting maids to serve him.

This also surprised him; Zhu Gaochi had actually given up? Had Zhu Gaochi suddenly come to his senses?

Zhu Di didn't know, but at least it made him less angry, which was a good start.

Despite his dislike for him, this was still his eldest son, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, and he still placed high hopes on him.

The Imperial Guard lowered his head and then respectfully said, "This morning, His Highness the Crown Prince was practicing boxing in the courtyard, and then ran for a while. It is said that His Highness the Crown Prince is on a diet."

Afterwards, His Highness the Crown Prince rested in the pavilion in the courtyard, drinking tea and enjoying the beautiful scenery...

The Embroidered Uniform Guards seemed somewhat incredulous, and Zhu Di was equally incredulous upon hearing it.

Zhu Gaochi wants to lose weight? And he's going to box? And run?

That is to say, if anyone else had said it, he wouldn't have believed a single word.

Zhu Di was still very suspicious. What had triggered Zhu Gaochi to start exercising and losing weight on his own initiative?

This news about Zhu Gaochi is strange in every way.

"Has the Crown Prince been in contact with any other people? Are there any unfamiliar faces in the Crown Prince's residence?"

"Your Majesty, no."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di became even more puzzled.

Could it be that his eldest son suddenly realized the truth overnight?

Zhu Di was unsure, but he found it amusing.

If Zhu Gaochi could truly change, he would think more highly of Zhu Gaochi.

Then, thinking about how Zhu Gaochi was enjoying himself alone so early in the morning, he felt a little annoyed.

He was furious. Zhu Gaochi was living a leisurely life in the Crown Prince's residence, which made him very uncomfortable.

"Go and summon the Crown Prince to the palace!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

As the Imperial Guards left, Zhu Di's expression remained inscrutable.

For a moment, Zhu Di felt a mix of emotions.

He both hoped that Zhu Gaochi could truly change, but he was also worried that Zhu Gaochi would challenge him for power.

Zhu Gaochi had only been the crown prince for two years, yet he already had such a group of supporters in the court.

If Zhu Gaochi were to become even more outstanding, wouldn't he be forced out by his own son?

"Never mind, I'll decide after I see."

Zhu Di sighed leisurely, saying that he would have to wait until he met Zhu Gaochi to find out the specifics.

Right now, he just wants to vent his anger.

It would be good for him to see what Zhu Gaochi was really thinking.

Zhu Di sat alone in a chair, feeling a pang of sadness.

Since the Jingnan Rebellion, he has worked diligently, wanting to make a name for himself and use his achievements to wash away the reputation of having been illegitimately granted the throne.

He didn't want to be criticized and cursed by future generations after his death.

Now that he is the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he is even more determined to prove that he is better than Jianwen and more suitable for the position.

But alas, fate was tormenting him repeatedly.

His beloved, now the Empress of the Ming Dynasty, has accompanied him to this point, but her health is deteriorating day by day.

None of his sons understood him; they only knew how to fight for power and profit.

The only woman who understood him, his wise and capable wife, was plagued by illness. He had no idea how lonely he would be if his beloved were to leave him.

He wanted to spend more time with her, but he had to handle all the affairs of the world and didn't have the time.

Too many things were entangled in his life, leaving him feeling exhausted and weary.

But he had to do it; he had to prioritize the nation and the stability of the Ming Dynasty.

Even though he was now the emperor, his life seemed worse than before.

Humans are indeed caught in a cycle of gaining and losing.

"Father, being a good emperor is so tiring and difficult."