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

Chapter 86 Caught in the Act

The old emperor's expression suggested that everything was under his control.

Zhu Gaoxi suddenly realized that the old emperor was testing him, no wonder Xu Zengshou was so bold.

Tell the truth about everything.

The one who was up to no good right under the old emperor's nose was none other than Zhu Gaoxi.

If Fei Lin and Zhu Xiong Ying had both passed away, how could Zhu Yunwen have had the opportunity to be made the Crown Prince?

Was there absolutely no suspicion surrounding Zhu Yunwen's birth mother, Lady Lü?

"If you want to investigate, why don't you just tell us directly instead of sneaking around to find your father-in-law?" the old emperor asked with a stern face.

"Grandson doesn't want Grandpa to worry about these trivial matters," Zhu Gaoxi said, feigning composure.

Having been caught red-handed by the old emperor, remaining calm and collected was the only weapon he could use to protect himself.

"You're quite the filial son!" the old emperor said sarcastically.

"Grandpa, it'll be more reassuring to have it checked," Zhu Gaoxi insisted, feigning ignorance.

"We'll discuss this later. Go back to the vegetable garden and release your father-in-law. Treat him to a good meal and say a few kind words to apologize," the old emperor waved for Zhu Gaoxi to leave, but kept Youdun behind.

Will we become a pawn to be discarded from now on?

Zhu Gaoxu's heart skipped a beat. He retreated outside the hall, shaded his eyes with his hand, and looked up at the bright sunshine, hoping that Lady Luck would descend from the sky and help him get through this calamity.

The panic and helplessness lasted only a moment before Zhu Gaoxi was fully recovered and his expression returned to normal.

Even if one loses the battle for the crown prince position, one cannot sit idly by and wait for death; one must find a way to save one's life.

To survive, one must be positive and optimistic, bold yet meticulous, in order to find a chance to escape.

Moreover, the old emperor has not yet announced the final result, so the plot may take a turn for the worse.

No matter when, losing your mind will only lead to death.

To survive, you must always be rational.

If you lose this round, you can always start over, or go to a strange place and live in anonymity.

Anyway, if you don't want to die, you have to pull yourself together and face all challenges.

Back in the vegetable garden, Zhu Gaoxi went to a secret room to personally untie Xu Zengshou.

While untying the rope, he apologized, "Governor Xu, please don't be angry. I've already talked to my grandfather and we've figured it out. It's all a misunderstanding. I've had Yunfei prepare a big feast, and we'll drink to our hearts' content later."

This son-in-law, though young, is so ruthless. How could Xu Zengshou dare to trouble him? He hurriedly replied with trepidation, "This humble subject will do it himself."

"Governor Xu, please wait a moment, it will be opened soon," Zhu Gaoxi said with a beaming smile, but after working for a long time, he still couldn't untie it.

Since he had shown his sincerity, Zhu Gaoxi stopped insisting and beckoned Sanbao over.

Xu Zengshou did not eat, making an excuse that he had something to do at home. After tidying his clothes slightly, he hurriedly took his leave. Before leaving, he told Zhu Gaoxi that the twenty-five eunuchs should report to the vegetable garden the next day.

Zhu Gaoxi was immediately filled with suspicion. Wasn't Xu Zengshou colluding with the old emperor to set a trap for him?

Now that the old emperor is aware of his misdeeds, what are the twenty-five eunuchs doing here?!

Of course, we can't expect to get answers from Xu Zengshou.

The final interpretation of this event rests with the old emperor; Xu Zengshou was at most a participant who was coerced into participating.

As for the outcome, it remains to be seen what the old emperor will decide.

The sun was shining brightly today, and the warmth felt wonderful on his skin. Zhu Gaoxi deliberately slowed down his pace. After all, he was going to receive his punishment, so why walk so fast?

Upon arriving at the Qianqing Palace, one could see that a stew was sorting and organizing memorials, while the old emperor was dozing off on the kang (a heated brick bed). It was a peaceful scene, quite different from Zhu Gaoxi's expectations.

"Grandpa," Zhu Gaoxi said, standing respectfully before the old emperor.

"Yes, go ahead and get busy," the old emperor said gently, seemingly having forgotten what had just happened.

Zhu Gaoxi did hope that this matter could truly be put to rest, but the decision was not in his hands.

"Grandpa, Xu Zengshou said before he left that the twenty-five eunuchs would come to the vegetable garden tomorrow."

Zhu Gaoxi dared not conceal anything further and told him everything truthfully.

"Then you can use it for now," the old emperor said vaguely.

Zhu Gaoxi was determined to get a clear answer. If the old emperor wouldn't allow the investigation to continue, why should he bother?

If he had time, he would like to eat and sleep more to grow, so why bother with something that is both strenuous and unrewarding?

"Grandpa, shall I continue the investigation?" Zhu Gaoxi asked cautiously, observing the situation.

The old emperor gave a soft "hmm" and turned his back to Zhu Gaoxi.

Zhu Youdun tugged at Zhu Gaoxi's sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.

They come, the security.

Since the old emperor didn't object, let's investigate.

Zhu Gaoxi was an extremely audacious man; he would become arrogant and conceited if given the slightest opportunity.

Now, my confidence is even stronger.

After sitting down, Zhu Youdun gave him a look that the crisis was over.

Zhu Gaoxi immediately put on a tearful expression of gratitude, his heart filled with emotion.

With a brother like this, what more could a man ask for?

After resting for about half an hour, the old emperor got up and went outside. He needed to check on the Wenhua Hall, worried that his two grandsons there might be fighting.

Yunwen was full of grievances, while Jixi was competitive and eager to show off, so the chances of the two getting along well were slim.

After the old emperor had walked away, Zhu Gaoxi could no longer hold back. He wrote down his questions on a piece of paper and handed it to Zhu Youdun.

Zhu Youdun wrote furiously and answered quickly, "Investigating the Lü family, although my brother has selfish motives, it's a minor matter. The key is to look at our abilities. In a few days, Grandpa will give the three of us questions to test us. The questions will be different for each of us, so we can't discuss them together. Grandpa is worried that the two of us will collude to cheat."

So that's how it is. Zhu Gaoxi's heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, finally settled back into his stomach.

I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight.

Although he offended his father-in-law and sowed the seeds of future trouble, Xu Jingyan was too young to understand these things. Even if a family crisis were to erupt in the future, there would still be more than ten years to prepare.

Live for today, enjoy the moment and let life take its course.

Who knows what changes might occur in the future?

Zhu Gaoxi felt relaxed and focused, throwing himself into his work with great concentration.

Back in the vegetable garden that evening, I heard from Yishiha that Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Jixi had a rather unpleasant argument and almost came to blows, even coming to blows on the spot.

Zhu Jixi harbored a great deal of resentment towards Zhu Yunwen; it would be a miracle if the two of them got along harmoniously.

Zhu Gaoxi was very happy to hear such news, as it greatly relieved his stress.

He wasn't dark-hearted; he just wanted to find confidence and amusement in other people's troubles.

Aren't many people like that?

It's not like he's the only one.

Before he transmigrated, he enjoyed reading entertainment news and would get particularly excited whenever he saw a celebrity scandal.

It turns out that behind their glamorous facade, there are so many untold hardships.

Although his poor life was hard, it was not entirely without merit.

Thinking about it this way makes me feel better.

Life has been rekindled with hope, and people are enjoying their daily lives and living happily.

For some reason, Zhu Gaoxi suddenly felt very tired.

For a moment, he even considered giving up.

That highest position was too far out of reach for him.

Climbing up step by step, the risks are far outweighed by the rewards.

Even if you become emperor, what then? You still only get three meals a day and a bed at night.

Suddenly, all fighting spirit vanished, and I lost my direction.

"Maybe a good night's sleep will do the trick. I'm just too tired," Zhu Gaoxi comforted himself.