Zhu Zhanji's postures, from riding a horse to shooting an arrow, were all obviously taught by a famous teacher, not an ordinary riding and archery master. Emperor Yongle and others knew this very well and were not very surprised. However, the King of Han, the King of Zhao and others were all amazed:
They only knew that their eldest nephew was sent away as a fire starter to be protected alone during the turbulent period in Peking, and they thought, what kind of world could he have seen in such a remote and secluded place
Looking at him again, he was so skinny and weak as a chicken, with a pale face and blue veins clearly visible. I thought that he looked so sickly and was probably in worse health than his fat and sick father. Alas, I didn't know if he could survive.
But Zhu Zhanji hadn't made any progress for seven years, but when he did, he made a stunning debut. Who would have thought that despite his frail appearance, he could possess such a high level of martial arts as the Three Straight Strokes
Zhu Zhanji did it on purpose. After returning to the palace, he observed the subtle relationships between his relatives and knew that his father was in a bad situation and his second uncle, the Prince of Han, was eyeing the Eastern Palace. As the eldest grandson of the emperor in the Eastern Palace, he had no choice. As the saying goes, children from poor families grow up early. Zhu Zhanji was only seven years old, but he knew that he had to support the precarious Eastern Palace.
Therefore, when he was performing in front of Emperor Yongle, he deliberately held back and just wanted to hit the target. He was preparing to make a splash on the Dragon Boat Festival, the day of archery, so that others would know that although his father was in poor health, he could make up for his father's shortcomings.
The emperor's eldest grandson made a stunning appearance and naturally received applause from the whole audience. Emperor Yongle called his eldest grandson to his side and lamented that the Zhu family had a successor.
The King of Han was disappointed. Where had the eldest grandson of the emperor been raised for the past five years? What kind of immortal figure had he met to teach him? Could it be that there were some unknown mysterious forces in the Ming Dynasty? Did these forces belong to the grandson of the emperor
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles. The King of Han felt that he needed to re-evaluate the strength of the Eastern Palace, so who should he ask
The emperor sent the eunuch Sanbao and the commander of the Jinyiwei, Ji Gang, to pick him up. The eunuch Sanbao was the emperor's confidant and kept his mouth shut. If we asked him, we probably wouldn't get any information and he would be suspected by the emperor. Ji Gang had been in the officialdom for so many years, so he had more room to speak.
So the King of Han and Ji Gang arranged a dinner to inquire about the news.
After all, Ji Gang was a veteran figure who had served in the three dynasties of Hongwu, Jianwen and Yongle. The King of Han invited him out of respect, so he could not refuse and gladly accepted the invitation.
During the banquet, Ji Gang listened to nice words, drank good wine, admired beautiful women, and received gifts. He was baptized by the sugar-coated bullets of the King of Han, but he only ate the sugar coating and returned all the bullets to the King of Han.
Ji Gang was drunk, his mouth was like a clam and it was impossible to get any words out of him.
The King of Han had the same persistence as Emperor Yongle and was even more determined not to give up. He asked his subordinates to call his five-year-old eldest son Zhu Zhanhe over.
Zhu Zhanhe was born to Princess Wei of Han. At a young age, he was named the Prince of Han. His appearance and figure were very similar to his father, the King of Han, with a round face, a big head, and a tall and strong body. He was born with a majestic appearance. On the Dragon Boat Festival, he also hit all three shots. However, his eldest cousin Zhu Zhanji from the East Palace was the first to appear because of his skill of shooting three shots in a row and he had already stolen all the limelight. He tried his best but still got mediocre response.
The Crown Prince was of noble status, so Ji Gang quickly stood up and saluted. Zhu Zhanhe helped Ji Gang up like a little adult, "Master Ji, please don't be polite. Today I would like to ask Master Ji for a favor."
Ji Gang looked at the child sitting on the chair, his feet couldn't even reach the ground, swaying, but with a serious look, and found it very funny, "What do you want, Your Majesty? Just tell me, I will do my best."
Zhu Zhanhe said, "On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, my eldest cousin performed very well, shooting three arrows in a row. His riding and archery skills amazed even my father. Although I also shot three arrows, I was far inferior to my eldest cousin. I was ashamed and then I became brave. I have been practicing hard in the Han Palace these days, but I still can't get the hang of it. My hands are all worn out, but I still have no progress."
As Zhu Zhanhe spoke, he showed Ji Gang his injured hand. There were several blood blisters on his small palm. He said, "A good teacher produces a good student. My cousin was not born with the ability to shoot arrows. I would like to ask Master Ji, who is the master who taught my cousin the art of riding and shooting? I admire him very much. Even if I have to visit him three times, I will ask him for some advice."
Generally, when the royal family is passed down to the third emperor, the passion for martial arts has been exhausted. The royal family members have long since abandoned the martial arts that helped them conquer the world on horseback and turned to literature and art. Even the strong bloodline of the Golden Family of the Yuan Dynasty could not avoid this rule. However, since Emperor Yongle was the only special case in history where a vassal king rebelled and gained the throne, the passion for martial arts of the Zhu family was passed down to the fourth generation, and martial arts and military tactics were still the focus of their study.
Zhu Zhanhe was young, humble, polite, and courteous, and he quickly won Ji Gang's favor.
You must know that when Ji Gang went to pick up the eldest grandson Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Zhanji insisted on resigning from his godmother Hu Shanwei in person, which offended Ji Gang on the spot. This slap in the face still hurts. Of course, Ji Gang would not argue with a seven-year-old child. He just felt that Zhu Zhanji was too pretentious. He was polite to others but also cold and distant. He was very arrogant, as if he was afraid that others would not know that he was of noble birth.
Zhu Zhanhe was so sincere and exposed his shortcomings in order to get closer to him. Looking at the blood blisters on his palms, Ji Gang thought that this kid was quite interesting and what he said was pleasant to listen to.
But Mu Chun faked her death and secretly married Hu Shanwei. This was a state secret and no one could be told except the Emperor, Empress and the Eastern Palace.
Ji Gang patted his chest and said shamelessly: "I taught you."
The King of Han choked on his tea and coughed. Ji Gang was good at intelligence work, but his martial arts and military tactics were mediocre and far inferior to his. How could such a teacher teach a student like Zhu Zhanji
Besides, the time doesn't match, it's obviously a lie. During the four years of the Jingnan Campaign, Ji Gang was running around collecting intelligence, so how could he have time to teach Zhu Zhanji
When Zhu Zhanhe heard his father cough, he knew that Ji Gang was just trying to fool him. He was still a child after all. Hearing this, he puffed his cheeks and said angrily, "Master Ji lied to a child and didn't keep his word. I'm angry."
Ji Gang lowered his voice mysteriously and said, "There are some things I cannot tell you directly. The three-shot archery skill was mastered by your maternal grandfather, Xu Da, the King of Zhongshan. In addition, there was another outstanding general in the court at that time, Mu Ying, the King of Zhaojing, who was also skilled in archery and horse riding. His family has a long history of learning... Your Majesty the King of Han is well-informed and should know what I mean."
The King of Han understood immediately, "For the past five years, Zhu Zhanji has been hiding in the Mu Mansion of the Duke of Qian in Yunnan? Wonderful, no wonder Huang Zicheng went to Yunnan to recruit soldiers, but the Duke of Qian Mu Sheng used the defense of the southwest as an excuse and never sent out troops. It turns out that my father had already taken the Mu Mansion in the southwest into his pocket. So, the Duke of Qian Mu Sheng is Zhu Zhanji's riding and archery master."
As we all know, the second Duke of Qian, Mu Ying, and Emperor Gaozu died one after the other, so the King of Han could only guess that it was the third Duke of Qian, Mu Sheng.
Ji Gang smiled and said, "I didn't say anything. It was all your Highness the Prince of Han's guess. Your Highness must not tell anyone what I said."
Seeing Ji Gang's reaction, the King of Han confirmed his guess. "I am too stupid. I should have guessed it was the Mu Mansion in Yunnan long ago. During the four years of the Jingnan Campaign, Yunnan was the only place in the entire Ming Dynasty that remained stable. There were only new immigrants there, and no one knew each other. Even if they saw a group of unfamiliar outsiders, they were not used to it. It was the easiest place to hide people, and it was also the safest."
Zhu Zhanhe hugged his father's arm and acted like a spoiled child, "Father, I also want to learn horse riding and archery from Duke Qian. Next time, I can't lose to my eldest cousin in horse riding and archery."
Zhu Zhanhe didn't take his eldest cousin seriously at first because he was as thin as a praying mantis. Before his cousin came home, he had always been the focus of the royal family and the emperor's favorite grandson. But as soon as his cousin came back, the emperor's attention was almost only on his cousin. This gap made Zhu Zhanhe very unhappy.
How could he accept losing to a praying mantis
Ji Gang thought to himself: The children of the royal family are all competing with each other, openly or secretly. They don't enjoy their wealth and glory. It's okay for adults, but aren't five or seven-year-old kids just the right age to play in the mud and steal bird nests? Why are they all living a more tiring life than me
Ji Gang felt that the royal children forgot to drink Meng Po soup when they were reincarnated in their previous life, so they were born adults. He was so innocent and lively when he was a child.
The King of Han said, "The Duke of Qian is far away in Yunnan. How can he teach you? I will find another good teacher for you."
Zhu Zhanhe's stubborn temper came up, "I don't want it! I only want the Duke of Qian!"
Zhu Zhanhe was doted on since he was young, and he was almost never refused what he wanted. The King of Han felt sorry for him, but he was not angry. He patiently explained to his son, "You are just talking nonsense. The Mu family of Qianguogong has been stationed in Yunnan for generations. This is the basic national policy set by Emperor Gaozu. This is the ancestral system. The previous incompetent emperor changed the ancestral system again and again, and what was the final outcome? Moreover, a border general like Qianguogong is not allowed to enter the capital or leave Yunnan without an imperial edict. Do you think he is an ordinary general who can be summoned and dismissed at will? You should have given up early."
It was the first time that Zhu Zhanhe was scolded by his father in front of outsiders. Tears welled up in his eyes. He wanted to save face and didn't want to cry in front of others. He jumped off the chair in anger and ran away.
The King of Han apologized to Ji Gang, "The child was reckless and left without saying goodbye, making Master Ji laugh at him."
Ji Gang thought that the Prince of Han was adorable, and that he looked like a child. He said hurriedly, "The Prince is innocent and adorable. As an adult, how can I argue with a child?"
It has to be said that there was a reason why the King of Han won over a large number of ministers in the court within a year. Besides his handsome appearance, great military and literary skills, he was also a good person. Who doesn't want to be respected and listen to good words
After a dinner, both the host and the guests gained something and left after having a full stomach.
The next day, Ji Gang secretly reported to Emperor Yongle about the dinner with the King of Han yesterday, "…Everything I said was not a lie, because the King of Han understood it himself. However, I think that the King of Han must not be the only one who is curious about the Emperor's eldest grandson's disappearance for five years, so it is not good to keep it a secret forever."
Ji Gang is no longer the brainless vase he used to be. It is a daydream for him to not hold on to the thick thigh of Emperor Yongle, and instead throw himself into the arms of the King of Han. His loyalty can only be given to Emperor Yongle, and his relationship with the King of Han is just a show.
Ji Gang observed the expression of Emperor Yongle, who did not make any comment, and continued, "Besides, from the age of two to seven, the appearance of the Emperor's eldest grandson has changed a lot. If someone tries to do something about it, it will hurt the Emperor's eldest grandson. I think it is better to go with the flow and acquiesce in this matter. This way, there will be an explanation for the education and upbringing of the Emperor's eldest grandson, and others will not dare to question the Emperor's eldest grandson's unknown origins."
That's true. Mu Ying, Duke of Qian, is the emperor's eldest grandson's enlightenment teacher. This is beneficial to the emperor's eldest grandson and also avoids rumors.
Emperor Yongle loved his eldest grandson the most. He agreed to Ji Gang's suggestion because it made sense. "Pass on my secret order and ask Duke Mu Ying of Qian to cooperate and complete the origin of the emperor's eldest grandson."
Asking Mu Ying to cover the bottom line is a safe way. The relationship between Mu Chun and Hu Shanwei cannot be exposed, especially Hu Shanwei, who is involved in too many shocking secrets. If she hadn't passed the news behind the scenes and instigated Jianwen and his mother to kill each other, how could Jianwen's dynasty be defeated so quickly.
It is better to hide this kind of weapon of mass destruction and not bring it out easily.
Ji Gang took the order and went back to the Jinyiwei Yamen. Before he could even sit down, someone from the Prince of Han's Palace came running over to ask him to go to the palace and take a look. "Sir Ji, our prince has run away! The princess fainted in panic, and the prince has already sent people to chase her. He asked Sir Ji to help find him!"
Since the safety of the emperor's grandson was involved, it was no longer a personal relationship. Ji Gang hurriedly ordered someone to go to the palace to report to Emperor Yongle, and he took people to the Prince of Han's Palace to find out the situation.
At this time, the Princess of Han had woken up, her eyes were red from crying, and she showed Ji Gang the letter left by the Crown Prince Zhu Zhanhe.
The five-year-old child's handwriting was more neat than that of an adult. Ji Gang took one look and used up all his life's self-control to barely suppress his smile:
Zhu Zhanhe, this naughty kid, coerced and bribed his wet nurse's adult brother and several servants to take him to Yunnan to "learn skills from the Duke of Qian".
"I didn't know he usually read these kind of novels that are not worthy of being shown on the table." Princess Han threw a few books with covers of the Four Books and Five Classics and other sage books, but the contents were fantasy novels about learning martial arts and cultivating Taoism, etc. on the table, "The villain just tried to please the prince and seduce him with these shallow novels. The good child was abducted and corrupted."
Ji Gang thought to himself: No wonder the steward of the Prince of Han's Mansion who came all the way to report the case was hesitant and unwilling to tell the truth about the reason why the prince ran away from home, it turned out to be such a "scandal".
What kind of scandal is this? In ten years, the cover will still be the same, but the content will be changed to a more vulgar "customs" novel.
When Hu Shanwei was the Si Yan, he searched the five east and west buildings of the Qianqing Palace where the princes lived, and found a lot of these things... Oh, why do I think of her again
Ji Gang slapped his head suddenly and pushed Hu Shanwei out of his mind.
Children of royal families grow up fast. When most people are still ignorant and playful, the Prince of Han has already reached his middle school years. He likes to fantasize and read some urban knight-errant novels, in which the protagonists encounter various adventures when falling off a cliff, drowning, or wandering, such as hermit masters, immortal caves, martial arts secrets, etc.
My cousin Zhu Zhanji was away from home for five years and his whereabouts remained a mystery. After returning, he flourished brilliantly. This is exactly the life of the protagonist in these novels.
Zhu Zhanhe looked inside and was very envious, wanting to emulate his cousin.
At this time, the ship of Zhu Zhanhe, the prince of Han, had already sailed to Jiujiang, Jiangxi. In order to hide his identity, he wore a bright red coat and skirt, with two bows tied on his head, dressed like a little girl, but stood at the railing of the deck with his hands crossed behind his back, looking like he was pointing out the world, writing inspiring words, and speaking passionately:
Since the Duke of Qian cannot come to the capital to be my riding and archery teacher, I will go to Yunnan to visit him and practice the skill of three consecutive shots. When I finish my studies, I will come back and make everyone look at me with admiration!
Thinking of this, Zhu Zhanhe changed his standing posture with his hands behind his back to putting his left hand on his waist, raising his right hand high and clenching it into a fist.
The author has something to say: Zhu Zhanhe, "he" means a puddle, which pits others and oneself, which just hints at Zhu Zhanhe's fate... So naming is risky, if you don't choose a good name, your relatives will shed tears.
Hu Shanwei: Although I haven't appeared in two chapters, my legend can be found everywhere, and my presence is everywhere. This is the advantage of being a heroine. Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated me with nutrient solution~
Thanks to the little angel who cast [mines]: Xia~Taoyuan 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
Onion Brave 30 bottles; Sunshine, Western Fruit, Morning Warmth 10 bottles; Peaceful Orchid 6 bottles; Lebao, Xiaoyou's Master, Guanguan, Tingting Jingzhi 5 bottles; Longbao, Lingzi 2 bottles; 17438403, Green Tea Drinking Pu'er, Xixi Chasing Books, 19765600, llllna 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!