Volume 1, Chapter 10: Dancing on Zhu Yuanzhang's Grave

"Scoundrels! All of them are scoundrels..."

Zhu Yuanzhang, who had previously been deflated by his inability to face his two old brothers, was once again overcome with uncontrollable rage the moment he heard Lan Yu’s words and saw the greedy, longing gazes of the Huai-Xi nobility.

Tang He and Fu Youde, however, remained silent. Perhaps it was because Zhu Quan had just exposed Zhu Yuanzhang's inner thoughts, or perhaps because if they were to put themselves in the shoes of Lan Yu and the others, they might have made the same choice.

After performing his one-man show for a while, Zhu Yuanzhang felt a sense of futility. With a heavy sigh in his heart, he turned his gaze back to the scene outside.

Observing the greedy looks of the Huai-Xi nobles, the corners of Zhu Quan's mouth curled up slightly. "Haha! It is only natural that you, my uncles and brothers, seek greater benefits from me. I can guarantee you here: while I cannot promise everyone the world, I can certainly ensure your glory, wealth, and the prosperity of your families for generations to come."

"You might think I am just feeding you empty promises, but I will reveal this much: once I ascend the throne and secure my position, I will immediately open the seas to trade. I believe you all understand just how vast the profits of maritime trade can be!"

*Hiss!*

Lan Yu and the others gasped in unison. Opening the seas was a direct violation of the ancestral laws! With Zhu Yuanzhang’s "body not yet cold," Zhu Quan was using this as a bargaining chip right in front of the old Emperor.

Yet, as soon as they thought of the profits from maritime trade, who cared about ancestral laws? Was it not through maritime trade that the former richest man of the Ming, Shen Wansan, and the great magnates of eastern Zhejiang had amassed their massive fortunes?

If they could truly engage in maritime trade, and with the soldiers and generals they already commanded, they would no longer need to worry about the legacy of their clans. With vast wealth, military power, and established maritime trade routes, even if a future monarch were to harbor ill intentions toward their descendants, they could simply take their people and their money and leave the Ming entirely. They might even be able to establish a nation of their own overseas!

In short, the Huai-Xi nobles were tempted. Compared to the ethereal promises of titles and official posts—having lived through the Hongwu era, where Zhu Yuanzhang could execute thousands of officials on a whim—they found the prospect of holding tangible power and wealth far more practical.

"Prince of Ning, are you truly going to open the seas?"

The speaker was Marquis of Yuexi, Yu Yuan, one of the few among the nobility who still possessed a clear head. He asked this out of fear that Zhu Quan was only making verbal promises, and that once he secured the throne or faced opposition from the civil bureaucracy, he would shelve the plans for maritime trade. In that case, they would be the ones suffering the losses.

"Open them? Why wouldn't I?" Zhu Quan smiled naturally. He could not help but glance back at the imperial bed once more, then let out a scoff. "Do you all take me for someone as shortsighted as the late Emperor?"

"While opening the seas has its pros and cons, in my view, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. If the Ming is to truly develop and exert its influence for generations, we cannot stop eating for fear of choking..."

*Hoo!*

Receiving such a definitive answer, the breathing of the Huai-Xi generals grew rapid once more. Marquis of Changxing, Geng Bingwen, was the first to laugh out loud: "Haha! The Prince of Ning has true vision! The previous Emperor listened to those bookworms who claimed that opening the seas would make it easier for the Wokou pirates to raid our coastlines. How ridiculous! Our Ming is strong and prosperous; why should we fear mere pirates? At worst, I will lead troops to garrison the coastal defenses myself. As long as those pirates dare to come, we will slaughter them all."

"Exactly! We can guard the coast!"

"And us! Those pirates are nothing but paper tigers."

...

*Huff, huff, huff!*

Behind the wall, hearing these words, Zhu Yuanzhang’s chest heaved violently with rage. He glared at the scene outside, his murderous intent no longer concealed.

"Scoundrels! Are these scoundrels trying to revolt?"

"I am not even dead yet! That rebellious son dares to call me shortsighted to my face, and even dares to overturn the rules I set! Is he trying to anger me to death?"

"No! I absolutely cannot let this rebellious son return to his fiefdom. At tomorrow’s morning court, I will have the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrest him, strip him of his status, and send him to Fengyang to keep Zhu Wenzheng company..."

Tang He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to advise against it, but swallowed his words. Turning his gaze to Fu Youde, he saw the old man staring intently at the outside, looking as if he were dying to rush out and swear his loyalty to Zhu Quan.

Maritime trade! Truth be told, Tang He was tempted too, but having retired from the military for over a decade, he had come to understand many things and was not as impulsive as Fu Youde.

The Huai-Xi generals outside, seeing that Zhu Quan dared to make such promises in the presence of "Zhu Yuanzhang's" corpse, finally believed in his sincerity. However, Lan Yu was still somewhat worried. "Prince of Ning, while the future you describe is beautiful and we can support you fully, do not forget that the late Emperor still holds another force. If..."

"Haha! Duke of Liang, you speak of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, don't you?" Zhu Quan interrupted with a laugh.

Lan Yu was just about to nod and clarify the stakes when a sudden cry of alarm broke out among the Huai-Xi nobles. "What the hell! Who is that?"

The others cast disapproving glares at the speaker. They were in the middle of discussing grand matters—what was the meaning of this sudden outburst? Did he not want a piece of the maritime trade cake?

The speaker was Marquis of Fengxiang, Zhang Long. Seeing the glares, he offered an embarrassed smile, then pointed in shock toward a corner of the Palace of Heavenly Purity near the weapon rack, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The others noticed something was wrong and followed his gaze. At a single glance, their pupils contracted.

The flying fish robe, the embroidered spring saber, the bear-like physique. If not the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jiang Huan, who else could it be in the Palace of Heavenly Purity?

"Your... Your Highness, did you... did you kill Jiang Huan?" Zhu Shou asked, stuttering.

Though these nobles were arrogant, they were still somewhat fearful of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, especially since they had realized in recent years that the Guard had been secretly investigating them. Seeing the Commander lying motionless on the floor, they couldn't help but feel a chill at Zhu Quan’s ruthlessness.

Zhu Quan looked back at the prone Jiang Huan and laughed. "Kill him? How could I! Commander Jiang is the late Emperor’s trusted aide. I intend to use him to control the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard; why would I kill him so easily?"

"Rest assured, he is only knocked out. He should wake up on his own by tomorrow morning."

Hearing that Jiang Huan was alive, the Huai-Xi nobles let out a long sigh of relief, silently erasing the label of "ruthless" from their assessment of Zhu Quan.

However, Marquis of Huining, Zhang Wen, spoke up again: "Your Highness, even if you have neutralized Jiang Huan, that does not mean you can control the entire Embroidered Uniform Guard, does it?"