Ge Xudong also led his men away.
After these people had all withdrawn, only the two eunuchs who had just recognized Zhu Ci remained in the main hall.
At this moment, these two eunuchs were also somewhat hesitant. Theoretically, they should listen to their former master, but the one currently in control of the imperial court was the biological father of another Crown Prince. Furthermore, the New Year was approaching, once the New Year passed, the era name would change; no one knew what would happen to their former master.
Zhu Ci felt a secret melancholy at this situation: in the end, he was nothing more than meat on a chopping block.
He waved his hand and said, "You two should also withdraw."
After everyone had withdrawn and closed the door, Zhu Ci asked, "What is it you want to say?"
Zhu Ci turned and sat in the chair on the left, saying, "The journey has been truly exhausting; let us sit down and talk."
Zhu Ci was somewhat surprised. His cousin had unexpectedly chosen not to sit in the seat of honor, but instead sat to the left. Therefore, he naturally did not stand on ceremony and sat directly in the seat of honor, saying, "If you have something to say, brother, just say it directly instead of being so cryptic."
Zhu Ci picked up his teacup, blew on it gently, took a sip before looking up and asking, "How did you get in contact with Alna?"
Author's Note:
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Zhu Ci: You told me to speak my mind, so are you surprised? Is it thrilling enough? *Cat smirks and crosses its legs. jpg*
Next update tomorrow at twelve noon~
PS: A quick heads-up, this novel will enter VIP status on Sunday the 15th~
Chapter 21
Alna.
The moment Zhu Ci heard this name, his expression stiffened for a moment, his gaze drifted away for a split second.
Although he quickly composed his expression, Zhu Ci had already seen it very clearly and confirmed that such a person indeed existed in this world.
Zhu Ci really does have a connection to this person.
In that moment, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Although it felt inconceivable, it was still much better in a book than in actual history.
Because he only knew the broad strokes of actual history, he didn't know much about what happened during the transitions between dynasties.
But he knew the plot progression of the book; even if he couldn't remember the details, he remembered the major plot points.
At this moment, Zhu Ci put on a look of confusion and said, "Who is this brother speaking of?"
Zhu Ci set down his teacup and said, "There is no need for you to pretend you don't know, Cousin. Since I know about this person, I naturally know about the matter between you and him."
Zhu Ci's face turned deathly pale in an instant, his hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, clenched tightly.
He stood up directly and said, "I don't understand what you're saying."
Zhu Ci watched him walk toward the door, sitting steadily there without moving, simply asked, "Do you really want to be controlled by him for the rest of your life? Do you not want revenge?"
Zhu Ci's hand paused on the door handle.
Zhu Ci set down the teacup, the sound of the cup hitting the table was enough to make his eyelashes quiver for a moment.
Zhu Ci said, "There is no need to worry. No one in the south besides me knows about this matter, I am not threatening you either. After all, he can be considered our common enemy."
Zhu Ci gritted his teeth, his heart in agony. For a moment, he worried that Zhu Ci was bluffing, but at the same time, he was deeply tempted by that phrase, "we have a common enemy."
He indeed wanted to shake off Alna, but if he admitted it, what would happen if Zhu Ci used that point to attack him, ruining his reputation?
Zhu Ci sat there steadily, showing no signs of haste.
Since it had already been confirmed that it was within the book, everything became much simpler; he would always find a way to make Zhu Ci cooperate with him.
Thinking of this, Zhu Ci couldn't help but smack his lips, feeling more and more like a villain.
But thinking about it, it wasn't wrong. After all, in the book, Alna was the protagonist, possessing not only immense luck but also a rebirth cheat. If he was an enemy of Alna, what else could he be but a villain?
Zhu Ci struggled with his thoughts for a long time before finally letting out a sigh, releasing his grip and slumped back into his seat.
However, after sitting down, he remained silent.
Zhu Ci finally spoke, "Do you think that by returning to Nanzhili and reclaiming the throne, you will be able to break free from him?"
Zhu Ci remained silent for a moment before sighing and saying, "Since he dared to let you return, he naturally has other means to keep you under his control. If you want to escape him, it will be incredibly difficult."
As for what methods Alna used, Zhu Ci did not know either, because besides distorting some facts, Zhu Ci's fate was no different from what happened in history.
In history, the matter of Zhu Ci's return was known as the "Southern Ming Prince Case." Zhu Yousong refused to recognize Zhu Ci's identity and fabricated numerous excuses, ultimately resorting to severe torture to force Zhu Ci to admit to being an impostor before executing him.
Zhu Ci did not know whether the Zhu Ci in history was real or fake; in short, he was ultimately executed as a fake Crown Prince.
Zhu Ci was dead, so no matter what schemes Alna had, they all came to nothing; however, Guya Alna had nonetheless achieved his goal of throwing the Southern Ming court into chaos.
Following this incident, Zhu Yousong and the Donglin Party grew completely apart, the Ming court became even more fractured.
Zhu Ci finally spoke up at this moment and asked, "What do you want to do?"
Zhu Ci said, "I know you have a way to contact him; I want to send him a letter."
Zhu Ci's face betrayed a barely perceptible trace of fear. "A letter? Are you asking me to deliver false information?"
Zhu Ci's attention had been fixed on him, seeing him in this state, Zhu Ci knew that he was already nearly frightened to death.
However, it was nothing special, just a normal occurrence.
Zhu Ci was already very strong; if an ordinary person had encountered those things, they might have gone mad long ago.
However, when he spoke, he still said, "You wouldn't dare?"
Zhu Ci clenched his fists and, after a long silence, gritted his teeth and said, "Fine."
After saying that word, he slumped back into his chair like a man who had lost all strength, looking as pale as death. "It is nothing more than death, after all."
Perhaps death was actually a release.
He looked at Zhu Ci, feeling a momentary sense of envy toward this mysterious cousin.
He couldn't help but speak, "Perhaps I should have died long ago. What use is there in living a life of cowardice and survival??"
“Why should you die?” Zhu Ci looked at him earnestly. “The decline of the Great Ming is not your fault, the destruction of the nation and the loss of your home is not your fault, falling into enemy hands is not your fault. Why should you be the one to die? The ones who deserve to die are Alna and the Tartars! If you die like this, it only benefits them.”
Zhu Ci was indeed the Crown Prince who grew up with high expectations, but he was only the Crown Prince.
What could he do when the Great Ming had rotted to such a state? Even now, he was only fifteen years old.
Admittedly, he might have made some wrong choices when the nation fell, but even if he were given a second chance and chose correctly, he might not necessarily have been able to change the outcome.
The decline of the Ming Dynasty was not the responsibility of a single person.
Zhu Ci was, at the end of the day, a man of bitter fate, even suffering endless humiliations in the novels fabricated by later generations.
Zhu Ci stood up, walked to Zhu Ci's side, said, "At this stage, the only way is to resist the Tartars. We absolutely cannot let the Tartars occupy the lands of Great Ming. They are nothing but a pack of beasts who understand neither righteousness nor shame. Back then, even Chuangwang acknowledged the mandate of Great Ming and enfeoffed you as the Prince of Song, yet the Tartars have subjected you to all kinds of torment. Alna, a mere Niu Lu E Zhen, dares to humiliate you in every possible way. If this man is not removed, you will live your entire life under his shadow."
Zhu Ci stood by Zhu Ci's side with his back to the main gate, placing his hand on his shoulder and pressing down firmly.
Zhu Ci looked up at him and shook his head, saying, "Alna is quite sinister. In such a short time, he has risen from a slave to the position of Niu Lu E Zhen and is highly esteemed; I'm afraid killing him won't be easy."
Zhu Ci sneered and said, "The only way he can climb the ranks is through military merit. Once he makes a few major mistakes, the Tartars will naturally deal with him."
Alna is currently only a low-level officer, so of course his later achievements are not worth mentioning, but for a slave, he is already a role model and a target to strive for many slaves.
Zhu Ci's tightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed, he nodded thoughtfully as he said, "I understand. However, if you want to make him make a mistake, I fear that merely passing a few messages will not be enough."
Zhu Ci withdrew his hand and said, "Naturally, this requires the imperial court to go to full-scale war with the Tartars, but unfortunately.. this matter is fraught with difficulties. Whether it succeeds depends on you."
“Me?” Zhu Ci was somewhat surprised.
Zhu Ci nodded. "Currently, there are two voices in the imperial court. One side advocates for fighting the Tartars, while the other advocates for peace talks with the Qing Army to unite against the rebels. The pro-war faction is the Donglin Party led by Gao Hongtu, the other is the Grand Secretary's Party led by Ma Shiying and Ruan Dacheng. Oh, the Eunuch faction is also very close to Ma Shiying and his group."
Zhu Ci fell silent for a long moment. "What are your thoughts, Imperial Uncle?"
He knew he should address Zhu Yousong as Your Majesty, but.. on what grounds? His Imperial Father had not passed the throne to Zhu Yousong, he, the Crown Prince, was still alive.
Zhu Ci naturally didn't care about such details, only saying, "My father naturally listens to Ma Shiying."
Zhu Ci smiled bitterly after hearing this. "Then what can I do?"
Gao Hongtu and the others have been looking for you. From the very beginning, they disagreed with my father ascending the throne as Emperor; it was only that Ma Shiying caught them off guard back then. Now that you have returned safely, the question of who the throne belongs to will naturally have to be discussed again.. Once you have ascended the throne, whether to fight or surrender will naturally depend on you.
Zhu Ci was momentarily stunned. "You.. you think I can take back the throne?"
Zhu Ci said, "It is not a matter of whether you can or cannot, but that you must. You must reclaim the throne, otherwise, there is a high possibility that your identity will be denied and you will be executed. In fact, Father the Emperor has already arranged two assassination points; he wants you to die on the road."
Zhu Ci felt a surge of wariness in his heart, his expression was one of complete confusion. "Why are you helping me?"
Zhu Ci sighed, "If it were for reputation, I would tell you that I am doing this for the sake of the Great Ming, that 'subduing the barbarians and pacifying the bandits' is nothing more than an excuse for them to avoid war. The Great Ming currently holds half the realm and does not entirely lack opportunity, but if Ma Shiying is allowed to continue heading in the wrong direction, it can only lead to destruction. As for my Imperial Father.."
Sigh, although a son should not question his father and a minister should not question his sovereign, the Emperor is indeed not a wise ruler. At the very least, he cannot pull the Great Ming out of this quagmire. What the Great Ming needs now is an iron-blooded Emperor who understands the Tartars.
Zhu Ci pressed further, "And the other reasons?"
Zhu Ci leaned back against the chair and said with lowered eyes, "Other reasons.. naturally, it is for my own sake. I will not hide it from you, older cousin; despite my glorious position as the Crown Prince, in reality, I live in constant fear every day, terrified that one day my father, the Emperor, will execute me."
Zhu Ci immediately asked, "What did you do to make your uncle want to execute you?"
Zhu Ci gave a bitter smile. "It is precisely because I have done nothing that I have been able to survive until now. Before me, two of my biological brothers were executed for treason less than a month after becoming Crown Prince."
Zhu Ci's eyes widened slightly. "What?"
Do you find it hard to believe?" Zhu Ci spread his hands. "Those two incidents were no small matters either; you can find out by asking the Donglin Party officials.
Zhu Ci clearly found it difficult to comprehend. He had been held in high esteem by his father, the Emperor, since childhood. He had been named Crown Prince at a young age, enjoyed the finest food and clothing, was provided with the best teachers, had even undergone his capping ceremony early.
It could be said that Zhu Ci had been spoiled since childhood for his first thirteen years; he could not imagine that a father would kill his own son on a whim.
Zhu Ci added fuel to the fire: "A while ago, my fourth brother and his mother, Consort Chen, were both demoted to commoners and subsequently died in confinement, also on charges of treason."
Zhu Ci's pupils dilated in shock: "What?!"
Zhu Ci said, "So you understand why I want you to ascend the throne, don't you? Even though I am the Crown Prince now, if you were to ascend the throne, I would merely be a collateral member of the imperial clan. I would pose no threat to your position and could live a life of ease and plenty. But if.. I don't even know how many more days I, the Crown Prince, have left."
Zhu Ci did not say whether he believed it or not, but simply said, "Let's talk about these matters after we return to Nanjing. You.. what kind of message do you intend to send to Alna?"
Zhu Ci asked, "How will you send messages to him? If it is convenient, I will write a bit more; if it is not convenient.. I will write a bit less."
Zhu Ci said, "Homing pigeons. He gave me two homing pigeons to send messages."
Homing pigeons have limited capacity," Zhu Ci said. "But it doesn't matter. I've written a note; just put it directly into the carrier tube.