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

Chapter 118 Zhu Gaoxu and Mu Xin join forces to deal with Zhu Youxun

You Dun wasn't entirely lying; Zhu Gaoxi did indeed need to return to the palace as soon as possible to try on his ceremonial robes one last time.

Upon arriving at the Qianqing Palace, the old emperor was examining a painting with great interest. Zhu Gaoxi leaned over to take a look and saw that it was "The Life and Fortune of Heaven and Earth" painted by Xie Chufang of the Yuan Dynasty.

In the painting, a toad hides under the grass in front of a car, staring intently at the ants that are dismembering a butterfly, ready to pounce at any moment, staging a scene of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Just as the locusts were preparing to eat, a lizard quietly lurked nearby, having already locked onto them as prey, and was eager to feast.

Beneath the willow branches, a tree frog stares intently at a mantis catching a cicada, waiting for its chance to strike.

There was also a wasp relentlessly chasing after a dragonfly.

What appears to be a vibrant scene is actually a bloody and cruel place where animals hunt and kill each other for survival, a world of survival of the fittest.

This was a gift from his stepmother to Fang Xiaoru. Why was it here? Zhu Gaoxi was filled with questions.

"Yunwen told us that the Princess Consort of Yan intends to take in Bai Xiaoru. She's quite generous. It seems your father's family is quite wealthy," the old emperor said with a barbed tone.

"Grandpa, you've misunderstood. This painting was stolen from Miaojin by my mother. The reason she went to Dabentang to deliver it was to ask Mr. Fang to strictly discipline my second brother and urge him to study more," Zhu Gaoxi explained with a relaxed smile. "If Grandpa doesn't believe me, you can ask Brother Youdun."

"We know you two are in cahoots to deceive people," the old emperor had long been aware of the tacit understanding between his two grandsons.

"Grandpa, this painting was given to Miaojin by my mother. I never expected that Miaojin would give it away so easily," Youdun said with a wry smile.

Miao Jin's biological mother died in childbirth. From childhood to adulthood, she was fortunate to have the care and support of her elder sister. She never refused any request from the Princess of Yan, so it's not her fault.

On the contrary, they will only cherish and love them more.

Seen sideways as a peak on the side of the ridge, the height varies from far to far.

There are as many Hamlets as there are people.

Depending on the perspective, the world depicted in the painting will appear completely different.

Perhaps, in the eyes of Princess Zhou and Miao Jin, this was just a vibrant scene of insects frolicking among the flowers.

Zhu Gaoxi became so engrossed in the struggle for the throne that his heart was unknowingly clouded. He instantly realized this and reminded himself not to forget his original aspirations and not to become a power-hungry beast who only sought power and profit.

In royal power struggles, the two sides would only engage in a contest to the point of exhaustion, never resorting to vicious attacks that could lead to a vicious cycle of life-or-death struggles and endless revenge. This was the bottom line that Zhu Gaoxi set for himself.

He believed that even without resorting to any means necessary like some others, he could still win.

"Then let's return it to its rightful owner," the old emperor said, rolling up the scroll and handing it to Youdun.

After hesitating for a moment, You Dun accepted the stew with gratitude.

After trying on the clothes, they returned to the vegetable garden. Zhu Gaoxi chuckled and teased, "It's just a painting or calligraphy; I didn't expect the Crown Prince to care so much. Perhaps he doesn't trust Mr. Fang?"

"Perhaps it's to warn us not to even think about getting Mr. Bai," Zhu Youdun said with a calm smile. "He's worried that someone he values ​​might be snatched away by his rivals."

Unfortunately, the Crown Prince failed to recognize talent, and Mr. Fang was not a practical talent suited to handling government affairs.

Zhu Gaoxi recounted to Youdun the evil deeds that Zhu Youxun had committed in history, warning him to be careful.

"It seems he and the Crown Prince had been in contact for some time," Zhu Youdun agreed wholeheartedly.

Seeing Youdun's distressed expression, Zhu Gaoxi had Yunfei bring over two cups of hot milk, urging Youdun to drink one and get a good night's sleep.

However, after the stew was removed, he was so excited that he couldn't fall asleep. He counted two thousand sheep in a row, but still couldn't feel sleepy. He had no choice but to ask Yunfei to cook a bowl of wontons and heat up a cup of milk.

After having a full meal, I put on a few pajamas and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Zhu Gaoxi was forcibly woken up. He hurriedly changed his clothes, ate a box of snacks, and drank half a cup of milk before being led off in a daze by the official in charge of ceremonies.

Following the example set by the official in charge of rites, Zhu Gaoxi mechanically knelt and rose, completely bewildered and unaware of what he was doing, only sensing that there were many people around him.

As Zhu Gaoxi kowtowed to thank the old emperor for bestowing the marriage, he vaguely noticed Zhu Yunwen give a cold laugh.

Worried that the grandson of the crown prince might try to sabotage things, Zhu Gaoxi had no choice but to brace himself and take precautions. Fortunately, the whole process ended without any major incidents, except for Xu Jingyan's untimely cry.

Logically speaking, Xu Jingyan is too young to need to appear on such an occasion.

However, according to Miao Jin, this little girl woke up earlier than anyone else today and insisted on following along, and they couldn't shake her off no matter what they did.

After the ceremony, both sets of parents were to have a meal together. However, Xu Huizu, the Duke of Wei, went to Wu County to oversee the construction of the Wu King's Mansion, so only Xu Zengshou and his wife Mu Xue from the Xu family were present.

Almost all of Zhu Gaoxi's relatives and friends in Beijing were present. The two princes, the Prince of Yan and the Prince of Zhou, as well as the princess and her husband, were all present. Even the Duke of Cao, Li Jinglong, appeared in full dress and greeted Zhu Gaoxi with a kind and amiable smile.

It seems that his cheap father's efforts these past few days have paid off, as Zhu Gaoxi responded with an even more enthusiastic and radiant smile.

Everyone present was an elder, and he had to greet them with a smile, which made Zhu Gaoxi's face almost stiff.

Socializing and entertaining clients is exhausting!

Zhu Gaoxi eagerly awaited the end of the day so he could quickly return to the vegetable garden for a nap.

While they were drinking merrily, Zhu Youxun surprisingly suggested visiting the Prince of Wu's residence, saying he had brought a surprise for Zhu Gaoxi.

This man is truly tactless. Can't he see that no one in the Wu Prince's mansion welcomes him?

Zhu Gaoxi deliberately answered a beat late, causing a brief moment of awkward silence, but Zhu Youxi's interest remained undiminished, and he waited leisurely.

"His skin is thicker than a city wall," Zhu Gaoxi cursed inwardly.

"Is my younger brother not welcoming me?" Zhu Youxun asked with a cryptic chuckle.

"Brother, don't overthink it. I couldn't be happier," Zhu Gaoxi replied somewhat perfunctorily.

Seeing this, Zhu Gaoxu quickly pulled Zhu Youxun to his side and said with a grin, "If you want to go to the Prince of Wu's residence, you have to get past me first. You have to drink well to show your sincerity. Look at you, you haven't even finished a cup of wine. How can that be? Come on, let your brother fill your cup."

Mu Xin also joined in to help, "Yeah, Brother Youxue, you're the older brother, you should drink more."

Zhu Youxun was blocked by the two men and couldn't chase after Zhu Gaoxi, which was very disappointing. However, Zhu Gaoxu and Mu Xin refused to let him go and insisted on making him drink.

They were all imperial grandsons, not with their elders, so they spoke freely and unrestrainedly, and when it came to drinking, they would drink until they were completely drunk.

Zhu Youxun was not a strong drinker and fell asleep on the table after only a few rounds.

"I still want to go to the Wu Prince's Mansion. Go back and tell Ji Gang that if he dares to go, he should let Ji Gang release the big yellow dog to bite him," Mu Xin chuckled, pushing Zhu Youxun, who was as stiff as a dead pig.

Dahuang was Ji Gang's hunting dog. It was strong, agile, powerful, and exceptionally fierce.

Mu Xin tried to win it over with bones every day, which finally touched its heart and made it stop barking at him.

Since having Mu Xin as his capable assistant, Zhu Gaoxu has been able to get things done with unprecedented speed and efficiency. No wonder everyone wants a devoted fanboy; he's incredibly useful.

Zhu Gaoxu felt a great sense of accomplishment as he thought to himself.