Chapter 10: Xu Zengshou! You Should Be Grateful for the Favor!

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The pretender emperor of the Northern Yuan had died of illness, and the Ming court had grown tense as a result.

Old Zhu summoned the senior ministers for discussions from time to time, seemingly intent on seizing this opportunity to destroy the Northern Yuan once and for all.

At that moment, the capital of the Ming was shrouded in a murderous, solemn atmosphere.

Zhu Gaochi, however, was entirely unaffected. For the sake of his grand money-making scheme, he used the excuse of visiting relatives and successfully left the palace.

At the residence of the Duke of Wei, Xu Zengshou had been waiting at the gate since early morning.

Before long, a carriage rolled up at an unhurried pace, and Zhu Gaochi leaped out.

“Oh? Uncle Three, are you waiting for me?”

Xu Zengshou grinned and reached out to scoop him up.

“If not you, then who else would I be waiting for?”

“My dear nephew, you’ve performed a great service this time!”

Quite a few people had been secretly keeping an eye on Empress Ma’s condition.

After all, she was the beloved elder sister and sister-in-law of the Huai-Xi military nobility. In those days, when the Huai-Xi generals followed Old Zhu through countless campaigns, it was Empress Ma who held down the rear, comforted their families, and personally sewed clothes and shoes for everyone. She had earned the respect and affection of every commander.

When they learned that Empress Ma’s condition had improved, the Huai-Xi military nobility were wild with joy. Naturally, a certain chubby little boy also entered their field of vision.

Zhu Gaochi proudly raised his head and said with a grin, “Of course! Do you even know who my mother is?”

Xu Zengshou failed to react for a long moment before bursting into laughter.

He pinched Zhu Gaochi’s chubby cheek and said with a laugh, “What a clever little rascal! But you’re right. That bastard Zhu Di was blessed beyond measure to marry my sister!”

Zhu Gaochi stared blankly at him, his large eyes blinking rapidly. For a long while, he could not recover.

Wait a minute. Did I ever say that?

That was clearly something you said yourself!

In the main hall, uncle and nephew stared at each other, neither speaking for a time.

Zhu Gaochi studied this third maternal uncle of his, while the man’s life and deeds surfaced in his mind.

Xu Zengshou, the third son of the great general Xu Da, was quick-witted and intelligent. When he grew up, he became brave and skilled in horsemanship and archery, and was selected to serve as an armed attendant in the Imperial Guard. He was cautious and honest, and rarely made mistakes.

He was unlike his elder brother, Xu Yun’gong—also known as Xu Huizu—who was Xu Da’s legitimate eldest son and highly valued by both Xu Da and Old Zhu. Xu Huizu had embarked on his military career at an early age and was currently training troops in Beiping alongside Xu Da.

Xu Zengshou, on the other hand, preferred reading. Whenever he had leisure at home, he would invite learned men to his residence and tirelessly discuss the histories and classics recounting the successes and failures of the past and present.

The second son, Xu Tianfu, had died young, so it was this third young master who now managed the affairs of the Duke of Wei’s household.

Everyone believed that Xu Zengshou’s life had already reached its limit, and that he would accomplish nothing of great importance in the future.

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As a time traveler, Zhu Gaochi knew perfectly well that the man before him was far from simple.

In history, when the Jingnan Campaign broke out, Xu Zengshou chose to support his brother-in-law, Zhu Di. He secretly passed military intelligence from Jinling to Zhu Di and repeatedly informed him of the capital’s deployments. He maintained covert ties with Zhu Di, and after someone exposed him, the Jianwen Emperor had him imprisoned. When Zhu Di’s army entered through Jinchuan Gate and the Jianwen Emperor was on the verge of losing his throne, he had Xu Zengshou executed beneath the galleries of Right Shun Gate.

Zhu Di was deeply grieved by Xu Zengshou’s death. In the second year of the Yongle reign, he posthumously granted Xu Zengshou the honorific title of Imperial Servant Who Inherits His Father’s Legacy, Loyal and Upright Military Minister, as well as the titles of Grand Guardian of Splendid Prosperity and Pillar of the State. Xu Zengshou was further enfeoffed as Duke of Dingguo, with the title inheritable by his descendants and an annual stipend of two thousand five hundred shi of grain.

From that point onward, the Xu family officially embarked upon a glorious career as one of the empire’s foremost noble houses, producing two dukes from a single family.

Looking back across history, it was not difficult to see that this third maternal uncle possessed deep reserves of wisdom and strategic talent. He was also skilled at judging the times and adapting accordingly, and was by no means as simple as he appeared on the surface.

“Uncle Three, give me some money!”

Zhu Gaochi thrust out his chubby hand, asking with complete justification.

Xu Zengshou was stunned by the request, then slapped the little paw away in exasperation.

“Money for what? You eat at the palace and wear clothes from the palace. What do you need money for?”

Zhu Gaochi’s little face fell, and he explained the entire matter from beginning to end.

When Xu Zengshou learned that his nephew owed the Imperial Medical Academy so much money, even he could no longer keep his composure.

“Ahem, nephew… Aren’t you spending a little too much silver?”

“What good is practicing martial arts? Study with your Uncle Three instead. I’ll personally teach you the writings of the sages…”

“If I don’t practice martial arts, I’ll die!” Zhu Gaochi looked pitifully at Xu Zengshou. “So give me the money!”

Xu Zengshou was covered in black lines. If the boy had not still been a child, he truly would have given him a beating.

“I have no money. The household finances are managed by Uncle Zhong. I can only withdraw funds with your grandfather’s approval!”

At that, Zhu Gaochi brightened and looked at Xu Zengshou with utter contempt.

“Uncle Three, how old are you? You can’t even produce three hundred taels?”

Xu Zengshou’s face flushed from the jab. He glared at him irritably.

“I eat at the duke’s residence and live at the duke’s residence. What would I need money for?”

Oh, so this fellow was a shameless wastrel too!

Zhu Gaochi laughed. “Well then… Once Grandfather passes away and Eldest Uncle inherits the title, you’ll have no choice but to beg in the streets for a living!”

“You little brat, are you looking for a beating?” Xu Zengshou flew into a rage, because the remark had struck a painfully familiar chord.

He was the younger son, not the eldest. He could not inherit the title. The legitimate eldest son inherited everything—the title, the estate, and all the rest. That was the law of ritual propriety!

Zhu Gaochi covered his eyes and sighed, looking utterly exasperated by his uncle’s lack of ambition.

“Uncle Three, you’re the younger son and can’t inherit the title. How will you support your own household in the future?”

“Grandfather has issued an absolute decree: in our Great Ming, anyone who wants a title must earn it through military merit. Without a title, even if you rely on Grandfather’s influence to obtain a military post, what good will that do?”

“You might become a commander or even a general, but that will be as far as it goes. At most, two or three generations from now, Eldest Uncle’s branch will still be a ducal house, while your grandson may be nothing more than a battalion commander or company commander—or perhaps even less…”

Yes, this was Zhu Gaochi’s grand campaign to turn his uncle into a dragon!

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Xu Zengshou was unquestionably brilliant, but he was still only fifteen or sixteen years old. After hearing Zhu Gaochi’s words, he could barely hold himself together and nearly burst into tears.

His sister had married Zhu Di and was now the Princess of Yan, destined to enjoy wealth and glory all her life.

His elder brother, Xu Yun’gong, was the legitimate eldest son and would inherit the title of Duke of Wei, likewise enjoying wealth and glory for the rest of his life.

Why was it that when it came to Xu Zengshou, there would be nothing left for him—not even a title? He could only begin as an hereditary military official!

“This is damn unfair!”

“Exactly!” Zhu Gaochi seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire. “That’s why we have to struggle and fight for ourselves. Only then will we have a chance!”

Xu Zengshou had still been grumbling a moment earlier, but upon hearing this, he instantly became wary. He reached out and grabbed Zhu Gaochi by the ear.

“You little brat, are you trying to set a trap for me?”

“Ow, ow… It hurts! Uncle Three, let go first. I’ll introduce you to a major business opportunity!” Zhu Gaochi grimaced in pain and begged repeatedly for mercy.

Only after hearing the words “major business opportunity” did Xu Zengshou release him.

“Explain yourself!”

“I know an excellent method for making mirrors.” Zhu Gaochi gave a sly chuckle. “We won’t make anything else. We’ll focus solely on mirrors. I guarantee they’ll bring in a fortune every day. When the money comes, we’ll split it fifty-fifty!”

Xu Zengshou was taken aback. Then he looked at Zhu Gaochi with an amused, knowing smile.

“My dear nephew, you’ve taken the long way around just to wait for your Uncle Three, haven’t you?”

His little scheme had been exposed, but Zhu Gaochi remained perfectly calm.

“Uncle Three, let’s dispense with the nonsense. Just tell me whether you’re in or not.”

“And let me make one thing clear: you’re not my only choice. The only reason I came to you is because you’re my uncle. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered. I’m offering you this opportunity, so you’d better appreciate it…”

That little brat was truly just like his good-for-nothing father!

Xu Zengshou ground his teeth in anger, but he had to admit that Zhu Gaochi was speaking the truth.

Among the noble families in the capital, the legitimate eldest sons already held official posts and were preparing to inherit their titles. The younger and illegitimate sons had also begun thinking of every possible way to build up their own fortunes in preparation for eventually establishing separate households.

As the third son of the Xu family, he was no exception.

With that thought, Xu Zengshou extended his hand with a broad smile.

“My good nephew, let’s sit down and work out the details!”