Chapter 20: Tsk Tsk! Could It Really Be Such a Coincidence?

Inside the grand hall, the atmosphere was heavy with tension.

Zhu Xiongying and Zhu Gaochi knelt on the ground, their eyes occasionally meeting.

Old Zhu sat upon the dragon throne, his face as dark and foreboding as a stormy sky before the tempest. Beside him, Crown Prince Biao furrowed his brows, his gaze filled with worry and helplessness.

"Those two scoundrels! Look at the mess you've made!" Old Zhu was the first to speak, his voice booming like a great bell, reverberating throughout the hall.

His eyes fell on the little chubby Zhu Gaochi, whose indifferent and dismissive expression ignited a fierce rage within him, erupting like a blaze in an instant.

Zhu Gaochi was known for his stubbornness and rebelliousness, that was true, but his mischief had never gone this far before. At least, he had never burned precious ancient texts and classics for amusement like today.

It was one thing not to love studying, but as the legitimate eldest son of the Prince of Yan, with a noble title waiting to be inherited, he naturally did not need to take the imperial examinations. Yet to burn the painstakingly compiled texts of their ancestors was unforgivable, especially since Li Xiyan had caught them red-handed.

If it were only that, perhaps Old Zhu could have let it slide, given that Zhu Gaochi had just accomplished a great feat. But what made it intolerable was that he had brought along his eldest grandson.

Zhu Xiongying, the future emperor of the Ming dynasty, how could he be led astray like this chubby boy?

Seething with fury, Old Zhu glared and scolded, “Zhu Gaochi, do you realize your mistake?”

Zhu Gaochi picked his nose expressionlessly, flipping a large gold ingot back and forth in his hands, as if nothing around him mattered.

“Grandfather Emperor, where have I gone wrong?” he asked casually.

“You…” Old Zhu was so furious he jumped up from the throne, ready to strike.

But Zhu Gaochi, watching his reaction carefully, saw the old man was about to lash out again. He dared not stay any longer, and without looking back, he ran off, shouting, “Run, you big fool! You’re about to get beaten!”

Zhu Gaochi was not without loyalty; before fleeing, he still shouted to remind Zhu Xiongying.

Zhu Xiongying was momentarily stunned, then quickly rose and without hesitation, sprinted after Zhu Gaochi.

Old Zhu and Crown Prince Biao stood frozen, as if under a spell, unable to regain their composure for a long while.

Both were stunned: Could these two little rascals really dare to run?

Unfortunately, the palace guards were stationed at the door. The boys had barely gone a few steps before being lifted back like chicks.

This time, not even Crown Prince Biao pleaded.

A disobedient son? Impossible to tolerate.

They must be properly disciplined!

Old Zhu grabbed a rattan cane, grinning wickedly as he approached Zhu Gaochi.

“Running? Why aren’t you running now?”

“If we don’t beat you today, we’d be betraying the ancestors of the Zhu family!”

Seeing this, Zhu Gaochi turned pale with fright and let out a pitiful scream before Old Zhu could even strike.

“I’ve spilled blood for the Ming, made merits for the Ming. Grandfather Emperor, you believe the slanders of traitors—how foolish you are…”

Old Zhu found the beginning of his words amusing, but as soon as he heard the latter part, his smile froze, vanishing completely.

“Alright, alright, you scoundrel! You’re disobedient enough, but now you dare to rebel? I won’t…”

“Grandfather Emperor, please wait!” Zhu Xiongying finally spoke, his expression calm and tone steady. “Even if you want to punish us, shouldn’t there be a reason?”

Hearing this, Old Zhu abruptly turned his head, eyes wide, glaring fiercely at Zhu Xiongying.

“Don’t you know what you’ve done? We wanted you to study and cultivate virtue, but instead, you squander your time…”

“‘Squander your time,’ you say?” Zhu Xiongying sneered. “May I ask, Grandfather Emperor, when have I done so?”

“That so-called immortal object is just a name I made up, as is the heavenly fire technique. Yet this object truly magnifies things. If you do not believe me, you may try it yourself!”

Old Zhu was momentarily taken aback. Looking at his eldest grandson’s confident and assured demeanor, doubts stirred in his heart.

He slowly took the magnifying glass from Zhu Xiongying’s hand, examining it thoroughly. To him, it was no more than a small piece of exquisite glass, with no obvious special qualities.

Zhu Gaochi quickly rose, pulling a memorial from the royal table, then approached Old Zhu, holding the magnifying glass over the text.

The characters in the memorial were originally tiny, but through the magnifying glass, each one became clear and distinct; even the strokes of the calligraphy could be seen in detail.

“How is it? Very clear, isn’t it? I know your eyesight isn’t what it used to be. This magnifying glass will be very useful for you!” Zhu Gaochi said proudly, openly pointing out Old Zhu’s failing eyesight, causing Crown Prince Biao’s lips to twitch in bemusement at the mix of irritation and amusement.

“I’m not old yet!” Old Zhu retorted angrily.

Nonetheless, he took the magnifying glass and began to scrutinize the characters carefully.

Although he protested, Old Zhu’s constant labor over documents had long given him nearsightedness. Often, he had others read memorials aloud, especially those replied to by Crown Prince Biao; if there were no issues, Old Zhu would issue orders according to the crown prince’s decisions.

Now, with the magnifying glass, each character appeared enormous and crystal clear, even the details of the brushstrokes.

For a moment, Old Zhu was genuinely surprised, clutching the magnifying glass as if it were a treasure.

With this, reviewing memorials would become much more comfortable.

“This thing… truly is remarkable!”

“Biao, you should take a look too.”

Old Zhu studied the magnifying glass carefully before handing it and the memorial to Crown Prince Biao.

“Incredible. The characters really do enlarge,” Zhu Biao, who also suffered from nearsightedness due to his frequent reading and reviewing of memorials, exclaimed immediately upon trying it.

“This thing… truly has a wondrous effect!”

Father and son marveled as they examined it.

Zhu Xiongying gave Zhu Gaochi a thumbs-up. The two boys came over, chattering and occasionally chiming in.

“Grandfather Emperor, I had this made with great expense because I worry about your age and how difficult it is to review memorials.”

“Yes, Grandfather Emperor, calling it an immortal object is just a pretext. For something made for you, calling it immortal isn’t an exaggeration!”

The two boys took turns flattering him, warming Old Zhu’s heart and gradually bringing a smile to his face.

“My good grandsons, you really have my heart!” Old Zhu smiled, nodding gently, then snatched the magnifying glass from Crown Prince Biao’s hand as if afraid someone else would take it.

“Today I nearly misunderstood you. That old Li Xiyan truly has blind eyes, wrongly accusing my good grandsons.”

Crown Prince Biao standing nearby felt both amused and exasperated.

At this point, he thought it best not to say anything further.

Since the magnifying glass was now a gift to the emperor, sparing the boys this time was not impossible.

However, just as he prepared to take his leave, Zhu Xiongying suddenly spoke, striking Crown Prince Biao like lightning.

“May I ask, Grandfather Emperor, who first said the phrase ‘squander your time’?”

Old Zhu was momentarily stunned and instinctively looked at Crown Prince Biao.

When Li Xiyan had previously appeared before the emperor, he had never uttered those four words.

Those words came from Crown Prince Biao himself!

“Biao, how do you know about this?” Old Zhu seemed to realize the truth, his gaze sharp as a blade.

Zhu Biao’s expression changed slightly, hesitating before answering.

“Father, it was the Crown Princess…”

Hearing this, a flicker of suspicion and doubt crossed Old Zhu’s eyes.

“You believe her? And got so angry that you lost your temper? Is that how a father should behave?”

Unexpectedly, Old Zhu scolded Zhu Biao.

“Use your head and don’t let my eldest grandson suffer injustice!”

Crown Prince Biao was helpless and quickly explained, “Father, she was only worried about Ying’er, so that’s why…”

“Heh,” Zhu Xiongying sneered, interrupting Crown Prince Biao, “Father, I truly thank you for your… kindness!”

“You…” Zhu Biao was annoyed, about to retort, when a harsh voice interrupted, plunging him into deep thought.

“Hmm… Let me guess. Mr. Li insists we burned the books because someone informed on us. And it just so happened that Brother Yunwen missed martial lessons this afternoon.”

Zhu Gaochi smirked mockingly, laughing to himself.

“Tsk, tsk, can it really be such a coincidence?”