Chapter 21: A Mere Toy? This Is a Weapon of War!

The atmosphere within the grand hall was heavy and peculiar.

Old Zhu stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He first stared deeply at Zhu Gaochi, his gaze as sharp as a blade, as if attempting to peer through the little chubby boy. Then, he slowly turned his head toward the Crown Prince, Zhu Biao.

"Biao'er, investigate this matter thoroughly!"

"I do not wish to see such baseless rumors arise again. If they do, there shall be no leniency!"

Upon hearing this, Crown Prince Zhu Biao’s heart sank, and a wave of anxiety washed over him. He understood perfectly that his father was giving him a graceful way to step down, a signal to properly handle the situation involving the Lady Lü and her son. As for the warning of "no leniency," it was clearly directed at that mother and child.

Just as Zhu Biao was preparing to take his leave, Zhu Gaochi, who had been standing quietly to the side, suddenly stepped forward. With a mysterious smile on his face, he spoke: "Grandfather Emperor, we have also discovered a wonderful thing—something that grants a person the sight of a thousand miles!"

Hearing this, even Old Zhu found it somewhat amusing. First, it was the "Heavenly Fire Art," and now this "Thousand-Mile Eye." Had anyone else uttered such absurdities in this solemn hall, Old Zhu would have likely struck them down instantly. However, given that it was the little chubby boy speaking, he patiently indulged him with a smile: "A thousand-mile eye? Can you really see a thousand miles away?"

Zhu Gaochi beamed with delight. His chubby little hands waved excitedly in the air, and the flesh on his face jiggled as he mimicked a child who had just received a beloved toy: "A thousand miles is a bit of an exaggeration, but a hundred... Grandfather Emperor, just see for yourself."

With that, he laboriously fished a delicately crafted telescope from his robes and, holding it with both hands, presented it to Old Zhu with great care.

Old Zhu had initially approached this with a dismissive attitude, expecting nothing more than a novelty. Yet, seeing the resolute expressions on the faces of both Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Xiongying, a spark of curiosity ignited within him. What on earth were these two little rascals up to? He reached out and took the telescope, his eyes narrowing with intrigue.

"Grandfather Emperor, put this end to your eye, close the other one, and look into the distance."

Zhu Xiongying also stepped in to guide Old Zhu on how to use the telescope, full of confidence in this secret weapon.

Old Zhu followed the instructions, placing the telescope to his right eye and closing his left. He aimed it at a guard standing watch in the distance. Instantly, every detail of the guard’s face came into sharp focus—he could even clearly see a single stray nose hair protruding from the guard’s nostril.

"What? How is this possible?!" Old Zhu could not help but gasp. His face was etched with astonishment, his eyes widened as if he could not believe what he was witnessing.

His hand trembled slightly as he shifted the telescope toward the tall city gate tower in the distance. He could see every single tile on the roof, every intricate carving, with absolute clarity.

In disbelief, he lowered the telescope and rubbed his eyes with his other hand, looking at the guard and the tower again with his naked eye. Due to his nearsightedness, the view was entirely different; the nearby guard was merely a blurred outline, and the distant tower had faded into a hazy, indistinct shadow.

At that very moment, Lan Yu approached from a distance, his face filled with urgency, as if he had a critical matter to report to the Emperor.

Through the telescope, Old Zhu watched his every movement and gesture—even noticing the small, unintended detail of Lan Yu picking his nose, which did not escape the Emperor’s sight.

Old Zhu, still struggling to believe his eyes, kept his gaze fixed on Lan Yu, watching him intently. As soon as Lan Yu reached the hall entrance, Old Zhu raised his voice and commanded, "Summon Lan Yu to audience!"

The entire hall fell silent, everyone stunned and confused. The eunuch was equally bewildered as to why the Emperor had suddenly ordered Lan Yu’s appearance, but he was efficient and immediately conveyed the decree in a high-pitched tone.

The next moment, Lan Yu walked in, looking utterly baffled. He had only just reached the door and had not yet requested an audience, yet the Emperor had already summoned him!

Truth be told, even Lan Yu felt a tremor of panic. Was the Emperor having him watched at all times? He knew that Old Zhu had recently reorganized the Yiluan Bureau into the Embroidered Uniform Guard to secretly monitor the officials in the capital, effectively hanging a sword of Damocles over their heads. With this thought, Lan Yu immediately composed himself, assuming a look of profound reverence, and knelt to pay his respects.

However, Old Zhu had no mind to pay him any heed; he remained lost in the sheer shock of the telescope.

"Grandfather Emperor, isn't it magical? This is the true Thousand-Mile Eye," Zhu Gaochi said smugly, noting Old Zhu's expression.

"Indeed, it is truly magical. It allows one to see a thousand miles in an instant!" Old Zhu lowered the telescope, his face still flushed with lingering surprise, and handed it to Crown Prince Biao. "Biao'er, you take a look at this."

The Crown Prince took the telescope and, mimicking Old Zhu, held it to his eye. He immediately let out a cry of amazement: "Incredible! The distant scenery looks as if it were right before my eyes!"

As he spoke, he kept adjusting the angle, his eyes filled with awe. "A Thousand-Mile Eye—it truly lives up to its name. How can such a marvelous thing exist in the world?" Even as the Crown Prince, a man of broad experience, he found himself lost in wonder.

"Haha, isn't it amazing?" Zhu Xiongying said with a grin, his face glowing with pride, anticipating further praise.

But when the Crown Prince saw this, his expression of wonder instantly vanished, turning stern and severe. "Amazing? It is nothing but a frivolous distraction!"

His voice carried a note of harshness as he stared fixedly at Zhu Xiongying. "Indulging in such playthings will erode your ambition. Even if this object is marvelous, you are the Imperial Grandson of the Great Ming, destined to inherit the throne! How can you waste your time on such trivial, crafty inventions?!"

Looking at his son, the frustration that had briefly subsided suddenly boiled over. This child had always been obedient and diligent in his studies at the Grand Academy; how had he become like a different person? Not only was he insisting on martial training, but now he was obsessed with these "crafty inventions." This would not do! Both he, as the father, and Old Zhu, as the Emperor, had pinned their high hopes on the boy to inherit the empire.

The Crown Prince was truly angry now, filled with the frustration of seeing potential wasted.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Xiongying retorted, a rare act of defiance: "Frivolous distraction? Father, who told you this is a distraction? You listened to that woman’s words, and now you believe them implicitly, don't you!" His face flushed a deep red, like a ripe tomato, the veins on his neck bulging as he stood his ground, staring fearlessly at the Crown Prince.

"What insolence is this?" The Crown Prince was furious, his voice rising an octave as it echoed through the hall. "That is your mother..."

Zhu Xiongying, face still beet-red, retorted, "My mother is the daughter of the Prince of Kaiping, not that concubine, Lady Lü!"

"You unfilial wretch..." The Crown Prince, in a fit of rage, reached out to strike him, but his hand was firmly blocked by a small, chubby hand.

Zhu Gaochi glared at the Crown Prince with ill intent, his golden brick ready at hand. "Big Uncle, don't force me to beat you!"

"You..." The Crown Prince was so incensed he could not speak; he pointed a trembling finger at Zhu Gaochi.

Old Zhu had been watching quietly, his expression shifting between light and shadow. Only now did he realize that he had seemingly overlooked the feelings of his eldest grandson, leading to this farce of father and son at odds.

Just as he was about to speak, Lan Yu suddenly looked at the Crown Prince and challenged him: "A frivolous distraction? Does Your Highness not even understand basic military strategy?"

The room fell silent.

Lan Yu produced another telescope from his robes and presented it with both hands. "Your Majesty, after I received this telescope from Xiongying today and played with it, I immediately grasped its immense potential, which is why I rushed here to see you!"

His face was flushed with excitement: "The greatest use of this object is… scouting enemy positions!"

As Lan Yu finished, Old Zhu’s pupils contracted. He snatched the telescope away, a sharp light flashing in his eyes as he re-examined it.

"The logic is simple. If we equip the scouts of our border armies with such a 'Thousand-Mile Eye,' all they need to do is stand on high ground to see the enemy's movements well in advance. We could prepare defenses early, or even set ambushes. As soon as the enemy arrives, we could crush them in a single stroke!"

"Furthermore, as we are about to lead our troops on an expedition, Yunnan is treacherous, filled with dense forests and miasma. The enemy relies on the natural defenses of the mountains; a moment’s carelessness could lead our army into an ambush. If we could rush the production of these telescopes and distribute them to our scouts, we could significantly reduce the casualties of our soldiers!"

"This is no mere craft or toy—it is a true weapon for the battlefield, worth more than a thousand pieces of gold!"

Old Zhu: "!!!"

Crown Prince Biao: "???"