Chapter 25: Oh, Lan Yu, Lan Yu! A Warning of Being Flayed Alive!

The Yongchang Marquis Mansion was grand and imposing. The vermilion gates stood towering, and the stone lions in front looked majestic, as if they were whispering of the glorious military achievements of the mansion's master.

Since the seventh year of the Hongwu reign, a second generation of prominent Ming generals had begun to emerge—men like Fu Youde, Lan Yu, and Mu Ying—all of whom were capable of commanding armies on their own. For his distinguished service, the Old Emperor had enfeoffed Lan Yu as the Marquis of Yongchang, granting him an annual salary of 2,500 piculs of grain and a patent for a hereditary title.

As the carriage pulled to a stop before the mansion, the guards, upon learning that the Imperial Grandson had arrived in person, hurriedly went to report the news with great excitement. Moments later, Lan Yu came out to welcome them personally.

"Ying'er, Chi'er, why have you come?"

As a man of the military, Lan Yu was blunt and straightforward. Once they were seated, he could not help but ask impatiently. He was set to lead his army on a campaign tomorrow and had a mountain of military affairs to attend to; he had no time for idle chatter with these two little ones.

Zhu Xiongying stood up first, his demeanor slightly reserved. He straightened his robes and, holding the five thousand taels of silver in both hands, bowed respectfully and said earnestly, "Thank you, Great Uncle, for your help today!"

Hearing this term of endearment, a gentle smile softened Lan Yu’s stern face. "Good children, this was your own merit; I merely spoke the truth," Lan Yu said, waving his hand with genuine sincerity. "Not to mention, those spyglasses are truly invaluable to the army. In fact, I am the one who owes you a debt of gratitude. I cannot accept this silver under any circumstances."

The mere mention of the spyglasses made Lan Yu’s eyes sparkle with excitement. With these, his scouts’ reconnaissance capabilities would be vastly improved, helping them achieve even greater glory on the battlefield. Under such circumstances, how could he possibly accept the money?

Seeing Lan Yu’s firm refusal, Zhu Gaochi beamed, his eyes crinkling into slits. His chubby hands nimbly tucked the silver away as he laughed, "Great Uncle, then I wish you a swift victory and great success in your campaign!"

"Hahaha..." Lan Yu laughed and nodded. "You little rascal, you're sharp!"

Why not save a large sum of money by saying a few pleasant words? Seeing this, Zhu Gaochi grew even more enthusiastic, launching into a string of compliments that flowed like a rapid-fire cannon, almost lifting Lan Yu to the heavens. Lan Yu listened to the flattery, his smile growing wider and his mood increasingly buoyant.

The three then discussed the upcoming campaign in Yunnan. Lan Yu lowered his voice and said, "His Majesty has approved your brilliant ruse, Chi'er. Our chances of victory have increased, and we shall significantly reduce casualties among our troops. Chi'er, I thank you on behalf of those soldiers!"

Zhu Gaochi waved his chubby hand dismissively, laughing, "Whether it is a brilliant ruse or not, what works is best." He paused for a moment, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes. "But Great Uncle, have you noticed that His Majesty has recently..." He trailed off, intentionally leaving the thought unfinished.

These words hit Lan Yu’s ears like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, stirring up massive waves. In an instant, he recalled the eerie atmosphere during his recent audience with the Emperor. That inexplicable sense of oppression and unease surged back, growing stronger by the second.

"Chi'er, are you implying..." Lan Yu asked tentatively, his eyes filled with suspicion and wariness.

Zhu Gaochi did not speak. Instead, he dipped his finger in some tea and wrote the words "Jinyiwei" (the Embroidered Uniform Guard) on the table.

Lan Yu stared at the characters. The moment he grasped their meaning, his pupils contracted, and the color drained from his face until it was ashen.

The Jinyiwei! The secret police established by the Emperor to monitor all civil and military officials! They were, without a doubt, the primary targets of this surveillance. After all, throughout history, military power had always been a sensitive matter.

"Great Uncle, you are aware of this, aren't you?"

Lan Yu swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. He nodded reflexively. The fearsome reputation of the Jinyiwei had been forged during the purge of Hu Weiyong. Although Hu Weiyong had been dead for years, many officials in the court who had been associated with him still lived in constant, trembling fear. Lan Yu happened to be one of those who had maintained close ties with Hu Weiyong. In other words, the unease in his heart was stronger than anyone else's.

Zhu Gaochi’s chubby face still wore a smile, but it held a deeper, more chilling meaning. He knew the truth: Lan Yu was notoriously arrogant and overbearing—he had even dared to insult a princess of Northern Yuan. In the end, he became a thorn in the Old Emperor’s side, leading to the infamous "Case of Lan Yu," which was folded into the Hu Weiyong purge. Tens of thousands were executed, exiled, or branded, leaving the court almost entirely empty of civil officials and slaughtering the founding heroes. Lan Yu himself had been flayed, his skin stuffed with straw and sent to his daughter as a souvenir—a horrific end.

Arrogance and over-ambition were Lan Yu’s greatest flaws. Yet, he was a vital ally to Zhu Xiongying, and Zhu Gaochi did not wish to see him meet such a grisly fate. A warning was necessary.

"Great Uncle, it is said that the Jinyiwei investigate everything, leaving no stone unturned. They can even account for what you ate for dinner the night before..." Zhu Gaochi dragged out his words, a mysterious smile on his face. "Tsk, tsk. Do you think they haven't discovered that you have been widely recruiting 'adopted sons' within the army?"

At these words, Lan Yu’s face turned deathly pale. He stared at Zhu Gaochi, stunned, wondering how this young imperial grandson in the deep palace could know such a thing. If he knew, did that mean the Emperor... also knew? Cold sweat soaked his back, and his face turned as white as paper.

"Great Uncle, by adopting these young men, generals forge a community of shared interests—'if one prospers, all prosper; if one falls, all fall.' It drastically increases the loyalty and combat effectiveness of these sons, making them willing to face fire and death for their masters."

"For instance, An Lushan recruited eight thousand adopted sons. When he launched his rebellion, they were his staunchest supporters. Their bravery and loyalty provided the foundation for his ambition."

Zhu Gaochi lowered his voice, leaning toward Lan Yu. "Even our own Emperor, when he was conquering the world, adopted a dozen sons, including Li Wenzhong, Mu Ying, and Xu Sima. They all fought on the battlefield and earned their merit."

"In chaotic times, a general recruiting adopted sons to secure power is understandable. But this is the Ming Dynasty now, Great Uncle. As a general of the Ming, why are you doing this?"

Lan Yu trembled, as if he had been struck by a whip. "No!" he stammered, waving his hands frantically. "I have no such ambition! I only saw that these youths were brave and wanted to promote them..."

Zhu Gaochi took a sip of tea, set down his cup, and looked at Lan Yu with a playful expression. "What you think, Great Uncle, is not important. What matters is what the Emperor thinks. Your usual arrogance is one thing, but to recruit sons in the army—the very thing the Old Emperor did to consolidate his own power..."

Zhu Gaochi narrowed his eyes. "Military power is the Emperor's 'reverse scale'—his absolute taboo. Are you trying to hoard military power and then... stage a coup?"

Stage a coup! Those four words exploded in Lan Yu’s ears like thunder. He turned ashen, his legs gave way, and he collapsed into his chair. Even Zhu Xiongying, standing nearby, turned pale with fear, staring at Zhu Gaochi in shock. After all, that was a crime punishable by the extermination of one's nine generations!

"Once the Emperor begins to doubt you, your position will become increasingly perilous," Zhu Gaochi’s voice echoed in the room. "The day the Emperor loses his patience will be the day your entire family is executed. There is no other outcome!"

Zhu Gaochi sighed. "The sword of the Jinyiwei hangs high! Great Uncle, you must be cautious in your words and deeds. Do not repeat such mistakes! Dismiss your adopted sons immediately, lead from the front in battle, and return your military command when it is over. Stop being foolish!"

Lan Yu nodded repeatedly, his head bobbing like a pestle. Sweat poured down his face, dripping from his chin. He struggled to his feet, his legs still trembling, and bowed deeply to Zhu Gaochi, his voice shaking. "Gaochi, I will remember this life-saving favor. I will surely repay you!" With that, he hurried away, leaving the two boys behind, clearly intent on dealing with the matter of his adopted sons.

Zhu Gaochi sipped his tea leisurely, his relaxed demeanor leaving Zhu Xiongying wide-eyed and speechless. After a long silence, Zhu Xiongying gave him a thumbs-up.

"Gaochi, you're incredible!"

The notoriously arrogant Marquis of Yongchang had been left utterly shaken by a few of his words!

Zhu Gaochi rolled his eyes at Zhu Xiongying, playing with his teacup with a cold sneer. "Do you really think Grandfather didn't already know what he was doing?"

Zhu Xiongying: "!!!"