Chapter 10: This Flower Is Poisonous

The vicious expression on Lady Lu’s face terrified Yilun, Yun-tong, and the others. Her hand, however, ultimately failed to land on Zhu Xiongying’s face as she had intended.

"Cai-huan, why are you stopping me?"

"I heard that His Majesty has already issued an order: whoever dares to lay a finger on the Imperial Grandson will be whipped to death!"

The personal maid, Cai-huan, leaned in close to Lady Lu’s ear and whispered, "Your Highness, it would be better to endure for now. Once our Imperial Grandson ascends the throne, we can settle all these scores at once!"

Upon hearing this, a look of apprehension flickered across Lady Lu’s face. The old man was a man of his word; who would dare to defy his decree? After rolling her eyes and weighing the pros and cons, she slowly lowered her raised hand.

Zhu Xiongying peeled the roasted sweet potatoes and shared them with Yilun and the others, comforting them not to be afraid. The little girl was simple-minded; as the sweet, soft potato touched her lips, a tearful yet sweet smile bloomed on her face. "Imperial Brother, it’s so sweet! It’s delicious!"

Princess Jiangdu tasted a piece and chimed in with praise, "Wow! What is this? It’s even better than the pastries from the imperial kitchen!"

Yun-tong, however, kept his head tucked, not daring to look up or even eat the piece of roasted sweet potato that had been pressed into his hand. Seeing them eating with such relish, Zhu Yunwen swallowed his own saliva instinctively. He tugged at Lady Lu’s sleeve and said, "Mother, I want to eat some too!" Being just a child, he wanted to try anything he hadn't tasted before.

Lady Lu glanced at what was in Zhu Xiongying’s hands and noticed there were quite a few more near the fire that appeared unroasted. She waved her hand slightly. "Take them all!"

"Yes!" Cai-huan replied and immediately moved to do so. They dared not strike the Imperial Grandson, but surely they could seize a few black, charred scraps of food? They had never seen these items before, and had the Second Imperial Grandson not clamored for them, they wouldn't have given them a second glance. The remaining dozen or so sweet potatoes and potatoes were snatched up in one go, and Lady Lu led her party back to their quarters.

"Imperial Brother..." Yilun watched as the food was taken away, feeling deeply reluctant. It was the best thing they had ever eaten—aside from the roasted fish they had just finished.

"Hmph! Don't worry. The way they took them is exactly how they’ll have to bring them back to me later!" Zhu Xiongying let out a cold snort and a light, mocking laugh.

With the annoying people gone, the children were able to enjoy their roasted sweet potatoes in peace. As the skins were peeled away, the air filled with a sweet, fragrant aroma. Less than half an hour later, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao arrived at the East Palace’s rear garden.

"Imperial Grandfather!" Seeing them, Zhu Xiongying bypassed Zhu Biao and ran straight to Zhu Yuanzhang. He knew very well who his real protector was.

"Yun... Yun-tong... pays... pays respects to Imperial Grandfather! And... and Father!"

"Yilun pays respects to Imperial Grandfather! And Father!"

"Jiangdu pays respects to Imperial Grandfather! And Father!"

The children performed their bows in succession. "Imperial Grandfather, how did you know I was here?" Zhu Xiongying asked, blinking his eyes.

"Hahaha, you little rascal!" Zhu Yuanzhang reached out and playfully flicked his nose. "The Crown Princess sent someone to the gate, claiming you had pulled up several rare flowers in the garden to roast fish?"

"Imperial Grandfather, you can’t blame me for that! Those datura flowers are poisonous!" Zhu Xiongying said with a serious expression. "The younger imperial sisters and brothers are still small. If they see the flowers are pretty and pick them to smell, at best they’ll get dizzy and nauseated, and at worst, they could suffer hallucinations or even lose their lives!"

"Is that true?" Zhu Yuanzhang shot a sharp, piercing glare at Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao shuddered. "No... Father... I... I didn't know! I only heard those flowers were a rare variety brought as tribute from the Western Regions!"

"Imperial Grandfather, my health was poor in the past; it’s possible that those things were the cause!"

Filing a complaint was not a tactic limited to Lady Lu. Historically, Zhu Xiongying had died at the age of eight. It was rare for a child of that age to die, especially one who was the most favored Imperial Grandson. It was highly likely that Lady Lu had been behind it—only with his death would her son, Zhu Yunwen, have a chance. Then, by getting rid of the original consort, Lady Chang, she would be elevated to the primary position, and Zhu Yunwen would logically become the legitimate heir. Once Zhu Biao died, her son would be the rightful emperor. The schemings of the inner palace were all too familiar from the dramas of the future. While Lady Chang was already dead and Zhu Xiongying could find no evidence, from this point on, no one else would die prematurely. Her son would never have the chance to sit on the throne.

"What...?" Zhu Yuanzhang’s anger flared instantly. "Yun Qi, issue an order: let there be no more datura in the palace!"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there are no datura flowers anywhere in the palace except for the East Palace," Yun Qi replied, bowing.

This statement practically confirmed what Zhu Xiongying had just said. Zhu Yuanzhang’s expression grew even darker. "Take better care of your wife!"

"Yes," Zhu Biao replied, a shadow of doubt lingering in his mind.

"By the way, Xiongying, is the food from the imperial kitchen not to your liking? Why must you roast fish here yourselves?" Zhu Yuanzhang squatted down and looked at the children kindly.

"Imperial Grandfather, the fish Imperial Brother roasted is delicious! It’s much, much better than anything the kitchen makes!"

"That’s right! And this roasted sweet potato is tasty too, Imperial Grandfather, have a bite!" Yilun and Jiangdu spoke up, one after the other, and offered a small piece of the sweet potato to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao.

"Oh?" Zhu Yuanzhang took a look and, half-doubting, put it in his mouth. A sweet, soft texture filled his entire palate. Curious, he asked, "Jiangdu, what did you just call this? Why have I never eaten this before?"

"Reporting to Imperial Grandfather, Imperial Brother just said this is called a sweet potato!" Jiangdu replied obediently.

"Sweet potato...?" Zhu Yuanzhang turned the small piece remaining in his hand, examined it carefully, and looked at Zhu Biao. "Have you ever seen this?"

"Reporting to Father, this is my first time seeing it as well!" Zhu Biao was just as puzzled; when had such a thing appeared in the East Palace?

"Imperial Grandfather, this was given to me by the White-Bearded Grandfather; of course you haven't seen it!" Zhu Xiongying popped the last piece into his mouth, clapped the dust from his hands, and smiled.

According to historical records, the sweet potato was introduced during the Ming Dynasty, but only in the later years, after the maritime trade ban was lifted. Furthermore, those early sweet potatoes were thin, fibrous, and low-yielding. It took hundreds of years of cultivation for them to evolve into the high-yielding, sweet, and soft variety of the future. The ones provided by his system, however, were of that improved variety.

"Oh? A gift from the immortals? No wonder it is so delicious!" Zhu Yuanzhang smacked his lips, seemingly still wanting more. Seeing this, Zhu Xiongying ran over, picked up a stick, and scraped away the charcoal, revealing several large sweet potatoes. This food didn't taste good roasted over an open flame; it was only fragrant when slowly baked in the embers. Thus, roasting the fish above and the sweet potatoes below was perfect.