The Ming Dynasty: I Fabricated Dreams for Zhu Di 112

Chapter 112: Zhu Di’s Inquiry, Zhu Houzeng’s Identity (6K)

2025-01-23

Chapter 112: Zhu Di’s Inquiry, Zhu Houzeng’s Identity (6K)

Zhu Di and Zhu Biao were both slightly startled.

The shrapnel from the cannonballs could fly that far?

At this moment, Zhu Biao and Zhu Di both suddenly thought of Lan Yu’s style of warfare.

His main strategy was to be fearless in death, believing that in a narrow encounter, the brave would win. Sometimes, when the enemy army was under the attack of firearms and cannons,

they would quickly lose their fighting ability. At this time, it was necessary to seize the opportunity and judge when the enemy army’s morale would collapse.

Then command the army to attack.

The closer the guess, the more spoils of war could be captured, but it was also more dangerous.

The damage caused by cannons, the explosion was minor; the main thing was the shrapnel from the explosion.

It seemed that.

Lan Yu, this madman, probably charged forward before the cannons stopped firing.

Although it was very risky, Lan Yu’s tactics were indeed very powerful.

Under the cover of cannons, cavalry charged into the formation. If the enemy army did not have a good military discipline system, it was easily overwhelmed.

“Forget it, it’s good that you returned safely. In the future, when charging into battle, you still need to maintain a good distance.”

Lan Yu said indifferently.

“Thank you, Crown Prince, for your concern…”

Lan Yu looked towards Zhu Di, still feeling somewhat wary in his heart.

Since the last martial arts competition, he had remembered Zhu Di, Zhu Biao’s close friend.

Perhaps Zhu Biao was not wary of his brothers, but as Zhu Biao’s close friend and elder, he naturally had to be vigilant against anyone who might covet the throne.

However, what surprised him was that after Zhu Di showed his abilities,

he chose not to become a feudal prince.

He directly stayed by Zhu Biao’s side, acting as a divine doctor prince.

“Yes, my father is busy with matters and specially ordered me to welcome you back.”

“Let’s go.”

Except for the Northern Expedition this year, nothing major happened.

Zhu Di quietly waited for time to speed up.

Dreaming a lot, sometimes one really loses track of time.

Fortunately, there were three days of buffer time, otherwise, this accelerated time flow would really make one lose their sense of time.

Without a sense of time, a person would eventually go crazy and collapse.

…

Meanwhile.

In the tavern, Zhu Gaoxu, Zhu Gaosi, and Di Ping were still playing cards.

The more he lost, the more dissatisfied Zhu Gaoxu became.

Zhu Gaosi and Di Ping, in order to prevent Zhu Gaoxu from getting angry, deliberately lost a hand to Zhu Gaoxu.

But he was still not satisfied.

After more than thirty hands, he only won one hand.

This made the competitive Zhu Gaoxu utterly unable to accept it.

“I don’t believe it! My luck is so bad today! I don’t have any good cards!”

He was about to have another round with Zhu Gaosi.

Zhu Gaosi and Di Ping quickly said,

“Second Brother, why don’t we just forget it? Maybe you just had bad luck today.”

“Tomorrow, let’s play again tomorrow.”

They felt that if they continued, Zhu Gaoxu would really get angry.

If Zhu Gaoxu got angry, the two of them would not be able to defeat him and would be single-handedly defeated.

Fortunately, at this time, Zhu Gaosi suddenly saw a figure standing at the door.

It was the old Taoist priest.

Upon seeing the Taoist priest, Zhu Gaosi put away his playful smile and abruptly stood up.

He looked at the Taoist priest with a solemn expression.

Finally, I’ve waited for you.

At this time, Di Ping also quickly stood up.

Their gazes were all directed at the Taoist priest.

“Sure enough, the bell at the door didn’t ring.”

Of course, they didn’t act rashly.

If they scared him away, they wouldn’t know when they would encounter him again.

The Taoist priest, wearing a Taoist robe, walked towards Zhuang Mu with a measured gait.

At this time, Zhuang Mu naturally also saw the Taoist priest.

When the Taoist priest looked at Zhu Gaoxu, Zhu Gaosi, and Di Ping,

his eyes were very vigilant.

These people’s gazes were very unfriendly.

His vigilance made him subconsciously take two steps back.

As long as there was danger, he would immediately retreat.

Seeing that the Taoist priest was about to run, Zhu Gaosi quickly sat down.

He said with a smile, “Hahaha, continue.”

Although Di Ping didn’t know why Zhu Gaosi did this, following him was the right thing to do.

Zhu Gaoxu pondered for a moment, looked at the Taoist priest, and then sat down as well.

At this time, Zhu Gaosi whispered,

“Don’t act rashly, lest he escape again. Let’s continue playing cards.”

Zhu Gaoxu and Di Ping looked at each other and nodded.

As a result, to Zhu Gaosi’s surprise,

the Taoist priest hesitated at the door for nearly half an hour.

Yes, for a full half an hour, he kept sizing them up.

This already made them wary; his suspicion was too heavy.

Their investigation into the Taoist priest’s identity was not for anything else, purely because the old man disliked him.

Therefore, the situation did not need to be made too tense.

The Taoist priest was still struggling in his heart.

“These three people look strange. If I go any further, I might be in danger.”

“But I want to dream, I want to become a god.”

“I’ve already figured out how to escape the arrows of Houyi. Should I just give up?”

“No, but what if these three people plot against me while I’m sleeping?”

“Or… should I bring someone in?”

Suspicion and desire, two emotions were battling in the Taoist priest’s mind.

Suspicion made him fear that these people would harm him.

Desire, these days, he had been thinking every day about how to avoid Houyi’s arrows and survive his hands.

As long as he could survive Houyi’s hands, he would be the only sun in the sky, the only light.

But once he stepped out of this door, the next time he opened it was uncertain.

Zhuang Mu looked at the Taoist priest at the door.

He guessed in his heart.

He had extremely severe suspicion, and he was not from the Yongle Dynasty. He had skin lesions and the appearance of an emperor.

He could feel that the Taoist priest’s mind was very dark, which was not something an ordinary Taoist priest could possess.

Moreover, he was extremely afraid of death.

He tested the wine twice, and even dared to drink it after repeatedly confirming that it was not poisoned.

Also, his Taoist name was Flying Yuan True Lord, and he yearned for immortality.

His clothes and attire were also in the Ming Dynasty style.

Based on this, he could basically determine the identity of the Taoist priest in front of him.

Among the people he knew, only the Jiajing Emperor, Zhu Houzeng, met these conditions.

Suspicious, fearful of death, and extremely intelligent.

He could play cards with Yao Guangxiao back and forth, and he had a prodigious memory.

His skin lesions were probably caused by taking pills.

If he remembered correctly, in the early days, the Taoist priest did not take pills himself, but later, when he got old, he started taking pills himself.

Unexpectedly, in his small tavern, he could actually gather two emperors of the Great Ming Dynasty.

It was quite a coincidence.

However, if he remembered correctly, Jiajing should have been secluded in the Western Garden for a long time. Why would he come to his place?

It seemed that Jiajing’s old problem of suspicion had recurred, and he would probably leave the tavern soon.

After all, Zhu Gaosi and Zhu Gaoxu were indeed frightening.

Jiajing hesitated at the door, glanced at Zhu Gaoxu and the other two, and then glanced at Zhu Di and Zhu Wei.

Finally, he looked towards Zhuang Mu.

He adjusted his clothes, took a deep breath, and walked towards Zhuang Mu with steady steps.

His yearning for immortality made him take this bold step for the first time.

“I want the wine that allows one to have an Immortal Dream.”

Before Zhuang Mu could respond, Zhu Gaoxu suddenly stood up and shouted excitedly, “Royal Flush! I won! Hahaha.”

Seeing Zhu Gaoxu stand up, Zhu Gaosi quickly kicked him twice.

Realizing that he was being a little out of line, Zhu Gaoxu coughed lightly: “Cough, cough, sorry.”

Zhuang Mu naturally ignored him and pushed the wine directly in front of Zhu Houzeng.

This time, Zhu Houzeng did not suspect or distrust Zhuang Mu. After taking the wine, he passed by Zhu Di.

He came to the outermost recliner.

After drinking the wine, he lay down on the recliner, quietly waiting to fall asleep.

Gradually, Zhu Houzeng began to fall asleep.

…

He was still high above, still looking down on all living beings.

There were still nine suns around him, but the only difference was… Houyi was nowhere to be seen.

It was also good that he could experience the sun’s body for a little longer. It seemed that apart from normal movement,

the limitations of the sun’s body were still numerous.

At this moment, he felt that his original form seemed to be a bird.

He practiced his form like a crane, with two scrolls of scriptures under thousands of pines.

I came to ask questions without any further words, clouds in the blue sky and water in the bottle.

In an instant, Zhu Houzeng transformed into a golden crow. Zhu Houzeng, watching this scene, was overjoyed.

“Hahaha! So this is my true form! A golden crow!”

“So this is the feeling of roaming the heavens and earth, free as I please!”

After transforming into a golden crow, Zhu Houzeng began to roam the heavens and earth. However, wherever he went, there was only barrenness.

Whenever he got close to plants or creatures, the high temperature emanating from his body would drain their moisture.

“Strange, where is Houyi?”

In just thirty breaths, he had flown thousands of miles. He didn’t believe it.

Houyi could actually hit him.

…

In the tavern.

Zhu Gaoxu, Zhu Gaosi, and Di Ping came before Zhuang Mu.

They asked, “Zhuang Mu, what does the old Taoist priest mean by Immortal Dream?”

“Is it a dream of becoming an immortal?”

Zhu Gaoxu was curious. After all, they knew Zhuang Mu’s methods. The dreams were incredibly real.

An Immortal Dream, wouldn’t that be a dream of becoming an immortal? This was far more interesting than being an emperor.

Seeing the curious gazes of the three, Zhuang Mu nodded.

“What? Are you also interested?”

Zhu Gaoxu nodded without hesitation.

“Who doesn’t want to become an immortal? Just give us a cup, one for each of us!”

Although his dream-time was cooling down, Zhu Gaosi and Di Ping’s dream-time was not yet cooled down.

As long as Zhu Gaosi or Di Ping was the main dreamer, they could experience the feeling of being an immortal together.

Zhuang Mu didn’t refuse.

Then he looked towards Yao Guangxiao: “Old monk, do you want some?”

Yao Guangxiao shook his head.

To be honest, during his time as a Taoist priest, he had indeed thought about seeking immortality, but later he came to his senses.

What seeking immortality? Believe it and it exists, don’t believe it and it doesn’t. If there really were immortals,

why hadn’t any of the many people in Daoism and Taoism successfully become immortals?

Seeing this, Zhuang Mu directly prepared three cups of wine.

He pushed them in front of the three.

“Third Brother, you’ll be the main dreamer this time. Drink up! I can’t wait to know what it’s like to be an immortal.”

Zhu Gaosi took the wine that Zhu Gaoxu handed him.

At this time, he suddenly had an idea.

The corner of his mouth slightly rose, and he turned to look at Zhu Houzeng, who had already fallen asleep.

“Second Brother, why should I be the main dreamer?”

“Isn’t there a ready-made one?”

When they heard this, Zhu Gaoxu was stunned. Yes! The old Taoist priest’s dream was an Immortal Dream.

Ready-made!

Zhu Gaoxu was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly, “Hahaha, yes, why didn’t I think of that?”

Not only could they experience the feeling of being an immortal, but they could also take the opportunity to probe the identity of the old Taoist priest.

Two birds with one stone, Third Brother’s brain was indeed clever, he thought things through.

Therefore, Zhu Gaoxu did not hesitate. After drinking the wine,

he came to the side of the old Taoist priest and lay down. He was about to hold the old Taoist priest’s hand when

he found that… the old Taoist priest’s skin was already ulcerated.

This scene immediately made Zhu Gaoxu frown.

“Third Brother, this person’s skin is ulcerated. Could he have a disease?”

If it was contagious, wouldn’t they be finished?

Zhu Gaosi was also silent. Who exactly was this person, and why did he have a skin disease?

While the three hesitated, Zhuang Mu smiled, “Don’t worry, this person’s disease is not contagious. It’s just that he ate too many pills, causing his skin to ulcerate.”

“It’s not contagious.”

After receiving Zhuang Mu’s answer, the three of them were relieved, so they held Zhu Houzeng’s hand.

Fortunately, his palm was not ulcerated, only his arm was ulcerated, so it should be fine if they didn’t touch it.

As Zhu Gaoxu fell asleep, Zhu Gaosi and Di Ping also fell asleep.

…

Soon, Zhu Gaoxu gradually woke up. At this time, he found that his upper body was naked, and his physique was strong and powerful.

He held a bow in his hand.

He could feel that this body contained great power.

At this time, Zhu Gaoxu suddenly realized,

“Why is it so hot?”

Looking up, Zhu Gaoxu was stunned.

Wow, why are there ten suns wandering in the sky?

Is this the world of immortals? Even the suns are so different, there are ten of them.

At first, Zhu Gaoxu didn’t pay attention to the ten suns in the sky. He wanted to find Zhu Gaosi and Di Ping first.

“Third Brother, Di Ping, where are you?”

As soon as he shouted this sentence, a voice rang out.

“Prince Han, I’m here!”

Zhu Gaoxu looked around. Because of the ten suns in the sky, the surrounding plants and trees were withered.

He searched for a while but couldn’t see Di Ping anywhere.

“Di Ping, where are you? I can’t see you!”

Di Ping quickly said, “Prince Han, I’m in your hand.”

In his hand?

This bow? Zhu Gaoxu was immediately stunned. Looking at the large bow in his hand, he tentatively asked, “Di Ping, is that you?”

The bow trembled slightly, and then a voice came, “Prince Han, it’s me.”

Zhu Gaoxu: …

Di Ping: …

Is this how they play in the immortal world? He could actually become a bow?

Fortunately, Zhuang Mu appeared at this time.

“Hello, how are you two doing?”

When Zhu Gaoxu saw Zhuang Mu, he quickly explained, “Zhuang Mu, what’s going on?”

“Why did Di Ping become a bow?”

Hearing this, Zhuang Mu explained.

“Oh, that’s how it is in the immortal world.”

“Putting a person into a weapon and refining them into a weapon is very normal. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“Of course, the most important thing is the guest’s own perception of themselves.”

“The character selection will sometimes be based on your own understanding of yourself.”

Obviously, Di Ping had always considered himself to be just a weapon.

As a Brocade Guard, he was just a weapon loyal to the emperor.

Naturally, he became a weapon.

“Don’t underestimate this bow. It’s a divine weapon.”

As a general, Zhu Gaoxu naturally knew the importance of weapons to soldiers.

He could feel the extraordinary nature of the bow in his hand.

Holding the bow, Zhu Gaoxu felt that he was very strong, so he asked,

“What should I do now?”

“Your name is Houyi. As for what you should do now, I don’t think I need to say more.”

Houyi? Why does this name sound so familiar?

At this time, Di Ping transmitted his voice, “My Lord, Houyi shoots the sun.”

When Zhu Gaoxu heard the words “Houyi shoots the sun,” he suddenly remembered.

When he was a child, his mother seemed to have told him this story, probably when he had just learned to read.

“I understand. It’s about shooting down the nine suns in the sky, right?”

Before Zhuang Mu could respond,

Zhu Gaoxu directly drew his bow, aimed, and prepared to test his aim.

Unexpectedly, Zhuang Mu calmly smiled, “I advise you to change your target.”

“Change it? Why?”

“Because he is your brother.”

Apparently, Zhu Gaoxu had become Houyi, Di Ping had become the bow, and Zhu Gaosi had become one of the ten suns in the sky, a golden crow.

When he saw Zhu Gaosi become the sun, he was somewhat surprised.

Since this was Zhu Gaosi, he naturally couldn’t righteously kill his brother.

So he turned his arrow, aimed at one of the suns, drew the bowstring to the full, and then an arrow appeared in his hand.

Release! Whoosh!

The arrow pierced the air, narrowly missing one of the suns.

Oops, he missed.

He hadn’t practiced archery for a long time, so he was a bit rusty, but it was fine.

Continue!

With the second arrow, Zhu Gaoxu easily hit one of the suns hanging in the sky.

So, a creature that looked very much like a bird fell down, with an arrow stuck in its body.

Zhu Houzeng and Zhu Gaosi were both a little flustered.

Especially Zhu Houzeng.

“Houyi!”

“I want to see if you can really hit me.”

The other suns started to flee frantically. Zhu Gaoxu drew three arrows.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Immediately, they could feel the air getting cooler.

Zhu Gaosi then realized that this person didn’t seem to be aiming at him, so he guessed that this person was his second brother.

Then, Zhu Gaosi transformed into a golden crow and came to the ground.

He tentatively said to Zhu Gaoxu, who was still aiming and shooting arrows, “Second Brother?”

Zhu Gaoxu was still aiming at the remaining suns, and perfunctorily said,

“Third Brother, wait a moment, let me shoot down the other suns.”

At the same time, Zhu Gaoxu asked, “Zhuang Mu, what role is the old Taoist priest?”

Zhuang Mu pointed to a frantically fleeing golden crow.

“That’s the one you shot several arrows at.”

It must be said that Jiajing was indeed very clever. He knew that running in a straight line would not work.

He used the other golden crows as a shield, and then used an S-shaped movement, causing Zhu Gaoxu to shoot several times without hitting him.

“No wonder I couldn’t hit him.”

The other golden crows only knew how to run in a straight line, but the old Taoist priest’s golden crow was special.

Soon, there were only two golden crows left in the sky, the others had been shot down by Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Houzeng looked up into the sky, only he was left as a sun, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

As a result, looking down at the ground, he saw that Houyi actually had another golden crow beside him.

Zhu Houzeng was stunned.

“Give me an explanation!!!”

Zhuang Mu instantly came to Zhu Houzeng’s side and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhu Houzeng pointed at the golden crow beside Zhu Gaoxu and angrily said,

“It was said that I would survive, why didn’t Houyi shoot the golden crow beside him?!”

Hearing this, Zhuang Mu explained,

“Oh, about that, it wasn’t said that golden crows couldn’t bribe Houyi, right?”

“This golden crow has a relationship with Houyi.”

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosi are brothers, so they do have a relationship.

Bribery? Relationship?

Originally, these two words were very normal in his ears, and he didn’t dislike them.

Because he was the one being bribed, he had a relationship, and he was the beneficiary.

But now, Zhu Houzeng had become the victim, and he naturally loathed these two words to the extreme.

Zhu Gaoxu was also about to scare the old Taoist priest.

He continued to draw his bow and aim at Zhu Houzeng.

Looking at this scene, Zhu Houzeng felt a little tired.

I finally used these so-called “brothers and sisters” as shields.

As a result, you tell me in the end that the peach was picked by someone with connections.

Sigh, the immortal path is unfair!

Is it that without some background, one cannot survive in the immortal world?

Just as Zhu Houzeng could only helplessly close his eyes and accept the fact,

Houyi did not shoot the arrow.

Instead, he slowly lowered his bow. This scene made Zhu Houzeng stunned.

“What’s this?”

Then, the “connected person” golden crow, Zhu Gaosi, came before Zhu Houzeng.

He spoke in a bird language, “Little brother, don’t be so nervous, we won’t harm you.”

“Now, you answer my questions.”

Although he didn’t understand what he wanted to do, Zhu Houzeng nodded in order to survive.

So, the two golden crows came to the ground, and Zhu Gaosi immediately asked,

“Who are you? Where are you from? What’s your name?”

As soon as Zhu Gaosi opened his mouth, Zhu Houzeng noticed something strange.

Strange, isn’t this golden crow my brother or sister?

Why would he ask such strange questions?

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