The Ming Dynasty: I Fabricated Dreams for Zhu Di 115

Chapter 114: The Great Ming is Lost! It’s All Your Fault! Kill!

He unleashed a torrent of abuse at Zhu Gaosu.

“I’ll… I’ll…”

Facing Zhu Gaosu, he found that no curse felt fitting, his face turning crimson with frustration.

Then, with a punch, he struck Zhu Gaosu in the face.

He sent him sprawling to the ground. Simultaneously, he turned to Di Ping, and with another punch, sent him down as well.

Playing dead? If he didn’t chop off their hands, it was only because he had the heart of a Bodhisattva (a Buddhist deity known for compassion).

“Oof, Second Brother, you hit a little too hard,”

Zhu Gaosu could feel his teeth loosening.

“Di Ping, you son of a bitch, what the hell are you doing? Why didn’t you respond to my signal?”

Afterward, Zhu Gaosu also punched Di Ping.

Di Ping, clutching his face, looked helplessly at the dumbfounded man.

“Your Highness, someone’s here.”

Only then did Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosu notice an extra person in the tavern.

They hadn’t heard a doorbell, indicating this person was… a fish from another river (a metaphor for someone from a different world/time).

So, Zhu Gaosu stepped forward, sized him up, and asked,

“Who are you? Where are you from?”

The man was dressed in fine clothes, yet his hair was disheveled, his pupils dilated, as if he’d lost some crucial support, like a lost soul.

The strong smell of alcohol clinging to him suggested he was severely intoxicated, his expression hazy.

No matter how they called out to him, he only muttered,

“The ancestral mountains and rivers will be lost on my watch.”

Seeing that he wasn’t responding, Zhu Gaoxu decided to ignore him.

“He’s just a drunkard, ignore him, let’s continue.”

“Third Brother, if you dare to play dead again, I’ll beat you to a pulp.”

Zhu Gaosu, however, listened intently to the man’s words.

The collapse of the empire… a fallen emperor?

But why did this man’s clothing and appearance seem so… Great Ming in style?

Could this guy be the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty?

Something was wrong, very wrong. He seemed to have suffered a devastating blow.

What could wake this fellow up?

Di Ping offered a suggestion.

“Your Highness, perhaps…”

The reason for the man’s distraught, drunken state was simple: he couldn’t accept reality.

Just like the old man (Zhu Di).

To wake him, they needed to hit his weak point.

For a last emperor unwilling to accept reality, the only way to hit that weak point was to tell him directly: the country is gone.

The key was figuring out which dynasty this man belonged to.

They might try the Great Ming Dynasty, since his clothing and attire strongly resembled those of the Great Ming.

Zhu Gaosu, delighted with the suggestion, patted Di Ping on the back. He was a truly clever subordinate.

Zhu Gaosu and Di Ping exchanged a look and then shouted, “We respectfully send the Emperor of the Great Ming on his way! The Great Ming is lost!”

These words struck the disheveled man like a sword piercing his heart.

Gradually, his dull eyes began to show anger and resentment.

Like a madman, he roared, “As long as I’m here! The Great Ming is not lost! Not yet lost!”

He shrieked hysterically, his voice filled with bitterness and regret.

Zhu Gaoxu, Zhu Gaosu, and Di Ping watched silently.

This man… was indeed the Emperor of the Great Ming.

The seriousness of this situation was beyond their capacity to handle alone.

Zhu Gaosu quickly signaled Di Ping, who understood immediately.

They left the tavern.

Outside, he waved his hand, and soon, a thousand-man unit commander of the Brocade Guard appeared.

He knelt respectfully before Di Ping.

“Commander Li, immediately send someone to the palace to inform Your Majesty that a fish from another river has appeared.”

Commander Li paused, bewildered. Fish from another river? What kind of code was this?

Knowing his confusion, Di Ping said calmly, “Just deliver the message, you don’t need to know the rest.”

The fewer people who knew about this, the better.

When Di Ping returned to the tavern, he saw the man was having a severe reaction.

He was brandishing a sword, confronting Zhu Gaoxu.

“Rebellious ministers! You are all rebellious ministers! You cannot destroy my Great Ming!”

“Guards! Guards! Wang Cheng’en, where have you gone? Quickly come to the rescue!!!”

Zhu Gaoxu, holding his sword, asked anxiously,

“Third Brother, what do we do now? This guy’s gone completely mad.”

“Should we subdue him?”

Zhu Gaosu hid behind Zhu Gaoxu, uncertain what to do with this disheveled “Emperor” of the Great Ming.

“Can we subdue him while ensuring his safety?”

Zhu Gaoxu fell silent for a moment.

“This guy’s swinging his sword wildly, and there’s not much space here. I’ll give it a try.”

“Second Brother, go for it, I believe in you.”

Zhu Gaosu then hid completely behind the counter, peering out.

He waited for Zhu Gaoxu to capture the man.

Judging by his words, since he was the Emperor of the Great Ming, they couldn’t kill him.

They should try to avoid injuring him as much as possible.

Everyone’s physique was different. Zhu Gaoxu was strong and could inflict serious damage. If he misjudged the man’s constitution and used too much force, he might accidentally kill him.

Seeing Zhu Gaosu hiding so far away, Zhu Gaoxu felt helpless. His little brother was still so afraid of death.

Zhu Gaoxu kept adjusting his position, but the man was like a madman.

He swung his sword wildly, making it difficult for Zhu Gaoxu to approach.

He had to subdue him without causing injury, in such a confined space. He didn’t want to get injured again like last time.

Fortunately, Di Ping returned from outside the tavern, saw the situation, and quietly moved behind the man.

Zhu Gaoxu nodded slightly.

Seizing the opportunity, Di Ping lunged at the man.

Zhu Gaoxu followed quickly, knocking the weapon from his hand.

“Hahaha, Third Brother, we got him!”

Zhu Gaoxu was very strong; he held the man firmly, and the man couldn’t break free.

Then, Zhu Gaosu tied him to a stool in the tavern, waiting for Zhu Di’s arrival.

They originally wanted to ask about his identity.

But the man was too drunk to answer coherently.

He was completely unresponsive, only cursing, “Rebellious ministers! You rebellious ministers, the Great Ming will not fall! The Great Ming will not fall!”

The Brocade Guard were quick. Zhu Di arrived outside the tavern in half an hour, riding in his imperial palanquin.

He didn’t wait for Zhu Wei to open the door; he opened it himself, the bell jingling.

He saw Zhu Gaoxu, Zhu Gaosu, and Di Ping standing in the tavern.

Also, a disheveled man was tied to a chair.

Looking around, he didn’t see any sign of Lan Yu.

Zhu Di, Zhu Zhanji, and Zhu Wei entered the tavern and approached Zhu Gaosu.

They looked at the bound man.

“Third Brother, who is this? Where’s Lan Yu?”

The reason for his hasty arrival was Zhu Gaosu’s message: a fish from another river had appeared.

This meant someone from another world/time was in the tavern.

His urgency implied he expected news of Lan Yu.

He immediately dropped the memorials he was reviewing and rushed over.

Instead of Lan Yu, he found a disheveled drunkard tied up.

“Father, Lan Yu isn’t here; I haven’t been able to find him these past few days.”

Zhu Di was displeased.

“So… you were wasting my time?”

Zhu Di glared at Zhu Gaosu. He’d spent too much time at the tavern lately.

It had begun to affect his ability to govern.

And Zhu Gaosu was wasting his time.

Just as Zhu Di was about to explode, Zhu Gaosu quickly explained,

“Father, I called you here because of him.”

Zhu Di looked at the bound, alcohol-soaked middle-aged man and pondered.

“This man… is he also from another river?”

Di Ping bowed. “Reporting to Your Majesty, he appeared in the tavern without ringing the doorbell.”

“Therefore, we judge him to be a fish from another river.”

Zhu Di had no patience for Zhu Gaosu’s explanations. He was about to angrily leave when Zhu Gaosu continued, “This man is the Emperor of the Great Ming! The last Emperor of the Great Ming!!!”

Zhu Di froze.

Zhu Zhanji was also shocked, staring incredulously at Zhu Gaosu, questioning softly,

“Third Uncle, what are you saying?”

“What last Emperor of the Great Ming? He’s just a drunkard.”

“Can you believe what he says?”

The middle-aged man before them, in terms of demeanor, dress, and etiquette, lacked any of the bearing expected of a member of the Zhu imperial family, an Emperor of the Great Ming.

He looked like a drunk nobleman, simply better dressed. In fact, his clothing seemed to belong to a lower-ranking nobleman.

Zhu Gaosu ignored his nephew’s questions and, addressing Zhu Di, who was looking hesitantly at the drunk emperor, bowed.

“Father, I don’t know if this is true.”

“But I know that in such matters, it’s better to believe it’s true than to believe it’s false.”

Zhu Di stood with his hands on his hips, looking at the drunken Emperor of the Great Ming.

Is this an emperor?

The Emperor of my Great Ming Dynasty?

He didn’t look like it at all. Were the Emperors of the Great Ming ever this down-and-out?

After much thought, Zhu Di asked, “Give me your reasons to prove he’s the emperor.”

An emperor should have certain characteristics.

A Dragon Robe, a certain demeanor, his tone, and so on.

Seeing this, Zhu Gaosu went to the drunken emperor’s ear and whispered,

“Still sleeping? If you sleep any longer, the Great Ming will truly be lost.”

Zhu Di and the others heard this as well.

They were all watching the drunken emperor’s reaction.

There was none.

Zhu Di frowned slightly, sighing, “Third Brother, how many times do you intend to trick me?”

Zhu Gaosu was confused. That wasn’t the expected reaction.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Zhu Gaoxu pushed Zhu Gaosu aside, grabbed the emperor’s hair, and lifted him up.

He slapped the drunken emperor across the face.

The pain immediately sobered him up.

Zhu Gaoxu then shouted, “The Great Ming Dynasty is about to fall, and you still have the audacity to sleep here!”

Then, another slap.

Instantly, he reacted, his ears ringing with Zhu Gaoxu’s words.

The Great Ming Dynasty is about to fall!

His expression turned frantic, the drunkenness still lingering.

“The Great Ming will not fall! I’m here! The Great Ming will absolutely not fall.”

“The Founder Emperor, Emperor Taizong, my brother will protect me, the Great Ming will not fall…”

He began to cry silently, his grief, pressure, fear, and responsibility all turning into unstoppable tears.

The collapse of the empire, was he really going to be the one to blame?

He was unwilling, so unwilling. Why? Why had all his efforts been in vain?

Why was he so incompetent?

His brother’s words echoed in his mind.

August 21st, the seventh year of Tianqi, he would never forget that day.

On that dark night, his brother, Zhu Youxiao, lying sick on the dragon bed, used his last strength to say his final words to him.

“My brother, you must be like Yao and Shun (legendary virtuous rulers).”

“The Great Ming is yours.”

These words were the driving force that had sustained him, pushing him to govern day and night until today.

The empire was collapsing, he had been forced to take responsibility, he had given his all, but ultimately, it was to no avail.

He had watched helplessly as the ancestral mountains and rivers crumbled.

Brother, your younger brother is so tired.

For some reason, he felt much more at ease here than in the palace.

This ease allowed his tense nerves to relax for a moment.

But this brief relaxation led him to fall asleep, tears still streaming down his face.

Zhu Di was slightly stunned.

“What? He can even sleep through this?”

Just as Zhu Gaoxu was about to slap him again, Zhu Di said sternly,

“Enough.”

Zhu Gaoxu’s hand, raised in mid-air, hesitated. He looked at Zhu Di in bewilderment.

Zhu Di’s insightful eyes could perceive the man’s exhaustion.

He could practically confirm that this man was indeed the Emperor of the Great Ming, but whether he was the last Emperor… he didn’t want to know.

Then, Zhu Di turned and walked towards the tavern exit, saying,

“He’s just an ordinary person; let him rest here.”

“Let him leave after he’s rested.”

“Don’t make it hard on him.”

What the hell? Zhu Gaoxu was completely dumbfounded.

He didn’t understand Zhu Di’s intentions.

Why not confirm his identity before letting him go? Didn’t Zhu Di want to know his origins?

Watching Zhu Di leave, Zhu Gaoxu asked Zhu Gaosu beside him,

“What’s got into the old man?”

“Haven’t we already proven that this man is the Emperor of the Great Ming?”

“Why doesn’t he ask anything and just let him go?”

Zhu Gaosu looked at the sleeping drunken emperor, glancing at the bewildered Zhu Gaoxu.

He whispered, “Didn’t you hear what our Emperor said?”

“The Great Ming is about to fall.”

“Does the old man not believe this man is the emperor?”

“He doesn’t believe the Great Ming Dynasty is about to fall.”

Zhu Gaoxu was taken aback. Oh, right, how could he have forgotten that?

Zhu Di’s heart was still not fully at peace.

If the man’s identity was confirmed as his descendant, the last emperor, Zhu Di’s guilt would only increase.

He wasn’t disbelieving the man’s identity, but he couldn’t believe that the Great Ming was about to fall.

Therefore, his first reaction was to avoid the issue.

Zhu Gaoxu felt helpless, looking at the drunken emperor, and sighed.

“What do we do then? Just let him go?”

Zhu Gaosu rolled his eyes.

“Duh, are you going to keep him locked up? I don’t know what the future holds.”

“But a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. If the emperor disappears for a day, the entire court will be thrown into chaos.”

“Or, are you going to ask him about the details of the Great Ming’s downfall and use it to upset the old man?”

Zhu Gaoxu thought for a long time and sighed.

“That’s true, if we use that news to upset the old man, then the eldest brother will probably ascend the throne prematurely.”

Since Zhu Di wasn’t asking, they would pretend not to know.

They could reveal the information when Zhu Di was ready to accept it.

Soon, Zhu Youjian woke up. He had slept peacefully for three hours.

He felt incredibly comfortable, though… why did his cheeks hurt?

Where was he? His head ached.

Zhu Youjian remembered he had matters of state to attend to and didn’t think much of it before pushing open the tavern door and leaving.

Back in the palace, Zhu Di acted as if nothing had happened, reviewing the memorials prepared by Crown Prince Zhu Gaoshi.

He reviewed the memorials very quickly.

Memorials that usually took until late night were finished early today.

Xia Yuanji, Jian Yi, and others stood up after finishing their work and bid farewell to Zhu Di.

“Your Majesty, we will take our leave.”

Zhu Di closed his eyes and hummed softly, “Mmm.”

After Xia Yuanji, Jian Yi, and others left, Zhu Di fell asleep.

Thanks to Zhuang Mu’s liquor, his nightmares had decreased significantly.

For days, he hadn’t had any nightmares.

But today…

Nightmares reappeared in his mind.

Images of the collapsing dynasty flashed before his eyes.

The vast Capital City was overrun by rebel troops, and the last emperor of the Great Ming hung himself in the imperial palace he had spent a fortune building.

He watched helplessly as the Great Ming’s banner disappeared.

Seeing this, Zhu Di was jolted awake.

“No!!!”

Zhu Di sat up straight, gasping for breath.

His forehead was covered in cold sweat.

The vast palace felt incredibly cold and unsettling.

His heart felt empty.

Hearing Zhu Di’s voice, Xiao Biti hurried in.

“Your Majesty! Are you alright?”

Zhu Di glanced at Xiao Biti and let out a long sigh.

Why was he having this dream?

Since drinking Zhuang Mu’s wine, he hadn’t had nightmares for many days.

What was wrong today?

“I’m fine. You may leave, I need to rest.”

Zhu Di waved his hand, dismissing Xiao Biti. After he left,

he lay down again. He needed to get up early tomorrow to handle state affairs, so he needed to rest early.

Thus, Zhu Di fell asleep again, carrying this uneasy feeling.

He thought that when he opened his eyes, it would be the next day.

However, when he opened his eyes, Zhu Yuanzhang’s figure appeared before him.

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang, he was surprised.

“Father? How are you here?”

He didn’t think he’d been drinking.

As Zhu Di was bewildered, Zhu Yuanzhang stared coldly at him, a large knife appearing in his hand.

He raised the knife high, exuding murderous intent. Wait, why did this knife feel like it was going to chop him?

“The Great Ming is lost! It’s all your fault!”

Then, Zhu Yuanzhang swung the knife down.

Zhu Di’s eyes widened in terror, his pupils reflecting the blade’s sharpness.

(End of Chapter)

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