Gao Chi of the Ming River

In 1389 AD, Zhu Biao (Zhu Yuanzhang's direct son, the prince) died of illness.

On this day, a few carriages came from far outside the city of Nanjing. There were more than a dozen people riding horses in front of the carriages. The leader was a tall and handsome man, followed by a gentle and lovely boy.

The man looked indifferent, and the young man smiled gently.

The man glanced at the city gate not far away, reined in the horse's head, turned his head to look at the young man following behind him, his eyes were slightly warm, and he said in a low voice, "Chi'er, you must be careful in the future, you understand?"

The young man bowed his hands solemnly, and replied respectfully, "Father, don't worry, your son will take good care of himself."

The man nodded slightly, then turned his head to look at the few people who were hurrying towards the city gate.

At this time... it was already July.

The young man looked up at the sky, feeling pain in his heart, hey, it's so hot in July!He began to miss Qingliang Villa in Beiping.

It has been more than half a month since it was announced to the world that the prince died of illness, and the whole family went to Beijing to worship the prince.

The young man, that is Zhu Gaochi, watched the old man in front of him get off his horse, and he also dismounted, looking at the few people who came in a hurry.

Is it the eldest uncle Xu Huizu, the second uncle Xu Zengshou, and a white-faced scholar?

When those people approached, Zhu Gaochi also walked slowly to his father.

The eldest uncle Xu Huizu and the second uncle Xu Zengshou both dressed in plain clothes and bowed respectfully to Zhu Di.

Zhu Di nodded lightly, motioning to get up.

Immediately afterwards, the white-faced scholar stepped forward, smiled and said respectfully, "Huang Zicheng, the servant of the official department, has seen the prince and the prince."

Huang Zicheng? ?

Zhu Gaochi thought the name was very familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere?

But seeing Huang Zicheng's smirk on his face, and his eyes seeming to fall behind him, Zhu Gaochi wondered, what is this Huang Zicheng staring at him for?Hmm... Those little mouse eyes are not very pleasing.

And Zhu Di took a step forward intentionally or unintentionally, just blocking Zhu Gaochi, and said lightly, "Master Huang has worked hard."

The words were concise, so Huang Zicheng had no choice but to smile and take a step back.

After some more courtesy, Zhu Gaochi followed his father into the city.

This time, they directly lived in Yanwang Mansion in Nanjing.

After tidying up, Zhu Gaochi was about to sit down and rest when the door was pushed open and Zhu Di walked in.

Zhu Gaochi was taken aback for a moment, got up hurriedly, bowed his hands in salute, "Father..."

"Don't do that set of vain rituals!" Zhu Di frowned, strode over, said, and raised his hand to wipe the sweat off Zhu Gaochi's forehead, angrily said, "Look at you, it's only a morning, and you're sweating so much! Go to father's place at night, father has found someone to fix the ice basin."

Zhu Gaochi smirked, scratched his head, his heart warmed, his father is really getting better and better!

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaochi's silly smile, smiled slightly, and stroked Zhu Gaochi's head.But then he remembered that Huang Zicheng was always staring at this kid, and felt displeased, so he said in a low and serious voice, "Chi'er, that Huang Zicheng is not very good, you should pay attention."

Zhu Gaochi said seriously, "Well, my son knows. My son will be careful about him."

That little mouse-eyed... just looks like it's scheming...

Zhu Di patted Zhu Gaochi's head in satisfaction.

After tidying up, eating some snacks, I fell asleep in my father's room with several large ice basins, and finally waited for someone from the palace to say that his grandpa was in a bad mood and didn't want to see anyone. Therefore, Zhu Gaochi was finally able to climb into his father's bed and fall into a deep sleep when he asked his father for instructions and was ordered by his father to rest here.

Seeing that Zhu Gaochi fell asleep, Zhu Di got up, walked to the bed, smiled slightly indulgently, watched Zhu Gaochi sleeping in a ball and snoring, bent down, and gently pulled the quilt over his stomach, so as not to This kid will be kicked away if he finds it too hot.

When Zhu Neng came to the door of the room that was not closed, he saw the scene where Zhu Di covered Zhu Gaochi with a quilt, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart, the prince really dotes on the son.

With emotion in his heart, Zhu Neng knocked on the door respectfully, then stood with his head bowed and hands folded.

Zhu Di came back to his senses and frowned, he forgot to close the door?

Zhu Di stood up and pulled down the curtain, completely covering Zhu Gaochi.

"What's the matter?" Zhu Di asked in a low voice.

"My lord, just now General Xu Zengshou sent someone to deliver some fresh and high-quality hairy crabs." Zhu Neng whispered, wondering, what are these hairy crabs?Why did Xu Zengshou send someone to inform him after he sent someone to deliver it to the concierge?

Zhu Di narrowed his eyes, hairy crab?

Walk sideways?But dying?

snort!Xu Zengshou is telling himself that the capital needs to be more careful, if it is reckless, it may cause trouble to the upper body.

Zhu Di said lightly, "Understood." After a pause, he lowered his voice and said, "Tell the servants in the mansion not to leave the mansion at will."

Zhu Neng cupped his hands respectfully, "Yes!"

***********

The next day, it was still a scorching morning.

Fengxian Hall, side hall.

Zhu Gaochi looked up at the sky outside for a while, feeling worried, hey, I have to wait in line to see Grandpa Huang.

Early in the morning, the eunuch who passed the decree came.

The purpose is very simple, Grandpa Huang wants to see the three children of the fourth family.

So Zhu Gaochi took Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui into the palace.

But... I didn't expect that Grandpa Huang would see quite a lot of grandchildren.

Zhu Gaochi looked at the serious-faced teenagers in front of him, and rubbed his chin in his heart. Do he have so many cousins?

Zhu Gaochi wanted to go over to say hello, but seeing those serious faces sitting on one side without opening a mouth, Zhu Gaochi paused,...well, it seems that the adults of each family have sternly explained something , For example, it is not allowed to talk casually and so on.

Zhu Gaochi wondered why his father only said two words when he sent him out: Be careful!

And then... just nothing?

"Brother..." After all, Zhu Gaoxu was young and restless, feeling bored with the oppressive atmosphere in the side hall, so he poked Zhu Gaochi.

Zhu Gaochi lowered his head and smiled gently, "What's wrong?"

"Brother, can I... can I go out?"

Zhu Gaochi stared at Zhu Gaoxu for a long time before he said gently, "If Ah Xu wants to taste the taste of the board, you can..."

Zhu Gaoxu hesitated, then lowered his head and muttered, "It's so boring!"

Zhu Gaochi sighed in his heart, he didn't feel bored, he was only worried about how to answer his grandpa...

But he still patted Zhu Gaoxu's head lightly, and comforted him, "Just be patient."

After sitting for a while, after several of Zhu Gaochi's cousins ​​went in and out, it was finally Zhu Gaochi's turn.

First, salute respectfully.

After motioning to flatten his body and give him a seat, Zhu Gaochi raised his head to look at his grandpa, and couldn't help being taken aback.

The old man in front of him had a haggard and desolate face, and his eyes were dim.His expression was mournful.

Compared with the old man who was old but very energetic a few years ago, it was hard for Zhu Gaochi to imagine that he was alone.

Zhu Gaochi couldn't help but sigh in his heart, do white-haired people send black-haired people's sorrow?

"Gao Chi has grown a lot in recent years." The old man, that is, Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.The smile is very kind.

Zhu Gaochi stood up respectfully, "This is all thanks to Grandpa Huang."

"Hongfu? Hehe..." Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled, mockingly, "If there is such a thing as Hongfu, that would be great."

Zhu Gaochi was taken aback for a moment, then lowered his head.I sighed softly in my heart, hey, how can human beings do this life and death?

"Hey... that's all." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Gaochi lowered his head, and didn't want to say much, and waved his hand tiredly, "You have worked hard all the way, go and offer incense sticks to your uncle Prince, then go back."

Zhu Gaochi respectfully responded, and brought Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui to kneel and retreat.

Leaving Fengxian Hall, both Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui breathed a sigh of relief, and were about to say something, when Zhu Gaochi gave him a warning look, and hurriedly shut their mouths.

Follow the leading eunuch to the gate of a palace with white flags and white banners.

Zhu Gaochi smiled gently at the eunuch who led the way, and after politely thanking him, he took Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui in with a solemn expression.

As soon as I entered, I saw a young man in his 20s with a haggard face kneeling on the ground burning paper money.

Zhu Gaochi paused, and recognized that it was Zhu Yunqi.

At this time, Zhu Yunqi also raised his head, glanced at Zhu Gaochi, then lowered his head, and continued to burn paper money.

Zhu Gaochi took the incense handed over by the eunuch, and after respectfully offering the incense, he stood aside. After Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui respectfully offered the incense, he saluted Zhu Yunqi respectfully, and said in a low voice, "The grandson of the emperor, please take care of yourself."

After finishing speaking, Zhu Gaochi saluted respectfully, and retreated with Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui.

Just as he was about to leave the palace, a person chased after him, shouting while chasing, "Your Majesty, please stay."

Zhu Gaochi paused, looked at the person behind him, his heart froze, mouse eyes?Huang Zicheng?

Panting, Huang Zicheng ran up to Zhu Gaochi, stopped, took a breath, and then said with a smile, "My son... you walked so fast."

Zhu Gaochi cupped his hands in salute, pretending to be honest and ignorant and asked, "Who is this lord?"

Huang Zicheng's expression froze, then he laughed dryly and said, "Your official, Huang Zicheng. I went to the gate of the city to welcome the prince yesterday..."

Zhu Gaochi smiled innocently, scratched his head and said, "Master Huang, forgive me, I have a very bad memory, and sometimes I can't remember people. Hehe..." After finishing speaking, Zhu Gaochi laughed innocently.

The corner of Huang Zicheng's mouth twitched slightly, and after a long while, he forced a smile and said, "Oh. Your Majesty has a lot of things to do, this junior official understands."

Zhu Gaochi still smiled naively.He didn't answer the phone either.

Huang Zicheng looked at Zhu Gaochi with a silly smile on his face, but didn't answer. He didn't know how to get out the words in his mind. After a long while, he said bluntly, "My sons...that's how it is. We seldom get together on weekdays, but...Your Majesty, you also know that it is not convenient for the emperor's grandson at this time, so he ordered the junior official to be the host, and entertained a few princes...I don't know what the prince thinks?"

Zhu Gaochi sighed in his heart, hey, sure enough, there is no good feast and no good meeting.

On the face, Zhu Gaochi pretended to be hesitant and said, "Master Huang..."

"Sir, please tell me." Huang Zicheng cupped his hands with a smile.

Zhu Gaochi scratched his head in doubt, "My teacher said, you have to observe the hundred-day ceremony in this funeral... You are not allowed to attend banquets or drink alcohol..."

Huang Zicheng froze.

"Or...Master Huang, you don't have to observe the hundred-day ceremony? Could it be that you are older than Grandpa Huang?" Zhu Gaochi whispered pretending to be timid.