Chapter 32: Lan Yu Really Dares

Zhu Yunwen felt as though he were on the brink of death.

He deemed Lan Yu a madman, and Zhu Yunsong was no less insane.

"Your affairs have nothing to do with me!" he thought, panic-stricken. "If you want to kill someone, kill Huang Zicheng! Why must you target me? I don't want to die yet!"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not intervene to save Zhu Yunwen; he merely watched the unfolding scene with a cold, detached gaze.

Before anyone could react, Lan Yu swung his sword with clean, lethal precision, aiming to pierce straight through Zhu Yunwen’s neck. It was a movement devoid of hesitation, fluid and swift. In Lan Yu's eyes, Zhu Yunwen was already a dead man.

The tip of the blade arrived at Zhu Yunwen’s throat in an instant. The youth’s mind went blank, his body paralyzed by terror. He could neither block nor dodge. In the next heartbeat, he would have been run through.

"That's enough. Stop."

Zhu Yunsong’s voice cut through the air at the perfect moment. Even though he harbored a desire to see Zhu Yunwen dead, he could not allow it to happen right there.

The edge of Lan Yu’s blade had already nicked the skin of Zhu Yunwen’s throat, drawing a thin line of blood. It was only a shallow scratch, but had Zhu Yunsong not spoken, Lan Yu would undoubtedly have plunged the blade home. This was no jest.

*Clang.*

Lan Yu dropped the sword to the floor, returned to his original position, and knelt. He knocked his head against the ground three times and then fell silent.

A deathly stillness descended upon the grand hall. Everyone was so stunned by Lan Yu’s audacity that they were at a loss for words. This old brute had actually dared to draw his blade and attempt murder in the presence of Zhu Yuanzhang, all because of a single word from Zhu Yunsong. And he had targeted an imperial grandson at that!

It was lawless, a complete subversion of the natural order!

"I... I am not dead yet..."

Zhu Yunwen, stripped of his usual elegant and scholarly composure, collapsed onto the floor, trembling. Cold sweat instantly drenched his temples, and the clothes on his back were soaked through and ice-cold. He had never before faced death so closely; in that moment, he had truly felt his life slipping away.

It was terrifying—absolutely terrifying. How dared Lan Yu? As he recalled the image of the towering man looming over him, Zhu Yunwen nearly lost control of his bladder.

"Grandfather... you must seek justice for your grandson!" Zhu Yunwen managed to stand, his voice trembling and his tone filled with grievance, his hands still shaking uncontrollably.

"Your Majesty! The Third Imperial Grandson is wicked and rebellious, daring to order Lan Yu to kill the Second Imperial Grandson. Please, impose a heavy punishment!"

"The Third Imperial Grandson seeks to murder his own brother! This defies all ethics and is intolerable to Heaven!"

The civil officials, finally regaining their senses, erupted in an uproar. Never had they witnessed such arrogance—that someone would dare to commit murder right before Zhu Yuanzhang. Both Zhu Yunsong and Lan Yu had been bold enough to attempt it, and for a fleeting moment, everyone had believed Zhu Yunwen was truly going to die. Regardless of whether they supported Zhu Yunwen, they viewed this act as an egregious display of treason.

"Yunwen, were you afraid?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked calmly, ignoring the calls for punishment.

In truth, he could have stopped it from the start, but he had chosen not to. Firstly, he wanted to gauge the depth of Lan Yu’s loyalty to Zhu Yunsong. Secondly, he felt Zhu Yunwen was too cowardly and hoped this would harden his resolve. He had also been certain that Zhu Yunsong would not actually let Lan Yu kill his brother.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply disappointed to see that when faced with Lan Yu, Zhu Yunwen hadn't even attempted to dodge; he had simply waited for death, paralyzed by fear. This grandson, he realized, was simply not cut out for the throne. If he were this cowardly, he would never be able to command the military generals. Even the civil officials present would be able to manipulate him at will. Such a man could not be an effective emperor.

In contrast, Zhu Yunsong was bold enough to challenge Lan Yu, and even daring enough to order him to kill his own brother.

"I... No... I am not afraid," Zhu Yunwen stammered, his words incoherent, his speech stumbling.

"Grandfather, how shall we handle this matter?" Zhu Yunsong asked.

"Your Majesty!" Fang Xiaoru interjected. "The Third Imperial Grandson and Lan Yu just attempted to harm the Second Imperial Grandson. Please, punish them severely."

"Yunwen is far too timid," Zhu Yuanzhang remarked. He had no intention of punishing them for this incident, as it had been merely a test.

"Lan Yu, you are truly something," Zhu Yuanzhang said, turning his gaze back to the general. "Whatever Yunsong tells you to do, you dare to do it."

Lan Yu spoke in a clear, resonant voice: "I have always been loyal to the late Crown Prince. Now that he is gone, I wish only to be loyal to the Third Imperial Grandson. If Your Majesty finds this unacceptable, then please, execute me."

Zhan Hui immediately seized upon a key point. "You say you were loyal to the late Crown Prince, and now you are only loyal to the Third Imperial Grandson?"

"That is correct!" Lan Yu admitted openly, declaring, "My respect and reverence belong to Your Majesty, but my loyalty belonged to the late Crown Prince. Whatever he ordered me to do, I did. Just as I did moments ago—even if he had ordered me to die, I would not have hesitated for a second."

He paused for a moment before continuing: "As for those of you who claim I have adopted countless foster sons and that they and my subordinates have raised private armies, that was all prepared for the late Crown Prince. When he eventually ascended the throne, my foster sons and private troops would have served as his personal guard. They would have cleared every obstacle for him, without regard for their own lives."

He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, showing no fear. "Even if the late Crown Prince had wanted to lead a rebellion, I would have led my foster sons and private troops to assist him without a moment’s hesitation. That is my loyalty."

"Audacious!"
"Lan Yu, you... you dare speak of rebellion?"
"I implore Your Majesty to execute Lan Yu!"
"He cannot be spared! He has already shown intent to revolt. Execute him!"

The civil officials erupted once more. However, they only dared to accuse Lan Yu of treason; none dared to mention the name of the late Prince Zhu Biao.

Chang Sheng and the others were stunned into silence by Lan Yu’s words. Could such bold statements really be uttered in the imperial court? Only Feng Sheng remained in deep thought, seemingly having guessed at Lan Yu’s true intentions.

*Loyal to the Crown Prince,* Zhu Yunsong mused silently. *If one is loyal to the Crown Prince, they will surely be safe. Although Lan Yu’s words serve as a form of self-preservation, his sincerity is evident. If Prince Biao had truly wished to revolt, Lan Yu would have been the first to lead the charge into the palace.*

Lan Yu was indeed loyal to the Crown Prince.

"Silence!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared. The clamoring officials immediately fell quiet.

"You, continue," Zhu Yuanzhang commanded.

"It is a pity... the Crown Prince passed away in his prime. Heaven is jealous of talent!" Lan Yu sighed. "The Crown Prince would never have rebelled. He once told me that if Your Majesty saw him capable of rebellion, you would have been overjoyed. The Crown Prince is gone, but his legitimate son remains. I am whole-heartedly loyal to the Third Imperial Grandson; this is a continuation of my loyalty to the Crown Prince. Among all the Crown Prince's sons, only the Third Imperial Grandson holds the most legitimate status as a direct descendant—none of the others can compare."

"That is all I have to say. If I have spoken wrongly, please, Your Majesty, grant me death."

As he finished, Lan Yu’s voice choked with emotion. Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him and saw that his eyes were red. He realized that Lan Yu’s devotion to his beloved Biao was genuine. He couldn't help but cry out in grief: "Biao... my son, Biao..."