Chapter 22: Could the Second Son Really Have Such an Excellent Boy?

Xiao Biti, having heard the orders of the Yongle Emperor, bowed his head in silence and stepped out of the room. He soon arrived at a location where the palace gates were tightly locked, surrounded by the busy figures of eunuchs.

"Grand Superintendent."

"Grand Superintendent."

As the eunuchs spotted Xiao Biti, they hurriedly bowed in salutation. Xiao Biti, his expression unchanging, gave a slight nod and strode into the palace.

"Bring me all the records concerning the Heir of the Prince of Han," he said, speaking directly to the eunuch who was already waiting for him inside.

"Yes!" The eunuch across from him was clearly taken aback, his eyes widening as if he had misheard. After receiving a sharp, piercing glare from Xiao Biti, he quickly scrambled to respond.

Xiao Biti stood quietly, waiting for the records to be brought to him. He inadvertently looked up at the cold, waning moon hanging in the sky.

"The cold moon is half-empty; the mind of Heaven is hard to fathom," he murmured, his voice filled with an inexplicable sentiment, though it was unclear for whom his words were intended.

The middle-aged eunuch returning with the files clearly heard him. He walked over quickly, eyeing Xiao Biti with a look of astonishment, clearly wanting to ask something but ultimately holding his tongue.

"Grand Superintendent, here are the records," the eunuch said, handing them over, his face filled with an insatiable, inquisitive desire to know more.

"Farewell." Xiao Biti, evidently unwilling to say anything further, stepped out. He looked up at the moon once more with a meaningful gaze, sighed, and walked quickly in the direction of the Yongle Emperor.

"Your Majesty, the records for the Heir of the Prince of Han have been retrieved." Xiao Biti approached the Yongle Emperor, performed a respectful and cautious bow, and held the stack of papers up with both hands.

"Hmm, let me see." The Yongle Emperor glanced at Xiao Biti and took the files directly. Looking at the thick stack, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He reached out to take a sip of tea, but—hm? It was cold?!

After taking a swallow of the cold tea, a sudden image flashed through the Emperor's mind.

His own tall, sturdy, and robust grandson stood before him, looking at him with a smile and saying: "Ah! Grandfather, is the tea you are drinking cold too? Alas! Truly, I rise earlier than the rooster, sleep later than the dog, eat worse than a pig, and work as hard as an ox!"

*As hard as an ox!*

*As hard as an ox!*

*You work like an ox!*

"Nonsense!" Before he even opened the files, the Yongle Emperor slammed his teacup onto the small side table and shouted in a fit of rage!

"Your Majesty?!" Xiao Biti was dozing off in the corner of the palace. He had been digging his heel into a cocklebur hidden under his foot, relying on the sharp prickles of the plant to keep him awake. Even so, he had been drifting in and out of consciousness. The sudden, angry roar of the Yongle Emperor woke him instantly. Disregarding protocol, he rushed toward the Emperor, scanning the surroundings with a look of alert suspicion.

"Cough, cough. It is nothing. I was merely saying this tea has grown cold, and that someone should bring me a fresh, hot cup." The Yongle Emperor regained his composure after the outburst, coughing awkwardly and instructing Xiao Biti to have someone fetch hot water.

He could hardly admit that he had just suffered a momentary delusion—fantasizing that his own grandson had mocked him to his face, causing him to lose his composure. That would be far too damaging to the dignity of the Yongle Emperor.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Xiao Biti looked at the Emperor with a puzzled, blank expression. He remembered hearing something quite different from a request for fresh tea, but how could it have changed?

However, the Emperor’s word was law; that was the foundation of his existence. Thus, he tacitly accepted the Emperor's claim and quickly turned to order someone to bring a hot cup of tea.

A moment later, the Yongle Emperor sipped the hot tea with satisfaction, his face full of pride and haughtiness.

He then opened the records of his grandson. The more he read, the more surprised he became. He began to strongly suspect that there had been some mistake, as the information inside was starkly different from the grandson he thought he knew.

Of course, he knew the basic facts, such as his date of birth. But the rest was simply preposterous.

For instance, the record stated: *The Heir of the Prince of Han is well-read and possesses a retentive memory, with a mastery of history.*

He only knew that his grandson had achieved decent grades at the Imperial Academy, but he had no idea they were that good. And "mastery"—what kind of mastery could a sixteen-year-old child possibly have over history?

Take another example: *The Heir of the Prince of Han is fond of Taoist studies and practices Taoist longevity techniques. It is suspected that he harbors intentions of sailing the seas in search of immortals, as he has been collecting information on coastal regions and attempting to obtain detailed specifications of the Treasure Ships through the Prince of Han.*

He only knew that his grandson had found a Taoist teacher and was practicing some techniques, but that stuff was useless—one might as well just take a couple of Golden Elixirs! And collecting coastal data? Wanting the Treasure Ship plans? As an Heir, instead of properly studying how to manage his fiefdom, does he want to become a King of the Rivers or a King of the Seas? The Yongle Emperor muttered to himself.

And another: *The Heir of the Prince of Han possesses great physical strength. On the battlefield during the campaign against Arughtai, he led the charge, encased in full armor and wielding a great saber. He slaughtered sixteen enemy soldiers in succession before withdrawing calmly, showing no change in expression, not even suffering from nausea.*

This left the Yongle Emperor feeling quite bitter. What was this supposed to mean? Was the boy a god of war reborn? Killing sixteen enemies on his first time in battle without even vomiting? Wasn't this a blatant mockery of someone like himself, who had been a complete mess after his own first battle?

Furthermore, the files claimed that the boy did not support his father’s bid for the Crown Prince position and had consistently urged the Prince of Han to return to his fiefdom, leading to countless arguments between father and son.

This left the Yongle Emperor completely bewildered. Was this true? Was this boy really the son of the Prince of Han? His father was desperate to be the Crown Prince, yet the son wanted to run off to his fiefdom? What royal descendant didn't covet the throne?

The records even noted that the boy possessed a natural air of authority and could terrify people with a single glance. Was this true? Still, the Yongle Emperor didn't entirely doubt it; after all, a veteran of a hundred battles could indeed intimidate with a look. Perhaps, after killing enemies on the battlefield, the boy couldn't control his own gaze, leading others to fear him.

He summarized the contents: In short, this grandson of his was tall and robust, possessed an air of authority, had excellent character, was kind to others, had no interest in women, was skilled in both literature and martial arts, loved Taoist practices, and was very curious about the sea!

*No flaws?!* Suddenly, the Yongle Emperor, Zhu Di, seemed to have stumbled upon a crucial realization. A shock ran through his heart. He frowned, staring intently at the files, and flipped through them again rapidly.

*None! There really were none!* The Yongle Emperor set the papers down with a grave expression and took a sip from his teacup.

"Sss," hot tea was delightful, though it seemed a bit scalding!

The Yongle Emperor set down the cup and turned his gaze back to the files, reading them again with meticulous detail.

*There really are no flaws at all?!*

*How could the Second Son produce such an outstanding son?* The Yongle Emperor fell into deep contemplation.

"The Eldest Son and I have worked together to create the current prosperity. If the Eldest succeeds to the throne, his abilities should suffice. The Eldest Grandson (Zhu Zhanji) has been raised by me since childhood; he will be perfectly capable once he ascends. Both father and son are clearly qualified."

"Looking at these records, along with this Heir of the Prince of Han, perhaps the Second Son is also a viable choice?"

The Yongle Emperor found himself caught in a cycle of overthinking and indecision.

However, he was soon struck by a doubt regarding the battle reports from the campaign against Arughtai.

The boy was tall and broad-shouldered, encased in heavy armor, and charging into battle wielding a saber weighing dozens of catties. Something was wrong here!

With all that armor and weaponry, it had to weigh hundreds of catties. If the boy could carry it, the horse surely couldn't. Did this boy really have such a magnificent horse?!

"Xiao Biti, tell me, what kind of horse was the Heir of the Prince of Han riding on the battlefield that could possibly carry the weight of his armor and weapons?" The Yongle Emperor, unable to make sense of it, suddenly asked. In truth, he was just looking for a topic of conversation.

But to his surprise, at this question, Xiao Biti immediately collapsed to his knees before him.

The Yongle Emperor looked at Xiao Biti with a puzzled expression and slowly set down his teacup. He suddenly had a very bad premonition.