Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gao煦's calm and unyielding face, and he also became serious.
At this moment, Zhu Di could confirm that Zhu Gao煦 had truly changed; he was different, completely unlike before.
If it were the previous Zhu Gao煦, how could he be like this? He would be like a mouse seeing a cat when he saw him. After doing this, would he dare to sit so calmly in front of him? Would he dare to let the eunuch of him, the dignified Emperor of Ming, disarm him in front of him?
Even if Zhu Gao煦 denied rebelling, he was actually clear in his heart, but in the end, Zhu Gao煦 suddenly had a change of heart.
This rendered all his arrangements useless.
Now, he was not going to pursue the matter further. Zhu Gao煦 had realized his mistake and pulled back from the brink, which he was happy to see.
Now he was only curious and very interested in one thing: how Zhu Gao煦 suddenly underwent these changes. The current Zhu Gao煦, Zhu Di felt, was like Zhu Gaochi when he was strong-willed.
No, even Zhu Gaochi could not be so calm in front of him.
The innocence in Zhu Gao煦's eyes, he hadn't seen it for many years; it only existed in his memories. When he was young, with Zhu Biao and his brothers, he might have had such innocent eyes.
For a moment, Zhu Di's heart became even more complex, and his thoughts drifted to the past, his nose even feeling a little sore.
Zhu Di was, after all, a battle-hardened Emperor, and he recovered very quickly, sweeping away the thoughts in his heart, and his expression remained unchanged from beginning to end.
Having recovered, Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gao煦 with interest.
"Second Son, what do you want to tell me? Tonight, just speak your mind. No matter what you say, I won't take it to heart, nor will I punish you.
Tonight, let's just chat as father and son, and speak from our hearts, how about that?"
Zhu Di kept enticing Zhu Gao煦, wanting to draw out what Zhu Gao煦 wanted to say. This was also an opportunity for the two of them to have a frank talk, and Zhu Di would not let it go.
Zhu Di truly loved Zhu Gao煦, because among his three sons, he indeed felt that Zhu Gao煦 resembled him the most.
However, Zhu Gao煦 himself was indeed somewhat incapable of shouldering great responsibilities. In fact, Zhu Di had considered deposing the Crown Prince, a thought buried deep within him, but there was no one else to choose from, and Zhu Gaochi was now well-established. His idea had gradually faded.
The conflict between Zhu Gao煦 and Zhu Gaochi also had an element of his own instigation, but gradually, he felt a little disheartened.
Sons grow up and are no longer easily controlled.
It was only because he could still control the overall situation that he could still control both Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gao煦. Otherwise, the lessons from the Tang Dynasty might have been replayed in Ming.
No, it was already being replayed, but he was not Li Yuan, Zhu Gaochi was not Li Jiancheng, and Zhu Gao煦 was even less Li Shimin.
Especially since Zhu Gao煦 was able to pull back from the brink in time, the only thing Zhu Di found unsatisfactory was that at this point, Zhu Gao煦 should have gone all out. How could he change his mind at the last minute?
If it were him, his deployment would certainly be more meticulous than Zhu Gao煦's, and even at this point, even if he knew there were preparations within the city, he would still attack. If he didn't try, how would he know the outcome?
If it failed, it would be a complete end.
Zhu Gao煦 looked at Zhu Di, and his heart was also complicated. If he wasn't worried about the future, he actually quite wanted to be a dissolute prince.
With his identity, he wasn't boasting, no matter what he did, as long as it wasn't killing Zhu Di or fratricide, Zhu Di would not kill him. At most, he would just send him to his fiefdom.
Even Zhu Gaochi, for the sake of the overall situation, would not kill him; instead, he would treat him well.
But the regrettable thing was that Zhu Gao煦's ambition was known to all. Even if he wanted to be a leisurely prince, no one would trust him.
Even if he went to his fiefdom, people would still speak ill of him in front of Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi, because with Zhu Di's living example, who would dare to trust such an ambitious person outside?
As soon as Zhu Di was gone, although Zhu Gaochi could tolerate him, it would probably be with restrictions, and Zhu Gaochi would not live long. When Zhu Zhanji ascended the throne, his life would be even more difficult.
When everyone around you is speaking ill of someone, no matter how good that person is, if Zhu Zhanji is in a bad mood one day, he will be extremely dangerous.
Now, it was impossible to stage a comeback. He had no supporters in the court, and his army outside consisted of only a few trusted followers. Moreover, if he were to truly rebel, it was debatable how many people would follow him.
Now, looking at Zhu Di, Zhu Gao煦 felt a myriad of emotions. If time could return to when Zhu Di first raised his army, or when the Jingnan Campaign succeeded, he would not have these troubles.
But now, he had to consider himself.
After a long while, Zhu Gao煦 slowly spoke.
"Father, don't try to trick me anymore. This method is really bad; it's obvious at a glance.
This time, I really am going to speak from my heart. Whether you believe it or not, Father, what I'm about to say is what I truly think."
Zhu Gao煦 adjusted his thoughts, looked at Zhu Di's serious face and curious gaze, and spoke softly.
"You know very well what kind of person I was before, Father. Yes, what you all thought was correct. The former me indeed did not accept Eldest Brother. He was just born earlier than me, but he was the Crown Prince.
You, Father, launched the Jingnan Campaign, and I was by your side, leading the army in campaigns across the north and south, fighting alongside you to conquer this land. You even told me that after the Jingnan Campaign succeeded, you would never treat me unfairly, but in the end, the Crown Prince was not me.
Before, I was indeed a scoundrel. Although I had some skill in warfare, that was about it. I wasn't good at governing the country; in that aspect, Eldest Brother was indeed excellent.
If Eldest Brother hadn't been supervising the country and governing from behind, where would you, Father, have gotten the money to personally lead campaigns against the Tartars?
Just outside the city, I kept thinking, is that position really that good?
Look at Eldest Brother, dealing with state affairs all day, his body is exhausted, getting up early and staying up late every day, with endless memorials.
And look at you, Father, worrying about this and that all day. When there's no money for the Tartars campaign, you worry. When the common people are suffering, you still worry. One person has to bear the burden of everyone in the entire world. The burden is truly not ordinary.
I thought a lot, and now I've suddenly come to a realization. No matter what I do, I'm not going to get that position anyway, so why should I still think about it? Besides, it's not good. I don't want to be like Eldest Brother, becoming fat and having a bad body, leaving behind chronic illnesses.
I've figured it out now. I'm not fighting for that position anymore."
After Zhu Gao煦 finished speaking, he quietly looked at Zhu Di. He didn't want to say many of these things, but he had no choice. Given Zhu Gao煦's previous demeanor, if he didn't say it, Zhu Di's suspicion would probably grow even stronger.
Even saying it now, Zhu Di might not believe it.
Although those thoughts were the thoughts of his previous self, not his own, he was now Zhu Gao煦, and he had to bear the consequences of everything Zhu Gao煦 had done. This was already destined.
And Zhu Di, listening to Zhu Gao煦's words, his first thought was the same as Zhu Gao煦's: he didn't believe a single word.
Yes, Zhu Di didn't believe it at all. What kind of person was Zhu Gao煦 before? How could he, Zhu Di, not be clear?
Now Zhu Gao煦 was telling him that he had come to his senses and would no longer contend. Who was he trying to fool? Did he really think this was child's play?
He, Zhu Di, had also had ambitions. If ambition was so easy to disappear, how would he be where he was today? Would he have become the Emperor of Ming? The ruler of the world?
But on second thought, he did believe what Zhu Gao煦 said, because the former Zhu Gao煦 was indeed like that, always wanting to contend with Zhu Gaochi for the position of Crown Prince. Because he hadn't fulfilled his promise, Zhu Gao煦 had indeed sulked with him.
Moreover, Zhu Gao煦's ambition was indeed known to all.
As for Zhu Gao煦's complaints about him and Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Di didn't pay any attention to them at this moment. He only had one thought now: was his son not normal in the head?
Although he was very angry about the struggle between Zhu Gao煦 and Zhu Gaochi, could a person really change so much? Could this person be feigning retreat to advance, preparing to hide and then jump out to harm someone at some point?
It was not surprising that Zhu Di thought this way. Although he felt Zhu Gao煦's change, this change was a bit too great.
Zhu Gao煦 was no longer interested in that position. Who would believe that if it were said out loud? Who would believe it?
After a long time, Zhu Di's expression was unreadable, and he slowly spoke.
"Second Son, are you treating me like a muddle-headed old man to deceive me? Or do you think I can't tell the truth from falsehood now?
Also, that's your Eldest Brother, and you're his younger brother. Is that how you talk about your Eldest Brother? And 'fat like that,' you even disliked him. And after talking about your Eldest Brother, you weren't satisfied and talked about me too.
It seems there really is a change. You even know that I'm worried now. If you really know, then don't cause me so much trouble.
Look at you, what are you doing every day? Can you compare to your Eldest Brother?"
Zhu Di spoke with increasing emphasis, looking at Zhu Gao煦, wanting to see Zhu Gao煦's reaction.
However, Zhu Di was disappointed. Zhu Gao煦 had no reaction at all; instead, he even smiled, which made Zhu Di a little confused.
Zhu Gao煦 indeed didn't care about what Zhu Di said, because Zhu Di was talking about his original self. He himself hadn't fully adjusted yet, and he was listening to it as entertainment.
"Father, I know you don't believe what I say, and you're absolutely right. I am indeed not as good as Eldest Brother. Please don't use such a clumsy method of provocation to stimulate me.
Even if you don't provoke me, what I'm telling you now is from my heart, what I want to talk to you about after I've come to my senses."
Zhu Di watched Zhu Gao煦 not fall for his trap at all, but instead expose his little trick, and he was surprised. If it were before, a single 'you're not as good as your Eldest Brother' would definitely make Zhu Gao煦 explode and impulsively blurt out everything.
At this moment, Zhu Di realized that he really had to change his previous way of interacting and start anew with Zhu Gao煦. This person had truly changed, not just in words.
Zhu Di smiled, a very hearty laugh. He hadn't expected to encounter such an interesting thing at his age, and from his own son no less.
"Second Son, what exactly are you trying to convey by telling me all this?"
Zhu Di was no longer in a hurry now. He wanted to see what kind of person Zhu Gao煦 truly was.
Because when Zhu Gao煦 said these things, his eyes were still so innocent. This couldn't be faked, and Zhu Di's heart was already starting to feel a little anticipation.
