The Regent's Burden in the Ming Dynasty Chapter 5

In his previous life, Alexander Zhu had read many historical time-travel novels and watched many films and TV shows.

After ordinary people traveled back to the Ming Dynasty, they could easily manipulate the emperor in the palm of their hands.

The emperor does whatever the protagonist says.

Live like a god.

But after actually dealing with Frederick Zhu, Alexander Zhu discovered that those novels were all nonsense.

Not to mention others, who is Frederick Zhu?

He was able to rise from a beggar monk to the king of a country step by step. His wisdom far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people.

And, unlike most emperors in history.

Frederick Zhu climbed up step by step from the grassroots, and he saw more of human nature.

With Lao Zhu's cleverness, the mentally retarded protagonists in the novel probably wouldn't survive for more than three days.

Even if he relied on his status as a prince to save his life, he would most likely not have a good ending.

Because Lao Zhu is too smart.

Others have eight hundred minds, but Lao Zhu probably has more than eighty thousand.

Not to mention being played around with in the palm of one's hand, their little tricks and methods are not even worthy of carrying Lao Zhu's shoes.

In just a brief contact, he had already quietly tested Alexander Zhu several times.

If he had not been prepared, he would have been exposed long ago.

Alexander Zhu also knew that it was not just Frederick Zhu who was so shrewd. All the people around him, including his cheap uncles, were extremely shrewd.

Fortunately, Alexander Zhu still has two advantages.

First, they are young and their words are careless, so most people will not pay too much attention to a child.

I would never have thought how complicated the mind of a child could be.

The second is that he has a good status. As the son of Adrian Zhu, Adrian Zhu would certainly dote on him out of love for his son.

If nothing else, at least for the time being, safety is guaranteed.

Next, we need to take one step at a time and slowly start to change.

...

...

Time flies, and forty-nine days have passed in the blink of an eye.

The seventh day has passed.

Adrian Zhu's funeral was finally over.

Alexander Zhu was about to go to the palace to study.

During this period, he has been very quiet and behaved like an ordinary child.

Early in the morning, the weather was pleasant. Alexander Zhu was strolling alone in the yard when he was called over by his mother, Mrs. Victoria, and his second brother, Alexander Zhu.

When Alexander Zhu came to the room, Lu and Alexander Zhu were sitting there.

"熞'er, you're here." Lu smiled at Zhu Yun熞.

Alexander Zhu also smiled and said, "Fourth brother."

Alexander Zhu is already fifteen years old this year and is quite handsome.

Go to that station and you will be a handsome man.

But there is always a sense of arrogance between his brows.

"Mom, second brother." After saying hello, Alexander Zhu sat aside.

He knew that Lu must have come to him for something, and it was most likely related to Alexander Zhu.

Thinking of this, Alexander Zhu asked first: "Mom, why did you call me here so early in the morning?"

Mrs. Victoria first brought some cakes to Alexander Zhu and asked with concern, "You haven't eaten yet?"

"Thank you, mother." Alexander Zhu picked up a piece of cake and started eating it.

Lu then sat beside Alexander Zhu and asked softly, "Alexander Zhu, you will go to the palace to study in the next two days, right?"

really!

Alexander Zhu thought to himself that he had guessed right.

Lu was trying to indirectly attack Frederick Zhu's thoughts.

After all, the crown prince has not been appointed yet.

"Yes." Alexander Zhu said with a smile while eating cakes: "Grandpa Emperor told me not long ago that after I finish the funeral, I should prepare and go to the palace to accompany him to study."

Lu asked, "Did Grandpa Huang tell you anything?"

Alexander Zhu saw that Lu's face seemed full of anticipation.

He remained calm, pretended to think for a moment, and said, "Apart from studying, it seems that there was nothing else to talk about."

The expression on Mrs. Victoria's face changed several times, and finally she said: "Ming'er, mother asked you to come this time, still hoping that you can help your second brother to speak up, after all, you and the emperor grandfather will meet often in the future."

Alexander Zhu's heart moved, but he did not answer.

At this time, Alexander Zhu also stepped forward and persuaded: "Fourth brother, please say a few good words for the second brother."

Alexander Zhu said with difficulty: "This..."

"My son," Mrs. Victoria said, "Now that your father has passed away, leaving us mother and son in this world, we mother and son should be more united, right?"

"You are still young, there are some things you don't understand."

"None of your uncles are easy to deal with. Your second uncle was beaten by your father not long ago, so he must be holding a grudge."

"As for your fourth uncle, although he was good to us mother and son on weekdays, now that your father is gone, people's hearts will always change."

"Although your second brother is your brother, he is born to a different mother than you."

"If any of them inherits the throne, we will not have a good ending, my dear, what do you think?"

Alexander Zhu also came over and said, "Fourth brother, we are brothers from the same mother, blood is thicker than water, you must help me."

"Next time Grandpa Huang asks you, just say that my second brother is the most suitable to be the crown prince. Now only..."

"Wen'er!" Lu scolded hurriedly, and Alexander Zhu finally shut up.

Alexander Zhu was secretly surprised.

He had already heard the hidden meaning.

There was clearly no one else in the room when he was talking with Frederick Zhu that day.

How did Alexander Zhu know what Frederick Zhu asked him?

Frederick Zhu would definitely not say anything, could it be that the walls have ears?

Thinking of this, Alexander Zhu couldn't help but feel a chill all over his body.

He looked at his mother and second brother and said in surprise: "Mom, when I was talking to Grandpa Huang that day, you..."

Mrs. Victoria sighed and touched Alexander Zhu's hair with heartache.

"Miao'er, I was indeed overheard, but I had no choice. You are still young, and I was afraid that you would say something wrong and make your grandfather angry. Don't hate me."

Zhu Yunxuan nodded.

This is understandable, after all, Mrs. Victoria is a mother.

He didn't say anything else.

Alexander Zhu felt that Lu's offense to Frederick Zhu might actually be a good thing. In this way, perhaps Zhu would not have made Alexander Zhu the crown prince, and the Jingnan Campaign might not have happened.

As for eavesdropping, it doesn't matter.

Frederick Zhu was not Emperor Wu of Han, and he would not kill his sons and grandsons.

He attaches great importance to family affection and dotes on his descendants very much.

Even if someone offends you, you will only be given a slight punishment.

If he hadn't been planning to make Leonard Zhu the crown prince, he wouldn't have had to worry so much in front of Zhu.

That's the big deal.

Thinking of this, he tentatively asked Alexander Zhu: "Brother, the position of crown prince is a hot potato, why don't we just stop fighting for it?"

"How can that be possible!" Alexander Zhu immediately denied.

Then his tone softened again, and he said, "Fourth brother, you are still young, you don't understand at all. If second brother doesn't fight for it, we, mother, son and brothers will definitely have a hard time in the future!"

"Yes, my son." Mrs. Victoria also said, "When you grow up, you will understand that my choice is absolutely correct."

Alexander Zhu thought to himself: "The choice was right, but the person was wrong."

Alexander Zhu was a guy with high ambitions but poor skills. He was not worthy of being the crown prince or inheriting the throne.

Thinking of this, he looked at Alexander Zhu and asked, "Second brother, even if you inherit the throne, what can you do? Can you really suppress those vassal kings stationed in various places and the arrogant soldiers and generals in the court?"

Alexander Zhu and Lu were both slightly stunned and looked over in surprise.

"Yun'er, you..." Lu looked at Zhu Yunyun in disbelief and asked, "Who told you these words?"

Alexander Zhu shook his head and said, "No one told me, but the day my father passed away, I understood a lot."

Mrs. Victoria didn't say anything else, but nodded with a hint of relief.

At this time, Alexander Zhu said: "Can't suppress it? No way!"

"After I, your second brother, take the throne, I will immediately reduce the power of the vassal states, starting with the smaller ones, and then gradually devouring them, until I become the King of Yan..."

Looking at the boastful Alexander Zhu, Alexander Zhu secretly shook his head in his heart.

This cheap second brother is really hopeless.

He is the kind of person who treats everyone as fools and thinks he is the smartest.

At this moment he was talking enthusiastically about the issue of reducing the power of the feudal lords.

Little did he know that the Jingnan Campaign in the original historical trajectory started with his reduction of the feudal lords...

He started by weakening the smaller vassal states in order to alert the enemy. Did he think the Prince of Yan did not have enough time to prepare for the rebellion in advance?

How can you accomplish anything if you are so timid?

We must not let him become the crown prince!

Otherwise, the throne will be seized sooner or later.

You will also suffer bad luck.

Just then, footsteps were heard outside the door.

Alexander Zhu looked in the direction of the voice and saw that the person coming was a servant from the mansion.

The servant first bowed respectfully to the people, then said, "Someone has come to the palace, saying that they are under the imperial order to invite the fourth grandson to study in the palace."