Chapter 2: Rely on Yourself More Than on Others

How did he end up in the water that day?

Zhu Zhen remembered that it was in the small garden behind the main hall.

During the lunch break, he thought of his mother and went to the lotus pond alone to cry.

As he cried, it felt like someone pushed him, and he fell into the water with a splash.

But he didn't see who pushed him.

Zhu Zhen had already gone over this incident many times in his mind. But when it came to speaking, he held back.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his elder brother. His extensive experience watching palace dramas told him that in the deep palace, the consequences of speaking recklessly were severe. Especially in his current situation, he had to be even more careful with his words.

"Still can't remember?" The Crown Prince frowned and pressed further.

"Um." Zhu Zhen nodded, showing a timid expression.

"Fourth Brother, you saved Sixth Brother. Did you see anyone else there at the time?" Zhu Biao turned to Zhu Di.

"Big Brother, I've already said this many times. I heard the commotion and went over. At that time, Sixth Brother was the only one splashing in the water. I didn't see anyone else." Zhu Di pursed his lips, bent his waist, and leaped high, picking a bright red persimmon from a tree and tossing it to Zhu Biao.

"This is a serious matter, don't be impatient." Zhu Biao caught the persimmon and said sternly, "Father is very angry about Sixth Brother falling into the water. If it was just an accident, it would be fine. But if someone pushed him, it would be very serious!"

"You and Father are overthinking it. Who would dare to harm a prince of the Ming dynasty?" Zhu Di said carelessly, then picked three more persimmons and distributed them to his two younger brothers.

"Break the skin a bit and drink the juice." He even gave Zhu Zhen a helpful tip, fearing he wouldn't know how to eat it.

"It's not overthinking. The empire is just stabilized, and the palace is as mixed as the outside world. Although we've screened several times, there might still be Northern Yuan spies or remnants of Zhang Shicheng and Chen Youliang hiding here." The Crown Prince took a sip of the persimmon and praised it, "Not bad, it's just right."

"Hehe, I've been eyeing this persimmon tree for a long time." Zhu Di was very pleased.

Zhu Zhen sucked on the sweet and cool persimmon but couldn't suppress his dry mouth and throat. He thought, damn, palace dramas didn't lie. The palace is indeed very dangerous. I can't just live carelessly and wait to die.

Seeing Sixth Brother's pale face, the Crown Prince comforted him, "Don't worry. Even if there is a culprit, it's likely not aimed at you. You were probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Meaning you were just unlucky," Zhu Di translated.

"Right, now you're the safest." The Crown Prince smiled, "One time could be an accident, but two times can't be. If anything else happens to you, it will definitely enrage Father."

"Father..." Zhu Zhen's heart tightened. That was the terrifying Zhu Yuanzhang.

He remembered that Father came to see him once after he fell into the water. But he was dazed and afraid of being exposed, so he pretended to be unconscious and didn't dare to open his eyes to see what Father's face looked like.

"The Concubine's matter can't be entirely blamed on Father." The Crown Prince thought he had a grudge against Father, so he wiped the juice from the corner of his mouth and comforted him, "And Father's care for you will remain as it was."

Zhu Zhen couldn't help but secretly comment, the past care wasn't great either... But there was no point in complaining. With so many siblings, there was love, but not much.

He had to protect his mother's love first.

"What did my mother do?" He looked at Zhu Biao and then at Zhu Di, thinking it was better to ask the latter. "Fourth Brother, just tell me, I'm about to burst."

"What's there to hide?" This time, he asked the right person. Zhu Di's face lit up as he said, "It was just that at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, your mother slapped Concubine Ding twice!"

"Think about it, how embarrassing to get slapped, and twice at that?" Zhu Di said, demonstrating with his hands, "Forward and backward, all in one go! Concubine really is a heroine!"

"Stop exaggerating." Zhu Biao glared at the mischievous Fourth Brother, sighed, and said to Zhu Zhen, "The matter is as such, but the details and the reasons behind it, we, as juniors, don't know and shouldn't inquire about."

"..." Zhu Zhen's head buzzed. If that's the case, Mother isn't wronged.

"Ah, if Mother Empress were here, it would be better." At this moment, Wu Wang Zhu Gao sighed.

"Whoa, Fifth Brother, when did you come?" Zhu Di was startled, almost throwing the leftover persimmon at his younger brother.

"I came with you two..." Zhu Gao held up the persimmon in his hand, "This is what you gave me."

"Oh, is that so? I didn't notice. Hahaha, who makes you so quiet..." Zhu Di laughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject, "You're right, if Mother Empress were in the palace, there wouldn't be so many problems."

The Mother Empress they were talking about was the famous Empress Ma. The love story between her and Zhu Yuanzhang is well-known and doesn't need to be repeated.

After Zhu Yuanzhang gained the empire, he wanted to grant titles to Empress Ma's clan, but she refused, saying it was illegal to grant titles to her family.

However, when she mentioned her parents' early deaths, she still shed tears. So, Zhu Yuanzhang posthumously honored her father, Lord Ma, as the Duke of Xu and her mother, Lady Zheng, as the Lady of the Duke, and built a tomb and temple in their hometown for eternal worship.

This year, the tomb and temple for Empress Ma's parents were completed. She went to Suxian with her second and third sons to hold the ceremony for the tomb and temple.

So, she has been away from the palace for several months.

~~

"When will Mother Empress return?" Zhu Zhen asked hopefully, thinking that the Empress was worth looking forward to.

"Third Brother wrote a few days ago that she should be back in time for the New Year," Zhu Biao replied.

"So late..." Zhu Zhen's eyes reddened, "I don't know if Mother can hold on until then."

"Don't worry. I've already instructed the head of the Inner Peace Hall to take good care of Concubine." Zhu Biao comforted Zhu Zhen, "Also, I've persuaded Father again because of your accident. This time, he's clearly calmed down, and his tone has softened... However, Concubine Ding needs to agree before Concubine can be pardoned."

"How is that possible? That woman is unreasonable, especially after getting slapped twice!" Zhu Di said dejectedly.

"Indeed, it's not easy." Zhu Biao nodded in agreement. Concubine Ding was a unique character. He patted his sixth brother's chubby cheeks, "Don't worry, Big Brother will find a way."

"Thank you, Big Brother." Zhu Zhen sincerely thanked him. He could feel who was genuinely helping him.

~~

After the brothers finished talking, the Crown Prince and the others were about to leave.

Zhu Zhen saw them off to the Wan'an Gate. Suddenly, his quiet Fifth Brother stopped.

After his two older brothers had walked a distance, Fifth Brother mysteriously pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to him.

"This is an ancient prescription I found in medical books, specifically for treating colds and shock. I've improved it. Try it and see how it works."

"Uh, thank you, Fifth Brother." Zhu Zhen's lips twitched. Good grief, he had a self-taught doctor for a brother. My brothers are all talented.

Words can't be spoken recklessly, and medicine can't be taken lightly, Fifth Brother!

~~

Zhu Zhen spent the whole day digesting the news he heard from his brothers.

Before he knew it, it was bedtime.

When he was very young, he naturally slept with his mother in the warm room of the eastern wing. After he turned eight, he moved to the warm room of the western wing.

All the preparations for bedtime, such as washing and changing clothes, were done by the palace maids. He quickly got used to this luxury.

The only thing he wasn't quite used to was that a palace maid would always stand about two feet from his bed.

Thinking about someone watching him while he slept made him feel uncomfortable, so he asked the maid to leave.

The maid named Mu Xiang knelt and cried, saying that it was a palace rule to stay by his side, watch him sleep, and serve him if he needed to drink water at night. If she left her post, she would be punished.

Zhu Zhen was just putting on a show and couldn't ignore someone's life.

Plus, Mu Xiang was older, experienced, and meticulous, making it hard not to like her. So, he let her stay.

Over time, they became familiar and would whisper to each other.

"Mu Xiang, what is the Inner Peace Hall?" Zhu Zhen asked, lying in bed and looking at the golden phoenix embroidered on the canopy.

"Wang Zongguan doesn't allow us to talk about it." Mu Xiang, kneeling by the bed, shook her head and whispered.

"Whose word do you follow, his or mine?" Zhu Zhen was firm again.

"Of course, I follow Your Highness." Mu Xiang hesitated but still obeyed, "I heard it's in the Sheep House Alley. Any concubine or palace maid who is sick, old, or has committed a crime is first sent there. After a long time, they are sent to the Laundry Bureau. As for what happens inside, I really don't know."

"Because no one is allowed to enter, and I've never seen anyone come out." She added, fearing the young prince wouldn't believe her.

Her explanation made Zhu Zhen's eyes involuntarily well up with tears.

Mu Xiang quickly wiped his tears, gently patted his back, and comforted him.

Zhu Zhen felt a bit helpless and reassured the little boy in his heart, don't worry, I'll take action.

Indeed, he couldn't just wait and had to find a way to save people