Who says, if you are a nobleman, then your life will become easier? Your financial life will be easy, that is true. But the other parts will not be the same.
It is also vulnerable for noblemen to lose their lives at any time.
And, it was precisely the situation faced by Prince Zhu Su, the fifth son of Hongwu Emperor, who was the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the emperor on the throne at that time as well.
That twenty-eight-year-old prince was now being dragged out of his palace, to go into exile.
"Fu Wang!" Zhu Youdun, the ten-year-old Zhu Su's eldest son, screamed painfully for his father's tragic fate. "Fu Wang! Please take care!"
However, what was the use of screaming for help?
Not only Zhu Youdun screamed aloud, his wife also did the same. So did his other sons and daughters. The atmosphere was in total dismay.
That's right, screaming is a useless idea to do, Zhu Su shook his head hopelessly. It won't work. It won't save my life.
Therefore, when his whole family escorted him by screaming heartbreakingly, Zhu Su just remained silent. Sitting in a cart, he kept on bowing down his head, while the cart took him to go away...
"Just because you are my son then I'm willing to spare your life!..."
His father's scolding still kept ringing in his ears, though the accident had passed for so long.
Zhu Su took a long, deep breath. He then looked up, stared at the vast, infinite blue sky, while the cart kept moving forward.
"Fu Huang, it's not like what you're thinking!..."
"Shut up!... Oh... how can my own son stabs me from behind..."
Even his father did not believe in him... But indeed, he should not hope that his father would believe his words easily. His father was not just any father. His father was the emperor who ruled this whole country, a leader who did not only head one family. For that reason, his way of thinking would be different from other ordinary fathers.
At this time, what he really wanted was, just having an ordinary father. A father who could make casual conversation with him about life while eating in the dining room, and would let his sons and daughters run back and forth noisily... And also, he could talk to his father in a casual manner, without using that disgusting palace etiquette...
He simply wanted an ordinary life.
***
"Your Highness, we have arrived."
The coachman had been standing in front of the cart door, the cart door also had been widely opened. Zhu Su stunned. After passing through this weary journey for weeks, at last, he arrived at his destination.
The smell of fresh grasses greeted Zhu Su. He looked around. So, here he was. At Yunnan - his exile, where he would spend his life until the time only Heaven knew when it ended. Slowly, Zhu Su got off the cart. The coachman still bowed down respectfully. Zhu Su stared at him. So, I am still being respected as a prince even though now I live in exile? Is this a good augury?
A vast deserted field stretching in front of him ended at a big house. Maybe it was a precisely convenient residence for a villager, but for him who was the son of the emperor, this was an awful residence. Most of the walls were peeled off, wild plants were creeping here and there, and moreover, the windows would very likely fall off if the wind blew a bit harder. The house yard was a gloomy neglected area, it was wholly covered by bushes and wild animals might come out of it at any time.
The coachman continued, "My duty has been completed. I must return to the capital. Farewell, Your Highness. Please take care of yourself." He bowed respectively, then got on the cart and spurred the horse. The cart soon sped away.
Leaving Zhu Su alone in this remote area.
If screaming is useless, then complaining fate will be the same. Whatever it takes, I have to do something in order to survive.
Zhu Su clenched his fists. He turned around, and entered the big house.
The atmosphere inside was no more convenient than its outward appearance. A large amount of dust swirled as Zhu Su opened the door, caused the prince to cough. It seemed that the door had never been opened for a couple of years or even more. It was also stuffy and lack of fresh air inside. The furniture was full of dust and dirt, yet it was quite neatly arranged. The conclusion was, this entire big house was covered with mountainous dust.
It took a long time for Zhu Su to clean this house. Starting from the time when the sun still shone above the head, until it finally vanished from sight, at this time Zhu Su just stopped his cleaning activity, simply because he had been really tired. He was a prince after all, who ruled a big city and as the result he always got excellent service from hundreds of servants, and now he must clean this big house all by himself? It had been so astonishing that he did not moan or just sat depressively without doing anything except complaining his tragic fate.
Yet Zhu Su was basically a reserved, down-to-earth guy. He was a strong and defined person. His dark brown eyes mostly sloped downwards in a serious expression. His always-combed-back hair and his cool face would let others directly describe him as a rigid and tedious person. His words were so few people enjoyed chattering would think he was the kind of unfriendly one. Nevertheless, if somebody could observe him more carefully, they would figure out that his expression was full of determination, the kind of expression which was always emerged from a trustworthy and reliable person. Yes, as a consequence of becoming serious and reserved, he preferred to immerse himself in books. Especially in medical books. He loved medical science so much, different from the other princes or princesses who preferred to study literature or arts as those things were always the hobby of the nobles. And do not talk about luxury, it was out of his preference. Medical science, according to his opinion, was really fascinating. Just took an example from Bian Que, a legendary physician who was said to be able to revive the "dead" crown prince. For him, medical science was such a great, mystical thing. He really wanted to become like Bian Que... he just did not figure out how to realize that wish.
"Maybe, you have to meet with Chang Sang Jun first and let him give you a magical drug so you can see penetrating the walls. Then you can be like Bian Que." It was the comment from Zhu Di, his fourth elder brother, when he had not yet been exiled a few weeks before.
Chang Sang Jun was God of Medicine. There are myths that he had given a kind of miracle drug to a youngster named Bian Que, and as the result, Bian Que could become one of the most famous physicians in China and still becomes a legendary figure until the 21st centuries.
Zhu Su burst to laugh. "Chang Sang Jun lived a thousand years ago! Although he is still alive, he must be God. How can you search for God, then?"
"We are Sons of The Emperor. Even God will come out when we ask him for help," Zhu Di replied seriously.
Now, Zhu Su was eager to ask whether the status of the son of the emperor could resolve all of his life problems. Let alone the magniloquent wish like calling God out, just to release him from this exile, could it?