Zhu Su stood on the edge of the lake, watching the evening sun prepared to fall down.
Maybe now he had been really old. People said, only when they were old, then people would start reminiscing about the past. The same with what he was doing at this moment. Even though his eyes were wandering over the panorama of the twilight, his mind flew to another place. Memories after memories began to enter his mind.
He started to recall his childhood. His childhood was really far from hardship. He was a powerful prince. Everyone knelt down and worshiped him every time he passed. All officials tried to flatter him. Everyone was competing to fulfill his wishes.
However, even though he had great power, he was never arrogant. He must be grateful for his parents who had educated him. His father always told the life of the poor and suffering people, and his mother always advised him to do good. His father also provided him with excellent teachers, hoping that his children would grow up as talented scholars.
While studying, many of his siblings were lazy and messed up. Many were diligent and even kept studying until late at night. Zhu Su had his own principle. He loved studying, and he decided to study what he loved - medicine. Although his other siblings were not interested in that area. And he knew that his father did not like him get to focus on it.
But after all, what else could he do? He himself also did not understand why he was so different from his other brothers. The ones with good characters were busy seeking his father's attention by learning what his father liked. And the bad ones, enjoyed themselves and satisfied their desires for power. Zhu Su took a completely different step. He did not help his father on battlefields like Zhu Di, Zhu Bo, Zhu Bai or Zhu Quan did. He did not help arrange the management and administration of the country like Zhu Hui. But he did not have messy behavior, unlike his brother who raped the captive girls from a defeated tribe, or Zhu Yi who oppressed the people and had sex parties nonstop. What he did was gping frequently to the medical center and watching the physicians concocted the medicine, or observing the physicians examined and treated sick people. He loved to immerse himself in reading medical books. So, when his brothers grew up to be the gallant aristocrats skillful in fighting, or the aristocrats who were experts in state administration and government, he grew to be an aristocrat who was skilled in medicine. It soon made him appear strange to everyone, including his own father.
He was not an expert in politics. How could he wish to be a political expert, he was even really foolish in politics. When he was supposed to flatter, he instead behaved ignorant. When he was supposed to run away, he instead got closer. As an expert in research and medical science, Zhu Su's character was no different from those modern-day nerdy scientists or doctors. Zhu Su was not shrewd in courtesy, when it came to speaking his voice was not appealing and his behavior was boring. He tended to be quiet and refused to talk much, however when someone flicked a topic that had become his favorite, he could talk about it for hours and did not get tired at all. And he was not lustful for power. Yes, he liked to have power, after all, who would not be happy if they got great power naturally? But being so desirous about seizing power to the extent that he would stop at nothing to get it, was clearly not his nature.
But because of his foolishness in politics, even though he was not lustful of power, the people instead saw the opposite.
Zhu Su was not an easygoing person either. He was stubborn, especially when it came to his life principles. Even though he was often advised to deepen his martial arts, he never wanted to do it, because it was not in line with his principles.
"If we master the martial arts, we will use it for war. In war, we will surely kill people. So by fighting we will do evil. Then, why should I learn such terrible things?"
Hence, it was not surprising that his father could punish him. As an emperor who was accustomed to getting worship and respect, his father demanded respect from everyone, including his children. And now Zhu Su was showing a defiant attitude. Hongwu Emperor was also an emperor who demanded more respect than mostly emperors demanded. Zhu Su's attitude soon bothered him.
And apparently, Zhu Su's attitude did not only bother his father. But also bothering whoever reigned as Ming Emperor.
Misery after misery changed his mind. Gradually, his character changed. If he used to be ignorant, then now his heart was more sympathetic and it was easy for him to care for others. If in the past he was reluctant to flatter and do courtesy, now he was willing to learn how to please others. If his heart was clean and pure in the past, now his heart was muddled, full of mixed feelings. The mixture of sadness, dullness, anger, hatred, hurt, and disappointment.
Disappointed because, life did not give him the things he wished to see.
So far, the theories in the book of morality have always been; Good people will win, bad people will lose. But the reality said the opposite. Those who do good suffer in the end, those who do bad can live comfortably. Zhu Hui, who was kind to the people, was almost killed by his brother and forced to become a monk. Zhu Di, who was so cruel, sacrificed many innocent lives just to build Forbidden City and Grand Canal, and had caused many troubles for his brothers, was still sitting on his throne comfortably.
Right now. He had passed every kind of life. He had lived the glamour palace life full of luxury, and the terrible prison life like hell. And all of these, were closely related to one thing.
The throne of the Ming Emperor.
"My father has the heart to kill his loyal followers, those who have helped him, and hundreds of thousands of people. Yunwen has the heart to punish his uncles. Brother Di has the heart to exterminate the designers of Forbidden City and torture millions of forced-labor workers. It is all for one thing - the Throne of the Ming Emperor. It seems like there is a terrible demon dwelling on the Throne. Whoever sits on it will be destined to become a ruthless emperor who will do lots of merciless things. I do not want to be such a leader. Therefore, staying away from it is the best decision I've ever made, so I can leave that terrible thing."
True. Now he really understood the true meaning of Buddha's teachings. Life is never free from suffering. Even getting the throne and power does not make us free from suffering. We may escape one kind of suffering, but are drawn into another kind. After he fully understood this, he could now escape from that suffering. Thus, he handed over the power of San Hu Wei to Zhu Di. He no longer wanted to care about politics. Unwilling to care anymore.
Everything that exists in this mortal world is no more than outerwear covering the surface, it will disappear, eroded by time. Only goodness, helping many people, and benevolent to the world - all of those, will not disappear even after thousands of years have passed.