Chen Ce raised his eyes and looked at Zhu Houzhao for a moment. Although he found it intriguing—after all, who wouldn't want to scrutinize this peculiar emperor of the Ming Dynasty?—his curiosity was limited to just that.
Zhu Houzhao, on the other hand, quickly lost interest. He didn't want to spend more time with a sickly person—there was nothing fun about it.
Although this sickly man resembled his younger brother, who had passed away early, he wasn't the same person.
"Alright, since it was a mistake, let's just forget about it," Zhu Houzhao said.
"I'll notify the Shuntian Prefecture, so they won't trouble you in the future."
Chen Ce smiled and said, "Well then, I appreciate it."
Zhu Houzhao waved his hand. "It's not a big deal. You're lucky it was me investigating you. If it had been someone else, and you had no money to settle the matter, you wouldn't have been able to get out of this."
"Alright, that's it. I'm heading to the northwest now. If there's a chance, we'll meet again."
With a casual wave, Zhu Houzhao walked away, swaggering with his signature "swaggering turtle" gait.
Chen Ce was stunned and called after him, "You? Going to the northwest?"
As the Crown Prince, shouldn't you be in the Eastern Palace studying? What are you doing running off to the northwest?
If the palace found out, it would cause an uproar.
After all, you're the empire's only prince, the Crown Prince. If something happened to you, the foundation of the nation would be shaken. The Ming Dynasty might as well prepare for immortals to ascend to the throne ahead of schedule.
And if you leave now, the palace might investigate me, since I'd be the last person you had contact with.
Chen Ce didn't want trouble, nor did he want to waste energy dealing with such matters.
Zhu Houzhao puffed out his chest and declared, "Why shouldn't a man wield his blade and reclaim fifty states of frontier lands?"
"I'm going to help Wang Yue fight in battle!"
His eyes gleamed with excitement as if he were already on the battlefield, galloping through the desert like the legendary Champion Marquis, charging back and forth through enemy lines.
Chen Ce was shocked. "Has His Majesty already ordered General Wang to attack Helan Mountain?"
While farming, Chen Ce had absorbed a lot of knowledge about Ming history. Over the past year, he had spent much of his free time reading. With his ability to read at a glance and his exceptional comprehension, he knew that this year, the old general Wang Yue would break through Helan Mountain and sing his final battle song.
Wang Yue was one of the rare Confucian generals in the mid-Ming Dynasty. Under his command, Hami was an impenetrable stronghold.
The Seven Garrison Commands of the Northwest were vital defensive barriers. If the Ming court lost Hami, they would lose the Seven Garrison Commands. If those were lost, all lands beyond Gansu would be completely surrendered.
And this year, Wang Yue was supposed to die…
Zhu Houzhao shook his head. "Not yet, but the civil officials have repeatedly submitted petitions to my fa— to His Majesty, saying that Wang Yue has been hiding and refusing to fight, which they claim is an act of cowardice. They also argue that he is wasting large amounts of military funds. His Majesty is starting to waver."
"This battle will begin very soon!"
After a brief pause, Zhu Houzhao dramatically flicked his cape, raised his head to the sky, and sighed, "I will prove the might of Han warriors, slay enemies by the thousands, achieve immortal glory, drink from the vast rivers, and conquer distant lands!"
"What do you think? Am I amazing or what?"
Chen Ce: "…"
A talent.
While most emperors dream of ruling the world and indulging in luxury, you, on the other hand, are an anomaly.
Oh, well, there was that one "Warrior Emperor" in the past who probably fantasized about this too, but he ended up being enthusiastically "hosted" by the Oirat Mongols.
Chen Ce raised his fist and held it in front of Zhu Houzhao.
Zhu Houzhao immediately took a step back, baring his teeth and claws. "You want to spar with me?"
"I'm telling you, with your sickly body, I could knock you out with a single punch!"
Chen Ce was speechless. "Were you scared just now?"
Zhu Houzhao had indeed flinched at Chen Ce's sudden gesture.
"That was a sneak attack! That's not how a gentleman fights! You have no honor!"
"I'm not scared at all. In fact, I slightly despise you," Zhu Houzhao declared.
Chen Ce chuckled. "That's not the point I was trying to make."
"A fist, before it's thrown, is always the most threatening."
"A guillotine, before it falls, always fills people with dread."
Damn.
That made a lot of sense.
And it even sounded a little cool… Wait, why is this sickly guy suddenly acting so profound?
Zhu Houzhao squinted at Chen Ce. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Chen Ce said, "I don't think Wang Yue should go to war. Although he is an exceptional general, he is already in his seventies—he can't withstand such a campaign."
"General Wang Yue is Ming's fist and guillotine."
Wang Yue's military accomplishments were beyond question. In the battles of Hongyan Pond, Weininghai, and Yansui during the Chenghua era, he had already made a name for himself. He could beat up the ancestors of the Tatars, let alone their grandchildren.
Compared to him, the so-called "Little Prince" was just a child.
As long as Wang Yue remained alive and continued governing Hami for a while longer, he could train successors to carry on his work. That way, Hami would be stabilized, and the northwest frontier would be secure.
And more importantly, this troublesome Crown Prince wouldn't have to go to the northwest, sparing Chen Ce from any unwanted attention from the court.
"War is unpredictable. If Wang Yue dies from exhaustion on a long campaign, Ming will lose its most powerful deterrent. That would be a devastating loss."
"Staying put is not cowardice—it's conserving strength for a decisive, fatal blow."
Zhu Houzhao smacked his lips, contemplating Chen Ce's words.
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made.
And it even sounded kind of impressive!
If he brought this up to his father, wouldn't His Majesty be completely stunned?
People always said he was reckless, but if he delivered this argument, wouldn't that shut them up?
Zhu Houzhao nodded and said indifferently, "Not bad. You have some insight."
Damn.
Why didn't I think of this?
Heaven granted me a noble status, but did it take away my wisdom in exchange?
Why did it give such intelligence to this sickly guy instead?
It's unfair!
With a calm expression, Zhu Houzhao said, "I have things to do. We'll discuss this further another day."
He stepped out of the room, dramatically flicking his fur cape.
Chen Ce reminded him, "It's snowing outside. Be careful—the road is slippery."
"Heh."
Zhu Houzhao sneered. "I could even dance in the snow, you know? You clearly don't understand the fundamentals of martial artists. This kind of terrain is nothing to me—"
Thud!
Zhu Houzhao slipped and fell hard onto the ground.
He sat there for a moment, then said calmly, "Not bad. Sitting here and admiring the snowfall is quite a unique experience."
Dusting off the snow, he got up and continued walking.
"Hey, wait a second," Chen Ce called after him.
Ugh, what now? Do you want me to admit I fell?
Chen Ce pointed at his broken door. "Little Lord Zhu, you kicked my door down when you arrived."
Zhu Houzhao's eyes widened. You stopped me just for that?
"Pay for it next time. If there's nothing urgent, don't bother me."
With that, he hurried away, his face burning with embarrassment.
Tears welled up in his eyes.
That fall just now… almost cracked him open!
Damn this poor man. Couldn't he at least pave his doorstep properly?