Emperor Chengzu of Ming? We've Become the False Emperor Gaozu of Ming.

Above the sky, the four large characters "Dragon Protector of the Nation" shone brightly in gold, as if it were the most authoritative final judgment on the merits and demerits of Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang.

In the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign, at the Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang's chest heaved, the immense shock of being understood transforming into an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

He is not a tyrant!

His descendants understood him!

That's enough!

He turned his head and his gaze fell on the somewhat bewildered young Zhu Di beside him.

At this moment, everything about him looks pleasing to the eye.

My son is so big!

Our good Silang!

As expected of our offspring, he will be able to shoulder the responsibility of the Ming Dynasty in the future, restore order, eliminate corrupt officials, and punish traitors!

Zhu Yuanzhang was greatly pleased, and even had an impulse to pull the boy over right now and pat his head again.

However, above the sky, Zhu Dijun's voice took a sudden turn.

"Family members, now that we've finished praising them, let's get back to the main topic."

"The truth behind the four major cases has allowed us to see the great talent and good intentions of Emperor Taizu Gaozu."

"Now, let's turn back the timeline to after the death of the founding emperor."

Zhu Dijun's tone carried a hint of amusement.

"After the death of Emperor Taizu, Emperor Jianwen, Zhu Yunwen, with the assistance of Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng, began his vigorous campaign to weaken the power of the princes."

"Of course, what he mainly wants to target are his uncles who hold significant military power and have made numerous military achievements."

"There are certainly a few 'anthropomorphic' characters here who don't act like humans."

The voice just fell.

Above the sky, the image was divided into several parts.

The 28th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, Xi'an Prefecture, Qin Palace.

King Zhu Shuang of Qin was embracing his beautiful concubine, drinking wine, and watching the screen in the sky praising his father, feeling proud of himself.

Upon hearing the word "anthropomorphism," his wine glass trembled.

"Which young upstart dares to insult me?!"

On the other side, the independent scenes of Prince Zhu Gang of Jin, Prince Zhu Fu of Qi, Prince Zhu Gui of Dai, and other vassal kings lit up one by one.

They almost simultaneously cursed at the sky.

"You're the one who's anthropomorphic!"

"Your whole family are anthropomorphic!"

"You ignorant brat, how dare you insult me ​​like this!"

Although they were usually arrogant and domineering, who could stand being called "inhuman" by a descendant?

In the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang's smile froze instantly.

The tenderness he had just felt for the fourth brother was instantly dispelled by the incompetence of these brats.

Damn it!

We're not dead yet!

These rebellious kids, are they going to embarrass us like this in the future?!

Zhu Yuanzhang's face visibly darkened.

On the sky, Judy Jun completely ignored the impotent rage of these vassal kings and continued:

"However, among all the princes, the one he feared most and wanted to eliminate most was, without a doubt, the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, whom we just mentioned, who was stationed in Beiping!"

"Thus, everything we have seen before came to be: regicide, usurpation of imperial edicts, and forcing the King of Yan to rebel."

"Finally, our Yongle Emperor, after four years of struggle, seized the throne in accordance with the imperial decree to quell the rebellion!"

"After his ancestor successfully quelled the rebellion, he worked diligently to govern the country, creating the Yongle era of prosperity, and was revered by later generations as..."

Zhu Dijun paused deliberately here, as if he were brewing up an incomparably glorious title.

The Forbidden City in the fifteenth year of the Yongle reign.

Zhu Di straightened his back, his eyes filled with anticipation.

He had just been exonerated and cleared of the stigma of usurping the throne, and was in high spirits.

He thought that with his achievements, he could set things right and rebuild the Ming Dynasty, so he should at least be a "King Shizu" (a title for a prominent emperor).

Follow the example of Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu) and revive the Han Dynasty!

Correct!

It must be Emperor Shizu!

Emperor Shizu of Ming!

This temple name is worthy of his merits!

In the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign, at the Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly.

Although the process was tortuous, the fourth son eventually inherited our empire, and it seems he's doing a pretty good job.

Restoring order and quelling internal strife can be considered a form of rebuilding.

Giving him the temple name "Emperor Shizu" is quite reasonable.

Throughout time and space, and among all emperors, there has been a waiting for the answer they considered self-evident.

However, Zhu Dijun's next words were like a thunderbolt from the heavens, striking the top of the head of every member of the Zhu family!

"Respectfully referred to by later generations as—"

"[Emperor Yongle of Ming]!"

"Emperor Chengzu"?!

These two words were uttered lightly from Judy Jun's mouth.

Yet it was as heavy as Mount Tai, smashing down and plunging the entire Ming Dynasty era into a deathly silence.

After a brief period of deathly silence, a volcanic eruption followed!

"What?!"

"Emperor Chengzu?!"

Two furious roars rang out simultaneously from two different times and spaces, the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign and the fifteenth year of the Yongle reign!

In the fifteenth year of the Yongle reign, the pride and anticipation on Zhu Di's face instantly froze, then turned into fury, and finally turned into a blood-red ashen color!

Emperor Chengzu?!

He suddenly stood up, and the new imperial desk that he had just smashed with his fist and replaced was overturned to the ground with a "bang"!

"Who?! Who gave me this temple name?!"

Zhu Di's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a mad tiger.

Emperor Chengzu!

That's a temple name that only the founding emperor could use!

Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang) was Emperor Taizu, and Emperor Guangwu of Han (Liu Xiu) was Emperor Shizu!

Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, was Emperor Taizu, and Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was Emperor Taizong!

Our father was Mao Zedong!

We should be Emperor Taizong, or at most Emperor Shizu!

How did he become "Emperor Chengzu"?!

By adopting this temple name, wouldn't it be tantamount to openly telling the world that Zhu Di was not inheriting the Ming Dynasty, but rather starting anew and creating a "new" Ming Dynasty?

Then what about him and his father Zhu Yuanzhang?

Did his father's "Hongwu Reign" become the legacy of the previous dynasty?

He himself became the founding emperor who usurped the throne of the "previous dynasty".

During his four years of pacification campaign, he used the pretext of "purging the court of corrupt officials" in order to protect his father's empire!

After his death, he was betrayed by his own descendants and labeled a founding traitor?!

This is even more infuriating than Zhu Yunwen calling him a traitor!

"puff--!"

A mouthful of blood spurted from Zhu Di's mouth!

He wasn't defeated; he was angered by his own people!

And in that distant eleventh year of the Hongwu reign.

Inside the Fengtian Hall, the atmosphere had dropped to freezing point.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly stood up from the dragon throne.

The satisfaction he had just shown was gone from his face.

And the previous regret was gone.

Only one thing remains: the overwhelming rage of being betrayed by the closest person!

"Emperor Cheng...?"

He spoke slowly and deliberately, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

He stared intently at the eighteen-year-old Zhu Di in the hall, a boy with an innocent and fearful expression.

"OK……"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed in anger, but the laughter was more unpleasant than crying.

"Zhu Di!"

"You're such a good son!"

"You son of a bitch, you're 'Emperor Chengzu'!"

"Then tell me, what are we?!"

"Has the empire we painstakingly built become a 'false Ming'?!"

"Am I a fake Ming Taizu?!"

"ah?!"

The final roar shook the entire hall.

The young Zhu Di was completely terrified.

He didn't know what had happened.

He only saw his father, who had just been so affectionate, now with bloodshot eyes, rushing towards him as if he wanted to devour him!

"Father! Father! Let me explain! Oh no! Let me see your explanation!"

Zhu Di was so frightened that he ran away as fast as he could.

"Explanation my ass!"

Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed the whisk from the eunuch beside him and chased after Zhu Di.

"We'll beat you to death today, you unfilial son who started your own family!"

"I'll make you an ancestor!"

"I'll make you an ancestor!"

In an instant, the solemn and dignified Fengtian Hall was transformed into a chaotic scene of chasing and fighting.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao was dumbfounded.

The courtiers trembled with fear.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

What... what on earth is going on?!