Volume 1, Chapter 30: The Prince of Yan Has Also Learned of Jiang Lin's Existence!

"Your Majesty, I have found the people you asked me to locate."

"There are three patients severely ill with smallpox, and a cow that has also contracted the disease. How shall we proceed?"

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Mao Xiang knelt before Zhu Yuanzhang and bowed in salute. Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and relayed the cowpox vaccination method that Jiang Lin had taught him. Although Mao Xiang was filled with confusion, unable to fathom why the Emperor would do such a thing, he knew one thing: do not ask what you are not supposed to ask; just carry out the orders.

As he turned to leave the palace, Mao Xiang could not help but steal a glance at Zhu Di, who was currently huddled in the arms of Zhu Biao, looking utterly aggrieved. In fact, he had noticed this the moment he entered the palace and had felt a tremor in his heart. What was going on? Why had the usually mighty and imposing Prince of Yan suddenly become like this?

It was not just Mao Xiang who was confused; Zhu Di himself was equally bewildered. After his Imperial Father had taken him to the small grove earlier, he had been met with a barrage of punches and kicks before he even realized what was happening. It was the "love" from his father—and it was incredibly painful! The worst part was that Zhu Di dared not retaliate; he could only endure it.

"Enough, enough with the sniveling! Are you still a man?" Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Di with an expression of disdain.

Zhu Di wiped the tears from his face and asked indignantly, "Father, I just don't understand. I really can't figure it out—I haven't done anything wrong recently, have I?"

"Just because you haven't done it now doesn't mean you won't in the future!" Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Zhu Di, speaking with righteous confidence.

Zhu Di: ??? Was this something a human being could say? No, no, he didn't mean his father wasn't human!

Seeing Zhu Di’s look of utter confusion, Zhu Biao had no choice but to whisper the sequence of events to him, relaying what Jiang Lin had said.

"What? Big Brother, are you serious?"

"You mean... Father beat me because I will rebel in the future?"

Zhu Di was stunned, staring at Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao with eyes full of disbelief. "Father, Big Brother, you... you two actually believe the words of that swindler? A time traveler from over six hundred years in the future? I think he’s just a charlatan and a con artist!"

"Saying that Big Brother will die, that Xiongying will die, that Mother will die, and that I will rebel? Nonsense! If I had been there, I would have cut him down with a single blade!"

"Smallpox is an incurable disease? Is he supposed to be better than the Imperial Physicians in the palace?"

Zhu Di was furious. He truly could not believe that the Father and Brother he had always admired could be so foolish as to believe such deceitful nonsense. However, he couldn't entirely blame them. If it were him, hearing such news, it would have been hard to remain rational. His father and brother must have been duped because of their concern for his mother’s illness.

The point was... it was one thing to be fooled, but they had even left his little sister, Yorong, at the swindler's house! Thinking of this, worry filled Zhu Di’s eyes. His little sister might be in danger.

"The swindler’s house is in the suburbs, right? I... I will take men to rescue Yorong immediately!"

Without waiting for ceremony, he strode toward the palace entrance. He collided head-on with Mao Xiang, who was entering, and both let out cries of pain.

"Your Highness, the Prince of Yan, my eyes were dim. Please forgive me!" Mao Xiang quickly bowed to Zhu Di.

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke calmly, "Old Fourth, why don't you listen to what Mao Xiang has to say first?"

Mao Xiang hurriedly stepped forward, saying excitedly, "Your Majesty, it is effective, highly effective! After we smeared the pus from the cowpox onto a young eunuch and placed him in the same room as the three patients with severe smallpox, he has shown no signs of infection! Given the severity of the patients' condition, an ordinary person would have been infected immediately!"

"Hahaha, good! Very good!" Zhu Yuanzhang was overcome with excitement. If this method worked, it meant his grandson’s illness could be cured and he would no longer be tormented to death by smallpox.

"Mao Xiang, quickly, smear the cowpox pus onto the Grandson!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Mao Xiang nodded and turned to leave the palace.

Zhu Biao also felt very happy, though not as agitated as his father; this was all within his expectations. He looked at the stunned Zhu Di and asked, "Fourth Brother, do you still think Father and I were deceived?"

"I... I..." Zhu Di stammered, unable to form a complete sentence. He was wavering. Could it be... was that man really a traveler from six hundred years in the future? Otherwise, where did the miracle medicine he gave his father come from? One had to know that smallpox was an incurable disease in this world.

Even if this person were not a time traveler, he was definitely a master physician. Furthermore, both his father and his brother were exceptionally brilliant; they would not be easily fooled.

Zhu Biao’s mind was racing, and he was simultaneously considering whether he should meet this fellow. After all, the man had said he would rebel and steal the position from his little nephew, Zhu Yunwen.

However! If what the man said was true, and the person who eventually ascended the throne was neither his Big Brother Zhu Biao nor his eldest nephew Zhu Xiongying, a spark of ambition truly flickered in Zhu Di’s heart.

The throne belonged to Zhu Biao; this was a shared understanding among all of the Zhu family. In his early years, the elder Zhu had been busy with campaigns, and the brothers had grown up by Zhu Biao’s side. As the saying goes, "the eldest brother is like a father," and Zhu Biao was as respected by his younger brothers as their own father.

But at the same time, the allure of the imperial throne had been unparalleled since ancient times. Zhu Di was no exception; he had his own ambitions for that supreme position. Only! As long as his eldest brother was alive, he would not dare to gamble and would certainly remain a dutiful Prince of Yan, guarding his fiefdom in peace. But if his eldest brother were gone, even if his eldest nephew Zhu Xiongying took the throne, Zhu Di might have wanted to gamble—let alone if the successor was Zhu Yunwen, who had no power base behind him.

Perhaps... what that man said was not a lie! A traveler from six hundred years in the future—this was interesting!

Seeing that Zhu Di remained silent for a long time, Zhu Biao spoke again. "Fourth Brother, if you still don't believe it, I will take you to visit Brother Jiang tomorrow. You will understand then. As it happens, I also want to know what the Great Ming developed into after you ascended the throne. At the very least, judging by Jiang Lin’s descriptions, the future Great Ming is a golden age!"

"Big Brother, such rebellious words must not be spoken carelessly!" Zhu Di’s tone was panicked as he stole a glance at the elder Zhu on his high seat. He was terrified of causing his father’s displeasure and receiving another brutal beating.

Reminded by his fourth brother, Zhu Biao laughed, "Alright, alright, Big Brother won't say it, I won't speak carelessly!"

Ever since he had heard of the wretched things Zhu Yunwen would do after taking the throne in the future, he felt that Zhu Di rebelling was actually not such a bad thing.