Chapter 699: Death Before Even Setting Foot in Battle

The Han Prince’s Palace in Le’an.
Ever since the campaign to suppress rebellion began, the small town of Le’an had known no peace. Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu first followed in Zhu Di’s footsteps by establishing five armies—front, rear, left, right, and center—and took command of the central army himself, assigning all five of his younger sons to oversee the troops. Soon after, he sent his most trusted officers to various surrounding garrisons and prefectures to seize livestock, horses, and able-bodied men. Even the crown prince and the fourth son were sent to Denglai to coordinate with elite anti-piracy units such as Weihaiwei, Chengshanwei, and Lingshanwei.

Yet, despite all this, he did not seize the opportunity to attack nearby prefectures and establish a stronghold. Instead, he kept a close eye on the imperial court’s movements. After his initial attempt to intercept Zhu Zhanji failed, he knew things would not turn out well this time. Even though Zhu Zhanji, like Zhu Gaochi before him, offered rewards, honors, and kindnesses, and even sent a personal letter praising him at the start of his rebellion, Zhu Gaoxu was determined to ignore them no matter what.

Even if the emperor executed those who constantly opposed him, like Xia Yuanji and Yang Rong, as he demanded, he would not stop! He had waited over twenty years for this supreme position, and now it was time for him to seize it by force!

Thus, Zhu Gaoxu, who once dismissed the Han Prince’s Palace as too modest, spent his time in the main hall of the palace, often sitting on the privately crafted golden nine-dragon throne as he received subordinates, messengers, and officials from neighboring counties who came to pledge loyalty to him, acting like an emperor. That day, several of his trusted officers who had gone to various counties to seize livestock and horses returned and reported their gains one after another.

“Your Highness, we captured nineteen camels, 120 horses, and 1,500 stones of military grain!”
“Your Highness, we obtained 92 horses and 2,000 stones of grain in total, all brought back!”
“I have 321 strong laborers here!”

After hearing their reports, Zhu Gaoxu was extremely satisfied. He then turned to Wang Bin, his most trusted commander. Stepping forward, Wang Bin bowed and said, “I led my men to sweep through Haifeng, Putai, Gaoyuan, and Xincheng. In total, we gathered 20,000 stones of grain, over 240 horses, and 950 strong soldiers and civilians willing to pledge loyalty to Your Highness. Now, Le’an has enough grain to last a whole year, ensuring the success of our mission!”

“Good!” Zhu Gaoxu slammed his hand on the armrest forcefully, stood up abruptly, and burst into laughter. He then glanced satisfactorily at the generals below and said, “In the past, our father raised his arm and gathered the five armies, swept across the land to seize power, and rewarded all those who had helped him. Now, I am determined to follow in my father’s footsteps and quell the rebellion. Then, I will share glory and wealth with you all!”
The men had followed Zhu Gaoxu despite the risk of being exterminated for such a promising future, so naturally they agreed eagerly. Even after leaving, they couldn’t hide their excitement and began discussing it again as they descended the steps. Zhu Gaochi in the main hall wasn’t displeased; instead, he paced back and forth, his heavy footsteps echoing ominously on the bluestone floor.
“That brat Zhu Zhanji actually sent Marquis of Ningyang, Chen Mao, to attack me! It’s like offering me fine wine and dishes right on a platter! Back then, Chen Mao’s father lost to me, so he tried to switch sides. But that old fool was incompetent and died, allowing Chen Mao to rise step by step! Even if it were Zhang Fu himself coming at me, I wouldn’t fear him… What so-called Duke of Ying—conquered just Jiaozhi and already considers himself a great general!”
At the thought of Zhang Fu daring to claim credit for something he hadn’t done, Zhu Gaoxu grew furious. He turned to Wang Bin and asked, “Wang Bin, tell me—am I, with my unparalleled bravery, the greatest general in the world, or is Zhang Fu just stealing that title?”
Hearing Zhu Gaoxu compare him to Zhang Fu, Wang Bin was speechless. Though not good with words, he knew he couldn’t disappoint his lord, so he racked his brains for a while before answering, “Your Highness was a brave general praised even by Emperor Taizong during his lifetime. Although the Duke of Ying has waged four campaigns in Jiaozhi, he certainly can’t compare to Your Highness.”
“Hmph, exactly! If Zhang Fu isn’t even my match, then Chen Mao is even less so!”
With that, Zhu Gaoxu sat back down on the Nine-Dragon Throne, gripping the golden armrest tightly as he envisioned the glorious future after defeating Chen Mao’s army. Back then, even with his father Zhu Di’s strength, after capturing Tongzhou, the crown prince still had to defend Beijing while the larger army of Danning crushed the southern forces. Now, he would surely repeat that strategy. Once Chen Mao’s army arrived, he would have his elite five armies at home and tens of thousands of elite troops from Shandong to defend against invaders. He could easily establish his dominance—there would be no need to bother fighting for Jinan or Qingzhou!
“Your Highness, something terrible has happened!”

Zhū Gāoxù, who was basking in triumph, was startled by this voice and instantly snapped back to reality. Seeing that Wáng Bīn had disappeared without a trace, and realizing the one kneeling below was a young eunuch, he snapped angrily, “What’s the rush? Has the imperial army reached our doorstep?”
“No, it’s not…” The young eunuch managed to reply only once before catching a glimpse of Zhū Gāoxù’s face, twisted with fury and impatience. Frightened, he hurriedly explained, “It’s Doctor Fèng. He hasn’t returned since last night. We tried to report it, but the Chengyun Hall wouldn’t let us in. Now… now a body hasfloateded up in the large pond in the back garden. It’s… it’s Doctor Fèng!”
Knowing this was certainly no good news, the young eunuch crouched fearfully on the ground, terrified that Zhū Gāoxù might order him executed in an fit of rage. Yet after waiting for a long time with no sound from above, he mustered the courage to steal a glance at Zhū Gāoxù. Though his expression remained dark, there were no further signs of anger. Though he didn’t understand what was going on, he knew he was likely to survive this time.
Recalling that since last month he had regained his former vigor and could indulge in sexual relations with multiple women at night, Zhū Gāoxù had conceived the idea of silencing him and had tasked two trusted eunuchs with carrying it out. Hearing that the man was dead, he assumed they had done their job well and promptly ordered, “Find some people to bury the body. Do it early in this heat so as not to create a foul smell. No inscriptions or anything—choose a hidden place and bury it firmly. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll follow your orders.”
Although the young eunuch had served “Fèng Yuǎn Míng” for some time, the old man was peculiar, and he didn’t hold much affection for him. Hearing these instructions, he felt greatly relieved and quickly bowed several times in agreement. Once he slipped away quietly, Zhū Gāoxù stood up and stretched comfortably.
“That old fool is finally dead. Now no one will ever know about that incident. It was worth bringing him here after all. That old man was quite skilled at medicine!”

Since Concubine Wei’s “death,” Zhu Gaoxu had not appointed a new consort. In addition to his main wife, a prince could take ten more wives, but he was far from satisfied with that. He kept dozens of beautiful women in his harem, all young and stunning. With good news coming in from outside and his illness fully cured, he summoned six maids to take turns accompanying him in bed for three consecutive nights, indulging in lustful pleasures. By dawn, these women would be utterly exhausted, while he remained refreshed. This naturally led him to focus even more on sensual indulgence.

The soldiers outside naturally knew nothing of Zhu Gaoxu’s obsession with women, but several trusted officers were aware of it, so they unanimously decided to send Wang Bin to advise him. Yet, Wang Bin, who was usually highly trusted, met with failure. He merely used Zhu Gaochi as an example, only to be driven away by the enraged Zhu Gaoxu.

“Don’t compare me to that wretched fatso, Zhu Gaochi! That damned fatman never deserved to be emperor—the old man made the wrong choice! I am full of vigor; even if I were to consort with a hundred women at night, I’d still be fine!”

When Wang Bin returned and told his colleagues, they were speechless. Only Wei Da snapped, “If it were only at night, we wouldn’t have any objections. But it’s already daytime! We’re all patrolling the city walls, stockpiling supplies, and training the army. If people find out that the King of Han is busy with… this, morale will collapse!”

As they stood there, struggling to come up with a solution, the observant Wang Bin saw Governor Zhu Heng rushing over and immediately signaled them to be quiet. Just as when Zhu Di started his rebellion, Zhu Gaoxu had few scholars under him. Zhu Heng, who succeeded Jin Lianggan, was the only civil official who defected to Zhu Gaoxu. Although Zhu Gaoxu trusted him greatly and appointed him as commander of the rear army, many officers disdained this sycophantic scoundrel.

“Sir Zhu, what’s the matter?”

“Generals, could you please go inform the King of Han at once? I have urgent business!”

Seeing Zhu Heng’s sweaty face, the officers exchanged glances but none stepped aside. Wei Da sized him up arrogantly and asked, “Sir Zhu, the king likely doesn’t have time to see you now. If it’s important, just tell us directly. If it’s not urgent, then please go back.”

Zhu Heng was well aware that these people disdained him—having neither a distinguished family background nor extraordinary talents, and too afraid to offend these powerful officers, he could only force a smile and say, “It’s indeed an urgent matter. News just came from the capital—the commander in charge has changed. It’s not the Marquis of Ningyang now…”
Wang Bin immediately became alert and asked eagerly, “If it’s not the Marquis of Ningyang, could it be the Duke of Yingguo?”
“Nor the Duke of Yingguo! It’s the emperor…” As soon as the word “emperor” left his lips, he realized he’d made a mistake and quickly corrected himself, “That person is going to lead the campaign personally! The order to go on an expedition has already been issued—tw hundred thousand troops are to be assembled from the capital’s guards and camps to wage war!”
Two hundred thousand!
Hearing such a figure, Wang Bin no longer dared delay. He turned around and rushed like the wind toward the Chengyun Gate. Though he was a trusted confidant of Zhu Gaoxu, under such circumstances he could only report step by step. After much waiting, when the curtain finally moved and someone came out, what he saw was Zhu Gaoxu, casually draped in a silk robe, yawning and stretching lazily.
“What’s so urgent again?”
“Your Highness, news has come from the capital—he has ordered to lead the expedition personally!”
Zhu Gaoxu, who had been covering his mouth with his hand, was stunned. He slowly lowered his hand and confirmed doubtfully. When Wang Bin clearly stated that Zhu Zhanji had indeed ordered a personal expedition, his previously indifferent expression instantly changed. Even his father, Zhu Di, who had once been a powerful warlord in the north and had suffered defeats several times against the southern forces—sometimes returning with only a few survivors—had never led an expedition himself. His nephew, however, was different; he could ride and shoot arrows. If he truly led a large army, those officers he had previously connected with might hesitate.
“How is that possible… Weren’t they saying it was Chen Mao at first? Wait, could it be that Fangling, whom Mei Qing has won over, is deliberately hiding the truth? Damn it, they’re all good-for-nothing fools!”
In a fit of rage, Zhu Gaoxu knocked over a tall flower stand nearby. As the vases crashed to the ground, he angrily punched the wall and then kicked over the table and chairs in a fit of fury. It took some time before his anger subsided, and he sat down on a chair nearby. But as soon as he sat down, he suddenly felt his heart pounding rapidly and struggled to breathe, forcing him to cover his chest.

Seeing Zhu Gaoxu angrily smashing things, Wang Bin didn’t dare say a word. But when he noticed Zhu Gaoxu suddenly clutching his chest in pain, he was shocked and quickly stepped forward to ask what was wrong. He found Zhu Gaoxu’s face turning blue and unable to speak. Panicked, he rushed out and grabbed a eunuch, ordering him to fetch Doctor Feng. Yet when he returned to the room, he saw Zhu Gaoxu had slipped from the chair to the ground, his expression terrifyingly grim.

“Your Highness, please hold on a little longer! I’ve already sent someone for a doctor! That Doctor Feng is so skilled—with him here, this minor illness won’t be a problem at all!”

He thought he had said the right things, but instead of feeling relieved, Zhu Gaoxu’s eyes widened even more, his terrifying gaze as if trying to swallow him whole, yet he still couldn’t utter a word. Soon, several officers rushed in, but Doctor Feng, whom Wang Bin had hoped for, was still nowhere to be seen. Time passed slowly. After what seemed like an eternity, a young eunuch stumbled in. Seeing all the officers staring at him, he was so scared he sat down on the ground.

“Gentlemen… my lords, Doctor Feng… Doctor Feng drowned in a pool three days ago!”

Hearing this, everyone was shocked. Wang Bin gasped. Turning back, he saw Zhu Gaochi still with wide eyes, but his gaze was filled with death. Suppressing his fear, he reached out to check for a breath and then, unwillingly, tried to feel the pulse at his neck. He quickly pulled his hand back and uttered those four words in a dazed state:

“Your Highness… has passed…”