This is precisely why Wang Xuance sought help from Fang Er, and the fundamental reason it descended into chaos when Fang Er arrived.
If Empress Dowager Cixi hadn't dared to emulate Empress Wu Zetian and declare herself emperor, her name would undoubtedly have appeared on the invitation list, and she would have had the chance to experience the pressure from her ancestors!
Fang Er looked at Zhu Biao before him, a slight smile gracing his lips. He had never expected this individual to be so amiable towards Zhu Di.
"You don't blame him for snatching Zhu Yunwen's throne?"
Asking when one doesn't know is the mark of a good student; Fang Er always embodied this.
Zhu Biao shook his head with a smile, "My fourth brother only took the throne, he didn't kill Wen'er. Why should I blame him?"
Didn't kill?
Fang Er suddenly remembered that the whereabouts of Zhu Yunwen in historical records were indeed a mystery. Some said he became a monk, others that he died, and still others that he fled overseas. Various theories existed.
Zhu Di, sensing his confusion, volunteered an explanation, "Yunwen is indeed not dead."
"Initially, he was kept within the imperial palace. Later, I felt that keeping him here for too long might lead to problems, so I sent someone to escort him overseas."
Fang Er: ???
Damn!
"Could it have been Zheng He's voyages?"
"Precisely!" Zhu Di nodded in affirmation. "As for my imperial brother's descendants, I truly dared not lay a fatal hand on him. Otherwise, how would I face my father and elder brother a hundred years from now?"
"And this is the original, true reason for Zheng He's voyages!"
Fang Er was stunned. He had never imagined that the truth of the matter would be this!
"Damn it! What is going on here?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from behind him. He turned to see Li Shimin, who had somehow traveled from Chang'an.
He asked in confusion, "Father, what are you doing?"
"I was idle and wanted to see if all the people on the list had arrived."
Li Shimin finished speaking casually, then gestured at the chaotic scene in the courtyard.
"What's going on with them?"
Fang Er quickly recounted the events and then introduced Zhu Di and Zhu Biao to him.
Upon learning Zhu Di's identity, Li Shimin scrutinized him.
After a full few minutes, he said with great interest, "Care for a drink together?"
Zhu Di felt a surge of flattery and quickly clasped his hands in thanks.
"Junior greets the Great Ancestor for his kindness!"
"It's just..."
Seeing his hesitation, Li Shimin guessed his thoughts immediately and waved dismissively, "Among them, there are few who catch my eye. No need to pay them any mind!"
With that, he unceremoniously pulled Zhu Di out of the courtyard, not even bothering to meet Ying Zheng and Liu Bang inside.
Only Fang Er and Zhu Biao remained, standing foolishly, unsure of what to say as they watched their retreating figures.
"Come, sit and watch the show!"
Fang Er gestured to the chair Zhu Di had just vacated and offered Zhu Biao a slice of watermelon.
Watching the emperor's grand melee while enjoying watermelon was immensely pleasurable.
This continued until the day before the grand ceremony of relocating the capital, with Fang Er never leaving during that time.
In the third year of Chongde, on the ninth day of the ninth month!
The new capital was filled with joy. Red carpets were laid from the twenty-four city gates all the way to the main gate of the imperial palace.
However, Li Shimin and the civil and military officials did not enter through the main gate.
The Black Emperor, the aircraft carrier obtained from Fang Er, slowly flew in from the direction of Chang'an and finally hovered in the sky above the square outside the imperial palace.
Suddenly.
A beam of ethereal blue light shot out from the bottom of the carrier, connecting to the ground.
Countless citizens had already gathered in the square.
To their astonished gazes, the figures of a group of officials appeared in the beam of light.
They floated a few inches off the ground, slowly descending, like the immortals of legend.
After landing, these individuals immediately dispersed, standing respectfully outside the beam of light to await.
These were the civil and military officials of the court.
And after them came Fang Er, Cheng Yaojin, and others, whom Li Shimin had listed in the Lingyan Pavilion.
Finally, Li Shimin and Li Chengyan descended.
Today, Li Shimin, for the first time in a long time, donned his wide-sleeved court robes again.
The ethereal blue light and the golden dragon robe made him appear exceptionally majestic.
Zhangsun Wuji, Cheng Yaojin, and Yuchi Jingde were the first to kneel.
"Welcome the Retired Emperor!"
"Welcome the Emperor!"
The surrounding populace, hearing this, immediately reacted and also knelt down, shouting in unison.
"Long live His Majesty, long live, long live!"
Since the Zhenguan era, a series of policies such as tax reductions had been issued by the court. Even the mandatory labor services of the past had now become paid work.
The lives of the common people improved day by day.
The academies, blossoming everywhere, also provided opportunities for their next generation.
The cement roads, extending in all directions, brought them an endless stream of wealth.
The rivers and canals across the land, under the leadership of the Ministry of Works, were dredged annually, and new channels were excavated, making crop yields increase year by year.
Although the natural disasters recorded in history during the Zhenguan era were not entirely avoided, their impact on the people was minimized as much as possible.
The eyes of the masses were discerning.
Especially the people of this era!
Some of the older generation, who had experienced the rule of the Sui Dynasty, could better appreciate the hard-won happiness of the present by comparison.
All of this was realized due to the wisdom of the current Emperor.
Therefore, the kneeling ceremony at this moment was imbued with unprecedented sincerity.
Li Shimin and his son, within the beam of light, descended slowly.
Looking at the citizens below, Old Li's lips curved slightly.
See!
These are the people under my rule!
"Rise!"
His words, transmitted through an earpiece to the carrier and then amplified, echoed throughout the new capital.
Like thunder!
The invited emperors were now standing on the battlements of the imperial city, witnessing this scene firsthand.
Expressions of envy, jealousy, and hatred instantly appeared on everyone's faces.
Damn it!
Why were they, as emperors themselves, so unsuccessful in their own reigns?