Emperor Yongle’s words about “focusing on the big picture while letting go of small matters” gave the emotionally collapsed Crown Prince baby a reassuring pill.

The Crown Prince wasn’t certain whether he would be deposed by his father emperor in the future, but he could be certain of one thing – he definitely wouldn’t lose his position as master of the Eastern Palace because of his lame leg or physical disability.

This was enough.

Which Crown Prince throughout the dynasties had an easy life?

Zhu Gaochi comforted himself: Compared to those cannon fodder Crown Princes who were killed by rising waves on the beach, I’m already very fortunate. My father is relatively tolerant – if it were other emperors, they would have deposed me long ago.

After Emperor Yongle comforted his son and returned to continue his work, the Crown Prince was revived with full energy. He said to his son Zhu Zhanji: “Help me up. Summon the scholars from the Right Bureau. I want to read – I can’t lie in bed anymore.”

Zhu Zhanji hesitated somewhat: “Father, your foot…”

Once he met with the scholars and walked limping to the Right Bureau, the Crown Prince’s lame leg certainly couldn’t be concealed, and Superintendent Hu’s gag order would automatically become ineffective.

Zhu Gaochi said: “I use my brain to think about problems, not my feet. Things have come to this point – everyone will know sooner or later. Acting secretive makes it seem like I’m guilty of something. I’m ill, but I have no fault in virtue or governance. What’s there to hide?”

Zhu Gaochi smiled self-mockingly: “Am I not the Crown Prince just because I’m lame? I’m fat, but did I eat their family’s rice? I’m lame, but did I use their family’s crutches? As long as father emperor can accept it, it doesn’t matter what others think or say – as long as they’re not afraid of death, let them say whatever they want.”

Zhu Gaochi had figured it out and suddenly felt completely relaxed, as if his nearly three hundred pounds of excess flesh had become as light as air.

At this moment, in Zhu Zhanji’s eyes, the three-hundred-pound big fat man on the bed was radiating with light. He had never admired his father as much as he did now. He half-knelt down to put on his father’s shoes and socks.

Zhu Gaochi’s left foot was swollen and took great effort to fit into the shoe. Zhu Zhanji supported him as he took two steps: “How does father feel?”

“It hurts a bit when walking, but there’s no feeling when sitting down.” After just moving a few times, sweat appeared on the Crown Prince’s nose. “I can’t always need someone to support me. Give me a crutch – let me try walking by myself.”

Zhu Zhanji handed his father a walking stick. The Crown Prince used the stick to limp around in a circle. The walking stick was about as thick as Zhu Zhanji’s arm, but in the Crown Prince’s hands, it looked like he was using a toothpick, wobbling as if it would break under the Crown Prince’s weight at any moment.

The only thing that could support the Crown Prince now was an iron crutch, but iron crutches were too heavy for the Crown Prince to lift.

Zhu Zhanji watched with his heart in his throat and instructed the young eunuch beside him: “Have Superintendent Hu select several strong and sturdy eunuchs to come over.”

Even palace maids wouldn’t work – they couldn’t support the Crown Prince and might even be crushed by him.

The Crown Prince practiced for several rounds and decided to give up. His body type really wasn’t suitable for using crutches – it was exhausting and unsafe. Fortunately, Hu Shanwei soon arrived with four tall, burly eunuchs. These four were also palace guards who knew martial arts, and their appearances were all plain – they couldn’t be too handsome, or they would make the Crown Prince’s already mediocre looks, ruined by his fat, appear even more ordinary.

Besides people, Hu Shanwei also brought shoes and socks rushed by the Imperial Clothing Bureau: “This humble minister asked the imperial physicians, who said the Crown Prince’s diseased foot needs careful care. The shoes and socks should be soft and roomier than before, with soft soles – no wooden soles, but not too thin either. These soles are woven and bonded with durable hemp and leather. Please try them, Crown Prince.”

The Crown Prince sat down, and the newly arrived eunuch knelt to change the Crown Prince’s shoes and socks – the Crown Prince was too fat to put on shoes himself, and even wiping his bottom required palace servants, as he couldn’t reach.

The new shoes and socks were soft enough, making his feet feel like they were surrounded by clouds. Moreover, the left shoe’s sole was thicker than the right, slightly balancing the Crown Prince’s wobbling when walking.

“Much more comfortable.” Zhu Gaochi took a few steps and said to Hu Shanwei: “Superintendent Hu has taken great care.”

Zhu Gaochi was easygoing and a very well-educated person.

Seeing the Crown Prince so strong, Hu Shanwei admired him: “This is within this humble minister’s duties.”

The imperial physicians said the Crown Prince’s diseased foot couldn’t heal – it would be extremely fortunate if it could remain like this without further deterioration. The Crown Prince would have to live with this diseased foot for life, and with his obese body… who knew what changes might occur in the future.

Concubine Zhang Shu had just settled down and gotten on the right path, thinking she could have peaceful days, but before she could enjoy a few quiet days, the Crown Prince became lame, creating an even bigger variable.

Everyone was worried about the Crown Prince, but only the Crown Prince remained calm and composed. He summoned the Right Bureau scholars for a meeting. When Xie Jin and other scholars saw the Crown Prince limping into the room, supported by two tall, burly eunuchs, their minds nearly exploded.

“What happened to Crown Prince?”

“Is there nothing seriously wrong with Your Highness?”

“Your Highness suddenly summoned us – did something major happen?”

The Crown Prince sat down steadily and said to the eunuch beside him: “Remove my shoes.”

The scholars personally witnessed the Crown Prince’s diseased left foot, and the previously noisy hall immediately fell silent.

The Crown Prince said: “My left foot is ill, incurable, and I have difficulty walking. From now on, I’ll always walk with this limp and need someone’s support. Tomorrow at the grand court assembly, the officials will see my lame leg. If nothing unexpected happens, in a few days, someone will certainly request the abolition of the Crown Prince on grounds of my difficulty walking. You scholars must be mentally prepared and remain calm.”

Grand Secretary Xie Jin was the first to react: “What did His Majesty say about this?”

Others’ attitudes didn’t matter – the emperor’s thoughts were most important.

The Crown Prince said: “As Crown Prince, I should convince people with virtue and reason. No Crown Prince has ever convinced people with force. I summon you scholars today to let you know my determination. Illness cannot defeat me, and neither can rumors and gossip. I may be corpulent and lame, but I’ve always tried to be a good Crown Prince. I need the guidance and instruction of you Right Bureau scholars to help me be a good Crown Prince.”

There once was a Crown Prince who habitually convinced people with force and successfully ascended the throne, but to show off his strength, he lifted a tripod and ended up dropping the heavy tripod on his foot. The infection killed him within a few months. This person was called Ying Dang, a certain King of Qin during the Warring States period.

This shows that Crown Princes rely on wisdom, not strength.

The Crown Prince’s public declaration moved all the scholars, who were touched by his resilience despite physical disability: “We ministers will certainly spare no effort and not fail our mission.”

Once selected for the Eastern Palace Right Bureau, they were undoubtedly Crown Prince faction members. Everyone had boarded the ship with their tickets – there was no retreat. They could only board the Crown Prince’s broken ship swaying in the storm. If the Crown Prince’s ship capsized, no one under the overturned vessel would survive.

After the Crown Prince had laid everything bare with the Right Bureau scholars and returned to the Eastern Palace, Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu came to visit his elder brother.

Prince Han was actually entering the palace to verify the situation because Ji Gang had revealed news of the Crown Prince’s fainting. Of course, he couldn’t reveal Ji Gang as his ace card. Using missing his mother as an excuse, he went to pay respects at Empress’s coffin in Rouyi Palace, copied scriptures, then “happened to” visit his elder brother.

The Crown Prince limped to welcome his brother. When Prince Han saw this, he thought: Ji Gang truly didn’t deceive me – the Crown Prince indeed has problems!

Zhu Gaoxu was wildly joyful inside but showed worry on his face, quickly going to support the Crown Prince and help him sit: “Elder brother, what happened to you?”

The Crown Prince wiped the sweat from his forehead and explained the physicians’ diagnosis: “…This foot definitely won’t heal, but fortunately it won’t threaten my life – I’ll just suffer some physical pain from now on. Second brother needn’t worry – I can endure it.”

Prince Han listened with his brain somewhat stuck: The left foot won’t heal and will always be like this – doesn’t this mean he’s lame and disabled?

Looking through history books, were there any lame Crown Princes?

There had never been any.

Even idiots could be Crown Prince and inherit the throne, like the Jin Dynasty’s Emperor Hui Sima Zhong who said “Why don’t they eat meat?” But lame people couldn’t – it would simply disgrace the nation.

Prince Han felt his good fortune was coming. He half-knelt beside the Crown Prince, embracing the Crown Prince’s diseased foot and wailing: “Elder brother, this younger brother truly feels so sorry for you. If the illness could be transferred, I would willingly bear elder brother’s diseased foot and cut off my good leg to give to elder brother.”

Keep the diseased foot – just give me the Eastern Palace.

Prince Han cried sorrowfully, and the Crown Prince had to comfort him instead: “It’s not that serious, really. Look at me now – I’m fine. Except for inconvenient legs and feet, everything is normal. I even had an extra bowl of rice at noon today.”

The Crown Prince could even joke with Prince Han: “I’ve always preferred quiet over activity since childhood, disliked going out. I could stay in the study all day. If I could sit, I’d never stand; if I could lie down, I’d never sit. When going out, I preferred sedan chairs and carriages – I just didn’t want to walk. Later when I got fat, I had to stop using carriages and walked everywhere in the palace – it was truly exhausting. Now that my leg is lame, it’s actually good – wherever I go, I can righteously use carriages and sedan chairs. Father emperor won’t scold me for laziness anymore.”

Prince Han listened and automatically highlighted the last sentence: Won’t scold the Crown Prince for laziness – does this mean he’s already given up on the lame Crown Prince and wants to depose him, so he’s no longer making demands?

Regardless, a lame Crown Prince was good news for Prince Han. How could the great Ming Dynasty, the Celestial Empire, possibly want a lame Crown Prince? The imperial family wasn’t lacking other legitimate sons – like the wise, mighty, brave, and warlike me.

Crown Prince: Brother, you’re overthinking…

Prince Han cried very satisfyingly this time, and felt even better inside. He felt that the seemingly calm Crown Prince was just pretending to be strong. No matter how tightly Superintendent Hu kept the secret, once you attend morning court it would inevitably be exposed. Once or twice of limping could be considered normal, but constantly limping – let’s see how you explain that to the officials.

However, the Crown Prince had no intention of hiding his physical disability. The next day at the grand court assembly, the Crown Prince attended court limping, supported by two eunuchs.

In the entire Fengtian Hall, only the emperor and Crown Prince could sit to discuss state affairs. The Crown Prince’s seat was positioned to the lower left of Emperor Yongle.

According to regulations, civil and military officials first stood at their respective positions, awaiting the arrival of the emperor. Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi followed behind his father. After the emperor and Crown Prince were seated, all officials, including Prince Han and Prince Zhao, had to perform the grand ceremony of monarch and subject toward Emperor Yongle and the Crown Prince on their thrones.

Today the Crown Prince swayed like a penguin – his posture was truly too strange. The officials were somewhat stunned and momentarily forgot to bow. Xie Jin and other Eastern Palace Right Bureau officials knew what was happening and showed admiring expressions.

Seeing the awkward scene, Xie Jin took the lead in bowing: “Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live!”

Xie Jin was also the head of the cabinet secretariat. Though holding a second rank, below the first-rank ministers of the Six Ministries, as the emperor’s first close minister, he had a weathervane meaning in court. With his call, hundreds responded – officials all came to their senses and joined the bowing ceremony.

“Rise.” Emperor Yongle waved his hand grandly, turning a blind eye to the penguin Crown Prince’s strange appearance, as if this wasn’t anything remarkable.

The Crown Prince was also steady as Mount Tai. Facing countless strange looks, he met their gazes calmly, neither panicked nor hurried.

The officials hadn’t yet emerged from their shock and decided to observe first – seeing the Crown Prince’s calm appearance, perhaps he had just accidentally sprained his ankle.

Prince Han watched leading brother Xie Jin come forward to defuse the situation and deeply hated him.

The mantis stalks the cicada, while the oriole waits behind. Ji Gang coldly observed Prince Han harboring murderous intent toward Xie Jin, knowing his plan to kill with a borrowed knife had succeeded. Now it was just a matter of finding the right timing.

After the grand court assembly dispersed, officials discussed the Crown Prince’s lame leg everywhere. Some even went to the Imperial Medical Academy to inquire. The imperial physicians, with Emperor Yongle’s tacit permission, didn’t hide anything, saying the Crown Prince had a foot disease and would be lame from now on.

The matter of the heir’s lame leg caused an uproar. Memorials requesting the Crown Prince’s deposition flew to Emperor Yongle’s desk like snowflakes.

According to convention, all memorials except military and state affairs were first sent to the cabinet for screening. At most, half the memorials in a day were about deposing the Crown Prince, all citing the heir’s difficulty walking as affecting the Ming Dynasty’s image.

Xie Jin sent the memorial summaries to Emperor Yongle. Emperor Yongle casually flipped through them – most calling for deposing the Crown Prince were military generals, with some civil officials joining in.

The military generals were mostly great heroes from the Jingnan Campaign, like Duke Qiguo Qiu Fu, and also Duke Yingguo Zhang Fu, who had become the most prominent military general of the Yongle reign due to the Annan Campaign. He also memorialized Emperor Yongle. Though not explicitly saying “depose the Crown Prince,” he used a caring tone to inquire about the Crown Prince’s health, saying an unstable heir would shake military morale, hinting at replacing him with a reliable Crown Prince.

Emperor Yongle wasn’t surprised by this situation. It was the same as when the Eastern Palace master was undecided and military generals supported Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu as Crown Prince. These people had formed deep battle friendships with Prince Han during the Jingnan Campaign and had clear positions.

These people said that since ancient times, there had never been a Crown Prince with difficulty walking. Emperor Yongle scoffed at this: Since ancient times, there had never been a prince who became emperor either – so did I not become emperor? Capable people can be exceptions.

Emperor Yongle noted these people’s names and flipped to the end, where he stopped – these two people were beyond his expectations: one was his second daughter, Princess Yongping, who had married Marquis Fuyang Li Rang. The other was his third daughter, Princess Ancheng, who had married Marquis Xining’s heir Song Hu.

Both princesses memorialized their father together, with similar content, saying since Crown Prince elder brother was in poor health, don’t force him – let elder brother rest and recover, don’t work so hard.

The implication was to depose the Crown Prince, letting elder brother become an idle prince. Elder brother’s lame leg was from overwork.

These two daughters clearly stood with Prince Han. The question was: with elder brother “resting,” who would be Crown Prince? Of course, Prince Han Zhu Gaoxu.

Emperor Yongle could understand the Jingnan Campaign generals supporting Prince Han. After all, he also won the realm on horseback and knew that when fighting side by side, you entrust your life to each other. The loyalty and faith born from this were precious. Prince Han could be said to have earned these generals’ respect and support through his real abilities.

But what was with the two princesses?

Unknowingly, Prince Han’s influence had expanded from military generals to the imperial family?

This made Emperor Yongle wary of Prince Han.

Originally, Emperor Yongle wanted to use the Crown Prince’s lame leg to test outside reactions, let things ferment to see everyone’s positions clearly. But in just a few days, both princesses had memorialized. If this continued unchecked, it might backfire and split the officials and imperial family.

He still needed thunderous measures to show the emperor’s position and prevent those people from thinking of deposing the Crown Prince.

Emperor Yongle immediately summoned Princess Yongping and Princess Ancheng to the palace. He didn’t even see these two daughters or lecture them, directly ordering them to go to Empress’s coffin in Rouyi Palace and copy “Inner Training” compiled by Empress Ren Xiao ten times.

Since he had given birth to them, he had to give them some face – just let them know their limits.

As for officials’ memorials, Emperor Yongle’s handling was simple and brutal. All who memorialized to depose the Crown Prince had half a year’s salary confiscated and he gave a speech at the grand court assembly:

“…Whether a nation’s heir is good or bad depends not on appearance but on inner virtue and ability. The Crown Prince is benevolent, diligent, and filial to his parents. When Empress Ren Xiao was ill, the Crown Prince sought medical treatment and medicine without any negligence. Though the Crown Prince now has walking difficulties, his merits outweigh his flaws. Anyone who again requests deposing the Crown Prince on grounds of walking difficulties should first receive fifty strokes of the rod.”

Under Emperor Yongle’s thunderous measures, court and country finally quieted down. They realized that though the Crown Prince swayed like a tumbler all day, looking like he might fall at any moment, his position was actually very stable.

The Crown Prince received a blessing in disguise – though his leg was lame, the Eastern Palace’s position was more secure than ever before. Every time he attended court supported by two eunuchs, limping to sit on his throne, it became a remarkable sight of the Great Ming.