While Hu Shanwei was lighting incense and praying for Noble Consort Duanjing Guo, at the Duke Qianguo residence, eldest son Mu Chun set up an altar table and led the entire household in welcoming the imperial messenger bearing an edict from the Hongwu Emperor.

The messenger opened the imperial edict and announced: “By Imperial Decree!”

Still wearing coarse hemp mourning clothes, Mu Chun knelt down. Behind him knelt his third brother Mu Ang and fourth brother Mu Xin. Beside them stood a screen, behind which knelt the Duke’s Grand Dowager Lady Geng and Second Madam Mu Cheng, along with other female relatives.

The messenger read: “The son of the late Prince Zhaojing of Qianning, Mu Ying, Mu Chun, is hereby commanded to inherit the title of Duke Qianguo and proceed to garrison Yunnan. The edict states: Those who lose their parents early and are raised and cared for by others receive kindness equal to that of parents. In the past, your father Mu Ying lived during turbulent times, orphaned and young with nowhere to turn. We took special pity on him and raised him as Our son. He accompanied Us in crossing the Yangtze River until he reached maturity. Later, when We had sons of Our own, We commanded him to restore his original surname and continue his ancestral line. Due to his diligent service, he was enfeoffed as Duke Qianguo with generous salary and rewards, hoping he would establish a great household that would endure as long as the nation. Previously commanded to serve as deputy in conquering Yunnan, he remained to garrison that territory. He was able to spread both grace and authority, causing the barbarians to submit. For eleven years, We have had no worries about the Southwest.”

This meant that Mu Ying’s son Mu Chun was to inherit the title of Duke Qianguo and garrison Yunnan. The Emperor explained that when Mu Ying was young and orphaned, he had adopted him as a son, naming him Zhu Ying. Later, when he had biological sons, he commanded Mu Ying to restore his original surname and establish the Mu ancestral temple. Subsequently, due to Mu Ying’s illustrious military achievements, he was enfeoffed as Duke Qianguo. Since Mu Ying had garrisoned Yunnan, combining grace with authority, the barbarians submitted, and for eleven years the Emperor had not worried about Southwest security.

“…to comfort his spirit in the netherworld with a princely title, We now command you, Chun, to inherit the title of Duke Qianguo. Alas! We regarded your father as a son, and thinking of past care and guidance still moves Our nurturing heart. You should remember your father’s fortune in following Us, never forget the kindness of being delivered from hardship, serve the nation with loyalty and sincerity, keeping this in your dreams and waking thoughts. Then the spirits will witness, and fortune will flourish eternally. Be respectful!”

This meant that to comfort Mu Ying’s spirit in heaven, he was posthumously honored as a prince and buried with princely rites. Now Mu Chun was enfeoffed as Duke Qianguo. Alas, the Emperor had treated his father like a biological son, and remembering the various past events of raising his father, he should be grateful for his father’s kindness, learn from his father’s loyal heart serving the nation, and ensure the Mu family line continued.

The edict enfeoffing Mu Chun as Duke Qianguo was written with sincere emotion. This adopted son Mu Ying could equal twenty biological sons—truly loyal and devoted, serving nation and people without selfish motives, causing the Hongwu Emperor the least worry.

Unfortunately, the worry-free sons had all died, while the troublesome ones remained lively and active.

“Your subject Mu Chun accepts the decree. Long live Your Majesty, long live, long long live!” Mu Chun received the edict and expressed gratitude. The messenger handed him the imperial edict with both hands: “Congratulations, Duke Qianguo.”

According to mourning regulations, officials must resign from office to observe mourning for their parents’ death for twenty-seven months, called “ding you.” If one was the clan heir inheriting the main lineage, one must also observe mourning after grandparents’ death. Of course, in special circumstances, the court would grant special permission for officials not to resign for mourning but continue their duties, called “seizing emotions.” However, regardless of whether the court decided to “seize emotions,” officials must first request mourning leave themselves, otherwise they would be deemed unfilial. No matter how high their rank, they would stumble on the issue of filial piety.

Military generals, due to their profession, would generally have their emotions “seized” and not need to resign for mourning. The court would grant about one hundred days of funeral leave to handle their parents’ affairs. In any case, on the issue of filial piety, whether civil or military officials, or even the emperor, this was an untouchable bottom line.

Therefore, the Hongwu Emperor issued the decree nearly one hundred days after Mu Ying’s death, commanding Mu Chun to inherit the title and become the second-generation Duke Qianguo, heading to Yunnan to garrison the Southwest.

Mu Chun carried the imperial edict to the ancestral hall to present to his ancestors. On the altar table sat Mu Ying’s spirit tablet. While placing the imperial edict and various imperial gifts on the altar, Mu Chun casually threw his father’s frequently used whip into the fire basin burning spirit money.

“Father, the ancestral hall is the place I hate most, because you used to make me kneel here as punishment, memorize family rules, and whip me. You nearly beat me to death—fortunately I was hardy enough to survive.”

“Now you’ve become a wooden tablet and can’t hit me even if you wanted to. I’m burning you a whip to take below so you can beat little ghosts.”

Before you held the whip to beat me, now you’ve become a wooden tablet sitting on the platform. Watch me speak these prayers in an irreverent tone—come hit me! I’ve burned the whip down to you, so come hit me quickly!

Rivers and mountains may change, but human nature is hard to alter. Even having inherited the title, Mu Chun remained that rebellious and unruly “unfilial son.”

“Now I’ve inherited your title. Actually, I didn’t want to inherit the family title—I wanted to earn my own future. You could give the title to whoever you wanted. But after going in circles, the title still landed on my head. As the saying goes, ‘taking from others makes your hands short, eating others’ food makes your mouth soft,’ so I’ll have to do some real work under the name of Duke Qianguo. I’m about to take Third Brother back to Yunnan, while Fourth Brother stays home to guard the fort. If you know this in the underworld, protect Yunnan’s borders so they remain stable, so people have more children and fewer wars.”

Now that Mu Chun was head of the household, he dared speak so boldly in the ancestral hall. After all, he was the most senior in the Mu family—no one dared contradict him.

Third brother Mu Ang: See no evil, hear no evil—I know nothing.

Fourth brother Mu Xin was nine years old this year. Sons of wealthy families take responsibility early. He had already taken Second Brother Mu Sheng’s place and married Second Sister-in-law Cheng into the family. He had already matured, no longer the child who used to eat his boogers.

Mu Xin understood why he was staying in the capital, so despite his young age, he maintained silence and didn’t clamor to go to Yunnan.

Looking at his youngest brother, Mu Chun knew this was the age when one most wanted to travel and see the outside world, but Mu Xin was destined to never step outside the capital. The Mu surname had given the brothers wealth, but also corresponding responsibilities—none of them had an easy life.

Mu Chun realized he was now the family head and should remind his brother: “Mu Xin, you’re now a study companion for the princes and imperial grandsons in the palace’s Da Ben Hall. I used to do that too, but now the Zhu family population has multiplied more than ten times—the situation is different from back then. Besides, I had Empress Xiaoci’s care and could swagger around the palace, so my experience as a study companion is useless to you. You’ll have to figure everything out slowly by yourself.”

Mu Chun spoke the truth—previously Empress Xiaoci and the Hongwu Emperor had practically raised him like a pet.

Mu Xin was nine years old. Being mature didn’t mean he lacked rebellious thoughts. Hearing this, he said: “Big Brother, what you said is the same as saying nothing.”

Third brother Mu Ang sternly scolded his younger brother: “How dare you speak to Big Brother like that? No respect for elders!”

Mu Xin remained silent and refused to apologize.

Mu Chun didn’t care about hierarchy and said: “Do you know why Da Ben Hall now has more than ten princely heir apparents and imperial grandsons?”

Mu Xin said: “These heir apparents are the same as me.”

The same as me—all hostages.

Mu Xin was quite intelligent, knowing such truths must rot in his heart and couldn’t be spoken aloud, otherwise they would bring disaster beyond what a small child could bear.

Hearing this, Mu Chun knew his little brother was smart: “Since you understand, I don’t need to say much more. Don’t get involved in the Zhu family’s affairs—just always remember your surname is Mu.”

“Younger brother will keep this in mind.” Mu Xin thought for a moment and said: “Big Brother, could you have Second Brother come back for a visit and bring my two nephews to the capital?”

Mu Chun: “Why?”

Mu Xin said: “If Second Sister-in-law could have a child, she wouldn’t be so gloomy all day long. With two nephews at home, perhaps I could take turns going to Yunnan.”

Taking turns as hostages—it can’t always be me. I also want to see the outside world.

Looking at his little brother—a nine-year-old body with a nineteen-year-old soul—Mu Chun said: “Alright, Second Brother hasn’t seen Grand Dowager for eleven years either. When Third Brother and I go to Yunnan, we’ll have him return.”

Thousands of miles away, Mu Sheng sneezed three times in succession.

Mu Xin’s face showed a smile, but seeing his father’s spirit tablet, he suddenly realized that smiling in this place was disrespectful to the ancestors. He quickly suppressed his smile and resumed his bitter, resentful expression.

Mu Chun caught his little brother’s expression change from the corner of his eye and thought: Still just a child after all.

After informing his ancestors of the good news about inheriting the title, Mu Chun entered the palace to express gratitude. The Hongwu Emperor, having suffered successive heavy blows, had seen half his hair turn white recently. This time Mu Chun came both to express gratitude and bid farewell, as he was about to leave for Yunnan.

Mu Chun told the Hongwu Emperor about his basic direction for governing Yunnan in the future: “…Yunnan has special geography and culture different from the Central Plains. Your subject wants to encourage local talented people to take the imperial examinations, go out to broaden their horizons, and actively engage with Central Plains civilization. But currently they can’t even understand the examination questions, which are too profound and sometimes too obscure, with too great a gap from Central Plains scholars and candidates. Your subject suggests allowing local education officials in Yunnan and Guizhou to set county and provincial examination questions according to actual local conditions, first producing candidates, then selecting outstanding ones to study at the Imperial Academy before preparing for the metropolitan examination with candidates from across the nation.”

“Additionally, we could lower the threshold for officials in various Yunnan locations. Those with juren or even xiucai backgrounds, as long as they have ability and willingness to serve as local magistrates, could be given opportunities. Currently, for stability, the Ming has enfeoffed many hereditary native officials to govern themselves without paying taxes, only needing to provide military service and tribute. This has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that the Ming can quickly incorporate Yunnan into its territory and expand its borders. The disadvantage is that native officials always rebel—when rebellion fails they surrender, then rebel again after surrendering, like psoriasis that’s difficult to cure. My father died from assassination while capturing the Luchuan leader Silun Fa for the sixth time.”

“In a hundred or several hundred years, native officials will ultimately be replaced by court-appointed officials. These appointed officials, for political achievements and promotion, will certainly work hard for local welfare. Gradually, the common people will have their own judgment. When they realize that appointed officials’ governance brings more benefits, they’ll willingly accept appointed officials and resist native officials.”

“Replacing native rule with appointed officials must ultimately be completed with popular support. If the court directly applies pressure, simply and crudely seizing power from native officials and replacing them with appointed governance, the local people might take up weapons and rebel together with the native officials…”

Mu Chun spoke eloquently, attempting to convince the Hongwu Emperor to agree to Yunnan conducting its own imperial examinations according to local conditions, selecting scholars and candidates based on Yunnan’s actual situation. The Hongwu Emperor didn’t interrupt, letting him continue. In a trance, his adopted son Mu Ying’s face replaced Mu Chun’s, as if Mu Ying were speaking these words.

The father and son didn’t look similar—Mu Ying had thick eyebrows and tiger-like eyes, while Mu Chun had delicate features with somewhat scholarly demeanor.

But their military talent and political views were surprisingly similar. The last time—also the final time—he had seen Mu Ying, Mu Ying had proposed the million-immigrant plan to him, also speaking so eloquently with sound reasoning.

This was the benefit of long-term garrison duty in Yunnan—father and son understood Yunnan like their own bodies, knowing where the root problems lay.

Six years had passed since Mu Ying’s million-immigrant plan. Mu Chun had settled 2.5 million immigrants, instantly changing Yunnan’s population structure. Although Yunnan still experienced occasional unrest, it was much more stable compared to before.

The key was that new immigrants would pay taxes to the court after three years! The court’s investment could see returns—Mu Ying’s suggestion was correct.

Following the new immigrants’ development pace, in a hundred years, Central Plains people would transform from guests to the main ethnic group and would never rebel again.

If Mu Ying’s immigration plan was a century-long strategy, then Mu Chun’s plan was a millennium strategy—fundamentally changing the primitive governance mode that native officials had continued for thousands of years, replacing it with court-appointed officials managing localities.

The vision and strategy of this father-son pair truly made the Hongwu Emperor envious: Why weren’t they born to me? Why are the best always other people’s children? Even Mu Chun, who had been called the “Chaos Demon King” as a youth, had truly matured by the age of nearly thirty.

“Your Majesty, in these six years your subject has basically solved the food and housing problems for Yunnan’s 2.5 million immigrants. The Mu family will garrison Yunnan for generations, but how can one Mu family be enough? Yunnan needs a large number of grassroots appointed officials. Moreover, if the Mu family continues to control the Southwest with hereditary succession, then the Mu family would become Yunnan’s largest native official family—this isn’t the result Your Majesty wants.”

“So next we must solve Yunnan’s problems of educational scarcity, talent shortage, and cultural integration. I hope Your Majesty will specially permit Yunnan to conduct its own imperial examinations according to local conditions, and encourage local nobles’ and native officials’ descendants to come to the capital to study. Encourage them to study for examinations, return to Yunnan as appointed officials based on real ability. When native and appointed officials have conflicts in the future, they can serve as intermediaries, mediating between both sides, using native officials against native officials to avoid bloody conflicts.”

Each of Mu Chun’s moves was a master stroke, clearly the result of careful deliberation. It seemed that during this hundred-day mourning period while handling his father’s funeral, he had never stopped considering how to govern Yunnan.

The Hongwu Emperor sighed: “Alas, if the Crown Imperial Grandson had half your insight, I wouldn’t need to worry about him.”

In political acumen, Mu Chun was as sensitive as Mu Ying. He quickly said: “Your Majesty, please don’t mock your subject. Your subject is nearly thirty years old, while the Crown Imperial Grandson is only fifteen. When your subject was fifteen, he was a worthless dandy who couldn’t be helped—not half as insightful as the Crown Imperial Grandson.”

Mu Chun thought: Please don’t compare me with the Crown Imperial Grandson. I don’t want to get involved in succession struggles. I want to live a few more years. After the mourning period ends, I plan to grow old together with Sister Shanwei!

Crown Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen was born to Crown Princess Lu, who was the imperial eldest grandson. But Lu was a secondary wife elevated to primary wife status. Crown Prince Yiwen’s original wife was Lady Chang, the eldest daughter of founding general Prince Kaiping Chang Yuchun. Lady Chang had borne the legitimate eldest son Zhu Xiongying and second son Zhu Yunting, but unfortunately Zhu Xiongying died at age eight, leaving only the fourteen-year-old Zhu Yunting.

By age, Zhu Yunwen was eleven months older than Zhu Yunting.

By birth, Zhu Yunwen was the legitimate son of a secondary wife elevated to primary status, while Zhu Yunting was the legitimate son of the original primary wife.

According to patriarchal inheritance rules, the legitimate son of the original wife certainly outranked the legitimate son of a secondary wife elevated to primary status. Zhu Yunting should be the Crown Imperial Grandson.

However, Zhu Yunwen had been intelligent since childhood—beginning studies at three, composing poetry at five, deeply beloved by the Hongwu Emperor. Meanwhile, Zhu Yunting was mediocre in both civil and military affairs.

Regarding the vast intelligence gap between these half-brothers, palace rumors once claimed that when former Crown Princess Chang gave birth to Zhu Yunting, she had a difficult labor, and Zhu Yunting was stuck in the birth canal for quite a while before being born, damaging his brain and making him somewhat simple-minded.

As soon as the rumors emerged, Palace Administrator Fan Gongzheng immediately took thunderous action, rooting out several palace servants who had started the rumors, pulling out their tongues and beating them to death. After that, no one dared spread such talk. But somehow Zhu Yunting’s reputation for being simple-minded still got out.

Actually, Zhu Yunting could read and respond normally—he wasn’t simple-minded, just too mediocre. Imperial family members all received famous teachers’ guidance with abundant energy and superior conditions. Some excelled in literature, others in martial arts, some loved drama, and some even compiled medical texts. Basically, everyone had their own specialties and characteristics, making names for themselves in some field. Even Prince Lu Huang, known for his dissolute behavior, had good calligraphy and some fine poetry.

But Zhu Yunting was so mediocre he lacked any distinguishing features—just an ordinary person. This greatly disappointed the Hongwu Emperor, so he violated basic patriarchal inheritance principles, abandoning the legitimate son of the original wife Zhu Yunting and choosing the legitimate son of the secondary wife Zhu Yunwen as Crown Imperial Grandson.

This action by the Hongwu Emperor caused great waves in court, because Zhu Yunting’s maternal grandfather was Prince Kaiping Chang Yuchun! How could the Chang family of Duke Zhengguo residence accept this?

Besides the Chang family, Grand Dowager Lady Lan of Duke Zhengguo residence’s younger brother was Duke Liangguo Lan Yu—currently the Ming’s most outstanding middle-aged general. In the northern expedition’s Buyuer Sea campaign, he achieved great victory. The Hongwu Emperor compared Lan Yu to Wei Qing, promoting him from marquis to duke, making him the Ming’s youngest duke.

Duke Zhengguo’s wife Lady Feng was also the daughter of Duke Songguo Feng Sheng. Feng Sheng was Mu Chun’s great-uncle, and Mu Chun’s uncle Feng Cheng was Duke Yingguo—meaning that besides the Lan family, the Feng family also naturally supported Zhu Yunting.

Since childhood, Mu Chun had been unloved by his father and disliked by his uncle. Duke Songguo Feng Sheng always urged him to please his father and secure the heir apparent position, so Mu Chun disliked Feng Sheng.

Mu Chun didn’t want to get involved in the Eastern Palace succession struggle, especially expressing a position after the Hongwu Emperor had already enfeoffed Zhu Yunwen as Crown Imperial Grandson. He wasn’t stupid!

Could the Hongwu Emperor’s decision be changed by others’ pressure?

When the Hongwu Emperor didn’t respond to his detailed opinions on Yunnan governance with agreement or disagreement but instead brought up Crown Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen, saying things like “if the Crown Imperial Grandson had half your insight, I wouldn’t need to worry about him,” Mu Chun immediately became alert.

He realized the Emperor was testing his attitude toward the new heir apparent, so he quickly distanced himself, saying that at fifteen he had been worthless mud, not half as insightful as Crown Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen.

Mu Chun’s reaction was perfect. It seemed that maintaining poor relations with his uncle’s family wasn’t entirely disadvantageous—during sensitive political periods, keeping distance and minding one’s own business was safer.

This was also the basic rule Hu Shanwei had advised Mu Chun: don’t oppose the Hongwu Emperor. This aging monarch was accustomed to controlling everything, and the older he got, the more suspicious he became. So from the beginning, Hu Shanwei had determined that the heir would absolutely not emerge from among the powerful princes.

The reason was simple: princes were hard to control and might risk turning the Hongwu Emperor into a retired emperor.

Therefore, the heir would emerge from the two fourteen or fifteen-year-old boys in the Eastern Palace.

Imperial Eldest Grandson Zhu Yunwen: legitimate son of secondary wife, maternal Lu family, generations of scholars, mid-level court officials.

Imperial Second Grandson Zhu Yunting: legitimate son of original wife, maternal grandfather the famous Prince Kaiping Chang Yuchun. Besides the Chang family, there were Duke Songguo Feng Sheng, Duke Liangguo Lan Yu, and most of Chang Yuchun’s surviving former subordinates who had been enfeoffed as marquises or earls—powerful forces controlling at least half of the Ming’s military power.

Who to choose as Crown Imperial Grandson? Hu Shanwei understood the Hongwu Emperor too well—definitely Zhu Yunwen, because Zhu Yunting’s backing forces were deeply entrenched and powerful, while Zhu Yunting had mediocre abilities and was young, easily controlled by backing forces rather than controlling them himself.

If the Ming realm were entrusted to Zhu Yunting, he would be a puppet, and eventually the person on the dragon throne might have to change names and surnames.

The Hongwu Emperor would absolutely not allow such a situation, so while others found choosing Zhu Yunwen puzzling, to Hu Shanwei it was almost inevitable.

Therefore, Hu Shanwei warned Mu Chun to be constantly vigilant, never to take the wrong side, not to worry about whether the heir was reasonable—whoever the Hongwu Emperor chose, he should support. After all, it would still be someone from the Zhu family as emperor.

Before they were even married, Mu Chun already listened to his wife. So he immediately passed the Hongwu Emperor’s test.

Indeed, as Hu Shanwei predicted, after the Hongwu Emperor confirmed that Mu Chun had no connections with the Feng family and held high hopes for Crown Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunwen, he immediately agreed to Mu Chun’s request.

“Your suggestions are excellent, but changing the imperial examination system and official selection for Yunnan alone isn’t something I can accomplish with just words. The Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Personnel, and other departments need to jointly formulate regulations. First go garrison Yunnan. When they’ve finished discussing specific methods and finalized detailed rules, I will immediately approve and promulgate them, implementing them before examinations begin.”

Mu Chun was overjoyed: “Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace. This measure relates to Yunnan’s thousand-year plan. Your subject will certainly implement it well and solve Yunnan’s problem of insufficient grassroots appointed officials.”

At Xiaoling.

Mu Chun bid farewell to Hu Shanwei: “Twenty-seven months will pass quickly. His Majesty has agreed to my suggestion for Yunnan’s autonomous imperial examinations. This will cultivate many talents familiar with local Yunnan conditions. This will be my future work priority. Teaching people to fish is better than giving them fish. When Yunnan has so many good officials familiar with local conditions, I can confidently transfer the title to Second Brother Mu Sheng… Then we can… hehe. When do you plan to leave the palace? As soon as I return to Yunnan, I’ll prepare a quiet place for you in Kunming and wait for you to come find me.”

Hu Shanwei said: “Since Noble Consort Duanjing’s death, I’ve felt utterly disheartened, feeling this palace is no place for human work. No matter how hard I try, I can’t change anything. I constantly want to leave this heartless and merciless place. After Noble Consort Duanjing’s forty-nine days pass, I’ll request resignation from Palace Administrator Cao.”