Chapter 32: Must the Mission Be Completed?

Chen Lin was stunned!
System, are you serious?
If I change Zhu Biao's fate, Zhu Yuanzhang will be even less likely to kill me.
【Tasks are merely tasks, not mandatory to complete; they will persist until finished, at which point rewards will be settled...】
I see. So, should I change Zhu Biao's fate?
He looked back at Zhu Yuanzhang, only to see the latter waving Mao Xiang away.
"Can we talk properly now?" Zhu Yuanzhang's tone softened.
Chen Lin patted Zhu Di on the shoulder. "Let's go later. Your father's temper is fickle—he changes every minute. But he's getting on in years; he's going through middle-aged menopause, so we should be more understanding."
Zhu Di couldn't hold it in anymore. You’ve said everything there is to say, both good and bad, but the key point is that I never said I wanted to go out and play that badminton thing with you!
"Father, your son..."
"Shut up and get out of here!"
Zhu Di shrank his neck and hurriedly retreated to his two older brothers, seeking comfort.
Zhu Shuang and Zhu Gang signaled that there was no comfort to be had. You’ve already been favored by the man; following the line of succession, even if the eldest brother were to pass away prematurely, it should be their turn first.
How did it end up on you? You must have been playing dirty in the shadows to get rid of us early.
Sigh...
The bond has faded. The affection is gone.
Is this really the Fourth Brother who used to follow behind them all day when they were young?
Zhu Yuanzhang ignored the mutual suspicion among the three brothers and came to Chen Lin's side, gripping his hand sincerely. "Little Chen, can we talk properly? Just tell me, what happened in future generations? What exactly happened to my Biao'er?"
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang like this, Chen Lin pondered what direction history might take if Zhu Biao were to succeed to the throne smoothly.
Would it be better than the Yongle reign of Zhu Di?
Upon closer reflection, Zhu Biao's talent was certainly no less than Zhu Di's; it might even have surpassed it.
Furthermore, if Zhu Biao took the throne, the Jingnan Campaign would never have occurred, and the Central Plains would have been spared those four years of civil war.
The massacres of meritorious officials at the end of the Hongwu era would also not have taken place. Great generals like Lan Yu and Fu Youde would have survived, and Zhu Di could have continued as the Prince of Yan, guarding the northern borders alongside these generals, or perhaps even pushing into the grasslands to completely annihilate the Northern Yuan.
If he were still around by then, he might even be able to have the Ming Dynasty pierce through the Western Regions, extending its influence to Central Asia, Western Asia, and even Eastern Europe.
Combined with the great navigator Zheng He, the Ming Dynasty would see both land and sea power advance in tandem, ushering in a true golden age.

But if he did that, it would be even harder for him to die.
Yet, the earnest gaze of the old father, Zhu Yuanzhang, reminded him of his own father.
Forget it, help where you can!
After all, he didn't want to see the Manchus ravage China and replace the last Han dynasty, nor did he want to witness the 200 years of humiliation in modern history.
So, let's do it. At worst, he’d just stay in the Ming Dynasty for this lifetime and return to the modern era once a year to visit his parents.
There were still 93 chances to return. He was 23 years old, and with the system repeatedly repairing his body, living to 100 was definitely not a problem.
The problem was whether his parents could live that long...
Then he would return twice, three times a year!!
When the time came, he would bring Xiao Lan and the children born in the Ming Dynasty back to visit them.
Therefore, he had to work hard to earn RMB to buy time, striving to spend more time at home each visit.
With this in mind, Chen Lin looked at Zhu Yuanzhang: "I've already made it very clear. By using your son as your chancellor, you placed too much pressure on the Crown Prince, eventually leading to his premature death—a white-haired father burying his black-haired son."
Hearing Chen Lin reveal history, Zhu Yuanzhang slumped, his whole body sinking into the sofa as if his spirit had been drained, looking much older in an instant.
He could see that Chen Lin was not lying; it was a rare moment of serious discourse.
The three brothers, however, had their hair standing on end!
The Eldest Brother would die prematurely!?
While they felt heartbroken, a faint sense of excitement stirred within them.
But now that their father knew this, would he still let the Eldest Brother continue to handle state affairs day and night?
Forget it, forget it. It’s better to just be a peaceful feudal prince. With this Chen Lin around, they had absolutely no chance...
Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent until the cigarette butt burned his fingers, causing him to jolt up.
"Since I now know the Crown Prince died from exhaustion, I will certainly not let such a thing happen again."
Saying this, he stood up and bowed to Chen Lin: "Thank you for telling me the truth. Consider this another favor I owe you."
Chen Lin waved his hand: "I haven't seen you be particularly polite to me. What's the use of owing a favor? What benefits can you actually give me?"
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't mind. He sat back down and continued to ask: "Tell me more. In history, after the Crown Prince died, who became the Crown Prince? Was it the fourth one?"
Zhu Di trembled all over and knelt down with a thud: "Father, your son has absolutely no such thoughts. You know that; I only want to lead troops in battle and become the Great General of the North under the Eldest Brother. I hope Father will investigate clearly!"
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand impatiently: "What are you nervous about? Did I say anything?"

Zhu Di wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Yes, yes, yes, Father is wise."
"Get up and sit still. Stop jumping around; you keep interrupting my conversation with Chen Lin."
After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Chen Lin expectantly, waiting for an answer.
"Why are you looking at me? Don't you know best in your own heart whom you favored after the Crown Prince died?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned, then nodded: "That's true. If the Crown Prince really were to die young, I would most likely have made Xiongying the Imperial Grandson..."
At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly thought of something.
"Wait, if you hadn't appeared, Xiongying likely wouldn't have survived that smallpox, right?!"
Chen Lin gave a thumbs up: "You're smart."
"Historical records state that Zhu Xiongying died in the 15th year of Hongwu, and the Empress also passed away that same year."
"Hiss..."
All four father and sons gasped.
The three brothers immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply to Chen Lin: "The grace of saving our mother is beyond repayment. We will surely keep this great kindness in our hearts."
As the second brother, Zhu Shuang, spoke, all three bowed together, very sincerely.
Chen Lin waved his hand indifferently: "There's no need for all this empty talk about great kindness. If you really want to thank me, give me some antiques, calligraphy, or paintings. If you really don't have any, gold or silver will do!"
"Uh..."
The three brothers were stumped.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me it was just lip service!"
Zhu Yuanzhang stepped forward to smooth things over: "They don't have much money, and they have large households to support. Don't make things difficult for them."
Chen Lin said disdainfully: "As expected, the son is like the father. You all talk a good game, but in the end, you don't even deliver a fart. How unlucky!"
The familiar feeling of being mocked returned. Zhu Yuanzhang thought, *I will endure...*
After adjusting his emotions, Zhu Yuanzhang continued to ask: "If the Crown Prince and my eldest grandson were both gone, whom should I name as the heir?"
Chen Lin replied again: "What do you think yourself?"
"This..."