Chương 242: Emperor Yongle - Judy

Liu Ce's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly shifted his gaze back to his desk.

He thought to himself, "My goodness, Lian'er, are you crazy! Liu Hong is right to your left, and Empress Dowager Dong is right next to you. You're staring at me like I'm your own treasured possession, practically screaming 'We're in trouble' on your face!"

He picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of roasted lamb shoulder, and pretended to be engrossed in eating.

But that gaze seemed to have legs; wherever he moved, the gaze followed.

Sometimes it was the instant he raised his eyes to offer a toast that he was caught off guard and bumped into her; sometimes it was when he listened to Liu Yan nod and caught a glimpse of her still watching him out of the corner of his eye; and even when he pretended to straighten his robes, he could feel her gaze sweeping over his wrist.

"I'm speechless. Has this woman lost her mind?" Liu Ce swallowed hard, thinking to himself, "Liu Hong may be absurd, but he's not stupid! If they find out anything, we're both finished!"

He decided to fight back—he couldn't keep being watched.

When toasting again, Liu Ce deliberately raised his eyes and looked directly at Empress He.

Their eyes met, and Empress He was slightly taken aback. Then, a faint smile appeared on her lips, and her eyes softened.

Liu Ce, however, remained expressionless, his eyes cold and even carrying a hint of warning.

Empress He's smile froze, and she lowered her head, no longer looking at him.

Liu Ce breathed a sigh of relief: Finally, things have calmed down.

After finally making it to the end of the banquet, Liu Ce was almost the first to get up and take his leave.

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, Empress, and all of you, I am feeling quite tired and must take my leave now."

Liu Hong waved his hand and said, "Go on, go on, get some rest."

Liu Ce strode out of Changqiu Palace.

He finally breathed a long sigh of relief after leaving the palace and getting into the carriage.

"Women, oh women," he shook his head and smiled bitterly, "always so driven by emotions..."

But then I thought about it again, and Empress He had it tough too.

She married the "absurd" Emperor Liu Hong at a young age, caught in the power struggles of the harem, and also had to worry about her son Liu Bian's position as crown prince...

...

Back at the Prince of Yan's residence, Liu Ce sat in the study for a while.

Looking back on the past two days: the investiture ceremony, the victory banquet, the family dinner...

And then there was Empress He's burning gaze.

Just as I was thinking, a "ding" sounded in my head.

The system is here.

【Ding! 】 [Detection indicates the host has successfully been granted the title of Prince of Yan, reaching the pinnacle of power.] This system is very pleased.

The system paused—Liu Ce felt that this pause had a hint of smugness.

[Because this system is in a particularly good mood today—actually, it won at mahjong with other systems and is very happy—it is issuing an extra reward: the Yongle Emperor Judy template.] Liu Ce: "..."

Did you win at mahjong?

Your system even has mahjong?

Who are we fighting against? Old Liu's system next door? Old Li's system next door? Old Chen's system next door?...

A picture instantly flashed through his mind: several orbs of light sitting around a table, clattering and shuffling mahjong tiles, muttering "Pong," "Kong," "Hu"...

"Pfft..." Liu Ce laughed out loud.

But he quickly realized what the reward was.

The Yongle Emperor! A model of Zhu Di!

That formidable figure who led five expeditions to the Mongolian steppes, seven voyages to the Western Ocean, compiled the Yongle Encyclopedia, and moved the capital to Beijing...

"We've struck gold!" Liu Ce rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining.

"Li Er has company now!"

He couldn't wait to receive the Zhu Di template inheritance.

A warm current flowed into my body.

Just like when I received the Xiang Yu template and the Li Shimin template before, there were no obvious changes in my body, but my mind had a lot more things.

Military strategy, political tactics, political maneuvering, and the art of rulership...

And... a fierce streak.

Zhu Di's ruthlessness was different from Xiang Yu's domineering nature and Li Shimin's heroic spirit.

It's a kind of ruthlessness that comes from years of forbearance, erupting all at once, either doing nothing or going all the way.

"System, generate panel."

[Generating host panel... Generation complete] Name: Liu Ce, courtesy name Bolue Gender: Male Age: ≈20 years old [Martial Prowess]: 110 (Peerless) [Commander]: 99 (First-class) [Politics]: 99 (Top-tier) Intelligence: 98 (Top-tier) Charm: 97 Appearance: 93 [Hobby]: The legacy of Cao Cao Special skills: 【Overlord】: Creates a powerful deterrent effect on enemies; possesses unparalleled strength and invincible power. Increases own strength and stamina significantly.

【Break the Boats and Burn the Boats】: When leading troops into battle, carry only three days' worth of rations. This can greatly boost the morale, attack power, and cohesion of the troops, and can create miracles even when at a disadvantage.

【Heavenly Khan】: Greatly enhances the cohesion and deterrence of surrounding ethnic groups and countries.

[The Reign of Zhenguan]: Significantly enhanced the overall agricultural, economic, cultural strength and administrative efficiency of its own territory.

【Xuanjia Iron Cavalry】: At critical moments, personally lead elite Xuanjia cavalry to launch a deadly attack, with a very high probability of instantly turning the tide of battle and greatly damaging the morale of the enemy.

【Jingnan】: When in a weak or desperate situation, it can effectively unite people's hearts, stimulate the potential of the troops, and seize the opportunity with firm determination and precise timing to achieve a reversal.

【The Yongle Prosperity】: When leading large-scale national engineering and cultural projects, it can greatly improve efficiency and the quality of results, thereby significantly enhancing national strength and cultural influence.

[The Emperor Guards the Nation's Gate]: Placing the center of power on the front lines of national defense can greatly enhance the stability of border regions and the morale of the army, and create a strong deterrent against surrounding forces.

...

"Goodness..." Liu Ce chuckled, sensing the newly added "personality."

"This is going to be interesting."

Sure enough, after a short while, four little figures appeared in his mind.

They share Liu Ce's original brain, but each has their own personality.

Xiao Liu Ce represents his original modern mindset: lazy, loves to complain, but has a strong sense of the big picture.

Little Xiang Yu – exuding domineering aura, capable of "uprooting mountains and covering the world with his might" at the slightest provocation.

Young Li Shimin – A man of great talent and ambition...

Now there's a little Zhu Di.

At this moment, the conference room in Liu Ce's mind was bustling with activity.

Young Liu Ce, young Xiang Yu, and young Li Shimin sat in a row, clapping their hands and saying:

"A warm welcome to young Zhu Di!"

The newly arrived young Zhu Di, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, stood with his hands on his hips, exuding an arrogant "I am the ruler of the world" air, and said, "Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

After introducing themselves, Xiao Liu Ce and Xiao Xiang Yu consciously moved to the side, took out virtual melon seeds, and entered melon-eating mode.

Young Li Shimin squinted at the newly arrived young Zhu Di, a playful smile on his lips.

Young Zhu Di was a bit reserved, but his eyes were sharp, and he was clearly not a good person.