Transmigrated as Zhu Biao: The Tough Zhu Biao

The bitter wind swept snowflakes against the vermilion palace walls of Nanjing's Forbidden City. Inside the Hall of Martial Valor, the air felt even more stagnant and cold than the depths of winter outside. The scent of incense mingled with faint, intermittent sobs, filling the vast hall. One of Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang's consorts had died. She had followed him in his early years and, though not especially influential, had borne him a prince. Her coffin was temporarily laid to rest here.

According to court rites, the princes had to keep vigil for their fathers' lesser consorts as a display of filial piety and royal decorum. At that moment, the young Prince of Qin, Zhu Shuang, Prince of Jin, Zhu Gang, and several other princes were dressed in plain mourning clothes and kneeling on cushions on either side of the coffin, guided by palace attendants. Their little faces were pale with cold, but not one of them dared move a muscle.