Father can be an enemy country

Chapter 1368: The End of the Year
The Forbidden City is decorated with lights and the strong festive atmosphere is everywhere.

The Qianqing Palace was even more lively, with the emperor, empress, imperial concubines, and underage princes and princesses gathered together to prepare for the New Year's Eve dinner.

The New Year's Eve dinner in the palace starts very early, usually at 4:00 p.m. In addition to hot soup and hot dishes, all kinds of dishes, snacks, and cold dishes can be placed on the table.

The concubines also took the princes and princesses to their seats one after another. When Boss Zhu arrived at 1:00 p.m., the hot dishes could be served and the meal officially began.

But today, it was already the twilight hour, and Boss Zhu had been seated for half an hour, but there was still no intention to start the meal. Everyone was waiting for Zhu Zhen and others to return from the expedition.

"Here he comes. Here he comes. The prince has brought the person back!" Eunuch Wu ran in happily and reported to the emperor and empress.

"Oh, children, go and welcome them." Empress Ma waved her hands happily, and a group of princes and princesses rushed out cheering. After a while, the fifth, sixth, eleventh and twelfth princes came in and went to the hall to kowtow to their father and mother.

"Your son pays homage to his father, the emperor, his mother, and all the concubines and mothers!"

"Okay, come here quickly and let me see. Why are you all so dark and thin? How much suffering have you suffered?" Queen Ma called her sons to her side, touched the face of one, held the hand of another, and felt so distressed.

While his mother was talking to the fifth son, Zhu Zhen looked at Boss Zhu with admiration and said, "I miss my father day and night. Now that I see that he is in good health and still as charming as ever, I am finally relieved."

"Don't give me that. You're trying to trick me as soon as we meet!" Boss Zhu sneered at Zhu Zhen and said, "You really know how to pick the right time. If you had done it a day earlier, I would have spanked your butt into eight pieces!"

"Father, I have no merits but I have worked hard." Zhu Zhen said with a wronged look on his face, "Why do you want to fight and kill as soon as we meet?"

"That's right, it's New Year's Day." Queen Ma also chimed in: "Can't you be nicer to the child?"

"We didn't imprison him in Zongzheng Temple, which was good enough for him." Zhu Yuanzhang said angrily, "When he helped Lao Si to cover up and conceal the crime during the Daning Incident, he should be treated as an accomplice. We let it go for his hard work and contributions, and asked him to send Lao Si back to Beijing as a warning to others. But he actually went by sea. Isn't he playing us for fools?"

"What happened with his mother?" Empress Ma and Concubine Hu asked in unison.

"Stop your jokes!" Zhu Yuanzhang glared at the two men, then glared at Lao Liu and said, "Do you think we should beat your butt into eight pieces?"

"Father, you really wronged me." Zhu Zhen cried out, "I took the sea route because we were anxious to come back and spend the New Year with you. Second, something big happened in Goryeo and I need to deal with it... I will report this later."

"There is a third reason." He continued, "I found that this approach has a very poor effect. You didn't see that wherever Fourth Brother went, the streets were empty and the people lined the streets to welcome him. He stole the spotlight from the real heroes like Lan Yu!"

"Nonsense! Are the people crazy? Can't they see that he is a prisoner?" Zhu Yuanzhang said with a look of disbelief.

"If your father doesn't believe me, ask my elder brother." Zhu Zhen spread his hands and said, "It was this afternoon when we were on our way back to Beijing from Jiangdong Gate that the common people surrounded his prisoner's carriage and stuffed countless pressed ducks and cured chickens into it. Otherwise, we wouldn't have arrived so late."

"Yes, father, the Sixth Prince did not lie." The prince also echoed: "I am also shocked. How could the people be so fond of the Fourth Prince? I wonder how many people are worshipping him." "How could this be?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and asked. He believed that the prince would not lie to him, but this was too puzzling: "How could that notorious guy be so popular?"

"In my opinion, the people are using this method to express their grievances on his behalf." Zhu Zhen replied, "They only know that Fourth Brother is a hero who captured the Yuan emperor alive, drank from the vast sea, and sealed the Wolf's Lair. They don't know the seriousness of his disobedience. So when they see him being locked up in a prison car, instead of despising him, they all feel unfair for him."

"I see that this won't work. Not only will it not serve as a warning, but it will also damage the prestige of my father and the court." Zhu Zhen said with a loyal face, "So we made a prompt decision to return to Nanjing by sea. We can't give Fourth Brother another chance to show up!"

"So that's how it is." The prince said, "The people are so confused!"

"..." Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless because of the two brothers. He felt that they were fooling him, but he couldn't refute them. Besides, it was New Year's Day, so he didn't want to expose them. He snorted and said, "Isn't it because of that memorial? You wrote about the fourth brother in such a glorious way, how can the people not be confused?"

"I am just stating the facts." Zhu Zhen said solemnly, "I think it is more important than anything else to let God know that it was my father's son who personally captured the last emperor of the Yuan Dynasty!"

"..." Zhu Yuanzhang had no way to refute this statement. Because nothing could better symbolize that the Ming Dynasty would replace the Yuan Dynasty as fate would have it.

After a long while, Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "Sit down and enjoy the meal."

"Thank you, father!" Zhu Zhen bowed deeply and then sat down next to the prince.

The two exchanged expressionless glances, and it was done!
Lao Liu's words not only excused himself, but also established Lao Si as a hero who was popular with the people. Moreover, he flattered the old thief skillfully and touched his sore spot, so that the old thief could naturally and willingly give Lao Si a lighter punishment.

Sure enough, although Boss Zhu had a stern face at the beginning, after a few drinks, a smile appeared on his face and he started to brag to his wife and children.

"We fought this battle so beautifully this year! It was clean and thorough, and it brought us at least fifty years of peace!"

"What I am most proud of is that I have captured the emperor of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. When I bring him to the capital, I will make him dance a grassland dance for me. This will also be a way for Cuo Song to vent his anger..."

"Haha, drinking from the vast sea, conquering the Wolf's Lair, what Tiande failed to do, our son has accomplished!" Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head proudly and said, "But he is not at a disadvantage, after all, he is still his son-in-law!"

This is called "wine doesn't intoxicate you, but you make yourself intoxicated". Although Boss Zhu is a heavy drinker, his nerves, which have been tense for a year, finally relax at this moment. It is really intoxicating to be able to savor the fruits of victory.

Zhu Biao and Zhu Zhen were relieved, knowing that the fourth brother was safe...

The Sixth Prince happily chatted with his mother, drank with his mother, and also took the time to exchange glances with Wang Runer to ease his homesickness.

This busy year has finally come to a successful conclusion.

(End of this chapter)