Daming: My boss Zhu Yuanzhang

"We give you a high position and generous salary, wealth and honor, betroth your daughter to you, and even make you a king of a different surname. Look at all the civil and military officials in the court, who is as favored by the emperor as you?" Zhu Yuanzhang said loudly.

Li Wei couldn't help but feel a little angry when he heard this: "Who among the civil and military officials in the court has such achievements as mine?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression froze and the corners of his mouth twitched, but he was unable to refute what he said.

Li Wei is not being arrogant. Since he came to the Ming Dynasty, he has made various achievements, proposed various systems, and participated in several battles. His contributions are even greater than those of Xu Da, Tang He and other founding heroes. The rewards given by Zhu Yuanzhang are very heavy, but in the final analysis, these are all earned through his own efforts.

"Hmph, if we hadn't forced you, would you have been able to accomplish all these great things? With your sneaky and cunning nature, you can at best be a rich man in this life!" Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly.

Li Wei took a deep breath and said calmly: "I just want to be a rich man and live a peaceful life. Your Majesty's grace is a calamity rather than a blessing to me."

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at him, and after a while, as if he had exhausted all his strength, he lay back on the dragon chair weakly, closed his eyes and whispered: "I know you blame me for killing your concubine, but I tell you, I don't regret it, I did it for the Ming Dynasty!"

"It's not just her."

Li Wei looked at the magnificent palace in the imperial palace and said slowly.

China has a magnificent history. Since the Qin Dynasty unified the country, all kinds of miraculous man-made works have continued to emerge on this land, including the Great Wall, the Straight Road, the Grand Canal, and various magnificent palaces and mausoleums. These things all demonstrate the greatness of Chinese civilization and the prosperity of each dynasty.

However, buried beneath these great deeds are humble common people. History will not record their names, and there is not even an exact number. Only the emperors and generals will be remembered through the ages for these achievements.

It is true that many of these achievements have benefited the people, and there are also emperors who truly love the people, but the people in their hearts are not the same people in the hearts of ordinary people.

"Do you think I am an unforgivable villain?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked in a low voice.

Li Wei sighed softly, but didn't know how to answer him.

The same thing will lead to different conclusions from different perspectives. People like him can no longer be judged simply by good or evil.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zhu Yuanzhang snorted and stopped talking, not knowing whether he was satisfied or dissatisfied.

Li Wei shook his head gently and cleared all these complicated thoughts from his mind. He just wanted to be a small figure. Such complicated matters should be left to people like Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di to worry about.

After a while, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and moved his body, seeming to be feeling a little uncomfortable, and waved to Xu Shou.

Xu Shou understood and hurried forward, handing him an exquisitely crafted jade ruyi. Zhu Yuanzhang turned over with great effort and scratched his back with the jade ruyi.

When Li Wei saw the jade ruyi, something strange flashed in his eyes, and he said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I have returned your things to you. Can you return my things to me as well?"

Zhu Yuanzhang scratched his itch and asked in confusion: "Where can we find your things here?"

Li Wei rolled his eyes at him and reminded him, "My backpack, cell phone and computer are all with you. Isn't it time to return them to me?"

Zhu Yuanzhang paused when he heard this, and then flatly refused: "No, we are still useful!"

"Then give me back this jade ruyi!"

"This originally belongs to us, why should I give it back to you?"

Li Wei grinned and didn't argue with him anymore.

He's dying anyway, so it won't be too late to get his things back after he's gone.

After scratching the itch, Zhu Yuanzhang did not return the jade ruyi to Xu Shou, as if he was afraid that Xu Shou would snatch it away.

As time passed, the fleet that went out to sea for the fifth time finally returned to Ming Dynasty.

Now, except for the 50,000 soldiers stationed in the imperial city, all the others who were willing to follow him have already been relocated. The craftsmen and equipment of the Armament Bureau have also been transported there. With advanced technology and skilled craftsmen, the construction there is very fast. In more than two years, a large garrison has been established. Now only this last group of people is missing.

In the evening, Lu Hong and Xie Feihu found him together.

"Teacher, the fleet has returned and all the supplies are ready. We will be able to set sail again soon. When do you think we should leave?" Lu Hong asked.

Li Wei was silent for a moment, then he said softly: "Don't worry, you guys take your time to prepare, and we'll talk about it after everything is done."

Upon hearing this, Lu Hong and the other man looked at each other in surprise, not knowing what Li Wei's other plans were.

But since Li Wei said so, and the matter was not so urgent, they agreed respectfully and then bowed and left together.

After they left, Li Wei turned back to the living room in the back room, took out a sealed lead box from the cabinet, and fell into a long silence.

Although Zhu Yuanzhang was already very old, he still had no intention of dying, which put him in a dilemma again.

The grudge has not been completely settled yet, and he is leaving like this. It is inevitable to feel a little regretful. If he waits any longer, he doesn't know how long he will have to wait, one month, two months, or one or two years.

As long as he waited, Zhu Yuanzhang would surely die of old age, but he couldn't wait forever.

"Do you really want to do it yourself?"

Li Wei murmured softly and hesitated for a long time before putting the thing away again.

"Wait a little longer, wait a little longer..."

……

After Lu Hong, Xie Feihu and others left, they began to make arrangements for going out to sea.

All the supplies needed for going to sea have been prepared, and now all they have to do is carry them on board. In addition, the remaining people are all military officers and soldiers with strong discipline, and it is not as troublesome as for ordinary people to get on board. With just one order, these 50,000 people can quickly board the ship and leave.

Thanks to Li Wei's instructions, they were not in a hurry and it took them four or five days to get everything ready.

After getting everything done, the two found Li Wei again.

"Teacher, everything is ready. We can set off at any time. You and your wife should also prepare in advance."

Lu Hong reminded.

"Okay." Li Wei nodded slightly.

Seeing that he just responded and then said nothing, Lu Hong couldn't help but ask again: "So when do you think we should set off?"

Xie Feihu also looked at him, waiting for him to make a decision.

All of them were young people in their early twenties, and they were yearning for the outside world. When they learned that Li Wei had decided to go out to sea, they agreed very much. Now everything was done, and a good foundation had been laid in America, so they just had to go there and show their talents. They couldn't help but feel excited when they thought of this.

Li Wei looked at them and said softly, "Wait a little longer. I still have some things to do. We'll leave when I'm done."

"Teacher, is there anything else you want to do? Do you need our help?" Xie Feihu asked.

Li Wei shook his head: "No, I can do it myself."

Upon hearing this, Xie Feihu nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

"Okay, you guys go back first. I'll notify you when I finish my work." Li Wei smiled and waved his hand.

"Okay, then we'll take our leave."

Lu Hong and Xie Feihu bowed together.

Li Wei nodded slightly, and they turned and left together.

After they left, the smile on Li Wei's face gradually disappeared. He was silent for a long time, and finally turned to the back room, took out the lead box, and walked towards the Qianqing Palace with it.

In front of the gate of the Qianqing Palace, the imperial guards and Li Wei's soldiers stood on both sides. As time went by, the two sides became familiar with each other and were not as nervous as before. However, the hostile relationship did not change and they were still wary of each other.

Li Wei passed through the Fengtian Hall, Huagai Hall, and Jinshen Hall and came directly to the Qianqing Palace.

When he reached the door, he paused, turned to the soldier next to him and asked, "Is His Majesty here?"

"Here I am."

The soldier answered without hesitation.

Li Wei couldn't help but frown when he heard this.

The jade ruyi he had given to Zhu Yuanzhang before was the original one. If he wanted to replace it secretly now, he had to wait until Zhu Yuanzhang was not around.

Although Zhu Yuanzhang was in poor health, he often went to the front court to instruct Zhu Yunwen in reviewing memorials, and occasionally met with ministers in person to handle state affairs.

But today he obviously came at an inopportune time, as Zhu Yuanzhang stayed in the palace and did not go out.

However, just when he was in a dilemma, the soldier continued, "Your Majesty is ill. The imperial physician came to see him this morning. He has been given medicine and is recuperating in the palace."

Li Wei's eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately asked, "Your Majesty is ill? Is it serious?"

"Well, it should be okay. I'm not quite sure about it." The soldier said after hesitating for a moment.

Li Wei was stunned for a moment, then smiled amiably and said, "It's okay, I'll go check it out myself, you continue to be on duty."

"Yes!"

The soldier straightened up and responded.

Li Wei nodded, then turned around and walked quickly into the Qianqing Palace.

In the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang was lying on the dragon couch. The room was filled with a strong smell of medicine. Xu Shou and several young eunuchs were serving him, and Zhu Yunwen was also guarding by his side.

Li Wei walked in quickly with the lead box. Zhu Yunwen bowed and greeted him immediately. Xu Shou and several young eunuchs also bowed and saluted:

"Uncle."

"I've met the prince."

Li Wei was in no mood to exchange pleasantries with them. He waved his hand and walked straight past them to Zhu Yuanzhang's bed, then looked down.

Zhu Yuanzhang's hair and beard were all white, his wrinkled face now looked pale, his eyes were closed, and he seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep.

"His Majesty?"

Li Wei called out softly tentatively.

Zhu Yuanzhang, who had been motionless, seemed to have heard his call. His eyelids moved, and after a moment they slowly opened.

But after opening her eyes and barely taking a glance at him, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength and then closed them again.

Li Wei straightened up and breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang's appearance, it seems that he really can't hold on for too much longer. If that's the case, there is no need for him to do anything unnecessary and just wait a few more days.

"What are you holding?"

Zhu Yuanzhang, with his eyes closed, suddenly asked softly.

Li Wei was stunned. He didn't expect that even at this moment, he would still notice the lead box in his hand at a glance.

"Oh, this is a new little thing I made. I originally wanted to give it to Your Majesty to play with, but Your Majesty certainly can't use it now, so I won't give it to you."

Li Wei made up something.

"Hmph, it seems you never intended to send it at all." Zhu Yuanzhang muttered.

Li Wei smiled and praised generously: "Your Majesty is really a wise man. You can see through my thoughts at a glance."

After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, there was no movement, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep again. It was unknown whether he heard his flattery or not.

Li Wei took a deep breath, and the last stone in his heart finally fell, and he felt much more relaxed.

"Take good care of your grandfather"

After staying by the bed for a while, he stood up and gave Zhu Yunwen some instructions.

"Don't worry, uncle. I will take good care of the emperor." Zhu Yunwen responded quickly.

Li Wei nodded, then walked away, taking the lead box in his hand with him.

In the following days, the imperial doctors went to the palace every day to treat Zhu Yuanzhang, but he was already in his seventies and was already very old. Even with the best treatment of the highly skilled imperial doctors, his condition did not improve when he got sick.

Li Wei also went to the palace to accompany him every day, and seeing this, he finally felt relieved.

Zhu Yuanzhang is now in a coma most of the time, and even when he wakes up occasionally he can't say a few words to him.

During the last few days, Li Wei let go of his grudges and his attitude towards him became much better.

"Let me tell you, you have lived a long life to this age. Your descendants are not as lucky as you. Except for Zhu Di and that immortal cultivator, the others are short-lived..."

Li Wei moved a chair and sat beside the bed, muttering to himself, not caring whether Zhu Yuanzhang who was lying on the bed could hear him.

Zhu Yunwen, who was standing next to him, was filled with doubts as he listened to his prophetic-like words. He wanted to ask for clarification but did not dare to speak out.

Only Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, and Zhu Biao, his real family, knew that Li Wei was a time traveler. The other princes and princes knew nothing about it. Zhu Yuanzhang never told his crown prince about it. He still thinks that Li Wei is just a rare genius.

Li Wei mumbled a lot, sometimes reminiscing about the past, sometimes talking about interesting things in the future of Ming Dynasty.

Although he doesn't know much about history, he has watched a lot of TV dramas and can talk about it endlessly.

"You may not know this yet, but someone in later generations drew your portrait to look like an eggplant, very long and ugly, haha..."

"Many people say that you are a tyrant. Actually, they are not wrong. You did kill a lot of people, but it's not as exaggerated as they say. I calculated for you. Including the rebellion of Li Shanchang and Lan Yu, the total number of deaths was only about 20,000 to 30,000. It's not as exaggerated as the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands that people say in later generations..."

"Perhaps you don't believe it, but the emperor will disappear sooner or later..."

Li Wei didn't know how long he had been nagging until he stopped because his mouth was dry.

Zhu Yunwen, who was standing next to him, was very perceptive. Upon seeing this, he immediately ordered Xu Shou to pour a cup of tea and brought it to him personally.

Li Wei glanced at him before taking the tea and moistening his throat.

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang on the bed, perhaps because he heard his nagging or for some other reason, suddenly asked in a dazed voice: "What do you think our Ming Dynasty will become in the future?"

Hearing this, Li Wei paused with the cup of tea in his hand and fell silent for a moment.

The future of the Ming Dynasty is no different from that of other dynasties. The people are just as miserable, there is just as much resentment from heaven and people, and the dynasty cannot escape its fate of succession.

He couldn't help but think of what Zhang Sanfeng had said to him on Zhongshan Mountain, and his mysterious Tianhuang Dao.

Rather than saying that they manipulated the rise and fall of dynasties, it would be better to say that they simply followed the will of heaven and the trend of the times.

Li Wei looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, whose eyes were so weak that he could not even open them, and finally could not bear to tell him about the tragic situation at the end of the Ming Dynasty before he died.

After a long silence, he looked at the sky outside the window and said slowly: "There is no exploitation, no oppression, and everyone is equal."

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he opened his eyes and looked at him as if he had regained consciousness. However, the scenes he saw were not him, but scenes from his past life:

There was a famine in Guzhuang Village. He watched helplessly as his parents and brothers died one after another in less than half a month, but he was powerless to do anything and could only cry with his second brother.

After his family members died, there wasn't even a small piece of land to bury them, so he followed his second brother to ask for help everywhere.

In order to survive, he separated from his second brother and went to the temple to become a monk.

Later, he was driven out of the temple to beg for alms. He was said to be wandering, but in fact he was just begging.

His experience in his youth was extremely miserable. At that time, he only wanted to have enough food to eat, and nothing else.

Until he met an old Taoist priest...

"What is your biggest dream?"

"Ideal? I want to have enough food to eat every day. Does that count?"

"Haha, you can't just think about yourself. You are full, but others are still hungry!"

"Well... I want everyone in the world to have enough food to eat, what should I do?"

"This is more difficult. First you have to become the emperor!"

"Become an emperor? Can I...can I?"

"of course can!"

That year, a Taoist priest appeared by his side. The Taoist priest taught him many things, which transformed him completely. He almost became another person, from a beggar, step by step, into the supreme emperor!

Zhu Yuanzhang opened his eyes, and scenes flashed before his eyes. Finally, Li Wei's figure appeared, along with his last words.

"Okay, okay..."

Zhu Yuanzhang murmured softly, as if he was no longer worried about the Ming Dynasty after hearing his words, and slowly closed his eyes... (End of this chapter)