Ming Dynasty: A hundred-year-old immortal cultivator, Zhu Yuanzhang’s biological father

Zheng He snorted, "Get lost! If Eunuch Chen hears what I said today, you will appear in the Etiquette Bureau the next moment!"

The eunuch in the palace turned pale and said, "Thank you, godfather. Thank you, godfather."

When the eunuch appeared in front of Xu Huizu again, his tone had turned cold: "Master Xu, I can only say that the emperor is not in the palace."

Xu Huizu was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay! I understand. Thank you, eunuch."

Having said that, Xu Huizu left with his hands behind his back.

The old man is not in the palace, where can he go?
Swish!
Xu Huizu's body suddenly stiffened, and three words came to his mind: Master Zhu!
Where else could the emperor go after leaving the palace? He must have gone to Master Zhu's place!

He continued to pace forward.

After leaving the palace, he wanted to go straight home, but he suddenly changed his mind.

If I tell the Emperor everything in front of Master Zhu, the Emperor will at least give face to the Buddha.

Moreover, Master Zhu has a relationship with the fifth sister. In any case, these can bring him closer to the emperor!
It seems that it is easier to succeed by asking for favors from Master Zhu than asking for favors from the imperial palace!
Thinking of this, Xu Huizu hurried towards Zhu Mansion on Qinhuai River.

Zhu Mansion.

Not long after, Xu Huizu appeared in the central hall of Zhu's mansion.

"Your young master... is out too?"

Xu Huizu asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I went out with my grandfather."

Xu Huizu nodded: "Then I will wait here for them to come back."

Xu Huizu felt a little nervous.

Success or failure depends on this.

The life and death of the Xu family depends on the old man's thoughts and attitude.

He felt a little worried and was unsure of what decision the old man would make.

No matter what, today will be a step that determines the life or death of the Xu family!
Outside Tonghuai Gate in the spring, the rice seedlings have already grown to half a leg high.

At the end of the ridge, you can vaguely see two figures, one tall and one short.

The tall one was supporting the shorter one as they moved forward, and both of them walked very slowly.

Looking closely, I saw that the short man was an elderly man in his seventies.

From time to time, you can see some smiling farmers on the ridges of the fields. When they see the grandfather and grandson, the old farmers always say "the grandfather is kind and the grandson is filial" with envy.

When the old man heard these words, he always laughed so hard that he couldn't stop.

He brought Zhu Xiongying here today to check the results.

"Grandson, stop pouting. Let me be frank with you. If we... compromise, your reward will be gone."

"Ah?"

Zhu Xiongying was delighted and asked with wide eyes: "What do you mean?"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted: "I won't marry Xu Miaojin. He is free, and your contribution will be lost."

After hearing this, Zhu Xiongying smiled happily and quickly massaged Zhu Yuanzhang's shoulders. "Thank you, old man. Haha, are your shoulders still sore? Come on, sit down and rest for a while. I'll massage your shoulders."

Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless and said unhappily: "You were out of breath all the way, how come you are so energetic now?"

Zhu Xiongying smiled, and then said to Zhu Yuanzhang seriously: "Grandpa, of course, thank you so much."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand: "What are you thanking me for? When you talked back to me and taught me a lesson, I didn't see you thank me?!"

Zhu Xiongying was a little embarrassed and said, "I know Grandpa, you must have done a lot in this. I also know that you are always like this, always telling me the results lightly, but never talking about how difficult the process was."

Zhu Yuanzhang was somewhat pleased with himself, but he still snorted: "Isn't that nonsense? We are not old bureaucrats. The officials of our Ming Dynasty like to do this. Before the work is done, they say how difficult the process is, and they ask for bribes in various ways!"

"Okay, don't worry about it. It's not as difficult as you think."

Zhu Xiongying shook his head and said seriously, "I know, old man. I know you are doing this for my own good and don't want me to feel guilty or indebted. But I can imagine how difficult it is for you to make such a concession."

"Although your boss told me that it's okay, it's still very emotionally draining and it wouldn't be pleasant for anyone."

Zhu Xiongying took a deep breath and said, "Well, in short, Grandpa, thank you."

Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless: "Hey! Why don't you believe me when I tell you the truth? Chengcheng, think whatever you want."

"Let's go and ask the people about the tax issue, otherwise our government will not follow suit."

It is understandable that the old man is worried that the court will become too powerful to be controlled. Any policy that comes out must be for the people, but it is hard to say whether the government will implement it seriously.

Zhu Yuanzhang was annoyed and rolled his eyes at Zhu Xiongying. He walked up to the old farmers and asked, "Brothers, does the government still allow you to pick up the grain that fell outside the cup?"

"When I exchanged the small change I took to melt for Tongbao for you, was there any shortage of weight?"

The old farmers, who had been confused just now, suddenly understood what Zhu Yuanzhang said.

A few old farmers who were not much older than Zhu Yuanzhang grinned and said, "The court's policy is good! We can collect grain! After deducting the taxes to the government, all the grain is ours."

"Our emperor cares about the people. It's a good idea to cancel this decree! It benefits the people. It's real! The emperor is a real man! He cares about our people!"

Zhu Xiongying was watching from the side, and couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed when he saw the old man getting along well with the people in just a few words.

The old man is the emperor, and he is so kind and amiable. How can we not be like him?
Zhu Xiongying was really ashamed.

Yes!

You say certain words to certain people, and talk to them about things like "fire consumption is attributed to the credit" and "the wine is poured out to the tip of the cup". What do the common people know? These old farmers who have never seen the world in their lives cannot understand the government's clever excuses.

They even believed that the policies of attributing credit to the emperor for the fire consumption and kicking the cup were required by the court.

Every era has its own moral standards and norms, and the social consciousness is different in different eras.

In the Ming Dynasty, literacy was still a privilege enjoyed by only a few people. Most people held small peasant and feudal ideas.

The people of the Ming Dynasty are the easiest to manage and the easiest to fool, but this is not for the sake of the common people. The common people all have a scale in their hearts.

Zhu Xiongying stood in the distance watching and listening. Seeing that the government was implementing the court's policies, not only was the old man very happy, but Zhu Xiongying also felt happy.

Not long after, Zhu Yuanzhang came back and said with a smile: "You kid, what do you say to whoever you are talking to? What did I teach you? You forgot it the moment you turned around?"

Perhaps because the people praised Zhu Yuanzhang, the old man was very happy.

The old man has always been like this. As long as the people praise the emperor and praise Zhu Xiongying, he will feel happier even more than when they praise him.

Sometimes Zhu Xiongying couldn't understand why praising his grandson would make his old man happy, but now he seemed to understand a little.

Because he is happier when others praise him than when others praise him.
When policies come from one's own hands and bring real benefits to the people, it is indeed an extremely fulfilling thing.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Xiongying and said, "They can show such a satisfied smile today, all because of you, you are the hero in their hearts."

"But they do not know you, nor do they recognize you; they only know the emperor and only identify with the emperor."

Zhu Xiongying smiled and said, "I don't need to be famous. A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. It's better to keep a low profile."

"Besides, what's the harm in letting them remember my good points? If they remember your good points today, they will remember you even better tomorrow. Then someone will demand the virtues of a saint from you and put you on a moral pedestal..."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said: "You have some truth in what you said. I have never seen a ruler who is a saint. Scholars can set standards for virtue, but those in power still have to look at the world and consider the pros and cons."

"But I don't want to tell you this. What I want to tell you is that being an emperor is difficult."

"The burden of the Ming Dynasty is not easy to carry! Everyone says that being an emperor is good, but who knows how difficult it is? The emperor is a lonely man, facing the country and the people for his entire life, and he has no control over his own affairs."

"Grandson, I always tell you that it's hard to start a business, and it's even harder to keep it. Grandpa is old, and I can only help you for a few more years at most. Grandpa has taught you so many skills, I hope that one day, you won't let Grandpa down!"

Zhu Xiongying was somewhat moved, and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said: "Old man, why are you suddenly sentimental?"

The people will eventually turn against the emperor."

"When the policies are good, they praise the emperor; when the policies are bad, they scold the emperor."

"When you are an emperor, no one is not ruthless. Anyone who should be sacrificed can be sacrificed. The emperor cannot have a mind of good and evil. A kind person is not suitable to be an emperor, and a soft-hearted person is not suitable to be an emperor either."

"It's like the fifth daughter of the Xu family. In your eyes, she is a treasure. OK, even if we take a step back, Lan Yu, Fu Youde, and Li Jinglong are all your relatives and friends, but do you know what they are in our eyes?"

Zhu Xiongying shook his head: "I don't know."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were somewhat deep: "It's a chess piece, a chess piece that anyone can manipulate and kill!"

Sighing slightly, the old man sighed and said: "Back then, Lan Yu, Fu Youde, and Li Jinglong's father Li Wenzhong, who were not our emperor's relatives and fellow townsmen? Don't we have any friendship with them?"

"People are not plants or trees, so who can be heartless? But I cannot have emotions, because he is the father of the world, and he has to consider the rise and fall of a country."

"So when I became the emperor, those former comrades, fellow countrymen, and close relatives... gradually became distant from me."

"There is a difference between the emperor and his subjects. From the moment I became the emperor, I had no choice. If I can't control them well, I can only kill them. If Lan Yu is still as ungrateful as before in the past six months, you won't see Lan Yu now."

Zhu Xiongying's mouth twitched when he heard this!

After the old man said these words, the impact on Zhu Xiongying was really too great.

The old man's words suddenly gave me a reminder.

If there really comes such a day, if Lan Yu and others can help him get to the top by virtue of their merits in following the emperor.

Can he put aside these people and his own feelings?

They were so good to me, treating me as their closest relative, and even risking their own lives to protect me!

Perhaps the old man had such a deep relationship with Li Shanchang, Hu Weiyong and others back then, and perhaps they also had a similar past of friendship as himself... The old man always said that to be an emperor you must be ruthless and not soft-hearted...

When Zhu Xiongying listened to it again at this time, he suddenly felt a different feeling and felt a little blocked in his heart.

As they were talking, the two had already arrived at the county seat of Jiangning County from the village.

Zhu Xiongying helped the old man sit under a big tree to rest.

Zhu Xiongying opened the lid of the teacup for the old man: "Old man, you must be tired after walking for so long. Have some tea."

Zhu Yuanzhang said cheerfully: "Don't think about me for everything, you have been gone for so long, drink something first."

Zhu Xiongying smiled and said, "I'm not thirsty, old man, you drink!"

Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to take a sip of the strong tea.

Zhu Xiongying thought about it and gulped down the remaining tea.

"You still say you're not thirsty? I didn't drink much just now, but I know you're thirsty."

Zhu Xiongying said speechlessly: "Grandpa, you left it for me on purpose!"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and scolded: "What else?"

As he was speaking, the old man suddenly felt something wet on his head.

"It's raining?"

Zhu Xiongying was also a little curious. Why was it raining on the old man's head?
He looked up and saw a little kid in the tree peeing on Zhu Yuanzhang's head.

Zhu Xiongying's face immediately turned red, and he pointed at the brat and shouted, "Get down here!"

The child was badly hurt, so he crawled down crying and wailing, "Grandma, grandma, someone is mean to me!"

Not long after, a woman came over.

She pointed at Zhu Xiongying and said, "Shout, shout, shout, why are you shouting so loudly? Can you afford to pay for scaring my grandson?"

Zhu Xiongying angrily said: "He peed on the tree! My grandfather's head was covered with it. Do you think I should have cried out? How do you educate your children? You are so uncultured!"

The old woman retorted: "How old are you? Why are you arguing with a child? He is just a child! Do you have any manners?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was a little unhappy and said with a dark face: "What's wrong with being young? Can a child be spoiled like this? Peeing on someone's head, as an elder, as his grandmother, why didn't you teach him this?"

The old lady said unhappily, "You are already old, half of your feet are in the ground, and you are still fussing over a child? You are disrespectful to your elders!"

"you!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned red with anger!

Zhu Yuanzhang really didn't know how to deal with these common people.

Zhu Xiongying pulled Zhu Yuanzhang, stroked the old man's chest, and suddenly smiled at the child, saying: "I'll give you two dollars, go buy some candy balls."

The child happily took the money and left.

The old woman was also smug, pointing at Zhu Yuanzhang and saying: "You are not as good as your eldest grandson! You are like a living dog at your age!"

After saying that, she left cursing.

Zhu Yuanzhang was still furious and looked at Zhu Xiongying in confusion: "What are you afraid of? Why are you giving money to that kid?!"

Zhu Xiongying smiled and said to the old man: "If you want to kill him, you must first make him crazy... Don't worry about it, old man. You will know why I do this later."

Zhu Yuanzhang was a little confused and couldn't figure out what Zhu Xiongying was doing.

(End of this chapter)