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

Xu Yingxu was stunned, then suddenly realized what was happening. He pointed at Xu Miaojin with trembling hands and said angrily, "Are you kidding me? Are you cheating your second brother?!"

He suddenly felt that his IQ had been rubbed to the ground by Xu Miaojin.

"Who is that Mr. Zhu?" Xu Miaojin suddenly exclaimed.

Xu Huizu sighed, looked at Xu Miaojin and said, "Fifth sister, sit down and eat. I will tell you slowly."

Xu Miaojin hummed and sat next to Xu Huizu.

Xu Huizu said slowly: "In fact, it has not been long since we discovered this."

"Brother also knows that you can't hide it. You will find out something sooner or later." Xu Miaojin listened quietly.

Xu Huizu continued calmly, "Mr. Zhu, according to our current analysis, should be the eldest grandson of the Ming Dynasty who disappeared a few months ago... Zhu Xiongying!"

After hearing this, Xu Miaojin was stunned, as if petrified, staring blankly at Xu Huizu.

Xu Huizu continued, "You wanted us to find out who the emperor wanted to appoint as the crown prince."

"We have observed for a long time, and actually the emperor and the East Palace rarely have any contact."

"By chance, my elder brother discovered that the emperor seemed to know Mr. Zhu."

"Later, I discovered that the Emperor really knew Master Zhu, and their relationship was so close that it was crazy!"

"Now is the critical stage of establishing a crown prince. The old man is the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It is impossible for him to do something boring. The only possibility is that Mr. Zhu's identity is not simple."

"So we thought of a possibility, that he was the eldest grandson of Emperor Ming a few months ago!"

"That's the only reasonable explanation."

Xu Miaojin listened, gasping for breath, and suddenly said: "Brother! It's really like this..."

She couldn't accept it.

At this moment, I couldn't help but take a deep breath.

Xu Huizu was not surprised: "That's why the emperor keeps running outside."

Xu Yingxu and Xu Zengshou hung their heads and said to Xu Miaojin with some guilt, "Fifth sister, I'm sorry. We thought we were noble at the time and even taught Master Zhu a lesson."

"In fact, we are not worthy of Master Zhu."

Xu Miaojin shook her head and glared at him, "So the old man wants to clean up the Xu family just to pave the way for Master Zhu?"

"So the emperor chose the nobles from Huaixi?"

"Because Master Zhu is the grandson of Chang Yuchun and the nephew of Lan Yu, the Huaixi nobles are the most loyal force behind him!"

"No wonder! No wonder when Master Zhu got into trouble, the nobles from Huaixi were the first to step forward, even at the risk of their own lives!"

"No wonder Lan Yu, Chang Mao, Feng Sheng and others all treat Master Zhu with such love and care!"

"No wonder the emperor has been suppressing the credit for Master Zhu. So that's how it is!"

Xu Miaojin spoke in a low and hurried voice, her body still shaking.

This news was too hard for her to accept. She couldn't absorb the information all at once!
Xu Miaojin widened her eyes in shock. The more she thought about it, the more she felt her body trembling.

Xu Huizu did not disturb Xu Miaojin. This information really needed to be absorbed slowly.

After all, it is difficult for anyone who hears it to accept it for a while.

……

the other side.

When Zhu Xiongying returned to his mansion, Zhu Yuanzhang had already returned from the palace.

At dinner time, the grandfather and grandson were eating at the stone table in the courtyard.

I wonder if Tiexuan came at mealtime.

When Zhu Xiongying saw Tie Xuan, he said, "Dingshi is here? Sit down and have dinner with us."

Tie Xuan hesitated for a long time.

When Zhu Yuanzhang was not around, he dared to sit with Zhu Xiongying. But now that the old man was sitting in the main seat, how could Tiexuan dare to sit down?

"Haha, I just ate, so I won't sit down."

coo.

It was a bit awkward, and Tie Hyun's stomach growled with hunger.

Zhu Yuanzhang said sternly, "Why are you being so polite? Just sit down when Grandson tells you to! It's just a home-cooked meal!"

Tie Xuan quickly said: "Yes, thank you very much!"

Half of his butt was on the stone bench, he was sitting but not completely.

Zhu Xiongying said, "They are all home-cooked dishes, so don't be polite, Dingshi."

Tie Xuan said respectfully: "Your Majesty... no, I was also born poor, so please don't say such things, sir."

Zhu Xiongying picked up some food and asked Tie Xuan casually, "What do you want to talk to me about?"

Tie Xuan glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang and saw that the old man was still eating food with big mouthfuls, so he cautiously said to Zhu Xiongying: "The gentry has sent a letter from Jiaozhi, and you need to discuss it with me."

Zhu Xiongying nodded: "Tell me about it."

Tie Xuan said hurriedly, "Our dynasty has been holding imperial examinations for many years. At the beginning of this year, small examinations have already begun in counties, prefectures, and courts in various places. They are all in preparation for the provincial examinations in each provincial government next year, and the imperial examinations in the capital the year after."

"Xie Jin wanted to naturalize and educate the people of Jiaozhi, and hoped that the court would allow the people of Jiaozhi to participate in the imperial examinations."

If you really want to conquer a place, you must make them integrate into Han culture.

Jiaozhi has always been a barbaric land. Xie Jin's meaning was very clear: to completely sinicize it. Only in this way could they become a part of the country.

As long as there are cultural differences, we will never be able to achieve unification!
In fact, conquering every country is the same. Conquering by force is only the first step. The difficulty lies in the subsequent governance and naturalization.

If we want to make them completely become the subjects of the Han Dynasty, we must completely conquer their culture.

Remove the barbaric part and let them know the Han people's propriety, righteousness, integrity, benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness, etc.

If we just suppress them brutally, rebellions will inevitably occur one after another.

Just like the issue of white and black people in a certain American country thousands of years later.

It all comes down to post-war cultural differences and racial discrimination.

Zhu Xiongying thought about it seriously and nodded, "Okay."

Tie Xuan continued, "Xie Jin also hopes that the test questions for Jiaozhi will not be too difficult, but simple and easy to understand, and the regulations and calligraphy do not need to be so strict."

Tie Xuan spoke in a very logical manner.

He felt that what Mr. Jie was thinking was correct. After all, Jiaozhi had only been exposed to Han culture for a short time, and it was almost impossible to expect their knowledge to be as good as that of the officials in the north and south of the Ming Dynasty.

Tie Xuan continued, "In addition, Xie Jin also wrote a letter saying that for all students who come to Beijing for the Zhongdian test, the imperial court should pay for their travel expenses... taels of silver."

As he spoke, Tie Hyun's voice became smaller and smaller.

Because he found that Zhu Huai's face had turned livid. Zhu Xiongying stared at Tie Xuan coldly, and the sudden anger made Tie Xuan shiver.

As far as I can remember, Zhu Xiongying always greeted them with a smile and was gentle and polite, and he never had this kind of expression on his face.

Tie Xuan was a little frightened and his expression looked a little unnatural.

Zhu Xiongying placed the bowl and chopsticks in front of him, looked at Tie Xuan coldly, and said angrily: "Do you think what Jie Dashen said is good?"

Tie Xuan didn't understand what Zhu Xiongying meant, so he said stiffly, "Yes, it's not bad."

"fart!"

Zhu Xiongying shouted, "Are you guys kidding me?"

"Between Mr. Jie and the scholar, you also share the same opinion with him?!"

"What do you mean by making the questions for Jiaozhi students easier? What do you mean by making the examinations in Ming Dynasty more relaxed?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The imperial court wants to give Jiaozhi students easy questions and relax the grading. What will happen to the many students in Ming Dynasty who have studied hard? They have taken the exams for decades but may not be able to pass the imperial examination. Are you people from Jiaozhi more noble than our students in Ming Dynasty?"

"How do you want the court to explain to the students in the Central Plains? They have worked so hard for so many years to take the exam, but it would be better if they were born in Jiaozhi. So, why don't you all be born in the Central Plains and go to Jiaozhi! After all, the exams there are easier and the grading is more relaxed?"

"When Mr. Jie brought up this matter, did he ever think about it?"

"The imperial examination is the most important thing for the country to recruit officials. If you have the ability, then show yourself in the examination hall. I don't have the ability to strengthen education in Jiaozhi, but I am thinking about these crooked ways!"

"My grandfather dotes on me. Maybe if I beg him to do something, he will really go and talk to the emperor."

"And then what? Let the emperor point at a sixty-year-old man and call him a bastard?"

Zhu Yuanzhang smacked his lips and looked at his eldest grandson's angry expression with a smile on his face.

However, Tie Xuan was so scared when he heard Zhu Xiongying cursing that cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Only then did he react.

Yes, the imperial examination is the most fair way for the country to recruit officials. If even this is not fair, how can students in the world view the court?
Zhu Xiongying was still angry and said coldly: "Behind every official in the court, there is a deep meaning, and they are not awarded or promoted casually. If the scholars in Jiaozhi knew that the imperial examination was so simple, would they cherish it?"

"Without more than ten years of hard study, and without letting them know how difficult it is to be an official, what can they do even if they get an official position?"

"The purpose of the state recruiting officials is to do practical things for the people. It is to find a group of talented officials to govern the country. Being an official is not a joke. You have been officials for so many years and have taken the imperial examinations for so many years. Let me ask you, do you think this is fair?"

"You don't treat your own Han people well, so why are you treating those barbarians well?"

"Yes! I told you to treat everyone equally, but now, you are planning to elevate the status of Jiaozhi people above that of Han people, right?"

Zhu Xiongying became more and more angry as he spoke, "Let Mr. Jie reflect on this! If he says such nonsense to me again, he will not stay in Jiaozhi! The court is not short of talented and ambitious people, and one more person will do!"

Tie Xuan said quickly: "Sir, don't be angry. Mr. Xie made a mistake because he was too impatient. In the final analysis, he still wanted to speed up the development of Jiaozhi. His starting point was good, but his suggestion was a bit confused."

Zhu Xiongying looked at Tie Xuan: "Can you still speak for him? Did you think about it when you were reading the documents from Jiaozhi?" Tie Xuan lowered his head.

Even though he was scolded, he didn't dare to complain at all.

Zhu Xiongying was right. This time they did not consider it carefully enough.

"I know I was wrong." Tie Xuan lowered his head and said in a low voice.

The old man smacked his lips and suddenly found Zhu Xiongying's domineering lecture somewhat amusing.

This kid is starting to look good!
He said with a smile, "Alright, alright, don't be angry, Grandson. Tie Dingshi is right. Mr. Jie had good intentions but did the wrong thing with good intentions. Besides, aren't you here to guard the gate? If you guard the gate well, the people below won't mess around."

Zhu Xiongying sighed and said, "Grandpa, don't speak for them!"

"This matter is very serious. Xie Jin can develop Jiaozhi in any way he wants. I will give him money and people. I never dare to treat him unfairly. I know it's not easy over there and he has a lot to bear."

"But the idea cannot be wrong!"

“That’s the principle.”

"Everyone who takes the imperial examination has to go through three small tests and three big tests. Only about a hundred Jinshi are produced every three years. Officials in the Ming Dynasty are not easy to come by. Xie Jin is a genius and it is easy for him to pass the exam, but most people in the world are mediocre. They may spend half their lives to become a Jinshi."

"Listen to what Mr. Jie suggested. He just wants to take shortcuts. Didn't you say that you can't take shortcuts in governing a country? The same principle applies to Jiaozhi."

"The Ming Dynasty is on the right path, so the officials below must also have the right thoughts. If they have these crooked ideas, it means that they are learning to be sly!"

"This is a big deal. If it's not that my grandson is too strict, it will only do him harm in the long run!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Xiongying with admiration: "That's right! You're right!"

"We won't speak for them. You can make your own decision."

The old man became more and more pleased and happy. He smacked his lips and continued to eat his dinner leisurely.

Tie Xuan stood by and dared not say a word.

"I will deliver your words to Mr. Jie in a moment."

Seeing Tie Xuan's aggrieved expression, Zhu Xiongying's heart softened: "Okay, sit down and eat."

"You are my right-hand men and left-hand men. I don't want you to be pinched by others a hundred years later."

Tie Xuan sniffed and was somewhat moved: "Young Master's intention, Ding Shi understands it. Ding Shi has already realized his mistake and will never dare to resent you in the slightest."

The governance of Jiaozhi must not be sloppy at all.

The old man handed Jiaozhi over to him. Although Zhu Xiongying was not in Jiaozhi, the burden on his shoulders was no less than that of Xie Jin.

He needs to control all major development directions of Jiaozhi and make Jiaozhi walk on a healthy and prosperous road as much as possible.

In addition, it is necessary to raise money for Jiaozhi and plan the future development direction.

These days, documents from Jiaozhi are received almost every day, and Zhu Xiongying is also constantly studying Jiaozhi's business development route in the second half of the year.

Zhu Xiongying was really angry when he heard what Tie Xuan said this evening.

After Tie Xuan left, Zhu Xiongying was still sullen.

Seeing Zhu Xiongying's expression, the old man smiled and said, "Well, no one is perfect. It's okay as long as you can correct your mistakes."

"If you are really dissatisfied, we can transfer Xie Jin back and replace him with Tie Xuan."

Zhu Xiongying quickly shook his head: "That won't do!"

The old man narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Look, even though you scolded Mr. Jie so harshly, don't you still feel sorry for him in your heart? The words you just scolded were meant for us to hear, right?"

Zhu Xiongying said awkwardly: "Why can't I hide anything from you, old man?"

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, "You little bastard! In fact, you still protect Xie Jin from the bottom of your heart."

Zhu Xiongying sighed: "Old man, after all, Jie Dashen really made a mistake."

Zhu Yuanzhang hummed, "But it is undeniable that Xie Jin is a capable person. In less than four months, Jiaozhi has completely changed its appearance and has established grain trade relations with Champa."

"Tsk, that guy is really talented. He even knows how to recruit civilian construction contractors and collect deposits."

(End of this chapter)