Ming Dynasty: Zhu Biao's younger brother, the most rebellious son in history

Chapter 62 Queen Ma’s worries!

Zhu Yuanzhang quickly asked Yuan Qi to bring the "Collected Commentaries on Mencius" and hand it to Zhu Kai.

After Zhu Kai took the book, he looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Dad, just this once, just this once. If it happens a second time, you will lose your home."

"Yes."

Seeing that Zhu Kai was no longer angry, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled again: "We will never allow this to happen a second time, absolutely not!"

"You said it, I believe you."

Zhu Kai waved his hand and said, "Let's go."

After Zhu Kai left, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief and said, "Huh... I'm glad you're not angry. That little bastard... I've touched his weak spot this time."

After finishing his speech, Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and picked up the memorial that Zhu Kai had just thrown at him.

He walked to Yuan Qi and looked at him with a smile on his face.

I couldn't help but pat the memorial on his shoulder and complained, "Old man, why didn't you help me persuade Kai'er just now? It's all your fault! Where's our Annotated Mencius?"

This was a treasure that was snatched from Liu Ji, but it was taken away by Zhu Kai. Zhu Yuanzhang was an old miser, and that set of books was priceless. How could he not feel bad?

"Hehe, what we are laughing at is that Your Majesty and His Royal Highness the Second Prince are really close. They are family, real family."

Yuan Qi laughed and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang:
"However, since we are a family, and His Royal Highness the Second Prince is a man who values ​​love, how could he be angry with Your Majesty?"

"Ok?"

After hearing Yuan Qi's question, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately became alert.

Yuan Qi meant to say - Kaier lied to us?

On second thought...

"I am!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was both angry and distressed!
Did that little bastard Zhu Kai just steal away my set of Zhu Xi's original edition of "Mencius Annotations"?
Yuan Qi was right. How could Zhu Kai be so angry about this matter?
Ah! No, Zhu Kai might be angry. He would definitely understand why he would sacrifice a loyal minister for a progressive prince. Moreover, Kai'er and the eldest brother have such a good relationship, he should be able to understand his difficulties. After all, he also hopes that the eldest brother can mature.

But he was definitely not as angry as he is today. After thinking about it, Zhu Yuanzhang only thought of the set of "Collected Commentaries on Mencius".

The drunkard's real interest is not in the wine, but in the book "Collected Commentaries on Mencius"!

"This traitor!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face immediately turned red with anger. "He, he used the book that he stole from us to get Meng Duan's forgiveness? This rebellious son, he...he dared to do this?"

As he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang became even angrier:
"He, he also called me Old Zhu and called me an old fox... I... I am so angry!"

Yuan Qi pursed his lips and continued to stand there like a piece of wood.

"You old bastard, why didn't you say so earlier!"

After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, he was about to chase Zhu Kai and get his book back.

But when I think about it, it’s not possible.

I can't go. What if Kai'er gets really angry?
Do you still want this home?
Although Zhu Yuanzhang was 90% sure that Zhu Kai was lying about his book, he was still 10% unsure. What if he was really angry...

No...we can't show up.

"Yuan Qi, you, you go over there."

Zhu Yuanzhang called Yuan Qi over and said, "Take our strongman and go find that rebellious son and test his words. If he is really lying to us, have the strongman beat him with 20 boards. Beat him hard for us."

"According to the order."

Yuan Qi then left and took Li Shi to chase Zhu Kai.

……

In the Fengxian Hall, Zhu Kai threw aside the "Collected Annotations of Mencius" he had received, and then asked Lai Fu to send his attendants away, while he waited for Yuan Qi to arrive.

Soon, Yuan Qi appeared, smiling like Maitreya Buddha.

Zhu Kai saw him and raised his hand to greet him: "Are you here?"

"coming."

"You shouldn't have come."

"Hehe... His Majesty is afraid that you, the Second Prince, will be really angry, so he asked us to come and take a look. We have no choice but to come, right?"

Yuan Qi and Zhu Kai sat on the steps, knowing each other well, and said, "Just now, His Majesty was very angry and said that you, the Second Prince, did everything you could to cheat him out of his book."

Zhu Kai curled his lips and said:
"My father's reaction wasn't that quick. It must be you who reminded him."

"But I still want to thank you for not exposing me in advance, otherwise I wouldn't know how to apologize to him."

As he spoke, Zhu Kai took out the thank-you gift he had prepared long ago, and stuffed two cigarettes into Yuan Qi's pockets: "Thank you, two... enough for you to smoke for a while."

At that time, Zhu Kai found a dozen containers of export cigarettes from a super ocean-going freighter and smoked them for fun. Unexpectedly, Yuan Qi fell in love with them. Zhu Kai didn't have a smoking addiction, so there was no point in keeping them. He gave Yuan Qi two packs every now and then so that he could enjoy the craving.

"Thank you, Second Prince."

Yuan Qi put away the cigarette with a smile, and then said: "We know that the Second Prince really treats Your Majesty as a family member. He is really angry today, but he shouldn't be angry in this way. Your Majesty has also reacted, so let us take a look at you. If you are really angry, forget it. If you are pretending, I will give you twenty lashes."

"Uh……"

Zhu Kai tried hard to act angry, "Eunuch Yuan, I'm very angry and I'm still angry now."

"Hehe... Second Prince can't hide it from us. You are truly doing this for the good of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. How can we not see it?"

Yuan Qi didn't buy it at all, and then said very seriously: "However, it is true that the Second Prince doesn't like to be deceived, and he also feels guilty towards Lord Meng Duan, right?"

In front of Yuan Qi, Zhu Kai could not pretend. This shrewd man served Zhu Yuanzhang and there was no fault in his service. He was the smartest person in the palace.

I couldn't pretend, so I could only tell the truth: "Yes, my father is so abominable. He actually put on a show for me and asked me to act in it. I acted in it, but he has to pay me an appearance fee, right? That book is my appearance fee."

"Haha, the second prince's appearance fee is really high."

Yuan Qi looked at the two packs of cigarettes that Zhu Kai handed over and shook his head: "Your Highness, you must be beaten with a stick. Otherwise, if you didn't go to the Empress to apply medicine, His Majesty will blame us, right?"

After saying that, Yuan Qi called Li Shi over and advised Zhu Kai:
"Your Highness, stop struggling. It's only twenty lashes. It will be over in no time."

"Yuan Qi, damn..."

……

Yuan Qi was very measured in beating the boy with the stick, only breaking some flesh but not hurting any bones or muscles.

The next day, Zhu Kai ran to Ma Xiuying to apply medicine on him.

While applying the medicine, he complained to Ma Xiuying: "Mom, you have to talk to Dad. He wants to be the emperor now, and he is playing tricks on his son. If he keeps messing with our family like this, is there any way out?"

"You should be content. The strongman was very careful in his attack. He only hurt his skin. He will be fine after a few days of rest. Your elder brother is the one who suffered the most... He was directly knocked unconscious by your father. No matter how I persuaded him, it was useless."

At this point, Ma Xiuying couldn't help but slap Zhu Kai on the face, pretending to be angry and said, "Later I found out that your father was so angry because you cheated him out of a set of books."

"Uh... what do you mean by lying? That was compensation for me. Besides, I was very angry, okay? I'm still angry now. He even beat my brother... My brother was corrupted by him. If he hadn't put all the government affairs on my brother, how could my brother be blinded by those sour scholars and literati?"

He talked a lot, all about his dissatisfaction with Zhu Biao's educational methods. Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned darker and darker as he listened to him.

Zhu Kai was lying on the couch and could not see Zhu Yuanzhang standing outside. While Ma Xiuying was applying medicine to Zhu Kai, she turned her head to look at Zhu Yuanzhang, smiled and shook her head, signaling him not to show up.

"You little brat, you only know how to frame your father."

Ma Xiuying patted Zhu Kai lightly, "He is the father of you and Biao'er, how could he harm you?"

"Mom, this has nothing to do with whether it harms us or not. Dad did nothing wrong, but did he do the right thing? This is like I wanted to eat watermelon, but Dad gave me an apple instead."

Zhu Kai shook his head and said, "If I become a father in the future, I will definitely not do this. If I let my eldest brother do something, I will let him go and govern Huguang. The difficulty of governing a country starts with governing Huguang."

When Ma Xiuying heard what Zhu Kai said, she thought he was talking nonsense: "What nonsense are you talking about, kid? Your elder brother is the crown prince. He has to manage a country, how can he govern the government in the local area? Besides, it's just a Huguang area, not the whole world. There are so many complicated things in the world... too many, too many, not a small Huguang can handle them all."

"Although the sparrow is small, it has all the organs. Although Huguang is small, there are many places with experience that can be learned. Mother can't let my eldest brother build a tall building before he has a foundation. If the building collapses at that time, it will be a greater disaster."

Zhu Kai really didn't understand the ancient system of selecting emperors - this thing was completely useless.

Can you understand the world by staying in the imperial palace all day and listening to the reports from ministers?

What a joke!
Looking at those who became prime ministers, they all rose step by step, and no one knows how many people they defeated along the way.

A good horse cannot be trained in a courtyard.

How could Zhu Biao, who lived in a large mansion, be a match for these prime ministers who had reached the center of power?

Unless Zhu Biao could be as cruel as Zhu Yuanzhang and dare to kill innocent people.

Ma Xiuying thought it was unlikely, but Zhu Yuanzhang was thoughtful when he heard it.

It is not impossible to let Zhu Biao govern Huguang.

It just so happens that there will be a war next year, and all energy must be focused on the war. Zhu Biao can go to the local area to gain some experience.

Zhu Yuanzhang also felt that Zhu Biao was living a very comfortable life under his wing.

He needs to go out and gain experience, to learn for himself how to govern a region on his own.

It's a good idea and the location is well chosen.

Huguang!

In this place that has been devastated by war and has not yet recovered, everything has to start from scratch.

There were bandits, literati, landlords, merchants, and common people in Huguang... Zhu Yuanzhang had originally planned to send a capable minister to such a complicated place, but now it seems that Zhu Biao is the best choice.

"Biao'er will govern the world in the future. If he can't even govern Huguang, how can he govern the world?"

A smile appeared on Zhu Yuanzhang's face and his steps became much lighter.

My second son has solved another big problem for me.

……

The people's annual tax payments were increased by many taxes that did not exist in the first place for no reason.

This matter was directly exposed by Crown Prince Zhu Biao at the grand court meeting.

When this incident happened, the court was shocked.

Everyone knows that Zhu Yuanzhang cares about the people the most and hates corrupt officials the most, but someone imposes heavy taxes on the people right under his nose. How can Zhu Yuanzhang not hate them?
The root of this matter has been traced back to Guo Huan, the governor of western Zhejiang, who colluded with the vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue and local nobles to increase the taxes of the people in various pretexts. Zhu Yuanzhang has sent Guo Xing with the Yiluansi and the personal soldiers of the Royal Guards to the local area to arrest the relevant officials and escort them to Nanjing for trial.

Local chief officials were also implicated.

Zhu Yuanzhang once again raised his butcher knife and killed officials, and all the ministers in the court were terrified.

As for the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he was so frightened that he collapsed on the ground, with feces and urine flowing out of his body uncontrollably.

Hu Weiyong was not satisfied with this, so he stood up and said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, Yingtian Prefecture Yin Meng Duan is the local chief official, he must not be unaware of this, but he indulged his subordinates and deceived the emperor. Such people who are idle and do nothing must be severely punished. I think Meng Duan should be severely punished to serve as a warning to others!"

Not mentioning the officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, only targeting Meng Duan...

How could the court officials not understand that the Second Prince's number one lackey was starting to bite people again.

The reason he wanted to kill Meng Duan was not because of the increase in taxes, but because Meng Duan often complained about Zhu Kai to Zhu Yuanzhang. Hu Weiyong had long regarded him as a thorn in his side and wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate Meng Duan and avenge the second prince.

Severely punish Meng Duan to serve as a warning to others.

Everyone present understood after hearing these eight words that Hu Weiyong was going to confiscate the property and destroy the entire family!
The court officials could not help but close their eyes. Your Majesty is so foolish. How could he let this lackey be the prime minister? He must have bad intentions!
Although Zhu Biao was very angry about Meng Duan's behavior, he also understood that Meng Duan had only been in Yingtian Prefecture for half a year, and it was already quite good that he knew that someone was secretly increasing taxes for the people.

In this way, Meng Duan's family was killed, and Zhu Biao could not agree to it no matter what.

Meng Duan, he deserves to die.

But, his family is innocent!

Zhu Biao looked at Hu Weiyong who was filled with righteous indignation and said, "Prime Minister Hu, my second brother once said that we should seek truth from facts and not implicate others. Don't you think what my second brother said makes sense?"

To deal with Hu Weiyong, Zhu Kai must be brought out.

Looking at Hu Weiyong, the meaning was very clear: if you don't listen to my second brother, I will let my second brother deal with you after the court session!
As Zhu Kai's number one lackey, how could Hu Weiyong not know the relationship between Zhu Kai and Zhu Biao? He also knew that, except for Ma Xiuying, no one could compare to Zhu Biao's position in Zhu Kai's heart.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't do it.

It’s even worse for myself.

"Well, what the Second Prince said makes sense."

Hu Weiyong responded to Zhu Biao, and then said to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, I request that Meng Duan be executed!"

However, after Hu Weiyong pleaded for his life, Wang Guangyang stood up to protect Meng Duan:
"Your Majesty, Meng Duan has only been in office in Yingtian Prefecture for half a year, so he is still unaware of the situation in Yingtian Prefecture. He has already discovered this problem and has discussed with me how to solve the problem of collecting taxes under false pretexts. Lord Meng himself has done nothing wrong, so please be clear about it, Your Majesty."

Anyone who dares to protect Meng Duan is Hu Weiyong's enemy!
"Does Wang Xiang know about this?"

Hu Weiyong stared at Wang Guangyang, "How dare you collude with the thief Meng and deceive His Majesty?"

Wang Guangyang ignored Hu Weiyong, but Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Meng Duan is a descendant of the Second Sage, and he has made great contributions to the country. Let him resign and go to Jiangxi to teach."

Upon hearing that Zhu Yuanzhang did not want to kill Meng Duan, Hu Weiyong very rationally shut up immediately.

Meng Duan was dismissed from his official post and went to Jiangxi to teach... From then on he was just a teacher, so naturally there were plenty of ways to kill him.

Hu Weiyong looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, then at Zhu Biao, and then stood back among the court officials without saying a word.

Your Majesty, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince are not on the same page.

I have to personally deal with the Second Prince’s enemies!

After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang thought of something and said to Yuan Qi: "Yuan Qi, give our copy of Mencius to Meng Duan and ask him to study the Second Sage and teach well... If he doesn't teach well, we will take the book back."

"..."

Yuan Qi was speechless when he heard what Zhu Yuanzhang said.

If it weren't for the relationship between the emperor and his subjects, Yuan Qi would have asked Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty, do you still have any shame?"

That book obviously belongs to the second prince. What does it have to do with you?
And you said it in the court, announcing to the world, were you the one who gave Zhu Xi's "Collected Commentaries on Mencius" to Meng Duan?

He also said that if Meng Duan couldn't teach well, he would take the book back...

So this book has gone around outside and is now back in your hands?

Yuan Qi couldn't help but turn his face away, not wanting to look at Zhu Yuanzhang anymore.

He is so shameless that he even cheated his own son.

Yuan Qi wasn't worried that Zhu Kai would be angry, he just wanted to know...

After Zhu Kai finds out that Zhu Yuanzhang is playing tricks again, can Zhu Yuanzhang withstand Zhu Kai's revenge?
Sure enough, Zhu Yuanzhang regretted it after he said it, but it was difficult to take back what he had said in front of his ministers.

Zhu Yuanzhang was also very depressed. Zhu Kai is my son. I just want to trick him once. Why is it so difficult?
"I still have to take care of that little bastard's feelings... It's really frustrating to be a father like me."

Zhu Yuanzhang was upset because he wanted to trick Zhu Kai but failed:
"Are we just going to watch that kid showing off in front of us?"

……

Meng Duan, dressed in cloth, walked out of Yingtian Prefecture, accompanied only by a coachman hired by his family.

His family had been sent to Jiangxi, and he also left after handing over his official business.

Today is the day when Meng Duan leaves Yingtian Prefecture. He feels that it is worth it. Although he is leaving, he can take this opportunity to cultivate a sage monarch. This is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty!

Sitting in the carriage leaving Yingtian, Meng Duan was still happy about the move he made. Second Prince, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be as talented and wise as Your Majesty. What can you use to compete with him?

You have a good relationship with the prince now. Can your descendants also have the same good relationship with the prince’s descendants?
Ha ha……

I was afraid before, but now I’m not afraid anymore. Second Prince, you can’t defeat His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!

After leaving Yingtian, Meng Duan felt that he had accomplished his mission, but he also had a little regret: Didn’t Your Majesty say that you would give us the "Collected Commentaries on Mencius" annotated by Zhu Xi?

But I am about to leave Yingtian, why hasn’t this book arrived in my hands yet?
Just as Meng Duan was wondering, the moving carriage gradually slowed down and finally stopped.

The driver said to Meng Duan outside the car: "Master, there are people blocking the road ahead."

Oh?
It should be an old friend of mine, right?
Meng Duan was very happy. Now he was like a rat crossing the street and no one dared to see him off. But when he was leaving, there was someone who was not afraid of being falsely accused and came to see him off. This must be Meng's lifelong confidant.

One name after another flashed through his mind, but after stepping out of the carriage, he saw someone he had never expected.

Zhu Kai!

The arrogant Second Prince who spat twice on his face!
Zhu Kai, another one had a reluctant look on his face, and his eyes were full of challenge as he looked at Meng Duan.

However, Meng Duan's eyes were not on him, but on Zhu Kai.

Why is he here?

Are you going to kill yourself?
Meng Duan was very surprised that Zhu Kai came, but when facing Zhu Kai again, he was able to remain very calm.

He had already completed his mission and had already put life and death aside, so he was not afraid of Zhu Kai. If Zhu Kai really wanted to kill Meng Duan, the old man would probably be even happier.

While Meng Duan was thinking, Zhu Kai, with his hands behind his back, had already walked to the front of Meng Duan's car and looked at him with contempt: "Old man, do you think that if I kill you now, it will cause a rift between me and my eldest brother, and that when I act naughty again in the future, my eldest brother will not protect me like before?"

Meng Duan got off the carriage, bowed to Zhu Kai, raised his head and looked at Zhu Kai with a smile: "The Second Prince is smart, which is a blessing for your Majesty and the Queen. If my child is half as smart as you, I will have nothing to worry about in my life."

"hehe."

Zhu Kai sneered.

This old guy is playing word games with him again.

The blessing of Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying cannot be the blessing of the Ming Dynasty, right?

"Old man, stop playing word games with me. It's not up to you or anyone else to tell me what I should do. I am who I am."

Zhu Kai looked at Meng Duan, then took his hands out from behind his back and said, "Look, old man Meng, I spit on your face twice. I'll give you this book, and we're even on this matter."

Book?
Meng Duan didn't expect that Zhu Kai would actually give him something, but he had to admit that the gift Zhu Kai gave was to his liking.

He doesn't like gold, silver, or treasures, nor does he like women or wine. He only likes reading.

But, this was something Zhu Kai gave him, and Meng Duan didn't want it, but... when his eyes fell on the title of the book, it was as if his eyes were glued to the book and he couldn't pull them away.

"This... Mr. Zhu's original copy of Mencius's Annotations... I remember that Your Majesty gave it to me as a reward. Why is it in your hands, the Second Prince?"

Meng Duan spoke in confusion, but soon understood, and anger appeared on his face: "You, you actually intercepted the book that His Majesty gave me? And you even said that you could use this book to settle your matter with me?"

"..."

Zhu Kai's face immediately darkened, "This old fox!"

Needless to say, this was Zhu Yuanzhang's revenge for the person who played him!
Meng Duan became even angrier when he heard Zhu Kai call Zhu Yuanzhang an "old fox": "You are lawless! You are absolutely lawless! Second Prince, if you do this, you will lose the favor of His Majesty sooner or later. I advise you, for the sake of your own life, don't act perversely!"

"Meng Lao, how can you talk like that?"

Luo Guanzhong, who was following behind Zhu Kai, already had resentment towards Meng Duan in his heart. Now that he was blaming his financial sponsor, how could he bear it?
So what if you are the descendant of a sub-saint?

This is not the reason for you to scold my financial sponsor: "I also advise you not to rely on your status as a descendant of the Second Saint to point fingers at the Second Prince! This book was in his hands the night the Second Prince came back! I gave you the book with good intentions, but you took it for granted?"

Who are you to dare to scold the descendants of the Second Sage?

Meng Duan glanced at Luo Guanzhong...and didn't recognize him.

Then, Meng Duan looked at Zhu Kai again and said, "I, the humble servant, also ask the Second Prince to be close to the wise and stay away from the villains, otherwise you will be in great trouble!"

"You're calling me a villain?"

Luo Guanzhong immediately rolled up his sleeves to deal with Meng Duan!

"Lao Luo, shut up."

Zhu Kai did not let Luo Guanzhong continue to speak, but just looked at Meng Duan: "Do you want this book or not?"

"want!"

Meng Duan took the book directly in his hand. Although he was reluctant, he still thanked Zhu Kai:
"I, your Excellency, thank you for coming to deliver the book."

"Ha~"

Zhu Kai then stopped being polite with him and said, "Old man, now that we have finished talking about the book, let's talk about you using me. How do you say that?"

"Ok?"

Meng Duan was just about to say, isn’t this matter settled?

But before he could say anything, the words were immediately stuck back in his throat.

No, what I just said was that the book and the story of the two mouthfuls of spit have been finished, but the story of myself and Zhu Yuanzhang playing Zhu Biao and Zhu Kai has not been finished yet.

This……

Although Meng Duan liked this set of "Collected Annotations of Mencius" very much, he was not a person who liked to owe favors to others. After thinking about it, he handed the book back to Zhu Kai.

Well, it’s not fair!
"What does it mean?"

Zhu Kai directly hit the book back and threw it on Meng Duan's car: "Just a book, you want to let it go? How can this prince be so easily fooled?"

"..."

Meng Duan looked at Zhu Kai and seemed to have understood that Zhu Kai came here not to give him a book, but to cause trouble.

Find fault?

I am the descendant of the sub-sage, how could I be afraid of you?

He sneered at Zhu Kai and said, "I don't know what the Second Prince wants. I have nothing left. If you think my life can earn your forgiveness, then you can take it."

"it is good."

Zhu Kai smiled and pointed at Meng Duan and said, "Now, your life belongs to me, old man Meng. I want you to follow me back to Yingtian and serve as my chief secretary. You must follow me every day and write a biography for me in the future!"

The position of secretary is held by both the civil and military systems.

In the civil service system, they are in charge of matters such as audiences, condolences, recommendations, sacrifices, prayers, orders, promotions and demotions. In the military, the secretary is responsible for the records, documents, letters, and other matters related to military combat situations and military supplies.

The secretary is an official position and can only be held by a trusted person.

What puzzled Meng Duan the most was the two words "write a biography" that Zhu Kai said.

He was the descendant of the Second Sage, yet he had fallen to the point of writing a biography for the "No. 1 Scourge of the Ming Dynasty."

But think about it, this won't work. The historian who writes the biography must write it truthfully, and Zhu Kai and I don't get along, we can be said to be like water and fire... How could Zhu Kai let his opponent write a biography?
"I write a biography? Haha... I'm afraid the Second Prince will be infamous forever."

Meng Duan shook his head and said, "Second Prince, I can't do this. You'd better kill me! Moreover, His Majesty sent me to Jiangxi to teach. If you let me return to Yingtian Prefecture, it would be against His Majesty's will and I would be impeached by the censor."

"Hahaha, old man Meng, didn't you say that I was the number one scourge of the Ming Dynasty and that I was lawless? Why don't you believe it now?"

Zhu Kai laughed loudly and patted Meng Duan's shoulder with satisfaction: "Old man Meng, you are a good secretary. You have already started to consider things for your master before you took office. Come back with me."

"..."

When did I ever think about you?

Meng Duan's face was dark, he didn't understand why, "No, I want to go to Jiangxi."

"Fuck off! Your life is mine now, you have to do whatever I tell you to do. If you dare to resist me, I will let you know what a disaster is!"

Zhu Kai looked at Meng Duan sinisterly, "Old man, if you don't respond to the sky, don't even think about seeing your family again!"

Luo Guanzhong added: "Old man, your wife and children are all in the hands of the master. If you disobey the master's orders, be careful that your family will suffer as well!"

"you you……"

Meng Duan wanted to swear to death and refused to obey. He looked at the driver and said, "You, come with me to Jiangxi. I don't believe that the Ming Dynasty will allow you, the second prince, to do whatever you want!"

"is it?"

Zhu Kai looked at the driver and said to him, "I am the second prince Zhu Kai. You have heard of my name, right? I believe you also know my story. Lan Yu opposed me, and I killed all ten of his personal soldiers. If Lan Yu had not knelt down and begged for mercy, he would have died too... Hehe, do you think you can beat Lan Yu?"

"..."

Coachman: Second Prince, I am just a coachman, why are you threatening me?
However, the driver knew Zhu Kai's bad reputation. He was worried that he would be torn to pieces by Zhu Kai, so he could only look at Meng Duan and said, "Master, look..."

"Go to Jiangxi!"

Meng Duan was so angry that he was shaking all over. "Can he kill you?"

"Yes, sir."

The coachman was about to cry. You are the descendant of the Second Sage, and the Second Prince wouldn’t dare to do anything to you. But I am just a stinky coachman, how can he still care about me?
"Old man Meng, think about it carefully. If a driver died because of your stubbornness, how can you live a peaceful life? I am the number one scourge of the Ming Dynasty. My father and mother dote on me, so... I can do anything!"

Zhu Kai pushed his mountain bike over and said to Luo Guanzhong, "Old Luo, let's go."

"Yes, my lord."

Luo Guanzhong pushed his mountain bike and ran towards Zhu Kai. When he passed in front of Meng Duan, he looked at him with disdain:

"Can you, old man, be a historian?"

You are already old, so you will probably die soon, right?

Meng Duan was shaking with anger. The driver carefully held the rope and looked at Meng Duan: "Master, how should we…"

"Respond to the sky!"

The three words "yingyingtian" were almost squeezed out from between teeth.

When he turned his head, Meng Duan saw the rope in the driver's hand and immediately asked, "What are you doing with the rope?"

The driver put the rope behind him and said to Meng Duan in a sheepish tone, "Drive, drive!"

Catching a car?

Looking at the rope and then the whip, Meng Duan suddenly realized something and glared at the driver:

"How dare you be so spineless! You actually want to tie me up?"

"Uh, sir..."

The driver was about to cry, "I also have a wife and children to support, sir. The Second Prince is a disaster. He even dared to snatch your Majesty's books. Is there anything he can't do? Please forgive me, sir, for I have no merits but have worked hard."

"You guys..."

Meng Duan returned to the carriage angrily. Seeing how cooperative he was, the driver retracted the rope, turned the horse around and went back to Yingtian.

Meng Duan, who was sitting in the carriage, had gradually calmed down.

He was no longer angry at Zhu Kai, but was thinking about Zhu Kai's attitude towards him...

I don't get along with Zhu Kai, but he actually wants to hire me as his secretary and historian...

Thinking of this, Meng Duan suddenly laughed and murmured to himself: "The Second Prince, the Second Prince is a pure person."

Who would allow his enemy to serve as his historian?

Throughout history, only Zhu Kai dared to do this, right?

Looking at the "Collected Commentaries on Mencius" in his hand, Meng Duan felt a little depressed.

This book was originally written by Zhu Kai to apologize to himself, but now both the person and the book were returned to Zhu Kai.

This... seems like I've suffered a huge loss.

……

Meng Duan came back again and was abducted by Zhu Kai to his home. He was not allowed to go to Jiangxi. The censors of the Censorate suddenly realized that they had caught Zhu Kai's handle and began to impeach Zhu Kai, saying that he was disrespectful to his superiors and disobeyed the emperor's orders.

Hu Weiyong stood up at this time and defended Zhu Kai's behavior: "Meng Dajia is a descendant of the Second Sage, and his literary skills are unmatched. Moreover, your majesty sent Meng Dajia to teach and educate people. Wouldn't it be better to train the second prince to become a great man than to train thousands of students? In my opinion, the second prince is the one who respects your majesty's will the most."

Hearing Hu Weiyong opening his mouth and saying "Meng Dashi" and closing his mouth and saying "descendant of the second sage", praising Meng Duan to the sky, and then thinking about the look on Hu Weiyong's face when he wanted to kill Meng Duan before... he is such a mean person.

Regardless of right or wrong, everyone seemed to be able to see that Hu Weiyong would have a miserable end in the future by blindly flattering the second prince.

Zhu Biao did not expect that Zhu Kai would actually invite Meng Duan back, and felt a little embarrassed.

I just had a falling out with Meng Duan, and now we have to meet often again. Just thinking about it, I feel like I don’t know what to say when I see Meng Duan again.

However, Zhu Biao soon felt relieved.

My second brother spit on Meng Duan's face, but we still have to stay together. Why should I be embarrassed?
September is Zhu Kai’s birth month and Zhu Biao’s birth month.

September, the third year of Hongwu.

Zhu Kai is seventeen years old.

If following the custom of previous years, would Zhu Yuanzhang celebrate the birthdays of Zhu Kai and Zhu Biao?

His parents are both at home, so how should the little kid celebrate his birthday?
But as soon as September arrived this year, Zhu Yuanzhang said to Ma Xiuying while having breakfast: "This year, let's plan to celebrate the birthdays of the eldest brother and Kai'er."

Hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Ma Xiuying's hand couldn't help but pause, and she looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with questioning eyes.

Why are you celebrating your birthday for no reason?
Zhu Yuanzhang, you should have other plans, right?

Ma Xiuying guessed that Zhu Yuanzhang had other plans, but she didn't know what they were, so she asked Zhu Yuanzhang, "Why are you suddenly celebrating the birthdays of the boss and Kai'er? Is there anything you want to arrange?"

"Correct."

Zhu Yuanzhang did not hide anything from Ma Xiuying and directly told her his plan: "It is September now. I plan to send the eldest brother to Huguang for a year of training. Didn't Kaier develop high-yield crops such as corn, potatoes, and sweet potatoes? Biaoer suggested that I take those high-yield seeds and attract the people to migrate there. Since this idea was proposed by Biaoer, let Biaoer do it."

Let Biaoer go to Huguang?

Ma Xiuying couldn't help but want to object when she heard what Zhu Yuanzhang said. Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to have guessed that Ma Xiuying would object, and quickly said, "We are not the same person as the boss. If he stays with us, he has to do things according to our wishes. How is this possible? After the Guo Huan case, the boss has grown up, so we naturally have to give him an environment for growth."

"Besides, let's calculate the time. He will go to Huguang after his birthday, come back for a month during the Chinese New Year, and then go back after the Chinese New Year. He will stay until he comes of age next year, which is exactly one year."

"It just so happens that we will be marching north next year, and the court officials are all focusing on the northern border. The boss is in Huguang, so he can just run the business for a year without any worries."

After hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's plan, Ma Xiuying no longer had any reason to object.

Zhu Yuanzhang continued, "He is the crown prince and will take over our position in the future. We advocate that the emperor and the people should rule the world together. How can Biao'er be surrounded by only scholars and officials? He needs to understand and experience it personally, only then can he become a qualified emperor of the Ming Dynasty."

"When children grow up, they will eventually go out."

Although Ma Xiuying was reluctant, after hearing what Zhu Yuanzhang said, she had no reason to object: "Since his birthday is over, he has to go out. We have to celebrate his birthday well."

"Ah."

Zhu Yuanzhang had made some money, so he spoke in a tough manner: "However, we don't need the courtiers outside. Let's close the door, call our sons and concubines, and have a good meal."

"Row."

Ma Xiuying naturally did not object, but said to Zhu Yuanzhang:

"Since Kai'er and the eldest child have started this, you have to remember the birthdays of other children in the future."

Zhu Yuanzhang only thought of Zhu Kai and Zhu Biao, but after listening to Ma Xiuying's words, he felt that there was some truth in them.

The palms of the palms and the backs of the hands are all meat.

Although his relationship with them is not like that with Zhu Kai and Zhu Biao, he is a prince after all, right?

After thinking for a while, Zhu Yuanzhang said to Ma Xiuying: "How about this: When they are seventeen years old, I will celebrate their birthdays and then send them to various places to gain experience for a year. If they have good experience, I will give them a throne with greater power. If they are not capable, I will arrange a place for them to be raised. This way, I won't have to worry so much."

When Ma Xiuying heard Zhu Yuanzhang's proposal, she also spoke up in agreement.

……

Zhu Kai is going to have his birthday and he is very happy.

Zhu Biao was not so happy because Zhu Yuanzhang had already found him and said that after his birthday, he would let him go out to Huguang to gain experience for a year.

Although he really wanted to go, he also thought about separation.

That day, after Zhu Biao finished his government affairs, he went to Fengxian Hall to find Zhu Kai.

It was September and the heat was still there. Zhu Biao was so hot that his lining was sticking to his clothes. Now Zhu Biao was going to find Zhu Kai, and was also preparing to go to Fengxian Hall to enjoy the comfort after the ice-cold drink.

When he walked outside the Fengxian Hall, Zhu Biao saw Luo Guanzhong standing outside the door, holding a stack of manuscripts in his hand, standing in the sun with a look of grievance on his face.

Zhu Biao was curious and walked over to ask Luo Guanzhong: "Guanzhong, what's wrong with you?"

Guanzhong is his courtesy name, and his real name is Ben.

Luo Ben, whose courtesy name is Guanzhong.

When Luo Guanzhong saw Zhu Biao, he first greeted him and then showed him the manuscript: "Second Prince, Second Prince, he, he actually asked me to write that kind of book... How can a scholar do such a thing?"

That kind of book?
After a little thought, Zhu Biao understood what "that kind of book" meant.

If you say that, then I’m not afraid of the heat.

After taking the manuscript handed over by Luo Guanzhong, Zhu Biao read a few pages and immediately held the manuscript in his hands.

The weather is getting hotter, and my heart and lower abdomen are getting hotter too.

"My second brother is so... reckless."

Zhu Biao held the manuscript in his hand and said to Luo Guanzhong, "You write first, and when you're done, give it to me. I'll go and scold my second brother!"

Ah, this...

How could Luo Guanzhong not understand what Zhu Biao meant?
I didn't expect you to be such a prince!
However, on second thought, Luo Guanzhong felt that Zhu Biao's idea was correct!

If you can be fascinated by just reading a few sentences, it means that my writing style is very attractive.

(End of this chapter)