The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 223 Controlling Public Opinion and Compiling the Ming Pao
Soon, several agents from the Western Depot scaled the wall and entered the courtyard. The people in the Liu family did not notice anything. When the maids in the mansion saw someone with a knife scaling the wall, they thought it was a thief and screamed.

The screams startled everyone inside Liu Bowen's mansion.

Liu Bowen was writing in his study when he heard the noise outside and felt a little nervous. Had something happened again?

When the group arrived at the compound, they found many people from the Western Depot outside.

Liu Bowen was taken aback. Why were the people from the Western Depot coming to his door? He didn't seem to have any dealings with Guo Huan, so this matter shouldn't have anything to do with him. Could it be that Guo Huan deliberately framed him? But if that were the case...

His Highness the Crown Prince probably wouldn't believe that.

What exactly happened? Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince no longer trusts me?

Looking at these agents from the Western Depot, Liu Bowen worried that they might harm his family and said, "This is my residence. Do not trespass. I will take full responsibility for anything that happens!"

Liu Bowen's wife was extremely anxious: "My lord, what exactly happened?"

Liu Bowen sighed.

"Madam, I may not make it today. If I am gone, please take the children and go back to your hometown!"

"I believe His Highness the Crown Prince will still grant me this favor!"

Afterwards, Liu Bowen cleaned his clothes and said to these agents of the Western Depot.

"Let's go, I'll go with you!"

The guards from the Western Depot were stunned. What did Lord Liu want to do? The leader of the guards said, "Lord Liu, you've misunderstood. It's His Highness the Crown Prince who came to see you, but he couldn't open the gates of your Liu residence, so he sent a few of us to climb over the wall and see what's going on!"

The agents of the Western Depot are the best at judging the situation.

Knowing that Liu Bowen was Zhu Xiong Ying's subordinate and thus considered one of their own, they naturally dared not be negligent in the slightest.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen was speechless; it turned out this was all a misunderstanding.

The Crown Prince came to see me, but I was turned away. If word gets out, it will be incredibly embarrassing.

At this moment, Liu Bowen looked at the servant beside him with some dissatisfaction.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is coming, how can you stop him outside? What kind of behavior is this?"

At this moment, several servants said, feeling very wronged, "Master, this matter is not our fault. It was your personal order that no one be allowed to enter today!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince was dressed in ordinary clothes, so we didn't recognize him!"

Liu Bowen was stunned when he heard this. It seemed that he had really given the order himself. If that was the case, he couldn't blame anyone else. Thinking of this, he told the servant to leave and hurriedly opened the main gate.

When Zhu Xiong Ying entered, he was extremely puzzled to see Liu Bowen's family gathered there in such an orderly fashion.

"Lord Liu, what does this mean?"

"I'm only visiting in a private capacity. Is it really necessary to gather the entire Liu family here?"

Liu Bowen was extremely embarrassed. How could he say that this was all a misunderstanding?

"Your Highness is too kind. Please come to the study for a chat!"

When Zhu Xiong Ying arrived at Liu Bowen's study, he saw that the room was full of books, including Confucian classics, as well as many theories on astronomy, geography, and feng shui.

It's no wonder that Liu Bowen was called a polymath, as his knowledge was indeed very diverse.

Liu Bowen looked at Zhu Xiong Ying awkwardly and said.

"I usually enjoy tinkering with these strange and unusual things, all unorthodox and unsophisticated, which is hardly respectable and would only make His Highness the Crown Prince laugh at me!" Suddenly, a book caught Zhu Xiong Ying's eye. A book about firearms lay quietly on the bookshelf, and Zhu Xiong Ying was extremely shocked.

"Does Master Liu also have expertise in firearms?"

Liu Bowen shook his head.

"I don't know much about firearms. Maybe I just don't have the talent for it. I'm just interested in it!"

"However, I do know a craftsman who has a unique talent for improving firearms. It's just a pity that he has a heavy workload every day and doesn't have time to make many improvements!"

Zhu Xiong Ying was extremely excited and grabbed Liu Bowen's hand: "Old Master Liu, you know such a useful talent, why didn't you introduce him to me sooner?"

Such people who have studied firearms are the real treasures.

Liu Bowen was taken aback. Since ancient times, the social order had been scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, especially after Zhu Yuanzhang established the system of household registration.

A farmer is a farmer, a soldier is a soldier, and the status of an artisan cannot be changed. Naturally, he could not introduce an artisan of low status to His Highness the Crown Prince.

However, His Highness the Crown Prince now values ​​him.

There's no problem.

"It was my fault. Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will send someone to find Your Highness later. But I wonder what important matter Your Highness has come to see me about this time?"

Zhu Xiong Ying stared at Liu Bo Wen as he spoke.

"Is Lord Liu still angry about what happened in court just now? After all, I dealt with many ministers in one fell swoop, and many of these ministers were Lord Liu's protégés and former subordinates!"

Liu Bowen shook his head, his eyes filled with a sense of vicissitude.

"I know that His Highness the Crown Prince did nothing wrong. These people are extremely greedy and should indeed be punished!"

"Even if His Majesty had done it, many more people might have died. His Highness the Crown Prince has already done an extremely difficult job!"

"As a scholar, it is truly unbearable to see so many students who have studied diligently for decades turn into this state."

Zhu Xiong Ying looked at Liu Bo Wen and said.

"Old Master Liu is a smart man, and I believe he understands this in his heart."

Did these scholars become officials for their own families or for the sake of the Ming Dynasty?

"Returning home in wealth and honor is like wearing brocade at night. You all say that officialdom is like a big dye vat. Once you enter it, you are truly not in control of your own destiny. But if you can't act according to your heart, how can your body be in control of your own destiny?"

"I don't see it as a big melting pot, but a touchstone. Some people are destined to go with the flow, while others are the ones who will emerge from the dust and find the gold. It all depends on their choices!"

"I gave them a chance, but this time I've come to see Lord Liu because I have something even more important to entrust to him!"

Liu Bowen was somewhat puzzled upon hearing this.

"Please give your instructions, Your Highness!"

At this moment, Zhu Xiong Ying spoke.

"There are not many people in the Ming Dynasty who are truly literate."

The Song Dynasty was a period of cultural brilliance, teeming with scholars and officials. Although the nation was impoverished and weak, its vibrant culture was evident in every place it touched.

"But since the Yuan Dynasty, our Central Plains civilization has suffered tremendous damage, and ordinary people can hardly even afford to live a basic life, let alone study!"

(End of this chapter)