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

Chapter 81 It's time to deal with Li Shanchang.

"That's it?"

Zhu Bai looked down at his feet, a look of distress on his face.

Because of yesterday's drizzle, the soil was soft and extremely sticky.

The place where he lived was called Mud Bottle Alley, which, as the name suggests, meant that there was a lot of mud and bottles, and it was an alley where craftsmen gathered and lived.

These alleys, which seem somewhat low-end in Yingtian Prefecture, are naturally not known for their cleanliness.

Zhu Bai gritted his teeth and stepped inside!
Since he had promised U.A. to invite him, he had to go in, no matter if it was muddy or covered in dog poop!
"Your Highness, I'll find a sedan chair for you. Please get in!"

The guard standing nearby quickly spoke up.

This is one of the few good opportunities to flatter someone!

Although this is only the twelfth prince and has virtually no chance of ascending the throne, he will surely become a vassal king in the future! If we befriend him now, won't our lives be much more comfortable in the future?
Zhu Bai shook his head.

When you invite someone, you should be sincere. How can you expect someone to carry you in a sedan chair to such a small alley?

Taking a deep breath, the esteemed twelfth prince of the Ming Dynasty stepped into the mud!
After walking for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Zhu Bai stopped in front of a small house. The guard beside him wanted to go forward and ask the owner of the house to come out and greet him, but he stopped him.

"Get out of the way! I want to knock on the door myself!"

Zhu Bai stepped forward and gently knocked on the wooden door.

"Squeak!"

As a door creaked open, the homeowner opened it and was startled by the sight of the imposing scene before him!
Zhu Bai was also taken aback!
He never imagined that the "reclusive master" his nephew spoke of would be like this.
His hair was gray, his face was covered in black ash, his hands were still covered in gunpowder residue, and his clothes were so dirty that the patches were almost invisible!

this.
Are truly accomplished people indifferent to their own image?
"You are."

The homeowner was also slightly taken aback, and then looked the newcomer up and down.

The child in front of him was not even as old as his own grandson, but he was dressed in fine clothes and wore a pair of cloud-patterned boots. He could probably buy six houses in this Mud Bottle Alley.

The men standing behind him were strong and powerful, with prominent temples, clearly skilled martial artists, and likely guards or similar figures.

Why would someone like this, still a child, come to Mud Bottle Alley?

"I am Zhu Bai, the twelfth prince of the Great Ming Dynasty. May I ask, sir, if I, Tao Chengdao, the commander of the Great Ming Dynasty, may reside here?"

Zhu Bai straightened his clothes and asked politely.

Upon hearing this, the homeowner was clearly taken aback, then frowned and looked at Zhu Bai: "I am Tao Chengdao. May I ask what brings Your Highness here?"

Tao Chengdao showed no fear of Zhu Bai's identity; on the contrary, he was full of vigilance.

It should be noted that his title of "Ten Thousand Households" was personally bestowed upon him by Zhu Yuanzhang, but he lost it due to certain special reasons.

"So you are Mr. Tao!"

Upon hearing that the person in front of him was the one he was looking for, Zhu Bai was overjoyed!

Unexpectedly, things went so smoothly. Zhu Bai immediately said, "I have long admired Master Tao. In the past, he presented the art of firearms to my father and was rewarded with the title of 'Ten Thousand Households' by my father. He is truly a master of our Great Ming Dynasty!"

"Zhu Bai has come today to invite Elder Tao to come out of seclusion and serve our Great Ming Dynasty!"

If this were said, an ordinary person would have already kowtowed and bowed in worship.

Unexpectedly,

Instead of being grateful, Tao Chengdao looked even more surprised and suspicious, and frowned as he said, "I am old and, besides, I can hardly be called a great man."

"Your Highness has come to the wrong place!"

"Please forgive me, Your Highness, and please leave!"

After saying this, Tao Chengdao tried to close the door. This action greatly displeased the guards behind Zhu Bai, who immediately wanted to teach this ungrateful old man a lesson.

The moment he raised his hand, Zhu Bai shouted in a deep voice, "Kneel down!"

"How can you be so rude in front of Mr. Tao!"

Upon hearing this, the guard disregarded the muddy ground and immediately knelt down!

Such majesty reminded Tao Chengdao of the man from years past.

Zhu Bai took a deep breath, looked at Tao Chengdao, and, remembering what his nephew had said, could only try his luck as he spoke:

"Mr. Tao, it wasn't Zhu Bai who invited you to come out of seclusion, but my eldest nephew, the current Grandson of the Regent, Zhu Xiong Ying, who wants you to come out of seclusion and make a contribution!"

Tao Chengdao shook his head: "To this old man, achievements are nothing but fleeting clouds."

After saying this, he bowed and prepared to close the door.

Just as the door was about to close, Zhu Bai spoke softly: "Xiong Ying said that there is a way to fly, but the old gentleman has not yet found it!"

"If you come to the palace, you will surely soar to great heights!"

Upon hearing this, the door paused slightly!
Inside the Wenhua Hall, Zhu Xiong Ying played with the mutton-fat jade pendant in his hand, his eyes gleaming slightly.

Now that you've won over four powerful men, it's time to deal with Wen Zheng properly.

"Yuhuatian."

Zhu Xiong Ying called out, and Yu Hua Tian respectfully bowed and said, "Your subject is here."

"We can now officially put the Western Depot's spies in charge of Songjiang Prefecture's official documents and gazettes."

"Once it's in hand, it'll be delivered right over."

"Send someone else to bring that messenger from the Five Armies Commandery who went to Songjiang Prefecture to your West Depot's prison so that his confession can be verified."

After saying that, Zhu Xiong Ying closed his eyes to rest.

Tomorrow we'll unleash our real killer move.

Li Shanchang, Prime Minister Li, I don't know. Can you handle this?
"Xiongying, Master Tao has agreed to come out of seclusion, but he absolutely refuses to come to our palace!"

Just then, Zhu Bai walked into the Wenhua Hall, his face full of excitement!

He never expected that when the topic of flying to the heavens came up, Mr. Tao, who had no interest in worldly achievements, would suddenly become a different person and immediately agree.

"It's normal. People, especially those who are dedicated to a skill, will always be traumatized when they are betrayed."

Zhu Xiong Ying was not at all surprised by this reply.

According to the investigation by the Western Depot, although Tao Chengdao was rewarded with the title of Wanhu (a military rank) by his grandfather, the Emperor, for presenting his firearms skills, he faced exclusion from his colleagues after the founding of the Ming Dynasty.

In addition, Tao Chengdao was arrogant and obsessed with researching gunpowder and flying techniques. After several backstabbings and sarcastic remarks, the stubborn old man resigned from his official post and returned to Niping Lane to continue his research.

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty provided subsidies to meritorious officials even after retirement. In addition, given his status, his research into gunpowder was considered a contribution to the Ming Dynasty. Otherwise, given the money-burning speed at which this old man was researching flying, he probably wouldn't have been able to afford to live in Mud Bottle Lane, let alone a mud house.

"How exactly does U.A. fly?"

Zhu Bai quickly spoke up, his eyes full of anticipation.

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled slightly, took out a piece of paper from his pocket, and handed it to Zhu Bai.

Zhu Bai took a look, and his pupils instantly contracted. He saw six characters written at the top of the paper:
Hot air balloon construction diagram!

(End of this chapter)