Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 96 News! Furious Old Zhu!

royal palace.

Old Zhu came to the yard where he farmed again.

The courtyard remains the same.

The pavilion in the courtyard remains the same as before.

There is just an extra couplet on the pillars on both sides of the pavilion.

"For every porridge and meal, remember that the place where you came from is not easy; half a thread and half a thread, always remember that the material resources are difficult."

The large, phoenix-like characters are vigorous and powerful, and exude a majestic aura.

It was like a commander commanding thousands of troops, fighting with the enemy on the battlefield.

There is also a hint of pity for all living beings in the world.

Because the person who wrote this calligraphy was none other than himself.

The couplet written by his grandson was inscribed by Mr. Zhu himself.

Standing in front of the pavilion and gazing at it, I couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

I have worked hard all my life and have never had a good rest.

It's during this period of time that I really have some free time.

But when this person has free time, he starts to have all kinds of random thoughts.

Thinking about the past, thinking about the things when I was young.

Missing Empress Ma, missing her son, and missing her grandson...

How great it is to be young, full of vigor and vitality, looking down on the world and looking down on the world.

Command thousands of troops and defeat enemies one after another.

At that time, I had my elder sister by my side, and my smart and well-behaved son Zhu Biao...

Now, he has achieved success and founded the Ming Dynasty, drove the Tartars out of the Great Wall, and started a new dynasty.

Sitting on the vast territory, no one in the world dares to disobey his orders.

However, people also grow old.

My health is not as good as before.

The eldest sister also left him.

His son Zhu Biao also left.

Now, I am afraid that I will soon be buried in the earth.

Whenever he thought of this, Lao Zhu felt helpless.

Life is unpredictable and God’s will is always hard to predict.

Even though he was the emperor of the world and supreme in the world, there were still many things he could not help.

Fortunately, God did not let him down.

He left behind a wonderful grandson.

Thinking of Hu'er, a smile of relief appeared on Lao Zhu's face.

Hu'er's talent, ability, and character are all top-notch.

Compared with Biaoer, it is even better.

Even his vision is extraordinary.

The person he chose, Yang Shiqi, was indeed a man of great talent.

Even looking at the entire Ming Dynasty court, few people could match him.

Old Zhu felt much more at ease knowing that the Ming Dynasty had an heir like Hu'er.

But to say that we can rest easy is not necessarily the case.

For Old Zhu, the assassination of Hu'er has always been a hidden danger that he cannot let go of.

This person can instruct the Park family to act as knives and stab Hun'er once, and he can stab him a second time.

But how could Mr. Zhu let his precious grandson take risks again in the future?

This person must be found no matter what.

However, Yang Shiqi was right.

This matter really should not be publicized, as it will cause unrest in the government and the public, and it will be impossible to find out the truth.

Therefore, after Yang Shiqi entered the palace, Zhu Yuanzhang acquiesced to Zhu Yunhuan's previous order to stop the investigation.

But in private, Jinyiwei spies and inspectors are investigating day and night, vowing to find out the truth behind the scenes.

The person that Old Zhu initially suspected was Qin Wang Zhu Chong, so he beat him severely.

But then I felt something was wrong.

Zhu Chong did indeed secretly keep assassins in his mansion, but the people who assassinated Zhu Yunhuan were not those assassins hired by Zhu Chong, but the desperate criminals of the Park family.

Old Zhu was both angry and anxious at the time. When he saw the King of Qin, he remembered that he had secretly raised assassins. He was so angry that he gnashed his teeth and beat him severely on the spot.

Thinking about it afterwards, the King of Qin was not a big suspect.

Because Old Zhu knew his son very well and was aware of Zhu Chong's temperament.

Not only is he violent, he also acts in a rough, simple and direct manner.

If he really took action, the people he sent should be the assassins hidden in the Prince Qin's Mansion, not the remnants of the Park family.

But if it wasn’t the King of Qin, that would have made Zhu Yuanzhang even more heartbroken.

Prince Jin has always been sensible. Although he sometimes has a hot temper and occasionally abuses his servants, he has good military talent and is brave and resourceful. He helped guard the northern border, prevent the Tartars from moving south, and immigrate to the border. He has made great contributions to the stability of the Ming Dynasty.

The same is true for King Yan.

Although the two brothers had been at odds since childhood and had constant conflicts and disputes.

But in Lao Zhu's eyes, the palms and backs of the hands are all flesh!
If it was really the two of them who sent someone to assassinate Hun'er, then...

As for Prince Xian Zhu Yunwen, Old Zhu didn't dare to think about it too much.

That was Biao'er's son, Hu'er's brother, and the heir to the Ming Dynasty whom he had valued very much.

Just one step away from making him the crown prince.

If it wasn’t for Ri Hun’er stepping out to stop it.

In Zhu's heart, Zhu Yunwen has always been loyal, honest, filial and humble.

If he really sent someone to assassinate his own brother... Old Zhu closed his eyes in pain.

Is the Heavenly Family really selfless?

In order to fight for the throne, they used all means, even to the point of killing each other and brothers turning against each other. Why did they do this?
Isn't it good to be an idle prince?

The treatment we give to the princes is quite high!
When Old Zhu thought of this, he felt sad again.

I haven't been taking care of state affairs these days, so I have more free time. I think more, and my headache hurts even more.

Old Zhu walked to the pavilion and sat down, sighed softly, and looked up at the floating clouds in the sky.

Sometimes I really envy the clouds, which can float in the sky as they please, without any worries or constraints.

A eunuch walked in from outside, bent down and handed Lao Zhu the "Da Ming Daily" which had just been published today.

"Why is it delivered so late today?" Old Zhu asked calmly, picking up the newspaper with interest as he asked.

During this period of time, he did not review memorials, but he became more and more interested in the Ming Daily.

First, the Ming Daily uses vernacular Chinese, which is easy to understand and does not beat around the bush, which is very much to Zhu's liking.

The second is what is written in the first edition above, which is his own biography when he was young.

It is written in a very simple manner, without any false praise.

For example, when his mother gave birth to him, the room was filled with light, causing the neighbors to think there was a fire and rush over to put out the fire, only to find out that it was just childbirth.

Lao Zhu thought this was well written and very realistic, although he himself had no idea it happened.

But he was still a baby at that time, so it was normal that he didn't know.

As the Son of Heaven, it was natural that there would be strange phenomena from heaven when he was born.

For example, when he was a monk in the temple, he was so miraculous, so brave and righteous, saving people from danger...

When traveling around the country to fight for justice, how do they act chivalrously, draw their swords to help those who are in trouble when they see injustice...how do they kill corrupt officials, punish bullies, and help the weak.

So that all the heroes from all over the world admire him and look up to him.

There are many deeds, too many to list.

Although Lao Zhu himself can't remember many things clearly, he seems to have some vague impressions.

These are certainly all true.

It suits our personality very well.

Besides, everything written has stories, characters, and places...

Although time has passed and due to years of war, the original witnesses can no longer be found.

But when written in this way, it does not appear exaggerated or boastful, but is well-reasoned and convincing, which makes people convinced at first glance.

It is much better than the meaningless and random flattery written by the court ministers.

I have achieved so many great things in my life, do I still need you to praise me?

Isn't it enough to just tell the truth?

Writing a lot of praises without actually doing anything, isn't that groundless?
It makes people feel that it is full of false and untrue words!
Those ministers should take a good look at the Daming Daily and learn what it means to “write truthfully”!
In addition, there is a fourth edition of folk reports, which makes Lao Zhu very happy.

Having lived in the deep palace for a long time, she could only get information through the secret agents of the Imperial Guard and the inspectors, as well as get a glimpse of the people's lives through the memorials of court officials.

Although the spies and inspectors had gathered a lot of information, none of it was as vivid, interesting and fascinating as what was written in this newspaper.

There wasn't much content in the newspaper, and Lao Zhu finished reading it quickly, and his mood became much better.

If he hadn't read the newspaper, he would have forgotten the many chivalrous things he had done when he was young.

After all, being an emperor was too busy to have time to think about the past.

Now that I’m older, my memory isn’t as good as it used to be, and I’ve forgotten many things.

Fortunately, we have this newspaper, which records the past for us.

As Old Zhu thought about this, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"The newspaper was delivered early in the morning, but the ladies in the palace stopped us from reading it."

“The servants had no choice but to show them, which delayed them.”

When Old Zhu heard this, he was actually amused and said with a smile: "This Daming Daily is publicly distributed, so anyone can buy it, right?"

"Don't stop me from reading the newspaper anymore."

"If they want to see it, they can buy it with their own money."

"Our grandson gave it to us, why are they joining in the fun?"

The eunuch quickly responded, "Yes, I will remember this. I will definitely convey your Majesty's order to the ladies."

At this moment, Yoshigaki, the eunuch who had picked up Yang Shiqi that day, walked in with his back bent and very respectfully, and handed over a secret letter.

Old Zhu opened the secret letter, glanced at it quickly, and asked, "Has the Lu family not made any unusual moves these days?"

"Except for knitting sweaters every day and occasionally chanting sutras and meditating, Concubine Lu has never done anything else."

Yoshigaki said respectfully, "However, yesterday, Concubine Lu met with His Royal Highness Prince Xian."

"When the mother and son were talking, they deliberately sent away all the servants and chose an open area outside the palace. Even if I wanted to arrange for someone to eavesdrop, I would not be able to do it."

"Therefore, it is unknown what Empress Lü and Prince Xian said."

"Oh?" Old Zhu responded indifferently.

Ji Heng knelt down quickly and said, "I deserve to die. I failed to fulfill your Majesty's orders. Please forgive me."

Lao Zhu's order must not be missed in every word.

But sometimes there is really nothing we can do without alarming the other party.

There are no monitoring devices in this era.

"Forget it!" Old Zhu shook his hand and said, "She is so cautious to avoid outsiders. You are also powerless. I don't blame you. Get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ji Yuan climbed up carefully and said, "Today, Prince Xian went to the Prince of Wu's mansion to visit him and invited him to attend the birthday party of Concubine Lu in the near future."

Then, he recounted in detail what happened to Zhu Yunwen in the Prince of Wu's Mansion, including the incident in which Yang Shiqi took Zhu Gaoxu to the Tongzhengsi to kill people after he left, and handed over a written report.

"Urinating like a boy?" After hearing what he said, Old Zhu said angrily, "Isn't this nonsense? It's too damaging to the dignity of the royal family!"

But soon, Old Zhu sighed again, and in a voice that only he could hear, he said to himself: "Huer suspected that the assassination that day was done by his second brother."

"Although Hu'er is unwilling to investigate for the sake of family affection, it is impossible to say that he has no resentment in his heart."

"He did this just to vent the resentment in his heart, and from then on he let it go and moved on from the past."

"He was actually trying to protect the relationship between family members. Hu'er is too kind-hearted."

Thinking of this, the anger that had just risen in Lao Zhu disappeared without a trace in an instant.

If the mastermind behind the assassination of Zhu Yunhuan was really Zhu Yunwen, Hu'er would let him go after playing a little teasing on him, which only shows that Hu'er valued brotherhood and had a broad mind.

After all, the other party was going to take his life.

When he thought of this, Lao Zhu thought of the assassination again. He had been secretly investigating it for so long, but there was still no clue. He couldn't help but feel angry again.

"I asked you to investigate the case, but you didn't find anything."

"I'll let you monitor the Lu family, but you won't be able to do it well."

"What's the point of us keeping you?"

As soon as these words came out, Yoshigaki fell to his knees again with a thud.

"This slave deserves death!"

"A thousand deaths? What's the point of dying a thousand times if things can't be done well?" Old Zhu said coldly.

Yoshigaki's forehead touched the ground, and countless beads of sweat continued to seep out of it.

The weather in October of the lunar calendar is already very cold.

He was soaked in an instant.

"Your Majesty, we have investigated for a while and have not found nothing. However, we dare not hastily present it to Your Majesty before it is confirmed."

Old Zhu Long's eyes suddenly gleamed with brilliance, and he said, "Tell me, we want to know."

Ji Yuan said: "A maidservant close to Concubine Lu was having an affair with a young eunuch in the East Palace."

"Because this young eunuch once worked in the palace."

"When we were ordered to monitor Concubine Lu, we came into contact with this young eunuch."

"According to him, he heard the maid privately say that on the day when His Royal Highness Prince Wu led the Jinyiwei to arrest Duke Liang, His Royal Highness Prince Xian's teacher, Huang Zicheng, the editor of the Imperial Forestry Institute, went to see Concubine Lu."

"Empress Lü gave Huang Zicheng a piece of clothing she had woven herself as a token of her appreciation."

"In addition, Concubine Lu also said in her conversation with Huang Zicheng..."

Yoshigaki stopped talking here suddenly, and seemed to be hesitant again.

Old Zhu was listening, and when he suddenly stopped, he couldn't help but ask, "What did she say?"

Yoshigaki knew that he had come to this point and couldn't say anything more, so he hurriedly said:

"This is just the one-sided statement of the young eunuch. I am afraid of alerting the enemy, so I dare not arrest the maidservant beside Concubine Lu to question her. Therefore, I dare not confirm whether it is true or not. I originally thought that I would report it to Your Majesty after verifying it in the future."

"Now that your majesty has asked, I can only tell you."

Old Zhu said nothing, his face showing no emotion, and he waited quietly for him to continue.

Ji Yuan swallowed his saliva and continued, "During the conversation, Concubine Lu said that she raised the King of Wu and treated him well. I didn't expect that the King of Wu would stand up and compete with the King of Xian for the position of crown prince today."

"If I had known this would happen, I would have… I would have…"

The more he spoke, the more nervous he became, and he even began to stutter.

Old Zhu became impatient and asked angrily, "What's worse than that? Tell me!"

Ji Yuan was shocked, but he finally sorted it out in one breath and said hurriedly: "Empress Lu said that it would be better to strangle the King of Wu to death quietly when he was still in his cradle, so that no one would know about it, and avoid raising a tiger to cause trouble like today!"

Snapped!
Old Zhu slammed his hand hard on the stone table beside him.

He stood up suddenly.

In the dragon's eyes, wind and clouds suddenly appeared, and thunder was violent.

……

(End of this chapter)