Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 34: The Transformation of the Ming Prince

After hearing what his second brother said, Zhu Di looked in the direction of the voice and saw the monk not too far away.

I saw the monk taking out some of the food from his bowl and giving it to a hungry child who was crying.

He smiled and reached out to gently rub the head of the child who was wolfing down the food.

Very loving.

Zhu Di felt slightly touched.

Over the years, he has seen many monks who try every possible means to collect incense money.

I have also seen many monks begging for alms everywhere.

But this was the first time he had seen a monk taking food from his own bowl and giving it to others.

"This monk is good, different from many monks."

There was a hint of emotion in Zhu Di's voice.

King Qin Zhu Chong didn't feel anything about this.

He asked the fourth brother to look at the monk. He was just passing by and was surrounded by ordinary people who had migrated from various places.

At this moment, I suddenly saw a bald man wearing monk's robes, who was as eye-catching as a donkey running into a flock of sheep.

Relatively fresh.

"What's good about it? Didn't he beg for the food in his bowl from others?

It's just using other people's things and giving them away."

The third prince of Jin, Zhu Gang, habitually confronted Zhu Di.

"That's also very rare. No matter where the rice in his bowl comes from, it's his once it's in his bowl.

He could have chosen to eat it himself and not give it to others.

But he didn’t.”

"cut!"

Zhu Gang curled his lips and said, "Let's go quickly. Instead of looking at monks here, we should settle down and do things!"

Zhu Di raised one hand in front of him, saluted the monk from a distance, and then carried the package and walked forward with the crowd.

Monk Daoyan happened to look here, and when he saw this scene, he also returned a salute from a distance.

Daoyan took his eyes off the young man in the crowd and stood there, continuing to watch the many immigrants getting off the ship.

These immigrants who left their homes and came from far away are right to feel uneasy.

Daoyan knew clearly that for most of them, coming to Linhuai County or other places near Fengyang after going through so many hardships did not mean the end of their wandering and the beginning of a new life.

Instead, a harder life awaits them.

Among these people, no one knows how many will become disabled, how many will die, and how many will lose their families.

Today's Zhongdu City is a hell that devours human lives.

How many of those who fall into the trap can have a good ending?
Especially those who are strong and healthy.

I just don't know how Zhu Hongwu will end up...

After looking at it for a while, he shook his head slightly, thinking that he shouldn't have any expectations on this matter.

There are only two possible outcomes.

One is that Zhu Yuanzhang was completely deceived by Li Shanchang and had no idea how Zhongdu City was built from the beginning to the end, so he happily moved the capital.

Second, Zhu Yuanzhang knew the truth of the matter, but either he didn't care, or he cared in his heart but was unable to change the result, so he pretended not to know and continued to move the capital.

No matter what happens, no matter how many people die, the capital will definitely be moved to Zhongdu.

The Huaixi meritorious party headed by Li Shanchang is really too powerful!

Even Zhu Yuanzhang had no way to compete with them, let alone really break off relations with them.

Huaixi can be said to be one with the emperor and is the foundation of Zhu Yuanzhang's rule.

Taking action against Huaixi is like cutting flesh from one's own body.

The blade faces outwards, making it easy to cut.

But once the blade is facing inward, it is really difficult to cut!
What's more, the current Ming Dynasty is not a monolithic entity. The Huaixi nobles and the troops in their hands are still the biggest cards in Zhu Yuanzhang's hand.

Once we take action against this, there is a high probability that the world will be in chaos.

Even if Zhu Yuanzhang really had the determination and courage to turn the knife inward, he would never dare to do anything to Li Shanchang or the Huaixi nobles at this time.

Daoyan has been thinking about this matter for a long time.

I thought about it over and over again, but couldn't come up with any good way to break the deadlock.

This time, Zhu Hongwu had no choice but to let Li Shanchang hold his head down and eat shit...

……

Many immigrants, led by relevant officials, went to an open area more than three miles away from here to register.

The officials of Linhuai County are responsible for this matter.

Not far away there were seeds, oxen, farm tools and other things waiting to be distributed to these immigrants.

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, natural disasters continued to strike in Lianghuai and further north, with wars and flames everywhere.

All industries were abandoned, the population dwindled, and only one in ten people survived.

For example, the city of Yangzhou, where a man with a fortune of 100,000 taels rode a crane to Yangzhou and almost became a symbol of prosperity, had only 18 households left in the early years of Hongwu!
Zhu Yuanzhang brought Zhu Biao here on a northern tour. Looking at the desolate scene, they both wondered if they had come to the wrong place.

What was originally thought to be a majestic tour like that of the First Emperor became extremely heavy.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately decided to vigorously restore people's livelihood.

The grand Hongwu Migration Campaign thus began. Through semi-coercive measures, the government relocated people from densely populated areas with limited land to war-torn areas.

It can not only ease the contradiction between population and land in the south and other places, but also promote the development of the north.

Zhu Yuanzhang's hometown is naturally also among the places that have been filled with immigrants, and this has been going on for several years.

In addition to relocating ordinary people, after the decision was made to build Zhongdu, they also imitated the mausoleum town system of the Western Han Dynasty and relocated hundreds of thousands of wealthy families from the south of the Yangtze River to fill Zhongdu...

The second, third and fourth brothers, who had changed their names to Wu Tian, ​​Wu Xing and Wu Jian, were mixed in the crowd.

His identity was verified by the government step by step, and he filled out a new household registration form and was assigned to live in Niujiawan.

They were led to collect their farm tools, three months' worth of food, seeds and other items.

This kind of thing that makes other immigrants feel at ease makes the three brothers anxious.

Didn’t the emperor say that he wanted them to go to Zhongdu City as undercover agents to monitor the situation there for him?
Why don’t we go to Zhongdu City now, but instead let them settle down in Linhuai?

If this is really arranged, how can they go to Zhongdu next to show their talents, complete the important task assigned by their father, and impress him?
While the three brothers were secretly worried, and the other immigrants were surprised to see that after arriving here, the government really gave them food, seeds, farm tools, livestock, and land as they had advertised before, and were looking forward to the better life to come, something unexpected happened.

The runners from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Zhongdu, who had been standing not far away and had not moved, and the soldiers under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce came forward.

"Follow the orders of the Ministry of Works and mobilize laborers to build Zhongdu!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the immigrants were in an uproar!
"Sir, no... wasn't it agreed that immigrants would be exempt from two years of hard labor?"

An old man with gray hair smiled and bowed, then bravely asked.

"Yes."

The armored man at the head nodded.

"But now we are building the Central Capital for the Emperor. It is a blessing earned through many lifetimes, not forced labor."

When the tiger skin was pulled, everyone fell silent.

But deep down I knew something was wrong.

This is clearly still making them do forced labor, just in a different way of saying it.

This person was too lazy to say anything more to these immigrants and just started calling out people one by one.

As long as the man is decent looking and able to work, he will be chosen by him, regardless of age.

Even some strong women would be called upon.

Those who were called out did not want to resist or try to reason.

But what greeted them was only violent treatment from yamen runners or soldiers.

If Commander Ding had not given specific instructions when he came out, saying that labor was precious and that killing people should be avoided if possible, then it should be avoided.

They had to kill a few of them to shock everyone...

Although the common people didn't say anything, they cursed the emperor in their hearts, putting the vast majority of the blame on him...

The three brothers Zhu Chong, Zhu Gang and Zhu Di were obviously good hard workers, so they would naturally not be missed.

Listening to the cries and feeling the immigrants' anxiety, they followed the soldiers escorting them to Zhongdu City. Compared to when they were on the boat, they were more silent and less excited about the journey to Zhongdu...

……

"Let's go, follow the people to your respective assigned places and start a new life.

Live a good life. Your family will come back and reunite with you once Zhongdu City is repaired."

A leader of Linhuai County, looking at the missing immigrants, gave instructions and offered comfort.

He knew in his heart that half of those chosen to go to Xiuzhongdu might not come back...

The remaining ones are all old, weak, women and children. Without labor, it will not be easy for them to survive...

But what can he do about these?
The order was issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information.

Standing behind him was Duke of Korea Li Shanchang.

Here, Li Shanchang's orders were more effective than those of the emperor...

……

"Will County Magistrate Zheng not oversee the resettlement of immigrants?"

In the fields, Sima Xu, the new commander of Fengyang Guard, dressed in a crimson military robe, looked at Zheng Shiyuan, the magistrate of Linhuai, and asked.

'What's the point of hosting?
As soon as the items were distributed, and before the immigrants could even leave for their new homes, they were drafted on the spot by people from the Ministry of Industry.

Go and see the arrogance and domineering behavior of the Ministry of Industry?

To see the suffering of the people?
Go there and show your incompetence?'

In the end, Zheng Shiyuan did not say these words.

The other party is a third-rank military general, and he is a seventh-rank civil official.

The other party was the emperor's adopted son, and he forced the emperor to kill his nephew.

The person who did this was Duke Han, who was called Xiao He by the emperor.

The city being built was the emperor's Zhongdu.

What could he say?
He can't say anything!!!
“The county has done these things many times, and they can do it well without the officials going there.

Instead of causing more trouble in the past, it would be better to build more canals here."

Zheng Shiyuan shook his head and spoke out.

Sima Xu was not surprised to see this.

He looked at Zheng Shiyuan and said, “But, among the new immigrants, there is your Majesty’s own son.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin, His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan are all among them."

Zheng Shiyuan: ???!!!
(End of this chapter)