Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 4 Dinner
Inside the Huagai Hall, the aroma of wine and meat filled the air.

Zhu Yuanzhang, who often had noodles and pancakes with a plate of tofu in the morning, enjoyed the delicious food. He was also willing to spend money on entertaining his fellow villagers.

I am really willing to spend the good wine and good meat.

Everyone in the Guanglu Temple knows the current emperor's temper and that he is very sentimental.

I especially like to eat at the same table with my fellow villagers from Fengyang.

So everyone was on high alert.

There is everything from chicken, duck, fish and meat, and I put my best effort into making this meal.

It's even more attentive than when entertaining officials.

At this time, the long tables were filled with various dishes.

Full color and flavor.

But among the hundreds of Fengyang fellow villagers, not one sat down and started eating.

They all stood here, looking reserved and expectant as they watched the movements in the back hall.

"Hahaha, fellow villagers, please sit down, don't be polite, don't feel uncomfortable.

Whatever happens, happens.”

Not long after, a figure wearing a bright yellow dragon robe came out from the back hall, and a hearty and friendly voice was heard.

It was Zhu Yuanzhang who came with Zhu Biao.

These old folks from Fengyang immediately felt relieved and knelt on the ground, shouting "Long live the emperor!"

"Long live Qiu!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a laugh.

"To be able to live to be a hundred years old is a great blessing, and I will become a centenarian!"

Born in poverty, he witnessed too much death since childhood.

In troubled times, human lives are like straw.

It's not just other people, it's the same with your own family members.

Later in my reading, I learned that the Qin Emperor's pursuit of immortality ended up in a mess. He was cheated again and again and died at the age of fifty.

Zhu Yuanzhang was even less interested in immortality.

It was like this in my previous life. Now, after living in modern times for fifteen years, I have received more information and learned that immortality is an illusion, so I will no longer pursue it.

The so-called long live is all nonsense!

"Everyone, please get up. There's no need for all the formalities.

There are so many rules in the palace that you can never learn them all, so don't pay attention to them.

Just be like you are at home!"

As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang said this with a smile, the old folks in Fengyang immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

I just feel friendly.

At Zhu Yuanzhang's invitation, everyone took their seats.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat at one table with the elders, while Zhu Biao sat at a random table among the younger people.

While eating, I chatted with them.

Zhu Yuanzhang was not at all arrogant. Without his dragon robe, his speech was no different from that of an ordinary old farmer from Huaixi.

"How are you all doing? Do you have enough food?"

Zhu Yuanzhang picked up a piece of tofu and put it in his mouth, asking while eating.

"After Your Majesty became emperor, you exempted us from corvée labor and taxes.

We don't serve and we don't pay taxes.

Not only can you have enough food to eat, but you can also get some meat to eat during festivals!
These days, don’t even mention how good they are.

I never dared to dream of it before!"

An old man said with a face full of gratitude and happiness.

"That's right, thanks to your Majesty's great blessing."

The others all agreed.

The atmosphere was lively and there was no longer the restraint at the beginning.

"Hahahaha, before I became emperor, you had to pay grain. Now that I'm emperor, if you still have to pay grain, then wouldn't my position as emperor be in vain?

We have to let our fellow villagers take some credit!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a laugh.

"What about those nobles?
Do you still dare to enclose land, occupy farmland and forests, and bully the people?"

"I dare not, I dare not!

Ever since Your Majesty issued the order that year, these noble gentlemen have become extremely honest.

I won't dare do such a thing again.

Not only did they not encroach upon the land, they also rushed to build bridges and roads, and when they saw someone struggling, they offered to give them some rice to help them get by.

"Yes! Yes! The noble sir is doing very well now!

Especially Mr. Han Guogong, there is nothing to say about him.

He's a well-known philanthropist over there!"

Everyone agreed with a smile, their faces filled with happiness and gratitude.

Zhu Yuanzhang was also smiling, but his heart was very cold.

It seemed as if there was an evil fire suppressing it.

The scene before my eyes coincides with what I remember.

I asked them the same question in my previous life, and they answered me the same way.

Make yourself very happy.

Later on, I found out it was all a lie!

When they talked about having enough food to eat and having some meat to eat during festivals and holidays, they were referring to themselves and the very few Fengyang folks at the beginning.

At this time, they had already become the shapes of those nobles.

As for the greatest philanthropist, Li Shanchang... he acted recklessly over there, taking human lives lightly, and it was their Li family that took the most!

changed!

Everything has changed!
How many years was the Ming Dynasty established?
Everything has changed!
If I had known what these people did in my previous life, I would have turned the table over on the spot.

They deceived me like this, and yet you let them have the feast?
Have a good feast!

But fifteen years of modern life have broadened his horizons and deepened his knowledge.

He also thought about many problems of the Ming Dynasty and the corresponding solutions.

He still hates evil and cannot tolerate any grain of sand in his eyes.

But I can keep calm now!

In his previous life, he became furious after learning about what Li Shanchang and others had done in Zhongdu City.

Take action now.

This allowed Li Shanchang and his men to notice the abnormality in advance and take emergency measures.

This results in some key things being missing.

In some things, you have to accept it with a pinch of your nose.

This time, I must learn a lesson and not suffer the same loss again!
We need to quietly seize their key evidence and then strike them with a thundering blow!!!
Let go of the anger from the previous life!
"How's the construction of Zhongdu City going? Is it going smoothly? Are the people who built Zhongdu living well?"

Suppressing his anger, Zhu Yuanzhang asked kindly, "Okay, very good.

The construction of Zhongdu City was very fast.

Your Majesty has built Zhongdu like this, and they don’t need to bring their own dry food. Your Majesty will provide them with meals, one dry meal and one liquid meal a day, which is better than what they eat at home.

Not only that, you can also get money!
If you are sick, there are special doctors to treat you, and you don’t have to spend a penny, as the court pays for it.

This is a good thing that has never been seen since ancient times!
Those who were chosen to repair Zhongdu must be so happy.

I don’t know how many people are jealous of me.

Everyone was vying to repair Zhongdu.

They all say that we must never forget your Majesty's kindness."

"Yes, everyone is grateful for your kindness, Your Majesty, and is working hard.

Your Majesty is good to the people, and the people cannot forget Your Majesty.

The construction of Zhongdu City was so fast.

At the latest, they will be fully built by the end of this year..."

Are you working so hard just because you feel grateful for our kindness?

It was because Li Shanchang didn't treat people as human beings at all. He whipped them and made them work day and night, working them to death. That's why the construction was so fast!
I don’t know how many people died because of this!
Are you still grateful for our kindness?
The people blamed all the things that Li Shanchang and others did that exterminated his family line on himself as the emperor.

I don’t know how many of the people who built Zhongdu wanted to eat me alive!
I don't know how many people want to end their own family lineage!!!

OK!

Very good!
Li Shanchang gets along very well with those nobles!

These old folks from Fengyang are all doing well!
Zhu Yuanzhang's heart was boiling with anger, but the smile on his face became more and more affectionate, friendly and kind.

He got along well with the old folks and kept chatting about family matters.

The atmosphere became very warm and enjoyable.

At this point, these old folks were completely relieved.

Knowing they completed their mission, no one said anything wrong.

When you go back, you will get huge benefits.

There is nothing to be afraid of Emperor Zhu.

They treat their fellow villagers so well, but they are so easy to cheat!!
They were very happy and kept toasting the emperor, but they didn't eat much.

Zhu Yuanzhang also accepted everyone who came.

He had fought in the army and had a huge appetite. He had also seen a lot of strong liquor in later generations.

Drinking these now is no problem at all.

After the banquet, the sun had already set in the west.

Zhu Yuanzhang left the Huagai Hall accompanied by Zhu Biao.

Before leaving, he even instructed someone to pack up the leftover food for the villagers to take back to the inn to eat...

……

These old fellows from Fengyang left the palace and came to their residences under the guidance of a special person.

Soon, someone contacted some of them without leaving any trace.

Not long after, a fast horse left Yingtian Prefecture City and galloped all the way to the Central Capital Fengyang...

……

“Life is so good for these folks!
When they came for the first time, we held a banquet to entertain them. Wow, they ate up everything in a flash, like starving ghosts reincarnated.

He ate everything clean.

He almost drank the juice as well.

Now, the whole table can’t even eat half of it.”

In the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile, his voice filled with reminiscence.

Wuying Hall was where Zhu Yuanzhang worked on a daily basis, handled government affairs, and met with his ministers.

There is also a bed inside. Sometimes when I don’t want to go back to the Qianqing Palace, I sleep here.

After spending time with these old fellows, Zhu Yuanzhang originally planned to go to Kunning Palace immediately to see the sister he had been thinking about day and night.

But after some hesitation, he finally arrived at Wuying Palace first.

It is more timid to be close to hometown, and I dare not ask people.

Zhu Yuanzhang missed his sister so much that he was so timid and afraid to go see her.

It’s not that I don’t want to see you, but I’m afraid this is just another dream.

A dream that is so real, but still makes you wake up...

So, he decided to rest here for a while.

"They must have understood the rules now and have become restrained. They no longer dare to eat like before in front of the Emperor."

Crown Prince Zhu Biao continued.

"Restrained? We see they are not restrained at all!

Even if life gets better and we eat more delicious food, we won't feel that good anymore when we eat at the banquets in our palace!"

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed secretly, his son Biao was so kind and always thought the best of others.

Zhu Biao was slightly stunned when he heard this.

I felt more and more that something was wrong with my father's condition.

In the past, every time there was a grand court meeting on New Year's Day, after listening to the Fengyang flower drum and having a meal with the fellow villagers, my father would be in a very good mood for several days in a row.

Why does it seem like my father, who was so happy just now, is in a bad mood today?
What happened to the father?
Or... did you get some news that you don't know about?
How did these old folks from Fengyang offend my father?
Zhu Yuanzhang's thoughts have temporarily shifted away from these old folks from Fengyang and Li Shanchang, and he is thinking about what will happen next in his memory.

On New Year's Day, as the emperor, I am very busy!
There was also a banquet in the evening to entertain founding heroes and important court officials.

At this banquet, Liao Yongzhong, the Marquis of Deqing, kicked up a fuss and caused a big disturbance.

Imprisoned him himself.

Later, his house was raided and many infuriating things were found.

Such as many letters containing treasonous words and many things that only he, the emperor, could use.

Including but not limited to the dragon bed, bright yellow clothes...

There were also two letters that were burned, letters written to him by Liu Bowen...

Hu Weiyong, the "good prime minister", fanned the flames behind the scenes and wanted to use himself as a knife.

With his own hands, he eliminated Liu Bowen...

The death of Liao Yongzhong marked the beginning of his killing of meritorious officials and nobles!
Now that he has returned again and knows more about the good things that the nobles will do in the future, he can't wait for this banquet!

He has lived in modern times for fifteen years and has never killed anyone.

Now, after fifteen years of precipitation and being soaked in the blood of the late Hongwu period, I wonder if the knife in his hand will be even sharper!

Just as I was thinking this, there was a noise outside.

Eunuch Wang came to report that the King of Qin, the King of Jin, the King of Wu, the King of Chu, the King of Qi, and the King of Tan came to ask for an audience.

Zhu Yuanzhang's thoughts were pulled back, and he thought of his good sons and what they would do in the future, and his chest was suddenly filled with anger.

He looked around but didn't find anything useful.

When his eyes fell on the hard soles of his shoes, he felt relieved.

"Let them all come in!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said this, stood up, and under Zhu Biao's puzzled gaze, began to do stretching exercises...

(End of this chapter)