Zhu Yuanzhang, who commanded the wind and rain, lived a long and arduous life.

Prince Ning nodded: "Mother, I went to see that person early this morning. You have received the Emperor's favor in your youth. Although the harem is peaceful, there are always some servants who look down on their masters."

"I have asked that person for help. If Mother ever encounters any difficulties in the future, you can ask someone to go out of the palace to ask him for help. He will definitely not abandon you."

Zhang Meiren nodded: "Yes, Mother knows."

"The most ruthless are those in the imperial family. My child, there's nothing your mother can do for you now. You must walk your own path and make your own judgments."

Zhu Quan nodded: "I understand."

Zhang Meiren nodded and said, "Go and get some rest."

Prince Ning nodded.

Lady Zhang watched Prince Ning's departing figure with a sigh, her eyes slightly red.

……

The next morning, the spring sunshine was still bright and clear.

The ancients said that breaking willow branches at Ba Bridge was a custom during the Tang Dynasty. Ba Bridge was located on an ancient road outside the city of Tang, and over time, breaking willow branches at Ba Bridge came to mean parting.

There was no Ba Bridge in the Ming Dynasty.

Inside the ancient pavilion at Tonghuai Gate, the Liao brothers stood behind Zhu Xiong Ying.

On the stone table inside the pavilion, there was a pot of wine.

Inside the city gate, officials from the Ministry of Rites escorted Prince Ning's carriage to the Tonghuai Gate.

Prince Ning had noticed Zhu Xiong Ying on the official road early on, and signaled the caravan to wait on the road while he went to find Zhu Huai.

"I advise you to drink another glass of wine. There will be no old friends when you leave Yangguan in the west."

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and said, "These two lines of poetry sound a bit melancholic about parting, but when spoken aloud, they have a unique flavor."

Prince Ning laughed along, "No need to urge me to drink, I'll drink!"

As he spoke, Prince Ning picked up his wine cup and tilted his head back to take a swig.

Zhu Xiong Ying watched as Prince Ning boarded the sedan chair, and watched the procession and entourage gradually disappear into the distance.

Just as Zhu Xiong Ying was about to leave, unable to watch any longer, her eyes suddenly narrowed.

On the official road ahead, batches of carriages and herds of horses are coming toward Tonghuai Gate with great momentum!

The group's attire... makes them look more like Mongolian nobles!

……

at the same time.

The Mongol envoys stared wide-eyed at this Han land, at the bustling crowds on the streets of Yingtian City, including foreign merchants, Buddhist and Taoist monks and nuns, foreign envoys, literati, and young ladies, as numerous and noisy as a carp crossing a river.

In addition, the rows of exquisitely crafted and densely packed Jiangnan-style buildings left them speechless and dumbfounded!

Everything about Yingtian City left a lasting impression on the Mongol envoys.

Everyone would be tempted to say "Eternal Heaven"!

The Eternal Heaven is their faith, and this is the highest respect they can show to the Heavenly City at this moment!

……

Inside the Wuying Hall of the Imperial Palace.

The small assembly is still in progress.

After giving instructions on receiving the envoys from the Timurid Khanate, Zhu Yuanzhang summoned Fu Youwen.

"You are in charge of the money of our Great Ming Dynasty."

"Tell me, how's the autumn harvest tax collection going?"

Fu Youwen felt a little uneasy. These days, the old man would take Zhu Xiong Ying out from time to time. Who knew what would happen that would displease the old man?

He said cautiously, "Most of the taxes collected in the capital region have already been collected, and the taxes from other provinces are being transported to Yingtian as quickly as possible."

Zhu Yuanzhang gave a deep "hmm" and looked at Fu Youwen, saying, "Does Minister Fu know anything about the matter of the drinking game and kicking the top seed?"

Fu Youwen felt a jolt, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.

This is a way for local officials to amass wealth, a fact that everyone tacitly acknowledges, and Fu Youwen, as the Vice Minister of Revenue, was certainly well aware of it.

Not only did Fu Youwen know, but which of the assembled officials in the Wuying Hall was unaware?

These people have amassed quite a fortune, and they know better than Fu Youwen how the government embezzles funds.

Upon hearing the old man mention this matter, all the officials felt a chill run down their spines. Fu Youwen hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I understand."

Zhu Yuanzhang said expressionlessly, "Oh, tell me, is this grain being eaten by the local officials and drunk on their blood?"

Fu Youwen forced a smile and said, "Your Majesty, yes, but..."

"However, local governments also have their own difficulties. Many officials outside the official system are not registered by the Ministry of Personnel, and the government needs people to manage towns and villages. Local governments have to hire some officials outside the official system, which requires the government to be self-sufficient. However, the budget allocated is simply not enough for the government's expenses, so..."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him and said, "So you want to get some money from the people to maintain the expenses of local governments?"

Fu Youwen hurriedly replied, "Your subject acknowledges his guilt!"

Minister of Personnel Zhan Hui hurriedly replied, "Your humble servant knows his crime!"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand: "We don't need you to admit your guilt. Once we discover a problem, we'll solve it. Tell me, do you all have a solution?"

Zhu Yuanzhang exerted immense pressure, and he was a highly competent politician when it came to governing his subordinates.

The ministers hung their heads and remained silent.

If the methods of embezzlement, such as the "fire loss to the public" and the "leaving a cup to kick the top" (a practice characteristic of the Ming Dynasty), could have been solved, they would have proposed reasonable countermeasures long ago.

The problem is that local officials also need money, and over time everyone has tacitly agreed to this.

Unless the state has sufficient funds to include the salaries of officials outside the capital in the budget.

However, the imperial court did not have enough money to support such a large number of officials outside the capital.

"We, your subjects, confess our crimes!"

The courtiers remained silent, heads bowed.

The atmosphere in the Wuying Hall was somewhat strange. Zhu Yuanzhang handed the memorial to Zheng He, who immediately understood and passed it to Fu Youwen.

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "You should all pass this memorial around and read it."

Fu Youwen took it. There weren't many words on the test paper, and there wasn't much unnecessary talk.

After quickly reviewing it, he passed it on to Zhan Hui, then to Li Yuan, and so on, step by step.

After reading it, the ministers all had strange expressions and exchanged glances without saying a word.

Fu Youwen stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask, who originally submitted this question?"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not answer: "Give me your opinion first."

Fu Youwen paused for a moment, then said, "When the postal station receives letters and goods sent by the people, it is required to collect a sum of money according to regulations, and this money is divided into two parts."

"Although it is not much, the amount is huge, and the profits from it are already known to us to be considerable."

"As the postal system grew, the simple post stations could no longer meet the needs of the people, so we invested in it with the help of merchants and porters, and mobilized the people's resources for transportation."

"Therefore, dividing money into two not only improves efficiency but also increases income."

"Merchants certainly profit greatly from this. If we were to impose an additional riverboat tax and city gate tax, payable at the tax collection point, wouldn't that increase taxes on merchants?"

"How can the nation profit at the expense of merchants? Wouldn't this disrupt the very foundation of the country?"

After Fu Youwen finished speaking, Zhan Hui stepped forward and said, "Lord Fu, what you said is inappropriate. In all political matters, one must consider the starting point. If one only looks at one aspect, wouldn't that be like the blind men touching an elephant, only able to grasp one aspect?"

"The ultimate goal of this proposal is to increase the revenue of local governments, thereby eliminating the problems of 'fire loss' and 'tribute to merit' and 'excessive drinking'."

"This is doing practical things for the people, how can it be said to be disrupting the foundation of the country? I believe that this is consolidating the foundation of the country, and not only will the people not oppose it, but they will also strongly support it."

"Merchants are cunning and collect excessive taxes, which are then used to benefit the farmers. I do not find anything wrong with this practice."

Fu Youwen nodded and then said, "My concern is that, in doing so, will more people be drawn to commercial profits and neglect practical farming?"

Zhan Hui shook his head: "No, this move is clearly increasing the exploitation of merchants. The people have discerning eyes; they see it clearly!"

Fu Youwen nodded, clasped his hands in a fist and said to Zhu Yuanzhang, "In that case, I have nothing more to say."

"This works!"

Zhan Hui nodded: "I second that proposal."

The courtiers also clasped their hands in agreement: "We second that proposal!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "The starting point is good, and it is a benevolent policy that benefits the people. We should plan before we act. This move is a policy that benefits both the people and the officials."

"In any case, if it is handled well, it will be a mutually beneficial thing for both local officials and ordinary people."

As for sacrificing the profits of merchants, Zhu Yuanzhang did not take that into consideration.

He continued, "However, the weariness of decades of drinking games and kicking each other out and the burning of credits has deeply penetrated the hearts of local officials."

"If we're going to do it, we must do it wholeheartedly and make sure that every citizen understands the policy clearly!"

“Tell them word by word that the grain that leaks out of the wine cup does not belong to the government, but to the people themselves.”

"In short, these two problems must be fixed. We can't let them continue to exploit the people even after we've given them money, making them want to speak ill of us for no reason!"

Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment, then continued, "There are also city gate taxes and river taxes. These revenues do not go through the tax bureau but are collected by the local government itself. We need to carefully consider whether there will be any deductions from merchants' money or whether there will be any favoritism involved. We cannot focus on one thing and neglect another, lest we discourage the merchants."

"Your Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Personnel should discuss this matter together. We hope that during the autumn harvest, we will no longer see such 'fighting for the first spot' incidents."

Fu Youwen and Zhan Hui hurriedly clasped their hands in greeting: "Your humble servants! We obey your decree!"

The small meeting has almost concluded.

Fu Youwen grinned and said shamelessly, "Your Majesty is wise! This policy benefits both the people and the government. I dare to ask Your Majesty, who is it...?"

Zhu Yuanzhang rolled his eyes at him: "Hmm."

Ok?

Ah!

Fu Youwen belatedly realized what was happening, his whole body trembled, and then it dawned on him: So it was him? Then it's alright!

Lan Yu looked at it strangely and secretly asked, "Old Fu, what does this mean?"

Fu Youwen said softly, "It was done by your great-nephew."

When these words reached Lan Yu and the others, the generals in the hall widened their eyes in surprise; they were no uncultured men.

Upon hearing this, their eyes sparkled with delight.

As Zhu Xiong Ying's influence in the court grew, their position became increasingly secure!

Just then.

An official from the Ministry of Rites quietly approached and whispered a few words in the ear of Li Yuan, the Vice Minister of Rites.

Li Yuan waved for him to leave, then said to Zhu Yuanzhang, "Your Majesty, the envoy from the Timurid Khanate has arrived at the Ministry of Rites."

Zhu Yuanzhang beamed: "Good! You shall personally receive them and discuss when the Timurid envoys will pay their respects to us, and then give us a reply."

"The minister obeys the order!"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand: "It's done, court may adjourn."

……

In mid-February, the Timurid Khanate finally arrived in Yingtian, the capital of the Ming Empire, after a journey of half a year.

The population, palaces, wealth, silk, and porcelain of the Ming Dynasty greatly impressed the envoys who had traveled from afar.

Even the gilded nails on the vermilion palace gates outside the Imperial Palace of the Emperor of Yingtian were eye-opening and awe-inspiring to them.

A light drizzle began to fall from the sky.

When Zhu Huai returned to his residence, it was almost noon.

The old man was bending over, pulling weeds in the greenhouse.

After a long winter of hibernation, when spring comes, the grass sprouts up and grows taller than fruits and vegetables.

"Grandpa, why are you going to the fields yourself?"

Zhu Xiong Ying glanced at the trembling servants to the side.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Don't blame them, we have to go to the fields ourselves."

"These weeds are just impurities in the ground. After lying dormant for a while, they always have to sprout. Growing crops is about outsmarting and fighting against weeds. If there are too many weeds, the nutrients of the crops will be absorbed, so we have to take action to remove them."

"The same principle applies to governing a country. When a country prospers, there will always be corrupt officials who try to extract the country's wealth, and it is necessary to eliminate them."

These are all lessons the old man learned from farming.

Life is full of lessons, and different people will have different perspectives on things.

Zhu Xiong Ying walked over with a smile: "I understand the reasoning, but you're getting on in years, your health is the most important thing. Come and rest for a while."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and patted his muddy hands.

Zhu Xiong Ying fetched a basin of water for Zhu Yuanzhang so the old man could wash his hands, and then brought him a pair of brand-new cloth slippers to wear.

"This thing is for you."

The old man casually pointed to the brocade box on the stone table, looking completely indifferent.

Zhu Xiong Ying asked, puzzled, "What is it?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Open it and see for yourself."

Zhu Xiong Ying opened the brocade box with suspicion; inside was a precious rhinoceros horn dagger.

Zhu Xiong Ying was stunned.

He recognized the rhinoceros horn dagger; it was something only royalty and nobility in the Middle East were entitled to possess, and it was incredibly precious even in Europe.

"Where did it come from?"

Zhu Xiong Ying asked Zhu Yuanzhang with some curiosity, then picked up the rhinoceros horn dagger, unsheathed it, and shot out a cold glint.

The rhinoceros horn dagger was very sharp; raindrops fell on both sides of the blade, separating them neatly as if they had been cut.

Zhu Yuanzhang said calmly, "When the Timurids came to our Great Ming to pay tribute, we got one of these things."

"This thing is easy to carry. We just tested it, and it's very sharp. You can play with it."

Although the old man spoke calmly, the corners of his mouth were practically turned up to the sky, making him appear quite smug.

Zhu Xiong Ying paused for a moment, then squinted at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked, "The Timurid Khanate?"

The old man laughed heartily and said, "Isn't that right? They traveled thousands of miles from the West, braving countless dangers, just to come to our Great Ming to pay tribute. Our emperor couldn't refuse the foreigners, so he reluctantly received them."

"How about it? Countries thousands of miles away are coming to pay tribute to our Great Ming. This shows just how mighty our Great Ming is, doesn't it?"

These are all Zhu Yuanzhang's real military and political achievements!

Strangely, the old man did not receive any flattery from Zhu Xiong Ying.

He couldn't help but look up at Zhu Xiong Ying out of curiosity, only to find Zhu Xiong Ying standing there, speechless for a long time, his expression somewhat uncertain.

"What's going on?"

He looked at Zhu Xiong Ying's face, which was very solemn.

No, what's wrong with our grandson?

Zhu Yuanzhang was utterly perplexed.