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

"Now that we've figured that out, let's see how Zhou Dexing handles it."

"If we don't kill this man, and set this precedent, what if all the marquises and princes below follow Zhou Dexing's example? How can we get over that hurdle in our hearts?"

"We must nip any bad thing in the bud before it grows wild!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Xiong Ying and continued, "Of course, there is a deeper meaning to this."

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

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled meaningfully and said, "To pave the way for future generations."

He had seen some of the Lu family's recent little tricks.

Restless, huh?

It wouldn't be good to directly take action against the Lü family, so Zhu Yuanzhang thought of using Zhou Dexing to teach the Lü family something, so that they wouldn't lead their grandson Zhu Yunwen astray.

However, Zhu Xiong Ying did not understand these words.

Paving the way for future generations? Or is it paving the way for oneself?

But Jiang Xiahou didn't do anything to him.

Looking at Zhu Xiong Ying's bewildered expression,

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled but did not explain anything.

Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath and continued, "Alright, I've analyzed the pros and cons for you, so now, do you understand why we need to kill Zhou Dexing?"

“You don’t need to hesitate and think that just because he has some close relationship with our Zhu family, you can’t touch him.”

"You brat, emperors are ruthless, not because they are inherently ruthless, but because they are forced to be ruthless in many situations. It is said that emperors are lonely, and that is true, because men who stand at the pinnacle are destined to be alone!"

Zhu Xiong Ying felt a little uneasy, but upon closer reflection, she realized that her grandfather's words made sense.

"Grandpa, I'll handle it!"

Zhu Xiong Ying made up her mind.

He didn't want to take on this matter, even though his grandfather had instructed him to, but it concerned his master. Zhou Dexing's audacity in attacking his master had already crossed his line.

"it is good!"

Zhu Yuanzhang gave an approving comment.

Then his tone changed abruptly; he stood up, looked at Zhu Xiong Ying, and said with a solemn expression, "You are the one to kill him!"

"What!" Zhu Xiong Ying's face changed drastically: "Grandpa, I have no problem handling this, but why should I be the one to kill someone?"

Zhu Xiong Ying dared not kill anyone.

He was only eight years old when he saw his father and grandfather kill people, many, many people, but those were his grandfather and his entourage.

Born into the Zhu family, Zhu Xiong Ying knew that he would eventually become like that; if you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight—this was his destiny.

But... this is too fast.

And this was exactly what Zhu Yuanzhang intended.

Children are most vulnerable when they are young and their development is still in its early stages.

He wanted Zhu Xiong Ying to kill people as soon as possible, to hone his killing instincts from a young age, so that he wouldn't be indecisive in the future.

"Let's do it this way."

Zhu Yuanzhang patted Zhu Xiong Ying on the shoulder: "You brat, your master and I are all looking to you to handle this matter."

To ensure that his grandson could carry out the execution with a clear conscience, Zhu Yuanzhang specifically invoked his father's name.

Zhu Xiong Ying looked somewhat lost and nodded dazedly: "Grandpa, I... I'll try my best to do it."

His words implied that he wanted to follow Zhu Yuanzhang's path.

He just finds it a little hard to accept right now; he needs time to process it.

"it is good!"

Zhu Yuanzhang readily agreed, and then addressed the outsider, "Come in."

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Huan, the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, walked in and stood respectfully to the side.

"Ask Jiang Huan about Zhou Dexing's matter."

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at Jiang Huan and remained silent.

"This humble servant, Jiang Huan, Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, greets His Highness the Crown Prince."

Zhu Xiong Ying stared in astonishment at Jiang Huan, then blankly at Zhu Yuanzhang.

This setup makes it seem like Grandpa had already planned to have him handle this case.

Seeing that Zhu Xiong Ying was somewhat dazed, Zhu Yuanzhang continued to speak to He Guangyi: "The case of Zhou Dexing will be handled by the eldest grandson of the emperor, Zhu Xiong Ying. From now on, he will be your master. If you need anything, go to him."

Jiang Huan bowed and accepted the order: "This subordinate understands!"

Zhu Xiong Ying also calmed down at this point.

He knew his grandfather wasn't joking, so his brain started working quickly.

His grandfather had mentioned the Ming Dynasty's case-solving process to him many times before, so he had a good understanding of how to handle cases.

Grandpa had just analyzed it for him; Zhou Dexing was doomed to die. Based on the various cases Grandpa had handled in the past, he knew that all of the Zhou family's assets would likely be seized.

Thinking this, Zhu Xiong Ying's voice also turned somewhat cold.

"Jiang Huan, take some Imperial Guards and go to the Zhou residence in person. Arrest the main culprit, Zhou Dexing, and his son. Do not implicate anyone else in this matter."

The words fell.

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him, but remained silent.

How to supervise the process was entirely up to Zhu Xiong Ying.

He wanted to show his grandson what it meant to control life and death with a single word, and what the pinnacle of power truly meant!

He wanted Zhu Xiong Ying to remember this taste, to remember the wonderful feeling of being an emperor and holding power!

"All assets involved will be seized."

Zhu Xiong Ying spoke with a warning tone, and continued expressionlessly, "You guys have a tough time handling cases, but you need to manage your subordinates well and not let them take advantage of the chaos when seizing assets!"

"Before the joint trial by the three judicial authorities, no one is allowed to commit private torture. All property involved must be turned over to the national treasury. Your people should not have any improper thoughts."

Since his grandfather had asked him to oversee this matter, Zhu Xiong Ying had no reason to worry.

After Zhu Xiong Ying finished speaking, Jiang Huan clasped his hands and said, "Your humble servant obeys the decree!"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded and waved his hand, saying, "Go ahead, this case should be handled sooner rather than later!"

"Yes!"

"If you do a good job, you'll be all set for life. But if any gossip or rumors start to circulate, I don't think you'll have a good ending."

Finally, Zhu Xiong Ying gave some instructions.

Jiang Huan broke out in a cold sweat. He had thought his young master would be easier to talk to, but he never expected that his young master would see through the hearts of his subordinates so clearly.

This person will definitely be just like the old man in the future, a master who doesn't tolerate any flaws and needs to be served carefully.

"Your humble servant understands, and will certainly do his utmost!"

"Good that you understand!" Zhu Xiong Ying gave a slight nod of support and smiled, "You Imperial Guards are the Emperor's personal troops. If you make a mistake while carrying out your duties, it will damage my reputation. You can handle the situation yourselves. Do you understand?"

Jiang Huan nodded, bowed, and left.

After he left, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Xiong Ying with a half-smile and slowly said, "One act of force, one act of flattery, good lad, you played that trick well!"

Zhu Xiong Ying quickly said, "Grandpa, please don't smear me. I was a little nervous just now."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily: "It's alright, take your time, there will be plenty of cases for you to handle in the future."

“Your father shouldn’t have used the butcher’s knife in recent years. He should have made a good impression on those officials by being more lenient. I guess you’ll have to take over that job from now on.”

"This isn't a major case. We put you in charge of it to train you, so that you won't panic when you encounter bigger cases in the future."

Zhu Xiong Ying was stunned when she heard this.

Isn't this a major case?

A marquis, a powerful nobleman and relative of the Ming emperor, was gone just like that.

That's a marquis, after all.

These aren't even major cases. How big of a case would it have to be to be considered a major case?

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't want to dwell on the previous question for too long, so he changed the subject and said, "You brat, how does it feel to decide someone's life or death with just a few words?"

Zhu Huai thought for a moment, then smacked his lips: "Wonderful!"

He didn't fake it at all; he didn't need to be pretentious in front of Zhu Yuanzhang. He simply felt wonderful!

Why does every man crave power so much?

Today, Zhu Xiong Ying thoroughly experienced a mysterious feeling.

To be honest, once you've tried this flavor, you'll be hooked.

No wonder Zhou Dexing was dissatisfied with the emperor for the sake of a title.

Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled and said, “It is wonderful, but you must always remember that it is a double-edged sword. I have taught you for a long time to control your desires.”

"Before you were in power, you might not have understood why, but now, do you understand?"

"If you can't control your desires, you'll end up like Zhou Dexing, gradually trapping yourself in a difficult situation."

"On a larger scale, if the emperor cannot control his desires, then this dynasty may be overthrown!"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, quickly calming himself down. This was the first time he had experienced the power to decide someone's life or death, and it certainly fostered ambition.

As Grandpa said, we must control this ambition.

Zhu Xiong Ying sincerely clasped her hands in thanks and said, "Grandpa, thank you. I think I'm starting to understand your good intentions."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily: "You brat, you've made it! You're our grandson, who else should we teach if not you?"

“Zhou Dexing deserves to die. You don’t need to think so much. You did a good job just now.”

"You should manage your subordinates in the same way from now on. Controlling them is not an easy task, but don't worry. This old man won't die anytime soon, and I can still teach you some things."

“We will teach you the way of emperors, and your master will teach you the methods of cultivating immortality. In the future, the Ming Dynasty will be in your hands, and we believe it will be even more powerful and full of vitality than it was in our hands.”

Zhu Xiong Ying wiped his sweat: "Grandpa, you're too kind."

Zhu Yuanzhang took a sip of tea and said with some delight, "Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's go to the greenhouse that was set up in the East Palace yesterday and see if our vegetables and watermelons have been watered today."

Zhu Xiong Ying beamed with joy: "I watered it, I watered it a long time ago."

"Okay! Let's go take a look!"

.

….…….….….….

at dusk.

Snowflakes began to fall in Yingtian Prefecture.

In front of the Daming Palace, Zhou Ji dressed and walked out from a gatehouse.

Inside the room, the faint sounds of several palace maids dressing could still be heard.

That's right, he's causing chaos in the palace!

Inside the palace, many palace maids had been forcibly sexually assaulted by him.

It was time to finish his shift, so Zhou Ji left the palace and contentedly boarded the sedan chair to go home.

Smoke is already rising from the chimneys in the city.

The evening snow fell softly, mingling with the smoke from cooking fires.

A vivid picture of life as people return home late at night after a snowfall.

Zhou Ji had been drained of his health by lust these days, and as the commander of the palace guard, he was now outwardly strong but inwardly weak.

By having relations with palace maids, Zhou Ji could learn about some of the palace's hidden affairs, which he enjoyed immensely.

Recently, he has been under too much pressure, and the incident at Tianyun Temple has left him with a heavy heart, so he has been coming to the palace to find them to relieve his worries.

Moreover, Zhou Ji was certain that the palace maids would not dare to publicize this matter.

As for whether palace maids could get pregnant?

No, he brought a fish-bubble mask beforehand.

Today, he heard from a palace maid that the old master had left the palace again, and seemed to be in a very bad mood.

But who knows which unlucky fellow has angered the old man again?

(This is a true story. The historical Zhou Dexing died because his son, Zhou Ji, caused chaos in the imperial harem.)

at the same time,

The north wind howled, and snowflakes fell incessantly from the sky.

Inside the Zhou residence, red lanterns, as red as blood, illuminated the entire mansion.

When Zhou Ji's sedan chair arrived at the gate of the Zhou residence, the large red lanterns on the plaque illuminated the "Jiangxia Marquis's Residence" as if it were daytime.