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

Zhu Biao watched, quietly watching.

Utter silence.

He never imagined that his grandfather would solve the problem in such a way.

"Could this be... the old saying, 'Old ginger is spicier'?"

Zhu Biao seemed to be deep in thought.

He had assumed that his grandfather had been practicing cultivation on that mountain for many years and was not good at speaking to people.

The conversation between Grandpa and him just now was enough to show this weakness.

Yes!

Zhu Biao figured it out.

Although he didn't dare to speak to his grandfather, it was the pressure from the elders.

As the crown prince, Zhu Biao met countless people every day, understood their temperaments and knew their character, thus enabling him to better use the art of controlling people.

And Grandpa's performance

He knew it was because he wasn't good at talking to people!

Zhu Biao assumed that his grandfather, with such a background, was also not good at handling interpersonal conflicts.

But now it seems that's not the case.

He was being simplistic, and he underestimated his grandfather.

now.

All that could be seen ahead was...

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhu Changye grabbed a handful of sand and sprinkled it directly into the steaming porridge.

In an instant, the queue fell silent.

"If you don't want to distribute porridge, just say so. Why pretend to be so benevolent?"

"Yes, this is clearly a case of them not wanting to give us porridge!"

"The abbot of Tianyun Temple? Ha! What a hypocrite! He wants us to be grateful on one hand, but he does such despicable things on the other. Isn't he just fooling us?"

“….”

Several people left the group, cursing and swearing.

But most of them still looked on with hope, their eyes fixed on the hot porridge to which sand had just been added.

They don't mind the dirt.

We've already eaten the tree bark, so what's a little sand?

Is there anything more important than filling one's stomach?

Zhu Biao seemed to understand something, and he instantly realized it.

Subsequently,

Then Zhu Changye looked at the departing people and calmly said, "Seize them and give them twenty strokes of the cane."

boom!

As soon as these words came out, everyone present was stunned.

Even Zhu Biao was the same.

Twenty strokes of the cane?

Many people thought they had misheard, because how could such words come from the mouth of that refined and gentle abbot?

But after asking around, they learned that the other party had also heard about being punished with twenty strokes of the cane.

This!

It really was the abbot who said it!

Why would the usually refined and gentle abbot become like this?

It is true that those people deceived the abbot, but shouldn't they be punished?

After all, it's just a bowl of porridge.

Many people don't understand.

However, Zhu Biao understood after a brief moment of stunned silence.

"To make an example of someone?"

Zhu Biao chuckled.

He suddenly realized that he really didn't know his grandfather.

I thought Grandpa wouldn't be able to handle interpersonal conflicts, but he handled them perfectly.

I thought my grandfather was gentle and refined, but he turned out to be ruthless.

really.

As expected!

As a junior, I shouldn't presume to know the intentions of the family's ancestors, nor am I qualified to do so.

Simply because he was my ancestor!

He ate more salt than he ate rice.

at the same time.

The people in front of them looked terrified.

"why?"

"You're breaking the law!"

"We've read the imperial edict, so don't do anything reckless!"

"Yes! What right do you have to arrest us? Is there no law anymore? Yingtian Prefecture, right under the emperor's nose, how dare you, a young man, be so vicious? Aren't you afraid of being beheaded?"

“….”

They kept speaking up.

Zhu Changye remained unmoved.

He stood in the cold wind with his hands behind his back.

The cold wind ruffled his robes, but he remained calm, standing with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the group of people who were speaking.

“You guys don’t understand what disaster victims are.”

“You have never experienced hunger, but I have, and I can tell you.”

"When you truly experience hunger, when you truly understand going without food for days and surviving on tree bark and grass roots, you will know that even if I add sand or soil to the hot porridge, the suffering and starving people of the Ming Dynasty will still eat it and wait to eat it."

Zhu Changye spoke calmly, but his tone was firm and resolute.

These words,

It seems to express all the hardships of when he first traveled back in time.

Some of the disaster victims queuing up felt a lump in their throats.

After he finished speaking, Zhu Biao fell silent.

My grandfather had such a hard life.

Zhu Biao sighed helplessly.

He stared blankly at Zhu Changye, his eyes filled with helplessness.

Just as Zhu Biao was deep in thought.

front,

Zhu Changye had already finished speaking, and the thugs were speechless, kowtowing and begging for mercy.

After Zhu Changye finished speaking,

The disciples of Tianyun Temple didn't even need to lift a finger; the crazed crowd was already baring their teeth, and all that remained was to beat them with hatred.

When the people looked at Zhu Changye again, their eyes were filled with trust and admiration.

"Benefactor, Abbot! Your kindness is immense!" someone exclaimed, their eyes red with tears.

"A monument to immortality should be erected!"

"We, the descendants, will never forget the great kindness and virtue of the Abbot."

Zhu Changye waved his hand to interrupt the people's gratitude and said, "Everyone, please line up in an orderly manner and do not scramble for the pole."

These words,

Without Zhu Changye's reminder, the people consciously complied.

Zhu Changye nodded to the Tianyun Temple disciple beside him: "You can handle the rest."

The disciples of Tianyun Temple looked solemn, showing even greater respect and worship for their abbot.

Zhu Changye walked away slowly, hands behind his back, amidst the watchful eyes of the people.

Zhu Biao remained standing there for a long time, until Zhu Changye disappeared from sight, before he swallowed hard.

Finally, he jogged to catch up with Zhu Changye.

….….….….….…

On the way back, the father and son remained silent.

It's just embarrassing.

Back at Tianyun Temple, Zhu Changye said he was going to his room to wait. Zhu Biao responded and then hurried to the kitchen in the backyard, where he found Empress Ma, who had just finished cooking.

"Hmm? Biao'er, you're back."

Empress Ma smiled and asked, "How was it?"

Zhu Biao feigned confusion and asked, "Mother, what's wrong?"

Empress Ma chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "What do you mean, 'how are you doing'? Are you pretending to be confused? How have you been getting along with your grandfather all this way?"

"This..." Zhu Biao hesitated for a moment, then coughed, "Ahem, well, we were silent the whole way."

"What?" Empress Ma was stunned, thinking she had misheard: "Not a single word?"

Zhu Biao's expression was somewhat unnatural: "Mother, yes, there was something, but... it was just a few words."

Empress Ma was speechless upon hearing this.

She rolled her eyes, annoyed, but said, "Biao'er, it's not that your mother is criticizing you, but before I left this morning, your grandfather told you that he's not good at conversation and that you should try to find topics to talk about."

What did you promise me this morning?

Zhu Biao was extremely embarrassed and was about to reply.

However, Empress Ma interrupted him.

"You said, no problem."

"Such a small matter was left to you, and now what have you done?"

Zhu Biao felt ashamed after being spoken to and wanted to reply again.

However, Empress Ma interrupted him.

"You're telling me now that you said you didn't say a word the whole way? Oh dear, you brat, you were quite the big shot this morning. Your mother was already a little worried that you two wouldn't talk, but your confident attitude made her believe it too."

"And this is what happened? Biao'er, what's going on? I've never seen you not know how to say a word when facing the court officials or foreign envoys."

"Weren't you quite smug when you were with them? How come you become like this when you're with your grandfather?"

Zhu Biao opened his mouth.

Empress Ma was about to interrupt again, but Zhu Biao quickly said, "Mother, may I say a word?"

Empress Ma thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Then you speak."

Zhu Biao said, extremely embarrassed, "It's very simple, Mother. I overestimated myself..."

"I also thought that I would be fearless in front of the entire court of officials, and I would be the same in front of my grandfather, but... that's not the case."

“I always feel a bit reserved when I'm with my grandfather, as if it's a kind of bloodline suppression that makes me a little afraid of elders. I... I really didn't mean to mess it up.”

Empress Ma breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and said, "Alright, then we can understand. After all, when I first met your grandfather, I was so nervous that I couldn't speak."

"However..."

Empress Ma laughed and playfully slapped Zhu Biao: "Biao'er, your mother is still your mother! Your mother's behavior back then was much better than yours, you brat."

"You can't even say a word, you..."

The voice fell.

Zhu Biao, the Ming Dynasty's crown prince who had killed countless people and personally overseen the Hu Huaiyong case that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands, blushed slightly at this moment.

"Ahem, Mother, please stop. Next time I'm alone with Grandpa, I'll definitely find something to talk about."

"By the way, what did you cook? Let me see?"

Zhu Biao quickly changed the subject.

Empress Ma smiled and said, "There are many delicious foods, all picked from your grandfather's vegetable garden, so they are very fresh."

"but…."

As she spoke, Empress Ma said with some helplessness, "This morning, those two little rascals, Zhu Bai and Zhu Quan, picked all of your grandfather's cucumbers. Although they left behind a few taels of silver, those two little rascals didn't even consider how irreplaceable winter cucumbers are. How could silver buy them?"

“The new cucumbers haven’t grown yet, and your grandpa loves cucumbers the most. Sigh… these two little ones, there are so many vegetables in the garden, but they still picked the cucumbers.”

Zhu Biao was taken aback: "Then what should we do?"

Empress Ma laughed and said, "It's alright. Your mother sent someone back to the palace. The melons your father gave us yesterday are still untouched."

"The Empress Dowager has already sent someone to bring the cucumbers over. Although the cucumbers are not as fresh as those in your grandfather's vegetable garden, they can still serve as a substitute."

"Once we find those cucumbers, Mother will make a stir-fried cucumber dish, and then our lunch will be complete!"

"It's just a pity that your father didn't come. If he had, our family would have three generations living together."

Zhu Biao nodded upon hearing this.

About to speak.

Just then, there was a sound of someone falling outside the door.

"ah!"

A little girl fell.

Empress Ma and Zhu Biao hurried over, only to find it was that silly little Zhu Yao.

Zhu Yao originally came to the kitchen by the smell of the aroma, but she did not expect to see Zhu Biao, whom she used to be afraid of. So she simply left, but she tripped and fell on her way out.

"Huh? Yao Yao, you fell?"

Empress Ma, with a gentle expression, picked up Yao Yao.

Zhu Yao was a little reserved: "Fourth Grandmother, I...I'm fine."

Empress Ma glanced at it and said seriously, "You said you were fine, but you've fallen and are bleeding."

"Biao'er, take Yao Yao over to treat her wound."