The stupid son of Chongba

Chapter 131: The Zhu Family Ancestral House Where My Parents and Brothers Starved to Death, Our Zhu Chongba Is Back

crunch.

The wheels slowly stopped and the eunuchs knelt in front of the dragon chariot.

A pair of bright yellow boots stepped down, and a pair of feet stomped on the muddy ground.

dong dong!

"The land of Fengyang is still so thick."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the city not far away and a smile appeared on his face.

Although he now lives in the luxurious Forbidden City, this small town is the most familiar place in his memory.

Not far away, one could vaguely see a dark crowd of people under the city wall. It was obvious that they were the local county magistrate leading the people to welcome the emperor.

"I haven't been back for a long time..."

"Fengyang is still Fengyang. The flavor here hasn't changed. The mountain is still the same mountain, and the bay is still the same bay, haha!"

"Yes, my hometown... makes me miss it so much!"

"..."

A group of civil and military officials also got off the carriage. After a tiring journey, they finally arrived at their destination.

Among them, many were Zhu Yuanzhang’s fellow townsmen from Fengyang. Even if they were not from Fengyang, they were from the surrounding counties and towns. Naturally, they felt some emotion when they saw the scenery before them.

Liu Bowen, Yang Xian and others naturally had no feelings at all and just thought of it as being there to see the scenery.

"The shallow hills and the bay are indeed a good feng shui for the emergence of dragons."

Liu Bowen looked around, stroked his beard and said,
"No wonder a figure like your majesty can emerge. The royal family's ancestral tomb must be in an extraordinary location."

He was investigating Feng Shui at this moment, and he also became somewhat curious about the location of the Zhu family's ancestral tomb.

"Master, does the feng shui of the ancestral grave really have a big impact on future generations?"

Yang Xian was following Liu Bowen, and when he heard this, he couldn't help but ask.

Hearing the word "mentor", Liu Bowen frowned slightly. To be honest, he didn't like this title very much, as it made it seem as if both parties were very close... But considering Yang Xian's attentive service along the way, he did not correct him.

Yang Xian's question also attracted the attention of many officials around him, and they all looked over.

After all, they are all officials. Who doesn’t want to use some means to make their career successful and rise to the top?
"If you believe it, it exists. If you don't believe it, it doesn't exist."

Seeing everyone's curious expressions, Liu Bowen could only speak,

"According to the 'Dragon Shaking Sutra', if you want quick results, a skilled Feng Shui master can help you find a spot, and the family's fortune can be turned around in as little as two hours. It's that fast."

"However, the real big caves usually don't show effects so quickly. It may take three to five generations for the ancestors to prosper after being buried there. But once they prosper, it will be extraordinary. There is a famous dragon cave called 'Nine generations will be made prime ministers, and twelfth generations will be made emperors'. Even I have only heard of it and have never seen it."

Hearing this, everyone's eyes were filled with surprise.

"Nine generations have been prime ministers, and twelfth generations have been emperors! This... the Li Tang royal family wasn't this powerful back then, was it?"

"Yes! Throughout history, there has never been anyone so amazing! I've never heard of it, it must just be a legend..."

"Yes, I also think it's a legend. If there really is such a dragon cave, it must have been destroyed by emperors of all dynasties. Didn't Qin Shihuang do such a thing?"

Seeing that everyone was discussing enthusiastically, Liu Bowen became more interested and stroked his beard and said with a smile:

"This so-called appointment as prime minister should only mean a distinguished achievement, not necessarily becoming a prime minister. The Li Tang royal family came from the Longxi Li family, which was originally a famous and prestigious family. Every generation had people serving as officials in the court, and they were prominent for a time. By the time of Taizu Li Hu, he was already one of the Eight Pillars of the Western Wei Dynasty, with even greater power. It is not an exaggeration to say that they have been appointed as prime ministers for nine generations."

"As for the twelve generations of emperors, there is no need to say more. The Tang Dynasty had fourteen emperors. Even if we remove Wu Zetian, who is an outsider, there is still one more generation of emperors! So, although the book is legendary, it is not nonsense... It's a pity that the real ancestral tomb of the Li family is nowhere to be found, otherwise, we can observe it."

Everyone was stunned.

"I see! It seems that this geomantic exploration and dragon-finding method is indeed mysterious!"

Yang Xian's eyes sparkled, and he said repeatedly,

"Master, can you explore Feng Shui?"

Liu Bowen laughed.

"If I were to talk about anything else, I'm not confident enough, but when it comes to this... Feng Shui is my family tradition. One of my ancestors was a Feng Shui master who traveled all over the mountains and rivers, searching for dragon veins everywhere. He had experienced countless things in his life, and he also passed down some tricks."

He stroked his beard and saw that Yang Xian and other officials were looking very excited and eager to try. He immediately changed the subject.
"But you all don't need this technique."

"As the saying goes, a poor man does not change his family name, and a rich man does not move his grave. You are all successful people, so why do you need to make a big fuss over your ancestral graves? You must know that blessed people enjoy blessed land, and Feng Shui treasures belong to people with virtue."

"You should cultivate more virtues, and you will surely reach a higher level in the future."

These words highlighted his noble demeanor and drew cheers and applause from a group of officials.

"What is that old guy Liu Ji showing off again?"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted and said,
"A bunch of people were hanging around him."

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong, who was standing beside him, hurried forward to inquire about the situation. He ran back in a moment and said with a smile:
"Return to Your Majesty."

"Master Liu is talking about Feng Shui dragon veins! He said that if the ancestral tomb is well found, the ninth generation will be made prime minister, and the twelfth generation will be made emperor!"

Since he had stabbed Lu Zhongheng in the back last time, Hu Weiyong had risen to become a close minister of Zhu Yuanzhang, ready to serve him at any time.

Secretly, because of his ability to act as a liaison, he had the support of a large number of Huaixi nobles, and his political capital was becoming increasingly strong.

"Ancestral grave? Humph! Talking about these mysterious things again."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly.

"According to him, as long as we find a good ancestral tomb and put the ancestor's coffin in it, the descendants can sit back and relax, waiting to be appointed as a noble, a prime minister, or even become the emperor?"

"Bullshit! If it were that simple, we wouldn't be the emperor! If we really want to be crowned as a king or a prime minister, we have to work hard and risk our lives to have a chance!"

Hu Weiyong nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, your Majesty is right. I think so too."

He said hurriedly,
"The so-called Feng Shui of the ancestral grave is nothing but some mysterious things. What really makes people stand out is their willingness to endure hardships!"

"Only those who have endured the most hardships can become the best! Your Majesty has also gone through hardships all the way to achieve what he has today!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly.

"That's true."

He praised,

"As long as you are willing to endure hardship, you will definitely..."

"There is endless suffering." Zhu Ju, who was standing aside, responded suddenly, which almost choked Zhu Yuanzhang.

"What nonsense are you talking about, little brat?"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and said with an unhappy look on his face.

"I didn't say anything, just tell the truth!"

Zhu Ju crossed his arms and pouted.

"As long as you are willing to endure hardships, there will be endless hardships to endure."

"If you say that hard work and perseverance can make you a superior person, then do cows and horses work hard enough? Every day they eat grass, and all they produce is milk. They also have to plow the fields and be ridden by people."

"The cows and horses work so hard, but we have never seen them turn the tables and become masters!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone around laughed, even Ma Xiuying, who had just stepped off the carriage, smiled.

This brat only knows how to ruin his father's career.

Zhu Yuanzhang: "!!!"

"You! What are you talking about!"

"Can humans be the same as cows and horses?!"

Zhu Ju raised his head and said:
"Why is it different?"

"Don't ordinary people spend their lives like cattle and horses, working hard every day without a break?"

"Many ordinary people are even worse off than cattle and horses! Cattle and horses can at least be taken care of by their owners and have feed supplied, but people can only rely on their hands to work diligently. They work until they shit themselves, and they have to pray for no disasters. When they finally have a good harvest, they still have to pay taxes and are exploited at every level."

"Tsk tsk... If you put it that way, humans are much more miserable than cattle and horses. As for the idea that you can succeed by enduring hardships, that's just like poisonous chicken soup that can kill people. It looks delicious, but in fact, you'll roll your eyes after taking a sip."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face suddenly turned dark.

Da da da!
Da da da!
The jade pendant's small motor started to work again. Zhu Ju got a warning and quickly added:

"Of course, I'm not denying hard work and effort. Hard work can determine a person's bottom line. No matter how poor a person is, as long as they work hard in the right direction, they will at least not starve to death."

"But if you really want to stand out, hard work alone is definitely not enough! Think about it, if you hadn't been appreciated by Marshal Guo, would you have been able to join the rebel army and show your strength? If mother hadn't chosen you, would you have been able to rise all the way without any worries?"

"Let's even think about it in a bigger way. If the world hadn't been in chaos, would you have had the chance to sit on the throne today?"

After hearing these words, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression eased a little and he began to think.

The people around him also stopped smiling and listened quietly.

"All of these come from opportunities! They are not achieved simply through hard work. There is a saying that goes, within ten steps, there must be fragrant grass; within ten rooms, there must be talented people! But these talented people can often only do some insignificant work and cannot give full play to their talents."

Zhu Ju said seriously,
"Aren't they working hard? No, they just lack an opportunity! China is so big, there may be people who are more capable than you, but they may only be able to farm in the fields, just like you did in the past."

"So, a person's destiny depends not only on personal struggle but also on the course of history. The course of history is like waves. If you step on them, you will rise to the top. If you can't step on them, you will be lost in the crowd. That's the reality."

These words caused everyone to become even more silent.

"Yes."

Ma Xiuying suddenly sighed,

"In fact, we are just lucky, it's nothing special."

"There are so many virtuous women among the people. If they were to manage the harem, they wouldn't necessarily do worse than me, and they wouldn't necessarily be unable to be the mothers of the country."

"As a so-called superior person, sometimes you can't be too proud and arrogant."

Zhu Ju gave a thumbs up.

"Mom, you have great wisdom. Most people can't compare to you!"

He flattered him a little and said with a chuckle.

"So according to you, we are lucky enough?"

Zhu Yuanzhang twirled his beard, somewhat disliking Zhu Ju's conclusion, but after thinking about it carefully, he couldn't refute it.

To be honest, it was miserable. At the worst time, I had to beg for food.

But if you say he was lucky, it was true. As soon as he joined the rebel army, he was appreciated by Marshal Guo, became his adopted son, and eventually rose to prominence.

Of course, the most important thing here is hard work, but luck and opportunity are also indispensable.

"You have both strong abilities and good luck, which is what made you successful. Otherwise, luck alone is useless if you can't grasp it."

Zhu Ju smiled and said,

"Both are indispensable. As for where luck comes from, that's complicated."

"Perhaps, the feng shui of the ancestral tomb does play a role."

"However, I do think that it is also important for ancestors to have accumulated virtue. Only when ancestors have virtue can they provide shade for their descendants and produce outstanding people. As the Tao Te Ching says, all things respect the Tao and value virtue!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard.

"Then it seems that we have to go and take a look. Our ancestral tomb may really have something special."

He said,

"When my father died, I was penniless, so I went to the landlord Liu De to borrow land to bury him. This old man, my father, and I had worked hard for him for so many years, but he refused to give me even such a small piece of land for his grave. It was his brother Liu Jizu who was kind enough to give me a piece of wild slope on a barren mountain."

"Could it be that this little wild hill is really some kind of Feng Shui treasure land?"

As he was talking, Lao Zhu also became interested and wanted to explore it further.

"That may be the source of your majesty's prosperity!"

Hu Weiyong hurriedly complimented him,
"After hearing what Your Majesty said, I also want to go and broaden my horizons and see what a real Feng Shui treasure land looks like."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.

"What do you want to see? Are you learning it so that you can secretly find a piece for yourself, so that your descendants can become emperors in the future?"

He snorted lightly, his tone slightly unfriendly.

Hu Weiyong's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no, this flattery hit the horse's leg!

"Wei Chen doesn't dare!"

"I just want to take a look. How dare I have any extravagant thoughts? The Ming Dynasty will last for thousands of years. Even if I have to find a tomb, I want to find a tomb that is conducive to future generations to study, so that the Hu family can assist Your Majesty from generation to generation! This is my greatest wish!"

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he burst into laughter.

"That's possible."

He patted Hu Weiyong on the shoulder and said with a smile,
"We support you! If your Hu Peng can wake up and study hard, he may be able to become an official in the future."

Hu Weiyong breathed a sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"Your Majesty, the Fengyang County Magistrate and the people are waiting for you at the city gate."

Li Shanchang, who had not spoken for a long time, suddenly spoke,

"Should we go meet them first?"

Zhu Yuanzhang took a look.

Sure enough, the black mass of people formed a huge array, and now, under the leadership of the county magistrate, they all knelt on the ground to welcome their emperor.

"Tell them to disperse. We don't want to go into the city. What will we see if we go into the city?"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and ordered,
"Recently, I have heard some rumors and have some doubts in my heart. Today, I will walk along the ridges and investigate the people's sentiments along the way. Only from the words of those old farmers can we know the real situation in Fengyang."

"Besides, we didn't live in the county town when we were young. If we go left, we can visit the old house along the way..."

"Get off the carriage and follow us!"

At a command, the large army followed Zhu Yuanzhang's steps and walked along the ridges towards the fields.

In the back, several nobles exchanged glances with each other.

Tower! Tower!
The boots made a series of light sounds as they stepped on the thick ridges of the fields.

Zhu Yuanzhang took the lead and walked in front.

Looking around, it was noon and the sun was shining brightly. The farmers were all sitting under the big trees eating and enjoying the cool air. Those who knew each other gathered together, chatting and laughing.

"Old man."

Zhu Yuanzhang walked under the tree, picked up the bowl of water in front of him, and said with a smile,

"I am a passerby, I am thirsty, can I ask you for a bowl of water?"

The old farmer was dozing off with his straw hat on. When he heard someone calling him, he just lifted the hat slightly.

"Oh... a foreigner."

He glanced at it and said in surprise,
"So many people? I don't have that much water for you to drink."

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang was wearing ordinary clothes, without the shining five-clawed golden dragon robe, so naturally it did not cause much sensation.

"I'm not a stranger. I'm a local. I've been away for many years and came back with my family to visit."

Zhu Yuanzhang changed his Fengyang accent and said with a smile,
"They are not thirsty, so I want a bowl of water, okay?"

The old farmer nodded repeatedly.

"It's just a bowl of water. What's the problem? Just drink as much as you want. Just don't choke."

He drooped his eyelids and said casually.

Gudong, Gudong.

Zhu Yuanzhang was really thirsty. He drank a large bowl of water in two gulps and couldn't help but grin:

"Hiss - the water in Fengyang is still so salty and bitter."

Just like the taste of childhood.

"Well, you are used to drinking sweet water from other places, so you can't get used to drinking water from your hometown."

The old farmer held a rice stalk in his mouth and smiled.

"The water in Fengyang is pumped from the bay. Drinking it gives you energy!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth corners slightly raised.

"Yes, I have the strength!"

He didn't care about his image, sat down next to the old farmer and asked,
"Old man! This year's harvest looks good!"

“On weekdays, can you eat enough for two meals a day?”

The old farmer sneered when he heard this, and held up three fingers, saying:

"Who are you looking down on? Two meals? I eat three meals a day!"

"I still eat meat two or three times a month!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly surprised.

"So wealthy? Then you are a rich peasant! Or a landlord?"

This old man has a rough and weather-beaten look, he doesn't look like the owner of the land!
"Look at what you said. If you are not a landlord or a rich peasant, you don't have these conditions?"

The old farmer laughed and said,

"We Fengyang people are all like this!"

"Do you know that the current emperor is from Fengyang? Do you think he would treat Fengyang unfairly? Fengyang's taxes are the lowest in the entire Ming Dynasty! Even the county magistrates here are the most capable officials in the Ming Dynasty!"

"With such good officials and the emperor's good policies, how can we ordinary people not live a good life?"

"My situation is still not good enough! If you don't believe me, go ask those young men, who don't eat meat every other day? They are all fat and strong, making people from the neighboring counties and towns jealous. Many young girls are trying their best to marry to our Fengyang!"

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows and looked around.

Sure enough, whether the young and middle-aged men were working in the fields or resting, they were all broad-shouldered and strong, and looked powerful and strong. It was obvious that they were fed with fine grains!
"Fengyang, is everything so good now?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard gently and murmured,
"If this is true, then it can truly be called the richest place in the entire Ming Dynasty." The old farmer's words were not false.

He did reduce taxes in Fengyang and sent outstanding and capable officials.

In my heart, I really hope that Fengyang will become a land of fish and rice, a rich place.

however……

"of course it's true."

Hu Weiyong stepped forward and bowed,

"Fengyang is the place where your majesty was born. It is a place with many talented people and beautiful scenery. In addition, the imperial court has given it preferential treatment. It would be difficult for it to not develop well!"

"Listening to what this old man said, I am filled with emotion... Back then, Fengyang was extremely poor and all the women had to marry out. Now, not long ago, the situation has turned the other way around! This is all thanks to your majesty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and clapped his hands.

He did not speak, but continued to move forward and communicate with several young farmers.

The answers we got were pretty much the same:
"At home, we eat meat once every three days! Mainly chicken and duck meat. Now that we are well-off, we naturally eat better and also nourish the children."

"Hehe, my family has less, maybe once every six or seven days, but it's not that we can't afford it! I just want to save money for my son to get married. I have three sons, so I have to save more! But it's easy to get married now. When they hear that it's a young man from Fengyang, they are willing to come forward without a betrothal gift, hehe!"

"That's right! There are not many bachelors in Fengyang now! We can't help it. We have an emperor here. He is famous and rich. Who wouldn't want to come?"

"..."

The farmers' faces were all filled with bright smiles.

All the civil and military officials listened with smiles on their faces, looking pleased.

"Great, that's great. It seems Fengyang is indeed wealthy..."

"Yes, after all, this is the birthplace of the dragon, it is different! Previously I thought it was not possible to build a capital here, but now I think it is not impossible to build the capital in Fengyang!"

"I think so too! Fengyang may not be worse than Yingtian!"

"..."

Ministers and their families were walking around on the ridges of the fields, a few children were running and laughing in the fields, and the farmers were resting leisurely. It was a harmonious scene.

"Fengyang, is it really that good?"

Zhu Biao frowned and murmured,
"Why do I feel like something is not right..."

He instinctively felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what it was.

"Brother, do you think something is wrong?"

Zhu Ju smiled and whispered,
"It's not just wrong, this is clearly an illusion!"

"I suspect these peasants are carefully selected actors, specially used to deal with the emperor!"

Zhu Biao: “?!”

He suddenly looked at the farmer under the big tree!
"Look at how calm and relaxed they are. How can ordinary farmers be like this?"

Zhu Ju sneered,
"A large group of people suddenly appeared, and they looked like they had extraordinary origins. How could ordinary people not be surprised and frightened?"

"Only professional actors can be so calm, because they are all acting! Maybe someone has already trained them!"

Zhu Biao: "!!!"

"Who dares to do this? This is a crime of deceiving the emperor!"

He stood up suddenly and walked towards Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Brother, what are you going to do?"

"I'll go tell Dad! He can't be kept in the dark! Look at him, he's still chatting and laughing with those fake farmers!"

At first glance, Zhu Yuanzhang seemed very happy at the moment. He was looking up and laughing, and it seemed that he had become friends with the old farmer.

"Well, why do you worry about that?"

Zhu Ju waved his hand and said with a smile,
"Do you think Dad doesn't know? Dad's insight is much sharper than mine. I can see that he has known everything in his mind for a long time!"

"At this moment, I am just accompanying them for fun."

“I guess my father is probably planning a big killer move in his mind! By the way, was Lawrence Lu secretly taken to Fengyang?”

Zhu Biao was shocked.

"How do you know this?"

He glanced at the convoy not far away and saw that Lu Zhongheng and his son had indeed been secretly brought here, in one of the carriages.

But this matter is top secret, and there are very few people involved in it. How would I know about it?

"Hey, don't worry about this."

Zhu Ju took out an orange from somewhere and said with a smile,

"Anyway, I'm well-informed."

"Come on, big brother, eat some oranges and wait for the show."

Zhu Biao looked a little strange, but still took half the orange from Zhu Ju's hand.

"How come you always come up with something, kid?"

"Isn't this what you hid behind your butt?"

"..."

Swish!
After chatting for a while, Zhu Yuanzhang got up from the ground, dusted off the dust on his butt, and returned to the ridge of the field.

"Great! It seems that Fengyang has really become wealthy. Seeing with my own eyes that my hometown has become prosperous and the people are living a good life, I am happy in my heart!"

Zhu Yuanzhang grinned and said,
"It seems that the county magistrate of Fengyang should be rewarded! If the local gentry have made great contributions, they should also be rewarded!"

"Weiyong, you should go and implement this matter!"

When Hu Weiyong heard this, his expression suddenly brightened.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"I will investigate thoroughly and will not leave out anyone who has made contributions to Fengyang!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction.

"Let's go to our ancestral home!"

"It's just ahead. It's about a mile away. After so many years, I don't know how dilapidated it has become. Could it have been blown away by the wind? Hahahaha..."

Old Zhu waved his hand and walked quickly forward.

Zhu Biao glanced at the farmers, then looked at Hu Weiyong meaningfully, and followed without making a sound.

The nobles were laughing and joking, as if they were on an autumn outing, and they followed Zhu Yuanzhang.

……

After a while.

Zhu Yuanzhang stopped in front of a few broken beams, silent.

"Where is this place?"

Zhu Ju glanced at it for a few times and asked doubtfully,

"The bullpen?"

"stable?"

The few beams were so rotten and crumbling that one could barely see that they once supported a shed.

The area they surrounded was overgrown with weeds, and apart from the weeds, there were only a few broken bamboo pieces left.

"This is our hometown, your ancestral home."

Zhu Yuanzhang held the beam and said softly,

"I can still remember the days when I was a cowherd. You see, this place is very run-down, right? Actually, it wasn't much better before."

"When it's hot, it's like a steamer. When it's windy and rainy, it's really torture. The thatched roofs flutter up and down. Every time they flutter, my heart flutters with them, for fear that the roof will be blown away by the wind and rain."

"When I was a kid, the ones that slept with me every day were either mice or frogs. One time, I woke up in the middle of the night and felt an unbearable pain and itchiness in my ears. I looked over and saw... oh my god, that mouse was actually biting my ears!"

Zhu Ju: “…”

Everyone: "..."

This situation is creepy just thinking about it!

"Dad, how about we renovate the ancestral home?"

Zhu Ju couldn't help but say,

"It's our ancestral home after all, it can't be too shabby!"

"There's no one around here! Have they all moved away?"

There is a slightly wider dirt road here, with many crooked beams standing on both sides.

It can be seen that this place used to be a village, but it seems that all the people have run away.

"It's not that they moved away, but that they all died."

Zhu Yuanzhang said softly,

"That year there was a great famine. Our parents, brothers and sisters all starved to death, right here in this house."

"It was similar for the neighbors. They turned the house upside down and only found thirteen grains of rice. These thirteen grains of rice were the hope for the whole family to survive. But my parents didn't eat them, and neither did my brothers and sisters. They left them all to me. I survived by chance thanks to these thirteen grains of rice, while most of the others died. Very few, very few, managed to escape..."

Recalling the past, he felt somewhat sad.

"His Majesty……"

Ma Xiuying stepped forward, gently stroked his shoulder, and comforted him,

"It's over, it's over."

"Dad, Mom, and your brothers and sisters must be very pleased to see you like this now."

"Your performance is enough to comfort their souls in heaven."

Zhu Yuanzhang gently squeezed Ma Xiuying's hand, looked at Zhu Biao again, and then looked at Zhu Ju.

With his parents and brothers all dead, he is truly a person without any relatives to rely on! He is all alone!

Fortunately.

Now he has a wife who has shared weal and woe with him, an older son who is serious and wise, and a younger son who is naughty and often makes him angry but also gives him surprises from time to time.

Zhu Yuanzhang cherished this family very much.

"Your Majesty, what His Royal Highness King Wu said makes sense."

Hu Weiyong said in a deep voice,

"This is your Majesty's ancestral home after all. How can we let it continue to fall into such disrepair? If it continues like this, I'm afraid that in a few years, even these few beams will be gone and the place will be gone!"

"Leave it to me. I will rebuild your Majesty's ancestral home and I will definitely satisfy your Majesty!"

The construction of the imperial palace was supervised by him, so building an ancestral home is really his forte.

"No, you don't have to!"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said firmly,
"We won't touch it, ever!"

"Our parents, brothers and sisters all died here. Were they killed by plague and natural disasters? No, they were not! They were killed by the tyranny of the Yuan court and the oppression of local corrupt officials!"

"We will never forget the scene when we had to pay 200 kilograms of grain tax for every 100 kilograms of grain we grew! We will also never forget the scene when those corrupt officials beat the poor peasants to death because they couldn't pay!"

"We keep this dilapidated ancestral house to remind ourselves and all officials how the Yuan Dynasty perished! We, the Ming Dynasty, must never repeat the same mistakes!"

"If anyone dares to oppress the people and bully the villagers like the tyrannical Yuan officials did, we will make sure he dies a miserable death!"

Swish!
A murderous intent burst out from Zhu Yuanzhang, shocking all the officials present!
The nobles who were originally laughing and joking suddenly felt a pang in their hearts. They all stopped smiling and lowered their heads.

"And you."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao and other princes and said in a deep voice,
"Look, look at your father, he escaped from this place!"

"I worked as a monk and begged for alms all the way to achieve my current empire! Just think about it, all this was not easy to come by!"

"Most of you have enjoyed wealth and glory since birth. It can be said that you have never suffered from hardship! The bitterest thing you have ever eaten is nothing more than a few bowls of medicine. Today, I want to make you realize that twenty years ago, your father lived in a place like this, starving every day and threatened by death!"

After hearing these words, all the princes remained silent.

Even Zhu Ju, who was always the most mischievous, said nothing at this moment and listened attentively.

My father’s story of making a fortune is truly a story of blood and tears!
"Although I am rich now, will this wealth last forever?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at the princes and said,
"What you're talking about is a thousand years of history. That's all bullshit! Even the Han and Tang dynasties were only powerful for a few hundred years."

"Although we have created an empire, if you do not strive for progress and act recklessly like the nobles of the violent Yuan Dynasty, then our Ming Dynasty will not last long! We may even be worse than the violent Yuan Dynasty!"

"So, today I'm going to set a rule for you! If anyone makes a big mistake in the future, especially if he does something stupid like oppressing the people in his fiefdom, we won't beat him or scold him. We'll just let him roll back to the ancestral home and stay there for three days and three nights without food or water as a way to reflect on his mistakes!"

The princes: "!!!"

This punishment is so deterrent!

This dilapidated ancestral house has probably long been a paradise for snakes, insects, ants and beasts, and there is not even a shelter. It is worse than a cowshed!

In fact, it’s not as good as the Heavenly Prison!

At night, there might even be ghosts. After all, there are too many people who died of starvation and plague around here, and there is a lot of resentment...

Staying alone in a place like this for three days and three nights is absolutely the ultimate torture!

As they thought about it, the princes looked at Zhu Ju one after another with pity in their eyes.

Zhu Ju: “???”

"What are you doing? Why are you looking at me?"

He said with an unhappy look,
"Although I like to make trouble, I never do anything to oppress the people, okay?"

"But you guys, the second, third, seventh, and eighth brothers, you better be careful! You guys have perverse natures, and you might do something outrageous!"

As he spoke, Zhu Ju turned to look at Zhu Yuanzhang and said seriously:
"Dad, I think three days and three nights are too short! What kind of power can such a short time bring?"

"Seven days and seven nights! This will have a real punishment effect!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly.

"Good! As you play!"

"Just seven days and seven nights!"

Zhu Ju grinned and glanced provocatively at Zhu Gang and the others.

Let’s see who will be the unlucky one!
Anyway, it definitely won't be me! I'm a good kid who will pay the price for smashing a brothel, and I will never do anything to oppress the people, okay!
As he was speaking, two figures came hurriedly.

“Greetings, grudge…Greetings to His Majesty!”

"I, Liu Jizu, pay my respects to Your Majesty."

Two civilians knelt in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, one was relatively calm, while the other was trembling.

"Liu Jizu?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was a little surprised, stepped forward to help the man up, and said with a smile,
"It's really you. I was just about to look for you, but you turned over by yourself. OK..."

"I haven't seen you for many years. You have aged a lot!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jizu gave a bitter smile.

"Who doesn't grow old? Only you, Your Majesty, don't grow old. You are more energetic than before! I can hardly recognize you!"

He cupped his hands and said.

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed.

"You didn't expect it, did you? Things change over time. The cowherd boy back then has now become the emperor!"

Old Zhu seemed very happy to see Liu Jizu. He patted his shoulders and said with a smile,
"Come to think of it, if you hadn't given me a piece of land to bury my father, I might not have been able to make it. I just heard someone say that there might be a dragon vein buried underneath that land!"

"If you had buried your father there back then, you might have been the emperor! Hahahaha..."

Hearing this, Liu Jizu's face suddenly showed panic.

"How could that be possible! Your Majesty, you are joking, you are joking!"

He said hurriedly,
"It's just a small mound of earth. What's so magical about it? Even if it is magical, it can only work because Your Majesty buried my father there."

"If I bury my father, nothing will happen! I know my own limitations. With my talent, it would be hard for me to be a chief clerk in the county government!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's smile became even brighter.

"Zhu Bu? You are wasting your talent! With what you said, you can at least be a county magistrate!"

Old Zhu said,
"However, we don't intend to let you be the county magistrate. You have done us a favor, so we intend to reward you with a huge favor!"

Liu Jizu's pupils shrank.

A great favor?
Before he could react, he heard Zhu Yuanzhang say sternly:
"Liu Jizu has made great contributions by donating land, so he is granted the title of Marquis of Yihui!"

"From now on, you are the Marquis of the Ming Dynasty! How about this reward? Are you satisfied?"

Hearing about this reward, the civil and military officials behind him all showed envy.

Especially those generals who led the Northern Expedition, they could even be said to be jealous at this moment!
They fought desperately against the Yuan people and made so many military achievements, but they haven't been given a title yet! It's not certain whether they can be promoted to a marquis!

Liu Jizu, on the other hand, did nothing. He was just given a small piece of cemetery, and suddenly he became an honorable marquis, which was earlier than all of them!
This... where can I go to seek justice?
"This... Your Majesty's reward is so generous that I cannot afford it!"

Liu Jizu was flattered and immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

"As the old saying goes, a drop of water should be repaid with a spring. I am not an ungrateful person. Today, I will repay you with a spring of gratitude!"

Zhu Yuanzhang helped him up and said seriously,
"Get up, sow good seeds and reap good fruits. Sow evil seeds and reap evil fruits."

"You can handle it."

After hearing these words, Liu Jizu's eyes filled with tears, but the man kneeling beside him trembled even more violently!

(End of this chapter)