The stupid son of Chongba

Chapter 135 Zhu Yuanzhang’s ultimatum! The knife to kill corrupt officials has been raised!
Zhu Yuanzhang: “?!”

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Zhu Ju suddenly coughed, which attracted Ma Xiuying's attention.

"What's wrong? Little Orange?"

She patted Zhu Ju's back and said with concern,

"Choke?"

Zhu Ju pretended to take a few deep breaths and shook his head.

"No, no, Mom, I just felt a little confused and my mouth didn't obey me, but I'm fine now."

He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked hurriedly,

"Dad, what happened just now? Why don't I have any memory of it?"

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard Zhu Ju's words and heard him call him "Dad", his expression returned to normal.

This kid finally called me daddy. If he kept calling me daddy, he really wouldn’t be able to bear it!

"...I can tell you, but don't be too surprised. Just now, your grandfather possessed you and told us a lot of things."

Old Zhu thought about it for a moment, and finally told the truth.

There are many witnesses to this incident, so it’s impossible to hide it!
Besides, Zhu Ju is a weird guy who keeps talking nonsense all the time. He must have a strong psychological endurance and won't be scared.

"What the hell?!"

However, to Lao Zhu's surprise, Zhu Ju almost jumped out of Ma Xiuying's arms! He said in shock,
"Upper body?"

"Grandpa possessed me? Why me?"

"No wonder I feel weak and unsteady... Oh my god, this is actually happening!"

Seeing this, Ma Xiuying hurriedly comforted him:
"Don't panic, don't panic, little orange. Your grandpa means no harm to you. He even praised you!"

"He said you were the reincarnation of a god, and asked us to love and tolerate you... It's obvious that among all his grandchildren, you are his favorite."

Zhu Ju's eyes lit up slightly when he heard this.

"Really?"

"That grandpa is a really nice guy!"

"Dad, did you hear me? You must love me and tolerate me! This is Grandpa's order! You can't hit me or scold me in the future! Otherwise, Grandpa will definitely find a way to teach you a lesson!"

Zhu Yuanzhang: "..."

"Don't be so arrogant, kid!"

Old Zhu said with an unhappy look on his face,
"Your grandfather was right in saying these things, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!"

"If you get into trouble, we'll whip you anyway!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ju couldn't help but purse his lips.

"Alright, alright, isn't Little Orange doing fine now? Why do you always say that he loves to get into trouble?"

Ma Xiuying retorted and waved her hand.
"Zhongba, go and do your thing first. I'll talk to Xiaojuzi about what happened today."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted lightly, but didn't say much, and turned away.

"Little Orange, let me tell you, today's events are really bizarre..."

Ma Xiuying put her arm around Zhu Ju's shoulders and whispered,

"Mom will tell you slowly."

"At the beginning, your father found out that you stole the tribute..."

She patiently narrated and told Zhu Ju everything that happened when she visited the grave today. Zhu Ju was very cooperative and listened attentively, even exclaiming from time to time.

"Ah! So that's how it is. Our Zhu family has such a story with the Liu family! I really want to go to that underwater tomb and find out what's going on!"

"Haha, this is where my dad became a monk. That Mr. Liu is really mean! But, his words really came true! Awesome!"

"What? I'm the reincarnation of a god? Hahaha! I really do have an extraordinary origin! Great, great, great!"

Zhu Ju was startled and acted as if he really didn't know!

"There's nothing good about being a reincarnated god. You've been tormenting your mother for so many years."

Ma Xiuying scolded,

"It's better to be an ordinary person. Living a peaceful and trouble-free life is the greatest happiness."

"You always have some weird things happening to you, which makes me worried! When you were foaming at the mouth just now, my heart almost stopped! Do you know that?"

That scene is so similar to the original scene!

Sometimes, she would wake up in fright when she had nightmares about Zhu Ju foaming at the mouth, let alone if she encountered it in real life?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ju couldn't help but scratch his head.

Well, he really didn't consider my mother's psychological endurance...

"Mom, I promise you that I will be steady and stable in the future and will never let you worry!"

Zhu Ju patted his chest and assured,
"Just take a look!"

……

That night.

The palace was brightly lit.

The chef in the imperial kitchen had already prepared everything. He placed a dish on the table and covered it with a bowl lid.

Da da.

"Wow, this is quite a grand occasion! Does everyone have a separate seat?"

"Today, this is considered as His Majesty inviting us to a banquet, right? Hahaha..."

"Of course! Speaking of which, since we came back from the Northern Expedition, His Majesty hasn't invited us old brothers to dinner except for the general! We can drink to our heart's content today!"

"..."

Xu Da and Tang He walked in front, chatting and laughing.

The civil and military officials behind him all entered the hall, but none of them dared to sit down randomly. Only a few brave generals sat down casually and were about to lift the lid of the bowl.

"What the hell is this? It's covered with a lid. It's so mysterious."

"Let me see... Is it some rare delicacy? Flying dragon? Shark fin?"

Snapped!
Hua Yunlong was about to lift the lid of the bowl when Xu Da slapped him on the head.

"How can you be so clumsy?"

Xu Da scolded,
"Since His Majesty has covered it with the lid, he must have a purpose! Why did he secretly open it?"

"If His Majesty blames you later, can you bear the consequences?"

After being scolded by him, Hua Yunlong reluctantly retracted his claws.

"General, is it that serious..."

"I'm just taking a look first. I'm not going to eat it..."

Xu Da frowned and was about to scold again when he heard footsteps.

Da da!

"Everyone is here? Good, good, everyone, take a seat!"

Zhu Yuanzhang walked up with his hands behind his back, smiling, and said,

"Today's meal is considered a family dinner, so don't be too reserved."

"Everyone, take a seat."

Hearing this, Hua Yunlong glanced at Xu Da, his expression seemed to say - Look! His Majesty said not to be too reserved!

Xu Da ignored his gaze, bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang, and took a seat under the guidance of the waiter.

Although civil officials were valued in the imperial court, Xu Da was indeed arranged to sit in the first seat under the main seat. This shows that in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, his status was already ranked first among the meritorious officials!

Li Shanchang could only sit opposite him.

As for Tang He, we can only talk about him a little later. As the former General Tang and Xu Da's second brother, he now seems to have little presence.

Further back were the civil officials such as Liu Bowen, Yang Xian, and Song Lian. In the middle was a large group of military officers who had returned from the Northern Expedition, such as Hua Yunlong, Liao Yongzhong, Zhu Liangzu, etc., all sitting next to each other. Those military officers who had not participated in the Northern Expedition, even if they had higher ranks, could only rank behind them.

This was the emperor's way of showing favor.

The last person at the banquet was the Fengyang County Magistrate Lin Xiu. With his rank, he was not qualified to attend such a banquet. He was only supported by the word "Fengyang". Therefore, he was trembling with fear at the moment, lowering his head and not daring to breathe.

At this moment, Ma Xiuying also walked in.

Behind her followed the princes and princesses, as well as the families of the ministers.

"The Queen."

"See the Queen."

The ministers stood up and bowed.

"No need to be polite, no need to be polite, just sit down."

Ma Xiuying waved to the ministers and said with a smile,
"His Majesty also said that today is a family dinner. I have brought all your families with me to have the feast together."

As she spoke, she led the people behind her to sit down.

The princes and princesses sat on both sides of Zhu Yuanzhang, while the ministers' families sat behind them.

With so many more beautiful girls present, the banquet seemed like a large family gathering.

Zhu Ju held a small melon and looked at Xu Miaoyun behind Xu Da.

Xu Miaoyun lowered her head, but raised her eyes slightly and glanced secretly at Zhu Ju.

Zhu Ju took a bite of the melon, licked his lips, and smiled at Xu Miaoyun.

That smile had a bit of evil charm.

Xu Miaoyun quickly lowered her eyes and her face turned red.

clap clap!

"Let's not talk about so many rules, let's start the meal!"

Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands and said with a smile,

"Open the lids of your bowls!"

As soon as the words fell, the generals, who had been curious for a long time, quickly took action and lifted the lid of the bowl.

Wow!

"Ok?"

"Uh... this?!"

The imagined delicacies from land and sea, and shark fins did not appear. Instead, there was only a emerald green dumpling in the bowl, which looked... like a vegetable dumpling.

There are a few black fruits on the side.

"Pour wine!"

Zhu Yuanzhang gave another order.

Two rows of maids came forward and poured wine for everyone.

"Today's dishes are carefully prepared for you!"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said,

"Taste it!"

As he spoke, he took the lead in putting the vegetable dumpling in front of him into his mouth, with an expression of enjoyment on his face.

Upon seeing this, the ministers dispelled their doubts and picked up the vegetable balls one after another.

The emperor was enjoying the food, so it must be good stuff! Maybe it has something special in it!

A few impatient people threw the vegetable dumplings into their mouths without even looking at them.

Then--

"Pfft! What the hell is this? It's so bitter!"

"Pah, pah, pah! This... this must be wild vegetables! And only the kind of wild vegetables grown near the stinky ditch would have such a smell!"

"vomit--"

After everyone ate it, they almost vomited!

It's bitter and sour, and most importantly, it has an unbearable stench!

They all groaned bitterly and quickly picked up the wine glasses beside them, trying to use the wine to suppress the disgusting smell!

However, the next second.

"Pfft—this isn't wine! This...this is water!"

"Water can't be this salty! It's too hard to drink..."

"..."

If the wild vegetables were just unpalatable to them, then the feeling brought by this "wine" was torture.

This thing is not only salty and astringent, but it also seems to contain gravel. It is so uncomfortable to drink in your mouth!

But in front of the emperor, they couldn't spit it all out, so they could only make a constipated expression and force themselves to swallow the wild vegetables and wine.

Zhu Ju looked at the vegetable dumpling in front of him, and while no one was paying attention, he secretly put it into his arms, pretending to be extremely unacceptable on the surface.

"Uh, wow, it tastes so bad..."

In terms of acting, he is still okay. He looks as if he is wearing a mask of pain, which is more accurate than the expressions of those who are really eating behind him.

"What is Father going to do?"

"Have you forgotten? Didn't I tell you last time? We should remember the good times and cherish the bad times... Maybe this is what it means to remember the good times and cherish the bad times."

"Hush... I really can't eat this half, it smells like stinky feet! Can anyone help me?"

"Now that you've said that, who can help you eat your stinky feet? Unless we have a life-or-death relationship!"

"Hey! Now that you mention it, it really does smell like that... I, I'm going to vomit..."

"..."

The princes and princesses are usually spoiled, how can they tolerate such food?

As soon as I heard the words "stinky feet", I suddenly felt the same way! How could I eat anymore? Even if I had managed to eat, I felt nauseous at this moment!

Above the main seat.

Zhu Yuanzhang chewed the wild vegetable dumpling carefully and swallowed it whole before opening his eyes.

Seeing that everyone had a grinning look on their faces, he couldn't help but laugh.

"You are used to living a life of luxury, but you can't even eat these wild vegetable dumplings?"

He said,

"This thing could save lives during famine!"

"And the glass of wine next to it, let me tell you, this is not wine, but well water from Fengyang!"

"Well water elsewhere is sweet and cool, but the well water in Fengyang is bitter and salty! But even so, this water is still precious! During the drought, we couldn't even get a sip of this kind of water!"

Swish!
Zhu Yuanzhang said this and stood up from his seat.

Everyone looked at him.

"This wild vegetable dumpling has a stinky smell, right? That's because it's a wild vegetable that grows beside a stinky ditch!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said seriously,

"This thing is very strange. The smellier and dirtier the place, the denser it grows! But, as the saying goes, 'Birds of a feather flock together.' Growing in that environment, it naturally has a foul smell."

"It's also a good thing that it has such a foul smell, so most people won't dig it up to eat unless they have no other choice. This way, it's a bargain for us! It was thanks to it that we didn't starve to death!"

"So, I don't think it stinks at all. On the contrary, I think it's very precious. Now when I eat it, I feel a little nostalgic..."

After hearing this, everyone fell into silence.

Zhu Biao took a light bite of the wild vegetable dumpling and chewed it carefully.

He seemed to be able to sense his father's mood at that time.

Even though this thing stinks, it is precisely because of its stinky smell that it can save your life!
"You may feel a little strange. Why do you have to eat this for no reason?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood with his hands behind his back and said in a deep voice,

"Aren't we all rich now?"

"Yes, we are rich now. We no longer have to eat smelly wild vegetable dumplings or drink salty well water. But we can't forget our roots!"

"How many people here come from a poor background? Raise your hands so we can see?"

Swish!

Among the civil officials and military generals, the majority raised their hands.

Most of the people in the imperial court were peasants! Even among the civil servants, there were many who raised their hands, such as Song Lian and other scholars who had studied hard.

The only people who were not truly born into a poor background were former juren like Li Shanchang and former jinshi like Liu Bowen.

They both had achievements to their credit, so naturally they could not be considered to have come from a poor background.

"Look, most of them come from poor backgrounds!"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, signaling everyone to put their hands down, and then said solemnly,
"Since we all came from a poor background, you should know how we survived those hard times! You should also know why we had to endure those hard times!"

"Natural disasters are part of it, but the most important one is man-made disasters! Today, we talked about this in front of our ancestral house. The officials of the violent Yuan Dynasty oppressed the people and exploited the people. This was the main reason why my family starved to death! If they were good officials, and could be more considerate of the people and seek some welfare for them, then so many people would not have starved to death and caused such a tragedy!"

"Now, the violent Yuan Dynasty has been overthrown by us, but our Ming Dynasty is still far from being prosperous and strong! The common people are still far from having a good life!"

"You should also know that there are still countless ordinary people who are struggling to make ends meet! A random famine could kill their entire family!"

There was silence in the hall.

Everyone's expression was solemn as they listened silently to the emperor's instructions.

"I am the emperor of Ming Dynasty, and you are the ministers of Ming Dynasty. You should be alert and not be careless!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said sternly,

"The reason why we let you eat these wild vegetable dumplings and drink well water is not to tease you, but to make you think about how hard life was back then! How much we hated corrupt officials! Don't become a corrupt official after you become an official and oppress the people again!"

"If this is the case, our Ming Dynasty will sooner or later be overthrown like the Yuan Dynasty! Your corpses will surely be whipped by the angry people!"

Swish!
Xu Da stood up first and bowed:

"Your Majesty's words are so touching!"

"We, the officials, will never forget our duty and will never become corrupt officials!"

Swish swish!
All the ministers stood up and bowed, saying:
"We will never forget our duty and will not become corrupt officials!"

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, a smile appeared on his face.

"I am deeply gratified that you, my dear ministers, have expressed your views in this way."

He raised the cup of well water and said loudly,
"I am determined to be a good emperor and work for the welfare of the people! You should also express your intention to be a good official and work harder for the people!" "Let me make it clear today. After drinking this glass of wine, you must be a good official. Anyone who dares to disobey me will be guilty of deceiving the emperor! If I find out, I will never tolerate it!"

"If you have committed any crimes, you can turn yourself in now! I am a strict emperor, but just for today, I will give corrupt officials a chance! As long as you are willing to turn back and turn yourself in, no matter how serious your crime is, I will give you a lenient punishment and give you a chance to correct it!"

"Now let me ask you... do you have any?"

When these words came out, all the ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.

For a moment, the whole audience fell silent again, only Zhu Ju took a bite of the melon and sighed secretly.

Perhaps, this is the last kindness that Dad has shown to his old brother.

At this time, if those who did dirty things behind the scenes took the initiative to come forward and confess, then Dad might really forgive them and give them lenient treatment.

But who would be so stupid?
Those people who do illegal things are the ones who firmly believe that "wealth and honor can be achieved through risk", and they are definitely relying on luck!
To put it bluntly, you won't cry until you see the coffin!

Therefore, no one will accept Dad's kindness.

Sure enough, Zhu Yuanzhang waited for a long time, but no one came forward to surrender.

A hint of disappointment flashed across his eyes, but it was fleeting and no one noticed anything unusual.

"Great! It seems that there are no corrupt officials in our Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said,
"Come! Drink this glass of wine!"

"After this glass of wine, we will never coexist with corrupt officials! No matter if he is highly respected or has made outstanding contributions, as long as he is a corrupt official, we will show no mercy!"

"I hope everyone can stay true to their original aspirations and serve as a good official!"

"Come!"

Gudong!

He drank the well water in the cup.

The ministers also raised their glasses and poured the bitter well water into their mouths.

clap clap!

"Let's serve!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said.

After the program of recalling the bitter past and reminding the ministers was over, the main dishes and wine were served.

Seeing the delicious delicacies in front of them, the ministers' expressions relaxed and they all smiled.

If we give them some wild vegetables and fruits, I'll really vomit!
Jars of fine wine were brought up at this moment, and everyone was allowed to eat and drink to their heart's content. After three rounds of wine and five kinds of dishes, the atmosphere on the scene finally became lively.

"Girl, try it. This Guantang fish is a specialty of Fengyang."

"And this mushroom, too..."

Zhu Yuanzhang picked up some food for Ma Xiuying and seemed to be in a good mood.

"His Majesty."

During the banquet, Hu Weiyong stepped out and presented a scroll of paintings, saying,

"Knowing that Your Majesty will be visiting Fengyang, Fengyang County Magistrate Lin Xiu hurriedly prepared this Fengyang Landscape Map. All the beautiful scenery and scenic spots of Fengyang are on it. Please take a look at it, Your Majesty."

Zhu Yuanzhang picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Oh?"

"What kind of beautiful scenery and scenic spots can there be in Fengyang?"

Old Zhu said with a half-smile,

"I've lived here since I was a child, how come I don't know?"

As he said this, he waved his hand.

The eunuch stepped forward and handed the scroll to Zhu Yuanzhang.

When he opened it, he saw four big characters written on the scroll - Ten Scenic Spots of Fengyang!
"Hahaha, Fengyang still has ten more sceneries? How can you come up with so many?"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said,
"Let's take a look... the ancient alchemy well, the Guantang fish-watching pond, the City God Temple..."

"Hahaha, it's hard for him. We haven't even heard of some of them! What's the name of the county magistrate? Lin Xiu, right?"

Hu Weiyong nodded.

"Yes, it's Lin Xiu."

He smiled and said,
"If your majesty has any doubts, you can summon him."

"I just had a conversation with him. From what he said, he sounds like a talented young official."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly.

"Ask him to come up. We just want to ask him some questions about Fengyang."

Hearing this, Lin Xiu, who was sitting last, was startled. He quickly adjusted his breathing and tidied his clothes.

He has been waiting for this sentence for a long time!
Whether he can become successful or not depends on this time!

"Wei minister, please see Your Majesty!"

Lin Xiu knelt before the chief and bowed his head respectfully to the ground.

"Get up and talk."

Zhu Yuanzhang flipped through the scroll and smiled faintly.

"Did you create this scroll?"

"How come we haven't heard of many of the ten scenes above?"

Seeing the emperor asking about government affairs, all the ministers put down their chopsticks and wine glasses, and the noisy environment instantly became much quieter.

"Your Majesty, the landscape must be discovered."

Lin Xiu said respectfully,
“In fact, as long as you are willing to explore, there are beautiful scenery everywhere.”

"I have been in charge of Fengyang for the past two years and have traveled all over the mountains and rivers of Fengyang. Many of them were discovered by me and then developed into scenic spots."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted lightly.

"We let you be the county magistrate, but you don't do your job and spend all your time on this, right?"

Old Zhu looked a little unhappy and said,
"As a county magistrate, the most important thing to do is to govern the entire county well! Instead of exploring this scenery or that scenery."

"What's the use of this? It's not doing your job!"

Snapped!
He was so unhappy that he threw the scroll to the ground.

As a pragmatic emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't like these flashy and impractical things!

Hu Weiyong was shocked when he saw this. He was thinking about how to smooth things over for Lin Xiu, but he saw that Lin Xiu was not in a hurry and bowed his hands and said:
"Your Majesty, I am not doing my job unprofessional. On the contrary, I think this is my job proper."

"While traveling around Fengyang, I did not just explore the scenery. In fact, my main job was to visit the people and observe their lives."

"Finally, the landscape has been excavated, and I have also figured out Fengyang's foundation. After that, I can govern the entire county with omniscience and ease."

"In addition, discovering the ten scenic spots will also have benefits. Some traveling merchants and travelers will go to visit Fengyang when they learn that there are ten scenic spots in Fengyang. They may stay in Fengyang for a few more days, creating tax revenue for Fengyang. In addition, tourists may also publicize the scenery of Fengyang, letting people all over the world know that your majesty's hometown is a good place with many beautiful scenery to enjoy."

After hearing these words, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression eased a little.

Zhu Ju's eyes lit up slightly.

This guy seems to be a talented person! Isn't this similar to the later generations who relied on the gimmick of tourism to boost the economy?
Several ministers whispered to each other and showed admiration towards Lin Xiu.

Obviously, the quality of this answer is quite high.

"All-knowing and all-powerful, handy?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was a man who always found faults. He sneered and said,

"Don't brag! In just two years, have you learned everything about Fengyang?"

"But I don't believe it!"

"From the way you brag about yourself, you must have made great achievements in politics, right? Tell us about your achievements! We want to hear the real things, not some empty talk!"

Facing the emperor's questioning, Lin Xiu remained calm and said respectfully:

"Your Majesty, I have only been in charge of Fengyang for two years. I cannot say that I have made many impressive achievements, but I can guarantee that Fengyang is developing better and better!"

"In addition, during the two years I have been in office, I have not created a single wrongful conviction. Although I cannot be called a great judge, I am still well-known among the people! If Your Majesty does not believe me, you can go and ask the people, and you will know that I am not bragging."

"In addition, in order to encourage the people of Fengyang to reclaim wasteland, I also took the lead in reclaiming a piece of land on the barren mountain. Speaking of which, this is also learned from the idea of ​​Lord Yang Xian when he governed Yangzhou. As a parent official, he personally carried a piece of wasteland on his back as a role model! And the good news is that a huge ear of rice has grown on my piece of land, and the grains are extremely full!"

Hearing this, Yang Xian's face at the table darkened slightly.

"Oh? You also have a piece of contracted land? And it has grown a huge ear of rice? Hahaha...it seems that Yang Xian's method is indeed effective."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and pointed at Yang Xian and said,

"Yang Xian, this kid is learning from you! He's learning in a very good way and has achieved results!"

"I just don't know whether his ear of rice is bigger or smaller than the one you presented to us that year?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Xian quickly stepped out and bowed.

"Your Majesty, this is a good thing."

He said respectfully,

"I am very happy that my method has been learned by others. To be honest, this method is not something that ordinary officials can learn. It requires real perseverance and persistence."

"Since Lord Lin has done it and achieved results, it shows that he is indeed a good official!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly.

"That's right! Only those who are willing to do things with their own hands can be good officials! We don't like to play tricks! If we want to do something, we must do it in a practical way!"

Old Zhu praised and said,
"Where are the rice ears now? We want to take a look."

Lin Xiu cupped his hands and said:

"When I learned that Your Majesty was coming, I wanted to present it to Your Majesty! So I have been carrying it with me."

"Your Majesty, wait a moment. I will bring it in right away!"

After saying that, he stood up and walked quickly out of the hall.

In just a moment, Lin Xiu walked in holding a golden ear of rice.

As soon as the rice ears appeared, they attracted everyone's attention.

"so big!"

"Wow! It's really big!"

"Can this... really grow such huge ears of rice? If every plant is this big, the yield per mu must be over a thousand kilograms, right?"

"Yes! This can be called an auspicious sign!"

When Yang Xian saw the huge golden ears of rice, his eyes twitched suddenly!
He felt... it looked a little familiar!

Lin Xiu's rice ear is almost the same as the one he presented to His Majesty, both in appearance and shape!
And the one Lin Xiu had seemed to be even bigger than his own!
"Ok?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up and he waved his hand.
"Come, come, bring it up!"

"Bring it up here so we can see it!"

Lin Xiu stepped forward quickly and put the rice ears into Zhu Yuanzhang's hands.

"Wow... Really good! These grains are all plump!"

Zhu Yuanzhang held the rice ears in his hands and couldn't let them go. He praised them repeatedly.

"Who said that just now? This can indeed be called an auspicious sign!"

"Lin Xiu, is this really grown in your responsibility field? It feels similar to the one Yang Xian grew back then! Hmm... yours is even bigger!"

Lin Xiu smiled slightly and said respectfully:
"Your Majesty, I was also a little confused at first."

"How can there be such a golden, big and full rice ear among those ordinary rice ears?"

"Later, I figured it out. It must be because my sincerity moved the heavens that the heavens gave me this treasure. There is no such treasure in the world."

"The same principle should have been applied to Lord Yang Xian back then. The ears of rice should be seen as approval and praise from heaven."

Zhu Ju, who was sitting in the back, almost spit out his melon when he heard this.

Wow, this guy can really brag!
It was just a rice ear, but it was blown into a good omen from heaven! Or was she moved by his sincerity?
This is pure bullshit!
Just grab a handful of this kind of rice ears in places like Southeast Asia!

"Xiaojuzi, what do you think of this official?"

Zhu Biao on the side asked softly.

"not so good."

Zhu Ju shook his head and said,

"He's just talking nonsense, all he does is brag."

Zhu Biao nodded slightly. Although he didn't know what a train was, he understood what Zhu Ju meant.

"The impression he gave me was not very good either."

He frowned and said,

“It always feels too fake and empty.”

"However, my father is quite fond of this. He doesn't like other auspicious signs, such as the sacred turtle and the sacred stone. He disdains them all, but he seems to have a special liking for these rice ears."

"Back then, Yang Xian governed Yangzhou because he presented a large golden rice ear. He was promoted directly to the central government by my father. Could it be that this Lin Xiu wants to emulate Yang Xian and repeat the same old trick?"

"But I don't believe that they are so sincere that they can move God."

Zhu Ju grinned.

It can be seen that the eldest brother is still very sober.

However, everyone has weaknesses, and perhaps Zhu's weakness is this big, plump ear of rice... If my eldest brother becomes emperor in the future, maybe someone will specialize in studying his weaknesses and then cater to his preferences.

"Hahaha... ok!"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed loudly, stroked his beard and said,
"God has praised you, which means you have done a great job!"

"Tomorrow we will go to your responsibility field and see the results of your efforts in leading the people to reclaim wasteland! The Ming Dynasty was founded not long ago, and reclaiming wasteland is the top priority, especially in Fengyang, which is not poor, but has a bad environment! However, if we can really reclaim all the wasteland on the hillsides and in the depressions, they will definitely be top-notch farmland!"

"The land in Fengyang is still fertile. We know this clearly!"

Lin Xiu nodded repeatedly and smiled.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"Then I will be waiting for Your Majesty outside the palace early tomorrow morning. Please come and see the fields under my charge!"

He said confidently,
"I'm sure I won't let your majesty down!"

Everything went as planned and nothing went off track!
"It's just right. We haven't farmed for many years. I wonder if the crops are still growing well."

Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard and said,

"Lin Xiu, you have inspired me! You, a county magistrate, are willing to be a role model for land reclamation. As an emperor, I cannot be vague!"

"Help us prepare some for reclamation tomorrow. Prepare a few more copies so that everyone has one!"

"Tomorrow, no matter if you are a prince or princess, or a civil official or a military commander, you all have to go and reclaim land for us! Everyone has a piece of land to be responsible for!"

Ministers: "!!!"

The military generals were better off, as many of them were originally farmers. They were just a little unfamiliar with the techniques, but they still had some strength.

But those old civil officials looked unhappy...

I am already old, and I still need to reclaim wasteland? I still need a piece of contracted land?

There's no point in doing this!

"You old fellow! He keeps doing what he wants!"

When Zhu Ju heard the word "open up wasteland", he couldn't help but curse inwardly.
"I am so small, how can I drive? Give me a tractor!"

"Really... there's something wrong with your brain!"

This Old Zhu is just like the stupid leaders in some companies. He does whatever he wants!
Whenever he slaps his head, the people below will be in big trouble!

"Little Orange, don't be so resentful..."

Zhu Biao took a deep breath and whispered,

"Dad must have his reasons for doing this. As an emperor, he must set an example for the people of the world and encourage the reclamation of wasteland."

"As princes, we should also set a good example..."

"Don't worry too much. If you can't do it, big brother will help you then."

Zhu Ju: “…”

just you?

At least I exercise there every day, so I'm still pretty strong.

You're so weak, and you're still trying to help me? You're lucky you didn't faint in the field!

Even though he murmured like this, Zhu Ju was still very touched by his elder brother's care.

"It's okay. I'll just slack off and act like a scoundrel when the time comes."

He said,

"Brother, don't be too honest! It's been hot these days, and you haven't learned how to farm. If you overexert yourself and get a heat stroke, it will be troublesome!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao smiled and waved his hand.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Zhu Ju rolled his eyes.

Do you know what's going on? Why do I feel like you're the one who doesn't know what's going on?
You should know your limits so you don't die from overwork!
"Your Majesty, setting an example for the world will surely inspire the enthusiasm of the people to open up new land!"

Lin Xiu knelt on the ground and said respectfully,

"I congratulate Your Majesty! After this, there will be countless more fertile fields in the world!"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed.

"If this is really possible, it will be a credit to you!"

He was very pleased and said,
"I didn't expect that a small Fengyang County Magistrate would be so talented. It seems that you, like Yang Xian, have the ability to coordinate the overall situation!"

"As the saying goes, what you hear is not as good as what you see. I heard some bad rumors about Fengyang in the palace, but now that I have come to see it for myself, I find that it is not the case at all! As expected, I still have to come and see it with my own eyes to know whether it is true or not."

Hu Weiyong heard this and interrupted with a smile:
"Your Majesty is wise. You should not take the rumors in the martial arts world seriously. After all, there are still many remnants of Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng among the people. Although they can no longer cause any trouble, they still spread rumors and shake public opinion. They have repeatedly slandered our Ming Dynasty. Fengyang, as your Majesty's hometown, is their main target of slander."

"As for such rumors and slander, a field investigation will refute them."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

"That's right."

He snorted coldly.

"However, the remnants of this gang are still lingering around, which is really annoying. When we have time, we will definitely catch them all in one fell swoop!"

After hearing what the emperor said, Hu Weiyong felt relieved.

Everything is going extremely smoothly. As long as we perform well in tomorrow's land reclamation scene, we can say that it is a success!
(End of this chapter)