Ming Dynasty: Traveling through the harem, Zhu Yuanzhang was dumbfounded

Chapter 46 Your Father is Too Small-minded
The night was dark, the moon was as white as frost, and most of the palace had fallen into silence.

No one was allowed to walk on the palace road except the patrolling guards.

Yang Chen had just eaten and drunk his fill and was resting in his room, but he was unexpectedly pulled to a pool by Zhu Biao, who had just returned from the East Palace.

Although there were no lighting tools in this era.

But there were enough lanterns and the moon was as bright as a lamp, so the surroundings could be seen clearly.

The pool is a small man-made lake, similar to the back garden of the harem.

It’s just that the scale of the East Palace is relatively small.

Under the arrangement of the maid, some snacks and fruits had been placed on the stone table near the pool.

There is also a stove underneath for burning incense to repel mosquitoes.

After all, they were close to a water source. If they hadn't ordered something, they would have become a buffet for mosquitoes.

"My prince, why did you call me out so late at night?
You don't want me to play Zhang Huaimin, and you to play Su Shi, and then you write a story called 'Huaimin also hasn't slept'?"

As he spoke, Yang Chen began to yawn.

He was almost asleep when he was suddenly woken up. He was kind enough not to curse at anyone.

However, Zhu Biao did not want to answer his question. Instead, he just expressed his inner confusion.

"Yang Chen, I suddenly realized that sometimes I envy you ordinary people. You don't have so many intrigues and don't have to think about dealing with tedious things every day.

All I have to think about is how to eat and drink. It would be great if I were not this prince."

Yang Chen's eyes were one big and one small, and he didn't understand why the other party said such strange words.

However, Yang Chen was quite contemptuous of the other party's words.

This is totally a case of "why not eat meat?" A prince in a high position of power says that he envies ordinary people. If this happened in later generations, it would be pure Versailles.

It's easy to get beaten.

That's what he thinks now.

"I say, Prince, if someone like me hears this kind of talk in the future, you'd better tell me to my face. I'll probably beat you up."

Upon hearing this, it was Zhu Biao's turn to be confused. As a prince, he envied the life of ordinary people, so why was he beaten?

Yang Chen explained patiently.

“The reason you have such thoughts is because you have never experienced it. I know you think you have sympathized with the grassroots lives of the people.

But I want to tell you, let alone the Ming Dynasty, even a hundred years later, ordinary people like me will only be able to live without worries about eating meat for less than 30 years.

If you have such thoughts in the future, go to a place far away from Yingtian Prefecture and see how many people cannot even afford eggs.

Look at how many people can only eat a little oil residue squeezed from animals as meat during festivals.

You have lived a good life for too long and cannot see the reality underneath."

After being taught a lesson, Zhu Biao fell into silence.

Yang Chen’s words just now could be said to have brought him out of his own world.

When he came to his senses, he indeed found that he had some ideals.

"I didn't expect that I would be scolded by you, Brother Yang, for just saying it casually. It's really a joke."

"Okay, you asked me out, there must be something else. Tell me what made the Ming prince so depressed."

From the moment the two sat down to talk, Yang Chen discovered that Zhu Biao seemed to be troubled by something.

This situation can only happen to a middle-aged man who is tortured by real life.

Often in situations like this you need to find someone to communicate with, otherwise it's easy to sink into it and be unable to get out.

Seeing that his true purpose was revealed, Zhu Biao smiled with relief.

"Well, since Brother Yang has already discovered it, I won't go on and on. In the evening, I took Xiongying to look for my father and mother, and on the way I found that Xiongying seemed to be a little estranged from me as his father.

I don’t understand why this is happening.”

Thinking back on his interactions with his son, before handing the child over to his father and mother, Zhu Xiongying would basically answer whatever he asked and he would answer slowly.

The rest of the time, his usually lively and cheerful son would hardly speak to him on his own initiative.

This made Zhu Biao very puzzled.

Seeing a bitter smile on the other person's face, Yang Chen said calmly:

"It's difficult for an honest judge to settle family disputes. You need to find out why your son Zhu Xiongying feels strange about you. I am just an outsider.

But if you insist that I point out something, it's that I feel your son doesn't seem to be alienated from you, but is afraid of disturbing you.

After all, you are the regent prince, and the burden on you is not light."

After hearing this, Zhu Biao thought deeply about it.

Could it be that his son knew his identity and was so distant with him because he was worried about the impact on him?
Zhu Biao couldn't help feeling that it was a bit fake that a five-year-old child could know so much.

"Forget it. Now that Xiongying and Yunxun have been handed over to my father for placement, I only need to handle government affairs properly from now on."

"You're right. It's better not to think too much about some things. The more you think about them, the more troubled you will be. Instead of that, you might as well live a good life."

When Zhu Biao heard these free and easy words, he felt helpless.

Looking at the calm lake, the moon is clearly reflected on the surface.

Zhu Biao said with emotion.

"If you hadn't appeared, my life would still be the same as this lake under the moon, but your appearance completely disrupted this peaceful lake."

As he spoke, Zhu Biao suddenly felt playful and threw a fried broad bean snack on the table into the lake.

As the broad beans came into contact with the lake water, ripples appeared instantly.

When the lake calms down, the fish below begin to compete with each other for the food.

“The prince is right, but now I have appeared and seem to be on the path of disrupting the life you were supposed to live.

You said, now that it has been disrupted, will you still be the same you?

Just like this bean, it may seem small, but it can create ripples on the lake. So, is the lake still the same lake?"

Go on, Yang Chen threw another broad bean into the lake.

Zhu Biao hesitated slightly. The seemingly simple discussion actually contained profound meanings.

I don’t know when my life and path began to change, and these changes were brought by Yang Chen.

Although he already knew his fate, Zhu Biao had no idea what the unknown road ahead would be like.

“Yang Chen, although we have little contact, I can feel that you are also a person who wishes for a better world.

Since you have come to Daming, are you willing to help me?"

Turning his head to look at Zhu Biao, Yang Chen's eyes flickered, obviously surprised by Zhu Biao's invitation.

So he denied it.

“Forget it, Prince, there is no need to tell me such jokes, I have my own ideas.

But as long as your father lives, he will not let me realize my ambitions.

Let's be frank. Given your father's temperament, he won't tolerate me.

So it’s not a question of whether I am willing to help you or not, but your father will not allow me to help you. Although he will not kill me, he will not allow me to do anything wrong.

It would be better to kill me than to imprison me."

(End of this chapter)