In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 670 During the Spring Festival, everyone has a bright future.
Today is the last day of the twenty-second year of the Hongwu reign.

Before dawn, the sounds of fireworks and firecrackers could be heard throughout Daning City, with a continuous crackling and popping noise.

Although the sound was a bit noisy,

Yet the city presented the most peaceful and tranquil scene of the year.

Clerks and officials were not required to go to the yamen to perform their duties.

The workshop owner no longer needs to work.
Even the shopkeepers were all happily opening their doors, hoping to make a fortune today.

The benefits listed in yesterday's notice have also begun to be distributed.
Early in the morning, you can see many people carrying pork, rice and flour home from the market or street corners, and everyone's face is full of joy.

On Anhe Street in the north of the city, the Anhe Trading Company is now closed.

The usual queues were nowhere to be seen.
This made the nearby residents feel a little uncomfortable for a while.

As usual, Monggo Asir went out early with a broom to sweep the streets.

Although having the easy job of queuing to buy white sugar,
But the task of cleaning the streets cannot be neglected.

At this moment, he was even more motivated.
Simply because he took on a job that no one else had.

Someone hired him to keep an eye on all unusual people and things in the north of the city.

One tael of silver a month!
When I first heard the words,
Asir couldn't believe his ears and thought the other person was a fraudster.

But before he even started working,
When he received the two taels of silver as a New Year's reward, he believed it without a doubt.

From that moment on, he understood in his heart that...

The impoverished Asir who was once forced to compete with others for work is gone forever.
Now he has no worries about food and clothing, and he works even more diligently.

Right now, he was holding a meat-filled sesame seed cake in his hand, eating it in big bites while humming a little tune, his small eyes darting around.

They kept a close eye on everything happening near the North Gate.

A short while later, he spotted a middle-aged man who was wrapped up tightly.

He snatched candy from a child and secretly took the half-exposed portion of the New Year's money envelope.
Then they even pretended that nothing had happened.

Asir had a good memory and memorized the man's appearance, continuing to keep an eye on his surroundings.

Soon, he saw soldiers from the military command arrive at the notice board with brand-new notices.

They were brushing paste onto it and carefully pasting it on.

Originally, there were quite a few people scattered around, pretending not to care.

All eyes were immediately drawn to that direction.
Some people even quickened their pace and rushed forward.

Asir's gaze swept across everyone's faces, trying his best to remember them all.

But there were just too many people, and he couldn't help but feel a little discouraged.

He took a big bite of the sesame seed cake, then picked up the broom and moved closer.
Road repairs were his job after the New Year, so he wanted to learn about it beforehand.

Just then, a group of people caught Asir's attention.

It was a caravan of about thirty wagons, with the Mithril insignia hanging at the front.

What caught his attention was that these people not only didn't read the notice,
Instead, they quickened their pace and headed straight for the north gate.

"Ok?"

Asir couldn't help but let out a soft "hmm".

He had met countless people from the Ming and Yuan dynasties, and they all had one thing in common: they loved to join in the fun.

On a normally peaceful street, as long as people gather,

Then more and more people will gather around, whether they are passing peddlers or patrolling soldiers.

They would slow down and go over to see what was happening.
Few people would leave without even looking up.

The road repairs outside the city are a major undertaking at present.

Why don't these caravans even look at it?
Thinking of this, Asir put the broom aside and jogged after him.

He carefully hid in the crowd, following at a distance.

At the north gate of the city, the caravan stopped and prepared for inspection.

At this moment, a man who appeared to be in charge stepped out of the convoy.
He walked up to the leading soldier and whispered a few words to him.

Immediately afterwards, the soldier waved his hand, indicating that the caravan could pass.

This scene greatly shocked Asir.

They were able to leave without being checked.

"Miss."

Asir looked around and noticed that most people were focused on the notice and hadn't paid attention to the city gate.

A sudden realization flashed through his mind.
Perhaps the caravan was deliberately waiting for this opportunity to slip out of the city amidst the chaos.

Before long, patrolling city guards arrived near the notice board to provide protection.

After they arrived, the soldiers at the city gate conducted a noticeably more thorough inspection.

“So that’s how it is”

Asir retreated to Anhe Street, picked up the broom, and continued sweeping vigorously.

This time he swept very quickly, cleaning the street corner spotless in less than fifteen minutes.

Then, he put the broom aside and ran home as fast as he could.

His home was in a shack near the city wall in the north of the city.
At this moment, Mother is washing clothes in the cold weather.

Her movements seemed hurried.
The weather was unusually good today; it was windy but without rain or snow, and very dry.
Clothes will dry in a day after washing.

Upon seeing Asir rush back, the mother straightened up and called out:
"Slow down, be careful not to fall."

"understood"

Asir responded and crawled into their family's "shack".

The family of four squeezed into this house built of wood and burlap.
The space was very small, containing two beds.
One of them is Asir's.
At this moment, the bed was piled with unwashed official robes in wooden buckets.

Asir was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was quite pleased.
The government office brought all these clothes over for cleaning during the New Year holiday.
This gave the people in the shacks something to do.

Asir pulled a small notebook and a wooden pen from a crack under the bed.
He quickly sketched the logo of the Mi's Trading Company: an eagle with a shield.

He then used a few strokes to outline the caravan manager's signature long beard.
Add to that his strikingly broad face
Soon, the image of a strong grassland man dressed in Ming Dynasty clothing appeared on the paper.

He also drew pictures of the soldiers interacting with the steward.
Because of the distance, he couldn't see it very clearly.

All that can be drawn is the soldier's long upper body and short lower body.

He believed that with this characteristic, his superiors would definitely be able to find this person.

Finally, Asir recorded the time.
The word "notice" was written crookedly.

It means that something happened around the time the notice was posted.

After doing all this, Asir breathed a sigh of relief, stuffed the page into his pocket, and put it away.

He has his own private "dead mailbox".
The two taels of silver I received as a New Year's reward came from there.

All the collected information will be stored there.

He hurried out of the house, and his mother looked up and asked:

"Where are you going? Don't forget to pick up your sister at noon."

A hint of tenderness flashed in Asir's eyes.
My younger sister is now working at the place where the professor farms and raises pigs.

It's warm there, and the teacher patiently and meticulously teaches you to read; it's the perfect place.

"I know mother."

"Come back early for dinner. Your dad will buy your favorite roast chicken when he gets back today."

"it is good"

After Asir put the letter into the "dead mailbox",
He then slowly walked back to the shack area.
Looking around, you can see basins of water and pairs of hands that are red from the cold.

Strangely, the place was filled with laughter and joy.

Mongoasir stared at the scene before him in silence, secretly vowing:
"I must make sure my parents move out of this shack and into a house."

Today is the Lunar New Year, and the entire capital city is immersed in a joyous atmosphere, with lanterns and decorations adorning the streets.

Despite the cold weather, it did not dampen the people's enthusiasm for strolling around the streets.

Yingtian Trading Company on Fudong Street took advantage of the New Year holiday to...

A grand promotional event was launched.

Promotions like discounts, lucky draws, and free gifts are popping up one after another.
The entire Yingtian Trading Company once again witnessed the bustling scene of crowds at its opening.

Unlike the bustling scene at Yingtian Trading Company,

Although the street where the Crown Prince's residence was located was decorated with red lanterns, red couplets, and red "Fu" characters, it appeared deserted and quiet.

It was only because the imperial court was on holiday that...
Officials wouldn't want to cause trouble for themselves on such a festive day, much less visit the Crown Prince's residence.

There was one exception.

The carriage slowly came to a stop, and Liu Sili, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, hurriedly stepped down from it.

His crimson official robe was torn and disheveled, and a piece of vegetable leaf and some egg white were still stuck to his official hat.

Even more shockingly, his eye sockets were completely black, as if the swelling hadn't gone down yet.

"Sir, please slow down."

Shen Zhengxin, the leader of the Sanxian Gang, carefully helped him out of the car, his face full of helplessness.

"Sir, there are far too many people coming."

I failed to stop him, please forgive me, sir.

Liu Sili was furious, but he was already used to this kind of thing.
Moreover, he has been very fortunate to have the help of the Sanxian Gang members these days, who have shielded him from a lot of trouble.

"Alright, alright, I don't blame you. You wait here, I'll be right back."

"Yes!"

Shen Zhengxin watched Liu Sili walk into the Crown Prince's residence with a respectful expression.

Beside the carriage, a dozen or so gang members warily surveyed their surroundings.

They were afraid that someone would suddenly jump out from somewhere and cause trouble.

Seeing this, a hint of helplessness flashed in Shen Zhengxin's eyes:
"This is the gate of the Crown Prince's residence. Who would dare to cause trouble here? Relax."

Hearing this, the gang members calmed down a little.
However, a hint of apprehension and lingering fear still flashed in his eyes.

Several new members couldn't help but find it absurd.

They joined the gang with the original intention of oppressing the people and robbing them.
But how come he's now entangled with the imperial court officials and is even getting beaten up along with them? How strange!

In the back hall of the Crown Prince's residence, Crown Prince Zhu Biao sat upright behind a long table.
He looked at the many memorials he had taken from the capital city laid out in front of him, one by one.

In this world, other officials can rest, but he cannot.

At this moment, a eunuch rushed in to report:
"Your Highness, Lord Liu of the Court of State Ceremonial has arrived."

"Liu Sili?"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao paused, raised his head, and looked surprised.

If it were anyone else, he would definitely be happy to have someone rescue him from these memorials.

But Crown Prince Zhu Biao really didn't want to see Liu Sili.

After a pause, Zhu Biao asked:
"He got beaten up again?"

"Uh"

Even the eunuch standing at the door was taken aback by this question, before nodding with difficulty:
"Your Highness is right, Lord Liu still has a piece of vegetable leaf on his forehead."

"not see!"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao seemed to have sensed something amiss, and his tone was extremely decisive.

"Make way! Make way! I need to see His Highness the Crown Prince! Make way!!"

Just then, a commotion came from outside the door.

Liu Sili's voice echoed in the courtyard of the Crown Prince's residence, startling many birds away.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao's face darkened, and he waved his hand:

"Open the window and let him in."

"Yes"

The eunuch, familiar with the place, first opened the two windows closest to the door, then bowed and withdrew.

Before long, Liu Sili still hadn't arrived.

The sound came first, accompanied by a wail.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, this old minister wishes to resign and return home! I wish to resign and return home!!"

Then, Liu Sili stumbled in.

After taking a couple of steps, he looked around and realized he had gone too far.
So he turned back and stood still at the two windows where the airflow was going in.
There is still quite a distance between here and the desk where the Crown Prince is.

"Your Highness, this old minister's health is failing, and I only have a few days left to live. I wish to resign and return home."

"My home is in Liaodong, which is tens of thousands of miles away from Yingtian."

"I fear I will die on the way home."

"Your Highness, this old minister, I will serve the Ming Dynasty again in my next life."

She cried and wailed for a long time, but seeing that the crown prince still didn't react...
Liu Sili quietly removed his hands from his eyes.

They happened to meet the gaze of the Crown Prince.
In an instant, the atmosphere became awkward.

However, Liu Sili had become quite adept at it over the past six months, and cried even harder.

"Your Highness, this old minister's eyes are almost blinded by the blows."

Crown Prince Zhu Biao sat behind his desk, staring blankly at him.

He then glanced at the memorials scattered haphazardly on the table.
Then look at Liu Sili in front of him,

Suddenly, I felt that these memorials had become much more endearing.

"Who hit you today?"

Liu Sili's crying stopped abruptly, and he immediately reported in a fit of rage:

"Your Highness, they are family members of the Marquis of Jingning."

They found two elderly men in their seventies, who were waiting outside the old minister's house early in the morning.
As soon as they saw the old minister come out, they started throwing eggs and vegetable leaves at him.
"Your Highness, you must do me justice!"

Upon hearing that it was the Marquis of Jingning's residence, Crown Prince Zhu Biao frowned and rubbed his temples vigorously.

"What did you do to provoke them this time?"

Liu Sili quickly raised his head and said:
"Your Highness, you are wise! This old minister has never dared to provoke them."

Crown Prince Zhu Biao did not speak, but simply looked at him quietly.

Gradually, Liu Sili's expression softened, becoming less exaggerated, and instead revealing a wronged look:

"Your Highness, the Marquis of Jingning's residence says the merchant's handcarts are being sold too cheaply."
The townspeople and laborers all went to the shops to buy, making it impossible for the merchants to do business.

How much does the handcart cost at the shop?

"Reporting to your Excellency, one tael of silver."

"Isn't this the same price set by the imperial court?" Zhu Biao frowned even more deeply.
"Your Highness, the merchants have been holding some promotions recently for the New Year."
The shopping cart, along with the freebies, a raffle, and other gifts, could probably be bought for less than sixty coins.

Zhu Biao's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table:

"The imperial court has repeatedly ordered that the price must not be lower than one tael of silver, and that the scale of the workshops must be guaranteed."

"So that ordinary people have work to do, how will the artisans survive if the Yingtian Trading Company sells them so cheaply?"

Liu Sili suddenly raised his head:
"I'm innocent, Your Highness! This old minister is innocent!"
The workshop's wages have never been touched.
During the New Year, the old minister also received a holiday allowance of five qian of silver.

Zhu Biao was taken aback and asked:

"Won't you lose money selling that handcart for six qian of silver?"

Liu Sili answered honestly:
"Your Highness, the merchant guild calculates the overall accounts."

When ordinary people and laborers go to a merchant's shop, they certainly won't just buy a handcart.
If we lose money here, we can make it back elsewhere.

Zhu Biao was speechless, but he felt that what he said made a lot of sense.

His gaze drifted to the corner of the study, where a pile of bottles and jars stood.

These were all items that people from the manor bought casually while browsing the shops.
It's not very useful; I just bought it on a whim.

"Alright, alright, stop howling."
Today is a joyous day for the Lunar New Year; continuing to wail like this is bad luck.

Zhu Biao waved his hand helplessly and said:
"I'll remember this. You can go back now."

"Your Highness, Your Highness"

Liu Sili knelt down again with a thud:

"This old minister cannot suffer this beating in vain! This old minister resigns and returns home!"

"No!"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao's face darkened, and he said:

"With so much silver coming in every day, all the government offices, big and small, are vying for your attention."

"I'm hoping to squeeze some money out of you, why would I resign?"

Liu Sili's eyebrows stood up:
"Your Highness, you can't say that. The silver belongs to the merchant guild, not to this old minister."
The old minister has gained nothing and is being attacked every few days.

Now I have to avoid people when I go out.
This is an insult to civility and a disgrace to the nation!

Your Highness, please have mercy and allow this old minister to resign and return home.”

Liu Sili was still rambling on and on.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao's face grew increasingly dark, and finally he looked towards the door and shouted loudly:

"No means no! Men, drag him out!"

(End of this chapter)