In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 986 Only with a pure mind can one move forward without hesitation.
Leaving the Yingtian Construction Firm, Lu Yunyi rode his horse along the official road leading to the capital.

His body swayed gently with the horse's gait.
Gazing at the endless wheat and sweet potato fields in the countryside, his eyes gradually became somewhat vacant.

He was surrounded by a dozen or so personal guards, also on horseback.
They held him firmly in the middle, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

Since a flintlock musket can appear once, it's possible for it to appear a second time.

Such a deadly weapon, capable of hitting a target from a hundred paces, was something they couldn't afford not to be wary of.

The guards, their expressions tense, couldn't help but feel irritated under the curious gazes of the surrounding merchants and commoners.
The adult's warhorse slowed down more and more, as if something had caught up in his thoughts.

Lu Yunyi's gaze fell on the silver-gray cement road beneath his feet.
My thoughts had already drifted far away.
Things have developed to this point, which is somewhat beyond his expectations.

Initially, he only thought about expanding the conflict as much as possible within a limited scope.
This purge of the rebel faction would remove some obstacles to the relocation of the capital.

At the very least, it can suppress some of the opposition.

It now appears that this goal has been initially achieved.
At least six officials and scholars from both the government and the public no longer openly opposed the relocation of the capital, but instead began to plot it in secret.

But a question suddenly popped into my head.

Is it really appropriate to make the Crown Prince's poisoning public at this time?

Once the palace learns of this, what method will they choose to take?

Is it to strike decisively and escalate the conflict without hesitation?
Or should we proceed slowly, minimize the impact, and handle the situation discreetly in a way that avoids escalating the conflict?

Lu Yunyi was somewhat unfathomable.
This is because the Crown Prince and the Emperor in the palace often act at opposite extremes.

When the crown prince acted aggressively, the emperor became exceptionally accommodating, even yielding at every turn.
When the emperor was determined to push forward, the crown prince would often try to check and balance him.

This father and son seem to always be playing the good cop/bad cop role.

On this crucial matter concerning the safety of the crown prince, can they reach a consensus?

Once the dispute fully erupts, the North and South will inevitably vie for dominance over the relocation of the capital.
The North and South were already rivals.

It's impossible for one side to completely overwhelm the other; in the end, it's highly likely that both sides will suffer losses.

If it really comes to that, can the issue of moving the capital still be raised?
After much thought, Lu Yunyi looked at the caravans coming and going on the official road.
Listening to the lively voices around him, his eyes gradually became unfocused.

He considers himself a person who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
But looking at the peaceful scene before him, he felt a pang of hesitation.
Do you want to say it?

Of course I should say it!

Now that this matter has been investigated and clarified, it must be informed to the palace.

Otherwise, if something goes wrong in the future, he will have no way to clear himself of responsibility.

But the consequences of revealing it were something he found hard to bear.

Lu Yunyi looked worried and shook his head.

Surprisingly, the truth was discovered so easily.
Ultimately, it was thanks to his extensive knowledge and experience that he achieved this.

An outsider might not even realize that red tide algae can cause poisoning.

His gaze gradually became focused.

Not far away, a family of four was hurrying along the road.

A simple donkey cart was piled with pots, pans, and bedding.
The man driving the carriage was a middle-aged man in his thirties.

Two children, who looked to be under ten years old, were sitting in the carriage, followed by a simply dressed young woman.

The group was drenched in sweat from the sun.
Even so, the man driving the carriage couldn't help but smile.

The way he shook his head and swayed his head was imitated by the child behind him.
This prompted the woman to wipe her sweat and smile.

Lu Yunyi straightened his back and looked around.

It was discovered that there were quite a few people like this, bringing their families along.
Within a 300-meter radius, there were more than a dozen households.

Some used donkey carts, while others simply carried large bundles on their backs, all heading towards Yingtian.

"Go and find out what they're here for."

Lu Yunyi pointed to the family and gave instructions to the guards beside him.

"Yes!"

The guards immediately understood, spurred their horses away from the group, and headed towards the official standing guard at the fork in the road ahead.

He stopped his warhorse in front of the official, dismounted, and showed his token.

The clerk had previously been somewhat arrogant,

Upon seeing the token, he instantly became reserved, his face full of flattery.

The two huddled together and whispered a few words, pointing at the pedestrians on the official road.

Before long, the guards returned on horseback, their expressions somewhat strange.
"Sir, we have found out that these people are all from the south who came to Yingtian to make a living."

"Making a living? Bringing your whole family here to make a living?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes.

"Yes, the clerk said that since the construction company and the cement company started construction, the need for manpower has been increasing."

The people of the eight counties surrounding the capital looked down on such dirty and tiring work.

Many people from remote areas such as Zhili and Suzhou and Hangzhou came to work there.

Although it's tiring, the wages are enough to support my family.
Moreover, many people came specifically for the affordable housing.

Lu Yunyi was taken aback, somewhat suspicious:
"The affordable housing was built so quickly?"

He recalled that this was a policy order implemented before he left Beijing last year.
I didn't expect the three trading companies to make progress very quickly.
It would be good if it could take two or three years to form a basic structure and give the people a glimpse of the future, since this is something that actually requires spending money.

The guards nodded repeatedly:

"The clerk said that if you work at the business for two years, you can move in, and if you work for ten years, the house will belong to you."

I heard the first group of people have already moved in.

They are all two-story houses, and the five-person family lives in a very spacious home.

From what he said, his subordinate realized that if it weren't for the fact that the clerk's job wasn't a family heirloom, he would have quit to work in the merchant guild.

"hehe."

Lu Yunyi suddenly laughed, quite satisfied with the merchant guild's efficiency.

The affordable housing program in Daning is just getting started.
It's quite rare to see people already moving in here in the capital.

He flicked the reins, urging his horse closer to the family, and asked with a smile:

"Brother, what kind of business are you going to the capital for?"

Upon hearing the sound, the family of four, along with several others nearby, turned to look.
What came into their view was Bei Xiao, a horse that was half a head taller than an ordinary warhorse!

Its gray-black fur was glossy and smooth, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary animal.

The middle-aged man tensed up instantly.

His hand gripping the riding whip tightened unconsciously, and his body shrank back slightly.

But seeing Lu Yunyi's luxurious attire, he dared not conceal it and stammered:
"We went to work for a construction company."

At this moment, the woman hurried over, her face showing some worry. She curtsied to Lu Yunyi and took out a package from her bosom, handing it to him.
"Sir, these are our official documents. Please take a look."
We came to the capital to work legitimately, not as refugees.

Lu Yunyi smiled and waved casually:
Why would I look at your documents?
"I only asked because I saw many people like you on the official road and was curious."

As he spoke, he noticed the two children's faces were covered in dust, their large eyes filled with fear, and then he gave orders to his guards:

"Get them some tea to cool them off in the heat."

"Yes!"

The guard dismounted and took four jugs of iced tea from his saddlebag, handing them over.
"Here you go, it's a gift from my master. It's iced tea from Yingtian Trading Company. You can drink it right out of the box, and it's sweet."

"Thank you so much, sir! Thank you so much, sir! I can't accept this."

The middle-aged man thanked him profusely, his tone filled with trepidation.

Lu Yunyi ignored his awkwardness and continued to ask:
"Your whole family has come to Yingtian?"

The man smiled somewhat awkwardly:
"Your Excellency, we have no other way to make a living at home, so we have no choice but to try our luck in Yingtian."

"Don't you own any land?"

"Yes, but those few acres of paddy fields, even if you work yourself to death all year, are only enough to make ends meet."

Tea houses and silk shops don't want a rough man like me.

There was no other way but to come to Yingtian and lend a hand.
I heard they're short-staffed for building houses here, and the wages are pretty good.

As he spoke, the man grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth:
"To be honest, in the village, my house-building skills are pretty good."

I built many houses in the village, which earned me some spare change. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had the money to travel to Yingtian.

Lu Yunyi nodded knowingly:
"Yingtian's two major construction and cement companies are currently hiring, so it's not difficult to find a physically demanding job."

"Where will your family stay in the capital?"

"A fellow villager found us a small room, where the four of us squeezed in, for one tael of silver a month."
"When I make more money later, I'll rent a bigger one."

The man scratched his head, hesitated for a moment, and then mustered up his courage to ask:

"Sir, the workshop said they'd give you a house if you worked there for a certain number of years. Is that true?"

"It's true, but it might not be easy to implement this on a large scale, since there are too many people who need housing."

However, the middle-aged man did not share Lu Yunyi's concerns. Instead, he breathed a sigh of relief and a genuine smile appeared on his face. The woman beside him also smiled, her eyes full of anticipation.

Aren't you worried?

Lu Yunyi was somewhat surprised to see them like this.

The man gave a simple, honest smile:
"Sir, having something to look forward to is enough."
We would be eternally grateful as long as we have a place to stay and our children have enough to eat.

As for the future, let's focus on our work first and think about it later.

"Look ahead, the village elders always say, 'Things will work themselves out in the end.'"

"You have a teacher in your village?" Lu Yunyi asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yes, he is an old Confucian scholar sent by the imperial court."

He initially came to preach the Great Proclamation and the Imperial Gazette.
To be honest, back then he complained all the time about how the court was unfair and had demoted him to this poor place.

As time went by, I gradually accepted my fate.

They even opened a school in the village to teach the children to read, and life became more stable.

Thanks to Emperor Hongwu, even farmers like us can now teach our children to read and write.

Lu Yunyi suddenly realized and nodded.

At this moment, the two children couldn't resist touching the cold water bottle in their hands, secretly opened the lid, took a sip, and their eyes lit up instantly:

"Dad, it's delicious!"

"Quickly thank the master!"

The man quickly rebuked him, fearing he might lose his manners in front of the important person.

Lu Yunyi waved his hand and asked:

"What's your name?"

"My name is Jiang Yong, and I am from Shaoxing, Zhejiang."

Lu Yunyi nodded:
"I'll remember you. I hope that in ten years, you will be able to truly own your own house in Yingtian."

Jiang Yong laughed even harder and bowed deeply:
"Thank you for your kind words, sir! I will definitely work hard in the business and try my best to stay in Yingtian!"

"Um"

Lu Yunyi withdrew his gaze, tugged at the reins, urging his warhorse to continue forward, his eyes gradually hardening.

Once Lu Yunyi and his entourage had gone some distance, the official at the crossroads hurriedly approached the arriving steward from the capital, his tone tinged with urgency:

"My lord, was that Lord Lu just now? What did he ask that family?"

The steward of the capital glared at him, quickly caught up with Jiang Yong's family, and shouted to stop them:
"Hey, wait a minute!"

The family of four froze instantly; the middle-aged man trembled all over, and the child was too frightened to utter a sound.

They could tell that these two people in front of them, like the village officials, were people they couldn't afford to offend.

"Sir, we...we didn't do anything wrong!"

Jiang Yong's voice trembled.

"Cut the nonsense!"

The steward of the capital stepped forward, his tone stern.

"What did that Lord Lu ask you just now?"

Jiang Yong stammered as he recounted the conversation, ending with a mournful face:
"I truly didn't know he was Lord Lu. We only exchanged pleasantries and he even rewarded us with four pots of tea."

He quickly handed over the unopened bottle of iced tea.
To everyone's surprise, the steward of the capital's government office instantly changed his expression, his face beaming with smiles:

"Brother Jiang Yong, quickly put it away!"

"How dare we accept gifts bestowed upon you by Lord Lu? You said you came to the construction company to work as a craftsman?"

"Yes, yes, I can build houses."

"it is good!"

The steward of the capital clapped his hands, his tone becoming increasingly amiable.
"I am very pleased that you craftsmen are willing to come to the capital and contribute to its construction. I also thank you on behalf of the people."

He turned to the clerk and instructed him:

"Take them to the construction company and hand them over to the manager in person."
Tell them that Brother Jiang is a skilled worker, and arrange for him to start work as soon as possible.

"Yes, my lord!"

The clerk quickly took the riding whip from Jiang Yong's hand, handed it to his subordinate behind him, and then smiled at Jiang Yong:

"Brother Jiang, the headquarters of the construction company is outside the city."
Since Lord Lu has taken notice of you, getting the job shouldn't be a problem.

I'll take you there now. The trading company will arrange accommodations and work.

"I guarantee you'll have work to do and enough to eat, don't worry!"

Jiang Yong stood there, stunned, his mind blank.
I had previously heard from a fellow villager that although the trading company was hiring a lot of people, there were also requirements.
He was worried that he wouldn't be able to get in and would only be able to do the hardest manual labor, since the job required testing his skills and character.

How did things suddenly become so smooth?
He wasn't stupid; he instantly realized that the young nobleman from before had played a role, and asked in a low voice:

"Sir, may I ask who this distinguished person is? I do not know him."

The clerk explained with a smile:

"The construction company you're going to work for was established under the leadership of Lord Lu."

It's your good fortune to have met him today.

Although Lord Lu may not remember you
But as subordinates, we can't take it lightly.

"Come on, let's go to the trading company and settle in as soon as possible."

Jiang Yong was completely stunned, his eyes filled with shock.
Before the Imperial City, Lu Yunyi dismounted, his expression turning serious once more.

He took a ceramic jar from his saddlebag and headed straight for the city gate.

The commander of the imperial city guards was an acquaintance, Guo Zhen, the eldest son of Marquis Wuding, Guo Ying.

Upon seeing Lu Yunyi, Guo Zhen hurried forward, his back ramrod straight.

"Lord Lu!"

Lu Yunyi handed over the ceramic jar he was holding:
"There are frozen clams inside, be careful not to break them."

A hint of doubt flashed in Guo Zhen's eyes, but he didn't ask any further questions. He simply handed the jar to the soldier beside him for inspection.
He then personally went forward to search Lu Yunyi.
This was a new rule added after the Crown Prince fainted; anyone entering the palace had to be strictly checked.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the inspection was completed, and the side gate of the imperial city slowly opened.

Guo Zhen stood still and gave the instructions:

"Lord Lu, please come in."

Lu Yunyi glanced at the majestic imperial city.
The vermilion palace walls, like congealed blood, exuded a sense of solemnity and heaviness.

Stepping inside, one is immediately struck by a unique royal majesty.

Guo Zhen watched his retreating figure, his mind filled with doubt.
Today, Lord Lu seemed to have a more somber air about him.

Carrying the ceramic jar, Lu Yunyi finally entered the core area of ​​the palace after passing through two more palace inspections.

He stood in the empty square, hesitating once more.

Should we go to the Wuying Hall to see the Emperor first, or to the East Palace to see the Crown Prince?

After a brief pause, he finally headed towards the Wuying Hall.

Before long, Guo Ying was standing guard under the corridor at the entrance of Wuying Hall.

Upon seeing Lu Yunyi arrive, his expression turned somewhat strange.
He looked him up and down, gave him a look, and lowered his voice to say:
"You little rascal, you're always causing trouble!"
"With so many people impeaching you now, instead of hiding at home, you dare to run to the palace?"

Lu Yunyi forced a smile and sighed:
"Lord Wuding, I also want to stay at home and rest, but things don't go as planned."

He lifted the ceramic jar in his hand, and a faint smell of the sea wafted out.

Guo Ying's expression changed instantly, her tone turned somber, and her voice lowered even further:
"Checked it out?"

As the commander of the Imperial Guards, he was fully aware of the movements in the capital.
He naturally knew what Lu Yunyi had been investigating these past few days.

Lu Yunyi paused for a moment, then slowly nodded:

"Ah."

"has a problem?"

"Have."

"Someone actually dares to tamper with the Crown Prince's food? How dare they! How dare they!"

Guo Ying's voice was forced out through clenched teeth, her eyes filled with rage.

He took a deep breath to calm himself and gestured towards the palace gate with his lip:

“Come on, I’ll go in with you. His Majesty was just inside getting angry about the impeachment of you.”

"Yes!"

Lu Yunyi nodded, carrying the ceramic jar.
Following Guo Ying step by step towards the Wuying Hall,
The dragon-patterned plaque inside the hall gleamed in the sunlight, yet it exuded an invisible pressure.

(End of this chapter)