Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 9 Let the King of Yan accompany you

There were lightning and thunder in the Qianqing Palace of the Ming Dynasty.

The Yiluansi has already blocked off the outside of the Qianqing Palace, and water is constantly flowing in the pit.

Many guards were digging below, determined to dig it upside down.

However, due to heavy rain and the early morning darkness, visibility and weather were poor and progress was very slow.

So far, they have only pulled the horses and people up, and even the carriage is stuck inside.

The Empress Ma Xiuying of the Ming Dynasty and the Crown Prince Zhu Biao were standing on the pit, paying close attention to the situation inside and praying for Zhu Yuanzhang's safety.

Concubine Guo Hui had already had Empress Ma driven away, and asked her to return to her own palace to rest.

Zhu Biao was called over by Empress Ma.

Although she was born into a commoner family, Empress Ma was not lacking in means and political wisdom.

She knew it.

Once Zhu Yuanzhang died, the crown prince would have to ascend the throne immediately to stabilize the situation.

The Ming Dynasty had just begun to rise, and all parts of the country had just entered a period of recuperation, while the north was still at war with the Mongols.

Many Huaixi nobles were arrogant and brave generals who held military power. If Zhu Yuanzhang, the backbone of the country, fell, the entire country might fall into a very dangerous situation.

The only one who could calm the situation was Zhu Biao.

Because although Zhu Biao did not help his father to establish the empire like Li Shimin did, he helped his father to keep the empire for two years.

Since Zhu Biao was made the crown prince in the first year of Hongwu, the thirteen-year-old Zhu Biao was allowed to observe government affairs and was assisted by a large number of famous founding ministers.

These include Li Shanchang, Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Feng Sheng and so on.

After observing the government for ten years, in the tenth year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang saw that he was old, so he ordered that all political affairs in the future be reported to the crown prince for handling, and then reported to the emperor, formally allowing him to participate in politics.

So even though Zhu Biao was only 25 years old at this time, he had already observed politics for ten years and participated in politics for two years.

Now, all the arrogant founding heroes in the court, including the Huaixi nobles, are obedient to him, as if he has become a qualified heir to the empire.

If Zhu Yuanzhang unfortunately died, then only Zhu Biao's ascension to the throne could maintain the hard-won Ming Dynasty.

Just as everyone was anxious, someone suddenly shouted, "We have found your Majesty."

Empress Ma and Zhu Biao quickly leaned over to take a look.

"Jungpachi."

"father."

The two shouted anxiously.

Zhu Biao even started climbing down from the ladder next to him.

"Okay, everyone, go up, I'm not dead yet."

Zhu Yuanzhang's powerful voice came from below.

A guard pulled him out of the mud, and he stood up and looked up.

The heavy rain was still falling, and there were torches above. Zhu Biao had already climbed down the ladder and almost fell in the mud. He rolled and crawled to Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Father."

"Biao'er, what are you doing here?"

Zhu Yuanzhang supported him.

"The child is worried about his father."

"I'm fine, go up first."

"Quick, come two people, help father up."

Zhu Biao ignored the mud on his body and hurriedly gave orders to the guards.

With the help of the guards, Zhu Yuanzhang climbed out of the pit.

Empress Ma rushed over and saw him covered in mud. She couldn't help but said angrily, "How could there be a pit in the palace? Let the Ministry of Works fill it up."

“No.”

Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly said: "I still have a use for this pit."

Empress Ma rolled her eyes at him and said, "Are you trying to use this to attack the Ministry of Works?"

"No."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head, then walked towards the Qianqing Palace with his hands behind his back, saying, "Go to the front and tell them that I will not attend the morning court today."

"Yes."

The eunuch from the Internal Affairs Bureau went to deliver the order.

"Quick, bring some hot water."

Queen Ma gave orders to many eunuchs.

Soon the eunuchs brought hot water.

Zhu Yuanzhang went to the bathroom in the inner hall of the Qianqing Palace to take a bath.

When he came out, Empress Ma and Zhu Biao were still waiting in the main hall outside the Qianqing Palace.

It was not until he washed and changed his clothes that Empress Ma and Zhu Biao were shocked.

Because they saw that Zhu Yuanzhang had a swollen nose and face, and his left eye was beaten into a panda eye. It was obvious that he was not injured by a fall, but was beaten by someone.

"How is this going?"

Queen Ma was shocked and said, "It's not possible to fall like this just by a single fall."

As she spoke, she went up to wipe Zhu Yuanzhang's panda eyes with her sleeve. Zhu Yuanzhang hissed, took a step back and said, "Sister, be gentle."

"Jin'er, go get an ice pack."

Queen Ma said to her personal maid.

"Yes."

Jin'er walked out.

Zhu Biao was puzzled and said: "Father, this doesn't look like it was dropped, it looks more like..."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked around and saw that the chief of the Imperial Household Department, Wang Dong, the chief of the Imperial Horse Department, Wu Ji, and the deputy chief of the Imperial Guard, Mao Xiang, were all in the room. There were also many guards outside. He waved his hand and said, "You go out first and have someone dig out the stone tablet under the carriage in the pit outside."

"Yes."

Wu Ji and Mao Xiang backed out and closed the door, leaving Zhu Yuanzhang and his family of three alone in the room.

After everyone left, Empress Ma and Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, waiting for his explanation.

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered and said, "I fell into the pit and wanted to climb out of the carriage, but the carriage was tilted upside down and the left window was full of mud and water. I had to go out from the right window. As a result, I touched a stone tablet as soon as I got out. Do you know what happened?" "How did it happen?"

"I went on a trip hundreds of years later."

"Chongba, you must have been confused because of the rain. Why are you talking nonsense?"

Empress Ma touched Zhu Yuanzhang's forehead.

Zhu Yuanzhang took her hand away, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and then pointed at his own face and said, "Look, I went to someone's cellar and was mistaken for a dog thief and beaten like this. Can this be fake?"

"Did my father really go hundreds of years later?"

Zhu Biao said in surprise.

"Ah."

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on a chair in the hall and said, "Sit down and talk."

Empress Ma and Zhu Biao sat on either side of him. Zhu Biao asked, "What about the Ming Dynasty hundreds of years later?"

"Dead."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.

Dead?

Empress Ma and Zhu Biao were stunned.

But after a moment, Zhu Biao sighed: "The general trend of the world is that when united, it must be divided, and when divided, it must be united. The rise and fall of a country is always impermanent."

"But I was unwilling to accept this. If the country was taken over by the Han people, I would have nothing to say. But as far as I know, the Ming Dynasty was taken over by the Jianzhou Jurchens in the northeast, and then returned to the barbarians."

Zhu Yuanzhang clenched his fists and said, "I can't just sit there and wait for death. I must find a way to maintain long-term peace and stability."

"Our Ming Dynasty was destroyed by the Jianzhou Jurchens?"

"good."

"Is there a way to achieve long-term peace and stability in the future?"

Zhu Biao was surprised.

"of course."

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice: "I think the future is like a fairyland. There is no need for candles in the house. The light is bright. There is an object that can show images and people inside are talking. There are also mobile phones that can communicate thousands of miles away. These are all good things. I must find a way to get them."

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said, "In that case, I am willing to do it for my father. When the time comes, I will also use the stone tablet to see if I can really go to the afterlife."

"No, I have to go there in person. I'm already familiar with the situation, but you don't. It's very dangerous to go there."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head.

He thought of the police station.

“Good descendants,” Shrimp once said.

The police station has firearms that are more advanced than the fire control system and has very strong firepower.

And this is just the grassroots security force, just like the yamen runners in the countryside of the Ming Dynasty.

There is power at a higher level that he cannot imagine, such as the atomic bomb, which can kill millions of people with one bomb.

too frightening.

So Zhu Yuanzhang had to be cautious.

"His Majesty."

Just at this moment, Mao Xiang's voice was heard outside.

"Come in."

crunch.

Mao Xiang pushed the door open and walked in.

Behind him, several guards came in carrying a stone tablet.

They placed the stone tablet on the ground.

Zhu Yuanzhang asked them to go out again, and only then did he see the appearance of the stone tablet clearly.

I saw that the stone tablet had been cleaned. It was just an ordinary marble tablet with no words carved on it. There were more than ten pairs of dragon and phoenix reliefs of different sizes carved from top to bottom.

These dragons and phoenixes are arranged on the left and right, each in pairs, with a dragon on the left and a phoenix on the right. There is a protruding point in the middle of each pair of dragons and phoenixes.

Zhu Yuanzhang remembered that he touched the protruding round point between the pair of dragons and phoenixes, and then he appeared somewhere else in the dark.

According to my memory, they should be the largest pair of dragon and phoenix at the top.

Looking at the stone tablet at this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, then suddenly walked to the pillar on one side of the hall, took off his sword and said: "Biao'er, you stay in the imperial capital and don't move lightly. I will go again."

"Father, no."

Zhu Biao quickly stopped him and said, "Since there is danger over there, we should bring more people."

"No, this matter is of great importance. I cannot let anyone except those close to me know about it. Otherwise, accidents may happen if the matter is leaked."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head.

This is a shocking secret. If it were leaked, I don’t know how much of a shock it would cause.

The most important thing is that he needs to explore the secret of long-term stability in future generations and understand the situation in future generations. It is very likely that he will stay in future generations for a long time.

If the news gets out and everyone knows that he is not in the palace, something strange might happen.

Although the prince's prestige might be able to intimidate those arrogant soldiers and generals, who can say for sure about such things?
The rebellion of Shao Rong and Zhao Jizu back then is still fresh in my memory.

In recent years there have been rebellions by Chen Tong in Quanzhou, Sun Gupu in Qingzhou, Wang Yuanbao in Chongqing, Peng Pugui in Meixian, and so on.

Although the country seems calm, in fact, there is unrest everywhere. The noble generals in various places not only have to fight against the Mongols in the north, but also have to suppress rebellions all the time, and many of them hold military power.

Once the news that he is not in Yingtian Prefecture leaks out, there is a chance that someone with ulterior motives will take advantage of the opportunity to gain power.

Therefore, he had to keep this secret and create the illusion that he had handed over all state affairs to the crown prince, while he himself lived in seclusion in the deep palace and controlled everything.

In this way, it can also deter the villains in all directions and let people know that Zhu Yuanzhang is always there and they dare not act rashly.

"Even so, my father cannot take risks alone. He must be accompanied and protected by someone."

Zhu Biao insisted.

"Well"

Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment and then said, "Then call the Prince of Yan over and let him bring his sword."

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said, "Although my fourth brother has not yet received his coming-of-age ceremony, he is well-mannered and has practiced martial arts. He should be able to accompany father."

(End of this chapter)