Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 442 The Retired Emperor Loses a Bet and Barks Like a Dog!

How can any reform or change not encounter fierce resistance?

Since ancient times, reform has been a dance on the edge of a knife; a slight misstep can lead to bloodshed and chaos.

But the current situation is eerily calm.

Zhu Yuanzhang even began to doubt whether his actions of faking his death and hiding in the inner palace in order to stabilize the Ming Dynasty were just a waste of effort.

If the new policies were going so smoothly, why would I have gone to such lengths to hide here and imprison myself in this cage?
Isn't the outside world exciting and appealing?

Thinking of this, a strange sense of unease welled up in Old Zhu's chest. His brows furrowed, and the unsettling fact weighed on his heart like a boulder, making him increasingly anxious.

They are also less willing to admit the truth.

Seeing that Old Zhu looked serious, but still managed to force a smile, Yoshigaki replied in a light tone, "That's exactly right!"

"Thanks to the protection of Heaven, Your Majesty is wise and capable, and the new policies are being implemented as smoothly as a spring breeze and rain."

"Now that the Ming Dynasty is stable and the people live in peace and contentment, the country is peaceful and prosperous, and the Emperor Emeritus can rest easy."

However, after hearing this compliment, Old Zhu did not smile as Yoshigaki had expected. Instead, his face turned cold, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He slowly sat up straight, his voice low yet carrying a subtle air of authority: "So, according to you, you won our bet before? According to the bet, we have to bark like dogs a few times?"

After saying that, Old Zhu snorted coldly, his gaze piercing Ji Yuan, with a hint of mockery, yet also a trace of resentment and self-mockery.

The courtyard was quiet for a moment, with only the rustling sound of the breeze through the treetops.

Upon hearing this, Yoshigaki felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and cold sweat poured down his forehead like a spring.

He knelt down with a thud, his head hitting the bluestone slab heavily, his voice trembling but urgent: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This servant had no such intention!"

At this moment, Yoshigaki was no longer the same as before; he resembled a frightened sparrow, filled with fear and a touch of humility.

Old Zhu smiled, his tone teasing, "Oh? Then tell me, what exactly do you mean?"

He leaned back in the recliner, his gaze sweeping indifferently over Yoshigaki.

Yoshigaki hurriedly retorted, "This servant is foolish; I've long forgotten about that betting game!"

He lowered his head, his voice so low it almost blended into the wind, afraid of angering the unpredictable old emperor.

To everyone's surprise, Old Zhu's face suddenly darkened upon hearing this, his expression becoming gloomy.

He sat up abruptly, his voice as cold as frost, and said, "You dare to forget the bet we made? You've really grown bolder!"

This shout was like a thunderclap, shaking the air in the courtyard.

The wind picked up.

Before Yoshigaki could reply, he pressed on, "Do you remember now? Tell me, what exactly were you planning?"

Old Zhu's gaze grew increasingly sharp, as if it could pierce through people's hearts and go straight to the depths of Yoshigaki's soul.

Sweat streamed down Yoshigaki's forehead, dripping onto his cheeks and leaving a damp patch on the ground.

Since Zhu Yunwen issued the decree to implement the new policies, news from both the court and the public has flooded into the inner palace like a tidal wave.

Zhu Yunwen initially predicted that Zhu Yunwen's move would inevitably fail in the quagmire of the new policies. Especially after the "examination cheating case" was exposed, he was even more confident that his grandson would not escape disaster.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yunwen acted swiftly and decisively, implementing new policies with great speed. His decisiveness and ruthlessness even made the old Zhu secretly admire him, saying, "A brilliant move."

Even so, he remained convinced that the reform would most likely fail before it even began.

Those deeply entrenched officials and clerks were adept at feigning compliance while secretly opposing it. They had a thousand ways to shirk responsibility and ten thousand ways to delay, enough to turn a good thing into a bad one, ultimately causing the new policy to fail and forcing the court to withdraw on its own.

However, the news that followed overturned his prediction.

The new policy was implemented surprisingly smoothly, without the expected bloodshed.

Old Zhu initially refused to believe it, stubbornly thinking that those old foxes were merely holding back temporarily, secretly brewing a bigger counterattack.

He listened intently to intelligence reports day and night, and tossed and turned sleeplessly, always feeling that a storm was brewing.

But several months passed, and everything returned to normal.

Old Zhu's weathered heart was finally forced to accept this unbelievable reality. And so, that long-ago "bet" resurfaced in his mind, refusing to leave.

Seeing that Old Zhu seemed to be pondering something again, Ji Yuan's eyes darted around, and he quickly came up with a clever idea. He hurriedly smiled and said, "In my humble opinion, Your Majesty is a talented person cultivated by the Emperor Emeritus."

"The reason why Your Majesty's new policies have been so successful is ultimately due to the excellent guidance of the Emperor Emeritus, whose contribution is indispensable."

"From this perspective, no matter how you look at it, the Emperor Emeritus is one step ahead in this game."

His voice grew increasingly respectful: "If we really want to talk about who won, the one who should be crawling on the ground and barking like a dog is the servant!"

Before Old Zhu could respond, Yoshigaki immediately bent down, got on all fours, and clumsily imitated the posture of a dog.

Immediately afterwards, he barked twice at the top of his lungs.

"Bastard thing!"

Suddenly, Old Zhu roared, his voice booming like thunder, making the leaves on the leaves in the courtyard tremble slightly.

Yoshigaki's supposedly clever move not only failed to win him favor, but instead added fuel to the fire, completely igniting the long-suppressed anger in Old Zhu's heart.

He suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with cold light, and kicked Yoshigaki to the ground without any mercy.

The force was so great that Yoshigaki's body rolled half a circle on the ground before stopping.

"You bastard, we were absolutely certain back then that his new policies would be met with fierce resistance from all sides, and that they wouldn't be able to be implemented smoothly without bloodshed and countless deaths!"

Old Zhu's voice was low and angry, each word sounding as if it were squeezed out from between his teeth.

He glared fiercely at Yoshigaki on the ground, his chest heaving violently, as if a raging fire was burning in his heart.

"Do you think we're senile? Now, the facts are right in front of us, and our judgment was terribly wrong!"

"You're something else! Just to curry favor, you dare to lie through your teeth, insisting that we succeeded, insisting that we won!"

Old Zhu was so angry that his hand trembled slightly. He pointed at Ji Yuan's nose and scolded, "Your behavior is clearly that of a treacherous villain!"

"How did we end up with such a shameless guy like you? You're infuriating!"

He was panting heavily, his face ashen, still seething with anger.

After a long pause, he snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, "Fine, I'm the kind of person who honors my bets. Since I lost the bet, I'll keep my word. You listen to me!"

Yoshigaki's heart tightened suddenly, and a sense of panic surged up like a tide.

He lay prostrate on the ground, then quickly raised his head, his face filled with terror.

Whether the Emperor Emeritus beat him or scolded him, he didn't care. After all, Zhu Yuanzhang had always had a fiery temper, and he had served him for many years and had long since figured out his master's temperament.

For him, a casual kick or a few angry words were nothing more than commonplace occurrences, just a little physical pain, nothing serious.

Moreover, he knew the bond he had built with Zhu De over the years, and even if Zhu De was furious, he would never really hurt him, let alone take his life.

But if the retired emperor were to actually start barking like a dog, then things would completely change.

The dignified retired emperor, the supreme ruler, had to condescend to imitate the barking of a dog. Once this humiliation was buried deep in his heart, how could Old Zhu not feel that he had lost face and felt annoyed when he thought about it in the future?

If he's in a bad mood one day and recalls the past, and gets angry, will he feel that everyone who heard him bark like a dog back then is a thorn in his side?

At that point, will I still be able to keep my head?

Yoshigaki grew increasingly frightened as he thought about it, his clothes soaked with sweat, and his eyes revealed an unconcealable despair and helplessness.

In the courtyard, the wind began to blow, swirling up a few withered leaves that drifted down.

Old Zhu's anger and Yoshigaki's fear intertwine to create a bizarre and unpredictable scene.

Such a thing was not unprecedented in the palace.

Once upon a time, Zhu Yuanzhang got drunk at a banquet. After returning to the palace, in high spirits, he forgot his status and spoke recklessly about his unbearable past when he was down on his luck, those humiliating experiences that he would rather bury in the dust.

At that moment, several eunuchs and palace maids happened to be standing nearby, and their ears were filled with these secrets they shouldn't have heard.

When Old Zhu's drunkenness subsided and he came to his senses, he was suddenly shocked to realize that he had lost his composure while drunk, and his imperial dignity had vanished.

He felt a chill run down his spine, and then, finding a trivial pretext, ordered all the maids who had heard about the matter to be executed, to nip it in the bud and prevent any future trouble.

Yoshigaki learned of this from an old eunuch who had served the retired emperor for many years.

The old eunuch happened to be outside the palace at the time. He overheard a few words through the screen, but because he did not show himself, he was not noticed by Zhu, who assumed that he had not heard them. That's how he managed to save his life.

The old eunuch once earnestly warned him: "Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger, young man! Cover your ears if you shouldn't hear it; keep your mouth shut if you shouldn't say it."

"Serving in this deep palace, survival is the most important thing. Only by being cautious in everything can one live longer."

Yoshigaki has always kept these heartfelt words in his heart and has never forgotten them.

That is why he always acts with extreme caution, as if walking on thin ice.

Over the years, with his caution and shrewdness, he gradually won the trust and reliance of Emperor Zhu, becoming an indispensable close attendant to the retired emperor.

But now, they have to hear the retired emperor bark like a dog?

That's pretty cool!

I'm afraid my head won't be hanging there for many more days.
In a moment of desperation, Ji Yuan, who had been kicked away by Old Zhu, disregarded the pain, scrambled to his feet, crawled a few steps to Old Zhu's feet, grabbed his legs tightly with both hands, and cried out hoarsely, "Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu's anger intensified. He raised an eyebrow and said sternly, "Why not? You treacherous villain, are you trying to persuade us to be treacherous and disloyal?"

"Absolutely not!" Yoshigaki's heart pounded like a drum, his mind racing. He hurriedly retorted, "The Emperor Emeritus is the supreme ruler, yet he takes even this jest and bet so seriously, keeping his word without wavering. He is truly the most trustworthy person in all of history!"

"Since the time of Yao and Shun, I fear no one can compare to you!"

Seeing that Old Zhu's expression softened slightly after hearing these words, she quickly pressed on, saying, "However, since the Emperor Emeritus lost the bet and is determined to keep his promise, this matter of learning to bark like a dog should be done by this servant."

Old Zhu squinted and asked in return, "What do you mean by that?"

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Yoshigaki straightened his back and said solemnly, "There is an old saying, 'A son can take the blame for his father,' and 'A servant can take the blame for his master.'"

"Whatever my master commands, I will serve him. If I stand idly by, wouldn't that be dereliction of duty?"

"The Emperor Emeritus lost the bet and has to bark like a dog. Such a trivial matter should naturally be handled by this servant."

"The Emperor Emeritus is a ruler of integrity throughout the ages, and I must be a loyal and devoted servant to him."

"Could it be that the Emperor Emeritus would be so heartless as to stop me from being loyal and force me to become a treacherous person who disregards the Emperor's favor?"

These words struck a chord with Old Zhu.

Upon hearing this, his anger gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of relief and delight. He then threw his head back and laughed loudly, his voice echoing throughout the courtyard: "Well said! I am a wise ruler who trusts his people, and you are a loyal and devoted servant!"

Old Zhu clapped his hands and said with great enthusiasm, "In that case, we'll leave the task of learning to bark like a dog to you."

Upon hearing this, Yoshigaki felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders, knowing that his head was finally safe.

Overjoyed, he immediately kowtowed and cried out, "This servant obeys! Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"

After saying that, he nimbly crawled to the side, bent down and got up, barking twice as he crawled.

After calling out, she raised her head again and asked with a grin, "Your Majesty, did this servant imitate you well?"

Seeing this, Old Zhu couldn't help but laugh, and his hearty laughter echoed throughout the courtyard.

……

In the courtyard, the emperor and his minister frolicked for a while, their laughter echoing among the trees.

However, after a moment, Old Zhu seemed to lose interest and slowly suppressed his smile.

He sat back heavily in the wicker chair, leaning back slightly, his gaze fixed on the azure sky, lost in thought.

After a long while, Old Zhu let out a long sigh, his voice filled with endless emotion and exhaustion.

Seeing this, Yoshigaki already understood. He quietly got up from the ground, brushed the dust off his clothes, and respectfully stepped aside to stand quietly, his eyes lowered, not daring to overstep his bounds in the slightest.

"We've been cooped up in this inner palace for so long, we wonder what the outside world looks like now?" Old Zhu suddenly spoke, his voice filled with longing.

He seemed to be mocking himself: "Although there are secret reports sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard every day, no matter how beautifully written the words on the paper are, they are still not as real as seeing them with your own eyes."

"Sometimes, I really want to go out and travel again to see what new changes have taken place in the land of the Ming Dynasty."

Yoshigaki's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood Old Zhu's thoughts.

The retired emperor was restless and yearning to break free from the prison of the deep palace after being cooped up for so long.

No wonder.

When Zhu Yuanzhang voluntarily chose to "live in seclusion" in the inner palace, it was so that he could remain in the central government and turn the tide in case the emperor implemented new policies and reforms, even if it caused fierce opposition, political turmoil, or other unforeseen events. He could protect the vast Ming Dynasty.

But now, the new policies are being implemented smoothly and without any major disruptions. The expected fierce opposition and hidden rebellion have not even materialized.

In this way, it seems unnecessary for the retired emperor to continue to confine himself to the inner palace.

……

(End of this chapter)