Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 539: A Private Visit - Identity Revealed?
The soldiers who came to distribute porridge used thick hemp ropes to create an extremely wide circle, requiring all the people who came to receive porridge to enter it and line up in an orderly manner.

After receiving their porridge and steamed buns, they were guided to another meeting point to prevent anyone from receiving the same food twice.

A large number of people came to collect porridge, but there were very few people to distribute it, resulting in a long queue that seemed to stretch endlessly.

Two hours passed before Zhu Yunwen and his entourage finally received their share of porridge and steamed buns.

However, when Zhu Yunwen received the bowl of porridge, he immediately noticed that the porridge was unusually thin, with only a few grains of rice floating on the surface.

The imperial court had clearly stipulated that the porridge distributed to disaster victims must be a thick "chopstick-standing porridge," meaning that a chopstick inserted into it could stand upright firmly in order to meet the standard.

But the bowl of porridge in front of me is far from the regulations; it's completely different.

Nearby, a disaster victim sighed softly, "The porridge they gave out a couple of days ago was much thicker than this. Now, even though they've given out an extra steamed bun, the porridge has become so thin. Isn't it all the same?"

This remark was overheard by the yamen runner who was distributing porridge.

His face darkened, and he slammed the heavy ladle down with a loud bang. Then, his eyes widened, and he roared at the disaster victim, "Eat if you want! What nonsense are you spouting?! I've given you a bite to eat, and you're still not satisfied?"

He pointed at the disaster victim's nose and threatened, "If you dare to utter another word of nonsense, don't come back for porridge!"

The disaster victim fell silent at his shout, not daring to utter another word.

Zhu Yunwen witnessed the whole scene but said nothing. Xu Miaojin couldn't stand it and was about to go up and argue with the yamen runner, but Zhu Yunwen grabbed her arm.

They had gone to great lengths to travel incognito, and they couldn't reveal their identities over such a trivial matter.

Most importantly, we need to understand these issues so that we can then urge those below to resolve them.

As an emperor, his job is to formulate policies and solve the problems faced by millions of people, not just the problems of one person.

After taking the steamed buns and porridge, Zhu Yunwen followed the other disaster victims to the ground and sat down on the ground like them.

He picked up the steamed bun, took a small bite, and his facial expression immediately scrunched up.

Since his arrival in the Ming Dynasty, his status has been extremely noble, and everything he uses, eats, and wears is the best in the world.

Zhu Yunwen never mistreated himself.

After ascending the throne, his standard of living rose to a new level.

No matter what, a great nation like the Ming Dynasty could not possibly lack meat for its emperor.

There is absolutely no need to deliberately suffer.

On the contrary, Zhu Yunwen had always enjoyed a fine diet, indulging in delicacies from land and sea.

After all, having devoted so much effort to governing the Ming Dynasty, he needed to reward himself from time to time.

However, having long been accustomed to delicacies, he found the coarse steamed buns, originally intended for disaster victims, to be like chewing a mouthful of dirt, and found them extremely difficult to swallow.

He tried to swallow for a long time, but in the end he still couldn't swallow it and had no choice but to spit out the steamed bun in his mouth.

Zhu Yunwen glanced casually to his side and saw that Xu Miaojin also had a steamed bun stuffed in her mouth, looking like she couldn't swallow it no matter what. Her pretty eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and her look of wanting to eat but not being able to was quite cute.

The accompanying guards, though their brows were furrowed and their faces showed discomfort, were desperately forcing down their steamed buns, perhaps out of fear of the emperor's wrath.

"Young man, your family must have been well-off before, so why can't you eat this white flour steamed bun?" A disaster victim sitting on the ground next to Zhu Yunwen asked with a simple smile, looking at the way Zhu Yunwen was eating.

As he spoke, he ate large bites of steamed bun, enjoying them with pickled vegetables.

Zhu Yuntong responded with a smile, "We did have some wealth in the past, but now, our house has been mercilessly submerged by the flood."

Upon hearing this, the disaster victim laughed heartily, with a hint of world-weariness, and said, "Natural disasters and man-made calamities are always hard to avoid."

He said optimistically, "However, your family is well-off. After the flood recedes, when you return home, you will still have some savings left, and you will be able to live a good life."

He sighed and pointed to himself: "All of my family's fields have been flooded. From now on, I can only find some work on the government's construction sites to see if I can make a living."

"I heard that His Majesty personally inspected the area and the court is going to carry out a major overhaul of the Yellow River dike. This project is extremely large-scale, so it should not end up like it did before, which was all talk and no action."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen asked curiously, "What? Was the construction of the Yellow River dike in the past a case of starting strong but finishing weak?"

The disaster victim chuckled, a cryptic smile on his face, and said dismissively, "I was just saying it casually. Just take it as it is. Why bother digging deeper and probing so persistently?"

Zhu Yunwen pressed for details, but the disaster victim refused to reveal any further information.

Zhu Yunwen had no choice but to give up and leave, then went around asking others for information.

However, the news we received was largely similar to what we had heard before, and there was not much new to it.

Time passed by, and Zhu Yunwen quietly raised his hand and took out a small clock specially designed and manufactured by the Ming Academy of Sciences from his pocket.

Ever since the grandfather clock was invented, he has been pushing for the creation of smaller clocks.

Today, the Ming Dynasty is already able to manufacture very small pocket watches.

Of course, it wasn't two sizes larger than later watches.

But it's already very good, and the accuracy is extremely high.

However, such watches are still very expensive at present.

The price of one watch could buy two or three houses in Nanjing.

In other words, only high-ranking officials or wealthy gentry can afford to buy them.

For Zhu Yunwen, being an emperor was nothing special.

He glanced at it secretly and found that the clock had already pointed to three o'clock in the afternoon.

Inside the government's porridge distribution tent, the second round of porridge for the day has begun.

Zhu Yunwen also felt his stomach was empty and his intestines were rumbling with hunger.

Despite his hunger, he still found it difficult to swallow the steamed buns and thin porridge provided for the disaster victims.

Some people might think that if you are hungry for a while, you will be able to eat anything and anything.
That's not necessarily true.

It might take several days of fasting to achieve that effect of barely having enough to eat and wolfing down one's food.

Even after skipping a meal or two, the already unpalatable food still becomes impossible to swallow.

After all, people's tastes are formed over a long period of time.

Turning things around isn't something that can be done in the time it takes to eat a meal. Especially when the difference between the two is enormous!
The steamed buns, porridge, and pickled vegetables eaten by the disaster victims were more than a thousand times different from the dishes the emperor ate on a daily basis.

Xu Miaojin's face clearly showed a hint of disappointment. She had originally thought that this incognito visit would allow her to personally experience some thrilling injustices, and then, like in the plays, to help those in need and punish corrupt officials...

Unexpectedly, the journey was smooth sailing, and nothing happened.

The only problem was that the government's soup kitchens did not meet the standards set by the imperial court in distributing soup.

Even so, the soup kitchen did provide the disaster victims with a means of survival, at least preventing them from starving to death on the roadside.

Although there is indeed a problem, there is no need to react immediately on the spot.

However, failing to "make a splash" was far from meeting the young girl's expectations for a legendary experience.

Zhu Yunwen was well prepared for this. He knew that the most important significance of an emperor's incognito visits was to understand the true situation of the people and to gain insight into public opinion.

Only by understanding more and deeper aspects of the situation can we play a greater role in governing the country in the future.

As for standing up for an ordinary citizen and fighting for justice, that's just highly dramatic and convenient for storytellers to embellish their tales, but for governing a vast empire, its practical significance is negligible.

Such behavior merely reduces the role that an emperor can play to the level of a wandering swordsman.

With nothing else to do, Zhu Yunwen prepared to return home so he could have a proper meal.

He had only taken a few steps when a young man in his thirties blocked his way.

"Young master, I have some matters I wish to discuss frankly with you. Would you mind if we spoke in private for a moment?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding guards immediately felt a chill run down their spines.

Immediately, they subtly adjusted their positions, cleverly forming a protective circle, while vigilantly observing any movement around them.

The emperor's incognito visit already made them highly nervous, fearing any unexpected events might occur.

At this moment, someone suddenly stopped them and started chatting with them, which naturally made them even more nervous.

Xu Miaojin's face was also filled with vigilance.

The young girl quietly took a step closer to Zhu Yunwen, her slender figure already subtly assuming a ready-to-strike stance.

As the daughter of a military family, she learned martial arts from a young age and possessed remarkable skills.

Zhu Yunwen grew up in the inner palace and often resided in Jinling, so it was impossible for him to know anyone in Henan.

So, what was the purpose of this person suddenly blocking the road?
"What is it?" Zhu Yunwen asked calmly.

"I have been observing you, young master, for quite some time now," the young man frankly admitted.

"However, I was just watching from a distance, and the disaster victims here were bustling and crowded, so your guards didn't notice me."

Before Zhu Yunwen could ask any questions, he continued to explain, "Although the clothes you are wearing are simple and plain, and you have deliberately made them dirty, neither you nor your attendants have a single patch on their clothes."

"This is enough to show that you, young master, are not just an ordinary wealthy family, but a truly prosperous and wealthy family."

The man spoke with certainty, his analysis logical and reasonable: "With such a noble status, even if they were to suffer a natural disaster, they would never mingle with us ordinary disaster victims, much less come here in person to receive the porridge and steamed buns offered by the government."

He paused, then pointed out another detail: "Moreover, I noticed that after you received the porridge and steamed buns, you couldn't swallow them even when you tried to force yourself to."

"This is enough to prove that the young master must be a person who lives a life of luxury and is already accustomed to fine food."

"Even the guards and attendants around the young master are no ordinary people; their every move exudes the spirit of a well-trained individual."

He swept his sharp gaze across the entourage behind Zhu Yunwen: "Moreover, the young master and his party are all young people, and there is not a single elder from the family accompanying them."

All of these are points of doubt.

The young man concluded confidently, "If I am not mistaken, you are not an ordinary disaster victim, but an official sent by the imperial court to conduct an incognito visit and understand the people's plight."

He bowed deeply, his posture respectful and composed: "This humble subject has some matters to report to Your Excellency!"

Zhu Yunwen was slightly startled, never expecting that his group's whereabouts would be exposed so easily.
But on second thought, it actually makes sense.

As the person in front of them said, some of their characteristics were indeed too obvious compared to ordinary disaster victims.

This is also because Zhu Yunwen's incognito visit was a spur-of-the-moment decision, without prior careful planning and preparation, which inevitably left some loopholes.

However, upon closer examination, the impact is actually not that significant.

Even if they were discovered, it would only make people think that their behavior was a little strange and that their identities might be somewhat special.

"Okay!" Zhu Yunwen nodded in agreement.

Afterwards, the group walked together to a secluded place away from the disaster victims.

The young man stared intently at Zhu Yunwen, and said with utmost caution, "Although I am certain that you are of noble status, you are so young, and the officialdom in Henan is complex and rife with the practice of officials protecting each other."

"May I ask you, sir, are you an imperial envoy specially dispatched by the court, or a local official from Henan?"

"Could you please show me the receipt so that I, a commoner, can have a look?"

Zhu Yunwen paused for a moment, then reached into his robes, but suddenly stopped.

He did have some items on him that could prove his identity, but there was no such document as "Imperial Envoy Seal".

Zhu Yunwen turned to look at the guards behind him, then took a waist token from one of them and quickly flashed it in front of the young man.

The young man's pupils suddenly dilated.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard?" he exclaimed in surprise.

Upon realizing his slip of the tongue, he immediately and instinctively covered his mouth, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

The young man had considered that the other party had a special identity, but he never expected that his attendants and guards would be members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

Upon seeing this, Zhu Yunwen explained, "I have come here on His Majesty's orders to investigate the disaster situation in Henan. Before I set off, His Majesty specifically instructed me to bring my brothers from the Embroidered Uniform Guard with me."

"Any official or clerk who engages in embezzlement, bribery, or corruption during disaster relief efforts may be arrested immediately and executed without prior notification!"

He smiled faintly at the man before him: "Now, you no longer doubt my identity, do you?"

……

(End of this chapter)