Ming Dynasty: Pick up attributes from the battlefield to create the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 131 Zhu Yuanzhang recalls Zhu Xiongying and his sister in the past!

"Dragon Gate Formation."

See what is opened from this level of treasure chest.

There was a hint of surprise and emotion in Zhu Ying's voice.

"A battle formation from the Sui and Tang dynasties?"

"This formation has been lost for a long time. I didn't expect that I could actually get it out of the treasure chest. When I face the enemy in the future, this formation will surely play a big role." Zhu Ying said with a smile.

Looking at what came out of the three treasure chests, Zhu Ying was very satisfied.

Today is indeed an auspicious day!
The items opened from these three treasure chests are worth far more than those from the usual seven or eight treasure chests.

"Now, all we need to do is practice hard, recuperate and train our troops."

Zhu Ying thought to himself: "Just wait for the emperor to continue his military campaign against the Northern Yuan."

Two days passed in a flash.

Inside the Zhu Mansion, in the lobby!

Outside the lobby, the spacious courtyard is paved with neatly arranged bluestones, which emit a faint cold light in the sunlight.

Throughout the palace, except for a few servants in charge of guarding the gate, Zhu Ying's seven hundred personal guards gathered neatly, some sitting in the lobby, and some scattered throughout the courtyard.

The servants in the mansion walked hurriedly, holding wine jugs and trays full of food steadily in their hands, shuttling among the crowd, a busy scene.

"Brothers."

Zhu Ying stood in front of the hall and said in a loud voice, "Today is New Year's Eve. Due to our duties, we are unable to return home."

"But at this moment, this Zhu Mansion is the home of all of you brothers."

"I am here to offer a bowl to all my brothers!"

After saying that, Zhu Ying raised the wine bowl in his hand high, with a sincere smile on his face.

"Here's to the general!"

All the guards shouted in unison and raised their wine bowls in unison.

"Haha." Zhu Ying laughed heartily: "It's New Year's Eve in China, and today is about to be the New Year."

"Brothers, don't be restrained, drink to your heart's content, there's plenty of wine and meat!"

After saying this, Zhu Ying laughed and sat down steadily.

For a moment, the entire Zhu Mansion was bustling with activity.

The sounds of laughter and clinking glasses were intertwined as the whole house celebrated the end of the year together, and the coldness of winter was somewhat dispelled.

This warm and lively atmosphere is especially special for Zhu Ying, Lin Fu and Shen Yuer.

In Daning Prefecture, far away from their hometown, they truly felt the peace and warmth of home at this moment.

As time slowly passes, the last moment of New Year's Eve quietly approaches, and the New Year is about to come.

Throughout Daning City, many wealthy families purchased gorgeous fireworks early.

When this moment arrives precisely!
"Boom, boom, boom!"

Fireworks shot like arrows from a bow, whistling straight into the dark sky.

They suddenly bloomed high in the sky, and the colorful fireworks instantly illuminated the dark night sky, making the sky look like a dream.

This is also a kind of enjoyment of this era.

"Yu'er." Zhu Ying raised his head, the halo of fireworks shining on his face. He gently hugged Shen Yu'er and said in a gentle voice: "From now on, this will be our real home."

Shen Yu'er raised her head slightly, her eyes full of tenderness, and said softly: "I will always be with my husband."

The two stood leaning against each other, their figures stretched very long under the illumination of the fireworks, which was particularly warm.

Yingtian Prefecture, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, Yingtian.

Inside Wenyuan Pavilion!

Zhu Yuanzhang, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, sat in the main seat, while Zhu Biao, wearing gorgeous clothes, sat on the left side.

Below, many princes who had not yet been enfeoffed were dressed in brocade clothes, and unmarried princesses wore pearls and jade on their heads, all gathered in the hall.

"My son, I pay my respects to my father."

"Your humble servant greets you, elder brother."

As the banquet began, more than a dozen princes and princesses in the hall stood up and knelt in unison, their movements skillful and respectful, and bowed deeply to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao.

Their voices were clear and in unison, echoing throughout the hall.

"Haha."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily, and the wrinkles on his face were smoothed out by this smile: "Today is a family dinner, no need for formalities, everyone stand up."

"Thank you, Father!"

The princes and princesses in the hall shouted in unison, their voices full of vitality, then slowly stood up and took their seats.

"My brothers and sisters."

Zhu Biao stood up, a gentle smile on his face. His eyes swept over each of the princes and princesses, filled with the kindness of a brother. "Today is New Year's Eve. We are about to officially enter the 21st year of the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and also the 21st year of the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Today's family dinner is to share family time with my father. There is no need to be formal."

"Thank you, big brother!"

Everyone bowed again and saluted Zhu Biao respectfully.

"Okay." Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, with a smile on his face, and waved his hand, saying, "It's time, let's start the banquet."

Then, Yun Qi, who was serving beside him, shouted in a sharp and clear voice: "The banquet is about to begin!"

At a command, dozens of palace maids in uniform palace costumes entered one after another with light and orderly steps.

They were holding all kinds of exquisite palace delicacies in their hands, and the aroma of the dishes instantly filled the entire hall.

At the same time, there were palace maids holding the fine wine carefully brewed in the palace.

"Fire the salute!" Yun Qi shouted loudly outside the hall again.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of cannons rang out, deafening.

At the same time, gorgeous fireworks exploded above the Yingtian Palace, and the colorful light made the glazed tiles of the palace particularly brilliant.

The Ming Empire, the Han Dynasty's world, is now immersed in celebration.

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced around the hall calmly.

Many of the princes had grown up and started families, but Zhu Biao was the only one who had no one by his side.

After all, according to etiquette, concubines are not allowed to enter family banquets.

Even though Lu was full of desire, her status was ultimately difficult to correct.

Today's Zhu Yuanzhang would not rashly disregard the etiquette and make Lu the legitimate heir.

Because if this happens, it will cause an uproar in the court. The Huaixi Group will not agree, and many people who uphold etiquette and law will not agree.

Furthermore, this matter was Zhu Biao's family affair, and as a father, it was not convenient for him to interfere too much.

But in the original historical trajectory, the reason why Zhu Yuanzhang made Lu the legitimate heir was entirely because Zhu Biao died of illness.

Later, he was determined to make Zhu Biao's descendants the crown prince, so he had to do the "absurd thing" of supporting his concubine as his principal wife.

"Biao'er." Zhu Yuanzhang asked softly with a gentle expression, "Why don't you bring Yunhuan and his three siblings here?"

There was some kindness and concern in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes.

In front of Zhu Biao, Zhu Yuanzhang was not too concerned about Zhu Yunwen. He was still thinking about his legitimate grandchildren. After all, today's family dinner was a time for the whole family to reunite. Although Zhu Yuanzhang felt a slight pain in his heart because of the misfortune of his grandchildren, he could not hide his longing for them at this moment.

"Father," Zhu Biao replied with a smile, "Yun Hun and the others don't want to enter the palace. They feel more comfortable in the Eastern Palace, where there are fewer restrictions."

"So they are currently enjoying a family dinner in the East Palace. After the dinner is over, my son will go back to visit them."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

He slowly turned his head, looked left and right, and then his gaze fell on the empty seat next to Zhu Biao.

Once upon a time, it was this same hall.

At that time, the hall was filled with constant laughter and every corner was filled with warmth, making Zhu Yuanzhang truly feel the warmth of home.

His thoughts drifted away, and scenes from the past emerged before Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes like a tide.

It was the same hall, and it was also New Year’s Eve dinner time.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat steadily in his current position, and there was no one empty beside him.

A woman dressed in gorgeous palace clothes, graceful and elegant, with a kind and gentle face, was sitting quietly beside him. This person was Empress Ma.

On the left, Zhu Biao sat on one side, and next to him sat a stunning young woman in exquisite palace dress, who was the Crown Princess Chang.

A chubby little boy of a few years old was sitting obediently between Zhu Biao and Chang. He was the eldest grandson of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Xiongying.

At that time, the banquet had not yet started, but Zhu Xiongying could no longer hold back and reached out to grab the food on the table and started eating.

"Xiongying, the banquet hasn't started yet." Zhu Biao frowned slightly, put on a stern face, and gently scolded his son who had already started eating.

however.

Zhu Xiongying was not afraid at all. He turned around and ran towards his grandmother, Empress Ma, like a nimble little monkey.

"Grandma." Zhu Xiongying threw herself into Empress Ma's arms, hugged her tightly, and said in a coquettish voice, "My father is being mean to me again."

Empress Ma looked at Zhu Xiongying in her arms with a doting look on her face. She turned her head, glared at Zhu Biao, and said, "What are you yelling for? My grandson is hungry. Why can't he eat something? Today is a family dinner. Stop talking about those rules and regulations."

After that, she lowered her head, her eyes gentle as water, picked up a piece of exquisite pastry, handed it to Zhu Xiongying, and said softly: "Xiongying, it's okay, eat if you want, eat as much as you want, don't be like your father, who has a stern face all day long."

"Yeah, yeah." Zhu Xiongying nodded obediently, hugged Empress Ma tightly, and said, "Grandma, my father always bullies me because he's my father. Only grandma is the best."

"What's the matter?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked in a feigned dissatisfaction, his eyes fixed on Zhu Xiongying, full of expectation: "Is our old man treating you badly?"

Zhu Xiongying tilted his head, rolled his eyes around, pretending to be thinking seriously.

After a moment, he said with a hint of adult commentary: "Better than my father, but not as good as grandma."

"Hahaha." Zhu Yuanzhang threw his head back and laughed loudly. His laughter was hearty and resounding, his face full of joy and kindness. "You little bastard."

He looked at Zhu Xiongying as if she was the most precious treasure in the world.

"Father, Mother." Zhu Biao shook his head helplessly and said with a wry smile, "Stop pampering this brat."

"This kid doesn't learn from his mistakes. He always brings his uncles to make trouble. It makes me so angry."

Upon hearing this, several princes in the palace who usually got along well with Zhu Xiongying immediately shrank their necks unconsciously.

Some of them were older than Zhu Xiongying, and some were slightly younger than Zhu Xiongying. At this moment, they all looked like children who had done something wrong.

"Biao'er, I have to talk to you about this."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked very proud, his tone full of praise and doting on Zhu Xiongying: "Although our Xiongying is a little naughty, he is so smart!"

"He completed all the courses with flying colors, and was proficient in archery and horseback riding. Every teacher praised him highly, saying that our eldest grandson was a genius."

Zhu Xiongying was his eldest grandson, and he was smart and clever, with outstanding literary and martial arts. How could Zhu Yuanzhang not be satisfied with him and how could he not spoil him?

"Father." Zhu Biao sighed helplessly, "You..."

He really had no way to deal with his parents' favoritism and indulgence towards their son.

Zhu Xiongying, on the other hand, smiled smugly. He turned to look at the uncles in the hall with whom he usually played well, waved his hand, and said, "Fourth Uncle, would you like a piece of cake? Twelfth Uncle, Seventeenth Uncle, tomorrow is a day off. Let's go horseback riding together."

But these uncles just looked helpless, lowered their heads, and didn't dare to respond at all.

Zhu Di, Zhu Bo, and Zhu Quan groaned inwardly, thinking to themselves, "My ancestors, the emperor is here. Do you think we are the same as you? The emperor is very strict with us. Who dares to offend him?"

"Grandma." Zhu Xiongying looked at Empress Ma obediently again, eyes wide open: "Let's go set off fireworks together later, okay? After we finish setting them off! I want to sleep with Grandma tonight."

"I'm talking to Xiongying." Zhu Yuanzhang deliberately glared and pretended to be angry, "What should we do if your grandma sleeps with you? She's our sister."

"This is my grandma." Zhu Xiongying hugged Queen Ma tightly with a proud look on his face, as if he was declaring his sovereignty.

"I don't care. You sleep alone tonight." Zhu Yuanzhang deliberately said, "New Year's Eve, then I must spend it with my sister."

When Empress Ma heard this, her cheeks flushed slightly. She glared at Zhu Yuanzhang, reached out and pinched him hard, and lowered her voice to scold him: "Zhu Chongba, the children are here, you better pay attention."

"Ouch." Zhu Yuanzhang muttered in pain, "Sister, there are so many children here, please give me some face."

Look at him, he's a complete henpecked man.

The Zhu family, starting from Zhu Yuanzhang, are all people who value love.

"Hehe." Zhu Xiongying smiled proudly, his eyes narrowed into slits.

Zhu Biao and his wife on the side lowered their heads and couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh.

The other princes and princesses in the hall could only suppress their laughter and dared not make a sound.

……

Scenes from the past kept appearing in Zhu Yuanzhang's mind like a kaleidoscope.

Zhu Yuanzhang regained consciousness and looked at the hall before him. The tables were still filled with delicious food, and the princes and princesses were all present, but everything had changed.

Today, every one of these princes and princesses trembles in front of him, fearing him like a tiger and not daring to speak out.

It was called a New Year's Eve family dinner, but the atmosphere lacked the warmth and joy that a real family dinner should have.

"Alas." At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang had thousands of words in his heart, but they all turned into a heavy sigh.

Today's palace and today's family banquets have completely lost the strong sense of family affection of the past.

Perhaps Zhu Biao felt the same way. The beauty he once possessed is now gone, and being in the same place, the contrast between the past and the present is particularly striking.

This formal family dinner ended quickly.

Many princes and princesses dispersed one after another. For them, this family dinner might not be what they really wanted in their hearts.

"Biao'er." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao, who was the only one left in the hall, and asked gently, "Aren't you going back?"

"Dad." Zhu Biao smiled, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes: "After the family dinner, shouldn't we go to worship Mom? It's like this every year."

"Yes." Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, his face full of sorrow: "To pay tribute to your mother and Xiongying."

After saying this, he slowly turned around and walked towards the former Kunning Palace with heavy steps.

Zhu Biao followed silently behind without saying a word. The figures of the father and son were stretched very long in the dim palace road.

Outside Kunning Palace!

Zhu Yuanzhang stood quietly outside the palace, his expression complicated and difficult to discern.

"Every time I come to this place, I miss it but I'm also afraid," Zhu Yuanzhang said slowly, his voice low and hoarse. "Many times, I've stood at the gate of this palace, but I didn't dare to go in."

"Dad." Zhu Biao stepped forward and comforted him softly, "Everything is over now."

However, there was also a sadness that was difficult to conceal in his eyes.

……

(End of this chapter)