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

Chapter 185 Inside the Palace! Shen Yu'er's Anxiety! Zhu Xi is Very Curious!

Hear this.

Shen Yu'er didn't dare to delay at all.

He quickly walked out of the mansion.

Lin Fu naturally followed closely behind.

Now that Zhu Ying is not at home, although Shen Yu'er is opinionated, she still needs to discuss many things with Lin Fu. The fact that the Imperial Guards have come this time means it is definitely a big deal.

Not a moment.

outside the house.

into the eye.

An old eunuch stood waiting in front of the mansion gate with a warm smile, surrounded by imperial guards.

When I saw this old eunuch.

Shen Yu'er was startled. She immediately recognized the old eunuch in front of her as the chief eunuch who had come to deliver the imperial edict that day.

"Eunuch Yun."

"I wonder what important matter you have to discuss?"

Shen Yu'er walked over quickly and asked nervously.

"Madam Zhu, please don't worry. This old servant is here on the Emperor's orders to invite you and your son to the palace for a chat," Yun Qi said with a smile.

"To have a chat in the palace?" Shen Yu'er was even more apprehensive.

After all, I've been in Yingtian for so long, why am I suddenly being invited to the palace?
Although she had already met the Crown Prince, Shen Yu'er still felt an indescribable awe towards the legendary Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

After all, there were rumors circulating among the common people about the emperor and his son, the crown prince.

Some say that the current emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, is as majestic as the heavens and extremely fierce; others say that Zhu Yuanzhang is capricious and will kill people at any time.

However, for ordinary people, many of Zhu Yuanzhang's stories were positive, because he came from a poor background and had a strong empathy for the common people. He hated corrupt officials and profit-driven merchants the most.

In short.

There are countless rumors about Zhu Yuanzhang, but one thing is certain: this emperor did not have a good temper.

"Madam Zhu, don't be afraid."

"This summons from the Emperor is a good thing."

"The Marquis of Champion has once again distinguished himself in the northern frontier, capturing the capital of the Northern Yuan and winning countless victories."

"Since the Marquis of Champion has not returned this time, the Emperor, as a reward, specially summoned Lady Zhu and her son to the palace for an audience and hosted a banquet for them."

"And His Highness the Crown Prince is also here," Yun Qi said with a smile, having naturally noticed Shen Yu'er's worry.

Hear this.

Shen Yu'er was slightly relieved.

Hearing that His Highness the Crown Prince was there made them even more reassured.

Although she had only met Zhu Biao once, her first impression of him was that he was very gentle and approachable. With him around, nothing bad should happen.

"May I ask, Your Excellency, when will my wife and son enter the palace?" Shen Yu'er asked respectfully, not daring to overstep her bounds.

"His Majesty specifically instructed that I should simply accompany this old servant into the palace," Yun Qi said with a smile.

"Does this lady need to prepare anything?" Shen Yu'er asked immediately.

But then I came to my senses.

Shen Yu'er immediately looked at Lin Fu: "Uncle Lin, quickly go and bring a case of the finest wine in the manor. You can't go to see the Emperor empty-handed."

"Yes, young mistress." Lin Fu nodded immediately, then told the guards to move it.

See this.

Yunqi did not try to stop him.

"Father-in-law."

"This humble woman will go and take care of my son," Shen Yu'er said respectfully.

Then he turned around and went into the mansion to hug Zhu Xi.

Not a moment.

Shen Yu'er then carried Zhu Xi out, and Lin Fu had also prepared a case of wine and liquor.

The moment Yun Qi's gaze fell on Zhu Xi's face.

"This……"

Yun Qi's eyes narrowed, and his pupils involuntarily dilated.

He was clearly taken aback.

As an elder in the palace, having served Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma for a long time, how could he not know Zhu Xiong Ying?

Looking at Zhu Xi in front of him.

His appearance was indeed remarkably similar to that of Zhu Xiong Ying in the past; if not ten parts, then at least seven or eight parts were similar, as if they were carved from the same mold.

"Father-in-law."

"Shall we leave now?" Shen Yu'er asked gently, looking at Yun Qi who seemed a bit dazed.

This sound.

This brought Yun Qi back to his senses, and he immediately nodded: "Please, Madam Zhu, get into the carriage."

aside.

A member of the Imperial Guard immediately placed a step on the carriage and drew back the curtain.

Shen Yu'er carried Zhu Xi and boarded the carriage.

Yun Qi, however, seemed somewhat bewildered.

"so similar."

"They look exactly alike."

"This world is truly full of wonders."

"There are two people in the world who look so alike."

"If I hadn't seen the eldest grandson of the emperor with my own eyes... sigh, I'm afraid I would have thought it was the eldest grandson of the emperor when he was a child." Yun Qi thought to himself.

Looking at the carriage in front of him.

Yun Qi felt a renewed sense of worry: "I hope the Emperor won't be saddened if he sees this little fellow."

now.

Yunqi couldn't help but overthink it.

But he quickly came to his senses.

He immediately turned around and got into the carriage, naturally escorted by himself.

They were protected by the Imperial Guard.

The journey was naturally smooth and unimpeded.

However, the Shen family, who had been closely monitoring the Zhu family, naturally received the news immediately.

"master."

"Our informant outside the Zhu residence just received the news."

"Shen Yu'er has been taken to the palace."

"Moreover...we also received a message from the imperial court."

"The Yuan capital has been captured by the Northern Expeditionary Army. From then on, the Northern Yuan Dynasty was no more and once again became a nomadic country."

"It is said...it is said that the general who captured Yuan capital was Zhu Ying."

Steward Shen entered the inner hall and reported to Shen Wansan with a grim expression.

The words fell.

Shen Wansan's old face looked extremely ugly.

Every time Zhu Ying made a contribution and stood out, it naturally made him uneasy.

"Ugh."

Shen Wansan sighed: "Shen Yu'er, have you still rejected the Shen family's offer of goodwill?"

"master."

“We have tried many times, sending gifts to their door multiple times, but as soon as the people from the Zhu family hear that it is my Shen family, they immediately beat us with sticks.”

“Shen Yu’er clearly doesn’t want to have any connection with my Shen family anymore.”

"Nowadays... because of Zhu Ying, the Zhu family is a rising star in the court. Many people even know about the connection between the Zhu family and my Shen family. In order to curry favor with the Zhu family, many people have severed their ties with my Shen family."

"Now... this old servant doesn't know what to do either," Steward Shen said with a bitter smile.

In this regard.

Shen Wansan also looked regretful, and even more so, resentful of being suppressed multiple times.

"Zhu Ying, Shen Yu'er."

"We should have just gone all the way from the beginning."

“If we had gone to extremes, things wouldn’t be like this today,” Shen Wansan said coldly.

Realizing that he could not ease tensions with the Zhu family, Shen Wansan regretted not having taken drastic measures earlier.

"How's business in Beiping?" Shen Wansan asked.

"The situation is very bad. For nearly a year, all of my trade routes in Beiping have been cut off. Now, my Shen family's businesses in Beiping are all losing money. Cloth, jade, tea, and everything else are being targeted."

"Moreover...even if we use other families to transport goods, those bandits seem to have received intelligence in advance and are always able to deal with us precisely."

"The trade routes to Beiping have been completely cut off."

"Moreover...moreover, the government has no way to deal with this band of mountain bandits; they can't stop them at all," Steward Shen said with a wry smile.

"If the trade routes to Beiping are blocked, then let's give up," Shen Wansan said through gritted teeth, filled with resentment.

"master."

"Should we make a big fuss about this, preferably even to the point of involving the imperial court?"

"If the Emperor were to learn that such rampant bandits exist within the borders of the Ming Dynasty, he would surely be furious," Steward Shen suggested.

"But this move might offend the Prince of Yan?"

“After all, Beiping Prefecture is his vassal state.” Shen Wansan hesitated. “Now that you, sir, are already considering giving up the business in Beiping Prefecture, what difference will it make if we offend the Prince of Yan?”

"Again."

“Now, the most profitable liquor business of my Shen family in Beiping Prefecture has been taken over by a restaurant that suddenly appeared, as well as the Zhu family’s restaurant. If there is no Prince Yan behind this, this old servant will definitely not believe it.”

"That's it."

"It's better to go all the way."

"As long as the imperial court knows about these bandits, and we can use the court's power to wipe them out, we can make Zhu Ying suffer a great loss," Steward Shen said coldly.

Hear this.

Shen Wansan looked thoughtful.

finally.

nodded.

"You're right."

"Since business in Beiping Prefecture is no longer viable."

"Then let's go all the way."

"Why not just report this to the imperial court? Isn't Zhu Ying using these bandits to target my Shen family?"

“Then I’ll make sure his entire band of bandits dies,” Shen Wansan said coldly.

"Master is wise," Butler Shen said immediately.

"and……"

Shen Wansan gave a cold smile and then said, "Send people to spread the word in Yingtian Prefecture that the wife of the Marquis of Champion, Shen Yu'er, is disrespectful to her father and relatives."

"master."

"This move may damage the Zhu family's reputation to some extent, but it doesn't seem to mean anything else."

"And it will completely offend the Zhu family."

"Furthermore... if we investigate Shen Yu'er thoroughly, she is not a member of the Shen family at all." Butler Shen hesitated.

In his opinion.

If we continue to offend the Zhu family and Zhu Ying, the outcome will definitely be unfavorable.

"Even if she's not a member of the Shen family, she still grew up in the Shen family."

"In China, filial piety and righteousness come first."

"I want to ruin Shen Yu'er's reputation."

"As for whether it will be effective, we'll see."

"Since we're already locked in a life-or-death struggle, even if it doesn't work, I'll still make them suffer," Shen Wansan said coldly, his voice filled with hatred.

In his opinion.

He had already made concessions many times, but Zhu Ying and Shen Yu'er refused to accept them, which naturally made him dissatisfied.

in this way.

Then let's fight to the bitter end!
Although the Shen family had been merchants for many years, they had no dirt on them. Even if Zhu Ying was an official, under the framework of the Ming Dynasty's laws, he had no way to deal with him.

"Where will the business in Beiping Prefecture be moved to after it is abandoned?" Butler Shen asked.

"Datong Prefecture or Anding Prefecture are both fine."

"Let's gradually shift our focus," Shen Wansan sighed.

……

The Imperial Palace!

Although the Eastern Palace is located within the imperial palace, it has not been explored in depth.

And today.

Riding in a carriage, enjoying a privilege that even ordinary ministers could not receive, the carriage entered the palace and arrived at the Wenyuan Pavilion.

This was also where Zhu Yuanzhang routinely processed memorials.

quickly!

The carriage stopped.

"Madam Zhu, we have arrived."

Yun Qi said with a smile.

He then got off the carriage and pulled back the curtain.

With a sense of trepidation, Shen Yu'er led Zhu Xi down from the carriage.

Zhu Xi, however, was not afraid of this situation at all.

The little head looked around curiously.

"mother."

"This place is huge."

"There are still many soldiers."

Zhu Xi's big eyes widened, and she spoke in a childish yet curious voice.

"Xi'er, this is the palace, the place of the most powerful person in the world. You can't speak carelessly. You're not allowed to open your mouth without your mother's permission," Shen Yu'er said, staring at Zhu Xi very seriously.

Seeing his mother's serious expression, Zhu Xi nodded, though somewhat reluctantly.

"emperor."

"This old servant has brought Madam Zhu and her son."

Yun Qi stood outside the main hall and respectfully addressed the people inside.

"come in."

Zhu Yuanzhang's aged yet authoritative voice echoed from inside the hall.

"Madam Zhu, please come in."

Yun Qi turned his head and smiled slightly.

"call."

Shen Yu'er calmed herself down, but she was still feeling incredibly nervous.

He held Zhu Xi's small hand tightly and slowly walked into the main hall in front of him.

They entered the main hall.

What greets you is an indescribable sense of awe and solemnity.

It seems that Zhu Yuanzhang's presence also brought a sense of silent authority.

Where the emperor is, there lies the might of Heaven.

How could Shen Yu'er not be nervous!
We finally entered the main hall.

Shen Yu'er glanced at it out of the corner of her eye.

Inside the main hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright on the dragon throne, reviewing documents at his desk, while Zhu Biao stood by, helping to watch over the documents and raising his own objections.

When Shen Yu'er walked in.

"Your Majesty, I, your humble wife, and my son pay our respects."

Shen Yu'er said in a slightly trembling voice, and bowed.

Because they held an imperial decree, they did not need to kneel.

Zhu Xi looked on curiously and followed suit with the bow, but when he raised his head to look, Shen Yu'er pressed his head down.

Shen Yu'er is now afraid that her son will displease the emperor.

after all.

The rumors are somewhat based on preconceived notions.

In Shen Yu'er's heart, Zhu Yuanzhang was also the kind of emperor who was capricious and unpredictable.

She was naturally afraid.

Meanwhile, Zhu Biao wore a warm smile.

Hear the sound!

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly raised his head, a smile appearing on his dignified old face, though he still exuded an indescribable sense of oppression.

"No need for formalities, rise." Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Shen Yu'er immediately thanked him and slowly stood up straight, but still kept her head down.

Even Zhu Xi's head was pressed down by Shen Yu'er, for fear that the little guy would offend the emperor. After all, children can't care about so much, and looking directly at the emperor is disrespectful.

Shen Yu'er was naturally very clear about these rules.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Shen Yu'er with a hint of curiosity.

Looking at her appearance, she is indeed outstanding, and her temperament is also quite good.

"good."

"Zhu Ying has found a good wife," Zhu Yuanzhang praised with a smile.

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty."

Shen Yu'er replied immediately, speaking nervously and daring not to be disrespectful.

But this time!
Zhu Xi, whose head had been pressed down by her mother, finally couldn't take it anymore and said somewhat angrily, "Mother, you're pressing down on my head and it hurts so much."

That clear, childlike voice immediately drew Zhu Yuanzhang's attention to Zhu Xi.

"Be honest with me."

"This is the royal palace."

Shen Yu'er lowered her voice.

……

　P.S.: An old woman in the village, my childhood friend's grandmother, updated 4,000 words today.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)