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

Chapter 237 Lan Yu's Visit? Zhu Ying's Wariness
Upon hearing Zhu Yunwen's words...

Lan Yu also looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Although we had fought together, we eventually had a falling out over some trivial matters."

"My relationship with Zhu Ying isn't very good," Lan Yu replied helplessly.

"Grandpa."

“Although my elder brother has lost his memory, I think he is very polite. Even Father has praised him a lot, saying that Brother Zhu Ying knows how to behave and should not be an unpleasant person to get along with.” Zhu Yunwen was even more puzzled.

And to this.

Lan Yu didn't know how to answer.

Could it be that I am the one who is difficult to get along with?

That's too embarrassing.

but.

Lan Yu quickly came to her senses.

"I will try to ease tensions with Zhu Ying. Once the jade pendant is finished, I will visit him at his residence," Lan Yu said after thinking for a moment.

"Grandpa."

"It all depends on you," Zhu Yunwen said earnestly.

……

The Zhu family mansion!

backyard.

Zhu Ying's personal guards guarded all the passages leading to the backyard, and the servants of the mansion had no chance to get close. If they did, they would be beaten or scolded at best, and sold off at worst, since the servants in the mansion were all slaves and could be resold.

Zhu Ying, after all, had a loyalty panel, and the servants in his mansion could also see the loyalty value. The Imperial Guards planted among them seemed to be well hidden, but in reality, Zhu Ying knew everything about them.

Zhu Ying could only tolerate these Imperial Guards living in the outer palace. If they entered the inner palace, they would die if they saw anything they shouldn't have.

Even though the Embroidered Uniform Guard was directly under Zhu Yuanzhang's control, and even though all the officials in the court and the people of the country knew of its existence, it was a secret that everyone knew but could not be revealed. Even if he had unintentionally killed a few servants, Zhu Yuanzhang could not say anything without evidence, otherwise he would be disheartened.

"Lord."

"After these days of digging, the Black Guard's craftsmen have successfully dug down several feet. I believe that in just a year or two, a huge secret passage and chamber will be formed beneath the mansion," Liu Lei respectfully reported to Zhu Ying.

"Once the excavation is completed, we'll mobilize more craftsmen."

"It must be Blackguard craftsmen; speed up the construction."

"As for the soil, just have someone give it to Uncle Lin. He knows how to handle it," Zhu Ying said in a deep voice.

"Your subordinate obeys," Liu Lei replied respectfully.

And this time!
"Lord."

"Outside the mansion, Duke Lan Yu of Liang requests an audience."

Xiao Han entered the hall and respectfully reported.

Listen to this.

Zhu Ying looked up in surprise at Xiao Han: "Who did you say is requesting an audience?"

Upon hearing the name Lan Yu, Zhu Yingdu thought he had misheard.

Within Yingtian City, anyone might come to see him, but the Huaixi faction led by Lan Yu would absolutely never come to see him.

"Lord."

"It's Lan Yu. He's waiting outside the mansion and brought some gifts with him."

“They said they wanted to apologize to the Lord,” Xiao Han replied immediately.

"Lord."

"Has Lan Yu gone mad?"

"He came to apologize?"

"This is definitely a case of a weasel paying respects to a chicken; they're up to no good," Liu Lei couldn't help but say.

Liu Lei was well aware of the feud between his lord and Lan Yu. After all, he was one of the earliest followers of Zhu Ying, and he knew perfectly well how Lan Yu and the Huaixi people had targeted his lord.

So when his lord sealed the wolf's lair, it was Liu Lei who personally volunteered to provoke Lan Yu, and Lan Yu's expression was extremely unpleasant at that time.

"Go tell Lan Yu."

"I'm not feeling well," Zhu Ying said directly to Xiao Han.

Zhu Ying didn't believe Lan Yu's visit, or even his apology; he was absolutely certain the guy had nothing good in mind.

Zhu Yingdu couldn't be bothered to see him.

After all, he could take whatever tricks Lan Yu had up his sleeve, and he was too lazy to waste time with him. If they met and Lan Yu actually did something, Zhu Ying was afraid he would beat him to death.

"Yes."

Xiao Han immediately bowed deeply and quickly retreated.

"My lord, there is one more thing to report."

"As ordered by the Lord, the Black Guards have found strongholds in three locations in Yingtian Prefecture. Just like in Daning Prefecture, they are selecting people from among beggars, refugees, and children who cannot survive."

"The recruitment of craftsmen is also continuing, all of them are recruited as suicide soldiers. Once recruited, they are given enough gold and silver to buy out their contracts and are not allowed to return home," Liu Lei then reported.

"You'll be in charge of liaising with the Black Guard. As always, keep everything secret and proceed with extreme caution."

"As for those craftsmen, whether they are carpenters or other skilled craftsmen, as long as they have a skill, I will take them all."

"For now, we'll house them at the Black Guard's temporary base. Once the secret passages and chambers under the manor are completed, we'll move them here. I'll feel much more at ease with them under my watchful eye," Zhu Ying said in a deep voice.

Recruiting Blackguards!

It means developing one's own strength and preparing for the future.

Serving as a subject was not what Zhu Ying desired.

The world is vast, and the path to imperial dominance is within reach.

As for recruiting artisans, it involves bringing the blueprints he has obtained to life. Whether it's flintlock guns, glass, or refined salt, these all require artisans to carry out, which Zhu Ying naturally values ​​highly.

"Understood, sir." Liu Lei immediately accepted the order.

And this moment.

Outside the mansion.

Lan Yu stood outside, his hands behind his back, waiting.

Perhaps the only place in the entire city of Yingtian that would make a Duke like him wait outside like this is Zhu Ying's residence.

Behind Lan Yu were even several boxes of gifts, seemingly indicating that she had come with genuine sincerity.

This time!

Xiao Han strode out of the mansion.

"Duke Liang."

“My lord is unwell today and is not fit to receive guests. Please forgive him, Duke Liang.”

Xiao Han clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Lan Yu.

After hearing this.

In the past, Lan Yu would have felt extremely humiliated, and might even have lost his temper on the spot, since that was just his nature.

But now that he realized Zhu Yingyou was very likely his great-nephew, Lan Yu had no temper at all. Instead, he said with a smile, "Then please inform the Marquis of Champion that since he is not feeling well, he should take good care of himself. I will come to visit him again in a couple of days."

"However, I will not take these gifts with me this time. Please pass them on to the Marquis of Champion. They are also a token of apology from my time in Liaodong and the Northern Frontier."

talking.

Lan Yu waved his hand, turned around and left, getting into the carriage.

The guards carrying the gifts immediately put down the boxes and escorted Lan Yu's carriage away.

See this scene.

Xiao Han didn't even have time to call out to stop him, but his face also showed a strange expression.

"Has Lan Yu really gone mad?" Xiao Han asked, equally surprised and puzzled.

However, under these circumstances, Xiao Han did not dare to accept the gifts on his own. He immediately walked up to the boxes, opened them, took a look to see what was inside, and then turned back.

"Lord."

"When Lan Yu heard that the master was unwell, he left immediately, saying he would come to visit again in two days." "However, he left all the gifts he brought behind, simply dropping off the boxes and leaving."

"This subordinate does not know how to handle this," Xiao Han said respectfully.

Zhu Ying was slightly surprised to hear Xiao Han's words.

Lan Yu's performance this time is truly unlike his previous one.

"What did he send?" Zhu Ying asked after a moment of thought.

"Some gold, silver and jade artifacts."

“We also have some high-quality armor,” Xiao Han replied immediately.

"This blue jade is quite interesting."

"They've actually started sending me gifts." Zhu Ying chuckled lightly, genuinely unsure of Lan Yu's intentions at this moment.

"Lord."

"Should we send these gifts back directly, or what?" Xiao Han asked respectfully.

"Don't refuse something that's offered to you."

"Put them all away," Zhu Ying said with a faint smile.

He was that kind of person anyway. He didn't know Lan Yu's intentions, but what was offered was real money. Although he was rich, even a small amount was still money. He wouldn't do anything after accepting the gift anyway. Moreover, Zhu Ying was curious about what Lan Yu wanted to do, so he accepted it for now and would see what tricks he was up to next time he met him.

After all, Zhu Ying possesses absolute strength, so there's really no need for him to be afraid of Lan Yu.

Simple curiosity.

"Has the Shen family been behaving themselves lately?" Zhu Ying asked Liu Lei.

“My lord, they are very honest.”

"They've even kept a very low profile," Liu Lei sneered.

"His son's head was practically handed over to him, yet that old bastard Shen Wansan can still keep his cool. He really knows how to endure." Zhu Ying also sneered.

For the Shen family.

Zhu Ying naturally wanted to find a way to deal with the situation. He wouldn't be at ease until the Shen family was destroyed, since the Shen family and that old man Shen Wansan were trying to kill him. He was lucky to have survived and even got some good fortune, otherwise he would have really been killed by the Shen family.

After that, he even wanted to kill Shen Yu'er and his own Uncle Lin.

With each and every one of these incidents, Zhu Ying was destined not to let the Shen family off the hook.

“After all, our lord is now the most prestigious general in the Ming Dynasty. The Shen family are just lowly merchants. How dare they fight against our lord?” Liu Lei said with a smile.

"Spread the word."

"The Shen family has a grudge against me. Also, let the Black Guard of Daning Prefecture continue to expand into other prefectures. I'll give you whatever money they ask for, regardless of the number of soldiers, as long as they are elite," Zhu Ying said in a deep voice.

They plundered the treasury of the Northern Yuan royal court.

In addition to the previous ventures by Naha, Zhu Ying also owns his own wineries and restaurants, making huge profits. He is truly not short of money now.

Money should naturally be used well and transformed into one's own strength.

This is why Zhu Ying is still in the Ming Dynasty today.

They used the manpower and resources of the Ming Dynasty to strengthen themselves.

"I will arrange for someone to relay the order immediately," Liu Lei replied promptly.

"Zhu Di, has any news come back from Beiping Prefecture?" Zhu Ying asked, snapping out of his reverie.

It has been some time since I returned to Yingtian.

I told Zhu Di that the Black Guards were causing trouble in Beiping Prefecture, and he should have reacted accordingly.

"Lord."

“The Black Guards strictly follow the Lord’s orders, but Beiping Prefecture is far from Yingtian, so it will probably take some time before news comes back,” Liu Lei replied immediately.

"Keep a close eye on it," Zhu Ying said in a deep voice.

Zhu Ying was naturally confident in the Black Guard's strength.

"Master."

This time!

Lin Fu's voice came from outside the hall.

"Uncle Lin, come in."

Upon hearing Lin Fu's voice, Zhu Ying immediately responded.

Lin Fu immediately walked in. Although he was the young master's closest person, Lin Fu still followed etiquette very well and never overstepped his bounds.

"Uncle Lin, is there something you need?"

Upon seeing Lin Fu arrive, Zhu Ying immediately asked with a smile.

"New Year's Eve is just a few days away, and the New Year festival is just around the corner."

"Should we prepare anything to celebrate the New Year?" Lin Fu asked with a smile.

"Of course." Zhu Ying nodded with a smile, then said, "Now that we have 1,500 guards in our manor, we should celebrate together. We must prepare enough wine and meat, as well as firecrackers. Of course, we must also prepare enough rewards."

"Prepare plenty of cash. On New Year's Eve, I want to celebrate with my brothers. They have followed me through thick and thin, and now none of them have been home for the New Year. I must encourage them," Zhu Ying immediately instructed.

"Young Master, how much cash should we prepare?" Lin Fu asked tentatively.

After all, 1,500 personal guards is quite a large number.

If sufficient cash were to be granted, it would be quite a lot.

"At least twenty taels of silver per person."

"Small flag officers, centurions, deputy commanders, and so on, increasing exponentially." Zhu Ying did not hesitate at all.

With the money the distillery is currently earning, it is perfectly feasible to grant it.

It's no exaggeration that Zhu Yingjia makes a fortune from selling alcohol every day.

"Yes, Master."

"This old servant will make arrangements immediately." Lin Fu nodded and quickly withdrew.

They were also quite decisive and efficient.

"Oh, right, Liu Lei."

"I've never asked you how many sons you have?" Zhu Ying turned his head and smiled at Liu Lei.

"Return to the Lord."

"I have two sons, one is seven or eight years old and the other is about five years old."

"Judging by the time, it's been over a year since I last saw them," Liu Lei said with a hint of longing.

"It doesn't matter."

Zhu Ying raised his hand and smiled, "After the New Year, I will give you a break."

"Thank you, Lord."

Liu Lei and Xiao Han immediately bowed to Zhu Yingyi.

……

At Lan Yu's residence.

"Uncle, how is it?"

"Have you seen Zhu Ying? Have you managed to probe him?"

As soon as Lan Yu returned.

Chang Mao was already waiting in the main hall of the mansion.

“Zhu Ying has a deep-seated prejudice against me; she didn’t even come out to see me.”

"But it's alright. I went there today to test things out. I should be able to see you in a couple of days. The jade pendant should be finished by then, and I can use it to test you out then," Lan Yu said with a smile, full of confidence.

"It's good that Uncle has confidence." Chang Mao nodded in relief.

“New Year’s Eve is just a few days away. According to the old custom, we should receive a banquet from the Emperor at Fengtian Square at noon, and then stay at your residence in the evening. Let’s celebrate together this year, since your aunt is also thinking of you.” Lan Yu said with a smile.

"That's for sure." Chang Mao nodded immediately, then turned his gaze and said with a hint of gossip, "But Uncle, have you heard some news about the Xu family?"

……

(End of this chapter)