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

Chapter 292 Zhu Ying: Could I be a descendant of Zhu Wenzheng?
As for Princess Yi Gyeong-shin of Joseon, she did not come with the entourage, since she was only a concubine and had not yet fully integrated into the family.

"Back then, with the blessing of offspring talent, Xi'er received the talent of [politics], but it did not provide any blessing for martial arts."

"It's not enough to just study; you also need to be in top physical condition."

"He's still young now. We'll start focusing on his training when he's six or seven," Zhu Ying thought to himself.

One's own son must be proficient in both literature and martial arts.

"Come on."

"Go study your writing first."

Seeing Zhu Wenxi's helpless expression, Zhu Ying also waved his hand.

"Thank you dad."

Zhu Wenxi felt as if he had been granted a pardon and ran away quickly.

Seeing him like this, as if he were afraid of practicing martial arts, Zhu Ying couldn't help but shake his head.

"Husband."

When will our family go on a trip together?

Seeing Zhu Ying walk down from the martial arts stage, Mu Ya immediately went to greet him and said happily.

After marriage.

Xu Miaojin and Mu Ya were no longer dressed as young girls; their hair was all tied up, which signified that they were now married.

"The carriage ride is so bumpy, how can Sister Yu'er stand it?"

"You should just bear with it. You can just wander around Yingtian City when you have nothing to do," Xu Miaojin said with a smile.

"Yes."

Mu Ya then looked at Liu Yu'er, whose belly was already showing.

Even traveling on official roads is extremely bumpy.

After all, the area outside the city is not like the area inside the city. Inside the city, there are bluestone paved roads, but outside the city, there are only dirt roads. There is no cement or anything like that in this era.

"If only there were roads that weren't bumpy."

"That way the carriage will be much more stable," Mu Ya said with great anticipation.

“No matter how smooth the road is, it’s impossible to avoid bumps. Where can you find a road like this?” Xu Miaoyun couldn’t help but laugh.

Hear this.

Zhu Ying laughed: "Such a road does exist."

Cement road, asphalt road.

The road was flat and smooth, without any bumps.

Impossible in this era, but common in later generations.

"My husband is lying again. There's no such road," Xu Miaojin pouted, clearly not believing it.

"You'll find out later," Zhu Ying smiled, too lazy to explain anything.

Cement manufacturing method.

He already had it, and in the underground beneath the mansion, the assassin craftsmen he had recruited were mixing it using the formula he had given them.

Refining of refined salt.

Sugar extraction.

Glass manufacturing.

Cement manufacturing.

These are all being tried gradually.

When Zhu Ying establishes his own kingdom, all of these will be implemented.

However, Zhu Ying naturally had to keep these things a secret for now. Although Xu Miaojin and Mu Ya seemed to be sincere towards him, even Liu Yu'er only knew some of the things about the future founding of the country and the development and strength of the Ming Dynasty, and not the whole picture.

Everything was being carried out in secret.

At this moment!

"Lord."

Liu Lei walked over quickly and bowed deeply.

"what's up?"

Zhu Ying looked at Liu Lei and asked.

Liu Lei glanced at the three mistresses, but without hesitation, he immediately said, "The matter that the master asked us to investigate has yielded some results."

Hear this.

Zhu Ying naturally understood what it was about.

"Go ahead."

Zhu Ying said directly.

There are no outsiders here, and this isn't a big deal.

“My lord, please look.”

Liu Lei took out a booklet from his pocket, opened it, and presented it to Zhu Ying.

The top part featured jade patterns, which Zhu Ying immediately understood upon seeing them.

He then took the jade pendant with the character "Yu" off his neck.

“These jade pieces are similar in style to mine,” Zhu Ying said.

Upon seeing the Yu character jade and comparing it for a moment, it was indeed found that the styles were quite similar, seemingly the same piece.

Xu Miaojin and Mu Ya were not surprised when they saw the jade, after all, they were able to marry Zhu Ying precisely because Zhu Ying was the eldest grandson of the emperor, not an outsider.

"Lord."

"This jade is a royal status jade."

“All princes and young masters, as members of the royal family, possess identity jade.”

“And what Your Majesty is wearing is the jade pendant that signifies your royal status,” Liu Lei said respectfully.

"Is this jade a royal status jade?"

Zhu Ying was somewhat surprised to hear this explanation.

How did my jade become associated with royalty?
"Husband."

"This jade was left to you by your grandmother. Could it be that your husband's parents are royalty?" Liu Yu'er asked with a hint of speculation.

“If they were royalty, they shouldn’t be living in exile, right?” Zhu Ying shook his head.

But then.

Zhu Ying suddenly realized something.

“If they are members of the royal family who have committed crimes, they might still end up living in exile,” Zhu Ying murmured, as if he had figured it out.

"Zhu Wenzheng?"

"Could it be that my father or grandfather is this Zhu Wenzheng?"

Zhu Ying thought to himself.

Even though it took him a while to figure this out, Zhu Ying really couldn't think of any other members of the royal family who were living abroad besides Zhu Wenzheng.

As for the words on this jade pendant...

Although Zhu Ying had some understanding of the major historical trends, he was unaware that Zhu Xiong Ying would be buried with a jade pendant after his death, and he did not remember what posthumous honors Zhu Xiong Ying had received.

"Husband."

"Perhaps we can ask the Emperor and the Crown Prince about this matter ourselves."

"Presumably, they will have an answer."

“If your husband is truly a member of the royal family, even if he is from a collateral branch, he must still acknowledge his ancestry,” Liu Yu’er said to Zhu Ying after a moment of deep thought.

"kindness."

Zhu Ying nodded, clearly agreeing with this.

Regardless of who your parents are.

No matter what mistakes you made in the past, you must still acknowledge your ancestors and clan.

I remember my grandmother once said that although it would be difficult for Ying'er to return to her ancestral home, she could try to do so if she ever made something of herself in the future.

"Husband."

“I also think you can go see the Emperor and the Crown Prince; you’ll definitely get the answer you want,” Xu Miaojin said very seriously.

"Yes." Mu Ya nodded emphatically, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Looking at the two women.

Zhu Ying smiled slightly: "It seems you two girls know something!"

That's the end of the story.

Xu Miaojin and Mu Ya showed no panic; instead, they nodded seriously.

“My lord, we do know some things, but the Emperor and the Crown Prince have already spoken, and these matters can only be discussed by them personally.”

"For the sake of my husband, we must not speak carelessly."

"But please rest assured, my husband, we are all willing to die for you and would never harm you," Xu Miaojin said solemnly.

"me too."

"If we are truly in danger, I will protect my husband even at the cost of my life," Mu Ya replied immediately.

Listening to what the two women said.

Zhu Ying raised his hand and patted the two women on the head.

"With me here, what's the point of talking about dying?"

"Besides, when have I ever needed the protection of weak women like you?" Zhu Ying said with a smile, tinged with a hint of teasing. With Zhu Ying's experience in judging people, he could naturally tell that the two women were being sincere.

Xu Miaojin and the others definitely knew something, but perhaps the emperor had already given instructions, so they dared not speak recklessly.

"I'm currently on leave, so there's no rush. Let's ask about it after court." Zhu Ying smiled, not showing any particular eagerness.

From the current perspective...

Perhaps Zhu Yuanzhang already knew that he was a descendant of the imperial family and a descendant of Zhu Wenzheng.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have given away the Xu family's daughter and the Mu family's daughter to me.

You should know that Zhu Wenzheng used to be the number one general under Zhu Yuanzhang. It's a pity that he later had a brain fart and actually betrayed Zhu Yuanzhang. Otherwise, he would definitely have been granted a throne, after all, he was Zhu Yuanzhang's own nephew.

"It took a long time."

“I might even be a descendant of royalty.”

"Thinking about it this way, it makes sense. Why did my grandmother take me to settle in Beiping? And why did she both hope that I would recognize my ancestors and worry about me?"

"Perhaps, this is what it means to be worried about the emperor."

"However, Old Zhu should already know this. His Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) have connections everywhere, and they must have found out the truth by now," Zhu Ying thought to himself.

Thinking of his grandmother's dying words, her worried eyes, and her uneasy expression, Zhu Ying finally understood.

Time flies!

For the imperial court, the court held discussions every three days without interruption.

But for Zhu Ying, the time he was granted a holiday after his wedding passed quickly.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Ying was also very unhappy as he set off from his residence to attend the court meeting.

It was autumn, but the city of Yingtian was quite cool. Many court officials arrived early and waited in the square. As always, some gathered in groups, while others went alone.

Each has its own personality.

"Wu Guogong."

"It's been a long time. I hope you've enjoyed these ten days of leisure."

Seeing Zhu Ying approaching in his official robes, Lan Yu and Chang Mao, who seemed to have been watching him closely, immediately came forward to greet him.

"You two are up quite early."

Zhu Ying smiled and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Haha."

"Today, the Duke of Wu is holding court. I haven't seen him for ten days, so I should come to greet him."

"After this court meeting, how about we go to Duke Wu's restaurant for a good drink?" Lan Yu said with a smile.

"can."

Zhu Ying nodded and said, "We'll invite the Duke of Wei to join us for a good drink later."

"Okay." Chang Mao nodded happily.

This time!

"Minister Lü."

"This imperial examination is about to end. I wonder how many people have made it to the palace examination?"

"With the imperial examinations coming to an end, Minister Lü will have accomplished a great feat."

"Yes."

"His Majesty will surely reward you handsomely..."

A series of flattering voices came from not far away.

Zhu Ying looked over.

As Lü Ben slowly walked towards the square, several ministers from the Ministry of Rites came to greet him and offer their congratulations.

However, Lü Ben remained expressionless and did not respond at all. He walked directly towards the steps of the Fengtian Hall, which made the ministers who had come to greet him feel somewhat awkward.

"This Lü Ben is rather strange. The examination was conducted extremely well, so why is he unhappy?"

Seeing Lü Ben's expression, Zhu Ying said with a hint of surprise.

"He won't be able to keep this up for long," Lan Yu sneered.

"What do you mean by that?" Zhu Ying immediately pressed.

Although he knew some secrets about what happened in the Eastern Palace, and that Lady Lü had been banished to the Cold Palace, which affected the course of history, Lü Ben was still highly valued by Zhu Yuanzhang. If he had wanted to get rid of him, he would have done so long ago.

"Does the Duke of Wu not know that something has happened in the Eastern Palace?"

“Lu Ben’s daughter has already been banished to the cold palace; she must have committed a serious offense,” Chang Mao added, also with a sneer.

"If he were to be punished, His Majesty would have done so long ago, wouldn't he?"

"Why is he still in charge of the Ministry of Rites and the imperial examinations?" Zhu Ying asked with a hint of doubt.

"I don't know how to put it. Anyway, Duke Wu can just watch the show. That old bastard Lü Ben won't have a good ending." Lan Yu smiled and didn't explain further.

After all, the Lü family and the Lü clan are now on the emperor's radar, something he and Chang Mao had worked hard to achieve. However, Zhu Ying was unaware of this, and he had unwittingly contributed to the effort.

If it weren't for him.

Zhu Yunwen would never awaken to the truth, nor would he turn against Lady Lü and bring her down.

"It seems that you, Duke Liang, do indeed know something," Zhu Ying smiled, quite impressed.

However, they did not pursue the matter further.

Below the steps of Fengtian Hall.

Lu Ben looked at the main hall in front of him with a grim expression.

today.

The imperial examination is about to begin.

This also signaled the end of the imperial examination system. In the eyes of many ministers, completing the triennial imperial examination might be a great achievement, but only Lü Ben knew that after completing the examination, it would be his end.

He could even guess that those in high positions were already sharpening their knives.

"Zhu Yuanzhang".

"If you want to kill, just kill."

"Even if I die, I will not sit idly by and wait to die."

"I've been preparing for this day for months," Lu Ben thought to himself, filled with a resolute determination to face death.

At this moment!

The gates of the Fengtian Hall were wide open.

Yun Qi walked out of the hall and announced loudly, "The court meeting is open! All officials, please come forward!"

As the sound fell.

The officials walked orderly into the main hall.

However, this is different from the past.

Just as Zhu Ying was about to stand in his original position, Lan Yu and Chang Mao pushed him to the head of the list, making him the first among the military officials.

In this regard.

Even Fu Youde did not stop it.

Lord Wu.

He has become the head of the military officials.

This is also the current emperor's intention.

Zhu Yuanzhang entered the palace.

"His Majesty has arrived! All officials respectfully welcome him!" Yun Qi shouted loudly.

as always.

The officials shouted and bowed.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne, and Zhu Biao slowly walked up the steps.

"The princes are at peace."

Zhu Yuanzhang, with a dignified expression, raised his hand and beckoned.

"Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty." The officials expressed their gratitude and returned to their ranks.

It was merely the opening of the court.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked towards the military officials, and when he saw Zhu Ying standing at the head of the table, a smile appeared on his face. He was even happier: "Xiong Ying! Today, we're bringing you back."

"Even if you haven't regained your memories yet, it doesn't matter anymore."

"The important thing is that you're still alive."

Thought of this.

Zhu Yuanzhang was filled with anticipation. He was clearly looking forward to seeing how astonished Zhu Ying would be when he learned his true identity.

Not only Zhu Yuanzhang, but also Zhu Biao looked on with anticipation.

For today.

They have been preparing for this for a long time.

now.

My wish is finally about to come true.

"If you have the foundation to play, you will retreat from the court without the foundation."

As was customary, Yun Qi shouted loudly to the ministers in the court.

……

(End of this chapter)