Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 107 When Zhu Yuanzhang, the Emperor Who Overworked His Liver, Began to Focus on Health Preservation

The Wuying Hall was lit up.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat at his desk, still reviewing memorials.

Wang Min, the Imperial Secretary, who was guarding the area not too close or too far away, was already starting to feel sleepy.

But Zhu Yuanzhang still did not feel tired.

Not only am I not sleepy, but I'm actually getting more and more energetic.

"boom!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his hand hard on the table, his anger rising.

Wang Min, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat who was dozing off there, suddenly jolted awake and became fully alert in an instant.

He hurriedly looked towards the emperor.

I am prepared to apologize.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the emperor was simply staring at the memorial in his hand, his face showing anger.

My heart, which had been pounding, immediately calmed down.

Thank goodness, His Majesty wasn't angry because he saw him dozing off.

While feeling relieved, I couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity.

Who is this person? What memorial did they submit? What did they say in it?

How could the emperor be so angry?
This... I'm afraid someone is going to be in trouble.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not notice Wang Min, the secretary of the Imperial Secretariat, dozing off.

Even if they notice it, they won't care too much.

In his past life, if he had seen himself, the emperor, working hard while someone next to him was dozing off, he would have been displeased.

There were also instances of verbal reprimands.

But he would never act that way now.

It's perfectly normal that you can't stay up all night with someone in such good physical condition.

It's understandable to take a nap at this hour.

At this moment, he was filled with raging anger.

Most of his attention was focused on the content of the memorial.

This memorial was sent from Laizhou Prefecture.

The gist of it is that the Japanese pirates invaded Laizhou eight days ago.

They looted grain, livestock, tools, and other items worth approximately 1,500 strings of cash.

Six Ming Dynasty citizens were killed by Japanese pirates!

Zhu Yuanzhang truly had no good feelings towards the Japanese pirates!
During the Yuan Dynasty, small groups of Japanese pirates frequently raided the coast.

This situation persisted even after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty.

In my previous life, during the eighth year of the Hongwu reign, Japanese pirates raided Dengzhou, causing casualties and property damage.

Therefore, some time ago, Zhu Yuanzhang specifically conveyed orders to coastal areas, especially Dengzhou, Laizhou, and Qingzhou.

Tell them to prepare to defend against the Japanese pirates.

He also sent orders to Wu Zhen, instructing him to keep a close watch on the Japanese pirates.

As the Marquis of Jinghai, he led the naval forces defending against Japanese pirates; that's what he did.

As a result, Dengzhou was spared from the Japanese pirates, but Laizhou was invaded by them.

It also caused such a huge loss.

It would be strange if Zhu Yuanzhang wasn't furious.

Moreover, Prince Kaneyoshi of Japan, in the third year of the Hongwu reign, had his envoy, who carried his imperial edict to Japan and told them that the Yuan Dynasty had been destroyed and that they had now replaced their father's envoy, beheaded.

For the next two hundred years or so during the Ming Dynasty, Japanese pirates continued to harass the coast.

And it's getting worse.

Otherwise, Qi Jiguang wouldn't have written the poem "I do not wish to be ennobled, but only that the sea be calm" to express his aspirations when he was young.

Later, he led the renowned Qi Family Army to sweep away the Japanese pirates...

Although many of the Japanese pirates were fake.

However, it cannot be denied that genuine Japanese elements have always existed within it.

These things were enough to make Zhu Yuanzhang extremely angry with the Japanese pirates.

Not to mention, in the past ten years or so, we have learned about the extent of the Japanese pirates' invasion of China and the countless atrocities they committed.

From Northeast China to North China to Central China...

Putting aside everything else, just look at Yingtianfu City itself; hundreds of years later, 300,000 innocent people were brutally slaughtered!

Under such circumstances, how could Zhu Yuanzhang possibly tolerate it?

How could one not be furious upon receiving the news from Laizhou?
"Write an edict to tell the people to prepare their knives. When the Japanese pirates come, kill them first!"

Zhu Yuanzhang turned his head and gave instructions to Wang Min, the Imperial Secretary.

Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to add a clause: "Whoever kills a Japanese pirate shall be rewarded with thirty strings of cash, or with grain of equal value."

But the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he swallowed them back down.

It's not that he's unwilling to spend money.

Rather, the concern was that if such an order were issued, many people would kill innocent people and claim credit for it.

They slaughtered local Ming Dynasty citizens and acted as Japanese pirates to earn money.

Thirty strings of cash for a human life is an extremely good deal for many people in the area.

Killing some poor people can make a lot of money. Isn't that more profitable than any other business?

Zhu Yuanzhang believed that if he really issued such an order, then in the short term, Japanese pirates would definitely invade the coastal areas incessantly.

Even some of the most valiant Japanese pirates could venture hundreds of miles into the interior, only to be killed by loyal and righteous men who would then exchange their heads for money.

His original intention was to inspire the people along the coast to resist the Japanese pirates and protect their personal safety and property.

But when it actually reaches the ground, it may not only fail to have a positive effect, but may also bring even greater disaster to the people!

This is the most difficult part of everything in the world.

Many policies that are well-intentioned often end up being poorly implemented at the local level.

It created a mess.

A good policy has been turned into a policy that harms the people.

He has been through a lot, having struggled to survive in the darkest of times.

I have a very clear understanding of the ins and outs of the matter.

Regarding the Japanese pirates, for now, we should focus on defense and be patient.

Once the maritime ban was lifted, the Maritime Trade Office was reopened, and a powerful naval fleet was established, it would be time to settle the score.

At that time, we will settle both national and personal grievances!

It must be prepared to be delicious!

Wang Min wrote it down with lightning speed.

He then prepared to polish the document before writing it into an imperial edict.

The emperor affixed his imperial seal, and the next day, the seal of the Secretariat was added before it was officially promulgated.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang's voice rang out at this moment.

"No need for any embellishment, just write it in our original words."

Upon hearing this, Wang Min's expression shifted slightly, and she stopped reciting her prepared speech.

The answer should be yes.

He knew the emperor's intention in doing this was to ensure that the common people could understand what the emperor meant immediately.

They also knew that before the emperor, imperial edicts were often issued in vernacular Chinese.

Even when offering sacrifices to Heaven in Zhongdu City, he could still openly admit his mistakes to Heaven in plain language.

But Wang Min still felt a little awkward.

This is a good idea, but I'm afraid that if it gets into the mouths of many people, especially after being embellished by some people with ulterior motives, it will become a great piece of evidence that His Majesty is unlearned.

They believe that His Majesty's humble origins preclude him from achieving academic success.

But they don't realize that people can change and learn.

After Sun Quan's exhortation to study, Lu Mengna and others all showed remarkable improvement, demonstrating the admirable quality of a scholar who has been away for only three days.

His Majesty is exceptionally gifted, possesses remarkable intelligence, and is extremely diligent in his studies.

He's no longer the cowherd he used to be, who never went to school.

How can we still look at him with the same old perspective?

It's infuriating that some people are so self-important, always looking down on others and habitually arrogant.

They refuse to face the situation.

"Don't worry about anything, just write it this way."

Ignore those few buzzing flies.

Zhu Yuanzhang noticed Wang Min's hesitation, waved his hand, and said nonchalantly.

Having lived in modern times for fifteen years, he naturally knew that Wang Min's concerns were valid.

This has indeed become a major piece of evidence for many people to mock themselves for being uncultured.

But so what?

Paying attention to these people's opinions and making changes accordingly, will it make policies easier to implement, or will it make the Ming Dynasty better?

It's just some cicadas chirping nonsense; don't worry about it.

Even if someone is a saint, there will be people who will look for flaws in them with a microscope.

Then they amplified it infinitely and criticized it relentlessly.

They seize upon this tiny, insignificant mistake, exaggerate its importance, and thereby negate all the credit.

This is just a common trick.

However, it should be noted that while such people exist, there are still many more people who are willing to respect the facts and view these matters objectively and rationally.

Wang Min bowed respectfully to Zhu Yuanzhang, his admiration growing ever stronger.

Compared to His Majesty, how laughable are those petty and despicable people!

"It's getting late, you should go and rest."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded to Wang Min and spoke.

Zhu Yuanzhang also had a pretty good impression of Wang Min.

He is an obedient and capable person.

Otherwise, if given another chance, after such a long period of time, Zhu Yuanzhang would not have kept him as a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat.

Finding a suitable talent is not easy, and it's still necessary to maintain a proper balance between work and rest; you can't push people to their limits.

A balance between work and rest is the key to long-term success.

It would be best if such useful people could all have a good ending.

Over the past year, Wang Min has gradually become accustomed to these changes in the emperor.

Hearing this, he did not refuse, but bowed to the emperor again and put down the paper and pen in his hand.

They withdrew from the Wuying Hall.

Once outside, two eunuchs accompanied him to his lodgings.

The palace was very large, but only the inner palace was where the emperor and his concubines lived and used their daily lives. It was a place that outside officials were not allowed to enter without a valid reason.

The remaining areas were divided into many different functional zones.

Apart from places where the emperor and crown prince conduct their official business, and places where officials are summoned for morning court sessions and grand court assemblies, etc.

The Secretariat, the Six Ministries, and many other departments were also located within the Imperial City.

Zhu Yuanzhang even built sheep pens and chicken coops in some parts of the imperial city.

It's used to raise sheep and chickens, which helps supplement our expenses.

It was perfectly normal for someone like Wang Min, a drafter in the Imperial Secretariat, who worked the night shift with the emperor, to have a place to sleep within the imperial city.

After taking only a few steps, they saw Liu Ying, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, approaching with a lantern.

He then stopped and bowed to Liu Ying.

Liu Ying merely nodded slightly, without returning the greeting or saying anything, and headed straight for the Wuying Hall.

As a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat, Wang Min naturally knew that Liu Ying was always like this.

It wasn't directed at anyone in particular, so I didn't think much of it or hold it against them.

Of course, I can't afford to argue about it.

He knew all too well the emperor's place in this person's heart.

I wonder if something has happened here again, that someone would come to see the emperor so late at night.

Suppressing her chaotic thoughts, Wang Min couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Your Majesty's life is truly not easy.

Everyone says the emperor is powerful and majestic, but they don't know how hard he works.

They're still busy this late.

I just hope that the Ming Dynasty can have fewer troubles, and that the officials can really do their jobs well and give the emperor less to worry about.

May His Majesty get some more rest and be in good health...

……

"Your Excellency, at 1:15 PM tonight, there was activity at the shipyard; ships began to be transporting goods out."

At 11:45 AM, the transport ceased, having transported a total of three large ships, each carrying 2,000 tons of cargo.

After leaving the shipyard, the ship sailed into the Yangtze River and was taken away by men from Marquis Jinghai, Wu Zhen's side. The leader of these men was Liu Dabao.

At the treasure shipyard, after the ships left, no one appeared, and no one went to see the Marquis of Jiangyin…

Liu Ying spoke to Zhu Yuanzhang and reported.

Wow, that was quick!

In just over two hours, they managed to get all three large ships, each weighing 2,000 tons, out of the treasure shipyard.

It's clear they've done this kind of thing quite a few times before.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be so skilled.

Wu Zhen and Wu Liang deserve to die!

While the Japanese pirates were looting and harassing the land, they were selling these powerful weapons from the sea back to the pirates.

He truly is one of my trusted confidants!

"Well done, keep a close eye on things."

The subsequent intelligence was also sent to the Prince of Yan via carrier pigeon.

Remember, absolutely no word of this can leak out!

Zhu Yuanzhang suppressed his surging anger and gave instructions to Liu Ying.

Liu Ying agreed.

His admiration for the emperor grew even stronger.

If it weren't for His Majesty's prior instruction to keep a close eye on the brothers Wu Zhen and Wu Liang...

He won't devote a large portion of his energy to the two of them.

After all, he was a recognized confidant of the emperor and always acted with utmost respect.

Who would have thought that such an amazing discovery would be made after we actually started watching!

The person in power is truly unfathomable; they must have sensed something amiss long ago.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to be so targeted.

The key issue is that the higher-ups abolished the inspection system several years ago, which is tantamount to having our ears plugged and our eyes covered.

Despite not having many sources of information, some discoveries were still made.

Such skill is truly astonishing.

After Liu Ying left, Zhu Yuanzhang also got up and left the Wuying Hall to rest in the Kunning Palace.

Compared to his previous life, Zhu Yuanzhang now goes to bed half an hour earlier on average every day.

Zhu Yuanzhang was increasingly realizing the truth of the saying, "Health is the foundation of everything."

Although he is exceptionally gifted, he should still take good care of his body and engage in necessary health maintenance.

I hope to live longer than I did in my previous life.

This way, we can accomplish even more...

……

"Pass on my decree: order Wu Zhen to get to the capital and see me immediately!"

The next day, Zhu Yuanzhang issued the order.

It’s time to close the net.

Wu Zhen, this big fish, is like a fish out of water once he leaves the anti-Japanese navy.

Once we enter the capital, Wu Zhen's word no longer matters.

Correspondingly, the group of people in the anti-Japanese naval forces, after leaving Wu Zhen, lost their backbone and were much easier to deal with.

This can be considered the key to the success of this matter.

It was precisely because he understood these things that Crown Prince Zhu Biao couldn't help but ask a question after hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words:

"Father, won't you give him a reason to come to the capital?"
Will he become suspicious and refuse to go to the capital?

Zhu Biao's concerns are not unfounded.

After all, Wu Zhen was at that time working with Wu Liang to smuggle large ships there, intending to sell them to the Fang tribe's pirates.

This is an extremely sensitive time.

At this moment, his own father, the emperor, ordered Wu Zhen to come to the capital immediately without giving any reason.

In this way, wouldn't Wu Zhen become a frightened bird?

The first thing that comes to mind is that their actions have been exposed.
Once these things are realized, will they panic and rebel?

Or perhaps they're taking people overseas?
It should be noted that his eldest son, Wu Zhong, had also returned to his side after finishing his studies at Dabentang.

Apart from his brother Wu Liang's family, he had no other family in the capital.

Those who have survived the war years often possess a ruthless streak.

Although the brothers Wu Zhen and Wu Liang have always had a good relationship.

But in a moment of crisis, Wu Zhen might not be able to care about his brother's safety.

Just like Marquis Mei Sizu of Runan, who first served as the marshal of the Yuan army's righteous army and then surrendered to Liu Futong.

His father, who was a hostage, was chopped into mincemeat by the enraged Yuan army.

Later, he surrendered to Zhang Shicheng.

When General Xu Da attacked Sizhou, Mei Sizu saw that the situation was not good and surrendered the city once again.

Enraged, Zhang Shicheng had all of his brothers and their families slaughtered.

Only one of his nephews, Mei Yin, survived by sheer luck.

With such a precedent to follow, we must be wary in this regard.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "No need to give him anything, he'll figure out the reason himself."

The reasons he comes up with himself are much more convincing to him than the reasons we give him.

Don't worry, Wu Zhen isn't Mei Sizu; he wouldn't do those things.

She's much more confident than Mei Sizu.

We certainly won't think the worst; things will get better.

Having a vivid imagination is a great quality.

What you create in your own mind is what you believe most deeply.

Hearing Zhu Yuanzhang say this, Zhu Biao was skeptical.

Then, suddenly, something occurred to me.

I instantly felt much more confident.

He felt that things were very likely to turn out as his father had said.

My father is indeed worthy of being called my father; he is truly extraordinary!
Wu Zhen could not escape the control of his father, the emperor.

They will surely come to the capital obediently, just as their father, the emperor, had hoped.

……

At the Jiangshui Waterway Administration, Marquis Wu Liang of Jiangyin nodded after hearing the report from his trusted confidant.

He waved for them to leave.

He was already in good spirits, but now he looked even more radiant.

The task was successfully completed.

Now, the three large ships have sailed down the river for dozens of miles overnight.

The most dangerous part of this matter was getting it out of the shipyard and leaving the capital.

If nothing goes wrong during this period, then nothing will go wrong next.

The person who came to report the matter just now was not Chang Jinshu, the supervisor of the Longjiang Treasure Ship.

Instead, it was the others he had secretly arranged.

He had already given Chang Jinshu a hint.

When doing this, you absolutely cannot see him or have any direct contact with him.

There is a reason for doing so.

If the truth is accidentally exposed, he can easily extricate himself from the situation.

They shifted all the blame onto Chang Jinshu.

Although the likelihood of him using this move is slim, his long history of fighting has already made him highly vigilant.

It's better to do more seemingly useless work than to be caught unprepared when the problem actually arises.

After sitting there carefully considering the matter for a while and confirming that nothing had been overlooked and that no problems would arise, Wu Liang turned his attention back to the matter.

He changed his clothes, humming a little tune, and left the Governor-General's Office of River Defense.

After a while, they arrived at a small, unremarkable courtyard, but once the door was opened, it revealed a hidden paradise inside.

Immediately, someone came forward to serve him, kneeling on the ground to change Wu Liang's shoes.

Putting everything else aside, the woman kneeling to change her shoes is no less beautiful than the most famous courtesan in the brothels on the Qinhuai River.

Going to brothels or places everyone knows about is a low-class thing to do.

The most interesting and prestigious places are those known only to a select few and accessible only to those with sufficient status and prestige.

It is far beyond what ordinary places with misty willows can compare to.

Stepping into the room, barefoot on the soft carpet, a warm current immediately envelops you.

It felt as if I were in the warm spring of March.

It turned out that it was far from the season for burning charcoal for heating, but the ground heating system was already in use here.

Immediately, seven or eight women dressed only in thin gauze, with graceful figures, came out, surrounded Wu Liang, and helped him change his clothes...

……

Inside the Imperial Academy, a large-scale examination is currently underway.

The exam papers were anonymous, and many students were divided into multiple exam rooms, taking the exam one person per desk.

The instructors at the Imperial Academy patrolled back and forth to prevent anyone from cheating.

Unlike previous exams where students diligently wrote their notes, this time the exam was different.

In today's exam, most people did not write very quickly.

People would stop and think about it from time to time.

Or they might write or draw on scrap paper and do calculations.

This was an arithmetic exam, conducted by the Imperial Academy to select local tax officials according to Zhu Yuanzhang's requirements.

Prior to this, five exams had already been conducted.

A total of 2,327 people passed the exam and graduated from the Imperial Academy ahead of schedule to serve as tax officials in various places.

It is said that those selected earlier were more likely to be sent to remote areas to serve as tax officials.

Many quick-witted people have begun to conceal their true abilities.

They deliberately performed poorly on the exam, preparing to showcase their talents in the final exam, hoping to stay near the capital or in wealthy places like Suzhou or Changzhou.

But just as this idea was conceived, regulations were established.

Those who pass the first test will each be rewarded with five strings of cash.

Those who pass the exam and are assigned to serve as tax officials in remote areas receive additional subsidies in terms of money, food, and clothing.

The total amount that can be obtained is more than what is kept nearby; just flip through it.

Not only that, but you also need to be promoted quickly in the future.

Tax officials in remote areas can be promoted within two years if they perform well.

Those who stay nearby must work for at least three years before considering promotion.

With these conditions in place, many people no longer thought about hiding their talents or going to remote areas to serve as tax officials...

It can be said that they were easily controlled by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Prince Zhu Gang of Jin, who used the alias Wu Xing and worked as an ordinary student at the Imperial Academy, was not among those taking the exam.

It's not that Prince Zhu Gang of Jin wasn't capable enough to even qualify for the exam.

It wasn't because he wrote an article about my emperor father.

Rather, it was because his skill level was so high that he no longer needed to go out to serve as a tax official and could continue his studies at the Imperial Academy.

Arithmetic talents were in high demand. While Zhu Yuanzhang was urgently training a large number of tax officials, he also focused on selecting some people with sufficient arithmetic skills and talent to stay in school for further study.

Zhu Gang, who used the alias Wu Xing, was one of them.

Looking back at the achievements he had made in such a short period of time, Zhu Gang was quite satisfied.

Isn't this much faster than that foolish fourth brother achieving success in the army?

Before long, I will be able to meet my father's expectations and become an academic official.

The area surrounding the Ming Dynasty has been largely pacified, and there will be fewer and fewer opportunities to wage war in the future.

Even if troops were to be deployed, given the status of the Fourth Prince, the likelihood of him personally leading troops to the battlefield is slim.

If anything were to happen to him on the battlefield, then even the most brilliant victories would be a loss.

Therefore, it is unlikely that the fourth prince will go to the battlefield in the future. Even if he does go to the battlefield, the generals and commanders will not really let him go to dangerous places.

In other words, the fourth brother's skills were all for nothing.

It's better to stay here; it's easier to achieve results this way.

From now on, the fourth brother can expect to be crushed by his own actions!

Thinking of this wonderful scene, Zhu Gang's lips unconsciously curled into a smile...

……

At the Naval Defense Headquarters, Wu Zhen stared in silence at the imperial edict summoning him back to the capital…

(End of this chapter)