Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

"This time, the General led his troops to attack the Yuan Dynasty in the north, and wiped them out in one fell swoop, capturing their emperor. Thus, the conflict between our Great Ming and the Yuan Dynasty can be considered to have come to a complete end."

Hu Yuan has been completely annihilated!

Inside the Fengtian Hall, both civil and military officials were present.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the golden dragon throne and addressed the crowd.

His words expressed high praise for Xu Da and affirmed his contributions to the Northern Expedition against the Yuan Dynasty.

Then, it was Crown Prince Zhu Biao who spoke up in response.

The imperial court was filled with excitement and joy.

At this moment, even some Confucian scholars who felt that military men had too much power felt a surge of excitement.

After all, the complete success of expelling the Tartars and restoring China is indeed an exciting and gratifying achievement.

After the celebration, Zhu Yuanzhang and his entourage left the Fengtian Hall and headed towards the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Presenting captives to the Imperial Ancestral Temple was an extremely honorable act that had to be done.

However, the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the Ming Dynasty is now rather deserted.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang was a founding emperor, and he was still alive and kicking; it wasn't time for him to live in the Imperial Ancestral Temple yet.

However, in reality, it's not that deserted.

Zhu Yuanzhang's father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather were all posthumously honored as emperors and enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

However, later on, some filial sons and grandsons moved some of them out and replaced them with their father's memorial tablet, which was then placed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple for worship.

As for who these filial sons and virtuous grandsons were, Zhu Yuanzhang did not say.

However, some considerations have been made.

For example, the Imperial Ancestral Temple area will be expanded slightly in the future.

This will allow for the placement of more memorial tablets in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

To prevent future generations from having some filial sons and virtuous grandsons who bring misfortune upon their ancestors.

They did some inhuman things.

The more times he lived, the less confident he became in many things.

There are some things that we should try our best to do.

But many things are actually out of control.

Especially the various small details everywhere.

To prevent such incidents from happening again, adding more memorial tablets to the Imperial Ancestral Temple is a more proper approach...

The sound of drums and music filled the air, the officials chanted in response, and the fragrance of incense wafted through the air.

Zhu Yuanzhang led his civil and military officials to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and recited the sacrificial text.

Then he led Crown Prince Zhu Biao into the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Once inside, Zhu Yuanzhang behaved differently than he had outside.

"Father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, I have good news for you."

This time, we've completely wiped out that Yuan Dynasty Tartars.

They captured their emperor.

This revenge has been completely avenged!

Zhu Yuanzhang muttered to himself in front of the memorial tablet.

However, the pride and some joy were undeniable.

After the worship at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the next step was to bring the Northern Yuan Emperor Ayushiridara, along with some important Northern Yuan princes and ministers, to the Imperial Ancestral Temple for the presentation of captives.

The scene was grand and impressive, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

However, after this matter had been progressing for a while, some unexpected things happened.
This accident was not caused by anyone else, but by Ayushiridara, the former emperor of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

"Zhu Chongba! You were nothing but a beggar! You've gained the world!"

How dare they be so rampant!

Even if he became emperor, he wouldn't be that noble!

The Ming Dynasty you establish will surely last even shorter than my Yuan Dynasty!
They will surely be destroyed by foreign races in the future!

He shouted curses in Mandarin.

This was something he had been secretly planning in his mind for a long time.

It was precisely because of this original plan that he decided to cause some trouble for Zhu Yuanzhang when presenting the prisoners to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and to show his backbone.

Therefore, he behaved very docilely on the way to the capital.

It seems that he had long accepted his fate and would not do anything or cause any trouble.

Therefore, his mouth was not silenced before the presentation of the prisoners took place.

But who would have thought that he would cause trouble at this moment?

Such a sudden change terrified countless people, causing their faces to turn pale.

The officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial were so weak in the knees that they almost collapsed.

I wish I could tear the flesh of the Ayutthaya people to shreds!

Those Yuan Dynasty princes and ministers who came with them were equally astonished.

This sudden scene left them completely terrified.

Some people were even trembling with fear.

They absolutely hated Ayushiridara!

That beast! That thing should be fed to the wolves!

They've already caused so much harm to so many people in the past.

Even now, they still show no remorse and continue to court disaster!
He brought this upon himself, and now that he's doing this, he's very likely to put them all to death.

They might have had a chance to live.

Now that they've been dealt with like this, it's probably going to be difficult for them to survive.

They weren't the only ones whose expressions changed.

It can be said that everyone present had a drastic change in expression.

No one expected that such a huge mess would occur during such an extremely important event as the presentation of prisoners to the Imperial Ancestral Temple!
Some people, after their expressions change drastically, act very quickly.

For example, Xu Da, Li Wenzhong, and Li Shanchang—these are people of high status and extraordinary position.

They immediately rushed towards Ayushiridara.

These barbarians, even at this point, still dare to spout such nonsense.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang stopped him, saying, "Stop now."

Xu Da, Li Wenzhong, and others were extremely angry with Ayushiridara.

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang spoke up, and they had no choice but to stop.

However, instead of returning to his original position, he simply stood there, staring intently at Ayushiridara.

His eyes were practically spitting fire!

How dare such a beast do such a thing!

If it weren't for the intervention of their superiors, they would have dismembered his body right now, making him regret ever being born!

In the early Ming Dynasty, martial virtue was abundant, and even many literati were quite martial.

For example, back then, Yang Xian and Hu Weiyong, two bigwigs in the Secretariat, even resorted to physical violence.

Yang Xian knocked out one of Hu Weiyong's teeth.

Even in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, during the Longqing era, high-ranking officials in the cabinet could still engage in friendly and cordial conversations using fists and kicks.

Gao Gong was the victor in the exchange.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression remained unchanged. "So what if we begged for food before?"
So what if we were monks?

So what if we're just peasants?
Damn it, how dare you bring this up!

If it weren't for you bastards, so cruel and harmful, how could we have had such an experience?

We never hide our background, and we never think there's anything wrong with it.

What's there to be ashamed of!
Throughout history, no emperor has ever had a worse background than us!
But it was precisely this beggar, this cowherd, who, with a broken bowl in hand, established his rule over the world!
Heroes are judged not by their birth, but by their achievements!
No matter how humble our origins, at this point, we are still like a dragon emerging from the abyss, soaring to the heavens!
Future generations will not think that we came from a humble background or that becoming emperor makes us any different.

They'll just think we're legendary!
People of our background have died long ago due to hardship and suffering.

But I ended up becoming emperor, and I even drove out the Tartars and restored China!

But we can rebuild the land of the Han people!
We will reclaim the Central Plains, the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, the Hexi Corridor, and many other places that have been lost for centuries!
Having a humble background is not a disgrace to us, but an honor!

Everything depends on one's background. In this respect, how much better are you, Hu Yuan?
You know better than I do what Genghis Khan's background and early life experiences were!
The way you talk about me is no different from talking about your ancestors!
Adversity and hardship temper one into success.

You barbarian Yuan dynasty bastard, things have come to this point and you still don't understand this!
No wonder, when faced with a beggar like me, he could only get beaten so badly that he wet himself and ran away with his tail between his legs!

No wonder you, who went to such lengths to restore the rule of the Hu Yuan dynasty, became a slave of a conquered nation!
They were captured by our great general.

You must kneel and bow down to this beggar!
"You may be born into a noble family, but so what?"

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, he walked step by step toward Ayushiridara.

His aura grew stronger and stronger.

The things he said became increasingly sharp.

Each word was like a sword, piercing straight at Ayushiridara.

It pierced his heart, shattering it into pieces, causing it to bleed profusely.

It was a heart-wrenching pain.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang arrived in front of Ayushiridara.

Looking down from his vantage point, he saw Ayushiridara bound and kneeling there.

Upon seeing this, Ayushiridara looked up and met Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze, and then tried to stand up.

The next moment, a huge foot came rushing towards him, rapidly expanding in front of him!
With a thud, he was kicked backward and fell to the ground, seeing stars!
Zhu Yuanzhang stepped forward and stomped on his face, ignoring his struggles.

"A defeated general dares to claim bravery?"
What's the difference between her and those useless women who only know how to talk a good game?

The Northern Yuan emperor was nothing special!
No wonder the Northern Yuan was destroyed by your hand!

Ayushiridara's eyes were bloodshot; at this moment, he had been subjected to an extremely intense shock.

"Cut out his tongue and break both his legs!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stopped and gave instructions.

Feeling relieved by what his superiors had said and done, Xu Da and the others immediately stepped forward and restrained Ayushiridara.

They called for someone to pry open his mouth, and hooked his tongue to stretch it out.

Xu Da personally cut off his tongue.

Then, Cao Guogong Li Wenzhong personally broke both of his legs on the spot!
The intense pain caused it to howl in agony.

But it was no longer clear what they were yelling about.

At this moment, Ayushiridara was completely bewildered.

Because the way things unfolded was, to a large extent, beyond his expectations.

Based on his understanding of the Han people, he knew that they were very particular about many etiquette practices.

Those who win, in particular, are more inclined to display their magnanimity.
In situations like this, one could say that they won't actually face much punishment.

Even if it were punishment, it wouldn't be done to me during the extremely solemn and high-level ceremony of presenting prisoners at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
They'll only do something afterward.

Who would have thought that Zhu Chongba would actually take action on the spot!

Not only did he kill himself and destroy his spirit, but he also did such a thing in front of all the civil and military officials!
Don't the Han people treat prisoners of war well here?
How could this be?

Zhu Yuanzhang, this Han Chinese emperor, didn't understand any proper etiquette!

He's not even human!

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Ayushiridara, who was lying limp on the ground, bleeding profusely from his mouth, and then turned his gaze to the many other princes and ministers of the Northern Yuan kneeling on the ground.

Many people lowered their heads even further when they felt Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze upon them.

Many people were trembling and collapsed to the ground.

Zhu Yuanzhang withdrew his gaze and walked back to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to begin the remaining sacrificial rites.

Many officials present also turned their attention back to the present.

But in many people's minds, these people from Hu Yuan have already been remembered.

If they dare to cause trouble at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, then they should be prepared to experience what mercy is!
……

"Chongba, why don't we just kill that man today and offer his head before the memorial tablets of our father and grandfather?"

By evening, most of the ceremonies had concluded.

Zhu Yuanzhang changed out of his formal attire and came to the Kunning Palace.

He smiled when he heard what his sister said.

My sister is really something, she's definitely my sister!
Everyone says girls are kind, but it seems she's even more irritable than me.
Empress Ma was certainly not short-tempered.

Although she is kind and benevolent, she has to consider the specific situation and the person involved.

Ayushiridara was nothing more than a deposed king who became a prisoner of war and was brought to the ancestral temple.

To say those things to Chongba in front of all the civil and military officials!

Although she knew she was from a prominent family, she didn't mind what others said about her background.

But this person was full of malice, judging from these things.

So, she didn't mind killing that thing directly!

As for whether this action is in accordance with etiquette...

Aren't etiquette rules set by people?
Moreover, since such barbarians dared to speak ill of Chongba in this way, it would be perfectly normal to kill them.

"Girl, calm down, don't worry, let him live a couple more days."

Isn't the grand court assembly for New Year's Day just around the corner?
Will there be many foreign envoys that day?
"It won't be too late to let him die then."

Empress Ma nodded upon hearing what Zhu Yuanzhang said.

I am quite satisfied with this arrangement made by Chongba.

As for what they say—that it demonstrates the magnanimity of a great power, that doing so will make the surrounding smaller countries tremble with fear of China, and thus prevent them from uniting with China, etc…

These were not among her considerations.

We need not be too kind to barbarians, nor should we show them too much mercy and appeasement.

Even if you show mercy and appeasement, you must first give them a good beating before showing mercy, appeasement, magnanimity, and courage to those who are obedient.

As for those who disobey, they will only be met with the blade.

This is the most correct and proper way to interact with those barbarians outside.

Look at the Song Dynasty; they were truly always kneeling on the ground, negotiating and doing things with foreign tribes.

Even the most obsequious attitude can be displayed.

What will the final result be?
Instead, it made the barbarians look down on them even more.

They ride on your head and act arrogantly.

That's why there have been so many years of barbarian chaos, which has ruined our beautiful land.

"Haha, girl, girls are the best!"

Zhu Yuanzhang praised him aloud.

……

Time flew by, and it was soon New Year's Day of the tenth year of the Hongwu reign... (End of Chapter)