Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 279 Zhu Yuanzhang (Seeking monthly votes!)

Who is coming?

The Shurangama Sutra is incomprehensible.

Hongxiu pointed to the west and laughed, "The port."

Leng Yan was taken aback for a moment, then realized: "Oh, the Korean envoy has arrived at the dock, and Lord Hu Weiyong has gone to greet him."

"Oh~!" Hongxiu said with a strange expression, "They are Korean envoys."

Ren Shaoyang smiled knowingly, realizing that this so-called "Korean envoy" was actually Han Bai in disguise.

But he couldn't say it, he could only chuckle to himself.

Lengyan glanced at the two of them with some curiosity, wondering why they had such expressions. He was simply too intimidated by the imposing presence of the place to say anything more.

He led them to a house, then bowed and left.

The three villains sat down and looked around. They saw that the room was decorated simply, yet secretly luxurious.

The chair was a large, vermilion-lacquered tiger root carving presented as tribute by the Annam Protectorate. The wine was brewed with spring water from the Qize Temple outside Gaoqiao Gate in the southern suburbs. The eunuchs and palace maids on either side were expressionless and kept their eyes straight ahead.

The copper dripper slowly leaked.

Ren Shaoyang sipped his tea slowly, without saying a word.

Hongxiu and Ding'an looked around curiously.

After sitting for a long time, Ding An felt uncomfortable with a sore back and aching waist. She secretly glanced at Ren Shaoyang next to her and found that he was still sitting upright with his chest out and head held high, like a clay sculpture.

Ding An was puzzled to himself, thinking, "Wow, I can't be an official, so my sitting posture is not up to par!" Then he thought, "I'm not going to be an official, so who cares about my sitting posture!" So he rested for a while and sat down.

I felt a little more comfortable, but after a while I leaned a little more to the side, so I leaned against the handrail and curled up my legs.
Finally, I simply shrunk into the large seat, completely relaxed, and felt so comfortable that I almost groaned.

Hongxiu chuckled as she watched him fidgeting.

Just then, a young eunuch came over, bowed, and said, "Gentlemen, please follow me."

Ren Shaoyang put down his teacup, stretched, and followed him. Hongxiu and the other woman quickly followed.

After winding through a long corridor, they arrived at the outside of a grand hall. The hall door was half open, and several palace maids and eunuchs stood outside with their heads bowed and hands clasped, looking extremely respectful.

Before I even got close, I heard a loud bang, as if something had been broken.

The eunuchs and palace maids trembled at the sound of the voice, lowering their heads even further, like quails.

"I'll eat your mother's head!"

Suddenly, a loud shout came from inside the hall: "In my decades of military service, I have fought hundreds of battles, large and small, and have never been hit by a sword or a spear. But today I am forced to drink this urine-soaked medicine!"

"Tell me! I am the ruler of a country, so why has this minor ailment persisted for years without a cure? It is clearly because you quack doctors are using your skills to intimidate others and are deliberately refusing to do your best!"

"Guards, drag them away and give them fifty strokes of the cane!"

Upon hearing this, the imperial physicians all cried out that they were innocent, but the imperial guards came up and dragged them out one by one.

Upon hearing the shouts and curses, Ren Shaoyang knew that the one who was cursing was none other than Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

To think that such a great ruler of all time is now in his twilight years. The man who once possessed the might to conquer thousands of miles is now plagued by illness.

Ren Shaoyang looked up at the sky, watching the moon rise above the treetops, lost in thought.

At that moment, only coughs could be heard; all else was silence.

Just then, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly asked, "Who is outside the door?"

After a long while, the palace doors slid open silently to both sides.

Two white-haired eunuchs came out and greeted them respectfully, inviting them inside.

The three followed the eunuch into the hall.

The walls were lined with books, and the hall was filled with the fragrance of books. Several palace maids and eunuchs were kneeling on the ground, along with an old man in an official robe. All of them were pale and trembling.

A porcelain bowl on the ground shattered, scattering the medicinal soup everywhere.

"Please stop!"

A sharp shout rang out.

The three villains stopped and looked up, only to see the two old eunuchs walk past, while a white-bearded, head eunuch holding a whisk blocked the middle of the hall.

Ren Shaoyang raised an eyebrow, looked at his own position, and then at the figure sitting at the table in the distance, about twenty feet away.

"Please forgive me, Sword Master Ren."

The figure waved his hand, and the palace maids and the old man on the ground, as if granted a pardon, kowtowed and got up to leave.

The man held a scroll and said in a low voice, "Your divine sword is too amazing. Taking a person's head within thirteen zhang is as easy as taking something out of a bag. I'm really nervous, so this is the only way I can see you."

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his head and looked at them.

They met three pairs of bright, sparkling eyes and made eye contact immediately.

The founder of the Ming Dynasty looked old, with sparse white hair and sunken cheeks, but his old eyes were wide open, and his gaze seemed to have the power of thunder and lightning, which was extremely astonishing.

Looking at his appearance and his noticeably larger frame than average, Ren Shaoyang couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, "Holy crap, he looks so much like Master Xiao!"

But then I realized that both characters had been played by the same actor, and I couldn't help but smile.

Looking further back, one could see an old eunuch in white standing behind the old emperor, his eyes half-open and half-closed, not even raising his eyes as the others entered the hall.

Seemingly sensing Ren Shaoyang's gaze, the old eunuch suddenly opened his eyes and smiled slightly at him.

Sensing the somewhat quiet atmosphere, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the three men and smiled, "What's wrong? Are you a little disappointed to see me?"

Ren Shaoyang laughed and said, "No, it feels somewhat familiar." Of course it does. How could it not feel familiar? After being beaten by the same person with the same face for three days, Ren Shaoyang was truly at a loss for words when he saw them again.

Zhu Yuanzhang, with his hand on the table, stood up, stared at him for a long while, and asked, "Does Sword God Ren also enjoy flattering people like those corrupt officials?"

Ren Shaoyang said calmly, "I never lie."

"You're not lying?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned. "Then tell me, what's your opinion on my outburst of temper just now?"

Ren Shaoyang said, "His Majesty is concerned with the matter, not the person, and seeks peace of mind. Why do I need to explain?"

"Focusing on the issue, not the person, to ensure peace of mind?" Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback, then suddenly burst into laughter, "What do you mean? Are you saying that I've lost my confidence and can only criticize the imperial physicians to protect myself?"

Ren Shaoyang said, "As the emperor, Your Majesty is diligent in state affairs, sleepless at night, and indifferent to the changing seasons. Now that you are old, you have naturally accumulated too much illness. Medicine is just a mundane thing; how can it fight against the seasons?"

As the Book of Changes says, "The movement of Heaven is full of power. Thus the superior man makes himself strong and untiring." Following the natural order and resting and recuperating is better than any panacea in the world. If you treat illness as an enemy, as long as you are strong, the enemy will have no chance to take advantage of you.

"You know about this, I know about it, and the imperial physician knows about it too. It's just that no one dares to say it, nor are they willing to say it."

After these words were spoken, the hall fell silent for a while.

The old eunuch in white couldn't help but widen his eyes and carefully examine the young man in white.

The three old eunuchs standing in the hall also looked at him in surprise, unable to believe that he would say it so directly.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was stern. After a long while, he suddenly burst into laughter and said, "You say that curing illness lies in self-improvement, so is taking medicine also part of self-improvement?"

Ren Shaoyang calmly said, "To become strong, one must unite one's inner and outer selves." He paused, then added, "Remember, whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat!"

Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment, then chuckled and said, "The words may be rough, but the meaning is sound. It really suits my taste!" He then repeated "Black cat or white cat, as long as it catches mice, it's a good cat" a few more times, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Then he picked up the porcelain bowl and gulped it down in one go. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and cursed, "Damn it, this is so damn bitter!" He put the bowl down and his eyes flashed with murderous intent. "Ren Jianshen, if it weren't for your sake, none of these dog doctors would have survived."

Ren Shaoyang laughed and said, "The imperial physicians are already the most skilled doctors in the world. If you kill them, the people who come after will probably be even worse."

"Only someone like you would say that; anyone else would have lost their head by now!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked up at them, raised his white eyebrows, and said, "Gentlemen, please sit down."

The three villains bowed and sat down on the chairs on either side.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Ren Jianshen, you just gave your evaluation of me, now I'll give my evaluation of you too."

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "It is my honor."

Zhu Yuanzhang leaned back in his chair, looking calm and collected, yet speaking in a leisurely voice:

"I come from humble origins, a rarity throughout history. Without the full assistance of renowned generals and extraordinary talents, this empire could not have been mine! Therefore, over the years, what I am most proud of is not anything else, but my ability to observe people!"

"I would never misjudge someone!"

The old emperor looked Ren Shaoyang up and down, then sighed, "I like your eyes!"

"What's the explanation for this?" Ren Shaoyang was taken aback, and Hongxiu and Ding'an were also astonished.

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "Those are eyes that seem indifferent, but are actually full of enthusiasm and imagination for the world. I have seen so many people, but none of them have eyes like yours."

“That’s right!” Zhu Yuanzhang pointed at Ding’an and Hongxiu and said, “They have the same eyes as you.” He couldn’t help but smile again, “No wonder you can support each other, it turns out you’re all the same kind of people.”

Ren Shaoyang laughed and said, "You're really amazing. You were able to see through our kind nature at a glance."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang and all the eunuchs wore strange expressions.

Pure and kind?

Since their debut, these three have killed countless people, even blinding Pang Ban in one eye. Recently, they have been hacking and slashing along the Yangtze River, silencing the martial arts community.

You, a kind-hearted old man, are the greatest philanthropist in the world!
Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and sneered, "Ren Jianshen, has no one ever said you're shameless?"

Hearing this, the little beggar laughed and said, "We often say it, but he just won't listen."

"Hahaha!" Zhu Yuanzhang laughed, "In this world, only Miss Hongxiu can subdue the Sword God Ren." As he said this, he glanced at her seemingly casually, and then coughed again.

Hongxiu's eyes flashed, and then she said sweetly, "Grandpa Emperor, you must take your medicine properly and don't stay up late anymore!"

“That won’t do,” Zhu Yuanzhang laughed. “The country is a beautiful landscape, but it also represents supreme power and a heavy burden. Heaven can make it or it can break it. I am worried about it day and night and dare not slack off, for I fear that if I make the slightest mistake, I will follow in the footsteps of the Yuan Dynasty.”

Hongxiu said, "It's just that the Ming Dynasty has a solid foundation and the people are loyal to it. If the Emperor were to have health problems, that would be a real disaster!"

"What can I do?" Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head repeatedly. "Even if I refuse to admit I'm old, I can't defy the will of Heaven. Ever since my sister and Biao'er left," he said, his white eyebrows drooping and his expression dimming for a moment, before continuing, "I knew that time was pressing on and my life was coming to an end."

Why is Your Majesty so sad?

Ren Shaoyang said calmly, "Whether you're young or old, just act according to the times and leave no regrets."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "Sword God Ren, I have never believed in fate!" He slowly stood up, and a domineering aura slowly spread out.

“During the famine in Fengyang, most of my family starved to death, leaving only me alive. Tang He told me to seek refuge with Guo Zixing, but I hesitated.”

"Later, someone falsely accused me of colluding with the rebels. With nowhere else to turn, I prayed to the gods and Buddhas, only to find that it was all useless! Later, I gritted my teeth and became determined to join Guo Zixing. After many years of fighting, I finally achieved great success."

Zhu Yuanzhang stepped out and stopped twenty feet away from Ren Shaoyang and the other two. He said calmly, "Sword God Ren, Miss Hongxiu, and Emperor Li Dao. I am now suffering from a long-term illness and lack of energy. I have many unfulfilled ambitions."

"I have invited you all here to borrow the Eagle Blade for a look. I wish to see if it can extend my lifespan. I do not seek immortality, but only that I complete what I can do and leave nothing for my descendants!"

These words were spoken with conviction and sincerity.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to Ding An.

To be more specific.

It's on the knife behind Ding'an.

(End of this chapter)