The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 10 Your Majesty, I refuse!

I lay flat for two days.

When they said "lying down," they really meant it. The two brothers did nothing but eat and sleep; they never even left the yard.

After two days, my backache was gone, my legs didn't hurt, and I was too lazy to even think straight.

That day, Li Jinglong got up early and strolled to the front hall, where he found Li Zengzhi sipping porridge.

"Weren't you going to sleep until noon?" Li Jinglong asked.

Li Zengzhi said with a bitter face, "Brother, I have to go to the Imperial Academy today."

Li Jinglong was taken aback: "So eager?"

"If His Majesty knew I hadn't gone for several days in a row, he would hang me up and beat me. You know how violent my uncle is; last time he beat Zhu Twelve so badly he couldn't get out of bed."

Li Jinglong nodded in deep agreement.

Old Zhu doesn't hold back when beating his sons or these grand-nephews and grand-nieces.

"Are you going out today too?" Li Zengzhi asked.

"Yes, I'll go to the palace today too." Li Jinglong nodded.

Li Zengzhi's eyes darted around: "It's a deal, we've been at home these past two days because we're too grief-stricken."

Li Jinglong replied irritably, "I know."

This kid hasn't lost any of his cleverness.

If outsiders find out that the two brothers have been lying around at home for two days without doing anything productive and just sleeping, what kind of talk will that make?

"We're still in mourning, so you better watch yourself. His Majesty values filial piety the most, so don't cause any trouble when you go to the Imperial Academy," he instructed.

Li Zengzhi nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, I don't have any bad habits. But you, don't sneak off to the brothel. If His Majesty finds out, he'll break your legs."

Li Jinglong nearly spat out his porridge: "I went to the brothel? When did I ever go to the brothel?"

"Last month you said that a new singer had come to the Imperial Music Bureau, and her voice was like a nightingale's." Li Zengzhi revealed the truth.

Li Jinglong coughed and said, "I'm currently observing mourning for my parents. How could I possibly go to a place like that? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Li Zengzhi nodded: "Yes."

"roll."

Li Jinglong wiped his mouth and said, "Your Majesty is extremely busy, managing everything under the sun. You really are meddling in a lot of things."

"He's my maternal uncle. Now that Dad's gone, we're like fatherless children. He's definitely keeping an eye on us," Li Zengzhi said quietly.

"I'm going to empathize with those ministers who go to court." Li Jinglong blinked. "Have you heard? Before leaving for the morning court session, all the officials burn incense, pray, and make their final arrangements."

Li Zengzhi's eyes widened: "Are you afraid His Majesty will be angry and execute people again?"

"Yes, I hope His Majesty will pass away every day." Li Jinglong shrugged.

Li Zengzhi was speechless, gritting his teeth: "Brother, watch your words!"

……

Qianqing Palace.

Li Jinglong stood at the bottom of the steps and saw a familiar figure standing on the steps.

"Oh, Eunuch Wang?" Li Jinglong cupped his hands in greeting to Wang Jinghong. "You've taken up your post at Qianqing Palace? You have a bright future ahead of you."

Wang Jinghong smiled slightly: "Is the Young Duke here to see His Majesty? I'll go and inform him."

He turned and went inside, then came out a short while later: "His Majesty summons you. Young Duke, His Majesty has been in low spirits these past two days, so be careful."

Holy crap! I didn't check the almanac before I left home.

Is it too late for me to go back now?

If Zhu Yuanzhang was in a bad mood, would he chop off a few heads to cheer him up?

"Thank you for the reminder, sir." He smiled and strode into the hall.

Behind his desk, Zhu Yuanzhang was bowing his head, seemingly reviewing some memorial. With his vermilion brush in hand, he wrote slowly, stroke by stroke.

Li Jinglong knelt and bowed: "Your subject Li Jinglong pays respects to Your Majesty."

"Have all the funeral arrangements been taken care of?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked without looking up.

"Everything has been taken care of," Li Jinglong said. "Your Majesty has come to express your gratitude. Your Majesty has posthumously conferred upon my father the title of Prince of Qiyang, which is an honor for the Li family."

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly raised his head: "Just don't let us down."

Li Jinglong quickly pledged his loyalty: "The descendants of the Duke of Cao's family are loyal to the Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's lips curled up slightly, but his voice turned cold: "I heard that Pan Mei, the Vice Minister of Rites, played the wrong music at the funeral?"

"It was just a momentary oversight on Lord Pan's part," Li Jinglong said.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly stood up: "Someone is targeting your Cao Guogong Mansion, and you don't even know that?"

Li Jinglong raised his head, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, and said, "Pan Mei acted on Your Majesty's orders, didn't she?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was visibly startled.

He came out from behind the imperial desk.

Li Jinglong knelt on the ground and caught a glimpse of the boots walking towards him step by step. His heart pounded like a drum.

The boots stopped in front of him.

Li Jinglong had a bad feeling: the shoes his great-uncle was wearing today had thick soles; kicking someone would probably hurt quite a bit.

"You really doubt us?" Zhu Yuanzhang said coldly. "Then tell me, why did we let Pan Mei do that?"

Li Jinglong raised his head: "Your Majesty intends to target the gentry and landlords of Jiangnan."

Zhu Yuanzhang was startled again.

"Go on," Zhu Yuanzhang said, looking down at him.

"The powerful clans of Jiangnan lived together in close-knit communities, stretching for hundreds of miles. Since the southward migration of the Song Dynasty, they had served as officials for generations, arbitrarily annexing land. They intermarried and their families were deeply intertwined."

"They have the power to control the government and the wealth of the common people. They bully the common people and act arbitrarily in the countryside."

"If this continues, something terrible will happen sooner or later."

Zhu Yuanzhang was utterly shocked.

"At such a young age, you've already seen this much." He said, his hands behind his back.

Li Jinglong continued, "When our father pacified Jiangnan, many people died, and he had grudges against those gentry and landlords."

"His Majesty wants to use our father's death to strike at the powerful clans of Jiangnan. His Majesty wants the court and the public to suspect that the powerful clans of Jiangnan colluded with the imperial physicians to poison our father."

Having said all that, the unspoken truth has already been revealed.

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent.

He turned around, his back to Li Jinglong, took two steps, and then stopped.

After a long pause, he spoke: "Since you've figured it out, then cooperate with us and interrogate Pan Mei."

Li Jinglong bowed and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I refuse."

"You won't allow it?" Zhu Yuanzhang turned around, his eyes cold.

Li Jinglong straightened up and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Your Majesty, my father was Huo Qubing of the Ming Dynasty."

"At nineteen, he donned armor and first pacified Nanjing. He led a northern expedition into the desert, directly attacking Yingchang. With a force of several thousand, he defeated Zhang Shicheng's tens of thousands of troops. With a lone army deep in enemy territory, he captured the Northern Yuan Khan from thousands of miles away."

"Such a general was renowned for his military exploits and was upright and honorable."

Future generals will take him as their role model. Frontier soldiers will take him as their example. His light shines not on one generation, but on thousands of generations to come!

His voice grew louder and louder, a fire burning in his heart.

"My father died young, and I have no regrets. A general dies in a hundred battles, and a brave soldier returns after ten years. To die wrapped in a horse's hide is his fate and his glory."

"but!"

"Your Majesty, my father was upright and honest in life, and he should also be clear about his name in death."

"He cannot get involved in these conspiracies. He cannot allow people to say that Li Wenzhong's death was a scheme. He cannot allow people to say that the funeral of the Duke of Cao's mansion was a show."

"He is a man who will shine through the ages. When future generations mention Li Wenzhong, they will remember his military achievements and his integrity."

"Not some poisoning, conspiracy, or court intrigue!"

"These things don't deserve to be near my father!"

His voice echoed throughout the hall, buzzing.

"So, Your Majesty!"

Li Jinglong clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty, I refuse."

The Qianqing Palace was quiet.

a long time.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not get angry. He stood there, looking at the bent-over boy in front of him.

Then he smiled.

"Hahaha!"

"Bao'er can rest in peace with a son like you."