The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

The following day, at the Qianqing Palace.

Li Jinglong knelt in the main hall.

Behind the imperial desk, Zhu Yuanzhang sat there, his old eyes fixed on him: "I heard you went to the martial arts training ground yesterday and made a fool of yourself?"

Li Jinglong raised his head, looking completely innocent: "Your Majesty, what makes you say that? My horsemanship is the best, how is that shameful? Those dozen or so noble sons were all left in the dust by me, I made you proud."

"Long face?" Zhu Yuanzhang laughed in exasperation. "General with foundation, you're getting cocky now?"

have to.

The nickname has even reached His Majesty's ears.

"Did Fu Youde complain to you?" he asked.

"You're a grown man, why are you wearing makeup to the martial arts arena? Why are you sticking two pheasant feathers in your hair? And why are you having your maid touch up your powder in public?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked angrily.

Li Jinglong sighed, his face earnest: "Your Majesty, I earn my living through my own abilities. My horsemanship is unparalleled, that's a genuine skill. But what about them? They insist on focusing on my appearance. Alas, my perfect face..."

Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that his beard stood on end.

"Your father, Li Wenzhong, was both a scholar and a warrior, and possessed both talent and good looks. Can't you learn from your father?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong looked resentful and said, "Your Majesty, aren't you cursing me?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback: "How did I curse you?"

"Your Majesty, you died young," Li Jinglong said matter-of-factly. "If you expect me to follow your example, wouldn't I also die young?"

Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed the memorial from his desk and threw it at him.

Li Jinglong shrank back, and the memorial fell to the ground with a thud.

"How dare you talk back!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared.

"Your subject dares not!" Li Jinglong immediately bowed.

Your Majesty, do you still have time to care about me?

You should take care of your harem!

Let's hope it doesn't turn into a vast grassland.

Are you genuinely unaware of the affair between Consort Zhuang and Hu Fei, or are you pretending not to know?

How should I remind His Majesty?

To put it bluntly, Your Majesty, are you being cuckolded?

My head probably flew farther than the imperial edict.

Hint? How?

"We've been busy lately. Once we're done with this, I'll personally train you. We can't just watch you become useless," Zhu Yuanzhang said.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong became anxious.

His Majesty personally trained them?

Wouldn't that be a disaster?

When Zhu Yuanzhang scolds people, it's like he's scolding his grandsons. No, he really is scolding his grandsons. Which of the Crown Princes and those princes wasn't scolded by him until they were like quails?

"No, please!" Li Jinglong said with a bitter face. "Your Majesty, you are the supreme ruler, with countless affairs to attend to every day. There are so many important matters in the court that await your attention. It's not worth it for you to waste your time on me. I am rotten wood that cannot be carved, nor can I plaster a wall of dung. Please don't bother with me."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted: "You're our grand-nephew, if we don't spend our time on you, who will? Your father died early, if we don't take care of you, won't you turn the world upside down?"

Your Majesty, I appreciate your kind intentions.

But you really spent your money in the wrong place.

It's your concubines in your harem that you need to spend your time on.

Your Majesty, your house is about to be robbed!

He was internally screaming, but outwardly he said honestly, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness. But I know my own limitations, so please don't worry about me. I will learn and practice slowly, and I will become capable sooner or later."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand: "Alright, let's get down to business. How's the investigation going?"

Li Jinglong raised his head and opened his mouth.

"Well……"

His eyes darted around.

How should we address the green on His Majesty's head?

"Your Majesty, what color do you like?" he asked, looking up.

Zhu Yuanzhang blurted out instinctively, "Yellow."

"Huh?" Li Jinglong's eyes widened. "So you're this kind of person?"

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his hand on the imperial desk: "I asked you how the case is going, what nonsense are you spouting here?"

I was referring to the case.

It's so obvious, didn't you hear it?

Li Jinglong looked out the window: "Your Majesty, look outside, that big tree, how green it is!"

"And then?" Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him coldly.

"Your Majesty, do you like the grasslands?" Li Jinglong spread his hands. "The vast, green grasslands."

Zhu Yuanzhang started rolling up his sleeves: "It seems you won't speak properly unless I give you a good beating."

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I have done my best! I have truly done my best!" Li Jinglong said urgently.

Zhu Yuanzhang stopped, staring coldly at him.

Li Jinglong said solemnly, "Your Majesty, the crimes committed by the Hu family father and son, which I currently possess, are enough to behead them ten times over. Their acts of seizing farmland, terrorizing the countryside, and abducting women are all irrefutable evidence."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly: "Have you forgotten what I told you last time?"

"I haven't forgotten." Li Jinglong said with a bitter face, "I will continue to investigate, but Your Majesty, it's not convenient for me to go to the inner palace. I am a man from another region, young and full of vigor, and the palace maids are all so beautiful. I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself."

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment: "We'll find someone for you, and you two can work together on the case."

"Who?" Li Jinglong asked.

"Hai Li," Zhu Yuanzhang said, "when the Empress was alive, she enjoyed the Empress's deep trust and had easy access to the inner palace."

Li Jinglong's eyes lit up instantly: "Sister Hai, okay, okay, she's from the Qingqing Grassland, and she's a relative, so she's reliable."

Seeing his smug expression, Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened immediately: "You brat, don't get any funny ideas. She's older than you."

Li Jinglong replied calmly, "Sister, I can accept it too."

Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless: "Listen to me carefully, your future principal wife will be a girl from the Yuan family. Your principal wife cannot be a foreigner."

Li Jinglong quickly waved his hand: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I know what I'm doing. As for older women, it's fine to have some fun with them, but marriage is out of the question."

Zhu Yuanzhang: "..."

"Your Majesty, look at the season now, the flowers are in full bloom, a riot of colors, the palace is truly a scene of vibrant spring," Li Jinglong continued to hint.

"We know," Zhu Yuanzhang said expressionlessly.

Li Jinglong continued reciting: "As the saying goes, spring's beauty cannot be confined within the garden walls; a branch of red apricot blossoms peeks over the wall."

Zhu Yuanzhang completely lost his patience: "Get out!"

Li Jinglong bowed.

Your Majesty, I have done my best.

……

As he walked out of the Qianqing Palace, he looked up and saw Hai Li under the corridor.

She wore a light red dress that accentuated her curvaceous figure, and a faint smile graced her mature and charming face.

They're ripe; it's time to pick them.

Li Jinglong thought to himself, but greeted her with a smile, "Sister Hai, were you waiting for me?"

"Greetings, Young Duke." Hai Li bowed slightly. "His Majesty has ordered me to assist the Young Duke."

Li Jinglong cursed inwardly, thinking that the emperor was indeed a cunning old fox who had prepared long ago.

"Can you help with anything?" he asked, blinking.

Hai Li approached, giving him a sidelong glance: "You little bastard, don't get any dirty thoughts. I'm just helping you investigate the case."

"Sister, you've misunderstood, haven't you? You still don't understand me," Li Jinglong said earnestly.

Hai Li rolled his eyes: "Heh, General Foundation, who doesn't know him?"