The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

The weather is nice today, quite sunny and breezy.

Li Jinglong stood at the entrance of the Duke of Cao's mansion, looking up at the sky. The sky was clear and cloudless.

What a beautiful day!

It's a comfortable place to lie down, with a maidservant attending to you.

He spent the entire night thinking about it after returning from the Duke of Xin's mansion yesterday. Collect all the iron certificates of immunity from death? With Li Jinglong's resources?

Go and confront His Majesty.

Whoever wants to do this job can do it; he's definitely not doing it anymore.

As Li Jinglong walked toward the palace, he pondered what to say to His Majesty.

After much thought, I realized that the only option was to take the family route.

If His Majesty disagrees, then cry.

He had already thought of all the lines.

"Father, you're gone. We brothers are all alone now, with no one to care for us."

Yes, the emotions need to build up gradually.

"I'm being bullied."

The ending should be visually evocative, and Li Jinglong is very satisfied with his script.

Not many rounds later, we arrived at the Wuying Hall.

From afar, one could see the eunuch Wang Jinghong standing at the door.

"Brave Eunuch Wang," Li Jinglong said with a smile, "Why is His Majesty in the Wuying Hall today?"

Wang Jinghong bowed slightly: "Young Duke. His Majesty is discussing matters with the dukes and marquises today."

The dukes and marquises?

Li Jinglong paused, then said, "I'll come another day."

"Young Duke, please wait." Wang Jinghong said with a smile, "His Majesty said that if the Young Duke comes, he can go in directly."

Li Jinglong's eyes widened: "Did His Majesty know I was coming?"

Wang Jinghong nodded: "That's what His Majesty instructed."

Li Jinglong stood there, feeling like his brain was about to explode again.

He came to confront His Majesty today, a decision he made only last night, and left home this morning. Even that brat Li Zengzhi didn't know.

How did Your Majesty know?

What does this mean? It means that His Majesty had anticipated his reaction.

This is absolutely terrifying.

"Young Duke?" Wang Jinghong urged.

Li Jinglong straightened his clothes.

Come here.

Either way, it's the same cut.

……

They arrived at the palace.

Li Jinglong glanced over at it.

More than ten dukes and marquises, including Li Shanchang, Duke of Han, Fu Youde, Duke of Ying, Lu Zhongheng, Marquis of Ji'an, Tang Shengzong, Marquis of Yan'an, and Fei Ju, Marquis of Pingliang, were present.

On the throne, Zhu Yuanzhang sat casually, as if chatting with his old buddies.

"Your subject Li Jinglong greets Your Majesty." Li Jinglong bowed deeply.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand and said, "Greetings to all my uncles and elders."

Li Jinglong turned around, clasped his hands in greeting to the assembled dukes and nobles, and said, "Greetings, my uncles and elders."

"Jiujiang is becoming more and more energetic." Li Shanchang, the Duke of Han, nodded with a smile.

Marquis Tang Shengzong of Yan'an laughed loudly: "The name of the Foundation General has spread throughout the capital!"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall of dukes and nobles burst into laughter.

Li Jinglong remained unfazed, waved his hand, and said matter-of-factly, "There's nothing I can do about it, I'm naturally beautiful."

"puff!"

On the throne, Zhu Yuanzhang spat out a mouthful of tea, choking and coughing repeatedly.

"I heard you're trying to seduce my daughter?" Marquis Lu Zhongheng of Ji'an glared.

All eyes fell on Li Jinglong, and even Zhu Yuanzhang looked over with interest.

"No! Absolutely not! Who the hell is spreading this nonsense?" Li Jinglong exclaimed anxiously.

"That's what the eldest son of the Tang family said," Lu Zhongheng snorted. "He said that day at the martial arts arena, you were leaning against my daughter."

Li Jinglong was speechless: "Is he after your daughter? Uncle Lu, with your daughter's looks, is she good enough for me?"

Everyone's eyes widened.

Lu Zhongheng's face flushed red: "You little brat, you're asking for a beating!"

Everyone could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

"Don't say that." Fu Youde stopped laughing. "You're just too effeminate, kid."

Li Jinglong glanced at him and said, "What do you know! This is called handsome!"

"Hey!" Fu Youde glared angrily, "You little brat, you're always picking fights with everyone you see!"

Li Shanchang stroked his beard: "Jiujiang looks like Bao'er, but his temperament is nothing like his."

Li Wenzhong was gentle and refined, a scholar-general of his generation.

Looking at the man in front of me, he's a complete scoundrel.

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke up: "Jiujiang, what have you been busy with lately? Report back to your uncles."

Li Jinglong felt a chill run down his spine.

Your Majesty's words must have a hidden meaning.

"Your Majesty, I have recently been experiencing the hardships of the common people firsthand." He bowed.

"Did he go to the Jiaofangsi (a government-run entertainment district) to experience the hardships of ordinary people?" Emperor Shengzong of Tang rolled his eyes.

The dukes and marquises burst into laughter again.

Li Jinglong looked completely innocent: "Uncle Tang, you've misunderstood me. How could I possibly go to a place like that?"

"Stop pretending! Didn't I run into you at the brothel last time?" Marquis Fei Ju of Pingliang snorted.

Li Jinglong said speechlessly, "Uncle Fei, I heard that someone was bullying a girl at the brothel, so I went there specifically to seek justice. But when I went in, oh, it was you."

"I was there to catch my son!" Fei Ju's face flushed red. "All the privileged second-generation nobles in the capital have been corrupted by you, kid."

"Uncle Fei, don't try to smear me," Li Jinglong said. "At most, I'll go to the brothel to listen to some music, have a drink, and appreciate some art. Don't you know what kind of reputation the young men from the capital have?"

The faces of the dukes and marquises darkened.

Zhu Yuanzhang slightly raised his eyes: "Oh? Tell me more."

"Your Majesty, I have recently experienced firsthand the hardships of the common people. This time it was a real experience; I didn't go to the brothels," Li Jinglong said. "The people are saying that the young men from the military families in the capital are arrogant, domineering, and behaving recklessly. The people dare not speak out against them, but they curse them horribly behind their backs."

The faces of the dukes and marquises grew increasingly grim.

Zhu Yuanzhang coldly asked, "Aren't they afraid of the imperial laws?"

"Your Majesty, they have an iron certificate of immunity from death in their household." Li Jinglong looked up.

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze turned cold.

The dukes and marquises immediately stood up.

"After we return, we will certainly discipline our children strictly."

Li Jinglong blinked: "Uncles, there are actually ways to control them."

"What method?" Tang Shengzong asked.

Li Jinglong pondered for a moment and said, "Last time I met a scholar on the street. The scholar said that if we just took away the imperial pardons from the noble families, those spoiled brats would immediately behave themselves."

The hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in chaos.

"Bullshit!"

"The imperial pardon was bestowed by His Majesty; we old brothers risked our lives for it. Where was that scholar when we were conquering the land? Probably wetting the bed!"

"Damn it, we shed blood and sweat on the battlefield, risking our lives, this is what we deserve."

"Jiujiang! Where is that scholar? I'll take some men right now and rip his tongue out."

"What the hell! You've only studied for two days and you dare to discuss national affairs?"

The nobles and dukes started talking all at once, becoming more and more agitated as they cursed.

Li Shanchang didn't scold him, but said calmly, "Jiujiang, don't spread such rumors in the future. How can you take the words of a scholar seriously?"

Fu Youde sneered, "I have seventeen knife scars and six arrow wounds on my body. Is it too much to ask for a pardon? What does that scholar have? He doesn't even have a callus on his hands, does he?"

The insults grew increasingly intense.

Several nobles were so angry that they switched to the Fengyang dialect and rattled off a string of words at a fast pace and in a high-pitched voice.

Li Jinglong was stunned.

I didn't understand, but it sounded really vulgar.

The reaction to demanding their immunity from death warrants was indeed strong.