The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

The following day, at the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the throne, and Mao Xiang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, stood below him.

"Speak," Zhu Yuanzhang said, setting down his teacup. "What did that kid do yesterday?"

Mao Xiang bowed and said, "Yesterday, the Young Duke and Yuan Hong's daughter, Yuan Qing, ran into each other on Sanshan Street. Ma Sandao got married yesterday, and Miss Yuan came to offer her congratulations. After she came out, she happened to run into the Young Duke's gang of hooligans collecting money on the street."

"Take money?" Zhu Yuanzhang raised an eyebrow.

"It's said they were trying to recruit a vendor selling roasted chestnuts. Before they could even exchange two words, Miss Yuan's men rushed up and blocked him. The Young Duke arrived shortly after, and the two sides faced off for a while."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled slightly: "That girl from the Yuan family is not someone to be trifled with."

"The young Duke didn't argue with Miss Yuan directly," Mao Xiang continued. "He explained to Miss Yuan that the ruffians weren't collecting protection money, but sanitation fees."

"Sanitation fee?" Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback. "What's that?"

"The young duke said that those rascals have stopped stealing chickens and dogs and have switched to sweeping the streets, shoveling horse manure, and setting up garbage cans for pedestrians to throw their trash into. They charge a little money for their hard work, which is considered a sanitation fee."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked, "Is Sanshan Street clean now?"

"It's definitely much cleaner now." Mao Xiang smiled. "Those hooligans are watching the streets every day now. If any pedestrian dares to litter, they'll yell at them. They've also put up a lot of wooden buckets along the street specifically for collecting garbage. My men spent the whole afternoon in the shadows yesterday and personally saw them sweep the streets three times and shovel two cartloads of horse manure."

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was strange.

That kid always knows how to stir things up.

Thinking about it carefully, Li Jiujiang, though a scoundrel, didn't seem to have done anything particularly heinous. He went to brothels, but never stayed overnight. He drank, but never caused trouble in the streets.

He's now leading a bunch of hooligans to sweep the streets.

"And then?" he asked. "Did that boy and the Yuan family girl just break up like that?"

"What did the young duke say? 'Repairing bridges and roads leaves no corpses, killing and arson bring wealth.' Mao Xiang said, 'He said those ruffians are his brothers, Li Jinglong, and he won't send them to the yamen.' Miss Yuan immediately got angry, turned around, and got into her carriage."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted, "This kid can't even win over his future wife. If Yuan Hong knew, he'd be furious."

Mao Xiang raised his head slightly: "The Young Duke didn't go after the Yuan family's daughter; instead, he went to congratulate Ma Sandao. He sat at Ma Sandao's house for about an hour, and what they talked about during that time is unknown."

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed.

That fool Ma Sandao actually sold the mansion we rewarded him with, and bought a tiny courtyard instead, to live with a woman from the brothel.

Every woman who comes out of there is cunning and manipulative. Ma Sandao, that straightforward guy, gets sold out and still helps the seller count the money.

"Sigh, sell the Marquis's mansion? Let it be. Marry a woman from the brothel? Let him marry her. As long as this old man can live a good life and doesn't ruin himself," Zhu Yuanzhang said softly.

The eunuch Wang Jinghong trotted in and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, Ma Sandao requests an audience."

Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly startled and waved his hand.

Mao Xiang immediately understood, bowed, and withdrew.

Ma Sandao, carrying a wooden box, huffed and puffed as he entered the hall.

"Your subject Ma Sandao greets Your Majesty." He knelt and bowed.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyes slightly: "Ma Sandao, didn't you take on a job for the Ministry of Works? Have you finished it?"

Ma Sandao shook his head: "Your Majesty, I am not here to report back. I am here to apologize."

"Apologize?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked coldly, "What crime have you committed?"

Ma Sandao hesitated for a moment, then said, "I embezzled three thousand taels of silver while repairing the Imperial Examination Hall."

"What?"

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly stood up, glaring at Ma Sandao and roaring, "Ma Sandao! How dare you embezzle? The court gives you so much salary, isn't that enough?"

Ma Sandao raised his head, his face serious: "Your Majesty, it is indeed not enough."

Zhu Yuanzhang: "???"

Ma Sandao spread his hands, looking aggrieved: "Your Majesty, all the old brothers from Fengyang have been promoted and made a fortune. The Marquis of Yan'an has taken three concubines, the Marquis of Ji'an built a new garden last year, and the Marquis of Pingliang, when he goes out, he has dozens of people following him around."

"Since I fell on hard times, I have yet to remarry."

Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless: "Alright, alright, we're not listening to your complaints."

"Your Majesty, I am guilty. I have disgraced you." Ma Sandao kowtowed.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

The burly man before me had mostly white hair. The Ma Sandao who could once wield a broadsword and cut down three or four enemy soldiers on the battlefield was now kneeling in the hall, his back somewhat hunched.

Zhu Yuanzhang thought of his two sons.

If those two boys were still alive, Ma Sandao wouldn't be so short of money to remarry.

"Return the stolen money and wait to be punished." He sighed.

Ma Sandao quickly opened the wooden box in front of him: "Your subject has brought the silver!"

This is the money he got from selling the Marquis's mansion.

"How did you come to your senses and take the initiative to apologize?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Ma Sandao chuckled: "I've married a new wife. I've figured out that I want to live a stable life with her."

Zhu Yuanzhang asked suspiciously, "Really?"

With your brain, you think you can figure it out on your own?

"Of course it's true!" Ma Sandao said with a smug look on his face. "Your Majesty, my wife is the most beautiful courtesan in the Imperial Music Bureau. She's incredibly beautiful! She can play the zither and sing, and she speaks so gently. She's so good to me."

Zhu Yuanzhang's lips twitched slightly.

The Imperial Music Bureau. The most beautiful courtesan.

That old bastard sold the Marquis's mansion that we personally bestowed upon him, just to marry a woman from the brothel.

"When I have some free time, I'd like to invite Your Majesty to your wedding feast," Ma Sandao said.

Zhu Yuanzhang quickly waved his hand: "No, no, no! We can't afford to lose face like that. You're so proud of marrying a prostitute, and you even show off in front of us."

Ma Sandao immediately exploded, his neck stiffening: "Your Majesty, you can humiliate me, but you cannot humiliate my wife."

Zhu Yuanzhang, speechless, waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, I won't mention your wife. When you get back, write a memorial apologizing for your actions. After that, don't go anywhere and don't see anyone."

Ma Sandao was overjoyed: "Your Majesty will not punish me?"

"The day after tomorrow is the day of the inspection of the examination hall. You will be there then," Zhu Yuanzhang said coldly. "We will punish more than just you."

Ma Sandao raised his head: "How could I not go?"

"cannot!"

Zhu Yuanzhang angrily said, "Although you have voluntarily pleaded guilty, you may be spared the death penalty, but you cannot escape punishment!"

"Your subject obeys the decree." Ma Sandao bowed again, his face full of worry.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him with a complicated expression: "Get out of here. Remember, don't go anywhere, and don't see anyone."

Ma Sandao frowned as he walked.

I need to see that kid Li Jiujiang. He definitely knows how to save me, but His Majesty won't let me see anyone. What should I do?