Chapter 477: It’s good to have no heirs, the ruler and his subjects should not betray each other

Chapter 477: It’s good to have no heirs, the ruler and his subjects should not betray each other

Chapter 477: It’s good to have no heirs, the ruler and his subjects should not betray each other
Yongshou Palace is one of the six western palaces in the imperial city, where Concubine Guo Ning lived.

Near noon, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and Concubine Guo Ning returned here to have dinner.

The meal for the two was very simple, with a few side dishes and two bowls of rice.

In front of Zhu Yuanzhang was a plate of sprouts, most of which he had already eaten.

"Your Majesty, this bicycle is a good thing. It is fast and saves effort.
If you ride a horse regularly, you will definitely be able to keep fit.
I think we can buy one for every prince and princess in the palace.
Let them move more on weekdays, so they don’t have to stay in the study all day long.”

Zhu Yuanzhang eats very quickly.

After a while, he ate up the whole bowl of rice.

The eunuch at the side quickly handed over another bowl.

After he swallowed the food in his mouth, he nodded slightly:

"It's time to let them move more.
When we were that age, we were very active and could do everything, such as climbing mountains, climbing walls, and diving into ditches.

Now look at them, reading all day long,
I haven’t learned any skills, and I complain about the pain after practicing a few times.”

When it comes to the issue of children's education, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flash with helplessness and he shakes his head repeatedly.
Concubine Guo Ning smiled:

"Your Majesty, don't worry.
The princes and princesses are still young and weak, and forcing them to train will only hurt their bodies."

"This is considered a good time. If it were in the past, how could we have any choice?"

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head, his face full of resentment, and ate even faster.

Concubine Guo Ning picked up the handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead:

"It is because of your majesty's wisdom and bravery that the Ming Dynasty was established.
You work so hard just to give them a good life."

"Too."

Zhu Yuanzhang answered vaguely, and the rice in his bowl was almost gone after a few mouthfuls. He looked at the eunuch beside him:
"Let them in."

"Yes"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the unfinished dishes on the plate and said as he cleaned them up:

"The sweet potatoes will be ripe in two months.

Then I'll let you taste something good, sweet and filling."

"I have been waiting for this. I heard from those old gentlemen,

If this plant is grown well, the people of the Ming Dynasty will no longer have to suffer from hunger?"

"It's a bit exaggerated, but it's hard to starve someone to death."

Speaking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang became happy and laughed out loud like a child.

At this time, steady footsteps were heard, and the imperial physician Dai Sigong and Wang Lu came hurriedly.

The two of them came to the hall and bowed:
"Greetings to your Majesty, Queen Ning."

Concubine Ning's eyes flashed with surprise, "Your Majesty, are you feeling unwell?"

"I am in good health, but someone is not."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, and the eunuch beside him quickly moved and told the palace maids and guards to leave.

Soon, there were only four people left in the house.

Concubine Ning did not move, but sat there in a dignified manner.

She is now the mistress of the harem, and choosing to meet the imperial physician here is secretive enough.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up, walked to the square table nearby and sat down.

Concubine Ning picked up the teacup and handed it over: "It's hot, drink slowly."

Taking the teacup, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Dai Sigong and the other man and asked coldly:

"how?"

Dai Sigong cupped his hands, his face calm, and spoke slowly:
"Your Majesty, Lord Lu is in excellent health. He is the best person I have ever seen in my life.
But, because of the large and small exercises, Lord Lu's Yang Qi is too strong, which burns the kidney Yin.
This has caused the kidney's yin and yang to become unbalanced, making it extremely difficult to give birth to a child."

After the words fell, Wang Lu, who was standing beside him, bowed and spoke in a deep voice:
“Your Majesty, it will take hard work to alleviate these symptoms.

Not only must he be treated with medicine, but he must also leave the army or other dangerous places, only then will there be a one in ten thousand chance of success."

The atmosphere in Yongshou Palace was silent, and Zhu Yuanzhang looked calm.
Concubine Guo Ning standing by frowned slightly, with a look of disbelief on her face.

If she remembered correctly, Lu Yunyi was only twenty years old, but he had to face the pain of being childless?

For some reason, a trace of sadness flashed across Concubine Guo Ning's eyes.
She thought of her son, Prince Lu, who had died this year.
Although he was in good health, he was fond of medicine and died early.
"Has the Imperial Medical Bureau prescribed any medicine?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked calmly.

Wang Lu said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I have prescribed some nourishing prescriptions, but medicine is only an aid and may have little effect."

"Well, let's go down."

The two of them bowed and slowly left Yongshou Palace.

After they left, Concubine Guo Ning said in a daze:
“Your Majesty, I have heard from people in the palace that Lu Yunyi is a rare young talent in the army.

How come you are so sick now?"

She turned to look at His Majesty beside her and was suddenly stunned.

I saw that the wrinkles on His Majesty's cheeks were much smoother, not as solemn as before.

She knows the people around her very well.

His Majesty is very good at hiding his thoughts, and now he can only show a hint of his true emotions in front of her and the prince.

Concubine Ning was very sure that His Majesty had just breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a lot.

Concubine Guo Ning pursed her lips, her bright eyes flickered, she thought about something, and soon understood.

Then, a gentle voice sounded:

"The general is young, but his military exploits are outstanding, and he can be described as a tree that stands out among the trees.

Its presence among the military was of great benefit to the empire's war efforts.

However, a tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. His great achievements are hard to be recognized, and he may become the target of public criticism in the court.

Although he was the pillar of the empire during the war, he became a hidden danger after staying in the court for a long time. "

After saying this, Concubine Guo Ning showed a trace of distress on her face, and gently grasped the hand of His Majesty beside her:

"Your Majesty, you have been troubled."

Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled and grabbed Concubine Ning's hand, "You still understand me."

He turned to look at the many empty plates in front of him and said calmly:
"I have never been afraid of being criticized. People in the court and the public say that I am a cunning rabbit that dies and running dogs that are cooked, but I don't care."

"What I care about is a loyal and wise minister who serves the country.

In the end, they became an obstacle to the imperial court, and even opposed it openly or covertly."

"I have never changed. From the first day I started my army,

I vowed never to go hungry again, and this goal was soon achieved.

But I see this great country in pieces, with people suffering.

Just like before me, there are countless people begging on the roads, suffering from hunger and cold.

My oath has changed. I want to make sure that no one in this world will suffer from hunger again.

Later, when I became emperor, I also did it.

But there are fewer and fewer people around me, and I don’t know how many old brothers feel.

The imperial court only needs to manage its own piece of land.
There is no need to spend a lot of money to take care of those people, just let them fend for themselves.

But, they are subjects, and I am the emperor.

They were thinking about family matters.

But my home is not the imperial palace, but the Ming Dynasty. Isn’t it also a family affair?
All the people are my subjects, I cannot ignore them.

As a result, the imperial court mobilized troops externally and cracked down on counter-revolutionaries internally.

Slowly, I discovered.

The relationship with many old brothers became increasingly distant, brothers became rulers and subjects, and friends became enemies.

Why did the Six Dynasties become just a family's private scheme?

I knew this when I started my army, but it was not until I became emperor that I truly understood how powerful this statement was.

But no matter what, I won't stop.
I will show no mercy to anyone who stands in the way of the court."

"Your Majesty, you have worked hard," Concubine Ning murmured.

Before she knew it, she was in tears.

She knew that for soldiers, a falling out between brothers was as bad as the death of their offspring.
And now, there are so many brothers turning against each other.
“I am not tired, even though many people have betrayed the court and their original oaths.

But it doesn't matter, the Ming Dynasty has millions of people,
There are always people who stand up with the world in mind.
I have come this far thanks to these loyal and patriotic people.

Lu Yunyi, a northern border dweller, was a grassland dweller more than a decade ago. But so what?
He was not greedy or robbed, did not love beauty or money, and made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty.

This is the loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, the support of the people of the world.

I don't know if he will change when he grows up.

But I don't want to see the relationship between him and the Crown Prince fall apart.

Now, this situation can be considered a good ending.”

Concubine Guo Ning's eyes were red, and she gently pinched His Majesty beside her:
"Don't say such unlucky words. You are in good health and can live to be a hundred years old."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered:
"In the second year of Hongwu, I checked all the people in the world and found that there were only a hundred people over 80 years old, and only one old man over 90 years old.

The world is peaceful now. Even if the population increased a hundred times, there would still be no more than a hundred people over ninety years old.

I am sixty-one years old, and I only ask to live another fifteen years.

Let me fix the Fish Scale Atlas and leave the Crown Prince with a clear and bright world. That will be enough."

"Fifteen years?" Concubine Guo Ning thought for a moment and revealed a bit of frustration:

"Your Majesty, in fifteen years I won't be sixty yet.

You haven’t had enough of these wonderful days. You can’t just live for fifteen years, you need to live longer.”

Zhu Yuanzhang did not get angry after hearing this, but burst into laughter.
"Okay, I've eaten and ridden, and now I have to deal with today's memorials."

Concubine Guo Ning showed some reluctance on her face, but she still stood up and bowed slightly:

"Your Majesty, please go quickly, finish the work as soon as possible, and rest as soon as possible."

"Oh, yes, there is one more thing you need to take care of.
Wenying and the others will be back tomorrow, and a celebration banquet will be held in the palace.

I plan to hold a family dinner after the celebration banquet.

You take care of this matter and prepare some of Wenying's favorite foods.
Prepare some more plum wine, Wenying loves it."

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang paused and thought for a moment:

"I haven't seen Ting'er for many years. She is now married to Lu Yunyi.

We, as elders, should also give gifts.

I can't be in charge of this matter, so you should do it, and the gift should be more expensive."

"Why should I be embarrassed? Never mind. Leave it to me. I will definitely make Wenying and Ting'er satisfied."

Concubine Guo Ning smiled gently and stood up.
He began to straighten His Majesty's clothes, smoothing out the wrinkles, and gently reminded him:

"Your Majesty, the Beijing army has returned with a great victory.

The people of Yingtian should all celebrate. Please don't lose your temper and ruin this great day.

Whatever happens, you have to wait until after the happy event."

Zhu Yuanzhang pursed his lips, looked at the woman in front of him, and let out a long breath:
"Okay, I'll listen to you. We'll talk about it after the celebration."

Concubine Guo Ning smoothed out the last wrinkle on her dress and patted it gently:
"Okay, go quickly. Don't waste time here with me.

Otherwise, the scholars in the court will start to make noise again, making people irritated. "

"Hahahaha, let's go."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his sleeves and left with a big laugh.

Somehow, the news that the Ministry of Works was surrounded by the Imperial Guards quickly spread throughout the Ming Imperial City.

All government offices were informed of this matter.

Then all kinds of rumors began to spread and soon became more detailed and more credible.

What is the Minister of Works Qin Kui's position being improper, being a figurehead and doing nothing?

Rumors such as corruption in the Ministry of Works filled the entire Ming Imperial City.

But, these rumors,

Adults who have reached a certain level will find it boring.

Because they knew that not only the Ministry of Works was surrounded by the imperial guards,

No outsiders were allowed to enter the palace, and even His Majesty, who worked diligently every day, took a half-day break.

The connection between them makes people think a lot.

Amidst these rumors, there was also a secret rumor mixed in.

After the newly appointed Minister of Works, Lu Yunyi, visited the Ministry of Works,
He went straight to the Imperial Hospital and did something unknown.
Coincidentally, two highly respected doctors from the Imperial Hospital happened to come to the Imperial City from their homes today.
In the eyes of most people in the imperial city, this is a trivial matter that will not even cause any waves.

But for those who have been watching Lu Yunyi,
This statement seems to confirm the rumors that have been circulating.

Many adults also looked surprised after hearing the news.

It turns out that what Yu Qilun said was true.

No wonder Lu Yunyi was so furious and rushed straight into Yu Mansion.

Naturally, this news spread to the Governor's Office.

Although Lu Yunyi became the Minister of Works, the officials and even the clerks of the Governor's Office were
They all regarded him as a member of the army, which means he was one of their own.

When Lu Yunyi arrived at the Governor's Mansion, the officials paid their respects as usual, but the awkward atmosphere could not be hidden in any way.

Lu Yunyi naturally noticed their weirdness and knew why they looked like that.

But Lu Yunyi didn't care, and was even a little looking forward to it.

The farther these rumors spread, the better. It would be best if they were known to everyone and the people were familiar with them.

So, under the strange gaze of the crowd,

Lu Yunyi, dressed in casual clothes, walked into the Central Military Office.

At this moment, the Central Military Office became even more chaotic than the Ministry of Works because of the sudden outbreak of war.

The clerks and many staff officers were carrying thick documents in their hands.
Coming and going in the government office, walking hurriedly,

Looking around, all people,
There was a desolate atmosphere in the air, as if everyone was exhausted to the extreme.

In this kind of scene, Lu Yunyi felt a sense of familiarity for no reason.
For him, war was more tiring than being a craftsman.

Just because you want to win a war, the preliminary preparations are like the vast ocean. There was a rumor in the Governor's Office that

After every major battle, the piled up documents could fill up a large hall.

Although this statement is a bit exaggerated.

But Lu Yunyi knew that it was more than enough to fill half the hall.

Amidst a flurry of greetings and exclamations, Lu Yunyi arrived at the main hall.

Duke Lan Yu of Liang has been living in the Central Army Commander's Mansion these days, taking charge of the preparations before the northern expedition.

In theory, such preparations should be handled by General Fu Youde, who is leading the Northern Expedition.

But Fu Youde had just suppressed the rebellion and was leading his army back, so this task fell on the shoulders of the military officers in Beijing.

At this moment, people were coming and going in the yamen.

One document after another was placed on the table, and then he left in a hurry.

In a blink of an eye, another clerk came in and took away the documents on the table, and this cycle repeated itself.

Lan Yu, the Duke of Liang who was in charge of coordinating the work, was welded to his seat and could not move.

Along with him were the Left Army Governor Geng Zhong, Quanning Marquis Sun Ke, the Front Army Governor's Office Assistant Governor Hu Tong, the Rear Army Governor's Office Assistant Governor Ye Wang, and the Right Army Governor's Office Assistant Governor Zhang Quan.

Quanning Marquis Sun Ke sighed deeply after receiving a document.

He fell backwards and sat back on the chair, his face full of despair.
In a trance, he saw a figure and his eyes fixed!
"Hey? Why are you here?"

His startled breathing attracted a lot of people's attention.

All the adults raised their heads and looked at Lu Yunyi who was standing at the door.
In an instant, there was gnashing of teeth!

The change in tactical strategy reduced the number of troop deployments and subsequent food and fodder supplies.

But it brought more troubles.
Many troops have already joined the battle.

Now we have to make cuts, and it will offend people whether to bring someone or not, or to kick someone out.

Now, they do the dirty work and clean up the mess.

This kid in front of me is so good, he has been appointed as the Minister of Works?

Where does this make sense?

Lu Yunyi was at a loss for words after being stammered by such a look, and stammered:
"Uh, why are you all looking at me like this?"

(End of this chapter)