Chapter 100: Expedited delivery (please subscribe and vote monthly)
It was already approaching dusk when Zhu Ying returned from the Gunpowder Department.
At this moment, in the Ming Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang also finished his busy day.
After dinner, Zhu Yuanzhang walked and came to Renzhi Hall.
He wanted to chat with his eldest son Zhu Biao.
After waving his hand and asking Liu He and other eunuchs to wait outside the palace, Zhu Yuanzhang walked into the Hall of Renzhi alone.
At Liu He's signal, the eunuchs serving in the palace bowed and exited.
As soon as he entered the palace, Zhu Yuanzhang saw Zhu Yunxi and Zhu Mingyue kneeling in front of the coffin and reciting scriptures.
"What a good boy."
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but sigh.
He did not expect that his grandchildren would come here every day to pay their respects after returning from the Imperial Palace Academy.
Hearing the sound, Zhu Mingyue and Zhu Yunxi turned around, saw Zhu Yuanzhang, and said hurriedly:
"Grandpa Huang."
"Grandpa Huang."
Zhu Yuanzhang came over, helped the two of them up, and said smoothly: "They are all good children. You come here every day, aren't you afraid?"
Zhu Yunxi glanced at his sister, and Zhu Mingyue replied: "Grandpa Huang, our father is here to protect us, how can we be afraid?"
Zhu Mingyue hesitated for a moment, then added: "My brother and I don't have a mother or concubine. Now that my father is gone, it's hard to sleep every night. Only by coming to pay homage to my father and queen can I go back and sleep peacefully."
Girls always mature earlier than boys.
Zhu Mingyue and Zhu Yunxi were both born to Crown Prince Zhu Biao's wife Chang.
Mrs. Chang passed away, and Mrs. Lu became her stepwife.
Zhu Biao, who was busy with state affairs, obviously neglected his children a lot.
Lu also has her own biological children, so naturally she won't spend too much thought on Zhu Mingyue and Zhu Yunxi.
Now that my father has passed away, you can imagine how he was treated.
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard what Zhu Mingyue said, he felt a little guilty.
After all, they are his direct grandchildren, but he doesn't have much time to take care of them.
Looking at the coffin of his eldest son in front of him, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up.
Zhu Ying is their eldest brother, so it's time for that little brat to fulfill his eldest brother's responsibility.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang said to the two of them: "In two days, I will take you to the palace to meet your eldest brother."
Zhu Mingyue and Zhu Yunxi were confused when they heard this.
After hesitating, Zhu Mingyue asked: "Grandpa Huang, our eldest brother, didn't he pass away long ago?"
Zhu Mingyue was born in the ninth year of Hongwu, and is only two years younger than Zhu Xiongying.
I have a deep impression on my elder brother in my memory.
When Zhu Xiongying died young, Zhu Mingyue was already six years old.
At that time, Zhu Xiongying was still very kind to his sister, with a willful attitude.
As a woman, Zhu Mingyue's status was relatively low. The rules in the palace were strict and she became sensible early.
Naturally, I understand what kind of status my eldest brother Zhu Xiongying had in the palace at that time.
He was especially pampered by Grandpa Huang and Grandma Huang.
This kind of status cannot be replaced by anyone. Now Grandpa Huang suddenly said that he would take them to meet his eldest brother, which made Zhu Mingyue a little confused.
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "We also thought that your eldest brother passed away, but God has been kind to me. After ten years, your eldest brother is back again."
"This..." When Zhu Mingyue heard this, she didn't know what to say.
Looking at Grandpa Huang's face flushing slightly, he looked a little excited.
Somehow, she suddenly felt scared.
Zhu Yunxi is obviously the same, subconsciously living in the building's sister.
I was timid at first, but behind me was my father's coffin, and all the maids and eunuchs had left, making it even more deserted.
Grandpa Huang suddenly said to take them to meet their dead eldest brother.
The atmosphere suddenly became a bit scary.
The two of them hugged each other and shivered.
Zhu Yuanzhang came back to his senses and saw his grandchildren looking like this, and then he realized that he might have frightened them.
He explained: "Don't think blindly, we are still fine. Your eldest brother is now opening a teahouse by the Qinhuai River and living well."
Having said this, Zhu Yuanzhang asked again: "Have you eaten the breakfast the day before yesterday?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Mingyue and Zhu Yunxi's eyes lit up.
As the princes and grandsons, they naturally have rich clothes and fine food, and they have no worries about eating and drinking.
But the breakfast the day before yesterday let them know what real delicacies of mountains and seas are.
"You have it, Grandpa Huang. That breakfast is so delicious. Is that the breakfast made by my eldest brother?"
Zhu Yunxi recalled the taste of breakfast and couldn't help but licked his lips and said.
In front of the delicious food, the slightly scary atmosphere disappeared, and Zhu Yunxi seemed to be more courageous.
"That's right, your eldest brother did it earlier. Ten years ago, your eldest brother didn't die. Those damn quack doctors couldn't even detect fake death."
Zhu Yuanzhang explained.
When the two of them heard Grandpa Huang's explanation, their eyes lit up.
They have been studying since childhood and do not understand some of the rules of burials.
Grandpa Huang would never lie to them, so when he said this, they naturally believed him.
After Zhu Mingyue heard this, she didn’t think much, but asked directly:
"Grandpa Huang, since eldest brother is back, why hasn't he entered the palace yet? I haven't seen eldest brother for many years. I miss him so much."
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang paused and didn't know how to answer.
After hesitating for a while, he explained: "Your eldest brother is not allowed to enter the palace yet. A serious illness ten years ago caused him to lose his memory and forget everything."
"Even your eldest brother can't recognize us."
"Over the past few years, you brother, just like me, you don't know if you will see the sun tomorrow."
Speaking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang's mind recalled Zhu Xiongying's appearance covered with scars.
The fact that my grandson has been able to survive these years is really a blessing from God.
As he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang's voice became choked with sobs.
Seeing Grandpa Huang in such a state, Zhu Mingyue hurriedly helped him and comforted him: "Grandpa Huang, don't be sad. My eldest brother is back. He definitely doesn't want to see Grandpa Huang looking sad."
I have to say that Zhu Mingyue is indeed sweet-tongued. Just such a word immediately made Zhu Yuanzhang feel better.
Looking at his granddaughter, Zhu Yuanzhang said repeatedly: "Yes, the eldest grandson is back, so we have to be happy."
After finishing speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao's coffin and said: "Biao'er, did you hear that? Your hero is back. In our hearts, we finally have something to rely on."
Zhu Yunxi was a little confused, and Zhu Mingyue's eyes blinked slightly, shining brightly.
Zhu Mingyue knew clearly that life would become easier for him and his younger brother once his eldest brother came back.
The eldest brother is the emperor's grandfather's support, why not he and his younger brother's support.
With their eldest brother, they no longer have to worry about being bullied in the palace.
-----
"Uncle Zhang, over at Annan, let them take the official road and come directly to the capital."
After the old man left.
Zhu Ying meditated alone in the yard for a long time.
Of course, Zhu Ying had her own concerns about some of the old man's words.
The only thing he didn't expect was that his identity was so bizarre.
But even now, he still has some doubts in his heart.
After all, he was fished out of the river earlier and lived with his adoptive father for three years. His adoptive father's life was too ordinary and he definitely did not have the ability to do anything from Xiaoling.
He didn't know before that there was a person like Zhu Xiongying among Zhu Yuanzhang's grandsons.
I didn’t think much about the old man’s identity.
Now it seems that after Jin Yiwei captured his own people, he hurriedly released them.
These things seem to be extremely normal now.
Now Zhu Ying's thoughts were a little confused, because the old man's sudden appearance completely disrupted his plan.
Now it seems that Annan's side is not that important anymore.
If he could...
Thinking of this, Zhu Ying directly called Uncle Zhang over and told Annan what to do.
"Yes, boss."
Naturally, Uncle Zhang would not refute his boss's instructions. After answering, he asked with some confusion:
"Master, why don't we leave the capital?"
Zhu Ying said directly: "Things have changed, so I won't leave for the time being."
After finishing speaking, Zhu Ying gave another instruction: "Immediately send an order to the Western Regions to hurry up and send my things over quickly."
"Sweet potatoes and potatoes, ask them to prepare ten shi of seeds and send them all over."
Hearing this, Uncle Zhang first responded, and then asked with a somewhat reluctant expression: "My boss, something has happened."
The original gift of grain was one stone, but now it was suddenly changed to ten stones.
Even in the Western Region, due to strict control issues, they do not have too many grain varieties.
The most important thing is that the grain seeds that the owner requested before were high-yield grain seeds, not low-yielding ones that had been cultivated for several generations.
These grains have been effectively controlled and used strictly.
I transferred ten stones at once, which is nearly two thousand kilograms.
Over there in the Western Regions, the number of high-quality and high-yielding grains is probably only twenty or thirty kilograms.
The most important thing is that it is already June.
Facing this year's winter, these grains will have to go to the ground so that a large amount of grain can be produced when the cold weather comes.
The food produced is not only needed to maintain the personnel of the Dong family in the Western Regions, deserts, and grasslands.
It is also a key factor for the owner to grow its power every winter.
If so many are mobilized at once, the pace of expansion this year will slow down significantly.
Especially because of the layout of Annan, the manpower in the Western Regions, deserts, and grasslands has become somewhat insufficient.
We are just waiting for a major expansion this year to make up for the manpower gap.
As a result, the forces under the boss's command may become unstable.
It would be okay if the boss was there, but now the boss is far away from the capital. The distance is too far, and it may not be possible to stabilize the situation in time no matter what happens.
When Zhu Ying heard this, he didn't explain too much. There were some things that Uncle Zhang couldn't understand or touch.
He just said in a deep voice: "Do as I say, and there is no need to ask any more questions about the rest."
"Yes, boss."
Hearing the somewhat unkind tone of his boss, Uncle Zhang immediately did not dare to say anything more.
"By the way, don't rush for the summons yet. I'll go to the Yamen to get a pass document in two days. Then I'll take the government inn."