Chapter Fifty-Three: The Emperor and His Grandson

  The Great Ming Palace, inside the Wuying Hall.

  The Wuying Hall is located to the west of the Xihemen Gate, with a width of five bays and a depth of three bays. It corresponds to the Wenhuadadian to the east of the Outer Court, one for literature and one for martial arts. The Wuying Hall was the residence of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Since Zhu Yuanzhang founded the country through military power, the Wuying Hall also became a large hall where Zhu Yuanzhang often lived. On ordinary days, he would summon civil and military officials in this hall.

  Inside the warm pavilion of Deng Dong, four copper charcoal basins were placed, with bright red charcoal burning inside. An old man with a hunched back and hoary hair sat in a chair with his eyes closed, cultivating his spirit. His appearance was old and withered, with a face full of age spots like wrinkled orange peel, his hair was white and sparse, loosely combed up into a bun on top of his head. The years had left deep and cruel marks on his face, many years of war and governance had drained his vital energy, at this moment he looked just like an ordinary old man who was about to die.

  But no one dares to underestimate this seemingly ordinary old man.

  Because this vast and prosperous land was founded by him, and is still firmly in his grasp to this day!

  Yesterday's enemies have all fallen at his feet, the former Yuan Emperor, the former Yuan court, Chen Youliang, Zhang Shicheng...

  Former comrades-in-arms, one by one died under his butcher knife, Li Shan-chang, Liu Ji, Fu You-de, Hu Wei-yong, Song Lian...

  The great waves wash away the sand, washing away all heroes. In today's world, apart from him, who dares to be called a hero?

  He is a majestic and heroic emperor, he drove away the former Yuan dynasty, restored the Han people's rivers and mountains, and created the prosperous era of the Great Ming!

  He is a ruthless and cruel tyrant who slaughters his ministers, inflicts brutal punishments, all for the sake of preserving the prosperity of the Zhu family's reign forever!

  He fought all his life and killed all his life. The glory of his life was built on slaughter and bloodshed.

  Merit and demerit depend on what later generations say about him; he doesn't care what later generations say.

  He is not someone else, he is Zhu Yuanzhang!

  Inside the warm pavilion, Zhu Yuanzhang wore a bright yellow casual attire with a five-clawed golden dragon embroidered on the front of his garment. His eyes were slightly closed, as if he couldn't bear the fatigue and was dozing off.

  Before his feet, a young Jin Yiwei in flying fish robes knelt, his demeanor as reverent as that of a devout believer worshiping a deity in front of Zhu Yuanzhang.

  He is reporting to Zhu Yuanzhang about the whereabouts of the Crown Prince.

  "In the 29th year of Hongwu, on the 18th day of the 12th month, the Crown Prince secretly left the capital with over a dozen guards dressed in brocade, and headed west to enter the jurisdiction of Jiangpu County under the governance of Ying Tian Prefecture. Along the way, the Crown Prince was perplexed and said: 'Why did the Emperor say that we should extensively investigate the sufferings of the people, while the lecturer from the Eastern Palace, Mr. Huang, said that all knowledge is contained within books, and that the sons of wealthy families do not need to lower themselves? The Crown Prince was very puzzled as to why these two statements contradicted each other... After entering the city, the Crown Prince dispersed us guards and entered a wine shop called Zui Xian Lou in Jiangpu County alone. When we guards arrived, we found that the Crown Prince had been insulted by the owner of the wine shop, surnamed Xiao... We drew our swords to kill him, but were forcibly stopped by the Crown Prince, who then led us back to the capital."

  Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, suddenly opened his eyes, with a sharp and piercing gaze, it's hard to imagine that an old man in his advanced age could have such a gloomy and sharp eyesight like a hawk or eagle.

  The captain's scalp was numb, and he hastily kowtowed deeply at Zhu Yuanzhang's feet, not daring to make a sound for a long time. After waiting for a very long time, seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang had not said anything, the captain continued his report.

  "In the 29th year of Hongwu, on the 21st day of the 12th month, in the morning, the Crown Prince ordered the Imperial Guards to prepare for a full-dress ceremony and leave the capital again. Several hundred people marched for over an hour and arrived at Jiangpu County. At that time, Huang Ruide, the county magistrate of Jiangpu, led his officials to welcome them at the East Gate of Jiangpu City. The Crown Prince did not meet with the local officials, but directly entered the city and went to the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. He talked with the owner of the wine shop, named Xiao Fan, for a few words, then returned to the capital."

  After the imperial guard finished his report, Zhu Yuanzhang closed his eyes and spoke in a hoarse and flat tone: "The crown prince was offended by a commoner, but none of you were present to protect him. What is the use of having the Imperial Guards?"

  The lieutenant heard this and his whole body shook, tremblingly saying: "I deserve ten thousand deaths, Your Majesty spare my crime!"

  Zhu Yuanzhang didn't even raise an eyebrow, his tone as calm as if discussing the weather: "On that day, more than a dozen Jin Yiwei guards who escorted the Crown Prince were beheaded in the market. Others from the Jin Yiwei were selected to serve by the Crown Prince's side. As for you, Yuan Zhong, considering your years of service and loyalty, I sentence you to thirty military lashes, deduct one year's salary, and still keep you serving by the Crown Prince's side. If the Crown Prince makes another mistake, annihilate your entire clan."

  Yuan Zhong's head touched the ground, his face pale, and cold sweat dripped onto the crimson carpet inside the warm pavilion.

  "I humbly obey the sacred decree and thank Your Majesty for showing mercy."

  Zhu Yuanzhang sighed: "In the future, when Taizong sends you away, we must secretly leave someone to guard against him and cannot let everything go with him..."

  "His Majesty is wise and sacred, we below obey his orders!"

  Zhu Yuanzhang still closed his eyes and said faintly: "That person named Xiao Fan, offended the Taizi, the crime is unforgivable. Pass down my imperial edict, exterminate Xiao Fan's nine clans, from the county magistrate to the miscellaneous officials of Jiangpu County, all are to be arrested and brought to the capital, instructing the Ministry of Punishment to handle it severely..."

  "Your Majesty's wise judgment, on that day the Crown Prince's procession entered Jiangpu, and he personally told Xiao Fan, the owner of the wine shop, that he was pardoned for his offense of disrespect..."

  Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes opened again, and his gaze fixed on Yuan Zhong with a complex expression: "Did the Crown Prince personally pardon him?"

  "The mark below does not dare deceive you, the Crown Prince has indeed pardoned him."

  Zhu Yuanzhang let out a long sigh, his expression somewhat disappointed: "Yongwen's temperament is just like that of his deceased father, the Crown Prince Yiwen - too soft and weak, full of moral integrity and righteousness. Such a temperament may be suitable for an official, but not for an emperor, alas!"

  He glanced up and swept his eyes over the school lieutenant, Zhu Yuanzhang coughed twice and said: "Yuan Zhong, go and announce that Ta Sun is coming to see me..."

  "By order."

  Before long, Zhu Yunwen entered the Wuying Hall by imperial order. He smiled slightly, with a refined and handsome appearance, his face as smooth as jade, and his every move showed elegance.

  Zhu Yuanzhang's originally cold and rigid old face relaxed after seeing Zhu Yunwen, and even a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, with an extremely doting expression.

  "Grandson Zhu Yunwen pays his respects to his imperial grandfather." As soon as he entered the warm pavilion, Zhu Yunwen very cleverly paid his respects.

  "Heh heh, no need for formalities, come, quickly pay your respects and sit beside Grandfather." Zhu Yuanzhang cracked a rare smile, stretched out his withered hand, and warmly beckoned to Zhu Yunwen.

  At this moment, he is no longer the all-powerful Zhu Di, nor the Hongwu Emperor who makes the world tremble with fear. In front of Zhu Youwen, he is just an ordinary old man, a loving grandfather to his grandson, no different from any other ordinary family's grandfather.

  Zhu Yunwen got up with the momentum, with a sweet smile on his face, walked two steps forward, sat beside Zhu Yuanzhang, and gently massaged Zhu Yuanzhang's legs.

  "Yun Wei, what have you been doing these past few days? Have you read those several memorials to the throne that I gave you?"

  "Your Majesty, I have reviewed those memorials. The envoys from Ryukyu, Annam and Korea have arrived to pay tribute. It would be fitting for the Minister of Rites to receive them. The Princes of Chu and Xiang have been summoned to come to the capital to pay their respects. Your Majesty may consider hosting a banquet in the palace, bestowing generous rewards to demonstrate the virtues of our sagely ruler. As for the instability in the northwest, where bandits frequently appear and signs of chaos are emerging, it would be possible to select capable and benevolent officials from the court to go there to pacify the region..."

  Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and shook his head, saying: "The first two things you said are not bad, but the last one is a bit inappropriate. The northwest is unstable, it's not just a matter of one day's coldness. Pacification is not the right way to deal with this situation. The chaotic phenomenon must be strictly punished, and it's not something that can be accomplished by sending an official to pacify. At this time, we should send a military general with elite soldiers to inspect the northwest. All bandits should be exterminated, so that the people of the northwest have no worries, and the people of the northwest can live in peace. I have already issued an edict, appointing Longxing Hou Geng Bingwen as the General of Western Expedition, and Wuding Hou Guo Ying as his deputy. They will select elite infantry and cavalry, and set out to inspect the western border next spring, on the first month."

  Zhu Yuanzhang paused, looking at Zhu Yunwen and sighed: "Yunwen, you must remember that things in this world cannot be solved solely by benevolence, righteousness and morality. When it's time to take up arms, one must show no mercy. Talking about benevolence to the enemy is like playing a zither to a cow. To be an emperor, your temperament needs to be even more ruthless, otherwise how can you govern the millions of people in this world, how can you control the civil and military officials in the court?"

  Zhu Yunwen opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to retort a few words, but facing Zhu Yuanzhang's stern and majestic gaze, Zhu Yunwen finally lowered his head and muttered: "Yes, Grandfather Emperor, the grandson will obey your teachings."

  Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said: "Has he been following Huang Shiren from Chunfang to read books recently?"

  Zhu Yunwen smiled sweetly: "Yes, Mr. Huang taught our son about the Analects of Confucius today."

  Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said: "Huang Zicheng is a man of good learning, what has he taught you?"

  "The grandson is studying 'The Analects of Confucius - Zi Lu Chapter', which says: 'If there is a king, he must be benevolent after several generations.'"

  Zhu Yuanzhang slightly furrowed his brow, then quickly relaxed and calmly said: "How can it be solved?"

  "Confucius meant that if there were a king who ruled according to the Way, it would still take thirty years for benevolence to prevail throughout the land."

  Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said: "Yongzheng, you want to practice benevolent governance, which is not wrong. Your grandfather asks you, apart from benevolent governance, what other way should a ruler use to assist it?"

  Zhu Yunwen looked up in surprise and said, "Imperial Grandfather, governing the world can only be done through benevolent and righteous ways. The words of saints have been passed down for thousands of years, is there anything wrong with that?"

  Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes suddenly dimmed slightly, and a hint of disappointment appeared on his face.

  With a wave of his hand, Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice: "Don't mention that anymore. I'm asking you, the other day you led the imperial guards out of the capital, and it's said that it was just to intimidate a wine shop owner. What's the reason for this?"

  Zhu Yunhe heard the words and laughed happily: "Grandfather, I met a very interesting person in Jiangpu. When I first met him, he didn't believe that I was the current crown prince at all. I even got beaten by him several times! Later, after I returned to Beijing, I thought about it again and again, feeling indignant, so I set out with full ceremony from Beijing, just to show him that I wasn't an imposter."

  Zhu Yuanzhang snorted and said in a deep voice, "You're simply being absurd! The Taishun Yizhang is for court gatherings, ceremonies, and major state affairs. You used it to intimidate a wine shop owner? If the entire civil and military officials find out, what will they think of you? It's utterly ridiculous!"

  Zhu Yunwei was so frightened that he took a step back, lowering his head and not daring to utter a word.

  Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him, but ultimately couldn't bear to speak harshly, and sighed before continuing: "Also, you said that the wine shop owner hit you? This person is reckless and daring, actually daring to insult a royal grandson. According to the Great Ming Code, this person should be executed along with his entire clan!"

  Zhu Yunhe heard this and hastily raised his head, saying urgently: "Imperial Grandfather, your grandson does not blame him. As the saying goes, 'those who do not know are not guilty', your grandson has also pardoned his crime, please ask Imperial Grandfather to show mercy..."

  Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and said: "Since you have pardoned him, let's just drop the matter..."

  Zhu Yunwen's eyes widened in disbelief, he couldn't understand why his imperial grandfather, who had always been decisive and never listened to advice, would let Xiao Fan off so easily this time, with just one sentence of "let it go" really letting it go.

  Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his grandson's bewildered face and finally smiled: "Are you not very curious, why did I let him off so easily?"

  Zhu Yunwen nodded.

  Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, "Wait until you become the emperor, maybe you can understand my intention. Yunwen, in this world, there is no right or wrong, good or evil. When an emperor kills someone, it's not about whether the person is guilty or innocent, but whether they should die or not. When you feel that someone poses a threat to you, then they are guilty and deserve to die. When you feel that someone is very useful to you, then they are evil and cannot be killed..."

  Zhu Yunwen's face was full of confusion, obviously, Zhu Yuanzhang's words made him very puzzled.

  "...In my life, I have killed countless people. How many of them were truly guilty? Was Li Shan-chang really guilty? Was Fu You-de really guilty? Was Song Lian really guilty? In fact, none of them were guilty, but they deserved to die, so they died."

  Zhu Yunwen's expression became increasingly bewildered.

  "Alas, my son, you still don't understand. Why must I kill so many innocent people? Even if it means bearing the evil name of a tyrannical ruler, I will slaughter all the meritorious officials and generals who founded the country. My son, everything I've done is for you, for the descendants of our Zhu family! I'm afraid that those meritorious officials and generals will become arrogant and disobedient to me, the Zhu family's future emperors, and even harbor improper thoughts. So, while I'm still alive, I must kill them all, leaving you a iron-walled empire free of thorns!"

  "But... Imperial Grandfather, what does this have to do with not killing Xiao Fan?" Zhu Yunwen asked with a confused expression.

  Zhu Yuanzhang smiled: "Because the words of pardoning Xiao Fan were spoken by you, you are the future Emperor of Great Ming. A king's words must be taken seriously, and a ruler's word is as good as a law. I have done many things that I shouldn't have done, killed people who shouldn't have been killed, all for the sake of establishing your authority as the new emperor, so that the people of the world will obey your commands. If you say something, how can I go back on it? Wouldn't everything I've done be in vain? Building prestige takes five or ten years, but losing it only takes one word. Do you understand?"

  Zhu Yunwen's face still had a hint of confusion: "Grandfather Emperor's words, I seem to understand, yet don't quite understand..."

  Zhu Yuanzhang gazed at him with kindness and smiled, "Don't worry if you don't understand now, one day you will. I'll teach you slowly later on, before you ascend to the throne as Emperor, I'll pass down all the imperial arts to you. To govern the world, this art must be learned, otherwise, you won't be able to keep your throne."

  Division line

  This chapter is necessary for advancing the plot later on and isn't just filler.

  Finally, I'd appreciate it if you could collect and recommend this, we're all familiar with each other now, and I feel embarrassed to always be asking for help, so thank you all for your support.