Daming: After self-explosive time travel, Lao Zhu's mentality collapsed

Although Crown Prince Zhu Biao admired Chu Ze, he could not help but have doubts in the face of some slanderous words. He began to wonder if Chu Ze really wanted to seize the throne and usurp the throne? Should he take precautions?

In the East Palace, some people began to stir. Gao Yong, the Prince's Junior Tutor, was one of them.

Gao Yong was born into a prominent Han Chinese family and was ambitious. He had long been dissatisfied with Zhu Yuanzhang's practice of "employing Chu Ze". Now that Chu Ze's reputation was growing, he wanted to alienate him.

That day, Gao Yong saw that the prince was worried, so he pretended to be concerned and asked, "Your Highness, have you been worried recently? I know that Your Highness has always valued the Governor of Chu, but there are rumors that this man may have ulterior motives."

Upon hearing this, the prince frowned and asked, "Oh? What do you mean, Master Gao?"

"Your Highness, think about it, when the late emperor was still alive, he praised Chu Ze very much, and gave him official titles and promoted him to higher positions. He was extremely favored by the emperor. Now Chu Ze is building the Great Wall, relying on his military power to gain power, and forming a clique in the court to pursue personal interests. He is quite domineering. I'm afraid he has long been dissatisfied with the status quo and may have developed ulterior motives." Gao Yong had a serious look on his face.

The prince was thoughtful after hearing this. He thought to himself that although Gao Yong had selfish motives, his words were not groundless. Chu Ze was now extremely powerful, so it was hard to guarantee that he did not have improper thoughts. It seemed that he should be more careful.

Thinking of this, the prince's heart sank and his face showed difficulty. But Gao Yong was secretly proud of himself, and was very happy that his plan of alienation had initially succeeded.

The rumors in the capital finally reached Chu Ze's ears. He couldn't help but feel complicated after hearing the news.

He knew that although he was loyal to the country, he would inevitably be feared by villains. Such infighting in the court was truly despicable.

Seeing Chu Ze's worried face, Zhao Si stepped forward to comfort him: "Sir, those are just jealous words, why don't you take them to heart. With your achievements and the trust of the emperor, no matter how those villains spread rumors and cause trouble, they can't shake your foundation!"

Chu Ze's expression eased after hearing this. He patted Zhao Si on the shoulder and said with emotion: "Zhao Si, you are right. I, Chu Ze, have done things right and have a clear conscience. Why should I be afraid of rumors? Besides, we are responsible for the prosperity of the country and the security of the nation. How can we be disturbed by the instigation of villains? Come, let's return to Beijing as soon as possible and report to the emperor on the construction of the Great Wall."

"Yes, sir! Zhao Si will definitely share your worries and protect you!" Zhao Si looked loyal.

Chu Ze felt warm at the sight. With such loyal subordinates, what else did he have to fear?
At that moment, Chu Ze issued an order to the army, ordering his deputy general to guard the border carefully, while he led his confidants back to the capital to report.

Along the way, Chu Ze had a vague feeling. He knew that this time when he returned to Beijing, he might face another battle of open and covert attacks.

However, he was not afraid. Because he firmly believed that everything he did was for the long-term stability of the Ming Dynasty. No matter how many conspiracies and tricks there were, they would never destroy his beliefs and integrity!
Thinking of this, Chu Ze could not help but feel full of pride and confidence. He once again kicked his horse's belly and strode forward towards the capital, head held high and moving forward without hesitation.
A few days later, in the capital.

The news of Chu Ze's return spread quickly throughout the court and the country. Countless officials and dignitaries were speculating on what changes this powerful governor would bring when he returned to the capital.

When Crown Prince Zhu Biao learned that Chu Ze had returned to the capital, he felt quite complicated.

On the one hand, he admired Chu Ze for his contributions to the border defense, but on the other hand, Gao Yong's words made him doubt Chu Ze's loyalty.

At that moment, the prince decided to test the waters first to see what this person's intentions were.

Chu Ze found a chance and was about to go to the Prince's Palace to pay his respects, but unexpectedly, Prince Zhu Biao arrived first.

"Lord Chu, how are you?" Zhu Biao had a smile on his face, but there was a hint of inquiry in his words.

"Your Highness, thank you for your praise. I am only doing my duty faithfully and contributing a little to the country." Chu Ze was neither humble nor arrogant, and his words were modest and appropriate.

Zhu Biao smiled upon hearing this and said, "Lord Chu, you are wrong. I heard that you have made great achievements on the frontier. Not only did you defeat the Mongolian army, but you also built the Great Wall. This is simply an unparalleled achievement. The civil and military officials in the capital all praised you highly." Chu Ze smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness is too kind. The victory news from the frontier is all due to the great blessing of the emperor and the loyalty of the generals and soldiers. I am just fulfilling my duties and following the emperor's will."

Zhu Biao was quite pleased with Chu Ze's modesty. He thought that Chu Ze seemed to be quite sensible and should not be as disloyal as the slanderers said.

At this moment, an imperial decree from Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly came.

"Chu Ze has returned to the capital, and has not yet met the emperor, but he is already chatting enthusiastically with the crown prince outside. What's the reason?"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked this question from a distance, and Chu Ze and Zhu Biao were stunned on the spot. The two looked at each other hurriedly, and hurriedly parted ways, one went to the palace to meet the emperor, and the other went back to the East Palace.

Chu Ze hurried to the Golden Palace. As soon as he entered the palace, he found that the civil and military officials had already lined up neatly on both sides, all with serious expressions. On the throne, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were shooting coldly at him.

Chu Ze's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly knelt down and said respectfully: "Your humble servant Chu Ze pays homage to my Lord Tianmao."

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a long time before he said in a deep voice, "Mr. Chu has made great contributions in pacifying Mongolia, and he is a pillar of the frontier. However, I heard that you are extremely powerful and domineering outside. How do you explain this?"

All the ministers in the hall were shocked when they heard this and began to whisper to each other.

Chu Ze was shocked when he heard this, and hurriedly kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am terrified! I am only doing my best to serve the king, and I have no intention of usurping the throne! I hope my lord will understand!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's tone calmed down after hearing this, and he said calmly: "How can I believe in slander and deny your contribution to the country? Since you have great ambitions and want to be an official in the court, you only need to be loyal to me and don't worry about other things."

"I will obey your command! I will do my best until my death!" Chu Ze kowtowed repeatedly and vowed to be grateful.

Zhu Yuanzhang then smiled with satisfaction and waved his hand, saying, "Please stand up. I summoned you to the capital today because I have something important to discuss with you."

So, in front of all the civil and military officials in the court, he asked about the construction of the Great Wall. Chu Ze reported everything in great detail, and Zhu Yuanzhang nodded frequently.

"Good, very good! I feel relieved to have you in charge of border defense. But the Great Wall project is huge, requiring countless civilians and huge military supplies. Even if the national treasury is full, it may be difficult to sustain." Zhu Yuanzhang said worriedly.

Chu Ze heard this and started to think about it. As a modern man, he suddenly had an idea and thought of a novel way.

"Your Majesty, I have a plan. I wonder if I should tell you or not?" Chu Ze asked tentatively.

"Oh? You can go ahead and tell me." Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows with interest.

"I think that although the Great Wall requires the labor of the people, it can also benefit the people. It is better to let the people build the Great Wall, and the government will give them corresponding rewards. First, it can reduce the burden on the national treasury, second, the people can also benefit from it, and third, it can improve the enthusiasm of the people and speed up the progress of the project. This is called 'private operation'. What do you think, my lord?"

As soon as these words came out, the whole court was in uproar. All the ministers stared at each other, not knowing what was going on.

"Private enterprise? There is such a pioneering idea?" Zhu Yuanzhang was very surprised and asked about the pros and cons. (End of this chapter)