I asked you to play a dungeon, why don't you just raise the BOSS here?

Chapter 420: It's really Crouching Dragon and Phoenix, a man doesn't talk about strange powers and chaos
Probably for the convenience of commuting to and from get off work, Zhang Juzheng's residence was only two streets away from the imperial palace.

They walked out of the Meridian Gate and headed south along Chang'an Avenue for about an incense stick's time before they saw the magnificent mansion.

According to the original history, Emperor Wanli began to settle accounts with Zhang Juzheng on the fourth day after his death.

As their homes were searched and confessions were interrogated, all of Zhang Juzheng's family members were either exiled or starved to death. Even Zhang Juzheng's eldest son was forced to hang himself.

Overnight, all the prosperity was gone.

As the saying goes: I watched him build a red building, I watched him entertain guests, and I watched his building collapse!
The person in Wuyi Lane is not named Wang, and the ghosts in Mochou Lake cry at night.

Lin Xuan remembered that this mansion changed hands several times in later generations. After it was converted into the Huguang Guild Hall, many supernatural events occurred there and it was ranked as one of the four most haunted houses in the imperial capital by gossipers.

Maybe it has something to do with the resentment of the Zhang family...

"Zhang Juzheng's residence is so luxurious and presumptuous. I think he is a daring and corrupt official."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned as he looked at the magnificent dance pavilion in the mansion.

"The imperial city is also very luxurious inside and outside."

Lin Xuan glanced at the indignant Old Zhu and said calmly.

"This... Actually, I don't really like those things that are too grandiose."

"But Bowen's geomancy skills are unmatched, and the imperial city was also designed by him."

Zhu Yuanzhang was somewhat speechless and defended himself, "As the Son of Heaven, I naturally have to have some imperial dignity, otherwise I'm afraid someone will have other ideas."

"I'm afraid no one would dare to have other thoughts about Your Majesty..."

Lin Xuan smiled and said, "Let's not talk about this. It's right for Your Majesty to hate those corrupt officials, but isn't Your Majesty taking too much care of the princes?"

"Speaking of this, the people of our Great Ming have been suffering since the Yuan Dynasty lost its power. When I unified the country, although I worked hard and made great contributions, I was already exhausted."

"So after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, I revived the feudal system of the Han and Tang dynasties and set up fiefs for the feudal lords along the Great Wall to guard the gates of the Ming Dynasty and allow the people to rest and recuperate."

Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated for a moment, then snorted, "Speaking of this, after the second son was enfeoffed, he indulged in debauchery and sex, wreaked havoc in the country, and was as stupid as an animal. I have repeatedly admonished him, but he never came to his senses. He deserves to be put to death!"

The second in command that Zhu Yuanzhang was referring to was Prince of Qin Zhu Chong. This man was actually quite capable and could be considered a talented general.

However, he was a person of low quality, committed many evil and absurd things, and was ordered by Zhu Yuanzhang to go to Beijing and be confined to his home. In the end, it was Zhu Biao who interceded for him that released him.

After returning, this guy became even more outrageous, causing the palace people to resent him very much. Finally, he was poisoned by several old women and died suddenly.

After Zhu Yuanzhang learned of his actions, he was still resentful and even issued an order to reduce the scale of his funeral.

"Your Majesty, the King of Qin is only a little over ten years old. If Your Majesty is willing to spend more time on it, he may not be the same."

"Although His Royal Highness the King of Qin has behaved badly, he is brave and good at fighting. He has repeatedly led troops to conquer the rebels, which can be regarded as a contribution to defending the country."

Lin Xuan smiled and said, "According to your majesty, the King of Qin deserved to die, so many of the princes today deserve to die."

"Huh? How do you say this?"

"Since Your Majesty wants to choose a wise ruler for the world, why not take off your dragon robe and take a walk among these vassal states?"

Lin Xuan patted Zhu Yuanzhang on the shoulder and said, "Although Prime Minister Zhang is a rare talent, he can only be a paperhanger for the empire. If there is anyone who can rebuild the Ming Dynasty from the root, it is only you, Your Majesty."

"This..., the descendants of the fourth brother are so despicable..."

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay! I'll do as the emperor says. I know what to do."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Let's not talk about these disappointing things. Let's go meet Mr. Zhang first."

Zhu Yuanzhang let out a breath and pointed at the gate of Zhang's house: "Someone come and open the door!"

"Yes!"

Jinyiwei Commander Liu Shouyou trotted to the door and said, "I am Jinyiwei Commander Liu Shouyou. Please open the door immediately."

"I have met Lord Liu."

Soon, the side door opened, and a man dressed as a doorman knelt slightly toward Liu Shouyou and said, "May I ask what brings you here, Sir Liu?"

Although the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was a third-rank official, he held a high position and great power.

But there were so many high-ranking officials coming and going in Zhang Juzheng's mansion that it was not too uncommon to see a third-rank official.

You have to ask the questions that need to be asked, otherwise you will be in big trouble if Zhang Juzheng blames you.

"I heard that Mr. Zhang was not in good health, so I came to visit him."

Liu Shouyou waved his hand: "You lead the way."

He also had no idea of ​​Zhu Yuanzhang's temper, and did not dare to take the initiative to introduce the other party's identity, so he had to keep it vague.

"It turns out that Master Liu is here to visit the Master."

The concierge hesitated and said, "Excuse me, Sir Liu, have you received the letter from the master?"

"Post? What post?"

"It's like this. Although the master is bedridden, he is still worried about the affairs of the court."

"He has posted several messages every day recently, inviting people to come and explain some things."

The doorman smiled and said, "Lord Liu came to visit the master out of kindness. Please have some tea in the living room first. After the master has seen the guests, if he is still in good spirits, he will invite you to come."

"How long will it take?"

"It's hard to say. Although there is only one distinguished guest left, the master is not in good spirits. Sometimes he has to talk for two hours on and off."

The concierge hesitated and said, "If Lord Liu has something else important to do, he should wait until the master recovers and invite him in person."

"Is there such a thing?"

Liu Shou had a headache for a while: "We have distinguished guests coming here too, we can't wait for them, please give us some convenience."

"The master is summoning guests, and we dare not disturb them."

The concierge looked at the dense crowd behind him and did not dare to be arrogant: "If there are distinguished guests coming, you may leave your name and the master will make the decision."

"What a nagging mother!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was a little impatient, and stepped out from the crowd and said, "I am Zhu Yuanzhang, and I have something important to discuss with your master. Lead the way quickly!"

"Zhu Yuanzhang? Who is Zhu Yuanzhang?"

The concierge took a look at Zhu Yuanzhang's dragon robe and his eyes suddenly bulged: "This, this, this..., you, you, you!"

"The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Hongwu, has arrived. Hurry up and inform him!"

Zhu Yijun sneered and said, "Emperor Taizu has a lot of work to do. If there is any delay, you will be held responsible."

"Hong, Hongwu Emperor? How is this possible?"

The concierge pointed at Zhu Yijun blankly: "You..., who are you? What you are wearing is also..."

"I am the current emperor Zhu Yijun. What is wrong with visiting my subjects in court robes?"

Zhu Yijun said sarcastically: "It would be fine if the Prime Minister had more rules, but I never thought that even a servant in the family would dare to block my way!"

Zhu Yijun also understood that his throne was basically lost.

Now I am just doing my last shift.

But it doesn't seem to matter.

Now that the ancestor has taken over, no matter who becomes the emperor in the future he is destined to be a puppet and it is meaningless.

No matter how conceited Zhu Yijun was, he didn't think he could deal with a ruthless man like Zhu Yuanzhang.

After figuring this out, Zhu Yijun suddenly felt relaxed and began to think about the universe and plan his future life.

I'm too lazy to bother with a mere doorman.

"This, this, this..."

The doorman was trembling all over and sweat was streaming down his face.

Although the people in the Smiling Proud Wing cannot be said to be simple and honest, the imperial court is still quite majestic.

Especially after popularizing the Exorcism Sword Technique, the East Factory has surpassed any other martial arts sect.

Normally, no one would complain about having too many family members, or parading around in dragon robes.

So much so that the concierge didn't know whether this thing was real or fake...

But no matter whether it is true or false, anyone who dares to wear this thing is definitely not someone a small doorman like him can mess with.

"Since you won't lead the way, I will go in and take a look myself."

Zhu Yuanzhang stretched out his hand to push away the trembling gatekeeper, and walked towards the inner courtyard with the gait of a dragon and a tiger.

"Emperor Taizu, please slow down."

Empress Dowager Li and Zhu Yijun were horrified and hurriedly grabbed their skirts and robes and hurriedly chased after Zhu Yuanzhang.

Seeing the posture of the Queen Mother and the Emperor, the guards and palace maids panicked and chased after them in a mess.

"It is indeed the Emperor Taizu who came in person. How could this be false?"

Liu Shouyou no longer had any scruples, and he took advantage of the power of the emperor: "In the whole world, is there any guest more honorable than Emperor Taizu?"

"I understand! Please come in."

The doorman ran forward and said, "The Great Ming Taizu Hongwu Emperor has arrived. All outsiders, please retreat immediately!"

"..."

This sentence is too explosive.

The officials who were talking in low voices in the yard, the masters of both good and evil who were bragging about their experiences in the martial arts world, and even a few doctors with worried brows all glanced sideways with different expressions.

"How dare you! Our Emperor Taizu has been dead for nearly two hundred years. Who dares to impersonate him?"

At this moment, an old man in a purple robe walked out of the hall and shouted: "You are all citizens of the Ming Dynasty. You have heard such unruly words. Why don't you arrest him and punish him according to the law?"

The old man looked to be over seventy years old, with snow-white hair under his black hat, but his eyes were as sharp as a knife.

At this moment, the old man's face was full of anger, and his originally hunched body suddenly straightened up, looking awe-inspiring.

"Hmm? You have a very hot temper, old man." Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly startled, then laughed and said, "What's your name? What official position do you hold now?"

"How dare you, thief! Bah!"

The old man was so angry that he spat on Zhu Yuanzhang's face and cursed: "In broad daylight, you, a monkey in a human costume, have no right to speak!"

"How ridiculous! I thought you had some backbone, but I didn't expect you to be so blind!"

Zhu Yuanzhang flicked his sleeves to disperse the spit, and his expression instantly became extremely stern: "I am concerned about your old age and do not want to argue with you, so I allowed you to curse a few words. You still dare to speak rudely, do you really think I can't kill you?"

Although saliva has little offensive power, it is extremely insulting.

This old man's words are quite arrogant...

Zhu Yuanzhang had been in a high position for a long time, and it had been many years since he had met anyone who dared to speak to him like this.

Although he knew it was most likely a misunderstanding, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but feel angry and murderous.

The onlookers around couldn't help but look away, feeling uneasy.

"Humph! He does have quite a bit of momentum. No wonder he can deceive people with lies and do such a bold and reckless thing!"

The old man's hair and beard stood up, and he met Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze without fear: "The world is bright and clear, and the heaven and earth have their own justice. Why should I be afraid of you, a traitor and a villain?"

"This……"

Zhu Yuanzhang was a little embarrassed and said unhappily, "Emperor Lin, who is this old man? Has he always been so brave?"

"Even the most skilled masters cannot face the might of your majesty, let alone this poor old man who has no knowledge of martial arts..."

Lin Xuan smiled and said, "As expected, one who has no desires is strong."

"Hai Rui, what are you crazy about?"

At this moment, Empress Dowager Li and Zhu Yijun had already walked into the inner courtyard.

Seeing the two men at loggerheads, Empress Dowager Li was horrified and shouted first.

"Hmm? Queen Mother, you are here too?"

Hai Rui was stunned for a moment, then he bowed to Empress Dowager Li and said sternly, "Your Majesty is the ruler of the Imperial City and the mother of the country. Now you dare to enter and leave the residence of a foreign minister at will. How disrespectful!"

"you!"

Empress Dowager Li laughed in anger: "Alright! Hai Rui, it's ok for you to scold me, but you even dare to insult Emperor Taizu. You really have a bad temper."

"I dare not. Please think twice, Queen Mother! Hmm?"

Hai Rui's face suddenly froze: "Emperor Taizu? Really Emperor Taizu?"

"It has been verified. Besides, if it wasn't the Hongwu Emperor, who else could have such an imperial aura?"

Zhu Yijun laughed and said, "Hai Rui, Hai Rui, you are really a daring person. I underestimated you before."

"Emperor Hongwu..., good! Very good!"

Hai Rui was silent for two seconds, then he took off his black hat very skillfully and knelt before Zhu Yuanzhang: "I have insulted Your Majesty and deserve death! Please, Your Majesty, execute me by slow slicing to set an example for others!"

"I have met countless people, but few of them have volunteered to die."

Zhu Yuanzhang said calmly: "Tell me, what's good about meeting me?"

"Just now, Prime Minister Zhang entrusted me with an important task. However, I have always been a tough person and do not know how to adapt. It is difficult for me to handle such a big task, so I am worried."

"Now that the Hongwu Emperor has appeared, even if Prime Minister Zhang dies, it will not affect the fate of the country. According to your majesty's actions, all the arrangements made by Prime Minister Zhang before must be abandoned, and this guilty minister can rest easy."

Hai Rui laughed and said, "Besides, Your Majesty is not magnanimous. I will die sooner or later. Now that I have put my worries to rest, I might as well go early."

"You think you should be strong? You are a straight-forward person from head to toe!"

"But I have some self-awareness and I know that it is difficult for me to handle such a big responsibility..."

Zhu Yuanzhang was also a little embarrassed: "Kneel outside first. I and the emperor will meet Zhang Juzheng first and then punish you for your disrespect!"

"I, your humble servant, thank you very much, Your Majesty!"

Hai Rui was not vague either. He strode to the center of the yard, lifted up his robe and knelt on the ground without saying a word.

"..."

Everyone in the yard finally reacted and quickly knelt on the ground to pay their respects.

"It's really a place full of talented people..."

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and said, "I will follow Emperor Lin in. The rest of you will wait outside. Everyone except Hai Rui will stand up."

"Yes!"

"Hai Rui is just like this. Your Majesty, please don't be too angry."

Lin Xuan and Zhu Yuanzhang walked into the inner door side by side, smiling.

"Humph! He said I was intolerant, but I just didn't want to argue with him."

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Lin Xuan and said, "This Hai Rui...should be an honest official, right?"

"If we look at the distinction between the pure and the turbid, I'm afraid we won't find anyone clearer than this person in the hundreds of years of the Ming Dynasty."

Lin Xuan nodded: "This old man is capable, but he is too clear-headed. He can offend everyone from top to bottom when doing something."

From the perspective of being an official, Hai Qingtian was definitely a good official and he did have many political achievements.

There are many actions such as dredging rivers, building water conservancy projects, cracking down on the powerful and severely punishing corrupt officials.

Although Hai Rui thought Zhang Juzheng was a corrupt official and impeached him several times,
But he felt that the Single Whip Law was a good system, and he could work overtime every day to force corrupt officials to return the land to the people. He would even take action against Xu Jie, the Lord Xu who saved his life.

His style of work was so upright and honest that his colleagues could not stand it, so they pooled their money together to help Hai Rui buy an official position.

To some extent, this person can be considered a sage.

"I don't like corrupt officials, but honest officials like this..."

Zhu Yuanzhang felt very challenged: "The old man thought I was going to kill him, but I want to use this old man well and let the world know that my Ming Dynasty has been completely renewed."

"Taizu is wise. Your humble servant Zhang Juzheng pays respect to Your Majesty."

At this moment, a very weak voice sounded from the bedroom: "A dying person can meet an old friend again, and he is overjoyed."

"Confucianism and Taoism are like a whim, knowing the past and the future, and understanding ghosts and gods?"

Lin Xuan walked into the bedroom and said, "I originally thought that in the Ming Dynasty, only a few people like Mr. Yangming had reached this realm, but I didn't expect Taiyue to be among them."

Inside the bedroom was a large bed. Zhang Juzheng was leaning against the head of the bed, with a thick air of death between his brows.

But he seemed to be in good spirits, better than Lin Xuan had imagined.

"The Master does not speak of strange things, supernatural powers, or the like. We who are studying under the Master should not misinterpret the Master's original intention."

Seeing Lin Xuan walk in, Zhang Juzheng forced a smile on his face: "I am seriously ill and it is quite difficult for me to get up. I am sorry to make you laugh."

"Well, Bowen also told me about this so-called great scholar realm."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said: "Those who have reached this level may not necessarily be good people, but they can at least understand the book. There are not many such people in this world."

"In fact, the Master's original intention may not be what the literati of past generations thought..."

Lin Xuan smiled and said, "I won't add to the story. If you two have any questions, you can ask the Master to come over when you have time. The Master is also very interested in the Yongle Encyclopedia collected by the Ming Palace."

The Master is certainly a good person, but his style of doing things is also somewhat intriguing.

I don’t know if these two people would feel that their childhood was ruined when they see the real person.

The ancient Confucianism of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness is still good, but the official Confucianism of later generations has become more and more distorted...

In the Fairy Sword plane, Lin Xuan saw the teacher flipping through the book and cursing several times.

"The connections the Emperor has made are truly unexpected."

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows and said, "As for the Yongle Encyclopedia... Well, I will compile a Hongwu Encyclopedia when I return."

"Can the Master come too?"

Zhang Juzheng was slightly startled, then smiled bitterly and said, "I really want to listen to the teachings of the Great Saint Master in person, but now I am seriously ill and it is difficult to recover. I am afraid there will be no chance for this."

"If the so-called cure for an incurable disease is really incurable, then there is nothing I can do about it."

Lin Xuan smiled slightly: "But the Prime Minister is not sick at all, there is still a chance of recovery."

"Hmm? Actually, I also suspect that it was caused by... the backlash of the Emperor's Qi."

Zhang Juzheng subconsciously glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang and said with a wry smile, "But the director of the Imperial Observatory has been here, and he has also found a few Taoist masters. They can only say that I am haunted by death energy. But they can't tell where this death energy comes from, and they can't do anything about it."

"The deathly aura you have is indeed unusual, but I have seen it once before."

"It should have something to do with luck, but it may not be caused by the imperial aura of the Emperor's Mausoleum."

Lin Xuan smiled and said, "We have something to discuss with you. Since Brother Zhang is not in good health, we will stay here and discuss it again when you recover."

"Alright."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "I have explained almost everything this time. It won't be a big problem for me to be out for ten days or half a month, but if I delay here too much, I won't be able to take care of Changping."

"The outcome will be clear in a few days."

"Okay! I can also find some time to meet those useless people."

"It is a great honor for you two to stay at my humble home. Although I am weak now, I am still in good spirits and should be able to help you with some advice."

Zhang Juzheng hesitated for a moment and said, "May I ask Your Majesty, where have you seen this kind of deathly aura before?"

"The Hall of Hades, the Book of Life and Death."

"???"

"Since it involves the cause and effect of the Book of Life and Death, then we can just deal with the underworld. It's not too difficult."

Lin Xuan smiled and said, "Since there are ghosts and gods in the world, the Master's saying 'A Master does not speak of strange things, supernatural powers, or the like' naturally needs a different explanation."

Zhang Juzheng: “…”

(End of this chapter)