Ming Dynasty: The ghost betrays the Confucian sage, my son Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 243 Zhu Biao: The Zhu family is alone in bearing the disaster.

Southern Xinjiang, Miao Village.

Fourth Master Zhu and Zhu Di were cooking. Xiandie's cooking skills were better than those of the imperial kitchen, especially the fried bacon, which tasted great. Zhu Di cooked three bowls of rice in a row.

"Fourth brother, can you be more elegant?" Zhu Yuanzhang was speechless.

He complained in his heart, you are still a prince, you are devouring this, you thought you were starving to death. However, Zhu Di is indeed not an elegant person. This kid can blend in immediately wherever he goes. Now he is dressed in Miao clothing, looking like a proper Miao young man.

"Is anyone here?" A middle-aged man walked in.

"Master, what's wrong?" Xian Feng stood up to greet him.

It turned out that the middle-aged man was the leader of Xiaomiao Village. His eyes swept over Zhu Fourth Master and Zhu Di, then Xian Die and her parents, and finally landed on Xian Feng. He said with a smile: "I just received the news. , the Ming army has captured Quzhou City, and the chieftain is gathering an army. If the young men in our village are willing to go, they will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver."

Hearing this, Xian Feng smiled bitterly and said, "Master, I am very old, and all the children in the family are supported by my son. If he passes away, it will be really difficult for our family to survive."

"In that case, then don't go." The village leader smiled openly, "We are far away from Quzhou City, and the chieftain has nothing to do with us."

"Thank you, village master." Xian Feng bowed.

"You're welcome." The village leader glanced at Zhu Fourth Master and Zhu Di again, turned around and left.

Fourth Master Zhu and Zhu Di looked at each other, surprise flashing in their eyes. They did not expect that the Ming army was so fast and had already captured Quzhou.

After eating, the two of them said they would go for a walk and left the village. Zhu Di followed closely behind Master Zhu and asked, "Master, where are you going in a hurry?"

"Explore the eleventh cave among the twelve caves in Miao territory." Fourth Master Zhu waved his hand.

"Do you know where Eleven Cave is?" Zhu Di was surprised.

"What the hell, you only know how to play with little girls. If it weren't for me, I wouldn't be able to find her in a year." Fourth Master Zhu glared.

……

Zhu Di followed Fourth Master Zhu, and the two of them zigzagged through the mountains. After a long journey, they finally crossed a deep valley. In an instant, the vision suddenly opened up, revealing a basin that looked like a fairyland. The birds are singing, the flowers are fragrant, and the clear rivers are surrounding it, making it feel like a fairyland on earth.

"Are we there?" Zhu Di looked around and asked curiously.

Fourth Master Zhu took a deep breath, with an intoxicated expression on his face: "It smells so good, the air seems to be filled with the fragrance of women."

When Zhu Di heard this, he couldn't help but rolled his eyes: "Master, have you gone too long without seeing a woman? You are crazy about women."

As soon as they finished speaking, they saw a group of people vaguely appearing in the clouds and mist ahead. As the distance got closer, Zhu Di was stunned with shock. I saw a group of women coming gracefully, with graceful skirts and slender waists. Each of them was wearing a long light green skirt, and their figures were outlined with exquisite curves.

"Master, look! There are so many beauties!" Zhu Di exclaimed.

Fourth Master Zhu glared at him and warned: "Be careful, these women may be femme fatales, don't be fooled by their appearance."

After that, he walked straight towards the group of women.

When the group of women saw Fourth Master Zhu and Zhu Di approaching, they all showed wary looks on their faces. A woman in the lead asked with cold eyes, "Who are you? What are you doing in Feihuadong?"

Fourth Master Zhu clasped his fists slightly and said with a sincere face: "Girls, we master and apprentice went up the mountain to collect medicine and accidentally lost our way. We haven't eaten for several days, please save us."

Zhu Di said "Ah" very cooperatively, and then pretended to faint on the ground. Fourth Master Zhu hurriedly knelt down, shook Zhu Di vigorously, and shouted anxiously: "Di'er, hold on! They will save us."

He looked up at the group of women and begged: "Girl, this apprentice of mine has fainted from hunger. Please be kind and save him."

The leading woman frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay, you come with us."

Upon hearing this, Fourth Master Zhu slapped Zhu Di on the back of the head. Zhu Di stood up in excitement, and the group of women were stunned by this scene. Fourth Master Zhu spread his hands towards them and said helplessly: "I was really out of energy and couldn't hold him, so I had to beat him awake."

When the girls heard this, they all glared at Fourth Master Zhu angrily. Two of the women came over and helped Zhu Di up, one on the left and the other on the right. Zhu Di fell into their arms and secretly winked at Fourth Master Zhu. When Fourth Master Zhu saw this, he cursed in his mind, "What the hell", if he had known that I would have pretended to be fainted.

……

They were led to a cave, which was like a fairy cave in the sky, spacious and extraordinary. Exquisite small buildings are scattered in an orderly manner, and the gurgling stream flows leisurely through the cave.

Fourth Master Zhu slowly looked around and noticed that the cave was filled with women and not a single man. He secretly murmured in his heart that the rumored Eleventh Cave - Feihua Cave, one of the twelve caves in Miao territory, was indeed worthy of its reputation, and all of them were women. It is said that the women here insist on not getting married, worship their Dong God devoutly, and wait for the return of the Dong God.

"You guys can stay here temporarily." The woman pointed to a hut not far away and said.

"Thank you, girl. May I ask her her name?" Mr. Zhu hurriedly stepped forward to ask. "My name is Chi Li." There was a hint of coldness in the woman's voice. "You guys rest here for the night. I will send someone to take you away tomorrow."

"Thank you Miss Chi Li for your warm hospitality." Fourth Master Zhu responded with a smile.

Chi Li turned around and left, and soon someone brought food and water. Seeing this, Fourth Master Zhu gently kicked Zhu Di, who was still pretending to be dizzy: "Get up quickly and eat something to replenish your strength first."

After a day's trek on the mountain road, the two of them were already hungry. Zhu Di couldn't wait to start eating, but Fourth Master Zhu slapped his hand and glared, "Be careful first, check whether it's poisonous first."

"Yes, yes, this is the border of Miao territory after all, so we have to be on guard." Zhu Di suddenly realized and quickly took out the silver needle for careful inspection. After confirming that it was correct, the two of them started to enjoy the meal with confidence.

Zhu Di asked curiously while eating: "Master, what should we do next?"

Fourth Master Zhu glanced outside the cave, with a sly smile on his lips: "Of course, wait until dark, quietly, no one wants to shoot."

The master and apprentice looked at each other and smiled, their eyes flashing with cunning and anticipation. After eating, Zhu Di stood by the wooden window, observing the beauties outside, and asked doubtfully: "Master, why do I feel that the girls here are different from the Miao girls, but more like the Central Plains girls."

"I also have this feeling. Their clothes are not Miao clothes, but they are not the clothes of the Central Plains now." Fourth Master Zhu frowned.

……

Capital Palace, Wenhua Hall.

The early dynasty determined Hu Weiyong's method of opening up the country, which was to let merchants transport grain to the front line in exchange for salt. Returning to the small court meeting in Wenhua Hall, Zhu Biao glanced at Hu Weiyong and Liu Bowen, and an imperceptible smile flashed at the corner of his mouth.

Liu Bowen bowed and said in a firm voice: "Your Highness, regarding Li Bin's crime, I have thoroughly verified it, and the evidence is conclusive and irrefutable. I have put him in prison, and according to the "Ming Dynasty Law", he should be sentenced to death. Please, Your Highness In response to my request, I ordered Li Bin to be executed immediately as a warning to others."

After hearing this, Hu Weiyong stood up without hesitation: "Your Highness, this is inappropriate!"

Zhu Biao raised his eyebrows slightly and asked seemingly calmly: "Oh? Does the Prime Minister have any objections?"

He sneered in his heart, now that Liu Bowen has been convicted of Li Bin's crime, do you still ask for mercy? Isn't this an open defiance of the "Law of the Ming Dynasty"?
Hu Weiyong looked anxious: "Your Highness, there is a drought now. In order to pray for rain, the Queen has personally gone to the temple to fast and pray, and strictly prohibits any form of bloody disasters. If you start killing people at this time, wouldn't it be against the Queen? How can God send rain?"

Zhu Biao was stunned. He never expected that Hu Weiyong would give such a reason. This was obviously a delaying tactic, intended to give Li Bin a chance to survive. A cold light flashed in his eyes, but he had to keep his surface calm: "There is some truth in what the Prime Minister said... Gu..."

"Your Highness!" Liu Bowen suddenly interrupted him, his voice sonorous and powerful, "If you kill Li Bin, it will rain."

Hu Weiyong was stunned for a moment, then sneered and retorted: "What if it doesn't rain?"

Liu Bowen replied without hesitation: "That minister is willing to accept the crime!"

Hu Weiyong was speechless. He didn't expect Liu Bowen to be so cruel. He couldn't save Li Bin anyway.

Zhu Biao looked at Liu Bowen and finally nodded: "Then let Mr. Li play it."

Liu Bowen was overjoyed: "Your Highness is a wise man."

Zhu Biao looked at Liu Bowen deeply and finally nodded: "Since Mr. Li is so sure, I will approve your petition."

Liu Bowen was overjoyed when he heard this and bowed to thank you: "Your Highness, the Holy Ming."

……

After Hu Weiyong left, Zhu Biao asked Liu Bowen eagerly: "Sir, did you predict that there will be rainfall recently by observing the sky?"

Liu Bowen shook his head slightly and replied: "I don't know exactly whether it will rain or not, only God knows."

Zhu Biao was shocked when he heard this: "Then why did you just assert that 'it will rain if you kill Li Bin'?"

Liu Bowen spread his hands helplessly: "That was just what I said casually, intended to scare Hu Weiyong and others. If it doesn't rain, they will definitely use this to attack me, and I will have no choice but to resign and return home."

Zhu Biao was stunned. He did not expect Liu Bowen to adopt such a strategy.

Three days later, Li Bin was beheaded as scheduled, but the sky was still clear and cloudless, with no sign of rain. Hu Weiyong took the opportunity to lead his ministers to attack Liu Bowen. Liu Bowen had no choice but to ask for resignation on the spot. Zhu Biao temporarily retained Liu Bowen on the grounds that it was up to His Majesty to decide.

In order to save the situation, Zhu Biao took the initiative to take responsibility and claimed that he approved Liu Bowen's petition. He even invited the Heavenly Master from Longhu Mountain to open an altar to pray for rain, and he personally went up to the high platform to pray to God.

However, he is not asking for rain, but asking God to protect the Ming Dynasty. If disaster comes to the Zhu family, Zhu Biao will bear it alone.

It turns out that he knows everything, and he has kept in mind what his grandfather said about the Zhu family's dilemma.

(End of this chapter)