Ming Dynasty: A hundred-year-old immortal cultivator, Zhu Yuanzhang’s biological father

Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was concentrating on reviewing memorials, Zheng He came quietly, brewed strong tea for Zhu Yuanzhang, and carefully placed it on the desk.

Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to take it casually and drank the tea in big gulps.

Zheng He was a careful person, and the tea he brewed was always just right, neither hot nor cold.

At some point, Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to have gotten used to using this little eunuch.

Seeing Zheng He was about to leave, Zhu Yuanzhang stopped him.

Zheng He hurriedly stood beside Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Your Majesty."

Zhu Yuanzhang put down the writing brush in his hand, and without turning back, he continued, "When I was serving our eldest grandson before, he kept nagging you to go out to sea."

"Not long ago, the Ministry of War went to sea and a member of the Ministry of War died. The sea is extremely dangerous. Are you willing to go?"

Zheng He was stunned for a moment, then quickly walked to Zhu Yuanzhang, knelt on the ground, and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "This voyage is to enhance the prestige of our Ming Dynasty. The Ministry of War has already lost face once. What about you? Are you confident?"

Zheng He took a deep breath and said, "My master and I have said that a man should do one or two promising things while living in this world, and leave something for his descendants."

"I don't have such great ambitions. I just want to return to my hometown in Yunnan one day and be respected by my grandfather."

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned for a moment, then he smiled and said, "Your young master is really good at talking!"

"What our eldest grandson said is right. A man should make a career while living in this world. Some people have the opportunity, and some people don't."

"Ha! Even though you have no eggs, you are still a man. It is right to be filial to your grandfather."

After thinking for a while, Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zheng He again: "Have you prepared the banquet etiquette for Wuying Hall?"

Zheng He hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, everything has been arranged. I have also gone to inform the East Palace today."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Okay, a ship at sea cannot be short of people."

After a pause, Zhu Yuanzhang shouted loudly: "Zheng He!"

Zheng He hurriedly knelt on the ground again: "I'm here!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "I appoint you as an ambassador to patrol the seas of the Western Oceans on behalf of our Ming Dynasty and promote the prestige of our Ming Dynasty!"

Zheng He said excitedly: "I will obey your order! I promise to complete the emperor's instructions!"

"stand up."

Zhu Yuanzhang said expressionlessly, "The sea cannot be empty for a day. Well, you should go to see your master tomorrow morning. Tomorrow at noon, we will set out from Yingtian Port and directly catch up with the Ming treasure ship fleet, replacing Fang Qi, the deputy minister of the Ministry of War, to go out to sea!"

Zheng He's eyelids drooped slightly.

In fact, he wanted to see the moment when his master entered the palace.

He wanted to see his grandfather shine in front of others.

He wanted to see the glorious moment when his master was worshipped by thousands of people.

But he could only think about it.

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Zhu Yuanzhang hummed and said, "You can go down. I think your master will give you some instructions. Go ahead."

Zheng He nodded: "I obey your order!"

Zheng He left the Jinshen Hall, looked up at the setting sun in the west, and sobbed endlessly.

He returned to his bedroom first.

Several eunuchs came over and asked, "Godfather, what are you doing?"

Zheng He said, "We are going to go to sea. The Emperor has appointed us as a cruiser."

Several young eunuchs were delighted and hurriedly said, "Congratulations, godfather! Godfather has been promoted. Can we have a drink tonight?"

Zheng He shook his head: "I'm busy! I have to leave the palace for a while, please bring all the jewels and jades I have collected here."

"Yes, godfather!"

Zheng He received many gifts in the palace, but they were all small things, and the total value was probably less than one hundred taels.

No eunuch in the harem dared to be too corrupt. Zhu Yuanzhang hated eunuchs and would whip them at any time, or even behead them in serious cases. It was not easy to be a eunuch in the early Ming Dynasty. One could be in danger of his life if he was not careful.

After the middle period, eunuchs' lives began to become more comfortable.

Zheng He carefully packed the gold, silver and treasures he had saved over the past few days into a box, changed his clothes, and left the palace.

In the Ministry of War, in a duty room, the lights were still on at night.

An official was concentrating on writing something under the light. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a route map for the tax silver escorted by the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration.

After he finished copying the entire route map, he went off duty.

After arriving at a brothel called Wanhualou, he quietly handed the route map in his hand to a woman.

"This is the silver sent from Jiaozhi, totaling more than 130,000. You arrange the people."

The woman smiled brightly and asked, "Sir, why did you suddenly send us such a secret?"

The official looked unhappy: "Stop talking nonsense! You know what to do!"

"Oh." The woman nodded.

"Remember this, if you are caught, don't leave anyone alive!"

"Don't be nervous, sir. I know what's going on."

"My Lord, would you like me to arrange some sisters for you to relax?"

The official sneered and said coldly: "No need!"

"Miss Ning, I sent the information about the firearms in the Firearms Bureau to King Yan last time. I hope there was no accident?"

Miss Ning smiled coquettishly and said, "How dare I let anything go wrong with such a serious matter?"

"But the King of Yan told you to have less contact with Peking and stay in the Ministry of Industry. You are his last card."

"Oh!" The military official's face showed a look of pain.

At first, he only accepted small favors from the King of Yan. Gradually, his income increased from small amounts to large amounts. In the end, he became unstoppable and became an insider planted by the King of Yan in the Ministry of War.

This is what happens when people can't control their desires.

He has been uneasy ever since he boarded the pirate ship of Prince Yan, especially now that the emperor's eldest grandson seems to be about to appear before all the officials.

He really has no way of predicting what the future will be like, he can only take one step at a time!

If you are unlucky enough to be caught, not only nine clans will be killed, but ten of them will be killed!

Leaking the Ming Dynasty's marching route map, leaking the number of firearms in the Ming Dynasty's Firearms Bureau... If any of these things were discovered, it would be a capital crime!

The lotus flowers are blooming endlessly, and their green reflections are particularly red.

In the early morning of late May in midsummer, Zhu Xiongying ran along the Qinhuai River.

In a tributary.

Zhu Xiongying was surprised to find that the lotus flowers reaching to the sky were shining brightly in green, red, green and white, which was a beautiful sight.

It's still early.
The air above every household was filled with white mist.

There are few pedestrians on the road.

Zhu Xiongying moved his hand closer to the river bank, picked a few lotus pods carelessly, and sat under the willow tree on the river bank to enjoy the cool air and eat the lotus pods.

Although it was early morning, the weather was still very hot.

While Zhu Xiongying was eating with relish, a middle-aged man came from the alley not far away.

Zhu Xiongying couldn't help but take another look out of curiosity.

Because the other person was wearing a scarlet official uniform and was the official from before.

Of course this is not surprising. What makes Zhu Xiongying feel strange is that at this time, he should be on duty at the duty station.

It seemed that the man was not going to the yamen, but was preparing to go home.

This is the night, outside!
Ah!
Zhu Xiongying smiled secretly. He naturally knew that all civil servants in the Ming Dynasty had the rule of staying drunk in brothels.

Zhu Xiongying didn't pay much attention to it and continued eating lotus pods.

"Little brother?"

There was a crisp sound.

Zhu Xiongying raised his head slightly and saw a woman in a goose yellow dress standing in front of him.

"Can you give me a lotus pod to eat?"

Zhu Xiongying frowned and pointed to one side.

"There are still a lot of them over there, pick them yourself."

The woman looked toward the river, feeling somewhat helpless.

"I am a weak woman, and the riverbank is covered with moss... What if I slip down?"

"I am not as strong as you, brother. Please don't make things difficult for me!"

Zhu Xiongying frowned deeply, raised his head and looked at the charming woman in front of him again, shook his head and said, "I can't help you."

The girl in the yellow shirt seemed a little surprised. This made her doubt her own charm for the first time, which was exactly what she had never doubted before.

She smiled again and said softly, "Little brother, why are you so unromantic?"

Showing kindness without any reason is not necessarily a thief.

The woman in the goose yellow shirt has a good appearance, charming but not coquettish.

Zhu Xiongying is not a little kid either.

He can now control his desires very well. The beauty Xu Miaojin is so beautiful that she is like a fairy from heaven.

When it comes to figure, Zhao Tan'er is the best in the world.

Accustomed to the scenery on the mountain top, Zhu Xiongying felt no ripples in his heart when he looked at the woman in front of him.

Even if he has the desire now, he will not communicate too much with an unknown strange woman.

I say modestly,

With Zhu Xiongying's current status, how can he not get the woman he wants?
He thought about it and said, "Two silver coins."

The girl was stunned and looked at Zhu Xiongying in confusion: "What?"

Zhu Xiongying said: "Give me two coins and I'll sell you the lotus pod."

The pale yellow girl took a deep breath, as if trying hard to control herself.

"Are you a man?"

Zhu Xiongying ignored her.

He silently picked up the lotus pod in front of him and turned away.

"you!"

Just at this moment, Zheng He came towards them from afar.

Zhu Xiongying was stunned and stood still far away.

This kid...

Zhu Xiongying was somewhat moved.

At this time, a teasing voice sounded behind him.

The girl in the yellow shirt laughed softly, "So he's not a man, he's actually a little eunuch from the palace who came out to steal food!"

Why am I a little surprised?

The blue-shirted girl snorted, "Little eunuch, just wait, we can meet again in the palace!"

As she spoke, the girl in the goose yellow shirt lifted her skirt and walked towards the overpass.

Zhu Xiongying was a little stunned
What does it mean to be a little eunuch in the palace? What is she saying about me with her eyes?
However, Zhu Xiongying soon felt relieved.

I think the girl saw Zheng He and recognized him.

and many more!
Is she also from the palace?
Looking closely at the girl in the yellow shirt, it was not difficult to find that she was the woman who met with the officials from the Ministry of War at Wanhua Tower last night!
At this time,
Zheng He already had tears in his eyes.

After a while, I saw him unexpectedly halfway.

Having not seen Zhu Xiongying for a long time, Zheng He whispered in a daze: "Sir?"

Zhu Xiongying was also a little sad. He was also very happy that Zheng He was still alive and well despite the treatment of his ringworm.

The struggles in the palace were serious, so Zhu Xiongying naturally didn't know whether Zheng He had any experience as an official in the palace.

Zhu Xiongying suppressed his emotions and asked with a smile: "Why did you leave the palace?"

Zheng He scratched his head, not because of himself that he became a high-ranking official.

It appears arrogant.

He lay on the ground and kowtowed three times to Zhu Xiongying.

"Master, this servant greets you!"

Zhu Xiongying was stunned.

"Get up, it's only been a while, why are you already so distant?"

Zheng He smiled.

"I came to say goodbye to you."

Zhu Xiongying was a little stunned and asked: "Why..."

Zheng He said: "My master has asked me to go to sea, and I will set out to the Western Ocean soon!"

"Master! I know that this is all your credit. It was because of you that the Grand Master gave me the title of Cruiser Envoy."

"I, your servant, thank you for your kindness in going to the West."

Zhu Xiongying felt extremely sad when he heard this.

Seeing Zheng He finally move forward on the track of his plan, Ru Ling felt a sense of achievement and success!
If future generations record the history of Chinese navigation in history books, they will not mention Yongle and Zheng He, but Zhu Xiongying and Zheng He!
This is the first step for China to explore the maritime world and the Western world.

This step is important...

It plays a significant role in the progress of Chinese civilization!

Zhu Xiongying asked: "Why? How much effort did you put into this matter, old man?"

Zheng He wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Like Zhu Xiongying, he also has a great-grandfather who depends on him for life, and he knows how strong the relationship between grandfather and grandson is.

It’s better to let the grandfather say that to my own master himself.

Zheng He changed the subject and looked at the girl in the yellow shirt walking away.

"Master, how do you know Miss Zong?"

Zhu Xiongying said, "I don't know her. I only met her once. Who is she?"

Zheng He said: "The one in the palace seems to be the personal maid of Lady Zhang Fuli, named Ding Muwen."

Zhu Xiongying nodded: "Oh."

It was just as I guessed. No wonder that girl kept saying that she was a little eunuch!
Lady Zhang?
Zheng He hurriedly explained: "Concubine Zhang is the adoptive mother of Prince Ning..."

Zhu Xiongying suddenly realized: "So that's it."

"Okay, let's go back home first and talk about it slowly when we get back."

Zheng He quickly said: "Okay!"

The master and the servant walked towards the mansion, one in front and one behind.

If a eunuch in charge of purchasing goods left the palace at this moment, and if he found the most powerful eunuch in the palace following Zhu Xiongying respectfully and even humbly, he would probably be shocked.

Not long after, Zhu Xiongying and Zheng He returned to Zhu's Mansion.

Zheng He did not seem strange to Zhu Xiongying just because they had been separated for a while. He went to pour Zhu Xiongying a pot of hot tea in a very familiar manner.

"The tea is a little hot, please drink it slowly."

Zhu Xiongying hummed, glanced at Zheng He, and asked casually, "How is life in the palace? Is it going well?"

Zheng He hesitated and smiled, "Okay, very good!"

Zhu Xiongying still saw a hint of pain in Zheng He's eyes.

He knew that this boy had probably suffered a lot in the palace. It was imaginable how hard it had been for him to get to where he is now.

Zhu Xiongying did not point it out.

Eunuchs are also human beings and should have dignity.

In this respect, he is somewhat different from Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang never really regarded eunuchs as human beings, but Zhu Xiongying is not like that.

As if remembering something, Zheng He took out a brocade box from his arms as if presenting a treasure.

"Master, this is what I got from the palace..."

Zhu Xiongying took it in a daze and found that the few gold, silver and jewelry inside were probably worth less than a hundred taels of silver in total.

Zhu Xiongying shook his head: "Keep it for yourself, and when you return to your hometown in Yunnan, honor your grandfather."

(End of this chapter)