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

"Since you have said so, sir, I really have something to trouble you with."

"Your Highness, please feel free to speak up. I will do it for you even if it costs me my life."

Xiang Yuanhua patted his chest and said.

Zhu Xiongying nodded and smiled: "Master Xiang, I heard that someone in your Wuchuan County is kidnapping and selling children?"

"Is this possible?"

Hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Xiang Yuanhua's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

"Is this happening?"

"Master, is this true?"

"Your Excellency, no?"

"No? Then why does Your Highness say there is? Hmm?"

"Uh……"

"This one……"

"Sir, this... really isn't possible!"

The master on the side looked at Xiang Yuanhua with an embarrassed expression.

"Are you saying that this means that my highness has been deceived?"

"I believed the rumors!"

"Uh……"

"Ha ha……"

"Your Highness, you must have been deceived by some unruly people. You are not familiar with this place, and those unruly people want to deceive you."

Xiang Yuanhua said quickly with a smile.

"Then why do you think they lied to me?"

"This won't do them any good!"

"How many lives do they have to deceive my Highness? Hmm?"

"Uh……"

"this……?"

"Your Highness, those unruly people are ignorant of life and death, so..."

"Don't worry, adults. Even if there are people who abduct children, we just need to rescue the children and severely punish the culprits."

Hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Xiang Yuanhua's eyes.

"Yeah……"

"Your Highness is right!"

"If anyone does, I will punish him severely and will not tolerate him."

Seeing Xiang Yuanhua patting his chest and making a promise, Zhu Xiongying sneered inwardly.

"is it?"

"But I also heard that someone is covering up for those scumbags and acting as a protective umbrella!"

"Did you know about this?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yuanhua and others were obviously stunned and their expressions were very unnatural.

"Your Highness, who told you this?"

"Don't worry about who told me this, just tell me whether you did or not."

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Your Highness, our Wuchuan County Government is honest and upright from beginning to end, from top to bottom."

"How could you do such a shameless thing?"

"That's just playing with the sky and thunder, how can you do that kind of thing?"

Zhu Xiongying nodded: "That's right, Master Xiang is a man who has read the books of sages, how could he do such a heinous thing, right?"

Nod to Coach Yuanhua.

"Hehehe..."

"Oh, by the way, I met a man on the way here. He said he was an old acquaintance of Lord Xiang, so I brought him to you."

"Who?"

Zhu Xiongying immediately signaled to bring the person up.

When Scar walked in, Xiang Yuanhua and his master's pupils trembled and their hearts skipped a beat, as if someone had grabbed them hard.

"Master Xiang, you..."

"Hmm? Xiang, sir?"

"Xiang Sir..."

Zhu Xiongying called out several times before Xiang Yuanhua finally reacted.

“Ah…Ahhh?”

"Your Highness..."

"It seems that Lord Xiang and he are really old acquaintances! Haven't seen each other for a long time?"

Zhu Xiongying looked at him meaningfully.

"Ah... oh oh..."

"Your Highness, I don't know him!"

Xiang Yuanhua denied it outright, being so shameless.

"You looked so much that your eyes almost popped out of your head just now, and you say you don't recognize him?"

Zhu Yunhuan on the side started cursing.

"Your Highness, I really don't know him!"

Xiang Yuanhua looked at Zhu Yunxun with an innocent face.

"What the hell..."

Zhu Yunhuan wanted to say something but was stopped by Zhu Xiongying.

"Scarface, they said they don't know you!"

"Your Highness, he's farting!"

"I have been dealing with him for many years, and almost half of all the money I got was given to him."

"How else could he eat so much and look so greasy?"

"His concubines all wore silk and satin, some even wore gold and silver."

"Look at the official robe he's wearing. That's Su Xiu. He bought it with the money I gave him."

"You...you...you are slandering me!"

"Your Highness, please don't listen to his nonsense!"

"I am innocent!"

Xiang Yuanhua hurriedly explained.

Zhu Xiongying said slowly, "Master Xiang, your clothes really look like Su Xiu!"

Xiang Yuanhua was stunned!
"Your Highness, this is not..."

"This... this... this was bought with my salary which I saved for many years."

"Don't listen to any nonsense!"

"He is totally slandering me!"

"Ha ha……"

Zhu Xiongying smiled slightly and turned to look at Yuan Tiangang, who immediately understood what he meant.

"Brother, I'm going too!"

Zhu Xiongying nodded, and Zhu Yunhuan followed Yuan Tiangang away.

"Your Highness, what are you..."

"sit down!"

Xiang Yuanhua wanted to stand up, but was held down by Luo Fei. Seeing Luo Fei's eyes, he dared not move for a moment.

The others were also stared at by the bad guys and dared not move.

Time passed little by little, and Xiang Yuanhua's forehead was already covered with tiny beads of sweat, which he kept wiping.

Zhu Xiongying drank tea calmly!
Not long after, there was a noise outside. Turning around, it was Zhu Yunhuan who had returned with the bad guys.

The bad guys came in carrying one big box after another. The boxes contained not only gold, silver, and jewelry, but also antique porcelain, and famous paintings and calligraphy.

There were also five or six women, all wearing the finest silks and satins, with all kinds of eye-catching decorations.

"Master, master..."

"what happened?"

"Why did they suddenly come in..."

"What the hell is going on?"

"Yes!"

"Master, please say something!"

"master!"

Those concubines kept pulling... and shaking towards Yuanhua.

"Shut up, everyone!"

"Don't you know the current situation?"

After Xiang Yuanhua shouted at them, the women were so frightened that they dared not speak.

"Master Xiang, do you have anything else to say?"

Zhu Xiongying looked at Xiang Yuanhua and said calmly.

"Your Highness, I..."

"Your Highness, I am a bit greedy, but I definitely would not do anything that would lead to a complete loss of conscience."

"Really! Your Highness, please believe me, Your Highness, everything I say is true!"

Xiang Yuanhua knelt down and his body trembled uncontrollably. After all, the punishment for corruption and child trafficking were different.

Trafficking children, especially by an official, is a heinous crime, and it is not excessive to execute all nine generations of his clan.

At most he will die because of corruption, but his children may still survive, and at least the family line will continue.

Child trafficking is different!

So just say that you are corrupt!
"Hehehe..."

"corruption?"

"It would be easy if you were corrupt, but you're not!" "Do you think I would believe your lies?"

"Ok?"

Hearing this, Xiang Yuanhua panicked.

"Your Highness, everything I said is true!"

"I dare not deceive Your Highness, Your Highness, please believe me!"

"Xiang Yuanhua, I checked you!"

"You are a simple-minded person, yet you are able to become the magistrate of Wuchuan County. Sir Xiang, you have a good background!"

"Pretty tough, with quite a background!"

"I……"

Xiang Yuanhua was so panicked at this time that he didn't dare to look at Zhu Xiongying at all. He knew that he was finished and that a group of people would be taken away.

"Xiang Yuanhua, I'll give you one more chance. If you confess, I'll give you leniency. If you resist, I'll give you severity."

"This is your last chance. Otherwise, even if you want to say it later, it will be useless."

"Think it over carefully!"

Zhu Xiongying stared at Xiang Yuanhua closely, his eyes were very sharp and full of oppression, and Xiang Yuanhua was trembling with fear.

"Your Highness, I...I..."

"Xiang Yuanhua, I believe you must have heard of my methods. You won't even have the chance to regret it by then."

"I'll give you three breaths of time. After three breaths, you can accept your fate!"

"one……"

"two……"

"three……"

"I said!"

Xiang Yuanhua couldn't stand the pressure after all. After all, he had indeed heard about Zhu Xiongying's methods.

That method gives me chills just by hearing about it. If it were used on myself, wouldn't I be covered in bruises and patches?
"very good!"

"Tell me! Why did you do that with Scar?"

"Well... they all make money quickly!"

"Are you still short of money?"

"You have no knowledge at all, but you can become a county magistrate. You must have a good background, right?"

"Who is behind you?"

"Minister of Personnel Xiang Mingyuan!"

"Oh! It's really him!"

Hearing Zhu Xiongying's words, Xiang Yuanhua sighed deeply.

"Your Highness, you may not know that although we both have the surname Xiang, I am only a branch of the Xiang family."

"My father begged him many times to give me this position, and I have to pay tribute to him every day."

"Moreover, his appetite has been growing in recent years. Not only him, but officials from the entire Ministry of Personnel have also offered tribute."

"The little we got from greed is not enough to give them. If we give it to them, we will have very little left for ourselves."

"That's why I took the risk and did this!"

After hearing Xiang Yuanhua's explanation, Zhu Xiongying's face became extremely gloomy. He said that all the officials in the Ministry of Personnel were corrupt.

"Ha ha……"

"very good!"

"not bad!"

"Are the officials from all your places bribing the officials from the Ministry of Personnel?"

"Your Highness, it's not that we all bribe, but you have to give benefits if you want to climb up."

"Otherwise, your name will never appear on His Majesty's dragon case, and you will never have the chance to advance any further in this life."

"You don't make arrangements unless you don't want to get promoted!"

"So, all the people in the imperial court of the Ming Dynasty got to their positions through bribery? There is not a single person with real talent or knowledge, and not a single person got to their positions through their own abilities?"

Xiang Yuanhua shook his head: "Of course not!"

"Of course there are some who are truly talented, but they are few and far between, maybe not even one in a year."

"But those who went up there, Your Highness, do you really think that they are all fools?"

"Government affairs are nothing more than dealing with people and the ways of the world. Who can climb to that position without being a shrewd person?"

Zhu Xiongying looked at Xiang Yuanhua with some surprise.

"Ha ha……"

"I didn't expect you to be so innocent and what you said makes a lot of sense."

"Your Highness, I am just not well-educated, but I am not a fool."

"Ah……"

"Fortunately you are not well educated, otherwise you would be more harmful."

"Take it down!"

"Yes!"

Xiang Yuanhua and others took the bad guys away directly.

"Brother, what should we do?"

"The entire Ministry of Personnel is involved. This is a serious matter!"

"Are you afraid?"

"What do I have to be afraid of? I have you to support me, big brother. I am not afraid of anything."

Zhu Xiongying: "..."

What a good brother!

If there is any problem, let the big brother take care of it!

"Send someone to find Yang Shiqi and ask him to send someone to take over the post of Wuchuan County Magistrate."

"Yes!"

“We respond to the sky!”

"Yes!"

................................................

Yingtian!

Inside the palace!
Royal study room!
Zhu Xiongying walked in slowly and came in front of Zhu Yuanzhang. At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang was reviewing memorials with his head down. Suddenly he felt someone coming. He looked up and saw Zhu Xiongying staring at him intently.

"Hey! Isn't this the Crown Prince?"

"When did you come back? Why didn't you let me know? So we can go and welcome you!"

Facing Zhu Yuanzhang's weird tone, Zhu Xiongying rolled his eyes and said unhappily: "Old Zhu, are you out of words?"

"Yo huh? Does this look like something's up?"

"What? What happened?"

"It's not me who's in trouble, it's you who's in trouble and you don't even know it."

Zhu Yuanzhang: (O)
Ok?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Something happened to me?

And you don’t know yet?

"What do you mean?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Xiongying in confusion.

"Old Zhu, how did the officials of our Ming Dynasty come to be?"

"The imperial examination has not been restored yet, so it's all recommendation. What's wrong with that?"

"No wonder!"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly: "Little bastard, what do you mean?"

"Make it clear!"

"Old Zhu, do you know anything about the Ministry of Personnel?"

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly stunned.

"Do you know about the little bastard's affairs?"

"Ok?"

Zhu Xiongying looked at Zhu Yuanzhang in surprise.

"Old Zhu, do you know?"

"Nonsense! Do you think our Jinyiwei are here to eat and do nothing?"

"Your bad guys are great, and our Jinyiwei are not bad either."

"Then you won't do anything?"

"Not urgent!"

"The evidence we have now is not sufficient to act rashly."

Zhu Xiongying glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "Old Zhu, how much do you know now?"

"We currently have some evidence against the left and right assistant ministers, but it's not enough."

"Old Zhu, where is the Minister of Personnel's?"

"Is this also related to the Minister of Personnel?"

"Look, Old Zhu, you can't do this!"

Zhu Yuanzhang: (￣O￣;)
"If you have information, just tell me. Don't be so damn long-winded!"

Zhu Yuanzhang gave Zhu Xiongying a cold look.

"Old Zhu, the Minister of Personnel Xiang Mingyuan is a corrupt official. As far as I know, many local officials bribed Xiang Mingyuan in order to get promoted."

"And he also accepts all offers. Whoever gives more will be promoted to a higher position, or can go to a prosperous city where there is more money to be made."

"And the one who gets less will naturally become a lower-ranking official or be assigned to a remote area."

"Those who don't bribe will naturally be suppressed, no matter how outstanding your political achievements are."

"Just expect to stay where you are for the rest of your life!"

"If you offend him by mistake, it will be a disaster. You may even lose your job as an official in a matter of minutes."

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, his brows furrowed and his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

Anyone who knows a little bit of history knows that Zhu Yuanzhang hated corrupt officials the most.

(End of this chapter)