Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 21 Make money! Make money! Make money!

"Xia Yunfeng."

After coming out of the cellar, Zhu Di's expression looked a little unhappy.

Zhu Yunfeng walked into the living room, took out the vegetables he had bought from the supermarket, and walked towards the kitchen.

Zhu Di followed behind him, his face slightly gloomy. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke out: "Yunfeng, what did you say to father before?"

Zhu Yunfeng looked back at him and said with a smile: "Why, are you unhappy?"

"What do you say?"

Zhu Di's eyes looked slightly unfriendly.

It is so sad that his direct descendants did not help him.

And the most uncomfortable thing is that he also said bad things about me and even said that I had planted the seeds of disaster for the Ming Dynasty.

Wouldn't this make his father afraid of him, thus further reducing his chances of ascending to the throne?
Zhu Yunfeng could guess what Zhu Di was thinking, and shook his head and said, "Second Ancestor, you have to believe that I am doing this to help you."

"help me?"

Zhu Di opened his eyes wide and said: "You could have done it before"

"Look, you're in a hurry."

Zhu Yunfeng interrupted him and said, "You are too eager to make progress. Some people on the Internet say that you respect Zhu Biao very much and have never thought of rebelling. You were forced to rebel by Zhu Yunwen. In the end, aren't you actually thinking about that position?"

"That position should have belonged to me."

Zhu Di was not convinced.

Many people in later generations said that Zhu Di respected Zhu Biao, but in fact, to a large extent, he did not really respect him.

Because if he really respected him, he would not have falsely accused Zhu Biao of treason.

Yes.

Zhu Di later spread rumors and falsely accused Zhu Biao of treason.

Not only did he spread rumors of treason, he also spread rumors that Zhu Biao framed him and that Zhu Biao was jealous of him, etc.

According to the records in "The Veritable Records of Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty" and "The Records of the Jingnan Campaign of Fengtian", after Zhu Di became emperor, he wrote many short essays to discredit Zhu Biao.

This is actually understandable. After all, Zhu Di's throne was not obtained in a legitimate way. In order to explain the legitimacy of his throne, he could only choose to smear others and thus deny the legitimacy of the throne of Zhu Biao's lineage.

Zhu Di also cancelled all the imperial titles and temple names that Zhu Yunwen posthumously bestowed on Zhu Biao. He did not recognize Zhu Biao as the emperor, but only as the crown prince. Later, he even expelled all of Zhu Biao's descendants from the Ming royal family.

From this, it can be seen that Zhu Di only feared Zhu Biao, but did not respect him. Otherwise, he would not have wiped out all of his elder brother's descendants for the throne.

"This position was indeed yours before."

Zhu Yunfeng walked towards the kitchen with the purchased vegetables in his hands and said, "But have you ever thought about this question?"

"what is the problem?"

Zhu Di followed closely behind him.

Zhu Yunfeng came to the kitchen, gave the dishes to Ji He, and the two began to prepare the ingredients.

While washing vegetables, he said, "The situation is different now. If history had continued as planned, you would have continued to be Emperor Yongle, and there would have been no impact. The problem now is that the ancestor suddenly came."

"Father comes, and then what?"

"If the ancestor comes, will Zhu Biao still die?"

"This"

Zhu Di frowned.

Colds are just a minor problem in modern times. In history, Zhu Biao died of a cold. Zhu Yuanzhang only needed to take him to the hospital for a check-up and the problem would be solved. How could he die again?
"So."

Zhu Yunfeng turned around, spread his hands and said to him, "As long as Zhu Biao is alive, do you think that just a few words from me can shake Zhu Biao's position? You underestimate Zhu Biao, the most powerful prince in history."

"Standing behind Zhu Biao are all the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty. Empress Ma is his biological mother. When he was born, he was the Prince of Wu. When his ancestor was the emperor, he was the crown prince."

"The prince's subordinate official under his command is Li Shanchang, the prince's junior teacher is Xu Da, the prince's junior tutor is Chang Yuchun, and the prince's junior protector is Feng Sheng. People of Geng Bingwen, Liao Yongzhong, and Liu Ji are not even allowed to have a rank in the prince's mansion."

"All the civil and military officials in the court followed his lead, and our ancestors were confident in letting him govern the country. For thousands of years in the feudal imperial society, the position of the crown prince was the only one that was not disputed."

He then placed a piece of washed meat on the chopping board and cut the meat with a kitchen knife, and continued, "Even if I can convince the ancestors that you are the true emperor and want to depose the crown prince, you will face the pressure of the entire Ming Dynasty."

"Not only the court, but also the harem, the military camp and the people. You will have to massacre at least half of the Ming Dynasty officials and clean up the entire Huainan noble group. Empress Ma will also fight you and your son to the death. Do you think the ancestor will go to that extent for you?"

"impossible."

"He did this for Zhu Yunwen because Zhu Biao died. Once Zhu Biao died, Zhu Yunwen could no longer suppress the military generals and nobles, so he had no choice but to raise the butcher knife in his hand."

"Now that Zhu Biao is alive, he will not take action against the Huaixi noble group. In his heart, Zhu Biao has always been a qualified heir. No matter how much I praise you, my ancestor will not do that."

"Besides, lies will eventually be exposed. Now is the Internet age with advanced information. Your cognitive level is still at the level of the Ming Dynasty, but as long as you come to this day, if you study hard, your cognitive level will improve."

"When the time comes, our ancestors will have improved their cognition and seen the root of the trouble you have buried for the Ming Dynasty. Maybe they will have to destroy you again when they return. I will also be implicated by you. Why should we do this?"

"On the contrary, it is better to tell the truth now, so that there will be no danger of your lies being exposed in the future. If Zhu Biao's fate of dying early in the future is unchangeable, and he is not suffering from a cold, but from some other incurable disease, then the ancestors will definitely not choose Zhu Yunwen anymore, but you."

Zhu Yunfeng had already cut the meat and put it aside. He turned his head and looked at Zhu Di meaningfully and said, "This is the most favorable plan I could think of at that time for you, Second Ancestor. I hope you won't be stupid and think about the pros and cons of it. Then you will know that I am not harming you, but helping you."

In the final analysis, Zhu Yuanzhang just wanted an answer.

If Zhu Yunfeng had nothing to do and wanted to rub the Ming Dynasty the wrong way, he could certainly praise Zhu Di and discredit Zhu Biao.

It would have been fine if Zhu Yuanzhang didn't believe it, but if he did, it would have been a lot of fun.

If the time comes and the crown prince really has to be deposed, in addition to killing all the civil and military officials in the court, the queen must also be deposed.

The whole country would be in turmoil.

Therefore, if he really disregarded everything for the sake of his ancestor Zhu Di, he would be risking his life to save the Ming Dynasty.

So Zhu Yunfeng knew that all Zhu Yuanzhang needed was an answer as to whether a prince could take on the important task, so he naturally had to give the correct answer.

Otherwise, Zhu Yuanzhang would most likely not depose the crown prince, but would also have opinions about Zhu Biao and Zhu Yunfeng.

This is a waste of money.

"This"

Zhu Di was only 19 years old, after all. He was not yet the powerful Emperor Yongle in the future. His eyes widened for a moment, and hesitantly said, "It seems... It seems to be the truth."

"right."

Zhu Yunfeng smiled and said, "Then go sit in the living room first, the food will be ready soon."

"Okay."

Zhu Di felt that what he said made a lot of sense and he was speechless, so he had to walk out, forgetting that he had previously planned to send an army to question him.

After he left, Ji He, who had already washed the rice and was cooking, and was pouring oil into the pot to prepare for cooking, said, "Fengzi, why didn't I realize that you are so eloquent before? You are so good at fooling people. Zhu Di is almost fooled by you."

"Don't be so mean, I didn't fool him, it's true." Zhu Yunfeng cut peppers and shook his head, "Zhu Di is still too naive now. He thinks that I can change Zhu Yuanzhang's mind by blowing his trumpet for him, but he didn't think that Zhu Yuanzhang would never depose the crown prince."

"What?"

Ji He wondered.

"When Zhu Biao was in power, all the princes left the capital to serve as their own fiefs. No one stayed in the capital to compete with him. The entire second-generation military group of the Ming Dynasty headed by Lan Yu was Zhu Biao's close relative. The civil service group represented by Confucian officials such as Song Lian had long been around Zhu Biao, and all the civil and military officials supported Zhu Biao."

Zhu Yunfeng looked at him and said, "Zhu Yuanzhang was not on guard against Zhu Biao either, and gave him great power. Zhu Biao could directly intervene in state affairs, influence the positions of every official, and even easily interfere with the fate of his brothers who were serving as vassal states. How do you think Zhu Di could compete with Zhu Biao?"

He curled his lips as he said this.

Our ancestor, Emperor Yongle, did have ambitions, but unfortunately he was too young to see the situation.

This was no longer a matter of changing the crown prince just with Zhu Yuanzhang's approval.

But Zhu Biao had been the crown prince for more than ten years and the regent for more than three years. His position was deeply rooted. The officials, common people and even royal family members of the entire Ming Dynasty revolved around him. He was the center of the Ming Dynasty, second only to Zhu Yuanzhang.

If Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to touch him, it would shake the interests of all interest groups in the entire Ming Dynasty, and everyone, including Empress Ma, would oppose it.

This can be seen by referring to Wanli's "Dispute over the National Foundation".

Although Emperor Taichang was in a far lower position than Zhu Biao, he was able to allow the entire civil service group to confront the emperor for fifteen years. If Zhu Biao had been touched, it might have caused even more severe national turmoil.

Therefore, even if he praised Zhu Di to the skies and said that he was even more powerful than Li Shimin, Zhu Yuanzhang would most likely not choose to replace him after careful consideration.

If Zhu Yuanzhang found out the truth, Zhu Di was not as great as Zhu Yunfeng boasted. Instead, the situation of Zhu Yunfeng and Zhu Di would become very embarrassing.

Zhu Yunfeng is actually fine.

He is a modern man and does not rely much on Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Di was in an awkward situation, feeling unpopular both inside and outside.

"Then since Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't possibly depose the crown prince, why did he ask you before?"

Ji He wondered.

Zhu Yunfeng thought for a moment and said, "Maybe he wants a satisfactory answer from me."

"Answer?"

"Yes, after all, in history, Zhu Biao died. Zhu Yuanzhang, who cared so much about the Ming Dynasty, must have thought that Zhu Biao's descendants would ruin his Ming Dynasty without any precedent. Zhu Di's descendants had been ruling the Ming Dynasty for nearly three hundred years, and they had the lessons of the past. He would definitely have concerns in this regard."

Zhu Yunfeng continued, "But strictly speaking, even if I say a few words on behalf of Zhu Di, Zhu Yuanzhang will most likely not change the crown prince. Zhu Biao's status has been exaggerated to an unimaginable degree, which will cause turmoil in the entire country. Zhu Yuanzhang cannot be unaware of this."

"So that's it."

Ji He didn't know much about the history of the Ming Dynasty. He only knew that Zhu Biao had a very high status. Now he knew how high it was.

"correct."

He suddenly remembered something and said while cooking, "I heard that modern people who traveled to ancient times are all poisonous people, and the plague spreads wherever they go. If Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di come to contact us, will they be infected with the virus?"

"Read less marketing accounts, they're not that exaggerated."

Zhu Yunfeng laughed and said, "I have researched this issue for my novel and consulted some medical experts on Bihu. The conclusions I came to are all nonsense on the Internet."

"Zun Du Fake Du?"

Ji He was extremely surprised, as he also read the novel and this statement was widely circulated in the novel circle.

"It is true that modern people traveling back to ancient times could indeed cause a plague, but the prerequisite is that after traveling back in time, the person must be carrying germs that are deadly to the ancients."

Zhu Yunfeng explained: "Many diseases were fatal in ancient times, such as smallpox, plague, cholera, malaria, etc. Modern people are resistant to them after being vaccinated, but the ancients could not resist them, so the plague spread."

"Ordinary bacteria and viruses were not a problem in ancient times. The less harmful bacteria and viruses that modern people have were also found in ancient times, and the antibodies were the same. Could it be that before bacteria and viruses were discovered, they did not exist? How is that possible?"

"So the truly deadly ones are those highly contagious and highly harmful diseases, which were called plague in ancient times."

"But the problem is that smallpox, plague, cholera, and malaria still exist in those poor countries abroad, but they have been eradicated in our country for many years. Which Chinese people are still carrying these deadly germs?"

"Unless this person deliberately went abroad to get sick and then went back to ancient times, otherwise, we should just stay in the countryside. Where can we get infected with those malignant infectious diseases?"

While cutting vegetables, he continued, "Of course, if the mask incident was still going on a few years ago, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di might have been in trouble, but now that virus has long disappeared, and this virus is not a lifelong carrier, so they are relatively safe."

"Still safe?"

Ji He thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we take them to the hospital for vaccinations?"

"Forget about hospitals. There are a lot of bacteria and viruses there. If you get infected with tuberculosis or other infectious diseases before you get vaccinated, it will be bad."

Zhu Yunfeng said: "When we have money in the future, we can just buy vaccines online and give them the vaccine. What's there to be afraid of?"

"Too."

Ji He thought it made sense. As long as one had money, what vaccine could not be bought online?

He took the stir-fried pepper and pork out of the pan and put it on a plate, and suddenly said, "By the way, Fengzi, why did I feel like you were acting weird earlier?"

"What's weird?"

"I can't explain it, but I just felt like you were very afraid of Zhu Yuanzhang at the beginning. Then, before he left, you stood up all of a sudden, and your tone was a bit fierce. Isn't he your ancestor? Aren't you respectful?"

"hehe."

Zhu Yunfeng laughed and shook his head, saying, "I was indeed quite scared at first, because I am a descendant of the Zhu family, I have studied Ming history, and I know him well, so I was worried about our lives, but then I figured it out."

"Figured out?"

Ji He wondered, "What did you figure out?"

"We figured out our value and where we should be."

Zhu Yunfeng looked at Ji He and said, "He is my ancestor for more than 20 generations. How can I have any feelings for him? Although we Chinese people respect our ancestors and attach great importance to blood ties. But he is not an ordinary ancestor. He is an emperor."

"What happened to the Emperor?"

"The emperor should not think about blood relations. How many Ming Dynasty royal families treated their relatives cruelly? Emperor Jianwen deposed the King of Zhou, forced the King of Xiang to death, and forced Zhu Di to rebel. Zhu Di wiped out all of his eldest brother's lineage, and Li Shimin even killed his own brothers?"

Zhu Yunfeng shook his head and said, "For that position, the royal family has no family affection to speak of. So I must put myself in the right position and never take myself as a member of the Ming Dynasty royal family and participate in it. Just treat yourself as an outsider and have an equal relationship with Zhu Yuanzhang. He wants me to help strengthen the Ming Dynasty, and I want him to give me antiques, gold, silver and jewelry to make a fortune. Everyone takes what they need and just maintain superficial respect for their ancestors. Don't put yourself in it. If you think you are a descendant of the royal family and a noble of the royal family, and want to fight for power and profit, then you are going against your original intention, and you won't even know how to die when the time comes."

Hearing his words, Ji He first opened his eyes wide, then slowly came to his senses, gave a thumbs up and said: "Feng Zi, you are really sober."

“This is called not forgetting your original intention.”

Zhu Yunfeng smiled and said, "Do you remember what our slogan is?"

"Make money! Make money! Make money!"

Ji Hyuk also laughed.

Yes.

If you have money in modern times, you wouldn’t even trade it for an emperor in ancient times!

(End of this chapter)