Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 262 Good news: He got married. Bad news: His wife is 6 years older than him.

Chapter 262 Good news: He got married. Bad news: His wife is six hundred years older than him.
At the end of April in the 20th year of the Hongwu reign, this grand talent selection finally came to an end.

The entire process, from preparation to completion, lasted nearly two months, all for the purpose of selecting the most outstanding woman in the Ming Dynasty to be the princess consort for His Highness Prince Wu.

Normally, members of the royal family, such as princes, have virtually no connection with commoner women.

All of Zhu Yuanzhang's sons married daughters of the founding nobles of the Ming Dynasty. Even the princesses married the sons of the closest founding ministers.

Moreover, Zhu Yunfeng is a member of the imperial family with a special status, and even ordinary princes cannot compare to him.

However, the swallows that once graced the halls of noble families now fly into the homes of ordinary people.

Zhu Yunfeng had no interest in marrying the daughter of a noble family; in fact, he had little interest in the very act of finding a wife.

I don't know why, but these days, many Gen Zers have this mindset: they live one day at a time, and they're indifferent to life, not wanting to get married or have children.

They have absolutely no worldly desires.

Zhu Yunfeng hasn't reached that level yet; he's just very playful and doesn't want to settle down and return to his family, enjoying a warm home with his wife and children every day, so he's trying his best to procrastinate.

After all, there are plenty of wealthy people and big stars who get married and have children in their forties and fifties, so why should I have to get married at 30?
But it's clear that we can't delay any longer.

What's meant to happen will happen.

Under Empress Ma's strong intervention, he was forced to marry.

On the first day of the fifth lunar month, inside the Wu Prince's Mansion, Zhu Yunfeng, dressed in a brand-new imperial robe, was impeccably clean and exuded an air of majesty.

The gates of the Prince's Mansion were wide open, and Empress Ma's phoenix carriage slowly came to a stop at the entrance, followed by sedan chairs. As people alighted from the carriages and sedan chairs, beautiful women appeared outside the Prince's Mansion.

Led by Empress Ma, the group entered the mansion and headed straight for the backyard.

At this moment, Zhu Yunfeng was checking the latest news on the intranet. There had been new changes in the past few days. In addition to hearing that Empress Ma had finally selected twenty young women to be sent to Prince Wu's residence for Zhu Yunfeng to personally choose the final princess, he also heard that there were new instructions from above.

Isn't Nanjing undergoing a large-scale demolition and relocation project recently?
Those geniuses on the internal network who were good at making mortar were asked to clear a large open space in the south of the city and quickly pour cement to create a smooth road surface.

It sounds like we're going to build a big city, but isn't it a bit too hasty to do something on such a large scale all at once?

However, these seem to be minor issues for modern technology, as construction sites have long been automated, and mixers can produce cement in just a few minutes.

There is also a new type of electric heating technology that can quickly solidify the paved cement pavement, without any waiting required.

In addition, screw-driving robots, ash-dispensing robots, water-irrigating robots, and road-paving robots have eliminated the need for manual road paving, transforming uneven roads into neat and tidy ones overnight.

This is also one of the benefits of scientific and technological development.

Upon hearing that Empress Ma had arrived, Zhu Yunfeng hurriedly went out to greet her.

"See the Queen."

In the courtyard connecting the back garden and the central courtyard of the Prince's Mansion, Zhu Yunfeng went out to greet the Empress Ma, who happened to be coming over. In this formal setting, he hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed to pay his respects.

"King of Wu".

Empress Ma came over and pointed to the women behind her, saying, "These are twenty young ladies personally selected by me. Take a look."

Zhu Yunfeng peeked over and his eyes widened in surprise.

Without exception, all of these women were beautiful girls between the ages of fifteen and eighteen.

This age is equivalent to high school age in modern times. Although their appearance and figure have already grown up, they often still look a bit immature.

However, people in ancient times had to do housework from a young age, so they would look a little older. Those who looked really young were often the daughters of high-ranking and powerful families. They did not need to do manual labor, so they naturally looked much younger.

They were mostly local women from Nanjing and didn't need to do farm work. However, looms and sewing machines had long been commonplace in rural areas, and it was common for them to do some weaving work.

Therefore, it is normal for a 15 or 16-year-old to look 17 or 18, and for a 17 or 18-year-old to look around 20.

But it is precisely at this age that one's appearance becomes radiant and captivating.

In particular, they are all stunning beauties selected from tens of thousands of eligible women. Being beautiful is only the most basic requirement; there are also various other requirements.

Whether one's appearance is delicate and demure or glamorous and alluring, pure and cute or charming and graceful, each type has its own unique characteristics.

Ancient people did wear makeup, but they only lightly touched up their eyebrows, unlike the heavy makeup of later generations, which further highlighted their natural beauty.

Zhu Yunfeng scratched his head for a moment.

They and Ji He strolled around the streets every day, but they had never seen so many beautiful girls before. Most of them were ugly and unattractive, which made them have no interest in women from the Ming Dynasty.

In retrospect, besides the fact that Neo-Confucianism, which arose in the Southern Song Dynasty, restricted women, the main reason was that women aged considerably under the oppression of feudalism.

Empress Ma carefully selected the most suitable and beautiful women from the families of the millions of people in Nanjing. Each one was one in a million and was an absolute beauty.

They were either poised and graceful, or shy and timid, or standing timidly, or smiling and casting flirtatious glances. There were women from the common people, women of high-ranking officials, women of minor officials, and even palace maids. It was difficult to choose among them.

Of course, when choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one. The wives of Zhu Youjian's brothers were very good. Empress Zhang and Empress Zhou were both beautiful and virtuous. If one had married someone like Huo Guang's wife, it would have brought disaster to three generations of one's family.

However, on the other hand, you can't tell just by looking at appearance.

One of them stood out from the crowd with her long legs, which looked to be around 1.78 meters tall. She was also incredibly beautiful, with a curvaceous figure and an angelic face.

What if she wore black or white stockings?
"Well"

Zhu Yunfeng feigned an indecisive expression.

Seeing this, Empress Ma took Zhu Yunfeng's hand and led him to the backyard, where there was an artificial lake and pavilion.

The pavilion is in the center of the lake. Women stand in a row on the shore leading to the pavilion, their postures elegant and their figures graceful.

The two sat down in the pavilion, and Empress Ma said to Zhu Yunfeng, "Tell Grandmother which one you like. These women come from respectable families and are all exceptionally beautiful."

"When it comes to marriage, of course I want to marry a virtuous woman, but I don't know what her personality is like."

Zhu Yunfeng looked troubled.

As expected, middle-aged and elderly women all have a penchant for matchmaking. Empress Ma immediately gave a thumbs up and said, "Does my dear grandson not trust Grandmother's judgment? I've asked them all, and had the Embroidered Uniform Guard check their reputations. They're all from good families, with obedient and sensible personalities. Besides, do you think my dear grandson doesn't have the confidence to keep them in check?"

"Of course we have the confidence."

Zhu Yunfeng certainly couldn't admit that he couldn't even control his wife.

Empress Ma took out her phone, swiped through the photos, and said, "This is it. Tell Grandma which one you like."

"Forehead"

Zhu Yunfeng thought for a moment, looked at the photos on his phone, and said, "Then send me these photos, and I'll just pick seven or eight at random."

Only children want everything; even adults know that their backs are bad.

Although these twenty are all top-notch beauties selected through open auditions, their heights range from 1.5 meters for petite girls to 1.78 meters for mature women.

But if you were to marry them all, how many goji berries, chives, and oysters would you have to eat every day to make up for it?
Therefore, people should know how to be content.

Seven or eight?
Empress Ma was taken aback, rolled her eyes at him, and said, "You really are something else, with such a huge appetite, aren't you afraid of overeating?"

It's not that I'm against having multiple wives and concubines.

As a traditional woman from ancient times, Empress Ma, like Emperor Zhu, had some feudal patriarchal ideas, believing that having many children and grandchildren was a blessing and that having many wives was not a bad thing.

Besides the queen, she also had many concubines and other children.

However, in most cases, a princess was paired with two or three concubines. The most was the second prince, Zhu Shuang, but no more than five. In all cases, the princess was made first, and then the concubines were taken in gradually.

His own grandson was quite straightforward, wanting seven or eight, more than Old Zhu's sons.

"The more the better."

Zhu Yunfeng said with a grin.

joke.

Those scoundrels on the internal network harass him every day.

If he doesn't marry a few more, and all those scoundrels are filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred, how will he get revenge?

"That's fine."

Empress Ma then stood up and said, "I will take these women back to the palace first. Once you have chosen them, we will select an auspicious day for the wedding."

"Okay." Zhu Yunfeng nodded and bowed.

"But I've already made my decision."

Empress Ma pointed at him and said, "Three days, give me an answer in three days at most. Otherwise, I will assign someone else to you."

"no problem."

Zhu Yunfeng patted his chest and guaranteed it.

There's no need to struggle anymore now that things have come to this point.

Anyway, he's had enough fun.

We can just not have children for now and have them in a couple of years. We have a nanny to take care of them anyway.

Empress Ma then left with the ladies-in-waiting.

Two days later, Zhu Yunfeng painstakingly selected eight out of the twenty beauties.

Before they had internet, they could only send each other things via Bluetooth.

The government has already set up a 6G network and even provided them with internal phone numbers—short codes that outsiders can't call in.

After the personnel were confirmed, Empress Ma once again personally took charge of the arrangements. Zhu Yunfeng and his men did not need to leave the Wu Prince's residence. On May 4th, a large group of people from the Ministry of Rites rushed in and began to arrange the house.

The house was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the character "囍" (double happiness) was hung everywhere.

The date was set for May 12, an auspicious day, and on May 8, Zhu Yunfeng was finally released from the Prince's mansion.

It wasn't that Empress Ma was kind-hearted and unafraid that he would run away, but she still had to inform her parents.

Under the personal escort of Zhu Biao and Zhu Di, Zhu Yunfeng boarded Zhu Di's carriage and returned to the palace from the Prince's Mansion, and then traveled through the underground palace to the modern era.

As soon as it comes out.

Good grief, where did you get this for yourself?
Is this still my own cellar?
We saw that the cellar had been completely demolished.

Because they needed to move goods around, they built a huge warehouse outside that was even bigger than before.

But when the gate opened, it turned out that the huge pit outside had been filled in, which was at least a hundred acres in size.

Zhu Yunfeng's family's situation is that the northwest side is connected to the old road, and the north side is a huge pit, about thirty or forty meters high, with a row of terraced fields along the bottom of the pit.

There is a small hill opposite the house.

Now the hill has been leveled, the pit filled in, and all the neighboring houses are gone, but his manor is still there, though a lot of facilities have been built around it.

This includes military bases, warehouses, and research institutes.

The original road was expanded by Zhu Yunfeng, but it was only expanded from two lanes to four lanes.

Well now.

They're digging there again, seemingly trying to create at least six or eight lanes to connect Lansha Town at the foot of the mountain with another town called Jixiang.

The most outrageous thing is that what Zhu Yunfeng saw when he stood outside was not workers, but intelligent robots.

These things have been on a meteoric rise since they appeared on the 2024 Spring Festival Gala. In 2025, robots will be mass-produced, mainly those serving restaurants and hotels.

By 2026, robots will start entering factories to tighten screws; by 2027, robots will start going to construction sites to move bricks and pour mortar; and after 2028, they will be widely used.

It's said that many young people nowadays, once they have money, don't bother looking for a wife; instead, they spend tens of thousands of yuan to buy a bionic robot.
Zhu Yunfeng had heard about these things in recent years, and Yunfeng Group itself was involved in the field of robotics, but because he hadn't paid much attention to them, he never imagined that our country had exaggerated to this extent.

It could be said that he felt increasingly disconnected from society in recent years in the Ming Dynasty.

I had been to Changsha before and occasionally seen robots directing traffic on the streets, so I wasn't particularly surprised. This time, I just didn't expect them to be used so widely.

Emerging from the cellar, one is surrounded by all sorts of people: soldiers, scientists, assistants, and other porters.

Because they were all dressed in modern clothes, no one paid any attention to them.

The main reason is that many people come and go every day, and the people around have long been used to it.

Back at the manor, it had been partitioned off, but thankfully the servants inside hadn't been replaced and were still coming to work and clean every day, so it was kept very clean.

I first went to the pet room to pet Pipi, and then went straight up the stairs to the second floor.

The second floor is very large, mainly used as a restaurant, gym and kitchen, but there are still a few empty rooms, which Ji He and Zou Ting used as offices.

Since the convergence of ancient and modern times, starting in February, Yunfeng Group has also begun to undertake a large number of ancient projects.

The resources that Lao Zhu could provide were actually a large amount of mineral resources.

my country has very rich mineral resources, but during the Ming Dynasty, mining mainly took place in open-pit mines, and many minerals buried underground were never touched.

Modern technology has already located the site. After exchanging ideas and cooperating with modern technology, the mining team can simply go there to find it. Once the location is confirmed, there is no need for re-exploration.

Therefore, Yunfeng Group clearly holds a significant advantage in this collaboration, and it's possible that it could expand back into a multi-billion dollar enterprise in a very short period of time.

Zhu Yunfeng went straight to the office on the second floor, pushed open the door, and found no one inside.

'what? '

Where did they go?

Zhu Yunfeng was very puzzled.

Thinking she might have gone to Changsha, I didn't think much of it and picked up my phone to call my mom.

"Dudu."

"Hey, son, what's wrong?"

My mom answered the phone and asked.

Zhu Yunfeng's phone is usually unreachable; it's normal for him to go a year or two without making a call. It's quite unusual that he was able to receive a call from his son after only five months this year.

"Mom, I'm getting married. You and Dad can come back in a couple of days."

"What? My son got married? How come I didn't know?"

My mother was very surprised.

"Yes, please come back soon."

"Okay, okay. By the way, what's going on at home? Why was it suddenly designated as a military restricted area?"

"We found something here. Anyway, Mom, don't ask any more questions. Just come back."

"Then come back tomorrow. Also, what's the woman's situation? Where is she from? How old is she? Why didn't you bring her home so we could meet her?"

"."

"Hey, son? Mom's asking you a question."

"The woman is probably from Nanjing."

Zhu Yunfeng hesitated before speaking.

"You're from Nanjing? That's a bit far, but it's alright. How old are you?"