Zhu Yuanzhang in the cellar

Chapter 46 Half of the Zhu family's sons are beasts

After coming out of the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Di and Zhu Yunfeng, the grandfather and grandson, walked arm in arm towards Zhu Di's palace.

Pipi stayed with Zhu Yuanzhang and was now happily gnawing on a bone.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yunfeng thought that the princes all lived in the prince's palace, but he found out that they also lived in the imperial palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang himself lived in the Qianqing Palace, and Zhu Biao lived in the Chengqian Palace of the Eastern Six Palaces, commonly known as the Eastern Palace.

The princes who were not yet adults and had not yet been enfeoffed, like Zhu Di, all lived in the Chunhe Palace, located to the east of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

To the north is the Fengxian Hall, and to the south is the Wenhua Hall, which are where the princes study.

Later, Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing and built the imperial palace according to the overall format of the Nanjing Forbidden City. The Chunhe Palace was also inherited by the Beijing Forbidden City.

The name was changed from Chunhe Palace to Nansansuo, commonly known as the Ten Princes' Palace. It was still the residence of the princes who had not yet been enfeoffed. The case of Zhu Changluo, the Emperor Guangzong of the Ming Dynasty, who was attacked with a club, happened here.

The overall structure here is a bit special. It is a huge U-shaped character. The middle one is the Chunhe Palace Hall. Many mansions were built around the hall. The princes lived between the outer and inner entrances of the U-shaped character.

As the oldest prince who had not yet been enfeoffed, Zhu Di was already the boss of Chunhe Palace. Ignoring the gazes of the heavily guarded guards, he took Zhu Yunfeng back to his own residence in Chunhe Palace as if he was familiar with the place, and knocked on the door loudly.

The person who opened the door was a young eunuch in his twenties. When he saw him, he immediately showed a happy expression and said, "Your Highness, where have you been these days? You are finally back."

"I went out to do some work for my father. This is me."

Zhu Di originally wanted to introduce Zhu Yunfeng, but suddenly remembered that his father had just registered him into the royal family, still under the name of his second uncle Zhu Xingsheng.

In this way, he and Zhu Yunfeng are of the same generation, and people of the same generation call each other brothers based on their age. If Zhu Di is 19 years old this year and Zhu Yunfeng is 25 years old, then he should still call Zhu Yunfeng giegie?

Zhu Di was silent for a moment.

It was agreed that there were 25 generations of grandparents and grandchildren, but how come they suddenly became cousins? The key point is that I am still the younger brother, grandma. The grandson has become the older brother. How can I seek justice?

"Di Di."

Zhu Yunfeng seemed to have thought of this question as well, and said in a mature manner: "Why don't you introduce me to others?"

Zhu Di rolled his eyes and asked, "You call yourself the king?"

But he couldn't say anything, so he could only reluctantly say, "This is my second uncle's lost son Zhu Yunfeng. I went out to look for him. Father has already conferred him the title of His Royal Highness the King of Wu. Why don't you call him?"

"Huang Yan greets His Royal Highness the King of Wu."

The eunuch hurriedly bowed and saluted with a humble and respectful attitude.

"Hello."

For the first time, Zhu Yunfeng felt the change in his status. He nodded repeatedly with a bright smile on his face. He felt that he could now be a superior person.

"Go prepare wine and meat for His Royal Highness the King of Wu. I want to drink with him."

"Yes."

Huang Yan hurried to prepare.

Zhu Di and Zhu Yunfeng went straight into the lobby and living room of the mansion.

The hall was quite spacious. Opposite the door hung an ancient painting. There were armchairs on each side of the painting, and a coffee table between the chairs.

Then four chairs were placed on each side of the hall, there were potted plants in the hall, and ancient paintings were hung on the surrounding walls.

The overall style is quiet and elegant, and the tables, chairs and benches are made of rosewood, which is extremely precious.

When Zhu Yunfeng saw these pieces of furniture, a question came to his mind - if he took the antiques back, they would change from being from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to being from the last century. Would wood be okay?
After all, wood like agarwood, huanghuali wood, golden nanmu and red sandalwood have great value in themselves besides being cultural relics.

But after thinking about it, he decided to give up, because he remembered that these woods were nationally protected plants, and those that could be circulated on the market were basically passed down from ancient times or had logging permits.

Even if you planted it yourself, it is illegal to cut it down without permission.

He brought it back from ancient times, and when people saw that it was new, they reported him and he was immediately sent to jail.

of course.

He can also bring wooden furniture from the Tang and Song dynasties.

In that way, even if it is less than 600 years old, it can be identified as a cultural relic from the Ming or Qing Dynasty, thus avoiding this trouble.

Are there also ancient jades?
This thing is a mineral, so its age cannot be determined. We can only look at the carving.

In addition, he has the family tree as evidence, so as long as it can be proved that it is something passed down from his ancestors, it is likely that he can still sell it.

But that would not only mean that we don’t know the value of it, but also that even if it is sold at a high price, we would still have to involve all the descendants of the Zhu family in Zhujiaping, Shangfengshan, to share the profits.

As for the matter of bringing together clansmen to form an interest group, Zhu Yunfeng felt that he was too naive before and thought things were too simple.

There are about 300 people in Zhujiaping at present. Excluding those who married into the village, there are more than 200 descendants of the Zhu family. Most of the others are working, studying or doing business outside the village. There are still dozens of middle-aged and elderly people left in the village.

Except for a few families who lived close to him and had some interactions with him, Zhu Yunfeng didn't know the rest of them, nor did he understand them. Even though he had lived in the village for two years, he had only seen them once, and he didn't even know their generation names or their relationship to him.

Once this kind of benefit distribution is involved, these dozens of middle-aged and elderly people are all their elders, and it is definitely enough for them to drink a pot. When the time comes, they will call their family members back from outside, and everyone will have a sip of soup, and the scene will be even more chaotic.

The key point is that there is nothing wrong with drinking a sip of soup, it is meant to be distributed.

But as the saying goes, it is more worrying to have too little than to have it equally. He must use the bulk of the proceeds from antiques as start-up capital, and there is also the difference in family population. If a family of three or a family of six divide the same amount of money, it will inevitably lead to quarrels among everyone.

So, although dealing in antiques is a good thing, not only is it legal and compliant, but it also makes a lot of money, but there are too many troubles afterwards.

Even if Zhu Yunfeng could get a lot of various types of wooden furniture and ancient jade from before the Tang and Song dynasties from the Ming Dynasty, and take them back to sell as precious furniture and ancient jade from the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, earning hundreds of millions at least, he would only be caught in endless disputes.

Therefore, after thinking this through, Zhu Yunfeng gave up the idea of ​​taking the antiques back home and decided to focus on dealing in gold.

"You're taking advantage of me."

After entering the house, Zhu Di sat down on a chair and complained, "Is there anyone who treats his grandson like you?"

"That can't be helped. This is the identity given by our ancestors."

Zhu Yunfeng said with a smile.

"never mind."

Zhu Di said carelessly: "Since you have been making so many delicious dishes for me these days, I won't say anything about you."

"As expected, I am your good second ancestor. I will be the first to get you something good in the future."

Zhu Yunfeng patted his chest and said, "When I have money, I will buy you a mansion and a sports car in modern times, and find you a granddaughter-in-law."

"Well, you still have some filial piety."

Zhu Di nodded, then felt something was wrong and asked in surprise: "Wait, grandson's wife?"

"do not mind the details."

Zhu Yunfeng waved his hand.

Zhu Di laughed and scolded: "You are right what Dad said, you are really a little bastard."

"Hey hey hey."

Zhu Yunfeng chuckled, he got along really well with Zhu Di, as they were of similar age it was easy for them to become brothers from grandparents to grandchildren.

They are chatting here.

Over there in the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were also discussing things after Zhu Yunfeng and Zhu Di left.

The lights in the study were on, and Pippi was lying at Zhu Yuanzhang's feet, gnawing on a bone.

Once you have the bones, you forget the owner.

Zhu Yuanzhang touched Pipi's head and asked Zhu Biao, "What do you think of Yunfeng's suggestion?"

"Sounds good."

Zhu Biao thought about it and said worriedly, "I'm just afraid of too many people."

"Well, I am also worried about this, but we really have no other choice but to rely on Yunfeng."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head.

He has no identity, no channels, and no foundation in the modern world. He is completely in the dark and can only rely on Zhu Yunfeng to solve everything.

So when Zhu Yunfeng shouted about equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect in front of him, he could only accept it with a pinch of his nose.

However, he also sent Zhu Di to monitor him.

Besides, he is the "financial sponsor" and Zhu Yunfeng's ancestor after all. Even if Zhu Yunfeng wants to restrict him, he can't.

It just depends on his mood. For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, he can tolerate it a little, but if that kid really gets ahead of himself, then it's no wonder that he has to teach him a lesson.

Although they didn't go as far as to fall out, but logically speaking, the beating of descendants by ancestors was simply the enforcement of family rules, and I don't think the kid would dare to say anything.

"But I think that kid didn't tell the whole truth. It's hard to say how much of the two thousand taels of gold will actually be used."

Zhu Biao said.

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered and said, "This is also because we need to understand the modern times. We can't let this kid have the final say on everything. But after all, he is a descendant of our Zhu family, so let him take what he wants."

Zhu Biao smiled and said nothing.

He knew his father too well. He was indeed cruel to corrupt officials, but he was very tolerant towards his own Zhu family.

As for my second younger brother Zhu Chong, all the illegal activities he committed in his fiefdom were reported to me last year. Although my father seemed very angry, he only issued an imperial edict to reprimand him and did not do anything to him.

In the final analysis, my father was reluctant to really take harsh measures against my second brother, otherwise he would have been expelled from the country and imprisoned. How could it be as simple as just issuing an edict to reprimand him?
"By the way, did the fourth brother and that kid go back to modern times or where did they go?"

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly asked again.

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said, "He should have gone to Chunhe Palace. If he went back, Yunfeng would have taken Pipi away."

"Hmm," Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Then let's go to Chunhe Palace and see what these two guys are saying behind our backs."

"it is good."

Zhu Biao stood up.

The two of them then left the Qianqing Palace and headed towards the Chunhe Palace.

When they arrived at Chunhe Palace, Huang Yan had just served wine and food to Zhu Yunfeng and the others.

As soon as Huang Yan came out of the hall, he ran into Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao who were visiting the fourth brother's house at night. He was so scared that he just knelt down and was about to shout.

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice: "Be quiet, take me out through the back door, don't let the fourth brother find out."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Huang Yan quickly responded in a low voice, then led them into the house through the back door.

Zhu Yuanzhang waved Huang Yan away and stood behind the wall of the living room with Zhu Biao to eavesdrop. They could walk directly into the hall from the side door.

At this moment in the hall, Zhu Yunfeng and Zhu Di, a pair of grandparents and grandchildren, were sitting opposite each other at the table on the right side of the living room eating.

There were Ming Dynasty wine and food on the table, and Zhu Di picked up a piece of food with chopsticks and put it into his mouth. He clinked a glass of wine with Zhu Yunfeng and said, "Why do you suddenly want to drink?"

"I suddenly realized how difficult it was for my father. Our family used to be quite wealthy, but later on they went bankrupt and were left with a lot of debt."

Zhu Yunfeng took a sip of the wine and thought it was not very strong and tasted good, but the bitter wine made his heart ache. He said with a melancholy face, "Today I learned that he took all the debts on himself for me and my mother. No wonder he has more and more white hair in recent years."

"Is this debt yours?"

Zhu Di asked.

"No."

"Since it's your father who owes it, it's normal for him to return it."

"That's true, but when he was prosperous, my mom and I also enjoyed the money he made. Now that he's down and out, not only does he not want a penny from me, he's also helping me find a way to sell the gold. I feel really bad about that, and I think my dad is such a good person."

Zhu Yunfeng smiled bitterly and shook his head.

Zhu Di could not understand this feeling. A middle-aged man took all the pressure on himself for the sake of his wife and children. It is inevitable that he feels a little touched when his son learns the truth today.

However, this also intensified Zhu Yunfeng's desire to work hard to make money and help his father get out of debt as soon as possible.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, who were eavesdropping from behind, looked at each other and wondered why Zhu Yunfeng suddenly came to Ming Dynasty today. It turned out that such a thing had happened.

"Come on, have another drink then."

Zhu Di raised his glass.

"drink."

Zhu Yunfeng also said: "To be honest, drinking here is boring. I'll take you to the county to drink later. The bar will have a better atmosphere."

"What's the atmosphere?"

"You'll know when you get there."

“Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Zhu Di's face was indeed full of anticipation.

The town of Blue Sands alone is not even a miniature.

Because the town is too small and not prosperous.

He has seen a lot of things on the computer and has also seen drone aerial videos of big cities.

But it’s just on the computer after all. What would it be like if I saw it with my own eyes?
"Do not worry."

Zhu Yunfeng smiled, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Fourth brother, are you really that afraid of the ancestor?"

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao behind them pricked up their ears and started gossiping.

Zhu Di said: "He is my father, how can I not be afraid?"

"You are such a coward. Why don't you dare to fight with the ancestor?"

Zhu Yunfeng said casually.

He remembered that Zhu Di had been slapped by Zhu Yuanzhang and had just been scolded and educated.

It's also Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty.

When he saw Lao Zhu, he was like a mouse seeing a cat and was easily controlled.

"What do you mean?"

Zhu Di was dissatisfied and said: "You are so brave, why don't you dare to fight him?"

Zhu Yunfeng said confidently, "I did it. Did you forget? Didn't you point your finger at him and scold him in my restaurant? He even slapped you in the face."

Zhu Biao, who was standing behind him, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang in surprise. Zhu Yuanzhang would tell him what happened when he came back, but he didn't mention this matter.

Zhu Yuanzhang curled his lips. What’s wrong with this kid Zhu Yunfeng? Is he trying to instigate the fourth brother to rebel against his father?

"."

Zhu Di asked, "Why were you so timid just now?"

Zhu Yunfeng looked at him strangely and said, "I fought with the old man because he was impolite and emotionally unstable. He got angry for no reason. Why would I fight with him when he was being reasonable? I'm not a psychopath. You're so weird."

You are unreasonable. You didn't get my job done. Isn't it enough for me to scold you?
Zhu Yuanzhang, who was behind him, had a look of anger on his face and was very angry.

"."

However, Zhu Di outside felt that what Zhu Yunfeng said made a lot of sense and he was speechless.

But he felt that he couldn't lose face in front of his descendants, so he thought about it and then asked, "Aren't you afraid of your father?"

"I've barely seen my dad, why should I be afraid of him?"

Zhu Yunfeng said lightly.

He does spend less time with his father.

Before the second grade of elementary school, he lived with his grandparents.

After the second grade of elementary school, he lived with a distant relative in the county town.

When he was in junior high school, his mother came back to take care of him for a few years. She bought a house in the county town and accompanied him from the second year of junior high school until he graduated from high school.

During this period, Zhu Yunfeng only saw his father during the winter and summer vacations, and those times were very rare.

Because Zhu Changqing's passenger transport business is not fixed, sometimes it is in Changsha, sometimes in Shenzhen, and sometimes in Guangzhou.

And because he was busy with business, even when Zhu Yunfeng went to his place during holidays, Zhu Changqing didn't have much time to accompany him. Most of the time he would just give him money and let him have fun.

This was even more so after he went to college. Zhu Yunfeng stayed in school all year round and never went home, so we had even less time to meet.

Zhu Yunfeng remembered that the last time they met was during the Qingming Festival this year.

My father came back to visit my grandparents’ graves. He came back alone. His hair was much whiter than before, and his originally broad back was becoming more hunched.

Therefore, when the father and son communicated, there was never any quarrel or abuse between them. Instead, there was a sense of estrangement that came from a lack of familiarity between them.

"I'm really envious of what you said."

An expression of envy appeared on Zhu Di's face, and he looked Zhu Yunfeng up and down.

Zhu Yunfeng held the wine bottle and wondered, "Is it that serious? I don't know whether you envy me for not being afraid of my father, or for being a left-behind child."

“I’m jealous.”

Zhu Di smiled bitterly and said, "You don't know that we brothers have been strictly controlled by our father since we were young. If we are not careful, we will be beaten or scolded. Our daily schedule is completely arranged and we have no freedom at all."

"So miserable? No wonder you guys were like wild horses that broke free as soon as you left Nanjing and ran to your own fiefdoms. Your second brother Zhu Chong is a beast. Your tenth brother Zhu Tan is a beast among beasts. Your thirteenth brother Zhu Gui is a beast among beasts among beasts. And your twenty-fifth brother Zhu Yi, these four together are known as the Four Evil Men of the Early Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Yunfeng said thoughtfully, "And these four guys are only the worst ones, who killed hundreds or thousands of people and are notorious. The others, such as Zhu Gang, Zhu Yu, and Zhu Zi, are not good guys either, and they have harmed many people. Thinking about it this way, you, fourth brother, are the clear stream among the sons of our ancestor. Although your character is not as good as that of Grandpa Taibo, at least you are still a human being. It is not without reason that you became the emperor later."

"Are they so cruel? They killed so many people?"

Zhu Di was surprised.

"Yes, it's strange to say. Our ancestor was a man of great talent and strategy. Although he was a bit bloodthirsty, he was definitely one of the best among all the emperors in our history. How come half of his sons are beasts? Is it because his genes are not good and he only inherited the bloodthirsty character of his ancestor?"

Zhu Yunfeng said casually, then stared at Zhu Di and said, "Fourth brother, don't be too happy. Although you didn't kill the people, you killed many officials and implicated many innocent people. Don't be as cruel as our ancestors."

"Why should I think about these things when I can't even be the emperor? Besides, compared with modern life, I feel that life in the Ming Dynasty is boring. It is much more fun in modern times."

Zhu Di responded lazily.

Later, the anger on Zhu Yuanzhang's face became even more violent and uncontrollable.

These two little bastards.

They actually talked about me behind my back.

He also cursed his sons as beasts.

They are all beasts.

Then what am I?
An old beast?

(End of this chapter)