Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 344: Old Zhu's "awakening"! The Ming Dynasty for all the people in the world!

Chen Di's voice suddenly rose, and the four words "what crime should he be punished for" were filled with anger, like a thunderclap out of nowhere.

This sudden scolding made Shang Xingyu's face turn pale in an instant, and a look of extreme fear appeared on his face.

Like a frightened deer, his eyes were full of panic and helplessness.

She was already feeling uneasy as she was doing such an adventurous thing next to Lao Zhu.

When everything was going smoothly before, I could barely keep my composure, but now that someone was suddenly yelling at me like that, how could I not get nervous?
She clutched Lao Zhu's sleeve tightly like a wounded rabbit, her slightly trembling fingers almost embedding into the fabric.

His lips were pale as he pursed them, as if he was frightened out of his wits, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.

He could only use his terrified eyes to silently express his fear.

Zhu Yunhuan had indeed never met Empress Ma. When Empress Ma died, his original body was just a four-year-old child.

The memory of Empress Ma is naturally vague and hardly leaves any deep impression on her.

At this moment, when he saw Shang Xingyu and heard Chen Di's words, he suddenly realized that this was what the former Queen Ma looked like.

Although Shang Xingyu is not stunningly beautiful, she is definitely not ugly.

Compared with girls from ordinary families, she has a more gentle and moving charm.

And most importantly, her face is extremely gentle and kind, like the warm sunshine in spring, giving people a comfortable feeling like a spring breeze, making people unconsciously want to get closer.

No wonder Zhu Yuanzhang was so fond of Empress Ma.

Presumably, in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, Queen Ma was like the warmest harbor in the world, his spiritual comfort and support.

Old Zhu suddenly raised his head, and his eyes first quickly swept over Zhu Yunhuan. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes for an instant, and then he looked at Chen Di with wide eyes like a burning flame.

"Your Majesty, wake up, Queen Ma is gone!"

Chen Di spoke anxiously, his voice trembling with an imperceptible tremor, full of worry for Lao Zhu.

He turned around and looked at Zhu Yunhuan beside him, his eyes full of questions.

Zhu Yunhuan shook his head slightly, with a hint of helplessness on his face, and said slowly: "This woman was not someone I found, but someone arranged by King Zhou."

"Before he colluded with other kings to plot a rebellion, he paid a large sum of money to bribe Sun Deying, the chief steward of the Imperial Kitchen."

"Then he secretly sent the girl into the palace in a food delivery basket."

Although Chen Di had already known about King Zhou's rebellion, he did not actually participate in it.

He just wanted to join the princes in forcing the emperor to abdicate out of loyalty to him, so as to find out whether Zhu Yuanzhang was alive or dead.

Therefore, he was not very clear about the specific plans of King Zhou.

When he saw Shang Xingyu pretending to be Queen Ma, he subconsciously thought that this was arranged by Zhu Yunhuan.

It was thought that Zhu Yunhuan wanted to use this method to "tie up" Zhuge Liang so that he would have no time to take care of other things.

Zhu Yunhuan sighed deeply, and said with a tone full of self-blame: "It was also because of my negligence that I relaxed the supervision of the Shangshenjian, which gave the opponent an opportunity to take advantage of it."

"Although the rebellion of Prince Zhou has been quelled and Zhu Gaoxu has been arrested, but the emperor..."

Having said that, Zhu Yunhuan's voice gradually became lower and his face was full of worry.

Because he was speaking in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, he never called himself "I" again, but always called himself "I" to show his respect for Zhu Yuanzhang.

Hearing his words, Old Zhu, who was sitting on the ground and glaring, suddenly changed his expression, and a hint of surprise and relief flashed in his eyes.

"Brat, the rebellion was put down so quickly?" Old Zhu suddenly said.

There was a hint of surprise and unexpectedness in the voice.

Zhu Yunhuan quickly replied respectfully: "In reply to your majesty, Prince Zhou and Zhu Gaoxu secretly conspired to seize the muskets and artillery from the arsenal to use as capital for rebellion."

"At the same time, he also colluded with other kings to force my grandson to abdicate."

"My grandson has quickly settled the matter and arrested Zhu Gaoxu."

He used concise and clear language to explain the cause and effect of the matter in detail, and also told Lao Zhu why Chen Di entered the palace.

Seeing this, Chen Di hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this evil woman Shang Xingyu has ulterior motives and intends to deceive the king. She should be punished immediately and the law should be upheld."

When Shang Xingyu heard the news of King Zhou's defeat, his eyes were already filled with panic.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, her eyes filled with despair and fear.

She could only lean on Lao Zhu tightly, and kept repeating: "Zhongba, you won't abandon me, right? You said you would always protect me."

There was a hint of pleading in her voice, trying to arouse Lao Zhu's pity and sympathy.

Old Zhu suddenly pushed her away, his expression instantly turned icy cold, and he shouted sternly: "Come here, arrest this woman immediately."

With this order, the emperor's majesty was fully revealed, and there was no trace of his previous "distracted" look.

Yoshigaki next to him was stunned at first, then a look of surprise appeared on his face.

He had always been suspicious of this woman who suddenly appeared. Now seeing Lao Zhu deal with it so decisively, a big stone in his heart finally fell to the ground.

After hearing the order, the guards rushed forward without hesitation and captured Shang Xingyu firmly.

Shang Xingyu's face turned pale, and he struggled desperately, shouting, "Chongba, Chongba! How could you do this to me?"

Her voice was filled with despair and unwillingness.

However, at this moment, Old Zhu was not moved at all.

Old Zhu's expression became colder and colder, and he said coldly: "How dare you! Do you think you can just call me by my name? Take her away quickly!"

As he spoke, he turned his head decisively and no longer looked at her, his eyes revealing disgust and disdain.

Zhu Yunhuan and Chen Di were both delighted when they saw this.

"Your Majesty, you have not been deceived by the witch!"

Chen Di was overjoyed, a pleased smile on his face.

Zhu Yunhuan also breathed a sigh of relief, and the worry in his eyes gradually dissipated.

Old Zhu glanced at Zhu Yunhuan, then looked at Chen Di, and said unhappily:
"Have I really become senile and confused? I can't even tell my own wife apart, how can I be fooled by a fake witch?"

He paused, a trace of tenderness flashed in his eyes, and he said slowly:

"When I first saw her, I was really a little excited and couldn't control myself."

"After all, my sister has been gone for some years, and I always miss her in my heart."

At this point, Lao Zhu's eyes suddenly became moist, tears welled up in his eyes, and then rolled out.

The old man looked extremely sad and painful, his weathered face full of traces of time and longing for his deceased wife.

His body began to sway, as if a gust of wind would blow him down.

Seeing this, Zhu Yunhuan hurriedly walked over to Old Zhu and carefully helped him sit down on a chair beside him.

Old Zhu patted Zhu Yunxun's hand gently and continued, "Slowly, I came to my senses. After all, she is not a girl. She is different from a girl."

It is easier to draw the skin of a tiger than the bones!
No matter how similar one person may look to another, they are still two different people.

Everyone has his or her own unique temperament, character, language and behavior.

If you imitate a little bit occasionally, you may be able to imitate it very vividly.

But if you really get into life and spend time together day and night, the essential differences between the two people will immediately be exposed.

Maybe just a sentence, or just an action, an expression... can make people see the flaw.

In short, Lao Zhu had already woken up.

"But, to be able to send such a woman into the harem without anyone noticing, something must have happened in the court." "We can't expose her, we must keep her stable."

"Isn't it for this purpose that we hide in this harem?"

"We must protect Hu'er and ensure that he remains firmly on the throne. If there is any crisis, we must ensure that he survives it safely."

Although Lao Zhu's voice was low, it revealed firmness and determination.

Having said this, he looked at Zhu Yunhuan, a trace of relief in his eyes, and said:

"I didn't expect that you would be able to put down the rebellion so quickly. You really impressed me."

Zhu Yunhuan smiled faintly and said, "The ministers in the court still support my grandson, and the new army is also in my hands."

"Without the support of ministers and the army, their rebellion naturally could not cause any waves and was quelled within a day."

Old Zhu nodded, his eyes full of approval.

The grandfather and grandson hadn't seen each other for a long time, so naturally they had endless topics to talk about.

Old Zhu asked about the affairs of the court with great interest again.

He has always been very concerned about the situation in the court. Although he is in the harem, he is always concerned about the country and people of the Ming Dynasty.

Although the two had been communicating through letters before, how could written communication compare to face-to-face conversation?

At this moment, they seemed to have endless things to talk about, ranging from the appointment and dismissal of court officials to the living conditions of the people, from military defense deployment to economic development plans.

"What does your Royal Highness plan to do with Shang Xingyu?" After talking for a long time, Zhu Yunheng finally couldn't help but ask.

Before, Old Zhu only ordered her to be dragged away, but did not order her to be executed, so he had always been a little confused and only asked at this time.

"Keep her." Old Zhu thought for a moment and said, "Teach her well and make her behave herself."

"When I miss my sister in the future, I can ask her to come and sing for me. It will be a kind of comfort."

Zhu Yunhuan nodded and understood Zhu's decision.

In this era, there are no photos or video clips of Queen Ma left.

Having someone who looks exactly like you and occasionally acting out a "reality show" with you can really help ease the feeling of missing you.

However, Zhu Yunhuan also knew in his heart that he must strictly control this person and never let her act recklessly in front of him to avoid any trouble.

"Grandpa Emperor, your grandson knows."

Zhu Yunhuan said respectfully: "Grandpa Emperor, please take care of yourself."

Old Zhu smiled heartily, patted Zhu Yunhuan on the shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, my old bones can still hold on for a few more years!"

"Whatever you want to do, just do it boldly and don't worry about anything. If there are any problems, we can also help you."

There is boldness and confidence in his words.

He paused, looked at Zhu Yunhuan seriously, and said earnestly: "However, if you want to make great reforms and abolish the landlords and tyrants in the world, this is not an easy task."

"If you do it well, you will be an emperor of all ages, and your name will go down in history."

"But if we don't do it well, when we take action, those things will be useless. Do you understand?"

Zhu Yunhuan nodded slightly.

He knew that this was what Lao Zhu was most worried about.

Old Zhu was willing to "fake his death" and live in the harem, largely to help him realize this "ambition".

But no matter what, his ambitions cannot affect the stability of the Ming Dynasty, and this is also Zhu's bottom line.

"Then my grandson will leave first!" After a conversation, Zhu Yunhuan said goodbye to Old Zhu.

Afterwards, she took Chen Di and left the harem.

Behind him, the doors closed again.

"Your Majesty, I deserve death!"

After leaving the harem, Chen Di suddenly knelt on the ground with a plop. "I thought that the old emperor was imprisoned in the harem by your majesty, so I suggested that the princes come to the capital, hoping to force the emperor to abdicate in the name of mourning, which led to a big mistake."

"I should not have questioned your majesty's filial piety. I deserve death."

Zhu Yunxun smiled and said, "You are also loyal to Grandpa Huang. I understand. Get up!"

"No!" Chen Di shook his head and said firmly: "I was self-righteous and used the excuse of the vassal king to come to the capital to force Your Majesty to abdicate. This is all my fault."

"Besides, what your majesty and the old emperor are planning involves the country and society of the Ming Dynasty. It is a matter of great importance. I should not be prying into it."

"My suspicion of my sovereign's intentions is the first crime, collusion with the vassal kings to cause rebellion is the second crime, and spying on the secrets of the state is the third crime."

"No matter which of these three crimes, I am guilty of the death penalty. If I am not executed, where is the law of the Ming Dynasty? Where is the etiquette of the court?"

"The doubts in my heart have been resolved. I am willing to use my old and disabled body to correct the laws of the Ming Dynasty and ensure that the plans between Your Majesty and the old emperor will not be leaked."

"With a wise ruler like Your Majesty, our Ming Dynasty will surely be glorious and brilliant!"

"I have no regrets in this life."

"I only wish that our Great Ming will prosper for thousands of years, and that our emperor will enjoy a prosperous and peaceful era forever."

After saying this, he kowtowed deeply and then slowly got up.

He bent over, suddenly accelerated his pace, and slammed his head hard against the palace wall.

"boom!"

A dull sound broke the silent air, and Chen Di's body slowly fell into a pool of blood.

Blood gushed out from his head, staining the ground red.

Zhu Yunhuan hurried forward to stop it but it was too late.

All they could do was watch Chen Di slowly close his eyes, tilt his head, and in a moment, he stopped breathing.

"Old Minister!" Zhu Yunheng called out softly, his eyes full of grief and regret, and he sighed deeply.

Looking at Chen Di lying on the ground, I felt a lot of emotions in my heart.

There are indeed too many dark struggles and intrigues in the court.

Everyone is fighting for their own interests, with open and covert attacks, and a life-and-death struggle.

But at least, there are still people like Chen Di, who hold high positions and could have lived a carefree life, enjoying the blessings of the world and protecting their descendants...

But just for the belief in his heart, for the so-called "ritual", he is willing to sacrifice himself!
Is he stupid?

Maybe in the eyes of some people, his behavior is indeed a bit stupid.

But it is precisely because of these "fools" that a few streams of clear water are added to the dirty river water.

Only in this way can the court seem a little bit like a court that cares about the people of the world.

Only in this way can we live up to the people's hopes for themselves and the country placed in the court.

Only in this way can the Ming Dynasty become the Ming Dynasty of the people of the world!
Zhu Yunhuan slowly stood up, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

Immediately, he turned around and walked towards the Qinzheng Hall.

At this time, the sun sets in the west, the sky is full of sunset glow, and the blood-like setting sun dyes the entire sky red!

……

(End of this chapter)