Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 2 Fengyang Flower Drum
Zhu Yuanzhang looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the Fengtian Gate Square was very different from before.

Various ceremonial guards that demonstrate the royal majesty and the style of a great power are still there.

But the ministers and officials, envoys from various countries, and some common people who had originally stood there to congratulate all stood on the left and right to make room.

At this time, a Fengyang Flower Drum Troupe dressed in colorful clothes appeared in the place they vacated!
This is a landscape that must have appeared in the early period of the Hongwu Dynasty.

Every year during the New Year’s Day court meeting, fellow villagers from Fengyang would come to the capital to wish him a happy new year.

Then, at the grand court meeting, he performed his favorite Fengyang Flower Drum.

Listen to the festive and lively prelude of Fengyang Flower Drum.

Zhu Yuanzhang, who was originally feeling worried, felt relieved in an instant.

He has confirmed that his sister is still here at this time!

Nothing happened!
Because at the New Year's Day court meeting, fellow villagers from Fengyang came to celebrate the New Year and perform flower drums, which only lasted until the eighth year of Hongwu at the latest!
There has never been another...

When Zhu Yuanzhang breathed a sigh of relief, after the prelude, the flower drum team began to perform with singing and dancing.

"Talk about Fengyang, talk about Fengyang, and beat the flower drum with your hands.

Fengyang is such a wonderful place, where the red dragon ascends to heaven and the golden phoenix soars.

Count the stars in the sky and count the generals in Fengyang!
Talk about Fengyang, talk about Fengyang, and beat the flower drum with your hands.

Fengyang is such a wonderful place, the emperor’s grace is great all year round.

No corvée or taxes, both sides of the Huai River are filled with joy!"

The members of these flower drum teams were carefully selected.

The singing is particularly touching.

After a piece of Huagu Ci was sung, there was a burst of applause.

The most excited, the most joyful, and the loudest shouts were from the Huaixi nobles.

This Huaguci is really good!
It touched their hearts.

But Zhu Yuanzhang did not cheer, and the smile on his face was very intriguing.

Because in modern times, he also heard another piece of Huagu Ci.

'Speaking of Fengyang, talking about Fengyang, Fengyang is a good place.

Since Emperor Zhu came out, there have been nine out of ten years of drought.

The rich families sold their mules and horses, the poor families sold their sons;
I have no sons to sell, so I travel around with my flower drum on my back!
When I first heard it, I was so angry that I couldn't express it in words.

After searching online for evidence, I found out that this happened after the Tartars occupied China.

Someone wrote this song specifically for people to sing in order to discredit themselves. It is completely different from the original Huaguci.

However, the Fengyang Flower Drum, which he loved to listen to the most, later became a magic weapon for the people in Fengyang to beg for food.

If you carry a flower drum and go begging, you will get more than those who can only carry a broken bowl if you have some talent.

If I had this talent back then, maybe my life wouldn't be so miserable.

However, after this thought arose in his mind, Zhu Yuanzhang put it out of his mind.

Fortunately, I don’t have this talent.

Otherwise, if he could survive by begging and live a good life, he would never have tied his head to his belt to join the rebel army.

In this way, there will only be one more beggar Zhu Yuanzhang in the world.

There will never be another Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang!
Even though he knew that the Huagu Ci he would listen to later was not composed today, Zhu Yuanzhang still couldn't feel good at that moment.

Because he remembered what happened next.

The current time was also determined - the grand court meeting on New Year's Day in the eighth year of Hongwu.

The Huaguci performed changes every year, and this is exactly the Huaguci he remembers from the eighth year of Hongwu.

He was deeply impressed by the Huagu Ci performance that year.

Because it was from this point on that he ordered that the old folks from Fengyang were no longer allowed to come to celebrate the New Year, and they were no longer allowed to perform the Fengyang Flower Drum.

There was only one reason, and that was that he soon discovered that he had been deceived by these fellow villagers.

And the deception was terrible...

Why did I ask my fellow villagers to come and celebrate the New Year?

In addition to not forgetting the ties with my hometown, the biggest reason is that I want to know more about the situation in my hometown Fengyang through their mouths.

But the result is that there is no truth in the mouths of these old folks.

Naturally, there is no point in having them come.

Zhu Yuanzhang knew that the most fundamental reason lay with the group of old brothers headed by Li Shanchang.

Korean public!
Zhu Yuanzhang took a deep breath and put on an ambiguous smile on his face.

Many things Li Shanchang did afterwards also emerged in his mind.

Today, Li Shanchang is in charge of building the Zhongdu city.

Under the persuasion of Li Shanchang and others, he intended to move the capital to Zhongdu.

In order to build Zhongdu, I have to tighten my belt to support it.

A large amount of money and grain was allocated. It was specifically instructed that the people working on the construction of Zhongdu should be provided with food, with one dry meal and one liquid meal every day, and the liquid meal should be of a standard that can withstand chopsticks being inserted without falling over.

In addition, each person will receive a supplement of three cents per day.

If we want to build a house there, it doesn't have to be very good, but at least it should be able to shelter people from the wind and rain and keep out the cold.

A corresponding medical bureau should also be established to provide medical services specifically for the people living in the Zhongdu.

Medical expenses were paid by the imperial court.

Laborers were not allowed to work more than six hours a day and had two days off per month.

Now is the Ming Dynasty, not the time for the Yuan Tartars to rule.

You can't treat people like animals.

Although it is impossible to be perfect and take all aspects into consideration, we should at least try our best to take care of them.

Li Shanchang agreed very well, and the various reports sent from Fengyang were all very good.

Just do it exactly as you ask.

I was also very happy.

Looking forward to the completion of Zhongdu City and then moving the capital to Zhongdu.

It was not until much later that I realized that I had been completely deceived in this matter!
Li Shanchang didn't do any of what he asked for!

Not only did they fail to do so, but they even made things worse. I don’t know how many people who were building Zhongdu were killed and how many people’s families were destroyed!
The entire Zhongdu City was built with the blood and tears of countless people, mixed with countless corpses!

After he discovered this, he was so furious that he stopped the construction of the almost completed Zhongdu City.

Abolish the intention to move the capital to Zhongdu.

This action completely angered Li Shanchang.

He believed that this action of his had completely stripped off the face of the Duke of Korea.

Let him and myself go further and further away...

There are not only problems in Zhongdu City, but also many other problems.

Many Huaixi nobles in Fengyang completely ignored the strict orders he issued.

They are still frantically enclosing land and occupying people's property.

There are farmlands, lakes, mountains, forests, tea plantations, reed marshes... there is nothing these people don't want!
They even dared to lay hands on the government-run gold, silver and copper mines and the military settlements set up by the imperial court!

The people who resisted were either arrested, beaten and sent into exile, or killed directly!
Some even killed their entire family!

He set up a drum to report grievances, so that people who had grievances could come to the capital and beat the drum.

As long as the drum for reporting is sounded, no matter what I am doing, I will immediately put it down and deal with the matter personally.

As a result, since the drum for reporting to the emperor sounded once in the fifth year of Hongwu, and he set up an iron order to restrain the nobles, it has never been sounded again!

At first, I thought that it was my own restraint that worked.

Later it was discovered that they simply did not dare to do anything wrong in the capital.

All moved to the local area.

Not only that, they also used various means to prevent people from coming to ring the drum to report the incident.

This includes but is not limited to kidnapping people on the way, or even directly beating and killing them!

Even the wealthy families who had migrated from Jiangnan to Zhongdu were eaten to the bone by these people...

These old fellows from Fengyang were also bribed.

Under coercion or inducement, no one would tell the truth.

She only says good things and always defends Han Guogong and others!

A lot of information surged in his mind, and Zhu Yuanzhang was unconsciously filled with anger.

These people change so quickly!

Those who hated corrupt officials so much back then are now in power, and each of them is doing even more outrageous things than those corrupt officials!
It turns out that what they hated was not corrupt officials at all.

I just hate that they themselves are not corrupt officials!
God allowed him to return to the first day of the Lunar New Year in the eighth year of Hongwu and learn the news.

Then you have to take care of it yourself!
This matter must be stopped in advance!
Kill this evil trend with all your strength!!!

……

"Father, are you... feeling unwell?"

After the court meeting ended and all officials dispersed, Zhu Biao, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, came to Zhu Yuanzhang to ask questions.

With concern.

Looking at his eldest son in front of him, Zhu Yuanzhang's heart suddenly ached.

He reached out and held Zhu Biao's hand, not wanting to take his eyes off him for even a moment.

I’m afraid that in the blink of an eye, my family logo will be gone!

My eyes have started to turn red...

Zhu Biao was stunned.

This...why does it feel like my father is so abnormal today?
What happened?
Why does the way my father looks at me, as if... I have lost something and found it again?
(End of this chapter)