Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

Back in the main hall, three large bowls of steaming dumplings were already on the table.

The plump, white dumplings tumbled in the soup, releasing a wonderful aroma.

Empress Ma personally served everyone a bowl, saying, "Try it, everyone, and see who makes the best wrap."

Zhu Li held his bowl, took a bite first. It was a crooked dumpling he had made; the skin was a bit thick, but the filling was very fragrant.

He then scooped up a Guanyin Nu bun, with a thin skin, a generous filling, and delicious broth.

"My wife's dumplings taste better," he concluded.

Guanyin smiled and put some dumplings from her bowl onto the two of them, saying, "Eat more."

Halfway through the family dinner, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.

A eunuch rushed in and whispered a few words in Zhu Biao's ear.

Zhu Biao frowned slightly, stood up and said, "Father, Mother, I have some official business to attend to, I'll be right back."

"What's the rush during the New Year?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

"It's a small matter, I'll handle it quickly." Zhu Biao smiled gently, turned and left the hall.

Zhu Li continued eating dumplings, oblivious to the danger.

Guanyin Nu noticed a hint of coldness in Zhu Biao's eyes as he left.

A slight thought crossed her mind.

……

Side hall of Fengtian Hall.

The three officials knelt on the ground, trembling.

The leader was a clerk from the Ministry of Revenue, surnamed Zhou, and the two beside him were his subordinates.

Jiang Huan stood to one side, holding an account book in his hand.

Zhu Biao sat in the main seat, slowly sipping his tea.

"Master Zhou, please explain: In the ninth year of the Hongwu reign, the imperial court allocated 300,000 shi of relief grain to the disaster-stricken areas of Henan. Why did only 180,000 shi ultimately reach the people?"

He put down his teacup and said in a gentle voice.

Sweating profusely, Chief Clerk Zhou said, "Your Highness...the river was silted up at the time, causing losses in transportation..."

"The loss of 120,000 shi of grain—where did that grain go? Was it fed to the fish?" Zhu Biao asked with a slight smile.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I do not know..."

"You don't know... how come this ledger of the grain shop run by your brother-in-law shows that a batch of 120,000 shi of old grain was brought in exactly in October of the ninth year of Hongwu?"

"The price... is only 30% of the market price." Zhu Biao picked up the ledger and turned to a page.

Chief Zhou's face turned deathly pale.

"And... where did you get the money for that 300-acre estate you bought outside the city last year? Even if you didn't eat or drink for twenty years, you couldn't afford it with your annual salary, could you?" Zhu Biao said after turning another page.

"Your Highness! I am innocent!" Chief Clerk Zhou kowtowed repeatedly.

Zhu Biao stared at him silently for a long time, until the head steward kowtowed until his forehead bled, before slowly speaking:

"Jiang Huan".

"Your subject is here."

"The evidence against Zhou, the clerk, for embezzling disaster relief grain is conclusive. According to the Great Ming Code, what crime should he be charged with?"

"Your Highness, anyone who embezzles more than a thousand shi of disaster relief grain shall be executed immediately, their family property confiscated, their wives and daughters sent to the brothel, and their descendants for three generations barred from taking the imperial examinations," Jiang Huan said coldly.

Chief Zhou collapsed to the ground.

Zhu Biao stood up, walked over to him, squatted down, and said softly, "Master Zhou, you have a son, sixteen this year, who's doing well in school, right?"

The head steward, Zhou, suddenly looked up, his eyes gleaming with hope, and said, "Your Highness! I am willing to die to atone for my sins! I beg Your Highness to spare my son! He is innocent!"

"I know... so I'm giving you a choice: plead guilty and name your accomplices, and your son can retain his commoner status and participate in the imperial examinations; or you don't plead guilty..."

He paused for a moment and then said, "If your son dies with you, your Zhou family line will end."

Chief Clerk Zhou trembled all over, and after a long while, he prostrated himself on the ground and wept bitterly: "Your subject... confesses his guilt..."

Zhu Biao stood up and said to Jiang Huan, "Take him away and make him write a confession. No one involved should be missed."

"Yes." Jiang Huan waved his hand, and the Imperial Guards stepped forward and dragged the three away.

The side hall returned to quiet.

Zhu Biao stood by the window, watching the snowflakes fall again outside. After a moment of silence, he said to the eunuch beside him, "Go and tell the Ministry of Justice that in the case of Chief Clerk Zhou's embezzlement, the main culprit should be executed immediately, the accomplices should be exiled three thousand miles away, and their property should be confiscated... As for his wife and daughters, they don't need to be sent to the brothel; they should be returned to their original places of residence."

The eunuch was taken aback: "Your Highness, this..."

"Just do as instructed... It's the Lunar New Year, let's avoid committing any more killings," Zhu Biao said calmly.

"Yes." The eunuch bowed and withdrew.

Zhu Biao stood there for a while before turning back to Kunning Palace.

When he reached the palace gate, a gentle smile had returned to his face, as if the cold and decisive crown prince from before had never existed.

……

The family dinner is still ongoing.

Zhu Biao returned to his seat, and Empress Ma asked with concern, "Biao'er, are you alright?"

"It's nothing, just a small case, it's all taken care of. Xiong Ying, eat more so you can grow taller," Zhu Biao said with a smile, picking up a dumpling for Zhu Xiong Ying.

Zhu Xiong Ying said in a childish voice, "Thank you, Dad!"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at his eldest son, asked no further questions, and simply raised his cup: "Come, let's drink together as a family! May our Ming Dynasty be forever secure, and may our Zhu family prosper!"

Everyone raised their glasses.

Zhu Hui doesn't drink alcohol, so he substituted tea for wine and gulped down a large cup.

After the meal, Zhu Yuanzhang summoned Zhu Li to his study.

The study was warm and cozy, with a charcoal brazier burning in it.

Zhu Yuanzhang took a roll of map out of his desk drawer and spread it out on the table.

"Second brother, come and see."

Zhu Li leaned closer.

It was a map drawn on silk, much more detailed than ordinary maps, with mountains, rivers, cities, and villages clearly marked.

The map has two large characters written in the upper right corner: Japan.

"Is this Japan?" Zhu Li looked at the long, narrow island.

"Yes, across the sea, it takes more than a month to get there by boat from Dengzhou with favorable winds. Here, in the Iwami region, there are silver mines. Here, on Sado Island, there are gold mines."

Zhu Yuanzhang traced the mine with his finger and said, "Your elder brother has calculated that if these two mines are fully mined, they will be enough for our Ming Dynasty to use for a hundred years."

Zhu Li stared at the markings, seemingly understanding but not quite, and said, "Father means..."

"After the New Year, when spring arrives, go and take these two mountains back to our Ming Dynasty," Zhu Yuanzhang said, patting him on the shoulder.

"How do I circle it?" Zhu Li scratched his head.

"Simple, whoever doesn't let you encircle them, just chop them down... just like in Korea," Zhu Yuanzhang grinned.

Zhu Hui thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."

"But this time it's different from Korea. Japan is separated from us by sea, so our navy will have to be mobilized on a large scale. The sea is rough, and there are sea monsters too, so you have to be careful."

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a serious expression.

"I've seen sirens before; one axe blow and it's over," Zhu Hui said.

"I know you're good, but you can't be careless. I'll have your older brother explain to you in detail how to fight later," Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile and a scolding tone.

"Oh..." Zhu Li nodded.

Zhu Yuanzhang rolled up the map and handed it to him, saying, "Take this back and take a look. If you can't understand it, I'll have Guanyinnu read it to you."

Zhu Hui took the map and put it in his pocket.

When I stepped out of the study, the snow outside had gotten heavier.

Guanyin Nu stood under the eaves waiting for him, holding a hand warmer in her hands.

"What did your father say to you?" she asked.

Zhu Hui took out a map from his pocket and said, "Father told me to look at this."

Guanyin Nu unfolded the map and her expression changed slightly. "A map of Japan... Father really wants you to go and fight Japan?"

"Yes, after the New Year," Zhu Li said.

Guanyin Nu was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Husband, we agreed that I would go with you."

"Danger at sea." Zhu Li frowned.

"Isn't it dangerous in Korea? I've said it before, women on the grasslands can't always hide in tents," Guanyinnu said, looking at him.

Looking into her determined eyes, Zhu Li recalled what Xu Da had said: she was an eagle that could fight alongside him.

"Then I'll ask my older brother," he said.

"Okay... let's go home! The snow is getting heavy." Guanyinnu smiled and took his arm.

The two walked out of the palace side by side. Snow fell on their shoulders, quickly melting into water droplets.

The carriage left two ruts in the snow as it slowly made its way toward the Wu King's Palace.

Inside the carriage, Guanyin Nu leaned on Zhu Hui's shoulder and whispered, "Husband, after we defeat the Japanese... let's have a child."

Zhu Hui paused for a moment, then grinned and said, "Okay, let's have two, one like you and one like me."

"What if everyone was as naive as you?"

"Being a little simple-minded is good; it helps you live longer."

Guanyin Nu smiled and moved even closer.

Outside the carriage, lanterns lit up one after another in the streets and alleys of Yingtian Prefecture.