The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

It was the third day of the third month in late spring of the eighteenth year of the Hongwu reign (1388).

The capital city, the imperial city.

Outside Fengtian Gate.

"Someone's been killed!"

"Quickly, quickly pull the young prince away..."

A group of eunuchs looked at the pale-faced censor who was lying on the ground, his head bleeding and his face bruised and swollen, and kept shouting.

Not far ahead, Zhu Xiong Ying wore a gilded hair ornament, a moon-white cotton undergarment, and a red brocade round-necked robe.

He put his hands on his hips, his eyes flashing coldly, and said, "Hmph! Let's see who dares to step forward before I give the order!"

"And you, you heartless wretch, a seventh-rank censor, eating the emperor's rice every day, all you do is nitpick, you know nothing of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, what else can you do besides talk big?"

"Besides, where were you back then when our Emperor drove out the Tartars, restored the Central Plains, and allowed us Han people to stand tall, ensuring that everyone had food to eat and clothes to wear?"

"You say Grandfather is tyrannical? He kills innocent people indiscriminately? You're so noble, so impressive!"

"Two years ago, Henan suffered a severe drought. The Emperor canceled the imperial meals and opened the granaries to distribute grain, saving hundreds of thousands of disaster victims. What are you doing now?"

"As for the severe punishments imposed on corruption over the years, which one of them wasn't a way to rid the people of a scourge?"

"Remember this: as long as we're here, we won't tolerate you slandering the Holy Emperor. Every time we see you, we'll beat you up!"

Still feeling unsatisfied, Zhu Xiong Ying kicked him twice more.

He looked at the guards who had surrounded him and raised his voice, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and carry him away! He's in the way of our eyes lying here!"

"Yes, Your Excellency obeys..."

He was well aware of the position of the imperial grandson in the hearts of the Ming emperor and empress.

No one dared to be careless, and they hurriedly agreed, even though they were hesitant.

"Lawless! Absolutely lawless! Your Majesty, I must... Ouch!"

Then, the censor, whose head was swollen and who was cursing, was dragged away from Fengtian Gate and thrown down the steps.

Seeing this, Zhu Xiong Ying snorted coldly.

Before I knew it, three years had passed since I arrived in the Ming Dynasty.

Three years ago, he, a miserable postdoctoral fellow in traditional Chinese medicine, woke up to find himself transformed into the eldest grandson of Emperor Hongwu, the one who had died young, "Zhu Xiong Ying".

At first, I had mixed feelings of excitement and unease.

He dreamed of living a life of luxury, enjoying a life of ease and comfort as a spoiled third-generation rich kid!

But as time went by, after accepting his current identity, he saw the internal and external troubles that the Ming Dynasty faced at the beginning of its founding.

We also saw the countless difficulties that Zhu Yuanzhang faced in single-handedly supporting the Ming Dynasty!

Ah, some say he used excessive force and implicated too many people, which is actually a form of oppressive and tyrannical rule.

However, at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, official corruption reached its peak, and the people were displaced and resorted to cannibalism.

Only decisive and swift measures can eradicate the root causes of corruption, rebuild order and trust, and allow the people to live and work in peace and contentment!

Some criticized him for killing meritorious officials, discarding them after they were no longer useful, and for being callous and ungrateful.

Little did they know that the remnants of the Northern Yuan were not yet destroyed, and powerful clans within the country were waiting for an opportunity to act, making it imperative to concentrate imperial power to accomplish great things!

If powerful ministers are allowed to grow too powerful, it could very well plunge the newly established China into chaos once again.

On the contrary, Zhu Yuanzhang treated loyal ministers such as Xu Da with the utmost kindness and rewards, demonstrating his combination of grace and severity.

Some even say that he instigated literary inquisitions and suppressed Confucian scholars, which is utter nonsense!

Take, for example, Zhao Yi's "Notes on the Twenty-Two Histories: The Literary Perils of the Early Ming Dynasty," which portrays Zhu Yuanzhang as the most vilified!

The numerous scholars, including Zhao Boning and Jiang Zhen, who were supposedly killed by Zhu Yuanzhang during the Hongwu era, are not recorded in either the "Veritable Records of the Ming Taizu" or other official histories.

Of these, only Meng Qing and Zhou Mian are remembered. One lived into the Yongle era, and the other was even a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) during the Jiajing era...

In fact, although Old Zhu came from humble beginnings and started with just a bowl of rice, he attached great importance to education, especially the cultivation of talent.

In the first year of the Hongwu reign (1379), the Tianfu School was renamed the Guozixue (Imperial Academy), and later the Guozijian (Imperial College) was established. In the third year of the Hongwu reign (1379), an imperial edict was issued to open the civil service examination system. Last year, the Ministry of Rites formulated the civil service examination format, clarifying the three-tiered examination process: the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination…

In conclusion, how has such a wise ruler been vilified?

Regardless of his past or present life, Zhu Xiong Ying always felt indignant and wanted to stand up for the underdog.

Even after he traveled through time, the meticulous care shown by Emperor Zhu and Empress Ma made him feel the long-lost warmth of family.

When Zhu Xiong Ying came here, he only did three things!

He must protect his family!

He wanted to vindicate the Hongwu Dynasty!

He wanted to make the Ming Dynasty even greater!

With Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, and Biao'er's father standing behind him, anyone who dares to stand in his way will be trampled under his feet.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! The Emperor summons you..."

Just then, a hurried whisper came from behind.

A blue-robed official holding a whisk stood about two zhang away. He first bowed respectfully, then glanced at the prince's face and figure out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that the prince was not injured, he felt relieved.

This eldest grandson is the emperor's most precious treasure, and he cannot afford to let anything go wrong with him.

If anything were to happen to them, even a hundred heads wouldn't be enough to cover their wounds...

Zhu Xiong Ying glanced at him and saw that it was Old Zhu's personal eunuch. He knew that the news about the boxing censor had probably spread.

Anyway, this wasn't the first time he'd done something like this, so he already had experience dealing with it.

So Zhu Xiong Ying, with his hands behind his back, nodded and said, "Since it is the Emperor who has summoned me, then lead the way!"

"yes!"

Inside the warm pavilion of the Huagai Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang resided at the throne.

He had a full face, a square jaw, and bright, piercing eyes; he was not a long, narrow face!

He wore a black gauze hat on his head, a reddish-yellow robe with a dark patterned collar and narrow sleeves, and a rhinoceros horn and jade belt around his waist, exuding the resolute and majestic aura of an emperor!

"Your Majesty, we have checked the accounts overnight. Shandong still has 700,000 shi of grain, and Henan has 600,000 shi. If the drought continues into April or May, these reserves may not be enough!"

"As for the national treasury... in recent years, it has been spent on the food and supplies of the border troops, the suppression of rebellions in Yunnan, and local relief efforts..."

The official sitting on the right, who rose to present his report, was Guo Huan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Inside the palace, besides a group of officials from the Ministry of Revenue, Crown Prince Zhu Biao, and most of the other important officials from the six ministries, most of them were present.

Three days ago, the Shandong Provincial Administration Commission sent an urgent message, mentioning that Jinan and Dongchang prefectures had not received rain since the first month of the lunar calendar, and most of the wheat seedlings had withered and turned yellow.

In Zhangde, Henan, and other places, a severe drought has also struck. Despite digging wells to irrigate the fields, the results have been minimal.

Logically speaking, the granaries in western Zhejiang, Yingtian, and Zhenjiang, which are located in the Jiangnan region, have had bumper harvests year after year and should be able to support the needs of the disaster area.

But when Zhu saw the roster submitted by the Ministry of Revenue yesterday, he found the national treasury empty. He was furious and ordered an audit of accounts at all levels.

After the morning court session concluded today, a group of high-ranking officials were immediately summoned before the emperor for questioning.

To my surprise, all I heard were excuses and excuses!

This was clearly not the answer Lao Zhu wanted!

He was furious and was about to slam his fist on the table and start cursing.

Just then, a palace attendant entered and whispered, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Eldest Grandson has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's anger subsided slightly, and he said, "Let Xiong Ying in!"