Parallel Ming Dynasty: The more he compared, the more devastated Zhu Yuanzhang became.

The New World, Xuzhou Prefecture.

Zhang Shouwang raised his head and looked up at the sky, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

As he perceived the images playing on a loop in his mind, endless emotions surged within him.

"Your Highness Zhu Duo is truly a benevolent and sage of our time!"

"I know in my heart that choosing to follow Prince Zhu Duo back then was absolutely the best decision I ever made in my life."

Zhang Shouwang slowly withdrew his gaze, looked down at the troop deployment token in his palm, and clenched his fist tightly.

"No matter what choice His Highness Zhu Duo makes, even if he ends up in utter defeat, I am willing to accompany him to the afterlife!"

"For no other reason than His Highness Zhu Duo's heart that cares for all the people of the world, it is enough for me to dedicate my entire life to following him!"

Zhang Shouwang's thoughts drifted back to the devastating flood six years ago, the first time he had ever seen Prince Zhu Duo in person.

At that time, Zhu Duo was only a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy, but his deep eyes, which held the weight of mountains and rivers, completely captivated him from that moment on.

Ever since he followed Prince Zhu Duo and witnessed firsthand the many great achievements Prince Zhu Duo later made, Zhang Shouwang became increasingly convinced of how wise his decision to follow Prince Zhu Duo had been.

"Only when His Highness Zhu Duo ascends the throne and becomes the monarch of the Ming Dynasty can this land truly usher in a golden age of prosperity!"

"Anyone else, if anyone else were to sit on the throne of the Ming Dynasty, I, Zhang Shouwang, would be the first to object!"

"Besides, so what if we rebel! To be able to follow Prince Zhu Duo on this journey, even if I am shattered to pieces, I will die without regret!"

After a moment of turmoil, Zhang Shouwang typed a line in the video's comment section.

{Zhang Shouwang, Prefect of Xuzhou in the New World: Those bandits who dared to offend His Highness Zhu Duo back then were dealt with according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty on the day the incident occurred, executed immediately, without any leniency.}

{New World: This is truly gratifying! Absolutely gratifying! The Prefect is indeed extremely astute!}

{New World: This kind of scum, worse than pigs and dogs, deserves to be torn to pieces! Not killing them is not enough to appease public anger, but killing them with just one blow would be too easy on them.}

If those utterly depraved villains had encountered ordinary people instead of His Highness Zhu Duo that day, they would probably have been brutally killed by their blades long ago.

Such people deserve to die and are not worthy of any pity whatsoever.

On the contrary, I feel that ending their lives with just one stroke was too lenient, letting them go too easily! Even casting them into the deepest hell wouldn't quell the hatred in my heart!

Countless people used the bullet comments to freely vent their anger and pleasure.

In the new world.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched the entire scene with a blank expression, without uttering a single word.

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent throughout, but his princes below him were already restless.

King Zhu Shuang of Qin couldn't help but exclaim, "I never imagined that the owner behind this renowned Peace Trading Company is actually my nephew Zhu Duo!"

"Back then, I was full of doubts about who could be in charge of the Peace Trading Company."

This business was not only incredibly wealthy, but also exceptionally benevolent. As traveling merchants, when faced with the floods in Xuzhou, they were willing to donate their entire fortune to disaster relief, even acting several times faster than the imperial relief teams!

Zhu Di also spoke with a solemn expression, "What I admire most from the bottom of my heart is that Duo'er not only has a benevolent and wise heart, but also thinks about the Ming Dynasty in everything he does. He actually intends to hand over all this great merit to the court."

"If it weren't for this extraordinary celestial phenomenon today that brought this matter to light, we probably would never have known about it in our lifetime."

"My nephew Duo'er is truly selfless and noble!"

Prince Zhu Gang of Jin shook his head and sighed repeatedly, his deep respect for Zhu Duo already evident in his words.

Listening to the princes around him discussing amongst themselves, Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent and did not speak.

The things Zhu Duo did were actions that only a living saint could do.

Moreover, he was not one of those pedantic scholars who only knew how to cultivate their character, nor was he doing it for fame or fortune. He kept all these things completely hidden, and he didn't seek any reward from the bottom of his heart.

Not to mention, Zhu Duo also held the identity of a grandson of the emperor, making him a genuine member of the Ming Dynasty's imperial family!

If he had made this public back then, he would have devoted all his efforts to cultivating Zhu Duo, and even directly designated him as the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty!

However, Zhu Duo kept all of this a complete secret, not letting a word slip out.

How could Zhu Duo be so indifferent to fame and fortune, regarding worldly success as fleeting clouds?

"Dor...you..."

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a long time, his lips moved slightly, and then he spoke in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, I simply believe that fame and fortune, like money, are nothing more than external things."

"Compared to fame, fortune, and wealth, aren't the lives and livelihoods of the people of the world of greater importance?"

"But this does not conflict with accepting the people's praise. You are perfectly entitled to accept this praise with dignity. It is what you deserve."

"Putting everything else aside, just the fact that you went to the disaster area alone is something that very few people in the entire court could do."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang coldly glanced at the princes standing in the hall.

The princes immediately looked ashamed and lowered their heads.

Zhu Yunwen, in particular, was like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, wishing he could shrink his head into his chest.

When he was fourteen or fifteen, apart from the various lessons assigned by his grandfather, he spent his days traveling, sightseeing, and indulging in pleasure.

Zhu Duo, who was the same age, already had the well-being of the people in his heart, cared about their suffering, and personally went deep into the disaster-stricken countryside to do his best to help the people.

At the same age, their actions are completely incomparable.

How dare the faint light of a firefly compete with the brilliance of the sun and moon?

After Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze swept over everyone, he let out a heavy snort, his dissatisfaction intensifying. However, when he turned to look at Zhu Duo, his gaze softened instantly.

"Back then... I think I even gave you a severe scolding because of this, right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's thoughts drifted back to the few times he had met with Zhu Duo.

then--

He was busy dealing with urgent reports of flooding in Xuzhou when he happened to run into Zhu Duo, who was returning with his entourage in the palace. Seeing that Zhu Duo looked tired and was covered in dust, and hearing that Zhu Duo had returned from an outing, he was immediately enraged and grabbed a broom from the corner of the wall to hit Zhu Duo.

Just then, an urgent secret letter from Xuzhou arrived in his hands, and he finally put down the broom and spared Zhu Duo this time.

But it was precisely because of this incident that he developed a very bad impression of Zhu Duo, and from then on he disliked this grandson even more.

Looking back now, Zhu Duo's exhaustion at that time was precisely because he had devoted himself to the front line of flood control in Xuzhou and worked day and night.

A sudden surge of intense guilt welled up in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, mixed with a sense of relief at surviving a calamity.

What I feel guilty about is that Zhu Duo gave his all for the people of the Ming Dynasty, yet I wrongly blamed him without even knowing the truth.

Fortunately, I ultimately didn't manage to hit Zhu Duo back then.

If he had actually hit Zhu Duo with that broom back then, he probably wouldn't be able to rest in peace even in his coffin.

The footage in the video continues to move forward.

When Old Zhu received the urgent secret report delivered by fast horse from Xuzhou, he learned that the once-in-a-century flood in Xuzhou had been completely resolved. He was overjoyed, and the anger he had felt towards Zhu Duo just now vanished instantly!

"Hahaha! I never expected that this once-in-a-century flood would be quelled so easily, without any warning!"

"What's even more remarkable is that the imperial court didn't spend much of the national treasury's silver!"

"What is the name of this prefect of Xuzhou? We must reward him handsomely!"

After carefully reading the entire letter of good news, Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed. His spirits lifted considerably, and he repeatedly patted the armrests of the dragon throne, shouting his approval.

"Your Majesty, the name of the Prefect of Xuzhou is Zhang Shouwang."

"Moreover, during the flood season in Xuzhou, Zhang Shouwang stayed on the front line where the flood was most dangerous, leading the people to build dams and drain the water. For two whole months, he fought day and night on the front line of flood control and never left his post."

As if they had anticipated Zhu Yuanzhang's question, the Jinyiwei officer kneeling on the ground quickly bowed and replied with utmost respect.

Upon hearing these words, Zhu Yuanzhang was even more delighted, feeling that he had discovered another pillar of the state capable of shouldering great responsibilities.

"What our Great Ming Dynasty lacks most is such capable ministers! Zhang Shouwang was able to defend the entire Xuzhou single-handedly; the mere position of Xuzhou prefect is simply not worthy of his merit!"

"We should transfer him to the capital and entrust him with important responsibilities!"

"Your Majesty, here is also a letter in the handwriting of Prefect Zhang, which I humbly request Your Majesty to read."

"Bring it here quickly!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was in a good mood at the moment. He laughed loudly as he accepted the letter, then opened the envelope and read it carefully.

But as he watched, the smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face gradually faded, and his entire face turned ashen.

"That bastard Zhang Shouwang! All the credit was given by a single trading company?! What on earth is Zhang Shouwang up to?!"

After reading the entire letter, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately burst into a tirade, saying, "I thought I had discovered a capable minister who could govern the country well, but this so-called capable minister says that he himself has not made any contributions, and he has not even contributed much to the court."

"All the credit belongs to a single private business!"

"A mere trading company saved the entire population of Xuzhou?! What is Zhang Shouwang good for then? And what has become of my Ming Dynasty?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang paced back and forth in his study in a fit of anger. The little bit of appreciation and goodwill he had felt for Zhang Shouwang just now vanished in an instant, leaving not a trace.

"Transfer Zhang Shouwang back to the capital. We'll personally chop off his head and see if he still dares to deny it, saying it was all done by a merchant empire!"

"How dare they slap Old Zhu in the face like this!"

"What on earth is he thinking?! Does he want to lose his head?!"

It's understandable that Zhu Yuanzhang would get so angry.

It was only because Zhang Shouwang was too straightforward that there wasn't a single word praising the imperial court in the entire letter. He even bluntly complained about the court's slow and ineffective disaster relief efforts! The whole letter was almost entirely praising the righteous deeds of the Heping Trading Company.

{New World: So, our Emperor Hongwu can get this angry too! I thought he would lavishly reward Prince Zhu Duo after learning the truth.}

{New World: Prince Zhu Duo has not revealed his identity at all. Even if the Emperor were to bestow rewards, he would only do so upon the Peace Merchants at this point.}

{New World: No wonder His Majesty was so angry; Prefect Zhang Shouwang really doesn't understand the ways of being an official.}

It was clear to everyone, and even to His Majesty himself, that the greatest credit for this incident did not belong to the court. Yet, Prefect Zhang's words were far too blunt. Had he merely mentioned the court's contribution, His Majesty would likely have accepted it.

{New World: But when they later publicized their achievements, they did mention the court's contributions, and the court did indeed put in effort at the time.}

{New World: That must have been added later when Prefect Zhang was publicizing his achievements. And after that incident, Prefect Zhang remained Prefect of Xuzhou, which shows that the Emperor ultimately didn't promote him.}

{New World: Perhaps the merits and demerits cancel each other out; neither will be investigated nor rewarded.}

-

Just as Zhu Yuanzhang was furious, the head of the Imperial Academy rushed over, bent down to pick up the letter that Zhu Yuanzhang had thrown on the ground, and after a quick glance, he instantly understood the whole story.

Immediately afterwards, Zhongshutang bowed respectfully to Zhu Yuanzhang before slowly speaking, "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that since Prefect Zhang praised the Heping Trading Company so highly in his letter, then the Heping Trading Company must have indeed provided great assistance to Xuzhou during the flood."

"Therefore, we might as well find out more about the Peace Trading Company before making a decision."

"Moreover, judging from the letter presented by Zhang Shouwang, the people of Xuzhou are already aware of the righteous deeds of the Heping Trading Company, so we must not take credit for it."

"Therefore, this old minister dares to suggest that if the Peace Trading Company has a clean background and is not backed by any other forces, we should reward it handsomely to demonstrate Your Majesty's benevolence and magnanimity in embracing the world."

"Furthermore, in our Great Ming Dynasty, among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were ranked last. Most merchants in the country harbored resentment and dissatisfaction towards the court."

"Therefore, this is a good opportunity to win over the hearts of merchants from all over the world."

After hearing what the Zhongshutang (Secretariat) had to say, Zhu Yuanzhang's anger subsided considerably.

He was only annoyed by Zhang Shouwang's overly blunt wording in the letter; on the contrary, he felt a bit curious about this unheard-of Peace Trading Company.

"Let's do it your way."

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment before making the decision.

"But—let Zhang Shouwang stay in the position of prefect of Xuzhou for a few more years!"

"snort!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's stubborn temper flared up again.