Chapter 002 Be careful of being chopped by Zhu Yuanzhang
Tang He and Xu Da looked at Zhu Yuanzhang's complaining expression and gave their own commander a sour and contemptuous look.
Show off, just show off, keep showing off. Is it so great to have a son who is a fairy boy?
It's just amazing!
Zhu Yuanzhang finally had his first child at the age of 27, and it was a boy, so he was very happy.
Unexpectedly, a fortune teller read the face of this legitimate son, who was said to be "born with knowledge, priceless", implying that as long as the child was alive, the Zhu family might ascend to the throne.
The throne?!
Zhu Yuanzhang had just outlasted Guo Zixing and consolidated his power, but it was still an inconspicuous force among the many forces at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.
At this moment, he has ambition and is working hard for it, but he lacks confidence.
Even though the fortune teller had the second half of the sentence, "I'm afraid that God will take him away, so he needs to hide his identity and keep the secret hidden until he reaches the age of twenty before he can return to his position. Once this child returns to his position, he will surely ensure that the Zhu family will prosper forever," Zhu Yuanzhang was happy to abandon his son.
Zhu Yuanzhang's sister Ma Da was frightened to death. She grabbed the sole of the shoe she was sewing and slapped Zhu Yuanzhang on the head. After taking her son back, she told Zhu Yuanzhang to get out of here immediately.
Later, the little boy Zhu Biao, who changed his name to Chen Biao, really showed his ability as a fairy boy, and Zhu Yuanzhang developed the bad habit of complaining (showing off) from time to time.
Seeing that his two childhood friends didn't want to pay attention to him, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately said, "I'm really troubled!"
Tang He: “Hmmmm.”
Xu Da: "Oh oh oh."
Tang He said to Xu Da, "Since Xiao Biao wants large ships, let's attack Xu Shouhui first. He has plenty of large ships."
Xu Da nodded. "He has many shipbuilders. Perhaps Xiao Biao doesn't like Xu Shouhui's boat and wants to build his own."
Tang He said, "How much would it cost to build a boat yourself?"
Xu Da said with a smile: "With Xiaobiao, the little god of wealth, spending money is nothing . Xiaobiao is very good at calculating and will definitely not suffer any loss."
Zhu Yuanzhang kept slapping the water with his hands and coughing dryly.
Tang He and Xu Da ignored the general and continued to discuss how to fight Xu Shouhui and get a large ship for the little god of wealth Xiao Biao to sail out to sea .
Zhu Yuanzhang shouted angrily, "Shouldn't I, the commander-in-chief, have the final say on what to do next? What's the point of you two making decisions? Do you still have any regard for me, the commander-in-chief?"
Tang He: "Why not attack Xu Shouhui and attack Zhang Shicheng?"
Xu Da: "Tell Xiao Biao that we don't go out to sea because we don't have enough large ships?"
Zhu Yuanzhang angrily shouted, "Did I say we wouldn't attack Xu Shouhui? Of course we will! Don't tell Biao'er we don't have any ships!"
Tang He and Xu Da gave Zhu Yuanzhang a cold look at the same time.
The man who was so obsessed with saving face in front of his son suffered in vain. This is what their great commander Zhu Yuanzhang was like.
Zhu Yuanzhang would do his best to find whatever Xiaobiao wanted, no matter how difficult it was. If he couldn't fulfill Xiaobiao's request, he would lie and say, "Marshal Zhu has other ideas."
In short, Zhu Yuanzhang was just being stubborn and could not say "no" or "no" in front of his son.
Now, Xiaobiao had always believed that Zhu Yuanzhang was afraid of Chen Guorui 's financial resources. Zhu Yuanzhang's reputation was damaged.
Xu Da, shirtless, grasped his commander's shoulders and leaned forward, saying, "Boss, have you ever thought about how you'll explain yourself when the showdown comes? You keep putting the blame on Zhu Yuanzhang."
Zhu Yuanzhang said shamelessly, "Didn't the fortune teller say that Biao'er can only return to the throne when he is twenty years old? It's still too early."
Xu Da was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
So you're still planning to let "Zhu Yuanzhang" take the blame for more than a decade? Is that really a good idea?
Tang He sighed, "Can we ask the fortune teller if Xiao Biao can return to his place sooner? We've been having a hard time keeping it a secret."
In order to conceal his identity, Zhu Yuanzhang actually created a "Chen Guorui". He usually let a personal soldier temporarily take over this identity, and he would occasionally disguise himself and use this identity to accomplish some small achievements.
The Chen family mansion was also surrounded by Zhu Yuanzhang and protected. Not only were the neighbors arranged as Tang on the left and Xu Da on the right, but the entire street was filled with old friends who followed Zhu Yuanzhang from the countryside.
To act, is to act together.
Those who act well can go to Chen's house for meals, while those who can't act will be ostracized by a group of acting buddies, and they will have to smell the aroma of food wafting from Chen's house, and then try hard to memorize the script.
Logically speaking, this would easily expose the truth.
But Zhu Yuanzhang's strict military discipline was so unreasonable, and so was the loyalty of his buddies.
In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang started with nothing and was almost starved to death by Guo Zixing. He then returned to his hometown and recruited 24 poor farmer buddies to help him. As a result, all 24 of them became the 24 generals of Huaixi in the early Ming Dynasty. Each of them was a talented general. This was unreasonable.
Therefore, it is normal that little Zhu Biao, who thought he was Chen Biao, was kept in the dark.
After hearing Tang He's words, Zhu Yuanzhang touched his wet hair and said, "If physiognomists could change destiny, would it be my turn as Zhu Chongba to become emperor?"
Xu Da and Tang He agreed deeply and sighed at the same time.
Then, the two of them enthusiastically discussed with Zhu Yuanzhang how to defeat Xu Shouhui and get a boat for Chen Biao.
On the other side, Chen Biao had already instructed his subordinates to prepare the soup base, dipping sauce, and hot pot dishes, and made steamed cakes for his mother using a mixture of minced chicken, minced fish, and minced beef mixed with flour.
His mother had given birth to three children in a row, and her health was severely damaged, with stomach problems, yet she still insisted on going on the expedition with his father to take care of logistics.
Every time his mother came back, Chen Biao would make a lot of nutritious and easy-to-digest food to nourish her body.
Wait, every time I come back...
Chen Biao narrowed his eyes slightly.
Every time my mother came back before, she was pregnant. After my third brother was born, his parents promised that they wouldn't have another child so soon. So, this time, his mother wouldn't be pregnant again, right?
Probably not. Even if my father is unreliable, my mother is still very reliable and would not joke about her own body.
…
My mother is not reliable at all!
Chen Biao stared at his mother's belly, which had just become pregnant, with a gloomy expression.
Ma covered her stomach and said awkwardly, "This is an accident, it really is an accident."
Chen Biao's energy sank into his dantian, and he said with full strength: "Dad!"
"Here, here." Zhu Yuanzhang's long wet hair was wrapped in cloth, and his smile was particularly guilty.
Chen Biao looked at his unreliable old father, then at his fawning old mother, and finally looked around at his two sworn brothers, two uncles and a group of servants, and forced himself to suppress his dissatisfaction.
In ancient times, filial piety was the most important virtue. How he yelled at his father behind his back was one matter, but he had to give face to his parents in front of others.
"Eat first. After you've filled your stomach, rest for a while before taking a shower." Chen Biao said in a muffled voice, "Mom, please be careful with your steps."
Ma nodded and asked, "Are Xing'er and Xing'er okay?"
Chen Biao was too short to support Ma, so he walked beside her: "Chong'er can already recite the Three Character Classic and is taking a nap now. Tan'er can already eat pureed vegetables and meat..."
Chen Biao's two younger brothers, Chen Chong, were four years old and Chen Chong, two years old, both based on their lunar ages.
There were few contraceptive methods in those days, and Ma accompanied Zhu Yuanzhang on his military campaigns for a long time, giving birth to children one after another. Chen Biao was only five years old, and he already had two younger brothers.
He looked at his mother's belly.
Well, next year he will have to raise three.
Because Chen Biao was born with intelligence, Zhu Yuanzhang was confident in letting Chen Biao realize his ambitions, and Ma was also confident in giving birth to a child and leaving it to Chen Biao to raise.
Chen Biao had no complaints about Ma not being raised. He knew his father had a stubborn temper, and if his mother hadn't looked after him, his father would have had a very hard time under Zhu Yuanzhang.
In the chaotic times at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, it was not easy to gain a foothold. Chen Biao was able to take care of his younger brother and was willing to reduce his mother's burden.
The only thing that made him sad was that he was afraid that his mother's health would be ruined by giving birth to too many children in a row.
Ma's heart tightened when she saw the worry in Chen Biao's eyes.
Zhu Yuanzhang was also at a loss.
In those days, everyone valued having many children and auspicious blessings. Although Chen Biao said that having too many children would harm the body, neither Ma nor Zhu Yuanzhang took it seriously.
After giving birth to their third son, Tang'er, Ma and Zhu Yuanzhang did use some contraceptive methods. However, contraceptive methods in those days were not very reliable, and Ma still became pregnant.
As parents, Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma could have justifiably told Chen Biao to leave him alone. However, Chen Biao was their first child, and since he was already working hard for the family at such a young age, they simply couldn't say that.
Fortunately, Chen Biao also understood what era we were living in. He quickly came to his senses and forced himself to put on a cheerful smile again.
Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma breathed a sigh of relief.
"Cousin, long time no see." Chen Biao was the first to greet.
Li Baoer and Chen Wenzheng had already fought on the battlefield and made great contributions, making them famous young generals in the army. However, when they saw this rather mysterious younger brother, they were a little reserved and hurriedly greeted Chen Biao respectfully, which made Chen Biao feel extremely helpless.
Chen Biao said: "Cousin, cousin, you can be more casual..."
Li Baoer and Chen Wenzheng nodded in unison: "Okay, okay!"
Chen Biao: “…”
He should just ignore his cousin and his older cousin, so that they will both feel more comfortable.
After a long journey, they tidied themselves up a bit, washed their hands and faces, and then went to eat.
Chen Ying also came back at this time.
Chen Ying was Zhu Yuanzhang's adopted son and was very familiar with Li Bao'er and Chen Wenzheng. With Chen Ying's help, Li Bao'er and Chen Wenzheng finally felt more at ease.
When the hot pot of beef bone broth was served, they became more relaxed and not restrained at all.
Chen Wenzheng's eyes lit up and he asked, "Brother Biao, does your restaurant serve this dish?"
Chen Biao said, "Not yet. This beef soup pot is all about freshness, and freshness equals luxury. It doesn't count as a cost if you just eat it at home, but if you want to sell it, the price won't be affordable for most people."
Chen Wenzheng said with a smile, "You don't know that, brother Biao. The Marshal is now unstoppable, and his generals have plenty of money, but they're worried about where to spend it."
Chen Biao advised earnestly, "Don't show off your wealth, especially at a critical moment like this. If you don't establish a good image of yourself as someone who doesn't care about money or extravagance at the beginning of your business, you might end up being used as an example by the Marshal to crack down on extravagance."
Everyone looked at Zhu Yuanzhang.
Zhu Yuanzhang: "...Not really, not really."
Chen Biao misunderstood what everyone meant and sighed, "Ah, I understand what you mean. My family is the richest. If Marshal Zhu wants to kill the rich, the first one he'll kill is my father."
Xu Da nodded immediately: "Ah, yes, yes, yes."
Tang He immediately agreed: "That's right."
Ma suppressed a laugh and said, "That's right. Guorui, you better be careful."
Chen Wenzhen, Li Baoer and Chen Ying just laughed dryly and said nothing.
Zhu Yuanzhang: "...Stop talking, stop talking. We are eating. Why are you spoiling the fun?"
Chen Biao glanced at his father.
His father was a veteran Zhu Yuanzhang fanatic. Whenever the topic of being cautious under Zhu Yuanzhang came up, his father would always change the subject, unwilling to admit the possibility that Zhu Yuanzhang would kill all of his old brothers.
After a long separation, Chen Biao was too lazy to debate with his father in front of everyone.
Filial piety, filial piety. In front of others, we must give Comrade Chen Guorui, the head of the family, enough face.
Chen Biao waved his hand, announced that they could eat meat, and told them how to eat this Chaoshan beef hotpot, which he named Yingtian beef hotpot.
As mentioned before, Chaoshan beef hotpot is all about freshness. The cooking time for each part of the beef is calculated in seconds to prevent it from being overcooked.
Chen Biao had someone make a large metal colander, and a small wooden board stood on the plate for a few seconds.
He was just about to teach everyone how to eat it when Zhu Yuanzhang took the lead and poured in several plates of meat.
Chen Biao: “…”
Xu Da picked up the large colander and stirred vigorously: "It's done!"
A group of middle-aged and young men immediately threw their spoons and chopsticks into the air, and in an instant the soup pot became clear.
Chen Biao: “…”
Zhu Yuanzhang: "Meat, meat, meat!"
Tang He: “Here I come!”
After pouring a bowl of meat slices, the soup disappeared.
Chen Biao: “…”
Xu Da worked hard to stir the thin slices of meat until they were mashed into a paste.
Zhu Yuanzhang complained: "Biao'er, why did you cut the meat so thin? It doesn't taste good."
Chen Biao: "...Next time, let's eat Tuotuo beef soup pot. Mom, let's go eat over there."
Ma smiled: "Okay."
Chen Ying put down his chopsticks and helped Ma to a small table nearby.
Chen Biao set up a small pot again and let Ma eat the meat cake first. Then the three of them chatted while scalding beef slices for Ma.
Ma was pregnant and had a poor appetite.
Chen Ying slowly blanched the meat according to Chen Biao's instructions, and Ma ate small pieces of meat with sauce, and she actually ate a lot without realizing it.
Ma wiped her mouth and sighed, "Biao'er is really amazing. Your father hired many chefs for me. I've tried all kinds of delicacies from all over the world, but I can't finish them all."
When Chen Biao heard what Ma said, he knew that Ma was telling Chen Biao tactfully that his father treated his mother very well and he didn't need to worry.
Chen Biao curled his lips in his heart.
In this era, his father could indeed be said to be very good to his mother.
But that’s just the era.
Although his father 's concubines had never appeared in front of him, he could calculate how many women his father had in his backyard by looking at the expenditure account book.
Forget it, we are in this era, why do we still need modern standards?
Chen Biao joked, "Mom is so frugal. I'm afraid that even if Dad prepares delicacies for you, you won't have an appetite."
Ma smiled and said, "Isn't what Biaoer prepared for me considered a delicacy?"
Chen Biao said, "The cattle are from the grassland, the chickens are raised at home, the fish are from the pond, and the vegetables are all freshly picked from our own garden. We haven't been to the mountains or the sea, so of course they are not delicacies from the mountains or the sea."
Zhu Yuanzhang had eaten all the meat and side dishes, and poured the soup into the rice and drank it all.
He walked over slowly, his belly, which was slightly bigger than Ma's, who wasn't even too pregnant, and said, "Biao'er is absolutely right. Biao'er may seem to live a refined life, but she's never extravagant. Big sister, why do you still have a piece of that meat cake left?"
Ma picked up the meat cake and said, "I know you're greedy, so I saved some for you."
Zhu Yuanzhang opened his mouth and Ma fed him, while the others looked away.
The Marshal and his wife already have three children, and they are still so close!
Only Chen Biao didn't look away. He complained, "Mom, you just dote on Dad too much."
Ma smiled and said, "Your father is busy and tired outside, how can I not pamper him?"
Zhu Yuanzhang swallowed the meat cake and wiped his mouth: "That's right."
Chen Biao resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Zhu Yuanzhang. He had the table cleared while changing the subject: "Dad, you said Marshal Zhu wants extra money and food again? Didn't we just send the food and money? Was it robbed?"
Military operations are important secrets, but Zhu Yuanzhang has nothing to hide from Chen Biao, and the people serving around him are all his confidants.
"Biao'er, you know Zhang Mingjian from Yangzhou, right? Mr. Miao and I... my Marshal said that Zhang Mingjian rebelled against the Yuan Dynasty's Southern Zhenwang Bolupuhua and occupied Yangzhou. Now he's starving and eating human flesh," Zhu Yuanzhang said, gritting his teeth. "As long as we provide enough food, we can subdue this brave and skilled general!"
Chen Biao's eyelids jumped. "Why would you subdue him? To hold a human flesh banquet in Yingtian Prefecture?"
