Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was very calm and serious, although the weather was hot and humid tonight and he was sweating all over his forehead.
How can I explain this? Should I bring in the all-powerful Chen Guorui to take the blame? But what if these two great writers were to pay their respects to Chen Guorui?
Some people present had speculated that Zhu Yuanzhang's "well-field system" might have come from Chen Guorui.
That’s what Chang Yuchun thought.
He looked around in confusion. Chen Guorui hadn't even attended such an important meeting. Could Chen Guorui really be Marshal Zhu's "shadow guard," controlling an elite army secretly loyal to him?
Chang Yuchun thought of the stories he had heard and felt even more respect for Zhu Yuanzhang.
Xu Da secretly winked at Zhu Yuanzhang.
Zhu Yuanzhang came to his senses, walked up to Song Lian and Ye Zheng, and helped them up one by one: "Mr. Song, Mr. Ye, I do have a great sage to assist me, but this great sage..."
Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it and decided not to put more blame on Chen Guorui: "Alas, the great sage only gave me instructions in secret and refused to let me reveal his name."
Xu Da looked at Zhu Yuanzhang in confusion.
When Chang Yuchun saw Xu Da's expression, he had an idea in mind.
Just because the Marshal said he was an unknown hidden sage, did that mean he was definitely an unknown hidden sage? He still believed that Chen Guorui was more likely to be this "sage".
But Song Lian and Ye Zheng both believed it, because historical books often recorded the appearance of such hidden sages during changes of dynasties.
When the hidden sage appears, there is usually thick fog. The protagonist of the story accidentally walks into it and sees an old man throw a shoe into the river and asks the protagonist to pick it up.
The old man lost his left shoe and then his right shoe. When he had tortured the protagonist to the point that he was about to draw his sword to kill him, the old man left a book and disappeared.
Yes, I’m talking about Zhang Liang and Zhang Zifang.
Zhang Liang was not the first person to receive the sage's heavenly book. Since the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, wise kings have been accompanied by immortals who have descended to earth to help them.
Having read so many books, Song Lian and Ye Zheng believed the romantic imaginations of their ancestors in history books and were naturally easily deceived by Zhu Yuanzhang.
After all, this "Zhu family's unique well-field system" was obviously created by a great sage who was well-versed in Confucian classics. The only question is who that great sage was.
Song Lian's expression was gloomy. "I have spent my entire life studying the Well-Field System. Today, I finally met a great sage who is proficient in it, but I can't ask for his advice..."
Before Song Lian could finish his words, he choked up and sobbed.
Confucius said, "If I hear the truth in the morning, I can die in the evening."
The well-field system was the embodiment of the "Tao" that Song Lian had studied. Now, seeing this "Tao" slowly unfolding before him, but unable to see its true form, how could Song Lian not feel sad?
Ye Zheng sighed: "Such a great sage cannot be forced, Jing Lian, don't be obsessed with it."
Song Lian covered his face with his sleeves and said ashamedly, "Lian knows, ah, Lian knows. Marshal, did you make a fool of yourself?"
Zhu Yuanzhang wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "It's okay, it's okay. Mr. Song, are you okay? Someone, bring some hot tea!"
The young officers, who were not qualified to speak at the meeting and could only do odd jobs on the side, were in a panic. Finally, Chen Ying went over with a cup of warm water: "General, we don't have tea leaves, but hot water will do."
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Mr. Song, take a sip of hot water first."
Li Baoer also brought a cup of warm water, and Zhu Yuanzhang handed the second cup of hot water to Ye Zheng: "Mr. Ye, take your time. Alas, although I can't let you meet the great sage, if the great sage gives me a new book, I will definitely show it to you!"
Song Lian and Ye Zheng were stunned for a moment, then drank the warm water at the same time, and threw the cup to the ground with a "bang", breaking it into pieces.
All the generals in the hall shuddered.
What's going on? What are these two scholars trying to do? Why are they throwing cups?
Song Lian and Ye Zheng bowed deeply and said, "Lian and Zheng are willing to die for Marshal Zhu!"
The generals in the hall trembled again.
What happened? What happened? Why did these two scholars suddenly want to die for the Marshal just because they broke a cup?!
Xu Da seemed to understand something, and then his expressionless face twitched slightly, and he tried hard to suppress the contempt in his eyes.
Chang Yuchun was still observing Xu Da carefully. When Xu Da's facial expression changed again, Chang Yuchun became thoughtful again.
The hidden sage the Marshal mentioned is indeed Chen Guorui, right? Or is that hidden sage Chen Guorui's teacher?
Chang Yuchun remembered that Li Shanchang actually asked Chen Biao, a five-year-old child, to enlighten the general's son. Mr. Song and Mr. Ye also recommended that he borrow enlightenment books from Chen Biao... Perhaps the hidden sage not only taught Chen Guorui, but also accepted Chen Biao as his disciple?
Chang Yuchun couldn't help but feel jealous. Chen Guorui and his son were really lucky.
In addition to being jealous, Chang Yuchun also thought that Chen Guorui and his son must have extraordinary qualities, which is why they were accepted as disciples by the hidden sage and trusted by Marshal Zhu as people who control the secret forces.
Chang Yuchun decided to find a way to contact the Chen family. His eldest son, Chang Mao, was four years old, only one year younger than Chen Biao, and just happened to be Chen Biao's playmate.
Chang Yuchun thought of his chubby eldest son, and a gentle and kind smile appeared on his face, making his murderous face even more terrifying. Even Xu Da couldn't help but move his butt to the side a little.
Zhu Yuanzhang had a sudden inspiration and used a hidden sage to elevate his own status. He actually gained the loyalty of two great writers, something Zhu Yuanzhang himself did not expect.
His original plan, in addition to using the hidden sage to elevate his own status, was also to make plans for Chen Biao to restore Zhu Biao's identity in the future.
Afterwards, he will gradually downplay Chen Guorui's presence and push everything onto the hidden sage.
When Chen Biao comes of age, he just needs to say that Chen Biao has been learning from the hidden sage and has seen the hidden sage's powerful subordinates, and he will definitely respect him very much... Huh?
Zhu Yuanzhang discovered the problem.
His son Biao'er will soon become a little teacher to the second generation of generals. In the future, his status in the hearts of these second generation of generals will be very high, so there is no need for him to do anything extra.
No, it doesn't matter if it's unnecessary. He just needs to say that Chen Biao is studying under the hidden sage and is the deputy prepared by the hidden sage for his son, right?
The hermit sage said that assisting Zhu Yuanzhang could only help him conquer the world; only by training a child to assist Zhu Yuanzhang's eldest son could he ensure peace for the people of the world for a hundred years.
Zhu Yuanzhang was very proud.
Oh my, how could I be so capable! I can even make up such a fairy tale! You are indeed the one, Monk Zhu!
If the Yuan Tartars hadn't burned down the temple where I was staying, with my intelligence and talent, I would definitely have inherited the position of abbot in the future!
After Zhu Yuanzhang tricked two great scholars into committing suicide, he continued to talk about the "Zhu family's unique well-field system."
Chen Biao was already accustomed to teaching the illiterate people in his family. Even the most brain-burning policies could be understood vaguely by these illiterate generals.
I don't quite understand...
Zhu Yuanzhang held his forehead, and the pride in his heart about how awesome he was was once again diluted by depression.
Why open a second-generation enlightenment academy? Just throw these bastards into Biaoer's class! All of them, take turns studying under me!
Song Lian and Ye Zheng understood everything. They frantically took notes and looked at the stack of papers in Zhu Yuanzhang's hand with eager eyes.
The "well-field system" formulated by Chen Biao only had a framework. Zhu Yuanzhang had to send people to visit the people and survey the land before implementing the specific details.
Even if an excellent policy has been verified by later generations, it must be introduced with caution if it is changed to a different time and place.
Zhu Yuanzhang would pilot it in Yangzhou, then expand it to Yingtian, and then gradually expand it to other places.
However, the term "gradual" probably refers to a period of six months during which the land tax will be implemented. By the end of next year at the latest, Zhu Yuanzhang will have to extend the new land tax policy to all cities in his territory.
Land policy is the most basic national policy. Only with a national policy can he start to build the country.
Zhu Yuanzhang really wanted to discuss the general rules tonight.
But the generals scratched their heads and took a long time to understand the policy. Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to spend all his time tonight explaining the policy.
After understanding, they all looked dazed, as if they had exhausted all their energy. Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to hold his forehead and tell them to go back to sleep and continue the discussion tomorrow.
The generals ran away as if their butts were on fire, faster than they were running to grab credit on the battlefield, which made Zhu Yuanzhang even more heartbroken.
He scolded Xu Da: "These guys! They should be forced to study hard!"
When Xu Da saw that everyone had left and only he and Zhu Yuanzhang were left in the hall, he relaxed his stern face and said nonchalantly, "I've been letting you wait a long time. Don't you believe that they will study on their own initiative?"
Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the table and cursed: "They betrayed my trust!"
Xu Da offered a malicious suggestion: "When Biao'er was teaching the Chen family's servants, didn't he have a study plan? He had scheduled exams? He gave them all that. Boss, you'll mark their exams then, and those who fail won't be allowed to go to the battlefield."
Zhu Yuanzhang gave a thumbs up and said: "You are smart. Let's do it this way."
Xu Da said, "Boss, you must not say that I said it!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Okay, okay, just say it was Chen Guorui who said it."
Xu Da rolled his eyes. "Can you please stop using your two identities to blame each other? In the end, the blame will still fall on you."
Zhu Yuanzhang spread his hands and said, "That will happen more than ten years from now. After more than ten years, even the strongest pot will have rusted."
Just as Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da were chatting frantically, coming up with one bad idea after another to torture their generals, Ye Zheng just walked out of the Marshal's Mansion and said, "Oh no, I forgot something in here!"
Song Lian was still thinking about the well-field system, and asked anxiously, "Come and get it tomorrow?"
Ye Zheng said, "What I lost was the amulet that Madam embroidered for me. If the cleaning servants at the Marshal's Mansion lost it, I wouldn't be able to explain to Madam when I get back. I'll be back now. Jing Lian, you go back and rest first. I'll be back later."
Chang Yuchun was assigned to protect Song Lian and Ye Zheng, and returned to their temporary residence with them. Hearing this, he said, "I'll go back with you."
Ye Zheng said, "General Chang, the Marshal will certainly continue to discuss the Well-Field System tomorrow. Jing Lian is going back now to sort out the land tax policy we heard today. General Chang should go back with Jing Lian and ask for his advice. General, please feel free to send one of your personal soldiers to protect me."
After hearing this, Chang Yuchun thought it made sense. He glanced behind him and saw Lan Yu dozing off. He couldn't help but said angrily, "Lan Yu, go protect Mr. Ye!"
Lan Yu shuddered and nodded quickly: "Yes!"
He said nervously, "Mr. Ye, please."
Even though Ye Zheng and Song Lian were both lukewarm towards Lan Yu, in this era, the less educated most people were, the more they respected scholars. Lan Yu always felt nervous when meeting serious and great writers like Ye Zheng and Song Lian.
Ye Zheng was very kind this time, saying, "General Lan, thank you for your help."
Lan Yu was so delighted by Ye Zheng's address as "little general" that she was dizzy and quickly followed him attentively, as if there was a tail wagging behind her.
Chang Yuchun rubbed his eyes.
He discovered that perhaps Lan Yu should not have followed him to the battlefield to make achievements, but should have studied hard to get rid of the banditry and violence in him, and also to improve his IQ.
As long as he was alive, Lan Yu would have plenty of opportunities to rise to prominence. But Lan Yu's current state meant that even if he achieved great things, he would surely suffer misfortune.
Chang Yuchun helped the dazed Song Lian into the carriage, sighing inwardly. He resolved to convince his wife to harden her heart this time. If the Lan family members tried to talk back to Lan Yu again, he would beat them up.
Ye Zheng hurried back to the meeting hall.
The guards at the gate hurried in to report. Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da quickly straightened their clothes and expressions, pretending to be serious as if they were discussing important matters.
Zhu Yuanzhang said with dignity: "Mr. Ye, why are you back?"
Ye Zheng said: "I forgot something here."
He turned around and glanced at Lan Yu, who was still holding the lantern foolishly.
Zhu Yuanzhang only pondered for a short moment before he understood what Ye Zheng meant.
He said, "Lan Yu, please wait outside the door. I have something to say to Mr. Ye."
Lan Yu turned and left first. When he ran to the door, he remembered that he seemed to have forgotten something. He quickly turned around and ran back: "Yes, sir!"
After saying that, he ran out the door again.
Xu Da couldn't help but grumble, "I heard that Chang Yuchun, my brother-in-law, is a fierce warrior. He's the most domineering of the half-grown kids, a king of the bunch. Why doesn't he look like that today?"
Ye Zheng had been living with Chang Yuchun and Lan Yu for the past few days, and had gotten to know Lan Yu a little better. He spoke up to defend Lan Yu, saying, "The leader of a group, besides being the true leader, could also be the one who betrayed everyone else."
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flickered, and he seemed to be thinking about something before he smiled and said, "Let Chang Yuchun's brother-in-law worry about it himself. Mr. Ye, do you have anything important to say when you come back this time?"
Ye Zheng glanced at Xu Da.
Xu Da pointed at his nose and asked, "Shall I go first?"
Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but curse, "You're leaving! Stay here. Ah, Mr. Ye, if you have something to say, just say it. There's nothing I don't know about this, Old Xu."
Xu Da said, "I just know too much. I always feel that sooner or later I will be in trouble."
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "If you keep talking nonsense, I will make you worse! Change back from Xu Da to Xu Da!"
Xu Da wanted to complain, "Why did you change from Xu Da back to Xu Da? I'm not the boss, you've split into two people." But seeing Ye Zheng's uncontrollable laughter, he obediently covered his mouth with one hand, indicating that he would be quiet.
Ye Zheng was really about to laugh out loud.
Seeing tonight that the group of ferocious generals during the day had all turned into fools, and Zhu Yuanzhang occasionally showing a simple and honest expression, he wondered whether Marshal Xu Da, who had the most mysterious reputation outside, had a side that outsiders did not know.
Marshal Xu is now exposed.
Who would have known that the cold and taciturn Marshal Xu was actually a chatterbox?
Perhaps it was precisely because of this nature that Marshal Xu made himself look cold and taciturn in order to maintain his dignity as a marshal.
Seeing how Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da interacted, Ye Zheng understood what Zhu Yuanzhang was about to say. Xu Da was probably also an insider, so he stopped hesitating and asked, "General, is the student taught by that reclusive sage the Chen family's daughter?"
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows fiercely: "Sir, why do you think so? Even if he is from the Chen family, it should be Chen Guorui, why is it Biao'er?"
Ye Zheng said quietly: "Marshal, is Biao'er really Chen Guorui's child?"
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and said, "Sir, what do you mean?"
Xu Da's expression darkened.
Seeing the two of them like this, Ye Zheng's absurd guess in his mind increased from one point to three points.
"Marshal, Biao'er is about the same age as the legitimate son you have hidden. Biao'er is actually your child." Ye Zheng bowed and made his guess, which was only 30% certain, sound 100% certain.
Before Zhu Yuanzhang could make a move, Xu Da put his hand on the knife at his waist. With a clang, half of the knife's blade was exposed.
Ye Zheng was not afraid at all. He kept his hands clasped in a bow, stood up straight, and looked directly at Zhu Yuanzhang.
Xu Da's palms were already sweating.
He knew that killing a great scholar who had just said he was willing to die for Zhu Yuanzhang would cause big trouble, but Biao'er's identity must not be exposed.
After a brief struggle, a cruel look appeared on his face. He took a step forward and blocked Ye Zheng's way.
Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and said, "Alright, Xu Da, put away the knife. We could have gotten away with it, but now that you've revealed the knife, you've already confessed."
Xu Da: "Ah?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Xu, Da!"
Xu Da then realized that Zhu Yuanzhang had called him "Xu Da" twice, not "Xu Da". This meant that the order was serious.
He then put away the knife and said aggrievedly, "Boss, can you blame me for this? Aren't you scared?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said calmly, "Do I look frightened?"
Oh my god! I was so scared that I was stunned! I didn't hear the sound of the knife, and my mind was still blank!
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Sir, please sit down first and talk slowly. Xu Da, go get him a glass of water."
Xu Da said, "Okay...where is the water?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a while, then said, "You sit down and listen too."
Xu Da sat down awkwardly.
Ye Zheng also sat down, his back already wet with sweat.
He joined Zhu Yuanzhang in the hope of promoting the Yongjia School and carrying forward his ancestors' teachings, but he did not expect that a powerful opponent like Song Lian would emerge.
What he didn't expect was that Zhu Yuanzhang would actually use the " well-field system " as the basis for establishing the country.
The Jinhua School, inherited by Song Lian, advocated for the restoration of the well-field system. Song Lian's expertise perfectly aligned with the national policy that Zhu Yuanzhang would later implement.
If he did nothing now, Song Lian and Zhu Yuanzhang would probably become a pair of emperor and minister who were as harmonious as clouds and dragons and fish and water, which would be sung through the ages. He would just become one of the civil officials favored by Zhu Yuanzhang.
This "one" cannot help him to improve his school.
Civilians and military men alike must fight when it is time to fight.
Ye Zheng had good eyesight and caught a glimpse of the handwriting on the manuscript in Zhu Yuanzhang's hand.
He had an excellent memory and immediately recognized the handwriting, which was similar to that of Chen Biao, whom he and Song Lian recognized as a close friend.
Was the “Zhu family’s unique well-field system” created by Chen Biao?
No, considering Chen Biao's age, even if he's well-read, without long-term practical experience, it's impossible for him to be so detailed. So, was it others who narrated the events and Chen Biao recorded them?
Let's assume that the hidden sage definitely existed. Chen Biao, who was able to record the words of the hidden sage, must be his disciple.
This wasn't originally a significant matter. For a founding monarch to have a virtuous minister, mentored by a hidden sage or even a deity, by his side was a sign of inherent good fortune. Throughout the dynasties, monarchs had such individuals around them.
Although Chen Biao was young, Zhu Yuanzhang could say that the hidden sage taught Chen Biao to prepare a wise minister for his son.
One point that the literati criticized Zhu Yuanzhang for was that he did not respect the literati. He could immediately seize the world, but he could not immediately govern the world.
Zhu Yuanzhang's move to appoint Chen Biao proved that the sage had already determined that Zhu Yuanzhang could conquer the world and guaranteed that his son would be assisted by wise ministers and able to govern the country well. Together, the sage and Chen Biao were a decisive move to turn the tide against the impasse of literati opinion.
Why didn’t Zhu Yuanzhang make a move?
Could it be that Zhu Yuanzhang hadn't thought of this? Zhu Yuanzhang had risen from humble beginnings to his current position, so he wasn't a man without wisdom.
Ye Zheng thought carefully and made bold guesses.
The only possibility is that there is something wrong with Chen Biao’s identity!
He also recalled the excessive doting and trust shown by Li Shanchang and a few other generals towards Chen Biao. Although Ye Zheng hadn't noticed anything wrong at the time, he instinctively noticed the identities of those generals.
Those generals were all fellow townsmen recruited by Zhu Yuanzhang when he first returned to his hometown. Even generals like Chang Yuchun, who joined later and were deeply trusted and valued by Zhu Yuanzhang, were not very familiar with the Chen family.
At that time, Ye Zheng only thought that Chen Guorui was also one of the fellow villagers recruited by Zhu Yuanzhang when he returned to his hometown, so that group of people would be more familiar with each other.
But now, Ye Zheng had an absurd guess.
What if Chen Biao was not Chen Guorui's son at all, but Zhu Yuanzhang's son, and this group of people happened to know about it?
Chen Biao was the son of Zhu Yuanzhang and was taught by a hermit sage since childhood. Is this the reason why Li Shanchang let a five-year-old child enlighten all the second generation of generals?
But why did Zhu Yuanzhang, who had such a talented son, not disclose Chen Biao's identity?
Could it be the advice of a reclusive scholar, in order to protect Chen Biao's safety?
At the meeting, Ye Zheng did not think about the content of the well-field system.
He knew that no matter how much he thought about it, he would never be able to surpass Song Lian, who had been immersed in this field for more than ten years. He had to break through elsewhere, gain Zhu Yuanzhang's attention, and then make full use of his strengths.
When the meeting ended, Ye Zheng finally made up his mind. He secretly left the amulet embroidered by his wife on the chair.
His own future didn't matter, but the future of his school might depend on this one gamble—perhaps there would be another chance in the future, but Ye Zheng knew that courage, like morale, could flourish at first, then weaken and finally vanish. If he missed this opportunity, he didn't know if he could muster the courage to take the same risk again.
He had to bet that his guess was correct; he also had to bet that Zhu Yuanzhang was rational enough to give him a chance after he had just sworn allegiance.
The moment Ye Zheng sat on the chair, he clenched the amulet embroidered by his wife in his hand, and his mind flashed through the worry in his wife's eyes when she sent him out.
Jun, you know me very well, but I won the bet.
Ye Zheng took a deep breath and said calmly, "My wife and son are at home in the mountains. These are turbulent times, and I'm quite worried. Could the Marshal send someone to bring my wife and son to Yingtian to reunite ?"
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed, and he smiled and said, "That's only natural. I'll send someone to invite your family tomorrow."
Xu Da also felt relieved, and then he felt sleepy. He yawned loudly: "Boss, it's okay if I don't have to be here for the next thing, right? I'm sleepy, you guys can chat slowly?"
Zhu Yuanzhang's inscrutable expression, which he had managed to maintain with great difficulty, almost broke: "No! Stay here for me!"
Xu Da said aggrievedly, "But what's the point of me staying here? How about I go back and tell Biao'er that Marshal Zhu has kept you up all night and you can't go back for a while? Who knows, Biao'er might be waiting for you and won't go to bed."
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Biao'er must have gone to bed early!"
After a pause, Zhu Yuanzhang remembered his previous promise to Chen Biao and became a little worried: "Go and have a look!"
Xu Da smiled proudly: "Okay."
He wiped his lips with his thumb and walked out happily.
Persuading Biaoer was a small matter, but going to the kitchen for a midnight snack was a big deal. Given Biaoer's love for his father, there must have been a midnight snack prepared in the kitchen, ready for his father to eat anytime he wanted when he came back.
Alas, I slept for a whole day and only ate two beggar's chickens and three big steamed buns. I felt hungry in a short while.
When Xu Da went out, he greeted the personal guards at the door and asked them to guard the door and not allow any outsiders to come in before he left quickly.
While the boss is busy, eat up all his midnight snacks and let him starve!
Zhu Yuanzhang was unaware of Xu Da's ill intentions and continued, "Sir, how did you find out that Biao'er is my son?"
Ye Zheng came back to his senses from his daze and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Judging from the meaning of Xu Da's words, could it be that Biao'er doesn't know that his biological father is Zhu Yuanzhang?
What does "You were kept up late by Marshal Zhu" mean? Could it be that "Chen Guorui"...
Ye Zheng asked, "It is said that Chen Guorui, who controls Marshal Zhu's secret power, is Marshal Zhu himself?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was dumbfounded: "What secret forces?"
Ye Zheng said, "Everyone has rumored that Marshal Zhu secretly has an elite group of soldiers who do things for him that cannot be made public. This group is led by Chen Guorui. That's why Chen Guorui is trusted by Marshal Zhu but rarely appears in public."
Zhu Yuanzhang scratched his head. "There's this rumor? It's quite interesting. I'll write it down and continue to enrich Chen Guorui's experience. Sir, you haven't told me yet, how did you discover Biao'er's identity?"
Ye Zheng expressed his speculation.
Zhu Yuanzhang took out the manuscript written by Chen Biao from his bosom and asked: "You, you scholars can still recognize the handwriting?"
Ye Zheng said helplessly: "Any scholar would know this, right?"
Is that so? No way! How is that possible! Zhu Yuanzhang discovered that the "scholars" Ye Zheng was talking about were probably two completely different people from the scholars he knew.
Zhu Yuanzhang placed the manuscript on the table and sighed, "Well... sir, you actually hit the jackpot."
Ye Zheng was puzzled: "It was an unexpected success."
Zhu Yuanzhang was helpless: "Your speculation is basically all wrong, but it turned out to be a lucky coincidence and revealed Biao'er's identity. Alas, it turned out to be a lucky coincidence, what a commotion..."
Ye Zheng was even more confused: "All wrong? Doesn't Biaoer have a hermit scholar teaching him?"
After all the trouble was exposed, Ye Zheng wanted to move his family to Yingtian. Zhu Yuanzhang had nothing to say: "No, Biao'er, he is the reclusive scholar."
Ye Zheng was completely petrified: "How is this possible?! He's only five years old!!"
…
Chen Biao woke up from his sleep and got up to pee, but Chen Guorui had not come back yet.
Chen Biao was angry. How could Dad not keep his word?
But he also knew that whether Chen Guorui would return or not was not up to Chen Guorui himself, but Zhu Yuanzhang's decision.
He was so angry that he could only run to the courtyard and perform a set of health-preserving boxing that he had just learned from the doctor, feeling helpless and furious.
"Hey, Biaoer, what are you doing?" Xu Da passed by carrying a chicken.
Chen Biao said, "I couldn't sleep, so I did some boxing... Ah, Uncle Xu, you're back? Where's my dad?"
Xu Da tore off a chicken leg and said, "Marshal Zhu kept it. He was asking Boss Chen about the well-field system in detail. Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?"
Chen Biao touched his stomach and felt a little hungry.
He took the chicken leg from Xu Da and sat on the steps with Xu Da, looking at the night sky without stars and moon, and eating supper together.
The servant who served Chen Biao poured hot water for the two men to moisten their throats, and then retreated to a distance so as not to disturb them.
Chen Biao complained: "You promised to come back early, but Dad didn't keep his word. He broke his promise and got fat. Dad will definitely become a big fat man."
Xu Da gnawed at the chicken and said vaguely, "Although I don't know what 'going back on one's word and getting fat' means, I guess it's not what it means literally."
Chen Biao said: "I don't care, Dad just wants to become a fat man."
Xu Da said, "Okay, okay. Your father will definitely become a big fat man."
The two of them continued to gnaw on the chicken in silence.
After the whole chicken was eaten until only the skeleton was left, Xu Da was fine, but Chen Biao was a little nervous, so he continued to practice boxing in the courtyard.
Xu Da ate for a while, and only after he was full did he wash his hands and face and go to teach Chen Biao how to box.
Chen Biao's punches were slow and soft, unlike Xu Da's fighting style on the battlefield. However, after Xu Da went to the battlefield, he collected many so-called martial arts secrets to master a better way to exert force.
If a military commander relied solely on brute force, illness would quickly strike, and he could die suddenly and silently at any moment. Xu Da, hoping to live to see Zhu Yuanzhang conquer the rest of the world and enjoy a good life, took great care of his health. Therefore, he could offer some guidance on Chen Biao's limp fists.
Chen Biao, the little fat boy, couldn't squat or jump properly, but Xu Da could still brag with his eyes closed that Chen Biao was a martial arts genius, which made Chen Biao very anxious.
When the two were playing in the courtyard, Zhu Yuanzhang brought Ye Zheng into the courtyard and kicked Xu Da in anger.
Xu Da angrily said, "Boss, what's wrong with you?"
Zhu Yuanzhang scolded him, "Biao'er is in his prime, and you're not letting him sleep. What kind of martial arts training is this? This isn't the time to practice martial arts!"
Xu Da rubbed his kicked buttocks: "It's not me who woke Biao'er up. If you don't come back and Biao'er refuses to sleep, blame me!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Of course it's Marshal Zhu's fault! Biao'er, let me tell you, I've wanted to come back for a long time, but Marshal Zhu won't let me, so I have no choice. Look, Marshal Zhu not only won't let me come back, he's also detained Mr. Ye and won't let him leave. Mr. Ye is over fifty years old, how could he stay up all night? Mr. Ye lives far away, so he'll stay here with us tonight."
When Chen Biao saw Ye Zheng, he immediately jumped much higher than when he was practicing boxing just now. He instantly rushed behind Zhu Yuanzhang, grabbed the hem of Zhu Yuanzhang's clothes with both hands, revealing half of his face, and stared at Ye Zheng vigilantly.
Zhu Yuanzhang was puzzled: "Biao'er, what's wrong with you?"
Ye Zheng suppressed his laughter and said, "Maybe Jing Lian and I were too nagging in Yingtian and annoyed Biao'er."
Chen Biao withdrew half of his face behind Zhu Yuanzhang and said, "No, no, I am just stupid and cannot understand what you two gentlemen are saying."
Zhu Yuanzhang recalled what Ma had written in her letter about Song Lian and Ye Zheng pestering Chen Biao, and he couldn't help but smile with pride: "Mr. Ye and Mr. Song think highly of you, why are you hiding? Come out, what's the point of being so timid!"
Chen Biao was pulled out from behind Zhu Yuanzhang, greeted Ye Zheng obediently, and then hid behind Zhu Yuanzhang again.
What's wrong with being coy? I just want to be coy? You don't know how much he and Mr. Song nag!
Although Chen Biao likes reading, he doesn't like to quote classics when talking to others!
Zhu Yuanzhang was helpless: "I'm so sorry, I spoiled this child."
Ye Zheng smiled and said, "Nothing, nothing. It's better for the child to be lively. Can you lend me your study? I haven't sorted out the documents that Marshal Zhu needs tomorrow."
Zhu Yuanzhang said enthusiastically, "I'll take you there! Biao'er, go to sleep first, I'll be right there."
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang coming back, Chen Biao finally felt sleepy. He yawned and said, "Okay, I'll go take a shower first... Dad, you must take a shower before going to bed, otherwise you will stink."
Zhu Yuanzhang bent down and pinched Chen Biao's nose: "I see! You are the only one who is poor and particular."
Chen Biao walked away with a detached gait: "What do you mean by being poor and particular? Our Chen family is a wealthy family. We will soon be able to trample the Shen family under our feet and become the most powerful merchant in the late Yuan Dynasty!"
Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand: "Ah, yes, yes, go to sleep."
Xu Da: "Boss, I..."
Zhu Yuanzhang grabbed Xu Da and lowered his voice: "Let's go to the study to read the heavenly book."
Xu Da shuddered and whispered, "Can I see this?"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "I'm going to show it to Mr. Ye. You decide whether you want to see it or not."
Provoking someone is old-fashioned, but it works. How could I, Xu Da, be worse than someone who just swore allegiance to the boss today?
Look at that!
…
On the second day, Zhu Yuanzhang was in high spirits, Ye Zheng was inexplicably excited, and Xu Da... Xu Da had two swollen bags under his eyes and was yawning continuously.
As Xu Da pinched his nose and drank the refreshing herbal tea, he said in confusion, "I just don't understand! We're both human! I slept through the rest of the night, but you two didn't sleep all night, so why are you still so energetic? Especially, Mr. Ye, you're already in your fifties, right?"
Ye Zheng said excitedly: "If I hear the Tao in the morning, I can die in the evening. How can I feel sleepy after hearing such Tao sound!"
Zhu Yuanzhang scolded, "Look at Mr. Ye, and then look at you! Learn from him!"
Xu Da was speechless. What was he supposed to learn? How could he become a fat man in one go, or a great scholar in just a few years?
The Book of Heaven is indeed the Book of Heaven. I didn’t understand a single word of it!
Zhu Yuanzhang dragged Xu Da to make preparations before the meeting. Ye Zheng was about to go to the hall to wait first. Song Lian arrived at the Marshal's Mansion in advance and walked up quickly.
"Brother Zizheng, you searched for your lost items for a long time last night." Song Lian, a man as calm and composed as the wind, actually showed a sarcastic expression.
Ye Zheng smiled, unmoved. "I happened to run into the Marshal last night and chatted for a while longer. Seeing it was getting late, the Marshal asked me to stay at Marshal Xu's residence. Didn't Lan Yu come back and tell you? Is Jing Lian so worried about your safety?"
Song Lian took a deep breath and smiled: "Of course."
The smiling eyes of the two great writers met in the air, sparks of gold and stone flashed.
If there weren't so many military commanders present, they would have rolled up their sleeves and started fighting each other.
Song Lian: A treacherous villain!
Ye Zheng: Haha!
A general put his hand on Chang Yuchun's shoulder, who came with Song Lian, and said, "Mr. Song and Mr. Ye have a really good relationship."
Chang Yuchun was silent.
Good? Why did he feel that there was a tension between the two?
It must be an illusion. What kind of tension could there be between Mr. Ye and Mr. Song? It couldn't be that Mr. Song was jealous of Mr. Ye getting to stay at Marshal Xu's residence.
Chang Yuchun's eyes suddenly widened, and then he looked at the handsome Mr. Ye Zheng in disbelief.
Ye Zheng had already greeted Song Lian. The two of them were laughing and walking towards the hall together, constantly talking about some incomprehensible words that the surrounding generals could not understand.
The general looked at Chang Yuchun in a daze and asked in confusion, "General Chang, why are you sweating so much all of a sudden? Are you hot?"
Chang Yuchun wiped his sweat: "Yeah, it's very hot."
I wiped the sweat off my face. I wiped the sweat off my face.