When Chang Wei left, Zhu Biao was actually watching her leave.
But Zhu Biao did not show up. He just watched Chang Wei lead his troops away quietly, then turned and left.
Chang Wei found the future she wanted and was about to rush towards the future she chose, which deeply touched Zhu Biao.
Zhu Biao conducted deep reflection.
There are too many unsatisfactory aspects of feudal society.
Zhu Biao always chose to let things take their course. He could promote things, but he would not go against the trend of the times and do things that would force things to happen.
For example, in improving the status of women.
Zhu Biao has always believed that it is not only necessary to conform to the current level of productivity, but also that people must save themselves before they can be saved.
Throughout history, female historical figures who have shone in history and given women the courage to resist all possess two characteristics: one is subjective initiative, and the other is the status achieved based on subjective initiative and in accordance with the conditions at the time.
Without the first point, women are like the queen mother holding her young child and ruling the country from behind the curtain. They appear to have a high status and political rights, but in fact they are just puppets.
Without the second point, there would be a strong backlash from the public, and even if successful, it might even backfire. For example, when Zhu Biao forcefully promoted a female official, others would simply wonder, "Why? Wouldn't a man do a better job?" Ultimately, they would conclude that Zhu Biao was mentally ill, and that the woman was definitely flawed as well.
This was the feudal era.
Empress Ma still retains a certain amount of power now. It is not that Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly wanted to improve the status of women and had to let his empress participate in politics, but that Zhu Yuanzhang lacked people around him in the early days of his conquest of the world, and the process of conquering the world must have been a "husband-and-wife shop".
When the world was at peace, Empress Ma had already won the support of the people, and she continued to promote the policy of granting land to women, liberating the female labor force, and was also in charge of women's education. In addition to this, there was one thing that was not advanced but more important than all of the above. Empress Ma gave birth to the prince and was able to suppress Zhu Yuanzhang's harem, so she was able to retain a small amount of power to participate in politics.
The two female generals, Chen Huoxing and Xu Shuzhen, were not the ones who appeared because Zhu Yuanzhang thought that "Ming Dynasty must have female generals". Instead, these two were originally "village leaders" who led troops to surrender. Zhu Yuanzhang could not confiscate their troops just because they were women.
Afterwards, Chen Huoxing and Xu Shuzhen fought desperately and made great contributions, so that they could continue to be female generals.
Even the success of the "Women's Academy of Sciences" that Chen Biao actively promoted was not because "I thought the world needed a women's academy of sciences", but because the academy needed a group of people who were rich, had free time and had status.
Everyone knows that theoretical science without state support will starve researchers (even with it, it could only sustain basic needs), and this was especially true in the feudal era. Noblewomen were the wealthiest and most leisurely people in the feudal era, making them perfectly suited to research.
It's possible to let men do this. However, men have so many options open to them that they won't devote their entire lives to scientific research. Their mindsets are also rigid, and the imperial examinations and Confucianism are their only priorities. Therefore, at this stage, transforming women's schools, currently unable to pass the imperial examinations, into academies of science, and linking imperial edicts with academic scholarship, is the optimal solution for this era.
Looking back at history, Fu Hao became the most powerful female general under the Shang king because she was the leader of a large tribe. The first empress, Empress Lü, came to power because she had a cowardly son and the entrenched Lü family. The first female emperor, Wu Zetian, struggled until she was 67 years old before ascending the throne...
These success stories make women’s political participation not universal, but extremely inspiring.
These people were recognized by people of their time and later generations. They earned their status through their own hard work. There are also outstanding women who can be on par with men or even better than men.
Even though women have faced more vigilance since then, this vigilance and suppression just shows that if you give outstanding women a chance, they can do it. They may be weaker physically, but their brains are no worse than men's.
These individual cases have shattered the myth that women are inherently less intelligent. When small pieces of sand form a tower, and tiny stars scatter across a starry sky, women can truly thrive in this period of rapid productivity growth, in an era where physical ability no longer dictates power and status.
Zhu Biao knew the truth, but when it came to Chang Wei, he still committed the arrogance that time travelers often have and wanted to "create a historical female figure."
Zhu Biao had reflected on this before and was trying to change, but his mind had not yet been able to break through the barrier of arrogance.
However, Chang Wei found the right path on his own without his guidance.
Chang Wei has full subjective initiative in this regard. She can empathize with the hungry people.
Chang Wei had a realistic foundation, even unique conditions, to embark on this path. She was the daughter of Chang Yuchun, and her two younger brothers were troubled by the piles of things they had to carry to farm and only wanted to fight. Only she could inherit their father's business.
In the feudal era, inheriting one's father's business was the most traditional and orthodox way of succession. Chang Yuchun's accumulated prestige and popularity as the "Marshal of Tuntian" could be smoothly handed over to Chang Wei.
In the hearts of the common people, Chang Wei is just "Marshal Chang's eldest daughter", "Marshal Chang's successor", and "Little Tuntian Marshal". They ignore her gender and believe that Chang Wei is absolutely capable of presiding over the distribution of military farms and fighting against bullies and local tyrants.
Even if Zhu Yuanzhang sent other well-known and meritorious generals to replace Chang Wei, the people would trust "Marshal Chang's eldest daughter" more and cooperate with her work.
"If it's Marshal Chang, then it's only natural for him to give birth to a super powerful female general who is good at farming!" - This must be the voice of the people.
At the same time, continuing to implement the well-field system, inspecting the implementation of the well-field system in various places, and dealing with illegal and powerful people may be more dangerous than on the battlefield in peacetime, but it can also accumulate more reputation.
Compared with the path Chang Wei chose himself, the path Zhu Biao ambitiously planned for Chang Wei was a bit ridiculous.
Although Chang Wei was formidable, there were several male generals of the same age who were equally as formidable. Being male, they had a natural advantage on the battlefield—because all the soldiers were male, life was more convenient.
As long as Chang Wei fails to be unique, she will be just like everyone else as a general, just like the people of color who were stuffed into the movie for political correctness, and who seem out of place among the generals of the Ming Dynasty.
When women of this era saw a female general being forced into office like this, they would only frown and think, "It's unnecessary," "It's so weird," "It's not suitable," "Wouldn't it be better to replace her with a man?" In the end, they would even question why there should be women among the generals.
The feudal era. Zhu Biao forgot again that this was the feudal era.
In fact, Zhu Biao was not too stupid. He actually planned a path to fame for Chang Wei.
The grasslands, the Northeast, Yunnan... even Korea and Japan, all offer opportunities for Chang Wei to make meritorious deeds.
But he was arrogant again.
The Ming Dynasty was teeming with renowned generals, and it was difficult for a young general under the age of 40 to snatch military glory from the veterans. Furthermore, Zhu Biao upgraded the Ming army's weaponry and used advanced economic methods to secure sufficient food and fodder. Thus, peace reigned over the Ming Dynasty before his students had even matured.
Prince of Yan Zhu Wenzheng and Duke of Cao Li Wenzhong, two "young generals," were already among the ten founding heroes of the Ming Dynasty. The troops under their command were enough to flatten the grasslands and the Northeast. Marquis of Yongchang Lan Yu and Marquis of Diannan Chen Ying also made great contributions during the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Now that they have recaptured Yunnan, they are already sharpening their swords against Dai Viet, which dared to challenge the Ming...
There are many new generation generals like these four who have made great contributions.
And the veterans are actually playing properly.
Liao Yongzhong and Tang He were training navies in the south and north respectively, while other veterans were fighting in the northwest and other places to wipe out bandits and the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty. Some veterans even shouted that if they had money and food, they would conquer the northwest and Tubo...
Not to mention Chang Wei, even those who have better grades than Chang Wei... well, for example, his second brother, it is almost impossible for him to become a commander-in-chief and lead troops in battle and make great contributions. At most, he can only be a deputy general.
There were many powerful men in the Ming Dynasty, and it was simply a fantasy for Zhu Biao to create an extra person to compete with them.
Currently, in the age group under 20 years old, there is only one person who dares to say that he can be the main player without being questioned.
This person is Zhu Biao, a time traveler with a golden finger.
Zhu Biao actually didn't dare to be the commander-in-chief because he didn't know how to fight. He could only be a military advisor and then take credit for his brothers' achievements.
Zhu Biao knew very well that if he did not have his brothers, Deng Yu, Zhao Desheng and other powerful Ming generals who had been granted the titles of duke and marquis, as the main generals in the tough battles he fought, he would definitely not win.
I am so arrogant.
This was Zhu Biao's first attempt to "control" someone's life, and he suffered an embarrassing failure.
Finally, he realized that this man's difficult life might be due to his father's bad mouth. This was even more embarrassing.
"Brother Zheng, Brother Zhong, I think there is no savior in this world." Zhu Biao said seriously.
Zhu Wenzheng said while cracking some melon seeds, "Hmm, hmm, hmm, go ahead and talk. I'm listening."
Li Wenzhong listened carefully to Zhu Biao's troubles with a confused but polite smile on his face.
Zhu Biao said seriously: "I am just like everyone else, a member of the vast universe."
Zhu Wenzheng said with disapproval: "Ah, aren't you a god descending to earth? Oh oh, I won't interrupt, you continue."
Li Wenzhong smiled: "Biao'er...it's okay, you continue."
Zhu Biao said seriously: "I can't be arrogant."
Zhu Wenzhen was cracking melon seeds with a "crunch, crunch" sound.
There was a hint of... doting in Li Wenzhong's confused smile.
Zhu Biao said seriously, "This era has produced countless talented people, and history has produced even more talented people. My decadence will not make this era worse, and my efforts will not necessarily make this era better."
Zhu Wenzheng was stunned: "Biao'er, what are you talking about?"
Li Wenzhong said lovingly, "Biao'er, are you too tired? Rest for a few days. I'll help you with the work first."
Zhu Biao shook his head. "I'm not tired. I'm just saying, don't take yourself too seriously and think you can influence history by yourself. I may be able to change some people and things, but history is driven by the people, by every single person in the long river of history. The future is the common choice of all the people of China. All I can do is change the process."
Zhu Wenzheng's eyes were circling. What is Biao'er saying? Brother, I don't understand!
Li Wenzhong tried very hard to understand what Zhu Biao said, but at this time he discovered with embarrassment that his IQ was not much higher than Zhu Wenzhong's.
Zhu Biao clenched his fists: "So! I don't need to be afraid at all!"
Zhu Wenzhen understood this sentence!
He immediately spat out the melon seed shells and shouted, "That's right! There's nothing to be afraid of in this world! I'll protect you, brother!"
Li Wenzhong was at a loss for words. "Zhu Wenzheng, why are you howling so loudly? My ears are ringing!"
Zhu Biao's eyes gradually became sharper: "Besides, no matter how bad the world is now, can it be as bad as the original history?"
Zhu Wenzhen: “Huh?” Oops, I don’t understand again.
Li Wenzhong pressed his temples: "Biao'er, can you explain what you want to say?"
Zhu Biao continued to speak to himself, "The Ming Dynasty has indeed become better now, but the key to all this is not me. It's Uncle Li, Uncle Liu, Uncle Song, Uncle Wang, Uncle Zhang, the two Uncle Ye's, and Uncle Xu, Uncle Tang, Uncle Liao, and you..."
"And... Empress Ma, and the Emperor." Zhu Biao lowered his clenched fist. "You are far more important to the historical process of this time and space than I am to me."
If there were no people who trusted him, if there were no group of open-minded people who wanted to change the troubled times, what would be the use of Zhu Biao being a time traveler?
His timing and identity were unique. If it were anyone else, even if they didn't die, they would at least have to survive.
Zhu Wenzheng and Li Wenzhong looked at each other in surprise. "Biao'er, it's nice of you to praise us...but why did you suddenly say this?"
Zhu Biao rubbed his face vigorously and said, "I just realized how arrogant I was to stand still. No matter how hard I try, the feudal Ming Dynasty will become rotten to the core and will eventually be overthrown. I don't have to worry that the emergence of two wise emperors like me and my father will change the bright future of China in a few hundred years. What I am doing now is just to make China's blood thicker, change come earlier, and transition easier, so that the people will not suffer too much. It won't affect anything. I understand!"
Zhu Wenzheng shouted without thinking: "Biao'er is right!"
Li Wenzhong: "Biao'er said...wait a minute!"
Although Li Wenzhong felt a little dizzy, he still heard clearly the important words in Zhu Biao's words.
"Biao'er, you, you... aren't, that..." Li Wenzhong broke out in a cold sweat, "that..."
Zhu Wenzheng was puzzled: "What?"
Zhu Biao said expressionlessly: "I said that my father Zhu Guorui is actually Zhu Yuanzhang, and I am actually the crown prince Zhu Da. Brother Zhong was frightened."
Zhu Wenzheng: “…Ah?”
Zhu Wenzhen suddenly opened his eyes wide, and sweat beads appeared on his forehead.
Li Wenzhong's hands and feet were numb. He wanted to say something in his defense, but looking at Zhu Biao, who had crossed his arms and was looking at him and Zhu Wenzheng calmly, he couldn't utter a word of defense.
Biao'er has already made up his mind, how can I possibly deceive Biao'er?
Zhu Wenzheng opened and closed his mouth for a long time, then frantically wiped the sweat off his face. "Biao, Biao'er, are you kidding me? How is that possible? Hahahaha, don't tell such jokes. If anyone hears us, our whole family will be beheaded!"
Zhu Biao folded his arms and sneered, "Alright, I'll go and submit a memorial to the Emperor right now to ask if my guess is correct. I want the Emperor to chop off the heads of our entire Zhu family. Oh , and my father's head must be chopped off first!"
Zhu Wenzhen's forehead was covered with sweat and he became speechless.
He looked for help at the smart Li Wenzhong. But unfortunately, Li Wenzhong's smart head had turned into a mess.
"Biao'er, you're not..." Li Wenzhong pressed his forehead. "Oh my god, with Wen Zheng and I reacting like this, Biao'er is absolutely certain!"
Zhu Biao snorted coldly, "Actually, I was looking for other evidence. For example, the easiest evidence... The handwriting Marshal Zhu wrote for me is so majestic and powerful, it's like a calligrapher. Now the emperor must have finally learned to imitate it, and he is so confident that he wrote me a personal letter himself. But I am blind and can't see the difference between someone who has been immersed in calligraphy for decades and someone who imitates it."
Zhu Wenzheng slapped his thigh and cursed: "Are the eyes of the scholars around Fourth Uncle like dogs? Can't they see it? They actually let Fourth Uncle write it himself!"
Li Wenzhong: "...Wenzheng, even if we can't find an excuse, you can't confess yourself."
Zhu Wenzheng cursed, "Didn't you confess first? This is all your fault!"
Li Wenzhong: “…”Okay, I’ll take the blame.
Zhu Biao crossed his arms and continued to snort coldly: "Actually, my father's imitation is quite similar. I just have some doubts, but not too much. However, once suspicion arises, many things will reveal the truth."
Zhu Biao paused, and decided to say something to ease the current tension: "Actually, I initially just guessed that I might be the prince, but I thought I was fostered."
Zhu Wenzheng said: "Oh, yes, you made a scene before. How can you believe that Fourth Uncle is the emperor?"
Li Wenzhong also nodded vigorously. Didn't Biaoer prefer to think that he was a foster child and never thought that his uncle was the emperor?
Zhu Biao curled his lips and said, "Actually, I still don't believe it. But except that my father doesn't look like the emperor, everything else is right. Especially my mother, she looks a lot like Empress Ma."
Zhu Wenzheng nodded vigorously: "That's right. Except that Fourth Uncle doesn't look like the emperor, there are loopholes everywhere."
Li Wenzhong held his forehead. Zhu Wenzheng, do you want to be beaten again?
Zhu Biao said, "But after eliminating all impossibilities, the only option left is the truth, no matter how outrageous it is. So... even if I don't believe it anymore, my father... is he really Zhu Yuanzhang? Is that even possible? Oh my god? I'm just kidding you."
Zhu Biao had originally developed a very detailed and cautious operation to expose his father's identity.
But then he thought about it carefully and realized that there was no need to go through so much trouble.
If his biological father was the emperor, Zheng and Zhong would definitely know. If he launched a surprise attack, even if Zhong managed to hold his ground, Zheng, the fool, would definitely be exposed.
As a result, Brother Zhong was even more impatient than Brother Zheng.
Zhu Biao was a little resentful: "Why did you hide it from me? Are you laughing at me? Ah? I often tell Zhu Yuanzhang jokes in front of Dad and you. Are you laughing so hard that your stomach hurts..."
Zhu Wenzheng immediately stopped Zhu Biao: "Biao'er, you have to believe your brother. If you complain about Zhu Yuanzhang in front of your fourth uncle, I will laugh at your brother. Isn't it your fourth uncle?"
Zhu Biao: “…” Damn, that makes so much sense, I’m speechless!
Li Wenzhong held his forehead again. Ah, my head hurts.
What should I do? Biaoer knows my identity!
Biao'er is already seventeen years old this year (in lunar age), just three years away, just three years away!
Zhu Biao lowered his arms and said, "Go ahead. I'll give you a chance to confess. Based on your confession, I'll consider what to do next."
Zhu Wenzhen and Li Wenzhong looked at each other, gave up struggling, and told Zhu Biao everything.
Since Biao'er already knows his true identity and one layer of the safety rope has been untied, they must at least keep the last layer of rope - the fact that Zhu Biao is Prince Zhu cannot be known to the world or the entire Ming Dynasty for the time being.
Zhu Biao listened to Zhu Wenzhen and Li Wenzhong talking back and forth - then Li Wenzhong told Zhu Wenzhen to shut up and eat some melon seeds while he sorted out the cause and effect.
Zhu Biao's head tilted first to the left, then to the right, then he rubbed his face hard, and finally collapsed in the chair with an expression that said "Are you stupid?"
That fortune teller knew it.
He thought he was going to become a pool of meat in the pot, and hurriedly revealed his identity as a "divine boy", so his father called a fortune teller.
The fortune teller asked his parents and others to go to the private room, and he pretended to be a ghost, thinking that no one would know that he was pretending.
But the cub Biaoer in front of him, who was over one year old and couldn't walk yet, was looking at him as if he was stupid.
Zhu Biao also knew that the fortune teller had privately made fun of "this family is so easy to cheat."
Who would have thought that the fortune teller fell down due to alcoholism and was considered a punishment from God?
Uh, this... must be a misunderstanding, right?
Zhu Biao was in deep thought.
Actually, he himself also has to take part of the responsibility. Because he didn't emphasize that "Emperor Hongwu would go crazy after the death of the crown prince", his father might not have believed the old liar's words so much.
"Don't worry, I'm in good health," Zhu Biao assured him. Growing up, he'd barely gotten sick, so he was certain his physique was one of his "golden fingers."
Zhu Wenzheng and Li Wenzhong shook their heads vigorously. "How can we tell whether it's a divine punishment now? We might be healthy one moment and in trouble the next."
After they finished speaking, they looked out the window in fear, fearing that a bolt of lightning would suddenly strike and send Biaoer flying into the sky.
Zhu Biao scratched his head.
All right. The fortune teller had used his own life to prove that he was not a liar. Although Zhu Biao still firmly believed that he was a liar, he should be given a little respect.
"I won't tell anyone else." Zhu Biao said, "Tell me, should I tell Dad that I've already exposed him?"
Zhu Wenzheng and Li Wenzhong looked at each other and said in unison: "Don't!"
Zhu Biao asked, "Why?"
Zhu Wenzheng explained: "Because I want to see him laugh!"
Li Wenzhong said, "Because my uncle's acting skills are already terrible, he insists on acting because he doesn't want you to find out. If he stopped acting in front of you, I'm sure many smart people in the court would immediately guess your identity."
Zhu Wenzheng and Li Wenzhong gave their reasons almost at the same time, but Li Wenzhong spoke longer and finished later.
After Li Wenzhong finished explaining his reasons, he turned around and scolded, "Zhu Wenzheng! Don't joke around at this time! Be serious!"
Zhu Wenzheng: "Oh... Actually, I'm serious... Well, your brother Bao'er is right. Fourth Uncle is really trying to hide it from you, but he's acting so badly. If he knew you already knew your identity, would his acting still be acceptable?"
Zhu Biao hesitated to speak.
What he actually wanted to say was that your acting skills are actually terrible too.
Especially Zheng Ge. How could Zheng Ge, in front of the emperor, act so carefree like an adopted son? You're so fearless because you're the emperor's only biological nephew, right?
If my only nephew hadn't rebelled, he would probably be more valuable than any of my illegitimate sons...
etc!
Zhu Biao's face was gloomy: "How many illegitimate sons and daughters does my father have?"
Zhu Wenzheng and Li Wenzhong: "..."
They looked at each other again, and Zhu Wenzhen nudged Li Wenzhong with his elbow, asking Li Wenzhong to speak.
Li Wenzhong didn't dare to speak for a long time.
Zhu Biao glared hard.
Li Wenzhong whispered, "I don't know about concubine's daughters. As for concubine's sons... one, just one! Uncle treats you and aunt very well!"
Zhu Biao breathed a sigh of relief.
He remembered the previous incident of "Chen Guorui advising Zhu Yuanzhang" and the decree issued by Zhu Yuanzhang that "there will be no high-ranking concubines in the future."
If his foolish father was really Zhu Yuanzhang, then history would have changed completely.
Because the Zhu Yuanzhang in the official history could not be a fool!
"I understand." Zhu Biao said, "I won't tell my dad that his acting is terrible. He's been watching me laugh for so long, I want to watch him laugh too. Don't let it slip."
Li Wenzhong and Zhu Wenzhen raised their hands and swore an oath.
The crime of deceiving the emperor? What is the crime of deceiving the emperor called by the gang leader?
Then the three of them fell into an awkward silence.
After a while, Zhu Biao fell back into a chair with his head in his hands. "Oh my God, my father is actually Zhu Yuanzhang? My father is actually the Hongwu Emperor? Is the future of the Ming Dynasty really safe?"
Zhu Wenzheng said seriously: "In fact, when Fourth Uncle was not in front of you, he was a very powerful emperor, really. Besides, the future of the Ming Dynasty still has you."
Li Wenzhong also nodded. "Fourth Uncle really acts like an emperor. That cruel Hongwu Emperor you mentioned... well, Fourth Uncle wasn't cruel, but he put a lot of pressure on people."
Zhu Biao held his head, his face full of disbelief: "Really?"
Zhu Wenzheng: "Really, even your brother Zheng is afraid of him."
Zhu Biao said, "You court death every day, and every other day you're beaten by the emperor himself. How come I don't see you being afraid of him?"
Zhu Wenzheng: "This..."
Li Wenzhong also held his head in his hands. Ugh, my head hurts.
Zhu Wenzheng explained, "Biao'er, you know, although the emperor is indeed very majestic, and I give him face in court, but privately, hey, I'm his only nephew, what can he do to me?"
Zhu Biao said with a stern face, "You are his only nephew, the only living person who has been crowned a king and is not his son. That is why you are in greater danger and should be more cautious. The emperor is still young now, so he may not care. But he is old, and you, a nephew with outstanding military achievements, may very well threaten the position of the crown prince..."
Zhu Wenzheng was shocked: "Ah, Biao'er, ask yourself, can your position as crown prince be threatened by your brother? How come I didn't know how powerful I am!"
Zhu Biao: “…”
Oh my god, that's right, I'm the crown prince. I 'm the hardworking younger brother who always cleans up Zheng Ge's messes, but I'm the crown prince. How could Zheng Ge possibly threaten my position? Even the old people in Beijing would beat Zheng Ge with their canes when they saw him, to tell him to stop bullying me.
Li Wenzhong suppressed a smile and said, "He dares to act so recklessly every day, not afraid that his uncle will really chop him down, because he knows that except for rebellion and threats to the throne, his uncle will always tolerate him."
Zhu Biao held his head, pulled his feet back onto the chair, and curled up into a ball. "Oh my God, no! If I were the crown prince, wouldn't I have to clean up Brother Zheng's mess for the rest of my life? Why am I so miserable?"
Zhu Wenzheng was stunned for a moment, then laughed triumphantly: "Biao'er, just accept your fate!"
Zhu Biao said angrily: "I won't!"
Li Wenzhong's headache was gone, and he began to laugh. "Well... well, there's really nothing I can do about it. He's your only cousin, the only vassal king of the Ming Dynasty who has made great military achievements. Biao'er, please bear with me."
Zhu Biao became even angrier: "How can I bear more? Brother Zheng's suicidal behavior is all that's left for him to lead his troops to besiege Nanjing!"
Zhu Wenzheng said seriously: "To be honest, Biao'er, I can do this. As long as you give the order, I will... Ouch!"
Zhu Biao rushed forward and hit Zhu Wenzhen on the head.
Zhu Wenzhen jumped up and ran away with his head in his hands.
Li Wenzhong laughed out loud while watching the fun.
Biaoer learned his true identity. Zhu Wenzhen was a careless person, but Li Wenzhong was a meticulous person and should have been worried.
But for some reason, when Li Wenzhong saw that Zhu Biao looked indifferent and muttered, "You believe what that liar said," he was no longer worried.
This strong confidence is the tacit understanding gained from being with Biaoer for more than ten years.
Biaoer said it's okay, it must be okay.
Zhu Biao got what he wanted and beat up Zhu Wenzhen. Now Zhu Biao's fists are very powerful. At least now when he goes to the battlefield, he will not just use his silver spear to poke and scratch other people's skin, but can really poke people to death.
However, even when Zhu Biao was angry, he would hold back when fighting with his family. Zhu Wenzheng was tough and thick-skinned, so even after being beaten, he acted as if nothing had happened, and even shouted that today was a good day because Biao had learned the truth, and they should eat roasted whole lamb.
Although Zhu Biao was speechless, he still asked people to prepare a roasted whole lamb to satisfy Zhu Wenzhen's gluttonous appetite.
While roasting the lamb, Li Wenzhong stayed beside Zhu Biao, brushing the seasoning on it. Zhu Wenzheng was being lazy, saying he was going to pick up his cousins from school and then went for a walk.
When there was no one else around, Li Wenzhong asked, "Biao'er, are you resentful?"
Zhu Biao was puzzled: "What are you complaining about?"
Li Wenzhong said, "I blame my uncle for keeping it from you."
Zhu Biao was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm not resentful, I'm just embarrassed. You know how much... bad things I said about Zhu Yuanzhang when I didn't know my father was Zhu Yuanzhang. Thinking about it now, I want to dig a hole with my toes and run away."
Li Wenzhong was at a loss for words: "Is it really that embarrassing? Isn't my uncle the most embarrassed? And you can't tell how embarrassing it is now."
Zhu Biao stared at the roasted lamb dripping with oil and said, "Because I've suspected it for a long time. So now it's not embarrassing...at least it wasn't embarrassing before I exposed this to my father in person."
Li Wenzhong said: "Is that so..."
Zhu Biao said, "Besides... Father is facing the empty seal case right now, right? If I were the crown prince, I would probably be arguing with someone in the court right now."
Zhu Biao had said countless times to his father, "Oh, this mess is so troublesome, but why do you care so much? The world belongs to Zhu Yuanzhang, let Zhu Yuanzhang solve it." His father always smiled and said, "Yes, Marshal Zhu will solve it."
Now he knew that the Hongwu Emperor, who had to clean up so many messes, carried tremendous pressure, and experienced countless pains and betrayals, was his father.
He was not very clear about what the Hongwu Emperor experienced in history, but he knew exactly what Marshal Zhu experienced in this time and space.
He knew how many times Zhu Yuanzhang had nearly lost his base in the early days of his conquest; he knew that when Zhu Yuanzhang had finally gained a foothold, his trusted brothers betrayed him one after another; he knew... he knew now that when Zhu Yuanzhang personally led his army to attack Zhang Shicheng, those who were besieged in Hongdu were Zhu Yuanzhang's only nephew, only nephew, only adopted son he had raised since childhood, and... and his most precious biological son.
It was not that Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to attack Zhang Shicheng and Chen Guorui could not return to provide support alone; but his father decided to solve his worries first before saving him based on the actual situation.
Dad believes in himself. But even if he believes in himself intellectually, will he still be unable to sleep or eat, tossing and turning, and being awakened by fright in his dreams?
Zhu Biao recalled his reunion with his father after the Battle of Hongdu.
My father cried like a tearful man, cursing Zhu Yuanzhang for not letting him return to help.
Dad was not lying to him, he was really scolding himself.
The founding of the Ming Dynasty was only the beginning of trouble. Compared with governing the country, the Hongwu Emperor's conquest of the world was relatively smooth.
It was only the fifth year of Hongwu, and this new dynasty had already seen officials protecting each other, hidden rules in the officialdom that the emperor was unaware of, and a "commoner" submitting a petition to the emperor, who had no choice but to convene a court meeting to discuss the petition.
His father carried such great pressure alone.
He, the prince who should have shared his burden, just stood by and watched.
Yes, he governed Northern Zhili very well. He also conquered Goryeo and intimidated the Japanese.
But for the ministers, this might be a great achievement, but for the prince, it is not important at all.
The court was his battlefield. Standing beside his father, sorting out the complexities of the court for him, who had only just begun studying when he was almost thirty, and protecting him from being fooled by those with deep knowledge, was what the prince was supposed to do.
The princes of other dynasties should perhaps have experience in governing a place so that they can understand what the people are like and not grow up like flowers in a greenhouse.
But Zhu Biao knew that he was different. He didn't need these, he could immediately become a regent prince.
But his father said to him, "Have a good rest and have fun, I am here."
He can at least rest until he reaches adulthood.
This is really...
Zhu Biao felt very distressed.
"If I had known I was the crown prince, I would have shared more of Dad's burden." Zhu Biao turned the roasted lamb. "Dad is too tired. I'm worried about him."
Li Wenzhong then imitated Zhu Wenzheng and said something lewd: "Didn't you say that the Hongwu Emperor had an incredibly long lifespan, that he could outlive the Empress, his sons, his brothers, and even Zhu Wenzheng and I? What are you worried about? Worried about the elderly sending the young to their deaths? You should exercise well and take care of the Hongwu Emperor until his death. That's the real thing."
Zhu Biao burst into laughter.
Li Wenzhong also smiled and said, "Biao'er, you just need to take care of your own body. As long as you are alive, we will all be fine."
Zhu Biao smiled and said, "Okay."
I heard that if the crown prince of Emperor Hongwu had not died, the Ming Dynasty might have become better, and the people could have lived a good life for more than ten years, or even decades.
Zhu Biao didn't know whether this was true or not.
But he knew...
"This family can't live without me." Zhu Biao's smile gradually disappeared, and his expression became increasingly frantic. "If I'm gone, Brother Zheng might really get beheaded, and Brother Ying might really vomit blood... And my younger brothers, without anyone to keep them under control, I can't imagine what they would do."
Li Wenzhong said, "Biao'er, when you got into trouble this time, it wasn't just your brother Ying who vomited blood. Your brother Zhong wasn't that strong either. There were also your uncles."
Zhu Biao looked up to the sky and sighed, "I know. Ah! It's so hard for me to support a family!"
Li Wenzhong laughed: "Indeed."