Zhu Yuanzhang originally planned to get tanned, grow a full beard, and then use a hoarse voice to pretend to be Zhu Yuanzhang... No, he is Zhu Yuanzhang, there is no need to pretend.
As for Chen Guorui, just say that he did not come to Hongdu this time and stayed in Yingtian.
As a result, Zhu Yuanzhang had just conquered Wuchang and completely destroyed the Chen Han regime, but before returning home, he began to shave.
People in the know complained.
"It is indeed so."
"It's impossible for the Lord to not get close to Biao'er after seeing him."
"Zhu Yuanzhang may not be here, but Chen Guorui will definitely not go to Hongdu."
"I told you, how could my lord bear it?"
"My Lord, this is too much. Shaving and trimming your hair is fine, but you have to take a bath and burn incense the day before meeting Biao'er?"
"You don't understand. Zhu Yuanzhang was unkempt and unconcerned about details, but Chen Guorui was a top-tier wealthy businessman and paid attention to his appearance."
"I can't understand it. I absolutely can't understand it."
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care how his confidants complained about him. He dismissed most of the generals on the grounds that Chen Biao was shy, leaving only a few confidants who knew Chen Biao's identity to accompany him.
His trusted personal guards who would serve as his stand-ins were already in place, having memorized the script for a long time.
When Zhu Yuanzhang needed Chen Guorui to appear, he would let his confidants act as his substitute. During military campaigns, his confidants would occasionally impersonate Zhu Yuanzhang to confuse the enemy.
Zhu Yuanzhang had more than one such substitute.
As a lord, how could you not prepare a few "substitutes"?
However, most generals now believed that Chen Guorui was Zhu Yuanzhang's shadow. Although this was not wrong. How could it be wrong to be your own shadow?
Zhu Yuanzhang paced back and forth anxiously in the temporary marshal's residence. When Chen Biao rushed over crying, he couldn't help crying too.
Zhu Yuanzhang picked up Chen Biao and weighed him. Tears welled up in his eyes like a river that had been opened. He couldn't stop crying. "My Biao, how did you become so thin?"
Chen Biao hugged Zhu Yuanzhang's neck, tilted his head back and cried, unable to speak at all. It seemed as if he wanted to cry out all the tension, worry, fear, pain and sadness in his heart over the past few months.
Zhu Yuanzhang could hardly stand after hearing Chen Biao's crying.
Old Zhu fell to the ground, hugged Chen Biao, and cried.
The two were not only reunited after a long separation, but also reunited after a life-or-death struggle. When they met, both were filled with fear.
The other people in the temporary marshal's mansion thought it was funny to see the two of them crying and hugging each other, but when Zhu Yuanzhang fell to the ground crying, their smiles disappeared and their eyes couldn't help but turn red.
Xu Da rubbed his nose and choked up, "I'm so glad that Biao'er is okay."
Several people nodded, finally unable to hold back their tears.
Several scholars covered their faces with their wide sleeves and sobbed, while several military generals did not need to cover their faces and cried loudly.
After Chen Biao was tired of crying, he leaned on his father's shoulder and hugged his father's neck tightly. He didn't care about going to see Zhu Yuanzhang at all, and he stayed in his father's arms and refused to get down.
Zhu Yuanzhang wiped his tears and snot, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped Chen Biao's face.
Chen Ying quickly ran over and wiped their faces with the wet cloth she had just prepared.
When Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Biao were crying in each other's arms, Chen Ying went to fetch some water and waited to wipe the faces of the father and son.
"Brother Ying." Chen Biao's mouth pursed and he wanted to cry again.
Chen Ying advised, "Don't cry, your eyes are already swollen like little peaches. Your brothers Zhong and Zheng, I and I are all unharmed and have made many contributions."
Li Wenzhong and Zhu Wenzhen walked out, both with red eyes but smiles on their faces.
"I got you a lot of goodies from Chen Youliang's house, including a huge bed made of gold," Zhu Wenzheng boasted. "You can roll around on that golden bed in the future."
Li Wenzhong laughed and said, "As a wealthy businessman, it's only natural for Biao'er to have a golden bed, right?"
Chen Biao wiped his face on his father's shoulder embarrassedly: "I won't roll around. I'm not Chen Gou'er, who likes to roll around on the bed."
Xu Da ran over in two steps and ruffled Chen Biao's hair with a smile: "Did you miss Uncle Xu? I heard that Biao'er is making me proud in Hongdu."
Chen Biao shrank his neck and buried his head in his father's arms. He said embarrassedly, "I, I was afraid that they wouldn't listen to me, so I, I pretended to be Uncle Xu. I'm sorry..."
Zhu Yuanzhang blew his nose vigorously with the handkerchief Chen Ying had given him, then clenched the handkerchief and threw it at Xu Da: "What's the apology? He now tells everyone he knows that he taught you military tactics, constantly flattering himself. He's totally shameless!"
Xu Da turned his body to the side and dodged the snotty handkerchief thrown by Zhu Yuanzhang with a smile: "Biao'er said that I taught him, and I didn't lie."
Zhu Yuanzhang gnashed his teeth and said, "Biao'er said I taught him! You were just a by-product!"
Xu Da said shamelessly, "That can't be helped. I am the first marshal under the lord, and you are just a businessman. When it comes to military tactics, can you compare with me?"
The others wiped their tears, adjusted their expressions and appearance, and then walked over slowly. After hearing Xu Da's words, they all gave Xu Da a look that said "You are very brave."
Why did the respectful, cautious, and humble Generalissimo Xu Da, in a place with rules, like to play fast and loose with his lord's wrath? What kind of fearless, suicidal spirit was this?
Zhu Yuanzhang gave Xu Da a look that said, "You're done, just wait," and said, "Go in and see the Marshal. He's waiting for you."
Xu Da said, "Call me Lord. What's Marshal? Remember the title!"
Zhu Yuanzhang: "..." Do you believe that I will send you to Fujian to fight Chen Youding today, so that you won't have time to go home and see your wife?!
Only then did Chen Biao remember that he came to see Zhu Yuanzhang.
He quickly tugged at his father's long hair: "Put me down!"
Zhu Yuanzhang lifted Chen Biao's buttocks and strode in. "General... My lord, I am here to see you as your old brother. Meeting him is no different from meeting your other uncles. Why are you so nervous?"
Chen Biao became even more nervous: "That's different!"
Among the emperor's brothers, except for Li Erfeng who was really kind to his old friends, the rest of the emperor's brothers were finished.
Chen Biao buried his face in Zhu Yuanzhang's arms and couldn't help yawning.
He knew he was going to meet Zhu Yuanzhang, so he should be in high spirits. But when he saw his father, he felt sleepy for some reason.
Chen Biao rubbed his eyes, rubbed them against Zhu Yuanzhang's chest, and tried to open his eyes wide.
As Zhu Yuanzhang walked forward, he glanced at his son out of the corner of his eye.
Chen Biao yawned, washed his face with his fists, and then stared with his eyes and puffed his cheeks, making strange expressions and movements, thinking that no one could see him hiding in his arms.
Zhu Yuanzhang felt both amused and helpless, and his heart was completely soft.
Silly Biao, the uncles and brothers around you are all trying to hold back their laughter. Everyone has seen your little actions!
Chen Biao took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and tucked in his chin, wrinkling his chubby face, which had only a little flesh left on his body, into a real chubby face.
I, Chen Biao, am neither sleepy nor nervous!
Zhu Wenzhen covered his mouth with his hands.
Li Wenzhong and Chen Ying stretched out a hand from the left and right to cover Zhu Wenzhen's nose.
"Hey, hey, hey, do you want to suffocate me to death?" Zhu Wenzhen said angrily.
Li Wenzhong and Chen Ying said in unison: "Shut up!"
Chen Biao grabbed Zhu Yuanzhang's clothes on his chest and sat up straight, looking over his shoulder: "What's wrong?"
Zhu Wenzheng immediately smiled innocently: "Nothing, nothing."
"Oh." Chen Biao retracted his head.
Zhu Wenzhen's silly smile almost turned into laughter, and he raised his hands to cover his mouth.
Li Wenzhong and Chen Ying's shoulders trembled slightly, and they had a hard time holding back their laughter.
The others also had smiles on their faces.
Chen Biao was a real joker. Even if he wasn't aware of it and didn't do anything to make people laugh, whenever he was around, everyone around him would laugh from the bottom of their hearts.
The cheerful Chen Biao had no idea that he was being made fun of.
He hid in Zhu Yuanzhang's arms to cheer himself up a little, then grabbed his father's hair and forced his father to put him down.
"Zhu Yuanzhang" sat at the top, with a full beard, looking both majestic and kind. As soon as he met Chen Biao, he asked him to sit down quickly.
Chen Biao was about to kneel down and kowtow, but his father Chen Guorui grabbed him by the back of the collar.
Chen Biao turned around: "Dad!"
Chen Guorui Zhu Yuanzhang said: "My lord, please sit down if you ask me to. You are so polite, my lord, it makes me feel embarrassed. My lord, I am sorry, I am a child who has been fooled by books. My head is full of scholarly etiquette."
The scholars present glared at their bastard master.
My Lord, who are you scolding?
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Old Chen is right, Biao'er, please sit down."
Chen Biao glared at his father and bowed to "Zhu Yuanzhang": "Thank you, my lord."
After the ceremony, Chen Biao sat obediently on the stool.
The stool was a bit high, and his feet swayed out of habit. Then, realizing the occasion, he immediately put his feet together.
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "Old Chen, you should hold your son in your arms. I think he's too nervous."
Chen Guorui immediately clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, my lord."
He picked Chen Biao up from the stool, sat on the chair himself, and let Chen Biao lean on his arms.
Chen Biao's expression was blank for a moment, then a blush slowly crept up his cheeks, revealing a look of embarrassment.
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed: "Biao'er, I'm used to hearing your name as the little military advisor, but seeing you act like such a shy child, I'm really not used to it."
Chen Biao hesitated, then bowed repeatedly: "I am sorry to have made a fool of myself, my lord."
Everyone couldn't help laughing.
After a laugh, the atmosphere became a little more harmonious.
Although they were sitting separately, their postures were very casual.
Xu Da kept teasing Chen Guorui and "Zhu Yuanzhang", acting as a mediator.
When Chen Biao saw that "Zhu Yuanzhang" was so amiable, the panic in his heart finally eased.
Chen Guorui leaned over to Chen Biao's ear and whispered, "I told you that the Lord is easy to get along with, but you still don't believe me!"
Chen Biao glared at his father and made an uppercut gesture.
Shut up! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll hit you on the chin!
Chen Guorui rubbed Chen Biao's head hard, loosening both of Chen Biao's little tufts of hair. Chen Biao was so angry that he clenched his fists and wanted to beat his father, but because "Zhu Yuanzhang" was here, he couldn't refuse his father face.
So Chen Guorui became even more arrogant. He pinched Chen Biao's baby fat cheeks, which had not been reduced even after he lost weight, and gently pulled them outwards, forming a horizontal oval shape.
"Zhu Yuanzhang" was like a "hahaha" monster. Seeing this, he could only laugh and did not stop Chen Guorui from bullying his son in public.
Chen Biao: "..." Be patient! Be patient! You can't give Dad an uppercut in front of Marshal Zhu!
Finally, Li Shanchang couldn't stand it anymore and stopped him, saying, "Guo Rui! How can you bully someone just because Biao'er is sensible? If it were another child, they would be crying now!"
Li Shanchang didn't want to disturb the emotional exchange between his lord and the young lord, but his lord was too unkind. Look how aggrieved Biaoer was!
He rolled up his sleeves and walked over, grabbed Chen Biao into his arms, then glared at the embarrassed Chen Guorui, carried Chen Biao back to his chair, and touched Chen Biao's cheek with heartache.
Poor kid, there are thumb marks on his face!
Li Shanchang glared at Chen Guorui again.
Chen Guorui spread his hands with a rogue expression on his face.
What's wrong with a father playing with his son? This is a sign of a good relationship between father and son.
"Zhu Yuanzhang" was still laughing there, it seemed that he had seen enough jokes.
Chen Biao touched his cheek, raised his little fist to his father, and then started to talk about business.
He used many new things in the Battle of Hongdu. Although his defense of Hongdu was a great achievement, Chen Biao still believed that he needed to find a sufficient reason to dispel Zhu Yuanzhang's concerns for secretly withholding these valuables and not reporting them to him in time.
The reason Chen Biao gave was "actual combat test".
He did not dare to present the new weapon directly to Zhu Yuanzhang without undergoing small-scale combat tests.
Therefore, he came to Hongdu this time, hoping to take advantage of the convenience of his three brothers and the vastness of Poyang Lake to test new weapons and new materials. After the test was completed, he dared to present them to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Chen Biao said, "I didn't expect Chen Youliang to attack Hongdu, so I had no choice but to use it first. Fortunately, there were no mistakes. I obtained a lot of useful data this time. After a few days, I can improve the Guorui Cannon and the Small Guorui Cannon and equip the army..."
Zhu Yuanzhang excitedly slammed the armrest of his chair, and with a loud bang, he said, "Good!"
Chen Biao was so frightened by the loud roar of "Zhu Yuanzhang" that he jumped up, his back straightened up, and his eyes widened involuntarily.
Chen Guorui immediately glared at "Zhu Yuanzhang", and the others also glared at him.
Why are you yelling so loudly!
Zhu Yuanzhang began to sweat coldly: "..."
Hey, hey, hey, stop glaring at me! I'm acting strictly according to the lord's personality! I'm a professional stand-in! The lord is just like this! Go glare at the lord!
Chen Biao blinked, recovering from his shock. "Then, we can equip the Zhu family army with... Um, my lord, I followed the craftsmen's naming convention and named the two artillery pieces after my father. Is that inappropriate? Should we change it to your name? Or, if you've decided on a name for the country, do you want to change it to yours?"
Zhu Yuanzhang immediately said, "Let's use this name. 'Guo Rui' has a good meaning!"
Chen Biao wanted to say that the meaning of "Yuanzhang" was also good. However, he was not familiar with Zhu Yuanzhang and did not dare to act rashly. He just thought to himself that when he created something more powerful, he would write to Zhu Yuanzhang to ask for a name, and not to name it on his own.
This time it was a mistake. Oh, I was so careless!
After Chen Biao introduced the new weapons invented by his craftsmen, he racked his brains to think of other topics to talk about.
Chen Guorui immediately gave "Zhu Yuanzhang" a look.
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "You are tired too, take a rest first. I will return to Yingtian today, and I am just passing through Hongdu to see you. You have done a good job and made great contributions, but you are still young. You should take good care of yourself and grow up quickly. Don't worry about anything else."
Chen Biao breathed a sigh of relief, jumped down from Li Shanchang's arms, and bowed to "Zhu Yuanzhang" and said, "Yes!"
He tilted his head and smiled mischievously, "My Lord, since I'm so smart, would you like to adopt me as your adopted son? I think I'm more worthy of being your adopted son than my brothers. They're too stupid."
Everyone looked dazed at first, then their dazed look turned into realization, and then they immediately stared at Chen Guorui with obscure eyes.
Chen Guorui: “…”
He saw that his son was still afraid of Zhu Yuanzhang, so he took advantage of his young age to "joke".
If Zhu Yuanzhang had this intention, but was just embarrassed to speak up because of Chen Guorui, he could take advantage of Chen Biao's joke to adopt Chen Biao as his adopted son and take the reputation Chen Biao had built in Hongdu for himself; if Zhu Yuanzhang did not have this intention, he could just laugh it off as a child's joke.
People who don’t know Chen Biao would just think that he is young and arrogant and admires Zhu Yuanzhang, so he is deliberately showing off his intelligence.
But they all knew what kind of person Chen Biao was, and knew how many sleepless nights Chen Biao had tossed and turned before making this decision.
Given Chen Biao's dependence on his parents, how could he be willing to be someone else's adopted son?
This is all your fault! My Lord! Look at what you've done to the child!
Chen Guorui and "Zhu Yuanzhang" sat opposite each other and sweated profusely.
Ah, the weather in July is so hot!
Zhu Yuanzhang cried out in his heart, holding his face. All of his generals and counselors had spent days calculating what Young Master Biao might say and how he would respond, but no one had expected Young Master Biao to say this!
How will he answer?! Will he agree or disagree?! My Lord, give me a hint!
Chen Guorui was the first to come to his senses. He immediately picked up Chen Biao and said with a vigilant look, "Don't even think about it! Biao'er only has me as his father!"
The mischievous smile on Chen Biao's face froze.
Dad! Don't act so willful at this moment!
Xu Da immediately cooperated: "Hahahaha, Biao'er, did you know that the lord has long wanted to adopt you as his adopted son and even wanted to change your surname, but your father ended up fighting with the lord? Don't mention it, or your father will fight with the lord again."
Chen Biao's face was full of horror.
Dad! What did you do behind my back?
Xu Da continued to ramble, "My lord, this is giving me a headache. I'm afraid I'll use too much force and hurt your father. If that happens, my lord will have to condescend to ask your father to heal quickly, otherwise no one will do the work he's been doing. Hahahaha."
Zhu Yuanzhang transformed into a "Hahahaha" monster again, laughing loudly and saying, "Yeah, hahahaha, Biao'er, don't say that again, your father is going to..."
Liu Ji interjected sinisterly, "Looking for a fight again."
Li Shanchang nodded repeatedly and joked, "Actually, I think it's not a bad idea to adopt Biao'er as your adopted son. What do you think, Guorui?"
The confidants all teased Chen Guorui, but only "Zhu Yuanzhang" had his back wet with sweat.
You guys are joking with each other, can you wait until I leave before you start? I can't take it anymore!
Zhu Yuanzhang said stubbornly, "Alright, alright, let Biaoer go and have a rest. He was very tired before, so he needs to make up for it."
Xu Da said, "Right, right, right, Boss Chen, you should go and have a good exchange of feelings with Biao'er first. Anyway, you will stay in Hongdu Mansion for a while and will not go back with us."
Chen Biao looked up: "Dad, do you want to stay in Hongdu Mansion?"
Chen Guorui said, "Just stay for a while, and then we'll go back to Yingtian together. We'll go back before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Your mother is still waiting for us."
Chen Biao nodded vigorously. He missed his mother and his brothers.
Chen Biao's request to be Zhu Yuanzhang's adopted son was glossed over by the adults.
After the real Zhu Yuanzhang carried Chen Biao away, the fake Zhu Yuanzhang collapsed in his chair and muttered, "I was scared to death."
Everyone around couldn't help laughing.
"You acted well. You have the demeanor of a foster father." Zhu Wenzheng smiled and patted the man on the shoulder. "In fact, I think it's not bad to let Biaoer be your foster father's adopted son. With the identity of an adopted son, they will be even less likely to think of Biaoer as your foster father's son, and others will be more polite to Biaoer."
Li Shanchang said, "I have also mentioned this matter to the lord. But the lord does not know the extent of the 'return to one's position' that the physiognomist refers to, and whether returning to the surname 'Zhu' also counts as returning to one's position. So, just in case, let Biao'er restore his surname and status at the age of twenty."
Zhu Wenzheng rubbed his nose in annoyance and said, "That fortune teller is really... He fell down like a fool after making a vague prophecy. At least he should have said the solution before falling down."
Chen Ying said: "So what he said is the true prophecy."
If there is no divine punishment, then this prophecy must be false.
Zhu Wenzheng sighed, "It always feels weird that my last name is different from Biao'er's. Why don't I ask my adoptive father to let me keep the last name Chen? Otherwise, every time I introduce myself to others, I have to mention that I was adopted as the lord's adopted son, so my last name is different from Biao'er's. Otherwise, others will think that I am Biao'er's fake brother, just like Wenzhong and Aying."
Li Wenzhong and Chen Ying: "..."
Two men each grabbed one of Zhu Wenzhen's arms and dragged him out.
Zhu Wenzheng struggled hard: "Hey, hey! What are you doing here?! I'm telling you! I'm your superior now! Do you want to commit treason?! Aww! Are you serious?! It was just a joke! Can't you take a joke?!"
The generals and counselors in the room couldn't help laughing and shaking their heads when they heard the noise outside.
Liu Ji said, "Young General Zhu seemed arrogant in front of outsiders, which made me a little worried. But when he returned to his private role as Biao'er's brother, his temper immediately improved. It seems my worries were for nothing."
Several people showed a relaxed look.
Zhu Wenzhen's identity as the nephew of the lord became increasingly embarrassing as his military talents were revealed and his achievements increased.
Zhu Wenzheng was already an adult, while Biao'er was still a child. As Zhu Wenzheng's prestige and power grew, Biao'er's position as crown prince became increasingly precarious.
If Zhu Wenzheng had been a modest and prudent person, knowing when to advance and when to retreat, and knowing how to conceal his weaknesses, he might not have clashed with Biao'er in the future. However, Zhu Wenzheng was arrogant and overbearing, placing Zhu Yuanzhang first and himself second in everything. He would even refuse to give face to Xu Da and others when his temper got the better of him.
Even more troubling is that Zhu Wenzheng is facing the possibility of being unable to receive any more titles after the Battle of Hongdu. If Zhu Yuanzhang does not reward Zhu Wenzheng, given his character, he might be provoked by those with ulterior motives.
They were all worried that Zhu Wenzhen would have a conflict with Zhu Yuanzhang, but they did not dare to mention this matter to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Zhu Yuanzhang's family all starved to death, leaving only his nephew Zhu Wenzheng and his nephew Li Wenzhong. Nephews are naturally closer than nephews. Zhu Yuanzhang gave Zhu Wenzheng the power and status that made him treat him like his own son.
Zhu Yuanzhang was very stubborn and even paranoid towards his family members and relatives, and they did not dare to touch his reverse scale.
Now it seems that Zhu Wenzhen has not changed much after the Battle of Hongdu. When he is arrogant, he is really arrogant. After returning to his private identity, he is still really... cough, really a bit stupid.
While they were communicating with their eyes about Zhu Wenzhen, they heard Chen Biao's signature little tiger cub roar from outside.
"Stop it! How dare you fight in front of the lord's mansion!"
"I'll build a stage for you, and you three can go up there and fight! I'll even beat the gongs and drums to collect tips for you! Let the people watch the fun!"
Liu Ji was the first to hold his forehead and laugh out loud.
Li Shanchang covered his face with his sleeves and his shoulders trembled constantly.
Several scholars shook their sleeves, some shrugged, and some spread their hands.
Xu Da strode out, hastening to see the fun. The other generals were all laughing where they were, preparing to leave when they had enough.
"Never mind, never mind. We were just worrying for no reason. With Biao'er here, we can rest assured."
"Yes, the head of the Chen family is not our lord, but Biao'er."
Several people were smiling, their expressions and moods were very relaxed.
…
"Zhu Yuanzhang" left in a hurry that night, and generals and advisers such as Xu Da also left with him. Only Chang Yuchun, Ye Zheng, and Ye Zheng's three disciples stayed.
Chang Yuchun had a wooden face and spent the whole night on the roof, feeling the wind blowing.
Even if his military achievements in the Battle of Poyang Lake were not the best, he was still among the top three.
He fought bravely, he fought desperately, and he refused to leave the battlefield even though his blood soaked his armor.
He worked so hard, why was he thrown into the rear by his lord?
My lord said that all of Chen Han’s territory now belongs to our Zhu family. Bo Ren, it’s time for you, the Marshal of the Military Farm, to take the stage again.
Chang Yuchun really wanted to say that he was "Chang Shiwan" and "Chang Taisui", not "Chang Tuntian".
But looking at his lord's expectant eyes, he could only bow his head and accept the order.
Chang Yuchun knew that conquering the territory was only the first step. The most important thing was how to keep the people living in these territories alive, so that these territories would truly become his own.
He understood that Zhu Yuanzhang really valued and valued him.
But the tiger only wants to fight on the battlefield and does not want to plow the fields like an old ox.
Chang Yuchun looked at the armor and weapons that he had cleaned and repaired, and went to the stable to brush the fur of his old friend. He couldn't help but shed tears.
His armor, weapons, and horse were about to be covered in dust again.
When bidding farewell to his colleagues, Xu Da smiled as brightly as if he were in the spring breeze.
Chang Yuchun, who already knew Xu Da's true character, just wanted to clench his fists as big as sand bowls and punch Xu Da twice hard, giving him two big dark circles under his eyes!
The lord ordered Xu Da to return to Tianjin for a brief rest, and then immediately lead the army to Fujian to attack Chen Youding.
Once they captured Fujian, they would have Zhang Shicheng's western Zhejiang in their hands.
The Zhu family army finally showed its fangs. In this chaotic world, the offense and defense have changed!
Xu Da lamented that he must have offended his lord, which was why he was not even given the chance to go home and rest.
Chang Yuchun wanted to beat him up even more after hearing this. He always felt that Xu Da was showing off.
This bastard is definitely showing off!
With such a good opportunity to fight, Biaoer even gave Xu Da all the large and small Guorui cannons from Hongdu Prefecture, along with the craftsmen who operated them. Xu Da responded to heaven to replenish the ammunition, which would be used on the battlefield in Fujian. He was still full of complaints, which was nothing but bragging!
Chang Yuchun was extremely upset, but he could do nothing about it.
He returned to Hongdu Prefecture, which he had not seen for a long time, and smiled tiredly as the people warmly greeted him with "General Chang, you are back."
"Well, I'm back."
"Yeah, this area is all under the control of the Zhu family army. It's going to be busy again."
"Okay, we've taken a lot of Chen Han's prisoners this time. I'll let them help you."
"The injury is not a problem... No, no, you can keep the eggs. I'm a general, I have no shortage of food."
"Okay, everyone, don't gather together. Let's get back to work. It's time to replant the rice."
Chang Yuchun took on the role of "Marshal of Military Farms" and set up a new labor reform camp with the captured Chen Han soldiers.
The people who had previously been in the labor reform camp had received new clothes and weapons, put their fingerprints on the land distribution contract, and became the official defenders of Hongdu City and members of the Zhu family army.
When Chen Han attacked Hongdu Prefecture, he replenished his logistics on the spot and almost emptied out the entire Jiangxi area - the logistics of hundreds of thousands of people was almost more terrifying than a locust swarm, but at least locusts would not kill people.
There is a lot of land in Jiangxi, but very few people can farm the land, so it is unrealistic to relocate the people in a short period of time.
When Chang Yuchun was having a headache, Chen Biao suggested that Chang Yuchun go to "suppress the bandits."
"After the fall of the Chen Han Dynasty, the soldiers he recruited weren't content to farm the land. Most of them, relying on their weapons, went up into the mountains and became bandits," Chen Biao said. "It's time to recruit more people to our labor reform camp. This is what Uncle Chang is best at. My father and I are here to help with the farming and land distribution, and Mr. Ye is watching over it, so don't worry, Uncle Chang."
Chang Yuchun couldn't help but pick up Chen Biao and lifted him up, saying with emotion, "Okay! I'll go and suppress the bandits!"
Chang Yuchun looked at Zhu Yuanzhang. "Look, my lord, look at this! Biao'er is a master at knowing how to use people wisely. He knows I enjoy and am good at fighting, so he assigned me a job that I enjoy and am good at! Can you learn from your son?"
Zhu Yuanzhang, who was sitting with his legs crossed and eating spiced watermelon seeds, looked up and said, "Hmm?"
Then he lowered his head and continued to eat watermelon seeds.
He hadn't tasted his son's cooking for a long time and he missed it so much.
Chang Yuchun was speechless.
When the lord was not Zhu Yuanzhang but Chen Guorui, there was really not a trace of the aura of a heroic lord.
Chang Yuchun led his troops away. Zhu Wenzheng, impatient with menial duties, followed Chang Yuchun as his deputy general. Li Wenzhong and Chen Yinglao, who often disturbed the time between father and son, were sent back to Yingtian by Zhu Yuanzhang.
After returning to report their safety to Ma Xiuying, the two men went to their respective provincial capitals to serve as garrison marshals.
Li Wenzhong was originally the garrison marshal and was now just on a short "vacation"; Chen Ying finally became a senior general and a "marshal" in his own right thanks to his contributions in the battles against Chen and Han.
Chen Biao was very happy for them and thought that Zhu Yuanzhang had a keen eye for talent.
Li Wenzhong and Chen Ying were very angry when they saw their adoptive father sneering at them behind Chen Biao's back.
What a joke! My adoptive father is such a stingy person, he thinks our presence is an eyesore! As soon as they return to heaven, I'll definitely complain to my adoptive mother!
After Li Wenzhong and Chen Ying left, Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Biao began to leisurely farm in Hongdu.
"Aa ...
"Hahahaha Biaoer, you're wearing cloth armor, what are you afraid of?"
"nausea!!!"
"Wow, it's snails! Dad, I'll make you snail noodles!"
"Can't just eat the meat?"
"I'm afraid of parasites, so I only drink the soup and don't eat the meat."
"Fish, fish, fish, Daddy, fish!"
"I see, Biao'er, move aside, look at daddy... Ouch!"
"Hahahahaha Dad, you fall so beautifully!"
…
The Poyang Lake Plain has two crops a year, and now is the perfect time to plant late rice.
Nowadays, rice needs to be planted in paddy fields. There are snails and fish in the paddy fields, but unfortunately there are no invasive species of crayfish.
In the absence of chili peppers, Chen Biao used shredded ginger and garlic to create a spicy flavor, stewed the snails and fish until they were soft, and added green wheat flour. Zhu Yuanzhang's appetite was whetted, he was sweating profusely, and all his fatigue was swept away.
When Chen Han called, the wheat was just beginning to ear and was still early to mature.
Once Chen Han arrives, these wheat will become enemy rations and can only be burned.
Looking at the painful eyes of the people, Chen Biao suddenly remembered the "local specialty" green wheat sour that he received from local county leaders when he was in Gansu.
Qingmaisuoer, also known as Nianzhuan, is a food made from unripe wheat before the summer solstice.
Grind the immature wheat into a paste, shape it into noodles, and hang it in the sun to dry. It can be preserved for up to half a year.
The yield of unripe wheat is extremely low, and most people would not do this, so green wheat is considered a "health product" and a "luxury organic food" and is used as a gift in modern society.
Now, it seems that Qingmai Suer can be used in emergencies?
Even if the output is low, it's better than burning it all down in a fire, right?
So before Chen Han arrived, Chen Biao ordered the army and the people to harvest all the green wheat. The wheat ears were made into green wheat husks, and the stalks and leaves became horse feed.
Now the horses can be fed with grass, and this feed can also be used to raise chickens, ducks and pigs.
When talking about pigs, we have to talk about pig castration technology.
This magical technology of time travelers actually existed as early as the Shang Dynasty. The unearthed oracle bones depict the castration of pigs.
However, because pigs are omnivores and eat a lot, ordinary people couldn't even get enough to eat, so they didn't have the energy to raise pigs. Those who did raise pigs were reluctant to castrate them, preferring more litters and more meat. They didn't care about the taste of the meat. Therefore, castration didn't become popular among the public.
After Chen Biao discovered this situation, he did not promote the pig castration technology. Instead, the pork used in Chen's Restaurant was from castrated pigs to provide diners with better tasting pork.
He passed on the pig castration technique so that when the people were able to raise pigs, they could use it whenever they wanted.
For example, now that they have a lot of "silage" cut in advance, some people in Hongdu Prefecture have started raising pigs. In order to make the pigs fatten faster and help them survive this year's famine, they sharpen their knives and cut into the pigs' reproductive organs.
Poor pig, it will surely grow up to be very fat and delicious.
Chen Biao's move increased his reputation locally.
Zhu Yuanzhang held his chest high with pride, relying on the fact that he was always wearing a beard and a helmet in the army. Now the old generals of Hongdu had been transferred to other places to fight, and the current generals were all newly promoted from the labor reform camp, and they would hardly meet him in the future. He introduced himself to everyone he met, "I am Biao'er's father Chen Guorui", and received countless envious glances.
In Yingtian, Zhu Yuanzhang did not dare to be so high-profile .
Chen Biao felt a little embarrassed to go out with Zhu Yuanzhang when he saw his father showing off outside every day.
But his fighting power was far inferior to Zhu Yuanzhang's, so he could not escape at all and was caught and taken away by Zhu Yuanzhang.
So he could only passively follow Zhu Yuanzhang and become a "tool" for Zhu Yuanzhang to show off.
Chen Biao couldn't help sighing.
This dad, I miss him so much when I’m not around him, but after being with him for a long time, I want to throw him away.
Ah~ go!
Daddy flies away!