Daming prepares the emperor

Two bowls of white porridge that can't be poured with chopsticks, and a stack of pickles.

This is old Zhu Xiaozhu's dinner.

"Comfortable." Zhu Yuanzhang finished eating first, put the bowl back on the table with one hand, and slowly relaxed and leaned on the back of the chair. "Porridge must be eaten with pickles, and it is a waste of food to serve with anything else."

No one answered.

Zhu Biao was busy grilling rice. From Zhu Yuanzhang's perspective, his son's entire face was blocked by the bottom of the bowl.

"We see that you are eager to urge us to come back because you are hungry."

He stretched out his chopsticks and brought back a pinch of salty and spicy bamboo shoots. Zhu Biao said vaguely and perfunctorily: "Father, you are so smart, you can see it."

"Of course, who do you think your father is." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a touch of pride, "But the dragon chair is good today, it's a bit hard, and my butt hurts after sitting on it for a long time, don't you think so, Biaoer."

"Yeah." Zhu Biao nodded, "Let's arrange for the embroiderer to make a new cushion and put it on."

"What are you talking about?" Ma Xiuying walked in and asked.

"Mother, your porridge is really delicious." Zhu Biao turned around and said, "I'm talking to my father about the Forbidden City. In half a month, we will be able to live in it."

"Oh? How's it going there?"

Ma Xiuying has a little hobby, which is more like a hobby than a hobby.She likes to tidy up the house and arrange the decorations. Every once in a while, Zhu Biao will find that the position of the bottles, jars and blankets has changed. Ma Xiuying said that it is fresh to live in this way. The Forbidden City has a spacious palace, and it is easier to satisfy her interests.

"Very good, beautiful and spacious." Zhu Biao did not use any elegant adjectives, and introduced the situation very simply, "After moving in, I will find some flowers to plant here. There are many open spaces, so what do you want to plant. "

"En." Ma Xiuying nodded slightly, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, hesitated for a while before saying, "Chongba, tell me, what should you pay attention to when you are a queen?"

"This..." Zhu Yuanzhang scratched his head, "We haven't been a queen before, and we don't know too well, why don't you read more books, sister? Is there any reason in the book?"

"What's the use of books." Ma Xiuying rolled his eyes at him, "I've read all those books, they are nothing more than wise and kind, but people's hearts are unpredictable, how can tolerance be controlled?"

"Speaking of it, you can't escape the extra money and rewards and punishments. Girl, you just have to do it boldly." Zhu Yuanzhang said, "What's wrong, let's make it up, and we will understand slowly."

Zhu Biao said: "I suggest recruiting some court ladies who are as capable as Li Li. If they are proficient in arithmetic and smart, they can save mother a lot of time."

"Huang Xi is doing the recruiting." Zhu Yuanzhang immediately said, "Let's let him come over to listen to your orders, and he won't follow us for a few days."

"That's the truth." Ma Xiuying felt relieved a little, "The place is so big that we need more people, and the eunuch just happens to be recruiting another batch. Biaoer, do you have enough people? Do you need maids?"

After three meals, Zhu Biaotian was finally full: "It's enough, if it's not enough, I'll let Wei Zhongde choose it, don't worry about it, I don't have anything to wait for."

Knowing his habit, Ma Xiuying didn't insist, bent down and took out the account book and abacus from the drawer, picked up the candle wick, and started to calculate with a frown.

"..." Zhu Yuanzhang subconsciously slowed down his breathing, and curled his lips towards Zhu Biao in the direction of the door. Zhu Biao understood, and the father and son stood up with the bowls together, and quietly went to the courtyard one after the other.

Huang Xi and Wei Zhongde stood outside, sticking very close to each other, not knowing what they were talking about, making gestures from time to time, and trotting over when they saw this, and took the empty bowls and half-eaten pickles in their hands.

"Don't throw it away, let's eat it tomorrow." Zhu Yuanzhang ordered.

Huang Xi bowed his head immediately: "This servant knows."

"Take these to the kitchen, and don't come to me tonight." Zhu Biao said to Wei Zhongde, "What are you supposed to do these days, go to the internal officials' prison more often, and keep an eye on the things in the Hall of Spring Harmony, Buy some durable tables, chairs and screens, whether it looks good or not is the second."

"Yes, servant girl understands."

As soon as Zhu Biao turned his head, Zhu Yuanzhang had already walked under a pine tree, facing him with his hands behind his back, and beckoned when he saw him looking over.

"We can't sleep, are you okay, if there's nothing, let's chat with you."

"Of course it's fine, we can chat for as long as you want." Zhu Biao said, "But Dad, you still need to go to bed early. You work so hard every day, why can't you fall asleep? Have you called the doctor to see it?"

"Let's talk about it, people don't sleep much when they are old, no matter how late they sleep, they will wake up at dawn." Zhu Yuanzhang turned around, Zhu Biao followed behind him, Huang Xi was lighting a lantern at the side, and the stones in the palace were small. On the road, there was no one else except the three of them at this time.

The figures of the palace people walking on the road are vaguely like many shadows, flashing through the gaps between the leaves and pavilions, separated from them by the curtain, so in a trance, as if they are two worlds.

The surrounding is very quiet, only the bugs are calling.

The candlelight in the palace lantern swayed slightly, and the light and shadow danced brightly and secretly on the ground.

Daming belongs to the virtue of fire, and the dragon robes are mostly red. Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang's back, and he seemed to be a flame that was about to burn through the world. Except for a few relatives who cared, no one could escape the burning.

"We have been delaying the canonization ceremony of civil and military officials, because we want to let them learn a lot in the Forbidden City." Zhu Yuanzhang spoke suddenly, breaking the quiet and deep atmosphere, and said slowly, "We are thinking about it, and Feng Ba A male, 28 princes, and two uncles, Biaoer, who do you think are there?"

Zhu Biao thought for a while: "Li Shanchang must be the only one who is a civil servant."

"Yes, it is indeed our standard."

"The rest of the princes should be military generals." Zhu Biao said, "Uncle Xu is sure, and the rest... probably are generals Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, Deng Yu, and Feng Sheng."

"Good guess!" Zhu Yuanzhang said with satisfaction, "Just after the founding of the country, it is enough to seal these people. Bei Yuan still has power in Saibei. Hang carrots in front."

"I don't know who the two uncles are?"

"Wang Guangyang and Liu Ji."

Sure enough, this day is finally coming.

Unable to tell what was going on in his heart, Zhu Biao fell silent, choked up a lot of things to say, but couldn't even utter a sigh, he was in a mess, and couldn't grasp the beginning of the topic.

For thousands of years, Zhu Biao is the only special case. Except for his demon-suppressing division, monks who work for the court cannot be tolerated anywhere.

Liu Ji used to be a military advisor in name only, and never really joined Zhu Yuanzhang's interest group, so he was able to retain his mana with secret methods. Once the emperor's reward was issued, no matter how magical the magic was, he could not hide it from the heavens. It will disappear into nothingness, clean, and everything in the past is like a dream.

"...Do you feel distressed?"

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't hear Zhu Biao's answer, so he asked softly.

Huang Xi's head had almost dropped to the ground when they talked about entrusting the throne, and now hearing such a father-son conversation, he even held his breath, wishing he could pretend to be a dead person.

"This is Mr. Liu's choice, and I have no reason to be distressed." Zhu Biao sighed, "If you want to fulfill your ambition, you have never been able to stand on the sidelines. It's time for him to come down from the sky."

"Father started from Huaixi, and most of the generals who followed him were from Huaixi, even Li Shanchang was no exception. With such a huge group, apart from the literati from Eastern Zhejiang, who else can compete?"

"There have been rumors outside that Zhuge Liang is one-third of the world, and Liu Bowen dominates the country. Although these rumors were spread by the nobles of Huaixi for the sake of killing, Liu Bowen has already been stirred into the muddy water."

Zhu Biao continued: "He is an example of literati in eastern Zhejiang. If you want to balance the court situation, you must and can only stand up and be the leader."

"Biao'er." Zhu Yuanzhang stopped, turned back, and took Zhu Biao's hand to make him stand beside him.

Huang Xi seemed to be relieved of a heavy burden, and quickly moved to the back with a lamp, trying to reduce the sound of footsteps.

"We haven't told you what's on our mind." Zhu Yuanzhang said, "But you know, it's because we trust you. You have been sensible since you were young, so you don't need to worry about it. Dad believes that you can understand everything."

"You and Liu Bowen are close. We didn't say anything. He can indeed teach you a lot of knowledge that your father doesn't understand. You made friends with Han Liner, but we didn't say anything. We know that you are soft-hearted and can't be pitiful. You and Zhu Wenzheng If we don't deal with it, we have nothing to say, because he doesn't know how to measure himself, and he can't persuade him with good words."

"Here, some are your faults, some are others' faults, and some others can't be blamed by anyone, and it's useless to blame anyone." He continued, "We know that you went to see King Xiaoming, the guards and us Having said that, on the second half of the way back from Fengyang, they didn't see Shizi get off the car."

Zhu Biao saw the cold water and reeds of last winter, and he interrupted Zhu Yuanzhang: "Father, are you comforting me?"

"Bad, almost." Zhu Yuanzhang was caught off guard by the question, but later admitted it with a bit of cowardice, "You are our eldest son, once you were born, half of our heart was divided into you, and the other half is in Your mother is hanging there, how can we not care about you if you tell me?"

Zhu Biao smiled: "I'm not as stingy as my father, but even though I gave some away, I've got it back now."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes softened in the night, and Huang Xi's lamp could not shine on him. In the vast darkness, the emperor in charge of the country finally showed the feelings of ordinary people, relying on no one to find out.

"Actually, at that time, my son almost couldn't hold back, almost just a little bit, maybe I will let my father down." Zhu Biao said, "But when King Xiao Ming was dying, he said something that made me change my mind. .”

"What did he say?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked curiously.

"He said that if he had the chance to do it all over again, he would definitely kill his father, and let me also taste what it's like not to have my father as a backer."

"It's just human nature." Zhu Yuanzhang was not surprised, "It is said in the sages' books that people are dying, and their words are good. It is really naive and naive. A scholar can see it."

"I think so too." Zhu Biao looked at the long and short shadows on the ground, "If Han Liner is saved, how can I guarantee that he will be safe forever?"

"Biaoer." Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Remember, no matter what happens, we and you can't make mistakes. The meaning of this sentence is not only that we two have to think about it step by step, but also that there is no wrong father in the world. No one can make us bow our heads. Once we bow our heads, the world will be in chaos."

"Yes, my son has remembered."

"To be an emperor, you need to know how to employ people." Zhu Yuanzhang said, "If you use the right people, things will be solved. There will be no real loyal ministers in the court, and there will be no real honest officials. Greed or not, loyal or not, they said it themselves No, sometimes we say it doesn’t count. You just need to pull a rope around their necks, drive them to move, fight, see the situation clearly, when the time comes, tighten the rope, strangle or faint, the emperor said It counts."

"We talked with Liu Ji. He wanted the position of Yushi Zhongcheng, and we gave it to him. He didn't ask for a title, so let's give him an uncle, as compensation. No one can say what will happen in the future..." Old Zhu stretched out his hand and touched the top of Xiao Zhu's head, "You and him are both teachers and friends. If you have any requirements, please mention them to us now. You will not be allowed in the future. When Huaixi and Zhedong fight, the prince must not Stand in line."

The stars in the sky were far away, and the lamps in the study were lit by the eunuchs, pulling away the shadows.

"Give me another grace." Zhu Biao said, "Liu Bowen's hometown is Qingtian County, and I ask my father to issue a decree that Qingtian County will never add a tax."