Daming prepares the emperor

"It's about a half of it, and I've recruited some people. When it stabilizes and we're not busy, I'll take you there to have a look."

After Zhu Yuanzhang finished this sentence, he added: "From now on, that place will be under your control."

"Really?" Zhu Biao excitedly said, "Father, I take care of everything, does it mean I take care of everything? Everyone and everything? And that territory?"

"Ah."

But he quickly thought of something wrong and suppressed his excitement: "Two different paths, those Taoist monks you recruited have entered the officialdom, can they still practice?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced sideways at Xiao Zhu, "Aren't you special? Even our son can practice. Put this department under your name and seal them as officials, and nothing will happen."

"Huh? That's okay too?"

"Why not?" Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Since ancient times, monsters have been a scourge. Why didn't the emperor take the initiative to solve them? Do you think they are not capable enough?"

Thinking of Emperor Qin, Han Wu, and the ruthless people of all dynasties, Zhu Biao shook his head. Their abilities must be enough. Although Zhu Biao is an old Zhu Chuan, he is not so confident that he thinks that no one is as capable as his father.

"Ability is enough, there are talents, and the people are obedient, why can't they do it? It's because it's too difficult to manage without the officialdom! People's cultivation is contrary, and officials can't manage them. There is no contact and there is no systematic way to let them manage themselves. How can you do it yourself?"

Comrade Zhu is right.For a long time, the imperial court has always had the idea of ​​managing Taoist and Buddhist monks, as well as the idea of ​​recruiting witches, wizards, and priests, but because of the contradiction between the two ways, they have not been able to find a feasible method.

If they want to manage people, they must have contact.For example, if there is an accident in the south, the monks are asked to go to the south to solve it, but why should they listen to you?Are you someone's superior?Do you have evidence?No?

Who are you fooling!

But if you get evidence, doesn't it mean that it has a level.I listen to you because you can control me, and your officials are bigger than me—hey, look, there are "officials" in it!

If you have the luck of humanity, it won't work!In the future, it will be difficult to improve your cultivation base!Not only can you not enter, but you may also return to your original shape!

But people are alive, and some temporary systems have been released.The court and monks will make deals at certain times.Monks need gold, silver, and medicinal herbs for alchemy, and food for those who don’t have bigu. There are also some priests who are greedy for the mortal world to understand the world of mortals, and they also have to deal with the common people.

Even Buddhists have to build temples and collect incense.

Except for a very small number of hermits, they will all take on the task of killing demons and eliminating demons in exchange for rewards.It's just that there has never been a particularly stable contact between the two. It's like the ruthless Party A and Party B. Occasionally they broke up, and there were times when they turned their faces, which was very unpleasant.

Moreover, the differences in information and the difficulties in communication always make it take a long time for the monsters to wreak havoc to be resolved, or simply let it go.

Such a rule of the Great Dao ensures that there will be no immortal emperors and thousand-year-old dynasties, avoiding unidentified dead emperors, and preventing practitioners from interfering with the normal operation of the world with their extraordinary abilities. Generally speaking, it is Very just.

But it is always ordinary people who suffer.

After the Yuan Dynasty took over the Central Plains, it adopted the four-class system, which made many monks of the Han nationality disdain to cooperate with them, and even expressed hatred, which caused the people of this generation to be especially miserable.

Zhu Biao understood a little bit: "Father, you mean that through my relationship, you can connect them with serious officialdom?"

"That's the way to say it." Zhu Yuanzhang smiled, with a strange light in his eyes, "Biaoer, you were born to do great things in the foundation we created! Don't worry, we will give you a solid foundation I!"

Zhu Biao didn't have time to think about this basic question now, so he quickly said: "Father, father, wait a minute. This matter must be a bit important. I don't understand anything."

"You are still young, you can slowly understand."

After saying this, he added another sentence: "But it can't be too slow."

"But, what, Dad, you're not afraid that I'll be exposed? Didn't you say you wanted to hide it from others? Didn't you want everyone to know that I'm special?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's decision was too fast, causing Zhu Biao's mind to become confused, and he could hardly follow logic when speaking.

"It's okay, we have already dumped the blame on Liu Bowen, and said that he has some secret method - isn't he able to be an official anyway?"

This is...but still a bit sloppy!

Comrade Zhu let out a breath through his nose, indicating that Xiao Zhu's worries were unfounded, and then he snatched all the peanuts in his hand and poured them into his mouth at a very fast speed, leaving only the peanuts floating in the air. The red leather coat of dried fruit falling slowly.

I think that Zhu Biao was held in the arms of Comrade Zhu back then, eating peanuts he peeled by himself, and sitting on Comrade Zhu's dragon legs.Now things are changing, Lao Zhu not only doesn't shell Xiao Zhu, but also grabs his already peeled peanuts to eat.

Is this the growing pains—

Zhu Biao couldn't help being a little melancholy, he was only a few years older, and if he was older, he might have to water and fertilize the vegetable garden opened by his father in the palace at that time.

Chen Xing cleans up the wasteland and filth, and returns with the moon lotus hoe... ①

Even though I think so, God still wants to continue talking.

Ma Xiuying had already gone out to ask someone to prepare hot water, and now there were only the two of them in the room.

It's not that she can't listen to some words, but Ma Xiuying and their father and son always have conflicting ideas. She is too lenient and generous. She always disapproves of Zhu Yuanzhang's harsh methods, and she is not willing to let him teach Zhu badly. mark.

Zhu Biao and Zhu Yuanzhang didn't want to be taught by her ears, so they had to take the opportunity of her going out to talk.

"father."

"What to do?" Comrade Zhu, who was drowsy, opened one eye.

"Father, what do you think of Mr. Liu?"

"Didn't you tell us last time——Mr. Liu knows everything about the past and the present, and is a proud man? Why, you have a different opinion again?"

"Yes, a little bit. No, it seems to be the same." Zhu Biao sat next to Zhu Yuanzhang, thinking about his words.

"Master Song is a very strict person. It's easy to understand. But Mr. Liu, he is polite and unrestrained. He can joke and use tricks, but it doesn't seem right to say that he is cynical."

"Liu Bowen is easy to understand." Zhu Yuanzhang said slowly, "He picked cabbages, and finally picked us."

"You can regard him as a traditional Confucian scholar." Comrade Zhu continued, and it could be seen that he was also choosing his words carefully, trying to say the most appropriate expression to his son, "He wants peace in the world, and he also wants peace in the world. To realize his ambition, he tried the Yuan court in the north, but it didn’t work, so he set his sights on the Red Scarf Army, and King Xiaoming was not successful, so he narrowed his target to us generals.”

"Ah."

Zhu Yuanzhang continued: "He finally decided to make a bet on you. You learned from him, but he didn't regard you as our son or the successor of our great cause. He only regarded you as an ordinary apprentice. During this period of time, it is estimated that I have made up my mind, and I want to put my hope on you."

Hearing this sentence, Zhu Biao couldn't tell what he felt. Of course he was very happy to be recognized by Liu Ji, but he had to feel awkward being judged as a commodity.

From Zhu Yuanzhang's point of view, Liu Ji seems to be an unscrupulous old fox who uses various means to achieve his goals.

But then Comrade Zhu dismissed his idea and said: "Liu Ji, you can put him anywhere, he won't fight, and he doesn't bother to grab. He only cares about whether he can realize his own ideas. , if this matter is meaningful and feasible, he is also willing to ask him to pick the dung."

Comrade Zhu continued: "He is very noble, it's true, but he doesn't look down on anyone, which is very rare."

Zhu Biao didn't speak.

Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to suddenly remember something, and suddenly said: "By the way, you were not there at that time."

"When will I be away?"

"A few days ago when we worshiped the chair." Zhu Yuanzhang's statement was very interesting, "Didn't that chair represent King Xiaoming? We called everyone to come, and everyone had to kowtow to it, but Liu Bowen just didn't kowtow."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled: "He said that Mu Shu'er, what to do with it. Did you hear that? He said that King Xiao Ming is Mu Shu."

Mu Shu means shepherd boy. When Liu Ji said this, he meant that he looked down on Xiao Ming Wang very much, regarded him as a young boy, and didn't bother to worship him at all.

But when he said this, it was easy to offend Zhu Yuanzhang, because Comrade Zhu was a cattle herder when he was a child.

Zhu Yuanzhang really said: "We are also from Mushu. To put it mildly, it is Mushu. In fact, your grandfather was a farmer, and we are also farmers. The cattle we herd are from the landlord's family. We don't have any cattle. After dinner, it’s not even as good as Mu Shu.”

"Sir probably didn't mean that."

"We know he doesn't. He can see our thoughts and what we want to do in the future, so he deliberately uses this kind of words to express his support."

"Under the public, some are not appropriate and too upright."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao and asked, "What do you think of such a courtier?"

"...It is suitable for use, but it will not be easy to use." Zhu Biao said, "But to be honest, if Mr. Liu works under me in the future, I'm afraid I can't bear to speak harshly to him."

Liu Bowen reminded Zhu Biao of any lofty and charming literati in history, such as Su Shi and Xin Qiji, or Du Fu and Zhuge Liang. He does have a tendency to double standards for people with such personalities and their talents.

Old Comrade Zhu is very double-standard, and Zhu Biao suspects that a large part of his thoughts are related to genetics.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled, then became very indifferent after laughing, and said: "Biaoer, you have to be ruthless and ruthless in life. You are not ruthless. Some people are more ruthless than you, and some people have no conscience. Dad can get to where he is today. One step, relying on..."

He originally wanted to tell Zhu Biao not to have any special feelings for Liu Ji, no matter who it is, don't be merciful if it is useless, but thinking of the suffering he has suffered in his life, he still shut up.

Anyway, I will always win this world, and Biao'er will be the king of the prosperous age, so it's better to be generous and benevolent.

Zhu Biao asked again: "Where is Li Shanchang? How is he?"

"Very smart." Zhu Yuanzhang only gave one word, and talked about another matter, "Biao'er, you are not too young, so how about it, from tomorrow on, when Dad discusses matters, I will give you a piece of paper." Curtain, you listen behind."

"Okay." Of course Zhu Biao has no objection, and it is indeed time for him to accept such training.

"You should also look at the paperwork that those people submitted. It's not a bad thing to learn first."

Zhu Biao should go down.

At this time, Ma Xiuying also came back, and Liu Chubai followed her, holding the small cloth bag in the study in her mouth, and as soon as she jumped in from the threshold, she put the bag in Zhu Biao's hand.

"What is this?" Ma Xiuying asked.

"It's for me, no, it's for Dad's military expenses."

"That mouse gave you this?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked curiously, "What kind of magic is used for such a small bag?"

Zhu Biao said, "It's probably the special supernatural power of rats."

Zhu Yuanzhang was straightforward: "Can you learn?"

"Father, this kind of supernatural powers and spells are the foundation of the Yaozu. People can't easily learn them, and even if they want to learn them, they won't be able to teach them."

"But we read that in the fairy tales, there are magic spells in the sleeves, so what's the matter, can't you hide a mouse in the sleeve?"

"That's not true, the sleeve is a magic weapon. A magic weapon is a magic weapon, which is different from a spell."

Zhu Biao is actually thinking about this issue himself, he also wants to learn these spells, his own uniqueness may bring about a turning point, but we will talk about these later.

With the mouth of the bag facing down, the gold and silver inside rushed out immediately, as if a floodgate was being opened to release a flood. Amid the sound of rolling and colliding, it dripped all over the ground, yellow and white, golden and brilliant.

Ma Xiuying picked up a string of pearl necklaces and took a closer look.

Comrade Zhu remained calm, and had made a mental note to leave it to Ma Xiuying.And if it weren't for his image in front of his son, the corners of his mouth would have flown out of the earth. So much gold and silver, whether it is exchanged for food or used to buy iron or copper, can withstand a long period of time. consumption of time.

Zhu Biao demonstrated the method of taking it back, and then handed over the small treasury he had just obtained, with a selfless appearance more like a warrior who wanted to die bravely.

After getting the benefits, Comrade Zhu turned his face. As the saying goes, his wife and children are hot on the kang. Now he only wants his wife and not his son, so he drove Zhu Biao out without any hesitation.

"Your mother boiled the bath water for you, and is ready to eat, go play by yourself, and then go to bed quickly."

With a bang, the door closed.

Looking at the suddenly closed door, Zhu Biao reacted for a long time before he said hello in a daze, and walked out the door silently with Liu Chubai.

The back is a bit bleak.

It was three poles in the sun before Zhu Biao got up.

He wasn't quite clear-headed yet, but he knew it was time to get up at this point.

Any later and you'll miss lunch.

Liu Chubai woke up at some point, and Zhu Biao saw it chasing snowflakes outside through the window.

It's snowing again, the snow like goose feathers is falling, and the ground seems to be covered with cotton.Xiaoliu is white, and it looks very soft when it rolls inside, like a donkey rolling in soybean flour.

A man suddenly walked in from the doorway of the courtyard. He was dressed in black and thin, even in the cold wind. He walked calmly and energetically, with a big scar on his face. It was Wu Ce.

Seeing that Zhu Biao got up, Wu Ce saluted from a distance, stood at the door shaking the snowflakes off his body, and then opened the door to come in.

"Young master." Wu Ce smiled, "Young master, the man the Marshal has found for you has arrived, where should he wait?"

Zhu Biao wondered, "Who?"

"Your people." Wu Ce smiled, "The talent that the commander found for you, who can deal with monsters and other things, is already waiting outside the mansion. Of course you can go out to meet him. It's okay to pass him in." questionable."

Zhu Biao nodded.

The person Zhu Yuanzhang was looking for was definitely not from Yingtianfu.If it was local, such talents would not be discovered only now.Now just a few days after the new year, according to the customs of the flower growers, it is the time for family reunion, and it is not easy to go far away. Besides, Comrade Zhu is not an unkind person, so he insists on people coming now.

——This may be an unaccompanied talent, and he is also a child of a poor family.

"I'm going to see him." Zhu Biao said.

Zhu Biao arranged Liu Chubai to go to Ma Xiuying's house, and then had lunch.

Wu Ce took Zhu Biao to a small courtyard, and then left. He still has a lot to do. Wherever Zhu Yuanzhang is, he will be there. The position is probably none other than him.

A few pine trees were planted scattered in the yard. Under the pine trees were several large tanks for water storage, which were all empty and filled with snow.There was a pile of waste wood outside the house, I don't know what it was used for, and there was some hay beside the wood, which seemed to have been turned over by someone, maybe it was used for a fire.

The overall appearance is quite dilapidated, and it seems that no one has lived in it for a long time.

There are still many such courtyards in Yingtian Mansion, most of which were the original landlords and officials in the city. After Zhu Yuanzhang entered the city, he killed a group of them, and they surrendered themselves, leaving a lot of space. Such a yard comes.

Common people can't afford to live in such houses, and for the time being, there are no wealthy businessmen to buy them, so they are vacated to accommodate others.

Zhu Biao walked in step by step, and finally saw a figure from behind in the main courtyard.

From the back, this person is neither strong nor thin. He is of medium build, squatting on the ground wrapped in a thick cotton coat, and his posture is very similar to that of a common unscrupulous student who squats on the steps and smokes.

He lit a fire in the middle of the yard, and roasted sweet potatoes in the ashes. The sweet and thick aroma filled the whole yard. This man ate it with great joy, as if he came from the other side of the world. Have not eaten for hundreds of years.

Zhu Biao didn't know how to address him for a while, so he didn't shout, and walked to him in a detour.

The sweet potato rind was thrown aside, the young man raised his head and saw Zhu Biao who was watching him, he knelt down quickly, but was choked by the dense sweet potato, he couldn't breathe, he beat his chest desperately.

After looking at his face, he found that this person was about seventeen or eighteen years old, not very old, he was very fair, with ordinary features, not like a child from a poor family, but more like a scholar who would be seduced by a female ghost in Liaozhai.

"Cough cough cough...Young master, my eldest grandson, cough cough, eldest grandson Wan, Wan Guan, I met you, son, cough cough——"

Zhu Biao had no choice but to give him a slap on the back to help him swallow the thing physically. After he calmed down, he asked, "What did you say was your name?"

The scholar calmed down and got up from the ground: "Changsun Wanguan."

"...Wan Guan?"

"That's right, the one with the million dollars." The young man's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly, "You don't know, my family used to be in business, maybe my grandfather is not clear-headed, and wants to give me a cheap name to prosper Blessing, it didn't get better at first, and told me to spend money."

The eldest grandson spends money.

The name chosen by the grandfather, said that the eldest grandson will spend money like water?

Then it won't go bankrupt.

The eldest grandson Wanguan really said: "Oh, I went bankrupt and caught up with famine and severe drought. The whole family, except me, starved to death. I swear, I will never underestimate money in this life, so I changed my name to Wanguan. One day I will be rich!"

Zhu Biao was silent for a while, patted him on the shoulder, and encouraged him: "Yes, good idea and ambition."

"Thank you, my lord, for complimenting me."

"Well, then tell me what skills you have. How many spells do you know? What kind of Taoism do you cultivate? How do you get started?"

The eldest grandson Wanguan was a little embarrassed: "My lord, I don't know all these things."

"...Then what do you do?"

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①From Tao Yuanming's "Returning to the Garden and Living in the Field"