Even Zhu Su, who came from later generations, had heard about Shen Rong's father Shen Wansan.
In later generations, there is a story that Shen Wansan and Zhu Yuanzhang built the Jinling city wall together, and were later sent to Yunnan for offending Zhu Yuanzhang. However, in fact, Shen Wansan had never seen Zhu Yuanzhang in his life.
In fact, he did not live until the establishment of the Ming Dynasty.
The current head of the Shen family, Shen Rong, is already in his twilight years, with his temples full of frost and white. Shen Wansan, who struck Zhu Su as a thunderbolt, has been dead for many years. The most widely circulated story of the Shen family in later generations: the construction of the Jinling city wall, which aroused Zhu Yuanzhang's fear, is also completely false. Shen Rong, together with his younger brother Shen Wang, contracted some small projects for the Ming Dynasty and built some pavilions. At best, he was just a small contractor.
Moreover, Lao Zhu took great care of the Shen family at first. After all, Shen Rong's father, Shen Wansan, had a very similar career path to Lao Zhu: they were both born into poor tenant farmers. By chance, they were recruited by Jiangnan tycoon Lu Daoyuan as their son-in-law. They managed finances well and eventually became a wealthy businessman.
Moreover, the Shen brothers were rewarded by Lao Zhu with several minor officials because of their interest.
But the ending of the Shen family being sent to Yunnan is true. The reason is not because Lao Zhu was jealous of the Shen family's wealth. The talented and powerful founding emperor was jealous of a mere businessman. Only the Qing Dynasty had the nerve to put this kind of clumsy story into practice. mouth. The main reason why the Shen family was assigned was because Shen Rong's younger brother Shen Wang had a son-in-law named Gu Xuewen.
There is actually nothing wrong with this Gu Xuewen, but he has a friend named Wang Xing.
Wang Xing had a wide range of friends, and Gu Xuewen, the merchant's son-in-law, was originally just one of them who was insignificant. In later generations, people like Wang Xing are called well-connected, which means there are only advantages and no disadvantages. However, it was very fatal in the Ming Dynasty. This Wang Xing had a very close friend: the future general with the most outstanding military achievements in the Ming Dynasty, Lan Yu, the Duke of Liang who was worshiped as the Crown Prince and Tutor!
In the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu, the Lan Yu case occurred. Because of this supposedly insignificant relationship, the Shen family was involved in the abyss of the Lan Yu case, and has been completely lost in the long river of history since then.
This shows that the status of merchants in the early Ming Dynasty was low. Without power as a backer, no matter how much money you have, it is just a castle in the air that can collapse at any time!
"Father." Behind the hall, a young man walked into the room with a sad face. Shen Rong was furious when he saw him: "Sen'er, why haven't you left yet? You want to make your father angry to death!"
"When King Wu's troops surround the mansion, it will be difficult to fly even with wings!"
"How can a child abandon his father and survive in the world?" Shen Rong's son, Shen Sen, plopped down on his knees in the rain, and a flash of lightning reflected a look of sadness on his face. "The Shen family still has the second uncle's lineage to continue the incense, and my son is only willing to die with his father!"
"You, you, you, alas!" Shen Rong pointed with trembling fingers at his beloved son whom he only got when he was old. He wanted to scold him but his words turned into a long sigh. "That's all... Sen'er, come here and take shelter from the rain."
"Yes." Shen Sen didn't know whether it was rain or tears on his face. He sniffed, stood up slowly and stood behind his father as usual. Shen Rong looked at his son who looked indifferent, then looked at the old housekeeper beside him, and said with emotion: "Afu, you are still loyal."
"Yesterday, I burned the personal deeds of the house and let everyone in the house run for their lives. Unexpectedly, these seemingly loyal servants in the past were turned into beasts and beasts in an instant. They also took away all the belongings of my Shen family."
"Hey, people's hearts are not as old as they used to be. People say that a loyal minister is judged by his integrity, but you, Ah Fu, are the most loyal..."
"Forget it, just follow me, father and son, and die together."
As he spoke, he straightened his sleeves and tried his best to sit upright on the last huanghuali chair.
"Master..." Ah Fu bit his lip, as if he was making up his mind.
"Afu..."
The old servant's call made Shen Rong's eyes blurry with tears. Thousands of words came to my mind, and I had to close my eyes to hold back the tears.
"Sir, Ah Fu's surname is not Shen. I'm sure Prince Wu won't blame me."
"Afu has served you for so many years. Is it not too much to reward me with this chair under your butt?"
"Uh-huh?"
Shen Rong opened his eyes in shock. The butler Ah Fu actually took away the valuable huanghuali chair and threw his former master, Mr. Shen, to his knees.
Then, under the shocked gazes of the father and son, he put the extremely heavy chair on his head to protect him from the rain, and left in a hurry!
"This! This naughty slave!" Shen Sen was trembling with anger. The Shen family has treated these servants kindly for decades, but when disaster strikes, no one is willing to die with the Shen family!
"Come on. The fact that he left now shows his loyalty." Shen Rong stood up with the help of his son. "After all, he is bound by a personal contract. Everyone in the world is here for profit, and the unprofitable personal contract has been destroyed by me. Naturally, he should cherish his own life. Alas!"
Although he spoke openly, he couldn't help feeling miserable in his heart, shaking his head and sighing.
…
It rained heavily, but it was determined not to wet our Prince Wu, Zhu Su. Zhu Su led Wu Wangwei's armored men into the city with a high profile. The guards had been training for a long time, and their steps were neat and orderly. Zhu Su also nailed thick leather on the soles of their boots. When they stepped on the ground, they made a loud sound, and they were like javelins in the rain. Generally upright. . The momentum of more than 20 people is not much greater than that of hundreds of people. Have the common people ever seen such an army? Naturally, they thought they were elite soldiers with murderous intent. They would definitely see blood when they entered the city.
The Shen family is finished!
Zhu Su was hiding in the sedan and didn't know that the few guards he brought with him had stirred up rumors all over Yingtian City, and even attracted many censors who were gearing up to use his face to improve their official reputation. It wasn't until the carriage arrived in front of Shen's house that he and Li Jinglong, who came with him, opened the curtain. As soon as I opened it, I saw the Shen family that looked like a ruined wall, and I couldn't help but be startled.
"Jiujiang, this is the Shen family of the richest man in Yingtian? Why does it look like it has been robbed?"
"No...that's right, this is indeed the Shen family. How did it become like this?"
The uncle and nephew got off the carriage and saw that one of the original grand doors had been removed. There was no one in the concierge, not to mention chairs, not even a bench. When I walked in, I saw that even the brass nails on the door had been dug out by someone with a knife.
This is obviously a run-down house that no one lives in.
"Could it be true that we went to the wrong place?" Li Jinglong also began to feel unconfident.
He looked around blankly and saw an old man with disheveled hair and a soaked young man sitting on the steps in front of the front hall. His eyes suddenly lit up: "Uncle Fifth, there seems to be an old man who looks after the home and the nursing home there. My silly son is sitting here. My nephew will go over and ask."
After that, he held an umbrella and walked carefully in front of the two people with two guards.
"Old man, is this the home of the richest man in Yingtian, Mr. Shen Rong?"
(End of chapter)
