Outside the south gate of Zhongdu.
Deputy Qianhu Wang Changshun shouted: "Hurry up, hurry up! Anyone who dares to be lazy will be beaten to death! You can't afford to delay the progress of the city wall!"
Zhang Gu from a hundred households came running over, pointed at the figures appearing on the official road and said, "There are several common people running here."
Wang Changshun's eyes lit up, he held the whip and walked to the roadside to take a look. No, there were several civilians coming to the roadside. Although their clothes were clean, they were still poor people, so there was no mistaking them.
"Come here, surround me!"
Wang Changshun waved his hand, and more than twenty sergeants swarmed forward and surrounded Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhang Huan, Zheng Bo and other five people.
Just when Zhang Huan was about to make a move, Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head slightly, then looked at Wang Changshun who was approaching, glanced at his clothes, and asked with a gloomy face: "What does this Qianhu mean by asking the sergeants to surround us?"
Wang Changshun frowned: "Looking at how rustic you are, you actually have some knowledge. Don't you know that this is Zhongdu City? I suspect that you are peeking into Zhongdu Imperial City with evil intentions. Catch them all. Yun San Let’s talk about the new year’s stone!”
"Who dares!"
Zhu Yuanzhang shouted angrily.
The emperor's anger was no ordinary man's. These soldiers were also intimidated by the fierce aura and did not dare to take action.
Zhu Yuanzhang was furious: "As a Qianhu, you are responsible for supervising the progress of the project and urging the craftsmen and people to work hard. Who gave you the courage to seize the people privately and enslave them at will?"
Wang Changshun was disobeyed and felt his face was dull. He stepped forward and said, "You have evil intentions and peek into the imperial city. So what if I arrest you and leave you today? How dare you resist..."
With that said, Wang Changshun raised his hand and struck Zhu Yuanzhang!
Bang!
Wang Changshun flew backwards and rolled several times on the ground before he stopped. He was left with twitches and could not even sit up.
Baihu Zhanggu was shocked when he saw this. He looked at the ugly middle-aged man and saw a big, round-waisted man withdrew his leg. With this leg, he directly kicked Fuqianhu seven or eight steps away!
"Mob, mob! Give me—"
Just when Zhang Gu was about to speak, he saw a waist tag with a few words written on it. Although he didn't recognize it, it was obvious that this thing was not something ordinary people could take out.
"What kind of badge is this?"
Zhang Gu asked the scribe on the side.
The clerk's face was pale and his hands and feet were trembling as he said, "Dear, dear... dear to the Army Commander's Mansion!"
"ah?"
Zhang Gu's expression changed drastically, and the sergeant became even more frightened.
The pro-military Duwei Mansion is the emperor's ceremonial guard. Except for arresting people on orders, it is generally impossible to leave the emperor and leave the Jinling territory.
Zhang Gu looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, and saw that this face was different from ordinary people, and it had a depressing sense of majesty. He thought about what Zhu Fu, the commander of the Zhongxing Governor's Mansion, had said. He bent his legs and directly Kneel down.
Zhu Yuanzhang had a cold face and asked in a deep voice: "Where is Ding Yu?"
Ding Yu?
Zhang Gu wanted to die.
Ding Yu was involved in politics as Zhongshu, but at the same time he was also responsible for the affairs of the Governor's Office. Sometimes he lived in Jinling, assisting in the book affairs of Zhongdu, and was Hu Weiyong's right-hand man. Sometimes he lived in Zhongdu, managing the military affairs of Zhongdu.
Since Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Zhongshu Province to add generals and ministers, Zhongshu had more men and women, so Ding Yu returned to Zhongdu. A person who directly addresses the affairs of the government by his name must not be an ordinary person, not to mention that he is protected by people from the pro-military Captain's Mansion!
Needless to say, he must be the emperor of Ming Dynasty!
Damn it, why didn’t any news come from within the imperial court? This didn’t catch everyone off guard!
Zhang Gu did not dare to neglect and quickly led the way. As for Wang Changshun who could not get up, no one dared to help him.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the city wall. The city wall was being cast. Countless soldiers and civilians were working densely like ants, and they were still like ants, so humble that they could die at any time.
But these ants are the people of the Ming Dynasty and the foundation of the Ming Dynasty!
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't say anything. After entering the city from Hongwu Gate, not far away, you can see large mansions, which will be used as rewards to princes and ministers in the future.
Further north, there are a group of government offices, and then Chengtianmen. After Chengtian Gate is the Zhongdu Palace.
It's just that Ding Yu doesn't live in the palace, but in the southeast outside the palace.
Zhongxing went to the Governor's Mansion.
Ding Yu was looking through the roster with a worried look on his face.
The number of craftsmen's losses is increasing. If this continues, the craftsmen may stop working before the imperial city is completely built. The common people are also used to the extreme, and if they are not careful, a big disaster may occur.
Fengyang is like dry firewood, all it needs is a fire.
No one knows which event will ignite the fire.
Ding Yu knew that if something happened to Zhongdu, not to mention how many people would die, his head would certainly not be saved. It is necessary to write a letter to the court, saying that the people have worked hard for a long time, and the craftsmen have been exhausted from years of work. In addition, during the mulberry season, the ground temperature will be hot, and the construction of Zhongdu will be suspended for three months.
Before writing a few lines in the document, Ding Yu saw a familiar face appear in front of her. She thought she was hallucinating. It wasn't until Zhu Fu knelt down and shouted "Long Live" that Ding Yu realized and hurriedly ran out and knelt down.
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly and walked towards the table with an ugly face: "I will hand over the capital to you, and you keep trying to reassure me. Some time ago, the prince came to Zhongdu and found that the people were suffering, the soldiers were suffering, and the craftsmen were suffering. I still don't believe it. Now that I have arrived incognito, I find that what the prince said was a pleasant one! Ding Yu, you are unworthy of the great trust I have placed in you!"
Ding Yu became nervous. When he saw Zhu Yuanzhang, he obviously saw the truth about Zhongdu. In this case, he simply said bluntly: "Your Majesty, the construction of Zhongdu is a state matter. The governor of Zhongdu does not dare to delay it. Fortunately, the general is a little impatient. , a little harsher, but after all, I am serving the imperial court, loyal and loyal to His Majesty."
"Oh, what a loyal person!"
Zhu Yuanzhang sat down, slammed the table with his big hand, and said sternly: "You plan to exhaust and starve all the people in Fengyang to death. Is this what you call loyalty? The people are my parents, and you and others are the parents of food and clothing. , How can you be called loyal when you are so overbearing and enslaving?"
Domineering, enslaving?
Ding Yu glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang and lowered his head, saying that we are overbearing, but you might as well say it yourself. If you hadn't insisted on building the Zhongdu City, how could there have been so many things? If you hadn't ordered to recruit so many people, how could there have been so many things? The slavery thing?
In the past few years, Zhongdu has carried out large-scale construction projects and enslaved no less than a million people. Is this something that officials like us can do?
No, everything is you!
We are just doing things for you and obeying your arrangements.
Ding Yu didn't dare to speak directly out of his heart, otherwise Lao Zhu would probably dig out his heart in a rage. When he was angry and lost his mind, he could do anything.
Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang was still angry, Ding Yu gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty, I have something to say, I don't know whether to say it or not."
"speak!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said quietly.
Ding Yu knew that this was not a good opportunity to speak, but he also understood that if he didn't say anything now, it would be even harder for him to have the opportunity later, so he said cruelly: "Your Majesty, I thought that although Zhongdu is the place where dragons rise, but dragons soar into the sky and lie down. Jinling should not be moved lightly. Moreover, there are frequent famines here, and countless people can only rely on the court's disaster relief to survive. If it becomes the imperial capital, the court will not only have to support officials and troops, but also countless people."
"Since ancient times, all the people have supported the imperial court and paid taxes to the granaries. Only when the people are in distress and famine, granaries have been opened to provide relief. There has never been a day and year when the people did not plow in the wilds, did not work in the fields, and sucked the blood of the imperial court. There was no harvest in summer, There is no harvest in autumn, sorrow in spring, and loss in winter. I believe that the land of Zhongdu is not enough to support the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty for thousands of years!"
Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Ding Yu: "Why didn't you say these words in Jinling?"
Ding Yu shook his head bitterly: "Your Majesty has decreed that it is hard to disobey the emperor's order. If we give advice and advise, your Majesty will definitely regard us as unsubordinate ministers, and our loyal words will be hard to hear. Now your Majesty is visiting incognito, and wants to come and talk to you. We all know a lot, but if you still don’t say anything at this time, I will feel uneasy.”
Zhu Yuanzhang was silent.
Regarding the construction of Zhongdu, I have indeed ignored many objections. For example, Liu Ji once bluntly stated that Fengyang would never be feasible as the country's capital.
But there are also many voices supporting Fengyang as the capital, such as the Duke Xungui who was born in Huaixi.
"Go and send a message to Mr. Han and ask him to accompany me to the palace."
Zhu Yuanzhang did not blame Ding Yu and others. He stood up and walked to the side hall. Zheng Bo and others took out their accompanying clothes.
In less than half an hour, Zhu Yuanzhang changed into his dragon robe and stood outside Chengtian Gate. The door was already open.
A carriage stopped not far away. A slender old man with a haggard face stepped out of the carriage. After seeing Zhu Yuanzhang, he trotted over and saluted: "Your Majesty, Li Shanchang, pays homage to your Majesty."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Li Shanchang. His face was no longer as rosy as before, and wrinkles began to appear on his face. Although he could still walk, he was finally starting to show his age.
In his sixties, his beard has turned white.
"Korean Mr., are you okay?"
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand and motioned for Li Shanchang to stand up.
Li Shanchang lowered his hands and replied humbly: "Your Majesty, please ask. I am in good health. I have been reading until the third watch recently and I don't feel sleepy or tired."
Zhu Yuanzhang understood the hidden meaning in Li Shanchang's words. Lian Po was old and used his ability to eat to prove that he still had the strength to fight. Li Shan was old and used his ability to stay up late to prove that he could return to Zhongshu.
"Very good, come with me to this palace to have a good look."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked solemn.
Li Shanchang secretly sighed. It seemed that even if he returned to Jinling, he would not be able to return to Zhongshu to take charge.
Zhu Yuanzhang stepped into the imperial city of Zhongdu.
Majestic, magnificent.
Exquisite and luxurious!
This is the Imperial City of Zhongdu.
Whether it is floor tiles, stone railings, walking bridges or pillars, they all demonstrate superb carving skills.
Compared with the imperial palace in Jinling, the Zhongdu Imperial Palace is obviously much larger.
The Fengtian Temple in front of you is exquisitely carved, majestic and majestic.
Stepping into the Fengtian Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but feel a chill. The smooth and shining gold bricks were under his feet. Thick pillars supported the entire hall. The dragon chair symbolizing the Nine-Fifth Emperor was not placed on it. There was only one The simple wooden dragon chair is temporarily replaced.
Zhu Yuanzhang walked towards the dragon chair. Suddenly, he heard the sound of weapons clashing in his ears. He couldn't help but turned around and saw the sergeant standing there in the dark. No one had his sword unsheathed. The sound in his ears could not be seen. The ghosts are at war...
