After Ma Zhongliang was dismissed, Zhu Yuanzhang seriously considered returning to Fengyang's ancestral land.
"This time when I return to my ancestral homeland, I have to take Wen'er with me."
He thought again: "Forget it, take Xi'er with you. If Xi'er is old, just bring her with you. Forget it if Xi'er is still too young."
Thinking about the scene of his grandfather and grandson traveling together, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but smile, and his eyes were filled with rare warmth.
Suddenly remembering something, Zhu Yuanzhang rummaged through a pile of memorials and finally found a memorial from Fengyang County.
But when he opened it, he couldn't help but frown deeply: "Are the people of the ancestral land really living in such hardship? What does the county magistrate do for food? He is like a wine bag and rice bag. He really deserves to be killed!"
If Su Jin had known that Zhu Yuanzhang actually had murderous intentions after seeing his "crying for poverty" memorial, I wonder if he would have fainted in the toilet from crying.
However, Zhu Yuanzhang obviously didn't care too much about Su Jin. Whether or not to kill a mere Fengyang county magistrate was just a matter of words to him. What he was worried about was the life of the people of Fengyang.
A few years ago, in order to benefit Fengyang, he almost didn't move the capital to Fengyang. If it hadn't been for the advice of the officials and Liu Ji's letter, Zhu Yuanzhang would have really planned to move the capital and turn Fengyang into the capital.
Although the matter of moving the capital was abandoned, he still spared no effort in Fengyang, not to mention financial and material resources. He forced the people to move to Fengyang, reduced taxes, improved water conservancy, and designated Fengyang as the central capital.
But who would have thought that as these years passed, Fengyang not only did not get better, but instead became worse and worse?
It must be the inaction of those officials!
Zhu Yuanzhang decided to go back this time and take this opportunity to take a closer look at what was going on. Are the officials there doing nothing?
If you find someone being greedy or neglecting their duties, don't blame yourself for being cruel.
"Hmph, if we find out, no one can escape!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was a very decisive person. After settling the matters in the palace early the next morning, he left the capital incognito with Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yunxi, Zhu Yunxi, and Jiangdu Princess Zhu Lingxuan.
The sound of cars was clear.
On the post road from Nanjing to Fengyang Mansion, a carriage was driving slowly north.
Going out for the first time, the four children in the car could not hide their curiosity about the outside world. From time to time, they would stick their heads out of the car window and look at the scenery outside the window.
In June in the south, the sun was blazing and the heat was sweltering. It was especially sultry inside the carriage. Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and wiped the sweat while looking at the memorial in his hand.
Zhu Yunwen waited on the side carefully. Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang's expression, he couldn't help but ask: "Grandpa Huang, what's wrong with you?"
Zhu Yuanzhang showed a loving look on his face, gently stroked his head, sighed and said: "Looking at these memorials, I feel a little uncomfortable. I didn't expect that it has been more than 20 years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. The lives of the people in Fengyang ancestral land have changed." It’s still so difficult.”
Zhu Yunwen thought for a while: "Grandpa Huang, my grandson thinks that the officials of Fengyang Mansion should be investigated strictly to see if they have failed to act."
"We have to check it out," Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly. Thinking of the memorial from the magistrate of Fengyang County, he felt particularly angry.
The carriage soon left Nanjing and entered Fengyang.
Zhu Yuanzhang was drowsy in the car, leaning against the carriage, but suddenly he felt something was wrong.
"parking!"
The driver was Zhou Ji, the son of Zhou Dexing, Zuocheng of Huguang Province, and a person whom Zhu Yuanzhang trusted more. This time he traveled incognito and pretended to be a coachman, but he was actually a bodyguard.
Hearing this, Zhou Ji hurriedly stopped the carriage, jumped out of the carriage respectfully and slowly opened the curtain: "Your Majesty."
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced around, and sure enough, there was a wide and straight road in front of him. He didn't know what it was made of.
Zhu Yuanzhang just felt something was wrong, because after coming out of Nanjing and taking the post road, it had been bumpy and bumpy, but now it was so flat and comfortable that he wanted to sleep?
"What's going on with this road?"
Zhou Ji didn't know either.
This road suddenly became easier to walk. He had just lamented that Fengyang County was worthy of being his ancestral land, and the roads were better built than elsewhere.
Now when the emperor asked, Zhou Ji had no choice but to say: "I will go find some common people and ask."
"No need." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the golden fields on both sides of the road, and his mood suddenly became better:
"We're tired from sitting in the car, so we just want to take a walk."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang got out of the car. With his hands behind his back, he looked at the fields that were about to have a good harvest with relief and wondered:
"Isn't it said in the memorial that 'the soil is exhausted, its vitality is depleting, natural disasters are prevalent, and personnel changes frequently'? Why does it look like a harvest scene everywhere you look?"
I couldn't help but curse in my heart, this county magistrate must never come out to disappoint the public opinion, he must be a stupid official, a corrupt official, a lazy official, and a mediocre official!
Behind Zhu Yuanzhang, several children also jumped out of the carriage.
Zhu Yunwen, who is fifteen years old, has already matured mentally. At this moment, he is skillfully holding a folding fan and following Zhu Yuanzhang to fan him to drive away the sweltering heat of the summer.
As for the fourteen-year-old Zhu Yunxi, although he wanted to step forward to fulfill his filial piety, he saw that his second brother had already taken the lead, so he could only follow behind him.
Zhu Yunzhen was only seven years old, so he didn't think much. He jumped out of the car happily, shouted "Grandpa Huang, wait for me", and chased after him.
Zhu Yuanzhang's face was serious: "Zi'er, I've told you several times that we are incognito when we go out. After we go out, we can only call me Grandpa, not Grandpa Huang!"
Zhu Yunxuan made a face: "I know, Emperor, no, Grandpa!"
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at the carriage parked on the side of the road: "Why doesn't Xuan'er get out of the car?"
A charming female voice came from inside the car: "My child is a woman, so I dare not get out of the car for the sake of etiquette."
"Fart etiquette!"
Zhu Yuanzhang rolled his eyes disdainfully: "We are the greatest etiquette here. What are you doing in the car when it's so stuffy? Get out of the car and get some fresh air."
"Yes, grandpa."
Zhou Ji quickly stepped forward and served him carefully.
This time when he went out, his majesty named him as his escort, not even a few guards in royal robes. This is enough to show his trust in his father and son, but he must do his best to win his majesty's favor.
Zhu Lingxuan, the princess of Jiangdu, moved lightly and slowly got out of the car on the horse stool prepared by Zhou Ji, revealing a face that would captivate a country.
Although she was only fourteen years old at this time, and many areas had not yet fully grown, her skin as white as snow and her face like a jade carving showed that she was a complete beauty.
After Zhu Lingxuan got out of the car, she looked around at the surrounding environment, with a curious expression in her autumn-like eyes.
I wanted to talk to Grandpa Huang, but I found that Zhu Yuanzhang had already taken Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Yunxi down to the fields, chatting enthusiastically with the farmers.
Zhu Yunzhen felt bored, so he threw off his arms and ran around in the field, having a great time.
Zhu Lingxuan wanted to continue thinking about it, but after taking a look at the group of people in the field, she immediately gave up the idea. She told Zhu Yunxuan not to trample on the farmland, and quietly stood aside to enjoy the scenery.
At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the farmers in front of him with a frightened expression, and he was so anxious that he even uttered words from his hometown:
"What are you talking about!? This road was built by Fengyang County Magistrate?"
