The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1 begins with Old Zhu coming to recognize me as his son?!

In the eighth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, the autumn wind was bleak, and the clouds were light and the breeze gentle.

On the official road of Chenzhou, dust swirled as a caravan slowly made its way forward.

The carriage in the center of the procession, seemingly made of ordinary sandalwood, had curtains sewn with fine brocade, and the coiled dragon pattern embroidered in the corners was faintly visible in the sunlight, exuding an air of grandeur that ordinary wealthy merchants could hardly possess.

Inside the carriage, two people sat upright.

The leader was dressed in a long blue cloth robe, his face was dark, but he could not hide the majesty that emanated from his very bones.

He was in his early forties, with a broad forehead and several deep horizontal lines etched between his eyebrows.

His eyes, though not angry, exuded an imposing aura.

Beneath his high, straight nose, his lips were pressed tightly together, his jawline was sharp and defined, and a tuft of short beard adorned his chin.

At this moment, his eyes were slightly narrowed, revealing a rare hint of relaxation.

This man was none other than Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming emperor who was traveling incognito.

Sitting next to him was Liu Bowen, the Earl of Chengyi.

Liu Bowen wore a gray cloth robe, his beard and hair were already frosted white, his face was thin, and his eyes were full of shrewdness and composure.

He wasn't in good health; he would cough lightly from time to time, his face was a little pale, but his eyes remained bright and sharp.

He was lifting a corner of the carriage curtain, gazing at the fields and villages rushing past outside the window. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke cautiously, his tone hesitant: "Your Majesty... oh no, Master."

"The place where smoke is rising from the chimneys ahead is the territory of Chenzhou. According to our original route, we could have gone straight to Fengyang to see what our hometown was like. Why did we choose to detour through Chenzhou?"

"Chenzhou..."

Upon hearing those two words, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, which had been slightly narrowed, suddenly opened, a complex light flashing in them, as if something had gently touched his heartstrings.

"Back then, I was a wandering monk, wearing tattered robes and holding a wooden fish. I begged my way south from Haozhou and passed through Chenzhou once."

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was deep and hoarse, carrying a hint of the vicissitudes of time. "At that time, the world was in chaos, and there were starving people everywhere. Only in this Chenzhou area, there was a kind family who gave us a bowl of hot porridge and two wheat cakes."

"It was the warmth of that bowl of porridge that helped us get through the coldest winter."

A rare, faint smile appeared on his lips, a gentleness seldom seen in the imperial court.

"Back then, Chenzhou was poor, but the people were honest and kind."

"I still remember that apricot grove outside the city, where in spring the flowers bloomed in abundance, a sea of ​​white, and when the wind blew, it looked like a snowfall..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen's heart skipped a beat.

Little did he know that this place where the dragon lay dormant would hold such a past of His Majesty. He quickly cupped his hands and bowed in apology: "It was my fault for being so talkative; I shouldn't have disturbed Your Majesty's memories."

Before he could finish speaking, he coughed twice, covered his mouth with a handkerchief, and his face grew even paler.

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, his expression returning to calm: "It's alright. It's all in the past. Bowen, you're not well, don't overexert yourself."

Liu Bowen forced a smile: "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, sir."

As they were talking, the carriage had already entered Chenzhou territory.

The long journey from Yingtian to Chenzhou was exhausting. Even the strategist Liu Bowen felt soreness in his back and muscles, as if his body was falling apart, and he coughed from time to time.

Zhu Yuanzhang remained sitting upright, though a hint of weariness appeared between his brows.

The wheels rolled over the gravel on the official road, causing the carriage to jolt slightly. He closed his eyes to rest, listening to the sound of horses' hooves and the wind outside the carriage, feeling his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

But just then, an unusual calm suddenly came.

The jolting sensation that had previously made one feel tense all over had completely disappeared.

The carriage moved as if it were traveling on a smooth stone slab, so stable that even the teacups on the table did not wobble in the slightest.

Liu Bowen was taken aback at first, then suddenly opened his eyes, his face full of disbelief. He listened intently, then reached out and touched the carriage wall before turning to Zhu Yuanzhang, his voice tinged with surprise: "My lord, don't you think... this carriage is much smoother?"

Zhu Yuanzhang had already noticed it. He slowly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them.

He nodded and said in a deep voice, "It is indeed unusual."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a guard's urgent and excited voice came from outside the carriage, his voice filled with barely suppressed exclamation: "Master! Mr. Liu! Come out quickly! Something terrible has happened!"

This guard was one of Zhu Yuanzhang's confidants, and was always calm and composed. For him to lose his composure like this, something extraordinary must have happened.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Liu Bowen exchanged a glance and both stood up. Liu Bowen lifted the carriage curtain, and Zhu Yuanzhang stepped out first.

As soon as they stood still, the two were stunned by the sight before them and stood there speechless for a long time.

Where was the old, bumpy dirt road that the carriage was traveling on? It was a wide avenue unlike any other!

This road is more than two zhang wide and straight as if it were measured with an ink line, and you can't see the end of it at a glance.

The road surface was not ordinary dirt and gravel, but a smooth, hard road as hard as iron!

The carriage moved silently and steadily on the ground.

On both sides of the road, there are deep drainage ditches, and neat poplar trees are planted along the ditches, with lush branches and leaves that block out the sun.

The accompanying guards all stared wide-eyed in amazement.

"My goodness! This road...this road is even smoother and straighter than the imperial road in the palace!"

Liu Bowen gasped, his voice trembling slightly. Overwhelmed with emotion, he coughed twice. "My lord," he said, "if this road was truly built by man, then this road-building technique must be a tool for national prosperity and stability!"

Having spent a long time in the imperial court and seen a lot of the world, he had never seen such a wide and flat road, not even in Yingtian Prefecture.

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, slowly swept along the avenue. He didn't speak, but his brows furrowed slightly. The fact that this road had been built to such an extent was no ordinary feat of the government.

"Investigate!" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice carried an unquestionable authority. "Investigate immediately: who built this road? When did construction begin? Who supervised its construction?"

"Yes!" The two guards accepted the order, mounted their horses, and galloped off towards the village ahead like arrows released from a bow.

Before long, two guards returned on horseback, dismounted, knelt on one knee, and respectfully reported: "Your Excellency! We have found out! The locals call this road 'Malu' (马路)."

"Construction began several years ago, spearheaded by a wealthy local businessman surnamed Liu, who joined forces with local gentry from Chenzhou to build the road. This road connects more than a dozen villages and towns inside and outside Chenzhou, facilitating the travel of merchants."

"A wealthy merchant surnamed Liu?" Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flickered slightly. "What's his name?"

The guard bowed and replied, "Reporting to your question, sir, that wealthy merchant's name is—Liu Yao."

"Liu Yao... Yao?"

These two words struck Zhu Yuanzhang like a thunderbolt. He shuddered, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Zhu Yuanzhang's breathing suddenly became rapid.

He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice trembling slightly: "Let's go! We... need to meet this Liu Yao."