The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 17 Empress Ma and Zhu Yao said the same thing

Hu Weiyong's face turned pale, and his voice was full of worry. He quickly looked at Li Shanchang and asked, "Teacher, what should we do?"

"The Blank Seal Case is far-reaching, and many of our men are involved. If His Majesty finds out, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

Li Shanchang took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. His eyes sharpened, and he slowly said, "Panic is useless. Things have come to this point, so we can only wait and see."

He paused, then continued in a calm tone, "His Majesty's incognito tour this time was shrouded in mystery. He neither went to Fengyang nor did he let Liu Bowen disappear. After returning to the capital, the Empty Seal Case immediately broke out. This series of events is by no means a coincidence."

"His Majesty's trip this time must have a hidden purpose. Perhaps the outbreak of the Empty Seal Case is also related to this trip."

At this point, Li Shanchang's eyes narrowed, and he ordered his subordinates, "Send men immediately, at all costs, to investigate!"

"Investigate His Majesty's recent incognito tour: where he went, who he met, and what he did!"

"We must investigate this thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned! This matter concerns the safety of all of us; we cannot afford to be careless!"

"Yes, sir!" The subordinate bowed and quickly left to investigate the matter.

Inside the hall, Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with unease and doubt. They vaguely sensed that a huge storm was brewing.

.....

The Imperial Guard Commandery arrested all the officials involved and brought them to justice. The case files were presented to Zhu Yuanzhang one by one, and the details of the fraud in each file made him furious.

Zhu Yuanzhang gripped the dossier, his tone icy and chilling: "These parasites, corrupt and lawless, deceiving the emperor, are nothing but a menace. Issue my decree: execute all the officials involved to serve as a warning to others!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Yao's image flashed through his mind. He remembered what Zhu Yao had said in Chenzhou that day: after the Kongyin case broke out, we should not involve too many people and harm the innocent.

Gradually, his anger subsided somewhat. Zhu Yuanzhang paused, his hand holding the dossier faltering, a look of hesitation on his face.

Yes, if all the officials involved were executed, there would definitely be vacancies in the court, and people would be even more anxious. Moreover, there might be innocent people who were implicated.

Just as he was hesitating and unable to make a decision, the door to the Imperial Study was gently pushed open, and Empress Ma walked in carrying a bowl of medicine, her expression showing some displeasure.

"Zhongba, you just returned to Jinling, instead of resting properly, you're thinking about killing people. Can't you stop committing so many atrocities?"

Empress Ma placed the medicine on the table, her tone somewhat reproachful.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's anger subsided somewhat. He did not refute, but remained silent.

Empress Ma continued, "These officials are certainly at fault, but among them are some talented individuals, and there are also innocent people who have been implicated. If you execute them all, every official in the court will live in fear, and who will dare to serve you?"

"Besides, killing so many officials will leave the Ministry of Revenue without anyone to manage its affairs, which will only disrupt the court and be a greater loss than gain. You must not act impulsively and ruin everything."

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his head, looked at Empress Ma, and said with a touch of emotion, "What you said is exactly the same as what he said."

Empress Ma paused, a look of confusion in her eyes, and asked curiously, "Him? Who is he?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face instantly showed a hint of embarrassment. He had just spoken out of turn and had forgotten that he had not yet planned to tell Empress Ma about Zhu Yao.

Seeing his strange expression, Empress Ma quickly pressed him, "What's wrong? Why are you hiding it? Tell me, who is it?"

Unable to persuade Empress Ma, Zhu Yuanzhang could only smile awkwardly and say perfunctorily, "It's nothing, just a country boy. I met him by chance during my inspection tour. He's a pretty good young man, insightful and knowledgeable."

He paused for a moment, then decided to stop hiding it and told Empress Ma everything about Zhu Yao's invention of the road, the hotpot, and the risks of the blank seal case.

Empress Ma listened attentively, her expression gradually becoming solemn. After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, she nodded gently: "Hearing what you say, this country boy is indeed remarkable. He is talented, knowledgeable, and has the world in his heart. He is truly rare."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled smugly, his tone tinged with pride: "Not only is he good! Even that fellow Liu Bowen praised him highly and refused to leave, insisting on staying there to recuperate and spend time with him."

"Tell me, that old Liu Bowen, he's always been so arrogant, he even looks down on us!"

Empress Ma couldn't help but laugh, teasingly saying, "Don't be unconvinced, Mr. Liu is indeed capable; perhaps it's a case of heroes attracting heroes!"

"But... since this young man is so talented, given your personality, you must have already invited him to serve as an official for you, right? Where is he? Why didn't you bring him back?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's smug expression vanished instantly. He scratched his head sheepishly, his tone somewhat helpless: "He's unwilling. He refuses to serve as an official in the court no matter what. He only wants to be a leisurely merchant. I've tried to persuade him several times, but it's no use."

"What?!" Empress Ma exclaimed in astonishment, her eyes filled with disbelief. "He just doesn't want to? This is unbelievable! When has Zhu Yuanzhang ever failed to get the person he wanted? And now someone is refusing you?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was somewhat embarrassed by Empress Ma's words. His eyes darted around, and suddenly an idea struck him. He said to Empress Ma, "If he doesn't want to be an official, then I'll adopt him as my godson!"

"In this way, he will be a member of our Zhu family. Even if he doesn't become an official, he can't be used by others."

"Perhaps in the future, he will be willing to serve the imperial court."

Empress Ma smiled gently upon hearing this and waved her hand, "You've already taken in quite a few adopted sons. Since you like this child, feel free to take him in. As long as the child is willing, I have no objection."

Then, she changed the subject, her expression becoming serious, and asked, "By the way, what do you plan to do about the blank seal case? Are you still insisting on executing all the officials involved?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Empress Ma and remembered Zhu Yao's instructions. His tone softened considerably: "I will listen to you. Do not kill those who can be spared. Treat them leniently and let them atone for their crimes by performing good deeds."

"But those who are guilty of heinous crimes and serious corruption must not be let off the hook. They must be executed as a warning to others and to prevent others from making the same mistakes again."

A hint of surprise flashed in Empress Ma's eyes. She knew Zhu Yuanzhang's temperament all too well; he was always decisive and ruthless, and once he made up his mind, he rarely changed it.

She knew in her heart that while her advice had an effect, it was never her who truly made Zhu Yuanzhang change his mind, but rather the young man named Zhu Yao.

What kind of person was that young man who could earn Zhu Yuanzhang's special attention and Liu Bowen's heartfelt devotion, and who possessed such abilities to sway Zhu Yuanzhang's mind?

.....

As dawn broke, the Meridian Gate of the Nanjing Imperial Palace opened, and civil and military officials, dressed in court robes, entered the palace one after another with solemn expressions, a sense of oppression permeating the air.