Outside Datong Mansion, the yamen of the reception department.
Zhu Yuanzhang was lying on a rocking chair basking in the sun, with a pot of hot tea at his hand.
I take a sip from time to time and it seems like I am at ease.
Beside Zhu Yuanzhang, Queen Ma was sewing clothes with her head down.
At this time, they looked like an extremely ordinary country couple.
But the conversation between the two of them was indeed quite remarkable.
"This kid Qiwu actually offered a reward directly to those from the White Lotus Sect."
"He is not afraid of directly forcing those people from the White Lotus Sect to rebel."
Empress Ma smiled and said, "If they rebel now, wouldn't they be playing into Qi Wu's hands?"
"The White Lotus Sect doesn't have too many people now, and their weapons and equipment are definitely not enough. It shouldn't be very difficult to deal with your current illness."
Zhu Yuanzhang stopped shaking, picked up the tea and took a sip: "You don't understand... fighting is not just about the strength of the troops and equipment."
"Since these guys from the White Lotus Sect plan to take advantage of this opportunity to rebel, they should be fully prepared."
"In the entire Datong Mansion, I'm afraid I don't know how many people they have planted."
"If at a critical moment, a more important person suddenly turns against you, that's not a trivial matter."
Empress Ma still didn't care at all, and didn't mean to stop the movements of her hands: "Chongba, you are too underestimating Qiwu."
"After fighting for so many years, when has Qiwu ever suffered a loss?"
"If those people from the White Lotus Sect want to take action in an upright manner, they might be able to make Qiwu panic."
"I don't understand this thing called war." Empress Ma said with a smile: "But I know that if someone wants to play tricks on Qi Wu, they will definitely not be able to play with Qi Wu."
The more Empress Ma praised Zhu Han, the more Zhu Yuanzhang felt sour: "This guy is just a little clever."
"This is a war where cleverness alone will not suffice. Only true strength is the magic weapon to win on the battlefield."
"No matter how smart this kid is, he can't cover everything. If the enemy catches a flaw..."
As he talked, Dean Zhu couldn't speak anymore.
At first he thought what he said made sense, but then he thought about everything he had gone through along the way.
Dean Zhu felt more and more like he was trying to make excuses.
Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yuanzhang respectfully, but she did not expose Zhu Yuanzhang's little thoughts.
While the two were talking, Gao Fei walked into the reception department's yamen in a hurry.
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's carefree look, he immediately felt like he was bullying the freshman.
He walked quickly to Zhu Yuanzhang, picked up the teapot on the table, and drank directly from the spout.
After heaving a sigh of relief, he put the teapot on the table and said, "Good old Chang."
"I am working hard outside, exposed to wind and sun, but you are secretly staying in the Yamen to enjoy your happiness."
Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled: "Sir, you have misunderstood. I have been doing calculations all day today, and I just have time to rest for a while."
Lao Zhu is unique in the world in his ability to tell lies with his eyes open.
Without batting an eye, it was as if what he said was true.
Gao Fei didn't believe a word he said.
He rolled his eyes angrily and said, "Don't think that I don't know that the little accounts in the yamen are nothing to you."
"You can sort out all the accounts in just one or two hours a day at most."
"In the rest of the time, I go out and have fun every day."
"You are my confidant after all. Can't you think of a way to share my worries?"
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes widened with a look of disbelief: "Sir, what are you talking about? A villain is just a commoner. He usually comes to help adults settle accounts. In this life, he will be an official or something."
But I don’t even dare to think about it.”
"You, you..." Gao Fei gritted his teeth and said, "Can't you have some potential?"
"Now this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"His Royal Highness is not that pedantic person. No matter what your background is, as long as you do well, you will have plenty of opportunities."
"Just think about it, is it possible for a businessman like you to be an official before?"
"But now, as long as you do a good job in our reception department, it is not impossible to become a scholar directly."
"Although it's not as good as those officials who passed the formal imperial examinations, being an official is better than doing business before."
Seeing that Old Zhu was still looking carefree, he rocked the rocking chair from time to time.
Gao Fei was even more furious, why couldn't this old man get enough food and salt?
If it were another businessman, if he knew there was such an opportunity, he wouldn't risk his life.
For example, several accountants in other reception departments not only have to calculate their own accounts every day, but also take the initiative to do other tasks.
You are almost treating yourself like a beast, just for the sake of having the opportunity to become an official official in the future?
Under Zhu Han's promotion, although the merchants of Ming Dynasty were not as despised as before.
However, the status of city farmers, industry, commerce, and merchants is actually quite low.
If given the opportunity to serve as officials, these businessmen would never let go of this opportunity.
But this Lao Chang seems to really not care about being an official at all.
No matter how much he tried to persuade me, he always seemed indifferent.
Gao Fei seems to have forgotten that when Zhu Han recruited them before, their performance was not much worse.
Few people directly agreed to Zhu Han's call.
In the end, Zhu Han put down the prince's airs and came to persuade them in person.
I hope that at this time, they can think of all the people of Datong Prefecture and bravely shoulder their responsibilities.
Gao Fei didn't dare to refute Zhu Han too much, so he reluctantly agreed.
As the saying goes, the butt determines the head, now it was his turn to persuade Zhu Yuanzhang.
Naturally, I didn't like Zhu Yuanzhang's indifferent appearance.
"Thank you for your concern, sir. I really have no interest in becoming an official."
"But you can rest assured, adults. We will definitely do what we have to do, and we will never make things difficult for you."
Gao Fei rolled his eyes and said with a distressed expression: "Old Chang, even if you don't care about it yourself, you should think about your sister-in-law."
"If you become an official and make any achievements in the future, you will definitely be rewarded by the court."
"At that time, my sister-in-law's status will naturally rise with the tide, and it is not impossible to become a royal wife or something like that."
"It's what a man should do to protect his wife and his wife."
Before Lao Zhu could speak, Empress Ma said softly: "It's okay, sir, our family just has this temper. They are stubborn donkeys, and they can't stand the slightest control from childhood to adulthood."
"Sir, we are deeply grateful for your help."
"It's just that our family really has no interest in becoming an official. Sir, please stop trying to persuade me."
Gao Fei was speechless.
He looked at the proud Zhu Yuanzhang, and then at the gentle Queen Ma.
Finally, he sighed helplessly.
Dean Zhu smiled and changed the subject: "Why are you back so early today, sir? It shouldn't be time to go off duty yet, right?"
Gao Fei has a straight temper. He was a little angry just now, but now he has completely forgotten about it.
"It's nothing, it's just that there's nothing to do over there now."
Dean Zhu was stunned for a moment: "Did the number of people fleeing for refuge decrease?"
"Yeah." Although his work has been reduced, Gao Fei seems to be feeling a little uncomfortable.
"Actually, there were signs of decrease more than ten days ago, but the number of people has suddenly increased a lot in recent days."
"After this time, it seems that there will be fewer and fewer people fleeing in Datong Prefecture."
"After all, the drought has been happening for so long. Almost all the people who can escape should have come. There should be fewer and fewer people in the future."
"There are not many people left now. Those guys can handle it by themselves, so I can relax in the future."
A life of doing nothing all day and doing whatever you want was what Gao Fei longed for most.
In his eyes, the most interesting thing is being able to do what you want without being restricted by anyone.
But now, suddenly I am free.
Gao Fei was a little at a loss for a moment, as if he had lost his goal.
After lunch, Gao Fei also got a rocking chair and placed it next to Zhu Yuanzhang to bask in the sun with him.
"I said, Sir, can you please stay away from us?" Dean Zhu said with great disgust.
Gao Fei immediately retorted with dissatisfaction: "Everyone else wants to be closer to the official, so what good will it do to the official in the future and he will think about you. Why are you so different from others?"
"I really don't know how you did business before."
Lao Zhu shook his rocking chair proudly: "In the past...it was always others who "volunteered" to do business with us."
Of course Gao Fei didn't understand what Zhu Yuanzhang meant by voluntary.
Suddenly he curled his lips angrily and said, "No wonder your business is so bad. Now it's reduced to this. You just don't know how to behave."
"I'm not telling you, Lao Chang, to be more diplomatic and to understand the ways of the world."
"I find it strange that you, a guy who can't speak, haven't been beaten to death yet."
Zhu Yuanzhang pointedly said: "There are quite a few people who want to kill me, but it's a pity... they are the ones who die in the end."
What Lao Zhu said was beaten to death, that was really beaten to death.
In front of his eyes, faces could not help but appear.
Chen Youliang, Fang Guozhen, Zhang Shicheng.
All these people have been buried in the dust, and only he, Zhu Yuanzhang, became the final winner.
To this day, when Lao Zhu looks back sometimes, he still feels a sense of unreality.
When they first joined the rebels, they had no connections and no qualifications.
I never thought that I would be able to be where I am today.
It can't be said that I haven't thought about it at all. That kid from Qiwu had painted a pie for him more than once.
He said that he will definitely be able to achieve great success in the future, and when the time comes, he must not forget his younger brother.
At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang never took Zhu Han's words to heart and only thought he was joking.
In the end, the boy actually got it right.
Of course Gao Fei could not have imagined that Zhu Yuanzhang's beating to death really meant this.
He just thought that what Dean Zhu said was about business, and those who secretly dealt with him lost to him in the end.
Then he laughed and said: "It can be seen that you, Old Chang, are indeed quite capable."
Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows: "Don't you suspect that we are lying to you?"
"Come on!" Gao Fei said with a look that had seen through everything: "I am not stupid. If you are really incompetent, Old Chang, can I entertain you again and again?"
"I know you must be a person with stories, but everyone has their own past. I am not interested in finding out what kind of person you were in the past?"
"As long as you know that you are loyal to my name, that's all."
"Then thank you for your trust, sir." Zhu Yuanzhang was actually a little touched. This guy looked unattractive, but he was still a good person.
As a result, the next moment, Gao Fei chuckled and said, "Just because you are a capable person, you shouldn't give up on yourself."
"Now is the time when the imperial court needs people. As long as you follow me, I will definitely not treat you badly."
"Sir." Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly said with great seriousness.
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang so solemn for the first time, Gao Fei's heart was a little frightened: "What? Have you figured it out, Old Chang, and are you willing to stay and assist me?"
Zhu Yuanzhang cleared his throat: "It's a rare good weather, can you please leave in a more mellow way?"
Lao Zhu's words seemed a bit too euphemistic, and Gao Fei didn't understand what he meant for a while.
But soon, Gao Fei figured it out.
The so-called smooth departure.
Doesn't that mean let him go?
"Okay, Chang. You wait for me." Gao Fei was a little angry and left with his rocking chair.
Heartbroken!
It's obvious that you are the Shangguan, okay?
Why does Gao Fei always feel like he's being put down in front of an ordinary businessman like Lao Chang?
illusion.
It's definitely an illusion.
Gao Fei was a great knight, and even a famous figure like King Zhu Han of England would personally visit him and ask him to serve as an official.
How could an ordinary businessman like Lao Chang make her feel like this?
It must be because Lao Chang is so pitiful, so I sympathize with him.
Yes, it is definitely sympathy.
A great hero, he is still an official of the imperial court.
How is it possible to have the same understanding as a bad old man?
"Leave meekly." Gao Fei remembered these words deeply in his heart.
Hum, if anyone displeases me again in the future, I will let him leave gracefully.