In today's Ming Dynasty, the title of grandfather or grandfather-in-law is more of an official title.
Because of Zhu Yuanzhang himself, everyone in the palace addressed him as Daddy or Grandpa, which are more colloquial names.
Father and grandfather are commonly used terms for traditional literati.
Zhu Yunwen's call of "grandfather" also represents his attitude towards this grandfather.
Seeing his grandfather, Zhu Yunwen's face was not very good, but he still bowed to Lu's father according to habit and said, "Grandfather."
"Yun Wen is back, so I'll go first."
Father Lu smiled awkwardly, knowing that he had left a bad impression on his grandson Zhu Yunwen, and left in a hurry.
After Father Lu left, Zhu Yunwen frowned and asked, "Mother, why did you ask him to come over?"
In front of his mother, Zhu Yunwen didn't even call him grandfather, but just called him directly.
"He is my father and your grandfather. No matter what he did in the past, he has reformed now. You don't have to be so harsh on him." Mrs. Lu said calmly.
In the past, Lu's family was considered a scholarly family, and when his grandfather was still alive, there was no trouble in the family.
The reason why Lu was able to become the Crown Princess was mainly due to her deceased grandfather.
However, after his grandfather passed away, Lu's father became more and more unruly, became addicted to gambling, and the family lost everything.
Repeated persuasion was of no use, and Lu was in tears during that period.
After Zhu Biao learned about it, he tried to dissuade him. Facing Zhu Biao, Lu's father of course promised Zhu Biao that he would never go to the casino again. However, his true colors were revealed after just three days.
In the end, it was Zhu Yuanzhang who took action and sent people to wipe out the casino that Lu's father had been in contact with and owed gambling debts to.
He also issued an oral order that if any casino dared to host Mr. Lu, it would be executed immediately.
As a result, Father Lu had no place to gamble, and even his friends did not dare to gamble with him, so he gradually gave up his gambling addiction.
Being able to obtain the current sixth-rank official position as the head of the Ministry of Rites is already a great favor.
Zhu Yunwen had no intention of talking more about his grandfather, so as soon as he entered the back hall, he hurriedly told Lu the news he had just heard from the emperor.
Upon hearing this, Lu sighed slightly and said, "Although I have some guesses, it seems that your eldest brother has inherited your grandfather's talent in many aspects."
For Zhu Yunwen, the information revealed in Zhu Yuanzhang's words only shocked him.
But through Lu's meticulous analysis, he quickly understood the connotation and even deduced Zhu Ying's current situation.
The more this happened, the more exhausted Lu felt.
Zhu Xiongying has now begun to have access to military power. It is obvious that His Majesty wants him to take control of the army first and take power by force. By then, all the rumors will be as ridiculous as an egg hitting a stone.
"Mother, what should I do?" Zhu Yunwen asked with some melancholy.
On the way from Huagai Palace to Chunhe Palace, he kept thinking about this question. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had no hope.
Although the Emperor did not explicitly say that he wanted to remove his position as Crown Prince, even a fool like Zhu Yunwen could understand it clearly.
"It's okay. When Yunhuan and Mingyue come back, you can have a good chat with them. Go and see your elder brother first. As for the rest, let's put it aside for now." Mrs. Lu said slowly.
He did not tell his son what he had told his father, nor did he mention Zhu Xiongying's congenital heart disease.
She knew her son's character best. Telling him this was equivalent to giving him great hope. By then, her son would inevitably shift his focus to the authenticity of Zhu Xiongying's identity.
This kind of behavior is meaningless. According to the current situation, even if it is Mrs. Lu, she will only eavesdrop and pass these possible suspicions to Your Majesty through Concubine Ning.
To confront His Majesty directly would be the most foolish act.
The only person in the entire harem who can speak to His Majesty is Concubine Ning.
…
Lai'an County, which belongs to Nanzhili, borders Nanjing to the northwest. It is the closest county to the capital and an important gateway to Nanjing in the north of the Yangtze River.
It is currently also a key implementation point for work-for-relief programs.
Even today, dozens of Jinyiwei surrounded the Lai'an County government office, and many patrolmen were trembling with fear.
In front of the Jinyiwei, they had no chance of resisting.
The captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard led several people and went straight in.
The magistrate who received the news came out immediately. Seeing this situation, he frowned and said in a deep voice: "My lords, I wonder why you came to my county office."
The captain of the Imperial Guard sneered, "Don't play dumb. The Imperial Guard does things with solid evidence. So, do you want me to personally put the shackles on you, or do you want to go with me yourself?"
The magistrate's face was gloomy, and he scolded, "I am an official appointed by the court, a county magistrate of the sixth rank. If you think I am guilty, you should send a decree through the Ministry of Justice to remove the black mark on my head."
"Just send someone to my house. Don't think I'm easy to bully."
At this point, the magistrate warned in a cold voice: "I was able to become the magistrate of Lai'an County because I have connections in the court. If you act privately, don't regret it."
The magistrate not only had no fear of the Jinyiwei, but instead began to threaten and intimidate them.
However, he does have the qualifications. As the adopted son of Duke of Liang Lan Yu and the backbone of the Huaixi noble group, no disturbance can be hidden from him.
Even in the Ministry of Justice, he had several comrades-in-arms. If something big happened, someone would definitely tip him off.
Only the notorious Jinyiwei acted directly.
Looking at the dozen or so Jinyiwei around him, the county magistrate was already planning in his mind how to escape first and then gather people to fight back.
He certainly couldn't rely on the constables, but he still had some of his former subordinates following him.
Even if there are dozens of Jinyiwei, they are not without the ability to fight.
Seeing the county magistrate looking around with flickering eyes, the captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard could understand what he was thinking.
With a cold snort, he said to his subordinates: "You won't cry until you see the coffin. Please ask Duke Liang to come over."
The three words "Duke of Liang" were like a thunderbolt that struck the magistrate directly on the forehead, and he was stunned for a moment.
The Duke of Liang followed along. What did this mean? His mind suddenly became clear, and his originally confident expression suddenly turned into one of panic.
He was still fantasizing in his mind that maybe he was the one who obeyed, or maybe the Jinyiwei were trying to scare him.
But the Jinyiwei who received the order came back soon after going out, and the man he brought back made the county magistrate so frightened at first sight.
"Godfather." Without any hesitation, the magistrate knelt on one knee and saluted Lan Yu as if he was in the army.
Seeing this, Lan Yu wanted to give him a stern reprimand, but thinking of the fate of his own son, he could only sigh and said, "Go with the Jinyiwei. You even dare to interfere with the work-for-relief program. I can't save you from this matter."
"I have already pleaded for mercy. This matter is your fault alone. Your wife and children are safe. Return all the money you have embezzled and go on your way in peace."
When the magistrate heard this, he looked incredible, as he had once risked his life for Lan Yu.
"Foster father, please save me. I won't dare to do it again. Please save me and give me another chance. I don't want the official position anymore. I just want a way to live, even if I have to be demoted to a commoner."
"No, exile. For the sake of our past friendship, please help me one more time. I only ask for a way to survive, even if it means exile. I beg you, father."
The magistrate no longer had the slightest thought of resisting. Even Lan Yu had arrived. He immediately realized that everything was irreversible.
Now I don't ask for anything else but to save my beloved life.
Lan Yu shook his head slightly and said, "It's useless. Don't act like a little girl. Saving your wife and children is the best I can do."
"It's your fault. You shouldn't have taken action on this. This matter is too serious and no one can protect you."
"I know that you have made many contributions in the past, but you are now the magistrate of Shang County. Your past contributions have been used up and cannot be offset this time."
Hearing his adoptive father's words, the magistrate's face suddenly turned pale. At this moment, he finally understood.
He did not beg for mercy again because he knew that when his adoptive father arrived here, it meant that the seriousness of the matter had exceeded his imagination.
He did not argue or cry out for injustice. Just as Lan Yu said, don't act like a little girl before you die.
The only option is to die with honor.
He turned around and walked back to the hall, took off the black veil on his head and put it down, then stretched out his hands to the captain of the Jinyiwei. Then two Jinyiwei came over and put shackles on him.
Seeing his once brave subordinates fall into such a state, Lan Yu felt extremely sad, but he was aware of one more problem.
His Royal Highness Chang Sun is different from His Majesty. Apart from being a relative by marriage, Lan Yu has no connection with His Royal Highness Chang Sun at all. Before in the study, Lan Yu also wanted to say something to save his subordinate's life.
However, after thinking for a long time, he found that he had nothing to say to Chang Sun Dianxia.
If it were His Majesty, I could still say that I fought for him and hope that he would show some mercy, but to His Royal Highness Chang Sun, all this means nothing at all.
He didn't know these subordinates, nor did he know their past, and he didn't even understand some of the friendships they had in the past.
In the eyes of His Royal Highness Changsun, his son-in-law was just a corrupt official, not a soldier who had fought for the Ming Dynasty.
It was because he knew all this that Lan Yu came specially to accompany the Jinyiwei.
However, what the county magistrate said to the Jinyiwei was not without reason. Theoretically speaking, in order for the Jinyiwei to arrest the county magistrate, they would need a warrant from the Ministry of Justice, or an oral order or imperial decree from the emperor.
Zhu Ying currently does not have a formal official identity, so the memorials he handled did not comply with the legal procedures of the Ming Dynasty.
But do these matter?
"Duke Liang, are there two more people who need to accompany you?" The captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard asked Lan Yu after watching the county magistrate being taken out.
There are a total of three people who need to be arrested today, basically all of them are county officials, and these three people have close relationships with Lan Yu.
The reason why the captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard asked this was because the Duke of Liang and His Royal Highness Zhangsun were in-laws and should not be treated equally.
"No, you guys go ahead. I just came here to take a look." Lan Yu said calmly.
There was no sign of emotion on her face, but Lan Yu had a lot on his mind right now.
…
Beijing camp on the outskirts of the city.
In the past three days, Zhu Ying has been living in the military camp, eating and drinking with five thousand soldiers.
These soldiers are truly strong soldiers. Whether in terms of personal combat experience or years of military service, they are far more than comparable to the rookies.
Under the suppression of Zhu Ying's status as the eldest grandson of Emperor Ming, even the old veterans dared not overstep the line and had to behave themselves.
But in Zhu Ying's view, this was still not enough. What he wanted to build was not a combat team of 5,000 people, but 5,000 officers who were very knowledgeable in military operations.
These 5,000 officers will serve as his core and gradually enter the Ming Dynasty's system, driving the upgrading of the entire army.
There is no need to worry about military discipline, but the ideological theme of the army is what Zhu Ying cares about most now.
On the second day, Zhu Ying had already recruited many scholars, who were not scholars who had achieved official titles.
Zhu Ying did not need scholars who were influenced by Confucianism to teach. The people he found were basically ordinary people with basic teaching abilities and who could read and write.
We cannot blindly pursue the goal of turning a soldier into an officer-level talent all of a sudden. Everything has to start with literacy.
The time for teaching literacy is after dinner, and Zhu Ying will also start reviewing memorials during this period.
More often than not, Zhu Ying would directly participate in the training of soldiers.
The content of the training, of course, is not about taking out muskets or fire guns, but starting with lining up.
Ancient soldiers would of course be neat and tidy when they lined up, but once they started moving, they were a complete mess.
During the Three Kingdoms period, people paid more attention to military formations, but in the Ming Dynasty today, there are not so many such attentions. After all, Zhu Yuanzhang was not from a military family.
Zhu Ying’s current requirements are higher than any previous military formations, and are based on some formation standards of later generations.
In fact, it was not a very high requirement. In Zhu Ying's opinion, it was enough to reach the same level as his military training in later lives.
Regular military training usually takes about half a month to a month, and can basically reach a very good level.
The next day, the first thing Zhu Ying did was to stand at attention.
Standing at attention is the beginning of everything. Standing at attention is to temper the soldiers' strong will, hone their indomitable perseverance, and forge iron-like discipline.
"Look straight ahead, don't look left or right, and keep your eyes focused. Keep your head straight, don't shrink your neck. Don't move your nose or mouth."
"Shoulders should be relaxed, not one high or one low, and legs should be straight, not bent."
Under the scorching sun, Zhu Ying walked among the soldiers and loudly explained the requirements of military posture.
Although many soldiers did not understand the meaning of standing like this, they had no complaints and chose to obey.
But soon, as an hour passed, more and more soldiers began to be unable to hold on.
Soon some soldiers fell to the ground.
"The soldiers who have fallen to the ground must lie prone on the ground and are not allowed to stand up. They can only stand up after everyone has finished."
Zhu Ying did not scold or blame them, or say anything about beating them with military sticks. He just let the fallen soldiers continue to lie there.
However, such an order made the soldiers lying on the ground feel very ashamed.
These soldiers were the elite among the elite, completely different from ordinary soldiers. Zhu Ying did not notice any of the troubles, complaints, or even whispering that he had imagined.
These are all veterans, there are no rookies. Some of the soldiers even participated in Lan Yu’s famous battle, the Battle of Buir Lake.
Having survived such a harsh environment, their willpower must have been greatly enhanced.
Two hours later, Zhu Ying looked at the large number of soldiers who were still standing, and couldn't help but be shocked by the combat effectiveness of the Ming army.
Two hours is equivalent to four full hours of no movement in later times. It can be clearly seen that all the soldiers are soaked in sweat.
They were covered in armor all over their bodies.
The armor in the early Ming Dynasty was still relatively heavy. It could not be compared with the more than 60 kilograms in the Song Dynasty, but it weighed about 40 kilograms.
These soldiers have very good endurance training and can be called elite in the Ming Dynasty. Endurance training is essential for them, and many times the marches are long-distance raids.
It is normal for a battle that can be completed in two or three days to last for one or two months. Under such circumstances, the elite soldiers who remain after experiencing many battles have endurance that is unimaginable to later generations.
After seeing the soldiers' endurance, Zhu Ying also started strength training.
Strength training is greatly constrained for the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty today, and the main aspect is nutrition.
Zhu Ying has instructed Zhang Bo to purchase a large amount of meat to support the strength training of the soldiers.
The most troublesome thing about marching in a line is that you can't tell the left from the right. For now, it's a habit that you can only form slowly.
There were 100 men in each squad, and the 5,000 soldiers were divided into 50 squads to begin training.
Zhu Ying, who was standing on the reviewing platform and watching this scene, still felt very shocked, although it was still a little confusing at the moment.
There is a proper posture for standing and sitting, and this is not only reflected in training. Zhu Ying also personally inspects the housekeeping.
The dirtiness and mess of the ancient soldiers' barracks were beyond Zhu Ying's imagination. As soon as he entered, he could smell a particularly strong smell.
"I am speaking, and Uncle Zhang is recording."
Zhu Ying began to explain to Zhang Bo next to him the requirements for internal affairs for soldiers.
Including how to fold bedding, how to place items, where to put weapons, and how to keep the house clean, Zhu Ying listed everything he could think of.
"Instruct everyone to do the housekeeping every day. Anyone who fails to meet the standards will be criticized when they line up in the morning. The three best performers of the day will be selected and commended."
This time, Zhu Ying did not seek military pay or other material rewards, but directly started from the spiritual aspect. He did not want to train soldiers who would only care about money.
The current salary is already high enough, and more is needed in the form of ideological education.
These elite soldiers are all very proud to begin with, and when they are criticized in front of the entire army, they will naturally change their attitude.
Zhu Ying never ordered the use of military sticks. Even if he saw someone trying to slack off, he would only criticize and educate them.
It was such a simple act, but all the soldiers regarded it as loving the people like their own children.
You have to know that under other generals, people would be beaten, scolded, or even beheaded, and twenty military sticks were common. The feeling was completely different in comparison.
For three consecutive days, Zhu Ying had been maintaining basic training and had not even done any weighted running. He had enough rice and meat every day.
These soldiers were already elite, and in just three days, their already high spirits and overall momentum were further improved.
Worthy of mention are the five thousand households.
The performance of these five centurions was better than that of ordinary soldiers, and almost all physical training was fully completed.
Even a second-generation military man like Cao Bing never complained once, and always gritted his teeth and persevered even when he was most tired.
After asking, Zhu Ying realized that all the thousand households, including most of the hundred households, were skilled in martial arts.
For someone like Cao Bing, who has been trained by his father Cao Zhen since childhood, he thinks standing at attention is much easier than standing still during martial arts training, and there is no need to raise any objection to such training.
The success of the drill is inseparable from the leading role of these thousand and hundred households.
This really made Zhu Ying feel less worried.
…
"The eldest grandson is in the military camp. What day is it today?"
After dinner, before reviewing the memorials, Zhu Yuanzhang asked Liu He who was standing beside him.
"Your Majesty, it has been four days including today." Liu He said with a bow.
"We all know that our eldest grandson is much more interested in military affairs than handling political affairs. When he is reviewing memorials on weekdays, he is always thinking of ways to shirk his responsibilities."
"Now that I'm in the military camp, I'm doing drills every day. But after reading the memorial sent yesterday, I've become more familiar with my eldest grandson's handling of political affairs."
Zhu Yuanzhang first complained a few words, and then couldn't help but praise him.
"Your Highness Changsun is a man of both civil and military talents. This is a gift inherited from Your Majesty. In my opinion, he will surely be wise and brave in the future," Liu He said flatteringly.
Zhu Yuanzhang was obviously very pleased with the praise for his eldest grandson, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were all squeezed together with laughter.
After chatting for a while, Zhu Yuanzhang began to review memorials.
But not long after, Jiang Li came over.
"Your Majesty, the three officials involved in the work-for-relief program have all been arrested. Your Majesty, please give your instructions."
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyebrows and said, "What else do you want to say? After the interrogation, he will be executed directly, and then his crimes will be announced to all counties."
"If it weren't for our eldest grandson's kindness, these officials would all have died. Let's listen to our eldest grandson and give them one more chance. After this, if anyone still embezzles money and grain, they will be punished."
"No matter how many there are, all will be put to death."
Zhu Yuanzhang said angrily that in fact, as early as when the Jinyiwei reported on the situation of officials in local counties regarding work-for-relief, Zhu Yuanzhang's first reaction was to kill.
However, after seeing the contents of those memorials, he decided to test his eldest grandson, and was later persuaded by him. For the time being, he would only kill a few of the most greedy ones and let the rest go for the time being.
"Our eldest grandson will be disappointed this time. We must make him understand that once these corrupt officials commit corruption for the first time, there will be a second, third, and even more times."
"Sometimes, pure kindness may only help the evildoers."
Zhu Yuanzhang said coldly that the reason he didn't kill him was certainly not because he had changed his character, but he was just taking this opportunity to let his eldest grandson understand how to deal with corrupt officials.
After that, Zhu Yuanzhang asked again: "As for the embezzled money and grain, have they all been recovered?"
Jiang Li said, "Your Majesty, all the money and grain that the three people embezzled have been recovered, and there are even more than what we, the Jinyiwei, recorded. It may be because of the intervention of the Duke of Liang."
"They are sensible." Zhu Yuanzhang said, "According to the amount of money they have embezzled, it would not be too much to execute the whole family. Our eldest grandson is good in every way, but in this respect he is like his grandmother and father, too kind."
According to the original law, the wives and children of these corrupt officials would be implicated. Their wives, concubines and daughters would be directly sent to the Jiaofangsi, while their sons and others would be exiled to the frontier.
But during the discussion, the eldest grandson insisted that all the blame should be placed on the officials themselves, which made Zhu Yuanzhang back down.
As people from later generations, we cannot accept the law of collective responsibility in our hearts.
Of course, it is not possible to let corrupt officials off completely. At least most of their wealth must be confiscated.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Guards have reported that the items that His Royal Highness Changsun had previously ordered to be taken from the Western Regions through the post station documents have now arrived in the capital."
Jiang Li reported again.
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he hurriedly said, "Quick, send someone to get it and bring it to us right away."
"I obey your order." Upon hearing this, Jiang Li immediately went out and left quickly.
Zhu Yuanzhang certainly knew what the item sent this time was. It was the torn piece of cloth that his eldest grandson mentioned when he was rescued.
You know, that is irrefutable evidence that can confirm Zhu Ying's identity.
Although it would not matter much if Zhu Ying was directly placed on the throne and the grandson was enthroned, if the evidence was irrefutable, those who were convinced would naturally be grateful.
Zhu Yuanzhang did not want to show these evidences to his ministers, and those civil officials had no right to deny them.
It was mainly shown to his own princes and grandchildren, as well as many vassal kings and kings of the frontier.
In Zhu Yuanzhang's heart, he still hoped that the entire Zhu family would live in harmony.
The appearance of Zhu Ying had the greatest impact on these princes. Although they might not say it openly, they probably did not approve of it in their hearts.
Once there is a piece of cloth as irrefutable evidence, no one will be able to say anything.
The time of waiting always passes slowly, and Zhu Yuanzhang no longer had the energy to review memorials.
He always looked at the door subconsciously, and picked up the teacup to take a sip from time to time, even though he knew that it would only take Jiang Li ten breaths to leave.
After looking around for a long time, Jiang Lin finally arrived with a wooden box wrapped in linen. Even Jiang Lin, who was highly skilled in martial arts, couldn't help breathing heavily at this moment, and it was obvious that he had been running the whole time.
Looking at the wooden box in Jiang Lin's hand, Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and walked over without waiting for Jiang Lin to reply and took the wooden box from Jiang Lin's hand.
Looking at the wooden box in his hand, Zhu Yuanzhang's emotions became a little agitated.
Zhu Yuanzhang's personality was suspicious and jealous.
It was only the love for her eldest grandson that suppressed all of this. She also controlled any bad thoughts in her mind and even hypnotized herself into thinking that her eldest grandson was the real grandson and could never be a fake.
The excavation of the Xiaoling Mausoleum greatly inspired Zhu Yuanzhang and made him more convinced of the true identity of his eldest grandson.
Now with the added evidence of the cloth strip, it is a fact that is set in stone.
At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's hands holding the wooden box couldn't help but tremble slightly.
After opening the cloth strip, an exquisite wooden box appeared inside. The carvings on it indicated its extraordinaryness. It was considered a precious item among ordinary people, and it would cost at least several taels of silver to buy it.
From this, Zhu Yuanzhang can see how much importance his eldest grandson attached to the cloth strip.
Zhu Yuanzhang opened it gently as if he were holding a piece of porcelain, fearing that his improper movement would cause the contents inside to shatter.
In fact, even if it falls directly on the ground, how much damage can a piece of cloth cause?
The wooden box had no lock and could be opened directly. After opening it, a piece of somewhat old silk appeared in front of Zhu Yuanzhang.
"Yes, yes, that's it, that's it."
The moment he picked up the cloth, Zhu Yuanzhang began to tremble all over and became extremely excited.
In the eyes of others, it was just a piece of rag, but when Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the gold-thread embroidered words on it, he knew that it was his eldest sister who embroidered it stitch by stitch.
The eldest sister was ill when she was embroidering, so there were no other patterns except for the three simple names.
You should know that most of the bellybands worn by children have a lot of embroidered patterns on them, but this white bellyband is completely different.
The rough big hands stroked the gold embroidery on the cloth and felt the gold threads on the silky satin. In Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, the image of the elder sister in the past seemed to appear before him.
Some fragmented memories kept flashing through my mind, and everything seemed as if it happened yesterday.
It’s just like Zhu Yuanzhang now, when he went to Kunning Palace, his eldest sister was waiting for him to go to bed together.
When he came to his senses after a long time, Zhu Yuanzhang's cheeks were already covered with tears.
Next to him, Jiang Li controlled his breathing, and Liu He was also quiet.
As His Majesty's personal guards and eunuchs, they understand His Majesty's current situation very well and have seen it too many times.
After the Queen passed away, His Majesty would often cry and grieve late at night.
After the death of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the world suddenly became extremely cold, as if every moment was a cold winter that would last forever.
It was not until the appearance of His Royal Highness the Grandson that His Majesty smiled again.
"Quick, call Concubine Ning over. Concubine Ning and the eldest sister are most familiar with it. Concubine Ning must be familiar with the embroidery techniques here." Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly said.
After receiving the order, Liu He hurriedly arranged for the eunuch to summon Concubine Ning.
"A few days ago, Concubine Ning was a little suspicious of the eldest grandson, but after seeing this embroidery, I think she can confirm it directly."
Zhu Yuanzhang muttered to himself, while touching the embroidery in his hand, which made him feel as if he could feel the presence of his elder sister.
At this time in the harem, Concubine Ning was in her bedroom, looking at some relevant records of the Imperial Medical Bureau.
The yellowed paper expressed the years that had passed. These records were all stubs from the Imperial Hospital ten years ago and were related to Zhu Xiongying at that time.
It was Concubine Ning who arranged for someone to take it out from the Imperial Hospital.
Concubine Ning was a meticulous person. After learning about Zhu Xiongying's existence, she had some doubts in her heart but did not think much about it. Her original intention was to follow His Majesty's instructions and talk about it after meeting Zhu Xiongying.
But after Lu's reminder, he felt something was wrong.
Of course, Concubine Ning did not dare to tell His Majesty directly about these speculations, so she had to retrieve the records of Zhu Xiongying's illness from the Imperial Hospital herself.
These ten or so pieces of paper contain the results of the diagnosis made by more than ten imperial physicians at that time on Zhu Xiongying.
Without exception, the diagnosis was congenital heart disease in the eye.
Opening the medical book beside her, Concubine Ning read it carefully by candlelight. It contained a description of congenital heart disease.
"Congenital heart disease, if it occurs in the morning, the patient will die in the evening; if it occurs in the evening, the patient will die in the morning. The disease can be treated but cannot be stopped."
This means that once an attack occurs, it will be gone on the same day and you can only recuperate but there is no way to cure it.
Once you suffer from this disease, it will be like this for the rest of your life, and if you don't pay attention, you will die.
Seeing this, Concubine Ning's eyes became somewhat profound.
At this moment, a eunuch outside the house reported that His Majesty had urgently summoned him.
Upon hearing this, Concubine Ning immediately stood up and headed towards the Qianqing Palace accompanied by the palace maids and eunuchs.
The harem was not far from the Qianqing Palace, and Concubine Ning arrived soon.
As soon as I entered the room, I saw His Majesty holding a piece of torn cloth in his hand and a wooden box on the desk.
"Concubine Ning, come here quickly and show us if this item was embroidered by our eldest sister herself." Zhu Yuanzhang called out anxiously.
When it comes to embroidery, Concubine Ning is considered an expert and very knowledgeable.
Although Concubine Ning did not understand what His Majesty meant, she still walked forward, took the cloth strip and examined it carefully.
"How is this possible?"
As soon as she saw it, Concubine Ning exclaimed, her tone full of disbelief.
"How is it? How is it? Is it the one embroidered by the eldest sister?" Zhu Yuanzhang saw Concubine Ning's somewhat inappropriate exclamation and asked hurriedly.
"Your Majesty, please wait a moment. I will observe it carefully." When Concubine Ning heard Zhu Yuanzhang's voice, she came back to her senses from the shock.
In the light of the candle, I carefully looked at the needlework of the embroidery.
The reason why she was shocked just now was because this piece of torn cloth was extremely familiar to Concubine Ning.
When she changed clothes for Zhu Xiongying's body, Concubine Ning was very familiar with that white bellyband.
At that time, Empress Ma was ill in bed and insisted on embroidering words for her grandson herself. Concubine Ning stayed by her side and offered to help many times, but was rejected by Empress Ma.
Concubine Ning was much more familiar with this white bellyband than Zhu Yuanzhang.
Especially the formations involved in embroidery, the forms of expression are completely different depending on each person.
Embroidery is a craft that all ladies of noble families must learn, and it is especially important in the harem.
Embroidery stitches are extremely complicated, including dozens of types such as velvet stitch, straight stitch, loop stitch, piercing stitch, long and short stitch, needle stitch, flat gold stitch, and sand poking stitch.
It is divided into four famous embroidery styles: Su embroidery, Yue embroidery, Hunan embroidery and Shu embroidery. In addition, there are Gu embroidery, Beijing embroidery, Ou embroidery, Lu embroidery, Fujian embroidery, Bian embroidery, Han embroidery and Miao embroidery, etc.
In other words, each person's embroidery needlework habits will be completely different due to their own preferences and habits.
In the eyes of embroidery experts, one can even identify the heritage through the embroidery techniques.
Embroidery masters such as Concubine Ning and Empress Ma were extremely familiar with each other.
What Concubine Ning is checking now is the needlework, stitching, closing and so on of the gold thread embroidery.
Just this slightly damaged word "英" took Concubine Ning half a cup of tea to examine. This was because of Concubine Ning's repeated considerations, and also because her eyes were not bright enough and she was shortsighted.
When Concubine Ning put the cloth down, she said to Zhu Yuanzhang solemnly: "Your Majesty, the embroidery on this cloth was embroidered by my sister. This piece of cloth was replaced by me personally when the hero passed away. It cannot be fake."
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but asked: "Concubine Ning may be sure."
"I am absolutely sure that there will be no mistakes. Apart from my sister, I have never seen such skills in this world. Moreover, the words are embroidered on a white bellyband. It is unique in the world."
Concubine Ning said with certainty.
Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but smile. There were traces of tears on his face, but he was as happy as a child.
Then he said to Concubine Ning: "Do you know where we got this piece of cloth from?"
Concubine Ning just hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Could it be Xiongying's place?"
"That's right."
Hearing Concubine Ning's doubts, Zhu Yuanzhang directly replied affirmatively, and then said with some sighs:
"When I first met my eldest grandson, I was shocked by his appearance and immediately asked about his condition."
"The eldest grandson was cautious at the time. He pretended to tell me that he had parents and said that he was already 20 years old. This didn't match the eldest grandson's age. I naturally couldn't believe him, so I arranged for the Royal Guards to conduct a detailed investigation."
"We have indeed found out that the eldest grandson is just an adopted son of that family, and he was picked up outside Nanjing, by the Yangtze River."
"At that time, my eldest grandson argued with me, saying that my eldest grandson was buried in the ground, but he was drowned in the river, which was different."
"Look, after the Xiaoling Mausoleum was excavated, our eldest grandson has nothing to say, hehehe."
Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to be talking to Concubine Ning, but also seemed to be talking to himself, and his tone was extremely proud.
Seeing His Majesty's surprise and excitement, as if the evidence was conclusive, Concubine Ning, who had never met Zhu Ying, had a hint of doubt in her eyes.
Because she had never seen Zhu Ying's appearance, Concubine Ning didn't understand how she felt about the "extremely similar" thing that His Majesty mentioned, especially just now.
Concubine Ning happened to be reading records about congenital heart disease, and the seeds of doubt had already been planted.
But now Concubine Ning doesn't know how to explain this to His Majesty.
The cloth strip is a real cloth strip, so does Xiongying necessarily mean he is a real Xiongying?
At this time, Concubine Ning used her rich imagination. What if someone found Xiongying by the river and discovered Xiongying's identity, and that this person was an enemy of the Ming Dynasty?
Then he looked for a child who was about the same age and looked similar to the prince, and finally created such a shocking conspiracy.
The reason why it took ten years and only came after the Crown Prince passed away, in Concubine Ning's opinion, was because she had been searching for him among the vast crowds, and after finding him, she would definitely train him in secret.
But no matter how it is replaced, congenital heart disease cannot be replaced.
"Concubine Ning, what are you thinking about so absent-mindedly? Are you eager to see Xiongying right now? Don't worry, we wanted him to come quickly, but we gave our eldest grandson 5,000 troops and he is in the military camp right now."
"Once he finishes dealing with the matters in the military camp, we will let him come to see you immediately." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.
Hearing this, Concubine Ning was about to speak, but suddenly a thought flashed through her mind, and she said:
"Since Your Majesty already knew where Xiong Ying was, why didn't you use blood to prove your relationship? If they can be reconciled, who would dare to gossip?"
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