"I never thought that I would be able to see the Crown Prince when I was on the verge of death. Ahem."

Liu Sheng lay in bed, speaking with some difficulty, almost enunciating each word slowly.

Even so, he ended up coughing violently.

Every cough was like a sledgehammer hitting the chest, causing all the internal organs to vibrate.

"Liu the Supervisor, please stop talking. With your current health, you are completely exhausted and it is impossible for you to go to greet His Majesty, the Crown Prince."

"Even if they were carried across, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to bear the bumps on the road and would die halfway."

"I still have half a piece of centuries-old ginseng here. Supervisor Liu, if you put it in your mouth, maybe you can hold on until the Crown Prince arrives."

The person who spoke was the imperial physician who had been standing nearby.

During these days, the imperial physician was constantly trying to prolong Liu Sheng's life.

Under normal circumstances, Liu Sheng would not have been able to last long when the evil spirit entered his body.

It was only when I was close to death and had one foot at the gate of hell that I heard the news that Your Majesty had arrived in Annan.

This is how I have been able to hold on until today.

In Liu Sheng's current condition, he is in tremendous pain all the time. His internal organs have failed, and every breath is like swallowing a knife.

The slit was from the throat to the abdomen.

It can be said that he relied entirely on various precious medicinal materials to prolong his life.

The half piece of hundreds-year-old ginseng proposed by the imperial physician was undoubtedly the last resort.

According to Liu Sheng's current physical condition, the powerful medicinal effect of the old ginseng is simply beyond his ability to bear. All it can give him is that last bit of strength.

Liu Sheng, who was lying on the bed, shook his head gently and uttered a word with difficulty: "Wait."

Zhu Gaochi and the imperial physician immediately understood what Liu Sheng meant.

He would persist until the Crown Prince entered the city before he was willing to take half a piece of ginseng.

Zhu Gaochi looked at Liu Sheng deeply without saying anything, then turned around and quickly walked out of the room that was filled with the smell of medicine.

Looking at Zhu Gaochi's leaving back, Liu Sheng's eyes showed a bit of gratitude.

He knew that Zhu Gaochi was going to find the crown prince for him.

…

"It's another fifty miles to the capital of Annan. Let's camp there for one night."

Zhu Yuanzhang made the arrangements.

The marching speed of the southern tour army was less than eighty miles a day, and this was in the plains.

It's getting late now and we can't arrive immediately.

According to the regulations, there will be a welcoming ceremony, which cannot last until late at night, so it would be most appropriate to set off tomorrow morning.

After stopping, the natural thing to do is to set up camp, but a temporary camp is relatively simpler.

The most lively ones were Zhu Ying's concubines.

There are also Zhu Yuanzhang’s sons and grandsons.

There are five princes, namely, Prince of Min Zhu Yu, Prince of Gu Zhu Tan, Prince of Han Zhu Song, Prince of Shen Zhu Mo, and Prince of An Zhu Ying.

As for the two youngest ones, they were only about ten years old, and the southern tour was long, so they were not taken along.

In fact, these five princes, including Zhu Quan, should have been enfeoffed long ago.

Unfortunately, when he was preparing to become a vassal, he met Zhu Ying, who changed the vassal policy set by Zhu Yuanzhang.

For them now, overseas fiefdoms are out of reach. The title of prince is given, but the fiefdom is cancelled.

If you want to enthrone overseas vassal kings, you must follow the Crown Prince's plan. You can't lead troops whenever you want. You must meet the graduation standards of the Ming Military Academy.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally brought him along on this southern tour.

The only emperor's grandson is Zhu Yunhuan.

Other imperial grandchildren of similar age could basically follow their fathers. For example, Zhu Gaochi did not stay in the capital until his father became a fiefdom.

As for the concubines in the harem, Concubine Guo Ning did not come with them, but was in charge of the palace in the capital. Only two concubines came to take care of Zhu Yuanzhang.

On Zhu Ying's side, except for the Zhenla princess Sultana and Xu Miaojing who were pregnant and could not come with her, everyone else came.

The children are only a few years old, so naturally they should stay in the palace and don't have to suffer the hardship of running around.

Besides, children have poor resistance and are easily infected with diseases in places like Annan, which may lead to their death.

The Crown Princess Chen Muyue, Princess Zhao Xiangxi of Goryeo, Princess Chen Muyue of Annan, Princess Ananiya of Champa, and Princess Xiangzi of Japan.

The five concubines in the Annan territory are completely a dimensionality reduction attack, and no other women can compare to them.

Even after having children, they still maintain a good figure.

After all, they still need to compete for the favor of the Crown Prince.

Only by having more children can one consolidate his position.

"You've been working really hard these past few days, sister."

Ye Yueqing looked at His Majesty and the Crown Prince who were chatting in the distance, then turned to Chen Muyue and said.

Chen Muyue's cheeks flushed slightly, and she bowed slightly: "Thank you for your care, sister."

Being the only one loved by others is what Chen Muyue has always wanted, especially to have another boy.

"We will arrive in Shenglong City tomorrow, and your belly should be almost full by now."

"The situation in Annan is very chaotic right now. We need to stabilize it immediately. Your burden will not be light during this period. You must hurry up."

There was a hint of criticism in Ye Yueqing's tone.

This made Chen Muyue feel a little frightened.

"Please rest assured, sister, I will definitely get pregnant."

Ye Yueqing then smiled.

The few people following behind didn't dare to interrupt at this time and could only listen from the side.

Zhu Ying told Ye Yueqing about his idea very early on.

Ye Yueqing knew that the boys born to these princesses from other countries would eventually become vassal kings of their respective countries.

The power struggle involved here, in the harem, of course, is controlled by Ye Yueqing.

The army has already started cooking.

The aroma of rice wafts into the air.

At this time, a fast horse galloped towards the camp from a distance.

The soldiers on guard immediately stood ready for battle.

Although we only saw one person and one horse, this is where His Majesty is, so it is not excessive to pay more attention to them.

"Stop, and dismount immediately."

The soldier guarding the gate shouted loudly.

"I am a personal guard under the command of Prince Yan. Following Prince Yan's order, I am here to deliver a secret letter to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The Ti rider who delivered the letter naturally did not dare to act rashly here, and quickly dismounted to explain.

The soldier guarding the gate took the secret letter and did not let the guard in. Instead, he went into the camp himself and delivered it to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

At this time, Zhu Ying and the old man were preparing to have dinner.

Their meals were of course completely different from those of ordinary soldiers. Even in the wild, there were more than ten dishes on the table.

Naturally, the gatekeepers could not see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince directly, so they handed the letter to the eunuch Guo Zhong.

Then Guo Zhong sent it to the crown prince.

"Tomorrow is almost here, why is this kid sending a secret letter? Could something have happened?" Zhu Yuanzhang grinned.

Zhu Ying didn't take it too seriously, so he asked Guo Zhong to bring the secret letter over to see what Zhu Gaochi wrote.

After opening it, Zhu Ying's expression changed drastically after just one glance.

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and said, "Could it be that something unexpected really happened in this city?"

Zhu Ying's face looked a little ugly. Even Zhu Yuanzhang had never seen his eldest grandson like this.

"No, it's Liu Sheng, the Inspector of Annan. He is seriously ill and will not be around for long."

Zhu Ying explained, then put down his chopsticks and stood up.

"Grandpa, Liu Shengyu has pressed the button. I'll go first."

Zhu Yuanzhang knew something about Liu Sheng, so he said immediately, "Go quickly."

Zhu Ying walked out of the tent and asked someone to bring his warhorse. Then he led a thousand Black Armor Guard cavalrymen and rushed towards Thang Long City at a rapid speed.

"Wait for me. You must wait for me."

The whip hit the horse's butt hard, and the warhorse, in pain, immediately ran away.

Zhu Ying no longer had time to care for him. At this moment, all he could think about was Liu Sheng, who was in critical condition.

Fifty miles away, according to the speed of a horse, it would probably take just over an hour to arrive.

Such a speed was a heavy burden on the horse, but Zhu Ying no longer cared.

What he wanted was to see Liu Sheng as quickly as possible.

In name, Liu Sheng was Zhu Ying's eldest disciple, but in reality, the relationship between the two was not much different from that of grandfather and grandson.

Although Zhu Ying gathered the earliest group of desperate criminals by his ruthlessness, he was too young and his subordinates were somewhat unwilling to accept his defeat.

At this time, Liu Sheng appeared.

Liu Sheng was a slave bought by Zhu Ying. At that time, Liu Sheng was nearly sixty years old and was no longer of much value.

However, what Zhu Ying valued was that Liu Sheng could speak many languages. Having lived in the Western Regions until he was over 50 years old, he naturally had a lot of experience, and the two of them became acquainted because of this.

In the following days, Liu Sheng played a very important role.

Whether it was helping Zhu Ying understand the forces of all parties, or maintaining the basic base when Zhu Ying was away, it can be said that Liu Sheng's contribution to the rapid growth of the Qun Ying Chamber of Commerce cannot be ignored.

Zhu Ying was young and lacked prestige.

Liu Sheng took the initiative to propose that he would become Zhu Ying's eldest disciple in order to consolidate his position as the boss.

The mystery of Zhu Ying as the owner of the Qun Ying Chamber of Commerce has always been maintained by Liu Sheng.

Even Zhang Bo only followed Zhu Ying after he became rich.

"drive!"

Memories of the past flashed through Zhu Ying's mind quickly. Anxious, Zhu Ying whipped the horse again, and the horse sped up again after feeling the pain.

At this time, the city gates of Annan's capital had been closed.

When Zhu Ying arrived with thousands of cavalrymen, the guards on the city wall were unaware of the situation and immediately became nervous.

"I am the great Ming crown prince. Open the city gates immediately!!!"

Zhu Ying arrived at the city gate and without thinking too much, he just shouted loudly.

The soldiers on the city wall looked at each other.

They were all Ming soldiers, and they knew that the southern tour army would arrive soon.

But at this time, a thousand cavalrymen suddenly arrived, and the leader said he was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Suddenly, they didn't know what to do.

According to the rules, the city gates cannot be opened at this time.

"It's really His Royal Highness, open the city gate quickly."

The general flag on the top of the city wall opened his eyes wide and looked carefully, then his face was shocked and he shouted quickly to the side.

Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately opened the city gate without hesitation.

Zhu Ying didn't care too much when he saw this, and ordered: "Someone lead the way to where Annan Supervisor Liu Sheng is, quickly!"

The general quickly mounted his horse and said, "Your Highness, please follow me."

Seeing thousands of cavalrymen marching into the city in such a mighty manner, the defending soldiers dared not say a word.

After the figure disappeared, someone finally spoke up, "The boss really didn't lie to us. He really did meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

This has to do with Zhu Ying’s previous arrangements.

Normally, if Zhu Ying wanted to enter the city, even if he reported his identity as the crown prince, he would have to inform Prince Yan to come and identify him before the city gate could be opened.

But Zhu Ying had a habit before. No matter where the army was, whenever there was a military parade, he would step down from the reviewing platform so that every soldier could see his appearance.

The general flagman who was in charge of guarding the city gate just now had seen the true face of the crown prince in this way.

After that meeting, the Crown Prince's true appearance has been deeply engraved in his mind.

Normally, the general would often boast in front of the soldiers that he had seen the crown prince, although many people did not believe it.

Now of course I have to believe it.

Annan Supervisory Office.

When Zhu Ying arrived here, Zhu Gaochi was naturally there too.

"Greetings, big brother."

Seeing his elder brother coming hurriedly, Zhu Gaochi hurriedly saluted.

Zhu Ying didn't care at this time and asked directly: "Where is Liu Sheng?"

Zhu Gaochi did not dare to delay: "Liu Jian is in the inner room making love."

Zhu Ying had no intention of reminiscing about the past and simply ran quickly towards the innermost part.

He was afraid that if he was a step late, he would not be able to see Liu Sheng.

Liu Sheng lay in bed, his breathing becoming increasingly heavy.

At this moment, the half piece of old ginseng was already in his mouth.

Half an hour ago, Liu Sheng's body was completely exhausted and he could only call on Lao Shen to stay alive.

"It seems that I won't be able to wait for the boss."

Liu Sheng stared at the door, his eyes filled with disappointment.

How he wanted to take one last look at his boss in these last moments.

Unfortunately, the ginseng in his mouth had slowly faded and there was little left. A strong feeling of dizziness kept coming over him, making him drowsy and his eyelids half-closed.

Liu Sheng knew very well that once he fell asleep, he would never wake up again.

"Perhaps His Highness will come soon, but you can no longer hold on."

"If you have anything to say, please say it. I will help you convey it to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The eyes of the imperial physician next to him flashed with a hint of pity and admiration.

Every breath he took in this state felt like being cut into pieces by a thousand knives. He had been practicing medicine for decades, but he had never seen anyone who could endure for so long.

Most people's bodies are cold.

In other words, in this state, Liu Sheng had not closed his eyes for three or four days.

As long as you close your eyes, there will be no chance to open them again.

When Liu Sheng heard the doctor's words, he smiled bitterly and said with difficulty: "Say something..."

"There's really nothing more to say."

"The boss is doing very well now...very well..."

Ever since his boss became the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, Liu Sheng knew that he was of little use.

He came to Annan just to do something for his employer in his twilight years.

If I have any last wish, it is to hear Dong... Ying'er, call him grandpa.

But Liu Sheng would never say this even if he died.

This is just his personal wish.

After all, the boss is no longer the boss, but the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty.

If the Dong family is not the grandson of the emperor... then...

No, the boss should be the crown prince.

Liu Sheng's vision gradually began to blur, and a large area of ​​darkness invaded.

He understood that he could no longer hold on.

Think more and take another look at your boss.

Liu Sheng turned his head with difficulty and looked towards the door.

It seemed as if a figure appeared.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and his heavy eyelids finally fell.