early morning.

Zhu Yuanzhang opened his eyes.

"Where is this?"

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang had not yet recovered from his shock. Seeing that he was not in his own bedroom, he felt a little confused.

After thinking about it, I remembered what happened last night.

"That's great! We can finally sleep with our eldest grandson again." Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes wrinkled and he smiled sweetly.

Today was the best night I slept in all these years.

The moment he woke up, Zhu Yuanzhang felt relaxed both physically and mentally. He did not have the chaotic feeling he had when he woke up in the palace at all.

As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang never had the habit of sleeping in. However, when he smelled the smell in the quilt, he wanted to sleep a little longer.

At this time, the door was pushed open.

"Old man, did you sleep well? It's already noon and you're still lying in bed."

Zhu Ying walked in and said jokingly when he saw the old man who had already stood up.

My goodness, this emperor who is known as the most diligent emperor in history was actually teased for staying in bed.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang was not angry. Instead, he said, "Why? We have worked hard all our lives. Can't we relax?"

"Okay, of course, but the hot porridge I prepared for you will get cold." Zhu Ying said with a smile.

Early in the morning, he asked the kitchen to cook some old hen porridge to nourish the old man.

Some vegetables and fruits were also arranged.

Yesterday when he was sleeping, the old man snored very loudly, but it didn’t affect Zhu Ying’s sleep.

After all, Zhu Ying had often slept together with the soldiers before and was used to it.

But the old man is so old and snoring, which means his body is in a sub-healthy state and needs more care.

Hearing that there was something to eat, Zhu Yuanzhang stood up straight away, spread his arms, and said:

"Grandson, come and help me change my clothes."

Zhu Ying smiled helplessly, picked up the clothes next to her and helped the old man put them on.

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were narrowed into slits from smiling.

Having his eldest grandson dress him was something he had never thought about in the past ten years, or even in his entire life.

This feeling made him feel like he was back in the past, that feeling of a real home.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang came back again.

"Hey, old man, where is your jade pendant? Why isn't it with you?" After helping the old man get dressed, Zhu Ying suddenly remembered the jade pendant and asked in surprise.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened when he heard this, and he snorted coldly: "It's broken, and the craftsmen are repairing it. Don't mention it, it makes me upset."

The second son's concubine had been sentenced to death by Zhu Yuanzhang, with dignity.

King Qin Zhu Chong was also put in solitary confinement, and he had no place to vent his anger.

"Okay, that's a shame."

Upon seeing this, Zhu Ying said what a pity, and without saying much, took the old man to the yard to have breakfast.

At present, Zhu Ying’s eating habits are still very different from those of most people in the Ming Dynasty.

Most people in the Ming Dynasty now only have two meals a day.

I have one meal around 10 am and another around 3 or 4 pm.

People in wealthy and well-off families also have three meals a day, with the third meal being around seven or eight o'clock, commonly known as a midnight snack.

Zhu Yingze still maintains the habits of his previous life.

"My dear grandson, why don't you have any meat? You are torturing me. This is my first time to eat with you, so you just give me some of this broken stuff."

After opening the pot, Zhu Yuanzhang was immediately unhappy when he saw the chicken soup porridge with only a little minced meat and two side dishes.

Zhu Yuanzhang liked to eat meat, and every meal would consist of big fish and meat.

The "four dishes and one soup" rumored in later generations was meant to punish officials' arrogance and extravagance, and was not a normal practice.

Zhu Yuanzhang himself was also a fierce general. When he was young, he always rushed to the front. Only by eating a large amount of meat could he maintain his physical strength.

I felt a little unhappy when I saw that my eldest grandson prepared a bunch of vegetarian dishes and there were only a few pieces of chicken in the chicken porridge.

Zhu Ying explained: "Old man, you should eat less meat. Look how fat you have become. You can't even lift a knife. You must be exhausted after walking a few steps with the armor on."

"Being too fat is not good. It can lead to many diseases. With your current health, you should eat more vegetarian food. I want you to live a few more years."

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard the first sentence, he immediately felt uncomfortable.

What do you mean I can't lift the knife anymore? I immediately want to find a big knife so that my eldest grandson can see what it means to be mighty and majestic.

However, when Zhu Yuanzhang heard that he could live a few more years, his anger immediately subsided.

As the emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang naturally had imperial physicians to help keep an eye on his health at all times.

The imperial physician had also suggested this.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang was stubborn and didn't care, and even scolded the imperial physician.

Sheep eat grass, wolves eat sheep, if we don’t eat meat but grass, does that mean we are going to be sheep?

Just this one sentence frightened the imperial physician so much that he dared not say anything more.

Zhu Ying looked at the old man who looked a little unconvinced and explained, "It's not that I don't eat meat, I just eat less. When you get older, eating too much greasy food will have a big impact on your spleen and stomach."

"Hey, grandson, do you know medicine?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked in surprise.

"I don't understand, but most doctors know something about these health-preserving techniques."

Zhu Ying shook his head and said that basic health knowledge was very simple in the previous life.

Although many people in the Ming Dynasty are now pale and thin and malnourished, this does not include high-ranking officials.

After listening to this, Zhu Yuanzhang thought to himself.

As soon as he returned to the palace, he called the imperial physician to think about how to get his body back into good health.

He knows his own body well and knows that at present, most of the illnesses he suffers are minor.

Some minor illnesses don't cause much pain, and generally no one cares.

But now that he sees his eldest grandson, Zhu Yuanzhang wishes he could live longer.

I am really worried about my eldest grandson.

"Okay, we'll listen to you."

After saying that, Zhu Yuanzhang picked up the porridge and started eating along with the side dishes.

“Huh.”

After taking a mouthful of hot porridge, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but let out a light exclamation.

The taste of the porridge was completely different from what he had imagined. With the deliciousness of the chicken and the thickness of the porridge, it did not feel bland at all.

The ordinary side dishes were also extremely fresh and fragrant, completely different from those made by the chefs in the palace.

"What do you think, old man? It tastes okay, right?" Zhu Ying took a sip of the porridge and said with a smile when he saw the old man's surprised look.

"My dear grandson, you are really good at eating." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.

He finished a big bowl of porridge in just a few bites, but still felt a little unsatisfied.

"It's nothing, it's just about the ingredients. Some of the seasonings are only available in the Western Regions, so it's just for the sake of novelty."

"If you like it, old man, I'll have someone prepare some for you."

Zhu Ying explained.

The main reason for the problem in these porridges and dishes is MSG.

MSG itself is a revolution in the food world, and the method of making it is not too difficult.

Zhu Yuanzhang liked strong flavors, so this was just right for him.

"No need for that. Let's eat here instead. It will be the most delicious." Zhu Yuanzhang said.

"Okay, I just happened to have figured out some pastries in the last few days, so let's try them next time." Zhu Ying said casually.

Hearing the word "pastry", Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and asked, "Why, the King of Qin is still not giving up and is looking for you again?"

The second son’s second concubine asked the eldest grandson to make pastries in the teahouse last time, which was still fresh in his memory.

Zhu Ying shook his head and said, "No, no one has come to the King of Qin's place since that time. I just wanted to eat it myself, so I asked the chefs to study it."

In fact, Zhu Ying herself is not very good at cooking.

Cooking skills are not just about seasoning; they also involve the temperature, knife skills, and the way ingredients are processed, etc.

The same process can even result in different tastes of the food cooked.

It’s just that Zhu Ying has a lot of experience and can provide guidance to the chef in some aspects.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly.

If the second son Zhu Chong dares to bully the eldest grandson, I will break both of his legs.

Thinking of the second son, Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but say: "The Qin prince is in solitary confinement, and I don't know if he has any repentance."

Zhu Ying pondered for a moment and said, "In fact, the King of Qin is still very capable in fighting. It's a pity for him to stay in the capital. Forget about governing the local areas, but he is still good at leading troops."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in agreement, and had an idea of ​​the second brother's arrangement.

It happened that Lan Yu was recalled recently, and the troops in Handong are unattended, so it would be a good idea to send the second brother there.

After having breakfast and looking at the sky, Zhu Yuanzhang realized that he had to return to the palace.

Since the morning court was not open, I could only attend the afternoon court to handle government affairs.

"Okay, we have to go back to the palace. There are still a lot of things waiting for us in the palace."

After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, he added: "It will be difficult for His Majesty to deal with us without him."

Zhu Ying was speechless and said casually, "I think Your Majesty is taking care of too many things. He has exhausted himself by taking care of so many things."

Hearing this insinuation, Zhu Yuanzhang's stubborn temper came up. He was about to stand up, but sat down again and scolded:

"You kid, you don't understand the things going on in the palace at all. The emperor's power must be firmly controlled in your own hands."

"If you hand over everything to others, you will be kept in the dark without knowing it. One day when you wake up, you may find that the whole country has been given to others."

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, he recalled the Hu Weiyong case, the empty seal case, and the Guo Huan case that had happened before.

After the Hu Weiyong case, Zhu Yuanzhang dismissed the left and right prime ministers, abolished the Secretariat, and strengthened the autocratic imperial power.

Zhu Yuanzhang was deceived by the empty seal case, so he established the Jinyiwei to strengthen his ears and eyes and avoid being deceived by his ministers.

In the case of Guo Huan, the Jinyiwei made great contributions, but the embezzlement of more than 24 million dan of grain was simply appalling.

It was because of these three major cases that Zhu Yuanzhang was traumatized.

Zhu Yuanzhang, who was already suspicious, became even more distrustful of his civil officials and arranged for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct close surveillance.

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang was mostly tolerant towards military generals.

If Lan Yu had not made such a fuss to pave the way for Zhu Yunwen, there would have been no Lan Yu case later.

However, in order to protect the eldest grandson, if Lan Yu could recognize the eldest grandson, it is estimated that the Lan Yu case would not have happened.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ying expressed a different opinion.

"Your Majesty has too many things to manage. One person's energy is limited. Even the current His Majesty has to set up palace and cabinet ministers to help share government affairs."

"Being an emperor is not about having great abilities, but about knowing how to use people well."

"Let's not talk about anything else. The inheritance of the Ming Dynasty is what your majesty wants in your heart, and it will last for thousands of years."

"But your majesty is so wise and powerful, he can guarantee that his descendants will be like this for generations to come. If there are a few incompetent emperors, for example, who don't attend court for several months, what do you think we should do?"

Zhu Ying said.

He really wasn't talking nonsense.

Since Zhu Yuanzhang, the most diligent person was probably Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

A founding emperor and the last emperor, both were similar in terms of diligence.

Even Zhu Di, who came later, enjoyed fighting wars and conquered the country.

The internal affairs of the Ming Dynasty were basically handed over to Zhu Gaochi.

Some people believe that the reason why Zhu Di led the army in person was because all the famous military generals of the Ming Dynasty had been killed.

Actually, this is not the case.

There are still many young generals in the vast Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Di liked to lead the army in person, simply because he wanted to prove to his father, Zhu Yuanzhang, that he could expand the territory for the Ming Dynasty and conquer the country.

Zhu Di grew up in a military camp and fought against nomadic peoples on the grassland for a long time in his fiefdom.

Finally he became the emperor, but soon he got used to it.

Especially when he heard the news of the defeat, he could not help but lead an army of 500,000 to fight directly.

As for the emperors who followed the Ming Dynasty, there is no need to say more.

Looking back at the Ming Dynasty, which lasted nearly three hundred years, it was at its strongest in the early years of the Ming Dynasty, and then it almost always went downhill.

Although there were several ups and downs in the middle, the downward trend could not be stopped.

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, his original intention of returning to the palace immediately faded.

In fact, this problem troubled Zhu Yuanzhang for a long time.

The Ming system he personally established was, to a large extent, intended to enable future generations to take good care of the Ming Dynasty.