"Then what does Young Master Yue desire from the Ming Dynasty?"
Young Master Yue glared at Zhu Yunwen, then picked up another piece of meat and put it in his mouth.
"Damn, that's spicy! I just want some potato seeds, anything to solve our food problem this winter!"
Zhu Yunwen pondered for a moment.
"If you need something, just buy it. You have money in your hands, you can buy anything you want!"
"Your Highness must have heard the saying, 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime!'"
Zhu Yunwen never expected that Young Master Yue would have such thoughts and a sharp mind; this guy must be extraordinary.
That's the good thing about making friends with smart people!
"That's possible, but you'll also have to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty every year, since we've helped you so much!"
"Alright! Enough said. Young Master Yue has already done a great favor by giving us all this time. Here are the potato seeds, and I'll teach you the techniques. Just give some of your local specialties to the Ming Dynasty every year!"
Since Zhu Yuanzhang had spoken, no one else could say anything.
Young Master Yue seemed to have been prepared, as he took out several high-denomination silver notes from his pocket.
"Then I wish Your Highness a great victory in the fight against the Japanese pirates!"
The three of them ate some more before parting ways. Before leaving, Zhu Yuanzhang gave Zhu Yunwen a few more words of advice.
He didn't tell these things to Young Master Yue. Although the other party had helped him, Zhu Yunwen was still furious at the thought of being tricked out of the potato seeds.
What's more, this guy even took two jars of good wine with him when he left!
Thinking about how painful it would be for Young Master Yue to go to the toilet tomorrow, Zhu Yunwen felt a surge of pleasure.
After seeing Zhu Yuanzhang and his entourage off, Zhu Yunwen rushed to the Grand Council.
This place is the domain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; I felt a chill as soon as I stepped through the gate.
Zhu Yunwen even thought of the TV dramas he had watched before, in which the Imperial Guards were portrayed as ruthless killers!
Stepping into the Military Affairs Office, I found the entire place completely deserted!
Who are you looking for?
Suddenly a voice came from the tree trunk, and Zhu Yunwen looked up.
A twelve or thirteen-year-old child was hanging from a tree trunk, curiously looking at Zhu Yunwen.
"I'm here to find someone!"
"Who should I look for?"
"Lord Lu Yuanlu!"
"Pfft, you're saying my senior brother is an adult? He's in the backyard. And who are you?"
"I am Zhu Yunwen!"
The child thought for a moment, then looked at Zhu Yunwen in surprise.
"You are the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty?"
After saying that, he fell straight down from the tree.
"What? Am I that scary?"
Upon hearing Zhu Yuntong's question, the little boy quickly crawled to his side.
"Grandson, I heard you're going to fight the Japanese pirates. Could you take me with you? I want to avenge my parents!"
Zhu Yunwen looked at the child on the ground with some surprise, his eyes filled with hatred!
It turns out the little boy was originally from Guangdong and Guangxi, but unfortunately his village was attacked by Japanese pirates, and both his parents died.
It was Lu Yuan from the Military Intelligence Bureau who pulled him out of the pile of corpses. Seeing his pitiful state, the Military Intelligence Bureau decided to adopt him.
"I don't have a name, everyone calls me Gouyazi, but here, my master gave me the name Lu Zhen!"
Zhu Yunwen felt a pang of sadness; such a young child had experienced such a cruel thing.
If he hadn't met Lu Yuan, he probably would have been dead long ago!
"Grandson, I beg you, can you take me with you to fight the Japanese pirates? I only want to avenge my parents!"
"No, you're too young. Lu Zhen, you can go to the battlefield when you're older, then you can kill more Japanese pirates!"
Lu Zhen shook his head and slumped to the ground.
"You don't understand my hatred!"
Lu Zhen seemed to see countless images of his clansmen dying tragically, and his eyes turned bloodshot.
"Ah! Ah! Ah!"
A series of screams interrupted their conversation, and Lu Zhen looked towards the backyard.
"They are interrogating you. Your Highness should wait before going over, lest you be frightened!"
Lu Zhen's attitude towards Zhu Yuntong underwent a complete 180-degree change, but Zhu Yuntong didn't seem to mind.
He strode into the backyard and saw a man tied to the ground, with someone feeding him food.
If it weren't for the pools of blood on the ground, no one would believe the pain he was in at that moment.
On the steps of the courtyard, a man dressed in an official robe sat upright.
His eyes were filled with indifference, as if the man on the ground wasn't even human.
The soil beneath the man had turned blackish-red, indicating that he was not the only one who had died there.
Upon seeing Zhu Yuntong, the man quickly gestured for him to stop and strode over to him.
"I was unaware of His Highness the Crown Prince's arrival; I have failed to greet you properly!"
The speaker was Lu Zhengde, the highest-ranking official in the Military Affairs Department, and standing behind him was Lu Yuan.
Although this guy wasn't recorded in the official records, Zhu Yunwen had read unofficial histories and found that Lu Zhengde had over a hundred disciples and girls, but only this Lu Yuan could be considered a formidable figure!
"I've come to see Lu Yuan."
Upon hearing Zhu Yunwen call his name, Lu Yuan hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down.
"Lord Lu, I would like to borrow your son Lu Yuan to fight against the Japanese pirates with me!"
"The prosperity of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen. I am honored by the Crown Prince's high regard for you. From this day forward, Yuan'er, you belong to His Highness the Crown Prince!"
Lu Yuan replied respectfully, "Yes."
Zhu Yunwen was surprised that things went so smoothly. He looked at the man on the ground.
"What mistake did he make?"
Lu Zhengde didn't seem to intend to tell Zhu Yunwen; he simply waved his hand and ordered someone to take the guy away.
"Your Highness, the Military Affairs Office is too cold to stay in for long. You should leave!"
Zhu Yunwen knew this was a dismissal, so he didn't say anything and turned to leave.
Lu Yuan followed behind him and they returned to the East Palace together.
Zhu Yunwen looked at the list in his hand again. Now everyone had been found, and everything was ready except for the final step!
Good news also came from Zhang Shan's side: all the crossbow parts were finished, and he asked Zhu Yunwen where to send them!
Zhu Yunwen asked the other party to take him directly to the town, and then hurriedly returned to the town himself.
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