Prince Wu's Mansion, White Tiger Palace.

Once again, I briefly read Xu Da's handwritten letter. Even though I had read it countless times, some passages in the letter still made Zhu Yuanzhang feel guilty.

Because many of the arguments were knowledge that Zhu Yuanzhang had never heard of despite his tireless study and inquiry over the years. Some of the truths even solved some of his long-standing doubts.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt a little regretful.

Although Xu Da's handwritten letter contains more than 3,000 words, it is still far from recording the entire content of the exchanges between the two. After all, the two talked for several hours, and many of the topics that interested Zhu Yuanzhang in the letter were just

Brief summary.

It would have been great if there had been a diary to record the entire process!

Putting down Xu Da's handwritten letter, Zhu Yuanzhang looked up and looked outside the palace again. No one had arrived yet, so he simply got up and left the desk, heading towards the screen on the side of the palace where Mao Xiang had been curious.

Turning around the screen, there is now a picture scroll about three feet high and more than ten feet wide hanging on the west wall of the main hall. This was copied by Zhu Yuanzhang in person recently based on the Zhu Yuan hand-drawn drawings sent by Xu Da.

In the middle of the top is a line of simplified Chinese characters written in a completely different font from this era.

Chart of population changes in Chinese dynasties.

Because of this scroll, Zhu Yuanzhang recently ordered a security guard to be set up outside the White Tiger Palace, strictly ordering that no one except himself could enter without permission.

Standing next to the wall and looking at this picture, Zhu Yuanzhang was still flooded with thoughts.

There are two horizontal and vertical axes on the map, the top and bottom are population, and the left and right are time. A long curve that seems to have traveled through thousands of years is cruising between them, and the whole is meandering upward.

There are many text labels on the map, all in simplified Chinese.

However, compared to the picture scroll itself, these simplified Chinese characters that can be understood with a little thought are the least noticeable thing.

On the Zhangyu map scroll, from the unverifiable prehistoric population estimate of millions to the peak population of 150 million in the land of China where Song, Liao, and Xixia coexisted, the ups and downs and ups and downs made Zhu Yuanzhang seem to be watching

There have been battles and dynasties rising and falling again and again.

The rise and fall of the ages are all reflected in this picture.

After repeatedly savoring his feelings, Zhu Yuanzhang had no doubts about what the young man in Xu Daxin said.

Zhu Yuanzhang also had a hunch that by breaking through this picture, he might really be able to add another five hundred years to the country he had built in his narrow escape.

But he didn't break it.

During these days, he really felt that the reasons for the repeated changes in dynasties in the past dynasties may indeed be hidden in this picture. However, the curve that dropped again and again was the result of the king's unrighteousness, the treacherous ministers who ruined the country, and the harsh punishment.

Law, is it exorbitant levies and miscellaneous taxes?

It seems to be both, and it seems to be neither.

Then, it is probably like the knowledge in Xu Da's handwriting that he has never heard of, such as the saying that "the root cause of floods in the Yellow River lies in Guanzhong". Perhaps, this should also be a kind of knowledge that he has never heard of, a kind of knowledge that is beyond what he can

I came into contact with brand-new knowledge besides Confucianism, Legalism, Taoism, Mohism, etc.

Over the years, as his status has increased, and now he is about to enter the Ninth Five-Year Plan, facing an increasingly vast territory, Zhu Yuanzhang has become more and more confused in the process of governance. He has always been a studious person, but what he is about to face,

It is far from being solved by the words of Li Shanchang, who was still called Li Shiyuan back then: "Know people well and do their job well, and don't like to kill people."

Zhu Yuanzhang began to think about what would happen in the next hundred years and thousands of years, and how to hold on to the country he had built for as long as possible.

For this matter, only in the recent period, Zhu Yuanzhang has made two large-scale searches for talents. Once in early October, he sent his ministers to visit various places with coins and silk in search of talents. The other time at the end of last month, he went to Zhengzhan.

Military generals from all over the world ordered that wherever they go, they must look for talented people and send them to Jinling.

However, although many people have been recommended one after another these days, only one or two of them can really satisfy him. Some of them are either pedantic or corrupt, and even make him so angry that he wants to kill people.

But you can't kill people.

After all, if you really kill people, it will hinder talented people from coming to seek refuge.

Therefore, even if he looked down upon him, Zhu Yuanzhang had no choice but to treat him kindly and rewarded him with coins and silk to let him return the way he came.

This time, there is finally one.

Zhu Yuanzhang can be sure that this is not only a man with a lot of articles, but also something that he values ​​​​more, a person who can do things. He has also learned about this from the simple but very practical saying "Keep to the right."

', this is evident.

Anticipating this, Zhu Yuanzhang made up his mind early on to give the worldly master the greatest courtesy.

Five hundred years as a gift to Zuo, oh, five hundred years is too little for him. However, Zhu Yuanzhang also understood that throughout history, after the Shang and Zhou dynasties, which dynasty could last more than five hundred years?

Therefore, he would be satisfied if he could actually give the Zhu family five hundred years of national honor.

As he was looking at the picture on the wall with emotion, he suddenly heard someone shouting a report outside the hall. Zhu Yuanzhang immediately retracted his thoughts, quickly turned out of the screen, and returned to the desk.

Outside the palace.

Cui Liang, the Minister of Rites, stood in front of the steps and said respectfully: "Reporting to your Majesty, I have welcomed Zhu Xiucai to the palace."

Zhu Yuanzhang, who subconsciously looked outside after writing, raised his hand slightly, but felt that he should hold it more tightly and not appear eager. This was the way to control others, so he only raised his voice slightly: "Let him come in."

Soon, Zhu Yuan, who was personally reminded by Cui Liang to change into a green robe on the way, stepped in and walked to the middle of the hall. He saluted and said: "Little Zhu Yuan, I pay my respects to His Highness the King of Wu."

Hearing a certain name with his own ears, Zhu Yuanzhang no longer felt unhappy at first, and thought it might be some kind of fate. At this time, he didn't care about the young man who just looked at him quietly, and said in a gentle tone: "Get up, little scholar,

You come closer."

Zhu Yuan stood up, took two steps forward, and raised his eyes slightly to look over again.

This is a middle-aged man wearing a dragon-patterned red robe and folded black gauze. And, um... it has been deciphered. He is not ugly, not a 'Zhang Mazi', but more like the portrait of Zhu Yuanzhang in dragon robe that has been circulated.

In fact, it is conceivable.

If he was so ugly that I couldn't bear to look at him, how could he let Guo Zixing become his bodyguard and marry his goddaughter soon after seeing him?

However, looking at Zhu Yuanzhang's appearance, Zhu Yuan suddenly remembered some sayings about facial appearance in his previous life. Zhu Yuanzhang's facial features often cannot escape the word "strong" in his character.

Or 'strong', or 'headstrong', or 'upright'.

Think about Zhu Yuanzhang who was not at all tactful about people and things, think about Emperor Chongzhen who would die more than two hundred years later, and even think about six hundred years later...Zhu Yuan thinks that personality can also be inherited.

.

The genetics of Lao Zhu's family are quite powerful.

When Zhu Yuan quietly looked up at Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yuanzhang was also looking at Zhu Yuan.

The pale, morbid young man, with his frail and thin body, really looks like the embryonic scholar in the calligraphy and singing song. Even if he knew clearly that he was definitely not the wrong person, but thinking about Xu Da's handwriting and the scroll behind the screen, Zhu Yuanzhang still

I can't help but feel that it goes against common sense for such a young man to know so much.

The two men looked at each other briefly, and Zhu Yuanzhang was the first to speak, saying in a high tone: "Little scholar, where do you come from? Are your parents here? Who did you study under for your knowledge?"

Get straight to the point.

Zhu Yuan had already considered all the responses over and over. At this time, he held up his hands and said: "I don't want to deceive Your Highness. I told General Xu that I was fifteen years old before, but it was actually a lie. Your Highness, can you allow me to ask you today?"

, stating my origin in a letter?"

As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang saw Zhu Yuan, he felt that this young boy did not look like he was fifteen years old, and the probability was even smaller. When he heard his confession, he did not care about these trivial matters, but was curious: "Why do you need to state it in a letter?"

Zhu Yuan said: "Because the villain said it now, His Highness will not believe it."

Not only would they not believe it, but they might also be regarded as a monster and be dragged out and chopped with a knife.

Zhu Yuanzhang was confused: "If you write it as a letter, can I believe it?"

"I still can't," Zhu Yuan said honestly: "Therefore, I hope to agree on a three-year period with His Highness."

Another three-year period?

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately remembered what Mao Xiang had reported before that Zhu Yuan had made an appointment with Imperial Physician Dai for a three-year period.

Feeling that the question he asked this time exceeded his expectations from the beginning, Zhu Yuanzhang paused slightly and followed Zhu Yuan's words: "Then why do you have to wait another three years before I believe it?"

Zhu Yuan sorted out his thoughts for a while and began to enlarge his moves: "In addition to the letter, the villain also has a volume of "Book of Heaven", which will be dedicated to His Highness at the same time. However, both the letter and "Book of Heaven" will need to be opened by Your Highness three years later.

Fulfilled.”

Zhu Yuanzhang had another meal.

He thinks that what happened today is starting to feel a little weird.

"Book of Heaven"?

Could it be that...

The more Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it, the more he thought about it. His thoughts went to Qin Shihuang's overseas quest for immortality and Tang Taizong's death from taking drugs. His expression gradually became unhappy. Not to mention that he was in the prime of life now. Even in his later years, he had never done any of these things.

.

Because he had read too many history books and saw the emperors who sought immortality but had no results, he didn't believe it at all.

However, thinking about all the miraculous things about this young boy, Zhu Yuanzhang was inevitably suspicious and had some unconscious expectations. He stared at Zhu Yuan with an emphasis on his tone and said: "Little scholar, do you want to contribute the art of immortality to me?"

Zhu Yuan was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses.

Where does this go?

He quickly handed over his hand again: "Your Highness, I don't understand the art of immortality. This "Book of Heaven"... I can't tell Your Highness what the content is at this time. However, it has nothing to do with seeking immortality. The content is only to confirm the villain's life experience.

There is also the source of the villain’s knowledge, and there are more other things that the villain can’t say anymore.”

Zhu Yuanzhang calmed down.
To be continued...