Chapter 26: Tell Me, Isn't It Delectable?

"Grandfather Emperor, rest assured. This cow died of a broken heart; it committed suicide for love!"

Zhu Xiongying said, while swishing a slice of beef in the hot pot, "We can't just let the meat go to waste because the cow died, can we? Do you expect me to dig a grave, erect a tombstone, and go pay my respects every Qingming Festival?"

"But..."

"But what? Tell me, does it smell delicious or not?"

"It does!" Zhu Yuanzhang could not deny that.

"Then that settles it! Let's just eat!"

Zhu Xiongying didn't care about the details; he kept his chopsticks moving like a whirlwind. Better to enjoy this meal while he could. Who knew when the next one would be?

"By the way, Chongba, what were you two talking about regarding 'parasites' and the court being half-empty? Why would the number of officials in the court decrease?" Empress Ma, having finished most of her meal, suddenly recalled their earlier conversation and asked with suspicion.

"It's nothing...!"

During the time Empress Ma had been ill, Zhu Yuanzhang had only shared the good news with her. He hadn't even mentioned those troublesome matters. He had only let it slip today because he was distracted by the spicy hot pot!

"Zhu... Chong... ba!" Empress Ma raised her voice, enunciating each word of the name the old emperor had used before the uprising.

"Alright, alright, alright! I'll tell you, I'll tell you!" Zhu Yuanzhang quickly signaled her with his eyes, asking her to grant him some face in front of the child. He then recounted the entire "Blank Seal Case" from beginning to end.

"I have already executed the officials in charge of seals at the Ministry of Revenue and various local governments. The other implicated officials have been punished according to the law. Although the Minister of Revenue, Yang Siyi, was not involved, he failed to maintain strict discipline, so he has been demoted to Vice Minister and had his salary docked for a year!"

The entire court had been busy with this matter for days, and finally, there was some progress. The court was now quite empty, and the Ministry of Personnel was busy selecting suitable candidates to fill the vacancies.

Empress Ma hadn't realized so much had happened in the court during her illness. "In that case, we owe a debt of gratitude to Xiongying! Otherwise, if the disaster relief grain had passed through the hands of those people, the commoners would have suffered greatly!"

"Indeed!" Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and nodded, looking at the little one who was eating with great gusto.

*Sigh.* Let him eat the cow, then!

***

The next day, just past the hour of Chou (1:00 AM to 3:00 AM), Zhu Xiongying was jolted awake by a frantic knocking at his door.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Grandson, His Majesty has sent someone to summon you for the morning court session!"

"Not going! I'm not going!" The little boy impatiently pulled the quilt over his head.

The roosters hadn't even crowed yet, and it was pitch black outside. They wanted him to get up for the morning court? Was this a joke? He had only wanted to see what it was like last time, but the old man, Zhu Yuanzhang, had taken it seriously and was actually calling for him again!

"Your Highness, it wouldn't be right to refuse, would it? His Majesty has already sent someone for you!" Shunzi called out from outside, sounding troubled.

"I'm not going, I'm not going, I'm just not going! Li Shanchang himself said that an imperial grandson shouldn't attend court! I won't go and suffer that torture!"

Wasn't it comfortable to lie in a soft, warm bed? A life where one had to wake up before the chickens was not meant for humans!

"But... the person His Majesty sent is the Duke of Korea himself...!" Shunzi's voice grew quieter as he spoke, glancing timidly at Li Shanchang beside him.

"Your Highness, it is all this old servant's fault! I have come personally today to apologize. Please, grant me this favor so I can go back and report to His Majesty...!"

Li Shanchang instinctively reached for his beard, only to grab air, remembering that he had shaved it all off. "Your Highness, I spoke out of turn that day, and I have already shaved my beard as penance. Please, accompany me to the morning court!"

Zhu Xiongying, still sleepy, finally crawled up after hearing Li Shanchang's voice. He wrapped the quilt around himself, opened the latch, and then flopped back onto the bed to doze off again.

Without his beard, Li Shanchang looked much more energetic and several years younger. He stood there, smiling obsequiously, "Hehe! Your Highness, please, come with me!"

"It's not even light out yet!" Zhu Xiongying couldn't even keep his eyes open. Who made the rule that the morning court had to be at this hour? It was absolute slavery!

*Ding! System mission: Attend the morning court within three days. Reward: Gunpowder manufacturing formula!*

Upon hearing the system's notification, the little boy suddenly lifted his head. He could get the gunpowder formula just by attending the morning court within three days? Why wait three days? There was an old man right there begging him to go!

Rubbing his eyes, he decisively threw the quilt aside. "Shunzi, wash my face!"

"Yes!"

"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness!" Li Shanchang thanked him repeatedly. He stepped back outside to wait patiently.

After the events of the last court session, he admired this seven-year-old Imperial Grandson with all his heart. From the floods in Henan to stabilizing grain prices! From refining crude salt to high-yield crops! And now the Blank Seal Case—everything he said had been perfectly accurate, without a single exception. The whole court was now whispering that he was sent by the heavens to help the Ming Dynasty flourish!

About two quarters of an hour later, the door opened again. A doll-like, exquisite child appeared before him.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

The little one strode ahead with light, quick steps. Li Shanchang, with his old legs and arms, was left far behind!

The temptation of the gunpowder manufacturing technique was simply too great! If he knew how to make gunpowder, even if he weren't an imperial grandson, he could dominate the world. The current Ming Dynasty had hand cannons, but they had short range and little lethality—not to mention the danger of them exploding in the user's face. That was basically "killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of your own." Who would dare use them?

But with the gunpowder formula, things would be different. With improved gunpowder, the lethality would be much higher. Combined with his knowledge of modern thermal weapons, even if he couldn't build an AK, making landmines or cannons shouldn't be a problem!

"Your Highness... Your Highness... please wait for this old servant!" Li Shanchang picked up the hem of his long court robes and trotted along behind him!