"Coming, coming. Tiande, this is the Roast Goose I made for you.”
Within the Yingtian Prefecture Imperial Palace.
Empress Ma ordered the palace maids to serve the roast goose.
This was a family banquet specially set up by Zhu Yuanzhang for Xu Da.
Empress Ma personally cooked the roast goose for Xu Da.
When Xu Da heard this voice, his face darkened.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for hosting a banquet. I don't know how many times it has happened over the years. And these few years, he had only eaten the Empress's Roast Goose three times.”
"In the 17th year of Zhizheng, Chen Youliang invaded Yingtian. His Majesty asked me and the King of Kaiping to set up an ambush on Jiuhua Mountain. When I saw him off, His Majesty told me that I would die in this battle. This is the first time I've eaten the roast goose made by the Empress.”
"In the twenty-fifth year of Zhizheng, I led my troops to attack Zhang Shicheng. His Majesty told me that if I won this battle, Jiangnan would be settled. This is the second time I've eaten the Empress 'roast goose.”
"In the first year of Wu, King Kaiping and I led 250,000 troops to attack Dadu.”
"This is the fourth time. Let me lead the army to the northern expedition. This was agreed upon at yesterday's court meeting. Your Majesty, what difficult matter do you have for me to do this time?”
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed awkwardly and looked at Empress Ma, but he cursed in his heart.
Nothing could be hidden from this old fellow.
"Cough, Tiande, it's nothing. Sit down first, I'll tell you."
Xu Da sat down uneasily.
"Tiande, it's nothing. I'm mainly thinking about the marriage between my fifth brother and your eldest daughter, Miao Yun.”
Xu Da's hair stood on end when he heard that.
"What? Marriage?"
"My eldest daughter and your fifth daughter?”
Xu Da's eyes widened.
"Yes, yes."
Xu Da stood up helplessly.
"Brother, what do you call this?”
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed.
"What's wrong?"
"My eldest daughter is as beautiful as a flower, but your fifth daughter is idle all day. She's ignorant and incompetent, comparable to your fourth daughter.
"What kind of reputation does my eldest daughter have? What kind of reputation does your fifth brother have? Don't you know what's going on?"
"It's not that I want to criticize him, but even your reputation when you were young was much better than No. 5's.”
Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da were about to fall out, Empress Ma quickly tried to smooth things over.
"Tiande, No. 5 is a little mischievous and doesn't do his job properly. Isn't he still young?"
"If he knew that there was such a good marriage, he would really want to marry Miao Yun now.”
Xu Da was anxious and spoke without thinking.
"So what if he's happy? We're not willing to marry!"
Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma looked at each other.
Zhu Yuanzhang was unhappy.
"That…Old Xu, you can't say that. What's wrong with my fifth brother? He looked like a talented person, although he was a little…a little lazy.”
"It's good that you've married a wife. With Miao Yun watching over him every day, I don't think he's going to make any progress.”
Xu Da was also anxious.
Xiao Hua, whom he had nurtured for many years, was about to be taken away by the fifth brother, Zhu Xi.
As long as No. 5 was studious and ambitious, Xu Da would not stop his daughter from getting married.
"Good my ass! Let me tell you, old brother. I don't agree to this marriage."
"I'll say it now. Unless you let Zhou Wang be our live-in son-in-law. Otherwise, I will not agree to this marriage.”
Zhu Yuanzhang's temper also rose.
These two brothers had been fighting each other since they were young.
Although they were now monarch and minister, their temper could not be stopped.
"Old brat Xu Da, don't be insensible. No matter what, my fifth brother is still Prince Zhou. No matter what, he can be considered a relative of the royal family. To be matched with your Miao Yun, that's praising you guys.”
Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he blew his beard and glared.
After all, Xu Da was a minister. It was not a wise move to slam the table with Zhu Yuanzhang now.
Therefore, he restrained his emotions a little and thought for a moment before saying.
"Alright, since Your Majesty has said so, this lowly official is also extremely grateful. However, Miao Yun had discussed this matter with me a long time ago.”
"If she chooses a husband, she must choose someone she is satisfied with. According to my girl's standards, she must be an all-rounder. Otherwise, my girl would rather die of old age in the boudoir than marry.”
"Children have their tempers. She couldn't bear to follow him. If Your Majesty insists on being stubborn, then this humble official has a suggestion. Find Scholar Song of the Imperial Academy and the general who advocates martial arts to examine Prince Zhou together.”
"If Prince Zhou can pass my daughter's test, then this humble subject has no objections to this marriage.”
Empress Ma and Zhu Yuanzhang looked at each other.
They knew their son very well.
Only No. 5 went to the main hall, skipped classes from time to time, and slept on Sunday.
This had nothing to do with being an all-rounder in both civil and martial arts.
Let's stop here.
Zhu Yuanzhang could not say anything and could only agree.
Whether it worked or not, it would depend on No. 5.
At this moment, a young eunuch ran over and whispered into Zhu Yuanzhang's ear.
"Your Majesty, the Prince of Yan is missing.”
When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he was about to fly into a rage.
Since Xu Da was in front of him, he hurriedly sent him away.
"Alright, then I'll do as Minister Xu says. On another day, Grand Scholar Xuan Song and General Lan Yu would inspect Old Fifth.”
"I still have family matters to attend to today."
Xu Da tactfully retreated.
Empress Ma asked impatiently.
"Chongba, what happened?"
Zhu Yuanzhang then told Empress Ma about this matter.
"What is it? Fourth Brother had disappeared again. Old Fifth's marriage had not been settled, and Old Fourth had disappeared. This is infuriating me."
Zhu Yuanzhang comforted Empress Ma.
"Don't panic. Maybe this kid is hiding there again.”
"By the way, have you searched everywhere? Don't be so anxious all day. He had to search the entire palace first.”
Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma could no longer care about the marriage between Fifth Brother and Xu Miaoyun.
Fourth Brother had always been mischievous, but he would never do such a thing.
Empress Ma said hesitantly.
"Did Fourth hear something? Didn't you decide on the marriage between Fourth Sister and Miao Yun?”
"Perhaps this child can't think straight for a moment.”
The palace was bustling with activity, and from time to time, there would be soldiers searching the palace.
…………
"What is it? Fourth Brother is missing?"
Zhu Rong was drinking and enjoying himself in the side hall when he heard the eunuch's report. He was a little puzzled.
"Fourth brother is usually a little rash. However, in the Northern Expedition, he suddenly disappeared. It doesn't seem like his style."
Zhu Xi thought back to the day before in the main hall, when Zhu Di heard that his father had changed his mind at the last minute and asked him to marry Xu Miaoyun.
Suddenly, he seemed to understand something.
"Could it be that Fourth Brother found out about this news and felt ashamed?”
"Oh no, he wants to go to the battlefield. This time, things didn't go as he had planned. Perhaps he would mix with the soldiers and go to the battlefield.”
Thinking of this, Zhu Rong could not sit still anymore. He quickly changed his clothes and went to see Zhu Yuanzhang.
"Father, I know where fourth brother is.”
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