A group of Imperial Guard soldiers slid down from the city wall via ropes.

Over the years, the imperial court's construction work on Zhongshan Mountain has never stopped.

This was true even in the most difficult years for the imperial court's finances and taxation.

Around the entire Zhongshan Mountain, there are several roads leading up and down the mountain.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked on the stairs up the mountain with his hands behind his back.

Zhu Biao crossed Chang Sheng and Li Jinglong and put his cloak on the old man's shoulders.

"It's cold at night and the humidity is heavy. You can't catch a cold."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, but after listening to the prince's words, he still did not reject the prince's heart and filial piety.

The emperor said nothing and only focused on walking up the mountain. Chang Sheng and Li Jinglong could only follow closely behind him, not daring to say a word.

Wait until you get halfway up the mountain.

Zhu Yuanzhang was probably a little tired from walking, so he stood on a platform in the middle of the stairs up the mountain.

Chang Sheng and Li Jinglong followed Zhu Biao. When they saw the emperor stopped, the three of them also stopped.

The imperial officers and soldiers who were following far behind immediately stopped.

Those of them who work in the palace are best at reading people's eyes, checking the situation, and assessing the situation.

There must be something that His Majesty the Emperor cannot say in the palace tonight, and he must say it to Duke Founding and Duke Cao.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood there, raised his head and glanced at the endless mountain top, and sighed softly and said: "I am getting old after all. If I had put it in the first ten years, it would only take a few kicks to go up, but now I have to go up there."

Take a breather halfway through."

Li Jinglong carefully looked at the emperor's face, then showed a slight smile and said softly: "You are also a dragon and horse spirit now. The stick you just rewarded a lowly minister is not as strong as ordinary people."

Zhu Yuanzhang glared at the boy: "You mean I beat you too hard?"

Li Jinglong immediately bent over and said with a smile: "Wei Chen doesn't dare to say that to you. Wei Chen only thinks that you have a strong body."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Li Jinglong and the two of them.

This boy is good at everything, but he is not as calm and steady as his father's gang, and is a little more slippery.

He sighed: "I am getting old, you bastards are just talking to make me happy. Just like you, I lost strength when I reached the halfway point of the mountain, but you can still go up.

.”

There are a lot of extensions to this statement.

Li Jinglong shut his mouth and did not dare to speak.

Zhu Yuanzhang continued: "The Ming Dynasty will have to rely on you in the future, not this old guy. I beat you today because you are bastards."

Li Jinglong immediately bowed his hands and then felt something was wrong.

He pulled Chang Sheng beside him and bent down together.

"I'm such a bastard."

Zhu Yuanzhang ignored this guy and sighed: "I am not the kind of person who would be jealous of my ministers, nor would I think that you have done too much and will have nothing to reward me in the future.

Even if you don’t get a reward, you won’t do anything for me? Even if I don’t have anything to reward you, it’s still okay for me to treat you to dinner and drinks.”

Li Jinglong smiled and nodded repeatedly.

Chang Sheng's eyes turned red, and he lowered his head deeply: "I know I was wrong."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand: "You are right. How can a minister not think about these things more? It's just that our Ming Dynasty does not like such things.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a happy and lively day, a day for you two to make faces for the old guys who died long ago. It's better now. I still have to reprimand you in front of the ministers at the court meeting tomorrow.

I’ll leave the matter of eating and drinking for another time.”

Having said this, Zhu Yuanzhang picked up his steps again and walked up the mountain.

He probably had enough rest and walked a little faster than before.

It seems that he is unwilling to lose to these juniors.

Chang Sheng knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily several times.

Li Jinglong originally wanted to catch up, but when he saw Chang Laoer doing this, he had no choice but to do the same.

After the two men kowtowed, they caught up with Zhu Yuanzhang in front and heard the emperor speak again.

"I estimate that the matter in Yingzhou has been settled. When I come back from Jiujiang, I can rest for a while and help the governor's office in Beijing with some things.

The south is uneasy, I heard that Brother Sheng, you are almost reaching the back of the plateau?"

When he heard that he would not have to go to Yingzhou again this time, Li Jinglong's face suddenly showed a bright smile.

Chang Sheng nodded, then shook his head: "The southern expedition army can only advance westwards for two thousand miles from Jiaozhi Road.

In fact, the territory that was conquered required people to migrate and settle from Jiaozhi Road, Guangxi Road, Guangdong Road, Yunnan Road and other places. Only in this way could the place be stabilized, but it would slow down the advance.

I estimate that it will take another two or three years to truly reach the back of the plateau."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said: "That's what I estimated. Then after this year is over, Jiujiang will go to Shaanxi Xingdusi. Then maybe we will go west, or go south to the plateau. We must always connect the west and south together."

Li Jinglong, who had just been secretly happy because he no longer had to go to Yingzhou, had a smile on his face that didn't last long before disappearing immediately.

Although Yingzhou is not good, it is countless times better than the northwest.

At least, if you do something in Yingzhou, no one will criticize you randomly.

But the northwest is different. It is the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and the people there are all the people of the Ming Dynasty.

Chang Sheng thought about it for a moment, and then said: "Your Majesty intends to go westward and recover the Western Regions? But..."

"But do I know about the railway of the Great Gentleman?" Zhu Yuanzhang turned around, glanced at Chang Sheng indifferently, and then said with a smile: "He was too impatient, even if I intend to let the Ming Dynasty regain the scene of the powerful Tang Dynasty.

, we have to wait until things in the north are settled.

Besides, his reasons are not sufficient. I and the court still need enough reasons before we can move the railway."

Chang Sheng said nothing.

At this time, Zhu Biao took over the words: "Brother Sheng, please stay in the capital for a while this time, so that the soldiers on the front line can temporarily take a breath and rest for a while.

After you and Jiujiang have finished your trip to Jin and the Duke of Jin, Zhongshan will have to make another trip.

Duke Xin Guo will be buried in the meritorious mausoleum here, and the old uncle Wang from Kaiping and the old uncle Wang from Qiyang will also build a new tomb here.

When the time comes, you will all come to watch the ceremony, so that Uncle Wang can have his spirit in heaven and take a look at the sons and daughters of our Ming Dynasty who have grown up and are able to take care of things for the country."

A prince raised his head.

Zhu Yuanzhang then said again: "There are also mausoleums of meritorious officials. The soldiers of the Eastern Expedition and the Southern Expedition all contributed to the country. We cannot let them down. Yingtian's Feng Shui is good, and I am here, so I can still be free."

Go and see them."

If the purpose of the meritorious mausoleum is to win the hearts of the meritorious generals in the court, kings in all dynasties have done similar things.

But the mausoleum of meritorious officials has never existed since ancient times.

Chang Sheng and Li Jinglong looked at each other and knelt on the ground.

"I and others sacrificed their soldiers in the eastward expedition and the southern expedition. I would like to express my gratitude to Your Majesty for your kindness."

"Get up. You can probably see the sunrise when you reach the top of the mountain."

………………
Chapter completed!