Chapter 17: Are You Willing to Take Responsibility?
Seeing the emperor’s expression, Zhang Zongbao silently breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
He had finally completed the task Li Fan had entrusted to him.
Now that the emperor was beginning to waver, he needed to add fuel to the fire and push further.
He calmly said:
“Lord Li has worked tirelessly to change Fengyang’s feng shui layout, burning the midnight oil and toiling day and night, filling Fengyang with resources and popularity. As long as the twenty thousand graves around the imperial tomb are utilized, they can gather more popularity! This will enable Fengyang’s earth dragon vein to truly exert its power!”
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the sand table model with wide-eyed shock, still somewhat uncertain in his heart, since this matter had an enormous impact, especially on the entire Ming dynasty, causing unprecedented repercussions.
One misstep could affect everything.
He was truly scared now, fearing what to do if there were indeed problems with the imperial tomb. He asked:
“Are you from Longhu Mountain willing to take responsibility for this?”
Zhang Zongbao was eager to take responsibility for this matter, as the imperial tomb would be the first step in Longhu Mountain’s rebellion.
He respectfully bowed and said:
“Your Majesty, everyone at Longhu Mountain is loyal to you. We will go through fire and water without hesitation!”
Zhu Yuanzhang didn’t expect such compliance from Longhu Mountain, nodded in satisfaction. Now he understood who was truly loyal to the royal family!
The people of Longhu Mountain were displeased with Liu Bowen’s dominance over the court.
With the strategy of “the sandpiper and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits,” he thought, this is how to command subordinates. He then encouraged:
“Longhu Mountain is quite commendable. When you have the chance, let your master visit Jinling more often, to discuss the Dao with Liu Bowen, which will also enhance his cultivation.”
Seeing that the emperor still trusted Liu Bowen so much, despite all he had said, Zhang Zongbao hadn’t managed to sway him.
He couldn’t help but admire Li Fan even more, as Lord Li had foreseen that the emperor wouldn’t easily trust Longhu Mountain.
Thankfully, he had followed Li Fan’s advice and prepared early!
Upon hearing the emperor’s words, Zhang Zongbao showed a worried expression and reluctantly said:
“Your Majesty, it’s not that my master is unwilling to go, but he has been deeply concerned about the people of Ming these past years.”
Zhang Zongbao continued:
“We have been calculating the reasons for the many disasters in the Ming dynasty. Your Majesty, do you know why disasters are so frequent across the Ming dynasty now?”
Zhu Yuanzhang paused, growing worried.
Since the establishment of the Ming dynasty, there hasn’t been a time of smooth weather; it’s either droughts or floods, and occasionally an earthquake.
There have always been rumors within the court that these disasters are due to his lack of virtue, bringing heavenly punishment, and suggesting he should treat his officials better.
However, he didn’t believe such things.
Now, hearing Zhang Zongbao mention it again, he began to have doubts, wondering if all this was related to feng shui.
He quickly asked:
“Master Zhang, have you deduced the reason?”
Zhang Zongbao nodded silently, recollecting the rhetoric Li Fan had taught him, and calmly said:
“Since the founding of the dynasty, Liu Bowen has traveled across the country, destroying dragon veins to prevent local dragon energy from gathering, which could pose a threat to the Ming dynasty.”
Zhu Yuanzhang wasn’t surprised at all, as anyone with some insight could know this, and curiously asked:
“Could the disasters in the Ming dynasty be related to this?”
Zhang Zongbao nodded again and continued:
“Your Majesty, you are right. This matter is indeed related to the dragon veins. Liu Bowen’s actions have been extremely ruthless, whenever he found a dragon vein, he would decisively cut it off. Even if he didn’t kill the dragon vein, he would severely injure it, destroying dragon veins across the land. Though this prevents the emergence of a destined child, it also depletes the dynasty’s luck. The dragon veins that were killed might not pose a problem, but the injured ones would certainly cause trouble. How can we expect a wounded dragon vein to bring favorable weather?”
Hiss!
Zhu Yuanzhang’s mind raced as he pondered this, the more he thought, the more plausible it seemed.
Destroying a dragon vein would eliminate dragon energy, stopping the emergence of a destined child, but also removing the area’s protection, naturally leading to unfavorable weather.
Moreover, how could a wounded dragon vein not seek revenge?
Could all this be true?
He found it hard to believe Zhang Zongbao entirely, and asked skeptically:
“Is what you say true?”
Zhang Zongbao anticipated the emperor’s doubts, and said with a serious expression:
“Your Majesty, you can have the Jinyiwei investigate the locations of the destroyed dragon veins and compare them to the sites of natural disasters. Wouldn’t it be clear then?”
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, growing increasingly worried, deciding to send Mao Xiang to investigate soon, believing he would quickly get answers.
Then he could have Liu Bowen and Zhang Zongbao confront each other, bringing the truth to light!
He said:
“I have already ordered Liu Bowen to rush to Fengyang City. Do you dare to debate with him?”
This was the moment Zhang Zongbao had been waiting for, determined to ruin Liu Bowen’s reputation, and make him lose the emperor’s trust.
Then, the entire Ming dynasty would belong to Longhu Mountain.
He respectfully bowed and said:
“I am eager for the opportunity!”
Seeing Zhang Zongbao’s confidence, Zhu Yuanzhang was a bit shocked.
Over the years, he had distanced himself from Longhu Mountain, relying on the trusted Liu Bowen, making Longhu Mountain less significant.
Today’s encounter with Zhang Zongbao showed him a person with an extraordinary demeanor, prompting him to consider giving Longhu Mountain more opportunities in the future.
However, this depended on the outcome of the confrontation.
If Liu Bowen indeed had issues, everything would change.
As for the imperial tomb, he still had no clear thoughts.
Glancing at the sand table, he asked:
“How much is one grave?”
Zhang Zongbao looked at the general location and said directly:
“A full set costs one hundred thousand taels!”
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