They arrived before us, right here within this city of Zhongdu.

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze fell upon Li Shanchang, who was kneeling on the ground.

After all these years, he had returned once more to the Central Capital, laying eyes upon Li Shanchang—his very own Xiao He!

His gaze lingered on Li Shanchang for a brief moment before shifting to the numerous people kneeling behind him.

He saw Wu Liang, the Marquis of Jiangyin; he saw Li Cuiyi.

He saw Xue Xiang, the Minister of Works; Zhu Xiang, the Prefect of Fengyang; and the capable nephews, relatives, and kin of the various nobles and high-ranking officials...

Among them, the figure of Tang He was nowhere to be seen.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally knew what Tang He had gone off to do...

The people kneeling and kowtowing to him wore expressions of beaming joy.

It was as if they had won a great victory, come to report their merits to him, and were waiting for him, the Emperor, to bestow praise and rewards upon them.

They were entirely convinced that he would lavish them with honors.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled.

This atmosphere was completely different from his previous life when he returned to the Central Capital in September of the eighth year of Hongwu.

Back then, some wind of the matter had leaked, and deep down, they had already lost their footing.

Though the scene of them kneeling to welcome him had appeared joyous on the surface, beneath that facade, countless people harbored doubts and nervous trepidation in their hearts.

How much better the atmosphere was right now!

Their joy radiated naturally from the depths of their souls.

Zhu Yuanzhang felt joyful just looking at them.

It proved that given a second chance, he had done quite well.

Even now, with a blade pressed against their necks, these people remained utterly oblivious, completely unguarded, and still reveling in their happiness!

Next, he would be able to deliver a huge surprise to them!

And he would be able to swing his blade all the better!

In his past life, he had failed to secure conclusive and critical evidence, but in this life, he could make up for that regret and carry out a thorough purge!

"Hahaha, Grand Preceptor of Korea, hurry up and rise! All of you, get up as well!

And you good folks, everyone rise!"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily, standing up from his imperial jade chariot. He motioned for Li Shanchang and the others to stand, as well as the numerous commoners lining both sides of the road who had been kept behind by the Imperial Guard and were now kneeling along with Li Shanchang's group.

At these words, led by Li Shanchang, the crowd expressed their gratitude for the Emperor's supreme benevolence before rising to their feet.

Zhu Yuanzhang stepped down from the imperial jade chariot and walked over to Li Shanchang and the others, his face creased into a wide, beaming smile.

"Old Li, you've worked hard! All of you have worked hard!"

The Emperor's words of appreciation brought back memories of all the toil and sacrifice poured into the construction of the Central Capital over the past few years, causing a sudden stinging sensation in the noses of Li Shanchang and the many others present.

Yet it also filled their hearts with a warming glow.

Following that, a surge of boundless exhilaration and anticipation welled up within them.

It was secure!

Things were truly secure!

Just as the Grand Preceptor had said, they only needed to pour their hearts and efforts into the work without worrying about how many people died.

Those were merely trivial details.

As long as the Central Capital could be built quickly and well, it would be a monumental achievement.

Not only would the Emperor not blame them, but he would also bestow rewards.

Now, it seemed, that was indeed the case.

Not only them, but even Xue Xiang, whose heart had been harboring a lingering trace of anxiety, finally let go of the slight suspense he had been holding onto.

It seemed he had been overthinking; the Grand Preceptor was right after all.

"Come, Old Li, join Us for a seat on the jade chariot!"

After greeting the prominent figures of the Central Capital, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Li Shanchang and beckoned with a smile.

"Your Majesty, that will not do! Absolutely not!"

Startled by these words, Li Shanchang repeatedly declined.

"What do you mean it won't do? Since when did you, Old Li, start standing on ceremony with Us?

It's not like we haven't shared a bed in the past!

There is no reason for us to become estranged now."

Chuckling, Zhu Yuanzhang reached out and took Li Shanchang by the arm, hauling him onto the jade chariot without allowing any room for refusal.

While Li Shanchang kept murmuring that it was improper and violated ritual protocol, his feet were remarkably honest as he followed Zhu Yuanzhang onto the chariot.

However, that was where he drew the line.

Once aboard the jade chariot, regardless of Zhu Yuanzhang's invitation to sit beside him, he stubbornly refused to comply and instead stood respectfully at attention by Zhu Yuanzhang's side.

"Old Li, you are simply too cautious!"

Li Shanchang replied, "Your Majesty, the distinction between sovereign and subject must be maintained. Though Your Majesty treats this subject with closeness and trust, this subject must not let favor breed arrogance.

Even more so, I must strictly uphold the duties of a subject.

I cannot overstep even by half a step."

The smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face grew even richer. This Li Shanchang—what he said sounded sweeter than a song, damn it!

Standing respectfully before Zhu Yuanzhang with a slight bow, Li Shanchang looked the picture of utter devotion.

Yet at this moment, his spirits had already soared into the clouds!

When His Majesty returned to his hometown, all the elders and fellow villagers came out to welcome him.

And he alone had been taken by the hand and personally invited by His Majesty to ride alongside him on the imperial chariot!

What supreme glory was this!

It gave him an abundance of face!

The feeling of gaining such prestige in one's hometown was far from comparable to being honored anywhere else.

Of course, what was even more important was that His Majesty's action clearly demonstrated how exceptionally satisfied he was with the construction of the Central Capital.

Seated upon the jade chariot, Zhu Yuanzhang looked into the distance to take in the scenery of his homeland.

Wherever his gaze fell, everything presented a scene of flourishing prosperity. Compared to the ruin, desolation, and misery etched in his memory, earth-shaking changes had taken place.

It could truly be said that upon returning to Fengyang County, the old appearance had been replaced by a completely new visage.

Yet Zhu Yuanzhang could not feel happy.

Because he knew that the singing, dancing, and babbling streams before his eyes were entirely false—they were merely what someone wanted him to see!

Furthermore, his Great Ming was still far from reaching the heights of plucking the moon from the ninth heaven or seizing turtles from the five oceans.

Though both journeys were returns to his homeland, his state of mind was vastly different!

After pondering thus for a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang reined in his thoughts and straightened his posture.

His gaze grew resolute.

In this world, nothing is difficult for one who dares to scale the heights!

These petty cliques, this rot and decay, he would surely root them out one by one!

And forge a brand-new Great Ming!

Since ancient times, no military commander could surpass Li Shimin, and next would be none other than Zhu Yuanzhang!

Had anyone else spoken those words, Zhu Yuanzhang certainly would not have been convinced.

But after living in the modern era for a decade and gaining a deep understanding of many things, Zhu Yuanzhang was truly convinced from the bottom of his heart.

He believed that living this life over again, he might strive for even more—not only earning such high acclaim in military affairs, but also producing tangible achievements in other fields as well!

The jade chariot rolled forward, carrying Zhu Yuanzhang and the high-spirited Li Shanchang all the way into the Central Capital.

Standing respectfully on the chariot with a slight bow, Li Shanchang recounted various details about the Central Capital to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Though his expression appeared calm, his words and demeanor fully betrayed his smugness and complete self-satisfaction.

The Central Capital now looked completely renewed, clean, and orderly everywhere. Gone were the days of filth and corpses scattered across the ground.

Suppressing his patience, Zhu Yuanzhang listened to Li Shanchang's introduction while observing the Central Capital—a place that made him feel thoroughly uncomfortable and chilled to the bone.

The imperial palace of the Central Capital was basically completed.

The Xingfu Palace had been built most magnificently.

Today was already the afternoon of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and Li Shanchang had arranged a lavish banquet here.

Except for Tang He, the Marquis of Zhongshan, all the other prominent figures currently in the Central Capital were present.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang's genuine old hometown acquaintances were all in attendance, not a single one missing.

In this regard, Li Shanchang had arranged everything flawlessly.

The atmosphere appeared warm and harmonious.

"Your Majesty, you've had a hard journey all the way here, and it's getting rather late. Shall we begin the banquet?"

Li Shanchang looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked.

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and replied, "No need to rush. My son hasn't arrived yet."

Hearing this, Li Shanchang's gaze subconsciously drifted toward Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

The Emperor had brought only one son with him on this trip—the Crown Prince himself, who was standing right here.

Why then did he say his son hadn't arrived?

Could it be... was he referring to Imperial Censor Xu, his adopted son?

"I wonder where the other Highnesses are? This old minister will go welcome them immediately."

Suppressing his confusion, Li Shanchang followed up on Zhu Yuanzhang's words.

"They arrived earlier than We did, right here within the Central Capital."

Li Shanchang: ？？？！！！