Chapter 37: The King is Like a Tiger
Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang silent, Deng Qianqiu asked with concern: "Brother, what's wrong?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Deng Qianqiu steadily, and couldn't help but say, "Actually... after so many years, I think... maybe he had some difficulties at the time. Otherwise, it's impossible for a person to change his personality all of a sudden."

Deng Qianqiu sighed, "Brother, you are too kindhearted. As the saying goes, you can know a person's face but not his heart. Now that things have come to this, why do you need to defend him? Humph, I am a righteous man, and I hate to see such despicable and shameless villains who betray their friends. If I don't see such a person, it's fine. If I do, I will definitely teach him a lesson."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned after hearing this and said, "Although that man is hateful, he is not as bad as you say. You are so young and don't know anything. What nonsense are you imagining and talking about?"

Deng Qianqiu said angrily: "It's wrong to betray your friends anyway."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered: "It is not right, but to say that you are despicable and shameless and deserve punishment from heaven is too harsh. Your temperament is too cruel and biased. Young people don't need to be so cynical."

After that, Zhu Yuanzhang said: "You are still young, and you don't know that the people and things in the world cannot be fully described in one word."

Deng Qianqiu shook his head and thought, I was just trying to comfort you, why are you blaming me? It’s your friends who are sorry for you, not me!

But he clearly saw that the man in front of him was actually a little angry and embarrassed, as if helping him vent his anger would make him unhappy.

Deng Qianqiu could only roll his eyes in his heart. Well, the dog bites Lu Dongbin, and he doesn't know the kindness of a good person. I did this because you saved me. If it were someone else, it would be none of my business.

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Don't talk about these past events, it will make people upset."

Deng Qianqiu nodded.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly asked, "What happened to Marquis Ji'an? Did you do this on purpose?"

"Ah..." Deng Qianqiu seemed as if someone had seen through something all of a sudden, and he was suddenly at a loss.

But Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were staring at him.

Deng Qianqiu said awkwardly: "I...I...I don't like dealing with people like this."

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but become curious, so he asked: "Why is that? Don't you know that he is a founding marquis? If you really make friends with him, you will definitely benefit a lot!"

Deng Qianqiu shook his head and smiled bitterly, "People like this are not sincere in their relationship with me. They are just trying to form cliques. I know that I am lowly and I really can't think of any reason why he would take advantage of me."

After hearing his explanation, Zhu Yuanzhang showed a hint of appreciation: "It is most important for people to know themselves. It is great that you can understand this at such a young age."

However, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled again and said, "But when I saw you answering, your eyes were wandering. I guess it's not just about this. You must have other concerns."

"I..." Deng Qianqiu thought to himself, this person is so powerful!
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "It's okay to say it. You yourself said that I was your savior. Why, do you think I would harm you?"

Deng Qianqiu said angrily: "Can you really tell me?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a straight face: "If I wanted to harm you, I would have killed you without a burial place back then. Why should I keep you alive today?"

Deng Qianqiu thought it made sense. He coughed, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "This Marquis Ji'an actually wants to make friends with a small centurion like me. It's unsettling to think about forming cliques like this. I think this man will suffer a great disaster in the future. Besides, the current emperor hates evil as much as he hates evil. If he knows about Marquis Ji'an, won't he kill all his nine clans and his entire family? I'm afraid that even Marquis Ji'an's followers, confidants, and friends will be killed! Brother, that's why I avoid suspicion."

Deng Qianqiu spoke from the heart. In fact, he had already guessed that the man in front of him was not an ordinary person. Maybe this guy, like Marquis Ji'an, was also implicated in a major treason case during the Hongwu Dynasty. After all, he had received a favor from this man, so he might as well remind this man indirectly to prevent him, the benefactor, from being implicated in the future and ending up being killed.

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard what Deng Qianqiu said earlier, he nodded continuously with an expression of approval.

But when he heard that he was going to kill people and make heads roll and blood flow, his face suddenly fell: "What do you think the emperor is? How abominable, you are so young and naughty, but you are full of intrigue. The emperor is the supreme ruler, how could he easily kill people? If the person is guilty, of course he should die, but if the person is innocent, how can he be killed unjustly?" Deng Qianqiu was stunned, and quickly touched the back of his head, showing embarrassment: "I almost forgot, brother doesn't like to hear this, cough cough, my fault, my fault."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Deng Qianqiu deeply and said, "In your heart, do you really think that the emperor is a murderer?"

Deng Qianqiu looked embarrassed. How should he answer such a crucial question?
"I think... maybe... should... maybe..."

"Hmph!" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang soon realized that the man in front of him was just a boy of thirteen or fourteen. Most of the time, he was much more outstanding than his peers, but he was a little confused sometimes.

So he finally calmed down, but suddenly patted Deng Qianqiu's shoulder gently and said, "This Xianliang Temple is not a good way out after all. If you are willing, I can find a way to transfer you to Wuying Palace or Wenhua Palace for duty. How about it?"

When Deng Qianqiu heard this, he immediately shook his head like a rattle and said hastily, "No need, no need. Thank you very much for your kindness."

"Why?" Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him with a half-smile and said, "You don't want such a good job?"

Deng Qianqiu looked embarrassed: "This... this... As the saying goes, serving the emperor is like serving a tiger..."

The flesh on Zhu Yuanzhang's face trembled, and his eyes seemed to become sharper, but in the end he seemed to hide something and just said, "You are so young, but you have already impressed others. Keep working hard!"

He seemed to have no intention of continuing to speak, and as he did so, he started to walk away.

Deng Qianqiu subconsciously said: "I'll see you off."

Zhu Yuanzhang stood with his hands behind his back. The moon stretched his figure very long. He just turned his back to Deng Qianqiu and waved: "No need. Take care of yourself!"

The figure gradually walked away until it disappeared in the thick fog of the night.

Deng Qianqiu watched him leave and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He felt that talking to the person in front of him was not easy.

Oh, he actually forgot to ask the old man's name.

…………

Zhu Yuanzhang no longer had the heart to hang around in Xianliang Temple. He hurried back to the Forbidden City and entered the palace. He suddenly shouted, "Yesen should be executed."

After a moment of panic, an old eunuch finally hurriedly stepped into the hall and said, "Your servant... greets His Majesty."

Zhu Yuanzhang said angrily: "Immediately send someone to Xianliang Temple to pick up the rebellious son of the Prince of Jin and give him a good beating!"

Yesen must have been so frightened that he dared not even breathe, so he did not dare to say anything more, and hurriedly said, "I obey your order."

So he left in a hurry.

Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to be still angry in the hall. He paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "Deng Qianqiu has always been a loner, and his father should have kept those old things secret. How could a little kid like him have the prejudice that I am a murderer? It must be that the rebellious son Zhu Gang has been gossiping with Deng Qianqiu behind my back all day long."

He gnashed his teeth in anger, "This rebellious son! Publicly, I am the king and he is the minister. Privately, I am the father and he is the son. A minister insults the king, a son scolds his father, this is against the will of heaven, this is against the will of heaven! I just don't believe that I can't deal with him!"

(End of this chapter)