The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 101 Big Brother, I want to learn the true immortal techniques!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang was both angry and amused.

"Well, you brat! It hasn't been long, and you're already getting tired of your dad, huh!"

"Fine, fine! Since you don't like me, let's leave now and head back to Jinling immediately!"

Zhu Yao's expression remained unchanged, and he slightly raised his hand.

"Since Father insists on leaving, then I will not linger any longer. Father, please take care."

After saying that, he turned to look at Chen Zhong and casually gave him an order.

"Quickly pack up all of my father's belongings and get everything ready, the sooner the better."

"Also, prepare some new-style hot pot base and newly harvested high-quality sweet potato seeds, and give them to my dad to take along."

Chen Zhong bowed and accepted the order, working swiftly and quickly preparing all the luggage and supplies.

Zhu Yuanzhang was completely stunned.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to Empress Ma and said, "Sister, pack your things and come back with us."

Empress Ma gently shook her head. "My lord, you may go back first. I am thinking of resting here with Yao'er for a few days and there is no rush to return."

The three brothers, Zhu Shuang, Zhu Su, and Zhu Gui, stood aside, suppressing their laughter, and obediently bowed their heads to see them off.

This was the first time they had ever seen their father so embarrassed!

Liu Bowen stood under the corridor, a faint smile on his lips, cupping his hands and bowing, without any intention of stopping him.

Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned pale and then red, and he could only grit his teeth and take a step forward, saying, "Fine, I'll go! Humph!"

Stepping out of the magnificent courtyard gate, Zong Yonghe, who was waiting outside, quickly stepped forward and asked in a low voice.

"Sir, are we... just leaving like this? Without lingering even a moment longer?"

Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him irritably, his tone aggrieved and annoyed.

"What else can we do? Shamelessly stay there and become a nuisance?"

"However, it was a worthwhile trip. We have achieved all our core objectives."

"It's good to go back. We can safely send all the ladies from the various noble families who accompanied us back to Jinling."

"In addition, immediately begin planning and preparations for the harvesting of the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money!"

He flicked his sleeves, his tone decisive, and gave the order in a deep voice.

"Walk!"

.....

At midday, wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys.

Empress Ma rolled up her sleeves and personally cooked the meal.

Her technique was skillful and efficient; she was adept at stir-frying and seasoning.

All the dishes were cooked and plated. Empress Ma picked up a soup bowl and carefully served Zhu Yao warm, fresh soup.

Her movements were natural and affectionate, just like an ordinary loving mother treating her child.

The three brothers, Zhu Shuang, Zhu Su, and Zhu Gui, who were sitting on the side, watched in disbelief and were completely shocked.

The three looked at each other, their eyes filled with disbelief. They had never received such treatment before.

Their father was always strict, and their mother was dignified and composed. They had always been disciplined and proper, and had never been so affectionate and doting towards them.

Zhu Gui couldn't help but secretly purse her lips, inwardly complaining that the three of them might actually be godsons picked up from the roadside.

After the meal, Zhu Yaogang was about to get up to clear the dishes when Empress Ma quickly raised her hand to stop him, smiling gently.

"You four brothers have a good chat, I'll take care of these things."

Zhu Yao no longer declined, nodded his thanks, turned around and strode out of the hall first.

The three brothers, Zhu Shuang, Zhu Su, and Zhu Gui, followed closely behind Zhu Yao.

The three deliberately lagged behind by half a step, lowered their voices, and cautiously huddled together, whispering to each other.

Zhu Shuang's brows furrowed, his tone filled with surprise and doubt as he spoke softly, "This Zhu Yao is truly too strange."

"My father is known for his decisiveness and ruthlessness, and my mother for her dignified manner. Yet they both dote on him so much."

Zhu Su nodded slightly, his eyes full of deep thought, and whispered in agreement: "This is no ordinary method. Brother must possess extraordinary abilities."

"To earn the special attention and genuine favor of the Emperor and Empress Dowager, this ability far surpasses that of the civil and military officials in the court."

Zhu Gui blinked, looking serious, and added in a deep voice, "I think Zhu Yao is really amazing; he's got all sorts of tricks up his sleeve."

"We must lower our stance, become even more respectful and obedient, and earnestly learn real skills from him!"

After muttering to themselves, the three of them immediately composed themselves, becoming even more respectful, and hurriedly stepped forward to serve.

The sky was slightly bright, and the scorching sunlight streamed into the courtyard, causing a faint wave of heat to rise from the ground.

Zhu Shuang quickly stepped forward, raised his hand to open the oil-paper umbrella, and steadily shielded Zhu Yao from the scorching sun, his posture extremely respectful.

Zhu Su followed closely behind, taking the coat from Zhu Yao's hands without saying a word and holding it carefully.

Zhu Gui stood to the side, ready to receive orders at any time.

Seeing this, Zhu Yao walked to the rocking chair in the yard, lay down, and asked, "So, what do the three of you want to learn?"

Zhu Shuang spoke first: "I want to learn the ability to see through people's hearts at a glance and manipulate everyone!"

Zhu Su thought for a moment and said, "Brother, I want to learn the skill of transforming all things into divine medicine."

Zhu Gui shouted, "You two have such narrow minds! Big brother, I want to learn the true immortal arts! To summon wind and rain, to ascend to the heavens and dive into the sea!"

Hearing this, Zhu Yao shook his head helplessly, his expression a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Do you three think this is a wishing well?!"

Upon hearing this, the three brothers' expressions fell, and the expectation in their eyes instantly dimmed.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Yao suddenly changed the subject, his expression calm and composed as he spoke in a low voice.

"However, these seemingly outrageous ideas of yours are not entirely impossible to realize."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shuang, Zhu Su, and Zhu Gui were all shocked and instantly stopped in their tracks.

The three of them stared wide-eyed, their breath caught in their throats, their faces filled with disbelief, and they exclaimed in unison.

"Really?! Our delusions actually have a chance to come true?!"

Zhu Yao's expression was resolute, he nodded slightly, and his tone was calm and composed.

"It is true, of course. There is no skill that comes out of thin air, nor is there a great path that can be achieved overnight."

As the old saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. All extraordinary abilities must be honed from small, incremental tasks.

"To acquire unparalleled skills, one must first endure hardships that ordinary people cannot bear. Don't you agree?"

The three brothers listened with great excitement, nodding repeatedly with devout and fervent eyes, without the slightest doubt.

Zhu Yao smiled slightly, casually finalizing the assignment, his tone light and authoritative.

"Now that you understand, let's begin today's training with tilling the land."

After saying that, Zhu Yao turned around and led the three of them to the open space in the vegetable garden, pointing directly to the brand-new farming equipment.

"The three of you will take turns operating this machine and carefully understand its intricacies; this will be your training for today."

Zhu Yao moved a wooden rocking chair over and lay leisurely under the shade of a tree in the courtyard.

He stretched out his limbs, basking in the warm sunlight, enjoying a leisurely sunbath, looking every bit like a carefree overseer.

He would occasionally catch a glimpse of the three making a mistake, then he would raise his eyes and speak softly, offering a few words of guidance.

"Put some effort into it, haven't you eaten?"

"Don't be lazy!"

The rest of the time, he rested with his eyes closed, letting the three princes work in the fields.

Zhu Shuang and the other two suppressed their disappointment, gripped the ropes and pulled the equipment, their foreheads sweating slightly from exhaustion.

During a shift change, the three of them lowered their voices and whispered amongst themselves, looking utterly bewildered.

"We were just asking for heaven-defying techniques like understanding people's hearts, refining divine elixirs, and flying and escaping, how come we've suddenly started plowing the fields?"

Zhu Su adjusted the pulley position while forcing a wry smile, his eyes full of helplessness.

"The so-called path to heaven, the first step is actually tilling the fields. It feels like we've been tricked by our boss?"

Zhu Gui shook her aching arms, looked at Zhu Yao who was lying down to rest, and muttered something silly.

"What I wanted was to cultivate immortality and control people's minds, but now I'm just farming and working every day. The more I think about it, the more I feel cheated!"