I was a conman in the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 453 A Poor Man's Fate

Chapter 453 A Poor Man's Fate

The Zhongyi Duke's mansion was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and everywhere was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Wang Wenzhou invited Zhu Youjian and Empress Zhou to a banquet under the pretext of celebrating Jiang Xuyang's birthday. Since Princess Zhu Meichu was engaged to Liu Xiaohua, she was also among the invitees. The eldest prince, Zhu Cilang, and the third prince, Zhu Cijiong, were both born to Empress Zhou. Zhu Youjian also brought his two sons, making this a kind of family gathering for Wang Wenzhou and Zhu Youjian.

Zhu Meichu is 8 years old, Zhu Cilang is 7 years old, and Zhu Cijiong is 6 years old. They are all about the same age as Jiang Xuyang, and the four of them have a lot of fun playing together.

Wang Wenzhou said with a smile, "Brother Zhu, sister-in-law, my home is indeed a bit shabby compared to the palace. Please don't be shy, just make yourselves at home."

"Boxin, you've gone to great lengths!" Zhu Youjian said with a smile. "Although I am the emperor, I rarely eat fruits from the south. Today, I have truly had a feast in your residence."

Liu Rushi rolled her eyes at Wang Wenzhou. "You rascal," she thought, "I warned you not to show off in front of the Emperor, but you wouldn't listen. The Emperor's words now are sarcastic, clearly mocking your extravagance."

Wang Wenzhou frowned and said coldly, "Brother Zhu, this is where you're wrong!"

"Huh?" Zhu Youjian asked with a wry smile, "Boxin, what did I do wrong?"

Wang Wenzhou said seriously, "Frugality is a virtue, but what you're doing isn't frugality, it's practically asceticism! No one can say you're wrong for making yourself suffer, but I won't allow your sister-in-law and children to suffer with you!"

"Pfft..." Everyone was stunned. What was Wang Wenzhou up to?

Liu Rushi quickly grabbed Wang Wenzhou's arm and whispered, "My dear, don't talk nonsense!"

"I'm not talking nonsense!" Wang Wenzhou pushed Liu Rushi aside, pointed at Zhu Youjian, and cursed, "Brother Zhu, let's not talk about anything else, just look at Cilang and the others. When they saw lychees, kiwis and other fruits, their eyes lit up and they pounced on them to eat them."

Empress Zhou said with a smile, "They don't usually get to eat these southern fruits. They're lucky if they get to eat them once or twice a year."

"Sister-in-law! You're still laughing!" Wang Wenzhou accused. "As parents, you're not short of money. If even the emperor himself can't afford fresh fruit, what will happen to the children of the common people?"

Liu Rushi frowned. Her nemesis hadn't even had a drink yet, but he was acting like he was drunk, spouting nonsense. Could it be that he was implying something? Thinking this, Liu Rushi stopped trying to stop Wang Wenzhou.

Wang Wenzhou continued, "If the princes live like beggars' children, how will they govern the country when they grow up?"

"Boxin!" Zhu Youjian said earnestly, "As the emperor, I should set an example. In those years, not only was the national treasury empty, but the imperial treasury was also insufficient. I could only manage the household frugally."

Wang Wenzhou nodded and questioned, "Before, it was because you didn't have money, but what about now? You still don't have money?"

Zhu Youjian felt that Wang Wenzhou's words were a complaint that he had robbed Wang Wenzhou of so much silver. Zhu Youjian said with a wry smile, "It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Do you want me to live like King Zhou of Shang, indulging in a life of wine, women, and food, ultimately ruining the country?"

Wang Wenzhou curled his lip and said, "Brother Zhu, if I hadn't traveled through time, no matter how frugal you were, you would still have lost your country in a few years."

Wang Wenzhou sneered, "Some people are born into wealth and live like the rich, even if they don't have much money. Some people are born poor and live like beggars, even if they are rich."

Zhu Youjian's expression changed. What did Wang Wenzhou mean by mocking him like this?

Wang Wenzhou continued, "Brother Zhu, a person only has one life. No matter what their status, no one knows how long they will live. To put it bluntly, they might die tomorrow. In that case, why should you wrong yourself?"

Zhu Youjian understood; Wang Wenzhou was advising him not to be so stingy.

Zhu Youjian smiled and said, "Boxin, I understand what you mean. Since the national treasury is full, I am no longer as frugal as before. A few days ago, I even had someone buy some fresh fruit to bring to the palace."

Wang Wenzhou sarcastically said, "Brother Zhu, don't suffer for the sake of saving face. As the emperor, frugality is a virtue, but too much of a good thing can be bad! Look at my little Yangyang. He's the same age as Cihuan and the others, but since he came with me, he hasn't suffered any grievances. In our family, we've always eaten whatever is expensive."

Liu Rushi gently nudged Wang Wenzhou and said softly, "My dear, what exactly are you trying to do? Do you think the court officials don't hate you enough? If the Emperor listens to your advice, you will surely be condemned as a treacherous villain."

“I’m doing this for Brother Zhu’s own good, and even more so for the good of the Ming Dynasty! Ru Ru, stop making a fuss!” Wang Wenzhou touched Liu Ru Shi.

Liu Rushi rolled her eyes at Wang Wenzhou. She truly couldn't understand why he was acting this way. Was he trying to curry favor? Given the Emperor's attitude towards his enemies, they really didn't need to do that.

Wang Wenzhou said seriously, "Brother Zhu, one shouldn't be too hard on oneself. What's the point of a man who's reluctant to eat and drink, doesn't want to sleep with beautiful women, and is busy with work all day? Even if he's very successful in his career, he's not a successful man because he hasn't provided a happy life for his wife and children."

Wang Wenzhou pointed at Empress Zhou and said, "Brother Zhu, look at your sister-in-law's attire. Although this dress is from Ting'ermei Clothing, it's an old style from last year. Brother Zhu, your sister-in-law is the Empress Dowager, and it's truly disrespectful for the nation for her to wear such clothes when she goes out!"

Empress Zhou was of dignified character, and Zhu Youjian was diligent and thrifty in managing the household; she had never objected to his actions. She had originally disliked Wang Wenzhou, but after hearing what he said today, she realized he was right.

Wang Wenzhou turned to Liu Rushi and said, "Rushi, remember this: when Tingermei Clothing releases new products, be sure to send a set to your sister-in-law. Brother Zhu is reluctant to spend money on your sister-in-law, but we can't just stand by and watch her suffer."

"Hmm!" Liu Rushi nodded, rolling her eyes at Wang Wenzhou. "My nemesis, know when to stop. Stop mocking the Emperor."

Zhu Youjian blushed. Wang Wenzhou was right. In the past, when the national treasury was empty, he lived frugally. Even the empress sold her jewelry to help him raise money. He understood that Wang Wenzhou was doing this for his own good, which was why he advised him not to let his family suffer.

“Brother Zhu, the greatest motivation for progress in life is to show off! If you have money, spend it; if you have girls, sleep with them! Only by not letting yourself be wronged can you have a good mindset! How can someone who is always wronged have a good mindset? Such a person is likely to be at a loss at crucial moments in life,” Wang Wenzhou said seriously.

"Hmm?" Zhu Youjian understood that Wang Wenzhou's words were referring to him. Zhu Youjian asked, "Boxin, what makes you say that?"

Wang Wenzhou explained, “Given a choice, who wouldn’t want to live a life of extravagance? What man wouldn’t want to sleep with a beautiful woman? It’s basic human nature! If you don’t do that, you’re going against human nature. You’ll live in a contradiction, wanting to sleep with beautiful women by nature, but not by reason. Over time, when you encounter a crucial point in your life, you’ll be even more conflicted about what to do.”

Zhu Youjian nodded, agreeing that Boxin's words made some sense.

Wang Wenzhou continued, "As the saying goes, 'A willow planted unintentionally will thrive,' and this is often the case. Why? It's because when you deliberately do something, you're often compromising yourself, so you usually don't do it well. But when you do something unintentionally, you act spontaneously without compromising yourself, so you do it exceptionally smoothly."

"Ah!" Liu Rushi suddenly shouted, "Xuyang, what's wrong with you guys?"