Today, I still don't know that my biological father is Zhu Yuanzhang.

Chapter 1 - Who is the mysterious head of the Chen family?

In the second year of Longfeng, Zhu Yuanzhang's Red Turban Army captured Jiqing and renamed it Ying Tianfu, which then became the core headquarters of Zhu Yuanzhang's forces.

By the fifth year of Longfeng, the city of Ying Tianfu had been largely rebuilt. The once prosperous areas along the Qinhuai River and Xuanwu Lake had regained their former splendor, with wealthy merchants and elites gathering once again.

Among them, the command center of Zhu Yuanzhang's forces was located by Xuanwu Lake, and ordinary people couldn't even dream of affording a house by its shores. The grand mansion of the Chen family was situated in the best location by Xuanwu Lake, making other wealthy merchants envious.

While the common people suffered from the turmoil, for the wealthy merchants, the chaos was an opportunity for profitable deals and gains.

The Shen family, led by Shen Fu, also known as Shen Wansan, aligned with Prince Cheng, Zhang Shicheng, using their vast wealth to provide military supplies for him. Meanwhile, the Chen family had long pledged allegiance to Zhu Yuanzhang, providing logistical support and protection for him.

Nowadays, it was said among the people that among the wealthy merchants of Jiangnan, the Shen family ranked first, and the Chen family second. Whether this ranking would change depended on who, between Zhang Shicheng and Zhu Yuanzhang, would ultimately emerge victorious.

The head of the Shen family, Shen Fu, also known as Shen Wansan, led his family. However, the head of the Chen family remained mysterious. Chen Di, who always managed affairs behind the scenes, referred to himself as a "steward." Whenever people inquired about the head of the family, he would simply smile and remain silent, making his intentions difficult to decipher.

Many attempted to pry into the identity of the head of the Chen family, even trying to bribe Chen's servants. However, no matter how greedy the Chen family members were, as soon as someone asked about the head of the family, they would be scared witless, as if the head of the family possessed some extraordinary ability to uncover secrets.

The Chen family seized many of the Shen family's businesses, and Zhang Shicheng's military provisions suffered multiple setbacks. Zhang Shicheng, who originally made his fortune as a salt trader, valued wealth greatly and harbored deep resentment towards the Chen family. He offered a hefty reward for the head of the mysterious head of the Chen family.

After Zhang Shicheng aligned with the Yuan court, they discovered that this wealthy merchant with the surname Chen had also seized many businesses from prominent figures within the Yuan court.

Moreover, with the famine this year, the Chen family had early on assisted Zhu Yuanzhang's forces in storing grains to ensure the people's livelihoods. As a result, the people from territories belonging to the Yuan court and other rebel forces fled to Zhu Yuanzhang's territory.

After years of disasters and wars, the land of China was largely deserted. With food security as the basis, the strength of a force depended on how many people they had under their control.

Every day, Zhu Yuanzhang counted the newly enlisted households, and he woke up laughing in his dreams several times each night.

As a result, the Yuan court and other rebel forces also began offering rewards for the head of the mysterious head of the Chen family.

Nowadays, the head of the Chen family's head was worth a fortune.

It's worth noting that this fortune amounted to ten thousand taels of gold.

Chen Biao sat on a hammock hung between two lush trees in the courtyard, his short legs dangling in the air. He touched his freshly shaved round head, which had only a small tuft of hair left on top, and his expression was extremely gloomy.