stubborn thief

Luoyang began preparations for its defense in earnest.

These officials were indeed capable, and they quickly issued an order to recruit community soldiers.

The thirty-two neighborhoods of Luoyang were divided into communities, with each community contributing two hundred soldiers. The supply of soldiers, provisions, and weapons was shared by the neighborhoods, with wealthy families contributing more and poor families contributing less.

The proportion of investment and the names of the soldiers were recorded on a monument erected in front of the neighborhood gate to publicize their merits.

The local militia were led by neighborhood chiefs and organized under the command of officials at all levels within the city and prefecture.

The plan was to divide the 6,400 militiamen into five divisions: East, South, West, North, and Central.

They were respectively under the command of Magistrate Zhang Xueshou, Prefect Kang Menghui, Military Commissioner Wang Yinchang, Vice Prefect Bai Shangwen, and Judge Wei Jingzhong, and were assigned to guard the four gates of the city wall and serve as outpost soldiers.

At the same time, the work of Prince Fu also needs to be done.

However, the officials in Luoyang were busy with military affairs and were unwilling to argue with Prince Fu. So they asked the gentry to invite Lu Weiqi, the headmaster of Mingde Academy, to persuade Prince Fu to recruit soldiers.

Lü Weiqi was a highly respected man. His hometown was Xin'an County, northwest of Luoyang, and he came from a military family.

His father, Lü Kongxue, was learned, but his family was poor and unable to afford the imperial examinations. To support his family, he was introduced to a job as a clerk in the Henan garrison and supported his three sons.

The three sons excelled in their studies, successively passing the imperial examinations to become Jinshi, Gongsheng, and Bingsheng, and became well-known Confucian scholars in Henan Prefecture.

Lü Weiqi was his eldest son. He passed the imperial examination and his mentor was Xu Guangqi. After becoming an official, he achieved remarkable political achievements. In his early thirties, he became the principal of the Ministry of Personnel. He offended Wei Zhongxian and stayed at home for several years.

When Chongzhen ascended the throne, he was reinstated to his original position and subsequently appointed as Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, overseeing the Four Barbarian Institutions.

After the Jisi Incident, the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue was in dire need of funds. The government had a total of 9,000 taels of silver in cash, with a deficit of 380,000 taels. Emperor Chongzhen appointed him as the Vice Minister of Revenue in Nanjing. In three years, he investigated embezzlement, punished corrupt officials, turned the deficit into a surplus, and ensured that the granaries were full.

At the age of forty-six, Lü Weiqi became the Minister of War in Nanjing.

Until the Zhang Zhi Rebellion, when Fengyang Prefecture, a defense zone under the Nanjing Ministry of War, fell, Lü Weiqi was dismissed from his post and returned to Henan, where he founded the Mingde Academy.

For the first six months, Mingde Academy was where Lü Weiqi lectured, but it was later renamed Mingde Hall and became a private relief bureau with the nature of a charitable institution.

Because there were too many starving refugees pouring into Luoyang and there was nowhere else to go, Lü Weiqi had to clear out the academy, distribute his family fortune, and provide porridge and raise money and food donations every day, while leading his students to apply what they had learned.

This is also why Governor Wang Jiazhen invited him out.

For Wang Jiazhen, Prince Fu was the most difficult prince to communicate with among all the princes in Henan.

Before the Tang emperor was arrested, he had impeached many ministers, including Lu Xiangshan, for failing to greet the vassal kings with the proper court etiquette between ruler and subject.

Therefore, when Wang Jiazhen took office, he briefly visited various vassal states. In Guangping Prefecture, he met the escaped Prince Lu and brought him back to Weihui Prefecture. He then went to Zhangde Prefecture to meet Prince Zhao and Huaiqing to meet Prince Zheng.

Although the behavior of the various vassal kings was rather abnormal, their attitude towards him was still acceptable.

King Zhao was so poor that he immediately distributed the rice stipend he received two years ago to the royal family, without even leaving him a meal.

The Prince of Lu possessed the largest army among all the princes. The guards of his princely residence alone outnumbered those of the Princes of Zhao, Zheng, and Fu combined. Yet, Liu Chengzong remained in Shaanxi without making a move, only sending out a detachment, which frightened the Prince of Lu so much that he fled to Guangping Prefecture.

The only prince who was normal was the one with the most eccentric attitude.

He was turned away on his first attempt to see the prince, and the vassal state flattered him, saying that the prince had drunk too much deer blood wine and had fallen asleep drunk.

He failed to see her again the second time; this time, she was still drunk.

The third time we finally met, I found him incredibly annoying and gave me the cold shoulder.

This encounter left Wang Jiazhen bewildered, and he was unwilling to deal with Prince Fu... He felt that Prince Fu was targeting him personally.

Because the previous governor, Chen Biqian, had a good relationship with Prince Fu; and General Zhang Renxue also had a pleasant conversation with Prince Fu.

Even Lu Weiqi, who was dismissed from his post and stayed at home, would frequently ask Fu Fan for money and grain donations, and he never returned empty-handed.

Only him, the Prince of Fu would not listen to him speak, and did not even want to see him.

But after thinking it over, Wang Jiazhen couldn't remember where he had offended Prince Fu.

“Mr. Mingde, Governor Wang has not offended me.”

Inside the circular hall of the Prince of Fu's palace, Prince Zhu Changxun was hosting a banquet for Lü Weiqi.

The banquet was arranged temporarily, and the furnishings were not complicated. There was a flat table on the southwest and east sides of the main hall, with a screen, a desk and a set of seats on it.

Even the crown prince Zhu Yousong didn't get a turn in the main hall; he could only eat in a side room with the students brought by Lü Weiqi.

The two sets of ground were originally arranged facing each other from west to east, to show respect between host and guest.

However, Lü Weiqi, being sensible and respectful, declined the offer without overstepping his bounds. He then asked the servants of the Prince's residence to move his set of land to the south, thus creating a layout with the northeast and southwest facing each other.

There is a certain hierarchy involved, but it is not entirely the same as the etiquette between ruler and subject in the north and south.

Prince Fu was a large, stout man. Even the armchair he wore with a drape was a size larger than usual. He looked troubled and said, "Sir, you know that although I often stay in my room to drink, I am not so indifferent to worldly affairs."

“When the Zhang Zhi Rebellion first broke out, he spent a lot of money on relief and even ordered the Prince of Dechang to buy wine and food in the market to fill the city’s warehouses to prepare for the army’s needs. He also risked violating regulations to recruit warriors to go out of the city to kill the rebels.”

As he spoke, Zhu Changxun spread his hands: "But what has been the result? It's been two years, and Luoyang and even Henan Prefecture are in dire need of money and grain everywhere. Several officials have knocked on our doors just to ask for money. What do they take my national treasury for? Their own household registration?"

“After taking the money and donating the military pay, Zhang Zhi was driven away. People only remember Chen Biqian and Zhang Renxue, and it is their achievement. As for me? Everyone still has the same attitude. The late emperor squandered the country to enrich his fiefdom. I owe them money.”

At this point, Zhu Changxun looked at Lü Weiqi sitting diagonally opposite him, cupped his hands and said, "Isn't even Mr. Mingde the same? Mingde Hall provides relief to famine victims and refugees. Whenever they need money or grain, I always grant their requests. In the end, how many people remember my kindness?"

Lu Weiqi nodded in agreement and respectfully clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Highness has always been kind to the people who suffer from hardship, and has frequently distributed money for relief. Your benevolence is profound, and the people of Luocheng are all deeply grateful."

He knew that Prince Fu was fed up with this.

But there's no other way but to offer advice.

"But the current situation is extremely famine-stricken, something never heard of before. Villages and towns are being emptied of people who have starved to death, and people in cities are killing each other to eat. The safety of the emperor, officials, gentry, and common people all rests on the fate of Luoyang."

"The most important thing for the city's defenders is to be on the people, and the terrain is secondary. The city's treasury is empty, and donations are also exhausted. Although we have the troops of Cao Cao and She, the enemy troops are eager to capture the city. They can break through any stronghold and conquer any city. Therefore, we have no choice but to look up to Your Highness, a wise king, to issue a virtuous decree to relieve the people's suffering."

Zhu Changxun looked helpless.

Otherwise, when Lü Weiqi comes to the palace, he can always get money, no matter how much or how little.

Who doesn't like to be fawned over?
Look at these words, looking up to the wise king and exclaiming his virtuous words... Isn't this exactly how Zhu Changxun sees himself?

Everyone has an ideal version of themselves in their heart.

In Zhu Changxun's mind, he was at least the second most virtuous prince in the land, and perhaps even able to compete with Prince Lu, Zhu Changfang, for the title of the most virtuous prince. There was no way around it; Zhu Changfang's cultural level and artistic cultivation were far superior to his.

The qin (a seven-volume set of ancient Chinese music) compiled and published by Prince Lu, along with three thousand handmade Lu qins, are the best qins in the world today.

Prince Lu compiled the "Lu Fan Ji Zuan Wan Hui Xian Ji Qi Pu" and wrote the preface for the Ming Dynasty comprehensive chess manual "Xian Ji Wu Ku".

The Prince of Lu wrote "Shugu Shufa Zuanyao" (Essentials of Ancient Calligraphy), demonstrating his mastery of various calligraphic styles, including cursive, clerical, and seal script. Furthermore, he had all his copies of ancient calligraphic styles engraved on steles, and he also wrote three hundred Tang poems.

In painting, Prince Lu was relatively inferior, but he was still known for his skill in painting bamboo, rocks, and orchids.

He was a master of all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; no one else could compare to him.

Prince Fu was much less so in this respect; all he did was eat, drink, sleep, and watch dancing.

But his virtue surpasses even that of the Prince of Lu.

Because when Prince Lu wrote new rubbings, he would also interact and appreciate them with some calligraphy enthusiasts, such as Wang Duo, a famous calligrapher and a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy, who was related to Lü Weiqi by marriage. It was no problem for him to make friends with officials.

The criteria for a wise king in the Ming Dynasty can be summed up in one thing: he must have unique political ideals.

Eating, sleeping, and living like the dead in one's fiefdom—that is the best kind of king.

On top of that, Prince Fu even occasionally gave away some gold coins to the local people, making him an absolutely first-rate wise prince.

As for how the gold coins came about, Prince Fu felt that regardless of whether they were given to him by his father or obtained through extortion, they must have been earned through his own abilities.

Although Lü Weiqi spoke eloquently, he could not change the mind of Prince Fu, after all, he was just grumbling.

Zhu Changxun was well aware that his current status as the Imperial Uncle and his exalted position in the world were all because he was a wise prince who perfectly met the needs of the Ming Dynasty.

If the people truly remember his good deeds and he enjoys widespread prestige among the people, then he should be afraid if he becomes unworthy.

He waved his hand and said, “Mr. Mingde, I will not allocate money to you for donations. With grain prices soaring, taking the money will only make those grain merchants richer. You just need to lead your disciples to transport grain from the warehouse to relieve the famine.”

"But please don't try to persuade me to recruit soldiers anymore. A country has its own laws, and a vassal state cannot recruit soldiers on its own. If I have to overstep my bounds in everything, what's the point of having those high-ranking officials and well-paid ministers?"

Hearing what Prince Fu said, Lü Weiqi remained outwardly calm, but his heart skipped a beat.

The Prince of Fu's attitude is strange.

He knew Prince Fu well; he was used to being domineering, but he wasn't actually a daring hero, nor did he have much of his own opinion.

Just that one time Zhang Zhi caused trouble, he was so scared that he didn't care about anything else and immediately offered a reward to recruit suicide soldiers.

That wasn't a sudden enlightenment; he genuinely felt he was going to follow in Prince Wan'an's footsteps and die.

Now you suddenly have the audacity to shout about national laws... Anyone in the world is qualified to say that, except for you, Prince Fu.

Isn't the law of the country ruined by you two, father and son? You've opened so many salt shops, horse inns, charcoal factories, and bamboo factories. Now, the people of Henan are eating salt that Fu Fan brought from the Huai River.

After a moment's thought, Lü Weiqi knew where the Prince of Fu's change came from.

Most likely, they listened to the flattery of the vassal states or the nonsense of the military commanders, saying that Liu Chengzong was different from that notorious bastard Zhang Zhi and would not kill members of the imperial family.

How could he not be anxious?
No matter how bad the Prince of Fu was, he couldn't just watch the Prince of Fu jump into a fire pit.

Therefore, Lü Weiqi hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, in this critical situation, I'm afraid no one in the Prince's mansion dares to speak frankly to you, or even if someone does, Your Highness may not fully believe them... The current situation and human feelings are indeed extremely critical."

"At this moment, it is not Zhang Zhi or Zhang Tianlin who are leading the troops, but Liu Chengzong, the big bandit from the Marshal's Mansion, who has come in person. This thief is indeed good at manipulating people's hearts. For example, the princes of Su and Han have never heard of him massacring members of the imperial family."

These words were just a trap. When Lü Weiqi noticed that the Prince of Fu nodded slowly as he spoke, he had already confirmed his suspicions.

Although it is unknown how these rumors spread, it is clear that Prince Fu was indeed misled by his attendants in the palace.

"Not only that, but there are also many members of the Ming imperial family in his army who serve him. The Prince of Han and the Prince of Su were not harmed by him, and the Prince of Qin's heir was even listed on the merit list with a stone inscription in Lingdong."

Prince Fu was increasingly amused as he listened. He had also heard about what Lü Weiqi was saying, and he treated it all as mere entertainment.

It was precisely because of these rumors that he felt the news of Liu Chengzong leading his army was much better than that of Zhang Tianlin and others.

Even if Luoyang cannot be defended, he may not suffer any persecution.

Who knew that at this point, Lü Weiqi changed the subject and said with a serious expression, "Does Your Majesty know where the King of Qin is? I heard that Liu Chengzong has seized the Qin Palace and imprisoned the old King of Qin."

"There was no killing, it was just because he wanted to use the royal family members of his vassal state to fight for him. This might not be a bad thing for the rulers of other vassal states."

With a hint of advice in his voice, Lü Weiqi looked at Prince Fu and said, "I hope Your Highness will consider this carefully. Is this really a good thing for Prince Fu?"

"Isn't this a good thing?"

The Fukufan tradition was that people did not study and had very limited education.

Lu Weiqi patiently explained for a long time, but Prince Fu still couldn't figure it out.

Finally, Lü Weiqi couldn't help but speak up and remind him: "Fu Fan only has money and grain, where are the imperial clan members that Liu Chengzong needs? Henan Prefecture is suffering from a severe famine. Even if Liu Chengzong occupies Henan, he still has to provide disaster relief. He can't conjure up money and grain."

Liu Chengzong heavily relied on members of the Ming imperial family, but he mostly appointed those from poor families.

The Prince of Fu has had two generations so far. Zhu Changxun was the first Prince of Fu... Where did this member of the imperial family come from?

"Mr. Mingde means that Liu Chengzong dares to..."

Zhu Changxun felt a chill run down his spine and said incredulously, "You dare to kill me?"

Lu Weiqi simply bowed his head and clasped his hands in greeting: "I cannot bear to say everything, nor dare I say everything."

This is something only Prince Fu can figure out for himself. All Lü Weiqi can do is watch him grow more and more frightened as he ponders it.

He did not believe that Liu Chengzong would actually kill Prince Fu.

But that has nothing to do with whether he dares or not. He doesn't know who Liu Chengzong is, but he knows very well what Liu Chengzong has done.

That's a truly audacious person; what wouldn't he dare to do?

Lü Weiqi simply believed that Liu Chengzong was a meticulous person and would probably not personally carry out something as disastrous as killing the Prince of Fu.

Therefore, if Prince Fu falls into their hands, even if he doesn't die, he probably won't have a very comfortable life.

Meanwhile, Prince Fu, on the other side, was so frightened by his own actions that his face turned pale. (End of Chapter)