weaving

Chapter 1413 Digging a Hole, or Testing the Waters?
Gazing at the young military general before him, Marquis Zhang Cheng of Yongning harbored a multitude of thoughts...

First of all, he himself really thought highly of Zhu Zhicang.

When the rebels first besieged Kaifeng, he dared to volunteer to go down the city to kill the rebels and actually brought back their heads. Even if he did it for the reward of fifty taels of silver, his courage to fight was already very rare, not to mention that Zhu Zhicang was a member of the imperial family.

Secondly, the Earl of Yongning was in a great dilemma about how to use Zhu Zhicang.

Regardless of the circumstances, Zhu Zhicang was, after all, a member of the imperial family. Even if he had fallen so low that he was worse off than some commoners, he wouldn't have gone down to the city to fight the ruthless bandits for fifty taels of silver.

But no matter what, it couldn't change Zhu Zhicang's identity; after all, he was a member of the royal family of the Zhou Dynasty!

This was precisely the key point of Yongning Earl's hesitation. After all, members of the imperial clan were not someone Yongning Earl could use at will; the matter involved too much and required the Chongzhen Emperor's approval to proceed.

Just like Zhu Yujian, the Prince of Tang, who was also in Henan, when the Jurchen invaded, he disregarded the national rule that "princes should not command troops" and led a thousand guards from Nanyang northward to defend the emperor.

This touched a nerve with Emperor Chongzhen. Even though Zhu Yujian's motives were pure, the emperor still deliberated in November of that year, stripped him of his title and reduced him to a commoner, and sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to imprison him in the Fengyang Royal Prison.

It's important to know that the Ming Dynasty's treatment of vassal kings was absolutely polarized!

On the one hand, the treatment of the regional princes was extremely good and high. Apart from the military management rights that Emperor Chengzu had stripped them of, all other preferential policies were not reduced, and some were even increased.

The only restriction was that they could not leave their fiefdom without permission.

If the princes wanted to leave the city to worship their ancestors or go on a trip, they had to request permission from the Ming emperor. However, within their own fiefdoms, they could do almost anything they wanted, especially within their own palaces, where they could enjoy themselves at will.

On the other hand, the authorities were extremely strict in guarding against the regional princes, forbidding them from associating with court officials, contacting other princes, and especially from interfering with military power!
Tang Prince Zhu Yujian violated these taboos by leaving his fiefdom and raising troops to serve the emperor, which angered Emperor Chongzhen, who stripped him of his title and imprisoned him in the Fengyang Royal Prison to this day.

Therefore, the Earl of Yongning had a very complicated feeling towards Zhu Zhicang. He admired him and wanted to use him, but he was also wary and dared not act freely.

The Earl of Yongning himself was fearless. No matter how the court officials attacked him, or even how Emperor Chongzhen harbored resentment, they could no longer effectively punish the Earl of Yongning.

But Zhu Zhicang was different. After all, he was a member of the imperial clan and a descendant of the Ming imperial family. If Emperor Chongzhen really wanted to deal with him, it would be like a parent dealing with their own family affairs...

If it were a matter concerning other people or clans, Zhang Cheng, the Marquis of Yongning, might be able to use his power to exert pressure and thus influence the outcome.

But if this were the emperor, it would be an even more serious family matter that could threaten the emperor's position. How could Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng possibly exert any influence?

If that time really comes, it would be good enough if he could protect himself and get out safely. Even if he could protect his generals with the strength of his troops, it wouldn't be right for him to interfere in the internal affairs of the royal family, would it?

…………

"Zhu Zhicang?" The Earl of Yongning repeated the name.

"Yes. Zhu Zhicang greets the Earl of Yongning." Zhu Zhicang said, bowing down.

Despite being a member of the Zhou Prince's lineage, Zhu Zhicang's branch had long since declined. Although he still held the title of "Fengguo Zhongwei," it was merely a hollow title. In the Ming Dynasty, the "Fengguo Zhongwei" was supposed to receive an annual stipend of 200 shi (a unit of grain), but with the continuous proliferation of the imperial clan, by the Wanli era, it was barely enough to support them. Many lower-ranking members of the imperial clan were often owed their stipends, leading to a difficult situation for them to survive.

There have even been cases of distant relatives who were generals or lieutenants, and some even deliberately committed crimes and went to jail to make a living!
"You look much stronger than when we last met."

“Reporting to the Earl of Yongning, Zhi Cang gained the appreciation of the King of Zhou for killing the bandits. For the past two years, he has been eating his fill every day, and his body has naturally become strong.”

"Oh." The Earl of Yongning's face showed a look of doubt: "Now that you have enough to eat, are you still willing to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy and live a life of licking blood and risking your life?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhicang's expression changed. He looked at the Earl of Yongning with a very firm gaze and said, "Although Zhicang is a member of the imperial clan, he is not a coward who clings to life. The country is currently suffering, bandits are rampant, and the people are suffering greatly. As a member of the imperial clan, Zhicang should naturally share the burden of the country and the current emperor. How can he hide in the Prince of Zhou's mansion and live a life of cowardice with the excuse of 'cowardice'?"

After hearing his words, the Earl of Yongning nodded slightly and said, "Rare indeed, truly rare."

“Since you have such a patriotic heart, I should not stop you.”

"Zhi Cang thanks the Earl of Yongning."

“However,” the Earl of Yongning stared intently at Zhu Zhicang and said, “In my army, military orders and regulations are of utmost importance. You are a member of the royal family and a person sent by the King of Zhou.”

"But now that you've entered my camp, you must obey my orders. If you dare disobey, I will treat you the same as everyone else, without any leniency... Do you understand?"

"Zhi Cang...I understand. I will obey the Commander's orders and will never dare to disobey military orders or regulations."

"Very well. Since you have such a strong desire to serve your country, then lead your five hundred guards and set off immediately to join my army in the attack."

"Yes, sir!" Zhu Zhicang loudly accepted the order, bowed, and withdrew to gather his guards for the attack.

…………

"What does the Earl of Yongning think of Zhu Zhicang?" Cao Kun asked the Earl of Yongning, watching the guards of the Prince's Palace leaving the camp.

"It is truly rare to find such a person among the imperial family."

"Zhu Zhicang is willing to follow the Earl of Yongning, fight on the battlefield, serve the country, and repay the Emperor's kindness. I wonder what the Earl thinks?"

The Earl of Yongning's expression immediately turned serious, thinking to himself, "He's here, he really is here. Is the King of Zhou setting a trap for me... or is he testing me?"

After a moment, the Earl of Yongning finally spoke, saying, "Although Zhu Zhicang is loyal and brave, he is still a member of the imperial clan. His Highness Prince Zhou can command him, but what virtue or ability do I, Zhang Cheng, have to dare to order him around?"

Cao Kun seemed to have anticipated that the Earl of Yongning would speak in this way. He calmly continued, "The Earl need not worry about this. Although Zhu Zhicang is a member of the imperial clan, he is, after all, a distant relative. His title has been reduced to Fengguo Lieutenant, and even in the imperial genealogy, he is just a name."

"Haha..." The Earl of Yongning laughed and said, "That may be true, but without the Emperor's order, I dare not take any members of the imperial clan into the army."