Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

Chapter 535: Three major events announced in succession (Please subscribe!!)
As expected, His Majesty the Emperor really has something more important to announce!
The scene, which was already very serious, became even more solemn and silent because of Zhu Yuanzhang's words. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang's next announcement.

"The first thing is to restore Li Shanchang's position as a cabinet minister, but he will no longer be the Minister of Revenue and will be in charge of the Ministry of Justice."

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke slowly.

kindness! ?

As soon as these words came out, everyone at the scene was stunned.

You should know that it has not been long since Li Shanchang was dismissed from the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. Many people thought that Li Shanchang would return to the cabinet, but no one expected it to happen so soon.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! I will do my best to serve you until my death!!"

Li Shanchang's face lit up with joy. Being kicked out of the cabinet was a scar in Li Shanchang's heart. Now that he was back in the cabinet, he was naturally very happy.

The officials of the Huaixi Party also showed joy on their faces. Li Shanchang was currently the leader of the Huaixi Party. As a major political force in the Ming Dynasty, it was really embarrassing that the leader of the Huaixi Party was not a member of the cabinet, especially since Ouyang Lun had entered the cabinet, which made them even more unbearable.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and nodded, "Li Shanchang, you are also an old minister who has been by my side. Even if you have not made any contributions over the years, you have worked hard. Work hard. I will never forget you."

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang had no intention of restoring Li Shanchang to the position of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet today. His original plan was to do so to appease the Huaixi Party after he had regained all military power and private army.

However, today's events forced Zhu Yuanzhang to choose to win over Li Shanchang. After all, if Li Shanchang and Ouyang Lun really joined forces, it would make him quite uncomfortable. In this way, he could also disrupt the fragile cooperative relationship between Li Shanchang and Ouyang Lun.

Li Shanchang is in decline, so he's thinking of cooperating with Ouyang Lun. In that case, I'll let both of you enter the cabinet and fight for me inside.

Ouyang Lun rolled his eyes in his heart at Zhu Yuanzhang's arrangement.

Damn, this guy Zhu is really narrow-minded! I just cooperated with Li Shanchang just now, and Zhu immediately did this. His reaction is a bit too much.

Letting Li Shanchang return to the cabinet was a good move. It not only appeased Li Shanchang, but also appeased the Huaixi Party and made them feel that they were capable again.

Ouyang Lun didn't care. After all, a weak Li Shanchang and the Huaixi Party were not a good thing for him.

"Now that the first thing is announced, I will announce the second thing."

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Ouyang Lun before he spoke.

Feeling that Zhu Yuanzhang was looking at him, Ouyang Lun's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Could it be that Zhu Yuanzhang had another trick up his sleeve?
And this move might be directed directly at me.

"The second thing is that since Prince Consort Ouyang Lun has done a lot for the Ming Dynasty over the years, I will not list all his achievements here. You ministers are all aware of this, so I intend to confer a title on Ouyang Lun!"

"Wang Zhong, please read the imperial edict."

Zhu Yuanzhang said slowly.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

After Wang Zhong agreed, he slowly walked to the front of the stage, held up the imperial edict with both hands, and read aloud:

"The Emperor, in accordance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: The consort Ouyang Lun is a man of outstanding talents, has made many contributions, and has served the country and the people. He has been awarded the title of Marquis for his meritorious service. Because the consort Ouyang Lun started out as the magistrate of Kaiping County, he is hereby granted the title of Marquis of Kaiping County, with a salary of 1,500 dan and 1,500 mu of permanent farmland. He is also allowed to establish a Marquisate in Kaiping County!"

hiss--

As Wang Zhong finished reading the imperial edict.

There was a sound of people gasping for air in the Tai Chi Hall.

Knighted! !
And he is a marquis!!
You should know that when the Ming Dynasty was founded, only 28 marquises were conferred. Over the years, Zhu Yuanzhang killed or pardoned them, so there are not many left.

Moreover, he was conferred the title as a civil servant.

For civil officials, the Ming Dynasty had a clear rule that civil officials could not be granted titles of duke or marquis. This rule was particularly strict in the early Ming Dynasty, and only a very small number of civil officials were granted titles of nobility due to their outstanding merits, and the highest title was earl. For example, Li Shanchang was the only civil official in the early Ming Dynasty who was granted the title of duke, while Liu Ji, Wang Guangyang and other civil officials were only granted the title of earl.

Now there is one more Ouyang Lun!

From now on, he will be the son-in-law Du Wei, Marquis of Kaiping, Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, and Chief of the Imperial Clan Ouyang Lun!

Swish--

Almost everyone's eyes were focused on Ouyang Lun. The expressions in these eyes were complicated, with some expressing envy, congratulations, dissatisfaction, and even resentment.

Especially Lan Yu and other Huaixi young men, most of them were lords, and the title was their honor. Now an alien broke in, and naturally they felt extremely uncomfortable and rejected.

As the protagonist of this incident, Ouyang Lun was also confused.

There was too much information in today's morning court! Even though it was the first morning court of the new year, the amount of information was too much.

He had just reappointed Li Shanchang as the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, and now he conferred a title on himself?

Zhu Yuanzhang, what on earth are you going to do?
"Your Majesty, please accept the order immediately!"

Seeing that Ouyang Lun was still standing there, Song Lian hurriedly reminded him carefully.

"Oh oh." Ouyang Lun reacted and was about to receive the order.

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke again at this time, "Ouyang Lun, don't be in a hurry to accept the order. I have something else to say."

"My dear ministers, Ouyang Lun is not only a minister of the Ming Dynasty, but also my son-in-law and a member of the royal family of the Ming Dynasty. He has made many achievements for the development of the royal family over the years. The most important point is that he has made the children of the royal family of the Ming Dynasty no longer a burden to the Ming Dynasty. This contribution is of great benefit to the country!"

"So I plan to confer you a royal title!"

"Wang Zhong read it again."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Zhong nodded, and then immediately took out the second imperial edict.

"The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: As a member of the imperial clan, Ouyang Lun has made great contributions to the establishment of the imperial clan of the Ming Dynasty. As the head of the imperial clan, he is in charge of the affairs of the imperial clan and should have his own title. I hereby confer the title of General Fengguo on Ouyang Lun!"

Hoohoo!

If the content of the first imperial edict surprised all the officials, then the content of the second imperial edict was enough to shock them all!

According to the rules, the title of General Fengguo should be conferred to the great-grandson of the prince. His rank is not high, only the third grade, which is much lower than Ouyang Lun's current official position!

But the gold content is completely different.

At present, Ouyang Lun’s full name can be the son-in-law Du Wei, Marquis of Kaiping, General Fengguo, Commander of the Tax Inspection Department, Clan Master, and Cabinet Grand Secretary Ouyang Lun!
The first three are titles, and the last three are official positions.

The most precious of these six titles is not the Marquis of Kaiping, nor the title of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, but the royal title of General Fengguo.

During the Hongwu Dynasty, as long as Ouyang Lun had the title of General Fengguo and walked outside, he could act arrogantly wherever he went, except when he met the emperor, the prince, or other royal family members with higher titles than him. Even officials of the first rank had to salute him immediately when they saw him, and the salute was very grand!
This also reflects the importance of royal titles and honorary titles.

Now even Lan Yu, who had been promoted to Duke of Liang, cast an envious look at Ouyang Lun. Although the title of General of Fengguo was only a lower-ranking title among the royal family, with Ouyang Lun's ability, he could definitely continue to improve in the future, and maybe even get the title of King in the future! !

"Prince Consort Ouyang, please accept the order!"

Wang Zhong said to Ouyang Lun with a smile.

"Your Majesty, I, Ouyang Lun, accept your order and thank you!"

Ouyang Lun did not try to play the role of being reluctant but reluctant with Zhu Yuanzhang, and simply nodded and agreed.

Anyway, he already has many titles, so these two won't make a difference. He might as well just experience what it's like to be a noble.

Just as a group of ministers were looking at Ouyang Lun with complicated expressions, Zhu Yuanzhang spoke again!

"Now that we have announced the second thing, we can move on to the third thing!"

and also! !
All the civil and military officials were stunned. The Ming Dynasty had already been established for more than 20 years, and today's shocking news could probably only be surpassed by the time of the founding of the country and the granting of titles.

"I have decided to abdicate from now on and let Crown Prince Zhu Biao inherit the throne!"

Boom!

If the first thing that Li Shanchang returned to the cabinet was just a small wave, and the second thing that Ouyang Lun obtained double titles was a bigger wave, then the third thing that Zhu Yuanzhang was going to abdicate and the prince was going to ascend the throne was a huge wave!

At this moment, except for Ouyang Lun and Zhu Biao who knew about this in advance, everyone else felt as if they were struck by lightning!
I was horrified!

Even his facial expression was out of control and he looked at Zhu Yuanzhang in shock.

And some people couldn't help but talk about it.

"What's going on? Why would His Majesty abdicate?"

"Is there something wrong with His Majesty's health? That shouldn't be the case! Although His Majesty is over 60, he has always been in good health. I haven't heard any news of His Majesty being ill recently!"

"Crown Prince Zhu Biao has inherited the throne, so what is your majesty going to do?"

Countless questions popped up in the minds of civil and military officials, and these questions all needed to be answered by Zhu Yuanzhang one by one.

"I have considered this matter for a long time. This is not an impulsive decision."

"Your Highness has been the Crown Prince for more than 20 years. He has been well-trained in all aspects. There is no problem for him to be the Emperor. After your Highness ascends the throne, I will become the Emperor Emeritus. However, in order to give your Highness some time to adapt, I will continue to govern as the Emperor Emeritus for a while!"

"I hope that all the ministers can assist the new emperor of Ming Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, all the civil and military officials began to discuss it with concern.

"Although this matter is a bit sudden, but listening to what Your Majesty said, it is not unreasonable."

"Yes, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has been the heir to the throne for more than 20 years. In recent years, he has been in charge of all the government affairs of the court, and he has never made any major mistakes. If he can inherit the throne in advance, it will also be good for the Crown Prince, not the new emperor!"

"But I think your majesty is in good health now, so there is no need to give up the throne in a hurry!"

"Confused, this is exactly where your Majesty is brilliant, surpassing all the emperors in the past! Is there any emperor who is willing to give up the power in his hands and consider the rulers of future generations? Only your Majesty has done this!"

"That's right. Most of the emperors in the past were forced to do so, but my majesty took the initiative to abdicate. This move is comparable to that of Yao and Shun!"

All the officials were discussing this matter. Some supported and some opposed Zhu Yuanzhang's decision, but overall support was the majority, and many people were already shouting that His Majesty was wise.

The officials of the Huaixi Party were also very excited. The abdication of the old emperor and the ascension of the new emperor to the throne definitely reduced the pressure on them. Everyone knew that Crown Prince Zhu Biao was a benevolent ruler. It would be better to offend one Zhu Yuanzhang than to offend ten Zhu Biaos.

In addition, Lan Yu was the brother-in-law of Crown Prince Zhu Biao, and most of the members of the Huaixi Party had a good relationship with Zhu Biao, and they all supported Zhu Biao's accession to the throne.

Li Shanchang was not so happy. When Zhu Yuanzhang said he would abdicate and become the emperor, Li Shanchang looked at Ouyang Lun first. The result was just as he expected. Ouyang Lun did not show any surprise, not even unexpectedness.

It was obvious that Ouyang Lun knew about this matter before.

Maybe Ouyang Lun was the driving force behind this matter. Logically speaking, Li Shanchang and the Huaixi Party should oppose anything that Ouyang Lun supported. However, Zhu Biao's succession to the throne was more beneficial than harmful to Li Shanchang and the Huaixi Party. Moreover, he and Ouyang Lun, the Prince Consort Party and the Huaixi Party were no longer in a simply hostile relationship. After all, they had just cooperated.

Now Ouyang Lun and the Prince Consort's party have become powerful, but not powerful enough to swallow up the Huaixi Party in one bite.

The Huaixi Party was indeed weak, but it was not so weak that it could be manipulated by the Prince Consort Party at will.

What's more, they all need to guard against Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, so although they can compete, there is no need to fight to the death for the time being.

Thinking of this, Li Shanchang was no longer silent. He stood up and said loudly: "Your Majesty, for the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the people, you gave up your personal power. Your Majesty is wise!"

With Li Shanchang taking the lead, other officials followed suit, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Ouyang Lun also echoed.

"Since the ministers have no objection, then this matter is settled."

"The Ministry of Rites is preparing for the coronation ceremony. Find a good day and I will officially pass the throne to the crown prince!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Lu Chang, the Minister of Rites, responded quickly.

"Biao'er, come here and sit with your father!"

Now that everything was made clear, Zhu Yuanzhang directly called Zhu Biao over and asked him to sit on the dragon throne with him.

The emperor's throne is very big, so there is no problem for two people to sit on it.

"Father, I'd better stand."

After Zhu Biao sat down, he felt somewhat nervous as he saw that all the civil and military officials in the court were focusing their attention on him.

"Biao'er, just do your best. After the succession ceremony, you will be the only one sitting on the throne!" Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile, "During this period, your father will teach you how to sit as an emperor. This is the most authentic teaching. You must pay attention!"

"It's Father!"

Zhu Biao could feel the love his father Zhu Yuanzhang had for him, and seeing Ouyang Lun standing calmly below, he felt a lot more confident.

Seeing Zhu Biao calm down quickly, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction, "That's right, you will soon be the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty, from now on you must act like an emperor!"

"Also, from now on, you will be the host of this court meeting!"

(End of this chapter)