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

Chapter 611: Returning to the capital, the issue of rewards arises (Subscribe please!!)

Li Shanchang's face was also filled with smiles.

Ever since Lan Yu was about to lead his army back to the imperial court, the public opinion of the Huaixi Party inside and outside the imperial court had undergone a major change!
Even the emperor and the retired emperor had become much more friendly towards the Huaixi Party.

Several Huaixi Party officials were promoted one after another!
Although the Northern Yuan Dynasty was not completely destroyed, Lan Yu undoubtedly won the battle against the Northern Yuan Dynasty, and it was a great victory. He defeated the main force of the Northern Yuan army twice and captured the Northern Yuan emperor's younger brother alive. To be honest, this record was the first great victory since the Ming Dynasty conquered the Northern Yuan Dynasty!

With this achievement, the status of their Huaixi Party has been greatly consolidated!

Li Shanchang then had more confidence and time to plan what to do next.

The future of the Huaixi Party can be said to be a smooth road. On the one hand, the younger generation like Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai are growing up rapidly. On the other hand, the great general Lan Yu has made more and more achievements and has strong strength both in civil and military affairs.

Thinking of this, Li Shanchang was very happy.

He finally didn't have to worry that the Prince Consort's Party would surpass the Huaixi Party at any time. No matter how powerful Ouyang Lun was, the Prince Consort's Party still lacked some foundation. Now it all depended on Ouyang Lun alone. Once Ouyang Lun fell, the entire Prince Consort's Party would disappear in an instant, even faster than the Zhejiang East Party in the past!

"Cough cough!"

Zhu Biao coughed lightly twice.

The entire Taiji Hall suddenly became quiet. The civil and military officials who had been whispering to each other suddenly stopped talking and waited for the emperor to speak.

"Father?"

Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with a questioning look on his face.

"Biao'er, you are the emperor, you can just preside over this court meeting, we are just here to listen."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand.

"Yes, Father!"

After obtaining Zhu Yuanzhang's consent, Zhu Biao began to prepare for today's court meeting.

"My dear ministers, what do you want to report?"

Zhu Biao asked.

"The Ministry of War has a report!"

Minister of War Tang Duo stepped forward and said.

"Ministry of War? That must be about the grassland war. Minister Tang, please tell us as soon as possible!" Although he had already read the military reports sent back by the front-line troops in advance, Zhu Biao still wanted to hear what the Minister of War Tang Duo had to say.

"Yes!"

Minister of War Tang Duo nodded, and then said: "Your Majesty, it has been almost half a year since the Ming Dynasty sent an army to conquer the Northern Yuan Dynasty. General Lan Yu led an army of 500,000 and went deep into the grasslands. He defeated the Northern Yuan army successively along the way, and even defeated the main force of the Northern Yuan army twice, and captured the Northern Yuan emperor's younger brother."

"Now that General Lan Yu has returned with his army, although he did not accomplish his mission completely, he has dealt a heavy blow to the Northern Yuan Dynasty."

"This battle can be said to have boosted the morale of the Ming army and civilians to a considerable extent!!"

As the Minister of War Tang Duo said this, smiles appeared on everyone's faces.

The Northern Yuan army was defeated one after another, which proved that the combat effectiveness of the Ming Dynasty far exceeded that of the Northern Yuan Dynasty. In addition, the capture of the Northern Yuan emperor's younger brother was even more significant, as if telling the Northern Yuan Dynasty that if they captured your brother this time, then they will capture you next time!

"Haha! Good! Very good!"

"Lan Yu did not disappoint me!"

Zhu Biao was very happy. Lan Yu was a great general left to him by his father, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, and he was also a relative of his. Lan Yu's victory in this battle also brought honor to Zhu Biao!

"Minister Tang, how long will it take for Lan Yu's army to return to the capital? I want to hold a grand celebration banquet!"

Zhu Biao said loudly.

"Your Majesty, according to the current marching speed of the Lanyu Army, we will be able to return to the capital in about half a month!"

"By the way, Your Majesty, the Ministry of War just received a message from the nine princes guarding the border!"

As soon as the Minister of War Tang Duo said this, everyone's attention was immediately focused on the Ninth Prince guarding the border.

You should know that when Lan Yu's army entered the grassland to fight, a military report was published almost every day. However, the nine vassal kings seemed to have disappeared out of thin air when they entered the grassland. There has been no news since then. Some people even suspected that the nine vassal kings were ambushed by the Northern Yuan army, resulting in the annihilation of their entire army!
So when the Minister of War Tang Duo announced that the nine princes had received military reports, everyone pricked up their ears!

"I've received news from my nine younger brothers!"

Zhu Biao was also surprised after hearing this and asked quickly.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang, who had half-closed his eyes, suddenly opened his eyes wide at this moment! He looked at the Minister of War Tang Duo, expecting him to tell him the military reports of the nine vassal kings!
"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Minister of War Tang Duo felt so many eyes on him, especially those of Zhu Yuanzhang and Emperor Zhu Biao. This made him a little nervous, and he quickly said, "According to the military report, after the nine princes entered the grassland, they began to occupy territory on the grassland!"

"Now the nine vassal kings have occupied almost a quarter of the grassland's territory, and all the population, cattle and sheep in these territories are under their control!"

"In this way, our Ming Dynasty has gained almost a province!"

"The contributions of the nine princes should not be ignored!"

As the Minister of War Tang Duo said this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face became much more serious. Zhu Biao did not express his opinion easily. The Supreme Emperor and the Emperor did not speak, so naturally the civil and military officials in the Taiji Hall did not dare to express their opinions easily.

"Father?"

Zhu Biao finally turned his gaze to Zhu Yuanzhang with a questioning look on his face.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally saw this point. Originally, Zhu Yuanzhang planned to wait a little longer, but since Zhu Biao had asked, he could not remain silent.

But before he spoke, Zhu Yuanzhang turned his gaze to Ouyang Lun, who had been silent.

This kid is really patient!

"Tang Duo, you are right. Lan Yu has made the greatest contribution to this great victory over the Northern Yuan Dynasty, but the court should not forget the contributions of others!"

"This battle against the Northern Yuan Dynasty has demonstrated the might of the Ming Dynasty! It has also let the people of the Northern Yuan Dynasty living on the grassland know that they want to regain control of the Central Plains and restore the Yuan Dynasty. This has become their dream!"

"Very good! We are very satisfied!"

"As for the reward, there is no need to rush. The emperor and I have our own plans." "Everything will be discussed after the expeditionary army returns to the court! In addition, summon the nine vassal kings to the capital!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's words did not directly respond to the request of the Minister of War Tang Duo, but they also affirmed the achievements of Lan Yu and the nine princes.

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang already had a plan on how to reward Lan Yu. This was not difficult. Lan Yu was still a warrior, so he just needed to be given enough honor and face. What gave Zhu Yuanzhang the most headaches were the nine vassal kings!

According to the military report sent back from the nine vassal kings, the nine vassal kings have now occupied a quarter of the grassland's territory, and also controlled the population, cattle, sheep and other resources within the territory.

It is obvious that the nine feudal lords have actually occupied these territories.

Although the military reports of the nine princes did not directly state that they wanted to own these territories, this reminded Zhu Yuanzhang of the new prince system that Ouyang Lun had originally established!

One of them is that in foreign wars, if the vassal kings occupied the enemy's territories, then these territories would become the vassal kings' own. Originally, in Zhu Yuanzhang's view, the Ming Dynasty had basically recovered all the lands of China, and it was surrounded by vassal states or powerful enemies. If the vassal kings really had the ability to bite off a piece of land, there would be no problem in giving it to the vassal kings. This could mainly greatly enhance the enthusiasm of the vassal kings!
Zhu Yuanzhang also judged that the princes would have neither the opportunity nor the ability to expand their territory in a short period of time.

But this time something unexpected happened to Zhu Yuanzhang. The nine vassal kings invaded the grassland under the guise of dealing with the Northern Yuan army, and divided and occupied the territory on the grassland!
This adds up to the territory of an entire province!
This was the greatest achievement this time, besides capturing the younger brother of the Northern Yuan emperor and defeating the main force of the Northern Yuan army. In terms of benefits, this was the greatest benefit. Now Zhu Yuanzhang was asked to give all this "fat meat" to the nine princes. Even though these "nine princes" were all his sons, Zhu Yuanzhang felt somewhat uncomfortable.

So we spend money and manpower, but all we get are superficial benefits, while you nine bastards get the big advantages!
The son takes advantage of his father. What a filial son!
Zhu Yuanzhang had not yet decided whether to give it or not, so he did not expose this on the spot. He still needed to think about it carefully, because there might be some conspiracy behind this by Ouyang Lun.

Especially seeing Ouyang Lun's calm expression, Zhu Yuanzhang became even more unsure.

"Okay, let's leave this matter here for now. Emperor, please continue to preside over the government."

In order to avoid anyone continuing to discuss this topic, Zhu Yuanzhang spoke directly.

"Yes, Father!"

To be honest, Zhu Biao didn't want to talk about this matter at the moment. After all, the specific details of this expedition against the Northern Yuan Dynasty had to be reported in detail after Lan Yu and the nine vassal kings came to the capital.

The expedition against the Northern Yuan Dynasty had always been led by Zhu Yuanzhang, so it was indeed difficult for Zhu Biao to give the rewards. Zhu Biao also realized that his father seemed to have other ideas, but he just didn't say them out loud.

Perhaps the key lies in his brother-in-law Ouyang Lun.

Thinking of this, Zhu Biao couldn't help but glance at Ouyang Lun. Well, Brother-in-law Ouyang was already resting with his eyes closed. This kind of mentality was enough for him to learn for a long time.

"My dear ministers, please tell us everything else you have to say!"

Zhu Biao did not think too much about it, but honestly performed his duties as an emperor and presided over the court meetings.

Next, each government office of the court reported in turn. Zhu Biao was already an expert in presiding over court meetings, and he dealt with all the issues raised by court officials one by one.

After about half an hour, no one spoke again.

"My dear ministers, do you have anything else to report?"

"If not, I will be here this morning!"

After Zhu Biao finished speaking, he did not immediately announce the end of the morning court. Instead, he looked at Lu Chang, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and the Minister of Rites, and slowly said, "Lord Lu, Lan Yu's army will return to the capital soon. The Ministry of Rites must prepare for the reception and the celebration banquet as soon as possible. According to what my father said, this celebration banquet must be held in a grand manner!"

"Yes, I obey your order!" Lu Chang hurriedly stepped out to receive the order.

"Yes." Zhu Biao nodded, then looked at the Minister of War Tang Duo and continued, "Lord Tang, you must urge Lan Yu to submit the list of meritorious generals and soldiers in this battle, and review it as soon as possible. When the time comes, my father and I will personally meet these generals and soldiers who have made contributions to our Ming Dynasty!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Minister of War Tang Duo nodded repeatedly.

"Well, today's court meeting is over, my dear ministers, please leave!"

Zhu Biao said.

"Your Majesty, may you be well. We will take our leave now!"

All the civil and military officials saluted and then withdrew.

After all the civil and military officials had left, Zhu Yuanzhang became more and more confused, "Biao'er, is Ouyang Lun gone?"

"Father, Brother-in-law Ouyang and all the civil and military officials have left the Taiji Hall." Zhu Biao said truthfully: "Father, does Brother-in-law Ouyang have something to ask?"

"Yeah!" Zhu Yuanzhang nodded.

"Little Leo! Go and invite Prince Consort Ouyang back!" Zhu Biao said hurriedly.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Little Leo hurriedly ran out of the Tai Chi Hall.

Not long after, Ouyang Lun walked back to the Tai Chi Hall with a reluctant look on his face.

"I greet the Emperor, Your Majesty. I wonder what you want me to do?"

Ouyang Lun was cursing in his heart at this time. He thought the court meeting was over and he was ready to go back and have a good sleep. However, not long after he walked out, he was pulled back by Little Leo.

The only thing that made Ouyang Lun feel funny was that when he was pulled back to Taiji Hall by Little Li, Li Shanchang was right next to him. When he heard the retired emperor and the emperor calling Ouyang Lun to go back, the old guy shamelessly came up and wanted to follow them back. However, he was stopped by Little Li's words, "I'm sorry, old prime minister. The retired emperor and his majesty asked Prince Consort Ouyang to go back." Then the old guy's face became as ugly as it could be.

Ouyang Lun also understood Li Shanchang's behavior.

You must know that since Lan Yu led the army to defeat the main force of the Northern Yuan army, the situation of the Huaixi Party has improved a lot, especially Li Shanchang. As the leader of the Huaixi Party, he not only gained the recognition of the retired Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and the Emperor Zhu Biao, but also many more officials flattered him. In addition, many officials of the Huaixi Party were promoted.

This gave Li Shanchang an illusion.

That means it’s Li Shanchang again.

Moreover, Ouyang Lun did not like to manage government affairs. He would avoid participating in many government affairs if possible. It was normal not to see Ouyang Lun in the cabinet for ten days or half a month. As Li Shanchang was once the prime minister and chief minister, it was natural for him to give orders in the cabinet.

For a moment, Li Shanchang seemed to have returned to his time as Li Shanchang!
So when Little Lizi came to call people back, although Li Shanchang heard that Little Lizi was calling Ouyang Lun, he also thought that the retired Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and the Emperor Zhu Biao would also call him along, but in the end they didn't.

This naturally made Li Shanchang lose face and break his defense!

Return to the Tai Chi Hall.

In response to Ouyang Lun's question, Zhu Yuanzhang did not speak directly.

Zhu Biao didn't know why his father Zhu Yuanzhang called Ouyang Lun back, so he didn't choose to speak.

In this way, the three people in the Tai Chi Hall fell into a brief silence.

This made Ouyang Lun even more confused. Old Zhu, what are you doing?
(End of this chapter)