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

Ouyang Lun looked calm and said slowly, "Your Majesty, although Lan Yu confessed in prison, he may not have solid evidence. Moreover, the affairs of the court are complicated. How can he alone make a conclusion?"

To be honest, Ouyang Lun was very surprised that Lan Yu was making random accusations in prison.

Normally speaking, although Lan Yu was greedy for merit and reckless, resulting in the loss of more than 40,000 troops, to be honest, it was extremely difficult to sentence Lan Yu to death. Therefore, the rewards and punishments he discussed with Zhu Biao did not include the death penalty for Lan Yu, but only dismissal from office and stripping of his title!

If he were Lan Yu, he would definitely not choose this time to bite.

But what is spreading outside now is true, and Lan Yu really did do this in history!
It was precisely because of Lan Yu's reckless accusations that the Lan Yu case, which shocked the entire Ming Dynasty, occurred!
The Lan Yu case was a major case that shocked the court and the public in the early Ming Dynasty. It involved a wide range of people and had far-reaching impacts. As a famous general of the founding of the country, Lan Yu had made great military achievements and was highly valued by Zhu Yuanzhang. In the 26th year of Hongwu, Lan Yu was accused of treason. Zhu Yuanzhang used this case to purge the dignitaries in the court, implicating tens of thousands of people.

The core figure of the Lan Yu case was naturally Lan Yu himself, who was accused of forming a clique for personal gain and plotting against the law, and was eventually executed by slow slicing. However, the case affected far more than just Lan Yu. Many officials, generals, and even some local tyrants who had had contact with Lan Yu were involved. For example, Lan Yu's relatives, subordinates, and court officials who had correspondence with him were all considered "Lan Party" and severely punished.

Among them, famous founding heroes such as Fu Youde and Feng Sheng, although they did not directly participate in Lan Yu's "rebellion", were implicated in the case because of their close relationship with Lan Yu, and were eventually sentenced to death or demoted. In addition, some local officials and generals were also regarded as members of the "Lan Party" and purged because they had accepted Lan Yu's recommendation or promotion.

Behind the Lan Yu case was Zhu Yuanzhang's suspicion and suppression of the meritorious officials. Through this case, Zhu Yuanzhang not only eliminated Lan Yu and his followers, but also further weakened the power of the military officials and consolidated the imperial power. However, this major case also made the court panic, and many innocent people suffered unjustly, becoming a bloody memory in the political struggle in the early Ming Dynasty.

Recalling this, Ouyang Lun felt a shudder.

Even though Lan Yu, Li Shanchang and others were his political enemies, Ouyang Lun did not want the Lan Yu case to happen again.

Zhu Biao shook his head and sighed, "But as for my father... I heard that he has ordered a thorough investigation of the case, and even specifically asked to investigate the Huaixi Party. If the investigation continues, I'm afraid..."

"Your Majesty, have you ever seen the Emperor Retired get angry?!"

Ouyang Lun seemed to have thought of something and asked immediately.

"No, I heard it from Little Li. Father also sent a message saying that I don't need to go to pay respects to him in the next few days, so that I can handle government affairs with peace of mind. But now that this has happened, how can I handle government affairs with peace of mind?"

Zhu Biao shook his head repeatedly, looking worried.

Ouyang Lun smiled slightly and interrupted him: "Your Majesty, the old emperor is not stupid. He can be said to be wise and powerful. How could he easily make a conclusion based on the words of one person? In my opinion, this matter still needs to be considered in the long run."

"Brother-in-law, what do you mean? I don't quite understand." Zhu Biao said in confusion.

Ouyang Lun raised his lips, and became more certain of his guess. He continued, "Your Majesty, don't you understand yet? Now, except for the rewards and punishments we have proposed for the expedition against the Northern Yuan soldiers, everything else is just rumors!"

"There are rumors flying everywhere now, and there are all kinds of stories, but the ones you heard, Your Majesty, are the most widespread!"

"We have all received this rumor. Do you think the emperor has not received it?"

Ok? !

Hearing Ouyang Lun's words, Zhu Biao was stunned, and then he understood something and hurriedly said: "Brother-in-law, what do you mean!"

"Your Majesty, since you have guessed it, don't say it out loud. If it is true, we can't destroy it, otherwise the emperor will be angry." Ouyang Lun said.

"Yes." Zhu Biao nodded slowly, but his brows were still furrowed, and his tone was somewhat helpless: "We are just guessing, but I am really uneasy! Now the people in the court are in panic, and the Huaixi Party is in danger. If I don't do something, I am afraid that the situation will become more and more out of control."

Ouyang Lun shook his head slightly, his tone firm: "Your Majesty, the more you need to stay calm at this moment. Everything will be clear at the court meeting tomorrow. Your Majesty just needs to wait and see what happens, and don't panic."

Zhu Biao was silent for a moment after hearing this, and finally nodded slowly: "Brother-in-law is right. I was too impatient."

Ouyang Lun smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is concerned about state affairs, I understand. But please take care of your health and don't worry too much. Everything will be decided at the court meeting tomorrow."

Zhu Biao let out a long sigh, his expression slightly relieved: "With my brother-in-law here, I feel much more at ease."

Ouyang Lun spread his hands helplessly and said: "Your Majesty, you can't say that. You are the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. You have to stand up and let us, the ministers, live in peace."

Forehead.
Zhu Biao's face was full of black lines, but he immediately felt that Ouyang Lun was right, and nodded immediately: "Brother-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely work hard!"

"Eh!"

"That's right. For so many years, all emperors have been like this. If you don't do well, then you have to reflect on why other emperors can do it but you can't!" Ouyang Lun said, and reached out to pat Zhu Biao on the shoulder, his face full of relief and expectation.

"Yeah." Zhu Biao nodded, and secretly vowed in his heart that he would work hard to be a good emperor as his brother-in-law Ouyang Lun said. The candlelight in the hall was still swaying, but Zhu Biao's mood was slightly calmed down by Ouyang Lun's calm persuasion. He looked at the dark night sky outside the hall and prayed silently in his heart, hoping that tomorrow's court meeting would bring a turnaround. Ouyang Lun stood aside, looking indifferent, as if everything was under control.

Inside the Taiji Hall, the magnificent golden roof shines majestically in the morning light.

In the hall, civil and military officials stood on both sides in a solemn manner. The atmosphere was heavy and depressing.

The news of Lan Yu's imprisonment had already spread throughout the court and the country. This outstanding founding hero and military cabinet general was now a prisoner, and everyone in the court was shocked. Lan Yu's achievements and status were rare in the Ming Dynasty, and his fate affected the nerves of the entire empire. At today's court meeting, everyone had a common question in their hearts: How will the court deal with Lan Yu?

And is Lan Yu's confession true? !

These questions were on the minds of all civil and military officials.

Following the eunuch's high-pitched call of "The Emperor, the Emperor has arrived", Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, both wearing dragon robes, stepped into the Taiji Hall with steady steps. Zhu Yuanzhang's face was stern and his eyes were like torches, as if he could penetrate everyone's mind. Zhu Biao lagged behind Zhu Yuanzhang by half a step and followed closely behind him, with a solemn expression and a hint of worry between his brows. Ouyang Lun, holding a scroll of imperial edict, looked solemn and followed Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao with steady steps. Seeing this, all the officials in the hall knelt down and saluted, shouting in unison: "Long live our emperor, long live our emperor, long live our emperor!"

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand slightly, signaling everyone to stand up. His eyes swept over every minister in the hall, and finally stopped at the imperial edict in Ouyang Lun's hand. He said in a deep voice: "Today's court meeting will first discuss the merits and demerits of the soldiers in the northern expedition, and then discuss other matters." After that, Zhu Yuanzhang signaled Ouyang Lun to read the imperial edict.

Ouyang Lun did not waste time. He stepped forward, unfolded the imperial edict, and read it out in a loud and clear voice: "The Emperor, by the Mandate of Heaven, proclaims: The soldiers fought bravely and made outstanding contributions in this northern expedition, and are hereby commended. Xu Huizu, who is loyal and brave, and has extraordinary wisdom, is promoted to the Minister of War, in charge of the defense of the capital. The major princes assisted him and made great contributions. They are each awarded a thousand taels of gold and a hundred pieces of brocade as a reward. The other soldiers are promoted according to their merits. As for the soldiers who died in battle, including Lan Yu's 40,000 troops, they all sacrificed their lives for the country. Their loyal souls are immortal, and they are specially granted double compensation to comfort their families."

After the imperial edict was read, the hall was in silence. Xu Huizu stepped forward, bowed and thanked the emperor, his voice sonorous and powerful: "Your Majesty, I, Xu Huizu, kowtow to thank the emperor for his grace. I will do my best to live up to your expectations!" Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes.

As for the commendation, all the civil and military officials had no objection, as it was what the soldiers deserved, and Ouyang Lun himself did not seem to receive any reward, which surprised all the civil and military officials. But when they thought about it, Ouyang Lun was already a high-ranking official and there was no room for promotion, so perhaps this was the reason why Zhu Yuanzhang asked Ouyang Lun to draft this reward.

I won't give Ouyang Lun the title, but I will give you the right to give the title. This is also a disguised reward. Haven't you seen that Xu Huizu was promoted to the Minister of War? Xu Huizu is Ouyang Lun's brother-in-law. This is the charm of power!

After reaching this point in their analysis, all the civil and military officials looked at Ouyang Lun with envy.

However, the court officials were not completely focused on these awards. The fate of Lan Yu was what they were most concerned about. Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to have anticipated everyone's thoughts. He slowly stood up, his eyes like lightning, and scanned the officials, but he did not start discussing Lan Yu's matter, but looked at Ouyang Lun.

In the Taiji Hall, the morning light shone through the carved window lattices onto the golden brick floor, casting a solemn glow. Civil and military officials stood on both sides, with different expressions, and glanced at Ouyang Lun standing in the center of the hall from time to time.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat high on the dragon throne, his eyes deep, with a faint smile on his lips. He spoke slowly, his voice low but full of majesty: "During this northern expedition, the Ouyang family made great contributions. After much deliberation, I decided to appoint Ouyang Lun as the military cabinet general, and together with other military cabinet generals, he will lead the national military affairs. I hope you will live up to my expectations and continue to serve the country."

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the hall. Civil and military officials looked at each other and whispered. Lan Yu was once the general of the military cabinet and controlled the military power. Now Ouyang Lun took over this position. The meaning is self-evident. Zhu Yuanzhang's move was obviously to completely eliminate Lan Yu's power and at the same time push Ouyang Lun to the forefront and drain his talent and energy!

Ouyang Lun stood in the hall, frowning slightly, feeling unhappy. He was a person who liked to do things simply. It was hard enough for him to handle government affairs on weekdays. Now Zhu Yuanzhang put such a heavy burden on his shoulders, obviously pushing him to the limit. He looked up at Zhu Yuanzhang and found that he was looking at him with a smile. There was a bit of pride in his smile, as if saying, "I know you don't want to, but you have to accept it."

Ouyang Lun was annoyed, but he knew Zhu Yuanzhang's temper very well. If he refused at this moment, it would only lead to more suspicion and suppression. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, bowed, and said calmly but with a hint of helplessness: "Your Majesty, I, Ouyang Lun, thank you for your grace. However, I am not talented enough to take on this important task. Please think twice."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled even more when he heard this. He waved his hand and said, "Ouyang Lun, you don't have to be so modest. I know your talents. If it weren't for your planning, how could this northern expedition be so smooth? The position of the military cabinet general must belong to you."

I just wanted to show off, and now I have completely put myself in it.

The chief minister of the cabinet had already made him overwhelmed, and now another general of the military cabinet was thrown at him. And considering Zhu Yuanzhang's character, this would not be such an easy task!
Ouyang Lun sighed inwardly, knowing that it was useless to refuse further, so he could only bow again: "I obey your order and will do my best to live up to your expectations."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction, his eyes swept across the ministers in the hall, and his tone suddenly turned cold: "Ouyang Lun took over as the general of the military cabinet for the country and the people, for the future of our Ming Dynasty, you should fully cooperate and not make any mistakes."

After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang paused for a moment and then asked, "I guess no one else objects?"

Oppose?

Who dares to object?
All the officials in the palace bowed their heads and agreed, but they had their own thoughts in their hearts. The fall of Lan Yu and the rise of Ouyang Lun had changed the power structure in the court. Zhu Yuanzhang's move was not only to completely eliminate Lan Yu's power, but also to tie Ouyang Lun firmly to his chariot, drain his talents and energy, and ensure the stability of the imperial power.

If that were all, then it would be easy to explain. The key is how Lan Yu is doing now? Has he confessed? What did he confess?
Zhu Yuanzhang was worthy of being the founding monarch; he managed his facial expressions very well. Even Li Shanchang, an old minister who knew Zhu Yuanzhang very well, did not see any suspicion in Zhu Yuanzhang's expression.

Ouyang Lun was filled with helplessness and depression. He knew that he had been pushed to the pinnacle of power by Zhu Yuanzhang, but it also meant that he would face more responsibilities and risks. Zhu Yuanzhang's smiling face lingered in his mind, and the complacency and calculation in that smile made him feel a chill.

"The Emperor is trying to squeeze me dry..." Ouyang Lun whispered to himself, and couldn't help shaking his head in his heart.

Although Zhu Yuanzhang has done this more than once or twice, I still get angry when I see him again. This Zhu Yuanzhang is really shameless. (End of this chapter)