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

Hearing Lan Yu's question, the eunuch touched the jade pendant in his hand, weighed the pros and cons, and then slowly spoke, "Since Duke Liang wants to know, then I will tell you."

"Thank you, father-in-law!"

Next, the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict told Lan Yu all the rumors that had been going on during that period, as well as what had happened in the court meeting that day.

After hearing the words of the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict, Lan Yu just stood there in a daze.

Seeing Lan Yu was silent, the eunuch said, "If the Duke of Liang has nothing else to do, we will leave. Besides, since the Emperor and His Majesty have already announced your punishment, the Duke of Liang should leave this prison as soon as possible."

After saying that, he turned and left the cell, and the cell returned to deathly silence. Lan Yu did not leave, but sat back in the corner, holding the imperial edict tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"Ouyang Lun... what exactly are you planning?" Lan Yu murmured in a low voice, with a hint of coldness in his eyes. "And the emperor has imprisoned me. During this period of time, all kinds of rumors have been flying around, saying that I, Lan Yu, betrayed the Huaixi Party and gave out other members of the Huaixi Party in order to save my life!"

"You want to destroy me and use me at the same time. Your Majesty, what you did really makes me feel disappointed."

"And Li Shanchang! I thought you would do your best to rescue me no matter what, because we are both members of the Huaixi Party. I didn't expect you to give up so easily. Do you also believe that I will betray you?"

After mumbling to himself, Lan Yu glanced towards the corner of the prison, where there was a corpse. This corpse had come to assassinate him when he was alive, but was killed by Lan Yu. You have to know that this guy came with the intention of saving him from the beginning, so the biggest suspect was only Li Shanchang.

"And there is Ouyang Lun. If he had insisted, the emperor would never have let me go so easily. But in the end, Ouyang Lun said nothing, and he didn't settle the score with Zhou An. This guy is really hard to figure out."

Now Lan Yu is becoming more and more unable to understand Ouyang Lun. He clearly had the opportunity to completely kill him, but he didn't do it.

He knew that he was able to survive this time not because Zhu Biao was merciful, but because someone was behind the scenes manipulating him. This person was the retired emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, but it could also be Ouyang Lun!

He felt like Ouyang Lun and Zhu Yuanzhang were playing chess, and he, Lan Yu, was just one of the many chess pieces on the board!

"Could it be... he wants me to live and become a chess piece in his hands?" Lan Yu guessed secretly in his heart, with a sneer on his face. He knew that although he had temporarily lost power, as long as he was still alive, he still had a chance to turn the tables.

The torches outside the cell gradually went out, and darkness enveloped the entire space again. Lan Yu leaned against the cold wall, closed his eyes, and began to plan every step in the future.

Time flies and a month has passed.

At daybreak, people were already gathering outside the palace gate. Officials gathered in groups of two or three, talking in low voices, waiting for the palace gate to open. The morning breeze was slightly cool, blowing up a few fallen leaves, and the air was filled with a tense and oppressive atmosphere.

Several officials stood at a corner of the palace wall, discussing in low voices the recent events in the court.

"Have you heard? Prince Consort Ouyang has been in office for a month, but there has been no movement at all." A young official in a green official uniform said in a low voice, with some doubt in his tone.

An elderly official nearby stroked his beard, narrowed his eyes, and smiled meaningfully: "Young man, don't be impatient. Ouyang Lun is a man of great cunning. The more silent he is, the more uneasy people feel. I'm afraid those people from the Huaixi Party can no longer sit still."

"But since he has taken over the position of general, why doesn't he take advantage of the situation and completely eliminate the influence of the Huaixi Party?" the young official asked in confusion.

The older official shook his head and whispered, "You are still too young. Ouyang Lun has always been as steady as a rock. His silence does not necessarily mean he is not making any moves. He may be secretly planning and waiting for the right time to launch an attack. The Huaixi Party is deeply rooted in the army. How can it be easily shaken? If you are not careful, you will get burned."

Not far away, several officials from the Huaixi Party also gathered together, looking solemn. One of them whispered, "Ouyang Lun has not made any moves in the past month. Is he really just waiting and watching? Or has he already made plans in secret and is preparing to attack us?"

Another person snorted coldly, with disdain in his tone: "Humph, no matter how powerful he is, he is just a newly appointed general. Our Huaixi Party has a deep foundation in the army, how can he shake it in a short time? In my opinion, he is just bluffing."

"Besides, he is not the only general in the cabinet! It is definitely not just his decision that counts."

"Don't be careless!" The leading official frowned and interrupted, "Ouyang Lun is definitely not an ordinary person. He was able to promote military reforms and weaken our power before he took charge of the military cabinet. Now that he has officially taken office, how could he do nothing? We must deal with it carefully and must not let him catch us."

On the other side, several officials from the Prince Consort Party who supported Ouyang Lun also gathered together and talked in low voices.

"Your Majesty, there has been no action for the past month. There has been a lot of discussion in the court, and those people in the Huaixi Party are even more restless. Should we do something to reassure people?" an official asked in a low voice.

Another official shook his head and whispered, "No need. The Prince Consort has always been prudent. Since he chose not to take action, there must be a deep meaning. We just need to wait and see and wait for the opportunity."

"However, the Huaixi Party is deeply rooted in the military. If we don't act quickly, I'm afraid they will take the opportunity to counterattack." The official frowned.

"That's why we can't act rashly." Another official smiled slightly, with a gleam in his eyes. "The Huaixi Party is now like a frightened bird. The slightest disturbance will expose their true colors. What we have to do is wait for them to jump out on their own."

The palace gate slowly opened, and the eunuch announced loudly: "All officials come to the court to take up their duties!" The officials straightened their clothes and entered the palace gate one by one.

Zhu Biao sat in the Fengtian Hall, holding a top-secret material published by the Science and Technology Research Institute - Introduction to the Advanced Weapons of the Ming Dynasty, but his brows were furrowed. In the past month, he has been studying in the Science and Technology Park every day, from firearms manufacturing to military engineering, from tactical deduction to logistics management, the course schedule is full. Although these courses have benefited him a lot, he still feels a little uneasy - these courses are taught by engineers in the Science and Technology Park, and the new military cabinet general, his brother-in-law Ouyang Lun, has never shown up.

He was never told about the military cabinet.

"What is Ouyang Lun planning?" Zhu Biao was full of doubts. He knew that Ouyang Lun was a man of foresight and would never stay silent for a month without any reason. However, the military affairs of the military cabinet had always been handled by other generals, and Ouyang Lun seemed to be out of it, which made Zhu Biao very puzzled.

Just as he was thinking, an eunuch came running over and bowed to report: "Your Highness, the Prince Consort has just gone to the Military Cabinet and started working!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao immediately stood up, with a hint of anxiety in his eyes: "He finally showed up! Come on, follow me to the Military Cabinet!"

A moment later, Zhu Biao arrived at the Military Cabinet. When he opened the door, he saw Ouyang Lun sitting at the desk, holding a scroll of documents in his hand, looking calm and composed. Seeing Zhu Biao coming in, Ouyang Lun smiled slightly, stood up and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, how come you have time to come here today?"

Zhu Biao waved his hand, with a hint of urgency in his tone: "Brother-in-law, you finally showed up! What have you been doing this month? You didn't ask about the military affairs of the Military Cabinet, but asked me to learn those engineering technologies in the Science and Technology Park. Although these courses are indeed useful, I am more worried about the situation of the Military Cabinet!"

Ouyang Lun smiled, motioned Zhu Biao to sit down, and said calmly: "Your Majesty, don't worry. Although I haven't handled military affairs personally in the past month, everything is under control. The other generals in the military cabinet are very capable, and there will be no major problems with daily military affairs."

Zhu Biao frowned and said, "But brother-in-law, since you have taken over the position of general, you should do something, right? The Huaixi Party is eyeing us covetously. If you don't take action, I'm afraid they will take the opportunity to counterattack."

Ouyang Lun picked up the teacup, took a sip, and looked at it deeply: "Your Majesty, managing the army is like managing water. If you are impatient, chaos will arise. My silence for the past month is to let some people relax their vigilance and reveal their flaws."

Zhu Biao's eyes flashed with understanding when he heard this, but he immediately asked, "What are your plans next, brother-in-law? You can't just sit there and do nothing, right?"

Ouyang Lun put down his teacup, his expression gradually becoming serious: "Since Your Majesty has asked, I will no longer hide it. What I am going to promote next is an unprecedented reform - the professionalization of military personnel."

"Military professionalization reform?!" Zhu Biao was stunned, obviously unfamiliar with the term.

Ouyang Lun nodded and explained slowly: "Yes. At present, the army of the Ming Dynasty is still mainly based on the conscription system. Most of the soldiers are temporarily recruited farmers. They serve as soldiers in wartime and as farmers in peacetime. Although this system can save military expenses, it is difficult to guarantee the training and combat effectiveness of the soldiers. The professionalization reform is to establish a standing army, where soldiers take military service as their profession, receive long-term training, and fight full-time. In this way, the combat effectiveness of the army will be greatly improved, and it will be better able to respond to sudden wars."

Zhu Biao was stunned, and it took him a while to come back to his senses: "This... this is indeed a bold idea! But I'm afraid there will be a lot of resistance in implementing it, right?"

Ouyang Lun smiled slightly, with a sharp flash in his eyes: "Of course there will be resistance, especially from the Huaixi Party. Their power in the army is deeply rooted, and they will definitely oppose it. But because of this, I need this month to plan. Your Highness, reforms cannot be rushed, nor can they be slow. We need to take it step by step, starting with a pilot project, and then fully implement it when the time is right."

Zhu Biao took a deep breath, feeling shocked and excited. He finally understood that Ouyang Lun's silence for the past month was not for doing nothing, but for preparing for this unprecedented reform.

"Brother-in-law, I understand." Zhu Biao nodded solemnly, "If you need me, I will give you my full support!"

Ouyang Lun smiled and patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder: "I am relieved that Your Majesty has this intention. However, the road to reform is long, and Your Highness needs to learn more, especially the courses in the science and technology park, which will be of great use in the future."

Zhu Biao nodded in agreement, full of expectations for the future. He knew that this reform would completely change the military structure of the Ming Dynasty, and he would play an important role in this change.

After listening to Ouyang Lun's explanation of the professionalization reform of the military, Zhu Biao was shocked and had more questions. He pondered for a moment and continued to ask: "Brother-in-law, the professionalization reform of the military is important, but the problems within the army are not just about the training and combat effectiveness of the soldiers. Nowadays, there are many factions in the Ming army. The Huaixi Party and the noble group are independent. Most of the generals in the army come from small groups. Some generals are only loyal to their own factions, not the court. If these problems are not solved, I am afraid that the reform will be difficult to implement."

Ouyang Lun nodded, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes: "Your Majesty is indeed perceptive and has seen the crux of the problem. The professionalization reform of soldiers is only the first step. Next, I will implement two more important measures, establishing a clear system of military honors and setting up military academies."

"Military honor system? Military academies?" Zhu Biao frowned slightly, obviously not quite understanding these two concepts.

Ouyang Lun smiled and patiently explained: "First of all, the military honor system is to reshape the spiritual core of the army. Although the current Ming army is loyal to the court on the surface, in fact, many soldiers do not have a real sense of national honor in their hearts. They are more loyal to their generals or factions, and some even just want to make a living. Under this state, the cohesion and combat effectiveness of the army are naturally difficult to guarantee."

He paused and continued, "Therefore, I plan to establish a complete military honor system, including medals, honorary titles, promotion mechanisms, etc. As long as the soldiers have made meritorious contributions on the battlefield or performed well in peacetime training, they will receive corresponding honors and rewards. These honors are not only material, but more importantly, spiritual recognition. We want every soldier to understand that they are fighting for the country and the people, not for a certain general or faction."

"The situation like Lan Yu raising a large number of adopted sons will no longer happen!"

Zhu Biao nodded repeatedly, his eyes gradually brightening: "In this way, the soldiers will have a sense of belonging and honor, and the cohesion of the army will be greatly enhanced!"

"That's right." Ouyang Lun looked at Zhu Biao approvingly, and then said, "But this is not enough. The honor system can only solve part of the problem. If we want to fundamentally change the military's atmosphere, we need to start from the source. This is the second measure I want to promote, to establish a military academy."

"Military academy?!" Zhu Biao repeated thoughtfully. (End of this chapter)