King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

In the city of Jinling, as soon as Zhu Yuanzhang issued the order, the journey was accelerated to 600 miles. The horses at the post station were replaced in batches. The Jinyiwei guards wished they had wings so that they could rush to Shandong without stopping.

For them, Shandong was a place of right and wrong, and no one wanted to be torn between the King of Lu and those aristocratic families.

At this moment, Zhu Tan, who was at the center of the storm, acted as if nothing had happened. He was still galloping on his horse across Shandong, inspecting his "new policy" with great interest.

What new policy?
To put it bluntly, it comes down to two words - get your money back!

He was leading a group of people, walking in a mighty procession along a country road in Qingzhou Prefecture.

"Your Highness, Yidu County is just ahead."

A confidant pointed to the city wall in the distance and said.

Zhu Tan nodded, stretched out his hand to straighten his python robe, and a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth:
"This Yidu County Magistrate is a fat sheep!"

Since coming to Shandong, Zhu Tan has implemented a series of new policies, among which the most popular one among the people is "the return of fire consumption to the public."

The so-called fire consumption refers to the extra silver collected by the government in the name of loss and smelting when the people pay taxes.

This was an outdated practice that was expressly prohibited by the imperial court, but local officials took advantage of it to enrich themselves, and the people suffered terribly.

As soon as he arrived in Yidu County, Zhu Tan rushed directly to the county government office and blocked the county magistrate in the back hall.

"Your humble servant pays respect to His Royal Highness Prince Lu. May you live a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!"

The county magistrate was so frightened that his face turned pale and he fell to his knees with a thud.

Zhu Tan didn't waste any words and went straight to the point:
"I came here for only one thing. Please hand over all the fire consumption silver you have collected in the past few years!"

When the county magistrate heard this, he immediately cried and said, "Your Highness, this...this fire-related money, I have already handed it over to the court!"

"Bullshit!" Zhu Tan slammed the table and shouted angrily, "I have already found out clearly that your Yidu County has at least tens of thousands of taels of silver consumed every year. Do you dare to say that you have handed it all over?"

The county magistrate was so frightened by Zhu Tan's aura that he trembled with fear. He stammered for a long time but could not make any statement.

"Hmph, if you don't eat the toast, you'll be punished with a drink!"

Zhu Tan snorted coldly and waved his hand behind him, "Come here, search for me!"

"Yes!"

The guards behind him could no longer hold back and rushed forward, turning the entire county government office upside down.

As expected, more than a dozen boxes full of silver were soon found from the dry well in the backyard.

"How dare you deceive me, you bastard official!" Zhu Tan pointed at the county magistrate's nose and cursed, "Come here, drag him out and give him fifty strokes of the cane!"

"Your Highness, please spare me! Your Highness, please spare me!"

The county magistrate's screams echoed in the county government office, and the people around him couldn't help but applaud.

Similar scenes are happening all over Shandong.

Wherever Zhu Tan went, corrupt officials were terrified and obediently handed over the silver they had embezzled over the years.

In another corner of Shandong, Zhu Tan’s confidant Zhang Ke was leading a team of people, busy in the fields.

"Sir, the land has been measured, a total of 120 acres."

A soldier holding a measuring tool reported to Zhang Ke.

Zhang Ke nodded, took the record book and wrote it down carefully.

"Sir, if we do this, will it anger those landlords and tyrants?"

The deputy general at the side asked with some concern.

Zhang Ke sneered:
"What are you afraid of? Our Highness Prince Lu is not even afraid of His Majesty, so why would he be afraid of these local tyrants and evil gentry?"

While Zhu Tan was promoting the policy of "publicizing the fire consumption", he was also secretly carrying out another more important reform - the land tax was distributed according to the amount of land.

The so-called "equalizing the poll tax by land area" means that the poll tax, which was originally levied per capita, was changed to be levied based on the land area.

In this way, the landlords and powerful people who own large amounts of land will have to bear more taxes, while the poor people can reduce their burden.

This reform touched upon the fundamental interests of the Shandong gentry and naturally met with their strong opposition.

But Zhu Tan was determined to carry it through.

Because he knew that only in this way could he truly change the current situation in Shandong and allow the people to live a good life.

……

Three days later in the afternoon, the sun lazily sprinkled on the green bricks and tiles of the Prince of Lu's Mansion.

Zhu Tan was leaning in the pavilion, holding a book in his hands, but his mind was not on it at all.

Ever since he came to Shandong, the movement on this land has been like a pot of boiling water, and he is the one who adds fuel to the fire.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the tranquility of the courtyard.

The palace steward came hurriedly and bowed to report:

"Your Highness, someone has come from the palace, claiming to be a Royal Guard, and wants to see you for something important."

Zhu Tan raised his eyebrows, threw the scroll onto the stone table, and sneered:
"Oh, if you mention the devil, it looks like our father can't sit still any longer."

The butler hesitated for a moment and asked cautiously: "Your Highness, then this..."

"Let them in," Zhu Tan's eyes flashed with a gleam, "I want to see what tricks they are going to play this time."

Soon, several Jinyiwei dressed in Feiyu uniforms came in one after another, each with an embroidered spring sword on his waist and a stern look on his face.

The leader took a step forward, knelt on one knee, and said in a deep voice: "I pay my respects to His Majesty Prince Lu!"

Zhu Tan did not stand up, but raised his hand nonchalantly and said:

"Stand up and talk. Why did you come to my remote place instead of staying in the capital?"

The Jinyiwei leader stood up, but did not dare to look Zhu Tan in the eye. He just lowered his head and said respectfully:
"Your Highness, the Emperor heard that Your Highness was implementing the new policy in Shandong and was worried about Your Highness's safety. He specially ordered me to come and protect Him. I also ask Your Highness to return to Beijing as soon as possible to comfort the Emperor's longing for you."

Zhu Tan sneered, glanced at the Jinyiwei leader, and said:

"Protect the king? Just you few? You know, just a few days ago, I raided the residences of several corrupt officials. Those people have many servants to protect them. Why don't you go to protect them?"

A few drops of cold sweat oozed out of the Jinyiwei leader's forehead.

He knew that Zhu Tan was trying to warn them, and thought to himself that the emperor's task was not easy to accomplish, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Lu was not someone who could be easily messed with.

"Your Highness is joking," the Jinyiwei leader said with a smile, "The Emperor is just worried and confused. Please don't misunderstand the Emperor's good intentions."

"Good intentions?" Zhu Tan stood up suddenly, smashed the teacup in his hand to the ground, and shouted angrily,
"If he really has good intentions, he should rectify the atmosphere in the court instead of allowing those corrupt officials to oppress the people! Who am I doing this for? It's for the country of our Zhu family!"

The leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was frightened by Zhu Tan's sudden anger and trembled all over. He lowered his head and dared not speak.

The other Jinyiwei also lowered their heads, and their palms holding the hilts were sweating.

I'm afraid today's mission will not end well.

"Why, you're all silent?" Zhu Tan glanced around coldly and sneered, "Since you're here, just stay. My palace is in need of a few guards."

Before he finished speaking, several personal soldiers behind Zhu Tan pounced on them like wolves and tigers, surrounding the Jinyiwei.

These personal soldiers were carefully selected by Zhu Tan. Each of them was a skilled fighter who could defeat ten enemies at once, and they were trained in military tactics on a daily basis.

Just for today.

Although the Jinyiwei were all elite soldiers who had been on many battles, they were still a little panicked when faced with this sudden change.

They were just following orders, and given Zhu Tan's status, they didn't dare to fight with real weapons and could only defend themselves passively.

All that was heard was the sound of swords clashing, accompanied by a few muffled groans.

But in just a moment, several Jinyiwei were subdued by Zhu Tan's personal soldiers and were unable to move.

"Your Highness!" The leader of the Jinyiwei was pinned to the ground by two personal soldiers. He struggled to raise his head and shouted with a red face, "Are you planning a rebellion?"

"rebellion?"

Zhu Tan sneered, walked up to the Jinyiwei leader, looked down at him, and said:
"If I wanted to rebel, would I have waited until now? Go back and tell my father that there is no way I will go back!"

After saying that, Zhu Tan waved his hand and signaled his personal soldiers to release several Jinyiwei.

The leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guards got up from the ground and straightened his clothes.

But in the end, he dared not say anything and left the palace in shame with a few of his men.

What can be done?
Beaten again and again.

I can only go back.

Watching the Jinyiwei leaving, the anger on Zhu Tan's face gradually subsided, replaced by a deep look.

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the setting sun in the distance, sighed quietly, and murmured to himself:
"The storm is about to come... It seems that Shandong is going to be even more lively..."

"Someone come here!" Zhu Tan turned around abruptly and ordered the housekeeper behind him, "Pass the order down. We need to hurry up on the new policy..."

……

Another three days.

When the Jinyiwei group returned to Yingtian Prefecture, the sun had already set.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on their tired faces, adding a hint of grayness.

The leader of the Jinyiwei did not even have time to rest and hurried to the palace to report.

He knew in his heart that he had failed in this mission, and what awaited him might be the Emperor's wrath.

In the imperial study, Zhu Yuanzhang was reviewing memorials. His brows were furrowed, and the imperial pen in his hand seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.

Since he ascended the throne, he has worked hard to govern the country and finally got the Ming Dynasty back on the right track. However, these princes have always caused him trouble.

"Your Majesty, the commander of the Royal Guards requests an audience."

"Xuan!"

The commander of the Royal Guards walked into the imperial study and fell to his knees. "Your Majesty, I have failed in my duties. Please punish me!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slammed the memorial in his hand on the table and shouted angrily:
"Useless! A bunch of useless! You can't even handle a little boy, what use do I have to you!"

The commander of the Imperial Guards was so frightened that he trembled all over and lowered his head even lower. "Your Majesty...Your Majesty deserves death! It's just...It's just that His Royal Highness Prince Lu..."

"What's wrong with the Tenth Master? Is he rebelling?" Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and kicked over the table in front of him.

"That's not the case," the Jinyiwei leader said tremblingly, "It's just that His Royal Highness Prince Lu...he drove us out, and said...and said..."

"What else can you say?"

"He also said...he also said that if the emperor really has such good intentions, he should rectify the atmosphere in the court instead of allowing those corrupt officials to oppress the people! He said...he said that he did all these things for the country of our Zhu family..."

"Rebellious son! Rebellious son! You are determined to disobey my order!" Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed at the Jinyiwei leader's nose and cursed, "I think he doesn't want to live anymore!"

Zhu Yuanzhang paced back and forth in the imperial study, his anger unable to subside for a long time.

He never imagined that his most beloved son would openly oppose him.

"Unworthy descendant! Do you really want me to go to Shandong and bring him back?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said with gritted teeth.

However, when he thought of Zhu Tan, his anger gradually subsided.

The tenth child was smart and clever since childhood and was deeply loved by him.

Moreover, over the years, Lao Shi had made great military achievements and made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty. He really couldn't bear to do anything to Lao Shi.

What's more, how could he not know what Lao Shi said?

In the court, corrupt officials were rampant and the people were complaining.

As an emperor, wouldn't he want to give things a good shake?

But he also has his difficulties!
Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, his heart filled with helplessness and exhaustion.

"Call the prince!"

……

When Crown Prince Zhu Biao hurried to the Imperial Study, he saw this scene:
His father, the Hongwu Emperor, who was once powerful and feared by the world, was now sitting on the dragon throne with a tired look on his face, as if he had aged ten years.

"Biao'er, you're here." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was full of fatigue.

"Father, what do you want to talk to me about?"

"Your tenth brother...ah..." Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and told Zhu Biao the whole story.

Zhu Biao also frowned after hearing this. He knew that his father was really angry this time, otherwise he would not have told him about this.

"Father, please calm down. Your tenth brother has good intentions, but he was a little too impulsive," Zhu Biao consoled.

"Good intentions? Is he kind-hearted? He is going to rebel!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said angrily, "I think he doesn't want to live anymore!"

"Father, calm down. My tenth brother has absolutely no such intention!" Zhu Biao said hurriedly, "He just can't stand the corrupt officials in the court and wants to do something practical for the people."

"Humph, do practical things for the people? Who does he think he is? He is a prince, a prince! His duty is to protect the Ming Dynasty, not to take care of those trivial matters!"

"Father..."

"Okay, you don't have to say any more about this," Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "I have made up my mind. I will go to Shandong in person and bring the Tenth Prince back to me!"

"Father, this... this is absolutely not allowed!"

Zhu Biao was horrified. "You are the king of a country, how can you leave Beijing so easily? Moreover, Shandong is a long way away, and you are old..."

"Shut up! I know my own health!" Zhu Yuanzhang shouted angrily, "I have made up my mind, no one can stop me!"

"But……"

"No buts!" Zhu Yuanzhang said without question, "Go and get ready. I will set off for Shandong in ten days!"

Ten days later, Zhu Yuanzhang led a team of light cavalry and left Yingtian Prefecture, heading all the way to Shandong. (End of this chapter)