Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 125: Count the heroes of the day! (The third update)
The eldest son takes the safe path and acts as a shield, while the second son takes the risk and acts as a spear?
Zhu Di chewed over this sentence and felt that it made some sense.

Since ancient times, the eldest son's responsibility in the family has been to start a family and continue the offspring, while the second son needs to find more opportunities and challenges. If he succeeds, he can bring honor to the family. If he fails, the eldest son will have to help him start a family.

This is how the brothers get along.

Every time these princes got into trouble, it was Crown Prince Zhu Biao who came to their aid.

This is consistent with my father's idea.

Yao Guangxiao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, what you need to do now is to become the 'second son' with the King of Qin and the King of Jin. Not to mention being able to surpass them, but at least being equal to the King of Qin and the King of Jin. Otherwise, your influence in your Majesty's heart will only get lower and lower."

"Your Highness will be able to handle fewer and fewer weapons and armor."

"Your Highness, can you accept it?"

Zhu Di shook his head.

He has been interested in military affairs since he was young.

He started wielding swords and sticks at the age of three, and when he was only twelve or thirteen, he was clamoring to go into battle and kill the enemy.

After he was enfeoffed in Beiping, he trained his personal soldiers every day, hoping that he would be able to gain his father's consent to lead the Northern Expedition in the future and become a brave and skilled general.

But at least for now.

My father values ​​my second and third brothers more.

Because the King of Jin and the King of Qin had already fought in the battlefield and had proven themselves long ago.

But he hasn't yet.

At least not on my own.

Zhu Di was always a little anxious.

As he grew older, Zhu Di had to admit that his desire for power was growing. He was somewhat dissatisfied with his father's decision to appoint his elder brother as the crown prince so early on. He was not the only one who was dissatisfied, but also the King of Qin and the King of Jin.

This is also the reason why Yao Guangxiao followed in the end.

Yao Guangxiao said: "I suggest that Your Highness write a petition to open an iron mine. First, I want to open a mine to make some farm tools and improve the farming of Shuntian Prefecture. Second, it is to show the court that Your Highness is ambitious and wants to serve the country instead of becoming a vassal king without any opinion."

"Now His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's position is stable and no one can shake it."

"But the world is still uncertain, who can predict what will happen next?"

"Your Highness has been befriending local officials and secretly building up power over the past few years. He has already completely brought Shuntian Prefecture under his control. Now, your power can no longer be improved. The only way to achieve further development is to try to break through some restrictions."

“Seeking to open a mine is a must.”

Zhu Di nodded.

He is actually very conflicted inside.

He was greedy for power, but he just wanted to seize military power.

He was not very concerned about handling political affairs. Compared to dealing with complicated political affairs, he would rather gallop on the battlefield and enjoy the sword.

But being in this position, sometimes you have no choice.

Although he was a martial artist, he also studied literature.

Knowing the cruelty and brutality of the struggle in an imperial family.

Now the eldest brother is indeed friendly to them, but who can guarantee that the eldest brother will not have another idea deep in his heart? Who dares to bet? How many emperors in ancient and modern times, after taking the throne, immediately turned their faces and refused to recognize others, becoming completely different from the past.

The only way to protect yourself is to make yourself stronger.

At least it should make people afraid.

Since his father wanted his second son to take risks and use him as a spear, he had to show his edge, at least while his father was around, to let his father know, and let the people of the world know, that he, Zhu Di, was not an incompetent person, and would not be bullied.

a long time.

The rain has lightened up a lot.

Zhu Di walked out again.

He turned his back to Yao Guangxiao and suddenly said, "When the emperor was distributing fiefs, he asked for a monk to assist. The monk he initially selected was not you. You took the initiative to ask for this. I really want to ask you again now."

"Do you still firmly believe in the idea we had when we chatted at night?"

Yao Guangxiao narrowed his eyes, picked up the tea, and said, "It's not a matter of whether I believe it or not, but the evidence of history."

"Since the Qin Dynasty, it has been difficult for the second emperor of each dynasty to ascend the throne smoothly. Qin Fusu, Han Liu Ying, Tang Li Jiancheng, these princes all had ill-fated fates. Now, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's position is indeed stable, but just like Yuan Crown Prince Jin Zhen, there is a risk of 'early death'."

"Because His Majesty is too cruel."

“It has hurt people.”

"If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince dies of illness, with His Royal Highness's martial arts skills, he may become the second Li Shimin."

A strong light flashed in Zhu Di's eyes.

But it soon disappeared.

"Li Shimin?" Zhu Di frowned, his eyes filled with a bit of solemnity: "Li Shimin is originally in Chang'an, but I am now in Beiping, which is hundreds of miles away from Yingtian Prefecture. You can't let me fight my way back, right? I am a little scared of the generals along the way, as well as my second and third brothers."

Zhu Di had no confidence.

Although Yao Guangxiao always asked him to take Li Shimin as a role model.

But he didn't really take it seriously.

His current goal is only to strengthen himself, and then defeat the enemy in the campaign against the Northern Yuan Dynasty and enhance the military power of the Ming Dynasty.

It was just that Yao Guangxiao mentioned it from time to time, which inevitably affected Zhu Di a little.

What's more, Yao Guangxiao himself was not sure about all of this. He just took the past historical conditions and forced them into the present. But today's Ming Dynasty is completely different from past dynasties. The emperors of the past were very strict in guarding against the crown prince, but is it not the case with the Ming Dynasty?

If we talk about the power of crown princes in ancient and modern times, he, the eldest brother, can be regarded as the first.

Zhu Di sometimes felt a little regretful. Why did he listen to Yao Guangxiao's nonsense and actually followed Yao Guangxiao's arrangements?

Zhu Di's face turned cold, he glared at Yao Guangxiao and said, "Don't speak ill of the prince anymore, and don't curse my elder brother anymore."

"I, Zhu Di, don't have such great ambitions."

"Don't keep pushing me. If you really push me too far, I don't mind sending you to Yingtian Prefecture."

After thinking about it, Zhu Di felt that he could not let it go on any longer. Yao Guangxiao's ideas were too dangerous and he might get himself into trouble at any time.

Yao Guangxiao smiled and nodded.

He understood Zhu Di.

Zhu Di was just worried that something might happen.

But if Zhu Di really didn't have this idea, why would he indulge himself again and again?
You will achieve fame and honor immediately.

Today, Zhu Di’s edge has not yet been fully revealed.

In addition, I am too young, and my fear of His Majesty is too strong. But this fear will become weaker as I grow older and stronger.

The rain in northern Xinjiang comes quickly and goes away quickly.

Compared with the rough rain in the north, the rain in the south of the Yangtze River is more gentle.

The raindrops linger for a long time.

Xia Zhibai sat in front of the window, looking at the misty drizzle outside the window, and said to himself: "The wind never stops, the rain never stops, and the people of Yingtian Prefecture are uneasy."

Zheng Ao is dead. He was beheaded in the street today.

Guo Huan was still in prison, but all the members of the Guo family had been killed, even the housekeeper and servants. They were all hacked to death on the execution ground of Yingtian Prefecture in front of hundreds of people, with heads falling all over the ground.

The blood mixed with rain dyed a large area of ​​the street red.

He did not feel any pleasure in taking revenge, but only felt regret in his heart. The man who had been so arrogant in front of him not long ago had his head chopped off just a few days later. It was really sad.

Life is unpredictable.

In the morning, I was a farmer, and in the evening, I was in the emperor's palace;
Nowadays, more and more people are subjects of the emperor in the past and become victims of the sword in the future.

He did not collect the bodies of Guo Huan's family.

The court would not allow it either.

The bodies of the Guo family members would be thrown into a mass grave.

This is also the destination for most of the death row prisoners. The Ming Dynasty killed so many people that the mass graves could hardly hold them all.

Xia Zhibai didn't have much opinion on Zhu Yuanzhang's bloody killings.

I just can't bear it.

But we also know that Zhu Yuanzhang did nothing wrong.

This is the case with contemporary laws, not to mention the period when the Great Edict was superior to the laws of the Ming Dynasty. However, this situation is ultimately too "powerful" and too destructive to the "prestige" of the law.

Only Zhu Yuanzhang could do such a thing.

However, Xia Zhibai knew that Zhu Yuanzhang was testing his sword.

The killing will continue, and it will become more and more urgent and fierce.

Yingtian Prefecture will be shrouded in blood mist for a short time.

Xia Zhibai closed the window.

I lit the candles in the house and began to plan the follow-up.

The affairs of the court had nothing to do with him, but when it came to business, timing was very important and opportunities were fleeting. When Zhu Yuanzhang was killing so many people all over the world, he also created many opportunities.

He needs to seize these opportunities.

Especially business and commerce.

Just as Xia Zhibai frowned and thought about the follow-up, the memorial was finally delivered from the palace.

Xia Zhibai went out and took the memorial.

After reading this memorial, Xia Zhibai showed a strange look.

"Shuntianfu? That's where Prince Yan is."

"It seems that His Highness is somewhat dissatisfied with what I have done, so he threw the iron ore mining site to Shuntian Prefecture. However, Shuntian Prefecture is Shuntian Prefecture, which is not bad. If it is arranged to Jiangxi, Zhejiang, or Fujian, the transportation cost will be skyrocketing."

"But King Yan's temper isn't very good either."

"It's probably your highness's intention."

"I just want to have a clash with the King of Yan to temper our tempers."

Xia Zhibai smiled.

He placed the memorial on the table, called Fang Mo in and said, "Fang Mo, the imperial court has sent a memorial. Our ironworks is located in Yingtian Prefecture. This iron mine has been closed for a certain number of years, but the imperial court will arrange for some miners to go there. There is no rush for that."

"Please help me invite Luo Gan, Zhang Yuan and other salt merchants here right now."

"I have something to discuss with them."

"Ah? Invite these salt merchants?" Fang Mo looked incredulous and said awkwardly, "Chief Xia, are you sure you want to invite these people over?"

"Now our salt shops have almost monopolized the salt industry in Yingtian Prefecture. Originally, they could still sell a little in places below the county level, but as our reputation spread, more and more people chose to buy in the county town. These salt shops have basically been driven out of the salt market in Yingtian Prefecture."

"Invite these people here now? They might think it's..."

Fang Mo didn't finish.

He believed that Xia Zhibai could understand what he meant.

Xia Zhibai smiled and said, "If I ask you to treat me, just go ahead and treat me. You don't have to care so much."

"How could I not know that they hold a grudge against me? But since there is hatred, we must resolve it. We can't let them keep it to themselves, right?"

"And when doing business, competition is inevitable."

“They should understand.”

"I invited them here this time just to help me make a fortune."

"Besides, the salt factory has made it clear that it wants to expand, so it naturally needs more manpower. When it comes to selling and transporting salt, aren't Luo Gan and others the best partners?"

"You go and ask for it."

"Remember to have a better attitude."

"Don't bring your official habits with you."

"Although you are still a clerk, you are working for the Jingdu Salt Industry after all, so you should focus on the Jingdu Salt Industry."

Xia Zhibai gave a few reminders.

Fang Mo's face turned red and he nodded awkwardly.

Xia Zhibai sat back in his seat, took the memorial in his hand again, smiled, and said, "I am one step closer to my business alliance, but it is not the right time yet. When Your Majesty really kills people all over the world and blood flows like a river, then I will take advantage of the opportunity to pick up the spoils."

"Now I have iron, coal, salt, sufficient manpower, and the most advanced business ideas."

"The business world is destined to be my destiny."

“It won’t be long before there’s a real productivity explosion.”

"Count the romantic figures, but also look at the present."

At this moment, Xia Zhibai clenched his fists tightly, his heart full of ambition and aspirations flowing with his blood.

(End of this chapter)