Ming Dynasty: Domination of the World from the Imperial Examination

Chapter 313: To overcome the difficulties of the barbarians and to revitalize the people? !

"I rose from the grass roots, holding a three-foot sword, leading thousands of people, and struggling in the cracks between the heroes. At this time, Li Shanchang came to visit the military gate, and we wholeheartedly cooperated with each other, and crossed the river together and settled in Nanjing."

"In one or two years, hundreds of thousands of soldiers were trained and sent to conquer the east and the west. They were good at staying in the country, transporting grain and supplies, and never lacking equipment."

"He also governed the rear, brought harmony between the army and the people, and made the people at home and abroad live in peace. This is God's gift to me. I alone know his merits, and others may not know them all."

"Back then, Xiao He's contribution to the food supply was praised by everyone a thousand years later. Compared with Shan Chang, Xiao He may not be better."

"Grandmaster Li, please accept the order."

Li House.

Li Shanchang was caught off guard by the sudden imperial edict.

After hearing the contents of the memorial, Li Shanchang's face changed again and again, and he even stood there in a daze, unable to come back to his senses for a long time. It was not until Pu Gou'er reminded him again and again that Li Shanchang came back to his senses.

He said respectfully, "Your Highness Li Shanchang accepts your order."

Done.

He took the imperial edict respectfully.

But at the moment Li Shanchang was feeling uneasy.

He took a few steps forward and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, Eunuch Park, what does your majesty mean?"

Pu Gou'er shook his head and said, "Master Li, this is not something I can know. I only know that after Xia Zhibai entered the palace, he had a fierce argument with His Majesty, and not long after Xia Zhibai left, His Majesty asked His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to write this edict in person."

"And when I came here, His Highness asked me to bring a message to the Grand Master."

"What do you want to say? Please tell me clearly, sir." Li Shanchang was startled and asked quickly.

Pu Gou'er glanced around and said, "Your Highness is quoting Lu Ji's evaluation of Xiao He: 'The great Lord Xiao, the king's legacy. He prepared for the wise queen, and no one could compete with him. He helped the six armies abroad and pacified the three Qins at home. He defeated the strange and barbaric people, and inspired the people with his virtue. He followed the country's rules and regulations, and was respectful to his superiors and close to his subordinates. His reputation surpassed all the queens, and he was called a chief minister.'"

Hear the words.

Li Shanchang, who was already confused, became even more confused.

He reached out and held Park Gou'er, and asked again: "Please say a few more words, Eunuch Park."

Pu Gou'er smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying, "Grand Master really thinks too highly of me. How can I guess what His Majesty and His Highness are thinking? And the only thing I can tell the Grand Master is that he wants to know my identity."

"Your Majesty asked me to tell the Grand Master that I have already delivered the message and will not stay any longer."

Done.

Pu Gou'er then went back to the palace.

Standing outside the mansion, Li Shanchang's eyes were uncertain.

He looked at the imperial edict in his hand, his expression changing again and again. He really couldn't figure out what this imperial edict meant.

"Xiao He." Li Shanchang took the imperial edict back to the study and asked in a serious tone, "Why did your majesty suddenly mention Xiao He? And why did you mention me in such a solemn manner? What is the purpose of this? Could it be that your majesty knows about my son Li Qi's affairs, and your majesty wants to appease him in advance?"

"wrong."

"If Your Majesty really wants to take action, there is no need to appease me."

"Don't even think of me as 'Xiao He'."

"Xiao He, Xiao He, the Xiao He of the Han Dynasty, what does your majesty mean? And what do those few words of your highness mean, 'Assist the six armies abroad, and pacify the three Qins at home. Defeat the strange and barbaric people, and inspire the people with virtue. Observe the country's rules, be respectful to the superiors and close to the subordinates, is this what your highness expects of me?"

Li Shanchang just felt his mind was in a mess.

This sudden imperial edict made him panic.

I was also at a loss.

He hadn't been this panicked in a long time.

No matter how many storms there were before, he remained unmoved, even as steady as a rock. But now, the thin imperial edict in his hand made Li Shanchang feel a little breathless. He didn't know what Xia Zhibai said to the emperor when he returned to the court, or what the emperor had in mind for him.

Being in such a high position, it is impossible for him not to be afraid.

What’s more, the monarch was Zhu Yuanzhang.

In a flash, Li Shanchang even considered entering the palace.

But after weighing the pros and cons, he gave up and had to carefully place the edict in the study. Then he sat in the study and continued to think.

a long time.

Li Shanchang felt annoyed and said angrily, "What did Xia Zhibai say to His Majesty that caused His Majesty to suddenly issue an imperial edict, and in such a tone."

"I didn't have much contact with Zhejiang. Only Li Qi ran a salt factory there. But I have repeatedly warned him before. Even if he finds out, he will have enough excuses to get away with it, and it is impossible for him to implicate me."

"But what else could it be besides salt administration?"

"To remove the strange and barbaric dangers and to make the people flourish?"

"Could it be that the court is in trouble and Your Majesty wants my full support?"

Suddenly, another idea came to Li Shanchang's mind.

He provided aid to the six armies outside and pacified the three Qins inside.

Li Shanchang kept pondering, and he felt like he had guessed it, but even at the last minute, he still couldn't see through it. This made Li Shanchang more and more annoyed. In the end, he really couldn't figure it out, so he simply gave up thinking about it.

He just wrote a letter immediately and had someone send it to Zhejiang overnight.

He wanted to know as soon as possible what Xia Zhibai had done in Zhejiang and what he had secretly discovered.

He felt uneasy.

No one cared about Li Shanchang's worries.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care, and neither did Zhu Biao.

It was even normal for Li Shanchang to be worried, because Li Shanchang didn't know what had happened. He just thought that what he had done behind the scenes had been discovered, and he was very uneasy. This might have been what Zhu Yuanzhang intended.

Zhu Biao was also in a complicated mood at this moment.

Because my father gave in.

The imperial edict that my father wrote to Li Shanchang had only one purpose, which was to ask Li Shanchang to assist him in completing the military reform. As a veteran minister, Li Shanchang held a high position in the court and the army, and the military reform was bound to offend many people, and Li Shanchang was going to offend people.

Only this way.

Only then can I dispel my father's fear of Li Shanchang.

This was also a way out that Zhu Yuanzhang left for Li Shanchang.

If Li Shanchang is unwilling, or pretends to obey but actually disobeys, it means that Li Shanchang has ulterior motives, and at that time, no one can save him.

Now it depends on Li Shanchang’s own decision.

However, Zhu Biao actually had no idea about military reform.

Although Xia Zhibai said a lot, when it came to actual implementation, Zhu Biao felt a tingling sensation just from the thought, because there were too many military officers and systems involved. Not only did he have to reform the military system, he also had to enforce strict discipline, and he also had to promote and appoint suitable military officers.

This series of things are now piled together.

He needs to sort out and deal with all of them.

This was also a test that Zhu Yuanzhang gave to Zhu Biao.

If Zhu Biao could complete it successfully, then all this could continue. If not, he would stop it early and completely abandon the idea of ​​"reform".

He is able to watch.

But it is impossible to change it regardless of the consequences.

It is impossible for Zhu Yuanzhang to take risks or act impulsively with the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Biao also knew this well.

Therefore, as soon as he left Wuying Palace, he plunged into the Hanlin Academy and began to read a large number of books.

(End of this chapter)