Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 113 Qi Tai surrenders, Lao Zhu’s anger and joy!
On the second day, the news of Lan Yu's apprenticeship was officially published in the "Da Ming Daily".

Also published in the newspaper was a report about the northern border of the Ming Dynasty.

The report did not directly respond to the rumors that the Northern Yuan Dynasty was about to launch a large-scale invasion to the south. It only said that since the defeat of the Yuan court by Duke of Liang Lan Yu four years ago, the Northern Yuan Dynasty has been in a slump and has not yet recovered.

This winter, the people living on the northern border of the Yuan Dynasty will spend another peaceful winter.

After the news was published, the rumors in Jinling City about the Northern Yuan Dynasty's impending large-scale invasion to the south quickly ceased.

Those who have read the Da Ming Daily have denounced it as fake news.

"I was wondering how those stray dogs from the Northern Yuan Dynasty would dare to attack the Ming Dynasty. It turns out to be fake news!"

"Since the Northern Yuan Dynasty was driven out, it has long been in disarray. How could it have the courage to attack the Ming Dynasty?"

"How can the barbarians of the Northern Yuan Dynasty offend the might of the Ming Dynasty?"

"My Great Ming has a million-strong army and many famous generals. The Northern Yuan Dynasty is vulnerable to attack!"

……

Since ancient times, ordinary people have had the most simple and plain sense of pride.

No matter how low your position is, or even if your life is miserable and you have no food to eat, you will still be proud of the collective you belong to.

This is not necessarily "patriotism".

The people of this era have no concept of patriotism.

But it is natural to protect the collective that one belongs to.

For example, if you are from Chun'an County, you will protect Chun'an County to a certain extent when you are outside.

When I heard that some celebrity had emerged in Chun'an County, even though it had nothing to do with me, I still felt proud.

If someone outside says something bad about Chun'an County, they will argue with him.

Similarly, as citizens of the Ming Dynasty, they would also be proud of the Ming Dynasty's strength.

However, unlike the proud and arrogant common people, the report in the Ming Daily sparked heated debate among many officials in the court.

"The news we have received so far is that the Northern Yuan Dynasty is preparing to invade the south this winter, but the Ming Daily reported it this way. Is this appropriate?"

"What's wrong with stabilizing people's hearts?"

"But if the Northern Yuan Dynasty really invades the south this winter, it will damage the credibility of the imperial court!"

"Yes! Although the Ming Daily is not officially run by the imperial court, everyone knows that it is run by the regent, Prince Wu, so it is no different from an official newspaper."

"I heard that His Royal Highness the King of Wu ordered all the generals not to leave the capital without permission. Does he really want to ignore the northern defense line in order to open the Daming Military Academy?"

"Nonsense! How can we treat military and national affairs like this?"

"I think the King of Wu is only concerned with his own power struggle and has ignored the safety of the Ming Dynasty."

"Be careful with your words! The King of Wu is now the regent. If someone hears you saying this and reports it to the King of Wu, you will be in big trouble."

"Perhaps, His Royal Highness King Wu has other information. Who knows."

"If that's the case, it's impossible that the Ministry of War didn't receive any information at all. The King of Wu's move is indeed puzzling. Could it be that he is only thinking about taking power through the Daming Military Academy and doesn't care about anything else?"

……

Xianwang Palace.

Fang Xiaoru held the Ming Daily in his hand and said angrily, "It's ridiculous. The King of Wu is acting like this. Isn't he afraid that the Northern Yuan will really invade the south and put the northern border in danger?"

Zhu Yunwen stood by silently, his mind wandering thousands miles away.

Completely contrary to their expectations, the Ming Bank and the new version of Ming Baochao were a huge success.

Among the people, the new version of the banknotes has been widely used by the common people.

Silver and copper coins were almost forgotten by them.

Today, without the need for imperial bans, many merchants and ordinary people have consciously rejected silver, which was once the most popular currency.

There is no other reason.

Compared with the convenience and speed of the new version of Baochao, it is too troublesome and inconvenient to identify the color, texture, weigh the weight, and cut the silver into pieces.

At the same time, the Ming Military Academy also gained tremendous momentum.

During this period of time, every day there were meritorious officials and military commanders who publicly announced their apprenticeship in the "Da Ming Daily", pushing Zhu Yunhuan's reputation to an unprecedented height.

It also made Zhu Yunwen more upset.

He placed all his hopes on his mother's birthday party soon to come.

I don't care much about other things.

Fang Xiaoru didn't know what he was thinking, and continued to analyze: "The Daming Military Academy is about to start, but the King of Qin and the King of Jin left Beijing at this time on the grounds that the northern defense is tight. This is clearly a demonstration to the King of Wu."

"Without the participation of the two vassal kings, the King of Qin and the King of Jin, who hold a large number of troops, the King of Wu's plan to seize the world's military power under the pretext of running a military academy would not be fully successful."

"Yeah!"

"If Brother Huang's plan succeeds tomorrow, King Wu's Ming Military Academy will become a joke!"

He spoke with great excitement, and there was a certain sense of pride in his tone.

Just then, Huang Zicheng walked in with someone.

"This is Qi Tai, the head of the Ministry of War. He was also the champion of the provincial examination in Yingtian Prefecture. He is dissatisfied with the exclusive management of the King of Wu and has long admired the reputation of the benevolence and righteousness of His Royal Highness, the King of Xian. Today, he has come to serve you."

"Qi Tai?" Fang Xiaoru was shocked and stood up quickly, asking, "Could it be Mr. Qi who has been an official for many years and never made any mistakes?"

Zhu Yuanzhang had extremely strict requirements for officials, and there were many complicated regulations. Once an official took office, it was rare for him not to make mistakes.

However, Qi was extremely cautious in his work and had never made any mistakes in his many years as an official, which was regarded as a miracle by many officials in the capital.

Qi Tai bowed and said, "Mr. Fang, you are too kind. Mr. Fang is well-known among the scholars, and I have also heard of your name for a long time."

Zhu Yunwen came back to his senses from his trance, took Qi Tai's hand and said, "I have heard of your name a long time ago, but I didn't expect you to be willing to help me!"

During this period of time, as Zhu Yunhuan's reputation was at its peak, many of his original supporters began to waver.

Although most of the civil officials hoped that Zhu Yunwen would succeed to the throne, there were still very few people who were willing to risk their lives and support him regardless of everything.

"The King of Wu is so willful and reckless. How can the Ming Dynasty allow such a person to be in power?"

Qi Tai said angrily: "The spies of our Ming Dynasty lurking in the Northern Yuan Dynasty have reported that the Northern Yuan Dynasty will march south in large numbers this winter to attack the border of our Ming Dynasty."

"According to this, the Ministry of War issued a document ordering border generals and local officials to mobilize troops and horses, and also prepared millions of shi of grain and fodder, and ordered local governments to coordinate and quickly transport them to the border to prevent any accidents."

"Unexpectedly, today we suddenly received an order from the King of Wu, stating that there will be no war in the north this winter, and all defense preparations can be carried out as usual, without the need to prepare additional food and troops."

"This...isn't this nonsense?"

"In order to ensure the smooth opening of the Daming Military Academy, the King of Wu let me take charge of the military power. This is really crazy."

"They disregarded the safety of the Ming border and the lives of tens of millions of people in the north."

"If we allow such a person to be crowned as the heir and ascend the throne, then our Ming Dynasty will perish!"

"Prince Xian is kind and righteous, and he is also the eldest grandson of the emperor. He should be made the crown prince."

"I, Qi Tai, am willing to assist you wholeheartedly."

After Qi Tai finished speaking, he knelt down and kowtowed heavily.

Zhu Yunwen quickly helped him up and said, "Okay, with your help from now on, I will be even more powerful."

Fang Xiaoru and Huang Zicheng also showed joy on their faces. Prince Xian had no foundation in the army.

Although Qi Tai was not a general, he had served in the Ministry of War for many years and was very familiar with military affairs and money.

This can be used as a springboard to allow King Xian's power to slowly penetrate into the military.

Qi Tai said: "Now the King of Qin and the King of Jin have left the capital one after another, but the King of Yan is still here, and the rest of the generals are also confined in Jinling City and are not allowed to go out."

"The opening ceremony of the Daming Military Academy will still be held as scheduled tomorrow."

"It's a pity that we can't stop it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Xiaoru and Huang Zicheng looked at each other, both of them stroked their hands and beards, smiling.

"Don't worry." Huang Zicheng said, "I have already provoked Cao Guogong Li Jinglong. If I am right, he will definitely go to the Daming Military Academy to cause trouble when the school starts tomorrow."

"Now that there is reason for the Northern Yuan to invade, this is even more likely."

"Once the noise starts, it will be a good show to watch!"

Qi Tai was delighted when he heard this and said, "Duke Cao Li Jinglong? I have heard of this man before. People say that he is a man of both talent and wisdom, a man of both civil and military talents, and a man of both humility and integrity."

"This time, the sons of the meritorious and powerful people in the capital, as well as the military commanders, all took the initiative to become disciples because they were afraid of the power of the King of Wu. Only he remained unmoved."

"I didn't expect that he was actually planning to cause a scene. Such ambition is truly a role model for our generation!"

"It would be best if we could really embarrass the Ming Military Academy from opening."

……

royal palace.

In the bedroom, Zhu Yuanzhang was sitting and resting.

"The second and third brothers left Beijing urgently, citing the tight defense situation in the north."

"It's clear that they don't want to take Hu'er as their master, and they are just looking for an excuse."

Old Zhu laughed and said, "Old Four's move made them feel embarrassed and they had no choice but to run away."

He then asked, "By the way, the news that the Northern Yuan Dynasty will attack our Ming Dynasty this winter, is it true or not? Have you verified it?"

Ji Heng leaned over and said, "Your Majesty, the spies lurking in the Northern Yuan Dynasty have reported that the Northern Yuan Dynasty does have such a plan."

"However, the scouts at the border haven't noticed any unusual movements yet."

"This matter is still like looking at flowers in the fog, it is difficult to distinguish the truth from the false."

Old Zhu frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "What preparations has Hu'er made?"

Yoshigaki said truthfully: "His Royal Highness the King of Wu has already issued an order that the border defense should be the same as last year, and there is no need for additional reinforcement."

"In addition, His Royal Highness the King of Wu has also issued an order stating that the North is peaceful and there is no war. The former Northern generals in Beijing are not allowed to leave without permission on the grounds of tight defense. Those who violate this order will be severely punished."

The expression on Old Zhu's face changed slightly.

He had already read today's "Da Ming Daily".

However, the Da Ming Daily is a publicly distributed newspaper, and it is normal for it to help stabilize people's hearts.

Even if the Northern Yuan Dynasty really moves south, it will be enough to relax the outside and tighten the inside.

But Zhu Yunhuan didn't even make any preparations before issuing internal orders, which made Zhu Yunhuan feel a little confused.

Yoshigaki bent over and continued in a low voice, "The Ministry of War originally urgently allocated three million shi of grain and grass, and prepared to quickly transport them to the northern border towns to prepare for the needs of this winter."

"But His Royal Highness the King of Wu said that the Northern Yuan will not march south in large numbers this winter. It is unnecessary to mobilize troops and urgently transfer food. It will only increase costs."

"All grain and fodder transportation will follow last year's practice to reduce unnecessary expenses and waste."

"I heard that many people in the Ministry of War are very dissatisfied with this order."

"I think that His Royal Highness King Wu's action is too rash."

Emergency grain transfer within a short period of time is different from normal transportation.

The cost will be much higher than normal.

Old Zhu shook his head and said seriously, "Although Hu'er's actions may seem reckless at times, he is not a rash person."

He casually picked up the military intelligence reports and looked through them again, saying, "These reports seem to have no problems on the surface, but they only say that the Northern Yuan Dynasty has plans to act in this way, and no one has any actual reports of large-scale military mobilization or gathering."

Old Zhu pondered for a moment and then said, "But for this kind of thing, it is better to believe it than not to believe it, unless Hu'er has other information."

Ji Yuan smiled and said, "As far as I know, His Royal Highness the King of Wu set up a spying department under the pretext of publishing the Ming Daily, which is dedicated to gathering information from all over the country. Perhaps they have found accurate information."

Naturally, it was impossible to hide the fact that Zhu Yunhuan ordered Yao Guangxiao to set up the Espionage Office from Zhu.

The Jinyiwei spies and inspectors had already reported the situation to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Hearing his words, Old Zhu laughed and scolded, "Stop talking nonsense. How long has his spy department been established? Beiyuan is thousands of miles away. How could the spy department plant people in Beiyuan so quickly?"

"But." Old Zhu suddenly remembered something and said, "Old Four has been in Peking for many years and has quite a few spies under his command. Perhaps it was Old Four who gave him the information?"

Yoshigaki smiled and said, "Your Majesty is very good at predicting things. I think this is probably the case."

Old Zhu nodded slightly, and his tone changed, saying, "The second and third brothers actually executed the crime first and reported it later, leaving a letter and then leaving Beijing on their own."

"Prepare your pen and paper immediately. We will issue an imperial decree to severely reprimand them, and order the Royal Guards to go to their fiefdoms to arrest and convict them."

Yoshigaki was shocked when he heard this. He never expected that Zhu Yuanzhang would make such a big fuss and severely hold the King of Qin and the King of Jin accountable for their crimes.

Normally speaking, although the two were suspected of making excuses, there were indeed reasons for their actions and they should not be charged with such a serious crime.

Yoshigaki observed the emperor's expression and found that although his majesty said that he wanted to arrest the King of Qin and the King of Jin and punish them, there was no anger on his face. Instead, he had a smile on his face and looked very happy.

"Your Majesty, it is wrong for the King of Qin and the King of Jin to leave the capital without permission, but there are reasons for it. There is no need to punish them so harshly, right?"

Yoshigaki said cautiously, "Besides, they just left the capital not long ago. If His Majesty issues an order to send someone to send them at an 800-li express speed, it should still be in time to intercept them back."

Old Zhu turned sideways, turned his head and stared at him, saying, "Did you accept money from the King of Qin and the King of Jin, or are you related to them? Are you going to plead for them?"

thump!
Ji Yuan's legs softened, he knelt down, kowtowed heavily and said: "This servant deserves death, this servant said too much!"

As he spoke, he slapped himself hard on the mouth.

"That's enough!" Old Zhu looked down at him and said, "From now on, don't get involved in things that are not your business."

He said in a not-too-loud voice, as if talking to himself, "You are not the nephew of the King of Qin and the King of Jin, why do you care so much about them?"

"Intercept? Intercept what? We just want them to return to their fiefdom."

At this point, Lao Zhu raised his head and spoke louder:

"Remember to tell the Jinyiwei who are going to deliver the imperial edict not to rush into this matter. They must wait until the King of Qin and the King of Jin return to their fiefdoms before delivering the imperial edict and arresting the people."

"Also, go tell King Wu about this news."

……

　Thank you all for your concern. My mother's surgery is over and everything went smoothly. She is still in the intensive care unit and family members are not allowed in, so we still can't see her.

　　I have mixed feelings. The biopsy results after the surgery confirmed that it was cancer. Further tests are needed to find out the nature of the cancer, whether it has spread, etc. The results will be known in a week.

　　If the prognosis is good, I will be discharged from the intensive care unit tomorrow morning and I will be able to see people.

　　I cannot guarantee the word count or update time for the next few days, please forgive me!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)