Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 242: Suppressing bandits, a game for naughty kids!
Not long ago, Zhu Gaoxu was clearing out bandits.

The killing was so unpleasant.

Although the bandits are not numerous, they are extremely ferocious.

They all knew clearly what crimes they had committed and how much evil they had done.

Now that the imperial court is coming to crack down on them, even if they surrender, they will not escape death.

Therefore, even though they knew they were no match for the enemy, these fierce bandits fought back desperately, hoping to find someone to take the blame for them.
In addition, the advantage of occupying the geographical location caused great trouble and harm to the officers and soldiers of the Taxation Bureau who went to clean up the rebellion.

But the more this happened, the more excited the naughty kid Zhu Gaoxu became.

While commanding his soldiers to attack, he screamed and shouted, determined to cut these bandits into pieces.

Next to Zhu Gaoxu, a tall and handsome middle-aged man with a bow and arrows on his back and a broadsword on his waist bowed and said, "Young Prince, please rest assured. We will definitely wipe out all these bandits."

After saying this, the middle-aged man drew his bow and arrow.

"boom!"

An arrow was shot, and nearly a hundred steps away, a bandit on the high hill screamed and fell down.

The naughty kid clapped his hands repeatedly and said, "Not bad, not bad, Ji Gang, you really didn't let me down."

"Quick, charge forward with your men and kill all these bandits. I will reward you handsomely."

The middle-aged man's name is Ji Gang.

He was originally from Linyi, Shandong. As his family was a hunter family, he was taught by his elders from childhood, so he was skilled in archery and horse riding.

When he was a child, his parents sent Ji Gang to school.

But compared to the boring Four Books and Five Classics, Ji Gang preferred to practice martial arts and liked to associate with local heroes and bandits, and they became brothers. He could be regarded as a well-known "hero" in the local area.

In other words, he is a small-time gangster leader in the eyes of ordinary people!
Naturally, I didn't achieve much from studying, but my cultural level was not very low.

At least, I know all the words I should know.

As a "gangster", Ji Gang wanted to make a name for himself. He was unwilling to be a low-level person all his life and be scolded by his parents for "not doing his job properly".

He usually appears majestic in front of the good people, but any captain of the police in the yamen can deal with him and others at will.

Ji Gang had had enough of this feeling.

But as I grow older, I have accomplished nothing and can only sigh helplessly.

Later, he found an opportunity and followed a wealthy merchant caravan, going out to the south in the name of escort.

It just so happened that the naughty kid Zhu Gaoxu brought the Commissioner of Taxation to inspect taxes and suppress bandits.

Looking at the young and naughty kid Zhu Gaoxu, Ji Gang felt that his chance had come.

Working for the young prince is definitely a thousand times better than being a dog for a clerk in the county government!
He simply stopped Zhu Gaoxu and his group and recommended himself.

The naughty kid asked Ji Gang to compete in martial arts with the people around him.

As a result, Ji Gang won battle after battle.

The naughty kid was happy and thought Ji Gang was a really good guy, so he kept him by his side.

From then on, Ji Gang followed the naughty kid and began his career of fighting bandits everywhere.

He knew this was his chance, so he worked very hard and tried his best to please the naughty kid.

Every time he fought against bandits, he was very brave, always charging at the front and never showing fear.

Hearing Zhu Gaoxu's words, Ji Gang immediately waved his hand and shouted, "Brothers, follow me."

As he shouted, he took the lead and rushed up.

At the same time, he had drawn his bow and drawn his arrow again.

"boom!"

Another arrow shot out.

Killed another bandit.

The officers and soldiers were encouraged and rushed up the mountain at a faster pace.

Although this group of bandits were fearless and brave, there were only 20 to 30 of them after all.

The weapons they used were also very simple. They only had two or three hard bows. Without any famous teachers to teach them, their archery skills were not very good.

The only thing we can rely on is the advantage of the high terrain.

The officers and soldiers were well-trained and their numbers were dozens of times that of the bandits.

The bandits were soon unable to withstand the attack.

After a desperate fight, all the bandits were finally killed under the leadership of Ji Gang.

The naughty boy Zhu Gaoxu walked to the top of the mountain and looked at the corpses of the bandits lying on the ground. He was suddenly very excited.

"Ji Gang, you did a good job. I will remember this and ask the court for a reward for you in the future."

The naughty kid generously painted a big pie for Ji Gang.

Ji Gang's mouth twitched involuntarily.

He has eaten countless similar "pancakes" since he followed Zhu Gaoxu.

Every time the naughty kid asked him to do something, he would draw one beforehand and another one after it was done.

However, as for the actual rewards...it can't be said that there are no rewards. There will be some silver or something like that.

But compared with the pie in the sky, the gap is too big.

For example, the "identity" issue that Ji Gang is concerned about.

Ever since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince reorganized government offices across the country, the clerks originally employed by the government offices were either dismissed or "converted to regular employees."

According to the request of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, in the future the salaries of the yamen runners in various government offices will be paid uniformly by the court, and once the personnel are determined, they will be uniformly deployed like the official staff.

Officials could only use the existing runners in the yamen, and were not allowed to arbitrarily arrange their own servants and slaves to serve as runners.

Of course, officials can still evaluate these "established" yamen runners, investigate and punish those who violate the law and regulations, and dismiss those who fail to meet the requirements.

These are obviously measures that will not be used lightly.

For most people, being a "regular" yamen runner is equivalent to having a stable job.

Of course, in reality, the personnel of clerks in yamen did not change frequently in the past.

Now it's just an added layer of protection.

Another point is that official business must be done by officials with "regular positions".

The "teachers" hired by officials, or sedan chair bearers, thugs and other attendants, not only had to be paid by the officials themselves, but more importantly, they could not do their work according to the officials' instructions as before.

Official business can only be handled by people holding "public office".

This reform is carried out along with the transformation of the military. Because it involves so many aspects, it is not easy to make changes. It is still ongoing and not all changes have been completed.

As a person who came to seek refuge, Ji Gang certainly hoped to have a formal "public office".

In the future, I will be able to hold my head up proudly in front of my fellow villagers.

But the naughty kid always pretended to be stupid and promised a lot of things but didn't do them.

Ji Gang was helpless.

Fortunately, with the help of his identity as the young prince's confidant, he is already very powerful.

At least, the county constable, who used to have to be carefully flattered, can now be ignored without even a glance.

This gave Ji Gang some comfort and satisfaction.

The seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister's door.

Following the little prince, even if he was just a little follower, compared with the people outside, he was already a "big shot" who was high above everyone else.

It's just that he is too ambitious and wants to climb higher.

"Thank you, young prince!"

Ji Gang quickly expressed his gratitude.

He did not show any displeasure at the naughty child's "pie in the sky".

Just then, a local official in his fifties, dressed in an official robe, ran up the mountain, panting.

"My Lord, I have finally found you."

He was breathing heavily.

Although the hill occupied by the bandits is not particularly high.

However, since he became an official, he has been lazy, did not know the difference between grains, and always went out in a sedan chair. Today, he suddenly had to walk up the mountain and was naturally very tired.

"Is there a problem?"

The naughty kid looked at the local official, wondering what rank the badge on his chest represented, but he couldn't remember clearly.

He has never paid much attention to these things.

But I just remembered that I was the chief of the Taxation Bureau, but the court did not issue me an official robe. Did the people in the weaving hall fail in their duty?

The naughty kid forgot at this moment that although he was in charge of the Taxation Commissioner, it was just a "position" and not an "official position".

Zhu Yunhuan never conferred an official title on him, nor did he assign him a rank.

It was impossible for the weaving hall to weave official uniforms for him. The naughty boy just wanted to get a patch on his official uniform for fun.

The local official hurriedly said, "Young Prince, the court has sent an official document, ordering you to return to the capital immediately without delay."

Unexpectedly, as soon as these words were spoken, Zhu Gaoxu's mind was immediately drawn back and he became furious.

"Which department issued this order? Why should I obey it?"

The naughty kid glared at the local official who came to deliver the message and said, "You allowed bandits to rob merchants passing through the territory and did nothing about it. You should be dismissed from your post, investigated, and have your property confiscated and punished."

"Now you are holding out the imperial order to ask me to return to the capital. It is clear that you have ill intentions and ulterior motives. Do you believe that I will kill you right now?"

Since he took office as the head of the Taxation Department, he has increased business taxes and strictly enforced taxation, which has affected the fundamental interests of many people.

As a result, Zhu Gaoxu was harassed by officials and fooled by local gentry.

Officials sent by the Commissioner of Taxation encountered obstacles and difficulties at every step, forcing him to leave Beijing and go to the front line in person to "put out fires" while intensifying the battle with local officials, powerful people, and gentry.

But there are still restrictions everywhere.

There were countless memorials impeaching him in the court.

Even his father warned him several times not to overdo it.

But the naughty kid was determined in his heart, and I clearly did nothing wrong.

Why should we give in to those people?

Can't the great Ming Dynasty suppress them?
I am the son of King Yan, how can I do anything to a few clerks and local tyrants?

The naughty boy got angry and refused to give in.

Even if it was a letter sent by Zhu Di, he just ignored it.

Anyway, my dad is by my side and I can’t beat him, so what is there to be afraid of!
Being beaten is something you will do after you return.

Besides, as a veteran naughty kid, how could he go home without getting beaten?
It was not until Zhu Yunhuan returned victorious from Japan that the imperial court began to reform the army and local government offices, and the situation of the Commissioner of Taxation was finally reversed.

Local officials wanted to take advantage of the reform and rely on the tax commissioner to deal with the powerful and entrenched local gentry and strengthen their control over government offices.

Although Zhu Gaoxu was young, he was very smart. He knew very well that the local officials wanted to use the Commissioner of Taxation to charge into battle and act as a sword in his hand to gain advantage over the officials.

But this is ultimately a very beneficial thing for the Commissioner of Taxation, and he is happy to go along with it.

After that, the situation of the Taxation Department changed drastically, and Zhu Gaoxu set his sights on clearing out bandits and robbers.

He grew up in Peking. The generals in the palace often went on expeditions. Whenever he heard them tell stories about the battles with the Northern Yuan Dynasty, the naughty boy would always be excited and yearn for it.

I only regret that I am still young and cannot fight on the battlefield.

Charging forward and killing the enemy, how much fun is that?
Now the Tax Commissioner has soldiers and horses at his disposal. He complains that after collecting taxes, many people are robbed by bandits on the road. The naughty kid uses this as an excuse to start a bandit suppression campaign.

The more we play, the more fun we have, and the more excited we become.

I've already been enjoying it so much that I don't want to leave!
How could this naughty kid be willing to return to Beijing at this time?

After hearing the young prince's words, Ji Gang felt that the opportunity had come again.

He immediately stepped forward and stood beside him calmly, with one hand on the hilt of the knife, quietly raising his guard.

As long as the young prince gives the order, he will immediately draw his sword and teach the local official a lesson.

Of course you can't kill people casually.

After all, the other party is an official in the imperial court.

But it's still okay to scare them or even beat them up.

I heard that before he took refuge with the young prince, the young prince had ordered his subordinates to fight and beat up local officials several times when dealing with conflicts between tax officials and local government offices.

Especially after hearing that the people from the Tax Commissioner were bullied by them, they were determined to bully them back.

Unfortunately, when Ji Gang came for refuge, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had already returned to the court, and the restructuring of government offices had begun. The situation of the Commissioner of Taxation changed accordingly, and conflicts with local officials were no longer as serious as before, and the two sides never fought again.

Ji Gang therefore did not see that scene, but he only heard about it from people who used to follow the naughty kid. He yearned for it very much and wanted to experience it once.

After all, when he was a gangster, seeing an official was like seeing a mouse seeing a cat.

But I dare not show any disrespect to the officials.

Beating up an official was something that they wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Anyone who can stand in front of an official with courage and say a few words, without being scared out of his wits and kneeling down to flatter him, can brag to the "heroes" in the world for years.

If he could really beat up an official, he would be a "great hero" in the eyes of those "thugs" in the future.

Although he is now working for the young prince, Ji Gang somewhat wants to "return home in glory". He always wants to achieve things that he once longed for but dared not to do.

What you cannot get when you are young will haunt you throughout your life.

This is Ji Gang's case.

If the naughty kid gave the order to beat the local officials, Ji Gang would definitely be more excited than him.

The local official was confronted by Zhu Gaoxu and hurriedly said, "How dare I falsely pass on the imperial order? Here is the official document from the Ministry of Justice. Please have a look, young prince. And..."

Before the local official finished speaking, Zhu Gaoxu snorted coldly: "The Taxation Department is not a subordinate department of the Ministry of Justice. Why did the Ministry of Justice issue an official document asking me to return to Beijing?"

"How dare you hold the official document of the Ministry of Justice in front of me and use chicken feathers as a token of authority? I tell you, even if the Minister of Justice comes in person, he dare not issue orders to me! Get out of here right now."

Ji Gang observed his expression and shouted, "Did you hear that? The young prince told you to get out? If you don't leave, don't blame us for being rude."

The local officials were shocked. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, incidents of royal family members beating court officials were common occurrences.

Although the imperial court now wants to reform the clan system and strictly requires royal clan members to abide by the law, otherwise they will be demoted at the very least, or even abolished.

However, it is still hard to say how much deterrent effect the decree will have and whether the court will actually implement it.

He didn't want to try it himself.

Even if Zhu Gaoxu was punished by the court afterwards, that was afterward.

He is about to suffer a great loss.

Thinking of this, the local official immediately took out another letter: "Young Prince, I..."

"roll!"

The naughty kid scolded.

Ji Gang stepped forward, held down the local official, and was about to give him a beating.

At this time, the local official finally shouted out: "Here is a letter written by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

"what?"

When the naughty kid heard the words "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince", he was suddenly struck by lightning. He shuddered all over, stepped forward quickly, and snatched the letter from the local official.

When he unfolded it, he saw a line of words written on it: "Zhu Gaoxu, get back to the capital as soon as possible!"

Just one sentence, concise and to the point.

Ji Gang glanced over curiously, wanting to take a glimpse of the letter.

Unexpectedly, he was discovered by Zhu Gaoxu.

"Snapped!"

The naughty kid slapped Ji Gang in the face with his backhand.

This palm was not very heavy, especially for a martial artist like Ji Gang, it was nothing.

The damage is not serious, but the insult is extremely strong.

Ji Gang's face suddenly changed, and dark clouds filled it.

But he reacted quickly and forced a smile.

"What are you looking at? How can you just peek at the letter my brother the Crown Prince wrote to me?" Zhu Gaoxu glared at him.

"Yes, yes, the young prince is absolutely right. I deserve to die. I shouldn't have peeked."

Ji Gang slapped himself hard several times.

He basically understood the naughty kid's temperament and character.

When he was happy, he was easy to talk to and would "share hardships and happiness" with the officers and soldiers of the Tax Commissioner, and even call them "brothers".

Once they turn against each other, they will no longer recognize their relatives.

A real man can bend and stretch himself, Ji Gang has long had a deep understanding of this.

In the past, the chief constable of the county government also treated himself in this way.

Now it has just been replaced by the little prince.

Zhu Gaoxu put away the letter and said: "Brother Crown Prince has summoned me back to the capital. Everyone should go down the mountain immediately and return to the capital without any delay."

At the command, a group of taxation officers and soldiers quickly lined up and went down the mountain.

Zhu Gaoxu immediately ordered the local officials: "The bodies of these bandits will be left to you to deal with."

The local officials responded one after another.

At that moment, the naughty kid traveled overnight and soon returned to the capital.

As soon as he saw Zhu Yunhuan, he immediately cried, "Brother Crown Prince, I finally see you again, wuwuwu..."

……

(End of this chapter)