Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 283 Xu's plan, Zhu Yunhuan's plan
She said it with great conviction and confidence.

The little girl looks cute and naughty when she eats, and her youthful face is full of collagen.

Because he was wearing a military uniform, he looked both heroic and eccentric.

If you only look at this still childish face, you will just think that she is a pretty and somewhat naughty girl.

The action of constantly chewing snacks further confirmed this.

Only after listening to her analysis, one can sigh that one cannot judge a person by his appearance.

Appearances can be deceiving.

Especially the appearance of the pretty little girl.

Xu Huizu thought for a moment and asked, "Why do you think so?"

Perhaps because they were delicious, the little girl ate the snacks even more hastily. She stuffed her mouth full and muttered, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, must consider your reputation for generations to come."

"Although we took the initiative to go to the Gu family to cancel the engagement this time, outsiders will not see it that way."

"So many people witnessed what happened at the market today. It will surely spread throughout the government and the country in the future."

"Your Majesty, the great Ming Crown Prince, would not bear the infamy of snatching my Xu family's daughter-in-law, right?"

"Even if he doesn't care, it will be difficult to explain to His Majesty the Emperor."

"If His Royal Highness wants to bring Gu Panjun into the East Palace, he must first take care of this matter."

"I took Gu Panjun as my sister just to lay the groundwork for this."

"She just needs to climb up the pole and recognize you as her brother and me as her sister. Once it gets out, it will become a good story."

"Her parents are both dead, and only her brother and sister-in-law are still alive. She is a country girl with little knowledge and no foundation in the court."

"In the future, my Xu family will be her natal family. Why would she not want to?"

"Your Majesty, the Grand Prince, is so smart that he would not fail to see this."

"So, I expected that he would bring Gu Panjun with him to finalize the matter."

"It's worth all my hard work."

Xu Huizu clapped his hands and said, "Sister, you are really thoughtful and foresighted. You are worthy of being called the 'female Zhuge Liang'."

Xu Miaojin swallowed the snack in her mouth and sighed in a voice that was totally inconsistent with her youthful face: "I worked so hard to plan, isn't it for the Xu family?"

"It's not easy to be an official in the Ming Dynasty, and it's even harder to be a nobleman."

"Ordinary people only see the glory of the nobles, but they cannot see our suffering and difficulties."

"The current emperor is suspicious, so we must be careful at every step."

"If you are not careful, you will be doomed."

"When my sister was here, she took care of everything, so I didn't have to worry about so many things."

"Later, my elder sister married into the Prince of Yan's mansion and became the Princess of Yan. I was forced to take on this heavy responsibility."

"As long as the Xu family can survive one or two generations, when all the noble generals who are still alive have passed away and the old ones have been replaced by the new ones, our Xu family will no longer have much influence in the army, and the future emperors will no longer think about doing anything to our Xu family."

"On the contrary, they all care about their reputation and respect the Xu family more."

"After all, we are the family of the founding fathers, and we pose no threat to the imperial power."

"As long as the descendants of the Xu family are not foolish enough to rebel, they will truly live with the country and have nothing to worry about."

Xu Huizu nodded slightly and smiled, "You said that it is difficult to find a woman like Gu Panjun who can help His Royal Highness the Crown Prince handle the affairs of the harem. This is not true. Don't we still have you?"

"You act out your 'sad drama' at home every day. Aren't you afraid that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will really arrest you and take you to the East Palace?"

Xu Miaomian giggled.

"Will not!"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince didn't even use his own uncle Chang Sheng and his great-uncle Lan Yu."

"The people he used, such as Yao Guangxiao, Yang Shiqi, Xia Yuanji, and Yang Rong, all had no foundation in the court."

"Only such a person can serve as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's confidant."

"Our Xu family has made great contributions and has deep roots in the imperial court."

"The women of the Xu family can marry into the vassal king, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is not at ease and leaves all his household affairs to the women of the Xu family."

"If that happens, he will probably have trouble sleeping and eating."

"If I really marry him, he won't let me handle the affairs of the harem. He will only be on guard against me."

"Not only does it not help him, it distracts him and wastes his energy."

"Gu Panjun, who comes from a poor family and has no foundation in the court, is the ideal candidate for the Crown Prince to manage the harem."

"At least for the next twenty years, there is no need to worry about this woman posing any threat to his power and status."

Xu Huizu nodded slightly again.

Xu Miaojin was right. Given the Xu family's connections in the court and the military, and their reputation in the hearts of people all over the world, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would more or less be wary of the Xu family.

As the two were talking, there was a sudden, loud knock on the wooden door in the yard.

Since Xu Da was first conferred the title of Duke of Xin, the Xu family has been in the position of duke for more than twenty years.

Xu Da managed his household strictly and no one dared to break the family rules.

There were only Xu Huizu and Xu Miaojin in the yard. Before Xu Miaojin entered the yard, he specifically instructed the servants to guard outside and not let outsiders in.

According to the rules of the Xu family, at this time, unless it is something important, you must not knock on the door to disturb the owner.

Even if there is an urgent matter and you don't have to call the owner, you can only knock on the door gently and wait for the owner to respond.

But the knocking on the door outside was loud and urgent, which seemed very abnormal.

Soon, the servants' panicked and anxious voices were heard outside: "Miss San, Miss San, please open the door quickly. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived at the Xu family."

Xu Huizu couldn't help but look at Xu Miaojin. The two looked at each other and laughed.

……

The residence of Duke Wei was built by order of Zhu Yuanzhang himself as a token of his favor.

The house covers a large area and is very imposing.

After Zhu Yunhuan established the Ming Manufacturing Bureau and promoted cement and glass, the nobles and wealthy businessmen in Jinling City all followed the fashion and used the latest gadgets.

The Xu family is no exception.

For example, the windows that were originally covered with oil paper were replaced with transparent glass.

The road paved with blue bricks was also replaced with cement road.

Even the high threshold was sawed off by Xu Miaojin's order.

It is said that this is imitating the practice of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince disliked the high thresholds in the Eastern Palace, which made entering and exiting inconvenient and could easily cause people to trip and fall, so he ordered that all thresholds in the Eastern Palace be removed.

Even the Emperor's palace was changed.

They also said that the emperor is old and his legs and feet are not as convenient as when he was young, so we should try to make the design barrier-free so that when the emperor travels, he doesn't have to cross the threshold or go up and down the stairs, which will make it more convenient for the elderly to move around.

Although many people think that what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said is somewhat "heretical".

But he was the crown prince with great power, and no one dared to refute him.

Moreover, after a group of older ministers in the court personally experienced it, they all said that it was indeed convenient and practical.

Many people's houses followed suit, and gradually, a trend and fashion emerged in Jinling City.

This is what is meant by "leading by example". If the leaders take the lead, the people below will follow suit.

As His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, he always says good things, so of course many people will follow suit.

The Xu family is at the forefront of the world.

After all, everyone knows that the current head of the Xu family is not Duke Wei Xu Huizu, but the third young lady Xu Miaojin.

This young lady has been smart and clever since she was a child. She doesn't like red clothes but prefers military uniforms and armor, which only generals wear, when she goes out to meet people.

There is also a "secret" that is not really a secret.

That is Miss Xu San's love for the current Crown Prince.

Unrequited love!
This matter is no secret in the Xu family.

Although no one dared to discuss it publicly, almost everyone knew about it.

Therefore, anyone and anything related to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince must be reported to the Third Miss immediately if any rumor is heard outside.

Every time the third young lady heard the news, she would generously give a considerable reward.

If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince invents any treasure, the Xu family will of course buy it immediately.

Everyone felt that the third young lady was truly a "foolish person".

Unfortunately, the other party is the high and mighty Crown Prince.

Besides, the Third Miss is a girl after all, so it is not easy for her to ask for marriage and express her love directly.

On the contrary, those nobles who wanted to marry into the Xu family gave up the idea after hearing the news, leaving the Xu family in peace.

But this is the third young lady’s lifelong event, what should I do?

Many servants in the Xu family couldn't help but worry about their young lady.

Zhu Yunhuan held Gu Panjun's hand and walked straight ahead.

As the Crown Prince is a respected figure, he naturally would not wait outside for servants to inform his master and then come in after getting permission.

Upon learning that the Crown Prince had arrived in person, the Xu family quickly opened the middle door, which was almost never opened, and respectfully welcomed Zhu Yunhuan in.

This is also the reason why the Xu family's servants knocked on the courtyard door so anxiously.

The Crown Prince has arrived, so there can be no delay at all.

After passing through the three doors and arriving at the main hall of the Xu family, Xu Huizufang ran over in a panic.

"Duke Xu Huizu of Wei pays his respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

He shouted and knelt down.

This is a very solemn greeting.

Many people have had this question: with so many ministers in the court, can the emperor remember their names?
In fact, this is unnecessary worry.

Because according to the rules, in all formal occasions, ministers must first report their names when paying homage to the emperor.

And you don't just have to report your name once, but you have to report your name every time you meet someone.

Therefore, the emperor would never have the embarrassment of suddenly forgetting the names of officials.

The same applies when the imperial envoy or governor goes to a local area to summon the officials below.

Anyone who comes to pay respect should first state his or her official title and name, and then pay his or her respects.

Zhu Yunhuan looked Xu Huizu up and down.

I had met him several times in the court before.

But every time I just glance at it quickly and forget it as soon as I see it.

We never had an in-depth private conversation, so I don't have a deep impression of him.

Now looking closely, this man is actually handsome and talented.

"Why does Duke Wei need to be so polite?" Zhu Yunhuan took two steps forward, personally helped Xu Huizu up, and said with a smile: "I came here incognito, and I wanted to chat with Duke Wei and your sister. This is not the court, so there is no need to be so polite."

Xu Huizu stood up, but still bent his waist, and said respectfully: "Etiquette cannot be abandoned. Your Highness the Crown Prince has come to the Xu family today, which has brought honor to our humble home. How can I fail to show courtesy?"

After he finished speaking, he seemed to have just realized something, and after a pause, he said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince is looking for my sister?"

However, Xu Miaojin did not come out to greet him.

After all, according to Confucian etiquette and rules, she, an unmarried woman, should stay in the back house.

Welcoming and seeing off guests is not something a young girl should do.

Although Xu Miaojin actually appeared in public quite often on weekdays, the Xu family had to put on a show and not violate the rules of etiquette when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince came to visit.

"Yeah." Zhu Yunxun responded and said loudly: "Come out, don't hide anymore."

Xu Miaojin came out from behind the screen and knelt down to pay her respects: "I am Xu Miaojin, and I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"I didn't know the identity of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince at the market before. I hope Your Royal Highness will forgive me for any offense I caused."

Xu Huizu pretended to be shocked and said, "Third sister, have you ever met His Royal Highness the Crown Prince before?"

Xu Miaojin blushed slightly and said shyly, "The person who scolded me in the market before was none other than His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

The little girl whispered again, "I was blind. I didn't recognize His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in front of me. If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hadn't come to the Xu family, I'm afraid I would still be kept in the dark."

Zhu Yunhuan glanced at her, then looked at Xu Huizu beside him, and then sat down in the upper seat like a horse and a golden sword, picked up the tea and took a sip, and said: "Okay, you two brothers and sisters, stop acting here for me."

Xu Huizu's expression froze, and Xu Miaojin's face was filled with surprise.

Zhu Yunxun snorted coldly, "I am not stupid. You had already seen through my identity when you were at the market. It was just that you couldn't expose me in front of so many people, so you pretended not to know. Why do you have to act stupid in front of me now?"

"Your Highness is very observant and meticulous. I admire you very much." Before Xu Huizu, who was shocked and did not react for a while, could finish his words, Xu Miaojin spoke first: "Your Highness is so wise that my tricks are just showing off and bringing shame upon myself. Your Highness is so smart that no one in the history can match him. My admiration for your Highness is like the water of the Yangtze River, which is endless."

Such a shameless little girl, she even learned how to bow down?

Zhu Yunhuan rolled his eyes in his heart.

Xu Miaojin's flattery skills were as smooth and effortless as flowing water, enough to make many officials in the court who were well versed in the art of flattery feel ashamed.

No wonder he can be the head of the Xu family and take on the main responsibility at such a young age.

This "natural power" is indeed top-notch.

Xu Huizu looked a little embarrassed. He quickly apologized and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me!"

He did not defend himself and seemed to be quite honest.

He contrasts with the naughty, cunning and playful Xu Miaojin.

Zhu Yunhuan couldn't help but sigh that the brother and sister performed a great duet.

Did the two of them already expect that I would come to the Xu family?
This also further confirmed that from the very beginning, Xu Miaojin went to ask for Gu Panjun to marry her brother Xu Huizu because of him.

The position of Crown Prince's Consort is left vacant, and various forces in the court come on the scene.

While Yao Guangxiao, Yang Shiqi and others were busy helping Zhu Yunhuan solve his lifelong issue, others were not idle either.

The Xu family wanted to make a move on this issue.

However, the Xu family's calculations were very good, as they also took themselves into account.

How could Zhu Yunhuan really let them get what they wanted?
After taking a look at Xu Miaojin who was still kneeling on the ground, he already had an idea in his mind.

"It's just a small matter. I'm not a stingy person."

Zhu Yunxun smiled and said, "I came here this time to ask Duke Wei and Miss Xu for a favor."

……

(End of this chapter)