Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 307: Arrows shot at Lao Zhu! Undercurrent! Planning and information!
As one of the six founding dukes of the Ming Dynasty, Feng Sheng had followed Zhu Yuanzhang for more than 40 years.

He was also Zhu Yuanzhang's fellow villager from Fengyang and a founding father of the Ming Dynasty.

I am very familiar with Empress Ma.

That was the woman that Lao Zhu was obsessed with, Lao Zhu’s first wife.

She was also a woman that the founding fathers of the Ming Dynasty admired very much.

But Queen Ma had clearly passed away, so how could she appear here?
"Hahaha, father-in-law, what do you think?" The voice of Zhou Wang Zhu Su rang out: "This is a wonderful woman that I have gone through a lot of trouble to find."

"Her name is Shang Xingyu, and this name was given to her by me."

"She looks very similar to my deceased mother."

"I also specially found some medicinal herbs and made subtle makeup and adjustments to her face, so that she really looks exactly like my mother."

"Then train her voice so that it becomes like her mother's."

At this point, Zhu Su said to Shang Xingyu: "You come and perform."

Shang Xingyu looked at Feng Sheng, slowly opened his mouth, and said softly: "Zhongba, why have you lost so much weight?"

"Like... so much like her!" Feng Sheng exclaimed excitedly: "The look, the movements, the voice, they are all like the former Empress Ma, as if they were carved from the same mold."

Feng Sheng looked incredulous.

Zhu Su was very proud and said, "Do you know how much effort I put in just to find this person?"

"How much effort did you put into training her?"

"If we still can't see any results, it would be a shame for my hard work."

"Hahahaha!"

Feng Sheng looked Shang Xingyu up and down again, and felt that every part of her body resembled Empress Ma.

If he had not known very clearly that Empress Ma had passed away, he would probably have knelt down to pay his respects to her.

At that moment, he exclaimed, "Is it possible that His Royal Highness Prince Zhou missed his mother so much that he specially asked someone to find this girl to pretend to be Empress Xiaoci Gao? Although this is His Royal Highness's sincere filial piety, it seems too much."

Zhu Su was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly, "What are you thinking, father-in-law? Although I miss my mother, I will never do such a thing."

He waved his hand and asked Feng Sheng to sit down.

Soon, a palace maid brought candies and tea. Zhu Su took a candy and said, "This is for my father."

Feng Sheng's eyes suddenly gleamed with a sharp light.

Zhu Su laughed and said, "Then why was Zhu Yunhuan able to turn defeat into victory and seize the position of crown prince in one fell swoop in the court that day?"

"Isn't it because of what Lan Yu said before his death, and his crying?"

"Father is a very affectionate person. When he thinks that this is what my eldest brother wished for before he died, he will naturally try his best to satisfy it. Even if it means the Ming Dynasty, he is willing to give it to him."

"Zhu Yunhuan thus won the title of Crown Prince."

"Since then, I have been thinking, if my mother were alive and said a word, would my father agree to everything?"

"My mother is no longer with us, but I can find someone to impersonate her."

"I'm sure you've heard the story of Emperor Wu of Han summoning the spirit of Madam Li."

"My father is much more loyal and righteous than Emperor Wu of Han."

"Besides, what Emperor Wu of Han sent to summon was just a ghostly shadow."

"This is a living person, my lord!"

"After I have trained her completely and she has learned the manners, behavior, and temperament of my mother, I will send her to my father."

"Although she is not my mother, my father is getting old and will definitely want to see someone who looks exactly like my mother by his side."

"This is much more useful to my father than any peerless beauty."

"Let Shang Xingyu slowly talk to the emperor and make up some stories. Although the emperor may not listen immediately, he will inevitably be shaken over time."

"Besides, with her by my father's side, I want to find some reasons and excuses to accuse Zhu Yunhuan of a crime. Isn't that easy?"

"By then, will Father still trust him?"

"My second brother is dead, my third brother is exiled overseas, and my fourth brother is subservient to him. If father deposes Zhu Yunhuan, wouldn't the throne belong to me? Hahahaha!"

Zhu Su laughed out loud towards the sky.

Feng Sheng stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Since you were exiled to Yunnan a few years ago, you have been obsessed with medicine, talking with doctors all day long, and obsessed with developing herbal medicine and writing medical books. I thought you would never recover from this, but I didn't expect you still have this mind."

Most of Lao Zhu's sons have inherited his "excellent" genes, and many of them are ambitious.

Zhu Su was no exception.

He was born to Empress Ma and was quite favored when he was a child, but later he was gradually disliked by Emperor Zhu.

Kaifeng is the heartland of the Central Plains. Although it is located here at the frontier, it is actually far away from the front line.

Compared with the King of Qin, the King of Jin, the King of Yan and others who were able to command thousands of troops and fought against the Northern Yuan cavalry many times, he had never had any opportunity to display his military abilities.

However, the Central Plains has an extremely important strategic position.

The purpose of establishing a vassal state here is to create a situation of "guarding the border from outside and providing support from within".

However, Henan, where Kaifeng is located, has long lost its former prosperity after the war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, and has not yet recovered its historical glory. Others think it is a good thing to be sealed here, but only he knows the pain behind it.

What made Zhu Su even more resentful was that just because he made some minor mistakes, he was scolded by Zhu and exiled to Yunnan.

In comparison, what the other brothers did was much more excessive than what he did, but they did not receive such punishment.

Zhu Su was depressed, and after arriving in Yunnan, he turned his attention to studying medicine.

He compiled "Pocket Prescriptions" and "Records of Preserving Life" successively.

"Pocket Prescriptions" is a pure medicine book, while "Records of Preserving Life" focuses on how to maintain health and prolong life.

In addition, Zhu Su also planned to write a new medical book.

That's why Feng Sheng said that.

Zhu Su smiled and said, "As the ancients said: If you can't be a good prime minister, then be a good doctor. I studied medicine because I am really interested in medicine, and I also studied medicine to relieve my depression."

"Third, the people's livelihood is difficult, and doctors can save people from suffering, which is also a good thing."

"Fourthly, it will also show my other brothers that I have no intention of competing for the throne, so I can bide my time and energy."

"Fifth, medicine is a broad and profound path. It can be used to save lives and kill enemies, even better than swords. If you can identify drug poisons, you can also protect yourself at critical moments."

"Since ancient times, many high-ranking people have died from poisoning."

"My second brother is a ready-made example."

"With these five benefits, I will naturally study medicine well."

"However, studying medicine is one thing, but it cannot hinder my ambition to become a great man."

When he said this, his face changed slightly, his smile disappeared, revealing five parts of solemnity and five parts of resentment, and he said: "Besides, even if I just want to be a free and easy prince, Zhu Yunhuan will not let me go."

"First, my second brother was poisoned to death, then my third brother was demoted, and I don't even need to mention my spineless fourth brother."

"The reform of the royal family must have been done by Zhu Yunhuan, who instigated my father to do it."

"The title of a noble prince cannot be inherited. It must be demoted by one generation, and one must also pass the imperial court's assessment."

"Zhu Yunhuan has a good plan."

"I will inherit the throne myself, and my sons and grandsons will take over, and pass it down from generation to generation."

"We, the sons of our father, have been demoted generation after generation. From now on, my descendants will even be forced to become commoners. How can I accept this?"

"Not to mention me, I'm afraid none of the brother princes would be happy about this, right?"

"He still thinks it's not enough to force us to this point. Recently, there are rumors that the court is going to withdraw the feudal lords."

"It is said that Zhu Yunhuan intends to remove all the vassal kings and drive them all to overseas wild lands. Isn't this driving us vassal kings to death?"

Zhu Su's voice became increasingly low and angry.

"A few years ago, I was banished to Yunnan by my father. I know that kind of place."

"The climate is hot and humid, insect vectors are rampant, malaria is prevalent, and transportation is blocked."

"I was obsessed with studying medicine at the time, half for the sake of saving my life."

"Otherwise, if you're not careful, you might get sick and die in a foreign land."

“Although Yunnan is wild, it is still hundreds or thousands of times better than more remote places overseas.”

"If we are really driven overseas, that would be really tragic."

"Even if we don't talk about ambitions, just for the sake of saving myself, I will never sit and wait for death!"

"I found Shang Xingyu and trained him rigorously."

"In time, if I send her to my father, she will become an arrow shot into his heart, softening his heart towards me."

"When the time is right, we might be able to bring him down."

"My brothers are all angry but dare not say anything. They are helpless against him."

"I am the only one who can think of a solution." Feng Sheng nodded and said, "It's not just you princes. Since the Crown Prince took office and implemented military reforms, the generals in the army have been complaining."

"We fought hard for many years and finally had the chance to enjoy some benefits, but once the military reform came, everything was gone."

"It's said that the benefits will be retained, and you can transfer to a local official position, but how can it compare to the pleasure of commanding thousands of troops in the past? Which general can afford to spend a salary of only a few dozen taels of silver per month?"

"Who cares about this kind of treatment?"

"Not to mention changing careers to become a local official."

"We are just rough people who don't know how to govern a place."

"Local officials can be impeached at any time. It is far better to be free and unrestrained in the army."

"As for the top soldiers, many of them have been transferred to local government offices as errand boys. They are naturally happy about that, as it is much better than being a soldier in the army."

"Even if you can't be a conscientious official, it would be nice to get some retirement allowance and start a small business."

"The restrictions on doing business in the past have now been lifted, and they are all very happy."

"It's hard for the generals in the army."

"The only way out now is to find a way to transfer the new army."

"But the new army only has so few positions, and many students who graduated from military academies are arranged to join. How can it be so easy to get in?"

"My generals came to me, but I couldn't do anything."

For military generals at the level of Qianhu and commander, the biggest advantage is that they can use the soldiers under them as slaves.

Compared with this, other rewards and salaries are nothing.

Using soldiers as slaves means that the soldiers' land can be seized and the soldiers can be forced to do private work for themselves...

This is the root cause of the collapse of the Ming Dynasty’s garrison troops in the later period of history.

The soldiers did not want to be slaves, so they fled.

The generals occupied the land allocated by the court to the soldiers and became big landowners.

If this continues, how can the garrison troops not collapse?

Zhu Su asked in a deep voice: "The Ming Daily boasts every day that the new army is unrivaled in combat power and is far superior to the original army. Father-in-law is a veteran of many battles. What do you think of this? Is the new army really as powerful as it is boasted?"

Feng Sheng's expression became serious, and he said, "Ever since the imperial court sent a brigade of new troops to Henan, I have visited the new army's camp many times."

"The new army's firearms are really powerful."

"Although there are only 3,000 soldiers in a brigade of new troops, if they really want to fight head-on, I'm afraid that 30,000 cavalry may not be their match."

Zhu Su was surprised and said, "Is the new army really so powerful? Doesn't that mean that as long as the new army is there, no one can do anything to him, Zhu Yunhuan?"

Feng Sheng shook his head and said with a smile: "That may not be the case."

"The soldiers of the new army are also made of flesh and blood, not steel."

"Everyone has flaws. If you can't win in a head-on fight, can't you win them over?"

Zhu Su stroked his beard and said, "That's a good idea. I heard that the soldiers of the new army are paid very well, but the generals' income is very average. As long as we bribe the generals, we can use the new army."

New Army generals are not allowed to do business!

The new army also did not cultivate land, so generals could not seize the soldiers' land.

Just based on these two factors, their income is 80% to 90% less than that of the generals in the old army.

As for salaries and the like.

Which of the old army generals who has a little power relies on that to make a living?
Even when the imperial court gave rewards to the officers and soldiers, the traditional rule was that 80% went to the officers and 20% to the soldiers.

The soldiers' rewards were basically snatched away by the generals.

Then, according to the general's wishes, he would reward some of it to his own troops.

But the new army was directly distributed to every soldier.

This one item reduced the generals’ reward income by another 90%!
The generals of the new army can only live on their salaries. Isn't this extremely poor?

Feng Sheng said: "Bribery is one way, but it cannot be relied upon entirely. Although the new army generals are not paid well, they are extremely loyal to the crown prince."

"There is still one way to deal with the new army, and that is to try to consume or destroy their gunpowder magazine."

"The new army's firearms are powerful. It is extremely unwise to confront them head-on. It is almost tantamount to seeking death."

"But the power of firearms depends entirely on gunpowder."

"Once the gunpowder is used up, the new army will be useless."

"They had no bows and arrows, and they had no training in battle formations. When their gunpowder ran out, they were left helpless."

"Five hundred black-armored cavalrymen can defeat three thousand new troops."

Zhu Su was delighted and surprised when he heard this, and asked, "Are you serious?"

Feng Sheng laughed and said, "Would I lie to His Royal Highness Prince Zhou?"

"According to my observation, the gunpowder in the new arsenal's powder magazine is not particularly abundant."

"It's enough to support it in one or two big battles."

"But if we surround them without attacking, and just send troops to harass them, we will immediately retreat when the enemy counterattacks, thus tempting them to consume gunpowder. Then the new army will not be able to withstand the consumption at all."

"Besides, the new army cannot produce gunpowder itself."

"All the gunpowder they need must be shipped from the manufacturing factory in Jinling."

"As long as the road that transports gunpowder is cut off, the new army will be left with no choice but to fight like a trapped beast."

Zhu Su clapped his hands and said, "Excellent! My father-in-law is indeed the invincible Duke of Song and the great general of the Ming Dynasty. He has a very sharp vision! He has seen the shortcomings of the new army clearly."

"You are much better than my third brother and those idiots in Beiyuan."

Feng Sheng smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's not that they are stupid."

"They suffer because they are unfamiliar with and do not understand."

"If we go head-on with the new army's muskets and artillery, even if we have the largest army and the most fearless warriors, we will not be able to defeat the new army."

"I also went to the new army's camps many times, saw their guns and gunpowder, and carefully studied their combat methods before I came up with a countermeasure."

"If I didn't understand them and met them for the first time on the battlefield without knowing their strength, I would still follow the old method and fight hastily. I would be no different from those Northern Yuan generals and would probably be defeated and even the whole army would be wiped out."

He was filled with emotion, thinking that Zhu Yunhuan was truly a man of extraordinary talent as he was able to arm such a new army.

Zhu Su praised him, "Father-in-law, you can see the shortcomings of the new army and find a way to deal with it. You are already a thousand times better than those good-for-nothings. Why do you need to be so modest?"

"My nephew thinks he is the smartest man in the world, but he has left such a big flaw in the new army. He didn't even give the new army more gunpowder... Hahaha!"

Feng Sheng shook his head slightly and said, "No, this is exactly where he excels."

Zhu Su was stunned and asked, "Where did you get this from?"

Feng Sheng said: "The new army is unrivaled in combat power. If we give them an endless supply of gunpowder, then if the new army rebels, the local authorities will be completely helpless."

"Even if the county chiefs organized troops to garrison and fight back, they would be completely vulnerable to the new army's muskets and artillery."

"In the past, the most limited means for the imperial court to control the frontline troops was food and fodder."

"Once the food and grass are cut off, no matter how many soldiers you have, you will be captured."

"But food and grass are not difficult to obtain."

"After all, the army can plunder the food of the civilian population."

"But the gunpowder for the new army is all produced by the factories of the Manufacturing Bureau. The imperial court can block it."

“Once the supply is interrupted, the new army will quickly lose its combat effectiveness.”

"On the contrary, as long as there is a steady supply, the new army will be invincible."

"It is through this method that the Crown Prince controls the new army, so that no matter how powerful the new army is, they have to obey orders obediently."

"In other words, even if we can persuade the generals of the new army to defect and make them work for us, it will be useless without the gunpowder supply from the Ming Manufacturing Bureau."

Zhu Su was shocked and asked, "His method is so powerful?"

"In that case, to fight him, we must first learn how to make new gunpowder."

Feng Sheng smiled bitterly and said, "This is the key."

"But the gunpowder and guns produced by the Manufacturing Bureau do have some special features. They are very different from ordinary gunpowder. I'm afraid it will be difficult to learn."

Zhu Su smiled and said, "I will send Shang Xingyu to my father and ask him to persuade her to get the gunpowder manufacturing technology from the Manufacturing Bureau."

While the two were talking, a eunuch came running in in a panic, crying as he ran: "Your Highness... Your Highness..."

Zhu Su's face changed, and he said angrily: "How can this be possible? You are crying and sobbing in front of me, and you are so reckless. How can this be tolerated?"

The eunuch knelt down with a thud: "Your Highness, there is bad news from Jinling. His Majesty... His Majesty... His Majesty has passed away!"

……

(End of this chapter)