Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 131 I will send Tian Ergeng to have a good talk with them.

After meeting with Tian Ergeng, Zhu Youjian did not immediately return to the Qianqing Palace, which he found suffocating.

He made a rare move to the Imperial Garden.

It was already late afternoon, and the sunlight was no longer so intense. It slanted through the pavilions and towers, through the branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on the bluestone path.

Fine dust particles, visible to the naked eye, floated in the air, lazily tumbling within the beams of light, much like the sluggish breathing of this vast empire.

It was very quiet all around, with only a few lazy cicada chirps and the faint whistling of the wind blowing over the Taihu stones.

Zhu Youjian stood there quietly, looking at the pond of green lotus leaves, thinking of nothing and doing nothing.

Wang Chengen stood respectfully to the side, even his breathing was extremely soft.

He could tell that His Majesty was very tired.

Moreover, that kind of exhaustion was not physical, but a mental backlash from the fingertips after repeatedly plucking the strings of fate.

However, this moment of tranquility is destined to be short-lived.

Because the transformation of the empire has only just begun.

After about two incense sticks' worth of time, Zhu Youjian slowly turned around. All the weariness in his deep eyes had faded, leaving only a calm as deep as an abyss.

"It is said that the Duke of England is Zhang Weixian."

……

When the imperial edict arrived at the Duke of England's residence, the atmosphere inside instantly froze.

Zhang Weixian was sitting in his study, staring blankly at a portrait of his ancestor. These past few days had been more nerve-wracking than the eve of any major battle in his life.

The emperor's ruthless methods since his ascension to the throne, the massacre at the Meridian Gate that left everyone with lingering fear, and the words the emperor spoke to him in the warm pavilion that day—all weighed heavily on his heart like boulders.

"Old Duke, I trust you, but I don't trust them. This is an opportunity, an opportunity to choose sides. I want to see how many of these nobles are truly wise enough to see the bigger picture, and how many... are just plain stupid!"

Those words still ring in my ears.

He obeyed His Majesty's decree and, as the leader of the nobility, traveled between the mansions of various dukes and marquises, trying to use his already somewhat hoarse voice to awaken his comrades who were sleeping on the books of their ancestors' merits.

He told them that times had changed, that this emperor was not Emperor Renzong, nor Emperor Xuanzong, but a sword that, once drawn, was bound to draw blood.

He persuaded them to abandon their illegal encroachment on land, to restrain their arrogant and domineering nephews, and to demonstrate the loyalty and value of the nobility to His Majesty.

However, the results were minimal.

Most of the responses he received were perfunctory smiles, dismissive glances, and complaints born of drunken revelry.

"Old Duke, you are overthinking it."

"Even if His Majesty is ruthless, can he really kill all of us dukes and marquises?!"

“My family’s land was earned with the lives of our ancestors. Why should we just give it away?”

"Give me back the land? What land? My ancestors took all the land I had in my lifetime when they fought alongside the Great Ancestor!"

"Exactly! If you want money, go ask those civil officials! Go ask those wealthy merchants from Jiangnan! What kind of skill is it to target us, the descendants of meritorious officials?"

Obsessive.

No, perhaps it's not about being stubbornly ignorant.

Rather, they had become accustomed to this kind of life, accustomed to reaping without sowing, accustomed to clinging to the ship of the Ming Dynasty like leeches, comfortably sucking its last drop of blood.

They didn't even realize that the ship was already sinking.

Faced with all this, Zhang Weixian felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness, and... a profound chill.

He finally understood that this group was rotten, rotten to the core.

Therefore, when the eunuch delivering the imperial decree announced in a high-pitched voice, "Summon Duke Zhang Weixian of Yingguo to the palace to meet the Emperor," all his anxiety suddenly vanished.

Instead, it was replaced by a do-or-die determination.

He knew the moment of truth had arrived.

He could no longer try to protect this group of stubborn people.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Weixian changed into a brand-new first-rank military officer's court robe. The Qilin insignia gleamed in the afternoon sun. He carefully adjusted his clothes, each movement carrying a solemn, ritualistic air.

Since those fools are unwilling to be dignified, then don't blame His Majesty for not giving them any dignity.

This time, Zhang Weixian will not only not stop him.

If His Majesty requires, he can even... personally draw his sword!

……

When Zhang Weixian stepped into the Imperial Garden under the guidance of the eunuch.

The young emperor stood with his hands behind his back, still habitually in front of a huge map, but it was not a map of the entire Ming Dynasty's territory, but an incredibly detailed map of the capital region, marked with densely packed garrisons, passes, and post roads in different colors of vermilion.

Zhang Weixian stepped forward, about to perform the traditional kneeling ceremony.

Zhu Youjian waved his hand, indicating that it was not necessary.

He didn't turn around, still looking at the map, and casually asked as if in conversation, "Duke of England, what does this capital region look like to you?"

Zhang Weixian's heart tightened, and he dared not be negligent. He pondered for a moment and then respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I believe that the capital region is the foundation of the world. It is situated at the foot of the Yanshan Mountains, overlooking the Central Plains, guarding the northern deserts, and controlling the Yangtze and Huai Rivers in the south. In terms of its shape, it is like the head of a giant dragon, the source of the dragon vein; in terms of its power, it is the pivot of the world, where all directions converge."

These words, rich in classical allusions, were balanced and moderate—the standard answer any seasoned and shrewd minister would give.

However, Zhu Youjian slowly shook his head.

He turned around and finally looked at Zhang Weixian, his gaze calm yet sharp as a knife.

Zhu Youjian stretched out his hand, not pointing to the so-called "head of the dragon," but instead lightly tapping on the map several garrisons around the capital.

“In my opinion,” his voice was not loud, but it clearly reached Zhang Weixian’s ears, “it is like a sieve with countless holes.”

Zhang Weixian's eyes narrowed rapidly.

"Foreign enemies can easily infiltrate, and internal traitors can come and go as they please." Zhu Youjian's tone remained calm, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself. "Spies from Liaodong can easily reach Tongzhou disguised as merchants; bandits from all over the country can bribe officers at checkpoints to sneak into the capital as long as they have money. This is the Beijing Garrison of my Great Ming Dynasty, my personal army of the emperor."

These words were like a silent slap in the face to Zhang Weixian, the governor of the Beijing Garrison.

A fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

The emperor was speaking the truth; the corruption of the Beijing garrison—the arrogance of its generals, the laziness of its soldiers, the embezzlement of their pay, and the exploitation of its troops—was no secret. But to have it pointed out again by the current emperor in such a blunt and humiliating way made him feel a burning pain on his face.

He opened his mouth to defend himself, but found that any words seemed so pale and powerless.

The emperor did not give him a chance to explain.

He seemed unconcerned about Zhang Weixian's embarrassment, and instead changed the subject, asking in a more inquisitive tone, "If the Duke were to mend this sieve, where would he begin?"

This is a test, and also a trial.

Zhang Weixian's heart was in his throat; he knew his answer would determine the emperor's final opinion of him.

He forced himself to calm down, his mind racing.

He carefully chose his words, distilling what he had been thinking about these past few days:
"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, to reorganize the capital garrison outside the new army, three measures should be taken. First, enforce strict military discipline and swiftly eliminate a group of arrogant and fierce soldiers as a warning to others. Second, review the troop rosters, replace the old and weak, verify the amount of pay for unpaid soldiers, and pay them in full so that the soldiers will feel grateful. Third, replace the generals, dismiss a group of incompetent people, and promote a group of young officers with practical experience to inject fresh blood."

These are wise words, the kind of approach any commander who wants to reorganize the army would consider.

Zhang Weixian had assumed that His Majesty would nod in agreement.

But after listening, Zhu Youjian simply stared at him in silence for a long time.

That gaze filled Zhang Weixian with a strange sense of panic.

Finally, Zhu Youjian spoke.

His voice carried a hint of disappointment, and also a hint of... resolve.

“What you are talking about is a repair technique,” ​​he said, emphasizing each word, “not… a complete reconstruction.”

"What I want is not repairs."

"It's a reforging!"

Reforge!

These two words struck Zhang Weixian like a thunderclap.

He stared blankly at the emperor, unable to fully grasp the meaning of those two words for a moment.

Repairing involves patching up the existing framework.

The recasting, on the other hand, means completely smashing and melting down the already rusted Beijing garrison, and then forging a brand new army!

What audacity! What...madness!
Before he could recover from his shock, Zhu Youjian had already turned around, his burning gaze, like two burning flames, firmly locked onto Zhang Weixian.

Then, he announced a decision that made Zhang Weixian almost think he was hallucinating.

"I intend to abolish the former Beijing Garrison!"

"Upon this, establish the 'Capital Region War Zone'! It will hold supreme military and political power over all garrison troops and key border passes in the three prefectures of Beijing, Shuntian, and Baoding!"

"I hereby appoint you, Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Weixian, as the first 'Governor-General of the Capital Region'!"

Zhang Weixian's mind went completely blank.

Governor-General of the Gyeonggi War Zone?

What kind of official position is this?
There has never been such a title in the official system of the Ming Dynasty!
But he understood the words "overseeing the military and political power of the three prefectures." This power far exceeded the scope of all the military generals in the Beijing garrison in the past!

However, the emperor's earth-shattering words were not yet over.

"The position of Governor-General is equivalent to a first-rank official!"

"You shall be appointed to the newly established 'Supreme Military Council of the Great Ming Dynasty,' and sit on equal footing with the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet!"

From the highest rank! On par with the Grand Secretary!
Zhang Weixian's breathing stopped instantly.

Since the Tumu Crisis, the status of military officials has plummeted, and the civil official group has become dominant. Even a hereditary duke like him has to be half a head shorter in front of the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet!
And now, His Majesty wants to elevate him, a military official and a nobleman, back to a position on equal footing with the head of the civil officials!
This...how is this possible?

Zhu Youjian seemed to see through his thoughts and continued to describe his future power blueprint to him in an unquestionable tone.

"Duke, you will be fully responsible for building three brand-new armies for me!"

"Firstly, the Shenji Battalion will be expanded and reorganized, renamed 'Shenji Battalion,' and will be in charge of firearms, serving as the spearhead for attacking fortified positions!"

"Secondly, based on the Three Thousand Camp, select the best riders in the land and name it the 'Tengxiang Camp,' and equip them with the best warhorses obtained through trade with tribes such as the Southern Mongolians, to serve as their wings for raids!"

"Thirdly, based on the Five Armies Camp, select the bravest warriors, name them the 'Heavenly Strategy Camp,' and equip them with the finest armor to serve as the vanguard in the decisive battle!"

"The Divine Machine, the Tengxiang, and the Tiance—these three new battalions will be the main force of the future capital region war zone, my personal army! I entrust their provisions, equipment, training, and personnel entirely to you!"

This series of appointments struck Zhang Weixian like a series of thunderbolts, leaving him completely bewildered.

He was completely confused.

This is practically equivalent to entrusting the fate of the nation to someone!
Governor-General of the Gyeonggi War Zone... Supreme Military Council... Establishment of three new battalions...

All of this was far beyond his imagination. He originally thought that the best outcome of meeting the emperor today would be that His Majesty would adopt his suggestions and allow him to make minor repairs to the Beijing Garrison; the worst outcome would be that His Majesty would strip him of his military power and send him home to retire.

Zhang Weixian never dreamed that His Majesty would give him such a position... a pillar of the nation!

He was transformed from a representative of the declining interests of the nobility, an old man constantly hampered by the civil service, into the architect and executor of the highest military strategy of the Ming Dynasty!

Deep inside, he was filled with a mix of emotions: excitement, fear, confusion, and ecstasy... Countless feelings surged through him like a tidal wave, repeatedly washing over his defenses.

Zhang Weixian could no longer hold on, his knees buckled, and he collapsed heavily to the ground with a thud.

"Your Majesty... Your subject... What virtue or ability do I possess..."

His voice trembled with overwhelming excitement, even tinged with a sob. He wanted to express his gratitude, but found that no amount of flowery language could convey even a fraction of the shock he felt at that moment.

Zhu Youjian stepped forward and personally helped him up.

“Duke of England,” Zhu Youjian said slowly, looking at his red-rimmed eyes, “what I have given you is not an official position, nor a favor.”

"What I am giving you is the authority to rebuild the military spirit of my Great Ming Dynasty!"

"I want you to be my 'caster of the tripod'!"

The one who cast the tripod!
Zhang Weixian's body jolted violently.

The tripod is a national treasure!

What glory and what responsibility it is to be the one who casts the tripod!

Zhang Weixian felt a surge of heat rush from his chest to his head.

However, the emperor's next words were like a bucket of ice water poured over one's head.

“But this cauldron cannot be cast out of thin air.” Zhu Youjian’s gaze turned deep and cold again. “You will be the one to help me smelt its body.”

Smelting.

As Zhang Weixian pondered these two words, the flame that had just ignited in his heart was quietly suppressed by a sense of foreboding.

He vaguely sensed that His Majesty's true intentions were about to surface.

The emperor and his minister walked from the map to a stone table in the imperial garden.

Wang Chengen appeared silently and left silently, leaving only two cups of steaming fragrant tea on the table.

The atmosphere shifted from its previous fervor and enthusiasm to a more somber, heartfelt tone.

Zhu Youjian picked up the teacup, gently blew on the floating tea leaves, but did not drink it.

"I have already given you the tripod," he said, breaking the silence. "But where is the bronze needed to cast it?"

Zhang Weixian's heart sank.

"My new army, the Divine Machine, the Soaring Cavalry, and the Heavenly Strategy, the three major battalions, are estimated to number around 100,000 at full strength. They are all elite troops, and the men need to be well-fed, the horses need to be fed the finest feed, the firearms need to be equipped with ammunition, and the armor needs to be made of the best iron. The monthly cost will be far more than ten million!"

Zhu Youjian raised his eyes and looked at Zhang Weixian.

"Where did this money come from?"

He paused, and before Zhang Weixian could answer, he answered his own question with a cold laugh in his voice.

"From my national treasury? Duke of Ying, you have been in charge of the Beijing Garrison for many years, you should know better than anyone that my national treasury has long been emptied by those pillars of the nation. Now it is nothing but an empty shell."

"And on the other side..." His gaze seemed to pierce through the palace walls, seeing the magnificent mansions of dukes and marquises in the capital, "the families of meritorious officials own vast tracts of land, their wealth rivaling that of a nation. Five or six out of ten of the best fields inside and outside the capital belong to the descendants of these meritorious officials. Am I right or wrong?"

Zhang Weixian's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Tuqiongdagger met.

His Majesty's true purpose has finally been revealed.

He thought of the arrogant and unreasonable faces of those nobles these days, and their ugly behavior of crying poverty while holding mountains of gold and silver. He couldn't defend himself, not even a single word.

Because everything His Majesty said is true!

Looking at Zhang Weixian's ashen face, Zhu Youjian knew that the time was almost right.

He put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and spoke slowly with an immense sense of pressure.

“Duke of England, have you ever considered that my Great Ming Dynasty is like a giant ship that has sailed on the sea for more than two hundred years? It was once incredibly glorious, riding the wind and waves. But now it is old and worn out, with cracks and wormholes all over its hull.”

“And you, the nobles of the Ming Dynasty,” his voice suddenly turned stern, “should have been the strongest keel and the most reliable shipwrights on this ship. But what are you doing now?”

"You've turned into a bunch of bookworms clinging to the ship's hull, frantically gnawing at the planks!"

silverfish!

These two words, like two giant hands, repeatedly slapped Zhang Weixian's face!
“You encroach on the fields like termites gnawing on the ship's planks; you protect your descendants, allowing them to occupy high positions and live incompetent lives, like termites blocking the waterway; you are extravagant and competitive, like termites exhausting the ship's last reserves of grain!”

"Let me ask you this," Zhu Youjian's voice rose an octave, filled with a deafening power, "what good will it do you cling to those mountains of gold and silver, those land deeds? You'll still drown with this ship!"

"Duke of England, I will ask you this question one more time today."

"Do you want to rely on the glory of your ancestors and work with me to repair this ship and set it on its way again?"

"Or do you want to cling to those rotten timber and farmland, waiting to be completely drowned by the raging flood?"

Zhang Weixian's body began to tremble violently.

His face was deathly pale, and cold sweat streamed down his aged face like a stream.

Zhang Weixian recalled the glorious achievements of his ancestors who fought alongside the emperor's forefathers to conquer this land.

He then thought of his colleagues and descendants today, their ugly faces filled with debauchery, cockfighting, dog racing, and jealousy.

A tremendous sense of shame and fear gripped him.

He knew the emperor was right.

The ship is really going to sink.

Seeing Zhang Weixian's expression, Zhu Youjian knew that the deterrent effect was sufficient.

Next, it's time to give them the dates.

"I'm giving you face, so you have to accept it."

"I will give you a way out, and you must take it."

"I hereby give you three days! I order all the nobles in the capital to voluntarily surrender their land! All the farmland, salt certificates, and shops that have been obtained through overstepping of regulations, encroachment, or plunder must be handed over to fund the establishment of the three new camps!"

"If anyone still doesn't know what's good for them three days from now..." He paused, his gaze drifting leisurely towards the outside of the palace, seemingly towards the direction of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Zhenfu Division, and added calmly, "I will send Tian Ergeng to have a good talk with them."

Tian Ergeng!
The name was like a death warrant, turning Zhang Weixian's face, which had just begun to recover, deathly pale again.

The blood in front of the Meridian Gate hasn't even dried yet!

He could almost imagine the bloodbath that would ensue if Tian Ergeng were to bring his pack of ruthless Imperial Guards to negotiate.

This is no longer coercion; this is a blatant ultimatum!

Just as Zhang Weixian felt his heart sink into an ice cave, thinking that the noble group was doomed, Zhu Youjian suddenly changed the subject.

"Of course, I am not an unreasonable person."

The emperor's tone softened, and the icy killing intent receded like a tide, as if he were comforting a frightened child, or as a chess player calmly setting up the next move after placing a fatal piece.

He winked at Wang Chengen, who was standing to the side.

Wang Chengen understood, bowed, and took out a dossier from an exquisite wooden box he carried with him. The dossier was wrapped in yellow silk and stamped with a vermilion top-secret seal.

Wang Chengen carefully presented the case file to Zhang Weixian.

"Duke of England, open it and take a look." Zhu Youjian's voice carried a mysterious smile, behind which lay the confidence of being in control of everything. "Look at what I have prepared for you... and for my Great Ming Dynasty, the key to the future."

Zhang Weixian took the heavy file with trembling hands.

He had a premonition that what was inside would completely overturn all the knowledge he had built up over the past few decades.

He slowly opened it, and the first thing that caught his eye was a few large characters that were both elegant and vigorous, yet exuded a fresh and sharp spirit: "The Long-Term Strategy of the Imperial Ming Dynasty's Industrial and Commercial Development Bureau (First Class A)".

The Industrial and Commercial Development Bureau? This was yet another government office he had never heard of before.

Long-term strategy?

He suppressed his doubts and continued reading.

This was not the ledger he had imagined, but rather a series of incredibly detailed... plans.

The first part of the file concerns the "Songjiang Prefecture Cotton Textile Industry Reform Plan".

The list above contained a series of unfamiliar terms: "standardized assembly line," "piece-rate wage system," "three-shift rotation"... He was completely baffled by each of these terms, as if he were reading a book written in a foreign language.

The drawings were extremely detailed, and the so-called new spinning machine was so complex in structure and ingenious in design that it was simply unheard of.

However, when his gaze followed the words and drawings and landed on the last few lines of deduction conclusions, his pupils suddenly contracted!
"...If this plan is implemented, a large workshop will be built in Songjiang, with 5,000 workers and 500 new looms. Operating in this way, after deducting labor, raw materials, losses and all foreseeable costs, the monthly net profit can be estimated at 38,000 taels of silver!"

The second part of the file concerns "Outline of Fujian's Opening of Sea Trade and Overseas Trade".

It provides a detailed analysis of the trade patterns of the Portuguese and French who were based at sea, their ship construction, the flow of their goods, and... their staggering profits.

"...With the formidable strength of our Ming Dynasty's Fujian ships, supplemented by the superior firepower of Western cannons, we will assemble a royal maritime trading fleet. Each ship will sail to and from Luzon and the East, exchanging silk, porcelain, spices, and silver. Based on the account books captured from the Japanese, and taking into account the risks, a single voyage can yield a net profit of around 40,000 taels of silver!"

Zhang Weixian's mind completely exploded.

He was stunned, as if struck by a silent lightning bolt from head to toe, almost dropping the file in his hand.

The monthly profit is 38,000 taels.

A single ship set sail and made a profit of 40,000 taels?
This... this is just empty talk? Or a pipe dream?
He instinctively wanted to refute, to scoff.

As someone who spent his entire life leading troops in battle, he couldn't stand such boastful and empty talk.

but……

He blinked hard, then brought the "Long-Term Strategy" closer to his eyes, reading it word by word and counting the zeros one by one. He instinctively tried to find flaws in it, to find evidence that it was just empty talk by literary figures.

However, it did not.

He wasn't just looking at the final, heart-stopping number; he was also looking at the meticulously logical and incredibly detailed deduction process that preceded it!

That's not just wishful thinking!
Then, his gaze fixed intently on several lines of small annotations written in red ink.

Regarding the profit estimate of "Songjiang Dafang", the annotation reads: "This estimate is based on the recent accounts of dozens of private small weaving workshops in Songjiang Prefecture, taking their average profit and then multiplying it by their scale. As it is a royal workshop, it has an absolute advantage in both raw material procurement and channel distribution. Therefore, this net profit estimate... is a conservative view."

A conservative view?!
Zhang Weixian's heart clenched painfully.

The profit outline for "ocean-going trade" is even more alarming: "The profit of this voyage is the result obtained by referring to Zheng Zhilong's merchant ship ledger and taking into account a 30% risk loss."

Zheng Zhilong!
When those three words came into view, Zhang Weixian's mind exploded with a "boom"!
If "Songjiang Weaving Workshop" was still just a vague concept to him, then the name "Zheng Zhilong" was all too familiar to him!

That was a maritime overlord that dominated the southeast and even the government troops were helpless against it!

His fleet was so wealthy that it was an open secret among the officials and the public!

Furthermore, this ledger also includes a 30% risk loss?!

He felt his blood freeze in that instant.

He, Zhang Weixian, Duke of Yingguo, held a hereditary title and owned tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, making him one of the wealthiest nobles in the Ming Dynasty.

However, after all his hard work and deducting various expenses, the annual rent and tax income from all the estates and shops under the name of the Duke of England was only a few hundred thousand taels of silver.

And in this blueprint, His Majesty has already made such a conservative profit for a workshop that is not yet built!
The profit from the losses of a ship that has not yet set sail is enough to support a fully-equipped garrison camp for a year!
At that moment, he understood everything.

He finally understood!

He and the nobles behind him were like a group of nouveau riche from the countryside, who were complacent and calculating about their meager harvests each year.

While they were still arguing heatedly over the ownership of a single acre of land, this young emperor had already stood high above the heavens, personally painting a truly magnificent and golden future for them and for the entire Ming Dynasty, a future built upon what the emperor called "commerce and industry," and maritime trade!
In recent days, he had heard countless nobles privately criticize the emperor with gritted teeth, saying that his establishment of imperial merchants was to compete with the people for profit; that his plan to open up the seas was to shake the foundation of the country; and that he was going to cut off everyone's livelihood.

Only now, looking at this top-secret "Long-Term Strategy," did Zhang Weixian suddenly realize the truth!

The emperor certainly didn't intend to cut off their path to survival!

They clearly thought they were walking too slowly and wanted to kick them off that muddy country road where they could only scrape by and barely make a living, and directly onto a broad road leading to the city of gold!
The emperor didn't want to kill them!
Instead, they are being forced to transform from a group of landowners with rigid mindsets who cling to their land into wealthy merchants and powerful officials who share the nation's prosperity and enjoy the benefits of this coming future!

Having figured all this out, Zhang Weixian felt a cold sweat running down his back.

He felt a wave of indescribable fear.

Almost.

Just a hair's breadth away, these short-sighted fools were about to cut off the only lifeline to the future that His Majesty had offered, because of their greed and ignorance!
Zhang Weixian's eyes were bloodshot, his breathing became extremely rapid, and his eyes were no longer filled with confusion, but with a flame of awe, fanaticism and excitement.

He knew that this was truly the last chance the emperor was giving them.

He suddenly realized another crucial point!
Why is Your Majesty going to such lengths to "persuade" them? Given the ruthless methods this young emperor has displayed since his ascension to the throne, he could easily—

A thought sent a shiver down his spine, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his inner shirt.

He got it!

The Jurchens of Liaodong! They are a sharp blade hanging over the throat of the Ming Dynasty!
The uprisings and rebellions that erupted everywhere! They were like festering sores on the body of the Ming Dynasty!

The civil service, a group that has always sought to check and balance imperial power, is an invisible yet ubiquitous network.

It's not that Your Majesty can't deal with them, but the current situation doesn't allow for further chaos in the capital region!
His Majesty needs these nobles—the oldest military pillars since the founding of the Ming Dynasty—to stabilize the capital region, to be the first cornerstone of his reforms, and the first hammer to smash the old order!
But this is by no means a sign of weakness!
Zhang Weixian knew better than anyone that His Majesty held far more and stronger cards in his hand than they had imagined!

The Eastern and Western Depots and the Embroidered Uniform Guard had long been completely controlled by this emperor. They were like three butcher knives hanging over the heads of all the officials in the capital, ready to fall at any moment!

Moreover... Sun Chengzong in Liaodong, Man Gui in Xuanda, and Sun Chuanting far away in Shaanxi!

Those were all powerful regional officials who commanded large armies, fought bloody battles, and were loyal only to the emperor!

Once His Majesty deems these nobles in the capital to be a real obstacle, a single secret decree is all it takes for these fierce and powerful troops to march to the aid of the Emperor!

No, no, no. These nobles who have already lost their fangs have absolutely no need for these three armies!

The emperor's patience is limited!

This well-intentioned advice was a temporary compromise based on external pressure, and it was the last bit of dignity given to this group of people who have received the country's favor for generations!
Zhang Weixian was certain that the emperor wouldn't wait forever!
Three days!

The Emperor's final deadline!
Three days later, if there are still those in the noble group who are stubborn and even attempt to collude with the opposition, then... the dark red bloodstains in front of the Meridian Gate that have not yet been washed away by the rain will be their best example!

Having figured out the crucial point between life and death, Zhang Weixian's last trace of hesitation and the slightest bit of pride belonging to the old noble family were instantly crushed and vanished!
"thump!"

Zhang Weixian knelt down again, this time not out of fear or excitement.

Rather, it is a profound enlightenment after a sudden awakening! It is a complete surrender to absolute foresight, absolute strength, and absolute courage!
He bowed to Zhu Youjian with a posture even more devout than when facing the ancestral tablets of the Duke of Ying's mansion!

"His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty... understands!"

"Your Majesty, I am willing to serve as your vanguard!"

　It's not past midnight yet, so today's update is still around 20,000 words.
　　Can I ask for your vote?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)