The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 114 Zhu Yuanzhang: You actually know you were wrong?!

He ignored the change in Lan Yu's expression.

Zhu Xiong Ying looked towards the palace ahead and said in a deep voice, "Your maternal uncle should know!"

"Grandpa Emperor has been furious for days because of the cases in Jiangxi and Fujian!"

"This matter is not simply about embezzlement; it has driven the people to revolt and shaken the very foundation of the nation!"

Lan Yu's expression was unnatural, and he said indignantly, "To be honest, Your Highness! I only learned of this matter after receiving the imperial decree!"

"That bastard Zhou Yi did such a thing behind my back; he deserves to be severely punished!"

Seeing this, how could Zhu Xiong Ying not see it?

His great-uncle still doesn't understand the root of the problem.

He was also fortunate to have met her.

Otherwise, if Old Zhu heard this, he would surely punish him even more severely!

After a moment's thought, Zhu Xiong Ying said, "Uncle, you should understand!"

"This Zhou Yi is your adopted son! Now he's caused such a mess. In my grandfather's eyes, it's because he was poorly disciplined, even arrogant and indulgent towards his subordinates!"

These words, spoken in quick succession, made the usually arrogant Lan Yu break out in a cold sweat.

How could he not understand the current emperor's temperament?

What I hate most is that he indulges his subordinates, oppresses good people, and does evil!

If he claims he was unaware of the situation, how can that be a valid excuse?

After all, Zhou Yi had been giving quite a few gifts in private during holidays and festivals!

The Imperial Guards have already arrested the person; with a little torture, they will find out the truth.

Upon noticing the sudden change in his uncle's expression, he clearly realized the gravity of the situation.

Zhu Xiong Ying kept the conversation brief, adding, "Since Uncle has been summoned by the Emperor, when you go inside, you absolutely mustn't try to explain or shirk responsibility, and most importantly, don't say a single good word for Zhou Yi!"

"It was today that Grandfather summoned you back, wanting to see your attitude—"

Lan Yu is not a fool.

He realized the key point and quickly bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I understand. Thank you for your guidance!"

A moment later, the Lan family's maternal uncle entered the palace gate.

Zhu Xiong Ying did not rush inside.

Knowing Old Zhu's temperament, he'll probably have to yell for a while before he feels better!

If he goes in now, he'll only cause more trouble!

When it's almost done.

He then went to find a way to save face for Old Zhu.

Inside the hall.

As soon as Lan Yu entered, he bowed deeply and said, "This guilty subject, Lan Yu, was summoned back to the capital overnight and has come to beg Your Majesty for forgiveness. I failed to properly supervise my subjects, causing a great disaster. I have failed Your Majesty's great favor and deserve to die!"

Just as Zhu Xiong Ying had predicted.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face instantly darkened.

His eyes were sharp as silver as he stared at the figure, stroking his beard and tapping his fingers lightly on the imperial desk, hesitating to let the figure rise.

In the extremely oppressive atmosphere, even in this June weather, the palace eunuchs shivered.

Several dozen breaths passed.

Old Zhu stood up, walked step by step to him, and sneered, "Hmph! So you know you're wrong!"

"We thought you, Marquis of Yongchang, were coming back to argue with us, relying on your achievements in pacifying Yunnan!"

"You think you can just brush this off with a simple 'lax discipline'? Do you think we'd agree to that?"

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang turned around, picked up the dossier, threw it on the ground, and scolded, "Open your eyes and see for yourself what your adopted sons have done!"

"He's corrupt and lawless, he's murderous and arsonous—if he's supposed to be your good son, Lan Yu, how can you control him?"

It turns out that in the past few days, while ordering a thorough investigation, Old Zhu focused on re-examining Lan Yu's network of relationships!

But then, even more unexpected discoveries were made!

Knowing the relationship between the Crown Prince and the Lan family.

Therefore, he did not explain some details to his eldest son Zhu Biao and his grandson Zhu Xiong Ying.

Left and right, this villain still needs to be played by him!

Lan Yu remained kneeling, took the file and glanced at it, nearly scared the soul out of her body!

Over the past ten years or so, many of the adopted sons I've taken in have become officials in various localities!

However, when all these actions were summarized, they were truly shocking.

He devoted most of his energy to military affairs, unknowingly sowing many hidden dangers.

That's what led to today's terrible consequences!

If we can't get over this hurdle...

Even with the Crown Prince as a backer, it's likely that he will find it difficult to achieve anything significant or advance further in the coming years!

Remembering the words of admonition from the eldest grandson of the emperor.

Lan Yu, being decisive by nature, repeatedly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"

"This is the fault of this wicked subject! This wicked subject cannot shirk the blame. I was in charge of training troops and deploying formations, and failed to detect in time the wolfish ambitions of Zhou Yi and his ilk! This allowed these beasts to commit such heinous and treacherous acts that harmed the country and its people!"

"Those involved here have committed heinous crimes and, according to the law, deserve to be executed by slow slicing. Your Majesty may decide their fate! As for the remaining crimes, they all lie with me. This guilty subject is willing to accept punishment without hesitation!"

Old Zhu was somewhat surprised after hearing this.

When did Lan Yu, with her stubborn temper, finally understand?

They even learned to admit their mistakes on their own initiative.

In this way, some words of criticism were kept stuck in their throats.

Zhu Yuanzhang, his face cold, said in a deep voice, "Very well, at least you don't protect your own!"

"We thought you were going to tell us that Zhou Yi and the others were your adopted sons, that they had risked their lives for you, and beg us to spare their lives!"

In fact, Lan Yu had this idea in mind, but after listening to the words of the eldest grandson of the emperor, she realized that she needed to make a choice.

Sometimes, however, one should interpret the words of the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty in reverse.

He lowered his eyes and said, "This sinful subject dares not!"

"Though I am a military officer, I understand the laws of the land and family rules, and I am well aware of Your Majesty's regulations!"

"As the saying goes, even a prince is subject to the same laws as a commoner, let alone the adopted son of a disgraced official!"

"He has harmed so many people, caused trouble for His Majesty, and shaken the foundation of our Great Ming Dynasty—"

"If this sinful subject were to plead for them, he would be letting down His Majesty and the Ming Dynasty!"

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's anger subsided somewhat, and he said, "Then do you know why we sent you to pacify Yunnan and train troops for the Northern Expedition?"

Lan Yu replied, "Your Majesty, this is a great favor from Your Majesty; Your Majesty has trusted this humble subject!"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not deny it, saying, "We trust you, but that doesn't mean you should take our trust and act recklessly, indulging your subordinates!"

"This is to ensure you safeguard the Ming Dynasty and become a pillar of the nation, just like your brother-in-law, the Prince of Kaiping!"

That statement truly came from the heart.

Lan Yu trembled, his heart churning with turmoil. Remembering the expectations of the eldest grandson of the emperor, he bowed deeply and said, "This sinful subject has failed Your Majesty and deserves to die!"

Zhu Yuanzhang ignored Lan Yu's changing expression and squinted, saying, "Do you know why we trust the Duke of Wei the most and often appoint him as the commander-in-chief of the three armies? Looking at the entire court, not a single civil or military official dares to object?"

"His bravery may not match that of the Prince of Kaiping, but his self-discipline makes him better able to manage his subordinates!"

"More importantly, when other military leaders govern, they first govern the hearts and minds of their subordinates! Look at you, you can't even control your adopted son, let alone your generals. How can you possibly grow into a great general?"

"We called you back not to hear your excuses, but to make you understand the seriousness of the matter and prevent you from going too far down the wrong path—"

Lan Yu lay prostrate on the ground, drenched in sweat, without raising his head, and replied, "Your Majesty is right!"

7

"This humble subject used to think that as long as the soldiers were well-trained and the battles were won, that was enough to serve Your Majesty! Only today have I come to understand the principle that to govern an army, one must first govern its people; to manage soldiers, one must first manage their hearts."