The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 140 Zhu Yuanzhang: My nephew is too good at fighting!

In fact, Chang Mao had long looked down on Feng Sheng!

Not only because his father-in-law was less capable than his father, Chang Yuchun!

Furthermore, he was the Duke of Zheng, the brother-in-law of the Crown Prince, and the most beloved cousin of the Emperor and Empress.

Furthermore, in terms of rank and status, Feng Sheng is inferior to him!

In this world, there are very few people who can command Chang Mao's respect!

In addition, Feng Sheng, as an elder, is conservative and long-winded, and usually meddles in other people's business, which makes him very unlikable!

Therefore, the gap between father-in-law and son-in-law naturally widened!

Inside the Duke's study, he saw that his elder brother's expression was unpleasant.

Chang Sen realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly shut up.

That same night, inside the Kunning Palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, and Zhu Xiong Ying, the three generations of the family, sat at the table.

Old Zhu had long since taken off his court robes and changed into a black everyday robe with gold dragon patterns.

He took the ginger soup his wife offered, took a sip, then turned his gaze to his eldest grandson. He then began discussing the departure arrangements, giving special instructions: "Our eldest grandson should know that it's still the first month of the lunar calendar, and the north is cold, unlike in Yingtian Prefecture. He must keep warm on the journey—"

Zhu Xiong Ying bowed and replied, "Grandson understands! Grandmother has already arranged for cotton-padded clothes to be prepared for me, so I won't get cold!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a palace maid entered, carrying a plate containing steaming hot jujube paste cakes.

It was an hour ago that she learned her grandson was hungry.

Empress Ma hurriedly instructed the imperial kitchen to prepare the food.

Pushing the food towards her eldest grandson, Empress Ma glanced at her husband and said with a smile, "Xiongying, try it while it's hot. I know you like it, so your grandmother even had them pack a box for you to eat on the road!"

"Besides, just as your imperial grandfather instructed these past few days, this journey north is not like returning home to pay respects to your ancestors. As the eldest grandson of the Ming Dynasty's emperor, and representing the royal family on the front lines, you are the backbone of hundreds of thousands of troops!"

"You don't need to do much in anything, just remember to listen! Also, your great-uncle Lan Yu and your uncle Chang Mao, some are impatient, some are arrogant. You need to advise them more and not let them do whatever they want!"

"Even your Grandpa Feng sometimes makes mistakes—"

Empress Ma was always very accurate in judging people.

Moreover, she is thoughtful and considers things more thoroughly than her husband.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression turned serious, and he replied, "Your grandmother is right; this is also the main reason why we sent our eldest grandson to join the army!"

"Like your Grandpa Feng, although cautious, he is sometimes too greedy! Your great-uncle is brave, but he is also impatient and easily provoked, prone to impulsive actions—if no one is watching him, he is very likely to cause trouble and ruin important matters!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying couldn't help but express his admiration.

His grandfather, Zhu Yuanzhang, truly deserves to be called one of the greatest emperors of all time!

His grandmother, Ma Xiuying, truly deserves to be called a wise and virtuous empress throughout the ages!

To be able to sit in this position, one must have a truly far-sighted vision!

Many signs had already been anticipated.

Unfortunately, once the war started, the two elders were far away in the capital and could not help with the affairs of the front lines.

His eldest grandson should share the burden and avoid the mistakes made in history.

This is one of the reasons why he volunteered to join the army this time.

Zhu Xiong Ying put down the sweet cake and replied, "Grandpa and Grandmother, rest assured, your grandson understands!"

"Once we get to the front lines, I will listen more and do less, keep my uncles in check, and keep a close eye on Grandpa Feng—to ensure the war on the front lines progresses smoothly!"

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to the side, stared into his beloved grandson's eyes, and laughed loudly, "We trust our grandson's ability to handle people and affairs!"

"By the way, before the Lunar New Year, your father told us that your eldest grandson selected nearly fifty medical students from Zhongshan Academy, mostly from the accelerated program, to go to the front lines. Are they going to be assigned to the army?"

"They also ordered the Imperial Medical Academy to prepare wound medicine, bandages, and newly made high-proof liquor—"

Zhu Xiong Ying quickly agreed and explained her various considerations.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his wife with approval and smiled, saying, "My dear sister, look how much our grandson can think of! He's far superior to Lan Yu and his gang of reckless brutes who only know how to shout and fight!"

"In war, it's not just about swords and spears, but also about human lives! Every soldier less killed increases our chances of victory!"

"In this regard, we are very grateful to our great-grandson for his thorough planning, establishing the university early on, and further subdividing it into accelerated medical studies—"

After praising it, Zhu Yuanzhang added, "Furthermore, I have issued an order to the Ordnance Bureau! That batch of newly manufactured fire-resistant crossbows will be supplied to the front lines first! It's time to test the power of our new weapons, which were commissioned by our Grandson, on the battlefield!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying felt reassured.

He was worried about the efficiency of the Ordnance Bureau and whether the new firearms and crossbows could be deployed on the battlefield as soon as possible.

Little did they know that Old Zhu had already made arrangements!

Zhu Xiong Ying quickly flattered him, bowing and saying, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"With our Imperial Grandfather in the capital, strategizing and planning! With capable generals like Grandfather Feng and Uncle Lan leading the troops! And with tens of thousands of fearless and patriotic Ming men charging into battle! The Ming Dynasty will surely win this battle!"

Once a word is spoken, it is done.

Old Zhu's vanity was satisfied, and he burst into laughter!

Taking this opportunity, Zhu Xiong Ying, leaning against Empress Ma, turned to his grandfather and asked, "Grandfather! Uncle Li is a skilled and courageous general. Since he has been transferred to the front lines, why wasn't he allowed to participate in the battle directly like my maternal uncle?"

His uncle, Li Wenzhong, was not only skilled in both literature and military strategy, but also had extensive experience fighting enemies as a strict father on the grasslands. It would be a pity if he didn't directly participate in the war!

Regarding Lao Zhu's decision.

Zhu Xiong Ying had some guesses, but wasn't sure.

Before leaving Beijing, I must get to the bottom of this.

Upon hearing about his eldest grandson, he mentioned his good nephew.

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze was complex. He glanced involuntarily at his wife, stroked his beard, and said, "Of course we know about your Uncle Li's abilities!"

"But some things can't be judged by appearances alone."

That being said, his nephew is so powerful and has such a high reputation!

To consolidate imperial power.

Under this core contradiction, he could not serve as the chief general of the Northern Expedition!

As for other considerations, they are secondary!

But since the eldest grandson is young, he cannot explain these thoughts to the public; he must figure them out himself!

Among all officials and common people, Empress Ma understood Zhu Yuanzhang's intentions the best.

She took over the conversation, not saying it explicitly, but speaking softly, "Your imperial grandfather did this to give the younger generation a chance!"

"Many of the generals in this Northern Expedition are in their prime, but if they are always suppressed by your Uncle Li and other older generation, they will never become generals who can stand alone!"

"We can't expect the court to rely on old generals for leadership for decades to come, can we? That would create a talent gap and be detrimental to the nation!"

Zhu Xiong Ying did not refute this after hearing it.

After all, although his grandmother's words were not the main point, they were still to the point.

Take the Lan Yu case from the late Hongwu period as an example.

If it weren't for the fact that Zhu Yuanzhang killed too many capable ministers and fierce generals.

This has led to a talent gap.

This will also prevent a repeat of the embarrassing situation during the Jingnan Campaign where Emperor Jianwen had no generals to command!