The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 155 Zhu Biao: Our eldest son is extraordinary!!

Inside the Kunning Palace.

To everyone's surprise, Empress Ma shook her head upon hearing her husband's words and said, "I'm not worried about Xiong Ying!"

"Just thinking about this child, so young yet so intelligent and sensible, traveling thousands of miles for the sake of the country, breaks my heart!"

"Let's not talk about this anymore! The court cannot neglect the wounded and injured soldiers; Chongba, you must remember to provide them with proper compensation!"

"After all, they were all born of parents, and they shed their blood for our Great Ming Dynasty—"

Seeing his wife turn to look at him with compassion in her eyes, Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "Even if my sister doesn't say it, I know!"

"And according to the report Guosheng sent from Tongzhou, even our eldest grandson had already given instructions!"

"As for the specifics of compensation, anyone who dares to tamper with things will be skinned alive!"

Zhu De had long ago established a comprehensive system of compensation for the families of fallen soldiers.

Once any acts of favoritism or fraud such as withholding, misappropriation, or embezzlement are discovered, the corrupt official will be executed, and the rest will be implicated!

Empress Ma had no doubt about her husband's methods.

She put down her needlework, picked up the teapot, poured herself another cup of tea, and pondered, "How does Chongba plan to reward those who have made contributions in this battle?"

Zhu Yuanzhang, still stroking his beard, glanced at his wife and said with a serious expression, "Since you've brought this up, there's something strange!"

""

Empress Ma was taken aback, and looked up, asking, "What strange thing is Chongba talking about?"

Zhu Yuanzhang leaned back and replied, "In addition to sending a detailed military report, Guosheng also submitted a memorial requesting credit for his service!"

"The memorial states that the great victory at Qingzhou was entirely due to our Grandson's brilliant strategy, his strong recommendation of Lan Yu as general despite opposition, and his role in maintaining morale in the rear! He was merely acting on orders and reaping the benefits without lifting a finger; the primary credit belongs to our Grandson!"

"Lan Yu fought bravely against the enemy, leading from the front, and should be credited secondarily—throughout this entire passage, Guo Sheng barely mentions any of his own merits!"

"Little sister, it's not surprising, is it? That old rascal Guosheng always tries to claim all the credit for himself after winning battles, but this time, he's pushing all the credit onto our eldest grandson!"

After listening, Empress Ma smiled and shook her head, patted her husband's arm, and said, "Chongba, you've been emperor for so many years, how come you can't even see this much when you're in the thick of it?"

"Guosheng's actions are hardly an attempt to relinquish credit; he is clearly demonstrating his loyalty and avoiding any appearance of impropriety!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression shifted, and he subconsciously said, "What my sister means is—"

A glint of wisdom flashed in Empress Ma's eyes, and with a touch of emotion, she slowly said, "Chongba should know that Guosheng is a founding veteran who fought alongside you his entire life. What storms hasn't he weathered?"

"The Hu Weiyong case was only a few years ago, and Li Shanchang was executed last year—he knew very well that as the commander-in-chief of this Northern Expedition, with hundreds of thousands of troops under his command, he was bound to attract gossip!"

"If you take all the credit for the first battle, aren't you worried that Chongba might have some doubts?"

Empress Ma continued, without pausing, "Moreover, what is Xiong Ying's status?"

"That's our royal eldest grandson! Guosheng deliberately gave the credit to Xiong Ying, firstly to give you and Biao'er face, and secondly to show that he has the emperor and the crown prince in his heart!"

"Secondly, it shows you that he is not arrogant about his achievements, nor does he have any intention of using his military power for personal gain! He knows his place and will certainly not overstep his bounds!"

Zhu Yuanzhang listened.

How could I not have noticed?

The wife openly analyzed the situation, but subtly offered advice.

He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and sighed, "What my sister said makes perfect sense!"

"I never thought that old bastard Guosheng, who's fought wars his whole life, would start using his brain and scheming like this!"

"Hmph, as for me, I always stick to the issue, not the person—"

When he said this, Old Zhu had a sullen face, clearly lacking confidence.

Empress Ma didn't expose him, but simply said, "As for matters of state, Chongba knows what's going on! I won't say any more!"

"And Xiong Ying, this child, is intelligent and kind-hearted. This trip to Beiping to train and pacify the army will allow him to learn a lot in practice."

"Just the other day, when Biao'er came to pay his respects, he mentioned Xiong Ying, which shows that as a father, he misses him dearly!"

When the topic turned to his eldest son, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "Don't worry, sister! We informed Biao'er about the battle in Qingzhou, including what our eldest grandson did, as soon as we received the report!"

"He, as the father, was overjoyed!"

"When this Northern Expedition ends, my eldest grandson will be fifteen or sixteen years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning). After returning to the capital, we plan to issue an edict to appoint him as the Crown Prince, so that he can legitimately go out to supervise the army and share the burden with us and Biao'er!"

Upon hearing this, Empress Ma hurriedly said, "Xiong Ying is still young! Chong Ba has tasted the benefits now, and seeing how prudent his actions are, he's going to push things outwards again!"

"In my opinion, after this battle is over, we should recall him to the capital and give him a proper rest!"

Seeing his wife's affection for their eldest grandson, Zhu Yuanzhang felt the same way deep down.

He stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll do as you say, sister!"

That same night, in the Eastern Palace.

Zhu Biao was in a good mood. After returning to his palace early, he inquired about the studies of his second son, Zhu Yunwen, and third son, Zhu Yunwen.

After dismissing the children, Crown Princess Lü, noticing her husband's expression, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Your Highness, has something joyous happened? Why don't you tell me?"

Zhu Biao pulled his wife to sit beside him on the couch and laughed, "You have no idea, our Ming army won a great victory at Qingzhou!"

"In this battle, my uncle led several thousand light cavalry in a surprise attack through the snow! He beheaded Guo Lai, a general under Nahachu, and burned more than 200,000 shi of grain belonging to the Yuan rebels—"

"And according to Uncle Feng's report, Xiong Ying also played a significant role in this!"

Lady Lü understood.

The uncle mentioned by the Crown Prince is none other than Marquis of Yongchang, Lan Yu!

Upon hearing the name of the eldest grandson, her expression shifted, and she promptly feigned delight, forcing a smile as she quickly added, "The eldest grandson is only fourteen years old, yet he can already strategize on the front lines; he will surely be extraordinary in the future!"

Zhu Biao exclaimed, "That's exactly right!"

"Xiongying was raised by his father and mother from a young age. He is exceptionally intelligent, possesses a photographic memory, and is proficient in horsemanship, archery, military strategy, and many other skills!"

"Before he went to Beiping this time, we were worried that he wouldn't be able to endure the hardships in the army! Unexpectedly, Xiong Ying not only adapted well, eating and living with the soldiers and staying in the military camp all day, but also saw the opportunity in the Qingzhou battle, thought the same as Father Emperor, and strongly recommended his uncle to be a general!"

"Furthermore, my uncle is indeed a valiant general, leading his troops hundreds of miles deep into enemy territory, achieving a victory with fewer troops and suffering almost no casualties."

""

"With my uncle, my cousin, Uncle Feng, and my fourth brother here, how can we not be victorious in the Northern Expedition? How can we not secure the northern border?"

Hearing this, Lady Lü nodded, seemingly distracted. She quickly poured her husband a cup of hot tea and said, "The eldest grandson of the Emperor is indeed remarkable; after all, he is His Highness's child!"

"And the Marquis of Yongchang's martial prowess is rarely matched in the court! He will surely grow into a peerless general like the Prince of Kaiping!"