Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

"Monk."

Zhu Di squinted and looked Yao Guangxiao up and down.

"Your Highness, Prince Yan."

Yao Guangxiao's long-closed heart was opened by the young man before him, as if a ripple had appeared in the calm, the stirring of ambition.

"With your intelligence, it shouldn't be difficult for you to guess the purpose of my visit to Kaifeng."

"Bring out any ideas you have. If they satisfy me, the chief monk of the Prince of Yan's residence will be yours."

Zhu Di waved his hand and made a promise.

The chief monk was a unique monastic official in the Ming Dynasty. Both the emperor and princes had one, who was in charge of sacrifices, chanting scriptures and praying for blessings. These people were chosen to walk between the secular world and the Buddhist monastic community, and their status was extremely high and extraordinary.

"This humble monk is generous with his advice."

Yao Guangxiao clasped his hands together and said, "I wonder if Your Highness has ever heard a saying?"

"Speaking of Fengyang, talking about Fengyang, Fengyang was originally a good place, but since the Zhu Emperor came, nine out of ten years have been barren. The rich sell their mules and horses, the poor sell their sons, but I have no son to sell, so I carry my flower drum and travel to all corners of the world."

Boom!

In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire room became exceptionally somber.

Everyone knows that Fengyang is the birthplace of the Zhu family, the imperial family of the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Yuanzhang valued this point when he built Zhongdu (the capital city).

These few folk sayings are anything but simple. If they reached Zhu Yuanzhang's ears, they might have stirred up a bloody storm.

"continue."

Zhu Di's expression remained unchanged.

"His Majesty intends to use the momentum of Your Highness's great victory to balance the growing Huaixi faction in the court."

"Among the literati of eastern Zhejiang, only Liu Bowen remains, unable to stand alone and no longer able to become an obstacle to western Huai."

"At present, besides Your Highness, there is no one in the Ming Dynasty suitable to be this pawn."

"Your Highness is caught in this predicament. The only way to break free is to fight for survival."

Yao Guangxiao's words had a tempting quality that made people eager to try them out.

"Oh?"

"To seek survival amidst death, that's interesting."

Zhu Di stroked his chin and said with amusement.

"This humble monk has recently taken on a new disciple, who can serve as a fulcrum for Your Highness to influence the situation."

"Would Your Highness be willing to see me?"

Yao Guangxiao suddenly kept everyone in suspense.

"Yes, I will certainly see him."

Zhu Di smiled, the meaning in his eyes intriguing.

"This humble monk will go and bring him here immediately."

Yao Guangxiao clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and left the room, disappearing into the night.

................

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Zhu Di's residence was greeted by an uninvited guest.

"Your Highness."

Yao Guangxiao brought along a young, unfamiliar novice monk.

The young novice monk had a lean and refined face, with bright and piercing eyes. He was upright and had the demeanor of a scholar, yet possessed an unyielding spirit.

"Is this the 'surprise' you wanted to give me?"

Zhu Di scrutinized the young novice monk, his eyes filled with suspicion.

"Are you His Highness the Prince of Yan?"

The young novice was not timid at all and stepped forward confidently to ask.

"I believe no one in the world would dare to circumvent my golden decree, not even Your Majesty."

Zhu Di casually tossed out a golden token with the inscription: "Command of the Prince of Yan" in seal script. This was a token he had commissioned skilled craftsmen to create in the northern desert.

"Clatter!"

The young novice monk carefully held the golden token, examined it closely, then presented it with both hands and bowed respectfully: "Student Tie Xuan greets Your Highness, Prince Yan."

"Cheol-hyun?!"

Zhu Di was stunned; the familiar yet unfamiliar name awakened his memories.

Tie Xuan, courtesy name Dingshi, was a native of Deng (present-day Dengzhou, Henan Province). He was a descendant of the Semu people of the Yuan Dynasty. During the Hongwu era, he was appointed as a censor in the Ministry of Rites by the Imperial Academy. He served as the Shandong Provincial Administration Commissioner and Minister of War. During the Jingnan Campaign, he not only refused to surrender to Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, but also rallied the defeated troops to defend Jinan and repelled the Yan army several times. Zhu Di ordered him to be executed by dismemberment at the age of 37. Later generations respected his loyalty and unyielding spirit and built Tie Gong Temples in various places to commemorate him.

He never expected that his nemesis would appear here; it was truly unbelievable!

"Tell His Highness Prince Yan everything you have heard and seen, without omitting a single word."

Yao Guangxiao reminded Tie Xuan, his words sharp and cold.

"Yes."

Tie Xuan gave him a deep look, then quickly reported to Zhu Di: "Your Highness."

"A year ago, I and a group of colleagues were ordered to go to Huaixi and Henan to investigate. What we saw and heard was shocking."

"In the third year of Hongwu's reign, His Majesty bestowed titles upon meritorious officials, granting them the ranks of duke, marquis, and earl, with each official receiving a fixed amount of land as a reward."

"However, what I have personally witnessed in Fengyang and Huaixi is that dukes and marquises indulge their family members and servants, relying on their power to interfere with the law and seize fertile land."

"This has become commonplace; how appalling!"

"They seized farmland from the people and made it their private property, treating the people like slaves."

"Those who have the slightest dissatisfaction will be whipped at best, and their families will be destroyed or they will be killed at worst."

At this, Cheol-hyun's eyes turned red, as if he were recalling those horrific images.

"continue."

Zhu Di waved his hand, indicating.

"His Majesty once issued a clear edict: ordering local officials to select elderly people of good character and ability from among the common people to serve as village elders."

"Whenever an official acts lawlessly, the village elders are allowed to lead the villagers to the prefecture, province, or capital to report him."

"For years, the elders of Fengyang and Huaixi have repeatedly gone to the prefecture and province to appeal, but the mansions of various dukes and marquises have sent their servants to block the road and kill them. Countless people have died on the road."

"The students and several peers could not bear to see the people suffer like this, so they agreed to go to the capital to appeal. The local government officials falsely accused us of being Yuan soldiers spies and arrested and killed us one by one. Their methods were cruel and ruthless, beyond description."

"Left with no other choice, the students could only disguise themselves as novice monks in an attempt to deceive others and escape this calamity."

"However, wanted posters had already been posted on the streets and alleys, and arrest warrants had been issued to all prefectures and counties."

As Tie Xuan spoke, he became agitated, his eyes filled with resentment and murderous intent.

Leng Shui's patriotic heart was betrayed by the collusion between the nobility and local officials, who colluded to cover up their despicable acts. This is something that cannot be ignored!

"Smack!!!"

Zhu Di slammed his palm on the table, unleashing an invisible surge of internal energy.

In an instant, the old elm wood table shattered into pieces, revealing his burning anger.

Emperor Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang) granted the people face in many policies, but various oversights occurred during the implementation of these policies in the Ming Dynasty, leading to criticism and slander from later generations. The source of this criticism may well be starting now.

"Splash!"

Tie Xuan stood up and solemnly took out a white silk scroll from his pocket. It was covered with dense bloody fingerprints. It was a letter to the people.

"This is a petition signed and sealed by the student, several peers, and local residents and elders of Fengyang."

"Most of the people above have now died violent deaths."

"Your Highness, please give the people of Fengyang justice!"

Tie Xuan suddenly knelt down on the ground, kowtowed heavily, weeping blood and wailing, his heart breaking.

This scene deeply moved Zhu Di and Yao Guangxiao.