Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

Chapter 76 Tie Xuan coughs up blood; all crows under heaven are black!

"Therefore, the provincial administration sat idly by and watched us being slaughtered by the Huai-Xi faction."

"We stand idly by while the people are bullied and the nobles seize our fertile land."

Tie Xuan asked three questions in a row, his resentment reaching its peak at that moment.

"These are the three questions I have for you."

Yao Guangxiao continued, "Do you want to see His Majesty, or pay homage to His Highness the Crown Prince, or seek revenge?"

"How about an audience with His Majesty?"

Tie Xuan gritted his teeth and squeezed out a line of words.

"If I were to have an audience with His Majesty."

"Then the court and the public will surely know that the Huaixi faction will rise up to attack."

Even His Highness the Prince of Yan was so annoyed by this power struggle that he fled to the northern desert.

"His Majesty is an unparalleled emperor, but he is also human; he is nostalgic."

Hehehe!

Tie Xuan gritted his teeth, understanding the meaning behind those words.

Zhu Yuanzhang, like Zhu Yuanzhang, came from Huaixi. Even if he punished Xun Gui for this, he could not retaliate in kind.

In the end, all these honored officials received were mild reprimands, and their colleagues and the people of Fengyang died in vain.

"What should be done about paying homage to the Crown Prince?"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Yao Guangxiao began by saying, "He is benevolent, steady, and his great virtue is renowned throughout the land."

"Naturally, I would be angry for the common people."

"However, the Crown Princess comes from a noble family in Huaixi, and the Chang and Lan families are also major households in Henan that have seized land."

"He is only the crown prince, not the emperor yet."

"Clatter!"

Upon hearing this, Tie Xuan staggered back several steps, his face turning pale.

Yes, the Crown Prince is only the heir apparent, and the Crown Princess's maternal family is involved. His Majesty is considerate of the meritorious officials who helped him rise to power, so how can he be so ruthless in dealing with the nobles?

"puff!

'

Thinking of this, Tie Xuan felt that revenge was hopeless, and his chest was filled with resentment and anger, so he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"If you want revenge, there's only one way."

"This road is full of thorns; a slight misstep and you'll be smashed to pieces."

Are you scared?

'

Yao Guangxiao stared at Tie Xuan and said, word by word.

"hehe."

Tie Xuan, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, revealed a ferocious grin: "Master."

"I've been given a second chance at life, what do I have to be afraid of? At worst, I'll just die."

"Um."

Yao Guangxiao said coldly, "Right now, the conflict between His Highness the Prince of Yan and the nobles of Huaixi is out in the open."

"His Highness Prince Yan is aware of this matter and intends to disclose it at the grand court assembly at the beginning of the year."

"At that time, the government and the public were shocked, and the world was horrified."

"If you, Tie Dingshi, become the target of everyone's criticism, a thorn in the side of countless people."

"This humble monk doesn't have much to teach you, just a little."

"In a world where morality and social order have collapsed, the only way to stop killing is to fight killing with killing, to give an eye for an eye, and to give blood for blood."

"Thank you, Master."

Tie Xuan bowed deeply, taking those words to heart.

Immediately, Yao Guangxiao stroked his beard, his eyes darting around, and walked out of the side room. Zhu Di's subordinates were mostly soldiers, known for their bold and decisive actions. Tie Xuan was quite intelligent and had experienced so much. By joining Zhu Di's forces, he would surely be able to help Zhu Di establish his own government and provide assistance.

The night was alluring, but the main hall of the Henan Provincial Government was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

.

Music from traditional Chinese string and wind instruments filled the hall, and a dozen or so dancers gracefully moved about, their voluptuous curves appearing and disappearing in the air.

Your Highness.

,

We, your humble servants, offer you a toast.

Xu Xiuchuan and Wang Bing, the Left and Right Chancellors of Henan, stood up together and raised their glasses in a toast.

"Your Highness."

A group of officials echoed this sentiment and eagerly followed suit.

"Come."

Zhu Di took the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

"Your Highness is so generous!"

Seeing this, Xu Xiuchuan, Wang Bing and the others showed tenderness in their eyes and drank the wine in their cups.

On the contrary, Li Jinglong, the heir of the Duke's mansion, was temporarily ignored by everyone, who were enjoying their meal to themselves.

"Kaifeng was the place where Wang Baobao, the Prince of Qi of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, was stationed, and where Chahan Temur, the Prince of Yingchuan of the Former Yuan Dynasty, established his government and resided."

"Kokko has told me countless times about every blade of grass, every tree, and every little detail here."

"I heard that this government office was once the palace of Chaghan Temur."

Zhu Di put down his wine cup and said casually.

"Your Highness is absolutely right."

Xu Xiuchuan said with a smile, "Both the Former Jin and the Former Song dynasties used Kaifeng as their capital. Under the rule of the Former Yuan dynasty, it was an important town in the Central Plains."

"Thanks to His Majesty's mighty power, in March of the first year of Hongwu (1368), the Duke of Wei led a large army to recapture Kaifeng."

"I know."

Zhu Di picked up the conversation and began to chat casually: "At that time, Father Emperor even issued an edict establishing Kaifeng Prefecture as Beijing, alongside Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture and Zhongdu Fengyang, forming a pattern of 'two capitals and one capital.' Father Emperor even considered traveling back and forth between the two places in spring and autumn to inspect them."

"However, Kaifeng is located in the heart of the Central Plains, with no natural defenses, surrounded by enemies on all sides, and the Yellow River has been breaching its banks and flooding for years."

"Since the Jin and Yuan dynasties, the city has suffered repeated wars, resulting in a sharp decline in population, the collapse of city walls, and the decay of buildings."

"That's why they abandoned the idea of ​​moving the capital to Kaifeng and abolished Beijing."

"Now, Kaifeng is thriving under your management. I will certainly report this to my father after I return to the capital."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

All the Henan officials wore smiles.

"I wonder what the population of Kaifeng is now?"

'

Zhu Di's sudden question made the officials present look embarrassed.

Wang Bing, the Right Chancellor of Henan, stood up and said, "To be honest, Your Highness, in the first year of Hongwu, when our Great Ming Dynasty recovered Kaifeng, the population of Kaifeng was only a few thousand. All industries were in ruins, and the common people were starving and unable to even cover their bodies. Now, the population has barely recovered to more than 200,000, which is far less than that of the former Song Dynasty."

During the Northern Song Dynasty, Kaifeng was known as Bianliang, the capital of the Eastern Capital, with a population of over one million, making it one of the wealthiest cities in the world.

"That's already pretty good."

"After I return to the capital, I will request my father to grant an imperial decree to exempt Henan from taxes and provisions as appropriate."

"Your contributions will never be forgotten."

He nodded slightly, his expression remaining calm and indifferent, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

The officials present couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards the young prince.

Xu Xiuchuan and Wang Bing, the left and right chief ministers of Henan, frequently urged everyone to drink, and the group exchanged toasts and had a great time.

"General Cao Zhen, Commander of the Imperial Guard, and Tu Jie, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, have arrived!"

'

A loud shout from outside interrupted the banquet, and two figures walked into the hall side by side.

"Stop everything."

Tu Jie glanced around and said expressionlessly.

"stop!"

Xu Xiuchuan raised his hand, and all the singing and dancing stopped, with the dancers retreating one after another.

Tu Jie strode forward, shook out a silver note in his hand, and displayed it to everyone.

"Lord Tu."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Even if you want to present a gift to His Highness, you shouldn't do it at this time."

Xu Xiuchuan frowned, his face showing dissatisfaction. He had never seen anyone so incompetent.

"You've misunderstood, sir."

"This is not a gift I am presenting to His Highness the Prince of Yan; it is merely my payment for my meal."

Tu Jie had an upright and incorruptible appearance.

"What does Lord Tu mean by this?"

"Wang Bing couldn't sit still any longer and questioned loudly."

Immediately, the Henan officials present all sensed that Tu Jie's visit was ill-intentioned, and they all frowned.