Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

Chapter 87 The First Iron-Headed Kid of the Ming Dynasty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard Who Appeared Ahead of Schedule

"You little brat!"

"you....

Zhu Yuanzhang almost couldn't help but curse out loud.

The fact that the Princess Consort of the Prince of Qin is actually the head of the Northern Yuan's spies is bound to cause a great deal of discussion once this gets out.

But now that Zhu Di has brought this matter to his attention, what should he do? He can't arrest him, and he can't kill him either.

"I'm telling you, old man."

"You're supposed to be the emperor, yet you keep calling me 'little brat,' isn't that inappropriate?"

Zhu Di hurried through the narrow passage.

"What did Wang Baobao say?"

Zhu Yuanzhang wasn't in the mood for arguing with him, so he asked directly.

"My father-in-law didn't say anything."

"After all, she's his own sister. It wouldn't be right for you to kill her with one blow."

"You know it's not a good idea?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was furious at his smirking face.

"It's not a big deal on my second brother's side."

"He never really liked this Mongolian wife."

"The concubine of the Prince of Qin, Lady Deng, is the daughter of Deng Yu. It is not disgraceful for the Prince of Qin's family to become his principal wife."

"Moreover, Duke Deng Yu of Wei is a man of simple, cautious and meticulous character, possessing both wisdom and courage, and has never liked forming cliques or engaging in private activities."

"At the beginning of the year, he was appointed as the General Who Conquers the South, and together with his deputy generals Zhou Dexing and Wu Liang, he led troops to quell the rebellions of various barbarian tribes in Hunan, Guangxi and other places."

"It is said that he personally led Yang Jing and Huang Bin out of Lizhou (present-day Lixian County, Hunan Province) to suppress the rebellion of the Miao people in the Forty-Eight Caves."

"With such a great achievement, what reward do you intend to give him?"

Zhu Di spread his hands and said with a smile.

"You make it sound so easy, you little brat."

"That's the King of Qin's principal wife, not some nobody. How are we going to explain this to the public?"

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Zhu Di with his large, bronze-gong-like eyes, his face full of hostility.

Zhu Di picked up the conversation casually, saying, "How do you explain it? It's just one sentence: Princess Qin suddenly fell seriously ill and died."

"Since you've already come up with the idea, I'll leave this matter to you. Let's call the second son over and tell him not to cause any trouble."

With a wave of his hand, Zhu Yuanzhang dismissed the guest, passing the hot potato to Zhu Di.

"Alright!"

Zhu Di turned and left without looking back, which was within his expectations.

Old Zhu handed Wang Yuemin over to him, which meant he wouldn't interfere. As long as Wang Yuemin didn't appear in public, he naturally wouldn't say anything.

"You little rascal, you run fast."

"Guards, summon the King of Qin to the palace for an audience."

Zhu Yuanzhang watched Zhu Di's departing figure and gave instructions to the eunuchs.

"Yes."

The eunuch hurriedly went to deliver the imperial decree.

At this moment, inside the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Zhu Biao flew into a rage, pointing his finger at Lan Yu and shouting, "You brute! You brute! This child is beyond redemption!"

"Your Highness, please calm down."

Duke Chang Mao of Zheng, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.

"Were the Lan and Chang families involved in the illegal activities in Huaixi?"

Zhu Biao's eyes turned cold as he questioned Lan Yu and Chang Mao.

"Brother-in-law."

"Neither my uncle nor we dare to do these things."

Chang Mao quickly explained.

Over the years, the imperial court has bestowed countless rewards upon the Chang family. The entire Chang family has benefited from Chang Yuchun's legacy and has not, like other nobles, engaged in rampant land grabbing and wrongdoing in their ancestral home in Huaixi.

Although Lan Yu had many adopted sons, he did not grant them titles, and his actions were not as unrestrained as those of later generations; he was merely somewhat domineering.

"Your Highness."

"I will not surrender!"

Lan Yu, with her neck stiff and a stubborn expression, said, "He, the Prince of Yan, a mere prince, interfered in local military and political affairs and went to Henan without authorization."

"Isn't he completely innocent?"

"You're not convinced? Who do you think you are? You're not convinced?"

Zhu Biao was instantly enraged and waved his sleeves: "Come on, take him away and give him fifty lashes."

"Yes."

A group of imperial guards rushed into the hall, grabbed Lan Yu's arms, dragged him out of the hall, pressed him onto a bench, and ripped off his clothes.

"beat!"

"Give me a good beating!"

Zhu Biao's angry voice carried all the way outside the palace.

The guards didn't hesitate at all and grabbed wooden sticks, striking Lan Yu heavily.

"Um?!"

Lan Yu gritted her teeth, looking resentful.

"Your Highness."

"Please spare my uncle."

"He didn't do it on purpose."

Upon seeing this, Chang Mao quickly stepped forward to beg for mercy.

"If you don't punish them, they won't learn their lesson."

"This idiot thinks he's so smart."

Zhu Biao sat upright in the grand chair, his eyes coldly fixed on the outside of the hall.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dull thuds continued as fifty lashes struck Lan Yu, leaving his skin torn and bleeding.

Do you know what you're doing?

When Lan Yu was escorted in by the imperial guards, Zhu Biao glared at him and said, "You are leading the Lan and Chang families to their doom."

"The illegal activities of Huaixi have long been presented to the Emperor by Hu Weiyong. The Emperor has decided not to pursue them for the time being, and to deal with them after the Grand Court Assembly at the beginning of the year."

"Fourth brother's exposure of this matter only angered Father Emperor; what truly made Father Emperor decide to deal with you was you."

"The civil officials and nobles are opposing the prince, and this also involves the assassination of the Prince of Yan. What are you planning to do?"

"Do you want to change the world?"

"Your Highness, minister...

'

Lan Yu then realized what she had done wrong, and her eyes showed a hint of panic.

The young Chang Mao was so frightened that his face turned pale and he was terrified.

"I will ask you one more time."

"Did you know about the assassination attempt on the Prince of Yan, or not?"

Zhu Biao stared intently at the two of them and questioned them.

"Your Highness, even if we were confused, we would never do such a thing. This is a heinous crime that would lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire family."

Lan Yu said with a wronged expression.

"Yes, brother-in-law, how could my uncle and I possibly get involved?"

Chang Mao shook his head repeatedly.

"If you really do it, I can't protect you."

"From now on, the Chang and Lan families shall stay indoors and not open the door to anyone who comes."

"

"A bloody storm is about to break out in the capital, and I do not wish for the Crown Princess's maternal family to suffer any harm."

After giving the two men a deep look, Zhu Biao gave them a warning.

"Yes."

Lan Yu and Chang Mao kept their conversation to themselves and hurriedly left the East Palace.

"Your Highness."

After the two left, the Crown Prince's concubine, Lady Lü, gracefully arrived, her demeanor gentle and virtuous.

"I heard that you and your fourth brother's wife have been getting along quite well lately."

Zhu Biao turned to look at Madam Lü.

"Your Highness."

"My sister..."

'

Lady Lü hesitated to speak, leaving everything unsaid.

"I know that because of Lan Yu's matter, she has also come to hate the fourth brother."

"After all, the fourth son's wife is Uncle Xu's eldest daughter. If it weren't for you doing these things, the Crown Prince's Palace and the Prince of Yan's Mansion would probably be at odds."

"Today in the imperial court, the Emperor has already bestowed a marriage between the daughter of the Duke of Yuan, Boyalunhai, and the fourth prince."

"Pick some gifts and have someone send them to the Duke of Yuan's residence."

Zhu Biao carefully gave instructions.

"Yes."

A hint of secret delight flashed across Madam Lü's eyes, and she readily agreed.

Even without Lady Chang's direct involvement, this concubine of the Crown Prince had unknowingly built up a wide network of connections, laying the foundation for Zhu Yunwen's future.

The Imperial Palace, the residence of the Imperial Guard Commander.

The Imperial Guard Commandery, formerly known as the Palace Guard Division, was reorganized in the second year of the Hongwu reign (1369) and was responsible for the emperor's ceremonial guard and personal protection.

The department oversaw the affairs of the five guards (Central, Left, Right, Front, and Rear) and the Imperial Guard, totaling over 35,000 men. The commanders of the five guards were all of the third rank, while the Grand Master of the Imperial Guard was of the fifth rank.

"Is everyone here?"

Zhu Di looked down at the crowd and said indifferently.

"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Yan!"

All the officers and generals of the Imperial Guard bowed and saluted.

"Take it down!"

With a sharp look in his eyes, Zhu Di shouted.

"Tap tap..."

Dozens of Prince Yan's personal guards rushed into the hall, drawing their swords.

"What?"

"What are you going to do?"

Immediately, the officers of the Imperial Guard Command were all shocked. Faced with the sharp longswords, they all chose to surrender.

Apart from Geng Tianbi, the commander of the Left Guard, all the other four guard commanders and their deputy commanders were detained.

"Zhu Xian, Deputy Commander of the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard Commandery".

Zhu Di used the scabbard to lift the chin of a young man below him and said indifferently, "Do you know what you have done wrong?"

'

"This humble general is unaware."

Zhu Xian's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"Looks like you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."

"And you all, every single one of you, colluded with Huai Xi Xun Gui and received countless benefits."

"News from inside and outside the palace probably travels faster than anyone else."

Zhu Di glanced at the people being held captive and said sarcastically.

He wasn't just sitting idly in the palace all these years; he knew exactly who belonged to the Huaixi faction and who were neutral.

"Your Highness, spare my life!"

The officers of the Imperial Guards panicked and pleaded.

"Drag him away."

Zhu Di looked disgusted and waved his hand.

"Yes."

Zhang Wu immediately ordered his personal guards to detain these once high-ranking military officers.

"From now on, the Imperial Guard Commandery and the Imperial Ceremonial Office will no longer be retained."

"In its place is His Majesty's personal guard, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which is in charge of guarding the emperor, patrolling, and arresting criminals."

"One Commander of the Guard, of the third rank; two Assistant Commanders, of the third rank; four Assistant Commanders, of the fourth rank; one Clerk, of the fifth rank; and two Garrison Commanders, of the fifth rank."

"Geng Tianbi, the former commander of the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard, was appointed as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Mao Xiang, the former commander of the Imperial Guard, was appointed as the deputy commander; Jiang He and Song Zhong, the former commanders of the Imperial Guard, were appointed as the garrison commanders; and Tie Xuan was appointed as the clerk."

"Yes."

Geng Tianbi and the others responded in unison.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard has two subordinate departments: the Records Department, which is in charge of official documents; and the Garrison Department, which is in charge of criminal cases within the guard and also manages military craftsmen."

"The Southern Garrison Command is in charge of internal affairs, and is responsible for the law and discipline supervision, military registration management, military craftsmanship, and weapons research and development within the garrison."

"The Northern Garrison Command has an imperial prison, which can arrest, interrogate, execute, and even execute without going through the Ministry of Justice."

The Court of Judicial Review and the Censorate.

"Five thousand-household offices were established in the capital: the Central Office, the Left Office, the Right Office, the Front Office, and the Rear Office. Each office was responsible for ten departments: the Imperial Carriage Office, the Canopy-Bearer Office, the Fan-Bearer Office, the Banner-Banner Office, the Banner-Banner Office, the Sword-Bearer Office, the Axe-Banner Office, the Halberd-Banner Office, the Bow and Arrow Office, and the Horse-Training Office. The Commanders were in charge of the Imperial Carriage and Ceremonial Regiment, as well as matters such as guarding the Emperor, arresting people, and keeping watch overnight."

"Twelve thousand-household offices were established in Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Huguang, Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Liaodong."

"Under the thousand-household office, there is a hundred-household office, which is in charge of all affairs of a prefecture."

"I will give you three days to set up the framework of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and its five offices in the capital."

Looking around at everyone, Zhu Di gave a deep order.

"Yes."

The five people responded and left.

After everyone left, Zhu Di went to the back hall of the Imperial Guard Commander's residence.

"Your Highness."

When Zhang Wu and the others saw him arrive, they all stopped fighting.

"Cough cough."

Zhu Xian, the deputy commander of the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard, had been beaten black and blue, and his eyes were covered by blood flowing from his forehead.

"Still no moves?"

"Your Highness, this person has very strong teeth; no matter what, he won't let go."

Zhang Wu glanced at Zhu Xian and said with some helplessness.

"I think you guys are being too soft."

Zhu Di glanced at the group and said indifferently, "I know some methods of punishment; you should learn them."

"This is playing the pipa."

"And then there's the clamping rod."

"Finger tapping".

"Put on the yoke."

"Peel it."

"A piercing pain in my heart."

"6

'

"hiss!"

Zhang Wu and the others were horrified and felt their scalps tingle.

It's truly appalling where Zhu Di learned so many cruel tortures.

"I confess."

Zhu Xian could no longer bear the fear in his heart and immediately spoke up.

"Tell me, how many people were involved in the Anqing incident?"

Zhu Di bent down and looked at Zhu Xian.

"Marquis of Yan'an Tang Shengzong, Marquis of Ji'an Lu Zhongheng, Marquis of Jiangxia Zhou Dexing, Marquis of Huai'an Hua Yunlong, Marquis of Jining Gu Shi."

One name after another came out of Zhu Xian's mouth, all of them were founding marquises.

"You forgot to mention one more company."

"Marquis of Yongjia, Zhu Liangzu".

Zhu Di sneered, "I really underestimated you. You've made connections with so many families."

"Your Highness, spare my life!"

Zhu Xian was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground and didn't dare to raise his head.

"Sizzle!"

Zhu Di casually drew a long sword from the waist of his personal guard, the gleam of the blade reflecting in the back hall.

"ah?!"

The next moment, Zhu Xian was executed on the spot.

"Zhang Wu!"

"Your Highness."

Zhang Wu's expression turned solemn, and he stood up straight.

"They gave us such a generous gift, we have to reciprocate."

"Send someone to deliver Zhu Xian's head to the Yongjia Marquis's residence."

A cold, murderous glint flashed in Zhu Di's eyes. None of the six marquisate families could be spared.

"Yes."

Without saying a word, Zhang Wu arranged for someone to place Zhu Xian's head in a wooden box, then rode out of the palace at full speed towards the Yongjia Marquis's residence.

Meanwhile, everything that happened in the imperial court was quickly known to the outside world, causing a great uproar in Yingtian Prefecture, Jiangnan, and even the whole country. Prince Yan, Zhu Di, personally revealed the inside story of the evil deeds committed by the Huaixi Xun Gui in Henan, and the ambush in Anqing Prefecture attracted the attention of countless people.

It's unbelievable that a prince or royal son could be assassinated on Ming Dynasty soil!

In an instant, all eyes in the Ming Dynasty were focused on the capital.