Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

Chapter 91: In brocade robes patrol the city, who in the world does not know you!

In the fifth year of the Hongwu reign, on the first day of the twelfth lunar month, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict that spread throughout the land.

"I rose from humble beginnings, relying on the efforts of my ministers and the grace of Heaven. Since the beginning of my reign, I have worked tirelessly day and night."

"I fear that even the slightest mistake would betray the trust of the people of the world."

"Now that the nation has just been established, it is the perfect time for the ruler and his ministers to be of one mind and for the nation to be governed with integrity. Yet, at this very moment, extravagance has arisen and corruption has begun to flourish. If this continues, will we not be repeating the mistakes of the previous dynasty?"

"I am aware that I have failed in my duty of oversight, but the affairs of the world are too numerous and complex for one person to investigate completely."

"The Imperial Guard Commandery is hereby abolished, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard Commandery is established to oversee night guard duties, patrol and arrest criminals, manage imperial prisons, and is authorized to report misconduct and impeach officials. Respectfully approved!"

After the eunuch read the imperial edict aloud, he carefully folded it in half and handed it to Geng Tianbi, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Clatter!"

Sitting upright in the hall, Zhu Di drew a golden command arrow and coldly ordered, "Arrest them!"

"promise!"

Led by Jiang, the Northern Garrison Commander, a group of Imperial Guards surged out of their post like a tide.

"Giddy up! Giddy up! Giddy up!"

"Tap tap!"

One by one, the imperial guards, dressed in goose-shaped hats and brocade robes, with long swords at their waists, appeared expressionlessly in the streets and alleys of Yingtian Prefecture. As they passed by, the people all retreated in fear, and the patrolling soldiers dared not stop them either.

"Let me go! What right do you have to arrest me?"

At the Ministry of Revenue, in the Henan branch, a group of imperial guards arrested the officials sitting in the office and brought them directly before the centurion.

"My lord, I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"

The official in the green robe looked terrified and repeatedly begged for mercy and cried out that he was innocent.

The centurion took out the scroll in his hand, opened it, carefully compared it, and said coldly, "Identity verified, take him away."

"Yes."

Without saying a word, the imperial guards took the man and prepared to leave.

"My lord, I am innocent, my lord."

The official in the green robe grew increasingly terrified and screamed loudly.

"Wait a minute."

Just as the Imperial Guards were about to leave, a group of officials from the Ministry of Revenue blocked their way.

"Master Xu."

Upon seeing the newcomer, the official in green robes seemed to grasp at a straw and hurriedly called out.

"Who are you? Why are you arresting me, an official from the Ministry of Revenue?"

Xu Zheng, the Vice Minister of Revenue, looked at the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard with displeasure.

"Xing Yue, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is hereby ordered by the Prince of Yan to arrest Xue Jing, the principal of the Henan Provincial Department of Revenue."

Xing Yue replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"The King of Yan's decree."

Xu Zheng's eyes suddenly darkened, and he raised his voice: "What a great destiny befitting the Prince of Yan."

"You dare to arrest Ministry of Revenue officials at will without following the imperial decree or going through the legal system."

"Commander! Are you going to rebel?"

"His Majesty has issued a decree that the Embroidered Uniform Guard may report misconduct and impeach officials at their own discretion, without needing to go through the three judicial departments."

Xing Yue's face was solemn as he loudly proclaimed, "Those who harbor criminals are equally guilty. Arrest them!"

"Tap tap!"

The imperial guards behind him had already stepped forward and captured Xu Zheng, the Vice Minister of Revenue.

"grown ups!"

The officials from the Ministry of Revenue immediately became anxious and rushed over.

"Splash!"

Xing Yue narrowed his eyes, and all the imperial guards present drew their long swords three inches from their waists.

Immediately, the officials from the Ministry of Revenue present were so frightened that they trembled and quickly retreated, not daring to stop them at all.

"ah?!"

"I'll confess! I'll confess!"

Inside the newly completed imperial prison, cries of agony and agony echoed. All sorts of cruel tortures were inflicted on Xue Jing, and no one could withstand them.

"Your Highness."

Geng Tianbi presented his testimony with both hands.

Zhu Di took it, glanced at it briefly, and said indifferently, "A den of snakes and rats. If one is missing, I will take your heads."

"Yes."

This time, Mao Xiang, the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, personally led the team, and the imperial guards surged out once again.

"Lu Yong, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, took advantage of the opening of the salt season to resell salt permits, violating the law of the land. He shall be arrested immediately."

"Li Liangzhong, a principal officer of the Ministry of Justice, was found to have slept with prostitutes, which is unbecoming of an official. He shall be detained immediately pending investigation."

"Geng Mingtai, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, has accepted bribes and released criminals. He is hereby arrested immediately."

"6

""

From the Six Ministries to the Secretariat, without exception, officials of all ranks were arrested, causing a great uproar.

The appearance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard immediately caused panic throughout the capital, and all civil and military officials were terrified.

On this day, outside the Fengtian Hall.

The Imperial Guards escorted a group of corrupt officials to the square in front of the palace, where officials were all attending court.

"Execute."

.

Wearing a bright red robe with a four-clawed python and a purple-gold crown, Zhu Di raised his right hand high.

"His Highness the Prince of Yan has ordered that the execution be carried out immediately."

Geng Tianbi, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, sang loudly.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The Imperial Guards around the perimeter raised their court staffs high and brought them down heavily.

"ah?!"

Hundreds of officials were executed, their screams echoing throughout the palace, causing all the officials present to tremble with fear.

From this moment on, a knife hangs over their heads, ready to fall at any moment.

"Father."

Inside the Fengtian Hall, Crown Prince Zhu Biao heard these voices and frowned. He spoke up to advise, "Fourth Prince has gone too far in humiliating his subjects. I'm afraid that all the civil and military officials in the court, though they may not say it, are all harboring resentment."

"Father."

Just then, Zhu Di entered the hall with a memorial in hand, and greeted Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao with a smile: "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Fourth brother."

"You've made quite a stir, haven't you? A mere Vice Minister of Revenue, a junior official of the Ministry of Revenue, and you've just taken it all."

"Several hundred officials, both high and low, from the Six Ministries and the Secretariat were arrested."

"We heard that your men arrested Mr. Li's subordinates in front of him."

Zhu Yuanzhang took the memorial, his dragon eyes fixed on Zhu Di, scrutinizing him.

"That Xu Zheng, he can't even wipe the shit off his ass properly."

"He came here to die on his own. If I don't arrest him, I'll be letting down the name of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"To be honest, I was too lenient. These heartless bastards should have been dragged outside the Fengtian Hall and beheaded as a warning to the public."

O

Zhu Di disagreed.

To be fair, most of these officials in the early Ming Dynasty were from the Yuan Dynasty, and they were all corrupt by nature. If you really wanted to hold them accountable, they would all die.

"Fourth brother."

Zhu Biao felt his forehead throbbing. This was a third-rank civil official, not some random cat or dog on the street.

"I have issued an edict appointing Tiande to oversee the reform of the Grand General's Office."

"What will be the arrangements for the other three commanders, Kuokuo and Bao'er, who will serve as the commanders of the vanguard and the central army respectively?"

"What do you think about your older brother nominating Fu Youde and Geng Bingwen?"

Zhu Yuanzhang threw down the memorial in his hand, completely ignoring the actions of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and asked Zhu Di for his opinion on the Grand Military Commission.

"Fu Youde, and Bingwen?"

Zhu Di stroked his chin and said, "Father, I believe the Crown Prince—"

"One is your father, and the other is your elder brother. Why all the formalities? Speak plainly."

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but scold him. He had never seen Zhu Di so well-mannered before, calling him "old man" so often, and even less so.

"Alright!"

Zhu Di smiled and continued, "I think my elder brother's arrangement is inappropriate."

"Since the commanders of the vanguard and the commanders of the central army are the Duke of Yuan and the Duke of Cao, the other commanders should naturally be matched accordingly."

"You want to use Feng Sheng and Deng Yu?"

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but show a surprised expression, and Zhu Biao was even more stunned.

Everyone, both inside and outside the court, knew that Zhu Di was petty and narrow-minded. Feng Sheng had a lot of dirty dealings with him in Hexi, which forced Mu Ying to forcibly take over the military power of the western army. It was truly puzzling that Zhu Di would appoint Feng Sheng as the commander of an army at this time.

"Old man, elder brother."

"Do you really think I'm petty and don't care about the bigger picture?"

"The generals of Huaixi are the backbone of the Ming Dynasty's army. If they are all abandoned, then our Ming Dynasty will have no generals to use."

"Moreover, Duke Deng Yu of Wei has just returned to the capital victorious from western Hunan. If this blow doesn't bring down the whole group, they might just band together for warmth."

Zhu Di chuckled. He had opinions about some of the nobles in Huaixi, but not about the entire noble group.

Without merit and titles, it's questionable whether the Ming Dynasty would even exist today. Without military merit and titles, no country has the drive to move forward.

Duke Feng Sheng of Song was the father-in-law of Marquis Mu Ying of Xiping, and Duke Deng Yu of Wei was the father-in-law of Prince Zhu of Qin. They were relatives by relatives.

"You've grown up, kid."

Zhu Yuanzhang was very pleased, and he could see the growth of his fourth son from Zhu Di's words.

"The Duke of Song can be appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Left Army, and the Duke of Wei can be appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Right Army."

"Let's leave the Duke of Zheng aside for now, and leave the position of Commander of the Rear Army vacant for the time being."

Zhu Biao thought about it carefully and then offered his suggestions.

His brother-in-law was only granted the title of Duke because of his father-in-law, Chang Yuchun. If Chang Mao had become the governor, it would have been a real laughing stock.

"I think it's a good idea."

Zhu Di agreed, saying, "In terms of seniority, Tang Bo should be granted a marquisate. Once things are on track in the northern desert, Father Emperor can arrange for Tang Bo to return to the capital, be promoted, and serve as the commander of the rear army, stationed in the capital."

"Can!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his long beard, very satisfied with the arrangements made by the two brothers.

Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, and Tang He were all his close associates, like brothers. Now that Xu Da had been granted the title of Duke and appointed Grand Commander, and Chang Yuchun's son had also been granted the title of Duke, it would be somewhat inappropriate to make Tang He the Marquis of Zhongshan. After all, a marquis is still just a marquis.

"Father."

"It would be better to transfer Marquis Geng Bingwen of Changxing to Xi'an and Marquis Fu Youde of Yingchuan to Taiyuan to assist in military affairs."

"Shaanxi Province and Shanxi Province are densely populated and have vast lands. They also control the Yinshan Pass and face the northern desert directly."

"Let them arrange the prefectural soldiers, county soldiers, and patrol inspectors in the two major provinces first. It will be much easier once the second and third princes take up their fiefs."

Zhu Biao then offered his suggestions.

"Fourth brother, what do you say?"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not answer Zhu Biao immediately, intending to test Zhu Di, and asked a question.

"It is indeed a good move to assist in military affairs."

"However, we need to switch them."

Zhu Di was playing with the flavor.

"Oh?"

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao both turned their heads.

"Fu Youde was a shrewd strategist, but also domineering and difficult to get along with."

"Geng Bingwen is prudent in his military tactics and cautious in his actions. He always goes on campaigns with the mindset of seeking no merit but avoiding mistakes. Compared to Marquis Yingchuan, he will not achieve great feats, but he will not make any major mistakes either. This is why the Emperor never sends him to be the commander-in-chief of an army when he is sent on a campaign."

"Shanxi Province has no directly governed prefectures, nor any external enemies, so there is no need for generals to lead the campaign."

"Shaanxi Province is different. Lanzhou, in ancient times, was Jincheng Prefecture, which governed Jincheng and Didao counties. Didao was the central hub of Longyou, adjacent to Xifan, and bordered Xining Prefecture of Gansu Province to the north."

"The Western barbarians are wild and untamed, and often cause trouble in the local area. Only a strong and valiant general can control them."

Zhu Di analyzed the differences between Fu Youde and Geng Bingwen one by one.

"The second son isn't as bright as the third son. You were worried that he wouldn't be able to control Fu Youde, so you simply sent someone who was obedient."

"Is that what you mean?"

Zhu Yuanzhang turned around and looked at Zhu Biao.

"Yes, Father."

Zhu Biao replied directly.

"But have you considered this: with the third brother's temper, could he tolerate a deputy general who has the final say?"

"Since there is no war in Shanxi, the only way for the third son to display his talents is to organize the army and govern the country."

"As for the second son, he's never been cut out to be a commander-in-chief. If you send a deputy like Geng Bingwen over there, how are we supposed to fight the next battle?"

"this..."

Zhu Biao looked troubled; he hadn't considered that point.

"Yingchuan Marquis Fu Youde was appointed as the Shaanxi Assistant Commander, and Changxing Marquis Geng Bingwen was appointed as the Shanxi Assistant Commander."

"Also, send an envoy to Xi'an to proclaim your will."

"After the second son takes up his fief, he will follow the example of Li Xiaogong and Li Jing in pacifying Jiangnan and entrust Fu Youde with full authority over military affairs in Shaanxi."

"Let them see the magnanimity of my son."

Zhu Yuanzhang plopped down in a chair, waved his sleeve, and gave the order.

"Yes, Father."

"What about the third brother?"

Crown Prince Zhu Biao responded and then set his sights on Shanxi Province.

"You don't need to worry about the third brother. Although Geng Bingwen is cautious, he's not brainless. He knows what to listen to and what not to listen to."

"Xie Cheng, the commander of Taiyuan Garrison, has been transferred to Gansu as a deputy commander. The various ethnic groups in Duogansi are restless and may rebel in the future. This military achievement will fall into his hands, and he will be granted a marquis title. It will not be in vain that he is the father-in-law of the third son."

"Summon Deming, Bao'er, and Ma'er back to court."

Zhu Yuanzhang mentioned three people, and Zhu Biao and Zhu Di's eyes lit up.

He Wenhui, Ping An, Xu Sima, and Mu Ying were all adopted sons of Zhu Yuanzhang, and they made outstanding contributions in the battles fought in the north and south over the years.

The reason they were brought back was probably for this major reorganization.

"Old man."

"Why not call back Ye Sheng, Wang Bi, Wu Liang, Qiu Cheng, Zhang Long, Wu Fu, Jin Chaoxing, Yu Yuan, Guo Ying, Song Yanzhang, Hu Hai, He Zhen, and Sang Jing all at once?"

Zhu Di rattled off thirteen names in succession, all of whom were ministers who had followed Zhu Yuanzhang into the throne.

These people were indeed a step behind Huai Xixun Gui in terms of seniority, so much so that they could only be grouped with Lan Yu.

However, these men were all granted titles of nobility and earldom after the twelfth year of the Hongwu reign, making them absolutely capable generals.

"Fourth brother."

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't help but notice Zhu Di, wondering what he was preparing in advance by recalling so many generals back to the capital.

"Fourth brother."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is making too much noise."

Zhu Biao couldn't help but warn Zhu Di with his eyes that if he continued to cause trouble, the Ming Dynasty would be turned upside down.

"Big brother."

"You know me, I'm a very reasonable person."

"I will not offend others unless they offend me; if they offend me, I will kill their entire family."

"How could I, a prince, be assassinated? Don't I have any dignity?"

Zhu Di spread his hands, revealing his rogue side, his words filled with chilling murderous intent.

Even if the Heavenly King himself came today, it wouldn't matter; none of Zhu Liangzu and his men would survive.

"I will issue an edict summoning them back to court."

Before Zhu Biao could dissuade Zhu Di, Zhu Yuanzhang had already spoken.

"Um.

"6

Zhu Di turned and left Fengtian Hall, leaving Zhu Biao with only his back view.