Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

Chapter 98 The Crown Prince goes on an incognito tour, Xu Da: A big tree should have branches!

The study of the Duke of Wei's residence.

"father."

"The Prince of Yan now acts without restraint, openly punishing officials in the palace and arresting and killing six marquises. Civil and military officials turn pale at the mere mention of his name."

"This is neither the way of a subject nor the way of a vassal king."

"If this continues, I fear we will suffer a great disaster."

Xu Yungong said with a solemn expression.

"Yun Gong".

"How dare you!"

Xu Miaoyun, who was sitting on the lower left, couldn't help but rebuke her.

No matter what, Zhu Di was her betrothed, how could she allow her own brother to speak so recklessly?

"Big sister."

Xu Yungong was not angry; his face was full of worry.

"To prolong life."

What do you think?

Xu Da looked at his youngest son, Xu Zengshou, and asked.

Xu Zengshou hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Throughout history, no one who has done such a thing for the emperor has ever had a good ending."

"I don't understand why His Majesty and the Crown Prince would send Prince Yan to do this."

"Recently, my son has been training at the Grand Commander's Mansion and has come to realize that His Highness Prince Yan's prestige in the army is unmatched, even by his father."

"The young generals and soldiers all regarded His Highness the Prince of Yan as a god."

"The title of vassal king has already overshadowed that of His Highness the Crown Prince."

"good."

Xu Da was satisfied that his youngest son had been able to see this.

Xu Yungong, the eldest son, was quite accomplished in military strategy, on par with Li Jinglong, the heir of the Duke of Cao. However, he was upright and loyal to the emperor, but short-sighted in politics and unable to think about the reasons behind many things.

Just like this incident today, Xu Chonggong saw Zhu Di going further and further astray, unaware that this was precisely Zhu Di's path to survival.

"I've been away from home for a long time and don't know much about your situation."

"I only learned about you from your eldest sister, along with His Highness Prince Yan, Li Jinglong, the heir of the Duke of Cao, and Chang Sen, the third son of the late Prince of Kaiping."

Feng Liang, the second son of the Duke of Song, and Fu Zheng, the second son of the Marquis of Yingchuan, were childhood friends and had a reputation as playboys in the capital.

"Father, I..."

Xu Zengshou lowered his head somewhat embarrassed.

"Youthful spirit is hard to find again. Back then, His Majesty and I went through the same thing."

"The palace issued an imperial edict appointing Yun Gong as the commander of the Left Guard of the Imperial Guard, Li Jinglong as the commander of the Right Guard of the Imperial Guard, Deng Ming, the second son of the Duke of Wei, as the commander of the Left Guard of the Tiger Guard, and Chang Sheng, the second son of the late Prince of Kaiping, as the commander of the Right Guard of the Tiger Guard."

"You young men of similar age should also have your own things to do."

"Tomorrow we will go to His Highness the Prince of Yan and ask him to arrange jobs for you in the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Xu Da looked at his young son with a peaceful expression and said.

"Father, is this true?"

Xu Zengshou was overjoyed. He had long wanted to follow the Prince of Yan. After all, he was the second son and could not inherit the title of Duke of Wei. He needed to make his own way in the future. Not only him, but Feng Liang, Fu Zheng and Chang Sheng also felt the same way.

"Okay, go and get ready."

Xu Da smiled and nodded.

"Yes."

Xu Zengshou was overjoyed and hurriedly left the study.

"father."

Xu Yungong watched his departing figure, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Yun Gong".

"You should go and prepare as well."

Xu Da didn't explain much to him and just waved his hand.

"Father, I take my leave."

Xu Yungong hadn't yet recovered from the conversation and absentmindedly left the study.

At this moment, only Xu Da and his daughter Xu Miaoyun remained in the study.

"father."

"Isn't this a bit too unfair to Yun Gong?"

Xu Miaoyun felt a pang of pity when she thought of Xu Chonggong's distraught appearance just now.

"fair?"

Xu Da calmly said, "He is the heir of the Duke of Wei. Even if he does nothing, he will become a top nobleman in the Ming Dynasty."

"As for Zengshou, at most he can get some gold and silver and become a wealthy man."

"If even Zengshou can understand this, how can Yungong not understand it? What's the point of talking about fairness?"

17

"Father, did you send Zengshou to the Prince of Yan to find a new path for the Xu family?"

Xu Miaoyun stared intently at Xu Da with her clear, watery eyes.

"Yes."

Xu Da frankly said, "Zengshou's martial arts and military strategy are inferior to Yungong's, but he understands people's hearts."

2

"The Prince of Yan is lacking precisely this kind of person, and Zeng Shou will surely be given an important position if he goes there."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is indeed not a good place, but it can temper a person."

"That scholar Tie Xuan was only a clerk in the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard), and now he has been demoted to Fengyang as a prefect."

"If you want wealth and honor, you still have to rely on merit."

Why do you think so highly of the Prince of Yan?

Xu Miaoyun couldn't understand why Xu Da's attitude towards Prince Yan, Zhu Di, had almost completely changed after returning from the northern desert.

"What kind of person do you think the Prince of Yan was?"

Xu Da did not answer Xu Miaoyun's question directly, but asked a different question instead.

"Prince of Yan!"

Xu Miaoyun recalled that night when Zhu Di acted like a lecherous man, talking to her earnestly and explaining that he wanted to use the elopement to go to the northern desert to obtain military power and control his own destiny.

For nearly a year, she frequently heard news of Zhu Di: eight hundred men captured Karakorum, destroyed the Northern Yuan, forced Kökö Temür to ​​surrender, defeated Mughalstein, and annihilated 100,000 enemies. These were legendary feats for anyone else, but all of them were piled up on one person.

Then, after entering the Duke of Wei's mansion, Xu Miaoyun learned from Hai Bie that there was a completely different Zhu Di, who dared to draw his sword against the powerful and arrogant generals of Huaixi for the sake of justice and righteousness, thus revealing the ugly face of the arrogant and fierce generals.

Now, Zhu Di has single-handedly established the Embroidered Uniform Guard, openly opposing the marquises of Huaixi and taking down six marquises, causing shock throughout the court and the country.

To be honest, Xu Miaoyun never imagined she would marry such a troublesome person.

"A great general, a member of the royal family whose status is second only to the crown prince."

"He chose to become a notorious smuggling boss."

"Giving up a great reputation and risking offending civil and military officials, I will stand up for the people."

"My older brother probably feels both love and anger towards him."

Xu Da could easily see that Xu Miaoyun had fallen deeply in love with Zhu Di. As the saying goes, the more curious you are about someone, the more you fall in love with them.

Therefore, he showed his verbose side and said a lot more than usual.

"The King of Yan's plans are grand, and his ambitions are far-reaching!"

Xu Miaoyun, who was always quick-witted, uttered eight words.

"Indeed!"

Xu Da revealed a fatherly expression and carefully instructed, "Wang Baobao still has a force under his command. He thinks I don't know, but how could I not know?"

"This must be the dowry he prepared for his daughter."

"My daughter doesn't need to do these secretive things; she just needs to be herself."

"You are not alone. You have a father, Yun Gong, and Zeng Shou."

"Father, I understand."

Xu Miaoyun was touched, nodded slightly, and replied.

The residence of the Duke of Han is not far from the residence of the Duke of Wei.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"What brings you here?"

Li Shanchang was extremely surprised by Zhu Biao's incognito travels.

This was the first time Zhu Biao had come to his residence without making a big fuss, and there was something significant hidden behind it.

"Mr. Li."

Zhu Biao forced a smile and said, "I have come here without warning, and it is for the matter at hand today."

"The six marquises of Huaixi have all been executed by order of the Emperor, and their heads are displayed at Fengtian Gate."

"this...."

Although Li Shanchang was mentally prepared, he was still deeply shaken upon hearing the news.

Of the six dukes and twenty-eight marquises who founded the state, six were gone at once. Who wouldn't be alarmed?

These are not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry; they are marquises of the Ming Dynasty, second only to the Duke, a group of people who were once high and mighty.

"Mr. Li."

"Father is very angry."

"6

Zhu Biao said this in a serious tone.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Li Shanchang realized that things had gone beyond his expectations.

"At the year-end grand court assembly, the establishment of sixteen provinces and twenty-five directly governed prefectures will be announced, and a provincial governor and a deputy general will be appointed."

"The Grand General's Office is also undergoing reforms. The twelve guards of the Imperial Guards will be incorporated into the Imperial Guards, and a 400,000-strong capital army will be trained."

"The border army was composed of the guards under the three major protectorates of southern, northern and northern Mongolia, as well as the Nanjing Navy."

"The Censorate will be renamed the Grand Censorate, and the Earl of Chengyi will serve as the Grand Censor, a second-rank official."

What?

Upon hearing this, Li Shanchang's old face showed repeated expressions of shock and astonishment.

This is no ordinary reform; it's a complete overhaul, aiming to create a ruling system distinct from that of the Yuan Dynasty.

The Imperial Guard, the Capital Army, the Border Army, and the local armies under the command of the Vice-General were clearly separated into military and political forces, with mutual checks and balances.

More importantly, his old rival Liu Bowen returned to the court, which strengthened the power of the Censorate. This was undoubtedly a major threat to the Secretariat. No one could be sure whether the literati of Zhejiang would make a comeback and pose a threat to the Huaixi faction.

"This old minister humbly asks Your Highness the Crown Prince."

"What does Your Majesty intend to do with the nobles of Huaixi?"

Li Shanchang asked in a humble yet assertive manner.

"The Duke of Han is so intelligent, he should be able to guess what the Emperor is thinking."

Zhu Biao did not say it explicitly, thus throwing this thorny issue back to Li Shanchang.

"hiss!!!"

Li Shanchang gasped, somewhat uncertain, and asked, "Is it the imperial edict of merit to be withdrawn?"

"Father said that from now on, no one will have a get-out-of-jail-free card."

Zhu Biao added, "The Korean Duke should know what that means."

"This old minister understands."

Li Shanchang's face darkened, and a nameless anger rose in his heart.

If Zhu Liangzu and others hadn't disobeyed orders and acted recklessly, they wouldn't have ended up in this situation today.

Without the imperial edict, it meant that Zhu Yuanzhang would show no mercy if they broke the laws of the Ming Dynasty, thus erasing the last vestige of their kinship.

"My father sent me to see Mr. Li."

"Mr. Li should understand the deeper meaning behind this."

Zhu Biao glanced deeply at Li Shanchang and couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The head of the civil officials had been dragged down by the powerful and influential people of Huaixi, and his reputation was ruined in his later years.

"This old minister thanks Your Highness for the reminder."

"I will inform them personally."

Li Shanchang was well aware that Zhu Biao was merely a messenger, and that it was the Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang who truly commissioned him to do this.

"I have heard of Mr. Li's eldest son's virtuous character."

"When you have some free time in the future, you may visit the Eastern Palace for a chat."

Before leaving, Zhu Biao left behind a sentence.

"This old minister thanks Your Highness on behalf of my son."

Li Shanchang's tense mind finally relaxed a lot. This sentence meant that the marriage between his eldest son Li Qi and the Emperor's eldest princess was basically settled.

With his status as a son-in-law and military commander, Li Qi would never face any great danger in his life, and the Li family's standing in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes would also rise accordingly.

"Um.

Zhu Biao did not linger and returned to the palace under the escort of his personal guards.

"Someone, send invitations to the residences of the Duke of Song, the Duke of Wei, the Marquis of Yingchuan, the Marquis of Changxing, and other dukes and marquises. Tell them I invite them to my residence for a chat."

After Zhu Biao left, Li Shanchang immediately instructed his servants to deliver invitations, inviting all the founding dukes and marquises to the Han State Palace.

This commotion attracted the attention of many people, including Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan, who was in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Oh?"

"My elder brother went to the Korean government office."

Zhu Di listened with great interest to the report from Mao Xiang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"The Duke of Song and others have all rushed to the Duke of Han's mansion, I don't know what they are going to do."

"Should we send someone...?"

Mao Xiang's eyes gleamed with a sinister light, like a greedy hyena, not letting go of any opportunity to make a name for himself.

"No."

Zhu Di rejected his proposal. Zhu Biao went to see Li Shanchang in person, simply to have Li Shanchang inform the nobles of Huaixi to make preparations in advance, so as not to catch them off guard.

"Yes."

Although Mao Xiang was somewhat unwilling, he could only give up the idea.

"Your Highness."

"Commander Sheng Yong of the Flag Guard has arrived."

A guard in brocade robes hurriedly entered the main hall of the yamen and reported the news.

"Greetings, Your Highness, Prince Yan."

Sheng Yong, dressed in full armor, knelt on one knee and gave a military salute.

Get up.

Zhu Di looked up at Sheng Yong and asked directly, "Do you know about the Scout Command?"

Thump!

Sheng Yong felt a jolt of fear, and his pupils dilated instantly.

"Then I know."

Tell me about it.

Zhu Di noticed the change in his expression and eagerly prepared to listen to the story.

"Return to your highness."

Sheng Yong pondered for a while before speaking: "The Scouts and Horsemen Division was established by the former Prince Yingchuan, Li Chahan, as a group of spies and intelligence agents."

.

"I dare not deceive Your Highness. In the Qi King's army, all affairs of the scouts are personally managed by Li Chahan and Kökö Töregen, the father and son. No one else, even if they are close to Nairbuhua, is allowed to have any say in it."

"However, I once heard a saying..."

"What did you say?"

Zhu Di suddenly became interested, his eyes gleaming.

"The Scouting Division is divided into the South and North sections. The two sections must never meet; if they do, they will be destroyed."

Sheng Yong said cautiously.

interesting!"

Zhu Di crossed his arms and pondered the meaning of the words.

This means that the Scout Command is divided into two parts, and neither part knows of the other's existence. They can be regarded as two intermediary organizations, one responsible for the north and the other for the south. This greatly increases the possibility of manipulation.

"If Your Highness wishes to know about this, why not ask the Duke of Yuan?"

Sheng Yong couldn't understand why, since Zhu Di and Princess Haibie had already been betrothed by the Emperor, and Wang Baobao was his father-in-law, he couldn't possibly ask Wang Baobao directly. Why did he have to hear this news from him?

"I have my own plans."

Zhu Di narrowed his eyes, and an invisible sense of threat enveloped Sheng Yong.

"I'm leaving after winning the bid."

Sheng Yong was terrified of the Prince of Yan to the core, and in his panic, he hastily left the Embroidered Uniform Guard office.