Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 518 Appeasement and Reward

The handling of Prince Ning and others did not cause much of a stir in the Ming Dynasty.

Mutinies and deaths are commonplace, and history is replete with examples of this.

The only surprising thing was that Zhu Jinzhen did not implicate others; he basically only executed the ringleaders and stripped several princes of their titles, which led many people to believe that the punishment was too lenient.

Some believe that this is because Zhu Jinzhen himself was the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, holding the two invincible armies of Tian Ce and Cang Yun, and was not afraid of any threat that required eradication.

Some people also believe that Zhu Jinzhen was too kind-hearted.

Zhu Jinzhen didn't care about any of these things.

"Let Prince Ning die of illness."

“The descendants of Prince An who were exiled to Lingnan should not be overly criticized by the local chieftains and officials.”

"The secret guards should also be careful."

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Jinzhen gave orders to Yan Yimei.

"Yes."

Yan Yimei nodded silently.

The news of Prince Ning's rebellion caused a great stir in the court and in Jiangnan. Everyone knew that the Northern Garrison Command had failed in its duties and leaked the information, which allowed Prince Ning to take precautions and act in advance.

Little did they know, the secret guards were also involved in fueling this fire.

Otherwise, given Zhu Jinzhen's control over the Ming Dynasty and the intimidating power of the Secret Guard, which hung like a sword over the entire Ming territory, it would not have been so "smooth" for Prince Ning to plot a rebellion.

It was even less likely that he could command a large following and easily sweep through one prefecture and six counties in Jiangnan, showing a momentum to sweep across the entire country.

It was simply that Zhu Jinzhen ordered his secret guards to turn a blind eye and keep the Tian Ce and Cang Yun forces in Jiangnan inactive.

As for Prince Ning?

He didn't die unjustly!
Prince Ning had always harbored rebellious intentions, forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices in the Jiangnan region, colluding with local officials, and interfering with the military garrisons. In addition, the secret guards had uncovered numerous cases of cheating in the Jiangnan imperial examinations. It would not be an exaggeration to strip him bare and destroy his entire princely estate.

Zhu Jinzhen simply gave him a casual assist, and he recklessly jumped in.

They deserved to die.

The Prince of Ning's lineage was also a source of instability. Although Zhu Jinzhen did not exterminate them all, he deposed them from their princely titles and reclaimed their fiefdoms. Even if the Prince of Ning's lineage were to continue to prosper in the future, it would be difficult for them to achieve anything significant.

On the contrary, the lineage of Prince An was the one that was most severely affected.

Although Prince An also had ambitions, he was ultimately rational. However, he could not resist the instigation of Prince An's heir and others, and embarked on the irreversible path of rebellion.

"Your Majesty, shouldn't we appease the former Prince Yong and the Marquis of Linning, whom you demoted?" Changsun Wangqing reminded him.

Zhu Jinzhen flipped through the memorials submitted in the past few days, paused, then shook his head and chuckled: "Thank you for the reminder, Yimei. Send a few Dragon-Tiger Pills to Prince Yong. He was wronged this time."

In the Jiangnan rebellion, the only truly innocent person was Prince Yong, Zhu Youyun.

If it weren't for Zhu Jinzhen's secret decree ordering him to "collude with Prince Ning," Prince Yong would have been living a carefree life in his fiefdom of Hengyang and would never have gotten involved in this mess.

After all, he was accused of treason. Although Zhu Jinzhen had previously "cleared up" for him at the court meeting, he had been deceived and had come to his senses.

But in the end, a lot was paid off.

Marquis Zhu Youyun of Linning had no children in his lifetime, and the secret guards had already investigated the real reason.

The Dragon and Tiger Elixir is specifically designed for this purpose.

It has the effects of strengthening the body, boosting blood and energy, and restoring virility.

It is made from the blood and flesh of a dragon, supplemented with countless precious herbs. Even the exchange price within the Secret Guard is frighteningly high. Not to mention ordinary people, many of the officials of the Six Ministries of the Cabinet and the original direct subordinates of Zhu Jinzhen's Prince Su's Mansion could not exchange for it.

……

The capital city, the Imperial Clan Court.

Zhu Youyun, who had been stripped of his princely title, received the imperial decree and respectfully kowtowed to express his gratitude for the emperor's grace before accepting it.

From this day forward, he was no longer Prince Yong, but Marquis of Linning. However, Zhu Youyun was not saddened.

He already knew many things.

Princess Yong, tears streaming down her face, said with a look of deep sorrow, "Your Highness, why are you doing this to yourself?"

To this day, Princess Yong still cannot understand why her husband, who has no children, would get involved in such a capital treason.

"Some things, in the end, have to be done by someone."

Holding the imperial edict, Zhu Youyun led the princess back to their room in the Imperial Clan Court. He then took a deep look at the Tian Ce soldiers, who were ostensibly imprisoned but were actually being protected, or perhaps both.

Not a single word was explained further.

Princess Yong spent every day with Zhu Youyun and noticed that he seemed to have some hidden troubles, but Zhu Youyun refused to say, and she knew she wouldn't get anything out of him.

"Boom boom boom!"

The two had just sat down when there was a knock on the door.

"Who?"

"The secret guards have come on orders."

Zhu Youyun and Princess Yong exchanged a glance, and the former said, "Enter."

The door was pushed open, and a slender woman in purple robes strode in, carrying two jade boxes. She bowed and said, "His Majesty has bestowed upon me three Dragon Tiger Pills, two bottles of Jade Void Pills, five Blood Bodhi Pills, five Earth Dragon Pills, and two Jiazi Pills."

"And a secret edict, please receive it, Your Highness."

"Zhu Youyun, receive the decree!" Zhu Youyun was not stupid. He quickly had his princess take the two jade boxes and personally accepted the secret edict delivered by the guards.

"The goods have been delivered; I shall take my leave."

The guard bowed and left the room.

The moment the door closed, Princess Yong was still in a daze, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion. She stared blankly at the two jade boxes and Zhu Youyun, whose face was beaming with joy, completely bewildered.

"Your Highness, this...?" Princess Yong wanted to ask, is this right?
Whose family's rebellion failed and the emperor sent them a whole bunch of good things?

Is this how you appease a prince?
Could it be...

A thought flashed through Princess Yong's mind, her pupils contracted instantly, and she looked at her husband, Zhu Youyun, in disbelief. Seeing her strange expression, he simply repeated meaningfully, "Some things always have to be done by someone."

This time, Princess Yong finally saw the light.

"turn out to be……"

"Shh! You may know, but you cannot speak of it." Zhu Youyun immediately interrupted his princess before she could speak, shaking his head and saying, "Some things are better left unsaid."

"Uh-huh!"

Princess Yong was certainly not stupid. Before marrying Zhu Youyun, she was an intelligent woman proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, so she naturally understood immediately. However, tears still involuntarily streamed down her face.

As long as it wasn't a real rebellion, that's good!
Zhu Youyun pulled Princess Yong along, opened the two jade boxes, and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "Your Majesty is truly generous!"

Zhu Youyun was naturally familiar with the items that Zhu Jinzhen had ordered his secret guards to deliver.

Princess Yong nodded excitedly, "Yes, the Jade Void Pill has the effect of strengthening the body and improving one's skills. It is said that a single pill is worth a thousand pieces of gold, and His Majesty has sent two bottles at once."

She poured out the jade bottle from the jade box and counted them; there were twelve jade pieces in one bottle.

These two bottles of Jade Void Pills alone could fetch 200,000 taels of silver if sold outside.

"The Blood Bodhi is of similar value. It is said to be a rare treasure born from the place where the blood of a Qilin falls. It is rare to find in the world except for the fact that it was bestowed by His Majesty. Its value is also extremely high."

"The effects of the Earth Dragon Pill are even more extraordinary. One pill can give a martial artist strength comparable to a Vajra Body, no, even more. It is said that one pill is worth thousands of gold coins and can only be enjoyed by the elites of Tian Ce and Cang Yun."

"I didn't expect His Majesty to send five at once."

Princess Yong was so excited that she almost fainted as she counted the many gifts sent by Zhu Jinzhen. The total value of these gifts was truly priceless!

(End of this chapter)