Ming Dynasty: Pick up attributes from the battlefield to create the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 121 Zhu Di: Perhaps in the eyes of my father, only my eldest brother is his biological son!
now!

The atmosphere in the meeting hall was solemn and depressing, and the heavy door was closed, isolating the noise from the outside world.

These generals in Huaixi have close relationships with each other, and years of fighting together have made them seem like one body.

Chang Mao was not a reckless person in normal times, but in this meeting hall filled with people from the Huaixi clan, the dissatisfaction that had been suppressed in his heart for a long time burst out like a flood that could no longer be suppressed.

His eyes were wide open, his hands unconsciously clenched into fists, and he poured out all his anger in fierce words. His voice echoed in the hall. If there were outsiders present, given his cautiousness, he would never act so recklessly.

But now that there are no outsiders, Chang Mao naturally has fewer concerns.

Feng Sheng sat quietly in the main seat, leaning forward slightly, with his hands folded on the table, listening to Chang Mao's words very calmly.

After Chang Mao finished speaking, he did not get angry as others thought. Instead, he raised his head slightly and looked into the distant past.

After a long time.

A melancholy, even sadness, slowly emerged on Feng Sheng's face. It was the helplessness that came from having experienced many vicissitudes of life and having a deep understanding of the world.

"Li Shanchang is also from Huaixi."

Feng Sheng's voice was low and hoarse, as if coming from the depths of time, with a barely perceptible sigh.

After a slight pause, his Adam's apple rolled, and he slowly said, "Hu Weiyong is also from Huaixi."

That’s it!

Feng Sheng sighed deeply, leaned back in his chair, and asked earnestly, "And then?"

These few simple words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the hall.

The faces of the generals, who originally had different expressions, turned pale in an instant.

Chang Mao was struck by lightning. His mouth, which had been talking non-stop, suddenly shut shut. His face froze and he stood there in a daze, his eyes filled with shock and fear, as if he was frozen in place by these two sentences.

"Chang Mao."

Feng Sheng sat up straight again and looked at Chang Mao with a serious look, but his voice was very gentle.

"In terms of seniority, I'm your uncle. I know you have an impulsive personality, so I don't blame you for what you said today."

But these words fell.

Feng Sheng paused slightly, his expression became more serious, and his eyes slowly swept over everyone in the hall.

"But you must know that we in Huaixi are not the masters, but the subjects."

"The emperor today is not the same emperor as before, and the Ming Dynasty today is not the Wu Dynasty of before."

"Things in the future are changing rapidly. The Emperor and the Crown Prince will not tolerate us forever."

At this point, Feng Sheng's voice gradually became louder, with a hint of warning in his voice.

"Don't think that I, Huaixi, can act recklessly just because I have the merit of founding the country. Don't think that we, the families of meritorious officials, can be spared from slaughter."

"The emperor is above us. If you truly lose your sense of awe, the consequences will be..." Feng Sheng's tone suddenly became extremely serious. He spoke each word with such intensity that it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer: "Death!"

As soon as these words came out!
The hall instantly fell into deathly silence.

Everyone's breathing seemed to stop at this moment, and the quiet atmosphere seemed particularly strange.

and.

The faces of the Huaixi generals present turned pale as paper in an instant, and some even swallowed unconsciously.

Obviously, Feng Sheng's words were like a sharp sword, piercing straight into their hearts and making them tremble violently.

They thought of the once arrogant Li Shanchang and the once powerful Hu Weiyong.

But what is the end?

Nothing is back.

The family was massacred.

……

at the same time!

Prince Yan's Mansion in Peking.

The palace hall is spacious and majestic, with carved beams and painted rafters, showing the royal style.

The royal guards were standing everywhere.

On duty.

Inside the palace!

An official affiliated with the Prince of Yan's Mansion, dressed in official uniform and with a respectful look, walked into the hall hurriedly.

When he reached the main hall, only a few steps away from Zhu Di on the throne, he stopped, bowed, and reported loudly: "Your Highness, General Zhang has sent back news that Liaodong has been conquered, and the army will be preparing for a triumphant return soon."

"Also, the Ministry of War will contact our Beiping Prefecture to discuss compensation for casualties among our Beiping Army soldiers."

On the throne.

Zhu Di was wearing a royal robe. His face was dignified and his eyes were deep and sharp, as if he could see through everything.

Hear the words.

Zhu Di nodded slightly, his movements calm and dignified, and said, "Yes! Have the barracks prepare sufficient food and wine. Our Beiping soldiers were all brave and fearless in the Liaodong battlefield, and have rendered meritorious service to the country. Upon their return, I will personally visit the barracks to reward the entire army."

The official's face immediately lit up with a smile, and he said loudly, "Your Majesty is wise. When the soldiers return from the expedition, they will be very happy to see Your Majesty in person."

"Jin Zhong." Zhu Di turned his gaze and looked at the official in front of him, his eyes revealing a hint of majesty: "Contact the Ministry of War, this matter is of utmost importance."

"You will be personally responsible for this matter and ensure that the compensation is distributed quickly."

"This king does not want the families of the soldiers who have served the country so loyally to suffer because of their compensation."

Jin Zhong immediately stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and bowed respectfully with quick and decisive movements. He said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty. I will take this seriously."

Zhu Di nodded with satisfaction, then suddenly seemed to think of something, a trace of concern flashed in his eyes, and he asked, "By the way, how is the matter that I asked you to secretly investigate going?"

Hear this!

Jin Zhong's expression instantly became serious. He slightly turned sideways, slowly reached his right hand into his arms, and carefully took out a memorial.

Then Jin Zhong held the memorial in both hands and slowly walked to Zhu Di. He bent down slightly and gently handed it to him, saying, "Your Highness! All the information about Zhu Ying's investigation is here."

Zhu Di's eyes moved instantly, revealing deep concern, and he immediately reached out to take the memorial.

His eyes quickly swept over the words above. As he looked at the content, Zhu Di's expression gradually changed. A hint of shock appeared on his originally calm face, and then turned into anger.

But at this moment, in front of his ministers, he seemed to be trying his best to suppress his inner anger.

"Is it true?" Zhu Di closed the memorial, raised his head, and stared at Jin Zhong with a scrutinizing look in his eyes.

"I have personally verified it, and it is all true."

Jin Zhong lowered his head slightly, speaking with a firm tone, without the slightest hesitation: "Zhu Ying is originally from my Beiping Prefecture! He even has a residence in Beiping City. The reason he went to Daning to enlist was because of a recruiting officer from my Beiping Prefecture Recruiting Office."

Zhu Di's face instantly turned as cold as ice, his eyes filled with coldness. He slammed the table hard, and a loud bang echoed in the hall.

"As expected! Zhu Ying was originally from my Beiping Prefecture. If it weren't for this recruiting officer, Zhu Ying would have been a general of my Beiping Army."

"This person deserves to die!"

"Because of his actions, our Beiping army lost a brave general."

"Your Majesty."

Seeing this, Jin Zhong quickly said, "The recruiting officer has been apprehended. He's been charged with dereliction of duty. Your Highness, would you like to see him?"

"Have you asked all the questions you should ask?" Zhu Di raised his head, stared at Jin Zhong and asked, with a hint of unquestionable majesty in his voice.

"Asked."

Jin Zhong reported truthfully: "He confessed everything! He accepted a hundred gold coins from the Shen family and changed Zhu Ying's place of conscription to the Daning Border Army."

"Besides that, he also burned Zhu Ying's original place of origin. It seems Zhu Ying's original age was a little short, so he raised it to sixteen before enlisting in the army."

"The Shen family?"

Zhu Di frowned, his eyes filled with doubt. He tilted his head slightly and fell into a brief moment of thought: "The Shen family is the richest family in Beiping Prefecture, and even the richest in the north. Why would they target Zhu Ying?"

"Could it be that Zhu Ying has some connection with the Shen family?"

Jin Zhong nodded and said, "According to my investigation, Zhu Ying's family seems to have a history with the Shen family. It seems that Zhu Ying's grandmother and the Shen family once had an engagement!!"

Hear this.

Zhu Di's eyes flashed with understanding. He immediately thought of the cause and effect, and a look of understanding appeared on his face. He said, "It seems that the Shen family does not want to marry their daughter to Zhu Ying, so they want to send Zhu Ying to Daning with the intention of killing him."

"Before the Liaodong War broke out, Daning was the most chaotic of the border prefectures. The Yuan court, the Jiannu, and bandits were everywhere! If Zhu Ying had enlisted, there was a high chance he would have died on the battlefield."

"The Shen family is truly ruthless. Merchants chase profit and forget their principles. It's true."

It can be seen that Zhu Di's attitude towards merchants is consistent with Zhu Yuanzhang's, and his eyes reveal deep disgust.

"Just as the prince said."

Jin Zhong continued, "The Shen family didn't want to fulfill their engagement with Zhu Ying, so they tricked her into the most dangerous Daning Mansion, hoping she would die there."

"Furthermore, after Zhu Ying was taken to Daning, the Shen family's daughter was married off as a concubine. The family that married the Shen family's daughter was the Lu family."

"Which Lu family?" Zhu Di asked, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Yingtian Prefecture, the eldest son of Minister of Rites Lu Ben, Lu Hao." Jin Zhong replied in a deep and powerful voice.

Hear the words.

Zhu Di had a thoughtful look on his face. He placed his right hand on the armrest of the chair and tapped it rhythmically, making a slight sound.

After a moment, Zhu Di said coldly: "The Shen family seems to have had many marriages in recent years."

"The generals of Huaixi, and now the Lu family."

"Merchants! You're stretching your hands too far."

At this time, Zhu Di's face was full of displeasure, his brows were furrowed, and there was a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Your Majesty."

Jin Zhong continued, "Through this recruiting officer, I sent people to search for evidence of the Shen family colluding with officials to disrupt government."

"But the Shen family is very cautious. The person who contacted the recruiting officer has disappeared."

"Also... the Shen family seems to have realized something was wrong. Most of the Shen family members have moved to Yingtian, leaving only the second son of the Shen family in Beiping."

"There is no evidence to convict the Shen family based on the recruiting officer's testimony alone."

Hear this.

"If the Shen family had been caught so easily, he wouldn't have become a wealthy man in the Ming Dynasty." "Shen Wansan is a cunning old man."

Zhu Di said this very calmly, without a trace of emotion on his face.

Obviously, the person sent by the Shen family to contact the recruiting officer had been secretly dealt with by the Shen family.

In this era, deaths occur frequently, but the people do not report them and the officials do not investigate them.

If everything is investigated, the government will have no peace.

Maybe it's dark, but maybe every era is like this.

"But why did the Shen family leave my Beiping Prefecture?"

Jin Zhong looked puzzled and asked, "Without evidence, are they afraid?"

"The Shen family's marriage alliances with many powerful people are fundamentally for the purpose of making the Shen family more powerful."

Zhu Di sat up slightly, then slowly said: "The Lu family is in a terrible situation now."

"He is from a Shangshu family, and his daughter is the crown prince's most favored concubine."

"If the Shen family doesn't use this path, then they are not merchants anymore."

"As for why they migrated to Yingtian so quickly, it was obviously because of Zhu Ying."

"It seems they also know that Zhu Ying is not only not harmed by them, but has been promoted to a higher position."

Zhu Di sneered, with a hint of sarcasm in his laughter. With his power and vision, he naturally saw through the essence of the matter easily.

"Then Your Majesty," Jin Zhong asked tentatively, "Should we do something about the Shen family?"

"There's no evidence. What can we do?"

Zhu Di said slowly, shaking his head slightly: "Besides, this matter is not my business, but Zhu Ying's business."

"What I want to do is to do Zhu Ying a favor, rather than giving it directly."

"Then Your Highness, should we hand over the information we have investigated to Zhu Ying, or what?" Jin Zhong asked respectfully, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

"Send the recruiting officer to Daning."

Zhu Di's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and then he said, "This man accepted bribes from merchants and disregarded the law! He also ignored military regulations and should be punished with death."

"Also, report everything you've investigated to Zhu Ying."

Hear the words.

Jin Zhong bowed and said, "I understand."

"But..." Jin Zhong looked thoughtful, hesitant to speak, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

"Just say it if you have something to say." Zhu Di turned his gaze and fell on Jin Zhong.

"Your Highness is a noble man. Although Zhu Ying is outstanding, he shouldn't be worthy of your attention." Jin Zhong asked in confusion, "After all, he is just a commander."

"You, you look at things too simply."

Zhu Di smiled and shook his head. There was a hint of meaning in his smile, but his expression was very serious. "If Zhu Ying was really just a commander, then he wouldn't be worthy of my attention and my willingness to do him a favor. But he was promoted to commander in a year and even to earl."

"This is worthy of my attention."

After all, it was the potential shown by Zhu Ying that impressed Zhu Di and made him take him seriously.

"It's ridiculous that the Shen family would rather ruin this marriage and let their daughter go to the Lu Mansion as a concubine, and actually give up Zhu Ying, a piece of unpolished gem."

"I'm sure the Shen family must be regretting it now." Jin Zhong said with great emotion. He shook his head slightly, with a trace of regret on his face.

"Alright." Zhu Di waved his hand and said decisively, "Go and do what I have instructed you to do."

"I'm leaving now." Jin Zhong bowed and quickly left the palace hall with brisk and powerful steps.

After Jin Zhong left, Zhu Di muttered with a thoughtful look, "The Shen family, Zhu Ying. I didn't expect they would be so involved. They're willing to put someone to death for a marriage contract. This Shen family really is just a merchant family."

"And since the engagement is already in place, the Shen family must have had some connection with Zhu Ying's family in the past. They're so obsessed with profit that they forget their loyalty. This Shen family is truly too much of a merchant. As my father said, merchants are obsessed with profit and must be suppressed."

Just when Zhu Di was preparing to deal with the government affairs of Beiping Prefecture!

A voice came, accompanied by hurried footsteps: "Report. Father, the prefect Fang requests an audience."

Subsequently.

A young man, about seventeen or eighteen years old but a bit fat, walked quickly into the hall.

He just quickened his pace and was already out of breath, with beads of sweat on his face and forehead, obviously due to his obesity.

This person was Zhu Di's eldest son and the Prince of Yan, Zhu Gaochi.

Looking at Zhu Gaochi's appearance, Zhu Di was actually a little disappointed in the depths of his eyes. At the same time, a trace of imperceptible loneliness flashed in his eyes, but he did not show it on the surface.

Seeing Zhu Gaochi coming, Zhu Di sat up straight, a gentle smile appeared on his face, and said: "Okay. Since Fang Zhifu is here, he must have important matters. Please come in."

"Yes." Zhu Gaochi nodded immediately, his movements a little slow, and then shouted to the outside of the hall: "Prefect Fang, please come in."

To the outside world, Zhu Gaochi remained very calm.

In response, a middle-aged man in official robes slowly walked into the palace hall.

When he saw Zhu Di, he immediately bowed, lowered his head, and said in a loud voice: "I am here to see you, Your Highness."

"No need to be so polite, Prefect Fang." Zhu Di smiled slightly, with a hint of gentleness in his smile.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Fang Bishou thanked him and stood up straight, his movements neat and clear.

"Does Magistrate Fang have important business this time?" Zhu Di asked with a smile, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Your Highness." Fang Bishou stepped forward and said, "The Ministry of Rites has just sent a notice that needs to be announced to the world. Your Highness, please take a look."

As he spoke, Fang Bishou held a notice from the Ministry of Rites in both hands, slowly walked in front of Zhu Di, and placed the notice on the table with cautious movements.

Zhu Di immediately picked up the notice and took a look at it. A ripple of emotion appeared on his face, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Then he fell into deep thought.

After a while, Zhu Di smiled slightly and said, "Since this is a notice from the Ministry of Rites, it should be announced as soon as possible! I will not have any objection to this matter."

Upon hearing this, Fang Bishou bowed and said, "I understand."

"By the way," Zhu Di continued, "Prefect Fang has arrived just in time."

"Now that the Liaodong war has been settled, I have received news that General Zhang Yu will soon return victorious."

"In this battle of Liaodong, our Beiping army suffered heavy casualties and needs to be replenished. This matter still needs to be handled by Prefect Fang." Zhu Di said with a slight smile, with a hint of expectation in his smile.

Upon hearing this, Fang Bishou immediately said, "The Beiping Army has suffered losses and needs to be replenished. Your Highness, please rest assured. I will report this to the Ministry of War as soon as possible. Once the Ministry of War issues a recruitment order, I will immediately start recruiting soldiers in Beiping Prefecture."

Zhu Di nodded and said, "In that case, thank you for your help."

From this we can see that although the Ming Dynasty enfeoffed many vassal kings, in terms of military power and recruitment, everything was mainly under the control of the Ministry of War of the imperial court.

Moreover, the princes were distributed among the vassal states, each with its own checks and balances. The most important thing was that the princes could not meet privately. If they violated this, they would be severely punished by the Heavenly Emperor.

Zhu Yuanzhang had plans for all of this in his mind.

After Fang Bishou left, Zhu Di looked at Zhu Gaochi who was standing beside him and said softly, "Gaochi, you can go down too."

"Yes, father." Zhu Gaochi bowed and slowly retreated, his steps slightly heavy.

After everyone left, Zhu Di took another look at the notice from the Ministry of Rites brought by Fang Bishou. He felt complicated, and his eyes revealed a hint of helplessness and worry.

Then, Zhu Di walked slowly towards the inner hall.

In this inner hall, the candlelight is soft and the light is dim.

But it has a kind of sandalwood fragrance.

Inside the inner hall.

Only Yao Guangxiao was present. He was wearing a monk's robe, with a calm expression on his face, sitting quietly on a cushion beside him.

Seeing Zhu Di coming, Yao Guangxiao smiled slightly, with a hint of understanding in his smile, and said: "The Liaodong incident has been settled. The Beiping army has also made many contributions. This can be regarded as an honor for His Majesty."

"Compared to the Daning Border Army, our Beiping Army has no reputation at all."

Zhu Di shook his head slightly, a wry smile on his face. "This Liaodong battle! Ultimately, it became a battle that made the Daning Border Army famous. One general brought fame to the entire army."

Zhu Di said this with great emotion, a hint of envy in his eyes.

"Looking at the prince's expression, he doesn't seem happy." Yao Guangxiao smiled slightly, his eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts: "It seems that he has encountered some problems again."

"This is a notice issued by the Ministry of Rites, which will be announced to the world." Zhu Di handed the notice in his hand to Yao Guangxiao, his movements seemingly casual.

The latter took it and looked at it. After just a few glances, he immediately understood.

Yao Guangxiao nodded slightly, a trace of emotion on his face, and said, "The current emperor's kindness to the prince is truly beyond words!"

"The Liaodong region has been isolated from China for hundreds of years and has always been controlled by foreign races."

"Now that we have successfully recovered, this is an achievement that will go down in history!"

Yao Guangxiao slowly put down the notice from the Ministry of Rites in his hand, his expression full of emotion.

however!
Yao Guangxiao suddenly changed the subject and continued, "However, it is so unexpected that the Emperor would actually give such a great achievement to the Crown Prince. The Emperor's move is clearly intended to use this achievement of recovering Liaodong to make the Crown Prince's prestige soar to the peak of his popularity, enough to make him a great figure in history!"

"Such a boldness is truly unprecedented."

"Throughout history, which emperor has not longed to leave a glorious name in the annals of history, to be remembered and admired by future generations?"

"Yet the current emperor was able to abandon this obsession and willingly hand over such an honor. This has far surpassed the ordinary love between father and son."

As Yao Guangxiao spoke, he gently stroked his beard, and the expression of emotion on his face became more and more intense.

Zhu Di listened quietly to Yao Guangxiao's words, nodded slightly, and forced a slightly bitter smile on his face. He slowly said, "Although the achievement of recovering Liaodong is extraordinary, compared with the great achievements of my father in establishing the Ming Dynasty and reshaping the order of China, it is just a drop in the ocean, insignificant and not worth mentioning."

"In the annals of future history, my father will undoubtedly occupy a very important space. His achievements will be admired and praised by future generations for thousands of years to come."

Zhu Di paused, and the expression on his originally calm face suddenly became complicated.

There seemed to be thousands of waves surging in his eyes, which were the emotions that had been suppressed for a long time quietly surging.

Zhu Di's face trembled slightly. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said softly, "And... to my father, perhaps, only my eldest brother can be considered his true biological son!"

As the words fell, the inner hall fell into dead silence.

this sentence.

Perhaps these were Zhu Di's true words from the bottom of his heart.

perhaps.

Except for his eldest brother, the other brothers felt the same way.

……

(End of this chapter)