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

Chapter 223 Zhu Ying: One wants to abdicate, the other doesn't want to ascend the throne! This father and son are truly something else!
"Your Highness."

Upon seeing Zhu Biao approaching, Zhu Ying, who was about to turn and leave the hall, stopped and immediately called out.

"I have already said it."

"I'm going to have a good drink with Zhu Qing tonight."

"Wait a moment, then we'll enter the Wenyuan Pavilion."

"Father and I are preparing a proper welcome dinner for Minister Zhu tonight," Zhu Biao said with a smile.

"It would be disrespectful for me to refuse," Zhu Ying replied with a smile.

"Alright, I'll go to the Wenyuan Pavilion to make some preparations first. Don't leave the palace. Someone will guide Zhu Qing in a moment." Zhu Biao smiled, then glanced at the court officials and, without disturbing their desire to talk to Zhu Ying, turned and walked out of the main hall.

As soon as Zhu Biao left.

"Champion Marquis."

"I have long admired your name, and today I am finally able to meet you."

"I am Tang Duo, the Minister of War."

Tang Duo walked over first, a warm smile on his face.

"I have met Minister Tang."

Zhu Ying, carrying the imperial edict and the box, returned the greeting with clasped hands.

The Minister of War was in charge of military affairs, but this did not mean commanding troops. Rather, it involved matters such as recruiting soldiers, troop deployment, and military supplies. He had to deal with many things.

In the future, Zhu will likely have to deal with Tang Duo quite a bit.

"Haha."

"You are too polite, Marquis Champion."

"I have seen the name of the Champion Marquis countless times in the military newspapers, and I have long admired him. Meeting him today has truly broadened my horizons. The Champion Marquis is indeed valiant and worthy of being the Champion Marquis of our Great Ming Dynasty," Tang Duo said with a hearty laugh, his voice filled with deep agreement.

"To receive praise from Minister Tang is an honor I am deeply grateful for," Zhu Ying replied modestly.

"The Marquis of Champion."

"Your report today has given the Ministry of Revenue even more to worry about."

"I originally thought that the wealth plundered from the Northern Yuan would replenish the national treasury and be used for various purposes, but now it has to be halved." Zhao Mian walked over with some disappointment.

As the Minister of Revenue, he was behaving somewhat petty and calculating at this moment.

"This is Zhao Mian, the Minister of Revenue."

"Good at accounting."

"You don't need to listen to this old man. You're right to speak today. These treasures seized from the Northern Yuan are unexpected wealth, and they were won by the brave soldiers of the Northern Expedition. Don't even mention giving away half of them, you can give away all of them," Tang Duo said, glaring at him.

"You old codger, you don't know the value of firewood and rice when you're not in charge of the household."

"Do you know how much money the national treasury was depleted by this year's military campaign? How much manpower and resources were wasted?"

"Sigh, going to war is just burning money."

"These three years of military campaigns have depleted the resources that our Great Ming Dynasty has accumulated over many years. It will be very difficult to have the capacity for large-scale military campaigns in the next few years," Zhao Mian said with a sigh, clearly still struggling with the issue.

after all.

Zhao Mian was a civil official, and he was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, which was the purse of the entire Ming Dynasty. Naturally, his thoughts were completely different from Zhu Ying's.

"Minister Zhao."

“I know that you are in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and you must have your own difficulties. But when I received these treasures and saw the soldiers who died for the country, I promised all the soldiers that when we returned to the capital, I would definitely petition the Emperor to increase their compensation and salaries.”

"This is the only thing I, someone who escaped from a mountain of corpses, can do for those heroic spirits," Zhu Ying replied solemnly to Zhao Mian.

of course.

Zhu Ying had no reason to lose his temper with Zhao Mian, as their responsibilities were different.

Upon hearing Zhu Ying's words, Zhao Mian put away the bitterness on his face and said solemnly, "The Marquis of Champion is a hero, and those soldiers who died for the country are even more heroes! Compared to letting the national treasury's money do some meaningless things, it is the greatest benefit to let it fall on the soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the country."

Obviously.

Although he appeared unwilling, Zhao Mian still held the soldiers who were loyal to the country in the highest esteem.

"Minister Zhao."

"After that, I'll trouble you to calculate the compensation for those soldiers." Zhu Ying smiled as well.

And this time!
Lu Ben slowly stepped forward with a smile on his face: "Marquis of Champion, I am Lu Ben, Minister of Rites. Marquis of Champion, you are indeed a man of great talent and spirit. I am glad to see you today. You are truly worthy of your reputation. This time, Marquis of Champion captured the Yuan Emperor and destroyed the Northern Yuan. This is truly inspiring. You are the number one general of our Great Ming Dynasty."

As soon as I came over.

Lu Ben immediately began to praise Zhu Ying, even showering him with compliments.

It was precisely after he uttered these words that...

Some of the Huaixi military officers who had not yet left looked over coldly, appearing extremely displeased.

Whether Lü Ben did this intentionally is hard to say.

In this regard.

Zhu Ying looked at Lü Ben and replied calmly, "Minister Lü, you flatter me. The Ming Dynasty is a land of outstanding people and abundant resources, with countless talented generals. Although I, Zhu Ying, have been fortunate enough to achieve some military merits, I am far from being the number one military general in the Ming Dynasty."

Lu Ben smiled and said, "In my eyes, the Marquis of Champion is the number one general of our Great Ming Dynasty. This has been agreed upon by the Emperor. The victory of capturing the Yuan Emperor and destroying the Northern Yuan should be announced to the world, and it will be announced along with the portrait of the Marquis of Champion."

"This matter needs to be handled as soon as possible."

"I wonder when the Marquis of Champion will be able to come to the Ministry of Rites in the next few days. I will personally find a top painter to make a portrait of the Marquis of Champion."

Hear this!

Zhu Ying knew that the matter was settled, and the boost to his reputation would be obvious once the portrait was circulated.

"What about the day after tomorrow?"

"I will go to the Ministry of Rites soon," Zhu Ying replied after thinking for a moment.

"Then it's settled."

"The day after tomorrow, I will personally welcome the Marquis of Champion at the Ministry of Rites," Lü Ben said with a hearty laugh.

This time!

Zhu Yinggui returned to court and became the undisputed favorite in the entire court.

One by one, ministers and grand secretaries came to pay their respects and acknowledge him.

Now that Zhu Ying is in the imperial court, he naturally has to deal with everything.

It lasted for an unknown period of time.

at last.

Zhu Ying managed to shake off the entanglements of many ministers and walked out of the palace.

Outside the hall.

A eunuch was already waiting outside.

"Master Hou."

"His Highness the Crown Prince has decreed that after the Marquis leaves the palace, he should accompany this servant to the Wenyuan Pavilion. The palace is vast, and His Highness is worried that the Marquis may lose his way," the eunuch respectfully said to Zhu Ying.

"Thank you for your trouble."

Zhu Ying thanked him, then turned around and asked, "Where's my sword?"

The imperial guards immediately stepped forward.

"His Highness the Crown Prince personally took away the Marquis's sword," the Imperial Guard soldiers said respectfully.

"I understand."

Zhu Ying nodded in realization and didn't ask any more questions.

Then they followed the eunuch toward the Wenyuan Pavilion.

After Zhu Ying left.

In the imperial court, many ministers who had not yet left gathered in small groups and began to discuss the matter.

"I never expected that this Marquis of Champion is not only young, but also so mature in his dealings with people and his speech."

"Perhaps, this is what true genius is!"

"There is such a perfect person in this world, who at the age of eighteen sealed the wolf's lair and became famous throughout the world."

"Sigh, it's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy."

"Indeed, now the Emperor and the Crown Prince, father and son, have even personally hosted a banquet at the Wenyuan Pavilion to welcome him. Such favor and honor can only be bestowed upon the Emperor's old brothers." "I am truly extremely envious."

"After all, this is a feat that can be called 'sealing the wolf and residing in the Xu state.' If you are capable, you should also establish one. The Emperor and the Crown Prince will surely hold a banquet for you in the Wenyuan Pavilion."

"Go to hell! If sealing the wolf's lair were that simple, how come there would only be the great Han Dynasty general Huo Qubing throughout history?"

"..."

The court meeting has ended.

The discussion about Zhu Ying has not ended.

Furthermore, as the court meeting concluded, these matters concerning Zhu Ying would gradually spread, including not only Zhu Ying's conferment of a hereditary marquisate and his appointment as commander-in-chief.

Furthermore, Zhu Ying is older than that.

These are all enough to cause a real shock.

Outside the main hall of Wenyuan Pavilion!

Zhu Biao was standing outside.

He was still carrying Zhu Ying's Qinghong Sword in his hand.

This time when Zhu Ying went to the palace, he did not wear the stronger Yitian Sword, but wore it casually. After all, once it entered the grade, it was unique in this world. The sharpness of the lower and upper grades of the Yellow Rank was the same for weapons of this era.

"Your Highness."

"The Marquis of Champion has arrived."

When the eunuch led Zhu Ying over, he immediately knelt down and reported to Zhu Biao.

"kindness."

Zhu Biao nodded slightly and waved his hand.

The eunuch immediately bowed and respectfully withdrew.

Zhu Biao's gaze fell on Zhu Ying, a smile on his face.

Then there was a hissing sound.

Zhu Biao drew Zhu Ying's Qinghong Sword directly.

"Zhu Qing's sword is truly a rare and divine weapon."

"I've seen many swords, but this one looks even more formidable, and it's not made of ordinary refined iron," Zhu Biao praised with a smile.

"This sword was acquired by chance, and it is named Qinghong," Zhu Ying replied with a smile.

"The Azure Rainbow Sword?"

Zhu Biao looked at the sword in his hand and was slightly taken aback: "In the past, Cao Cao had two swords, one was Yitian and the other was Qinghong. Could this Qinghong be this one?"

“If there is only one Qinghong sword in this world, it should be Cao Cao’s.” Zhu Ying nodded with a smile.

"No wonder it's so sharp, and the material looks extraordinary."

"I never imagined that such casting techniques existed in the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is truly remarkable."

Zhu Biao looked at the sharp blade and secretly marveled.

When leaving the palace earlier.

When Zhu Biao saw Zhu Ying's sword, he knew the rules of the palace that officials were not allowed to bring swords into the Wenyuan Pavilion, so he brought it directly to Zhu Ying.

"If His Highness the Crown Prince is pleased."

"Then this sword will be given to the Crown Prince," Zhu Ying said with a smile.

Listen to this.

Zhu Biao shook his head and smiled: "A gentleman does not take what others cherish. This sword is Zhu Qing's divine weapon, and it has helped our Great Ming Dynasty kill many powerful enemies. If I were to take it, wouldn't that be a waste of a precious treasure?"

"Didn't the Crown Prince just say that Cao Cao has two divine weapons?"

"Coincidentally, I also possess the Yitian Sword."

"Now that I have presented this Azure Rainbow Sword to the Crown Prince, I too can wield the Heaven-Slaying Sword," Zhu Ying said with a slight smile.

Hear this.

Zhu Biao looked surprised: "It's hard to believe that you've obtained both of Cao Cao's divine weapons."

"Therefore, the Crown Prince can rest assured and keep it safe."

"This is also my way of thanking the Crown Prince for taking care of my family during my long campaign," Zhu Ying said with genuine gratitude.

"If we're talking about taking care of someone, then Zhu Qing doesn't need to say that."

“You fight for the country, so your family should naturally be taken care of by me. Besides, your son is now my adopted grandson. If I don’t take care of him, who will?” Zhu Biao laughed heartily.

but.

The voice changed.

Zhu Biao sheathed the Azure Rainbow Sword without refusing: "As for this Azure Rainbow Sword, I will not be polite. However, I cannot take it for free. I will exchange it with you, Zhu Qing."

"Walk."

"Follow me into the palace; Father is already inside."

"Although there is still some time before dinner, Father has some questions for Minister Zhu."

talking.

Zhu Biao strode directly into the main hall of Wenyuan Pavilion.

Zhu Ying did not hesitate and immediately stepped into the main hall of Wenyuan Pavilion.

Once inside.

They saw Zhu Yuanzhang sitting upright in the main hall, reviewing memorials.

"Father, Zhu Ying has arrived." Zhu Biao bowed immediately upon entering the hall.

"No need for formalities, please sit down."

"Don't be too reserved since there are no outsiders around."

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his head and waved to Zhu Ying, who was about to bow.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhu Ying thanked him.

Then I slowly walked closer.

"Father, Zhu Yingren has arrived. Please put down the memorials for now." Zhu Biao couldn't help but speak up as he watched Zhu Yuanzhang still engrossed in reviewing the memorials.

Zhu Yuanzhang said somewhat helplessly, "You brat, why don't you urge others when they come? If you keep doing this, I'll just abdicate and let you be the emperor. I won't bother reviewing memorials anymore, I'll just enjoy myself."

"Then all the memorials will be yours, let's see how you complain about us then."

Listen to this.

Zhu Biao immediately looked distressed and said helplessly, "Father, please stop threatening me with this. You are in the prime of your life now, you should continue to sit in this position. I am not capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility."

Seeing this atmosphere, Zhu Ying couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "Truly worthy of being the father and son of Zhu Yuanzhang, who had the most people-oriented mindset in history! No, it should be the father and son of Zhu Chongba. Zhu Biao was Zhu Chongba's son, not Zhu Yuanzhang. Moreover, he was the eldest son of the peasant Zhu Chongba. Even though they were farming, the few acres of land in the family belonged to Zhu Biao."

"Although he became emperor, this deep-rooted idea remained deeply ingrained."

"One is eager to abdicate as soon as possible, while the other is eager to succeed to the throne as late as possible."

"This would be incredibly shocking even in history."

Zhu Ying thought to himself, filled with emotion.

in history.

Once one sits on that throne and controls the power of the empire, one can dominate countless people with a wave of the hand. Once one possesses such power, it is difficult to want to step down; one only wants to sit in this position forever.

Therefore, this is also why emperors in history pursued immortality.

But the father and son in front of me were completely different.

"If Zhu Biao hadn't died, what would the Ming Dynasty have been like? What would the world have been like?"

now.

Zhu Ying then thought of a topic that has been widely discussed on the internet in later generations: what changes could have occurred to the Ming Dynasty if Zhu Biao had not died?
This is something that has been discussed and intrigued by countless people throughout history.

……

(End of this chapter)