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

Chapter 318 Zhu Biao: For the sake of Xiong Ying, this is necessary!

"All right."

"You two, father and son, should discuss these matters yourselves."

"Anyway."

"Being spared from fratricide makes it all worthwhile."

"Especially Xiong Ying, the royal property you mentioned must be implemented as soon as possible. Once your uncles arrive in Yingtian, we can implement it directly to avoid them causing trouble," Zhu Yuanzhang said slowly.

"This matter requires the cooperation of the Ministry of Revenue, and even other ministries."

"Please, Your Majesty, issue an imperial decree to inform us first," Zhu Ying said, clasping his hands in greeting.

"Isn't your father right there?"

"If you have any questions, go find him." Zhu Yuanzhang smiled faintly.

"That's fine then." Zhu Ying nodded.

immediately.

The father and son then left the Wenyuan Pavilion.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne, seemingly still immersed in the events of the day, unable to snap out of his reverie.

Outside the palace!

The father and son walked side by side.

"Yongying."

What you said today has truly surprised me.

"I originally thought that the excessive power of the enfeoffed princes was a major drawback, but I didn't expect that the support of the royal family was the real major drawback."

"If you hadn't brought it up, our Great Ming Dynasty would have truly struggled to survive," Zhu Biao said with deep emotion, or rather, with a sense of relief.

"Prince."

"What I am referring to today is only related to the royal family and the princes."

"Many things that need to be done next will affect the powerful and wealthy people all over the world."

"If we want a long-lasting and powerful empire, we must change. Otherwise, if the powerful elites of the Ming Dynasty become too entrenched, it will be difficult to change them," Zhu Ying said in a deep voice, his tone serious.

In this regard.

Zhu Biao smiled, raised his hand and patted Zhu Ying's shoulder, saying, "Whatever you want to do, I will support you. Your imperial grandfather and your other uncles are there, but I only have you and Yun Tong."

This word.

This demonstrates Zhu Biao's attitude: absolute support for Zhu Ying.

He would support whatever kind of reforms or upheavals Zhu Ying wanted to initiate.

Listening to Zhu Biao's words.

Zhu Ying did not speak, but nodded very solemnly.

East Palace!

Zhu Biao took his seat in the main hall.

"The gift to the emperor is Lan Yu, Li Jinglong."

"Give me the throne to Chen Jing and Zhao Mian."

Once back.

Zhu Biao did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered his men to summon all civil and military officials.

"I accept the decree."

Luo Yang, who was serving outside, replied loudly.

Not long.

Several civil and military officials summoned by Zhu Biao arrived at the main hall of the East Palace.

"I see His Highness the Crown Prince."

Lan Yu and the other three bowed respectfully to Zhu Biao.

"Please, everyone, take your seats without further ado."

Zhu Biao waved his hand, raised his head to look at everyone, and his expression was serious.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

The group thanked them respectfully and then sat down on the chairs on either side of the hall.

"Your Highness."

"Is this summons for some important matter?" Lan Yu, who was closest to Zhu Biao, naturally asked immediately.

"Something has happened, and it's a big deal," Zhu Biao said in a deep voice.

"Please give me your instructions, Your Highness."

"We swear to serve you to the death."

The crowd's expressions changed, and they all stood up and bowed.

They naturally understood Zhu Biao. Seeing how serious he was at this moment, and that he said it was a big deal, then it must be a big deal.

"Duke Liang."

"Gong Cao Guo."

Zhu Biao's gaze shifted and landed on Lan Yu and Li Jinglong.

"Please give your orders, Your Highness," the two replied immediately.

“Select suitable generals from among the generals of Huaixi and from the Governor’s Office.”

"Ten guard commanders, and one hundred generals under the guard commanders."

"You must be loyal to the court, have a clean background, and know your roots," Zhu Biao said in a deep voice.

"May I ask, Your Highness?"

"Why are so many generals being selected all at once?"

"Could it be that they're taking advantage of the internal strife in the Northern Yuan to launch another northern expedition against the grasslands?" Lan Yu's eyes lit up as she asked excitedly.

"The selection of generals was to take over the military power of the regional princes. From now on, the princes will not be allowed to command troops."

"The imperial edict will be issued soon," Zhu Biao said in a deep voice.

Hear this.

Everyone inside the hall stared at Zhu Biao in astonishment.

But then.

They all had happy expressions on their faces.

"The Emperor's Holy Might."

"Your Highness is wise."

"If a vassal king takes command of the army, chaos will inevitably ensue sooner or later."

“This time, seizing the military power of the princes is to stabilize the foundation of the Ming Dynasty,” Chen Jing immediately said.

"I second the proposal."

"It's long overdue."

Lan Yu immediately echoed this sentiment.

But deep in my heart.

Lan Yu seemed to have thought of something as well: "Xiong Ying went to the palace today, and then left the palace, but was then summoned back to the palace. It must be related to this matter."

"Back then, the emperor's move to enfeoff princes was met with opposition from the entire court, but the emperor insisted on his own way and ultimately the policy of enfeoffing princes was implemented."

"Now that Xiong Ying has arrived, he has naturally seen the drawbacks of the feudal prince policy."

"That's why we made the change."

"Great."

"It's impossible for vassal kings to hold onto their armies and act independently in the future. In the end, Xiong Ying will still have to rely on our Huai Xi." Lan Yu was also extremely excited at this moment.

Having stripped the vassal kings of their military power, Lan Yu naturally knew who to rely on in the future.

The road ahead for Huaixi is long and broad.

This is absolutely a good thing for them, a great thing.

"The Emperor's Holy Might."

"Your Highness is wise," Li Jinglong immediately echoed.

"These generals must be loyal to the court, and their abilities are also a given."

"Both of you must treat this matter with utmost care."

"After the selection process, the list will be submitted to me for review," Zhu Biao said to the two men.

"Your Highness, please rest assured."

"Your Majesty, we will do our utmost," Lan Yu and Li Jinglong immediately assured each other.

"May I ask, Your Highness?"

"Is there a time limit?" Li Jinglong asked respectfully, snapping out of his daze.

"The Ministry of Rites will issue an edict within the next few days, which will not only take over the military power of the vassal kings in various regions, but also summon the vassal kings to the capital for an audience."

"Anyway."

"The screening should be completed within these three days."

"If there's anything you don't understand, or anything you want to know, just go directly to Prince Yu Huai," Zhu Biao said slowly.

"I accept the decree."

Lan Yu and the other person had no more doubts, but were even more certain that this matter was indeed related to Zhu Ying.

And this time.

Zhu Biao looked at Chen Jing and Zhao Mian.

"Other."

“Selecting prefects, provincial administration officials, and various clerks.”

"The candidates in this palace examination, as well as the successful candidates from various prefectures, can all be recruited," Zhu Biao said in a deep voice.

The words fell.

For the four civil and military officials in the East Palace at this moment, it was undoubtedly extremely shocking.

This shows that the emperor has made up his mind to reduce the power of the regional military governors.

Or.

This is not about weakening the power of the feudal lords.

This is a direct reduction of power, specifically the power of the vassal kings.

It's not just about military power, but also about political power.

If this gets out, it will definitely cause a huge uproar throughout the world.

"Your Highness." "Could it be that this time it wasn't just about seizing the prince's military power? Or was it also about seizing political power?" Chen Jing asked tentatively.

The other three also all looked at Zhu Biao.

If that's really the case, then the future feudal lords will truly be nothing more than a symbolic title, without any real power or influence.

"Do not."

Zhu Biao shook his head and said with a hint of restraint, "The princes still hold political power, but their subordinate officials must be directly dispatched by the court, especially the prefects. The six offices of a prefecture must be dispatched by the court."

Hear this.

The four of them immediately understood.

The power of the vassal kings was reduced, and their control was strengthened to prevent them from becoming too powerful.

After the princes were stripped of their military power, they were left with only their own guards of less than a thousand men. Without military power, they were like toothless tigers. Although the princes could still exercise their political power, the central officials were all directly appointed by the court. This was a form of surveillance and control over the princes.

It can be said.

Thus.

After that, the title of prince was completely reduced to a figurehead.

Things are finally back to normal.

"Your subject understands." Chen Jing nodded immediately, then asked, "I wonder if there are any restrictions on the number of officials to be dispatched?"

"This matter is for Minister Chen to decide."

"The list of candidates selected will be the same as that for military officers, and will be sent directly to me for review," Zhu Biao said in a deep voice.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Chen Jing respectfully accepted the decree.

"Zhao Qing."

"I have one more thing to entrust to you."

"Give me a count of the land still in the hands of the common people, and how much of it has been annexed by powerful and wealthy families."

"This matter is of utmost importance."

"If you want men, I will give you men. If anyone obstructs you, I will send you troops." Zhu Biao finally turned his serious gaze to Zhao Mian.

Hear this.

Lan Yu's expression changed.

Zhao Mian also seemed greatly shocked.

They all sensed that the world was about to be shaken, and that this was not just a threat to the vassal kings.

"Old minister accepts the order."

In this regard.

Although Zhao Mian felt a sense of resistance, he couldn't refuse because he felt Zhu Biao's stern gaze.

Statistics on farmland.

Zhao Mian could even imagine how great the resistance would be.

How much more filth and corruption will be hidden here?

There are quite a few things involved here.

"But Your Highness."

"This old minister is old and frail, and perhaps... perhaps I am unable to complete this important task."

"This old minister can only do his best," Zhao Mian said with a hint of trepidation.

"No problem."

Zhu Biao raised his hand: "I will have the Embroidered Uniform Guard assist me."

Upon hearing the words "Jinyiwei" (Imperial Guards).

Zhao Mian was even more shocked.

Zhu Biao used to despise the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but now he relies on them heavily, and the fact that they have been mobilized shows how much importance he attaches to this matter.

"Zhao Qing."

"do not worry."

"I'm not trying to make things difficult for you. You don't need to investigate anything this time. I just want you to count the amount of land, which is already registered in the imperial court and government."

"You just need to compile the statistics and present them to me."

Seeing Zhao Mian's panicked state, Zhu Biao spoke up again.

Obviously.

Zhu Biao could see Zhao Mian's reluctance and fear about the matter, and it was also clear that many people were involved.

"This old minister will do his best."

At this moment.

Zhao Mian didn't know what to say, and could only say that he had done his best.

"All right."

Zhu Biao nodded and looked at the four people in the hall: "Do my four ministers have any further questions?"

"We have none left," the four replied in unison.

At this moment, Zhu Biao brought up three things in succession.

Each one of these items was enough to shake the imperial court and the entire world.

But this time, three items were thrown out, how could they not be shocked?
The Ming Empire is about to face a major upheaval.

"correct."

"I almost forgot something."

"And there's King Yu Huai."

"If he instructs the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel to do anything, you must fully cooperate and not obstruct them," Zhu Biao said to the two men, remembering Zhu Ying's royal properties.

"Your Majesty, we obey the decree," the two ministers replied immediately.

I am even more certain in my heart.

These three major moves in quick succession are definitely related to Zhu Ying.

no doubt.

After the four ministers withdrew.

Zhu Biao sat in the main seat, a thoughtful look on his face: "I will take brotherly affection into consideration. As long as you are honest, I will grant you a lifetime of glory and your descendants will be safe and sound. But there is only one imperial power, and I will not allow any mistakes. I must hand over this position to Xiong Ying intact."

"This is what I, as a father, must do."

……

Prince Yu Huai's Mansion!

After returning from the palace, Zhu Ying stayed in the East Palace Hall.

On the table was a piece of paper.

Four words came into view.

Royal property.

"In the past, all of the Shen family's properties were merged into the royal properties, and separated from the state."

"Liquor is the most important, followed by sugar."

"As for glass, it is not a real necessity nowadays."

"However, if we were to expand the production of alcoholic beverages across the country, given the current state of the Ming Dynasty's grain supply, it would be impossible to sell them nationwide or produce them to that extent."

"We still need to produce other daily necessities to promote the formation of royal industries."

"As for alcoholic beverages, we should focus on quality first and make money from wealthy families. Affordable alcoholic beverages can be offered as a supplement."

"Once the cane sugar is produced, then it becomes white sugar."

"Soap, perfume, these things can also be put on the agenda."

“Once these things are released, they can definitely generate huge profits. However, once the royal assets are distributed to the various fiefdoms and prefectures, they still need to be checked and balanced to prevent them from using their power to annex the assets, raise prices, and oppress the people. Otherwise, what should have been a good thing will turn into chaos.”

……

now.

Zhu Ying was also pondering the composition of the royal industry, how to establish it, how to check and balance it, and how to supervise it.

Two lives are human beings.

Zhu Yingke knew all too well how evil human nature could be.

If he were to directly issue all the new things under his command, the price would probably be inflated. Most of Zhu Yuanzhang's sons were not normal people; they would definitely take the opportunity to amass huge profits, or even use their power. Therefore, Zhu Ying had to be kept in check.

While Zhu Ying was pondering this.

"Report."

"Report to the prince."

"Duke of Liang, Duke of Zheng."

"A group of generals from Huaixi also came to see the prince."

Liu Lei strode into the main hall and respectfully reported.

Hear this.

Zhu Ying raised his head, but his expression showed no surprise.

Obviously.

Lan Yu and his ilk must have already received some news, or Zhu Biao must have summoned them and arranged something for them.

otherwise.

They wouldn't come all at once to see me; they're clearly testing the waters.