Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 202 Empress Ma's Eyes Were Opened

what? !

Upon hearing this, Empress Ma jumped up from Zhu Yuanzhang's arms, her expression trembling violently!

They actually...the entire family set themselves on fire? Were they driven to this point?
Having learned that the fourth prince had rebelled due to the policy of reducing the power of the princes, and based on what Zhu Yunwen had done before, as mentioned by Chongba, she already knew that the policy of reducing the power of the princes would inevitably cause distress.

After all, her grandsons and sons had killed each other, which was essentially a case of blood feuding.

The fifth prince did nothing wrong, yet he was falsely accused of rebellion, stripped of his title, and exiled to Yunnan.

The fates of the other princes who were stripped of their titles and privileges will certainly not be good either.

However, I never expected that things would end up like this!

The twelfth prince was actually forced to commit suicide by burning his entire household alive!

This was utterly tragic and beyond her comprehension.

"That beast! That little beast!"

Empress Ma's chest heaved as she shouted curses.

It's clear that he was genuinely angry.

Previously, when she heard her husband, Chongba, calling Zhu Yunwen a beast repeatedly, she thought it sounded rather unpleasant.

After all, Zhu Yunwen is a descendant of his own son, Biao'er. If he calls Zhu Yunwen a beast, then when you really think about it, wouldn't he be insulting both of them?

But at this moment, after hearing about the twelfth prince's fate, Empress Ma's attitude changed instantly.

I think my family member Chongba was right to criticize him.

He's a complete beast! Calling him a beast is too kind!

That's his own uncle, how could he be so cruel?
He wanted to reduce the power of the princes, and Empress Ma could understand that.

However, there are techniques to weakening the power of regional warlords; it is not simply a matter of killing and brute force.

Doing it this way completely lacks any human touch.

If he did that, wouldn't he be treating all his uncles as his enemies?
The practice of weakening the power of regional military governors is not unprecedented in history.

The Western Han Dynasty's policy of weakening the power of regional vassal states is a prime example of this.

The Edict of Grace during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han was the best solution.

If Zhu Yunwen wanted to reduce the power of the princes, he could have simply used the "Decree of Grace".

There was no need to act so cruelly.

This little bastard can't even copy homework properly, he's really stupid, he's really a beast!
Or rather, he didn't even consider the issue of the grace decree at the beginning, nor did he think about giving his uncles any face.

I just want to kill them!
"Hey sis, sis, calm down, sis!"
There's no need to get angry over such a beast; you absolutely mustn't ruin your health from it.

Zhu Yuanzhang quickly patted his sister's back and poured her a cup of tea, telling her to drink a couple of sips to calm her down.

"Chongba, continue. I'm fine, I can handle it."

It's just... I never expected that such a scoundrel would emerge in the third generation of my Great Ming Dynasty.

That's really both stupid and wicked!

Upon hearing the news, the twelfth prince was both shocked and furious. He looked up to the sky and sighed, "Alas! I have observed that ministers of previous dynasties, when imprisoned by a tyrannical and incompetent government, often committed suicide."

As the son of the founding emperor, I was unable to visit him during his illness or attend his funeral after his death. I was filled with regret and sorrow. What joy is there in living in this world?

"Am I to be humiliated by servants again today? How can I live such a wretched life!"

After speaking, Zhu Bai wept bitterly. After bidding farewell to his family with wine, he personally set fire to his palace and concubines. Donning the robes of a prince, he took up a bow and arrow, mounted a white horse, and leaped into the flames, committing suicide. The entire palace followed Zhu Bai in death…

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't even dare tell his sister this account about the twelfth prince.

Just hearing that the twelfth prince had been driven to such a state by such an idiot as Zhu Yunwen made her own sister very upset.

If the matter were explained in more detail, and my sister were to get seriously ill from the anger, then this whole thing would be a huge loss!

Zhu Yuanzhang was also furious with Zhu Yunwen, which made his blood pressure soar!
To pave the way for him as much as possible and help him secure his throne, he did far too many things.

For example, after sensing that his health was failing, he issued a special edict to the various vassal kings, forbidding them from coming to the capital to offer condolences after his death.

Is she really so heartless that she doesn't want her sons to see her one last time and see her off on her final journey after she passes away?

Of course I thought so.

But as the emperor, in order to consolidate his power and ensure the smooth continuation of his throne, he had no choice but to abandon family ties and make such an inhumane rule.

On the one hand, there were concerns that the various vassal kings might cause trouble if they came to the capital at this time, such as creating an incident similar to the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

On the other hand, it was also because of his own death and the ascension of a new emperor, the time of succession was the most unstable.

The surrounding countries are also most likely to cause trouble at this time.

Many of his sons hold important positions and bear heavy responsibilities.

If they were to return to the capital on a large scale at this time, it could easily worsen the situation in the border regions.

In addition, there are also more privacy considerations.

That is, they did not allow their sons, who were princes, to return to the capital to mourn their fathers, but instead allowed their grandsons to return.

On the one hand, it was a temporary measure to let them observe the mourning period in place of their father, so that they could fulfill their filial duty.

Some deeper, more private thoughts are...

His grandsons are in the capital, and his sons would have to think twice if they wanted to take advantage of the situation to cause trouble.

After all, their sons were staying in the capital, essentially as hostages.

In order to ensure Zhu Yunwen's smooth succession to the throne, he truly did everything he could to the utmost.

As it turns out, that beast Zhu Yunwen truly betrayed all his painstaking efforts.

He made a huge mess of himself as soon as he became emperor!
"The fourth brother started his rebellion after the twelfth brother was forced to his death."

Prior to this, Zhu Yunwen had also made several underhanded moves against the fourth prince.

For example, in December of the thirty-first year of the Hongwu reign, in order to guard against the fourth prince's rebellion, Zhu Yunwen appointed Zhang Bing, the Vice Minister of Works, as the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Beiping, and Xie Gui and Zhang Xin, the Commanders-in-Chief of Beiping, as the Commanders-in-Chief of Beiping.

He then ordered Commander Song Zhong to garrison troops in Kaiping and transferred troops from Beiping that were under the jurisdiction of the Prince of Yan.

This incident also makes us think that the fourth prince was forced to rebel by Zhu Yunwen.

After all, given the fourth brother's abilities and prestige in Beiping.

If the fourth prince had truly wanted to rebel, it wouldn't have been so easy for Zhu Yunwen to accomplish these things.

They would then rise up in rebellion.

It's impossible that the fourth brother didn't make the necessary preparations.

Given the fourth prince's intelligence and resourcefulness, and the fact that Zhu Yunwen made it clear after taking the throne that he would relentlessly weaken the power of the princes, it would be strange if the fourth prince hadn't made some preparations.

We can't just become fish on a chopping board, can we?

And in the process from when Zhu Yunwen began to reduce the power of the princes until the fourth prince rebelled.

Besides making some preparations in secret to guard against unforeseen circumstances, the fourth brother also pretended to be sick.

We request the court to allow the fourth son's sons, who are observing mourning for us in Jingshi, to return home and see him one last time.

Some people felt that Gao Chi, Gao Xu, and the other sons of the fourth son should not have been released.

He should remain in the capital as a hostage.

But Zhu Yunwen heard a different version of the story.

That's the time to release Gao Xu, Gao Chi, and the others.

This would reassure the fourth prince and show that the court had no intention of reducing his power.

This was used to lull the fourth brother into a false sense of security.

Then, Zhu Yunwen released Zhu Gaoxu and the others, letting them go back to keep the fourth prince company...

"Ugh!"

Empress Ma sighed: "This is truly foolish!"

She rubbed her head and said.

She was genuinely dumbfounded by Zhu Yunwen's actions.

She realized that her earlier assessment of Zhu Yunwen as both wicked and stupid was very accurate.

Zhu Yunwen is truly incredibly foolish, as stupid as a pig!

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded vigorously, completely agreeing with his sister's statement.

This beast is truly beyond saving!
Now that things have come to this point, it's common knowledge that he wants to take action against the fourth brother.

As a result, they even pulled some self-deceiving tricks here.

The card I played for him when I was nearing the end of my life was so easily wasted.

If Gao Chi and Gao Xu hadn't been released, the fourth prince wouldn't have been able to rebel so easily later.

The two children, Gao Chi and Gao Xu, also made significant contributions and played a crucial role in the later Jingnan Rebellion.

Gao Chi was in the rear, helping to coordinate and manage logistics.

Gao Xu, on the other hand, is a spitting image of the fourth prince, extremely brave on the battlefield.

He made great contributions during the Jingnan Campaign.

Even the fourth brother, if it weren't for Gao Xu, might have died on the battlefield on several occasions.

Even in the subsequent battle to cross the Yangtze River, Zhu Gaochi was given the promise of a chronic illness, which ignited his fighting spirit and enabled him to cross the river and besiege the capital.

Soon after, with the help of Li Jinglong and others, they entered Yingtian City, ending the Jingnan Rebellion, which lasted for more than three years.

It should be noted that the fourth prince encountered fierce resistance when crossing the river this time, and even considered retreating...

It can only be said that Zhu Yunwen was incredibly stupid, to the point of being beyond redemption. Later, when discussing the Jingnan Campaign, many people jokingly said that Li Jinglong was the greatest contributor to the campaign.

However, in Zhu Yuanzhang's view, according to this argument, the greatest contributor to the Jingnan Campaign was not Li Jinglong, but rather the fool Zhu Yunwen.

If this beast hadn't been so stupid and incompetent, even if the fourth prince were more capable, it would have been virtually impossible for him to fight his way from north to south, given the vast resources the imperial court possessed at the time.

It's the same principle as when Zhao Gou, that scoundrel, was the one who should be kneeling before Yue Fei's tomb.

It's just that most people are used to avoiding mentioning the words of those in positions of authority, that's all.

"Girl, you have no idea how good our fourth son is at acting."

We never realized before that the fourth brother was a natural actor.

He faked illness more than once.

The first time he feigned illness, he got the court to release his sons; the second time, he feigned madness.

Before the fourth prince officially rebelled, Zhu Yunwen and the fourth prince were exchanging various tactics.

For example, the imperial court arrested the messenger sent by the fourth prince to report the news.

They interrogated him secretly and then murdered him.

Upon hearing this news, the fourth brother decided to feign madness.

By the way, the fourth son's feigned madness happened after his sons were released.

Zhu Yuanzhang added a sentence for emphasis.

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Empress Ma was momentarily speechless.

Stupid! Absolutely stupid! Stupid to the extreme!
Earlier, out of fear that the fourth son would become suspicious, they had released his several biological sons.

As a result, they did the same thing to the fourth brother's messenger later.

Wouldn't that be a clear message to Lao Si that he's planning to take action against him?

If things are as they were before, what's the point of letting the fourth son go back?
Aside from making the fourth brother's side have fewer concerns when raising an army in the future, it seems to have no other significance.

That's so stupid!
……

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

On Baihua Island, Zhu Di sneezed loudly.

I rubbed my nose, and then four or five more sneezes followed.

"Has Your Highness caught a cold?"

Wang Dayuan looked at Zhu Di and asked with concern, implying that Zhu Di should take a rest.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di shook his head.

'Didn't I catch a cold? It must be that bastard third brother, stalking me behind my back.'

Of course, Zhu Di only thought this in his heart and would not actually say it out loud.

Zhu Di would not have gone to the cabin to rest as Wang Dayuan had suggested.

At this moment, they had won a great victory and were in high spirits, so how could he possibly rest?

"These pirates are incredibly wealthy!"

They're carrying so much gold, silver, and copper coins! They're going to be rich!

Zhu Di was overjoyed as he looked at the spoils of war that had been gathered on his warship.

The pirates were wealthier than he had imagined.

At this point, he had only acquired the spoils from two ships with a combined value of two thousand guan. Not to mention anything else, the gold, silver, and copper coins alone, if estimated in advance, already exceeded five thousand guan.

This doesn't even include the warships that they seized control of here.

If we add the two thousand-ton large ship to the mix, the harvest will be even greater.

Judging from the current gains alone, the gold, silver and other treasures they obtained from this battle against the pirates total at least 200,000 strings of cash, which is a considerable income.

Not only will it cover the expenses of this battle against the pirates, but it will also generate a considerable profit.

"These pirates are already so rich. If we go to their lair later and wipe them out, what will happen?"

Wouldn't that mean we could get even more?

As Zhu Di spoke, he unconsciously rubbed his hands together.

He was genuinely looking forward to it.

Who doesn't want money?
Besides, the Emperor put him in charge of the Maritime Trade Office primarily to make money.

Now that the first battle after the opening of the sea has yielded such good results, how could he not be happy and not look forward to it?

By this time, the pirates had been mostly dealt with, leaving their stronghold particularly vulnerable.

It would be such a waste if we didn't destroy the stronghold of these pirates.

The previous battles have ended, and now it's time to reap the rewards.

If they don't do it, someone else will take it away.

Zhu Di would never do something so foolish as to put in effort for nothing and let others benefit for nothing.

"Your Highness, the pirates' lair may not have that much money. What we can get from their lair is probably not as much as we have now."

Wang Dayuan hesitated for a moment before speaking to pour cold water on Zhu Di's hopes.

It's not so much a cold shower as Wang Dayuan's concern. His main worry was that Prince Yan might be in high spirits now, but after raiding the pirates' stronghold, he might find that the income was far below expectations, leading to a huge disappointment.

So, I brought this up in advance.

So that His Highness the Prince of Yan would be somewhat prepared.

"Why?"

Zhu Di's voice was filled with doubt.

Logically speaking, the gold and silver in the pirates' lair should not be too little, no matter what.

How come Wang Dayuan's words are completely opposite to his own?

Wang Dayuan said, "Your Highness may not know this, but the lives of the pirates are different from those of us."

The pirates lived a life of survival of the fittest, with chaotic rules and many living in constant fear of foreseeing their fate, with no normal order.

Pirates often cheated on each other and resorted to underhanded tactics.

Some people have families with them, but many more have no family at all.

Therefore, when pirates went out, most of them would take their belongings with them to avoid them being stolen when they returned home.

Moreover, many pirates had no future; they lived for the moment, and carried their money with them for easy spending...

Upon hearing what Wang Dayuan said, Zhu Di looked enlightened.

"Mr. Wang is truly knowledgeable and has a great understanding of maritime affairs."

Zhu Di said sincerely.

His own father, the emperor, didn't know how he learned about the existence of Wang Dayuan.

This person is truly extraordinary; he is an expert on maritime affairs, possessing knowledge in many areas.

If it weren't for what Wang Dayuan said, then the money obtained when I led my men to raid the pirates' lair would be far less than expected, and I would definitely be disappointed and feel a great sense of loss.

They might feel confused and suspect that someone has embezzled these funds.

"It's just that I was not doing my proper job back then and spent a lot of time at sea, so I heard more about it."

Wang Dayuan said modestly.

He was quite pleased with the praise he received from Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan.

At the same time, I am also genuinely delighted with this opportunity.

My experience was just too amazing!
Who would have thought that he, an uneducated and incompetent person, was the one who went to sea to make his way in the world, and whose existence caused his own father great distress?

He was able to gain the emperor's personal audience and high regard by relying on the knowledge he had acquired from his past idleness.

Now, he can even chat and laugh with His Highness the Prince of Yan.

Moreover, His Highness the Prince of Yan treated him with exceptional courtesy and respect.

His Majesty is truly his mentor!

A moment later, Zhu Di slapped his own thigh.

This sudden reaction left Wang Dayuan somewhat stunned, wondering what was wrong with His Highness the Prince of Yan.

"What a pity! Achoo... We blasted so many pirates into the sea, and some warships were burned and sank with their crew. What a huge loss of money!"

Zhu Di was heartbroken.

"Ah!"

After the sound faded, he sneezed again.

No, is that third brother's bastard never going to stop?
They're still talking behind their backs!

……

"Girl, you have no idea how well our fourth son can pretend to be crazy."

Even the people on the imperial court's side were deceived!

"How did he pretend to be insane?"

Empress Ma asked a question, successfully piquing her interest...

(End of this chapter)