Chapter 529: Prince Jins Mansion unknown to the world
Taiyuan Prefecture, Shanxi Province.
Taiyuan City.
In late autumn and early winter, Taiyuan City loses a lot of its vitality. Everything in and around the city is gray.
The Jin Palace, which occupies a quarter of Taiyuan City, demonstrates the grace and dignity of the Ming royal family from all angles.
The red walls and glazed tiles reflect the brilliance of the sky, with double eaves and peaks, and animal heads standing high.
The officers and soldiers of the three guards of the palace, wearing armor and holding banners, are very powerful.
As the third son of the emperor, King Zhu Fan of the Jin Dynasty studied writing under Song Lian and studying calligraphy under Du Huan since he was a child.
In the third year of Hongwu, he was granted the title of King of Jin, and in the eleventh year, he was granted the title of vassal of Taiyuan.
Zhu Fan was undoubtedly rebellious and arrogant in his youth.
On the way from Yingtian to Taiyuan, the emperor specially rewarded Xu Xingzu, his exclusive chef who had served him for many years, to Zhu Fan because he loved the prince. However, he was whipped by Zhu Fan on the way.
The emperor was extremely angry and wanted to depose Zhu Fan as the king of Jin. However, it was only because of the intercession of the crown prince Zhu Biao that the emperor calmed down a little and issued an edict to reprimand him.
After Zhu Fan entered the vassal state, he often indulged in arrogance and extravagance. During the feudal period, he often committed lawlessness, binding people with galloping horses and tearing them apart with chariots.
If it weren't for the prince who frequently took action in the court and lobbied for mercy in front of the emperor, the Jin Palace would have been abolished long ago.
It wasn't until the 24th year of Hongwu's reign when Crown Prince Zhu Biao visited Shaanxi, and a series of events that followed, that Zhu Fan made some changes.
When Taiyuan was a feudal state, he treated his officials and family members with the dignity of a prince. In recent years, he gradually gained a reputation of being respectful and prudent.
The main hall of the palace.
Compared with the Yingtian Fengtian Hall, it is towering and solemn.
On the throne in the palace, Zhu Fan's eyes were trimmed and his temples were beautiful, looking majestic.
In front of him were the royal palace chief Shi and two armored generals.
Zhu Fan had slender eyebrows and frowned slightly while sitting on the throne, but his charm was unparalleled.
He pondered for a long time and then said: "Brother Hei wants me to go to Datong Mansion at this time? How come, is he not letting me, his third uncle, stay home to celebrate the New Year?"
Shi, the chief minister of the Jin Dynasty, showed embarrassment on his face and silently apologized to the two generals who came to Taiyuan from Henan Road.
My prince has had a bad reputation in recent years, but he has only gotten better in the past two years.
The generals who came to Taiyuan from Kaifeng Mansion also nodded.
One of them said: "Back to your lord, this is the order from His Highness Taisun. Lan Yu, Duke of Liang State, is on his way to Datong Mansion at this time."
Zhu Fan smiled lowly and looked at the two people with faint eyes: "He Lan Yu is domineering and arrogant. You are not afraid that I will stay with him in Datong, and I will kill him if I can't help it?"
The two of them were stunned for a moment and hesitated.
According to the temperament of Prince Jin in the past and the temperament of Duke Liang, if the two of them stay in Datong together, there is no doubt that they will really cause a lot of trouble.
"Father, Your Highness the Grand Sun has the power to control local areas when he goes out of Beijing, just like the emperor's father. This time His Highness the Grand Sun is out of Beijing for a tour to the north, and he is accompanied by the Cabinet Minister Gao Yangzhi. He wants to ask my father to go to Datong.
The conclusion reached by His Highness Sun after discussion with a group of ministers."
When Zhu Fan wanted to continue teasing the two people who came from Kaifeng Mansion, a young man's voice came from one side of the hall.
Then, a young man in regular clothes, who looked somewhat similar to Zhu Fan, walked over slowly.
When he arrived in front of Zhu Fan, he bowed first.
Later, he bowed his hands with the palace chief Shi and the two generals.
Prince Shi bowed: "I have met the young master."
As Chang Shi finished speaking, the two generals who had just arrived at Prince Jin's Mansion in Taiyuan today also clasped their fists: "I've seen the young master."
On the throne, Zhu Fan smiled: "Ji Ye is here. Have you finished your homework today?"
Zhu Jiye, the second son of King Zhu Fan of the Jin Dynasty, looked calm, nodded and said: "Sir, I have finished teaching today. My son heard that someone from His Highness the Grand Sun was coming, so he rushed over to hear any news about his eldest brother."
Nowadays, all the legitimate sons of the clan kings are studying in the main hall in Yingtian and have not returned to the feudal country for many years.
Zhu Jiye has this reason, which is considered legitimate.
Zhu Fan also knew that the second eldest son of his family was close to the eldest brother. The two brothers had not seen each other for a long time, so he had the idea of requesting an order to return to Beijing.
But Zhu Fan remembered what the second brother said when he came over just now, and he understood in his heart that this was the second brother reminding him not to do anything wrong.
Involuntarily, Zhu Fan glared at Zhu Jiye.
Brat! He actually dares to point out his father.
Zhu Jiye was glared at by his father, but a smile appeared on his face.
He turned around and looked at the two people who came to the palace.
"I wonder if the two generals know when His Highness Taisun will patrol the north to Datong. His Highness wants my father and Duke Liang to go to Datong together. Is it to use the Northern Patrol to use troops outside the pass?"
The vassal state will not go out without an edict.
This was strictly stipulated by the Ming Law from the very beginning. In addition, there were strict regulations such as the two kings not to meet each other.
Zhu Jiye's move was actually to verify for Zhu Fan whether the Taisun's edicts brought by the two people from Kaifeng Mansion were legitimate and in compliance with the rules of the court.
But Zhu Fan glanced at Zhu Jiye lightly.
This kid still hasn't learned the lessons, and as long as he doesn't let anyone respond to his nonsense, the two of them will inevitably have to tell the truth in the end.
Zhu Fan was thinking about his parenting plan.
The two Northern Patrol officers who had been sent to Taiyuan since Kaifeng Mansion were a little difficult to deal with.
The two looked at each other and pondered for a long time.
One of them just said hesitantly: "Taiyuan...Shanxi Road...those Shanxi merchants who have reached an open-medium system with the imperial court..."
Zhu Fan raised the corner of his mouth slightly, stared at the two of them deeply, and said lightly: "My grandson is going to take action against those Shanxi merchants, huh..."
He snorted twice, with some sarcasm in his tone.
The two of them had a pause, and finally nodded in surprise.
Zhu Fan smiled self-deprecatingly, with a cold look in his eyes: "The imperial court finally thought of taking action against Shanxi merchants. It has been many years."
As he spoke, Zhu Fan shook his head, as if he was lost in memories, his face cold and colorless.
Shi You, the Chief of the Jin Palace, opened his mouth to dissuade him, but seeing the prince's expression and the presence of Taisun's Northern Patrol Officer, he still did not say anything.
Zhu Jiye also showed worry in his eyes, and also showed some dissatisfaction.
"But think about it, the only time to take action is now. Now the imperial court has two major grain-producing areas, Jiaozhi Road and Zhancheng Road, and Yingzhou is the place where gold and silver are mined. Food and grass are abundant, and sea ships can travel conveniently. Only
This is the best time to take action.”
A trace of murderous intent flashed across Zhu Fan's face, and he raised his eyes to look at the two Northern Patrol officers: "You all know that I, the king, broke a carriage to pieces in Taiyuan City in the early years."
The two Northern Patrol officers nodded.
Prince Jin's reputation for cruelty in the past was due to the time when he broke a car into pieces.
That time was also the time when the emperor was the most angry, and it was also the time when His Majesty the Emperor really wanted to depose King Jin.
In the end, it was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who tried his best to dissuade and lobby in the palace, and finally gave up His Majesty the Emperor's impulse to abolish the Jin Dynasty.
Zhu Fan snorted coldly: "The world only knows that this king is cruel, but they don't know that the person who broke my car was the Shanxi merchant!"
"Your Majesty."
Prince Palace Chief Shi called in a deep voice.
Zhu Jiye also spoke softly: "Father!"
Zhu Fan on the throne waved his hand: "Since the court is now going to deal with Shanxi merchants, there is nothing unspeakable about these matters."
One of the two Northern Patrol officers, after pondering for a long time, lowered his eyebrows and said, "The prince seems to have some unspoken matters towards Shanxi merchants."
Zhu Fan sneered: "In recent years, the imperial court has used Shanxi merchants to feed the soldiers of the nine sides. What can I say explicitly? Whether hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the nine sides can be fed and clothed all depends on those Shanxi merchants.
Is there anything I can say clearly?"
He asked two questions in succession.
The face of this vassal king of the Ming Dynasty was full of helplessness.
"The world only knows that the clan kings of the Ming Dynasty are in the feudal state, and they are like heaven, controlling life and death. But they don't know that in this Shanxi Province, even I have to rely on these people to have the dignity of the Ming Dynasty king.
In the dozens of counties of Shanxi Province, there are no Shanxi merchants in the three bureaus, and no yamen has received the money from the Shanxi merchants. Even the people from the Jin Palace, after leaving the palace, how many people are being attacked by those outside?
Shanxi merchants donated money and houses."
Zhu Fan's words became more and more intense, and his face became more and more gloomy.
Prince Palace Chief Shi had silently closed his eyes, and Zhu Jiye also clenched his fists.
The two Northern Patrol officers also noticed some differences.
According to the words of Prince Jin, those Shanxi merchants in Shanxi Province have changed the existence of Prince Jin's palace. This time His Highness Taisun will deal with the Shanxi merchants in Shanxi Province. I am afraid it will not be as simple as originally imagined.
Zhu Fan continued: "I think the reason why Taisun asked me to go to Datong is to control the troops and horses of Shanxi Province in Datong Prefecture..."
He thought for a while, and a smile appeared on his face.
Zhu Fan added: "In addition... this king's nephew should be worried that if he stays in Taiyuan City, if he attacks Shanxi merchants, these people will besiege the Jin Palace and endanger the safety of the palace, so he thought
You want me to go to Datong."
The two Northern Patrol officers opened their mouths.
This Prince Jin is indeed just like the rumors in recent years. He has maintained the wisdom he has had since he was a child and is becoming more and more cautious.
The two of them just talked a little bit, and Prince Jin knew everything.
Looking at the expressions of the two of them, Zhu Fan knew that he had guessed correctly and nodded: "I received countless favors from my brother, the crown prince. My brother loved and protected me, my useless brother, and begged for mercy many times in front of my father. Now, I, the king,
This nephew also thinks a lot about me. This is my great fortune!"
He sighed.
The palace chief Shi finally handed over his hands and faced south, and said: "Your Majesty is kind, your prince is friendly, your grandson respects your elders, and the world will surely enjoy peace forever."
A Northern Patrol officer said in a deep voice: "Since Your Highness already knows His Highness's thoughts, I wonder when Your Majesty will set off for Datong?"
In the palace, silence fell into silence as the Northern Patrol Officer's questioning ended.
All that was left was the deep muffled sound of Zhu Fan's palm gently slapping the throne.
After a long time.
In the palace, the dull but majestic voice could not be refuted again from above the throne.
"I'm not going anywhere!"
Zhu Fan's eyes were deep and his face was solemn.
The two Northern Patrol officers were shocked and had troubled expressions on their faces.
"Your Majesty, this is Taisun's teaching order."
Zhu Fan waved his sleeves, stood up from the throne, and walked to the edge of the steps.
"In the third year of Hongwu, on the seventh day of April, I will be conferred the title of King of Jin."
"In the eleventh year of Hongwu, on April 16, I granted the state of Taiyuan a vassal status."
"It has been the twenty-eighth year of Hongwu, and I have been in the vassal state for seventeen years! I belong to the clan of the Ming Dynasty, the third son of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty, and one of the nine vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty.
As a clan member, I have been guarding the frontier. For 17 years, I have never made any achievements in opening up new territories, but I must not abandon the territory! I cannot be sorry for my father, the prince, and I, the Ming Dynasty, can never be sorry!
Shanxi merchants have moved the hearts of Taoists in Shanxi with their wealth and silk. They have been operating for more than 20 years and are deeply ingrained. If things go on like this, they will definitely become a nuisance to the Ming Dynasty.
In the past, the imperial court conquered new lands, launched new policies, reformed the past, and renewed the country. The imperial court was aware of the troubles faced by the Shanxi merchants, and was determined to correct them. As a clan member, the vassal state of Taiyuan controls Shanxi, how can I flee upon hearing the danger?"
Everyone in the palace could clearly see Zhu Fan's determination at this moment.
This Ming vassal king really had the will to be with Taiyuan City.
The two Northern Patrol officers had no choice but to repeat: "Your Majesty, this is Taisun's teaching order!"
Zhu Fan shouted coldly, his eyebrows were like swords and his eyes were majestic: "I will disobey the order today! When His Highness Taisun reshapes the Shanxi Road, I will stand on a bush to plead guilty. Once I answer the blame, I will bear it with all my strength!"
Zhu Jiye's eyes kept flashing and he said in a deep voice: "Father!"
Zhu Fan waved his sleeves and turned to look: "Ye'er, are you scared?"
Zhu Jiye raised his shoulders and raised his fists: "Go back to your father! My son is not afraid!"
"good!"
Zhu Fan looked pleased and shouted: "My son is brave! Don't be afraid! Even the thieves are attacking the palace. As a father, I should protect my son with a sword! If you, my father, my son and others die in the battle in Taiyuan, the palace of the Jin Dynasty will be destroyed."
There is also a prince in the capital!"
The two Northern Patrol officers were also stirred by Zhu Fan's words.
As a clan member, even if he knows about the risks that may arise in Taiyuan City, he will never take a step back and refuse to give in even an inch with the determination to die.
The two of them knew that no matter how much they tried to persuade him at this moment, they would not be able to sway King Jin, so they had no choice but to give up.
Zhu Fan looked at the two of them with a smile on his face: "It's hard for you two to make this trip, but I have to trouble you to go back to the grandson's place and present my memorial of apology to the grandson."
The two of them hurriedly held their hands: "Your Majesty, your words are serious."
Zhu Fan smiled and said, "Tell me a few words about this king and my grandson."
The two Northern Patrol officers immediately bowed: "Please give me your permission, Your Majesty."
Zhu Fan looked very calm with a smile on his face.
"Tell the grandson that the third uncle cannot listen to him this time. When the Shanxi Road incident is over, the third uncle will personally make amends with him."
The Northern Patrol officer bowed and clasped his fists.
Seeing Zhu Fan waving his hand, the two of them carefully stepped back and exited the Jin Palace.
After the two of them left, they only waited for Zhu Fan's apology memorial to be written, then left the Jin Palace and went south to return to Taisun Xingzai.
And in the palace.
Zhu Fan looked at the palace chief and Zhu Jiye in front of him, sighed, turned around and slowly sat back on the throne.
He looked at the two people in front of him, as if he had something to say.