Chapter 265: Zhu Yunwen is getting thinner day by day
Now Lan Yu and others are naturally strong supporters of Zhu Ying. It can be said that their interests are completely tied to Zhu Ying.
But for Zhu Ying, she didn't see it that way.
Even if Lan Yu and others continue to support him, Zhu Ying understands very well that their achievements have reached a limit.
Just like Sapphire, he is already a duke. If he continues to make meritorious deeds, what will he do next?
Then there is only the canonization of the prince.
Zhu Yuanzhang granted many titles to kings, but they were all granted posthumously, so the symbolic meaning is more important.
If Zhu Ying relied on Lan Yu and made great use of Lan Yu and others in the military, then how about waiting for Lan Yu to make contributions in the later stage?
The so-called superior merit overshadows the master, that's all.
This is why, until now, Zhu Ying has not had too much contact with the military officers and nobles headed by Lan Yu, and even maintains a distance to a certain extent.
In departments such as the Public Security Bureau, Public Security Department, and Public Security Department, most of them use people from the Huaixi Military General Group.
Even Lan Yu's nephew was sent out.
There are more than 20,000 people in total, and more than 3,000 of them hold official positions, all of which are from the Sapphire family.
Including the following government captains, they were basically members of the Huaixi Generals Group. When the list was compiled, Zhu Ying handed over all this power to Lan Yu.
He also hinted to him that good things should be given to his family.
Lan Yu, who had received the hint, was not polite, so she naturally gave everything she asked for.
Many thousands of households went there voluntarily.
After all, as far as the general consciousness in the Ming Dynasty is concerned, even when Zhu Yuanzhang killed corrupt officials on a large scale, he still felt that being an official was better than being a soldier.
And there are many smart people who can see that the Ming Dynasty is becoming more and more stable.
Then there will be much fewer opportunities for generals to make meritorious deeds.
Even those who have not read much can understand that in times of peace, military force is inferior to literature, and soldiers are inferior to officials.
After this, a large number of middle-level officers and soldiers signed up.
Many of those who were not selected were filled with regrets, and finally they were persuaded that there would be another batch, and then they calmed down a bit.
From Zhu Ying's perspective, on another level, the officers and soldiers under Lan Yu and others left, and many officer positions were vacated.
In the past, the Xuanjia guards under Zhu Ying's command, even the most basic soldiers, were promoted to small flag officers.
Although Zhu Ying did not come into contact with these Xuanjia guards every day, they had long been labeled as Changsun, and they themselves were proud of Changsun's soldiers.
The control of the military gradually began to shift towards Zhu Ying.
This time, when Tian Jiucheng and Huaixi Xungui cannot be used, it is natural to choose someone closer to him.
And the seventeenth prince Zhu Quan is a very good choice.
Regarding Zhu Quan, this uncle with great military strategy, Zhu Ying still feels that he is relatively reliable in this aspect.
After all, historically speaking, Zhu Quan, as a concubine, was able to gain the attention of Zhu Yuanzhang, which fully demonstrated his ability.
At this time, when he heard Da Sun suggested that Zhu Quan lead the army in the battle, Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Da Sun and said with a smile:
"It seems that the eldest grandson has very good eyesight. We have been quite optimistic about this child Zhu Quan a long time ago. Originally, according to our wishes, we wanted him to guard the border fortress."
"Now that the eldest grandson has said that he should go to Shaanxi, it is actually a good choice."
Zhu Yuanzhang attached great importance to Zhu Quan.
Historically, Ning Wang Zhu Quan was regarded as the first of the nine great fortress kings.
Needless to say, among the vassals in the interior, even the princes with strong military forces, such as King Jin, King Yan, and King Su, who commanded the frontier fortresses, were far inferior to the strength of Ning Fan's guards.
Moreover, Zhu Quan's mother was given the status of a noble concubine only later, which is considered to be a rare case where the mother is valued based on the son.
The current Prince Ning is barely even fifteen years old.
Even for the future peace, Zhu Quan also made great contributions to Zhu Di.
Duoyan Sanwei is one aspect.
During that period, Zhu Quan was bewitched by Zhu Di, but he often made suggestions and commanded his troops. Otherwise, Zhu Di would not have been so successful.
"Grandpa, my grandson will first go to the Gunpowder Department to inspect the condition of the matchlock gun and see if it can be put to great use."
Zhu Ying stood up and replied.
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in agreement
East Palace, Chunhe Hall.
Zhu Yunwen had been feeling a little lost recently. He stood at the entrance of the Chunhe Palace and stared blankly at the door without moving for a long time.
Ever since the day when his eldest brother Zhu Ying announced that he would be the grandson, Zhu Yunwen's heart has always been empty.
Not only did I have no time to study, I also couldn’t sleep well at night, and my mental state was very poor.
He knew very well that the Chunhe Palace belonged to his eldest brother in name.
From that day on, he had moved out of the main palace bedroom and spontaneously moved to the back hall to live with Lu and his brothers.
Although the eldest brother did not come to live there, many people could tell that he had no intention of moving into the East Palace.
But as Zhu Yunwen's younger brother, he doesn't live together in the main hall.
Fortunately, he is quite accustomed to the apse. After all, it has only been four months since he moved from the apse to the main hall, where his father once lived.
At this time, Huang Zicheng came over.
During the recent period, Huang Zicheng has behaved very calmly. Apart from tutoring Zhu Yunwen in his studies, he has never said anything about a certain minister.
He really sticks to his duty.
"Your Highness, why are you so worried? People always have to look forward. The current situation is already very good for Your Highness."
"His Royal Highness, Changsun, must have known a lot about his temperament during this time. He is very similar to His Highness the Crown Prince, so there is no need for His Highness to disturb himself."
Huang Zicheng advised.
These days, Zhu Yunwen is getting thinner and thinner, and everyone can see clearly.
Zhu Yunwen turned around dully, looked at Huang Zicheng, and said: "Sir, what I know is that I have been a little confused recently."
Huang Zicheng sighed softly.
Then he continued: "I feel sorry for His Highness when I see him like this. However, the one who feels even more uncomfortable than me is the Crown Princess."
"Your Highness may not have noticed that in recent days, all the meals His Highness has been served are made by the Empress herself, every day before His Highness wakes up."
"My Majesty is already preparing breakfast for His Highness. Even though Your Highness only has a few bites, My Majesty didn't say much and is still preparing for His Highness."
Hearing Huang Zicheng talk about his mother, Zhu Yunwen's eyes gradually recovered, and then he asked with some shock: "You mean, all the meals these days were cooked for me by my mother?"
Although his tone was questioning, in Zhu Yunwen's heart, he already believed what Huang Zicheng said.
Even a feeling of guilt quickly spread.
If there is anyone in this world who is closest to me and cares about me the most, it is only my mother.
"I dare not lie, I saw these with my own eyes." Huang Zicheng bowed and said.
In fact, these things are no secret in the Chunhe Palace. Everyone including Zhu Yunwen's slightly older brother knows about this matter.
Even during a meal, his seven-year-old brother Zhu Yunxuan made a fuss that his mother was partial and only prepared meals for his brother.
However, at that time, Zhu Yunwen was already in a state of mind and did not even pay attention to what was happening around him.
At that time, Huang Zicheng was also following.
"I'm sorry, mother."
Zhu Yunwen's eyes suddenly turned red.
My mother, the noble princess, had never entered a place like the kitchen.
But when I was eating the meal prepared by my mother, I didn’t know that it was my mother who cooked it for me.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yunwen couldn't help but stand up and walked directly towards the back hall.
Seeing this, Huang Zicheng sighed softly again and waited in the front hall. After all, the back hall was not a place he could go.
In the courtyard of the back hall, Mrs. Lu was taking care of her one-year-old child, Zhu Yunxi (Huo Xi).
Looking at the child who had just turned one year old in front of her, Ms. Lu felt extremely melancholy.
When the child was born in June last year, the prince at that time was still by his side.
A year later, she began to be alone.
Just when Lu was immersed in longing for the prince, a voice came from behind.
"Mom, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have made my mother worry so much, and I have to make my mother prepare meals for me."
Zhu Yunwen did not come in at the door. As he spoke, he knelt down.
When Mrs. Lu heard this, she turned around and saw Zhu Yunwen kneeling on the ground, kowtowing and admitting his mistake. She quickly walked over, helped Zhu Yunwen up, and then said, "My child, why are you doing this?"
"mother!"
Zhu Yunwen looked at Mrs. Lu's tired expression and couldn't help but feel sad. He hugged Mrs. Lu, his tears couldn't stop falling and he cried bitterly.
Mrs. Lu waved her hands slightly, and immediately the palace maids and eunuchs all retreated quietly.
Zhu Yunxi's grandma also hugged Zhu Yunxi and left.
"Child, cry, it will make you feel better if you cry out. Don't hold it in your heart. It will feel uncomfortable if you hold it in for a long time."
Mrs. Lu gently patted Zhu Yunwen's back and said comfortingly.
Feeling his mother's patting and comforting, Zhu Yunwen's tense spirit suddenly relaxed.
After a period of pain, his breathing gradually became more steady, and he fell asleep leaning on Lu's shoulder.
Lu coughed slightly, and an eunuch immediately came over from outside. With the signal from Lu's eyes, the eunuch called a colleague, and the two of them worked together to gently support Zhu Yunwen.
"mother!"
There was a murmur of fear in his sleep, and Zhu Yunwen seemed a little frightened and weak in his sleep.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, mother is here, mother is beside you, mother will not leave, she will always be by your side."
Mrs. Lu immediately patted Zhu Yunwen's back gently, and then said in a gentle tone.
Zhu Yunwen, who was sleeping, seemed to have heard Lu's words and fell into a deep sleep again.
At Lu's request, the officials carried Zhu Yunwen to the palace where Lu was staying.
It seemed that her mother's smell made Zhu Yunwen sleep more soundly.
It must have been many days since Zhu Yunwen had not slept well, and this time he slept very deeply.
Mrs. Lu asked the officials to bring water, and then gently wiped Zhu Yunwen's forehead.
"It's actually quite good not to be a grandson, but just like your father, when he was a prince, he worked day and night on state affairs and was often exhausted."
"Just be an idle feudal lord and live your life well. This is also very good."
"If your eldest brother cannot tolerate my mother in this palace, my mother will go and beg your eldest brother, and my stepmother will accompany you there."
"I think your eldest brother, for the sake of your father, will agree."
"When you give birth to a child, mother will take care of your grandson and enjoy happiness."
Lu murmured softly. Ever since the records about Zhu Xiongying's congenital heart disease were burned by Zhang Congtai Hospital, Lu had completely let go.
Now she no longer thinks too much. She just hopes that after Zhu Yunwen is crowned the vassal king, she can accompany him there. There is nothing in this palace that is worthy of Lu's nostalgia.
Zhu Yunwen was asleep, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, as if he had had a sweet dream.
Seeing this scene, Mrs. Lu felt relieved, arranged for an official to guard her, and left.
After all, I still have a one-year-old child to take care of.
Gunpowder Department,
Compared with four months ago, the size of the Gunpowder Department has at least tripled.
In ancient times when there was a lack of industrialization, if you wanted to increase production, you simply had to pile up people.
The matchlock gun was even split into several parts and assembled on the assembly line.
Even though the craftsmanship is slow, it can't handle the large number of people. Now there are more than 10,000 apprentices in the Gunpowder Department alone.
After these people really learn it, they can quickly start making parts for matchlock guns.
Although there are 20,000 people now, the output of 3,000 matchlocks a month seems to be very small.
But in fact, more people are not the ones who build the main body of matchlocks.
The production of fire bombs, match ropes, and gunpowder is also very critical.
A matchlock gun without ammunition is nothing more than a fire stick.
"Your Highness, basically all the personnel in the Gunpowder Department have now been given to Zhao Xiangxi. She does have a strong talent in this area."
Ye Yueqing introduced.
Ever since Zhao Xiangxi became familiar with the Gunpowder Department, Ye Yueqing has basically been by Zhu Ying's side.
Mainly responsible for the information docking related to Qunying Chamber of Commerce and issuing Zhu Ying's instructions and arrangements.
Looking at the well-organized Gunpowder Department, Zhu Ying nodded and said, "It seems she still has some abilities."
Soon, under the leadership of the eunuch from the Gunpowder Department, Zhu Ying arrived at the central hall of many buildings.
Just as he walked to the door of the main hall, he heard Zhao Xiangxi's scolding.
"How many times have I told you that the weight of gunpowder must be accurately recorded and every detail must be grasped. Only in this way can the best ratio be created and the power of gunpowder enhanced."
"As for the production of fire bombs, have the recent apprentices not eaten? The quantity is so small. Please pass on the message immediately. The quantity set by me must be reached this month, otherwise don't blame me for being rude."
"He also told them that the three people who made the most copies would receive generous rewards, and the last three people would have their wages halved."
Zhu Ying smiled at Ye Yueqing and said, "It seems that she did a good job."
After saying that, the two of them walked towards the main hall.