"Zhang Qianhu, he was dismissed from his post and expelled from our Jinyiwei Yamen."
"What! This is impossible. I know it. He is a close confidant of His Highness the Grand Sun."
"Hey, don't talk about it. I've heard about this too. It's really been removed from the yellow book. To say that we, the governor of Song Dynasty, are really brave. Even the people of His Highness Taisun dare to touch him.
I wonder if I drank fake wine.”
"Don't talk nonsense. Just think about it and you will know that His Highness Taisun must have been informed of this matter and dismissed from his post and investigated. This is probably what His Highness Taisun meant."
"That's not the case. It is said that Zhang Qianhu has been following His Highness for many years. I also know a little about the Lu family. It's not a big deal, so he was dismissed from his post and investigated. Is it right?"
"Shut up, Your Highness Taisun is yours to discuss. Be careful not to save your life. However, His Highness Taisun is really just and sage. Even if you are wise, Zhang Qianhu's behavior is a violation of the rules."
"That's right, we can't compare to this Thousand Households, but His Highness Taisun is like this. Let's see who in our yamen dares to break this rule in the future."
Jinyiwei was originally a yamen specialized in intelligence, so news about Zhang San's situation spread quickly.
The Jinyi guards who were originally a little resentful about this suddenly came to their senses.
Your Majesty is like this, how dare you disobey.
Even his close confidants who have been with him for many years cannot break this rule, which shows how important this rule is.
Everyone should keep this rule in mind from now on.
In the lobby of the Yamen, the first hundred households clasped their fists and bowed: "Boss, Zhang Qianhu is no longer here, what should the subordinates do to the Lu family?"
Song Zhong nodded and said: "Of course, what should be done will be done. If Lu Hongzhi cooperates in identifying the senior members of the Beggar Clan, it will be regarded as a crime and meritorious service."
"As for Lu Shuang"
Song Zhong pondered for a while and then said: "Don't touch this woman Lu Shuang for the time being. We will wait until Lu Hongzhi interrogates her."
Baihu Chi asked: "If Lu Hongzhi denies this, can he be punished?"
Song Zhong smiled and said: "Don't worry, these Jiangnan people who started their business by relying on business methods have no integrity and morality. I'm afraid that the moment you catch him, everything will be explained clearly."
Baihu immediately said: "I understand."
Prince Yan's Mansion in the capital,
As Xu Yihua came over with the other two children, the originally deserted Prince Yan's Mansion suddenly felt much livelier.
Especially Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui are the most naughty and often change their tricks to have fun.
Out of boredom, Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui set their sights on Zhu Gaochi.
"The eldest brother is always there. He is out of breath even after walking a few steps. Let's go and tease him." Zhu Gaoxu looked in the direction of the study and suggested.
Zhu Gaosui was Zhu Di's youngest son, and he was the most doted upon. He had no fear of his eldest brother, so he happily agreed.
Then, the two rushed into the study, one took away the brush from Zhu Gaochi's hand, and the other took away the rice paper, and ran towards the courtyard.
"Brother, come after us."
The two shouted playfully.
Zhu Gaochi stood helplessly at the door of the study, with no intention of chasing him. Instead, he expressed concern loudly: "Second brother, third brother, be careful, don't fall."
When the two of them heard this, they immediately felt that it was meaningless.
At this time, it was Xu Yihua who heard the sound and came over. With just one glance, he understood the situation clearly.
He frowned and scolded: "Xu'er, Sui'er, return the things to your eldest brother. When you get to the capital, you still act like this. It's just nonsense."
"You don't know the slightest bit of etiquette and dignity. If you dare to do this again, I will send you to the palace middle school and let your grandpa Huang discipline you."
When they heard the words "Grandpa Huang", the two of them immediately turned pale.
Zhu Gaosui shivered in fright, and the brush in his hand fell to the ground, only to find that it had been broken into two pieces.
When Zhu Gaochi saw the brush break, a trace of distress flashed in his eyes.
The holder of this writing brush is made of bamboo. It is not very exquisite and is not even qualified to be used in Prince Yan's palace. Even the writing brush used by servants is much better than this.
However, this writing brush was made by Zhu Gaochi and his mother together, and it was regarded as a treasure on weekdays.
Xu Yihua had sharp eyes and recognized it immediately, frowned and shouted: "Why don't you apologize to your elder brother quickly?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaosui quickly bowed and said, "Brother, I'm sorry."
Seeing this, Xu Yihua looked at Zhu Gaoxu and said, "What about you, why don't you apologize to your elder brother."
Although Zhu Gaoxu was very afraid of Grandpa Huang, he still said sternly: "I'm just playing with my eldest brother. Besides, mother, look, this rice paper is very good and not damaged, so I don't need to apologize."
Xu Yihua said: "Since ancient times, the elder brother has been treated like a father. If you tease the elder brother, it goes against the rules and regulations. It is unfilial. It is unethical to not repent when you know you are wrong."
"How can you be a son of man if you are so devoid of virtue and filial piety?"
Zhu Gaoxu never expected that his usually kind mother would scold him like this about his eldest brother.
In this case, for a child over ten years old, it is quite serious.
However, Zhu Gaoxu was different. Faced with this reprimand, he not only showed no shame or regret, but held his neck high and said: "Mother, you are partial. You are favoring the eldest brother. I am just playing around with the eldest brother. It's just a joke."
Xu Yihua said: "Knowing that your eldest brother's actions have not changed, what is your intention? Sui'er, tell me, was it you who brought up the matter of teasing your eldest brother?"
Zhu Gaosui quickly waved his hands and said, "It's not me, it's not me, it's my second brother who said it."
Zhu Gaoxu was so angry that his third brother betrayed him in the blink of an eye.
"Mom, please stop blaming the second and third brothers. We are just joking. The second and third brothers definitely don't mean this."
When Zhu Gaochi saw his mother scolding him, he quickly came over and explained.
Seeing this, Xu Yihua frowned and said, "It is not the way to be a brother to indulge your second and third brothers in this way."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaochi did not reply, but bowed deeply and asked for his mother's forgiveness.
Xu Yihua sighed softly, glanced at Zhu Gaosui who was a little scared, and Zhu Gaoxu who looked smug, shook his head slightly, and turned around to leave.
After his mother's figure disappeared, Zhu Gaoxu said coldly: "Eldest brother is putting on a good face."
After saying that, he turned around and left without looking back.
Zhu Gaosui was a little at a loss. He looked at the back of his second brother as he left. Perhaps because he was afraid that his mother would send him to Gongzhong Academy, by some strange coincidence, he bowed to Zhu Gaochi and saluted before leaving.
Is Zhu Gaochi a deep city?
Not really.
But he was a big-hearted man with a fat body. When faced with his third brother's bow, he bowed in return.
After the two of them left, I felt distressed and struggled to pick up the broken bamboo pen and rice paper on the ground.
In his eyes, he only felt pity for the bamboo pen. After all, he and his mother had made it together, but he did not feel any resentment toward his two younger brothers.
It is hard to imagine that in this world, and the eldest son of King Yan, he really has such a big heart.
Perhaps this is why Zhu Ying truly became a friend when she first came into contact with Zhu Gaochi.
He really has a kind heart in his fat body.
The reason Xu Yihua didn't stay too long was because Zhu Di was back.
In the lobby of the main palace of the palace, Xu Yihua was sitting next to Zhu Di.
"Yihua, why don't you look wrong? Is there something troubling you?"
Zhu Di asked with concern.
When it comes to their wives, Zhu Di and Zhu Yuanzhang are the same, respecting and loving each other very much.
Since ancient times, the royal family has attached great importance to having many children and grandchildren, but in Zhu Di's case, he only had Xu Yihua as his wife, not even a concubine. Zhu Di himself had never thought about having a concubine.
The two have known each other since childhood in the palace, and they can be said to be childhood sweethearts.
Xu Yihua said softly: "Your Highness, Chi'er is your eldest son. Even Your Majesty, you value Chi'er very much."
"It's true that I'm a little fatter, but it's not Chi'er's fault,"
"In the eleventh year of Hongwu, when we were in Fengyang, it was my fault. It was my fault."
Initially, Zhu Di's face didn't look very good when he heard his wife talking about his eldest son, but when he heard that Hongwu was in his eleventh year, Zhu Di's face warmed up.
In the ninth year of Hongwu, when Zhu Di was seventeen years old, Zhu Yuanzhang took Zhu Di and other brothers back to his hometown in Fengyang, which was Zhongdu.
Although Fengyang was called the Central Capital, it was located in a deserted area. Zhu Yuanzhang's original intention was to let his sons experience the suffering of the common people.
At the same time, because Zhu Yuanzhang's parents were also buried there, they paid tribute by the way.
This life lasted three years.
Originally, Xu Yihua did not follow him. It was only after pleading that he got Zhu Yuanzhang's consent.
In the second year, the two became pregnant with Zhu Gaochi.
However, because the conditions were so harsh, Zhu Gaochi was not careful about delivering the baby, which resulted in Zhu Gaochi's difficult delivery.
In the end, mother and child were of course safe, but it also left hidden dangers for Zhu Gaochi.
The specific symptoms are not yet known, but Zhu Gaochi was often frail and sickly as a child, and later became extremely prone to obesity.
Zhu Di often talked about this experience with others. He felt that he was able to achieve great victory and was not afraid of the wind and cold outside the Great Wall because of this experience.
It's just that Xu Yihua almost died because of this.
Seeing that Zhu Di's expression was touched, Xu Yihua continued: "When His Highness Taisun was in Peiping, I also knew about it. He and Chi'er have a very good relationship."
"After the Ming Dynasty, His Highness Taisun ascended the throne. With this relationship, our Prince Yan's Palace will not be much different from now on."
Zhu Di, who had already calmed down, snorted coldly when he heard this:
"My nephew, my eldest nephew, is not a simple person. Nowadays, there are overseas feudal states, and there are no longer vassal territories within the territory of the Ming Dynasty. If you want the territory, you have to fight for it yourself."
"I see, he doesn't care about so much family affection."
Xu Yihua naturally knew about this and said: "Isn't this just in line with your wish? Why don't I know this? Your Highness has wanted to be like His Majesty since he was a child and build his own kingdom."
"When I was in Peiping, I was also diligent in military affairs. I never thought about making contributions and winning the respect of His Majesty."
"Although the Japanese country is far away, I learned from books that it is not poor and backward. At least it is not any worse than Peiping."
"At that time, Jianguo was crowned king, and with the help of Ming Dynasty, His Highness was in charge of the business and management, and there were no constraints. He should be able to achieve great achievements for a long time."
It’s not that Xu Yihua doesn’t understand everything.
He has been with Queen Ma since he was a child. Under the influence of Queen Ma, he also has his own opinions on political affairs.
As the eldest daughter of Xu Da, if she were not born as a girl, she would definitely be a well-known general.
Zhu Di left Peiping without any worries about the vassal territory, just because his wife Xu Yihua was guarding him.
After hearing what his wife said, Zhu Di thought about it and recounted what he had told his father this morning.
Then he sighed: "I don't know that the black soil is so fertile. Even if I have seen it before, I didn't take it seriously. If I had known it earlier, then"
After hearing this, Xu Yihua was also a little surprised.
Peiping is very close to Liaodong, and she has seen black soil before.
After coming back to his senses, Xu Yihua frowned and asked:
"What do you mean, Your Highness?"
Zhu Di said with a firm face: "Yihua, help me, I know you can do it. My father and I love you the most, especially my mother."
"As long as you open your mouth, my father will definitely agree to let me stay in Peiping or guard Liaodong."
"In terms of merit and strength, no one in this glorious Ming Dynasty can compare with me. I am familiar with Liaodong. Those Mongols and Jurchens can be treated docilely."
"The only problem now is Zhu Ying."
"Zhu Ying just wants me to go out, leave Daming, go overseas, and go to Japan. But you know, I won't argue with him."
"Help me, Yihua."
Hearing this, Xu Yihua was a little moved. In all these years, Zhu Di had never asked him. This was the first time.
Zhu Di has indeed changed a lot now. The main reason for this is Zhu Ying.
Zhu Ying was too familiar with him, especially in Beiping. After contacting Dao Yan, he knew Zhu Di's details very clearly.
This also resulted in Zhu Di being blinded with a simple operation with one hand, leaving no one to help him.
"You and I are one husband and wife. If you make a decision, I will give you my full support."
Xu Yihua expressed his stance.
Hearing his wife's statement, Zhu Di was so moved that he couldn't help but step forward and hold his wife's hands tightly.
"What are you doing in broad daylight?"
"We are already an old married couple, so there is no need to worry about these things."
"You are old."
"My fault is that I am old, I am old, hahaha."
Hongwu twenty-five years, November 28th.
Heavy snow fell from the sky.
The entire capital was completely white, and there were almost no vendors on the streets.
It's hard to see many pedestrians.
This kind of weather can really freeze someone to death.
It is very warm in Fengtian Hall, with more than a dozen bonfires set up here.
"The weather has been very cold recently and the road has been icy and slippery. Taisun Jin said that in order to avoid accidents, the pillars of the Ming Dynasty collapsed, and it is specially recommended to cancel the morning session in the near future."
"From now on until the beginning of spring, the morning dynasty will be changed to the afternoon dynasty."
In the Fengtian Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang announced the news loudly.
This can be said to be the most important change for the minister so far.
The ministers kowtowed and the mountains shouted long live.
Many civil servants and military officers looked at His Highness Taisun with gratitude in their eyes.
The civil servants of the Ming Dynasty, or the entire literati of the past three hundred years before and after the Ming Dynasty, have a very bad reputation in history.
But among them, especially in the early Ming Dynasty, there were many ministers who really did practical things.
How many people are loyal to their principles, have a clear mind, and do practical things for the people.
High salary cannot support integrity. Corrupt officials will still be corrupt and will only gain more.
But blindly oppressing ministers is not an option.
These ministers who hold real power cannot even compare with the life of an ordinary businessman, or even their own food and clothing are problems.
Then the problem of corruption will only expand.
It feels like if you are not greedy, you may starve to death.
In the Ming Dynasty, where there is no retirement salary, many officials, especially local officials, just want to make money when they take office.
The reason why I have such an idea is to protect my life in my later years.
Big greed is often the beginning of small greed.
I often start out greedy a little bit, maybe just a few taels of silver, but these few taels of silver improve my life this month.
Then I thought, it would be great if this could be the case in the future.
That's it, it's out of control.
It is unrealistic to completely eliminate the existence of corrupt officials. The only thing that can be done is to continuously crack down on corrupt officials.
But officials who are truly honest must also be given certain life protection.
At least when you are working for the Ming Dynasty and the country, you don't have to worry about how to provide tomorrow's meals.
People, after getting used to being oppressed, often find the slightest bit of sweetness sweet to the heart.
In the nearly twenty-six years of the Ming Dynasty, the officials in the court finally felt the care and love from their superiors.
Not to mention how excited I was.
In fact, Zhu Ying had this suggestion only as a last resort.
Through inquiries, Zhu Ying discovered one thing: every winter, the death and illness rate of officials is very high.
There are even a few officials who freeze to death due to typhoid fever every year.
Some people who don't have much money may freeze to death on the side of the road while walking on the street.
This is a minister who can enter the Fengtian Palace. In the entire Ming Dynasty, he can say a few words at the top of power.
How many years of study, or how many achievements have been made, can one be able to enter the Fengtian Palace and discuss state affairs with the Holy One?
This situation is getting worse every year.
Today's officials are tenured for life, which means that the earliest batch of courtiers are not very different in age from Zhu Yuanzhang.
Most of the young officials who have no qualifications are still in the queue.
In Fengtian Temple, aging is a normal phenomenon.
The old man is the most unable to withstand the severe cold. Due to the lack of physical function, the dawn is already late in winter. He walks on the frozen road in the dark snow. No one knows if he falls, and he loses his life all of a sudden.
"Grandson, your heroic deeds have now earned you a great reputation among the officials."
"These civil servants are the leaders of scholars. I'm afraid it won't be long before the spring begins. Your reputation as a wise grandson will be spread throughout the entire Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.
In fact, when he first heard Da Sun's suggestion, Zhu Yuanzhang subconsciously opposed it.
But then I thought about it, maybe this would be very helpful to Da Sun's reputation. After thinking about it carefully, I felt that it made some sense.
The grounds of the palace were cleaned by eunuchs every day, and the roads were slippery, let alone inside the capital city.
So he agreed to Da Sun's suggestion.
"Grandpa is very grateful. My grandson just feels that it would be too uncomfortable if our Ming Dynasty talents suffered unnecessary losses due to weather factors."
"As far as my grandson knows, the ministers who are able to go to the Fengtian Palace must have studied hard for many years in Hanchuang, or they may have a very good reputation in the local area, so they have this opportunity."
"Every one of them is indispensable to our Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Ying replied humbly.
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, and then asked: "We heard from the Army and Horse Department that you have recently started selling the coal used by the Gunpowder Department at a low price?"
Coal is not a cheap commodity in today's Ming Dynasty. The cost of collecting coal is extremely high.
That is to say, only wealthy households can afford to use coal for heating, and firewood is generally the main source.