First Prince of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 252 Jiangnan Aristocratic Clan
The people in front of him are all dressed in brocade and elegant clothes, completely different from the people Zhu Biao saw on the coast in Fengyang. Zhu Biao looked at the beauty in front of him, but a group of people in rough clothes and torn clothes kept appearing in his mind with numb expressions.

There is a war between heaven and man in his mind, whether to work hard or enjoy life, the result is the same anyway, his status is as stable as Mount Tai, no matter which way he goes, he can be self-willed for a lifetime, and dominate the world for a hundred years.

Zhu Biao sighed. If he had arrived in Hangzhou first, I am afraid everything would be different. After all, how many people are willing to work hard for others when they are rich and charming.

Zhu Biao cheered up, not only the children of officials from Hangzhou, but also many people from nearby prefectures came here. After all, the news that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince passed by Hangzhou had already passed through.

A night tour of the West Lake is naturally an elegant event, not to mention that there will be so many people gathered. Some painters have already started to use their brushes. Show a show.

Now that there is no Weibo in the circle of friends, it is natural to show the world that you have participated in the grand event through calligraphy and painting articles. Basically, the ancient masterpieces come from this way, such as the preface to the Lanting collection, the preface to the Tengwang Pavilion, and so on.

The beautiful scenery of West Lake is countless, and it is interesting for a group of people to play in a mighty way. The handsome men and women under the bright lights are really pleasing to the eye. No one will not like beautiful things.

After strolling around again, the officials dispersed in twos and threes, leaving the space for the teenagers. The surroundings were very bright, and they were probably also taking care of the ladies of the various families. It stands to reason that they shouldn't be out late at night.

Fortunately, there were many people, and his father and brother were also there, otherwise it would be easy to cause accidents. Zhu Biao stood by a willow with his hands behind his back and looked at the dark lake. Just thinking.

Some people hope to get close to the prince, some hope to return to the mansion sooner, and some want Zhu Biao to leave early. After all, they all know why the elders let the ladies of all families go out for night tours.

Naturally, there are young couples who have been dating for a long time, and they are worried about what will happen if the crown prince takes a fancy to their sweetheart.

Such children are naturally in the minority. After all, in this era, women are more often just a vassal. These people's identities just marry a well-matched man, and then they can take concubines as they please, so why should they care about these.

They want to plan for their own official careers. It is a big deal to win the favor of His Royal Highness, their family and themselves. Now the imperial examination is just a small way for the imperial court to select officials. They still rely more on the recommendation of the state government and the promotion of higher positions.

Zhu Biao is also very tolerant to them, because he is really short of people and money. It will take several years for Jinshi who have passed the imperial examination to enter the court, and these Jiangnan children have outstanding family backgrounds. Will strongly support.

As long as this kind of person is given some hope, he can be thrown into that dilapidated county government. With the help of his family, he can quickly become rich, and there is no need to worry about their corruption. After all, their family background does not lack that. child money.

What they value more is the rank of the official position, to see if they can protect the family in the future, Zhu Biao lacks money, and they lack power.

Don't underestimate these aristocratic families. They have contributed a lot to the prosperity of Hangzhou City and even the entire Jiangnan. Although they are mainly for themselves, in a way, the aristocratic clans are also Zhu Biao's people.

Zhu Biao wants to suppress them because they have the ability to bite back, but he also needs to support them, because they are the most useful people in the early Ming Dynasty. The imperial power is supreme but they cannot be plundered arbitrarily.

Zhu Biao looked at the shy and timid ladies in the distance. His East Palace must have at least three or four women from Jiangnan families. It doesn't matter who they are, the important thing is that there must be.

It was a bit chilly late at night, after all, it was not summer yet, everyone first sent Zhu Biao to the carriage, and then bowed to watch the carriage return, everyone bowed to see him off for a long time before straightening his back.

The scene of laughter and laughter just now suddenly fell silent. Everyone seemed to have removed the masks on their faces. The juniors also stood aside, the atmosphere was a bit depressing, and there was no hostility towards each other.

After a long time, the leaders looked at each other, nodded silently, and then led their juniors out of the arena. They were all allies of interests, and some even helped each other since the Southern Song Dynasty. Now the situation has changed drastically and they are working together.

Now Zhu Ming's country is becoming more and more stable, and the Holy One is ruthless. The Jiangnan family is like fish and meat. They are always in fear. They want to develop into the court, but they are repelled and suppressed by Huaixi nobles. If they don't find opportunities to be divided up, they will die Far.

Zhu Biao, who was sitting on the frame, was also thinking about it at this time. Some words were not reflected on the spot, but there was a lot of connotation in retrospect at this time. The Jiangnan family was a little too enthusiastic.

Ordinarily, although Zhu Biao is the crown prince, but the current emperor is in good health, it will take many years for the prince to truly be the master, and there is no need to do so, unless they are now urgently seeking asylum after receiving threats.

It is much simpler to think about it this way. The Jiangnan aristocratic family has extraordinary background, but they are trapped in a single place in the south of the Yangtze River.

Zhu Biao's eyebrows rose slightly. It seemed that their wealth had made the Huaixi bosses envious. It's not that the aristocratic clan was reluctant to pay some money, but the status gap between the two parties was too large, and simply cutting flesh could not bring back peace.

Of course, Zhu Biao is very clear about the virtues of those people in Huaixi. They are loyal dogs in front of their father and son, but they are hungry wolves in front of others. many.

A few years ago, Liu Bowen and Yang Xian led the Eastern Zhejiang Party to check and balance Huaixi nobles, but now that Yang Xianzheng has been defeated and died, the court has become the world of Huaixi nobles, and officials from other places rarely reach the third rank or above. official position.

Zhu Biao narrowed his eyes slightly, Huaixi's honorable power grew more and more, and now even Zhu Biao was a little uneasy, if not for his father's plan, he would have personally suppressed it.

In fact, for the monarch, what trustworthy henchmen is there? The key is checks and balances. The Huaixi nobles have lost checks and balances now, so there are two endings for them, or they can successfully overthrow the Zhu family and turn themselves into masters.

Either get rid of the wildness, put on a strong collar and become Zhu Ming's loyal dog to protect the family and the country. This is the stage that the founding heroes must go through. How could they be willing to let go of military power without going through this process.

After thinking about it, Zhu Biao arrived at the Chen Mansion. After getting off the frame, he walked in. The prefect Chen was also leading the way. As soon as he entered the mansion, he saw a large group of people welcoming him. Zhu Biao said helplessly: "It's so late. Why make the old lady wait."

Before Chen Zhifu could speak, Mrs. Chen walked in and said with a smile: "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. It's because I am getting older and feel less sleepy. I want to see Your Highness live a few more years with the blessing."

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(End of this chapter)