Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 29 Two kings guess each other
"Drive! Drive!"

At the end of April, just as Zhu Gaoxu was stationed at the Yulin Zuowei, fast horses were running from south to north to various important towns.

One of the fast horses crossed the pass and came to the vast plain.

Except for rice fields and wheat fields, no green can be seen on the plains.

But if there is a lack of water here, the two big rivers gushing in the distance are confusing.

The fast horses galloped, and from early morning to dusk, they changed several post horses continuously, and then they arrived at a magnificent city.

From a distance, Tang Qi raised the bronze medal in his hand. The soldiers at the city gate did not dare to stop him and moved aside one after another.

Tang Qi rode his horse and rushed into the city, and the news he escorted was delivered to the door of a large agricultural university half an hour later.

The soldiers in front of the gate looked at the bronze plaque, and then led Tang Qi into the mansion. The three words "Prince Qin's Palace" engraved on the plaque at the gate were not inconspicuous.

"Transfer Fu Youde back to Beijing?"

When the surprised voice appeared, a middle-aged man in the Chengyun Hall of Prince Qin's Mansion turned sideways and looked at Tang Qi who was reporting the news in surprise.

He was tall and handsome, and he was accompanied by civil servants and military attachés on his left and right.

Needless to say, this person is naturally the current lord of Xi'an, King Zhu Xi of Qin.

"Back to Your Highness, on April [-]th, the inner court personally sent eunuchs to convey His Majesty's decree and summon Duke Ying to live in Duke Ying's Mansion in Nanjing to await his summons."

The soldiers answered respectfully, which made Zhu Qing feel strange.

Before he could speak, Shi, the Chief of Prince Qin's Palace, asked, "What happened in Nanjing recently?"

"No big deal has ever happened." The soldier answered truthfully.

He didn't know about Zhu Yuanzhang's examination of Zhu Gaoxu, and even if he knew, he would not take it as a big deal. After all, Zhu Yuanzhang summoned his ministers to examine the princes and princes of the school. This happened not once or twice.

"..." After hearing what the soldiers said, Zhu Ming frowned slightly, raised his hand and waved: "You all get out."

"Yes!" After hearing Zhu Xi's words, most of the subordinate officers and soldiers retreated, leaving only the chief minister of the Prince of Qin's Palace, Shi.

After everyone left, the Chief of the Palace of Qin, Shi, also stepped forward and bowed: "Your Highness, this is unusual."

"Of course I know." Zhu Ping glanced at him dissatisfied, which made Chang Shi feel nervous, but he quickly said:

"The King of Jin openly competes for the throne, and privately exchanges letters with Duke Ying. With your Majesty's temper, Duke Ying's safety is no longer guaranteed."

"I originally thought that Duke Ying would die this year, but now it seems that Your Majesty still has some uses for Duke Ying."

"It's just something that requires Duke Ying to take action. We shouldn't be able to hide it, unless it's His Majesty who persuades the Crown Prince to stop it."

"Heh..." When Chang Shi mentioned Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Qing sneered lightly.

He knew very well about his nephew. He had one thing on the surface and another behind him. He was one thing in front of his father and another in front of his uncles.

Unless Fu Youde dies, the knife of Hebei Military Power will hang over that kid's head sooner or later.

The six guards and horses of King Qi and King Lu alone could not stop the soldiers and horses of Hebei, and most of the cities in the Huaihe River area did not have city walls.

Once Xuzhou is broken through, there will be no obstacles in Jiangbei.

Unless Fu Youde and Feng Sheng die, my nephew will not feel at ease.

"However, if Feng Sheng dies, it will also be good for me..."

Zhu Xi touched his short beard and told Chang Shi: "Let people continue to investigate for me. This matter cannot be done by my nephew. Let the personnel in Beijing investigate carefully."

"Yes!" Chang Shi bowed in agreement and then exited the Chengyun Hall.

When he exited the Chengyun Hall, the same Tangqi also rode his horse into a heavy city thousands of miles away.

"Expedited in the south!"

When Tang Qi got off his horse, the words "Prince Jin's Mansion" appeared in front of him.Amid his shouting, the palace guards brought him into the palace, and he soon arrived at the Cunxin Palace of Jin Palace.

Here, he saw King Jin standing and bowing, writing and drawing on the desk.

King Zhu Fan of Jin is taller than his brothers, but compared to King Qin, Zhu Fan's appearance is more outstanding.

He has slender eyes and a beautiful beard, and his facial expressions and movements are quite majestic. Even if he doesn't speak, he can invisibly exert pressure with his eyes.

"Your Highness, there are changes in Nanjing..."

Tang Qi first told the source of the incident, and then began to report.

After he finished his report, Zhu Fan, who had been standing painting, put down the brush in his hand and took a sip of tea.

"Every matter in Beijing, no matter how big or small, please report everything."

"Yes!"

Zhu Fan turned his back to Tang Qi and spoke. Tang Qi responded and told various things that had happened in Nanjing in the past few months.

"On March [-]th, the children of military attachés took the exams, and the second son of the Yan vassal, Zixu, won the first place in all exams."

"On the 22nd, Han Wangsong and Shen Wangmo carried the provincial king on their backs and inspected the towns."

"On the fifth day of April, the imperial court updated the tribute ceremony of the Tibetan Kingdom. In the tribute list of the four barbarians, there are North Korea and Japan in the east, Siam, Ryukyu, Champa, Chenla, Annan, and Java in the south, and Zore and Sanfoji in the west. , Bo Ni, Bai Hua, Lan Bang, Pahang, Tembasu, Bunda, Nafan and other seventeen countries."

"In addition, the imperial court also set a fixed amount of levy for the three propaganda and six comforts of the southwestern barbarians."

"The amount of the Xuan Welfare Envoy in Cheri is 50 taels, the Xuan Welfare Envoy of Jing'an in Che Che, and the Xuan Welfare Envoy of Mu State's military and civilians are levied a thousand and four hundred taels of silver."

"The Lucchuan Pingyan Propaganda and Comfort Envoys Department, the Mengyang Propaganda and Comfort Envoys Department are levied 750 taels of silver, the Myanmar Propaganda and Comfort Envoys Department, the 600 Dadian Propaganda and Comfort Envoys Department, the Laos Propaganda and Comfort Envoys Department, the Mengmi Propaganda Department, and the Mengding Prefecture The amount of levy is [-] taels."

"The Menggen Mansion levied a levy of 16 taels and six cents in gold, and the Nandian Xuanfu Division levied a levy of silver..."

Tang Qi reported unhurriedly. Although the content was complicated, Zhu Fan was not impatient at all. Instead, he had a look of enjoyment on his face, as if he was handling these affairs personally at the moment.

"On April [-]th, Your Majesty took Cao Guogong to the university to take the exam for Zi Xu, the second son of the Yan vassal. The strategy topic has not been released yet."

"On April [-]th, His Majesty issued another oral order, ordering the second son of the Yan vassal to go to the left guard of Yulin and serve as an official of hundreds of households..."

"Wait..." Zhu Fan opened his eyes and interrupted Tang Qi's report.

Tang Qi shut up in time, and the Chief of the Jin Palace, Shi, who was also listening on the side, also stood up when he saw this, raised his hand and bowed:
"Your Highness, according to my understanding of Yan's second son Zixu, he seems to advocate force and rarely reads military books."

"Now I can actually pass Cao Guogong's examination. It seems that I have changed a lot."

"Well..." Zhu Fan looked a little unhappy when he heard Chang Shi's words.

Although his eldest son Zhu Jixi was also very outstanding, most of the other sons were mediocre in ability, and his third son Zhu Jixi was even more naughty.

At the beginning, Zhu Yuanzhang once said that Prince Zhu Jiyi of Jin, Prince Zhu Youjuan of Zhou, and Prince Zhu Gaoxu of Yan were all frivolous in words and deeds, so he did not like these three grandsons.

Now Zhu Gaoxu has changed a lot after studying in Beijing, but his family...

Zhu Fan suppressed his temper and praised Zhu Gaoxu with a smile: "The fourth child gave birth to a good legitimate second son, but he is still a legitimate second son after all."

Obviously, Zhu Fan did not take Zhu Gaoxu seriously. After all, the second son was destined to be difficult for Zhu Gaoxu to attack the throne of Yan, and even the power of the vassal palace was difficult to reach.

"Send people to continue investigating and find out for me what your Majesty means to Duke Ying."

"In addition, I want to know the exam questions for that boy Zhu Gaoxu."

Zhu Fan leaned on the chair again and slowly closed his eyes. Obviously, he did not think that Zhu Gaoxu was responsible for all this.

But even so, Zhu Di's black face inevitably flashed through his mind.

Thinking of Zhu Di's smiling face when he got the news, Zhu Fan's hands tightly grasped the armrests of the wooden chair...

(End of this chapter)