Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 44: The Emperor’s Pen
"Tuk-tuk-"

"coming!"

At dusk, when Zhu Gaoxu had finished his second meal and was about to take an early rest, there was a knock on his courtyard door again.

Counting carefully, this is the fourth time it has been sounded today.

This is the first time since Zhu Gaoxu moved in here that his yard feels so lively.

He walked out of the courtyard slowly and came to the courtyard gate and opened it easily.

But when the door opened, the person coming from behind made him feel nervous.

"Brother, why..."

"I have something to ask you first."

At the courtyard gate, before Zhu Gaojiu finished speaking, Zhu Gaochi took his hand and walked into the courtyard. The guard of Prince Yan's Mansion at the door closed the courtyard door, and Zhu Gaochi directly pulled Zhu Gaojiu into the study of the main house.

He wanted to close the window, but after thinking about it, he didn't close it. Instead, he turned around and asked with a serious expression:

"The topic Grandpa Huang gave you to take the exam is to cut down the feudal clan?"

"Well..." After hearing Zhu Gaochi's words, Zhu Gaoxu's heart sank, and he had a vague feeling of bad premonition.

"I've read your "On the Reduction of Domain". It's very well written, but it's just that it made some people unhappy."

Zhu Gaochi's words made Zhu Gaoxu subconsciously think of Zhu Yunwen, and Zhu Gaochi looked at his appearance and explained with a solemn expression:
"Right now, I need you to write another "On Cutting Down the Domain" to Chunhe Palace, but this time I can't take a safe path, I have to focus on speed."

"But..." Zhu Gaoxu wanted to explain that he didn't have a perfect solution, but Zhu Gaochi interrupted him;

"This article is not for Grandpa Huang, just write it, even if it's not practical!"

"..." Zhu Gaoxu frowned, he didn't like this feeling very much.

Of course, he also knew that this was not Zhu Gaochi's problem, but Zhu Yunwen who summoned him to the palace.

It's just that he didn't understand why Zhu Yunwen asked himself to write another "Lun on the Cutting of Fans".

Does he think he can think of a faster way to reduce the vassal status?

"It shouldn't be..."

Zhu Gaoxu knew very well that Zhu Yunwen could not trust him, so the "Lun on the Cutting of Fans" he asked for was just to prove that the previous "Lun on the Cutting of Fans" was written by him.

However, Zhu Gaoxu was still very hesitant. He was worried that Zhu Yunqi would go to Zhu Yuanzhang with this "Lun on the Cutting of Fans" that was used to make up the numbers.

"I won't write this article..."

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Gaoxu slowly gave his answer.

"Hey!" Zhu Gaochi became anxious when he heard that Zhu Gaoxu didn't write.

He was not anxious for himself, but for Zhu Gaoxu.

He grabbed Zhu Gaoxu's hand and persuaded him earnestly: "If you don't write, I'm afraid you will be targeted by him everywhere in the future."

"So what?" Zhu Gaoxu showed some displeasure on his face.

He knew history and knew that after Zhu Yuanzhang's death, Zhu Yunwen continued to cut down the vassal vassal in just over three months, and then targeted the Yan vassal.

What can Zhu Gaoxu do if he pleases him now?Can you stop him from cutting down the feudal vassal?Does not.

Before Zhu Gaochi found him today, Zhu Gaoxu still had a trace of fantasy, that is, Zhu Yunwen chose his "On Cutting Down the Domain" and chose the method of boiling frogs in warm water to remove the military power in the hands of the feudal king.

If that were the case, he, Zhu Gaoxu, could be a county king who guarded the border for the Ming Dynasty. The Battle of Jingnan would not have happened, and the people of North China and Shandong would not have suffered military disasters.

However, when Zhu Gaochi found him and asked him to revise a more radical "Policy for Cutting Down Fans", he knew that Zhu Yunwen had not chosen his "Treatise on Cutting Down Fans".Since he is still eager to cut down the feudal vassal, Yan Fan will naturally not be spared.

The outcome is already doomed, why should he have the shamelessness to flatter Zhu Yunwen?
Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoxu reached out and grabbed Zhu Gaochi's wrist, took his hand away from his wrist, and said calmly: "The emperor today is still grandpa."

Zhu Gaoxu's words stopped Zhu Gaochi. Even if he knew that the future emperor would be Zhu Yunwen, he would not dare to say this if he had a hundred courages.

It's just that he doesn't understand why his younger brother can't see through this even though he can write such a high-level article as "On the Cutting of the Domain".

If Zhu Yunwen comes to the throne in the future, based on his current actions, I am afraid that he will be punished by Zhu Yunwen.

"I will not write articles to him. I only write articles to the emperor."

Zhu Gaoxu responded indifferently, which made Zhu Gaochi feel like he had punched cotton.

"You...sigh..." Zhu Gaochi sighed, not knowing what to say, so he could only shake his head: "I'll think of a solution."

While talking, Zhu Gaochi walked out, and Zhu Gaoxu also sent him out of the courtyard as a brother.

He thought he had offended Zhu Gaochi, but when he walked out of the courtyard, Zhu Gaochi seemed to remember something and quickly turned around and said to him: "Qin Ma, I will ask someone to deliver it tomorrow. You don't have to worry about things in the palace." , I will handle it."

Zhu Gaochi's words made Zhu Gaoxu speechless, and he didn't know what to say for a while.

It wasn't until Zhu Gaochi got on the carriage and left under the escort of Prince Yan's guards that Zhu Gaoxu realized what he was doing and looked at the driver as he left with a complicated expression.

"You're right..." Zhu Gaoxu whispered in a voice that could only be heard by himself, then turned around and closed the courtyard door.

When he returned to the main house, he lay directly on the bed in the bedroom and stared at the roof in a daze.

Perhaps what he just did seemed a bit stupid to Zhu Gaochi, but only he himself understood that what he said was not wrong.

Today's emperor is still Zhu Yuanzhang. As long as Zhu Yuanzhang is still the emperor for a day, as his descendant, even if Zhu Yunwen hates and hates himself, he cannot show it openly.

If he dared to express his historical idea of ​​reducing the vassal state, Zhu Yuanzhang might have Yi Chu's thoughts.

Throughout the ages, apart from the princes who died of illness early, the princes who were supported by some powerful ministers and eunuchs instead of the emperor's intention, and the princes who were secretly protected and did not enjoy the treatment of princes, there were only 91 people who were the first princes appointed by the emperor and successfully ascended to the throne. The remaining people were either deposed or killed.

Except for Zhu Houzhao, no other prince dared to say conclusively that his position as prince was secure.

Zhu Gaoxu could not tell Zhu Yuanzhang what Zhu Yunwen had done in history, because he knew that Zhu Yuanzhang would not believe him and would only think that someone wanted to use him to bring down Zhu Yunwen.

But he couldn't say that it didn't mean that Zhu Yunwen was absolutely safe.

As long as Zhu Yunwen himself reveals even a little bit of his true thoughts, Zhu Yuanzhang will not let a person with radical ideas of reducing the vassal come to power.

With Zhu Yuanzhang here, Zhu Gaoxu doesn't have to worry about Zhu Yunwen's revenge.

Zhu Yuanzhang is gone. Judging from Zhu Yunwen's attitude today, no matter how much he, Zhu Gaoxu, caters to Zhu Yunwen, he will still have to join his father in raising troops to appeasement in the end.

Didn't Zhu Gaochi in history cater to Zhu Yunwen?
Not only did he cater to her, he catered to the point where the two of them almost wore a pair of pants.

As a result, Zhu Yunwen was not the one who deserved to cut down the feudal clan, but the one who deserved to be imprisoned.

As a king, he doesn't care about secular morality, he only wants to rule himself.

With so many previous examples in front of Zhu Gaoxu, he would naturally not stick to Zhu Yunwen's cold butt with a hot face.

Anyway, Zhu Yuanzhang is still in good health. According to history, he can protect himself for the next four years until his death.

Thinking like this, Zhu Gaoxu also felt a sense of security welling up in his heart, and the original anxiety began to fade away.

As the anxiety faded, sleepiness swept over him like a tide, and he gradually became lost in his sleep.

(End of this chapter)