The Ming Dynasty started with saving the eldest grandson

Chapter 395: Prince Yan wants to rebel?

The return of Prince Yan to the capital is a major event, and all officials are extremely cautious about this matter.

After all, Zhu Di was not an ordinary prince, he was the King of Sai.

The Prince of Yan's Palace has 50,000 elite soldiers, thousands of officials, and hundreds of thousands of people who depend on the Prince of Yan for their livelihood.

In addition, Zhu Di himself was the commander-in-chief of the northern border of the Ming Dynasty and could mobilize 200,000 border troops in the north.

Although it was agreed that if a suitable fiefdom was found in the future, he would be granted a fiefdom.

But as his power grows stronger day by day, who knows if he will become disloyal?
The prosperous situation of the Ming Dynasty cannot be destroyed by anyone.

Of course, there is another reason why officials treat this matter with caution.

Prince Yan came back too suddenly.

He was carrying out the encroachment plan on the grassland and did not come back for the New Year. Now that he is not in harmony with the times, what is he doing back?
To be precise, why did the emperor suddenly summon him back?
The imperial edict said that he was to report on his work, but how could he summon the border commander to report on his work at this time?
Unless the coach makes a mistake or something big happens.

Don't blame those people for thinking too much, they really have no selfish motives in this matter.

Zhu Di's identity was sensitive, and the ministers were cautious in order to maintain the stability of the court.

In fact, some ministers had already questioned Zhu Biao about this matter.

Why was Prince Yan suddenly summoned back to the capital at this time?

Zhu Biao's explanation was that the Crown Prince of Yan, Zhu Gaochi, was about to get married, so he called the Prince of Yan back.

Besides, Empress Ma also missed her son, so she came back to see him.

This reason was impeccable and the ministers had nothing to say.

Well, Zhu Gaochi’s fiancée was the daughter of commander Zhang Lin, just like in his previous life.

Zhang Lin was an old subordinate of Zhu Yuanzhang, and this marriage was arranged by Zhu Yuanzhang himself, with the intention of strengthening the relationship between the meritorious group and the royal family.

However, for the ministers, this marriage issue was too big.

The Prince of Yan already holds a high position of power, controlling one-fifth of the country's military. Now he is asked to marry a senior general in the army.

What if he really has evil intentions?
However, this was Lao Zhu's arrangement, and they had no way to object, so they could only keep their worries to themselves.

But there were countless eyes staring at Zhu Di in the dark.

Zhu Di had a rather flamboyant personality, but in the past he had strictly followed the rules for a prince and never did anything out of line.

But this time, maybe because his son was about to get married, he was a little too excited.

After returning to Beijing, he was well behaved for two or three days, and then he started to act up in all kinds of ways.

All day long he either entertains high-ranking officials and celebrities or hangs out with the powerful.

He even paid scholars to write articles to praise himself.

Since he could not read a single word, those scholars naturally disdained to associate with him.

He humiliated others severely.

Humiliating scholars is a small matter, but making friends with the powerful is a big matter.

What does it mean for you, a prince, to make friends with many powerful people?
Do you really think that you, the King of Sai, can do whatever you want?

On the contrary, it is precisely because you are in a high position of power that we should keep a closer eye on you.

For a time, Zhu Biao's desk was piled with memorials impeaching him.

Zhu Biao was also very helpless. He tried to persuade and scold him, but he just wouldn't listen.

There was no other way, so the ministers could only ask Empress Ma to come forward and stop it.

Empress Ma called Zhu Di to the palace for a talk.

No one knew what they talked about, but news finally came out that Empress Ma's old illness had relapsed due to anger, and she urgently summoned Chen Bandu into the palace for treatment.

After the treatment, Chen Jingke's expression was extremely solemn.

I have repeatedly reminded you not to get angry again, otherwise...

The ministers were all frightened now. If Empress Ma was really angry to the point of causing harm, everyone’s protection would be gone.

So they decided to turn a blind eye and wait for the Prince of Yan to go to the border.

However, they soon discovered that they were too naive.

This King of Yan is seeking death in various ways.

Not long after, Zhu Di held a grand wedding for Zhu Gaochi.

The wedding was extremely luxurious, and the specifications were in accordance with those of a prince.

You should know that Zhu Gaochi was the prince of Yan, and his title was equivalent to that of a prince.

On the other hand, if your son's wedding is held according to the standards of a prince, what do you think of yourself?

This is a clear overstepping.

It would have been fine if the wedding had simply exceeded the rules, but what was even more unbearable was that he also bribed the powerful and influential in the name of the wedding and openly made friends with military generals.

Moreover, under the pretext of transporting valuables for Zhu Gaochi's wedding, a naval force of the Prince of Yan's Guard was dispatched into the Yellow River and headed straight for Luoshui.

This navy was also arrogant and domineering, sinking many ships along the way.

The wronged people who came to file a complaint blocked the gate of the Luoyang prefecture.

Not only that, Zhu Di also vaguely revealed his dissatisfaction with the emperor.

Without him, there would be no such prosperous situation in the north as the Ming Dynasty has today.

The only reason you, Zhu Biao, were able to become emperor was because you were born a few years earlier.

The noble group, which had been suppressed for a long time, seemed to be influenced by him and became extremely radical and domineering.

They began to collude openly, as if they were planning something big.

Now the ministers could no longer remain calm.

He found scholars to promote himself, the crown prince's wedding was beyond the rules, he made friends with the powerful, bribed the generals in the army, and was dissatisfied with the emperor...

He also moved the Prince of Yan's navy to the vicinity of the capital.

In addition, there was unrest among the nobles.

The King of Yan is not courting death, he is planning a rebellion

The performance of the nobles further confirmed this speculation.

Although Zhu Biao did not openly suppress the nobles after he ascended the throne, he imposed severe punishments on the nobles' children who violated the law.

And has always been restricting the rights of the nobles.

After being suppressed for so long, do they have other ideas?
If the King of Yan promised something else at this time...

The consequences are disastrous.

The ministers could no longer sit still, and the memorials impeaching Zhu Di once again piled up on Zhu Biao's desk.

This time, the ministers did not dare to go to Empress Ma again, but directly reported the complaint to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Please come back soon, the Emperor, the Prince of Yan is planning to rebel.

You don't want your son to go to war, do you?

Also, the nobles who followed you to conquer the world seem to have made some unusual moves. You should come back soon.

Zhu Biao was also very angry about these impeachments.

He first ordered Zhu Di to stay at home and not go out without permission.

Then he ordered the Yan Wang navy to withdraw to Bohai Bay and compensate all the affected ship owners for their losses.

At the same time, he also sternly warned the noble group to behave themselves and not have any inappropriate thoughts.

After doing all this, he consulted with his ministers on how to deal with the King of Yan.

Now it was the ministers' turn to have a headache.

This is the son of Empress Ma, the King of Sai of the Ming Dynasty. How dare we express our opinion on this matter?

You are the emperor, and someone threatens your throne. Don’t you know what to do?

What do you mean by asking us?
But then again, how to deal with the Prince of Yan is indeed a thorny issue.

Wasted? Confined?
The ministers wanted to do so, but first of all, the Prince of Yan did not really rebel, he just behaved inappropriately.

Secondly, he couldn't get past the retired emperor and Empress Ma.

So these two methods are not very effective.

Let him go back to Peking?
Stop joking. Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Some things cannot be turned back once they are done.

Given the King of Yan's strength, wouldn't letting him go be like letting a tiger return to the mountains?

So the solution to the problem points to the only answer.

Let’s become a vassal.

Let’s quickly find a closed country and throw him there, and put an end to it once and for all.

Zhu Biao was also tempted and thought it was a good idea. All problems would be solved if he was sent overseas.

But then a new question arises: How far should it be blocked?
All the ministers unanimously decided that the territory around Ming Dynasty must not be sealed.

Given Prince Yan's ambition, if he is given a title too close to his throne, I'm afraid he will still not give up.

It would be best to be granted the title as far away as possible. It would be even better if he could be granted the title near the King of Qin.

However, there was really no suitable place on the land controlled by the Ming Dynasty court.

The ministers were numb again.

What should I do?
Just when the ministers were worried, Zhu Xiongying, Chen Jingke, Xu Da, Zhu Di, Zhu Gaochi and others sat together eating and drinking.

There is no intention of drawing swords at all.

Zhu Di said proudly: "How is my acting? All the officials were deceived."

Chen Jingke gave a thumbs up and said, "It doesn't look like acting at all. I feel like the king is acting in his true colors."

Zhu Di was very happy when he heard the first half of the sentence, but his face darkened when he heard the second half:
"You kid, are you looking for trouble? What's the point of acting like yourself? I am the wise king of the Ming Dynasty."

Chen Jingke smiled and said, "It was true before, but now, it's hard to say."

Zhu Xiongying continued, "After this incident, you go back and solve the hidden dangers on the grassland, and you will still be the wise king of the Ming Dynasty."

"It is a great honor to admit one's mistakes and improve oneself. In the eyes of the officials, Fourth Uncle is a prodigal son who has returned."

Zhu Gaochi was still worried about his old father and asked, "After what happened, will the officials still allow my father to go to Beiping?"

Chen Jingke said: "Don't worry, once the direct forces of the Prince of Yan's Mansion leave the Ming Dynasty, the king will not be much of a threat in the eyes of the ministers."

"Although there will be people who oppose him returning to Peking, the resistance will not be too great."

Xu Da also nodded and said, "Indeed, the power of the Prince of Yan's Mansion and the Prince of Jin's Mansion is growing day by day. Although the ministers have not said anything, they have been worried."

"Jing Ke just took the opportunity to trigger this conflict ahead of time."

"Once the power of the Prince of Yan's Mansion withdraws from the mainland of Ming, the ministers will no longer hold on to it."

"As for Prince Yan's return to Peking, there's no need to worry."

"As long as the King of Jin is still here, the King of Yan has a reason to stay."

Everyone immediately understood what he meant.

The power of the Prince of Jin's Palace is stronger than that of the Prince of Yan's Palace, and Zhu Gang's ability is also greater than that of Zhu Di.

Now the two brothers are in the north, cooperating with each other and restraining each other.

If Zhu Di really left, the entire northern border would fall into Zhu Gang's hands.

That’s half of the Ming Dynasty’s elite border troops.

Just think about how dangerous it is.

As for why they didn't send other generals to take over Zhu Di's defense zone...

First, Zhu Gang had a special status and great influence, and it would be difficult for others to withstand his pressure.

Secondly, I can’t get past the hurdle of the retired emperor.

Everyone knows that the emperor trusts his son more.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with this. It is human nature to value relatives.

However, this has also resulted in the situation where the North is now overly dependent on the two Sai kings.

Therefore, as long as the Prince of Jin was still alive, the ministers would not force the Prince of Yan to leave.

"The real purpose of the ministers is not to drive the King of Yan away."

"Instead, we will take this opportunity to expel the power of Prince Yan's Mansion from Ming Dynasty, thus solving a major problem."

Zhu Di was somewhat unhappy when he heard Xu Da compare him to a serious threat.

But there was nothing he could do, since the other party was his father-in-law, he could only pretend he didn't hear it.

And he knew it was true.

He respected his third brother very much, but if his third brother wanted to rebel, he would be the first to lead an army to fight him.

He believed that if he rebelled, Zhu Gang would make the same choice.

Therefore, it is indeed true that the two cooperate with each other and restrain each other.

Apart from Zhu Biao, the brothers would not accept anyone as emperor.
-
In fact, everything Zhu Di did was acting, a big show directed by Chen Jingke.

Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, Zhu Biao, the cabinet, etc. are all actors.

The purpose was to get all the ministers to agree and support the King of Yan in attacking India.

For such a big thing as attacking India, we must obtain the consent of all the ministers.

At least we need to unify our thoughts.

The ministers were naturally willing to enfeoff the King of Yan, but helping him conquer a continent with a population of 100 million was another matter.

This cannot be blamed on everyone being conservative, but rather that India’s strength on paper is too scary.

That’s 100 million people.

Don't talk to me about the caste system or low fighting ability.

Even if there are 100 million pigs, it would take decades to catch them all with the people in Prince Yan's Mansion.

If the Prince of Yan’s Mansion cannot defeat the other side, it will definitely ask the Ming Dynasty for help.

By then, the Ming Dynasty would be mired in the quagmire of war.

It is not a good thing for the country, the people, or for both the public and private sectors.

The ministers' considerations are actually very prudent and there is nothing to criticize.

Therefore, Chen Jingke did not discuss the matter directly with his ministers, but was careful.

"It would be best for the Prince of Yan to act more arrogantly and make friends with the powerful in the capital, especially the generals in the army..."

"Find some more nobles to cooperate in the performance."

"This will make the ministers feel fearful."

"Let's find someone to make a petition, saying that the people of the world have suffered from the King of Yan for a long time, and let him be enthroned as soon as possible."

"Then we delayed the matter by saying there was no suitable land."

"When all the ministers are exhausted, I will propose that the King of Yan learn from the King of Qin."

The Qin King's fiefdom was only a small island, and he relied entirely on his own ability to conquer a piece of territory in Anxi.

We will find a small island near Tianzhu as the fiefdom of the King of Yan.

If he has the ability, he can go to India and fight for a piece of land. If he doesn't have the ability, he will be trapped on the island for the rest of his life.

"The ministers will certainly agree to this."

"Once the Prince of Yan's Mansion goes to Tianzhu, things will no longer be under their control."

This was Chen Jingke's overall plan, which naturally received everyone's approval.

When Zhu Di heard that he was asked to be more arrogant, he immediately became excited:

"It's good to be arrogant. I like being arrogant... You don't have to pretend. Just watch."

Hence all the previous outrageous behaviors.

And the ministers were indeed deceived as planned.

However, this was also an open conspiracy, as the ministers had always regarded the Prince of Jin's and Prince of Yan's palaces as thorns in their eyes.

Now that there is a chance to drive one of them out of the Ming Dynasty, they naturally agree.

Even if I notice something is wrong, I will pretend not to notice it.

All in all, this is a show that everyone gets what they want.

There is another reason for inviting the nobles to come and cooperate with the performance.

"The great enfeoffment will inevitably be opposed by the ministers."

"Now the nobles have stepped forward to stir up trouble. Let the officials experience firsthand the negative impact of the nobles."

“When the time comes for the imperial court to propose a large-scale enfeoffment plan, there will be much less resistance.”

Naturally, this plan was unanimously agreed by everyone.

The nobles were making a lot of noise, and the ministers felt the harm of the noble group firsthand, so they naturally wanted to drive them away.

If the court takes a tougher stance by then, the matter will be almost settled.

Xu Da praised: "Jing Ke's plan can be said to kill two birds with one stone."

Zhu Di said, "But I found that the nobles didn't seem to be acting, but taking the opportunity to express something."

"I can't guess what the problem is..."

"I wonder if it's my illusion?"

(End of this chapter)