Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Chapter 110: Fierce Fire Cooking Oil
Regarding preventing land annexation, Zhu Yunhuan really wanted to have a good communication with Old Zhu.

Zhu Yunhuan also wanted to talk about the depreciation of Baochao and its almost becoming waste paper. This was also a very necessary matter.

There are still many things worth talking about, but it's a pity that Zhu Yunhuan is only the crown prince, not the emperor. Even though Zhu Yunhuan is cultivating him carefully, he is constantly giving up power.

However, there are some things that Zhu Yunhuan cannot decide now. Without further proof of himself, he is just a crown prince, and the real decision-maker is still the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Although he felt a little helpless, Zhu Yunhuan was not too depressed. He worked hard to do things well, which would always be helpful. There were still many possibilities in the future.

After all, he is still young and there is still a lot of time left for him.

Many civil and military officials could increasingly feel the Hongwu Emperor's old age and frailty. This could be seen from the speed with which the emperor handled state affairs, and also from the fact that the emperor's handling of some matters was not as sharp as before.

Even an emperor cannot change the fact of aging.

Especially in the case of Lee Seong-gye, it had been more than three months since Zhao Pang and other Goryeo envoys came to Beijing.

However, the Crown Prince was hesitant about this matter, and the Emperor was also in a dilemma and could not make a final decision.

All of this also makes people feel different. How can this be the same Hongwu Emperor who used to be so vigorous and resolute? Looking at the emperor's current appearance, it seems that he really does not have the control he once had.

On the other hand, whether it was the emperor or the grandson, they seemed to have some control over the nobles. But they did not dare to do anything too big, just a little warning and reminder.

Especially the Crown Prince, who has noble blood, is now trying his best to win over the nobles.

It is said that they are now planning to build the Northern Pacification Division. It seems that they are somewhat afraid of the strength of the Jinyiwei and want to split some of the manpower from the Jinyiwei. It seems that they want to balance the power.

Old Zhu was in a good mood and said to Zhu Yunxun, "Did you see anything at the morning court today?"

Zhu Yunhuan, who was fanning the wind, said, "This is testing us!"

"That's right!" Old Zhu laughed happily and said, "Now these people have finally taken the bait. We have been planning for half a year, and these people think they have figured out our details. We think they will start to take action in the second half of the year."

Zhu Yunhuan looked at Old Zhu and asked, "Is there anything I should do?"

"Let's propose a minister of rites." Old Zhu said with a smile, "It's not a big deal if two of the six ministers are missing."

Zhu Yunhuan asked, "Who is more suitable for the position of Minister of Rites?"

Old Zhu said directly, "Xiangyang Ren."

Xiangyang Ren, also known as Ren Hengtai, was the top scholar in the 21st year of Hongwu, and the first person in history to be awarded the top scholar memorial archway.

Zhu Yunhuan asked again, "Where is the Minister of Works?"

"Yan Zimin." Old Zhu said directly, "It's not about where a hero comes from. Our Yan Zhenzhi is an extraordinary person!"

Yan Zimin was indeed a remarkable person and a minister that Zhu Yuanzhang loved very much.

In fact, Yan Zimin was Yan Zhenzhi, who was chosen as the chief of grain because of his family's wealth. He collected 10,000 dan of grain from the fields and sent it to the capital every year. This minister without any official title was not even a proper official.

However, in just a few years, he was promoted from a councilor of the Ministry of Public Security to a doctor of the Ministry of Revenue, and then to a vice-minister of the Ministry of Works, and now he is about to become the minister of the Ministry of Works.

"He is a man who gets things done, and I like him too." Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "If he is made the Minister of Works, scholars will be disgusted."

The imperial examinations in the Ming Dynasty had been suspended for a time, but when they were resumed, scholars considered them their base. Civil servants were basically scholars.

But now, one of the six ministers is not a serious scholar, and was even looked down upon by everyone as an "official".

This is not the early days of the founding of the country, nor is it the wild period of conquering the world. Now many people feel that everything is on the right track.

Old Zhu said with emotion, "Those people can't accept it even if they don't want to. Yan Zimin is really talented!"

This is also true. The court now has a large number of construction projects, and has gathered craftsmen from all over the country in the capital, numbering nearly 200,000.

If this cannot be arranged properly, it will naturally cause a huge waste of labor and affect the lives of these craftsmen.

Yan Zhenzhi was able to sort out the names and trades of the craftsmen, so that they could work at home during normal times and be called up in turn according to their registered occupations. This not only won the love and support of the craftsmen, but also greatly improved their efficiency.

Being able to oversee some large projects is a remarkable skill.

Old Zhu also said with emotion, "In the past, it was said that the nobles from our hometown in Huaixi and Liu Bowen and other civil officials from eastern Zhejiang were fighting, but now it is the civil officials from the south."

Zhu Yunhuan also said, "Yes, all the six ministers will become southerners."

Ren Hengtai was from Xiangyang, Huguang, Yan Zhenzhi was from Huzhou, Zhejiang, and Zhan Hui was from Wuyuan, Huizhou. Zhao Mian was from Yiling, Huguang, Yang Jing was from Huai'an, Zhili, and Ru Chang was from Hengshan, Hunan. All the six ministers were from the south!

Zhu Yunhuan said, "Zhan Hui alone is not enough. I am going to push out the Minister of Revenue Zhao Mian as well."

Old Zhu snorted coldly and said, "He should have died last year!"

The fact that the Minister of Revenue accepted stolen goods was basically verified, or it was a case of holding back. If it was Zhu Yuanzhang's previous temper, he would have been executed immediately. But now he has to stay for a while. Since he wants to bridge the gap between the north and the south and win the hearts of the northern scholars, he needs someone of weight to be sacrificed.

The old and the young stared at each other, as if they had the same opinion on some things.

Old Zhu took the initiative to break the silence and said, "What bad thoughts are you harboring?"

Zhu Yunhuan smiled awkwardly and then explained, "Isn't it because I'm afraid those civil officials are not bold enough? What do you think if I arrange for someone to impeach Zhao Mian?"

Old Zhu was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, "Let those people think that we can't kill people? You bastard, you just want to ruin our reputation!"

Zhu Yunhuan quickly explained, "It's because those civil officials are not bold enough. At most, they are testing and speculating. If we don't add fuel to the fire, how dare they act recklessly?"

Old Zhu narrowed his eyes and asked calmly, "Aren't you afraid that the fire will be too strong and you won't be able to put it out?"

Zhu Yunhuan didn't really care. "Let's not talk about my grandfather's ability to intimidate the scoundrels. Even if I hold the military power, if those civil officials jump up, I can just chop them down with a knife."

Although Lao Zhu was satisfied with this answer, he still reminded, "Killing people blindly is not enough. If you kill too many people, they will not only be afraid, but also become disloyal and make you feel uncomfortable."

"I know this. Not to mention how many scholars there are in the world." Zhu Yunhuan replied seriously, "If you want to kill people, you must have a legitimate reason. I am not Jie or Zhou. If I kill some people, I will naturally win over some people."

Old Zhu asked, "Who do you think is good in the court now?"

Zhu Yunhuan replied, "Bao Zhao is a man of high moral integrity. He wears cloth and linen shoes, which shows that he is a man of simple and frugal character."

Old Zhu nodded slightly and said, "This man can be the Left Censor-in-Chief, or even the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice."

Zhu Yunxun continued, "Deputy Chief Censor Lian Zining is not bad either. Not only does he have integrity, he also has some talent."

Old Zhu said, "This man is a bit pedantic, but he is fair. He can be used, but he must not be allowed to go to the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Punishment, or the Ministry of Works, otherwise he will be a disaster."

Zhu Yunxun continued, "Yu Xin, the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, is also good. Not only is he thoughtful, but he is also a broad-minded person."

Old Zhu said, "This man can be the Minister of Finance. After killing Zhao Mian, Yu Xin will be the Minister of Finance."

Zhu Yunhuan continued, "There is also Qi De, who is respectful and careful, but he is a little imprecise."

"If he has less experience, he can still make some progress." Old Zhu thought about it carefully and said, "If his personality is like this, it would be appropriate for him to be a censor or go to the Ministry of Rites."

Old Zhu then looked at Zhu Yunhuan and said, "This is not enough. These are the people we have selected. They will be available to you in the future, but it is not enough now. You should select some pillars of society yourself."

Zhu Yunhuan complained loudly, "Grandfather, I have only been the crown prince for less than a year. How many people can I select? Even Xu Guan was the top scholar a few years ago. If we really count, he is not the one I selected."

Old Zhu smiled happily and said, "That's true. Look carefully and find some promising talents."

"I originally planned to let Xu Guan impeach Zhao Mian, but after thinking about it, I think it's not a good idea." Zhu Yunhuan said, "Let Jiang Lin do the impeachment. First, they have always been at odds with the Jinyiwei, and second, it will encourage the arrogance of the civil officials, so it's better to use the Jinyiwei as an example."

Old Zhu also approved of this arrangement and said, "After the New Year next year, we will kill people."

After Old Zhu sighed, he looked at Zhu Yunhuan and said, "Kill Zhan Hui, and your prestige will be established. Kill Zhao Mian, and the people under you will behave themselves in the next few years. From now on, I really can't be in charge, and those people won't dare to move around at will."

Zhu Yunhuan also nodded in agreement and said, "That's right. If we kill the ruthless ones once, the situation will be quiet for a few years. I'm afraid these people will forget the pain after the scars have healed, but it doesn't matter. If we do more things in the next few years, have some political achievements, some civil and military achievements, they will behave themselves."

Simply relying on killing to establish authority is definitely not enough.

Whether it is the emperor or the crown prince, he must rely on political achievements to speak for himself, so that people can be convinced.

Old Zhu also smiled and nodded, "I'll teach you a lesson this year. Let those people do whatever they want. When we have time, they'll be in trouble!"

Playing the next big game is what Lao Zhu has to do.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang thought it was more important to spend a year carefully training the crown prince he had chosen.

Therefore, as long as some things did not get out of control, he did not mind that the civil servants under him seemed to be jumping up and down, because it was something that could be suppressed with just a finger.

(End of this chapter)