Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Chapter 153: Noble Women
It is now basically certain that there will be no major wars. Not to mention the internal strife among the nomadic peoples in the north, whether it was the previous Northern Expedition by Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, or Lan Yu's destruction of the Northern Yuan Dynasty's court institutions in one fell swoop at Buyuer Lake, these were all great victories.

What the Mongols pray most now is not to see the Ming army deep in the grasslands, rather than thinking of looting southwards as they think there will not be enough food in the spring and autumn.

There are occasional small rebellions in the northwest or southwest, but they are basically small-scale.

The imperial army basically does not need to be dispatched, and the garrisoning generals can basically quell these unstable factors.

Therefore, the three armies' attack this time can be said to be just a routine autumn hunt every year, which is to allow the princes to play a role and to allow the soldiers of the garrisons along the northern border to contribute.

In fact, everyone knows that this is more of a continuous pressure on nomadic peoples. Even though the Ming Dynasty is strong now, it will not take it lightly. The survival ability of those nomadic peoples is still very good. If they are allowed to develop recklessly, they may come back after the internal conflicts are resolved.

Therefore, it is very necessary to start applying pressure now and continue to weaken the opponent.

In history, Zhu Di made several northern expeditions, whether it was the Oirat or the Tatar, they were all tribal forces that split after the fall of the Mongols.

There is no need to mention Baozong, who was captured by the Oirat Mongols. He is a force that the Ming Dynasty does not take seriously at this stage.

Zhu Yunhuan was just about to go to the Qianqing Palace after a busy day when Zhang Fusheng said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince's Consort is in the East Palace."

Zhu Yunxun was stunned for a moment and asked, "Why is she in the East Palace?"

"Madam Kaiping went to the palace to express her gratitude, and asked Madam Wei and others to accompany her." Zhang Fusheng said, "Empress Ning is also here, and she said she will leave the palace before the gates are closed."

Zhu Yunhuan thought for a moment and asked, "What did my grandfather say?"

Zhang Fusheng immediately smiled and replied, "His Majesty said that Your Highness does not need to go over for dinner."

That’s better. I’ll go directly to the East Palace. It’s closer.

Not only Chang Lan, Xu Miaojin and others were present, but also Zhu Yunhuan's two biological aunts, as well as guys like Xu Qin and Mei Shunchang. The East Palace looked lively.

Seeing Zhu Yunhuan coming back, everyone stood up and saluted.

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "If you are really so polite, then I would be a bad guest."

Concubine Ning smiled and said, "As long as His Highness does not blame us for our disorderly conduct, His Highness always likes quietness, and the Eastern Palace will be lively now."

Zhu Yunxun laughed and said, "I just don't like people making noise in my study. I still like the hustle and bustle of the Eastern Palace. Go and fetch my fifth son. Xu Qin and Shunchang are here too."

Zhu Yunxi, who was only four years old, had no sense of existence, but after all, he was the youngest son of Zhu Biao and the younger brother of Zhu Yunhuan, so he still had to be given some face.

Zhu Yunxun looked at Xu Qin, who was also the same age as Zhu Yunxi, and thought they could play together for a while.

"Shunchang, come here." Zhu Yunhuan was annoyed when he saw the gentle and refined nobleman Mei Shunchang. "Aunt, you have turned my cousin into a nerd. Does he know martial arts?"

Princess Ningguo said, "He prefers quietness to movement, but he does have some knowledge of martial arts."

Zhu Yunhuan pointed at the weapon rack and said, "Go pick out a weapon that suits you. I'll take a look at your martial arts skills."

Mei Shunchang said politely, "Your Highness, I only know how to ride a horse and shoot arrows, I don't know any other weapons."

"No?" Zhu Yunhuan said with a smile, "That's fine. You don't need to charge into battle or lead the way. You just need to be proficient in military books and be able to lead troops. Don't learn from your father. A noble family can only train soldiers at best. They can't even leave you a title in the future."

Mei Shunchang was embarrassed. "A son should not criticize his father's mistakes," and he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Princess Anqing chimed in and said, "Your uncle-in-law doesn't have a title. It's just a matter of your words. You don't want to give it to him, but you're still making sarcastic remarks."

"Why is it just a matter of one sentence?" Zhu Yunhuan retorted unhappily, "How can the court grant a title so easily? Can I blame you for my uncle's lack of military merit? If it is really possible, if there is a war in the future, will you be willing to let your uncle go with the army?"

Princess Ningguo asked, "What about the Marquis of Runan?"

Zhu Yunhuan immediately shook his head, "That won't work. The Marquis of Runan is the Marquis of Runan, and he has little to do with my uncle."

Mei Yin was the nephew of Mei Sizu, the Marquis of Runan. Not to mention that Mei Sizu had passed away long ago, the fact that he was convicted of being a member of Hu Weiyong's party and his entire family was killed was enough to explain the problem. How could he overturn the verdict? Moreover, the nephew was only a nephew, not a biological son.

Princess Anqing said, "I have long said that Yunxun is stingy, but you just don't believe it. If you don't believe me, just wait and see. It will be impossible to ask for a title from him without military merit. At most, he will give us a title of nobility for the sake of our elders."

Zhu Yunhuan did not deny it either, because not only he did this, but Old Zhu did the same.

Now there are some deputy governors in the Five Military Governors' Office. Although they are second-rank officials and look intimidating, many of them have no real power. They are just given a title that sounds good. Chang Lan said, "It's better not to fight in the battlefield. It's safe. I often think that it would be a blessing for my children and grandchildren to be around me."

"Old Madam, you are naturally not worried." Princess Anqing said fiercely, "Let's not talk about the great achievements of the former Prince Kaiping. My sister-in-law is very capable. Now my second brother can hold up the door beam, and there is also the Duke of Liang. If you ask me, the Xu family is now a little worse than you. Just wait for Miao Jin to give birth to a boy in the future, maybe it will be stable."

Xu Miaojing, who was sitting beside her, blushed, but Lady Xu Li, wife of Duke Wei, nodded slightly; she thought so too.

Chang Lan said, "Duke Liang is Duke Liang, he is different from my family."

This is just a polite remark, no one will believe it. Lan Yu cannot be the head of the Kaiping Palace, but Chang Lan can be the head of the Liangguo Palace. These two families are originally one family, just separated by a courtyard wall.

Even Lan Yu's wife, who got along with Chang Mao and Chang Sheng's wives more like a generation apart than an aunt. As for the elders, it could only be Chang Lan, whose face everyone had to look up to.

Zhu Yunxi was brought here. The little guy was a little stage-nervous. He was not very familiar with the Crown Prince, and even less familiar with other people.

Zhu Yunhuan stretched and said, "Grandma, I want to practice my spear, can you give me some pointers?"

Chang Lan smiled and stood up and said, "Your Highness, I don't know martial arts. I only saw my late husband use a gun when he was alive."

"Didn't they say that my mother's spear skills were all taught by my grandmother?" Zhu Yunhuan took the gun and shook it. "How is it?"

Seeing that Chang Lan smiled without saying anything, Zhu Yunhuan also understood what was going on. He smiled and continued playing with the gun.

There was no shortage of applause and cheers, mainly because a lot of people who didn't know how to use a spear just thought Zhu Yunhuan's spear skills were pretty good. Also because of his status, everyone gave him face and cheered him on.

"Your steps are as fast as the wind, and your steps are as sharp as nails." Chang Lan smiled and said to Zhu Yunhuan, "When your highness used the spear, his legs and waist were still weak, and his steps were not stable."

Zhu Yunhuan laughed, "No wonder everyone says my mother is good at spearmanship, isn't it my grandmother who taught her? I just said in the court today that the noble families are to send troops immediately, leaving my second uncle and the Duke of Ying in the capital."

Chang Lan and the others were not surprised at all, as these high-ranking nobles were often not in the capital. The past few years were relatively good, as they would not come back for a year or two before, or would come back for ten days or half a month every two or three years.

Let's not talk about training and garrisoning for now, we also need to prepare for war. It's almost autumn, isn't it time for you to lead your troops to the grassland?

Xu Miaojin bravely asked, "Your Highness, is my brother going to the battle as well?"

"Of course." Zhu Yunxun asked with a smile, "Are you reluctant to part with it?"

Xu Miaojin shook her head and said, "The sons of Duke Wei's mansion should naturally go to war, but should my other two brothers also go out?"

Zhu Yunhuan thought for a moment and said, "We shouldn't act rashly based on what Xu Yingxu said. Xu Zengshou still has to guard the capital, so it's not a good idea to let them go to the battle as well."

Xu Miaojin had her own thoughts, "My second and third brothers both have children. They have been enjoying the imperial salary for a long time. How can they enjoy the beauty of raising children at home?"

Chang Lan also said, "What Miao Jin said is reasonable. People from noble families have to fight in the battlefield. Glory and wealth are all gained through fighting. If Your Highness wants to keep Chang Sheng in the capital, I dare not disobey. But I hope Your Highness will show mercy and allow Chang Sen to go to the battlefield on his behalf."

The women of these noble families are truly not afraid of fighting. It would be a lie to say that they are not worried about going to war. After all, over the years some great generals have died on the battlefield or on the road.

But they knew better that military merit was the foundation of a noble family's livelihood.

The Xu family and the Chang family both had extremely high status. The children of these two families could fully enjoy the remaining influence of Xu Da and Chang Yuchun and live a stable and carefree life.

However, both Chang Lan and Xu Miaojin felt that at such a moment, their family members must do their best.

Because anyone with a discerning eye can see that Emperor Hongwu has been continuously delegating power. It is said that the affairs of the Five Military Commanderies are handled by the Crown Prince, and most of the affairs in the court are also handled by the Crown Prince.

It would be unreasonable for the Xu family or the Chang family not to contribute at this time. When encountering major events, these two families must fight at the forefront.

Looking at Chang Lan, Zhu Yunhuan asked, "Grandmother, my third uncle is very useful."

Chang Lan smiled and said, "Duke Liang is Duke Liang, and Chang Sen is Chang Sen. They are not the same surname. Chang Mao is not doing well, and Chang Sheng cannot leave Beijing now. I can't let people laugh at me for having no one to use in the Kaiping Palace, right?"

Zhu Yunhuan thought about it and said, "Okay, then let my third uncle also join the army this time."

Then Zhu Yunhuan looked at Xu Miaojin and said, "Xu Yingxu can go to the battle, but Xu Zengshou must stay. This is settled!"

(End of this chapter)