Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Chapter 48 Cruel
Old Zhu was a little surprised by Zhu Yunhuan's request for a meeting, but he summoned him quickly.

Seeing that Old Zhu had a grim expression, Zhu Yunhuan also understood something. Although Zhu Zhong had come to report earlier, don't be so self-indulgent as to think that Old Zhu didn't know about this matter.

Zhu Zhong is now working under Zhu Yunhuan, but he is a minister of the emperor. Some things can only be reported to the emperor first, and then acted according to the emperor's wishes.

Zhu Yunhuan did not hide it and said directly, "Grandfather, your Highness, I request your permission to summon the nobles in the capital and their princes."

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunhuan with a serious expression, "It is said that you have a close relationship with the nobles. Do you need to summon the nobles for such a small matter?"

Zhu Yunhuan became even more serious and his attitude was very firm. "Zhao! In recent years, people have said that the government is corrupt, and many people say it is the legacy of the previous Yuan Dynasty. Yes, it is true. But these nobles rely on their merits to commit crimes, and they should also be punished!"

Zhu Yunhuan was naturally satisfied with his answer, but he still said, "Treat? We didn't treat them? During the Hu Weiyong case, we dealt with many officials who were resentful and behaved arrogantly. Isn't that enough?"

The Hu Weiyong case is indeed a major case, and it has now lasted for nearly ten years.

Let's not talk about the struggle between the imperial power and the prime minister's power. Some of the nobles who were implicated were actually charged with false charges. Especially some deceased nobles, Zhu Yuanzhang stripped them of their titles, which was also Zhu Yuanzhang's suppression of the noble group.

Zhu Liangzu, Marquis of Yongjia, accepted bribes, colluded with local tyrants, and framed local officials, so Old Zhu recalled Zhu Liangzu and his son, and then beat them to death with a whip.

Linchuan Marquis Hu Mei was imprisoned for breaking the law in his early years. He was sentenced to death the year before last and his title was naturally stripped.

Liao Yongzhong, Marquis of Deqing, was sentenced to death for usurping the power of the dragon and the phoenix, among other illegal acts, but Zhu Yuanzhang allowed his son to inherit the title.

There are countless examples of the arrogance and domineering behavior of the founding heroes, so whether it is for the purpose of maintaining the rule of law or suppressing arrogant and powerful generals, it is necessary to do so.

After all, many of the founding heroes were desperate criminals. When they suddenly became rich and powerful, they became arrogant because of their merits and became a disaster.

It's just that the situation this time is special. Jiangxia Hou Zhou Dexing is the tenth meritorious official among the founding heroes and the third among the marquises. The most important thing is that he and Lao Zhu are childhood friends and their relationship is very special.

Zhu Yunhuan continued to insist on his point of view, "Grandfather, Zhou Ji deserves to die!"

Old Zhu said calmly, "He deserves to die, but what does this have to do with summoning the nobles?"

"Killing a chicken to scare the monkeys!" Zhu Yunhuan said with a gloomy face, "Everyone says that I am close to the nobles, and it is true. To be honest, Jiang Xiahou is a fellow villager of my royal grandfather, so he and I should be very close. But this time, no one will forgive him!"

Old Zhu sighed and said, "I wish I could skin that beast alive! You also said that Jiang Xiahou and I are from the same hometown. People outside say that among the nobles in Huaixi, Jiang Xiahou is the best. There are really not many of our old family members who fought with us to establish the country!"

Compared with Fu Youde and others, Zhou Dexing is naturally closer to Zhu Yuanzhang. He is a true nobleman of Huaixi.

Old Zhu gnashed his teeth and said, "You should have been the one to show mercy, but how can you show mercy to that beast when he did such a good thing?"

Zhu Yunhuan was born there, and his connections with Chang Yuchun, the Prince of Kaiping, naturally supported him. However, Chang Yuchun could not be considered a core figure of the Huaixi nobles, because he was from Huaiyuan and went there only after Zhu conquered Hezhou.

Lao Zhu is a person who has a strong attachment to his hometown and attaches great importance to family ties.

The core of the Huaixi nobles were Xu Da, Duke of Wei, Tang He, Duke of Xin, and Zhou Dexing, Marquis of Jiangxia, who were old people from Fengyang. They were the twenty-four people that Zhu Yuanzhang brought with him when he left Haozhou and went to Dingyuan to set up his own faction!

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunhuan and said, "You are not only tough, but you also have a hard life! We originally thought that you would interact with those people in your hometown these days, but now things have gotten out of hand, and we want you to handle these things."

Hearing Old Zhu mention this, Zhu Yunhuan was speechless, "I didn't expect this to happen, but it has already happened, so we need to deal with it first. Grandfather, please summon the nobles and their sons in Beijing."

Lao Zhu nodded and said, "I'll do as you say this time."

Then Old Zhu spoke up and issued an order, saying, "Pass on my oral order and summon the nobles in Beijing and their sons to the palace."

Zhu Yunhuan added, "In the Central Military Governor's Office. I'll be there in a moment."

Old Zhu glared at Zhu Yunhuan and said, "I still can't stop you. You are going to the Five Military Commandery with full justification this time."

It was true. Zhu Yunhuan had gone to the Five Military Commandery several times before, but was stopped at the Qianbu Corridor each time. But this time, he could go to the Central Military Commandery.

After the eunuch who delivered the decree left, Zhu asked, "What are you going to do?" Zhu Yunhuan said, "Kill that beast. Marquis Jiang Xia was sentenced to death for not raising his son properly. He used to come to the court every year and was rewarded endlessly. Take back the public land that was granted when he was conferred the title."

Old Zhu clenched his fists. "You don't care about his contributions in pacifying Guangxi and governing Fujian. Even if you consider that he and I grew up together, why can't you give him a good life? How old is he? How many days do he have left to live?"

Zhu Yunhuan said directly, "I still want to kill him! After killing him, bury him with the ceremony of a marquis. If your royal grandfather is willing to write a tomb inscription for him, that would be the best. If not, I will write it for him!"

After Old Zhu killed Zhu Liang's grandfather and son, he ordered them to be buried with full respect and even wrote a tomb inscription for him himself.

Old Zhu was shaking with anger, pointing at Zhu Yunhuan and saying, "How can you be so cruel!"

"My merits are my merits, my faults are my faults!" Zhu Yunhuan refused to give in and said to Old Zhu, "My grandfather allowed him to retire and return home, and graciously allowed him to build the steles for his ancestors. I will not tear them down!"

Old Zhu sat down somewhat dejectedly and said, "If you order him to be executed, those people in my hometown will scold you."

Then Old Zhu said, "We will sentence him to death, depose his title, exterminate his clan, and tear down the stele of the ancestors' tomb. You go and plead for mercy, so that those people in your hometown will remember your kindness."

Zhu Yunhuan suddenly felt that this routine seemed familiar. It was a typical case of one person playing the good cop and the other playing the bad cop.

If he really followed Zhu's way, Zhu Yunhuan would naturally be able to gain more favor from the nobles in Huaixi. He might even gain a good reputation in the court.

The most important thing is that his plea was effective, which undoubtedly greatly enhanced his prestige and let the court officials know that there is still a royal grandson who can advise the emperor after the death of the queen and the prince, so they will naturally be closer to him.

Zhu Yunhuan naturally knew that Zhu's arrangement was correct, and it was also a more conservative and stable approach.

Zhu Yunhuan was silent for a moment before he said, "Grandfather, I want to give it a try."

Old Zhu looked at Zhu Yunhuan for a long time and nodded slowly, "When I told you about this, I wanted you to do it. Go and give it a try, as long as you don't make a big mistake, it'll be fine."

Zhu Yunhuan immediately said, "Sun Chen dares to ask for two imperial decrees, ordering the nobles or the princes to return to Fengyang and bring back Jiangxia Hou."

Old Zhu stared at Zhu Yunhuan with his sharp eyes, "In the early years, I often punished people in the palace for some trivial matters. We have fought for many years and our hearts have become very hard. That year, your grandmother told me that if the emperor wants to kill someone, just kill him, don't humiliate him before killing him!"

Zhu Yunhuan understood what Old Zhu meant and said, "Sun Chen did not intend to humiliate Jiang Xiahou, otherwise he would have called him by his name."

Old Zhu nodded and said to the young eunuch beside him, "Follow him, I have an imperial decree to pass on."

Seeing Zhu Yunhuan leaving with the eunuch, Old Zhu was dismayed, "Wuqi, it's not that we want to kill you, but what your beastly son did was really inhumane!"

Old Zhu sighed, and became even more worried. "Tang Dazui has had a stroke, and I'm afraid he won't last long. Hey, brother, don't blame me!"

After a moment of sadness, Lao Zhu felt happy.

Thinking about Zhu Yunhuan's previous performance, Old Zhu was indescribably satisfied.

After all, he is the son of the eldest brother, and he is ruthless when killing people. Noble, that child does have some shadows of noble, but Yunhu is a descendant of our Zhu family!

Marquis Jiangxia and the nobles of Huaixi should be killed if necessary.

Just like when his boss took the list of criminal officials and reviewed it without mercy, not to mention a few heads, even if dozens of heads were killed he would not frown or feel soft-hearted.

This is what a crown prince should be like!

　Thanks to Ji Mingtian for giving 100 Qidian coins

　　Thanks to Ww9521 for giving 100 Qidian coins

　　
　
(End of this chapter)