Daming: I am the Crown Prince

Chapter 88 Humanity and Sophistication
Duke of Liang Lan Yu had just returned to the capital in triumph. He was very majestic and brilliant in the court. Not only had he made many military achievements in recent years, but the deaths of Xu Da and Li Wenzhong also made Lan Yu very popular.

But so what? You will still be beaten when you return home. It’s okay to be domineering outside, but you may not have the capital to be arrogant when you return home.

In the Duke of Liang's Mansion, he was the one who had the final say, but now in the Prince of Kaiping's Mansion, he was beaten to a pulp.

The back looked like it was torn and bleeding, but Lan Yu didn't take it seriously. It was just a superficial injury, which might look a little scary. He was so confident, could my sister really bear to hurt me?

Chang Lan was probably tired of beating him, and thought that just teaching him a lesson would be enough, without really hurting his younger brother.

"I took the initiative to sell off your farmland. Do you have any complaints?"

Lan Yu immediately replied, "I dare not complain, I'll just sell it."

Chang Lan added, "Let Sen'er go over there later. Those who are only nominal adopted sons will be dismissed all at once."

Lan Yu was stunned for a moment and quickly pleaded, "Sister, many of my adopted sons have followed me to fight everywhere. Even if they have no merits, they have worked hard!"

"Hmm?" Chang Lan immediately scolded, "Did you hit them too lightly? Those people are all in the army. They can still have a job if they are dismissed. Without you, the Duke of Liang, as their foster father, will they starve to death?"

Although Lan Yu was unhappy, he still said, "Okay, let Sen'er go and dismiss them."

Chang Lan continued to scold, "If I hear you adopting a son outside again, I will break your legs first, and then smash the mouths of those who cling to the powerful! From now on, you are not allowed to mention the term foster father or foster son again!"

Lan Yu could only say, "I know."

Chang Sheng also tried to persuade him at this time, "Uncle, it's not that we are unkind. It's just that this is a critical moment. A few days ago, Yun Hun took the initiative to kill Jiang Xiahou, and a few days ago, the son-in-law Ouyang Lun was also executed. Tell me what their identities are. There are some messy rumors outside now, and he is also in a difficult situation."

Speaking of this, Lan Yu couldn't help but ask, "What happened? How did you kill them?"

"Marquis Jiang Xia's son is a tyrant and is causing chaos in the palace. Ouyang Lun relies on his status as a relative to the emperor to smuggle salt, iron and tea to Mobei." Chang Lan said coldly, "Are you afraid now? There are many noble families who have violated the law. Who can't be killed?"

Lan Yu immediately laughed dryly. Considering some of the things he had done in the past, it seemed not too much to behead him.

Now, Your Majesty is willing to kill his childhood friend and execute his son-in-law. This is indeed a bit scary.

Because those charges all seem to be capital crimes, but if it were based on Your Majesty's previous character and temper, others would not dare to say anything, and Jiang Xiahou and Ouyang Lun might just be given a light punishment and a stern warning, and it would be impossible for them to be really killed.

Chang Lan cursed again, "I know you are a killer, so you like to fight. You should have come back earlier when Yunxun was made the crown prince. But you don't want to help him, but want to fight other places. How can you do things like this?"

Lan Yu was even more embarrassed and said, "I didn't think about these things. This is really not my fault. I just wanted to kill all those barbarians in one go to prevent them from causing trouble in the future."

Lan Yu still doesn't think he did anything wrong, and he feels quite wronged.

He believed that the best approach was to pursue the victory, but unfortunately no one could understand his good intentions.

There is no greater sorrow than a dead heart. Chang Lanshi has nothing to say now. When her younger brother is not smart, he can really make people angry. It is said that Lan Yu has learned 90% of Chang Yuchun's skills, but Chang Lanshi does not think so.

Needless to say, her husband was extremely brave and wise, unlike Lan Yu who was stubborn.

"The Crown Prince is coming over in the next two days, you'd better behave yourself!" Chang Lan warned, "He is the Crown Prince, the heir to the throne! You and I are both subjects, stop acting like an elder!"

Lan Yu immediately said, "I dare not, I dare not! I still have some sense of propriety! When the Crown Prince was still around, I never dared to call myself your uncle. Even when I was beaten or scolded, I always bowed my head and submitted to his words."

Chang Lan was even more angry and said, "That's the prince!"

Everyone knew the Crown Prince's methods, and they had no choice but to accept them. If Lan Yu put on airs in front of the Crown Prince, Lan Yu might get confused and do something inappropriate, which would be bad.

Lan Yu was not at all surprised that Zhu Yunhuan was named the Crown Prince. He felt that this was a natural thing.

Although the prince had shown that he did not like Zhu Yunhuan in the past, as the prince's confidant, Lan Yu believed that he still had some say and could give the prince some advice.

What's more, as a general commanding troops and a noble who had made many military achievements, he felt that the prince would not consider any other candidates.

It’s just that no one expected the crown prince to die so early, and no one expected the crown prince to be appointed so early. This is also unexpected but reasonable.

Zhu Yunhuan did not rush to the Prince of Kaiping's Palace immediately, because there was no need. After all, he was the crown prince, so there was no need to go to great lengths to win over Lan Yu.

In the main hall, Zhu Yunhuan was listening to the arguments of Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Jihui and others with a smile. The royal education of the Ming Dynasty was quite successful. This was also elite education. These princes and grandchildren of the emperor understood the truth of some things.

But if you want to do it, that’s a different matter.

Zhu Gaochi argued, "Any wise monarch must have good policies to help the people. Floods and droughts are God's will. How can the victims survive? It depends on whether the wise monarch can help the people. I think the first step in disaster relief is to let the people have a way to survive, and then restore their livelihoods. Taxes in the disaster-stricken areas should be reduced so that the people can rest and recuperate."

Zhu Jihui said disapprovingly, "Gao Chi, have you ever thought about the size of the Ming Dynasty? Every year, there are several places that are hit by disasters. It's okay to provide relief to the people, but we can't let the victims of the disasters cause chaos. However, after the disaster, taxes must be collected, otherwise the court treasury will be empty, and that will be a big problem!"

"How can disasters happen everywhere?" Zhu Gaochi said disapprovingly, "If I were to tell you that we only give porridge to the victims, they would be able to survive. But what about after that? They would have to rebuild their houses and settle down again, which might not be done in a year or two. If we collect taxes at this time, how heavy would the burden be on the people? By then, would they be able to survive?"

"What if the Jiangnan area is hit by a disaster?" Zhu Jihui said directly, "You are being kind. Jiangnan is originally a land of grain tax. If the tax is reduced after a disaster, the imperial treasury will be empty!"

Taxes in Jiangnan are heavier than in other places, especially in Suzhou and other places. Now everyone is privately saying that Zhu Yuanzhang imposed heavy taxes on Suzhou and other places in retaliation for those people's support for Zhang Shicheng back then.

More fundamentally speaking, the Jiangnan area is more stable than other places, and its grain production is also higher.

Many other places are still recovering their people's livelihood, so naturally they can only collect more taxes from the Jiangnan area. This will ensure that the national treasury is full and that some resources can be allocated to support the recovery of production in other places.

Zhu Shangbing handed Zhu Yunhuan a piece of dessert and whispered, "What are they fighting for? Won't they inherit the throne and live happily in the palace? They don't need to protect the country and the people, so what's the point of fighting for that?"

Looking at his cousin, Zhu Yunhuan smiled and joked, "If the royal grandfather heard this, he would definitely scold you. You are the prince of Qin, and you will have to guard a place in the future. How come these things are none of your business?"

"I don't have to govern the people, so it's none of my business!" Zhu Shangbing said confidently, "If I go to collect taxes, that would be a big trouble. I don't collect taxes, I don't care about local politics, and I don't command the army. Only in this way can I be free and at ease."

This kid sees things clearly, but this is also the true portrayal of many princes, and this is also a bottom line issue.

Zhu Yunhuan smiled and said, "You should learn. You will be of great use in the future. It would be great if you could be like your second uncle, who can control the generals and supervise and command the troops in war. I can rest assured if you help guard the city in the future."

"That won't work. I don't have the ability of my father." Zhu Shangbing said directly, "I can't endure hardship, not at all. When it comes to fighting, I don't think any of my brothers are capable."

Zhu Yunhuan didn't believe this. "It's hard to say. If it really comes to that, I should be able to hold my ground."

For example, when the chubby Zhu Gaochi was surrounded by the imperial army in Beiping, he defended it very well. He is considered the least skilled in martial arts among the brothers, but when it comes to fighting, he does not let down at all.

"Go and persuade your uncle not to build so many new buildings and be nicer to the people in the palace." Zhu Yunhuan said, "It's useless for other people to say anything. Your words will be more likely to be heard by your uncle."

Zhu Shangbing, the prince of Qin, was not born to the wife of Qin, but to Zhu Chong's favorite concubine, Deng. Although he was not a legitimate son in name, in Zhu Chong's eyes, Zhu Shangbing was his legitimate eldest son.

Zhu Shangbing said with some embarrassment, "Brother, it's useless for me to say anything. Grandfather, please teach me a lesson, and it will definitely work."

It would be strange if it works!

When he was in Yingtian Prefecture, Zhu Chong was honest and well behaved. But once he arrived in Xi'an, he let himself go and did many immoral and cruel things.

Zhu Yunhuan thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll let you go back in two years. Can you help take care of the affairs in the palace?"

At this point, not only Zhu Shangbing, but also Zhu Jihui, Zhu Gaochi and others pricked up their ears.

Of course, studying in Yingtian Prefecture was good, but they still wanted to return to their fiefdom. If they hadn't studied and lived very well in the palace, they would have thought they were hostages.

Zhu Shangbing immediately said, "I will definitely do my best to assist you, father!"

Zhu Jihui also said immediately, "Yunhuan, can you let me go back too? I see that the Prince of Jin's Palace has been undergoing a lot of construction in recent years. If I go back, I will definitely stop it!"

Zhu Gaochi said with both expectation and worry, "Will the Emperor's grandfather agree?"

"I'll let you go back after the New Year. Let's talk about this first. I'll take the lead in petitioning, so don't back down." Zhu Yunhuan said with a smile, "It will be useless if we go alone. If so many of us go together, the Emperor will definitely give us some face!"

(End of this chapter)