The next day, the King of Han wrote a letter to the emperor, requesting to be enfeoffed.
The court was in an uproar. As a veteran stubborn stickler in the capital, he should have gone to the fiefdom ten years ago, but he had been dragging his feet until now.
But everyone knew it. If the King of Han did not go to the vassal state, he would be the primary suspect in the explosion of the artillery during the Tiance Guards' exercise and the injury of the Crown Prince.
This matter can only be resolved if the Prince of Han goes to his fiefdom and shows through practical actions that he has no intention of seizing the throne.
In fact, this is also the outcome that Emperor Yongle most hopes to see. As a father, he does not want to see his sons killing each other and harming his grandchildren.
Emperor Yongle, who fought his way out of the Jingnan Campaign to seize the throne, did not want to know the truth. He only wanted to see the result he wanted to see.
After serving as the emperor's subject for many years, Ji Gang's understanding of the emperor's mind was still very accurate.
After the King of Han wrote the letter, Ji Gang "happened" to bring out the results of the investigation: it was an accident. The technicians at the gunpowder factory unanimously stated that the new artillery could not completely solve the problem of barrel explosion and it depended on luck.
In this way, the King of Han is innocent.
Emperor Yongle immediately lifted the ban and released the King of Han. After the King of Han came out, he first went to the palace to see his father and cried bitterly that he had wanted to show off and invited the Crown Prince to review the troops, but an accident happened unexpectedly. In any case, this incident was caused by him, and he asked his father to punish him.
Zhu Zhanji, standing by, said that he had believed from the beginning that his second uncle was innocent. He endured the pain in his arm and knelt down to beg the emperor not to punish his uncle.
Emperor Yongle always took Zhu Zhanji with him on every northern expedition. The grandfather and grandson spent a long time together, and Zhu Zhanji became sensible very early. As the crown prince, he should put the overall situation first and put aside petty grudges - this was the scene that the emperor grandfather wanted to see.
When spring came and the ice and snow melted, the river became navigable, and the King of Han and his family set out for Qingzhou - except the Crown Prince Zhu Zhanhe.
As expected, Emperor Yongle left his second grandson in the capital on the grounds that Zhu Zhanhe needed rest due to his injuries.
Of course the King of Han was reluctant to let him go. Ji Gang comforted him, saying that he could not catch the wolf without sacrificing the child, and that as long as he, the commander of the Jinyiwei, was there, he would definitely take good care of Zhu Zhanhe.
In order to build his future hegemony, the King of Han had no choice but to keep Zhu Zhanhe, and he also told his son against his will: "... You must be filial to the emperor for me, and don't be naughty. Learn from the crown prince, you must learn half of what he can-"
"I am satisfied." Zhu Zhanhe interrupted his father and filially helped him finish the rest of the sentence, "Father, I am not a child of seven or eight years old. I know what to do."
Zhu Zhanhe had long been looking forward to his father's enfeoffment. As long as his father behaved properly as a prince, the life of the Han Palace would not be bad. We were all descendants of the old Zhu family, so why should we fight for our lives? Besides, the crown prince and the grandson of the emperor were both smart and capable. Not all grandsons of the emperor were prodigal sons like Zhu Yunwen who played a good hand badly!
Looking at his son, the King of Han didn't know whether to be happy or worried. "You must write to your family twice a month. Don't think that you can live in the capital."
There is no one to control you.”
Zhu Zhanhe patted his chest and said, "Three letters, one letter every ten days is fine, right? Father and mother should also take care of their health and stop worrying about their son."
Zhu Zhanhe saw him off warmly, and the King of Han was reluctant to leave. He looked back at the towering imperial palace and thought to himself that one day I will fight back and step into the palace as the master, just like the day my father and I attacked the capital.
I fought for half of my father's throne. Why should I work so hard to plant the trees while others can just sit back and reap the fruits of their labor? I don't accept this.
After the Prince of Han left, Zhu Zhanji's arm wound healed and the stitches were removed. Emperor Yongle realized that the Crown Prince had sufficient soft power (brains), but too weak hard power and still needed to rely on the Eastern Palace, so he decided to cultivate his eldest grandson's hard power.
Is there any strength harder than fists
In the April archery ceremony, after Zhu Zhanji hit the target with three shots as usual, Emperor Yongle took advantage of the situation and set up the unprecedented command office of the vanguard of the imperial army.
Emperor Yongle issued an edict, "Select strong and brave young men from the people" and "Let him select those who are of appropriate age, strong and energetic, and can walk fast." A group of 28,000 young soldiers were formed and directly handed over to the Crown Prince for training and command in order to cultivate his military ability and the loyalty of future Ming officers to him.
The so-called young army does not refer to underage soldiers, but young and strong men with no combat experience. They are all adults, over 20 years old and under 30 years old, and can participate in the selection of young army.
Young soldiers were selected from the people, not from hereditary military households, and certainly not from noble families of high status. They were just ordinary peasants and market men, and unlike noble families and military households, they did not have their own interest groups of varying sizes.
Most of the Ming army were drawn from military households, and they were professional soldiers from generation to generation. But the young army was completely different. They were simply selected from the grassroots people and had no connection with any forces. They were a complete blank slate.
Moreover, even if the young soldiers join the army, they are not military status and their original place of origin is not changed. Their descendants will not work in the military and are not professional soldiers, which prevents people with ulterior motives in the army from luring the young soldiers to join them with the promise of a good future.
Only in this way can the young army remain loyal to the Crown Prince who has no power at all. Therefore, they can only rely on the Crown Prince. Joining the army is just a job, and protecting the Crown Prince is their only responsibility.
The Ming Dynasty’s guards usually had 5,600 soldiers. Now the Crown Prince’s army had 28,000 soldiers, a total of 25 thousand-household guards, which had expanded nearly five times!
What’s even more terrible is that in addition to protecting the Crown Prince, the vanguard of the palace army also has a function of guarding the palace. They patrol the imperial palace and carry swords and other weapons with them.
This decision of Emperor Yongle naturally caused an uproar. Yang Shiqi and other officials of the Eastern Palace who had just been released from prison and reinstated clearly opposed it:
"Your Majesty, even the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace does not have such a special entourage. The Crown Prince alone controls 28,000 soldiers and enters the palace. This is superior to the Crown Prince! In terms of the country, the Eastern Palace is superior to the Crown Prince's Palace. In terms of the family, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace is the father and the Crown Prince is the son. How can a son be superior to his father? This is not only unreasonable, but also hinders filial piety. Please think twice!"
These officials of the Eastern Palace are totally devoted to the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace. They have spent several years in prison and watched many of their colleagues die of illness in prison. They have just been released from prison. After a few days of good life, they have forgotten the pain and are determined to endure it for the Crown Prince and Emperor Yongle.
The point is, what they say makes sense, and the huge number of young army vanguards is unreasonable both politically and filially.
However, Emperor Yongle was a great ruler no less powerful than Emperor Gaozu, and he was not a reasonable person.
Emperor Yongle said, "Now that the Ming Dynasty is moving its capital to Beijing, the defense of the two capitals is in urgent need of troops. We can't draw troops from the troops guarding the north, right? If something happens at the border, who will be responsible? Besides, the young soldiers are not military personnel and have a low status. They are just a group of naughty children. They will be trained by the Crown Prince to guard the palace. What's wrong with a grandson guarding his father and grandfather? This is obviously filial piety. I have made up my mind, so don't mention it again."
It's really true that Longyan looks down on people. The young soldiers are not young. They are all strong young men. How can they be called "children"
Emperor Yongle was determined to call a deer a horse, and even asked the crown prince, who was standing beside the throne with his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, "What do you think?"
Could the prince say he disagreed? The prince never opposed any decision made by Emperor Yongle, unless he didn't want to do it anymore.
The crippled prince stood up with difficulty with the help of two eunuchs and replied: "My son has no objection. My son is looking forward to the crown prince training the young soldiers into talents. He is fifteen years old this year, and it is time for him to gain experience."
Even the crown prince had nodded, so who among the officials of the Eastern Palace would dare to object? This was clearly an internal conflict, showing that the Eastern Palace was not united, so the Crown Prince's organization of 28,000 young guards in front of the palace became a foregone conclusion.
After the imperial edict was issued, civilian soldiers with non-military backgrounds were recruited across the country. Preliminary selections were first conducted in various prefectures and then sent to the capital to be selected personally by the Crown Prince.
Zhu Zhanji secretly complained about the huge pie falling on his head, but he could not refuse. He knew that the emperor was trying to balance things out - the King of Han was enfeoffed in Qingzhou, the King of Zhao had always been in Beijing, and the East Palace in the capital was the only one in power. How could the emperor allow this to happen
It was inevitable to recruit soldiers for Zhu Zhanji to strengthen the strength of the Huang Taisun Palace, and even to guard the front of the palace (the palace troops were divided into two groups according to the guard location).
All the tasks of the front, back, left and right were assigned to him in order to restrain the prince.
Previously, Zhu Zhanji had planned for the cannon to explode and injure himself, thus eliminating the King of Han in one fell swoop and saving the Eastern Palace from the dilemma of being surrounded by enemies on all sides. The prince vaguely guessed something, but said nothing and just cried. The father and son understood each other tacitly and cooperated well.
Zhu Zhanji sacrificed himself to resolve the crisis in the Eastern Palace, which made the prince feel grateful to his son beyond the relationship between father and son. The father-son relationship that had been rifted due to rumors of "deposing the prince and enthroning the grandson" began to be repaired.
However, this loophole had not yet been filled, and the fact that Emperor Yongle gave Zhu Zhanji 28,000 young soldiers was a slap in the face to the prince.
It's really like a rainy night when it leaks.
Zhu Zhanji had no choice but to agree with the Emperor's grandfather. If the Emperor's grandfather asked him to contain the East Palace, he had to do it.
If they think that he listens to the Crown Prince, then he, the Crown Prince, will be deposed.
Zhu Zhanji was struggling internally, and Zhu Zhanhe heartlessly recommended himself, "Cousin! If you are too busy, I can help you. I have a lot of experience in training the Tiance Guard with my father before. Anyway, I have nothing to do."
Zhu Zhanji didn't dare to agree, so he went to ask Emperor Yongle first. Emperor Yongle nodded, "Let He'er go and help you. The young soldiers are from the people, not military households. They are lazy and undisciplined, and have no regard for military discipline. They are ridiculed by the military households as a mob. They are like a piece of iron. You and He'er have to cut, hammer and grind this piece of iron into a sharp knife, and you have to control it freely. This is much more difficult than studying. I will give you one year. After one year, I want to see an army, not just a group of straw bags. Can you do it?"
Zhu Zhanji was a teenager after all, and after hearing this, his blood boiled, "My grandson and second cousin will definitely live up to their mission!"
Emperor Yongle was very satisfied with his eldest grandson's reaction, especially when he saw that Zhu Zhanji and Zhu Zhanhe loved each other and helped each other, closer than brothers. He thought that even if there were too many conflicts among his sons, it didn't matter, because his sons would grow old and die. As long as his grandchildren lived in harmony, the royal family would remain stable.
It happened to be the hour when he heard the bell. Emperor Yongle quickly shifted his gaze and looked at the wooden ox on the imperial desk, waiting for the ox to move and the shepherd boy to play the flute.
But this time the wooden ox did not move, and the shepherd boy bounced out from its back.
This made Emperor Yongle anxious, "What's going on? Is it really that bad? Quick, tell Consort Hu to ask her sister to come and fix the wooden ox clock."
Are was urgently summoned to the palace, and Emperor Yongle gave her the wooden ox that he had snatched from his grandson to see if it could be rescued.
In order to see clearly, Are put on glasses and removed the wooden outer shell, revealing the mechanical interior that was as tangled as tree roots.
Are held up a wooden-handled Western magnifying glass, through which he could clearly see the axle which was only one-quarter the size of a fingernail.
A girl who focuses is the most beautiful. Zhu Zhanji appreciates her seriousness the most. She is intoxicated by the coordination between the machines. Even people like the emperor who naturally carries an aura of oppression are ignored by her. It seems that even the palace has disappeared, and only the wooden ox clock is left in her hand.
When Emperor Yongle saw Arei up close for the first time, he really didn't expect that with Mu Chun's cheerful and unrestrained personality and Hu Shanwei's meticulous mind and the ability to strategize in the world of fame and fortune, they could actually give birth to such a daughter who is detached from the world, ingenious, and as firm as a mountain.
Look at how focused she is, as calm as a porcelain doll. She is really a unique girl.
A Lei put down the magnifying glass and said, "Your Majesty, several gears are stuck. I need to disassemble all the parts and grind new ones to replace them.
It will take about a month. Can I take it to my small workshop at home to have it repaired?"
Upon hearing that there was still hope, Emperor Yongle readily agreed.
Arei holds the wooden ox in Zhongli Palace.
At the same time, at Guanyin Mountain in Jiangning County of the capital, at the ancestral tomb of the Mu family, today is the death anniversary of Princess Feng of Zhaojing.
People from the Mu family had already come to pay their respects in the morning. Mu Chun waited until the evening when there was no one around, and then secretly showed up, carrying a basket of incense, candles and other offerings to visit his mother.
Mu Chun had just lit three incense sticks when he heard someone calling from behind, "Brother? It's you!"
The second brother Mu Sheng and the third brother Mu Ang are both stationed in Yunnan, and there is only one fourth brother Mu Xin, the prince consort, in the capital.
Since receiving Ji Gang's warning and acquiescence, Mu Xin confirmed the truth that his elder brother Mu Chun was not dead, and that Miss Hu was actually the daughter of his elder brother and Lady Hu.
Mu Xin didn't dare to visit the Hu family openly, so he had to guard his brother's grave at his own ancestral tomb. Thinking that his eldest brother might show up on the anniversary of his mother's death, he hid in the pine forest in front of the grave.
In April, insects and snakes were rampant, and Mu Xin suffered a lot. Finally, a familiar figure appeared.
The author has something to say: Historically, the prince said nothing about this young army, but he was honest in his heart. After ascending the throne, he immediately split up all the young army and sent them to the princes' palaces in various places as guards, breaking the greatest power of the new prince Zhu Zhanji. Then, on the pretext of moving the capital back to Nanjing, he sent Zhu Zhanji's family to the dilapidated old palace in Nanjing.
This is the inference that Zhou has drawn from the information he has dug up in the pile of old papers. Hu Shanwei's entire book is Zhou's conjecture about the court struggles of the first five dynasties of the Ming Dynasty. It is a contest of wisdom, courage, and luck. There are no villains or decent people, only contradictions and struggles caused by changes in interests.
Don't be too hasty to sympathize with the crippled prince. The butt determines the head. When the prince succeeds to the throne, he will be more ruthless than Emperor Yongle, but Zhu Zhanji is already fully grown...
Therefore, there are still two large waves of lunch boxes to be distributed, and the factory is working overtime.
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