Factory owner is king

Chapter 151 Hong Wu's 31 Years

After the Nanbei Bang case, Xu Ruyi led Dongchang to deploy an intelligence network all over the country. Zhu Di in Peiping was busy expanding his army and making money. Secretly, the White Lotus Sect was preparing supplies to rebuild Guangmingding.

Besides these three, Ji Gang is busy rectifying Jinyiwei and gathering power.The few nobles and the newly promoted military generals who had achieved great success in the imperial court lived with their tails between their legs, and the civil servants were killed in batches, and they no longer jumped up and down as before.

Generally speaking, on the surface, at least in Zhu Yuanzhang's view, from the imperial court to the world, the world is full of life.It doesn't matter how the officials are, at least the common people live and work in peace and contentment, and have a mouthful of food to eat.

Every time he stood on the Wufeng Tower, overlooking the entire Nanjing city, Zhu Yuanzhang would always feel a surge of emotion in his heart.The Zhu family empire he had created with his own hands was unprecedentedly powerful, and he could safely pass on this beauty to his great grandson.

That day was the first day of the first lunar month in the 31st year of Hongwu.

With a sound of thunder, Zhu Yuanzhang was awakened from his dream.Feeling lost, he scratched twice in front of him, but in the darkness, he didn't grab anything.

"Urgent, urgent, urgent! What's the hurry? It's not like I won't leave. Why are you urging me, thief!" An angry roar sounded on the dragon bed in the palace. Zhu Yuanzhang stood up suddenly, pulled the brocade quilt to the ground, and took a few steps to come Sweeping the tea cup off the table in front of the table.

"Boom!" "Crash!" Thunder accompanied by the sound of broken porcelain made Zhu Yuanzhang feel slightly calmer.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough!" His chest heaved, and after a piercing cough, a mouthful of blood fell on the bluestone floor.

"Your Majesty..." Lao Zhang stood beside Zhu Yuanzhang in a single coat, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand.

He casually took the teacup and drank it down. The aching heart and lungs felt better: "Go out."

"Yes..."

"Xiuying, are you in a hurry? I'll be looking for your company soon." Two lines of old tears flowed down slowly, fell to the ground, and shattered into several petals.

On this rainy night, he dreamed of his old wife again and waved to him.

"Ten years of life and death are boundless, I don't think about it, and I will never forget it. There is a lonely grave in a thousand miles, and there is no place to speak. Even if I meet each other, I don't know, my face is full of dust, and my temples are like frost. When the night comes, I suddenly return to my hometown, and Xiaoxuan window is dressing. No words, only a thousand lines of tears. It is expected that every year where the intestines are broken, the moonlit night will be short of Matsuoka."

With a unique Fengyang accent, he hummed a piece of "Jiangchengzi" softly, and the stooped old man curled up and lay down on the soft brocade couch.

The most important thing is that the world can't keep it.

The emperor's health was getting worse day by day. On the morning of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Zhu Yuanzhang officially handed over the presidency of the early dynasty to the heir of the empire, the emperor's grandson Zhu Yunqi.As for himself, he retreated to the deep palace to recuperate and recover.

This time, Zhu Yuanzhang is really tired. He has worked hard for this empire for 30 years, and now he wants to live well for himself for a while, even if this time is very short, even if this time may be less than a year.

"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. This Ming Dynasty, I have done what I want to do, what I should do, and what I can do. The rest is up to you, Yun Yun." On the square couch, Zhu Yuanzhang, who was wearing a wide robe and long sleeves, said to his grandson: "I will help you in this last journey. You just have to do it with confidence and boldness. I also want to see your ability."

"Grandpa, Yunxuan will definitely live up to your high expectations." Zhu Yunxuan knelt on the ground and kowtowed, and then walked out.There is still a job of governing the world to adapt to, and he doesn't have that much time.

. . . . . .

The succession of the throne seems to have been put on the agenda, and the status of some people has naturally risen.The first choices in the eyes of the courtiers were Huang Zicheng, the minister of the East Palace, and Qitai, the left minister of the Ministry of War.One of these two people was Zhu Yunwen's teacher, with a strong sense of dignity and a strong aura; the other was Zhu Yuanzhang's humerus minister personally selected for Zhu Yunwen, and he was both a teacher and a friend of Zhu Yunwen.

Every day, Qi and Huang's house is bustling with traffic and guests.Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai were secretly happy in their hearts, but they always had an approachable attitude on their faces. As long as they were not too crooked and had the same dream in mind, they would all be united by their side.

And those crooked melons and split dates, naturally, also want to form a group, and their choice is the same bad reputation, but the future of Dongchang Changgong.

Of course, making friends with eunuchs is not something to show your face after all.Coyly, through various channels, she secretly winked at Xu Ruyi, sent a letter or something to express her feelings, that's all.

Picking up a pen to write the name of Du Ze, the left servant of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, on the roster, Xu Ruyi nodded with satisfaction: "Are these people the ones who submitted their posts today? Is there anyone else?"

"No more." Yun Zheng shook his head: "Master Governor, Minister of War Ru Yu sent a message today and wanted to see you alone. Please take a look..."

"No." Xu Ruyi shook her head and said, "His Royal Highness, grandson, is kind, but the emperor is still here. If we are too unscrupulous in making friends with the court ministers, regardless of the emperor's health, killing people is still a matter of one word. Can't take that risk."

"Yes, I will get back to him tomorrow."

"Yeah." Xu Ruyi nodded, and then sneered: "Qitai's reputation is growing. He is afraid of losing his hat, so he came to us. Anyway, we have two of the six films. .”

"Two parts?" Yun Zheng was a little puzzled, he only knew that Ru Xun had handed over the post.

"Did you forget? Since Huang Heng was axed by the emperor, the post of Minister of the Ministry of Officials is still vacant." Xu Ruyi reached out and pointed to Du Ze's name on the roster: "Help him up, and then keep Ruzhen. Isn't it just two Shangshu?"

"Then the subordinate will make arrangements tomorrow."

"No, don't do anything." Xu Ruyi waved his hand and said, "Before the emperor dies, there will be no changes in the court. Once the emperor and the courtiers, the emperor is still there, isn't it unfilial to act rashly on the courtiers? Look at Huang Zicheng and they will understand This is the reason, so now we are just making friends, but not making a wish."

After thinking about it, Xu Ruyi said: "It's almost time. Tomorrow you go to the Ministry of Punishment to see which prisoner's mansion is suitable. Buy it and make some changes. It's been so long that the No. [-] mansion in the world should be erected. Now. What’s the point of living in Dongchang all the time?”

"Yes, my subordinates obey."

At the same time, in the pavilion in the backyard of Huang Zicheng's house, Huang Zicheng was sitting at the stone table, holding a chess book in his hand, looking at it attentively, and from time to time he reached out to pick up a chess piece and dropped it.

"Master, Master Qi is here." The old housekeeper said in a low voice.

"Well, bring him in."

"Yes." The old butler stepped back, and after a while, brought in Qi Tai, who was dressed in plain clothes.

"Brother Huang is so elegant."

"Brother Qi," Huang Zicheng put down the chess record in his hand, stood up and bowed his hands in salute: "There is no such thing as elegance. It's just boring to wait, so I just do some entertainment."

Qi Tai laughed loudly, sat down at the stone table, twisted his beard and said: "Brother Huang thinks I'm slow in coming, Qi Tai is here to accompany Brother Huang, it's because the gate of your mansion and mine is blocked It's too strict, and I'm going through the back door, otherwise, maybe I won't be able to come today."

"I'm afraid you and I will be more and more busy in the days to come, and I'm afraid we won't have much free time today." Huang Zicheng said, reaching out to pick up the white pieces on the chessboard: "It's rare for you and me to get together, let's talk about a game How is it?"

"I have long heard that Brother Huang is very accomplished in Yiqi. I hope that Brother Huang will not hesitate to teach me."

The two reached out to pick up the pieces on the chessboard one by one and put them in the box.

Then Qitai took the lead with Heizi.

In a short time, black and white are entangled on the chessboard.

Although Qi Tai made the move first, in the current situation, Huang Zicheng has the upper hand to attack.Bai Zi is a dragon, aggressive.

At a certain moment, Qi Tai looked at the chessboard with a frown, and the sunspots in his hands did not fall.

Huang Zicheng did not rush, picked up the tea cup and took a sip, with a pleasant smile on his face.

"Brother Huang." Qi Tai raised his eyes and said, "When the water is full, it will overflow, and when the moon is full, it will be short. Some things should be figured out slowly."

Qi Tai's words seemed to be talking about Huang Zicheng's chess style, but Huang Zicheng heard the implication behind his words.

"Time waits for no one. Right now, I have the advantage. If I continue to play tricks like Xu Xutuzhi, I'm afraid the situation will be reversed."

"Take advantage? Not necessarily." Qi Tai shook his head, smiled inscrutablely, and then dropped the chess piece in his hand.

There was something strange about this move, and it was of no use to Heizi.Huang Zicheng just thought that Qi Tai had given up resistance, and the chess piece in his hand fell down without thinking.After a moment, the dragon rose up, and Heizi had no chance of winning.

"Brother Qi, I've accepted it." Huang Zicheng's face turned pale.

Qi Tai stood up, stretched out his hand and said, "Brother Huang, come and sit here with me?"

Huang Zicheng looked at Qi Tai suspiciously. He didn't know why, but he got up and sat in Qi Tai's seat, and looked again, "Ah!" Huang Zicheng couldn't help but turn pale.I saw the word "Qi" written in flying dragons and phoenixes on the chessboard, and the big dragon I made was just forming a stroke in the center of the word "Qi".

Qi Tai smiled and said: "You have to eat food one bite at a time, and you have to do things one by one. You can't become fat after eating one bite." Qi Tai came to Huang Zicheng's seat and sat down.

Huang Zicheng pondered for a moment, then reached out to grab a handful of chess pieces and threw them on the chessboard, admitting defeat: "Brother Qi, you and I have known each other for many years. Although we have occasionally had disagreements, we are always loyal to the country and dedicated to the world and to His Highness Changsun. There are some things, why don't you and I put them on the surface?"

"Haha, it should have been like this a long time ago." Qitai said with a smile: "Brother Huang, tell me the truth, what do you think about the reduction of the vassal?"

Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai both wanted to help Zhu Yunwen cut down the vassal clan, which they both knew very well.Now that Zhu Yunwen is about to succeed to the throne, this matter needs to be stated openly.

Huang Zicheng thought for a while and then said: "According to what Zicheng thinks, it is better to cut down the feudal vassal sooner rather than later. Cut off the small vassal first, and then take the big vassal. Cut and caress, let's boil a frog in warm water."

After hearing this, Qi Tai didn't say that he supported or opposed it, but instead asked: "Easy first, then difficult? If Xiaofan hasn't finished cutting, Yanfan, Ningfan, Jinfan and other big feudal clans will turn against each other first, what should you do?"

"No." Huang Zicheng said confidently: "Cut it down and caress it. When you cut down the small vassal, you show kindness to the big vassal and suppress it with power. How can they dare to rebel?"

"There are always exceptions to everything. Qi Tai just wants to ask, if they decide to fight to the death, how will Brother Huang deal with it?" Qi Tai refused to give up, as if he was breaking the casserole.

Huang Zicheng frowned, as if he was dissatisfied with Qi Tai's question, but he still replied: "The imperial court has millions of soldiers, in the name of orthodox justice, and the hearts of all people in the world are what the people want. Don't say that Yan, Jin, Ning, three times can't be unified. With 30 troops, even if it is doubled, the imperial court still has the upper hand, so will they still lose?"

"Brother Huang," Qi Tai shook his head and said, "The battle between the two armies is not an addition or subtraction. If there are more people, you may not be able to survive. If there are fewer people, you will lose if you don't see them. Let's just talk about King Yan's feudal clan. In combat, hundreds of thousands of soldiers are all heroes. Zhang Yu, Zhu Neng, and Qiu Fu are all talented generals. His second son, Zhu Gaoxi, is said to have the ability to tear tigers and leopards apart. On the other hand, in my court today, except for Marquis Wuying , Marquis Changxing, and Lord Xinguo, three old generals, the others are no more than two or three big cats and kittens. Among them, Lord Xinguo is very old and can't ride a horse or grab him. Marquis Changxing is good at guarding, and Marquis Wuying is brave but not scheming. When that day really comes, who will Brother Huang plan to lead the troops into battle?"

"About this matter, I have already made a clear plan in my mind." Huang Zicheng replied calmly: "Cao Guogong Li Jinglong has been familiar with military books and tactics since he was a child, and has superb martial arts skills. He can be a commander-in-chief, and also has the governor of the Chinese Army Governor's Mansion. He is now the adopted son of the Holy Emperor. Peace is also the courage that no man deserves, and he can be a general. If the court has you and me in the middle of the court to strategize and rebel, wouldn't it be possible to calm down by changing hands?"

"Okay, I have a general to command the army, but my soldiers have been farming for many years, and I haven't been in battle for a long time to kill the enemy. It's not much worse if I say it's a farmer. Brother Huang also has a countermeasure in mind?"

"Well..." Huang Zicheng was momentarily at a loss for words.

In his heart, the imperial court has many soldiers, is commanded by a "general", and has sufficient food and grass, which is already an advantage.As for the quality of the combat power of the soldiers, he really never considered it. Is it very important?

"Brother Qi, it's okay to talk if you have something to say, Zicheng just listens."

"Don't dare, I have some humble opinion, please hear about it." Qi Tai said politely, and said his own countermeasure: "Martial arts."

"Martial arts?"

"That's right." Qi Tai nodded and said: "The new emperor succeeds to the throne, according to the system, he will be entrusted with the Enke. The system of martial arts has existed in ancient times. Although it has been followed in our dynasty, it was only in the seventh year of Hongwu, and in the 16th year of Hongwu. Two subjects have been opened, but there is no rule of law. This time, taking the opportunity of Enke to open a martial arts course on top of the liberal arts, it can attract heroes from all over the world to join the army, and secondly, it can also arouse the martial arts of the children of military households. Three times can also show the name of the court's righteousness. Wouldn't it be beautiful to kill three birds with one stone?"

Huang Zicheng's eyes lit up, he stood up and saluted with a big smile: "Brother Qi's brilliant plan, I should pay homage to Zicheng."

"Brother Huang, you are so polite. Qi Tai is too embarrassed to deserve it. He is too embarrassed to deserve it!" Qi Tai helped Huang Zicheng up, and the two looked at each other and laughed.

(End of this chapter)