Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Zhu Gaochi signaled the guards beside the carriage to disperse. No one around the carriage could hear the conversation between Zhu Gaochi and Xie Jin.

And Xie Jin thought of Zhu Gaochi's worries almost immediately.

It is true that Zhu Gaochi is kind and has brotherly affection for his younger brothers.

But what we are fighting for is the crown prince position after all!

This position means the future throne!

Let me ask, who would back down in the face of this greatest benefit in the world? Who will give up? Who wouldn’t want to sit in that position and taste the supreme feeling?

Therefore, Zhu Gaochi must make a choice whether it is for himself, for the countless ministers who support him, or for the stability of the country and the country!

He could either choose to fight against Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui, or give up his position as prince.

But both paths are full of dangers and risks.

If there was no cost for him to choose any of the paths, it would be okay to say that at least the three brothers were safe.

But the question is, how can there be no cost to competing for reserves?

Opening the history books, there are many cases, and which one is not dripping with blood?

If you make the wrong choice, the consequences will be immeasurable - the Zhu family's empire will be shaken! It might even be usurped!

This is by no means alarmist. There are too many examples of internal strife within one's own family and others usurping the country.

As for giving up the position of crown prince, let’s not talk about whether Zhu Gaochi is willing or not and whether his followers are willing. Let’s just ask one question: will it be safe if he gives up?

impossible!

Zhu Gaochi was sure that he would let his two brothers go, but he was not sure at all that his two brothers would let him go!

And in Zhu Gaochi's opinion.

Zhu Gaoxu, who was originally brave and foolhardy, has now grown up after being taught by Jiang Xinghuo.

Because Zhu Gaoxu's performance was very eye-catching in the recent rebellion case of King Gu. This is a good example.

[It is said] At that time, Zhu Gaoxu only spent half a night, with the soldiers and horses mobilized by the Fifth Army Governor's Palace, to execute all the soldiers and retainers of Prince Gu's palace who had rebelled, and personally beheaded several of the returnees of Prince Gu's Palace. A veteran of the Xuanfu frontier army who tried to resist.

At the same time, Zhu Gaoxu did not move his head to disturb Prince Gu and his wife.

Instead, the two were placed under house arrest in the house and treated like uncles and nephews until Zhu Di came to deal with it in person.

Zhu Gaoxu acted decisively, sharply and courteously. This incident actually surprised the big shots in the court who were vaguely aware of the inside story.

Of course, the emperor did not announce these details, but the incident was widely circulated among interested people.

In addition, the emperor had a private conversation with the second prince Zhu Gaoxu some time after the rebellion of Prince Gu.

According to unreliable rumors, Zhu Di seemed to have intended to make Zhu Gaoxu the crown prince at that time...

In Zhu Gaochi's speculation, this must be the result of Jiang Xinghuo's teachings.

Of course, this is all the result of spreading rumors.

[Actually] Although Zhu Gaoxu became a lot smarter under Jiang Xinghuo's guidance, he also learned a lot of knowledge and broadened his horizons.

But there is a saying that a person's character is easy to change but hard to change. How difficult is it to change a person's character that has been developed over decades?

Therefore, on the night when King Gu rebelled, Zhu Gaoxu was still in his irritable old brother state.

It was Li Jinglong who really came up with the idea.

Zhu Gaoxu and Li Jinglong, one can fight but not scheme, the other can scheme but not fight.

At that time, Li Jinglong desperately grabbed Zhu Gaoxu, who wanted to kill Gu Wang and his wife, and moved Jiang Xinghuo out, saying that killing Gu Wang and his wife would affect Jiang Xinghuo's meritorious service and commuted sentence. Zhu Gaoxu didn't know at the time that he was being eavesdropped by his father. , concerned about Mr. Jiang, he suppressed his murderous intention.

Well, these two people together are called "Lu Bu riding Dian Wei".

As for the so-called "private conversation between the emperor and the second prince", the truth at that time was that Zhu Di summoned Zhu Gaoxu and verbally praised him for protecting Mr. Jiang in prison.

Well, verbal praise, that’s it.

Finally, the third prince Zhu Gaosui was asked to personally send his second brother to prison.

But from the perspective of others, the third prince Zhu Gaosui, who was in charge of the palace guards and part of the intelligence system, seemed to be siding with his second brother intentionally or unintentionally.

And then again.

Come back to the present moment.

This time Zhu Di suddenly handed over the future tax guard to Zhu Gaoxu. There are many doubts in it, which is even more fascinating.

As a die-hard supporter of Zhu Gaochi, Xie Jin has long been tied to the same line. He is deeply worried about this, but he doesn't know how to remind him.

Because no matter how much you remind them, they can't change the attitude of the courtiers after learning about the situation.

It was precisely because of today's incident that the emperor personally handed over the troops involved in taxation to Zhu Gaoxu, which made Xie Jin feel the strong momentum of Zhu Gaoxu after he was released from prison!

As a result, the courtiers of the second prince's line will obviously become even more arrogant.

If that's the case, that's fine.

What worries Xie Jin the most is the change in Zhu Gaoxu himself.

Zhu Gaoxu, whom Xie Jin knew in the past, had a rather violent personality. Although he was favored by Zhu Di, he was not really smart or forbearing.

But now Zhu Gaoxu is not only very calm and rational, but also able to maintain restraint when encountering difficult situations.

Don't be afraid that a reckless man can fight, but be afraid that a reckless man can be educated!

To understand it on a deeper level, the more Xie Jin thought about it, the more terrifying it became.

Xie Jin knew that if Zhu Gaoxu was really determined to fight for the throne, he would definitely have a way to please the emperor, and even suppress Zhu Gaochi's momentum temporarily.

But Zhu Gaoxu did nothing. No matter how the eldest prince Zhu Gaochi actually performed his duties as emperor, he himself was squatting in the imperial prison as stable as a mountain.

What does this mean?

In Xie Jin's view, Zhu Gaojiu pretended not to care on the surface, but in fact he was secretly planning to deal a fatal blow to Zhu Gaochi at the critical moment and seize power at the same time. It was really a clever plan!

After all, as long as he doesn't get out of prison, no flaws will be revealed and no one will cause trouble for him.

He is already in prison, what mistakes can he make, how can he cause trouble?

"Alas..." Xie Jin sighed softly, suddenly feeling a little confused.

In a daze, Xie Jin suddenly thought of the name that would wake him up in the middle of the night.

——Jiang Xinghuo.

It must be him!

It must be this Jiang Xinghuo who is secretly advising the second prince!

Otherwise, with Zhu Gaoxu's intelligence level, how could it become so difficult for people to do?

Xie Jin's thoughts were racing, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt shuddering. He opened his mouth and said to Zhu Gaochi.

"Your Highness, maybe Jiang Xinghuo has surrendered to the second prince? All of this is Jiang Xinghuo's plan. The purpose is to let the second prince take control of the military after he is released from prison."

"Your Highness, please think about it. The second prince has never had the opportunity to lead an army on his own before, but if this tax guard is established, then he will have it."

Zhu Gaochi tried his best to deny it: "Mr. Jiang is definitely not that kind of person!"

A trace of displeasure flashed through Xie Jin's heart, but it didn't show on his face, he just said.

"But after all, it is the Second Prince who spends time with him day and night, not you, Your Highness!"

Seeing that Zhu Gaochi's fat face looked a little frozen for a moment, Xie Jin continued his analysis.

"Regardless of whether Jiang Xinghuo did it intentionally or unintentionally, this matter is most beneficial to the second prince."

"Moreover, these tax guards are all veterans of the military who have retired. They don't need training at all and can be easily re-armed."

Zhu Gaochi interrupted him and said: "According to the imperial edict, it is not centralized."

"Should we concentrate on literacy and arithmetic? The Ming Dynasty is so vast, so we have to do it in batches. That means that the second prince always controls the military power."

Jie Jin came closer to Zhu Gaochi and said with a serious look: "And this is still a time of intensive training. Although there is a threat, after all, with so many troops around Nanjing, the chance of turning into armpits is not high. Your Highness, you know that this tax guard is the biggest What’s the threat?”

"What?"

Zhu Gaochi had lost his composure just now, just because he felt that his father was really partial. The second brother had done nothing in prison, and he would have such great power when he was released from prison.

And he worked hard to handle state affairs, and it can be said that he worked hard without complaining, but he didn't say a word.

You must know that the world has just ended from a state of war, and it can be said that everything is waiting to be done. Countless things are piled on his desk. There are countless government affairs that need to be handled every day. It is a workload that can really overwhelm people.

"publicity."

Xie Jin further explained: "If the tax guards are in the hands of the second prince, then since these people are literate, they will not only be able to read the court's decrees to the people, but they can also repeatedly promote the second prince's bravery and wisdom to the people and local clans."

"In this way, you may not see anything in the short term, but in the long run, people's hearts will change."

Xie Jin seemed to understand this well: "Your Highness, what the people can hear is what others want them to hear."

"The third prince's guards and intelligence, the second prince's taxation, army and even propaganda, do you know what this means in total?"

"What?" Zhu Gaochi's light eyebrows were wrinkled and darkened.

"This is even better than Li Shimin's Prince Qin's Palace!"

Xie Jin lowered his voice: "From top to bottom, from the palace to the army, they are all supporters of the second prince. Besides us civil servants, who else do you have? General Gu is far away in Liaodong presiding over the war. Look around, if you were to come to Xuanwu Sect again, how would you handle yourself?"

Jie Jin's words awakened the dreamer.

Zhu Gaochi, who was a little dizzy without a good rest, suddenly felt his head buzzing and his back was sweating.

Brothers are brothers, but in the final analysis, they are also competitors for the throne.

Zhu Gaochi was certain that he would treat his brothers well when he became emperor.

But will the second child be like him?

After all, whether it is the crown prince or the throne, it is not a matter of one person, but of countless supporters behind them.

As long as the crown prince's position remains unresolved, it is inevitable that the party will be united and oppose each other.

This is not a personal issue, but a collision of different interest groups.

Therefore, there are some things that Zhu Gaochi must not be merciful about.

And just like Zhu Gaoxu's heart, Zhu Gaochi also thought so.

Why shouldn't I be emperor?

It's just that Zhu Gaoxu felt that he had done a lot of credit, and Zhu Gaochi felt that he had done a lot of credit, worked even more hard, and he was the crown prince of Yan. According to etiquette, he should be the crown prince.

Of course, it would be fine if he was an ordinary age. The key is that Zhu Di himself was not an emperor who relied on etiquette to ascend to the throne, so it is really hard to say about this matter.

Zhu Gaochi looked at Xie Jin and asked, "How do you think I should respond when my father calls you?"

That's right, Zhu Di not only told him about the tax soldiers and guards, but also called him into the palace, intending to discuss it face to face.

This is an extremely dangerous matter. If you don't handle it well, you will lose your father's trust.

Because almost anyone who sits in the position of emperor will have this mentality.

On the one hand, he does not want his sons to kill each other and maintain harmony in the heavenly family.

On the other hand, the sons need to check and balance each other. Under the big carrot that he hangs in front of them as the "prince", you fight for it and never tire of it.

"Of course we must prevent this from happening." Xie Jin said: "Now the momentum of the second prince is strong enough. I don't know how many ministers are looking forward to his release from prison. The clamor for the heir apparent is already high. If there is another chance to get the tax guard, If something like this happens to your authority, your Highness will become more and more in decline."

Zhu Gaochi said worriedly: "I am worried now that after Mr. Jiang's teachings, my second brother will become both civil and military after being released, and my father will love him even more and change his mind."

"This is easy to handle." Xie Jin cupped his hands with a smile and said, "Your Highness, I actually have an explanation."

"Huh?" Zhu Gaochi looked at him in surprise.

Xie Jin said seriously: "Your Highness, no matter whether you are willing or not and what your attitude is, as long as His Majesty asks you for your opinion, you actually have only one opinion and one attitude."

"That means joyfully agreeing!"

"There is no other way."

"Ahem." Zhu Gaochi covered his mouth and coughed twice before saying, "This is the truth, but..."

Xie Jin continued: "I know your worries, but don't forget that there is a prerequisite for the tax guard."

"You mean?" Zhu Gaochi looked at his most die-hard supporter.

"Prison Literacy Class."

Xie Jin simply said: "I thought this matter would be as difficult as climbing to the sky!"

Zhu Gaochi thought about it and quite agreed with this.

Jiang Xinghuo said that it is basically impossible for an illiterate person to be able to recognize 500 common words in just over two months before he is released from prison.

After all, if Jiang Xinghuo said that he had any new theories or policies, let alone Zhu Gaochi, I am afraid that even Xie Jin would not doubt it.

However, literacy is just like numeracy. If you can’t do it, you just can’t do it!

How is it possible to teach a group of illiterate prisoners with hardened thinking to learn to read in such a short period of time?

Moreover, Jiang Xinghuo did not use any coercive methods, such as being tortured and deprived of food if he was illiterate.

On the contrary, if you learn well, you will be given a bun, and if you do not learn well, there will be no punishment.

As a result, it may be even more impossible to do it.

Thinking of this, Zhu Gaochi breathed a sigh of relief.

Since it is impossible for Jiang Xinghuo to be literate, it is impossible to talk about the tax guard. In other words, even if he wants to form one, it will not be something that can be completed in a short time.

Then, the threat to Zhu Gaochi's position as crown prince will be much smaller.

Zhu Gaochi's eyebrows twitched and he waved slowly.

Jie Jin opened the curtain of the carriage and leaned out to signal that everyone could start returning to the palace.

Zhu Gaochi breathed a long sigh of relief, leaned tiredly on the cushion of the carriage, tilted his head and fell asleep.

After a while, the snoring sounded like thunder.

Jie Jin looked at Zhu Gaochi's tired face, and a hint of worry flashed in his eyes.

Another variable in the battle for the crown prince is actually the health conditions of the two people.

Compared with Zhu Di and Zhu Gaoxu, who are as strong as cattle and their son, Zhu Gaochi is obviously too weak. He is only in his twenties now, but he even suffered a brief coma.

The imperial doctor diagnosed that he was congenitally deficient in qi and blood, and he was also obese. If he did not eat, his qi and blood could not be supplied. He would become even more obese after eating, and he had no time to move around. Due to too many government affairs and too many thoughts, he could not sleep well, and he could not sleep well. Nourish your heart

In this way, a vicious cycle naturally forms.

In fact, it is not difficult to cure it completely. You just need to find a place to rest and exercise well, and you will naturally recover. After all, Zhu Gaochi is still very young at this time.

It's just that the past four years have been difficult, and now that the world has been settled, Zhu Gaochi is extremely busy. How can he have a lot of time to rest somewhere?

Leaving someone like Zhu Gaochi alone is more torture than letting him work.

In addition, with so many secret enemies staring at him and so many supporters standing behind him, Zhu Gaochi did not dare to stop or even fall.

Therefore, Zhu Gaochi could only hold on with all his strength.

Thanks to Mr. "Prancing Horse Tianshan" for joining the alliance! I wish you success in everything and happiness every year!