When Xia Xun heard that Emperor Jianwen wanted to see him, he was quite surprised. Emperor Jianwen had just sat on the dragon throne and was busy with everything. How could he have time to think of a little person like him? It was true that the tree wanted to be quiet but the wind was not stopping, but the tree was a little small.
, the wind got stronger again, Xia Xun did not dare to neglect, and hurried back to the inner house. With the help of several women, he dressed neatly, led the horse out, and followed Liu Yujue out of the house.
When asked along the way, Liu Yujue didn't know the details. He just felt that it was a great honor to be summoned by the emperor. He envied Xia Xun and was happy for him. Xia Xun rushed to Jinling City like a gourd, and Liu Yujue
There were other things to do, so Xia Xun went straight to Si Yamen, the commander of the Jinyi Guards.
Luo Kedi was dressed in a formal official uniform, with a dash of heroism in his coolness. When he saw him coming, he smiled slightly and said: "I know that your wounds have not healed, but the emperor has summoned you, but it is a big matter and cannot be ignored. Let's go. This is it."
Follow me into the palace."
After thinking about it, he worriedly told him: "When you meet the emperor, answer any questions you have, and just give some sincere and respectful lectures. There is no need to be too afraid. The emperor wants to use you to do things, and this is also the reason for the rise of my Jin Yiwei."
Hajime, just do your best."
Xia Xun still didn't know why, but he couldn't ask Master Qian Shi about it, so he had to agree and follow him on foot to the palace.
If Xia Xun aroused Emperor Jianwen's interest, it was Li Jinglong's memorial that aroused it.
On the first day of Xia Xun's leave, Emperor Huang Zicheng invited Zhuo Jing, the Minister of Household Affairs, to come over and have a chat over tea.
Zhuo Jing was a Jinshi in the 21st year of Hongwu. He came second in the palace examination and was a well-known scholar. Huang Zicheng was a scholar in the 18th year of Hongwu. He ranked third in the palace examination and was the third best scholar. He was also a learned and talented scholar.
The two have always had a deep friendship.
During the conversation, Huang Zicheng said to Zhuo Jing: "The power of the various vassals is actually a thorn in the side of the imperial court. Although the emperor has reduced their military power, they have commanded the army for many years, and many of the generals in the army are soldiers they have led for a long time.
, this is very inappropriate."
Zhuo Jing was a good friend with him. They usually exchanged their views on government affairs, and they had already reached a consensus that if the vassals were strong, they would be the source of trouble. When he heard this, he said: "What Brother Yixing said is true. Among the vassals, if
When it comes to leading troops for a long time, only the Yan vassal, and Prince Yiwen, King Qin, and King Jin have passed away one after another. King Yan has now become the head of the vassals, and is even more threatening. In my opinion, it is better to transfer the Yan vassal
Leaving Peiping and removing fuel from the cauldron can avert the disaster."
Huang Zicheng said happily: "The words of courtesy are reasonable. I am benevolent and filial. I know clearly that the troubles in the court's heart are affecting my close relatives, but I can't be cruel. As ministers, we should share your worries for the king. As a brother, I have already had my heart.
The emperor advises me, but I am the emperor's teacher. If I come forward, people will inevitably misunderstand that it is the emperor's instruction. Is it okay for you to speak frankly?"
Huang Zicheng was the teacher of the current emperor. Zhuo Jing understood what he said and immediately agreed.
Early the next morning, that is, the day Xia Xun went home on leave, the General Affairs Office received a memorial from Zhuo Jing, the Minister of Household Affairs. When the General Affairs Office saw that the matter discussed in this memorial was very important, they did not dare to neglect it and hurriedly
Make a registration and submit it to the palace as an urgent matter. The eunuch in the palace's library saw this and knew that the matter was important. He quickly registered it in the register, copied a copy, and then combined this memorial with several important documents that the emperor had no time to deal with.
The memorial was also submitted to the emperor.
Because Jianwen had just ascended the throne, there were too many things to do in order to organize the funeral and establish the New Deal. Many memorials had not been reviewed in time. The chamberlain Xiao Fuzi was holding a thick stack of memorials. He fell down halfway and quickly got up to sort them out. What a great memorial. The recommendation to reduce the feudal lords that was originally placed at the top was now placed in the middle. As a result, the memorial that Zhu Yunwen saw first was not this memorial.
Zhu Yunwen was reviewing the memorial, and when he saw the battle report of his cousin Li Jinglong, he opened it and looked at it carefully. He saw that Yang Xu was mentioned in it, and felt that this person was very familiar. After thinking about it carefully, he remembered the family troubles in the Yang family. When he went to the court, he had to put in a good word for this Yang Xu in front of the emperor's grandfather, and that was how he got out of trouble.
Only later did he find out that his master was on the side of the Yang family, and he felt quite regretful about his mistake at that time. But now it seems that this man is a loyal person to the country, and he is not unjust in giving him a favor. Now that the late emperor has passed away, it is not appropriate to praise him lavishly, but Yang Xu is already dead. If the court does not express anything, it will inevitably make people think that the emperor is ungrateful. After thinking about it, he wrote on the memorial and promoted Yang Xu to be a hereditary member of the Hundred Households. , rewarded with hundreds of banknotes and ten pieces of silk.
After putting down this memorandum and approving a few more copies, he saw Zhuo Jing, the Minister of Household Affairs,'s plan to reduce the vassal state: "...The King of Yan is extremely wise and thoughtful, has great talents, and is as cool as Emperor Gao. Beiping is a resort, and the soldiers and horses are strong. It is tied to gold, the place where the Yuan Dynasty arose. Now it is appropriate to move the King of Yan to Nanchang. If there is a change, it will be easy to control... There are few people who will be budding but have not moved. Those who measure the time and move to the right are also powerful. The power is not strong. It’s impossible to judge, it’s almost too clear to detect…”
When he saw this memorial, Zhu Yunwen couldn't sit still. He had just ascended the throne. Although he was looking forward to getting rid of this thorn in his flesh and eyes day and night, he was afraid that he would mention it impatiently and make his ministers think that the emperor was cold-blooded. Now there are ministers It's good to give advice first. While I was happy, I suddenly thought that Zhuo Jing's memorial was issued through regular channels. I don't know how many people in the General Affairs Department and the clerk's office have read it. In case there are other people's eyes and ears... …
Zhu Yunwen hesitated for a long time and ordered to summon Zhuo Jing, the Minister of Household Affairs. When he saw Zhuo Jing, Zhu Yunwen slapped the case and reprimanded: "The King of Yan is my closest relative. How can you make such suggestions, alienate the royal family, and hurt the feelings of my uncle and nephew?" "
Zhuo Jing kowtowed and said: "The emperor has no family affairs. Every move, word and deed is of concern to the world. The suggestions and suggestions given by the minister are the best plan for the world. I hope that your majesty will observe them clearly and act on them."
Zhu Yunwen said angrily: "Nonsense! If the emperor's grandfather saw you alienating the emperor's relatives when he was here, and made such an outrageous statement, he would behead you. I think you are wholeheartedly planning for the imperial court, and your loyalty is commendable. This I won’t be held accountable for this time, just step down! This memorial will be kept but not published!”
After Zhuo Jing drank away, Zhu Yunwen picked up the memorial and turned around to find Huang Zicheng and Qi Tai, his two confidants.
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Moved King Yan to Nanchang? What next?
That's too slow! If we go step by step like this, when will we finish cutting all the uncles?
Zhu Yunwen has been a master who has been seizing the day for ten thousand years. How can he bear the trick of pulling out the ladder step by step? What he wants is to get it right in one step and eliminate future troubles forever. Now that Zhuo Jing is on the road, he has I raised the matter with my close ministers for fair and honest reasons and discussed countermeasures.
After meeting two close associates, Taifu Huang Zicheng and Minister of War Qi Tai, Zhu Yunwen took out Zhuo Jing's memorial and said: "Two gentlemen, Zhuo Jing, the minister of the Ministry of Revenue, has proposed to reduce the vassal and put forward countermeasures. I am very convinced.
For hesitation, I wonder what you two gentlemen think?"
After the two of them read the memorial, Huang Zicheng said: "Your Majesty, I believe that it is imperative to reduce the vassal state. However, Zhuo Jing's strategy of moving the vassal state is just a scholar's opinion and should not be used. I think it is for the sake of our Ming Dynasty.
Jiangshan Sheji will be considered for thousands of years, and we should solve it once and for all and eliminate future troubles forever."
Zhu Yunwen said happily: "Sir, if you have any advice, please tell me in detail."
Huang Zicheng said confidently: "Now the vassals have obediently handed over their military power, but they are still powerful in the vassal state. Now that the imperial court is strong, there is no danger. If the imperial court becomes weak one day, how can the vassals not be dissatisfied? Transfer from east to west.
, transferring from the south to the north is just a temporary measure. If we want to solve the problem once and for all, we should cut all the vassals to the bottom. Without the title of king, there will be no capital for rebellion. "
Zhu Yunwen was overjoyed. Unexpectedly, when he asked about the specific strategy of reducing the vassal vassal, the two confidants had their own opinions and they were not the same.
Qi Tai believed that although all the vassals had complied with the order to prevent the vassals from going to Beijing for the funeral and to seize the military power of the vassals, the vassal kings were inevitably a little suspicious of the emperor's two measures. At this time, the imperial court only wanted to
A little action will let the vassals understand the emperor's true intentions, and inevitably some people will jump over the wall in a hurry.
Among the vassals, King Zhu Di of Yan is the oldest and has the most prestige. He has lived in Peiping for a long time. Although he has been deprived of his military power, many of his old subordinates are still in the army. Once he rebels against the emperor's reduction of vassals, there will definitely be trouble.
It would be a huge disaster, so if we want to cut down the vassals, we should start with the King of Yan first, and take the lead in solving this biggest threat with lightning speed. As long as the King of Yan is cut off, it will be difficult for the other vassals to succeed.
Huang Zicheng believed that because King Yan had lived in Peiping for a long time and had many subordinates in the army, if he was rash to attack him, the risk would be greater. It would be better to appease King Yan first, cut off his wings at the same time, and start with other kings to deal with them.
The royal capital was cut off, and in the end only King Yan was left alone. He could not make a sound alone, and the court could capture him without any effort.
Although Qi Tai was also a scholar, he had been in charge of the army after all and knew a little about military affairs. After hearing his old friend's foolish opinion, he said: "If you shoot a man, shoot a horse first, and if you capture a thief, capture the king first. The King of Yan is the king of all
We are the leader and the most powerful. If we remove the Yan vassal, the other kings will definitely be discouraged. How can they dare to be disobedient again? This is the final move!"
Huang Zicheng said eloquently: "The King of Yan has always been respectful and has done nothing illegal. It is so difficult to find fault with him. Moreover, the King of Yan went out to the fortress twice and had military exploits. Now he is innocent and has been killed. How can he convince the public? The court will reward and punish him.
Everyone should be righteous and punished for no fault. How could it be done by the Holy Emperor? Although the King of Yan is strong, he has not seen any counterattack so far. If he cuts it off rashly, it will be hard to stop the world's mouth."
Qi Tai said: "What can we do if we force him to rebel?"
Huang Zicheng smiled slyly and said: "First cut off King Yan's left and right wings. By then, he will be surrounded by imperial soldiers and horses. Do you think he can stir up any trouble? If he really rebels at that time, wouldn't he?
Is it just right to tell the truth? Righteousness is on the side of the imperial court, and we have a good reputation, but we just got rid of him justifiably!"
Qi Tai just wanted to cut off the vassal state directly and successfully, but Huang Zicheng had many other considerations. He wanted to cut off the vassal state, but also wanted to do it in a reasonable manner without damaging the emperor's reputation. At best, this is called perfection, and he has the best of both worlds.
, to put it at worst, this is like being a prostitute and building a memorial arch.
The two of them had their own opinions and couldn't make up their minds. Zhu Yunwen was unsure of his decision. He only listened to what the father said was right, and what his mother-in-law said was right. He was also wavering in his mind and couldn't decide. They argued like this for several days. The two scholars quoted scriptures and said,
He talked endlessly, looking like a rebellious scholar, and there was a lot of debate about morality that would be difficult to reach a conclusion even after three years. No one could be convinced. Zhu Yunwen was caught in the middle, like a frustrated little daughter-in-law. After all, she couldn't come up with anything.
Get the idea right.
At this time, a great scholar who was admired and admired by Zhu Yunwen came, this person was Fang Xiaoru.
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Fang Xiaoru studied under Song Lian, a Hanlin scholar who was "the first civil servant who founded the Ming Dynasty". Since then, he has been a professor at Hanzhong Fuxue in Shaanxi Province. He was a ninth-grade official, but his moral knowledge was famous all over the world. After Jianwen became emperor, he immediately issued an order to summon him
Entering the capital, he had just arrived in the capital at this moment.
Fang Xiaoru was in his early forties, described as Qing Qu, and had a scholarly air. Zhu Yunwen was overjoyed when he saw him, and immediately promoted him to three levels and appointed him as a minister of the Imperial Academy. He was qualified to enter and leave the palace and pay homage to the emperor. He was given a seat in the palace and was honored as "Xi".
Mr. Zhi was unknown, and Fang Xiaoru was extremely grateful and suddenly felt a sense of knowing him.
Zhu Yunwen had great trust in Fang Xiaoru, a great scholar. As soon as he saw him coming, he immediately told him everything he had planned with Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng, and asked for his opinion. Although Fang Xiaoru was a famous great scholar, his official position was too high after all.
Xiao, this was the first time to discuss secretly in front of the emperor, so he was a little nervous and frightened. He calmed down, carefully considered the words of Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng, and said: "The emperor promoted Confucianism and culture, and promoted liberal arts. The atmosphere is very different from that of the previous emperor.
, everyone in the world praises him. If we talk about this method of civil administration, it is nothing more than the word 'property'. The Yan vassal is strong, but there is no reason. If you rashly eliminate the King of Yan, you will definitely be criticized by others and damage your majesty's reputation."
He paused and saw Emperor Jianwen listening attentively, nodding slightly, obviously agreeing with the famous words of the master, and he was determined, so he continued following this train of thought: "It is important to be safe when cutting down vassals. Get rid of the kings first, and then
It is a step-by-step approach, easy first and then difficult. Once the vassals surrender, no matter how strong the King of Yan is, it will be difficult for him to fight alone! At that time, the emperor only gave a slight hint, and the King of Yan is afraid that he will take the initiative to ask for the reduction of the vassal. If he really dares to rebel, it will be just like
What Mr. Huang said is just to leave the evidence to the court, what kind of trouble can it stir up?"
There were three carriages, two to the left and one to the left. Zhu Yunzhen was very democratic and immediately stood on the side with more people. He nodded repeatedly and said: "What Mr. Xiaozhi said is true. In Ai Qing's opinion, the plan to reduce the vassal should be based on
Who starts?"
Fang Xiaoru had been away from the center for a long time and was concentrating on studying books in Shaanxi. He couldn't come up with any suggestions. He hesitated for a moment and looked at Huang Zicheng. Huang Zicheng was very happy to see that he had the same opinion as him. He quickly came out to help and said: "Your Majesty, I thought
, you can first cut off the Zhou vassal, which is the head of all the vassals in the interior. The feudal state is located in the Central Plains, and is the place to compete with the world. By controlling this place in the hands of the imperial court, it will just block Yanshan Mountain in the north and block the way of the King of Yan to the south. Furthermore,
, King Zhou is the brother of King Yan’s mother, and the relationship between the two kings is the closest. If Zhou Fan is eliminated, King Yan will lose an arm, and his power will be further weakened."
To be continued...