Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

Early morning in Beizhili, Hejian Prefecture, outside Hejian County.

The sun had just peeked out of the horizon, and the golden sunlight shone on the armor of groups of soldiers from the Beijing camp, shining with a cold light.

The so-called "the light of armor opens to the golden scales of the sun" is nothing more than this.

With an official document from the Governor's Office of the Rear Army in Beijing, the mobilized army, led by the second prince Zhu Gaoxu, was marching toward the Hejian Mansion's headquarters in a mighty manner. The tranquility in the suburbs was broken by the sound of uniform footsteps.

The reason why Zhu Gaoxu appears here can be traced back to the grievances between the two sides during the Jingnan Campaign.

There are currently nine prefectures in Beizhili: Shuntian Prefecture, Yongping Prefecture, Baoding Prefecture, Xuan Prefecture, Zhending Prefecture, Hejian Prefecture, Shunde Prefecture, Guangping Prefecture, and Daming Prefecture.

In the Battle of Jingnan, those on the side of the Yan army were Xuanfu (today's Zhangjiakou), Beipingfu (that is, Shuntianfu), Yongpingfu (today's Tangshan plus Qinhuangdao), Baodingfu, and half of Hejian Prefecture, that is, Tianjin Sanwei and Jinghai County, Qing County, Renqiu County and other places in the north of Hejian Prefecture, and further south is the area actually controlled by the Southern Army, which is the so-called "Pingyan Chief Envoy" by the Jianwen court.

The "Pingyan Chief Envoy" that Bao Zhao managed at the time mainly included Zhending Prefecture with Zhending Camp as its core, and half of Hejian Prefecture south of Cangzhou. As for Shunde Prefecture, which is directly south of Zhending Prefecture, The three prefectures, Guangping Prefecture and Daming Prefecture, are not as big as Zhending Prefecture in total because the area under their jurisdiction is too small, so they generally do not receive much attention.

Therefore, there are currently a total of nine prefectures in Northern Zhili. In fact, they are the integration of 4.5 prefectures that support the Yan Army's Jingnan campaign and 4.5 prefectures controlled by the Southern Army.

The two sides fought for four years, and no one knew how many lives were lost. Even though the Yan army was later successfully pacified, the people of the 4.5 prefectures in the south of Beizhili, especially the gentry, were still dissatisfied with Zhu Di's rule. The common people were more pleased to see the arrival of peace, but among them there must be relatives who were conscripted into the army and fell under the sword of Yan's army, so they were more or less resentful.

This is normal, no matter who they are, they have been enemies for four years.

Therefore, when Zhu Gaoxu wants to accelerate the reform in Beizhili, the main resistance is not in these prefectures that were previously controlled by the Yan army. The big landowners in these prefectures are basically Jingnan Xungui and military ministers, and they belong to his own people. matter.

The main resistance lies in the 4.5 prefectures in the southern part of North Zhili.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Zhu Gaoxu's first stop was Hejian Mansion.

Zhu Gaoxu was riding on a tall sweaty horse, which was captured from the front army of the Timur Khanate. He liked it very much, but the sweaty horse seemed to feel Zhu Gaoxu's murderous intention, and it was extremely quiet at this time.

Zhu Gaoxu's face was stern and his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, revealing an unquestionable determination.

Whoever stops him from ascending to the throne of prince will die!

As the army marched, the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

The people in the county hid early in their homes, only daring to peek through cracks in doors or windows at this somewhat familiar scene, because four or five years ago, the Yan Army and the Nan Army fought like this.

However, because there had been rumors for a long time, some well-informed people knew that the second prince came this time not to fight as in the previous battle of Jingnan, but to implement an important policy - the gentry and the gentry all received food together.

"The gentry had a huge influence on the court and local governments, but their tax reduction and tax exemption privileges also seriously affected the taxation and social equity of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, the second prince decided to personally take action to implement the policy of integrated grain payment for the gentry throughout Beizhili. , to break this imbalance.”

Anyway, that’s what the officials from Beizhili said in official accents, and it’s hard to say whether there is some yin and yang element of teasing in it.

As the army approached, the gate of the county town slowly opened. The army led by Zhu Gaoxu did not pause at all, but passed directly through the city and arrived in front of the county government office.

In front of the county government office, the officials had already stood up according to their rank, and their faces showed more or less nervousness and uneasiness.

The selected and influential local gentry and landowners gathered together and discussed in low voices, their eyes full of fear.

They stared at the second prince, trying to read the true intention of this trip from his face.

However, Zhu Gaoxu did not hesitate. After dismounting, he walked up the steps of the county government office.

In the eyes of the officials and gentry, it was as if a hill appeared in front of them, and they felt extremely oppressive.

Compared with the irritable boy before, as Zhu Gaoxu grows older and has more experience, he has begun to take on a more leisurely tone. In other words, this kind of small scene is completely under his control.

Zhu Gaoxu glanced around at the people present, and then spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, but it was enough for everyone present to hear clearly.

He elaborated on the policy of the gentry's unified payment of grain, including the strict prohibition of unscrupulous gentry from monopolizing the collection of money and grain, the strict prohibition of officials and gentry colluding in lawsuits, and the strict supervision of students, as well as the corresponding "list of illegal gentry and lawless students" and other specific contents.

After Zhu Gaoxu finished reading, he directly stuck the official document on the door of the Yamen with a short knife, and the scene fell into silence.

Zhu Gaoxu looked at them with an unquestionable majesty in his eyes, as if telling everyone that he was bound to win this competition.

The officials lowered their heads and did not dare to look at him, while the gentry and landlords looked at each other in bewilderment.

Subsequently, he ordered his men to post notices in the city, making public the policy content of the gentry's unified payment of grain, and announced that those who disobeyed the order would be severely punished.

With the departure of Zhu Gaoxu, although Hejian County has restored its tranquility on the surface, there are actually undercurrents surging.

The gentry and landlords began to communicate in private, trying to find countermeasures to deal with this sudden blow. Because they had no psychological expectations for Zhu Gaoxu's vigorous and resolute actions, according to the original plan, this policy was to be piloted slowly.

They knew very well that once the policy of unified grain distribution between the gentry and the gentry was implemented, their privileges and interests would be hit as never before.

Zhu Gaoxu, on the other hand, did not give them much time to react.

He ordered the army to station around the county and closely monitor every move in the county.

At the same time, he also sent a large number of soldiers and servants to distribute printed notices to tax collectors in various townships throughout Hejian Prefecture, and went deep into the villages and fields to publicize the benefits of the policy of unified grain payment by the gentry to the farmers and win their support.

This move made the gentry and landowners realize that the second prince was not joking, but was truly determined to implement this policy.

Some smart people began to think about how to protect their own interests in this change, while some die-hards began to plot to resist in various deceptive ways. Although they did not dare to resist blatantly, they could still stumble or eliminate evidence of crime secretly. Dare.

However, Zhu Gaoxu had already expected all this due to Jiang Xinghuo's reminder.

"The gentry and landowners are both conservative and weak. You must learn to take advantage of their weaknesses."

Therefore, Zhu Gaoxu did not use force blindly. Instead, he sent people to bribe through coercion and inducement. He went deep into the gentry and landlords to find out their movements. Once he discovered that someone was plotting evil and trying to violate the law, he immediately dealt a severe blow - the leader was the owl leader. He was shown to the public, his property and property were confiscated, and his family was exiled to Kaiping to guard the border.

Under such a high-pressure situation, the various overt and covert resistances of the gentry and landlords gradually subsided. They began to accept the fact that the gentry and landlords all received grain from one unit, and began to think about how to protect their own interests as much as possible under the new policy.

The people of Beizhili saw the hope of correcting unfairness in this change, which in itself was helping the disadvantaged parties.

The farmers began to actively respond to Zhu Gaoxu's call, work hard to cultivate the land, and pay grain according to tax requirements.

In fact, with the development of land clearing work, the hands of officials and servants have basically disappeared in the taxation process. Farmers no longer have to pay overdue taxes due to artificial reasons, and the burden of taxes passed on to them by landlords and gentry has also been greatly reduced. Generally speaking, the past The days are gradually getting better.

With the passage of time, the policy of integrating grain payment by the gentry was gradually implemented in Hejian Prefecture and Zhending Prefecture. Although some resistance and difficulties were encountered in the process, these were overcome one by one with Zhu Gaoxu's firm will and iron fist. .

Any behavior such as "unlawful gentry monopolizing the collection of money and grain, collusion between officials and gentry in lawsuits, and students going on strike" will be included in the list of illegal gentry or lawless students and will not be tolerated.

For a time, this list became the "book of life and death" among the gentry among the people.

To be honest, not being allowed to take the imperial examination is more uncomfortable than asking them to die, because the reason why these gentry can maintain their families is that they can continuously cultivate family children to enter the official career through the imperial examination, and cut off their path to heaven. , it is not a matter of whether a certain person dies or not, but a group of people will suffer accordingly.

There were many students who were determined or incited to openly resist, but all of them were expelled from school and kicked out.

The gentry in the three prefectures of Shunde, Guangping, and Daming saw that Hejian and Zhending were unable to resist. Many gentry and students who dared to make small moves had their official career cut off at best, or were killed at worst. Killing someone and leaving their heads rolling will extinguish the desire to resist.

In the end, the policy of the gentry receiving grain from one body was implemented in Beizhili in just a few months, and Zhu Gaoxu's reputation among the gentry in Beizhili was even worse. But Zhu Gaoxu didn't care, he was a prince and a loser. Kou, he's done the rebellion, so he can treat this little bit of infamy among the gentry like a dog barking.

In addition to the gentry, objectively speaking, Zhu Gaoxu also won quite widespread praise and support during this revolution.

His prestige and influence were further enhanced and consolidated at the court and local levels, and the policy of integrated grain payment for the gentry that Zhu Gaoxu vigorously implemented in Beizhili also had a profound impact on the local people.

It seems that the policy is aimed at the gentry, but in fact it is the same as the Qingtian policy. Taking Qingtian and other policies as an example, in the past, the gentry class was often able to use their privileged status to evade taxes, but it was impossible for the court not to collect taxes. So these burdens are ultimately passed on to ordinary farmers.

The implementation of the policy of integrating grain payments by the gentry actually reduced the burden on the people in disguised form.

In the past, the gentry class often used their privileged status to oppress the people and commit evil acts, leading to local disorder.

The implementation of this policy caused the gentry to lose a large part of their privileged status and could no longer use their status to oppress the people. This helped to rectify the social order and reduce the occurrence of injustices such as collusion in lawsuits.

Of course, everything has pros and cons.

The policy of paying grain to the gentry as one unit also had a certain impact on scholars in Beizhili.

Since the establishment of the imperial examination in the Sui Dynasty, the examination has become a means for rulers to select talents. Talents from the lower class have begun to become the upper class. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, if you were not a member of the Xianbei family or a noble family, how could you be a high official?

Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng's "Poetry to Encourage Learning" is actually very straightforward.

“Rich families don’t need to buy fertile farmland, they have thousands of millet in their books.

There is no need to build a high hall to live peacefully. There is a golden house in the book.

When you go out, don’t regret having no one to follow you. There are so many carriages and horses in the book.

When marrying a wife, don’t hate an unscrupulous matchmaker. There is a beauty in the book.

The man wants to fulfill his life ambitions and reads the Five Classics diligently in front of the window. "

——Studying is to earn money to buy a house, land, and a wife.

In the past, the courts of the past dynasties gave privileges to scholars with good reputations, and these scholars became gentry. But now, most of them have been deprived of them. This policy of paying food to all gentry is equivalent to directly suppressing the status of scholars. They have returned to what they needed in the first place. Being in the same situation as ordinary people, this was a big blow to many scholars who wanted to use the imperial examination to obtain privileges, and caused their dissatisfaction.

But as the saying goes, when a scholar encounters a soldier, he cannot explain his reasoning clearly, let alone these scholars who do not understand it.

In front of Zhu Gaoxu's sword, any opposition is invalid.

If you stop him from becoming the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, he will send you to meet the prince of Taishan Prefecture.

——————

Beijing City, Xishan.

The Xishan area has been rich in coal resources since ancient times, and mining began in the Liao and Jin Dynasties. In the Yuan Dynasty, the coal kilns in Xishan not only produced coal, but were also rich in white coal. According to the "Yuan Yitong Zhi": "Carbon coal, produced in the west of Wanping County Forty-five miles away from Dagu Mountain, there are more than thirty black coal holes, and fifty miles southwest of Taohuagou, there are more than ten white coal holes."

Nowadays, because of the great industrial demand in Ming Dynasty, Xishan has become an important coal production area. The areas of Xishan coal kiln include Hunhe River, Dayu, Mentougou and Juyongguan.

The rays of dawn spread softly between the mountains like golden brocade, gently awakening the sleeping mountains and forests.

Among the dense forests at the foot of Naxi Mountain, a workshop surrounded by high walls—the Ming Army Gunpowder Workshop—can be vaguely seen.

At this time, the workshop was already in full swing. Several large pools were producing mixed acid, and a warehouse next to it stored a large amount of cotton. The shouts of the workers were intertwined. They were producing a kind of acid according to Shangguan. Talking about the new gunpowder called "nitrocellulose", Shangguan clearly told them that although this gunpowder is powerful, it is also highly explosive, so they need to be extra careful during the production process.

There is no airtight wall in this world. The fact that the military workshops in Beijing were mass-producing new gunpowder soon became known to some civil servants in Beizhili.

And the purpose of doing so was quickly guessed by those who were interested.

Gunpowder is an indicator in the complex indicator system of the reform and development competition between North and South Zhili.

In the past, the Ming Dynasty basically only had two kinds of gunpowder: original gunpowder and black powder. In the entire evaluation index system, the explosive power of original gunpowder was used as the calculation standard, so the weight of black gunpowder should be higher than that of original gunpowder.

As for the new gunpowder, although the civil servants did not know how powerful the explosion was, what they knew very well was that it seemed to be made of cotton!

This is broken!

The reason is not difficult to guess, that is, there is nothing else but cotton in Ming Dynasty.

Other indicators, such as steel, glass, and black powder, cannot produce much in Beizhili now. Grain production is very fixed or even motionless, and no more schools can be built in a short time. But this kind of If the new gunpowder can be produced by relying on cotton, the output must be very terrifying. Coupled with the power multiplier, it will immediately pull Nanzhili out of the competition.

Most of the civil servants in Beizhili are from Zhu Gaochi's lineage and have a deep connection with Zhu Gaochi. If Zhu Gaochi fails in the battle for the crown prince, it is conceivable that they may not be greatly affected now, but their future future will definitely not be. It will be very bright, after all, this is the wrong team.

Therefore, some people did not intend to sit back and wait for death. Instead, they tried to do something secretly and sent people to sneak into the gunpowder workshop in an attempt to sabotage the production process in order to weaken the second prince Zhu Gaoxu's final sprint to compete for the throne.

The day's work in the gunpowder workshop ended quickly. The workers carefully stored the gunpowder and left the workshop.

The night is like ink.

Two black figures quietly approached the outer wall of the gunpowder workshop. They were responsible for destroying the gunpowder workshop.

However, they still underestimated Zhu Gaoxu's vigilance here.

When the two agents who had transferred from Liaodong thieves were about to climb over the wall, suddenly, bright torches were lit, and then dozens of Ming army soldiers rushed out from the darkness and surrounded them. Surround.

The two knew something was wrong and immediately wanted to retreat. However, after all, they were just people in the martial arts world. How could they compare with the well-trained soldiers of the Ming Dynasty? Soon both of them will be captured alive.

However, these two people are quite bloody. They probably got some promises, and when they saw something was leaked, they directly wiped their necks with a dagger.

The failure of this conspiracy, in which the instigator could not be found, not only ensured the safety of the gunpowder workshop, but also put Zhu Gaochi, who was far away in Nanjing, into a more passive situation in the battle for the prince.

——————

Inside the Nanjing Imperial Palace.

Zhu Di was sitting in the study, his brows furrowed and his expression serious.

In addition to the two sons being worried, the most important thing was that Queen Xu was ill.

Queen Xu's illness was not a sudden illness, but an accumulation of chronic illnesses.

On the one hand, Empress Xu gave birth to children in succession in her early years, which caused the disease and destroyed her body. You must know that among Zhu Di's nine children, the first seven were all born to Empress Xu. After their wedding, Empress Xu became pregnant frequently in the nine years. After giving birth to children, Zhu Di gave birth to three sons and four daughters. It was not until Empress Xu's health was really bad that she gave birth to a concubine, Princess Chang Ning, and a concubine, Zhu Gaoyan, who died young.

To be honest, it’s impossible to give birth to seven children in nine years without hurting your body.

On the other hand, she was overtired during the war. As the daughter of General Xu Da, Empress Xu had been exposed to it since she was a child, and she also had the style of a tiger girl in generals. When Zhu Di Fengtian Jingnan raised troops, Empress Xu was deeply involved in the defense of Peiping. In the city battle, faced with the lack of troops in the city and the enemy being outnumbered, Queen Xu calmly planned and deployed various matters to defend the city with Zhu Gaochi, Gu Cheng, Yao Guangxiao and others.

When the war was at its fiercest, Queen Xu mobilized the soldiers and the wives of the common people to go to the city to fight. Each woman was given a pair of leather armor. Queen Xu personally went to the city to supervise the battle. Encouraged by Queen Xu, the women in the city threw stones and The rubble supported Zhu Di until he returned to the army smoothly, but Queen Xu, who was already in poor health, became even worse after the battle of defending the city in Peiping.

Therefore, Queen Xu's illness cannot be solved by allicin or penicillin at all. Zhu Di also knew it very well, but he just held on to the idea that it could be delayed for one day.

News came from Beijing that someone was trying to sabotage the gunpowder workshop. Now was a critical moment. Zhu Di knew the stakes involved, so he immediately ordered to summon the eldest prince Zhu Gaochi.

After a long time, Zhu Gaochi walked into the study. His face was a little pale. It was obvious that he was not slow to learn the news, and he already knew about the gunpowder workshop. How he knew it was very intriguing.

"Chi'er, do you know what happened at the Beijing Gunpowder Workshop?" Zhu Di asked coldly.

Zhu Gaochi knelt down quickly, his voice trembling: "This matter was definitely not done by my son."

Zhu Di sneered: "Not you? Then tell me, who could it be?"

Zhu Gaochi raised his head after hearing the words, with a trace of anger and unwillingness flashing in his eyes. At this moment, seeing that his father was still doubting him, Zhu Gaochi was upset. He was sure that he did not do it, but he was really not sure whether it was a civil servant from Beijing. Making his own decision, at this time he could only insist that it was Zhu Gaoxu who planned it himself.

So Zhu Gaochi rarely became aggressive with Zhu Di.

"I don't know, but I dare to ask my father, why is it not the second brother's own drama? He has always been eyeing the position of the crown prince. Maybe he did this to frame my son."

Unexpectedly, Zhu Gaochi's rebuttal did not make Zhu Di furious. Instead, he pondered intriguingly for a moment, and then waved Zhu Gaochi to retreat: "I will send someone to investigate this matter thoroughly. Please retreat for the time being and wait for my news."

Zhu Gaochi exited the study and looked at the closed door of the hall, but his heart was full of uneasiness.

You must know that the battle for the crown prince has reached a feverish stage, and any disturbance may cause an uproar. He must deal with it carefully, otherwise once he falls into Zhu Gaoxu's trap, he may be doomed.

Facing the opportunity to inherit the Ming Dynasty in the next step, there is no longer any brotherhood at this time.

Not to mention that the two of them didn't have much brotherhood in the first place. Even if they were close brothers, they would never give up to others in the face of the temptation of the country.

Even if the imperial power is the devil, all princes are willing to become the devil's apostles.

At this time, outside the palace, everyone in the government and the public was paying attention to this annual event - the battle for the crown prince.

The contest between the eldest prince Zhu Gaochi and the second prince Zhu Gaoxu is coming to an end, and the moment to decide the outcome is coming.

After intense statistics and accounting by the Ministry of Household Affairs, the results were finally revealed. North Zhili led by Zhu Gaoxu performed well in various indicators of reform development, and the overall cumulative performance exceeded that of South Zhili led by Zhu Gaochi.

This result shocked the government and the public, and made Zhu Di deep in thought. However, the situation in the government no longer allowed him to hesitate too much.

Zhu Gaoxu's supporters came forward to express their feelings one after another. Almost 95% of the noble military ministers demanded that Zhu Gaoxu be immediately appointed as the crown prince as agreed.

Officials on Zhu Gaochi's side did not give up their efforts to restore the situation. At this time, memorials flew into Zhu Di's study like snowflakes. They were all letters from civil servants, accusing Beizhili of cheating in the statistics of the development of the reform. They listed Various doubts arose, and Zhu Di was asked to investigate the matter thoroughly in order to bring justice to the government and the opposition.

The ministers of the DPRK and China were already in a quarrel because of the dispute over the prince. Both sides insisted on their own opinions and refused to give in to each other.

Zhu Di looked at these memorials and frowned. Seeing that the situation was gradually getting out of control, and at this time it was very important. Zhu Di was upset and couldn't make up his mind for a while. He planned to ask Empress Xu when he visited her condition. After all, Empress Xu She is not only his beloved wife, but also a resourceful "female Zhuge" who has advised him many times at critical moments. The most important thing is that she is the biological mother of two princes.

——————

In Kunning Palace, a strong medicinal smell filled the air, making people feel depressed.

Queen Xu was lying on the hospital bed, her face as pale as paper, and her eyes revealed deep exhaustion.

The imperial physician Dai Sigong stood aside, frowning. He and his colleagues had diagnosed and treated Queen Xu many times, but her condition had not improved at all.

He knew very well that Queen Xu's condition had become irreversible, and the tonic seemed to have no effect at all. Although he was known as a miracle doctor, he was helpless at this time, unable to bring her any hope of life.

He couldn't keep Queen Ma twenty-five years ago, and now he can't keep Queen Xu. No matter how honored they were in life, they are all equal in the face of death.

At this time, Zhu Di hurriedly walked into Kunning Palace.

Seeing Queen Xu's appearance, he felt a stabbing pain in his heart. He calmed down for a while, sat on the edge of the bed, and held Queen Xu's hand tightly.

Empress Xu opened her eyes slightly, and seeing Zhu Di's anxious expression, she forced out a smile: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid it won't be long before I'm here. The only thing I can't worry about is the matter of the crown prince."

Zhu Di's heart tightened. He knew that Queen Xu had always been worried about the appointment of the crown prince.

After all, the palms and backs of her hands are all flesh, and they are all children that came out of her Queen Xu's belly. How can a mother be willing to favor one thing over another?

Zhu Di was silent for a moment and told her everything that happened recently.

Then Zhu Di asked in a low voice: "Who do you think is more suitable to be the crown prince, Chi'er or He Xu'er?"

Empress Xu shook her head slightly and said in a weak but firm voice: "Your Majesty, the battle for the crown prince is related to the future of the country and cannot be decided rashly. In my opinion, you might as well send a few impartial and selfless ministers to Northern Zhili to thoroughly investigate the cheating. If it is true. If this happens, we will be severely punished according to the law; if this does not happen, we will restore Xu'er's innocence."

Zhu Di took a deep breath. He knew that Queen Xu's words were reminding him that the choice of the prince should not be based solely on personal preference.

He held Queen Xu's hand tightly: "Don't worry, I will definitely consider it carefully and choose a suitable prince."

After hearing this, Queen Xu nodded slightly and closed her eyes. Her breathing gradually became weak and steady, as if she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Zhu Di sat silently by the bed, accompanying the queen who was about to leave him, with mixed feelings in his heart.

After a long time, Zhu Di walked out of Kunning Palace.

Soon, Zhu Di sent three trusted officials, Chen Qia, the minister of Dali Temple, Jin Youzi, the minister of Shenfa Temple, and Shi Kui, the right minister of the Ministry of War, to Beizhili to investigate.

The days passed in tension and waiting. It was not until the New Year of the fifth year of Yongle that the ministers sent to Beizhili finally returned after a long investigation.

Chen Qia, Jin Youzi, and Shi Kui brought back a detailed investigation report jointly signed to guarantee its authenticity, confirming that Beizhili did not cheat in the statistics of the development of the reform and that all results were real. Although there were surprise attacks in the last few months, A new type of gunpowder was produced, but it was useful and had complete procedures.

Zhu Di read the report carefully in his study and already made a decision in his mind.

The report, published in Di Bao, a newspaper for officials, was like a huge stone thrown into a lake, instantly breaking the calm that had been maintained for several months between the government and the opposition.

In the first month of the fifth year of Yongle, Zhu Di held a great court meeting in the Fengtian Hall. Since it was the New Year, except for the nine-border commander and other nobles who could not move, almost all the noble military ministers and middle- and high-level civil servants who were outside were summoned. , several princes were also present.

This day is the day to decide the future prince of the Ming Dynasty.

In the early morning, the sun shines through the clouds and falls on the yellow glazed tiles on the top of the double-eaves verandah of Fengtian Hall, shining with golden light.

In front of Fengtian Hall, hundreds of palace guards stood majestically on both sides wearing armor and holding halberds and other ceremonial weapons.

As the drum music sounded, civil and military officials entered the Fengtian Hall in order of rank. They were dressed in court uniforms that they rarely wore on weekdays, and official hats on their heads, with solemn and solemn expressions.

At this time, with the ceremonial officer singing praises, the court ceremony officially began.

The entire Fengtian Temple suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of drums and the footsteps of chamberlains echoing in the air.

Zhu Di stood up slowly, announced the results of the investigation in a loud voice, and elaborated on Zhu Gaoxu's political achievements and talents in Beizhili. Zhu Di's words were sonorous and powerful, and every word revealed his recognition of Zhu Gaoxu.

The ministers listened to the emperor's story and thought about it. Zhu Gaoxu's political achievements were indeed outstanding, but his character and methods were also controversial.

However, no one dared to question the emperor at this moment.

Then, Zhu Di changed the topic and announced his decision to appoint Zhu Gaoxu as the crown prince.

"The position of Crown Prince is related to the foundation of the country and should not be given lightly. However, the success of Zhu Gaoxu's reform this time is really a blessing to our dynasty. From today on, Zhu Gaoxu is the Crown Prince of our Ming Dynasty. All the ministers should help us with all our heart to protect the country and the country. .”

As soon as Zhu Di finished speaking, there was a roar of applause in the court hall.

The generals all looked happy. They knew that if Zhu Gaoxu ascended the throne, he would definitely use them as military men.

Although the civil servants were dissatisfied, they had no choice but to echo or remain silent.

Zhu Di looked at the mixed reactions of the ministers below and knew in his heart that this decision would cause some waves, but he believed that his decision was correct and that Zhu Gaoxu was capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of the crown prince.

At this time, Zhu Gaoxu walked out from the crowd of ministers and knelt down in front of Zhu Di.

He was so excited that tears flashed in his eyes.

Zhu Gaoxu clearly knew that his position as crown prince was hard-won, and he also understood the heavy responsibility he shouldered.

"My son, I will definitely live up to my father's high expectations and do my best to assist my father in governing the world."

In the Fengtian Hall, when Zhu Di announced the appointment of Zhu Gaoxu as the crown prince, Zhu Gaochi seemed to be struck by lightning and froze in place. His face instantly turned pale, and his eyes were full of loss and unwillingness.

Zhu Gaochi has always been a steady and kind prince. Although he does not have the sharp courage and temperament of Zhu Gaoxu, he has his own unique governing style. He values ​​the voice of the gentry, cares about the livelihood of the people, and is deeply loved by civil servants. .

However, at this moment, all his efforts and efforts were in vain.

Zhu Gaochi felt that his heart was bleeding, as if he was being pierced by countless sharp thorns at the same time, and he felt an indescribable sadness.

——Father still doesn’t like himself who doesn’t look like him.

Zhu Gaochi tried hard to control his emotions and stand firm on his fat body. He could not lose his composure in front of everyone. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down the turmoil in his heart.

However, his eyes betrayed him. Zhu Gaochi's eyes became dim and dull, and he looked into the distance unfocused, as if looking for an exit to escape reality.

After the canonization ceremony, Zhu Gaochi left Fengtian Palace silently. He did not follow the ministers to congratulate the new prince, but chose to leave alone.

His fat back looked so lonely and helpless in the sun, as if the whole world had nothing to do with him.

Although the battle for the crown prince is over, the changes in the court have just begun.

After Zhu Gaoxu was established as the crown prince, the entire court was shocked. Although some civil servants were dissatisfied, no one dared to openly oppose the emperor's decision.

At the same time, the life of the eldest prince Zhu Gaochi became more and more difficult. He was already physically weak, and with this blow, he was even more exhausted mentally and physically.

After returning to the mansion, Zhu Gaochi locked himself in his study and stayed behind closed doors all day, rejecting all visiting guests.

During this period of time, Zhu Gaochi seemed to have become a different person.

In addition to studying, he also began to plant flowers and plants in the mansion, watering and fertilizing himself every day. Watching those lives emerging from the seeds and gradually growing stronger, Zhu Gaochi felt the tenacity of life.

Zhu Gaochi even raised a white-haired puppy, which Zhu Zhanji picked up.

These little lives seemed to tell him that even if he encounters setbacks, he still has the courage to start over.

As time passed, Zhu Gaochi's mood gradually calmed down, and he began to re-examine himself and think about his future.

He was so tenacious that he did not give up, but chose to hide his strength and bide his time, secretly accumulating strength.

Zhu Gaochi understood that although he had lost his position as crown prince, he was still the eldest son of his father. He had powerful power in the court and was an important means for his father to check and balance the prince.

At this point, Zhu Gaochi saw it more clearly than Zhu Gaoxu.

Zhu Gaochi didn't believe that his domineering younger brother could endure certain things, because the position of the prince was under unimaginable pressure. He would have to offend everyone, and many things would inevitably go against the emperor's position.

What's more, Zhu Gaoxu and Jiang Xinghuo combined were enough to threaten the imperial power. He was waiting for Zhu Gaoxu to form a large number of party members, openly challenge Zhu Di's authority, and even secretly plot to usurp the throne.

In Zhu Gaochi's opinion, this contest is not over yet, and may continue for ten or twenty years.