Chapter 18: Zhu Yuanzhang's Secret Letter

"That's right." Tang He said: "There is something for you, which His Majesty gave you. ”

Soup and a greeting. Immediately one of the guards stepped forward. Came out with a box in both hands.

But I saw that this box was one foot square, made of mahogany. It doesn't look like a special pattern. It's very plain. It's just that there are nine words on it: "The Ming Dynasty is top secret, and those who open it for no reason will be chopped." "There was a seal on it, sealed with mud. Tightly sealed.

He Xi took it with both hands and broke the mud seal in front of Tang He's noodles. When I opened it, there was nothing inside. There was only one letter, and a small seal. It seems to be made of silver.

He Xi took out the letter first, opened it and read it carefully.

It was Zhu Yuanzhang who wrote it.

Zhu Yuanzhang mainly explained several things. The first thing is the ocean plan proposed by He Xi. Zhu Yuanzhang agreed. Let him preside. Let the soup and assist him. From the coastal guards, select elite soldiers and strong generals. Prepare for this.

The other thing is this box.

In fact, the secret box used by Yongzheng played things. It already existed in the Ming Dynasty. But Wan Wan is not as extensive as Yongzheng. It's just that ministers of this level such as the cabinet, the six shangshu, etc., can be given the seal by His Majesty. In the Ming Dynasty, this system actually started from Yongle.

Now Zhu Yuanzhang has used He Xi.

The silver seal inside this box is the point.

In the future, He Xi wrote what superstitions. I sealed it directly with this silver seal. Through the channel of Jinyiwei, go straight to the front of the king. Only Zhu Yuanzhang can cut it.

He Xi picked up the silver seal, but saw that there were eight seal characters below: inside and outside Liuhe, everything was said.

He Xi secretly said in his heart: "Your Majesty's expectations for me are still very heavy. ”

He Xi also knew that he would have to write more letters in the future. Doing things outside, reporting more, and asking for more instructions is the only way to maintain the trust of pets. And He Xi doesn't feel that he doesn't have Zhu Yuanzhang's eyeliner around him, since this is the case, it is better to be obedient than to let others report it.

Tang He said, "Your Majesty, what is your will?" ”

He Xi said: "There is indeed a matter, and I have to ask Uncle Tang for help." Uncle Tang, please take a look. With that, He Xi handed the secret letter in his hand to Tang He.

Tang He didn't catch it directly, and said, "This secret letter, let me see it, it's not appropriate, right?" ”

He Xi said: "Uncle Tang is His Majesty's old brother. The little nephew has some things to say to His Majesty that outsiders can't know. But Uncle Tong is not an outsider. ”

It's really not appropriate.

This kind of secret letter, the emperor did not say who to let see it, and in general, no one can read it. But He Xi knew that he would rely on Tang He for many things in the southeast in the future. As mentioned above, the influence of the founding heroes is not comparable to ordinary people, and their strength far exceeds their official positions.

It's like soup and. Other people come to the southeast coast and can manage coastal defense at most. However, Tang He came to the southeast to make the rules. The local officials were also very soft in front of Tang He. Almost soup and say anything, there are few below that dare to hard-top. Even if Tang He does not have the power to manage civil affairs.

Of course, Tang He is the most peaceful of the six founding princes. Too arrogant things, Tang He can't do it. But if you can't make it, it doesn't mean that you can't make it.

After He Xi understood this, he understood even more that the reason for his success or failure in the southeast was probably whether he could have a good relationship with Tang He.

Yes. This secret letter cannot be shown to anyone else. But is Tang He an ordinary person?

He Xi showed this secret letter to Tang He. First, it is a gesture of goodwill. told Tang He that he really regarded Tang He as an adult. Many things are not hidden from Tang He. Second, it was also a demonstration. After all, let Tang and watch it. It's not just about one thing.

Tang He can see not only the things that go to sea, but also the things that Mi Xin can see.

He Xi didn't know what Tang He's treatment in front of Zhu Yuanzhang was like. However, it is estimated that there is no qualification for such a secret box performance. After all, that's what just happened. There are a few people in the cabinet. But today's cabinet is really Zhu Yuanzhang's secretarial team. Compared to these founding heroes, there is very little power.

A lot of people don't notice.

Let Tang He know that he can actually contact Zhu Yuanzhang at any time.

Tang He is so sophisticated, he heard He Xi say this, what he thought about He Xi. I also figured out seven, seven, eight, eight. But it is. Although Tang He is modest, he is not without courage. He Xi dared to let him see it, how could he not dare to look at it?

What's going on? Even if he looks at something that shouldn't be watched, Zhu Yuanzhang won't do anything to him?

To put it mildly, Tang He followed Zhu Yuanzhang to raise troops from the recklessness, step by step, and now, he has a stomach that cannot be known to outsiders, which is much more than the content in a secret letter.

What did he dare not see.

Tang He smiled slightly and said, "Okay, I'll take a look at Your Majesty, what is there to explain." Tang He took the superstition and looked at it carefully. Then he looked up at He Xi, and said with some interest in his eyes: "Virtuous nephew, it really needs to be valued by Your Majesty." ”

He Xi said: "Your Majesty, love the house and Wu." The little nephew is ashamed and dare not be. ”

Tang Hecai didn't believe that Zhu Yuanzhang would value outsiders so much because of a daughter. Not really, Tang He felt that Zhu Yuanzhang didn't love his daughter. It's just that Zhu Yuanzhang has never been an emotional person. Even if you love your daughter no matter how much you love it, you can just give your daughter glory and wealth, and you will never entrust the affairs of the court to unsuitable people. In his opinion, the reverse is the most likely.

It was because he valued He Xi's talent that he married his daughter to He Xi.

Tang He said: "Do you want to listen to my opinion on the matter of going to sea?" ”

He Xi said: "Uncle Tang wants to give some advice, it is the luck of the little nephew." The little nephew listened attentively. ”

Tang He handed the secret letter to He Xi, and He Xi carefully put it away. Tang He sighed and said, "I'll tell you the truth." I, the Daming Water Master, is from the Chaohu Lake Water Master. The Chaohu Liao brothers and the Yu brothers are all good at water warfare, and they have made many achievements in the battle with Chen Youliang. It's just a pity that Yu Tonghai died in the battle of Pingjiang City, Liao Yongan was captured by Zhang Shicheng's general Lu Zhen, and died unyieldingly. It's just that I don't know who I listened to, and Han Lin'er, who was killed, put herself in. ”

"Although, these generals are dead. But the old brothers who were born in Chaohu are still there. I am a Ming water division, the Yangtze River is invincible, and the coast can still fight. However, if you really want to go deep into the sea and travel tens of thousands of miles, it is really not something they can do. ”

He Xi understood what Tang He said. One of the most important points is. The so-called Yu brothers died early. He Xi didn't know. But Liao Yongzhong had heard it under Tang He. So Tang He's evaluation of these people is not just a veteran general. Rather, these people used to be their bosses and evaluate their old subordinates.

Others may still care about human favors, but Tang He doesn't care. Even if these people Tang He said are still alive now, listening to Tang He's evaluation, they can only bow down and listen, and then self-criticize.

What Tang He said was probably the truth.

And from the process of Zhu Yuanzhang's conquest of the world. I also discovered the importance of Chaohu Lake Sailors. Historically, Zhu Yuanzhang went all the way from Huaixi to the Yangtze River, and was stopped by the Yangtze River sailors of the Yuan Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang faced the big ship of the Yangtze River Naval Division of the Yuan Dynasty and didn't know how to start. A lot of people were sent to recruit Chaohu water masters. At that time, there were many water armies in Chaohu Lake. The Liao family and the Yu family were just one of them, and the last two were the leaders, and more than 10,000 sailors defected to Zhu Yuanzhang. fought hard for Zhu Yuanzhang for the Yuan Army Naval Division, although the Yuan Army Naval Division was not completely defeated in the hands of the Chaohu Naval Division in the end, but was surrounded and suppressed by Zhu Yuanzhang in the port. But without the Chaohu Water Division, Zhu Yuanzhang would never be able to do this.

This credit alone has established the supreme position of Chaohu in the field of water divisions. It is said that Zhang Dingbian, the first general of Chen Youliang, was surrounded and suppressed by the generals of Chaohu Lake and shot into the water with arrows.

With such credit, plus, the sailor is important. But if you really want to talk about it, in the army of the Ming Dynasty, the weight of the sailors is like that. Therefore, the founding sailors are all from Chaohu. Even when I inquired, my hometown was inactive.

These generals cannot be said to be unqualified. But they are really new to the ocean.