This winter, November.

A rare snowfall in Nanjing.

Although it was only a few hours, it covered this ancient and prosperous city with a layer of silver.

The inner palace is sparsely populated, and occasionally a few maids can be seen hurrying by with their heads bowed.

Empress Xu looked at the snow scene outside the emperor's bedroom through the window, her expression calm.

Empress Xu, who took the initiative to come, had been sitting in the room for almost half an hour, and Zhu Di was still correcting the stacked folds in front of the desk.

Rao is like this, these twists and turns have already been screened by the cabinet led by Zhu Gaochi.

The burning spices in the bronze furnace curled Nana, and the tea set on the table had been put on the tea made by Empress Xu herself, but Zhu Di didn't have the heart to taste it.

Since Zhu Di came back from the edict a few days ago, he has become worried.

This obvious change is obviously related to the two people in the prison.

Jiang Xinghuo, Zhu Gaoxu.

According to the previous habit, Empress Xu thought that Mr. Jiang had said something again, "Da Ming is going to die!" Something like that, which stimulated Zhu Di

Generally, this kind of thing will recover after a few days, and what Mr. Jiang said is the reason for the demise of the Ming Dynasty in the future, and the Ming Dynasty will not die now.

But Empress Xu just asked her third son, and got some unexpected answers.

- Mr. Jiang didn't say anything scary.

This time, it's nothing more than about the sea, diplomacy, the pros and cons of moving the capital, and a few oddities that can't be verified.

Some of these things may be very important to Zhu Di and others.

But for Queen Xu, she didn't care at all.

The harem should not participate in state affairs, of course Queen Xu knows it.

But Empress Xu also knows very well that if Zhu Di's troubles do not come from Mr. Jiang, then it can only be an answer.

- Zhu Gaoxu.

As the daughter of General Xu Da, Empress Xu witnessed the bloody storms in the last years of the Hongwu Dynasty.

In order to pave the way for Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Yuanzhang killed almost all the generals who could conquer and fight.

Only Geng Bingwen, Li Jinglong, Xu Huizu and others who are not first-class in ability are left to guard the country.

This is still under the wrist of a strong emperor like Zhu Yuanzhang, no one competes with Zhu Yunwen for the throne, so many people have to die, if it is other times, the battle for the prince is even more cruel to imagine.

Zhu Gaoxu is about to be released from prison, which means that a new round of formal dispute for the prince is about to begin.

Even, Empress Xu, who lived in the deep palace, learned from various news channels that the Jingnan Xungui group, headed by the two dukes Qiu Fu and Zhu Neng, spoke out almost collectively and clamored for the second prince Zhu Gaoxu to be the crown prince.

It should be said here that the so-called "Four Dukes of Jingnan" in later generations, in fact, at this time, there were only two people, Qiu Fu, the Duke of Qiguo, and Zhu Neng, the Duke of Chengguo.

Because Zhang Yu has died in battle, Rong Guogong is posthumously sealed; And the more well-known British Gong Zhang Fu was still a letter to Amber at this time.

Well, the reason why it is said that it is "almost" is a collective voice is because Xin'an Bo and Zhang Fu did not participate.

It is precisely because at this time that the Jing Nanxun Gui clique holds military power and is powerful, and it is rare to reach a consensus.

So between the government and the opposition, it was simply shocking.

Even Zhu Di had to pay attention to this.

But for Queen Xu, whether it is the eldest prince Zhu Gaochi or the second prince Zhu Gaoxu, the palms and backs of the hands are meat.

Zhu Gaoxu, no matter how much he messes around, he is still her son after all.

Empress Xu was even more worried about Zhu Gaoxu than anyone else.

In her heart, she was looking forward to his release from prison as soon as possible, but she also felt vaguely uneasy.

Because when it comes to contention, there are so many things out of her control!

"Take a look."

Just when Empress Xu was worried, Zhu Di walked in front of her with a piece of paper.

"If you don't look at it, the harem is not allowed to interfere in politics."

Empress Xu, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, simply turned her head.

Zhu Di turned to her instead, holding the paper in both hands and showing it in front of her.

"The female students will see if there are any omissions in what I wrote."

Queen Xu's fake seriousness was not restrained, and she took the paper in Zhu Di's hand neatly with a "hum".

Zhu Di's handwriting is not good-looking, but it is neat after all, and the pen blades are wide open and closed, which is quite sharp.

And on this piece of paper, it is an edict written by Zhu Di to all the nobles and military ministers, including both the founding honors of Hongwu and the nobles of Jingnan.

"In the past, the monarch who created the world with martial arts inevitably relied on the assistance of the generals, but in the later years, it was often difficult to protect the generals, probably because the people in high positions were easy to be arrogant and pervert the law, and they were pampered and refused to repent.

"I, Emperor Hongwugao, enacted the constitution in order to make future generations abide by it. If you have violated the constitution and punished those who do not understand the precepts, you will be punished according to the law, and you will not be forgiven, even if you are close to your relatives. ”

"Emperor Gao is wise and decisive, in the past, you were favored by Emperor Gao, and now you support the widow, I wish you a long life and wealth. If someone dares to do evil, he will definitely ask for forgiveness, and then he will not blame me for being widowed and gracious. Now I will inform Emperor Gao's precepts, and I hope that everyone will never disobey them, otherwise, there will be no regrets. ”

Empress Xu was so smart that she understood what Zhu Di meant almost instantly.

This edict was ostensibly a warning to Hongwu's founding honors that since he supported Zhu Di as the emperor, he must abide by the law and abide by the standards of Zhu Yuanzhang's era, otherwise he will be severely punished.

But in fact, it was to take the opportunity to knock on the Jingnan Xinxungui group, which had visibly expanded to the naked eye in just a few months after the invasion of Nanjing.

In Qiu Fu's words, it is said, "Lao Tzu followed King Yan Jing, and fought hard for four years with his head and trouser belt, and now he has conquered Nanjing, and King Yan has ascended the throne, can't he still enjoy it?" In fact, Zhang Tianshi's elixir of Dragon and Tiger Mountain is very effective, and I heard that the old and strong Qi Guogong made the concubines of Xinna in the house pregnant with two more.

What Zhu Di really wants to express in the edict is the first paragraph, preservation.

is reasonable, Zhu Di wants to try his best to protect this group of Jing Nan nobles who rebelled with him from birth to death, but the premise is that these people must be sensible and know what to touch and what not to touch.

Imperial power is something they shouldn't touch.

And the unanimous statement of the Jingnan Xungui group supporting the second prince as the crown prince made Zhu Di feel vigilant, so he issued an edict to knock on the Jingnan Xungui group, which was inevitable under the system of imperial power.

Looking at Queen Xu, who looked worried, Zhu Di patted her hand and comforted: "Don't worry, just knock them." ”

Empress Xu was stunned for a while, but she still reluctantly said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, there is a lot of discussion between the government and the opposition in the battle for the establishment of the prince, and the concubines don't talk much about this matter, just say one word, no matter whether Your Majesty wants to establish Chi'er or Xu'er, Your Majesty must also try your best to protect the other." ”

"It's nature."

Zhu Di spat out a turbid breath, and also sat on the edge of the bed and was stunned for a long time.

If it is an ordinary era of peace, the emperor wants to establish a prince, so he naturally gives priority to establishing a prince.

But what Zhu Di encountered was so troublesome.

On the one hand, Zhu Di was very dissatisfied with Zhu Gaochi's rapid approach to the civilian clique and getting along day by day.

This kind of dissatisfaction is very reasonable, because of the particularity of Zhu Di's rebellion, the civil official clique has been a sworn enemy with him for four years, and the civil official clique has started the propaganda machine, insulting Zhu Di day and night, and stigmatizing Zhu Di, which makes Zhu Di have a deep guilt in his heart.

At the same time, Zhu Yunwen was induced by the civil official group to abolish the system of Zhu Yuanzhang's era, which also made Zhu Di deeply uneasy, and Zhu Di was very worried in his heart that Zhu Gaochi would become the next subtle inducement object of the civil official group.

If Zhu Di established Zhu Gaochi as the prince, then how can Zhu Di be sure that the emperor in the future will not become a waste like Zhu Yunwen, who will be deceived by the civil official group, and then the imperial power will be completely aside?

On the other hand, if Zhu Di established Zhu Gaoxu as the prince, this situation would definitely not occur.

Because Zhu Gaoxu's basic plate is the Jing Nan Xun Gui Group, and the Jing Nan Xun Gui Group and the civil official group get along with each other "a little unpleasantly", so Zhu Di can be sure that if he passes on the throne to Zhu Gaoxu, then at least the three generations or so of the monarch behind him will still be able to firmly grasp the imperial power and will not be induced and deceived by the civil official group.

But this involves another aspect, Zhu Gaoxu is a well-deserved spokesperson for the Jingnan Xungui Group to ensure that its own interests continue to the next generation.

It can be seen from the fact that the Jingnan Xungui group collectively clamored for the establishment of Zhu Gaochu that, to a certain extent, Zhu Gaochu actually violated Zhu Di's imperial power at present!

Because, if Zhu Gaochu is appointed as the prince, then once Zhu Di has three longs and two shorts, Zhu Gaochu will be able to seamlessly gain the support of the Jingnan Xungui Group and replace Zhu Di as the new talker.

This is a real threat to Zhu Di, the real talker at the moment!

That is to say, "three long and two short", who can say it well?

If it really comes to the time when Zhu Di needs to lead the army to the battlefield again, how can he be sure that there will not really be a "three long and two short"?

After all, the countless bloody battles of the Heavenly Family throughout the ages have shown that don't use imperial power to test human nature.

If it is tested, then the operation of killing the monarch can be normal.

Then the question arises.

Legally, Zhu Gaochi has an advantage, and from the heart, Zhu Gaochu has an advantage, which can be regarded as a flattening.

However, for Zhu Di himself, the establishment of Zhu Gaochu is now infringing on Zhu Di's imperial power, and the future civil official group of Zhu Gaochi will infringe on the imperial power of the future emperor.

Who is Zhu Di more likely to set up? The answer seems obvious.

"Your Majesty."

The silence was broken by the sound of the eunuch coming in to make a report.

Seeing that Zhu Di was still pondering, Queen Xu rolled her eyes slightly and said calmly: "What's the matter?" ”

Zhu Di's personal eunuch said: "I just received the news, Master Daoyan asked to see me. ”

Seeing that Zhu Di was still pondering, he did not object, and Queen Xu, who had been with him for decades, understood what he meant.

"Well, Master Preacher, come in." Empress Xu nodded.

The palace maid immediately retreated, and a moment later, Dao Yan, who was dressed in a black robe, walked in.

Empress Xu hadn't seen the old monk for a long time, and the last time she heard that the old monk had gone mad, Queen Xu also sent the imperial doctor to the Great Heavenly Realm Temple.

The old monk Daoyan was sixty-seven years old, but he was still in good spirits, and his eyes were clear and clear.

"The minister knocks to see His Majesty the Emperor and the Empress."

Naturally, it was a kind word, how could Empress Xu let the old monk really kowtow, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty has already made a will, and the master does not need to be polite." ”

"Excuse me. Sit"

Zhu Di came back to his senses at this time, looked at Dao Yan, and said, "What is the master looking for me today?" ”

The old monk was very thoughtful today, and after bowing with his hands folded, he sat on the chair brought by the eunuch and explained his intention.

It's still the dirty work that Zhu Di gave to the black-clothed prime minister before.

Secretly looking for an opportunity to deal with several main generals of the Southern Army at the time of the Jingjing, Ping'an, Sheng Yong, and Mei Yin, who is still trapped in Huai'an and refuses to surrender.

There was no accident on the Huaidian side, the envoy sent by Daoyan instigated, and there was a rebellion in Huai'an City, which was already a lonely city, and Mei Yin, the concubine who was still worshipping Emperor Jianwen, was tied up and sacrificed by his subordinates, and now the situation in Huaidian is basically stable.

Pingjiangbo, who was responsible for leading the sailors to monitor Mei Yin in Huainan, and Chen Xuan, the governor of the sailors, also took over Huai'an City and sent people back to Nanjing to report to Zhu Di.

This kind of selfish behavior, because the characters involved are more important, whether it is Jin Wuwei of the third prince Zhu Gaosui or Jin Yiwei of Ji Gang, they are not able to deal with it at the moment.

Therefore, it was still hard for the old monk to use the intelligence system of the former Yan Army in his hands to do it.

Of course, in the follow-up of this kind of thing, Zhu Di will definitely be slowly handed over to Jin Wuwei and Jin Yiwei.

After all, the old monk is very old, and this kind of authority is too sensitive, and it is not easy for him to continue to hold power.

But Dao Yan's next words made Zhu Di a little unhappy.

Dao Yan actually persuaded him not to kill Ping'an and Sheng Yong?

Peace, prosperity, who are you?

In the Battle of Jingnan, the two battalions responsible for pinning down the Yan army in the east and the west were mainly two large battalions.

The first is the Zhending battalion, which is backed by Jingcheng Road and relies on the two supply lines of Shanxi and Henan for supply, led by Ping'an; The second is the Dezhou battalion, which is backed by Shandong and relies on the Xuzhou supply line for supply, led by Sheng Yong.

And since they can command these two battalions, as famous generals of the Southern Army, these two people are not idle people.

Ping An came to prominence in the Battle of Baigou River, as a powerful flank detour force in Li Jinglong's plan, and inflicted heavy losses on the Daning generals who were responsible for the rear defense of the Yan army; In the Battle of Jiahe, he captured the fierce general of the Yan army, and now Xue Lu, the Marquis of Yangwu.

Sheng Yong defeated Zhu Di in the Battle of Jinan, and then led the army to besiege Zhang Yu in the Battle of Dongchang, and beheaded Tan Yuan, the general of the Yan army, in the Battle of Jiahe.

The so-called hero of the other, my enemy.

For a person like Zhu Di who is very resentful, he has never lacked generals who can fight habitually, and the enemy remembers it clearly in his small notebook.

Those who resist him, Zhu Di almost never forgives in his heart.

For example, if warriors like Boyan Timur and Huo'er Ash, who are now serving as guards in Zhongyiwei, do not surrender to Zhu Di, even if their courage is superior, Zhu Di will not hesitate to order them to be killed, just like the Tartar officials who were captured with them but refused to surrender.

Therefore, what Qi Tai, Huang Zicheng, Fang Xiaoru, Lian Zining, Jing Qing, and Tie Xuan did not end well.

And now that the hostile Wenchen in Zhu Di's small book has been killed, it is naturally the turn of the generals.

Zhu Di frowned and said: "Peace, erection of the ear, in the past, from the end of the plug, know the way of using soldiers, when Jing was in trouble, he was lucky to become famous, and now he is commanded and used by Beiping, just to show forgiveness, how can he not kill it?" ”

"Sheng Yong, as a military general, he is such a spineless, wagging his tail and begging for mercy on the roadside, his courage has been broken, what is the use of keeping it?"

Dao Yan's answer was very brief, but it made Zhu Di Huo Ran wake up.

"Checks and balances."

(End of chapter)