Zhu Biao continued to smile again: "Erchen just came back from the queen mother, my father can rest assured, the queen mother's tone is very tight, and she hasn't revealed anything to her son." ”

He picked up one note after another and read it, each one with the names of the Ming soldiers and their merits.

There are founding generals like Xu Da Chang Yuchun, there are also righteous sons like Mu Ying who even Lao Zhu is proud of, and rising stars like Lan Yu.

Zhu Yuanzhang said slowly: "Biao'er, you also know the merits of these people, they have all made great contributions to our Ming Dynasty. They all crawled out of the mountain of corpses and the sea of blood, and it was not easy for each of them to survive. ”

"But we're also embarrassed, after all, not everyone can be knighted!"

Zhu Biao replied: "My father's words are reasonable, but we can't treat these soldiers badly, and the rewards that should be given are still to be given." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang asked casually: "Has Biao'er ever thought about how to place these proud soldiers?" ”

"Placement?" After Zhu Biao read this word, he smiled helplessly, "Father knows those people." Even if the sons don't say it, the father can guess that once those people are settled, they can't go to war anymore, most of them will bully men and women and rob the existence of good land, how can they live in peace. ”

"I can't say it's true for everyone, but nine times out of ten."

At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang put down the fold in his hand, carefully looked at his eldest son, and then slapped the table heavily, and said happily: "Biao'er, you have made great progress!" ”

"It's still my father's teaching!" Zhu Biao replied with a grin.

You can show your progress, but you can't behave too badly so that the other party doesn't suspect you.

Zhu Biao always grasped the appropriate scale, just right.

"Biao'er, you think the same as us. Hmph, what kind of temperament those generals have, we can't know it better. If they are impartial and law-abiding and no longer bully men and women, we will not be used to it. ”

"The country is easy to change, but the nature is difficult to change. After all, you can't jump cotton balls in this gutter! ”

Zhu Biao said with a smile: "Those uncles of mine are used to fighting, so they will definitely not be able to adapt to letting them put their swords in the warehouse and live the life of ordinary people." At that time, it is the magistrates who will have a headache, and it will be the ordinary people who will be wronged. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a serious face: "The common people were wronged, and then they rose up again, isn't this a repeat of our experience back then!" When the time comes, the Ming Dynasty will be full of flames again, and we will never allow these things to happen. ”

In Zhu Yuanzhang's view, the stability of the Ming Dynasty is the most important.

Zhu Biao's face was calm, and he continued with his hand: "Father, but they have made a meritorious contribution, and the reward that should be given must be given, so that they know that our Zhu family is by no means a family of rabbits and dead dogs." ”

"Biao'er is reasonable, it seems that the title of the Duke of the Kingdom will be given a lot this time." Zhu Yuanzhang, who has always been poor and afraid, said with some pain.

It is indeed a lot, and the dukedoms of six countries were given at once.

Zhu Biao also knew this, and continued: "If there are too many seals, the dukedom of the country will not be valuable!" ”

When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he said with some dissatisfaction: "Biao'er, is it possible that you want to crown those people as kings, you are too whimsical, even if we can suppress it, you will be able to suppress it when you become the emperor in the future!" ”

At this time, Lao Zhu didn't know if he could live long and whether he could compare to his brothers.

Zhu Biao didn't panic either, and explained: "Father, those generals who have made outstanding achievements and have died on the battlefield, it doesn't hurt to be crowned king directly, and it can also show the benevolence of the father, and don't forget the dead brothers." ”

Zhu Yuanzhang's face softened, and he said thoughtfully: "After death, it is naturally okay to be crowned king, we have no opinion!" As for their heirs, they can only inherit the duke at most! ”

"It goes without saying." Zhu Biao said with a smile, "But this prince, in fact, it is not impossible to give it to those living generals, but it is not a great achievement, and it must not be hereditary." ”

"What is a great achievement?" Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Biao and asked with a smile.

Zhu Biao said with a straight face: "Expelling Meng Yuan and recovering the sixteen states of Yanyun is a great achievement!" ”

Zhu Yuanzhang fell into deep thought for a while.

Seeing this, Zhu Biao smiled and continued: "Father, our Ming Dynasty is different from previous dynasties. The destruction of the Song Dynasty by the Mongol Yuan Dynasty led to the fall of China, which was an unprecedented situation since ancient times. ”

"Father, you drove out the Tartar slaves, and also recovered the sixteen states of Yanyun, which had been lost for more than 400 years, and rebuilt China. The Tang Dynasty lost this place before that year, and the two Song Dynasty also confiscated this place, and the credit of the father was comparable to that of the Qin Emperor and the Han Dynasty! So it's not impossible for those generals to be crowned kings. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent, obviously thinking about Zhu Biao's words very seriously.

Zhu Biao continued to strike while the iron was hot, and said: "Father, back then, Tang Taizong Li Shimin set up the twenty-four ministers of Lingyan Pavilion, and the title of the eldest grandson Wuji as the head of the meritorious heroes was only Zhao Guogong. But Li Tang just took the world of Sui, and I, Daming, recreated China! ”

"Father, Da Ming will be far better than Da Tang!"

"Great work! Da Ming Yuan Sheng Datang! Zhu Yuanzhang muttered, and his face finally moved.

In fact, before he canonized the heroes, he also secretly read the twenty-four ministers of the Lingyan Pavilion canonized by Li Shimin over and over again.

There is no prince among the twenty-four people, and Zhu Yuanzhang is also ready to follow suit and cap it with the title of duke.

However, Zhu Biao's words woke Zhu Yuanzhang up.

The pattern has to be enlarged a little, and the vision has to be a little longer-term.

He, Zhu Yuanzhang and his brothers, today's merits are far better than those founding heroes of the former Tang Dynasty.

"So, as a father, I should prepare a few county titles." Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright, and the distressed look was visible to the naked eye.

After all, the dukes who had prepared before were already in the flesh, not to mention these princes.

"Father, the glory of the prince is so noble, since we have given such a title, then we can also make some requests in the future." Zhu Biao continued.

Wang Jue gave, some unspeakable conditions, in fact, can also be put on the table.

This can also be seen as a transaction.

"Of course we only give knighthoods, but not fiefdoms!" Zhu Biao added.

"Biao'er, who taught you this idea?" Zhu Yuanzhang thought of something and couldn't help asking.

Zhu Biao immediately shook his head and replied: "No, this is Erchen's own thoughts, knighthood is a major matter of the country, and he is a mere guard of the East Palace. ”

"Biao'er, you've made great progress." After Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, he also said with satisfaction.

Zhu Biao knew that Zhu Yuanzhang had probably agreed to be crowned king, and said humbly: "These are just some humble opinions of the sons, and in the end, everything still has to be judged by the emperor!" ”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded lightly, and Zhu Biao also withdrew from the imperial study and returned to the East Palace.

……