Hearing Li Shanchang's words, Feng Ji's face also changed slightly, and he asked urgently, "What's wrong?" ”

Li Shanchang didn't hide it, and directly handed over the letter in his hand to him: "You can also take a look." ”

Feng Ji hurriedly took the letter, read it quickly, and after seeing the things mentioned above, he suddenly became a little suspicious: "The Northern Yuan Dynasty has been destroyed, why do you still want to raise troops on a large scale to the Northern Expedition?" ”

"Hmph, sometimes the expedition is not necessarily for war, but for military power!" Li Shanchang sneered.

Since the last victory of the Ming army in the first war, the Northern Yuan court has collapsed, although there are still many remnants of the Yuan magnates in the north leading some soldiers and horses to harass the border from time to time, but it is difficult to become a big weapon.

After the last big victory, the Ming Dynasty built a lot of cities outside the fortress, established the guard capital, and guarded it, these stragglers could not create a big threat at all, in this case, Zhu Yuanzhang also raised troops again, the purpose was of course not a simple Northern Expedition.

Feng Ji thought about it for a while, and also understood this: "Is he going to let the vassal king replace the military generals to win the military power?" ”

Li Shanchang bowed his head slightly, and shook his head slightly: "Not only that, you have been far away from the fortress, and you are not very clear about the situation in the current imperial court, this time His Majesty's Northern Expedition is recruiting the soldiers and horses of the veterans of Huaixi, if my guess is right, if a few princes can successfully run the army this time, I am afraid that this Majesty will have to do something to us old guys!" ”

These Huaixi nobles have a high prestige in the army, if they are directly attacked, it will inevitably cause turmoil, and Zhu Yuanzhang has now transferred their soldiers and horses, and these veteran nobles have become Cursor Commanders, once they want to do something to them, then they will have no power to resist.

Li Shanchang's face sank like water, and Feng Ji was also a little busy, he and Li Shanchang belonged to grasshoppers on the same rope, if Li Shanchang was finished, he would not be better.

"Ahem, by the way, have all the vacancies in the court been filled?" Zhu Yuanzhang coughed twice and asked again.

This is to eliminate the Li Party, he can kill a lot of people, these people die, their positions will naturally be vacant, and they must be busy finding someone to take over.

"Yes, don't worry, father."

"Father, the third brother and the fourth brother sent people to report that they have led the army out of the customs, and it is estimated that they will soon engage the remnants of the Northern Yuan Dynasty."

"What is the Duke going to do?" Feng Ji asked.

Zhu Biao frowned slightly, and said softly: "I have already found someone to make up for it, but many of the newly appointed officials are still rusty with government affairs, and it is estimated that it will take some time for the government to return to normal." ”

Jingshi, Zhu Yuanzhang leaned on the dragon chair, coughing softly while looking at the book, and Zhu Biao reported to him on the affairs of the court below.

"Yes." Zhu Biaogong claimed to be.

Zhu Yuanzhang breathed a sigh of relief, and said softly: "Biao'er, we have been unwell recently, and we will not go to court in the past few days, and you will preside over the early dynasty." ”

Lan Yu, Tang Shengzong, Lu Zhongheng, Fei Ju......

"The prince of the country, please." Feng Ji hurriedly said.

After speaking, he put down the chess pieces in his hand, stood up and bowed his hand to Feng Ji: "I'm out of company first, I'll deal with something." ”

Li Shanchang wrote more than ten letters one after another, and secretly sent people to send them to these old people.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded lightly: "It's okay, don't be in a hurry." ”

Among these people, except for Lan Yu, the others are all veterans, and although Lan Yu is a rising star, he can become the prince of the country thanks to Wang Xing's letter, this favor is naturally to be repaid, and this is the time to use it.

Zhu Biao said softly.

Li Shanchang nodded, and walked quickly to the study.

Li Shanchang took a deep breath, and a fierce color flashed in his eyes: "For today's plan, I can also give it a go!" ”

Zhu Yuanzhang bowed his head: "Well, that's good, you keep an eye on it, and tell me as soon as there is a battle report." ”

In addition to contacting these nobles, Li Shanchang also sent a letter to Wang Xing, who was in Beijing, although Wang Xing was not unofficial or unofficial, but the secret power of these people should not be underestimated.

He wanted to quickly contact these old brothers in Huaixi, hoping that they could understand the current crisis and unite with him to tide over the difficulties together.

Zhu Biao was slightly shocked, looked at him and worried: "Father, what does the imperial doctor say about your illness?" ”

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said with a smile: "It's okay, it's just an ordinary wind and cold, don't worry, let's rest for a few days." ”

When Zhu Biao heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, in the past few days, the son will first preside over the government on behalf of his father." ”

"Hmm." Zhu Yuanzhang snorted lightly, and said: "In the past few days, when you go to the court, pay more attention to the movements of the ministers, and come back to explain it to us." ”

"Yes." Zhu Biaogong claimed to be.

Zhu Yuanzhang put down the book in his hand, moved his body again, found a comfortable position to lie down, and said, "Okay, if you have nothing else to do, you can go back to deal with government affairs quickly, let's rest." ”

"Okay, then the minister will retire first."

Zhu Biao bowed, turned around and exited the main hall.

After Zhu Biao left, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the imperial platform outside the hall, his eyes flashed with a meaningful look, and he closed his eyes gently after a while.

He asked Zhu Biao to preside over the government on his behalf, not only because he was unwell, but also to take this opportunity to convey to the outside world a message that he was weak and dying, so that some people with different intentions could jump out boldly with confidence!

Time passed, and Li Shanchang's letters were quickly delivered to the hands of various nobles.

It's just that the reactions of these nobles after reading the letter are different.

After reading it, Lan Yu directly snorted coldly and burned the letter, so he didn't see it.

He is now the head of the generals, no matter what, he doesn't believe that Zhu Yuanzhang will take him to the knife, after all, he has military power in his hands, and if it really comes to that point, he will definitely not be easily captured.

What's more, now that Zhu Yuanzhang is old, seeing that the crown prince is about to ascend the throne, he thinks that he is the prince's henchman, and there is no reason to rebel with Li Shanchang at this time.

Lu Zhongheng and Fei Ju were suspicious of what Li Shanchang said, they were all reprimanded by Zhu Yuanzhang many times for their mistakes, although they were all given leniency in the end, but it is not impossible to say that Zhu Yuanzhang will settle accounts with them after the autumn.

But if they want to raise troops to resist Zhu Yuanzhang, they don't have the courage.

So after thinking about it again and again, several people neither refused nor agreed, and replied to Li Shanchang with an ambiguous letter with the mentality of observing the situation.

Wang Xing and the others are very active, but it is a pity that after the blow of Jinyiwei, the forces have been hit hard, and they have no military power in hand, even if they help with all their might, they can only provide some miscellaneous soldiers such as bandits and bandits, and it is difficult to become a big weapon.

"These reckless people are really brainless, they still can't understand such an obvious thing, and they are still hesitating now, it's really stupid!"

When Li Shanchang received these replies, he was so anxious that he scolded loudly.

He has endured for many years, and has been looking for an opportunity to persuade these Huaixi veterans, but Zhu Yuanzhang's gentle strategy has made him powerful and nowhere to go, in the past 20 years since the founding of the country, there are only a few nobles who have been really convicted and executed, and all of them are conclusive evidence.

However, he understood that these were Zhu Yuanzhang's delaying tactics, and he had already begun to promote today's situation when he insisted on giving the prince the title of king.

He saw it very clearly, but he couldn't understand it with these brainless generals, although these nobles were brave and invincible on the battlefield, they had a deep awe for Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the country, and it was not ordinarily difficult to persuade them to raise troops.

Just when Li Shanchang was at a loss, the domestic servant hurriedly came to report again.

"Master, news came from Beijing that His Majesty was sick, and the early dynasty was handed over to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to preside!"

Li Shanchang was taken aback, and hurriedly asked in a deep voice, "Is the news accurate?" ”

"To be accurate, the DPRK and the Central Committee have been presenting government affairs to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince recently, and I haven't seen Your Majesty for a few days." The servant said respectfully.

Li Shanchang was overjoyed when he heard this: "Great! ”

Zhu Yuanzhang is sick, which is really good news for him.

A generation of emperors, dying of old age, is a good time to take advantage of their weakness and struggle.

"Okay, I see, you go down."

Li Shanchang first sent his servants away, and then wrote to these nobles again to explain the pros and cons, hoping that they would recognize the reality and conspire to do great things.

Yangzhou New Town, Li Wei has lived in this spacious mansion for several months, in addition to eating, drinking, and Lazar every day, he wanders in the courtyard, and then finds an opportunity to "chat" with the soldiers who follow him by the way.

"How much rent do the tenants of your hometown pay to the master's family?" Li Wei asked casually.

The soldier who followed him hesitated for a moment before replying: "Generally, you have to pay fifty or sixty percent, and some even seventy percent, depending on the harvest." ”

When Li Wei heard this, he couldn't help but shake his head and sighed: "Hey, I can't even get half of the grain I have worked hard to grow for a whole year, pitiful!" ”

The soldier suddenly showed a bitter expression: "No way, this is all fate, the land belongs to other people, and we naturally have to pay rent for other people's land." ”

"Not necessarily, do you know where they got these good fields?"

"How?"

Li Wei smiled, and told him about the things he had encountered when he built the city in Yangzhou.

"They occupy the water source, collude with the government to use the money pulled by the imperial court to build canals for their own land, which naturally becomes fertile land, and the newly reclaimed wasteland of the poor, in addition to the bad location, the greater reason is that there is no sufficient water source for irrigation, and these rich gentry will also let the government classify the poor people's land as good land and collect heavy taxes, so that the poor have to sell their new land to be tenants for them, they use this method to buy the fields cultivated by the poor at a low price, and on the other hand force the poor to farm for them, so that they can sit and collect rent. Lying down to make money......"

When the soldier heard these words, he was stunned, and anger rose in his heart: "It's too much! How could they do that! Aren't they afraid of the court asking for guilt? ”

"That is, Your Majesty knows that he will be severely punished!" The other soldier couldn't help but interject as well.

Li Wei explained with a smile: "I'm afraid, so they will give money to the government, and the magistrate will bribe his superiors, as long as the benefits are properly distributed, these problems will not be a problem." ”

The biggest corrupt official in the feudal dynasty is actually the emperor, just like Qianlong spent hundreds of millions of taels on his own food, drink and entertainment, so what is the difference between it and a corrupt official? As the saying goes, what is taken from the people is for the people, and the emperor uses the state's taxes for private pleasure, which is a fair and honest act of corruption.

Of course, Zhu Yuanzhang was born in cloth, and he is indeed frugal, and he will severely punish corrupt officials, but his descendants will not be able to.

And even if he is severely punished, the wind of corruption is repeatedly prohibited. In his old age, he could only sigh helplessly: "The way of control is exhausted!"

"This ...... This is too much deception! The soldier looked angry and didn't know how to vent it.

Li Wei sighed faintly: "This is all determined by the system, the distribution of power from the top down, the interests can only flow from the bottom up, how much power will obtain as much benefit, and the people at the bottom can only endure exploitation and oppression." ”

"So what are we going to do?" The soldier looked at him with wistful eyes.

"It's simple, just change the power structure, power is from the bottom up, and the benefits can naturally flow to the people at the bottom." Li Weidao.

This is the fundamental difference between democracy and feudalism, feudalism is a top-down feudalism, while democracy is a bottom-up election, whoever holds the highest power will naturally enjoy the greatest benefits.

"How can power come from the bottom up?" The soldier asked, although he didn't understand very well, but he also knew the top and bottom, and he couldn't imagine what it was like to be ruled by the people at the bottom.

Li Wei smiled and was about to explain to him what democracy is, when the soldier next to him quickly pulled him and lowered his voice: "Don't say it, the head is here!" ”

Seeing Zhao Shun walking over quickly, Li Wei stopped talking.

Coming to the three of them, Zhao Shun looked at him, and then at the two subordinates who looked a little wrong, and suddenly felt a headache.

This had happened several times, and even though he had ordered his soldiers not to talk to Li Wei, Li Wei would always find an opportunity to provoke them, and if he left for a while, he would come back to find his men looking indignant as if they had been succumbed to evil.

"You ...... Hey, forget it. ”

Zhao Shun raised his hand, wanting to reprimand his subordinates as before, but in the end, he sighed and didn't say anything more.

He has recently changed several waves of people to guard Li Wei, but after these people went back, they all seemed to be different people, and their attitude towards Shangguan changed from the previous submissive to implicit resentment, as if they had a grudge against their generals for killing their father.

And there are signs of this phenomenon gradually spreading, like an infectious disease, it is really evil!

"Master Pony, it's cold, it's okay to go back to the house and rest."

Zhao Shun arched his hand and said.

Li Wei nodded lightly: "It's okay." ”

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Zhao Shun followed behind with two of his subordinates and sent him back, and then changed two guards to him.

After sternly instructing the two not to talk to Li Wei, Zhao left Li Wei's mansion by the way and went to find Guo Ying.

He has to talk to Guo Ying about this, he always feels that something big will happen if it goes on like this!

Guo Ying also has a huge mansion in Yangzhou New Town, although it is far inferior to Li Wei's, but it covers an area of dozens of acres.

Since taking over the Yangzhou City Defense, he has nothing else to do except daily exercises, and whenever he has free time, he drinks and has fun, so unhappy. (End of chapter)