Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 905 What is a Benevolent and Righteous Teacher?
"Student Xie Jin greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

In the Prince's Mansion, Xie Jin lifted up his skirt and paid homage to Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao had a friendly face. Seeing him, he hurriedly took two steps forward, helped Xie Jin up and said with a smile: "Mr. Jin, there is no need to be so polite. Although you and I just met yesterday, today we can be considered old acquaintances. We are meeting in a private house, so why should we be so polite!"

"Please sit down. Please sit down. Come, serve tea to the gentleman!"

Zhu Biao was always courteous to the wise and humble, and there was no grudge between him and the Zhu brothers. For a talent like Xie Jin, who was recommended by his younger brother Zhu Su, he naturally treated him with the utmost courtesy.

As soon as Xie Jinfang entered the city, he followed Zhu Su's order and asked to see Zhu Biao, and explained Zhu Su's plan, so Zhu Biao said this. However, Xie Jinfang felt that he had missed an important event in the southwest, and he had put away his arrogance. Facing Zhu Biao's humbleness and respect, he was even more humble and said: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince has wronged me, and I am deeply grateful. However, etiquette cannot be abolished. I am just a commoner now, so I will just stand."

Seeing that he was respectful, Zhu Biao liked him even more. He had long known that Xie Jin was the minister who compiled the Yongle Encyclopedia in later generations. Although he was arrogant, he was actually very talented. Therefore, he had always thought highly of Xie Jin. Now that he knew that Xie Jin's character had been polished a lot, he naturally liked him even more.

"Today, Madam Liu Shuzhen, who went to Beijing with you, has come to the palace to see the emperor." Since Xie Jin was unwilling to sit down, Zhu Biao did not force him, but got straight to the point. "The court is also aware of the situation in the southwest. You convey to me the intention of my fourth brother, asking me to mediate the situation in the court... My fourth brother and I have the same idea, the tribes in Shuixi must be appeased."

"However, there are many things involved, and it cannot be explained by a simple edict or the four words 'right and wrong'. Do you understand, gentlemen?" Zhu Biao said.

"Yes, I understand." Xie Jin was very respectful. He studied new knowledge and had been with Zhu Su for a long time. He had long understood that this national event was not as simple as a right or wrong. Although his emotional intelligence was not high, his political intelligence was high. Moreover, in order to make up for his gaffe, he had thought a lot along the way. Naturally, he immediately understood what Zhu Biao was referring to: "Your Highness, is it the military merit that you are worried about?"

"Now that the imperial court has stored its weapons, only trusted generals can lead the troops. Although this is only a temporary measure, the most resistant ones are the military generals... If we force the southwest to revolt, the military generals will certainly be happy to see it happen. Could it be that they are obstructing us?"

"Haha, that's not the case." Zhu Biao laughed. "My father has given me the overall control of this matter. However, as Jinshen said, there must be someone among the military heroes who is unhappy about this matter."

"I called you here because I want to entrust you with what my fifth brother has asked of me. Can you do it?"

When Xie Jin heard this, he was immediately overjoyed and said hurriedly: "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness! I can definitely do it!"

When Zhu Su went to Shuidong, he was worried that the Wuxun faction would support Ma Ye, causing the court to make the same mistake and lead to the corruption of the southwest. Therefore, in a private letter to Xie Jin, he asked him to take his token to find the crown prince Zhu Biao and ask him to use the newspaper in his hands to arouse public opinion in Yingtian, so as to urge the court to make the right decision.

The newspaper is now controlled by the cabinet, and the cabinet is Zhu Biao's base camp, so Zhu Su wants to find Zhu Biao.

Xie Jin was originally very angry because he knew about this matter. He wanted to write a few articles to criticize Ma Ye, the thief who had brought shame on him. Now that he heard that Zhu Biao wanted to hand over the newspaper position to him, he was naturally overjoyed.

As a new scholar, how could he not know the power of newspapers? Newspapers can stir up public opinion. If everyone wants Ma Ye dead, how can Ma Ye survive?

However, he also knew that Zhu Su and Zhu Biao's concern was not just about Ma Ye, but about military merit, so he said: "Your Highness, do you want me to criticize these selfish generals? Don't worry, I will do my best..."

"No. He is a military general with great military achievements and is also a minister of the Ming Dynasty. Why should I criticize him in newspapers?" Zhu Biao stopped Xie Jin who wanted to bow.

"No... not criticizing the military generals? Then what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince meant was..." Xie Jin was stunned.

"Haha, I shouldn't criticize the loyal ministers and generals of the Ming Dynasty." Zhu Biao smiled. He put his hands behind his back and said, "Not only am I not criticizing, I am praising!"

"Praise?" Xie Jin didn't understand. He thought about it for a while, and decided to speak frankly: "Your Highness, although the military heroes of our Ming Dynasty are loyal to the court, they may not be free from mistakes in some minor matters."

"For example, the generals at the border, for the sake of petty profits, can cooperate with the Marquis of Yan'an and the Marquis of Ji'an to resell people; for example, Ma Ye, for the sake of military merit, can confuse right and wrong and try to force the Yi tribe to rebel..."

"Our Ming Dynasty was founded on military power, and should have been governed by civil power, with civil and military power complementing each other. However, Your Majesty has lofty ambitions and wants to follow the example of your ancestors in pioneering and developing China. The status of military personnel is inevitably elevated, and it is inevitable that there will be such arrogant and disrespectful people."

"The status of warriors is already very high. If you praise them more... I'm afraid that this will give rise to more unruly people, Your Highness!"

"Your Majesty has unparalleled prestige, so he can naturally subdue the military. Your Highness is virtuous and decisive, so there will be no problem in the future... But what about the rulers of future generations? It is not a good thing for military generals to have too much status, Your Highness!"

Xie Jin thought Zhu Biao would refute him unhappily, but he did not expect that Zhu Biao actually nodded and said solemnly: "The great gentleman's honest advice is well known to me."

"That is why I want to do the opposite and support the warriors."

"It's not about praising his power or his deeds, but about praising his morality and his benevolence... Do you understand?"

"Tao, morality? Benevolence and righteousness?" Xie Jin was stunned again.

Benevolence, righteousness, and morality, these four words, if they were attributed to some great scholar, then it might be barely acceptable, but how about applying them to those military generals and soldiers?

Forgive Xie Jin for speaking frankly, but as long as the military officers and soldiers are not restrained for a while, they will become hooligans, or even robbers and bandits. As the saying goes, thieves come like combs, and soldiers come like combs. Some generals and soldiers are more ruthless than thieves and bandits. Although the military discipline of the Ming Dynasty is far from being so corrupt, there are definitely many soldiers who commit crimes.

Just look at Ma Ye, Marquis Yan'an and Marquis Ji'an, and you'll know that not all the soldiers and generals of the Ming Dynasty are good people... Even such soldiers and generals have to use newspapers to praise their morality?

The soldiers and generals are basically a bunch of reckless men. How can you praise them?

Zhu Biao was a man who could see through people's minds. From the embarrassment in Xie Jin's eyes, he could see what he was thinking. So he said with a smile, "Although Jinshen is a scholar, he should not look down on military commanders."

"You must know that military commanders also have benevolence and righteousness, as well as great moral principles. Do you know that there is an army that fights for the people, and its three major military rules are: follow orders in all actions, return all captured items to the public, and never take anything from the people. The people treat them like their own children, and welcome them with food and drink, but they would rather sleep in the streets, eat cold food, and drink raw water... If there is such an army, would it be worthy of praise from the gentry in the newspapers?"

(End of this chapter)