The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 6: Yang Xian, Prefect of Yangzhou!
"Hey!"

A long sigh escaped from the Duke of Wei's residence.

It was none other than Xu Da, the Right Chancellor of the Secretariat and Duke of Wei, who remained silent and coldly observed the proceedings from beginning to end in the imperial court!

"Father, His Majesty has now appointed you to assist the Crown Prince in overseeing the country. Isn't this a good thing?"

"Besides, over the years, everyone in the court has believed that His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Grandson's positions as heirs are secure. What troubles you then?"

Xu Yungong, the eldest son who was then in charge of the Left Army Commandery, was completely puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Xu Da glanced at his son and sighed again!
His son was talented, but he was not very experienced in court politics.

"Father, are you worried that His Majesty has ulterior motives?"

A gentle voice rang out, and a delicate hand poured tea.

Looking at her appearance, her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her face like a peach blossom, and her eyes were like a pool of autumn water, clear and intoxicating.

She is none other than Xu Miaoyun, the eldest daughter of Xu Da, who is now famous in Yingtian Prefecture for her beauty and nicknamed "Female Zhuge Liang"!

"Your Majesty's thoughts are perfectly clear to me."

"Miaoyun, do you still remember when I went to Gansu and Shaanxi to fight, Her Majesty the Empress summoned me to the palace, saying that she wanted to have a home-cooked meal?"

Xu Da nodded, and finally decided to tell his children.

Xu Miaoyun nodded, her eyes still filled with doubt.

"Father, what does a simple home-cooked meal have to do with the affairs of the imperial court?"

Xu Yungong was completely puzzled.
The Empress is inviting us to dinner, isn't that a wonderful thing? And so much time has passed, how is it now related to this regent?

Xu Da glanced at Xu Yungong and sighed, "Her Majesty the Empress asked me a question during the meal: Has Miaoyun found a suitable match for marriage?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Miaoyun's expression froze!
"Father, what do you mean?"

"Is Your Majesty desiring to bestow a marriage during this regent's term?"

She was so clever that she guessed some of the clues in just a moment!
"Excellent! I have fought for the Ming Dynasty and made military contributions. If I achieve further merits, I will be granted the title of King!"

"Now that he is a Duke, assisting His Highness the Crown Prince in overseeing the country, once His Majesty and the Crown Prince return from their tour, I will set aside Li Shanchang's achievements in civil administration for the time being. As his father, I have nothing to reward him with but a marriage!"

This arranged marriage

"Your Majesty, he..."

As Xu Da spoke, he slapped his thigh: "Isn't this letting His Majesty kill two birds with one stone? He's ordering me around and keeping an eye on Miaoyun. Who knows which prince he's going to propose marriage to!"

"The Second Prince and the Third Prince are intelligent and magnanimous, but in reality they are narrow-minded. I hope the Fourth Prince, Zhu Di, will not be this dissolute Fourth Prince!"

Xu Da looked worried.

The arranged marriage itself isn't the problem. The main issue is... elder brother, look at your princes! The second and third princes are alright, at most they cause some trouble, but this fourth prince is always idle and doesn't even want to go to school. Who is Miaoyun supposed to marry?
She can't possibly marry the Crown Prince, can she?

For a moment, Xu Da even had the urge to feign illness and retire.

"Father, please assist His Highness the Crown Prince in overseeing the country."

"My daughter is willing to marry him!"

Just then, Xu Miaoyun spoke up.

Upon hearing this, Xu Da was also taken aback: "Miaoyun, your father can still find a way to resolve this matter. Please don't do anything rash!"

Even Xu Yungong hurriedly said, "Sister, this won't do!"

Unexpectedly,

Xu Miaoyun simply shook her head slightly and said, "Father, my marriage is better than anything else."

"Your military achievements are too great. Only by arranging a marriage can my Xu family pass on its legacy in peace."

"Isn't His Majesty also worried about our Xu family?"

Xu Da remained silent after these words were spoken.

He knew his daughter was right.

There's no one left to bestow titles upon; isn't this also a dilemma for His Majesty the Emperor, the elder brother of the nation?
Now, marriage is the best course of action!

"Miaoyun, you've suffered so much." "The prince of marriageable age now is probably that fourth prince."

The next day,

Outside Yingtian Prefecture, banners were arrayed and the army was impressive.

With Zhu Biao's help, Zhu Yuanzhang boarded the carriage.

The parade convoy slowly departed.

The billowing smoke and dust gradually obscured the view.

The historian recorded: When the emperor was on tour, the grandson, who was overseeing the country, saw his figure and was overcome with grief. He pointed to the smoke and dust and said: "Hold the fan and blow the wind. Do not let the smoke and dust obstruct my view of my imperial grandfather!"

The courtiers were moved by the grandson's filial piety and were all saddened.

"It seems His Highness the Crown Prince is taking this a little seriously!"

"Yes, you can cry all you want, but why make us come back to court halfway through your tears?"

"Uh, there's something I probably shouldn't say, but was His Highness the Crown Prince really not blinded by the dust and wind just now, which is why he had his attendants fanning him?"

"possible!"

Outside the Fengtian Hall, the officials were all discussing the matter animatedly.

Having just seen His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince off on their tour, they felt a strange sense of relief.

But the thought of the Crown Prince's "overtime court meeting" felt a bit strange.

After all, what kind of matters could a ten-year-old child possibly discuss?

Just as the officials were discussing the matter, someone suddenly approached, and all the officials were startled!
The newcomer had a dark complexion, carried a package and a long box, and wore a prefectural official's robe with patches on it.

"Yang Xian?"

"Yang Xian, the prefect of Yangzhou? Didn't His Majesty appoint him to govern Yangzhou and restore the people's strength two years ago?"

At a glance, everyone recognized who the newcomer was.

It was Yang Xian, a student of Liu Bowen, the Imperial Censor, who was personally appointed by Zhu Yuanzhang as the Prefect of Yangzhou!
"teacher!"

Yang Xian stepped forward and walked up to Liu Bowen with a respectful expression.

Liu Bowen frowned slightly, turned his body slightly, gave a soft "hmm," and said no more.

Yang Xian governed Yangzhou and was praised by Zhu Yuanzhang, but the praise was for the cruel punishment of skinning daylilies!
Liu Bowen then realized that he had misjudged people and had recommended a cruel official for office, so he distanced himself from him.

Li Shanchang's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

"Teacher, Yang Xian has governed Yangzhou with great success and has been praised by His Majesty. Now that he has come to Yingtian Prefecture, he is a formidable enemy for us. Why are you so happy, Teacher?"

Hu Weiyong's eyes were full of incomprehension.

Unexpectedly, Li Shanchang smiled faintly and said, "Yang Xian is a cruel official who oppresses the people and officials! As a local official, he is judged by his performance. How could he know this?"

"But once he entered Yingtian Prefecture, given his cruel nature, he was naturally not as mature and prudent as Liu Bowen, and was bound to reveal his flaws."

"At that time, if the student makes a mistake, will the teacher remain unscathed?"

Li Shanchang, like a fox that has lived in the jungle for a long time, observes coldly from the sidelines, but has already made his own plans.

"The teacher is wise!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong's eyes were filled with admiration!
Just then, a sharp proclamation rang out:
"The Crown Prince is overseeing the court proceedings; all officials, please enter the hall!"

The first court meeting of Zhu Xiong Ying, the grandson of the Ming emperor, who was in charge of the country, has begun!

Quick tips:

The second prince, Zhu Shuang, was skilled in military affairs and could construct military projects, but he was also ruthless and abused his power through private torture.

The third prince, Zhu Gang, was intelligent but cruel. He once whipped a cook over a trivial matter and repeatedly had people bound by horses and torn apart by chariots.

The fourth prince, Zhu Di, loved military horses but disliked studying at the Imperial Academy.

(End of this chapter)