Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 26 Conspiracy!

Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
The crisp sound of horse hooves and wheels rolling is particularly loud on the streets late at night.

Although there is a curfew in Jinling, it is naturally impossible to stop the dignified Prince of Yan.

Walking at night, it is unusually quiet without the hustle and bustle of the day.

Zhu Di sat sideways in the carriage, with Yao Guangxiao and the plain-looking man in cloth next to him.

Zhu Di first turned his gaze to the man in plain clothes and said, "Mr. Yuan, have you noticed anything?"

The commoner who had been staring at Zhu Yunhuan was none other than Yuan Gong, the number one physiognomy master of the contemporary era who wrote "Liuzhuang Physiognomy"!
As a person who was recorded in history for his ability to read faces, he was naturally not a simple person.

When Zhu Di met Yuan Gong for the first time, he wanted to test the authenticity of his physiognomy.

So he selected nine soldiers who were similar in size and appearance to him, had them all wear the same clothes, and drink in the tavern.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Yuan Gong walked in, he immediately recognized it, knelt in front of him and said, "Your Highness, why do you despise your body so much?"

The nine soldiers all laughed and said that Yuan Gong had misjudged the person.

But Yuan Gong was extremely firm and said bluntly, "With my physiognomy skills, I will never be wrong."

……

Later, Zhu Di tried and tested Yuan Gong many times, and Yuan Gong was always very accurate in his predictions, which made Zhu Di believe in his superb physiognomy.

Today, I came to visit Zhu Yunhuan's house, and I specially brought Yuan Gong with me.

Although it may not be accurate to judge the depth of Zhu Yunhuan by looking at his face, it may provide some reference.

When Yuan Gong heard Zhu Di's question, he smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"I have seen countless people in my life, but I have never seen anyone with a face like his."

Zhu Di was shocked and asked hurriedly, "Could it be that he really has the appearance of an emperor?"

Yuan Gong shook his head gently and said, "I can't see it, I can't see it!"

"Please forgive me, Your Highness, the Prince of Yan. I cannot tell his face."

"Strange, strange, very strange!"

"Logically speaking, there shouldn't be people with this kind of appearance in the world."

"He shouldn't exist in this world."

Zhu Di and Yao Guangxiao looked at each other and remained silent.

"Amitabha!"

Yao Guangxiao chanted a Buddhist name and said, "There are countless strange people in the world. There are always people who cannot be seen through. There is no need to be surprised."

Zhu Di nodded and said, "Yes, my nephew is really a remarkable man."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have done something unprecedented like asking the emperor for the position of crown prince and the Ming dynasty in public."

"But I don't know whether our method this time will be effective against him?"

"Will he really listen to me and deal with Lan Yu?"

Recalling what happened during his meeting with Zhu Yunhuan just now, Zhu Di couldn't help but praise him secretly.

Zhu Yunhuan's speech and behavior were much smarter than those of an ordinary teenager.

He had been ignored before.

"This is a conspiracy!"

Yao Guangxiao said with a smile: "Your Highness, tell him the news that the emperor is going to deal with Lan Yu, and then ask him to help eliminate Lan Yu. Whether he agrees or not, he will be unable to advance or retreat."

"If he really helps His Highness to eliminate Lan Yu, he will be cutting off his own arm."

"Without the support of Lan Yu, Chang Sheng and other generals and the children of nobles, he would no longer have any power in the court and it would be difficult for him to hold on alone."

"From now on, he will have no chance to compete for the throne!"

He said that as long as Lan Yu was eliminated, Zhu Yuanzhang would make him the crown prince. Of course, that was a lie.

Zhu Yuanzhang was indeed wary of the excessive power of the foreign relatives, military generals and nobles headed by Lan Yu.

But this does not mean that he wants to appoint a crown prince who has no support from anyone.

Power is never innate.

Righteousness and reputation can play a big role, but they cannot determine everything.

Therefore, when Zhu Yuanzhang was preparing to let Zhu Biao succeed to the throne, he had to help Zhu Biao train a complete set of direct descendants.

The same would apply if he wanted to train other heirs.

A lonely man without his own team cannot control the Ming Dynasty!

Perhaps as time goes by, the Ming Dynasty's rule will gradually gain popularity among the people, and future successors will no longer be needed.

But at least, for a newly founded dynasty, it was not enough! Zhu Yunwen had the support of the civil service group.

Zhu Yunhuan’s roots are naturally the military generals and nobles.

How can he still rule the Ming Dynasty if he cuts off his own roots?
"Even if he sees through your Highness's intentions, it doesn't matter."

"Your Highness has already told him that His Majesty intends to deal with Lan Yu."

"If he tells Lan Yu the news again, he will be shielding his relatives and disobeying the emperor's will."

"Your Majesty cannot tolerate him!"

Yao Guangxiao's compassionate face was all smiles.

"It would be fine if he didn't know the news, but knowing the news but standing by and watching, for the noble generals like Lan Yu, it would be a betrayal, and they would cut off all ties with him from now on."

"Not only that, but when your majesty wanted to take action against Lan Yu, he stood by and watched. He was disloyal and unfilial to your majesty!"

"This time, he can neither advance nor retreat. He can neither advance nor retreat!"

Zhu Di clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "Only you, Daoyan, can come up with such a brilliant plan."

After a while, he said with some uneasiness:
"However, I secretly told him that the emperor was interested in Lan Yu, but I don't know what the emperor would think."

Yao Guangxiao smiled and said, "There's no need to worry too much about this."

"In fact, you and I both know that since the King of Wu bluntly asked for the position of crown prince and the Ming Dynasty, Your Majesty may have hesitated in his heart whether to take Lan Yu."

"If the King of Wu is really allowed to succeed to the throne, then Lan Yu should not be taken down, and he will not be taken down."

"If we release the news now, it will force Lan Yu to do something desperate, and it will also force Your Majesty to make a decision as soon as possible and take Lan Yu down."

"If not, once your majesty changes his mind and appoints the King of Wu as the crown prince, the situation will be irreversible."

Zhu Di was silent for a while, then sighed and said, "That is indeed the truth."

"I was forced to defeat my father."

Yao Guangxiao stroked his beard and said, "This is a way to kill two birds with one stone."

"Besides, when His Majesty first consulted with you, he intended for you to prepare."

"If you want to be prepared, you can't be the only one who knows."

"You also have to give some instructions to some generals before you can prepare yourself."

"King Wu is a member of the royal family. It is reasonable to tell him to make preparations in advance. It cannot be considered as disobeying the emperor's will."

Zhu Di said: "That being said, you and I both know that things have changed since what happened in the court that day."

"I just took advantage of the fact that my father didn't repeat the question."

"We must make a decision when necessary!" Yao Guangxiao said, "The King of Wu is definitely not a simple person. Moreover, if he really becomes the crown prince and inherits the throne in the future, considering the hatred between Your Highness and Lan Yu and others, Your Highness's wish for a peaceful life in the future will probably be wishful thinking."

"Now that King Wu's future has been ruined, even if King Xian benefits and eventually becomes the crown prince, the outcome will be much better."

"Besides, how could Lan Yu and others just sit there and wait for death?"

"If he strikes back before his death, and we stir up trouble, we may have a chance to take down King Xian as well."

"In my opinion, the two kings of Qin and Jin are not worth worrying about."

"By then, Your Highness may not have no chance to make further progress!"

Zhu Di smiled when he heard this and said, "Thank you, Master, for helping me plan everything!"

Yao Guangxiao smiled and said, "Don't be too happy too soon."

"My plan is not bad, but how he will respond is still unknown."

Zhu Di said: "Even if he sees through this plan, he will not be able to deal with it, so there is no need to worry."

Yao Guangxiao lifted the curtains and looked at the inky black streets and sky outside.

"I can't think of any other way he can deal with it."

"But I always feel that this boy might not admit defeat so easily!"

"Perhaps, he will have some tricks that we can't even imagine!"

The voice faded away slowly, and he continued to recite the poem.

"In the past, the Emperors of Qin and Han were slightly inferior in literary talent; the Emperors of Tang and Song were slightly inferior in style and elegance."

"A generation of arrogance, Genghis Khan, only knows how to bend the bow and shoot the eagle."

"All the past is gone, but the heroes of today are still to be seen."

The night was dark, and the carriage rumbled away, gradually disappearing into the darkness.

……

(End of this chapter)